To see if a person is addicted to an activity or substance try performing the CAGE test. The test is often used to judge whether someone is an alcoholic, but can be just as easily applied to addictions to email, instant messaging, the web, coffee, etc.

1. Have you ever felt you should Cut down on the activity?
2. Have people Annoyed you by criticizing your doing the activity?
3. Have you ever felt bad or Guilty about doing the activity?
4. Have you ever done the activity first thing in the morning as an Eye opener to get yourself started on the day?

The test was developed by Dr. John Ewing, founding Director of the Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. According to Dr. Ewing, two yes answers is considered a clinically significant sign of addiction.

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Bill Joy has said there are a number of different types of internets that can be thought of.  Included is the distance web (what we think of as TV), the near web (what we think of as notebook, tablets, and desktop pcs) and the here web (what we think of as cell phones and handheld computers).

In the near web and here web, a powerful interface may be a touch screen.  Particularly for smaller devices, a touch screen lets you make the entire device a display, maximizing visual output and maximizing tactile input.  Historically touch screens have operated much like a mouse, but is that really the best way to use such devices?

Here is a video showing research that has been done breaking that paradigm, allowing control by the entire hand, and a new language of hand gestures: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVI6xw9Zph8

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