Curtis G. Wong

MyLifeBits: fulfilling the Memex vision

MyLifeBits is a project to fulfill the Memex vision first posited by Vannevar Bush in 1945. It is a system for storing all of ones digital media, including documents, images, sounds, and videos. It is built on four principles: (1) collections and search must replace hierarchy for organization (2) many visualizations should be supported (3) annotations are critical to non-text media and must be made easy, and (4) authoring should be via transclusion.

SmartSkip: consumer level browsing and skipping of digital video content

In this paper, we describe an interface for browsing and skipping digital video content in a consumer setting; that is, sitting and watching television from a couch using a standard remote control. We compare this interface with two other interfaces that are in common use today and found that subjective satisfaction was statistically better with the new interface. Performance metrics however, like time to task completion and number of clicks were worse.

MediaBrowser: reclaiming the shoebox

Applying personal keywords to images and video clips makes it possible to organize and retrieve them, as well as automatically create thematically related slideshows. MediaBrowser is a system designed to help users create annotations by uniting a careful choice of interface elements, an elegant and pleasing design, smooth motion and animation, and a few simple tools that are predictable and consistent. The result is a friendly, useable tool for turning shoeboxes of old photos into labeled collections that can be easily browsed, shared, and enjoyed.