Mobile Apps for Acting on the Physical Space

Author(s):  
Sara Eloy ◽  
Pedro Faria Lopes ◽  
Tiago Miguel Pedro ◽  
Lázaro Ourique ◽  
Luis Santos Dias

This chapter focuses on the development of mobile applications in a research strategy that combines computer sciences and architecture and urbanism. The main goal of the research is to develop mobile applications that help specific target people in daily life situations and that clearly contribute for advances in the fields of computer sciences and social responses. The authors discuss a group of mobile apps that were developed for smartphones and tablets and that respond to the following broad goals: 1) mapping of the physical space in order to adapt it to respond better to the users' needs, 2) adaptation of the physical space to the users' needs, and finally, 3) give the users a better knowledge about the physical space they are in. For each app developed, the authors describe the research problem involved, the goals, the development process, and the developed solution as well as the tests conducted to measure their performance. Usability and satisfaction tests revealed that the developed apps have a good acceptance by the target users.

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Anna Jasiulewicz ◽  
Zygmunt Waśkowski

AbstractThe objective of the article was to present the authors’ conceptual model of using lifestyle sports applications. Proposed model provides classification of lifestyle sports mobile applications types used by companies for brand promotion purposes and identification of ways in which companies can reach users through applications. The recognition of benefits that applications can provide to the enterprises and possible benefits associated with the presence of brands in the application for its user was also provided in the conceptual model. The second objective was to study the opinions of runners about the presence of brands in sports mobile applications on the basis of own quantitative research (n = 2434 questionnaires). The research results indicate that presence of commercial brands in the app is treated by their users as too invasive, therefore this communication tool should be used with moderate intensity. In spite of the fact that majority of sports applications users are reluctant to see brands in their apps, a significant proportion of them participate in the activities and challenges proposed by companies. According to the authors, lifestyle mobile applications could be promising marketing space for vendors, especially regarding the growing market of sports mobile apps users. However, companies should use more personalized, innovative and socially responsible approach to application users. Although the article uses the results of empirical research, it should be treated primarily as a signalling of a new research problem, which is the new brand communication channel with consumers. Thus, it is descriptive rather than exploratory.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4.20) ◽  
pp. 134
Author(s):  
Nada Azzam Mahmood ◽  
Asmaa Mohammed Hussain

Meaning of home has been changed through time in relating human connection to his environment. We can notice the gap from the traditional models of housing to the modern models regarding the concept of house. The research aims and trying to explore the nature of this relationship and the transformations took place in changing the meaning of home. As a result, the main research problem has been identified as "lack of knowledge regarding the relationship between daily life rhythm and residential spaces today and the effect of physical space on human rhythm and its relation with the environment ". The research goals aim to identify residential spaces raises according to daily life experience and daily rhythm to get environments that sustain space feeling and continuity of residential units with the humanity of today, the research hypotheses addressed as:Hidden rhythm of daily life reinforces human being with his environment through sustaining interactive spaces.  The research suspected two types of rhythms: the first is Isorythmic Eurhmia rhythms that sustain interactive spaces; the second is Arrhythmia rhythms that lead to repellant unlivable spaces. The research finds traditional modes of sheltering corresponded with nature’s rhythms at the same time, evoked rich patterns of social rhythms with healthy interactive spaces reaching to Isorythmic Eurhmia rhythms by  harmonious synchronization of different rhythms interact with the environment, dilvers locality, identity and social interaction. While modern houses fail to accommodate changing needs producing arrhythmia rhythms with isolation and disinterest behaviors contradicting with nature's rhythm, have spatial control that achieves universality and restrict relationship between time space and human activities inside the space. 


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hikari Takashina ◽  
Kengo Yokomitsu

There are thousands of mobile apps delivering information and offering support and intervention in situations of daily life. The aim of this study was to identify the current state of apps for depressive symptoms or prevention of depression within the official Android and iOS app stores in Japan. The 47 apps for depression available for download from the app stores were evaluated by the App Evaluation Model regarding background information, risk/ privacy and security, evidence, ease of use, and interoperability. Also, we evaluated their primary purpose, technology components, and cognitive-behavioral therapy components. The results suggest that in general few apps have been developed that are evidence-based, secure, and provide the services that users expect. In the future, it will be necessary to develop a framework for developing and disseminating more effective apps. This study is the first review of apps for depression available in Japan and seeks to help create a framework for such apps.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nurul Asilah Ahmad ◽  
Shahrul Azman Mohd Noah ◽  
Arimi Fitri Mat Ludin ◽  
Suzana Shahar ◽  
Noorlaili Mohd Tohit

