Mobile Information Society Research Articles

Location Based Services: Research Trends and Open Challenges

Abstract. We are now living in a mobile information era, which is fundamentally changing science and society. Location Based Services (LBS), which deliver information depending on the location of the (mobile) device and user, play a key role in this mobile information era.This presentation will review the state-of-the-art in LBS research, and identify several research trends in recent years. These range from mobile guides and navigation systems to more diverse applications, from outdoor to indoor and mixed outdoor/indoor environments, from location based to context-aware, from maps and audio to more diverse and ‘natural’ interfaces, from technology-oriented to interdisciplinary research, and analysis of big spatial data.To motivate further LBS research and stimulate collective efforts, this presentation will present a series of key research challenges that are essential to advance the development of LBS, setting a research agenda for LBS to ‘positively’ shape the future of our mobile information society. These research challenges (Figure 1) cover issues related to the core of LBS development (e.g. positioning, modelling, and communication), evaluation, and analysis of LBS-generated data, as well as social, ethical, and behavioural issues that rise as LBS enter into people’s daily lives. This research agenda is an outcome of the multi-phase collaborative initiative (https://lbs.icaci.org/research-agenda/), started in May 2016.We hope this research agenda helps to motivate further LBS research and stimulate collective efforts. To bring together the broader community to answer these open research questions, a series of activities (conferences, workshops, and special issues) will be organized in the coming years. By working collaboratively within the LBS community and across cognate communities, we can ensure a better future of our mobile information society.This presentation is based on the following publication: Haosheng Huang, Georg Gartner, Jukka M. Krisp, Martin Raubal & Nico Van de Weghe (2018): Location based services: ongoing evolution and research agenda, Journal of Location Based Services, DOI: 10.1080/17489725.2018.1508763.

How are map-based decisions influenced by uncertainty visualization in risky and time-critical situations?

How are map-based decisions influenced by uncertainty visualization in risky and time-critical situations?

How does navigation system behavior influence human behavior?

Navigation systems are ubiquitous tools to assist wayfinders of the mobile information society with various navigational tasks. Whenever such systems assist with self-localization and path planning, they reduce human effort for navigating. Automated navigation assistance benefits navigation performance, but research seems to show that it negatively affects attention to environment properties, spatial knowledge acquisition, and retention of spatial information. Very little is known about how to design navigation systems for pedestrian navigation that increase both navigation performance and spatial knowledge acquisition. To this end, we empirically tested participants (N = 64) using four different navigation system behaviors (between-subject design). Two cognitive processes with varying levels of automation, self-localization and allocation of attention, define navigation system behaviors: either the system automatically executes one of the processes (high level of automation), or the system leaves the decision of when and where to execute the process to the navigator (low level of automation). In two experimental phases, we applied a novel empirical framework for evaluating spatial knowledge acquisition in a real-world outdoor urban environment. First, participants followed a route assisted by a navigation system and, simultaneously, incidentally acquired spatial knowledge. Second, participants reversed the route using the spatial knowledge acquired during the assisted phase, this time without the aid of the navigation system. Results of the route-following phase did not reveal differences in navigation performance across groups using different navigation system behaviors. However, participants using systems with higher levels of automation seemed not to acquire enough spatial knowledge to reverse the route without navigation errors. Furthermore, employing novel methods to analyze mobile eye tracking data revealed distinct patterns of human gaze behavior over time and space. We thus can demonstrate how to increase spatial knowledge acquisition without harming navigation performance when using navigation systems, and how to influence human navigation behavior with varying navigation system behavior. Thus, we provide key findings for the design of intelligent automated navigation systems in real-world scenarios.

