Challenges in Developing Applications for Aging Populations

Elderly individuals can greatly benefit from the use of computer applications, which can assist in monitoring health conditions, staying in contact with friends and family, and even learning new things. However, developing accessible applications for an elderly user can be a daunting task for developers. Since the advent of the personal computer, the benefits and challenges of developing applications for older adults have been a hot topic of discussion. In this chapter, the authors discuss the various challenges developers who wish to create applications for the elderly computer user face, including age-related impairments, generational differences in computer use, and the hardware constraints mobile devices pose for application developers. Although these challenges are concerning, each can be overcome after being properly identified

Considering the User in the Wireless World

The near future promises significant advances in communication capabilities, but one of the keys to success is the capability understanding of the people with regards to its value and usage. In considering the role of the user in the wireless world of the future, the Human Perspective Working Group (WG1) of the Wireless World Research Forum has gathered input and developed positions in four important areas: methods, processes, and best practices for user-centered research and design; reference frameworks for modeling user needs within the context of wireless systems; user scenario creation and analysis; and user interaction technologies. This article provides an overview of WG1's work in these areas that are critical to ensuring that the future wireless world meets and exceeds the expectations of people in the coming decades

Comparing Techniques for Mobile Interaction with Objects from the Real World.

Mobile interaction with objects from the real world is gaining in popularity and importance as different mobile technologies increasingly provide the basis for the extraction and usage of information from physical objects. So far, Physical Mobile Interaction is used in rather simple ways. This paper presents a comparison and evaluation of more complex and sophisticated techniques for Physical Mobile Interaction. The results indicate the importance of usability guidelines that pay attention to these new interaction techniques

Open-standards rich media mobile platform & rapid deployment service creation tool

This paper builds upon the work carried out by Brunel University in the field of "Fast Prototyping And Semi-automated User Interface And Application Generation for Converged Broadcast and Cellular Terminals" [1]. This work involved the development of a service creation application for interactive services on mobile devices and methodologies and tools to speed up and deskill the deployment process. This paper aims at further enhancing these tools and presents an enhanced open standards reference platform for mobile digital TV and rich media services. By using a Scalar Vector Graphics (SVG)-driven Java MIDP application (as opposed to bitmapped raster graphics-driven MHP), rich media services can be broadcast to mobile devices running various Java-supported platforms with a user interface scalable to any screen size. Moreover, the Rich Media Mobile Browser is integrated into a service creation tool, therefore enabling rapid testing and deployment of rich mobile media services. The following sections detail the motivation behind the need for a platform which allows for rich media play-out on mobile devices, along with the rich media mobile viewing application and the tools used to create and test rich media with speed and ease

CHILDREN AIMED INTERFACES FOR ANDROID RUNNING DEVICES

The paper focuses on the development of mobile interfaces for children. The Android operating system is presented from appearance with its features, hardware support and its advantages over others operating systems. Mobile software development requirements on different platforms for mobile devices are identified and described. A graphical interface aiming children is designed and its features are presented. The interface includes an application for managing the school related tasks and time. Children manage the time of the days of the week differently. They have access to a task management system and a progress reporting tool. The advantages and development requirements are identified and discussed.mobile, software, development, Android, devices, interfaces, children