Pervasive Retail: Theme of the April-June edition of Pervasive Computing (IEEE)

This is just a teaser.  I'll have time to read it next week when I'm on break!


FYI: This is one of my favorite tech journals. This issue's theme focuses on the use of pervasive technology in retail settings.   Other topics in this issue include wearables, pervasive health, smartphone computing in the classroom, innovative Ubicomp products, and more.


IEEE Pervasive Computing

About the Web of Things - Great Presentations & Links

"The Web of Things is a community of developers, researchers, and designers that explore the future of the physical Web. We explore how to leverage Web standards to interconnect all types of embedded devices (sensors, mobile phones, etc), in order to make them easier to use and to integrate in classic Web applications. We aim to build a future Web of devices that is truly open, flexible, and scalable, and we believe Web standards are the best way to do it."


WEB OF THINGS PRESENTATIONS
Web of Things - Towards Open and Sharable Networks of Embedded Devices

View more presentations from vladounet.

Design of a Web-based Distributed Location-aware Infrastructure for Mobile Devices

View more presentations from vladounet

WoT @ Oracle-Labs

View more presentations from Dominique Guinard.




RELATED

Web of Things Publications

Pdf versions of Web of Things publications

Vlad Trifa's Lift11 Talk:  A Web of Things for Smarter Cities (pdf)

Web of Things Upcoming Event
What: 2nd International Workshop on the Web of Things (WoT 2011)
Where: Pervasive 2011 conference, San Francisco, USA
When: June 12, 2011
For who: Hackers, developers, web, and ubicomp/pervasive researchers.
Web of Things Projects

Personal and Ubiquitous Computing Upcoming Theme Issues- I love the topics!

I'm happy to share some information about the topics of upcoming theme issues planned for Personal and Ubiquitous Computing. The information below was taken from the PUC's Facebook page.  I added links to information about most of the managing editor for each theme.


"PUC is currently working with some of the leading researchers, research groups, conferences and workshops to produce theme issues around specific topics. Here are the issues we currently have in progress:"

• Automative User interfaces:  Albrecht Schmidt
• Multimodal Systems, Services and Interfaces for Ubiquitous Computing Zhiwen Yu
• Ambient Systems, Networks and Technologies:  Elhadi Shakhuki 
• Ubiquitous Computing & Ambient Intelligence: Jose Bravo 
• Extreme Navigation: David McGookin
• Adaptation and Personalization for Ubiquitous Computing: Zhiwen Yu (?)
• Pervasive Advertising: Joerg Mueller  
• A Persuasive Design Approach to Personal Health: Tom Djajadingrat
• Mobile Multimedia Processing: Michael Rohs  
• Cloud computing: Chunming Rong
• Smartphone Applications and Services for Pervasive Computing
• Personal Projection: Enrico Rukzio
• Mental Health and the Impact of Ubiquitous Technologies:  Venet Osmani
• Sensor Networks and Ambient Intelligence: Boon Chong Seet
• User-Driven RFID Applications and Challenges: Katerina Mitrokotsa
• Measuring behavior and interaction – methods and new application domains: E.I. Barakova

"For more details, check back in our Facebook Notes or contact the editor managing the theme issue."   - the editor's email addresses can be found on the PUC Facebook site.



Personal and Ubiquitous Computing


Note:  Ubiquitous Computing was one of my favorite graduate courses and I still can't get enough of it.   In my dreams, I would be happy just playing around with emerging technologies and experimenting with new applications, and nothing else, for a year or two, in and out of the lab.

BlackBerry's "iPad" preview video! -- PlayBook

Thanks to Seth Sandler for the link!

More about this topic later...

Propellerheads' Gigantic Outdoor Drum Machine: Another "Playful Interface" and Media Facade - using Phidgets!

I admit I have a passion for interactive media facades and playful outdoor interfaces. I'm geeky like that. Imagine my excitement when I saw the link to Propellerhead's outdoor drum machine that was taken out "in the wild" at night in Stockholm, Sweden, for people to play with!   Thanks, Ben Ullman, for the link!

