The DISAPPEARING COMPUTER.

The article presents a collection of different perspectives, reflections, and future visions on the disappearing computer. The discussion covers basic technology and infrastructure issues, the role of sensors, and the pressing issues of privacy and security, as well as how to design the interaction of humans with computers that disappear. The rate at which computers disappear will be matched by the rate at which information technology will increasingly permeate human environment and their lives. This disappearance can take different forms: physical and mental disappearance. Within Europe, the proactive research initiative "The Disappearing Computer" was envisaged to explore how daily life can be supported and enhanced through the use of collections of interacting artifacts. One of the key requirements to the provision of any disappeared computing infrastructure is an approach or service capable of assimilating and filtering information from various sources and determining relevance. This is essential to allow the user and the application to discover the necessary information from the environment to achieve a defined goal or complete an activity.