Media In The Ubiquitous Era

"This book focuses on the definition of ambient and ubiquitous media from a cross-disciplinary viewpoint, covering the fields of commerce, science, research affecting citizens"--Provided by publisher.

"This book focuses on the definition of ambient and ubiquitous media from a cross-disciplinary viewpoint, covering the fields of commerce, science, research affecting citizens"--Provided by publisher.

The ubiquitous nature of mobile and pervasive computing has begun to reshape and complicate our notions of space, time, and identity. In this collection, over thirty internationally recognized contributors reflect on ubiquitous computing’s implications for the ways in which we interact with our environments, experience time, and develop identities individually and socially. Interviews with working media artists lend further perspectives on these cultural transformations. Drawing on cultural theory, new media art studies, human-computer interaction theory, and software studies, this cutting-edge book critically unpacks the complex ubiquity-effects confronting us every day. The companion website can be found here: http://ubiquity.dk

Our increasingly smart environments will sense, track and model users and provide them with personalized services. We can already embed computers in everyday objects such as shirt buttons and pencils; objects of all sizes, from wristwatches to billboards, will soon incorporate high-quality flexible displays; we have improved access to wireless Internet communication; and we are now transitioning from traditional linear to targeted interactive media. The convergence of these factors -- miniaturization, display technologies, wireless communication, and interactive media -- will allow us to leave our desktop computers and move to a radical computing paradigm, the ubiquitous display environment, where media and visual content will support a rich variety of display devices that enable users to interact with information artifacts in a seamless manner. This is one of the most exciting and important areas of technology development and this book addresses the challenge within the context of an educational and cultural experience. This is inherently a multidisciplinary field and the contributions span the related research aspects, including system architecture and communications issues, and intelligent user interface aspects such as aesthetics and privacy. On the scientific side, the authors integrate artificial intelligence, user modeling, temporal and spatial reasoning, intelligent user interfaces, and user-centric design methodologies in their work, while on the technological side they integrate mobile and wireless networking infrastructures, interfaces, group displays, and context-driven adaptive presentations. This book is of value to researchers and practitioners working on all aspects of ubiquitous display environments, and we hope it leads to innovations in human education, cultural heritage appreciation, and scientific development.

This volume provides a diverse set of critical, theoretical, and international approaches that are useful to those looking for a more diverse and nuanced understanding of what ubiquitous media means analytically.

This collection seeks to define the emerging field of "ubiquitous learning," an educational paradigm made possible in part by the omnipresence of digital media, supporting new modes of knowledge creation, communication, and access. As new media empower practically anyone to produce and disseminate knowledge, learning can now occur at any time and any place. The essays in this volume present key concepts, contextual factors, and current practices in this new field. Contributors are Simon J. Appleford, Patrick Berry, Jack Brighton, Bertram C. Bruce, Amber Buck, Nicholas C. Burbules, Orville Vernon Burton, Timothy Cash, Bill Cope, Alan Craig, Lisa Bouillion Diaz, Elizabeth M. Delacruz, Steve Downey, Guy Garnett, Steven E. Gump, Gail E. Hawisher, Caroline Haythornthwaite, Cory Holding, Wenhao David Huang, Eric Jakobsson, Tristan E. Johnson, Mary Kalantzis, Samuel Kamin, Karrie G. Karahalios, Joycelyn Landrum-Brown, Hannah Lee, Faye L. Lesht, Maria Lovett, Cheryl McFadden, Robert E. McGrath, James D. Myers, Christa Olson, James Onderdonk, Michael A. Peters, Evangeline S. Pianfetti, Paul Prior, Fazal Rizvi, Mei-Li Shih, Janine Solberg, Joseph Squier, Kona Taylor, Sharon Tettegah, Michael Twidale, Edee Norman Wiziecki, and Hanna Zhong.

"...a must-read text that provides a historical lens to see how ubicomp has matured into a multidisciplinary endeavor. It will be an essential reference to researchers and those who want to learn more about this evolving field." -From the Foreword, Professor Gregory D. Abowd, Georgia Institute of Technology First introduced two decades ago, the term ubiquitous computing is now part of the common vernacular. Ubicomp, as it is commonly called, has grown not just quickly but broadly so as to encompass a wealth of concepts and technology that serves any number of purposes across all of human endeavor. While such growth is positive, the newest generation of ubicomp practitioners and researchers, isolated to specific tasks, are in danger of losing their sense of history and the broader perspective that has been so essential to the field’s creativity and brilliance. Under the guidance of John Krumm, an original ubicomp pioneer, Ubiquitous Computing Fundamentals brings together eleven ubiquitous computing trailblazers who each report on his or her area of expertise. Starting with a historical introduction, the book moves on to summarize a number of self-contained topics. Taking a decidedly human perspective, the book includes discussion on how to observe people in their natural environments and evaluate the critical points where ubiquitous computing technologies can improve their lives. Among a range of topics this book examines: How to build an infrastructure that supports ubiquitous computing applications Privacy protection in systems that connect personal devices and personal information Moving from the graphical to the ubiquitous computing user interface Techniques that are revolutionizing the way we determine a person’s location and understand other sensor measurements While we needn’t become expert in every sub-discipline of ubicomp, it is necessary that we appreciate all the perspectives that make up the field and understand how our work can influence and be influenced by those perspectives. This is important, if we are to encourage future generations to be as successfully innovative as the field’s originators.

"This book combines the fundamental methods, algorithms, and concepts of pervasive computing with current innovations and solutions to emerging challenges. It systemically covers such topics as network and application scalability, wireless network connectivity, adaptability and "context-aware" computing, information technology security and liability, and human-computer interaction"--Provided by publisher.