electronic

In this paper, we describe FLANNEL, an architecture for adding computational capabilities to email. FLANNEL allows email to be modified by an application while in transit between sender and receiver. This modification is done without modification to the endpoints---mail clients---at either end. This paper also describes interaction techniques that we have developed to allow senders of email to quickly and easily select computations to be performed by FLANNEL. Through, our experience, we explain the properties that applications must have in order to be successful in the context of FLANNEL.

In this paper we introduce multidimensional visualization and interaction techniques that are an extension to related work in parallel histograms and dynamic querying. Bargrams are, in effect, histograms whose bars have been tipped over and lined up end-to-end. We discuss affordances of parallel bargrams in the context of systems that support consumer-based information exploration and choice based on the attributes of the items in the choice set. Our tool called EZChooser has enabled a number of prototypes in such domains as Internet shopping, investment decisions, college choice, and so on, and a limited version has been deployed for car shopping. Evaluations of the techniques include an experiment indicating that trained users prefer EZChooser over static tables for choice tasks among sets of 50 items with 7-9 attributes.

It is well known that paper is a very fluid, natural, and easy to use medium for manipulating some kinds of information. It is familiar, portable, flexible, inexpensive, and offers good readability properties. Paper also has well known limitations when compared with electronic media. Work in hybrid paper electronic interfaces seeks to bring electronic capabilities to real paper in order to obtain the best properties of each. This paper describes a hybrid paper electronic system --- the Paper PDA --- which is designed to allow electronic capabilities to be employed within a conventional paper notebook, calendar, or organizer. The Paper PDA is based on a simple observation: a paper notebook can be synchronized with a body of electronic information much like an electronic PDA can be synchronized with information hosted on a personal computer. This can be accomplished by scanning, recognizing and processing its contents, then printing a new copy. This paper introduces the Paper PDA concept and considers interaction techniques and applications designed to work within the Paper PDA. The StickerLink technique supports on-paper hyperlinking using removable paper stickers. Two applications are also considered which look at aspects of electronic communications via the Paper PDA.

Ordinary paper offers properties of readability, fluidity, flexibility, cost, and portability that current electronic devices are often hard pressed to match. In fact, a lofty goal for many interactive systems is to be "as easy to use as pencil and paper". However, the static nature of paper does not support a number of capabilities, such as search and hyperlinking that an electronic device can provide. The Paper PDA project explores ways in which hybrid paper electronic interfaces can bring some of the capabilities of the electronic medium to interactions occurring on real paper. Key to this effort is the invention of on-paper interaction techniques which retain the flexibility and fluidity of normal pen and paper, but which are structured enough to allow robust interpretation and processing in the digital world. This paper considers the design of a class of simple printed templates that allow users to make common marks in a fluid fashion, and allow additional gestures to be invented by the users to meet their needs, but at the same time encourages marks that are quite easy to recognize.