"No Swede would every think of doing something like this without a permit."



I especially like that the team used Phidgets to create this drum machine.  Phidgets enable you to hook up a mix of digital or analog sensors to a USB interface.  According to a post on Create Digital Music, the interface below was supported by a Phidget 8/8/8 interface hooked to a computer, and a force sensor under the pad. The team used a Phidget Voltage divider to make the scaling and calibration magic happen.   (I had a chance to get my hands on some Phidgets, briefly, when I took Heather Richter Lipford's Ubicomp class at UNC-C a few years ago.  I would love to play with them in-depth in the future.)

RELATED
Behind the Scenes of Propellerheads' Oversized Drum Machine
Peter Kirn , Create Digital Music, 8/26/10
Propellerhead Reason (Virtual studio rack)


What are Phidgets? Here is the info from the Phidgets website:

"Phidgets are a set of "plug and play" building blocks for low cost USB sensing and control from your PC. All the USB complexity is taken care of by our robust API. Applications can be developed quickly by programmers using their favorite language: C/C++, C#, Cocoa, Delphi, Flash AS3, Flex AS3, Java, LabVIEW, MATLAB, Max/MSP, MRS, Python, REALBasic, Visual Basic.NET, Visual Basic 6.0, Visual Basic for Applications, Visual Basic Script, and Visual C/C++/Borland.NET. Click on Programming if you want to look at Getting Started Guides or Code Samples."

Here is a version of a similar giant sampler in action at a Family Force 5 performance:

HTC Incredible: My Mother's Day Present

I'm chained to Verizon as my cell phone carrier due to my family. That's why I don't have an iPhone. When I was asked what I wanted for Mother's day, I squinted at the screen of my HTC Eris and said I wanted something with a bigger screen.

I don't need reading glasses to read the newspaper, books, or magazines...yet, but I found that I was grabbing my husband's glasses to read my Eris.  Who wants to keep up with reading glasses just to deal with a cell phone?   I don't.

Here is a video from CNET that gives a nice overview of the Incredible's features:



I am happy to say that I love this phone.   I don't need reading glasses to use it.  The only things I couldn't read all of the fine print that was displayed during the initial set-up.  In my excitement to get things set up, I think I might have opted in for more than I wanted!

For some reason, I now have every contact I've ever made, all on this phone,  with phone numbers of people that I never have called,  courtesy of Facebook, I assume.  I'll have to spend some time organizing this mess later on. I'll also have to hunt for my husband's reading glasses after work today to read the fine print and make the correct privacy settings!

Interesting journal: Aether- The Journal of Media Geography (A convergence of disciplines)

Aether is hosted by the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at California State University, Northridge. The April issue is editied by Tristan Thielmann, and "explores the spatial turn in media studies and the media turn in geographical studies, providing a sketch of the subject area "geomedia" from a phenomenological perspective and the field of "media geography" from a disciplinary perspective".

Tristan Thielmann, from the University of Seigen, introduces this topic in "Locative Media and Mediated Localities: An Introduction to Media Geography" (pdf)


Thanks to Anne Galloway for the link!


By the way,  Anne Galloway has been blogging since 2002.  Her blog chronicles her intellectual path as she worked on her Ph.D., and more recently, her experiences teaching courses such as "Design Anthropology".    


Her dissertation, "A Brief History of the Future of Urban Computing and Locative Media" (pdf) was completed in 2008. If you are interested in ubiquitous computing and interesting theories, its worth reading, especially if your brain needs some deep feeding.  


I plan to re-read it this summer.


Here is an excerpt:

"The types of ubiquitous or pervasive computing of primary interest in my thesis are those that openly seek to create unique forms of inhabitable space and means of habitation—thereby raising issues of spatialisation, temporalisation, embodiment and affect. So-called mixed reality technologies are explicitly concerned with such questions, and mixed reality environments refer to spaces that combine elements of the physical and virtual worlds. According to Milgram et al. (1994:1), “rather than regarding the two concepts simply as antitheses, however, it is more convenient to view them as lying at opposite ends of a continuum, which we refer to as the Reality-Virtuality (RV) continuum.” At one end of the continuum are seen to be “real” objects that can be observed directly or "sampled and then resynthesized via some display device,” while at the other end are “virtual” objects that are “simulated” through “some sort of a description, or model, of the object” (Milgram and Kishino 1994:1).



