TechNews digests: Jan - Nov 2009

TechNews is a technology, news and analysis service aimed at anyone in the education sector keen to stay informed about technology developments, trends and issues. TechNews focuses on emerging technologies and other technology news. TechNews service : digests september 2004 till May 2010 Analysis pieces and News combined publish every 2 to 3 month

Pioneers, subcultures and cooperatives: The grassroots augmentation of urban places

About the book: There have been numerous possible scenarios depicted on the impact of the internet on urban spaces. Considering ubiquitous/pervasive computing, mobile, wireless connectivity and the acceptance of the Internet as a non extraordinary part of our everyday lives mean that physical urban space is augmented, and digital in itself. This poses new problems as well as opportunities to those who have to deal with it. This book explores the intersection and articulation of physical and digital environments and the ways they can extend and reshape a spirit of place. It considers this from three main perspectives: the implications for the public sphere and urban public or semi-public spaces; the implications for community regeneration and empowerment; and the dilemmas and challenges which the augmentation of space implies for urbanists. Grounded with international real -life case studies, this is an up-to-date, interdisciplinary and holistic overview of the relationships between cities, communities and high technologies

The Eldercare Dialogues: A Grassroots Strategy to Transform Long-Term Care

This report is the culmination of observations of 11 Eldercare Dialogues, 15 in-depth interviews with Dialogue organizers and participants, and six focus groups, one with each participating organization. It explores the experiences of caregivers and care recipients in the movement to transform long-term care and ensure that caregivers and recipients have the support they need to age and work with dignity. The full report includes a toolkit so other communities can learn from and replicate the Dialogue process

Communities Engaged in Resisting Violence

"Communities Engaged in Resisting Violence" documents a new movement in Chicago that seeks to end violence against women through community engagement and accountability, rather than solely social services and criminal justice. This report documents the innovative approaches, structures and strategies of sixteen community-based initiatives from across Chicago that are changing the way that we deal with violence against women in this society.Why do we need new approaches? The women's movement against violence has accomplished much over the past 35 years. There are now many local, regional and national organizations that provide support, advocacy, and educational resources. And yet, violence remains an omni-present fact of our day-to-day lives. The report looks at 6 limitations of the mainstream anti-violence movement:- One size fits all model, with standardized definitions, options and strategies- Over-reliance on the criminal legal system- Reliance on state funding- Exclusive focus on interpersonal violence- Exclusive focus on individual intervention- Professionalization of antiviolence workThe report then examines groups, approaches, structures and strategies, providing concrete suggestions of how individuals and communities can take action to end violence against women and girls.How anti-violence groups develop their approach: The report examines how groups have broadened the definition of violence; rethought the roles of survivors and perpetrators of violence; and identified systems of oppression as root causes of violence.How anti-violence groups structure their projects: Rather than copy the structures of the mainstream nonprofit system, groups are creating new structures and negotiating the older ones. The report looks at how groups ground their work in communities; how they grapple with the non-profit industrial complex; and how they build safe communities within the movement, including responses to acts of violence within the social justice community. Strategies to end violence: The report examines six strategies to end violence against women and girls: community engagement; community organizing; arts and performance; popular education; harm reduction and partnering with men

Collecting and sharing movies' in the digital era: Audiences:practices and the sociocultural implications in the case of Taiwan

With the coming of 'multi-platform film-viewing' era, contemporary viewers can enjoy movies not only at the cinema, but also at home via innovative media technology, such as DVDs and Internet. Therefore, movies can be played and stored in different formats, from celluloid films, video tapes, to DVD discs and digital files. For many viewers, movie-collecting, along with film-viewing become of the essential parts of domestic movie-related leisure activities. However, not many existing literatures are focusing on viewers' movie-collecting activity, especially in today's digital media-rich environment, with the exception of some research about viewers' practices of video movie collecting, related activities and the meanings behind their collecting practices (Tashiro, 1996; Dinsmore, 1998; and Bjarkman, 2004). Owing to some specific characteristics of digital media like DVD discs or potable hard drives, sharing collected movies with other people becomes a popular activity for contemporary viewers to conduct. Therefore, the main purpose of this paper is to examine how modern viewer appropriate available information and communication technologies (ICT) to facilitate their practices of movie-collecting and sharing by adopting qualitative audience research method with respondents recruited from different age cohorts. After analyzing collected data, it is argued that DVD discs and downloaded movie files are used as a kind of social tool for audiences' to build up interaction with their family, friends, classmates or colleagues. Furthermore, sharing collected movies with other people is more significant than actually viewing those collected movies for many respondents participating in this research. --film audiences,DVD movies,movie-downloading,movie-collecting and sharing,domestic film-viewing culture

The Rise of Mobile and the Diffusion of Technology-Facilitated Trafficking

In this report, researchers at the USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership & Policy (CCLP) reveal how those involved in human trafficking have been quick to adapt to the 21st-century global landscape. While the rapid diffusion of digital technologies such as mobile phones, social networking sites, and the Internet has provided significant benefits to society, new channels and opportunities for exploitation have also emerged. Increasingly, the business of human trafficking is taking place online and over mobile phones. But the same technologies that are being used for trafficking can become a powerful tool to combat trafficking. The precise role that digital technologies play in human trafficking still remains unclear, however, and a closer examination of the phenomenon is vital to identify and respond to new threats and opportunities.This investigation indicates that mobile devices and networks have risen in prominence and are now of central importance to the sex trafficking of minors in the United States. While online platforms such as online classifieds and social networking sites remain a potential venue for exploitation, this research suggests that technology facilitated trafficking is more diffuse and adaptive than initially thought. This report presents a review of current literature, trends, and policies; primary research based on mobile phone data collected from online classified sites; a series of firsthand interviews with law enforcement; and key recommendations to policymakers and stakeholders moving forward

TechNews digests: Jan - Nov 2008

TechNews is a technology, news and analysis service aimed at anyone in the education sector keen to stay informed about technology developments, trends and issues. TechNews focuses on emerging technologies and other technology news. TechNews service : digests september 2004 till May 2010 Analysis pieces and News combined publish every 2 to 3 month

Family memories in the home: contrasting physical and digital mementos

We carried out fieldwork to characterise and compare physical and digital mementos in the home. Physical mementos are highly valued, heterogeneous and support different types of recollection. Contrary to expectations, we found physical mementos are not purely representational, and can involve appropriating common objects and more idiosyncratic forms. In contrast, digital mementos were initially perceived as less valuable, although participants later reconsidered this. Digital mementos were somewhat limited in function and expression, largely involving representational photos and videos, and infrequently accessed. We explain these digital limitations and conclude with design guidelines for digital mementos, including better techniques for accessing and integrating these into everyday life, allowing them to acquire the symbolic associations and lasting value that characterise their physical counterparts