Delivering elder-care environments utilizing TV-channel based mechanisms

In this paper, we present a smart environment for elderly. What makes the development of such system challenging is that the concept of smartness for elderly brings to the extreme the idea of invisibility of the technology. In our experience, elders are well-disposed to new technologies, provided that those will not require significant changes - namely, they are invisible - to their habits. Starting from this consideration, 200 caregivers responses were collected by questionnaire, so as to better understand elders' needs and habits. A system was subsequently developed allowing elders to access a number of "modern web services" as standard TV channels: at channel 43 there is the health status, at channel 45 the photos of the family, at 46 the agenda of the week, just to mention few of the available services. The content of such services is automatically generated by the smart devices in the environment and is managed by the caregivers (e.g., family members) by simple web apps. Fourteen families were asked to install the system in their house. The results of these experiments confirm that the proposed system is considered effective and user-friendly by elders

Considerations and design on apps for elderly with mild-to-moderate dementia

Many elderly people suffer from dementia in their daily life. The symptoms of dementia include impairments in thinking, communicating and recalling things of the past. Dementia can be caused by brain damage incurred from stroke (brain infarct), injury or other diseases. Recently, research has indicated a potential rehabilitative role for touchscreen technology in dementia. Elders can use apps to aid recall in order to support activities of daily living. Memory and activity apps can be developed for people suffering from early dementia. This paper presents the current state of development in the field of cognitive tests. It has also presented the many considerations and design issues related to the development of apps for people with dementia. © 2015 IEEE.published_or_final_versio

News media design: A comparative study of digital application format

In this information age, newspapers are experiencing a transition from a printed format to a digital format. Using an electronic device to read news has become one of the important ways to acquire information in people\u27s daily lives. The electronic mobile device, especially the iPad, provides a new platform for newspaper publication, which enables newspaper publishers to create unique applications for readers. However, the existing research about newspaper design for iPad devices is very limited. This study conducted an online survey to investigate users\u27 attitudes toward digital format newspapers and printed format newspapers. Through the analysis of iPad application design and website design of the New York Times, USA Today and Huffington Post, it listed the common advantages and disadvantages of current newspaper applications. The case studies assisted to formulate the guidelines of e-newspaper iPad application design, which will contribute to improve the e- newspaper reading experiences for users

Information technology for active ageing: A review of theory and practice

Active Ageing aims to foster a physically, mentally and socially active lifestyle as a person ages. It is a complex, multi-faceted problem that involves a variety of different actors, such as policy makers, doctors, care givers, family members, friends and, of course, older adults. This review aims to understand the role of a new actor, which increasingly plays the role of enabler and facilitator, i.e., that of the technology provider. The review specifically focuses on Information Technology (IT), with a particular emphasis on software applications, and on how IT can prevent decline, compensate for lost capabilities, aid care, and enhance existing capabilities. The analysis confirms the crucial role of IT in Active Ageing, shows that Active Ageing requires a multidisciplinary approach, and identifies the need for better integration of hardware, software, the environment and the involved actors

User interface guidelines for the control of interactive television systems via smart phone applications

International audienceThere are a growing number of smart phone applications allowing the user to control their television, set-top box or other entertainment devices. The success of these applications is limited. Based on findings from media studies in Austria and France focusing on how people currently use their TV and iTV systems and associated devices, this article describes recommendations for the design of a smart phone application enabling users to control Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) systems including all connected entertainment devices. Recommendations include the need to allow users to control devices that are related to the IPTV experience (not only the set-top box or television set) and the focus on scenarios of usage like supporting listening to music, enjoying a movie or controlling the connected home. Based on similarities and differences found in the two samples, future smart phone applications for controlling TV will only succeed if they provide meaningful functionalities that satisfy the (varying) user needs, support personalisation and personal usage and respect the limitations of mobile phones with respect to possible parallel activities performed

Case study:exploring children’s password knowledge and practices

Children use technology from a very young age, and often have to authenticate themselves. Yet very little attention has been paid to designing authentication specifically for this particular target group. The usual practice is to deploy the ubiquitous password, and this might well be a suboptimal choice. Designing authentication for children requires acknowledgement of child-specific developmental challenges related to literacy, cognitive abilities and differing developmental stages. Understanding the current state of play is essential, to deliver insights that can inform the development of child-centred authentication mechanisms and processes. We carried out a systematic literature review of all research related to children and authentication since 2000. A distinct research gap emerged from the analysis. Thus, we designed and administered a survey to school children in the United States (US), so as to gain insights into their current password usage and behaviors. This paper reports preliminary results from a case study of 189 children (part of a much larger research effort). The findings highlight age-related differences in children’s password understanding and practices. We also discovered that children confuse concepts of safety and security. We conclude by suggesting directions for future research. This paper reports on work in progress.<br/

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF EMERGING ONLINE BUSINESS MODELS: DEVELOPING A DIGITAL COMIC BOOK PROTOTYPE

Advancing online technologies have traditional legacy media scrambling to generate consistent revenue streams in the digital space. Even though online and mobile technologies encourage publishers to develop new content for the web there are inherent challenges to adapting tactile non digital formats into ones and zeros. Furthermore, the digital space has yet to define a specific business model applicable for all online media. Presenting current trends in digital publishing of comic books as well as traditional media, this document defines emerging online business models and case examples of consumer purchase incentives. The defined business models and literature provide a guided framework and are applied to the production of a comic book application prototype, the Choosie Book. The prototype is created as an interactive interface following conventions established in comic books and children’s picture books. The prototype’s intellectual property, Just James, was previously published in the popular anthology Reading With Pictures. The Just James narrative, graphic illustrations, and structure have been adapted from its original publication for the purposes of this prototype. It is intended as a proof of concept for digital publishers, producers, and developers