SOMEWHAT RELATED
I plan to find out more about the editorial board of Aether:    

Paul C. Adams • University of Texas at Austin

Stuart C. Aitken • San Diego State University

David B. Clarke • Swansea University

Christina Dando • University of Nebraska, Omaha

Deborah Dixon • Aberystwyth University

Marcus Doel • Swansea University

Colin R. Gardner • University of California, Santa Barbara

Ken Hillis • The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Sarah F. Ives • Stanford University

Ed Jackiewicz • California State University, Northridge

John Paul Jones III • University of Arizona

Christina Kennedy • Northern Arizona University

Minelle Mahtani • University of Toronto

Susan Mains • University of the West Indies, Mona

Kevin McHugh • Arizona State University

Christopher M. Moreno • San Diego State University

Wolfgang Natter • Virginia Polytechnic Institute

Joseph Palis • University of the Philippines

Brent J. Piepergerdes • University of Kansas

Rob Shields • University of Alberta

Amy Siciliano • University of Wisconsin

Paul F. Starrs • University of Reno, Nevada

Dan Sutko • North Carolina State University

Jonathan Taylor • California State University, Fullerton

Stefan Zimmermann • University of Mainz

Leo Zonn • University of Texas

More Urban Screens and Outdoor 3D Media Facades

Maybe this will sprout up on outdoor building walls in a city near you!  
 
 
There's more to life than a Volvo - Frankfurt 2009 "3D projection and production by NuFormer in coorporation with Saatchi & Saatchi"  

RELATED  
3D Projections on Buildings: A distinctive way of communicating  
Communicating Through Architecture:  Media Facades and the Digital Infrastructure  The Rathous 
(Contains an assortment of videos and pictures)  
Art and Commerce Meet on Building's Interactive Media Facades Kelsey Keith, Fast Company, 10/2/209 

International Urban Screens Association  

"Urban Screens are dynamic digital displays and visual interfaces located within urban public spaces. They include LED screens and signs, plasma screens, information terminals and projection surfaces as well as intelligent architectural surfaces and media facades...Urban Screens transform the capacity of public spaces to serve as a platform for user-generated civic and cultural expression, community building, multiculturalism and public engagment in issues related to social, cultural and environmental sustainability....Through networking, content sharing and joint broadcasting, they constitute a rapidly expanding and still largely experimental global multimedia infrastructure for commercial and cultural exchange." "The IUSA aims to inform and support the ‘worldwide Urban Screens movement’: the expanding use of dynamic digital displays in public spaces; their considerate and sustainable integration in the urban landscape; and the ability for screen communities to collaborate in the digital space to share content, experience, ideas, innovations and emerging possibilities."

Book:  Media Facades:  History, Technology and Content, M.Hank Haeusler 

Cross-posted on The World Is My Interface

Interactive Displays in Public Spaces

Daniel Michelis recently completed his Ph.D. dissertation on a topic that is dear to my heart. Information about his research can be found on his Interactive Displays in Public Spaces blog.

(Note: This was cross posted on the Technology-Supported Human World Interaction blog.)

Here are links to a few of his posts:

Interactive Displays: Perception, Awareness, and Interaction

Evaluating Interaction with Display Applications in Public Space

I especially like the diagrams Daniel uses to depict zones of interaction:

Figure 3: Four-phase Model
(Source: Daniel Michelis (2009), according to: Vogel and Balakrishnan, 2004)

(Author: Daniel Michelis, Institute for Media and Communications Management, University of St. Gallen)

Figure 1: Perception and Usage of Interactive Displays
(Source: Daniel Michelis (2009), according to: Brignull & Rogers, 2003)

More for Multi-touch: NextWindow Plug-in for Natural User Interface's Snowflake Multi-touch Software -and more.

