A UI-centric Approach for the End-User Development of Multidevice Mashups

In recent years, models, composition paradigms, and tools for mashup development have been proposed to support the integration of information sources, services and APIs available on the Web. The challenge is to provide a gate to a “programmable Web,” where end users are allowed to construct easily composite applications that merge content and functions so as to satisfy the long tail of their specific needs. The approaches proposed so far do not fully accommodate this vision. This article, therefore, proposes a mashup development framework that is oriented toward the End-User Development. Given the fundamental role of user interfaces (UIs) as a medium easily understandable by the end users, the proposed approach is characterized by UI-centric models able to support a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) specification of data integration and service orchestration. It, therefore, contributes to the definition of adequate abstractions that, by hiding the technology and implementation complexity, can be adopted by the end users in a kind of “democratic” paradigm for mashup development. This article also shows how model-to-code generative techniques translate models into application schemas, which in turn guide the dynamic instantiation of the composite applications at runtime. This is achieved through lightweight execution environments that can be deployed on the Web and on mobile devices to support the pervasive use of the created applications.</jats:p

Mobile learning multidevice in the university education with Web apps. Experience in the Production Management subject

La irrupción de las nuevas tecnologías de la información acaecida estos últimos años, junto con la variedad de dispositivos móviles asociados a ellas, ha hecho que el Mobile Learning evolucione hacia una realidad multidispositivo. De cara a hacerle frente en la enseñanza universitaria, en este trabajo se propone el uso de aplicaciones web (Web Apps) desarrolladas con Diseño Web Adaptable. Se valida la propuesta mediante la realización de una prueba piloto de Web App para la asignatura Dirección de la Producción. De los resultados obtenidos se desprende el éxito que tiene esta iniciativa, tanto para profesores como alumnos, destacando su accesibilidad e inmediatez. Es válida tanto para Tablet/Ipad como Smartphones/Iphone, independientemente del sistema operativo utilizado. También se considera una ayuda al aprendizaje tanto para asignaturas teóricas como prácticas.The inrush of the new information technologies in the last years, together with the variety of mobile devices associated with them, has done that Mobile Learning evolves towards a multidevice reality. In order to face it in the university education, in this work we proposed the use of web applications (Web Apps) developed with Responsive Web Design. The proposal is validated by the pilot test of Web App for the subject of Production Management. The results show the great success, for teachers and students, of this initiative, emphasizing its accessibility and immediacy. It is valid for both Tablet/Ipad as Smartphone/Iphone, regardless of operating system used. It is also considered an aid to learning for theoretical and practical subjects

MARIA: A universal, declarative, multiple abstraction-level language for service-oriented applications in ubiquitous environments

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Framework for ubiquitous and voice enabled web applicattions development.

RESUMEN La cantidad de dispositivos con capacidad de conexión a Internet crece rápidamente. En la actualidad se dispone de teléfonos móviles basados en tecnología WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) o I-Mode, Agendas Digitales Personales, Kioskos Internet, teléfonos convencionales basados en acceso a la Web por medio de la voz, dispositivos basados en televisión interactiva, electrodomésticos, entre otros. Desarrollar una versión de una aplicación web para cada uno de los dispositivos con conectividad a la Web resulta inviable. Por otra parte, desarrollar aplicaciones web que puedan ser visualizados en forma apropiada y aprovechando al máximo las capacidades del dispositivo se constituye en una tarea compleja. En esta tesis se propone un framework, entendido como un marco de trabajo genérico, que sirva como guía para el desarrollo de portales web pervasivos que puedan ser accedidos desde múltiples dispositivos, evitando el desarrollo de un portal por cada uno y teniendo en cuenta las grandes variaciones pueden existir en sus capacidades. Adicionalmente se ha planteado un modelo de agrupamiento de dispositivos, que permita definir una serie de grupos, así como las características asociadas a los mismos, en forma tal que puedan generarse posteriormente los formatos asociados a estos grupos de dispositivos y no a elementos individuales y se ha propuesto y validado una arquitectura de referencia para el desarrollo de aplicaciones pervasivas, que no genere dependencia de tecnologías de servidor, y que permita incorporar la solución de agrupamiento planteada previamente. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________The purpose of the Ubiquitous or Pervasive Computing - an emergent paradigm of personalized computation- is to obtain device interoperability under different conditions. The devices were designed for different purposes by different companies or from different technological generations. The ever increasing market of web enabled devices has brought up diverse challenges related to the difficulty of visualizing content in a unified form to diverse clients, while at the same time taking into account the great differences in the capacities of these devices. It is not feasible to develop a separate application for each of these devices, simply because the number of different devices is too high and still growing. In the analysis of existing proposals dealing with the modelling of ubiquitous web applications, the link that exists between the logical and conceptual modelling and the physical modelling of the applications is not clear enough, and the way in which the context aspects related to web access from these devices cannot be specified. On the other hand, the available commercial products are supplier-specific. Every future platform change would a costly and painstaking process In this thesis we present a proposal of a framework for the development of web applications that can be accessed from different types of devices, such as PCs, PDAs, mobile phones based on diverse technologies (like WAP and I-Mode) and conventional telephones that access the web through voice gateways and voice portals. The proposed framework serves as a guide for the development of this type of applications and it can be deployed to different server configurations and software development technologies. In order to obtain this objective, a description of diverse theoretical elements related to dynamic generation of information that can be acceded by devices has been made, as well as a description of involved technologies whose hardware, software and connectivity characteristics vary remarkably. The theoretical study was carried out in parallel with tests based on the different technologies used. A multilingual-ubiquitous traffic information portal was used to test the theory in an operational environment

