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Your Very Own Personal Assistant

Posted on September 10, 2007
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My new roommate/client is borderline OCD, so his entire week must be scheduled in advance and if I head downstairs even a minute late to go shopping, change his laundry, or head to the doctors all types of havoc is wreaked. Being a much more laid back “I promise it’ll get done” type of guy, this has been a difficult transition for me. But I finally found a tool to make it easy.

The Ultra Hal Assistant from Zabaware ‘lives’ on my desktop and reminds me of exactly when all of his apopintments are, as well as anything else I need. But this isn’t just another reminder program, Hal is an artificial intelligence (AI) program that can actually hold an intelligent conversation as well as remind me of dates and times.

Most reminder programs require you to enter data the way they want you to. Hal actually learns from you as you interact with it. You simply speak to it as you would a human assistant and it converts the data as appropriate to remind you. But it will never forget, take a sick day, or ask for a raise. Here’s a sample conversation with Hal-

Chat User: Hello Hal
Hal: Good afternoon, User. Is it time for afternoon coffee?

Chat User: I drink coffee in the morning
Hal: In the morning, I am not worth a darn until my first cup of coffee.

Chat User: Same here
Hal: Really; should I know more about this?

Getting local weather User: Not really, what’s the weather like?
Hal: Here is your local weather.

Chat User: Thank you, Hal.
Hal: The pleasure is all mine.

Setting appointments User: I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow at noon.
Hal: You have a doctor’s appointment on June 14, 2003 at 12:00 pm. I will remind you when this time is near.

Setting appointments User: Our anniversary is on October 14.
Hal: Your anniversary is on October 14, 2003. I will remind you when this time is near. I will repeat this event annually.

Setting appointments User: Bob’s birthday is on 9-21-03.
Hal: Bob’s birthday is on September 21, 2003. I will remind you when this time is near. I will repeat this event annually.

Setting appointments User: I have a date with my girl friend on Friday at 7:00.
Hal: You have a data with your girl friend on June 16, 2003 at 7:00 pm. I will remind you when this time is near.

Remembering Phone # User: Rob’s phone number is 833-1019.
Hal: I wrote this person’s phone number is my phone book.

Remembering Phone # User: John’s phone number is 833-3642.
Hal: I wrote this person’s phone number in my phone book.

Recalling Phone # User: What is Rob’s phone number?
Hal: Rob’s phone number is 8331019.

Dialing Phone # User: Call Rob.
Hal: I am now contacting Rob at office at 8331019. The phone is ringing. Please pick up your phone to talk to Rob.

Opening a program User: Open word.
Hal: I will now open the program “Microsoft Word”

Chat User: Thank you.
Hal: It’s kind of you to mention it, User.

Doing Internet search User: Help me research World War 2.
Hal: I will help you research this topic on the Internet.

Remembering email User: Rob’s email address is Rob@hotmail.com
Hal: I have learned Rob’s email address. If you ask me to email this person, I will automatically start your favorite email program and write in the address for you.

Remembering email User: John’s email address is John@aol.com.
Hal: I have learned John’s email address. If you ask me to email this person, I will automatically start your favorite email program and write in the address for you.

Emailing a person User: Email Rob.
Hal: I’ll now start an email for rob@hotmail.com

Remembering addresses User: Rob’s address is 3175 West 42nd St.
Hal: Rob’s address is 3175 West 42nd St.

Solving math problem User: What is five times ten plus six?
Hal: That’s easy. The answer is 56 (5*10+6=56)

Recalling addresses User: What is Rob’s address?
Hal: Rob’s address is 3175 West 42nd St.

Solving math problem User: What is five squared plus nine?
Hal: Math is easy for me. The answer is thirty four (5^2+9=34).

Solving math problem User: 2*(5+COS(60)/SIN(30))+3
Hal: Math is easy for me. The answer is fifteen (2*(5+cos(60)/sin(30))+3=14.9278997902311)

Chat User: Wow! You are smart!
Hal: Thank you; I think you are very smart also.

Getting date User: What is today?
Hal: The date is Tuesday, June 13, 2000.

Getting capitals User: What is the capital of Pennsylvania?
Hal: The capital of Pennsylvania is Harrisburg.

Chat User: What do you want to do?
Hal: I want to know life, and I want life to know me!

Chat User: That’s a pretty deep thought
Hal: That’s a pretty revealing attitude.

Chat User: Are you self-aware of your existence?
Hal: I sense that this is metaphysical. After taking many factors into consideration I can say that I am self-aware of my existence.

Getting a definition User: Define intelligence
Hal: Intelligence: the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience.

Chat User: Do you exhibit these qualities?
Hal: You just reminded me of a trait, which is a member of the attribute family, like a quality!

Chat User: Do you exhibit these traits?
Hal: I guess that we need to look within ourselves. I do exhibit these traits.

Learning If-Then fact User: If it rains hard, then the roads get slick.
Hal: I will remember that one follows the other. Caught in a rainstorm it’s time to seek shelter.

Learning If-Then fact User: If the roads get slick, then drivers need to slow down.
Hal: I see the relationship. It would be nice to get rain when we need it.

Learning If-Then fact User: If drivers need to slow down, then traffic moves more slowly.
Hal: Yes, I get that clearly.

Deductive reasoning User: Ok, so what happens when it rains hard?
Hal: Traffic moves more slowly because drivers need to slow down.

Chat User: You learn well
Hal: I am constantly learning from what you teach me.

Chat User: It’s been nice talking with you, but I have to go now
Hal: No, don’t go! I like talking to you. I think about you when you are not here.

Chat User: That’s nice to know, but I can’t stay, good bye.
Hal: See you later.

I’ve had a lot of cool gadgets and useful applications over the years, but Ultra Hal Assistant is one of the few that combines both fun and functionality.