Those of you have an HP TouchSmart, Dell Studio One PC, or NextWindow displays might be interested in the new NUI plug-in that supports NUI Suite Snowflake software. Here are the features of the plugin, according to information from the Natural User Interface website:

• Detailed user manual included with FAQ
• Developed on fast and reliable C++ platform
• Intuitive
• Customizable
• Gesture recognition library
• TUIO/OSC (Open Sound Control) support (sending and receiving events)
• Low level API
• Hardware accelerated rendering
• Support for wide variety of media types
• Advanced window handler that supports scaling and rotation
• Suitable for Windows® XP and Windows® Vista (Mac OSX and Linux can be developed on request)
• Audio support
• Single, dual support
• Multi-threaded resource handler (For fast data visualization)

"NUI has partnered up with NextWindow™, an international leader in the development of optical multi-touch technology and the manufacturer of optical multi-touch screens, overlays and OEM touch components."

"NextWindow™'s integrated technology allows for natural and intuitive interaction of digital content on flat TFT, LCD and Plasma solutions."

"The NUI NextWindow™ plug-in can be used with any programming language that supports TUIO, i.e. C/C++/C#, Java, Flash, Python, VVVV etc, meaning that software developers can run their own applications on NextWindow™, utilizing the NUI NextWindow™ plug-in."

Comment:
I became a fan of NextWindow touch-screen displays in early 2007 when I worked on a couple of touch-screen projects in my HCI and Ubicomp classes at UNC-Charlotte.

I've been using my HP TouchSmart PC at work with students with disabilities. I'm experimenting with the NUI Suite SnowFlake on my TouchSmart, and found that interacting with the Particles application delighted students with severe autism. The activities provided opportunities to establish joint attention. I also noticed an increase in the number of vocalizations and/or verbalizations among the students. Of course, this was NOT a scientific study.

RELATED
Definition of Joint Attention from UConn:

"Joint Attention is the process of sharing one’s experience of observing an object or event, by following gaze or pointing gestures. It is critical for social development, language acquisition, cognitive development…"

Establishing joint attention is an important step in the development of social interaction skills among young people who have autism spectrum disorders.

More about joint attention:

Joint Attention Study Has Implication for Understanding Autism
Science Daily, 9/29/07

Asperger-Advice: Joint Attention

Autism Games: Joint Attention and Reciprocity

Why is joint attention a pivotal skill in autism?
Tony Charman

Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2003 February 28; 358(1430): 315–324. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2002.1199.

Phenom's All-in One Touch-Screen Watch Phone: A perfect observational research tool !?

Note: Other pictures from the Phenom site gave a message, "Sorry, Our Photos are Copyrighted", so this is the only photo I was able to obtain. You can see more photos on Phenom's online photo-gallery.

I might have found the ultimate HCI - ubicomp research tool! The Phenom Watch-Phone. It might also come in handy when I'm conducting observations "across settings" in my job as a school psychologist. (Maybe Phenom will give me one for free to test out for a while...I'd be happy to develop some apps for it if it works out for me.)




I was delighted with some of the user-friendly marketing features on the Phenom website. I didn't have to dig and get lost and dig some more to find what I needed. The above videoclip is featured on the home page of the site, which gives gives a good info-tease about the advantages of the watch. The FAQ section is fairly extensive and easy to navigate.

When you explore to the "Gadget Freaks" page, you are provided with an audio presentation, with musical accompaniment, as you view pictures and prices. (You can turn the web page audio if you don't want to listen to the blurb, or turn it on and listen to it again, if you missed something.)

When you click on the picture of the "SpecialOPS Black" version of the watchphone, you are taken to another page where you can inspect different features more closely as you move your mouse around the photo. (Since I have an HP TouchSmart PC, I just moved my finger around the photo- a great effect!)