BACKGROUND Currently, the use of smartphones to deliver health-related content has experienced a rapid growth, with more than 165,000 mobile health (mHealth) applications currently available in the digital marketplace such as iOS store and Google Play. Among these, there are several mobile applications (mobile apps) that offer tools for disease prevention and management among older generations. These mobile apps could potentially promote health behaviors which will reduce or delay the onset of disease. However, no review to date that has focused on the app marketplace specific for older adults and little is known regarding its evidence-based quality towards the health of older adults. OBJECTIVE The aim of this review was to characterize and critically appraise the content and functionality of mobile apps that focuses on health management and/or healthy lifestyle among older adults. METHODS An electronic search was conducted between May 2019 to December 2019 of the official app store for two major smartphone operating systems: iPhone operating system (iTunes App Store) and Android (Google Play Store). Stores were searched separately using predetermined search terms. Two authors screened apps based on information provided in the app description. Metadata from all included apps were abstracted into a standard assessment criteria form. Evidenced based strategies and health care expert involvement of included apps was assessed. Evidenced based strategies included: self-monitoring, goal setting, physical activity support, healthy eating support, weight and/or health assessment, personalized feedback, motivational strategies, cognitive training and social support. Two authors verified the data with reference to the apps and downloaded app themselves. RESULTS A total of 16 apps met the inclusion criteria. Six out of 16 (37.5%) apps were designed exclusively for the iOS platform while ten out of 16 (62.5%) were designed for Android platform exclusively. Physical activity component was the most common feature offered in all the apps (9/16, 56.3%) and followed by cognitive training (8/16, 50.0%). Diet/nutrition (0/16, 0%) feature, however, was not offered on all reviewed mobile apps. Of reviewed apps, 56.3% (9/16) provide education, 37.5% (6/16) provide self-monitoring features, 18.8% (3/16) provide goal setting features, 18.5% (3/16) provide personalized feedback, 6.3% (1/16) provide social support and none of the reviewed apps offers heart rate monitoring and reminder features to the users. CONCLUSIONS All reviewed mobile apps for older adults in managing health did not focused on diet/nutrition component, lack of functional components and lack of health care professional involvement in their development process. There is also a need to carry out scientific testing prior to the development of the app to ensure cost effective and its health benefits to older adults. Collaborative efforts between developers, researchers, health professionals and patients are needed in developing evidence-based, high quality mobile apps in managing health prior they are made available in the app store.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reham AlTamime ◽  
Vincent Marmion ◽  
Wendy Hall

BACKGROUND Mobile apps and IoT-enabled smartphones technologies facilitate collecting, sharing, and inferring from a vast amount of data about individuals’ location, health conditions, mobility status, and other factors. The use of such technology highlights the importance of understanding individuals’ privacy concerns to design applications that integrate their privacy expectations and requirements. OBJECTIVE This paper explores, assesses, and predicts individuals’ privacy concerns in relation to collecting and disclosing data on mobile health apps. METHODS We designed a questionnaire to identify participants’ privacy concerns pertaining to a set of 432 mobile apps’ data collection and sharing scenarios. Participants were presented with 27 scenarios that varied across three categorical factors: (1) type of data collected (e.g. health, demographic, behavioral, and location); (2) data sharing (e.g., whether it is shared, and for what purpose); and, (3) retention rate (e.g., forever, until the purpose is satisfied, unspecified, week, or year). RESULTS Our findings show that type of data, data sharing, and retention rate are all factors that affect individuals’ privacy concerns. However, specific factors such as collecting and disclosing health data to a third-party tracker play a larger role than other factors in triggering privacy concerns. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that it is possible to predict privacy concerns based on these three factors. We propose design approaches that can improve users’ awareness and control of their data on mobile applications


2016 ◽  
Vol 127 (8) ◽  
pp. 1775-1779 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Bobian ◽  
Aron Kandinov ◽  
Nour El-Kashlan ◽  
Peter F. Svider ◽  
Adam J. Folbe ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Varun Gupta ◽  
D. S. Chauhan ◽  
Kamlesh Dutta

Mobile software application development process must be matured enough to handle the challenges (especially market related) associated with the development of high quality mobile software development. Ever increasing number of both mobile users and mobile applications had presented software engineers with the challenge of satisfying billions of users with high quality software applications to be delivered within deadline and budgets. Always there had been a lot of pressure to develop complex software categorized by thousands of requirements, under resource constrained environment. Requirement prioritization is one of the activities undertaken by software engineer to deliver partial software product to its customers such that most important requirements are implemented in the earliest releases. During next releases some changed and pending requirements are implemented, an activity that generates ripple effects. Such ripple effects need to be tested by executing modified source code against test cases of previous releases (regression testing). Regression testing is a very effortful activity that requires a software tester to select test cases that have high fault detection capability, execute the modified code against selected test cases and performing debugging. This regression testing activity can be lowered to the maximum extend by considering dependencies between requirements during the time of requirement prioritization. Thus requirement prioritization will be carried out not only against aspects like cost, time, risks, business values etc but against dependencies also. The aim is to implement almost all dependent highest priority requirements in current release so that implementation of new requirements is unlikely to have ripple effects. Changes in requirements might not be related to variable usage and definition and might not involve a change in functionality. In such cases there is no need to select already executed test cases of previous versions. Module dependencies can lead to test case selections of previous versions if changes of requirement lead to ripple effects. This paper aims to implement highest priority requirements such that regression testing is performed to minimum thereby improving development process of mobile applications. The proposed technique had been successfully evaluated on Android based notification software application that meets the specification of Aakash tablets.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Maria Jansen-Kosterink ◽  
Marian Hurmuz ◽  
Marjolein den Ouden ◽  
Lex van Velsen

