The Future of Computer Help Me The Future of Computer Help Me or Entertain Meor Entertain Me

These days work and entertainment These days work and entertainment increasingly mixincreasingly mix

. So we need software . So we need software that understands what that understands what

mode we're in. When we mode we're in. When we work, we search for work, we search for

information. When we information. When we play, we're browsing and play, we're browsing and

we want to be entertained. we want to be entertained. The information for work The information for work

must be precise, whereas must be precise, whereas that for entertainment can that for entertainment can be imprecise and casualbe imprecise and casual

Help me: Search, Business Tools and Auto Help me: Search, Business Tools and Auto completecomplete

Search is the most important utility on the Search is the most important utility on the web and is indispensable in business. web and is indispensable in business.

Whether you're a programmer looking for a Whether you're a programmer looking for a library, a researcher seeking a scientific library, a researcher seeking a scientific paper, or a doctor wanting detail about a paper, or a doctor wanting detail about a drug, search helps you find information.drug, search helps you find information.

Today's search is dominated by Today's search is dominated by GoogleGoogle. . Much has been written about Google Much has been written about Google

stagnation and many attempts to improve stagnation and many attempts to improve the search, but the fact remains, people the search, but the fact remains, people

prefer Google. Yet there has to be a better prefer Google. Yet there has to be a better way to search. After each query we must way to search. After each query we must

sift through myriad choicessift through myriad choices

Entertain me: Twitter, Randomness Entertain me: Twitter, Randomness

and Recommendationsand Recommendations The new entertainment is based on a The new entertainment is based on a

couple of patterns. First is brevity. With couple of patterns. First is brevity. With increasing (and nowadays unbearable) increasing (and nowadays unbearable)

amount of information and choice, modern amount of information and choice, modern entertainment software knows it has your entertainment software knows it has your

eyes for only a limited time.eyes for only a limited time. Twitter is the proto entertainment riding the Twitter is the proto entertainment riding the

exponential curve of popularity. The reason exponential curve of popularity. The reason is it's short. But there's another aspect to is it's short. But there's another aspect to Twitter that's part of a broader pattern. Twitter that's part of a broader pattern.

Twitter is casualTwitter is casual

Modern entertainment Modern entertainment

Modern entertainment is more Modern entertainment is more casual and short because with casual and short because with

ubiquitous web access, rise of the ubiquitous web access, rise of the social web and work from home, social web and work from home,

people want to be entertained during people want to be entertained during the day. Nothing that takes a long the day. Nothing that takes a long

time could work, but checking time could work, but checking Twitter, Flickr, YouTube and Face Twitter, Flickr, YouTube and Face

book for a few minutes is fine in most book for a few minutes is fine in most people's mindspeople's minds..

ConclusionConclusion

Software is increasingly polarized into Software is increasingly polarized into utilities and entertainment. Utilities help us utilities and entertainment. Utilities help us

work and are becoming more rigorous. work and are becoming more rigorous. We're looking for helpful software that We're looking for helpful software that understands our context and guides us understands our context and guides us

through the process, whether it is search or through the process, whether it is search or a complex business task. Entertainment a complex business task. Entertainment

software is at the opposite spectrum, being software is at the opposite spectrum, being casual, brief and random. We're unwilling casual, brief and random. We're unwilling to spend hours browsing, but instead seek to spend hours browsing, but instead seek

quick and satisfactory entertainment quick and satisfactory entertainment