Understanding and capturing people’s privacy policies in a mobile social networking application

A number of mobile applications have emerged that allow users to locate one another. However, people have expressed concerns about the privacy implications associated with this class of software, suggesting that broad adoption may only happen to the extent that these concerns are adequately addressed. In this article, we report on our work on PeopleFinder, an application that enables cell phone and laptop users to selectively share their locations with others (e.g. friends, family, and colleagues). The objective of our work has been to better understand people’s attitudes and behaviors towards privacy as they interact with such an application, and to explore technologies that empower users to more effectively and efficiently specify their privacy preferences (or “policies”). These technologies include user interfaces for specifying rules and auditing disclosures, as well as machine learning techniques to refine user policies based on their feedback. We present evaluations of these technologies in the context of one laboratory study and three field studies.

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Schedulability analysis of global edf

The multiprocessor edf scheduling of sporadic task systems is studied. A new sufficient schedulability test is presented and proved correct. It is shown that this test generalizes the previously-known exact uniprocessor edf-schedulability test, and that it offers non-trivial quantitative guarantees (including a resource augmentation bound) on multiprocessors.

A probabilistic and adaptive scheduling algorithm using system-generated predictions for inter-grid resource sharing

Rapid advancement and more readily availability of Grid technologies have encouraged many businesses and researchers to establish Virtual Organizations (VO) and make use of their available desktop resources to solve computing intensive problems. These VOs, however, work as disjointed and independent communities with no resource sharing between them. We, in previous work, have proposed a fully decentralized and reconfigurable Inter-Grid framework for resource sharing among such distributed and autonomous Grid systems (Rao et al. in ICCSA, [2006]). The specific problem that underlies in such a collaborating Grids system is scheduling of resources as there is very little knowledge about availability of the resources due to the distributed and autonomous nature of the underlying Grid entities. In this paper, we propose a probabilistic and adaptive scheduling algorithm using system-generated predictions for Inter-Grid resource sharing keeping collaborating Grid systems autonomous and independent. We first use system-generated job runtime estimates without actually submitting jobs to the target Grid system. Then this job execution estimate is used to predict the job scheduling feasibility on the target system. Furthermore, our proposed algorithm adapted itself to the actual resource behavior and performance. Simulation results are presented to discuss the correctness and accuracy of our proposed algorithm.

A resource broker with an efficient network information model on grid environments

This paper describes a resource broker whose main function is to match available resources to user needs. The resource broker provides a uniform interface for accessing available and appropriate resources via user credentials. We also focus on providing approximate measurement models for network-related information using NWS for future scheduling and benchmarking. We first propose a network measurement model for gathering network-related information (including bandwidth, latency, forecasting, error rates, etc.) without generating excessive system overhead. Second, we constructed a grid platform using Globus Toolkit that integrates the resources of five schools in Taichung integrated grid environment resources (TIGER). The resource broker runs on top of TIGER. Therefore, it provides security and current information about available resources and serves as a link to the diverse systems available in the Grid.

A UML-based quantitative framework for early prediction of resource usage and load in distributed real-time systems

This paper presents a quantitative framework for early prediction of resource usage and load in distributed real-time systems (DRTS). The prediction is based on an analysis of UML 2.0 sequence diagrams, augmented with timing information, to extract timed-control flow information. It is aimed at improving the early predictability of a DRTS by offering a systematic approach to predict, at the design phase, system behavior in each time instant during its execution. Since behavioral models such as sequence diagrams are available in early design phases of the software life cycle, the framework enables resource analysis at a stage when design decisions are still easy to change. Though we provide a general framework, we use network traffic as an example resource type to illustrate how the approach is applied. We also indicate how usage and load analysis of other types of resources (e.g., CPU and memory) can be performed in a similar fashion. A case study illustrates the feasibility of the approach.

Ethical regulations on robotics in Europe

There are only a few ethical regulations that deal explicitly with robots, in contrast to a vast number of regulations, which may be applied. We will focus on ethical issues with regard to “responsibility and autonomous robots”, “machines as a replacement for humans”, and “tele-presence”. Furthermore we will examine examples from special fields of application (medicine and healthcare, armed forces, and entertainment). We do not claim to present a complete list of ethical issue nor of regulations in the field of robotics, but we will demonstrate that there are legal challenges with regard to these issues.

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Multilingual language resources and interoperability

This article introduces the topic of “Multilingual language resources and interoperability”. We start with a taxonomy and parameters for classifying language resources. Later we provide examples and issues of interoperatability, and resource architectures to solve such issues. Finally we discuss aspects of linguistic formalisms and interoperability.