Integration of accessibility requirements in the design of multimedia user agents interfaces

Mención Internacional en el título de doctorThe continuous increase of multimedia content in the Web, especially video content, is not accompanied by a similar increase of accessibility; there is a lack of synchronized alternatives for the content such as captions, audio description, etc. that allow anyone with or without disability to access such content. This lack of accessibility in video content access is not only due to the lack of alternatives, but also because of the fact that user agents which deliver this content do not provide the necessary means to present them. This fact leads to the noncompliance of the current regulations and legislation in terms of accessibility. This noncompliance could be due to the lack of knowledge, or because of the fact that applying these regulations from an engineering point of view is not trivial. There is a lack of authoring tools and methodological approaches which assist in the development of an accessible product in the Engineering scope as it is the case of the development of a quality user agent which includes accessibility requirements. All these facts, multimedia content’s progressive increase on the Web, accessibility barriers both in the content and in the user agent together with current regulations and legislation regarding accessibility is what has motivated the accomplishment of this Doctoral Thesis. With this Doctoral Thesis, a set of accessibility requirements that a user agent which delivers multimedia content must fulfil is provided. Besides, a workspace is provided following a methodological approach which assists in the design and development of the interface of an accessible user agent which delivers accessible multimedia content. This workspace is composed of an architecture and models following a Model-Based User Interface Development (MBUID) approach and is oriented to be used by designers with knowledge in modeling. Finally, as a support to any professional regardless of their knowledge in modeling and in accessibility, an authoring tool based on models is offered in order to create user agents with accessibility requirements.El continuo incremento del contenido multimedia en la Web, especialmente del contenido vídeo, no va acompañado de un incremento similar de accesibilidad, hay una falta de alternativas sincronizadas al contenido como subtitulado, audiodescripción, etc., que permitan acceder a cualquier persona con y sin discapacidad a dicho contenido. Esta falta de accesibilidad en el acceso al contenido vídeo no solo se debe a la ausencia de alternativas, también es debido a que los agentes de usuario que entregan dicho contenido no proporcionan los medios necesarios para presentarlas. Este hecho da lugar a que no se cumpla la normativa y la legislación vigente en materia de accesibilidad. Dicho incumplimiento, puede ser debido al desconocimiento, o a que aplicar esa normativa desde el punto de vista de la ingeniería no es trivial. Hay una falta de herramientas de autor y de enfoques metodológicos que asistan en el desarrollo de un producto accesible en el ámbito de la Ingeniería, como es el caso del desarrollo de un agente de usuario con calidad que incluya requisitos de accesibilidad. Todos estos hechos, el incremento progresivo del contenido multimedia en la Web, las barreras de accesibilidad tanto en el contenido como en el agente de usuario junto con la normativa y legislación vigente en materia de accesibilidad es lo que ha motivado la realización de esta Tesis Doctoral. Con esta Tesis Doctoral se proporciona el conjunto de requisitos de accesibilidad que debe cumplir un agente de usuario que sirva contenido multimedia accesible. Además se proporciona un espacio de trabajo siguiendo un enfoque metodológico que asista en el diseño y desarrollo de la interfaz de un agente de usuario accesible que sirve contenido multimedia accesible. Este espacio de trabajo está compuesto de una arquitectura y modelos siguiendo el enfoque de Model-Based User Interface Development (MBUID) y está orientado a ser utilizado por diseñadores con conocimientos en modelado. Por último, como recurso de ayuda a cualquier profesional, independientemente de sus conocimientos en modelado y accesibilidad, se ofrece una herramienta de autor basada en modelos para crear agentes de usuario con requisitos de accesibilidad.Programa Oficial de Doctorado en Ciencia y Tecnología InformáticaPresidente: José Antonio Macías Iglesias.- Vocal: Hugo Alexandre Paredes Guede

UNDERSTANDING ADVANCES IN WEB TECHNOLOGIES: EVOLUTION FROM WEB 2.0 TO WEB 3.0

The current generation of Web applications (Web 2.0) have made them an outright phenomenon in today’s society helping to redefine the way organisations and individuals communicate and collaborate with each other. The purpose of this paper is to conceptualise the evolution of Web technologies from a user perspective. Based on inference from existing studies, this paper attempts to identify the architectural direction that the next generation (Web 3.0) of Web applications would meld itself into. The paper emphasizes limitations of current Web technologies and how future trends may address these limitations by focusing on migration that has been witnessed in the scope of the applications presented and features delivered on the Web from a users’ perspective

