Computing: Making the Invisible Visible

Abstract

Pervasive computing technologies have radically altered how individuals relate to one another and to their environments.1 People in urban areas routinely rely on mobile phones, including short message service texting, to communicate as well as coordinate their social activities. 2,3 Smart phones and Internet-enabled personal digital assistants (PDAs) enable users on the go to access online communities and services, as well as extend the potential of SMS through new chat and video-based capabilities.4 The deployment of low-cost wireless sensor networks has made it possible for mobile services to adapt content to the user’s physical and social contexts. For example, some dating services alert subscribers to nearby potential partners matching their attribute pattern. In select cities, members of cafés and music clubs can swipe electronic cards at the doorways to identify the whereabouts of other members as well as to identify current hot spots. More experimental mobile services reveal the location of friends in the user’s vicinity, provide contextbased event and tourist information, and enable people to attach virtual text and media content to physical locations for others to find.