Abstract: A combined calendar/diary application leverages several input mechanisms to enrich the historical record kept by a user. First, the application classifies events sensed by sensors and software monitors to capture and classify data indicative of events of significance to the user. It then requests additional information from the user to create a diary entry. Second, on the basis of the same event data, it may add the classification data to the diary as indicia of financial, emotional, or other states of the user or environment. Third, the system augments appointment using other data, including user input. Fourth, data is extracted from other sources for direct inclusion in the diary database. For example, contemporaneous news data from an Internet news feed may be added. Fifth, the application may periodically prompt the user for diary entries. Sixth the application may support deliberate diary-entry procedure as is done with current diary applications.

Abstract: A travel direction speaking system that is based on a portable laptop computer. The computer determines a route between an origin and a destination using an electronic map, and prepares driving instructions based on the route. Each driving instruction includes the spatial position (longitude and latitude) of a change in direction at which the driving instruction applies. The system includes a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit that provides the GPS determined position of the laptop computer. The computer compares the GPS position to the spatial position and outputs the corresponding driving instruction when the two positions are inferred to be within a specified range of each other. The range can be determined based distance or on a time period required to travel from the current position to a position at which the instructions should be spoken.