LinkedTV News: designing a second screen companion for web-enriched news broadcasts

LinkedTV (linkedtv.eu) is a European research project that explores how to integrate television content with Web content in meaningful ways through the use of semantic relations for automatically generating links. This report describes the process of design and evaluation of LinkedTV News, a second screen companion for interacting with hyperlinked television in the domain of newscasts. Our primary goal was to obtain knowledge about potential users of LinkedTV’s technology regarding their information needs and an indication of the reception that this technology could have among them. We performed two initial studies: a focus group and a series of interviews with 19 participants. These allowed us to identify our target group, context of use and requirements with which we created the concept of the application. The design of the application was refined through a series of design iterations and a hi-fi prototype was produced. After creating the LinkedTV News prototype, we evaluated it with a task-based study performed with 8 participants of the initial studies who matched the target profile closely. The main characteristics of LinkedTV News are: • It runs on a tablet PC. • It targets users between 25 and 45 years of age; highly-educated; who like to be up to date about the international news; watch news broadcasts regularly; and own a tablet computer or share it with someone in their household. • It proposes the integration of two activities that are related by subject, but currently often take place through different devices and at different times namely, watching TV newscasts and consulting online newspapers and videos. • It allows synchronous as well as asynchronous interaction with the television (interacting with the application while watching TV as well as bookmarking news and postponing their in depth exploration). • It offers two interaction modes represented by two main screens: lean back and lean forward. • The lean back mode presents condensed information related to the objects, places, persons, and events in the news continuously in the form of slides (a paragraph of text illustrated by an image). This mode is automatic and requires no user interaction, although interaction is possible if desired. • The lean forward mode enables in-depth exploration of each news headline in the categories: different sources; opinions of different authors; in-depth articles; timeline; and from the point of view of geo-localized tweets. We showed that LinkedTV News succeeds in fulfilling many of the user needs and requirements identified in the preliminary studies. Overall, there seems to be interest from users in a hypermedia solution for the news that integrates online newspapers and video with television broadcasts. The hi-fi prototype served as a tool for illustrating and sharing a future vision of hyperlinked broadcast news within and outside the LinkedTV project group. We recommend testing the application with a different and larger group of users. If the study proves successful, we recommend considering the production of a service represented by LinkedTV News as a commercial application of the LinkedTV technology

Redesigning the Nantucket Town Website

To enhance the use of e-governance on Nantucket, the Town of Nantucket decided to redesign its town website. The Nantucket IT Department desired a website that allowed users to easily find information and was also easy for town officials to keep up to date. In order to help address both residents’ and town employees’ needs, the team conducted surveys and a series of department meetings, and also analyzed data from the previous Nantucket Town Website. The project resulted in a list of recommendations on the design, content, and functionalities of the new Nantucket Town Website

Mediagalleriat mobiililaitteissa - ohjeita auttamaan tulevissa tuoteratkaisuissa

Erilaisten mediatyyppien - kuvan, videon ja äänen - tallentamiseen ja hallintaan kykenevät mobiililaitteet ovat tulleet yhä yleisemmiksi. Samalla laitteiden varastointikapasiteetti on kasvamassa. Mitä suuremmaksi tiedostojen määrä kasvaa, sitä tärkeämpää on, että mediagalleriassa on oikeat toiminnot ja hyvä käytettävyys. Tietokoneiden mediagalleriaohjelmissa on monia ominaisuuksia, jotka mahdollistavat niiden helpon, nopean ja miellyttävän käytön. Tiedostoja voi mm. luokitella eri ominaisuuksien mukaan, katsella monella eri tavalla sekä lähettää ja muokata. Näistä ominaisuuksista voi ottaa oppia, kun mobiililaitteiden mediagallerioita kehitetään. Tämä diplomityö kokoaa havainnot olemassa olevista mediagallerioista sekä aikaisemmista tutkimusta ja tutkii lisäksi tarkemmin neljän tuotteen käytettävyyttä. Lopputuloksena syntyviä ohjeita voidaan käyttää apuna, kun tulevia mediagallerioita mobiililaitteisiin kehitetään. Painopistetuotteet olivat Series 60 -sovellukset Resco Photo Viewer, SplashPhoto, Nokia 6630 mediagalleria sekä Nokia Lifeblog. Tutkimuksen tulosten perusteella suositellaan mm., että käyttäjien pitäisi pystyä säätelemään tiedostojen esitystapaa, luokitella, hakea sekä muokata tiedostoja, ja mediagalleriassa pitäisi olla kunnollinen ohje joka tilanteeseen. Lisäksi tuotteessa tulisi olla hauskuutta, joka yllättäisi ja kiehtoisi käyttäjiä

