LUCI Blog

One thing that has intrigued me is the camps in the academic world which gravitate toward the terms "ubiquitous computing" versus those that prefer "pervasive computing". I feel like there is some competition between the two camps to claim the mind-space under one of the two terms, but if I actually think about who is in each camp, I can't actually place anyone in either one.

Courtesy of Google however it is possible to see that the two terms are fairly equally represented on the web, although references to both are slowly declining. Presumably that is because technologies originally in "ubicomp" are developing their own communities, like "intelligent user interfaces" or something else. I think it's just a sign of maturing in the field. Also notable is the amount of interest in Asia versus the rest of the world around these terms.

"Eyal Burstein has designed a series of objects he calls Progress Bar. They measure long terms goals or wishes, creating an emotional link to the passing of time. There's a model that runs for 18 years with each band represents one year. Other models span over a shorter period of time, like one month. The Progress Bar serves as a gentle reminder, requiring very little attention or upkeep. Video on the designer's website."