UNSTRUCTURED Background: eHealth applications have been recognized as a valuable tool to reduce COVID-19’s effective reproduction number. In this paper, we report on an online survey among Dutch citizens with the goal to identify antecedents of acceptance of a mobile application for COVID-19 symptom recognition and monitoring, and a mobile application for contact tracing. Methods: Next to the demographics, the online survey contained questions focussing on perceived health, fear of COVID-19 and intention to use. We used snowball sampling via posts on social media and personal connections. To identify antecedents of acceptance of the two mobile applications we conducted multiple linear regression analyses. Results: In total, 238 Dutch adults completed the survey. Almost 60% of the responders were female and the average age was 45.6 years (SD±17.4). For the symptom app, the final model included the predictors age, attitude towards technology and fear of COVID-19. The model had an R2 of 0.141. The final model for the tracing app included the same predictors and had an R2 of 0.156. The main reason to use both mobile applications was to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Concerns about privacy was mentioned as the main reason not to use the mobile applications. Conclusion: Age, attitude towards technology and fear of COVID-19 are important predictors of the acceptance of COVID-19 mobile applications for symptom recognition and monitoring and for contact tracing. These predictors should be taken into account during the development and implementation of these mobile applications to secure acceptance. Discussion: Age, attitude towards technology and fear of COVID-19 are important predictors of the acceptance of COVID-19 mobile applications for symptom recognition and monitoring and for contact tracing. These predictors should be taken into account during the development and implementation of these mobile applications to secure acceptance. Age, attitude towards technology and fear of COVID-19 are important predictors of the acceptance of COVID-19 mobile applications for symptom recognition and monitoring and for contact tracing. These predictors should be taken into account during the development and implementation of these mobile applications to secure acceptance.


2021 ◽  
Vol III (III) ◽  
pp. 97-114
Author(s):  
Sławomir Grzesiak ◽  
Jarosław Rychlik ◽  
Agnieszka Nowogrodzka

Prison as the place of work of the Prison Service staff is a specific workplace due to both the nature of the prison community as well as the infrastructural and architectural solutions deployed to protect prison officers. Considering the spatial features of a penitentiary unit and their role in the due performance of Prison Service tasks, it seems quite relevant to seek an answer to the question: How does the physical space of a prison contribute to the stress experienced by prison officers? The issue in question is rooted in M. Mendel’s concept of pedagogy of place, symbolic interactionism and S. Hobfoll’s conservation of resources theory. Inquiry into a research problem of this kind seems reasonable taking into account the infrastructural and spatial aspects of the surroundings that can be potential stress drivers. In April 2021, a group of 58 prison officers were surveyed based on the Stress Perception Questionnaire and the author’s questionnaire. Relationships between the variables have been established through the use of correlation, significant difference test and variance analysis. The results revealed that the essential spatial characteristics of a penitentiary unit associated with the perception of stress by Prison Service staff are those features that relate to the penitentiary unit’s functional aspects covering the specific technical and protective safeguards. These results formed a premise for designating higher-risk staff groups, with regard to which preventive programmes aimed at counteracting the negative effects of stress experience should be considered


In recent years, mobile applications (apps) have been increasingly used and investigated as a vocabulary learning approach. Despite the extensive use of commercial English as a Foreign Language (EFL) vocabulary learning apps in China, there is a lack of a review of these apps for a systematic understanding of the components and usefulness of app-assisted vocabulary learning. To fill this knowledge gap, this study presents a systematic review of 15 EFL vocabulary learning apps that were most downloaded in China, focusing on how these apps help students develop word knowledge. The results of this study showed that most apps enabled students to access word knowledge through translating words into their native language. Notably, word knowledge was usually presented through text-plus-image and text-plus-image-plus-audio. Most of these mobile apps provided sentence examples as vocabulary learning materials. Many of these apps were integrated with game elements, especially in interactivity or feedback systems and reward systems. Based on the review results, we have provided three recommendations to vocabulary learning app developers concerning the use of video for the input of word knowledge, the efficiency of vocabulary learning, and the integration of more game elements.


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