19 research outputs found
HbbTV-compliant Platform for Hybrid Media Delivery and Synchronization on Single- and Multi-Device Scenarios
[EN] The combination of broadcast and broadband
(hybrid) technologies for delivering TV related
media contents can bring fascinating opportunities. It is
motivated by the large amount and diversity of media contents,
together with the ubiquity and multiple connectivity capabilities
of modern consumption devices. This paper presents an
end-to-end platform for the preparation, delivery, and synchronized
consumption of related hybrid (broadcast/broadband)
media contents on a single device and/or on multiple close-by
devices (i.e., a multi-device scenario). It is compatible with the
latest version of the Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV)
standard (version 2.0.1). Additionally, it provides adaptive and
efficient solutions for key issues not specified in that standard,
but that are necessary to successfully deploy hybrid and multidevice
media services. Moreover, apart from MPEG-DASH and
HTML5, which are the broadband technologies adopted by
HbbTV, the platform also provides support for using HTTP Live
Streaming and Real-time Transport Protocol and its companion
RTP Control Protocol broadband technologies. The presented
platform can provide support for many hybrid media services.
In this paper, in order to evaluate it, the use case of multi-device
and multi-view TV service has been selected. The results of both
objective and subjective assessments have been very satisfactory,
in terms of performance (stability, smooth playout, delays,
and sync accuracy), usability of the platform, usefulness of
its functionalities, and the awaken interest in these kinds of
platforms.This work was supported in part by the "Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional" and in part by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through R&D&I Support Program under Grant TEC2013-45492-R.Boronat, F.; Marfil-Reguero, D.; Montagud, M.; Pastor Castillo, FJ. (2017). HbbTV-compliant Platform for Hybrid Media Delivery and Synchronization on Single- and Multi-Device Scenarios. IEEE Transactions on Broadcasting. 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1109/TBC.2017.2781124S12
Applications across Co-located Devices
We live surrounded by many computing devices. However, their presence has yet to
be fully explored to create a richer ubiquitous computing environment. There is an
opportunity to take better advantage of those devices by combining them into a unified
user experience. To realize this vision, we studied and explored the use of a framework,
which provides the tools and abstractions needed to develop applications that distribute
UI components across co-located devices.
The framework comprises the following components: authentication and authorization
services; a broker to sync information across multiple application instances; background
services that gather the capabilities of the devices; and a library to integrate
web applications with the broker, determine which components to show based on UI
requirements and device capabilities, and that provides custom elements to manage the
distribution of the UI components and the multiple application states. Collaboration
between users is supported by sharing application states. An indoor positioning solution
had to be developed in order to determine when devices are close to each other to trigger
the automatic redistribution of UI components.
The research questions that we set out to respond are presented along with the contributions
that have been produced. Those contributions include a framework for crossdevice
applications, an indoor positioning solution for pervasive indoor environments,
prototypes, end-user studies and developer focused evaluation. To contextualize our
research, we studied previous research work about cross-device applications, proxemic
interactions and indoor positioning systems.
We presented four application prototypes. The first three were used to perform studies
to evaluate the user experience. The last one was used to study the developer experience
provided by the framework. The results were largely positive with users showing preference
towards using multiple devices under some circumstances. Developers were also
able to grasp the concepts provided by the framework relatively well.Vivemos rodeados de dispositivos computacionais. No entanto, ainda não tiramos partido
da sua presença para criar ambientes de computação ubíqua mais ricos. Existe uma
oportunidade de combiná-los para criar uma experiência de utilizador unificada. Para
realizar esta visão, estudámos e explorámos a utilização de uma framework que forneça
ferramentas e abstrações que permitam o desenvolvimento de aplicações que distribuem
os componentes da interface do utilizador por dispositivos co-localizados.
A framework é composta por: serviços de autenticação e autorização; broker que sincroniza
informação entre várias instâncias da aplicação; serviços que reúnem as capacidades
dos dispositivos; e uma biblioteca para integrar aplicações web com o broker, determinar
as componentes a mostrar com base nos requisitos da interface e nas capacidades dos
dispositivos, e que disponibiliza elementos para gerir a distribuição dos componentes da
interface e dos estados de aplicação. A colaboração entre utilizadores é suportada através
da partilha dos estados de aplicação. Foi necessário desenvolver um sistema de posicionamento
em interiores para determinar quando é que os dispositivos estão perto uns dos
outros para despoletar a redistribuição automática dos componentes da interface.
As questões de investigação inicialmente colocadas são apresentadas juntamente com
as contribuições que foram produzidas. Essas contribuições incluem uma framework para
aplicações multi-dispositivo, uma solução de posicionamento em interiores para computação
ubíqua, protótipos, estudos com utilizadores finais e avaliação com programadores.