Efficient integration of fine-grained access control and resource brokering in grid

In this paper, we present a novel resource brokering service for grid systems which considers authorization policies of the grid nodes in the process of selecting the resources to be assigned to a request. We argue such an integration is needed to avoid scheduling requests onto resources the policies of which do not authorize their execution. Our service, implemented in Globus as a part of Monitoring and Discovery Service (MDS), is based on the concept of fine-grained access control (FGAC) which enables participating grid nodes to specify fine-grained policies concerning the conditions under which grid clients can access their resources. Since the process of evaluating authorization policies, in addition to checking the resource requirements, can be a potential bottleneck for a large scale grid, we also analyze the problem of the efficient evaluation of FGAC policies. In this context, we present GroupByRule, a novel method for policy organization and compare its performance with other strategies.

COMUNICAR: designing a multimedia, context-aware human-machine interface for cars

The European Union co-funded COMUNICAR (communication multimedia unit inside car) project designed and developed an integrated multimedia human–machine interface (HMI) able to manage a wide variety of driver information systems (from entertainment to safety). COMUNICAR proposed an innovative information provision paradigm, in which the on-vehicle HMI is able to tailor the delivery of the information in real time according to the actual driving context and the drivers workload. COMUNICAR adopted a user-centred design process involving an iterative development based on extensive user tests since the early phases of the project. This approach was particularly useful to define and improve the layout of the user interface and specify the rules that decide the scheduling and the modalities of the delivery of the information messages to the driver. This paper introduces the COMUNICAR concept and the user-centred flow of design. Then, a concrete case of user-test driven, iterative improvement of a systems functionality is presented. We also briefly describe two software tools that we have designed to enhance the development process in a user-centred perspective. Finally, the future evolution of the concept of smart and safe information scheduling is sketched and discussed.

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Formal verification of real-time systems with preemptive scheduling

In this paper, we propose a method for the verification of timed properties for real-time systems featuring a preemptive scheduling policy: the system, modeled as a scheduling time Petri net, is first translated into a linear hybrid automaton to which it is time-bisimilar. Timed properties can then be verified using HyTech. The efficiency of this approach leans on two major points: first, the translation features a minimization of the number of variables (clocks) of the resulting automaton, which is a critical parameter for the efficiency of the ensuing verification. Second, the translation is performed by an over-approximating algorithm, which is based on Difference Bound Matrix and therefore efficient, that nonetheless produces a time-bisimilar automaton despite the over-approximation. The proposed modeling and verification method are generic enough to account for many scheduling policies. In this paper, we specifically show how to deal with Fixed Priority and Earliest Deadline First policies, with the possibility of using Round-Robin for tasks with the same priority. We have implemented the method and give some experimental results illustrating its efficiency.

An analysis of global edf schedulability for arbitrary-deadline sporadic task systems

Recent results on the global multiprocessor edf scheduling of sporadic task systems are, for the most part, applicable only to task systems in which each task’s relative deadline parameter is constrained to be no larger than its minimum inter-arrival separation. This paper introduces new analysis techniques that allow for similar results to be derived for task systems in which individual tasks are not constrained in this manner. For tasks with deadlines greater than their minimum inter-arrival separation, two models are considered, with and without an implicit intra-task job precedence constraint. The new analyses yield schedulability conditions that strictly dominate some previously proposed tests that are generally accepted to represent the current state of the art in multiprocessor edf schedulability analysis, and permits the derivation of an improved speed-up bound.

Is emotion relevant to requirements engineering?

This viewpoint argues that the introduction of most computer-based system to an organization transforms the organization and changes the work patterns of the system’s users in the organization. These changes interact with the users’ values and beliefs and trigger emotional responses which are sometimes directed against the software system and its proponents. A requirements engineer must be aware of these emotions.

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An approach to enterprise process dynamic modeling supporting enterprise process evolution

This study presents an evolutionary approach to support dynamic enterprise modeling for enterprise process cooperative scheduling and management. In this paper, an evolutionary dynamic enterprise process modeling method was proposed from the concepts of enterprise process evolution to zero-time enterprise modeling and layered complex enterprise modeling. Based on an autonomous agent development platform, an agent-based enterprise collaborative modeling environment has been implemented by integrating several software resource agents that wrap main function modules of EPMS. Scheduling strategies, algorithms, and process-driven cooperative scheduling mechanism are also discussed.

Interacting with mobile services: an evaluation of camera-phones and visual tags

We present a study of using camera-phones and visual-tags to access mobile services. Firstly, a user-experience study is described in which participants were both observed learning to interact with a prototype mobile service and interviewed about their experiences. Secondly, a pointing-device task is presented in which quantitative data was gathered regarding the speed and accuracy with which participants aimed and clicked on visual-tags using camera-phones. We found that participants’ attitudes to visual-tag-based applications were broadly positive, although they had several important reservations about camera-phone technology more generally. Data from our pointing-device task demonstrated that novice users were able to aim and click on visual-tags quickly (well under 3 s per pointing-device trial on average) and accurately (almost all meeting our defined speed/accuracy tradeoff of 6% error-rate). Based on our findings, design lessons for camera-phone and visual-tag applications are presented.

