I am on IM with one of my best friends right now, and mentioned to him that I really need to look at getting a smartboard, instead of another (static) whiteboard (I’ve got three of them, two hanging). See, I use whiteboards as a means to brainstorm, goal-set, and flat out dream in ink. And having it connected to my mobile would be futuristic, but would also be quite productive.
This is a scenario that I spoke about to LJ:
the smartboard needs to connect to my mobile (since mobile is the hub here)… use mobile web server in a local mode and then writings on smartboard turn into images posted to a private gallery so that I can use them… use gestures and shapes (like writing an event and circling it) for it to append to a calendar/task/note
Yea, that idea of the mobile device being a server coming up again – not like you are tired of hearing me talk about that one 😛
Thing is, here’s a situation where it works, and works really well. As I showed in one of my previous posts, I already do a good job of using certain accessories with my mobile in order to stay (mostly) productive. Stretching this metaphor of connectivity and fluid information would add the accessory of a smartboard. You see, the smartboard would be something like a post-it area, but at the same time I’d use gestures and ink as a means to initiate that information being shared to my mobile – and then from the mobile to people I’d like to share content/life with.
Honestly, depending on the cost, I think I’d be able to pull this off pretty well. And if the smartboard could connect to my mobile’s Wi-Fi connection (ad-hoc mode with JoikuSpot), then I’d essentially have that hub in effect. The harder part would be coding the connection and workflow from the smartboard to the mobile web server. That part would be something worth playing a bit more with in thought and architecture.
Given that I’m single and live in an apartment, this kind of choice works great – it would probably work nice in a home office for those with a few more commitments around the house. The mobile playing as the center of this works really, really well. I wonder about things like data formats and such for scribbled documents – they would need to be in some vector-based format. And overall, this would need to be as simple as picking up a marker and drawing – even with the gestures.
Yea, this can work. I need to shop and do homework. This is not your father’s home computer (or even your neighbor’s most probably, hehehe), nor their interactions. This is taking the context of what’s doable today, and making the tech fit it, not me fit the tech. Oh yea, I’m geeked out on this one too.
blog.arjw 
I love the concept. You have a great product in mind and it is do-able…I see a clear need for this type of mobile smartboard for business,education,special education, disability,and elderly use. The pragmatic and user- friendly UI (gesturing/writing/touch)makes this device idea so universaly needed and appealing. I look forward to future posts on progress with developing your smartboard.:)
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