Location based services: ongoing evolution and research agenda

ABSTRACTWe are now living in a mobile information era, which is fundamentally changing science and society. Location Based Services (LBS), which deliver information depending on the location of the (mobile) device and user, play a key role in this mobile information era. This article first reviews the ongoing evolution and research trends of the scientific field of LBS in the past years. To motivate further LBS research and stimulate collective efforts, this article then presents a series of key research challenges that are essential to advance the development of LBS, setting a research agenda for LBS to ‘positively’ shape the future of our mobile information society. These research challenges cover issues related to the core of LBS development (e.g. positioning, modelling, and communication), evaluation, and analysis of LBS-generated data, as well as social, ethical, and behavioural issues that rise as LBS enter into people’s daily lives.

Multimedia mobile services with applications in environment

Increased public access to environmental information contributes to a greater awareness of environmental matters. However, there is no specific structure of public Environmental Information Systems (EIS) for institutions and other social partners to accomplish this goal. Multimedia has been largely used in EIS. Mobile services may play a new role within communicating multimedia environmental information in a citizenship framework. Furthermore, the use of mobile services may promote the development of Mobile Information Society (MIS). Hence, there are currently plenty of technologies to adopt in order to reach the public. This paper is focused on exploring whether Multimedia Mobile Services (MMS) can contribute to augmenting public environmental awareness. A platform of common mobile devices was successfully used to test mobile public access to environmental information in Portugal. This enabled the exploration of real environmental services in mobile contexts. Furthermore, an advanced interactive prototype was developed indoors to simulate a Location-Based Service (LBS) applied to coastal zones. Recommendations for future work are presented.

Corporate Narratives of Information Society: Making Up the Mobile Consumer Subject

The purpose of the article is to study how corporate actors participate in the cultural construction of the Information Society. By means of a case study, the article explores how a multinational corporation is involved in forming consumer identities—making up the subjects of consumption—by shaping the interpretive repertoires and cultural practices that are available for consumers as members of the emerging information society. The article elaborates on the ways in which the corporation invokes a discourse of shareholder value in its visionary strategic narrative entitled Mobile Information Society, and how this discourse operates to mobilize consumer conduct in particular ways, by making up, framing and formatting the consumer as a mobile subject of the global economy. The article’s aim is to contribute to the empirical bases of policy debates about the roles and responsibilities of different market actors in the production of the information society.

Young People and Seniors in Finnish 'Mobile Information Society'

What is the significance of the mobile phone in the social relationships of young people and seniors? What kinds of informal and formal learning strategies do young people and seniors have in acquiring mobile phone and other ICT literacies? Young age groups have for long been the most active mobile phone users, but in the last few years the mobile phone use of over 60-year-olds has also been growing very rapidly in Finland and in other countries. This article presents research findings based on several research projects conducted at the University of Tampere on the use of mobile communication and the Internet among young people, families and seniors since the late 1990s. The research aims to explore the spread of mobile and Internet trends through study of communication and social networks among young people and seniors. The main methods have consisted of group discussions and thematic interviews among young people and seniors. By 2006, over 1500 Finns have participated in the study. The research indicates that for older generations, for whom it still constitutes a relatively new aspect in their personal histories and daily lives, the meaning of the mobile phone is highly different than for young people who have grown up into ICT citizens. Knowing the actual use contexts and user experiences of technology among different generations in their daily life can provide important insights on how to improve design and services associated with the technologies Editors: Ann Jones, Agnes Kukulska-Hulme and Daisy Mwanza. Reviewers: Brian Joyce (Finland), Teresa Dillon (Futurelab, Bristol).

