The Real Ambient Computing Revolution
It’s like air but with bits and intelligent multi modal design for all senses
I’m not sold on the voice revolution. It’s not going to happen. At least not the way most people think it will. There is a very simple reason for that.
The Ambient computing will happen but not the way most people think about it. There is a simple explanation for that. It’s you. You and all the people around you.
I’ll come back to it in a minute but before that you should watch Walt’s Mossberg last podcast. Mossberg, Nilay Patel and Dieter Bohn talk about a bunch of stuff.
At around 43:05 they mention Google Home and how Google is serving only one voice result. They compare this with the results on a screen. They question the algorithm’s transparency and its inner workings.
I thought about it and the answer is striking simple. It’s you. You and me and everyone around us. It’s how humans function when they talk and listen.
The answer is, most of the times, a single piece of information. Not a list of things. Lists and bigger amounts of information work better when see things. That’s how the human brain is wired.
Why answer A is better than answer B has to do with many things [1]. How the two persons know each other. If they know each other at all. What is the relationship between then, if any. What is the authority of the person asking and answering the question. What is the expectation for the quality of the answer. Does the person asking the question has the same motives with the person answering the question?
Knowing each other
A: What do you recommend from this menu?
B: The burger is great and comes with a gluten free bun
He/she knows that he/she is gluten intolerant
Relationship
A: Honey i’m feeling terrible can you come home?
B: Sure baby
He/she will quit everything he/she does and run home
Authority
A: Doc, what should i do if _____ ?
B: You are going to be fine and i will see you again in two days
Doctor assures patient he/she is going to be OK and patient accepts it
Expectation
A: Excuse me, do you know how to get to the Apple Store?
B: Sure, take a left here and then a right you will see it on your right hand side
Apple Store was located on the other side of the street but no big deal
Motives
A: What do you think it’s the best computer for me
B: This is a great computer, i use it at home too
Sales rep recommends computer with highest profit margin
Voice is limited as a format of information flow. That’s why voice search results are also limited. That’s why the voice revolution is not a revolution at all. It’s just a way humans understand and interact with the world.
That’s why the real ambient computing revolution will happen with a intelligent multi modal device mix. Voice will be just part of it. The OS will know which screen to activate at each time. Phone, tablet, watch, TV et al. Which animation to use, how to vibrate, how loud the voice will be, which app to launch.
If you haven’t noticed, that’s what Apple is doing best (and other companies try). Humanizing computers [2] with design (ever noticed anything in nature with sharp edges?) and less wires. Adding 3D Touch and Touch ID and the Taptic Engine. Creating better screens, removing bezels and providing better sound. That’s also why AR is a big deal. The overall design of the products with curves
That’s the real ambient computing revolution.
[1] Tech challenges, profits and tech leader’s world view included
[2] As Steve Jobs told Walt Mossberg at D conference “everything is a computer”
