Hi scroot,

I can see from your comment history this is something you're interested in. ;)

Basically, every tablet manufacturer ever hasn't a clue about how to build a proper interface, for using computing as a medium and the digital notebook as a creative tool. The biggest problem is that too many people think of 'computer education' as learning to navigate pre-defined interfaces without a thought ever going to a) constructing those interfaces, b) working with abstract objects, or most-importantly c) utilizing symbolic expression to transcribe and refine thoughts.

I don't directly blame the manufacturers. I would say that most "programmers" haven't a clue about this art of expression themselves. The world is still blind to the greater picture behind Engelbart, Nelson, Kay, and etc.

And so, I am tired of living in this darkness: I'm making a dynabook (lowercase to distinguish from Kay's vision). The hardware is here, but the software is out 'there'. I can't go get it because it requires financial resources, so I'm releasing programs for the reMarkable tablet community hoping to gather those funds.

My idea is simple: it's for magic paper. The computer will help us define and refine our thoughts with a _real_ contextual interface, a context that will never go out of style: writing and drawing. My dynabook will contain a free-sketch area where users may draw, and a contextual inference program will determine what they are drawing and suggest actions. These actions, themselves, are more sets of drawings in a specific constraint-based symbolic/visual language. The dynabook is kick-started with a relational symbolic database containing basic symbols, from which meanings are derived. Meanings are contextual: the definitions of symbols are fuzzy.

For instance, in this database, one could ask, "Is the sky blue?" It would respond, "Sometimes: the sky is blue if it is a sunny day, gray if it is a cloudy day, and dark if it is a night." Every definition is defined in-relation to other definitions. Eventually, some _things_ won't have a definition, which is fine--they have a label, so they _are_. If the computer needs to know properties of these things, it can ask the user to define them.

night is when: not when day
day is when: sun is above
above is: not when below
sun is: bigfireball [not defined]

This will be fused with a handwriting recognition engine based on relational pattern detection: imagine drawing the letter, 'O'. Look at its x/t and y/t graphs: they have a clear sinusoidal pattern. Drawing a larger 'O' repeats the pattern, but with larger amplitude. These patterns, with a couple heuristics (like a no-draw-pause means 'space' or 'separation') defines new symbols in the database.

From the ground-up, this produces a very powerful system/database of fuzzy symbolic expression. Especially in the handwriting recognition, this relation-ality would allow one to write in any orientation, in any size, and the computer will infer what was scribbled.

On a macro-scale, the user will be able to e.g. draw a coordinate plane, then write an f(x) = y equation, then the computer will detect a compatible action, ask the user to draw the equation into the plane, and then do it--and here's the kicker--in the user's own handwriting. So, a line on a graph looks like the user drew it with a pencil. Or, if the user writes a statement like " 14 + 5 = " the computer will recognize the evaluation opportunity, then write the answer " 19 " in the correct spot in the user's handwriting.

I'd really like to take this as far as I can go because it is my own personal mountain. But, this is all dependent on funding because I am living in very uncomfortable conditions and won't be able to survive this winter in Wisconsin. So, maybe my reMarkable work will provide enough, or maybe a corporation or foundation will sponsor me. It's tough to get noticed. If you know anyone/leads funding this kind of work, please let them know of me!