A Tech World That Centers on the User

In a Times article adapted from Nick Bilton's (NYT tech blog Bits) recently published book "I Live in the Future & Here's How it Works", Mr. Bilton describes how a user centered internet is changing how we access information. The internet generation is looking for "personalized" experiences, and it's the quality of the experience that makes the difference.

If you pull out your smartphone and click the button that says “locate me” on your mapping application, you will see a small dot appear in the middle of your screen.

That’s you.

If you start walking down the street in any direction, the whole screen will move right along with you, no matter where you go.

This is a dramatic change from the print world. Now we are always in the center of the map. It's all about me, my interests, my convenience, my immediate needs.

For instance, if I am reading the newspaper at 4 p.m. in Brooklyn, the content I see should reflect the time of day (near dinner), the place (what’s nearby) and more.

...and most importantly, these systems should do this without my having to instruct them. Maybe this is why they're called 'smart" devices.