Crisis 2030: Aging at Risk

This thesis analyzes critical issues affecting the older adult population of the United States in the year 2030 and recommends policies needed to remedy them. In the first chapter, the thesis addresses the upcoming aging crisis of the baby boomer population, both in numbers and affordability. The second chapter further describes and analyzes the major problems affecting the baby boomer population. The third chapter examines how technology can provide a universal and friendly design for older adult users. Chapters four through seven illustrate four distinctive case studies of Baby Boomers living in the year 2030. The case studies provide resolutions to the issues presented in chapter two. The eighth chapter recommends an integrated set of policies dealing with technology, health care, and home care, which are emphasized in the case studies. In conclusion, the thesis argues for policy changes that should begin to be crafted today in order to be implemented and to achieve the future scenarios depicted in the case studies

EzNav: A mobile Web browser for the elderly

A população mundial está a envelhecer, podendo-se observar uma tendência semelhante no que diz respeito aos utilizadores da Internet. De facto, estudos revelam que as pessoas com mais de 60 anos constituem o grupo com maior crescimento, no que concerne à procura de informação na World Wide Web. No entanto, os desenhos ineficientes das existentes ferramentas tecnológicas e aplicações constituem uma barreira à inclusão digital, por parte dos idosos. Além disso, a maioria destes sofre de um declínio nas suas capacidades visuais, motoras e cognitivas, o que poderá dificultar a interação Web.O projeto descrito neste documento tem como objetivo o desenvolvimento de uma aplicação Android, que consiste num navegador Web para os seniores, tendo como foco as suas necessidades. Para tal, foi feita uma revisão da literatura em profundidade acerca das características e dos comportamentos dos adultos mais velhos em relação à interação Web, para que fosse possível encontrar modificações e melhorias a fazer, no que toca à interação de utilizadores idosos com as tecnologias atuais. A aplicação desenvolvida visa ser orientada para os seniores, não só por considerar aspetos gráficos da interface (como usar menos botões e maiores), mas também aspetos do motor de navegação da Web (como remover anúncios, aumentar espaçamento entre parágrafos e alterar cores).De modo a validar a solução e a obter feedback dos utilizadores, protótipos de baixa e de alta fidelidade foram desenvolvidos e testados com um grupo de idosos, num Centro de Dia. Isto permitiu um ciclo acelerado de contínuo desenvolvimento e testes, aumentando, assim, o feedback recebido e, consequentemente, a qualidade geral do sistema. Tendo em conta estas premissas, o desenvolvimento deste projeto seguiu uma metodologia de desenho centrado no utilizador (user-centred design), que, como o nome indica, coloca o utilizador no centro do processo de desenho.Os resultados dos testes finais são promissores, na medida em que todos os utilizadores foram capazes de realizar todas as tarefas, sem dificuldades. Além disso, os idosos, em geral, consideraram a aplicação fácil de usar e todos eles mostraram interesse em utilizá-la novamente, o que reflete uma grande aceitação da mesma. Tendo em conta estes resultados, pode-se afirmar que os objetivos estabelecidos foram, de modo geral, cumpridos.Ageing population is increasing around the world and a similar trend is being observed in the population of Internet users. In fact, some studies revealed that people aged 60 years and over constitute the fastest growing group of information seekers on the World Wide Web. However, inadequate interface designs of existing technology tools and apps constitute a barrier to elders' digital inclusion. Besides, most older adults suffer from a decline in their visual, motor and cognitive skills that may hamper Web interaction.The project described in this document aimed at the development of an Android mobile application that consists of a Web browser for older adults, focusing on their needs. This was done through an in-depth literature review on older adults' characteristics and behaviours towards Web interaction, as well as on guidelines for designing for older people, in order to find possible modifications and improvements regarding senior user interaction with current technologies. The developed application aims at being senior-oriented, not only by considering graphical user interface (GUI) aspects (like using fewer, bigger buttons), but also Web engine aspects (removing ads, increasing spacing between paragraphs, changing colours).In order to validate the solution and get feedback from users, both low- and high-fidelity prototypes were developed and tested with a group of elders, at a day care centre. This allowed for a fast-paced cycle of continuous development and testing, thus increasing the received feedback and, consequently, the overall quality of the system. Given these premises, the development of this project followed a user-centred design (UCD) methodology, which puts the user at the centre of the design process.The results from the final usability tests proved promising, with all test participants performing all tasks, with no effort. Besides, seniors, in general, felt the application was easy to use and all of them would like to use it again, which shows great acceptance and interest in the application. Given these results, one can say that all the goals were, in general, fulfilled

Understanding Multi-Device Usage Patterns: Physical Device Configurations and Fragmented Workflows

To better ground technical (systems) investigation and interaction design of cross-device experiences, we contribute an in-depth survey of existing multi-device practices, including fragmented workflows across devices and the way people physically organize and configure their workspaces to support such activity. Further, this survey documents a historically significant moment of transition to a new future of remote work, an existing trend dramatically accelerated by the abrupt switch to work-from-home (and having to contend with the demands of home-at-work) during the COVID-19 pandemic. We surveyed 97 participants, and collected photographs of home setups and open-ended answers to 50 questions categorized in 5 themes. We characterize the wide range of multi-device physical configurations and identify five usage patterns, including: partitioning tasks, integrating multi-device usage, cloning tasks to other devices, expanding tasks and inputs to multiple devices, and migrating between devices. Our analysis also sheds light on the benefits and challenges people face when their workflow is fragmented across multiple devices. These insights have implications for the design of multi-device experiences that support people's fragmented workflows