Semantic E-Paper

First, let me start with the why.

I am sick and tired of big corporations profiting off my data. I am done with being a renter in my own digital home.

I also believe in the ability of knowledge to lead to self-improvement. During my Master's in Library and Information Science, I specialized in knowledge management and AI – and I realized something:

Human beings have been mapping memories to the world around them since long before the written word. But we've become disconnected from our physical world, and our digital lives are simultaneously overloaded and underwhelming.

As the 14th Dalai Lama said: “We have more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but more problems.” Our ability to make sense of the world around us has frayed... and it's through those gaps that the predatory corporations sink their teeth.

A solution

I want to put the power of your data back in your hands.

I want to free you from paying rents (whether visible or invisible) to corporations who will never have your best interests at heart. And, I want to offer you a tool to make sense of your busy life... a tool that will help you find harmony, not add to the digital chaos that surrounds you.

This solution comes in two parts:

An e-paper tablet

Electronic paper means longer battery life, screen visibility in full sunlight, and fewer distractions. Unlike the screen on your laptop or phone, e-paper doesn't overwhelm the senses with fast-moving widgets and garish advertisements. Plus, it's better for your eyes.

Yes, there are other tablets using e-paper. But not one of them can properly replace your iPad when it comes to managing the complex data of your life.

A semantic operating system

We now have powerful AI tools that can do incredible things. But they cannot understand the world.

The man who invented the World Wide Web, Sir Tim-Berners Lee, imagined a technological future where a machine could understand context. Because understanding isn’t just about raw intelligence — it’s about the relationships things share.

This is the idea being a “semantic” web. It's an interconnected network of relationships between every piece of information in your life. And this tablet will use those connections to help you discover insights, remember details, and take charge of your digital world.

What's next?

The concepts and principles behind this device are sound. The technology already exists. The only question is of putting it all together... and doing so ethically. That's why I'm setting out to ensure that the company behind this device is worker-owned and responsible. Once we're established, we'll seek out B-corp status as a company dedicated to the social good.

From concept to the concrete

We will be aiming to meet the following standards of excellence:

• A semantic linking process that requires no expertise and feels organic and fun.
• A sleek device that you want to carry with you everywhere you go.
• Compatibility with leading knowledge-management software, including Obsidian.
• Local-first AI, so your data stays yours while you benefit from this powerful new tool.
• A first-rate user experience with an intuitive touch-and-stylus-based interface design.
• Repairability and upgradability built-in from the start.

To hit all of these goals, we need to assemble our team, seek investments, and begin building the software beyond the conceptual stage. We will be seeking hardware suppliers concurrently with our software design process, so that, by the time our core software is ready for testing, we have physical prototypes to test it on.

Tech projects are a dime-a-dozen. But this is more than just another gadget. To me, this device represents everything that modern technology should be.

I envision my company as a soothing balm in an unsettled time: a company built on trust and striving to innovate the best of all possible futures.

As the founder of this project, my goal will be to ensure that the needs of our co-op, our investors, and our eventual customers are carefully considered at every stage of the process. I will keep this company grounded in rational benchmarks of success, while continually working to push those limits to new heights.

Interested in helping me with this project? Reach out today!