Ubiquitous Computing Fundamentals

by John Krumm (editor)

"…a must-read text that provides a historical lens to see how ubicomp has matured into a multidisciplinary endeavor. It will be an essential reference to researchers and those who want to learn more about this evolving field."-From the Foreword, Professor Gregory D. Abowd, Georgia Institute of TechnologyFirst introduced two decades ago, the term ubiquitous computing is now part of the common vernacular. Ubicomp, as it is commonly called, has grown not just quickly but broadly so as to encompass a wealth of concepts and technology that serves any number of purposes across all of human endeavor. While such growth is positive, the newest generation of ubicomp practitioners and researchers, isolated to specific tasks, are in danger of losing their sense of history and the broader perspective that has been so essential to the field’s creativity and brilliance.Under the guidance of John Krumm, an original ubicomp pioneer, Ubiquitous Computing Fundamentals brings together eleven ubiquitous computing trailblazers who each report on his or her area of expertise. Starting with a historical introduction, the book moves on to summarize a number of self-contained topics. Taking a decidedly human perspective, the book includes discussion on how to observe people in their natural environments and evaluate the critical points where ubiquitous computing technologies can improve their lives. Among a range of topics this book to build an infrastructure that supports ubiquitous computing applications Privacy protection in systems that connect personal devices and personal informationMoving from the graphical to the ubiquitous computing user interfaceTechniques that are revolutionizing the way we determine a person’s location and understand other sensor measurementsWhile we needn’t become expert in every sub-discipline of ubicomp, it is necessary that we appreciate all the perspectives that make up the field and understand how our work can influence and be influenced by those perspectives. This is important, if we are to encourage future generations to be as successfully innovative as the field’s originators.

328 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Tom Quast · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good academic overview of Ubiquitous Computing and state of the art in this field. The book is separated into 9 chapters which explore different aspects of UbiCom through the work of influential authors within these areas.

The Good
- Easy to read - especially for academic work
- The reader can choose the chapters that are most interesting to them
- Thorough references for interested readers

The Bad
- The book is not inherently coherent, it is a collection of thoughts/work by different authors

Overall a good UbiCom book. It gives an overview of the field by presenting work of some of the most influential companies / researchers in UbiCom. It is surprisingly easy to read without sacrificing depth.