The Center for Graphic Facilitation

Curious Minds Co. releases the CURIOSITY BOX into the wild

(via Michelle Walker)

Curiosity Box is a powerful tool for equipping facilitators, business innovators, coaches and team leaders with NEWWAYS of initiating ideas.

What's in the box? 40 unique hand-drawn cards plus a 20-page User Guide packed with 'how to' information and practical examples.

WIRED: MIT Students Turn Internet Into a Sixth Human Sense -- Video

LONG BEACH, California -- Students at the MIT Media Lab have developed a wearable computing system that turns any surface into an interactive display screen. The wearer can summon virtual gadgets and internet data at will, then dispel them like smoke when they're done.

FULL STORY: http://blog.wired.com/business/2009/02/ted-digital-six.html

'Minority Report' Interface Controlled by Hand Gestures

"Before Tom Cruise went crazy," notes the unnamed reviewer in this video from WIRED, "he starred in this actually pretty cool movie called Minority Report, where he was controlling this computer interface purely with his hands."

At CES 2009, Toshiba showed off a conceptual computer interface that uses hand gestures for control. With simple motion sensing technology and a software interface, Toshiba hopes to open up applications for video games and other interactive media.

The WIRED reviewer concludes: "I think it is pretty cool. I don't think it'll hit the mainstream anytime soon. I don't think people will be solving crimes or anything with it."

Who knows? Three years ago, Jeff Han blew the roof off at TED 2006 by premiering his touchscreen interface. Then the iPhone came out and made smallscreen multi-touch an expected feature on gadgets.

Oh, there's the Wii which is fast putting the concept of a hardwired game controller in the category of rabbit ear television antenna.

I want to know when we can use it to start painting in virtual 3-D!

Muji Chronotebook

I spotted this gem at ZenHabits.net, in another good post on productivity, A Minimalist’s Guide to Using Twitter Simply, Productively, and Funly.

This zen designed little day planner notebook eliminates the traditional (Western) grid structure and uses a simple clock/mindmap model.

Full review: http://www.jackcheng.com/stuff-i-love-muji-chronotebook

NPR: High-Tech Pen Makes Note-Taking Easier

I  have just tested the LiveScribe SmartPen and might be in love.

This pen is a digital audio recorder and camera built into a large ballpoint pen. It timestamps every note I take using the special spiral-bound notebook with almost imperceptible dot-matrixed paper.

After I finish taking notes, i click the pen on the part of the image or text and the audio recorder plays back whatever was being recorded at that time.

Now, if they can just come out with a 4' x 8' whiteboard version with multiple colors and a portable Aeron chair with lumbar support, I'd be set!

clipped from www.npr.org Morning Edition, April 21, 2008 · A California company has invented a new pen. It features a camera mounted on the nib and a microphone that records audio, along with a docking cradle that allows uploads to a computer. But some note-takers still prefer quiet, old-fashioned pens and paper.

The Smart Pen: The Past and Future of Pen and Paper

Check out these video demos of the pen that records what you write while recording the audio of the conversation. It also imports both the audio and visual notes into your computer.

BDU Pocket Field Organizer/Wallet

Submitted by Ivan Romero to Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools: A notebook, pens & essentials holder



I had seen these small pouches before, but didn’t pay close attention until I saw photo of a fully-loaded one on Flickr. When I don't want to carry my whole gear bag, these are great for the bare essentials. Even when I do need my gear bag, the BDU is compact enough I just slide it right in, as is. It really helps keep my stuff organized. I fit five pens, including the previously-reviewed 0.18 mm pen, a Moleskine planner, Sony Clie PDA, ID and credit card, pocket knife and a small flashlight. You open up the wallet and it has slots for pens/pencils with a pouch behind that section that fits a pocket Moleskine perfectly. On the inside right, there’s a flap with a clear plastic pocket for ID stashing. It can also fit a small portable music player. 

BAG WORKS Marker Roll-Up

From Leah Silverman at  http://www.designbyleah.com/

A favorite tool that I picked up was actually something that I found a week before the 2008 IFVP Conference and brought with me.

Made from durable synthetic material, it's a compartmentalized marker pouch that you can use for travel and also fashion into a little stand for your pens.

It's made by BagWorks and I've only seen it on Mister Art and Texas Art Supply (who ships under Mister Art but is a little cheaper -- $5.09).

Shipping of course will get you but I took the opportunity to buy lots of other stuff. The roll-up isn't quite as large as advertised but seems to be very handy. It can also be easily fashioned into an apron if you work that way.

Attention Lefty Scribes!

[ As submitted by Tat Man Woo to Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools ]

SmudgeGuard
Mess-free handwriting/drawing for lefties & artists

My son is left-handed and kept getting the side of his hand dirty from unwanted graphite and ink smudges in school, so we ordered him a SmudgeGuard. The glove, which covers his pinky, is made of nylon and spandex, so it fits snug to his hand and glides easily over the paper when he's writing fast. Usually, when my son writes, his hand will start to perspire. The SmudgeGuard stays dry making it less likely to re-smudge the paper. Because it's only protecting the areas most prone to smudges and because the material is thin, he can also type on a keyboard or do other things while wearing it.

Available from and manufactured by SmudgeGuard
(sizes xxs - l)
$5

Instant Portable Whiteboard

From Lifehacker [ via David Owens ]

Longtime readers may remember me oohing and ahhing over polysheet instant whiteboards, static-cling, erasable sheets for sticking on your office, home or conference room walls back in April.

After that post I ordered up a pack and it turns out that I LOVE them.  So, when Popular Science asked me what my favorite gadget is, these sheets were my answer.

Thirty-five "instant whiteboards" are available for around $25 at Twin Supply Inc. Keep two things in mind, though: tear off the sheets very carefully at the top to avoid unevenness, and while they are reusable, after a few uses ghosting does occur. Still, the sheets work great for collaborative diagramming, small children and to-do lists for short bursts of work that get done because they're on the wall of the room where you're working.