Mark D. Weiser (July 23, 1952 – April 27, 1999) was a chief scientist at Xerox PARC in the United States. Weiser is widely considered to be the father of ubiquitous computing, a term he coined in 1988.
For thirty years most interface design, and most comptuer design, has been headed down the path of the "dramatic" machine. Its highest idea is to make a computer so exciting, so wonderful, so interesting, that we never want to be without it. A less-traveled path I call the "invisible"; its highest idea is to make a computer so imbedded, so fitting, so natural, that we use it without even thinking about it.
Machines that fit the human environment, instead of forcing humans to enter theirs, will make using a computer as refreshing as taking a walk in the woods.
The most profound technologies are those that disappear. They weave themselves into the fabric of everyday life until they are indistinguishable from it.
Long term, the PC and workstation will wither because computing access will be everywhere: in the walls, on wrists, and in 'scrap computers' lying about waiting to be grabbed as needed.
I see a sea of networkers all doing and saying the same things. They look alike, act alike and sound alike when speaking to prospects. If you want to rise above the average, mediocre networker. . . then you have to think differently.
Elif Safak
Eduardo Schwank
Dan Lipinski
Jim Flaherty
Michael Ignatieff
Manon Rheaume
Vicky Beeching
Moon Jong-up
Letty Cottin Pogrebin
Peter Agre
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Ben Marcus