Here is the description of the SpecialOps phone, taken from the Phenom website:

"The ultimate watch phone for those who like to live on the edge. The SpecialOps is a fully functional GSM cell phone that has a touch screen and an external key pad. The SpecialOps has an MP3&MP4, built-in microphone and speakers, digital and video camera, MicroSD slot and built-in Bluetooth. You can even take notes with your convenient and compact stylus or record your thoughts on the run. See full list of features for more details."

More info from the Phenom website:

Features
-External keypad
-LCD: 1.3 inch TFT260k Pixels
-Touch Screen
-Language: English
-Ring tone: 64 Polyphonic, Supported Formats: Mp3, MIDI, Wave
-Music Format: MP4, Full Screen
-Camera: 130 Pixels
-T-Flash Supported
-Built-in Bluetooth
-Picture Format: JPG, GIF

Basic Functions
-Notebook: 250 Groups
-SMS and MMS Messaging
-User-defined on-off switch
-Game: Picture Mosaic
-Other Function: MP3, MP4, Built-in Speakerphone, Group Messaging MMS, Call Barring

Basic Parameters:
-Network: GSM, GPRS, WAP
-Frequencies: 900/1800/1900MHZ
-Call Time: 2 hours (estimated - per battery)
-Standby Time: 120 hours (estimated - per battery)

Accessories Included
-256MG Micro SD Memory Card
-Data Wire
-Battery
-USB Charger
-Stylus

More about Phenom

Ambient Information Systems: Links from Infosthetics (Cross-post)

What is an ambient information system?

According to the Ambient Information Systems Workshop (Ubicomp 08), ambient info systems are "a large set of applications that publish information a highly non-intrusive manner, following on from Mark Weiser's concept of calm technology.".

"The current research in pervasive and ubiquitous computing suggests a future in which we are surrounded by innumerable information sources, all competing for our attention. These information sources may manifest as both novel devices and as devices embedded in common objects, such as refrigerators, automobiles, toys, furniture, clothes, and even our own bodies."

"While this vision of the future has prompted great advancements in context-aware computing, wireless connectivity, multi-sensor platforms, smart materials, and location-tracking technologies, there is a concern that this proliferation of technology will increasingly overwhelm us with information. Our belief is that information should move seamlessly between the periphery and the center of one’s attention, and that good technology is highly transparent. We see ambient information systems as a way to support these ideas."

Ambient Information Systems Pics linked from Infosthetics:


Real-time data panoramas: "Once the stock market opens, our 3D simulation comes to life & people start 'breathing' business information" via Bashiba.com

" BASHIBA Panorama exploits the visual perceptual capabilities of the human brain.
It harnesses untapped brain power."




Glowcap Ambient Pill Cap via rxvitality.com
"Ever forget to take a pill? Watch "how it works" video.



Ambient Devices Energy Joule via Ambient Devices
"Save Money. Help the Planet. Track energy prices and your energy use with a simple night light."
This device provides you with the weather forecast for the day, the day's high temperature, tthe current cost of electricity, your current energy usage, rewards for using less energy, and signal strength.

Affective Diary:


The sensor based Affective Diary is a collaborative project between Microsoft Research and the Interaction Lab at SICS. You can download the code from the application page. The source code is available as a Visual Studio 2005 solution. Here is a screenshot:











"To expand on the ways in which we creatively engage in diary-keeping, we have designed an affective diary that captures some of the physical, bodily aspects of experiences and emotions—what we refer to as “affective body memorabilia”. The affective diary assembles sensor data, captured from the user and uploaded via their mobile phone, to form an ambiguous, abstract colourful body shape. With a range of other materials from the mobile phone, such as text and MMS messages, photographs, etc., these shapes are made available to the user. Combining these materials, the diary is designed to invite reflection and to allow the user to piece together their own stories."

Ambient Mug

Ambient Persuasive Mug via Ads of the World
"The external surface of the cup is printed with a second layer of heat sensitive ink that is revealed when hot water is poured into the cup."