Young People and Seniors in Finnish 'Mobile Information Society'

<div class="abstract_container"> <strong>Abstract:</strong> What is the significance of the mobile phone in the social relationships of young people and seniors? What kinds of informal and formal learning strategies do young people and seniors have in acquiring mobile phone and other ICT literacies? Young age groups have for long been the most active mobile phone users, but in the last few years the mobile phone use of over 60-year-olds has also been growing very rapidly in Finland and in other countries. This article presents research findings based on several research projects conducted at the University of Tampere on the use of mobile communication and the Internet among young people, families and seniors since the late 1990s. The research aims to explore the spread of mobile and Internet trends through study of communication and social networks among young people and seniors. The main methods have consisted of group discussions and thematic interviews among young people and seniors. By 2006, over 1500 Finns have participated in the study. The research indicates that for older generations, for whom it still constitutes a relatively new aspect in their personal histories and daily lives, the meaning of the mobile phone is highly different than for young people who have grown up into ICT citizens. Knowing the actual use contexts and user experiences of technology among different generations in their daily life can provide important insights on how to improve design and services associated with the technologies </div> <div class="editors_container"> <strong>Editors:</strong> Ann Jones, Agnes Kukulska-Hulme and Daisy Mwanza. </div> <div class="reviewers_container"> <strong>Reviewers:</strong> Brian Joyce (Finland), Teresa Dillon (Futurelab, Bristol). </div> <!--No demo-->

Globalisation, world trade and the cultural commons: Identity, citizenship and pluralism

There is no consensus on the role that culture plays in the processes of globalisation for the very simple reason that culture is a difficult and elusive term to define,1 and is subject to global p...

Licensing of third generation (3G) mobile

3G is important for developed countries but the stakes are even higher for developing countries since failure to develop 3G could widen the “digital divide” even further. While successful development of 3G services will depend on the private sector, it will also be crucially influenced by the policy and regulatory environment, in particular by the facilitation of market entry through appropriate licensing policies, as well as post‐entry competitive conditions. This article reports on the findings of a workshop organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) which identified critical policy issues with respect to the deployment of 3G mobile, including the regulatory status of mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) and the facilitation of global roaming. The potential role ITU could play as a facilitator of harmonized approaches for the global mobile information society is also explored.

Nokia Game: Brand Experience Campaign in Europe

Nokia, the Finnish-originated telecommunications company, is one of the organisations that pairs a long, traditional history to a highly innovative present. Nokia's history dates back to 1865 when a mining engineer established a wood-pulp mill in southern Finland and began manufacturing paper. Since then, Nokia has evolved dramatically, first growing into a conglomerate consisting of industries ranging from paper to chemicals, rubber, and electronics, then streamlining into a dynamic telecommunications company, which brought the company global success in a relatively short period of time during the 90s. The history of the company reflects its ability to recognize and exploit new opportunities, emerging from continuous market and technological changes. Making the right decisions at the right time indeed proves to breed success. Located in 50 countries with over 60,000 employees, Nokia sells mobile phones in 130 countries, phones which are manufactured in ten countries on three continents. This all proves to be very profitable business. In February 2000, the company reported the strongest annual (1999) operating results in its history, with net sales increasing by 48 per cent (to EUR 19.722m) and operating profit growing by 57 per cent (to EUR 3.908m). Commenting on the results, Jorma Ollila, Nokia's Chairman and CEO, said, ‘Our sound competitive position, comprehensive product portfolio and innovative solutions, strong brand, and highly efficient global operations have driven our profitability growth. We will continue to focus on these areas to enhance our leadership in creating the Mobile Information Society.’

Applications Are the Drivers in the Mobile Information Society

This short paper clarifies the thoughts of the future Mobile Information Society (MIS), ubiquitous access to the information services in wireless environment. The key elements of MIS are explained as well as some of the challenges MIS sets for the current research and skill development programs in academic and industrial environment.

The Nokia Revolution: The Story of an Extraordinary Company That Transformed an Industry

Part 1 The diversification strategy: the origins of Nokia Kairamo's vision of a European technology concern the crash of the internet investment economy, Nokia's years of turmoil. Part 2 The global focus strategy: restructuring, the focus strategy strategic intent global focus strategic market making. Part 3 Toward the mobile information society: Nokia's R&D, focusing and globalization upstream innovation downstream innovation Nokia's secret code. Appendix: A note on the Finnish sources.