A component framework for personalized multimedia applications

Eine praktikable Unterstützung für eine dynamische Erstellung von personalisierten Multimedia-Präsentationen bieten bisher weder industrielle Lösungen noch Forschungsansätze. Mit dem Software-technischen Ansatz des MM4U-Frameworks („MultiMedia For You“) wird erstmals eine generische und zugleich praktikable Unterstützung für den dynamischen Erstellungsprozess bereitgestellt. Das Ziel des MM4U-Frameworks ist es den Anwendungsentwicklern eine umfangreiche und anwendungsunabhängige Unterstützung zur Erstellung von personalisierten Multimedia-Inhalten anzubieten und damit den Entwicklungsprozess solcher Anwendungen erheblich zu erleichtern. Um das Ziel eines Software-Frameworks zur generischen Unterstützung der Entwicklung von personalisierten Multimedia-Anwendungen zu erreichen, stellt sich die Frage nach einer geeigneten Software-technischen Unterstützung zur Entwicklung eines solchen Frameworks. Seit der Einführung von objektorientierten Frameworks, ist heute die Entwicklung immer noch aufwendig und schwierig. Um die Entwicklungsrisiken zu reduzieren, sind geeignete Vorgehensmodelle und Entwicklungsmethoden erstellt worden. Mit der Komponenten-Technologie sind auch so genannte Komponenten-Frameworks entstanden. Im Gegensatz zu objekt-orientierten Frameworks fehlt derzeit jedoch ein geeignetes Vorgehensmodell für Komponenten-Frameworks. Um den Entwicklungsprozess von Komponenten-Frameworks zu verbessern ist mit ProMoCF („Process Model for Component Frameworks“) ein neuartiger Ansatz entwickelt worden. Hierbei handelt es sich um ein leichtgewichtiges Vorgehensmodell und eine Entwicklungsmethodik für Komponenten-Frameworks. Das Vorgehensmodell wurde unter gegenseitigem Nutzen mit der Entwicklung des MM4U-Frameworks erstellt. Das MM4U-Framework stellt keine Neuerfindung der Adaption von Multimedia-Inhalten dar, sondern zielt auf die Vereinigung und Einbettung existierender Forschungsansätze und Lösungen im Umfeld der Multimedia-Personalisierung. Mit so einem Framework an der Hand können Anwendungsentwickler erstmals effizient und einfach eine dynamische Erstellung ihrer personalisierten Multimedia-Inhalte realisieren

Photo Wallet : interface design for simple mobile photo albums

Tese de mestrado. Multimédia (Perfil Tecnologias). Universidade do Porto. Faculdade de Engenharia. 201

Deliverable D3.5 Requirements Document LinkedTV User Interfaces (Version 2)

This report describes the process of design and evaluation of LinkedTV News, a second screen companion for interacting with hyperlinked television in the domain of newscasts. Our primary goal was to obtain knowledge about potential users of LinkedTV’s technology regarding their information needs and an indication of how they perceive the technology. We performed two initial studies: a focus group and a series of interviews. These allowed us to identify our target group, the context of use, and the requirements with which we created the concept of the application. The design of the application was refined through a series of design iterations and a high fidelity prototype was produced. After creating the LinkedTV News prototype, we evaluated it with a task-based study performed with a selection of participants of the initial studies that closely matched the target profile

History in Your Hand: Design Elements to Enhance Adoption of Mobile Multimedia Historical Tour.

