Steve Birchfield of The Automation Centre is implementing "second- generation messaging" systems. He points out that "most of us spend more time with e-mail than in the car or in most rooms of the house." So his products are intended to automate as much data flow as possible, including e-mail. One of the products has a feature with the charmingly honest name "AutoNag." It's for people who are responsible for, say, making sure expense reports are turned in. The system sends reminders only to those who haven't yet sent in their reports.