Para contextualizar a nossa investigação, estudámos trabalhos anteriores sobre aplicações
multi-dispositivo, interação proxémica e sistemas de posicionamento em interiores.
Apresentámos quatro aplicações protótipo. As primeiras três foram utilizadas para
avaliar a experiência de utilização. A última foi utilizada para estudar a experiência
de desenvolvimento com a framework. Os resultados foram geralmente positivos, com
os utilizadores a preferirem utilizar múltiplos dispositivos em certas circunstâncias. Os
programadores também foram capazes de compreender a framework relativamente bem
Mobile heritage practices. Implications for scholarly research, user experience design, and evaluation methods using mobile apps.
Mobile heritage apps have become one of the most popular means for audience
engagement and curation of museum collections and heritage contexts. This
raises practical and ethical questions for both researchers and practitioners, such
as: what kind of audience engagement can be built using mobile apps? what are
the current approaches? how can audience engagement with these experience
be evaluated? how can those experiences be made more resilient, and in turn
sustainable? In this thesis I explore experience design scholarships together with
personal professional insights to analyse digital heritage practices with a view to
accelerating thinking about and critique of mobile apps in particular. As a result,
the chapters that follow here look at the evolution of digital heritage practices,
examining the cultural, societal, and technological contexts in which mobile
heritage apps are developed by the creative media industry, the academic
institutions, and how these forces are shaping the user experience design
methods. Drawing from studies in digital (critical) heritage, Human-Computer
Interaction (HCI), and design thinking, this thesis provides a critical analysis of
the development and use of mobile practices for the heritage. Furthermore,
through an empirical and embedded approach to research, the thesis also
presents auto-ethnographic case studies in order to show evidence that mobile
experiences conceptualised by more organic design approaches, can result in
more resilient and sustainable heritage practices. By doing so, this thesis
encourages a renewed understanding of the pivotal role of these practices in the
broader sociocultural, political and environmental changes.AHRC REAC
Covid-19, Law and Human Rights : Essex Dialogues. A Project of the School of Law and Human Rights Centre
Covid-19 presents one of the gravest, acute challenges our world has faced for many years. The pandemic impacts a vast array of areas of life across the globe. It also raises a multitude of very urgent questions for law and human rights. This volume provides a series of scholarly responses to many of the questions Covid-19 raises for the theory and practice of law and human rights. The assembled papers in this volume collectively seek to engage with academic and practitioner communities alike and the volume aims to positively contribute to our collective attempts to “build back better” once a globally available vaccine for Covid-19 has been produced and distributed.
The volume emerged from a hastily convened Zoom meeting of over thirty colleagues based within the Human Rights Centre and the School of Law at the University of Essex. The purpose of the meeting was to gauge ongoing research related to Covid-19 and the breadth and array of responses led to this project. It quickly became apparent that many academic colleagues were extremely interested in contributing their expertise on a very broad range of multidisciplinary Covid-19 related topics and issues. The combination of contributors’ enthusiasm for the project and our editorial efforts has enabled us to produce this volume in a very timely manner. A mere three months has elapsed from the first meeting to the final publication!
The contents of this volume span a very comprehensive range of topics, questions and expertise. The volume is purposefully multidisciplinary. It is also intended to be accessible to a relatively broad readership who, one imagines, is nevertheless united by an interest in the role which expertise has to play in confronting and overcoming the very many legal, social, philosophical and political challenges which Covid-19 entails
Towards a remote launch mechanism of TV companion applications using iBeacon
TV sets and companion devices (Smartphones, Tablets, etc.) have outgrown their original purpose and are now playing together an important role to offer the best user experience on multiple screens. However, the collaboration between TV and companion applications faces challenges that go beyond traditional single screen applications. These range from discovery, wake-up and pairing of devices, to application launch, communication, synchronization and adaptation to target device and screen size. In this position paper, we will limit ourselves to the Remote Launch aspect and introduce an idea for a new mechanism for launching companion applications using iBeacon technology
Data and the city – accessibility and openness. a cybersalon paper on open data
This paper showcases examples of bottom–up open data and smart city applications and identifies lessons for future such efforts. Examples include Changify, a neighbourhood-based platform for residents, businesses, and companies; Open Sensors, which provides APIs to help businesses, startups, and individuals develop applications for the Internet of Things; and Cybersalon’s Hackney Treasures. a location-based mobile app that uses Wikipedia entries geolocated in Hackney borough to map notable local residents. Other experiments with sensors and open data by Cybersalon members include Ilze Black and Nanda Khaorapapong's The Breather, a "breathing" balloon that uses high-end, sophisticated sensors to make air quality visible; and James Moulding's AirPublic, which measures pollution levels. Based on Cybersalon's experience to date, getting data to the people is difficult, circuitous, and slow, requiring an intricate process of leadership, public relations, and perseverance. Although there are myriad tools and initiatives, there is no one solution for the actual transfer of that data