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Ambient Devices in Cambridge has won a big distribution deal for two products that executives say could change the way computers and people get along.
Later this year, Nashua, N.H.-based Brookstone Inc. will sell the nine-employee company's first two products through its paper catalogue, its Web site, and its 256 stores nationwide.
In addition, next month Ambient will begin a trial with drug giant Pfizer Inc. in which it will place wirelessly enabled pollen count meters in CVS stores in four geographic regions.
David Rose, Ambient's founder and president, isn't just aiming to sell product, however. His ultimate goal is to fundamentally change the way people interact with computers and data.
"Most computers are based on the idea that information is out front, in the foreground, and that your attention is on it at all times," Rose said. "But the human brain has an amazing ability to gather information from the periphery. We want to develop subtle background devices that tell you the state of the world."
Ambient's first product, for example, is a glowing orb that's wirelessly connected to Internet data feeds using pager frequencies. The orb is initially configured to reflect the Dow Jones average. If the market is up, it glows green. If it's down, it glows red. If things really get exciting, the orb...