I just read an interesting article in Quirk's magazine about a company called Cyber Census that studies people's use of technology in the home.  What they've discovered is that as more and more of us strive to blend our work and home life together in a seamless way, we are struggling to integrate technology seamlessly into the equation.  

Case in point.  We get home after work and want to be a part of the family meal-time prep, but we know we are waiting on an important email from the boss.  Our hand-held device is about dead so we need to boot up our laptop, if we have one.  Or, we need to make sure the home computer is plugged in and ready to go.  Chances are most of our technology charging stations or tools reside in a home office or bedroom--nowhere near the kitchen where everyone else has gathered.  

Cyber Census has observed us taking our electronics to the kitchen and dining room to try and stay connected in both a physical and virtual way.  We are plugging in our chargers next to the toaster and putting our laptops on place mats by the napkins and forks.  They call this behavior, "Hiving."  I love that term.  It actually stands for Highly Interactive Virtual Environment.  But what it means is families staying connected in real time.  

Unfortunately, few homes are designed for effective "hiving."  And there are very few products on the market that facilitate it.  Maybe Jane should change that!  

What about you?  Are you "hiving?"  What would you like to see developed that would make it easier to stay connected in your home?