Road Temperature Warning

Visual road temperature warning via NewScientistTech
"Intelligent paint turns roads pink in icy conditions"


Related:
Calm Technologies in a Multimedia World - Alexandru Tugui
(Ubiquity: Information Everywhere!)
Nimeo

Nimio - via setbang -Johanna Brewer

"a system comprised of a series of physical objects designed as individual playthings, but wirelessly networked via RF to act as both input and output devices for a collective visualization of distributed activity. These hand-held, translucent silicone toys have embedded sensors (for input) and 3 colors of LEDs (for output) which allow them to be reactive to both sound and touch. Action around one of the nimios will cause the others to glow in different patterns and colors. The interaction design is deliberately open-ended, in order to allow the emergence of distinctive patterns of collaborative engagement in real groups."

Interactive Waterfall

Interactive waterfall -Charles Forman, from Setpixel.
(includes a video with nice ambient music.)
The project was produced for the Children's Center at the Hackensack University Medical Center.

Wearables from the Reach project at the Interactive Institute, Design Goteborg:

Scarf that reveals messages when it heats up.





Temperature changing scarves


Bag with sensors that measure sound level, light, and temperature.


(This was cross-posted on the Technology-Supported Human-World Interaction blog.)

V12's Dual-Touch-screen Canova: Multi-touch could support applications for universal design, education, and assistive technology.

V12 Design is a company with offices in Italy and Australia. It is developing the second-generation version of Canova . Since the product will not be on the market for at least 16 months, no pictures of the newest version were available. The first version is depicted in the photos below:

Canova Generation 1#


(Photo via Gizmodo; depicts the first version of the dual LCD laptop.)

According to information from LaptopMag, Conova was..The first-generation model....was envisioned to transform from a sketch pad, to a writing pad with an electronic pen, to a newspaper."



From the Gizmodo AU website:

"An interview with Valerio Cometti, the founder and managing director of V12 Design, confirmed that the upcoming version would support multitouch input and that a microphone would be built into the design for voice commands."

With multi-touch and audio input, this device would be a godsend for young people with learning difficulties and others who require assistive technology. It would also be very useful for people in various fields of work. I assume that the Canova will come with speakers, a DVD player, a video camera, Blue-tooth and Wi-Fi capabilities.

I was excited about the new dual-touch screen laptops in development for the One Laptop Per Child project. I'm even more excited about the Canova. Hopefully, the company is devoting attention to usability studies with a wide range of people, using a variety of interactive demo applications.

I wonder if I can get my hands on a second-generation prototype of Canova to test out my touch-screen application "experiments". I'm bursting with ideas to try out, including gaming applications.

I want one now!

The second version will be developed by a US manufacturer. If anyone knows more about this leave a comment!

Related:
V12 Designs' Dual-Touchscreen Notebook Coming Within Two Years

V12 DEsign Dual-Touchscreen Notebook will make ebook readers drool

V12 Design Delivering Dual Touchscreen Laptop Within Two Years

About: Interaction Design (off the desktop)

Interaction design is a relatively new field that combines concepts related to human-computer interaction (HCI), mobile, pervasive, and ubiquitous computing (ubicomp), interface design, service design, user-experience design, interactive media design, and more.

According to Dan Saffer, an interaction designer at Adaptive Path, and author of Interaction Design: Creating Smart Applications and Clever Devices, interaction design is "about people: how people connect with other people through the products and services they use." If you are interested in learning more about designing for interaction, Saffer's book is a great starting point.

Saffer has recently established a wikki about interactive gestures, a site for the "dissemination of gestural interface information such as found on the iPhone and Wii." This is an important resource for those of us who are interested in developing useful interactive applications for emerging technologies.

(Related information can also be found on this blog.)

First attempt at a touch-screen "Poetry Picture Share" application

This was my first attempt at a "poetry picture share" application. It was designed for use on a multi-touch table and can be accessed remotely so people in different places can move things around on the screen.   The video shows how the application works on a NextWindow Human Touch interactive large-screen display.

Version 2 will be posted soon. I am planning on adapting this application for use with students with special needs, such as those who have autism or other communication disorders.