The Associative PDA: Storyboards

this page in German
We, at the Media Computing Group at RWTH Aachen University, are currently developing a new system for personal information management. PIM is an umbrella term for all activities involving the information you use throughout your every-day life, like mail, notes, or a shopping-list. The system we imagine will make use of an associative network to store all of your information in one place. Associations are simple connections between individual items. If, for instance, you receive an email from a colleague, the text of the email will be associated with the colleague, the time it was sent, and yourself as the recipient. To find information in this network of associations you can traverse it, by moving along the associations, or search in it, by showing only related items for a small selection (this technique will be demonstrated in one of the storyboards later on).

Unfiled Information

While introducing a new project to a colleague, Paul wants to show him a picture of the prototype that a contractor has sent him a while ago. Paul knows it should be somewhere in his email inbox, along with the other thousands of messages. Can he find the picture before his colleague dies of boredom?

• Scenario A
• Scenario B

Multi Media Madness

A colleague asks Paul for advice: He needs to find a study to back up a paper he is writing. Paul remembers that in a meeting a few weeks ago they have talked about a suitable study, but what was it about...? Can Paul manage to find his meeting notes to help his colleague and friend?

• Scenario A
• Scenario B

New Task On-The-Go

At a seminar, far away from his office, Paul is confronted with an urgent request by his colleague. Can he overcome the challenge and remember to fulfill the task in time?

• Scenario A
• Scenario B