Technorama

Field of "invention": Humanity.

My invention is a novel technique to intelligently tailor functionality to each user using the apparatus/device use statistics. One example application is contact lists stored on a computer or other device. Traditionally contact lists are stored on a device and recalled when required by the implementation. My novel development of this technique demonstrates inventive step by tailoring the contact list to the user's habits.

Each time a contact is used, that use is counted and stored to calculate importance weights for each contact member. If the user has 5 contacts called "Richard", each with different surnames, the user only needs to then type "R" to be presented with a list ordered with the "Richard" they most frequently call at the top. The same approach applies to subsequent user input, the list being narrowed down and ordered by previous usage statistics. That contact would conventionally have been at the bottom of the list constructed from a tree representation of contact names had his name been "Richard Vergal", because conventional approaches list alphabetically.

So there you have it, someone might have already come up with a similar idea, but feel free to use my idea; enjoy ;)

Labels: Future

I just came across the "Royal Direct Mail" Spamming Guide. It is disappointing what a once great national enterprise can turn into to. (Royal Mail is the national post operator within the UK). Now it appears Royal Mail are focusing on milking their position, using their post-men/post-women to spam each household rather than innovate in the marketplace. What a decline from the dizzy heights of pioneering the Penny Black postage stamp in 1840!

I am unaware if there is any way to not automatically be included the the Royal Direct Mail schemes. If anyone knows please let me know and I will post here.

If you are in the UK, you can ironically register that you do not wish to by default be "opted-into" marketing schemes without your permission; still better than nothing I suppose. The online registration often does not work, so you should email TPS, or phone them: 0845 070 0707. If you do not get confirmation letter, they have probably slipped up and not added you.

Really no one should be by default "opted-into", but I expect with time the legislation will be corrected. Shame it's not happened yet.

Labels: Spam, UK