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Unibus: a contrarian approach to grid computing

Despite maturing in many ways, heterogeneous distributed computing platforms continue to require substantial effort in terms of software installation and management for efficient use, often necessitating manual intervention by resource providers and end-users. In this paper we propose a novel model of resource sharing that is a viable alternative to that commonly adopted in the grid community. Our model, termed Unibus, shifts the resource virtualization and aggregation responsibilities to the software at the client side, taking these burdens away from resource providers. Drawing from parallels with operating systems, we argue that distributed resources may be unified and aggregated at the user’s end, in a manner similar to ordinary peripheral devices. Running on the user’s access device, the overlay system software can virtualize remote resources via dynamically deployed software mediators analogous to device drivers, reconfiguring the resources if necessary via “firmware” modules. To illustrate the feasibility of the Unibus model, we have prototyped a development toolkit automating the installation, build, run, and post-processing stages of MPI applications. Through the provided console, this toolkit can deploy and configure an MPI execution environment across a set of heterogeneous, isolated distributed resources, turning them into a coherent virtual machine with a single interface point. We conducted a series of experiments with the NAS Parallel Benchmarks. Results indicate that the toolkit preserves the application performance of “bare” MPI, while substantially reducing maintenance and configuration efforts. Overall, the results suggest that the envisioned client side overlay model for resource sharing may potentially be able to address some of long-standing obstacles in building heterogeneous HPC systems.

Evolving strategy for a probabilistic game of imperfect information using genetic programming

We provide the complete record of methodology that let us evolve BrilliAnt, the winner of the Ant Wars contest. Ant Wars contestants are virtual ants collecting food on a grid board in the presence of a competing ant. BrilliAnt has been evolved through a competitive one-population coevolution using genetic programming and fitnessless selection. In this paper, we detail the evolutionary setup that lead to BrilliAnt’s emergence, assess its direct and indirect human-competitiveness, and describe the behavioral patterns observed in its strategy.

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Inverse multi-objective robust evolutionary design

In this paper, we present an Inverse Multi-Objective Robust Evolutionary (IMORE) design methodology that handles the presence of uncertainty without making assumptions about the uncertainty structure. We model the clustering of uncertain events in families of nested sets using a multi-level optimization search. To reduce the high computational costs of the proposed methodology we proposed schemes for (1) adapting the step-size in estimating the uncertainty, and (2) trimming down the number of calls to the objective function in the nested search. Both offline and online adaptation strategies are considered in conjunction with the IMORE design algorithm. Design of Experiments (DOE) approaches further reduce the number of objective function calls in the online adaptive IMORE algorithm. Empirical studies conducted on a series of test functions having diverse complexities show that the proposed algorithms converge to a set of Pareto-optimal design solutions with non-dominated nominal and robustness performances efficiently.

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Multimodal support to group dynamics

The complexity of group dynamics occurring in small group interactions often hinders the performance of teams. The availability of rich multimodal information about what is going on during the meeting makes it possible to explore the possibility of providing support to dysfunctional teams from facilitation to training sessions addressing both the individuals and the group as a whole. A necessary step in this direction is that of capturing and understanding group dynamics. In this paper, we discuss a particular scenario, in which meeting participants receive multimedia feedback on their relational behaviour, as a first step towards increasing self-awareness. We describe the background and the motivation for a coding scheme for annotating meeting recordings partially inspired by the Bales’ Interaction Process Analysis. This coding scheme was aimed at identifying suitable observable behavioural sequences. The study is complemented with an experimental investigation on the acceptability of such a service.

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ONTRACK: Dynamically adapting music playback to support navigation

Listening to music on personal, digital devices whilst mobile is an enjoyable, everyday activity. We explore a scheme for exploiting this practice to immerse listeners in navigation cues. Our prototype, ONTRACK, continuously adapts audio, modifying the spatial balance and volume to lead listeners to their target destination. First we report on an initial lab-based evaluation that demonstrated the approach’s efficacy: users were able to complete tasks within a reasonable time and their subjective feedback was positive. Encouraged by these results we constructed a handheld prototype. Here, we discuss this implementation and the results of field-trials. These indicate that even with a low-fidelity realisation of the concept, users can quite effectively navigate complicated routes.

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Connecting the family with awareness systems

Awareness systems have attracted significant research interest for their potential to support interpersonal relationships. Investigations of awareness systems for the domestic environment have suggested that such systems can help individuals stay in touch with dear friends or family and provide affective benefits to their users. Our research provides empirical evidence to refine and substantiate such suggestions. We report our experience with designing and evaluating the ASTRA awareness system, for connecting households and mobile family members. We introduce the concept of connectedness and its measurement through the Affective Benefits and Costs of communication questionnaire (ABC-Q). We inform results that testify the benefits of sharing experiences at the moment they happen without interrupting potential receivers. Finally, we document the role that lightweight, picture-based communication can play in the range of communication media available.

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