On-Screen Keyboard Learns You

by Hugh Beyer    02/10/2012

IBM has patented an onscreen keyboard that adapts to you… very cool but will a technology that learns you at the same time as you are learning it work?

I told all my friends about OnStar

by Hugh Beyer    10/18/2011

We were doing an interview on another topic when one of our users began gushing about OnStar, particularly the turn-by-turn navigation. “It is so cool! When I got it I had to invite all my friends to come and sit in the car with me–then we’d have to invent someplace to go so I could show them how it worked! Press a button and somebody’s there to help you out! I love it!”

The quick copy shop

by Eli Wylen    09/22/2011

I was on my way to visit a customer when I suddenly realized that I had forgotten to bring along the hardcopy of an important document. So while I was driving I used the Google app to voice search for “copy places near <the town>”, then Google Maps to map it and get directions. I arrived at the Minuteman copy/print store and asked to use his computer to download the file from the web to his computer for printing, but his company policy wouldn’t allow that. So I fired up my laptop, connected to the Internet using Minuteman’s wireless—he shared their password with me—and then emailed the file him for printing.

Time in store: 5 minutes. Cost: $3.00.

Wow.

Five years ago, this kind of connectivity and mobility was unheard of, especially in light of the need to use so many different technologies to make it happen.

Starbucks Via – Instant coffee that’s worth it

by Hugh Beyer    09/08/2011

Since we just did a Coolworthy review on the Keurig, it’s only fair to mention the other strong entry in the quick-coffee sweepstakes: Starbucks Via. Finally, instant coffee good enough to pass–I knew they’d done it right when I burned my mouth trying to get one more sip out of the mug I didn’t have time to finish before leaving for work. Fits into the time (and space–the packets are really small) of my life, no hassle at all to make, and delivers the sensation of fresh-ground coffee.

Tripping around with TripIt

by Hugh Beyer    09/06/2011

TripIt is one of those sites which is amazingly cool without doing anything itself. (Somewhat like Mint.) It doesn’t schedule your trip, make reservations, or find fun things to do. What it does is organize your trip information in one place and present it on the web or on your smartphone in a simple, straightforward way. Need to check your flight time? It’s 3 seconds away on your smartphone. Need to see if it’s delayed? 4 seconds away. And it’s easy to set up–just forward emails to a special address and TripIt collects your data for you.

The Space Invaders watch

by Hugh Beyer    09/01/2011

This is a watch that will tickle the nostalgia inherent in Identity and Sensation. And how much is that worth to you?

Crazy Cubes: Sifteo

by Hugh Beyer    08/31/2011

Sifteo Cubes are inherently cool: small cubes you can touch and rearrange, and which respond to you and to each other. They tie into the concepts of Sensation and Direct into Action–they respond to position, orientation, movement, and proximity to each other. But are they cool enough to be worth the cost?

When Hot Coffee’s Cool: The Keurig Coffee Maker

by Hugh Beyer, Traci Lepore and David Rondeau    08/15/2011

The perfect cup of coffee should be strong, hot, tasty, and convenient. The Keurig coffee maker delivers.

OMG, Agile is Cool

by Hugh Beyer    08/09/2011

Well, of course Agile is cool–why else have I been excited about it for going on 10 years now. But it wasn’t until one attendee at Agile 2011 turned to another at the icebreaker tonight and said, “Now that you’re working this way, could you ever go back?” and the other guy got this appalled look and said, “No, I couldn’t go back” that I got it. Agile is cool. It gives developers the sense of Accomplishment–they can get tangible stuff done quickly. It fosters Connection between members of the team–pair programming, anybody? Stand-up meetings? It bolsters Identity–the work you do gets committed, integrated, and delivered-and you did it. And it does that by letting developers work Directly on the code with minimal Hassle. No wonder people love it.

Cool Visualization at hipmunk.com

by Hugh Beyer    08/08/2011

Hipmunk provides a unique way of viewing your travel options

Cell Phone Lifesaver

by Swift Corwin    07/28/2011

Technology saved some pain today for me. I was walking out to talk to the guy in the timber harvester when he saw me coming near. He called me on my cell and said “look at that stump over on the right. There is a bee’s nest in in the ground, watch it.” He he had just dislodged it with his machine. I steered clear and was not stung.

Toyota’s Windows Interface

by Hugh Beyer    07/27/2011

Here’s a real windowing interface. Draw on the car’s windows to interact with the world you see outside. This is a real manifestation of Direct into Action… and supports much of Accomplishment as well, by filling in the dead time of being a passenger in a car.

Subway Shopping

by Hugh Beyer    07/18/2011

South Korea is using augmented reality to sell groceries in subway stations. A different way to keep the unstoppable momentum of life going–shop while you wait.

Apple keyboard

by Hugh Beyer    07/05/2011

I don’t know what it is but the visual and tactile sensuousness of this keyboard just suckers me in.

The In-Car iPod Connector

by Hugh Beyer    06/29/2011

The USB connection for the iPod in my car is almost one of the coolest things in my life. No silly add-on holder, no dinking with finding a good radio station, no worry about charging–just plug the iPod in, control it through the car’s stereo interface, and forget about any hassles. The function is cool–but the design isn’t so clean. It just pokes out of the control panel, which makes it a little less cool.

Droid Meditation Timer

by Hugh Beyer    05/22/2011

This is the coolest app I have on my Droid. It does just one thing—time your meditation session—but it does it exactly right, no extra steps or fuss. You can set the number and type of bells to start, a grace period before the timed mediation actually starts, and the number and type of bells to end. The interface is simple and beautiful and the bells’ tone is charming. It’s always there when I need it—just pull out the phone and touch a button.