Published by the British HCI Group • ISSN 1351-119X 1

The Ubicomp scenario of wirelessly networked processors embedded in everyday objects has been dubbed "the invisible computer". Users no longer interact with a computer but with familiar objects whose functionality is transparently enhanced by computing features. Using the results

Invisible computing creates better everyday devices by augmenting them with computation and communication. The native interface of a particular device suffices, with computation and communication occurring transparently to the user. An invisible computing device does not require setup

MMLite is a modular system architecture that is suitable for a wide variety of hardware and applications. The system provides a selection of object-based components that are statically and/or dynamically assembled into a full application system. The virtual memory manager is optional and is loaded on demand. Communication with remote peers uses XML/SOAP and standard web services. Components can be easily replaced and reimplemented. Componentization reduced the development time and led to a flexible and understandable system.

The future is said to belong to information appliances, specialized and easy to use devices that will have the car tell the coffee pot to brew a cup of coffee just in time for our arrival home. These gadgets are supposed to eliminate the complexity and resulting frustration of the PC. The thesis of this essay is that while information appliances will proliferate, they will not lessen the perception of an exasperating electronic environment. The interaction of the coffee pot, the car, the smart fridge, and the networked camera will create a new layer of complexity. In the rush towards the digital era, we will continue to live right on the edge of intolerable frustration. The paradox of information appliances is that while they are presented as products for a mature market, their main effect will be to unleash a tidal wave of innovation. When technology changes rapidly, greater ease of use serves to attract more users and developers, creating new frustrations. The most we can do is ameli...

Invisible computing systems are highly context-dependent. Consequently, the influence that language has on contex-tual interpretation cannot be ignored by such systems. Rather, once language and other forms of human action are perceived by a system, its interpretative processes will of necessity

Abstract--In this paper, I examine the pervasive quest for invisible computers, applications, and interfaces in order to make a case for resisting the pressure to standardize platforms for delivering on-line courses and other Web-based applications. We need to be especially wary of the argument

A set of designer guidelines from the European Union offers the first step in building privacyaware systems. When 59-year-old Robert Rivera slipped on spilled yogurt and injured his kneecap in a Los Angeles supermarket, he sued the store’s management to recover hospitalization costs and lost wages. While the case was ultimately dismissed for lack of evidence, Rivera claims a mediator contacted him

This paper willdll1PF the concept of invisible computing in aprod[" dod[ context. Within prodin ddin1F[F[ and add1F[F[]1 d31d is commonlyused tod1PA"AA1 chronologyand semantics. New, unsettling objects can bemad to seemold and familiar, or vice versa, somethingold can acquire a new

of smart spaces, invisibility, localized scalability, and masking uneven conditioning. Next, it sketches a couple of hypothetical pervasive computing scenarios, and uses them to identify key capabilities missing from today's systems. The paper closes with a discussion of the research necessary