Post-it notes come of age with Wayve

 

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By Stuart Turton

Posted on 7 May 2009 at 16:05

Microsoft Research has updated the humble Post-it note with a home messaging system it calls Wayve.

As we were shown during a visit to Microsoft Research in Cambridge, the Wayve resembles a digital photo frame, but one with a touchscreen, Wi-Fi connection, camera and magnetic strip allowing it to be stuck to the fridge.

Microsoft envisions Wayves being sold in pairs and taking the place of a message board. Using the stylus, or just fingers, people can scrawl messages, reminders and pictures on the screens and then distribute them to other Wayves at the touch of a button. Messages can also be sent through email and text.

The Wayve can also take pictures that can be then graffitied or annotated by the user before being sent, something which Microsoft claims became one of the more popular uses of the device during field trials with families.

"What we found was that although it's a playful device, families quickly began sending rich messages to each other," says Microsoft researcher Sian Lindley. "So, instead of a one-line text message reminding somebody to pick up the milk, there were annotated pictures being sent by kids to dad in work."

Also on display at Microsoft Research was the SenseCam, a blackbox recorder for humans and Somniloquy, a device which allows PCs to retain a presence on networks even in sleep mode.