Canonical Demos Physical Awareness Prototype in Ubuntu

[Giles Orr]

On 22 September 2010 12:39, Michael Lauzon <mlauzon-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org> wrote:
> Interesting....
>
> "Prototype uses webcam to sense user activity and trigger appropriate
> reactions.
>
> "Over at Canonical's design blog, Christian Giordano introduced an
> early prototype for a user-aware framework that tracks a user's
> movements and responds by triggering different actions.
>
> "The blog details a few examples such as having the computer initiate
> full-screen mode when a user leans back in their chair. Canonical also
> toyed with a parallax technique that shifted the desktop's reference
> point depending on where the user was positioned in relationship to
> it.
>
> "It's one thing to try and describe these processes and another to
> demonstrate them. Check out the video: http://vimeo.com/14959854
>
> "No word on when or even if this prototype will make it to a future
> version of Ubuntu, but with this, along with the uTouch framework
> Canonical released a few weeks ago, the company seems to be extremely
> interested in new ways to interact with a PC."
>
>
> http://www.linuxpromagazine.com/Online/News/Canonical-Demos-Physical-Awareness-Prototype-in-Ubuntu

I think this is interesting and may eventually lead to some very
useful behaviours, but as a general rule I would still prefer to
decide what my programs do myself.  The first thing that came to mind
when I saw this was the HHGG gag about having to sit absolutely still
while using the TV because if you moved in the slightest it was
interpreted as a desire to change the channel ...

I can just imagine the new Clippy: "I see that you've just sneezed!
We're going to interrupt your current editing session to open a google
search for medical sites on how to cure the common cold!"

-- 
Giles
http://www.gilesorr.com/
gilesorr-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org
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