Ph.D. Thesis. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa 2017

Work In The 21st Century: A Study In Organizational Adaptation To Alternative Work Arrangements

The concept of alternative work arrangements (AWAs) represents a growing trend within many organizations to shift once-common models of working to newer paradigms. Among many options, this includes models where employees may work from somewhere other than a primary physical office space (remote work), or no longer possess a personal desk at their office (desk sharing). Both remote work and desk sharing often require employees to adapt to a mode of “working” far different than they are accustomed to, yielding a range of conflicting opinions, pros and cons, and unique experiences along the way. The research question becomes: How do employees make sense of their organization’s shift towards alternative work arrangements? This capstone explores the transition from the perspective of a higher-education information technology organization (HEITO) in the midst of its journey in adopting and adapting to AWAs, initially presenting the historical circumstances that led to the organization’s current state. A literature review and secondary research is used to explore AWAs and several sub-topics related to the change, and a recent survey of HEITO’s employees is used to gather quantitative and qualitative data on the organization’s transition. This capstone concludes with an analysis of the research data, and thoughts pertaining to further studies on AWAs

Investigating an Open Source based platform strategy at Sony Ericsson

Purpose: The purpose of the thesis is to investigate whether the future development of the Digital Home creates incentives for Sony Ericsson to initiate an Open Source based platform strategy. Issues: The main issues presented: To create future scenarios of the Digital Home environment and describe its ecosystem of consumer electronics and mobile phones. To investigate the competitive advantage for Sony Ericsson to implement an Open Source based platform in each of these scenarios. Method: In order to succeed with the purpose, the current market situation is studied and development trends are identified. A prediction of the development of the industry is made on the basis of a Micro Delphi analysis in combination with studying written sources. Future scenarios are constructed and used as a foundation for the analysis. Conclusions: The scenarios presented in this paper all create incentives for Sony Ericsson to initiate an Open Source based platform strategy. Such a strategy would put the company in a good position if an Open Source based platform, especially a Linux platform, would become one of the leading. An Open Source based platform has the potential to become leading due to the nature of Open Source which attracts third party development especially from Internet service providers, crucial for survival in the industry. With an Open Source based platform, there is also an opportunity for Sony Ericsson to create a common platform with Sony and together build an ecosystem of devices for the future Digital Home. However, due to the instable value chain and the uncertainty of its structure in five years, it is the authors’ believe that an Open Source based platform should not constitute the single one, but be one of several in a platform portfolio where an Open Source based platform would be the long-term strategy

Creating an Inclusive Learning Environment for Post Secondary Design Education - Synergized design learning in a co designed space.

Successful studios combine stimulation, inspiration, and promote the learner to discover self- direction. In addition to the appearance of the space, amenities and appropriate technology are vital for students to experience design challenges and opportunities as they would in a design office. The physical requirements, spatial layout and flexibility are necessary to sustain the learning and teaching methods of collaboration and brainstorming between students and facilitators (OMP/P Architects, VS furniture & Bruce Mau Design, 2010). A well designed studio space enhances the learner’s educational experience. This research will support how learning environments specific to studio experiences impact student and engagement thus influencing their success and lifelong learning. In addition, this research provides the fundamental needs of what lifelong learners require in their studio spaces. Methodological triangulation substantiated the evidence for Participatory Action Research which was conducted in three Parts: Survey, Charrettes, and a Creative Workshop. Students and faculty were asked to co-create a solution with the researcher / author. This MRP is a collection of their ideations, solutions and needs. Together this established the knowledge to empower and emancipate multiple voices to validate a vision of change, direction, the variety of expertise, experiences, perceptions, ideas and allowed diverse groups to create synergy, and understand different ideas and contributes to the space between. The conclusions discuss and show how a learning environment becomes flexible and adaptable but it also shows how is can focus on the individual