Research with the population at large to date suggests that our ability to multitask is not as great as we think it is. Starner replied that he multiplexes rather than multitasks. Multiplexing means doing tasks that reinforce each other. For him, taking notes and having conversations are tasks that parallel and enrich each other. They are multiplexed. On the other hand, he doesn’t try to manage email during a conversation or while walking down the street. That would be multitasking. “If the wearable task is directly related to the conversation, the user’s attention is not ‘split’ and multiplexing can be pretty effective.”

Some combinations of tasks can be multiplexed effectively. The question is which ones.

• Uncategorized