Utilizando dispositivos móveis como segunda tela para o suporte de múltiplos usuários na televisão digital interativa

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Tecnológico, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência da Computação, Florianópolis, 2013.Com a TV Digital, diversas aplicações interativas podem ser desenvolvidas, como exemplo jogos, t-commerce e t-learning. O controle remoto, que será utilizado para interagir com essas aplicações, mostra-se limitado e é questionável se eles são os me-lhores dispositivos para uma interação mais complexa, como navegação em menus e entrada de texto. O objetivo geral do trabalho foi propor uma solução que visa estender a interatividade da TV digital, para ser utiliza juntamente com uma segunda tela e de modo que possa ser utilizada por múltiplos usuários simultaneamente. A segunda tela visa suprir os problemas relacionados ao controle remoto e a interatividade, estendendo a interatividade para um dispositivo móvel. O trabalho foi desenvolvido no contexto do t-learning, pois acredita-se que a segunda tela pode colaborar com o seu crescimento, melhorando a experiência do usuário e mantendo o caráter de entretenimento da televi-são. O trabalho também analisa as diferentes soluções propostas na literatura para inte-ragir com a TV, seja criando um novo artefato ou utilizando dispositivos móveis, assim como também analisa a maturidade das pesquisas do t-learning. Um modelo foi pro-posto para incluir o uso de dispositivos móveis de forma integrada com o Set-Top Box, responsável por receber a interatividade, permitindo o suporte a múltiplos usuários e sincronização de dados. Um protótipo foi desenvolvido utilizando uma avaliação nutri-cional, onde dados pessoais são respondidos nos dispositivos móveis enquanto a TV apresenta dados relevantes no contexto coletivo. Abstract : Many interactive applications can be developed on Digital TV such as games, t-commerce and t-learning. The remote control, which is used to interact with these applications, is limited and it is questionable if it is the best device for a more complex interaction like navigation in menus and text input. The main objective of this work is to propose a solution that aims to extend the interactive digital TV, allowing the use in conjunction with a second screen and allowing multiple users simultaneously. Second screen is intended to address problems related to the remote control and interactivity by extending the interactivity to a mobile device. This work is developed on the t-learning context, it is believed that the second screen can collaborate with their growth, improv-ing the user experience and maintaining the entertainment character of television. This work also analyzes different solutions proposed in the literature to interact with the TV, by creating a new artifact or using mobile devices, as well as analyzing the maturity of t-learning researches. A model is proposed to include the use of mobile devices in an integrated manner with the Set-Top Box, responsible for receiving interactivity, allow-ing support for multiple users and data synchronization. A prototype is presented using a nutritional assessment, where personal data are answered on a mobile device while the TV displays data relevant collective context

Mobile Augmented Reality System Design Guidelines Based on Tourist’s Emotional State

Individual’s emotional states may change and influence their behavior when using mobile application. Studying the behavior and emotional state of user are necessary in the design of a Mobile Augmented Reality System and should be based on a good design principle. The design principle is useful as a guidance to develop a good mobile AR system. This paper will present a design guideline for Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) for tourism. From the analysis of existing design guidelines of Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) for tourism, an application design guidelines are proposed based on PAD’s theory, Human-computer Interaction and Usability principles. The design principle is to reduce cognitive overhead of tourist, learnability and suitable context for users. Six design principles were examined in this analysis. The analysis identified eleven suggestions for design principles and these recommendations are offered towards the design principles and developing prototype application for tourist in Malaysia

Контекстно-зависимые методы автоматической генерации многомодальных пользовательских веб-интерфейсов

In the course of the development of interactive dynamic web-applications it is necessary to take into account used data types, their input/output means, as well as provide application capability to analyze current conditions, in which interaction with a user will be conducted, and correspondingly adapt multimedia content in order to improve the usability and naturalness of man-machine dialogue. Survey of modern papers concerned with automatic generation of web-interfaces, development of multimodal user web-applications is presented in the paper. Approaches to description, extraction and processing of context information required for fitting web-interface to the current conditions of usage during interaction with a user are considered.При разработке интерактивных динамических веб-приложений необходимо учитывать не только используемые типы данных и способы их ввода/вывода, но и обеспечить способность приложения анализировать текущие условия, в которых будет проходить взаимодействие с пользователем, и соответствующим образом адаптировать мультимедийный контент с целью повышения удобства и естественности человеко-машинного диалога. В статье проведен анализ современных работ, связанных с автоматической генераций веб-интерфейсов, проектированием многомодальных пользовательских веб-приложений, а также рассмотрены подходы к описанию, извлечению и обработке контекстной информации, необходимой для настройки веб-интерфейса к текущим условиям эксплуатации в процессе взаимодействия с пользователем