Information visualization for mobile devices: A novel approach based on the MagicEyeView

Visualization on mobile devices not only means accommodating to a small screen space, but also widely different aspect ratios. Improving on the MagicEyeView algorithm, this paper presents a visualization technique that is better suited to screens with skewed aspects ratios. The presented approach is a focus+context visualization effort which employs distortion of coordinate scales and a "fisheye" technique. The visualization algorithm is evaluated in the problem domain of business management and the presentation of "Key Performance Indicators"

Integrating perceptual, device and location characteristics for wireless multimedia transmission

In this paper,we describe an investigation exploring user experiences of accessing streamed multimedia content, when that content is tailored according to perceptual, device and location characteristics. To this end, we have created pre-defined transmission profiles and stream perceptually tailored multimedia content to three different locations, each characterised by different infotainment requirements. In the light of our results, we propose that multimedia transmission to mobile and wireless devices should be made based on pre-defined profiles, which contains a combination of static (perceptual, device type, CPU speed, and display specifications) and dynamic information (streamed content type location of the device/user, context of the device/user). The evaluation of such a system showed that the users and service providers can gain from such an approach considerably, as user perceptions of quality were not detrimentally affected by QoS degradations. Consequently, service providers can utilise this information to effectively manage local network traffic and bandwidth

Location based mobile computing - a tuplespace perspective

This is the post-print version of the Article. The official published version can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2006 IOS PressLocation based or "context aware" computing is becoming increasingly recognized as a vital part of a mobile computing environment. As a consequence, the need for location-management middleware is widely recognized and actively researched. Location-management is frequently offered to the application through a "location API" (e.g. JSR 179) where the mobile unit can find out its own location as coordinates or as "building, floor, room" values. It is then up to the application to map the coordinates into a set of localized variables, e.g. direction to the nearest bookshop or the local timezone. It is the opinion of the authors that a localization API should be more transparent and more integrated: The localized values should be handed to the application directly, and the API for doing so should be the same as the general storage mechanisms. Our proposed middleware for location and context management is built on top of Mobispace. Mobispace is a distributed tuplespace made for mobile units (J2me) where replication between local replicas takes place with a central server (over GPRS) or with other mobile units (using Bluetooth). Since a Bluetooth connection indicates physical proximity to another node, a set of stationary nodes may distribute locality information over Bluetooth connections, and this information may be retrieved through the ordinary tuplespace API. Besides the integration with the general framework for communication and coordination the middleware offers straightforward answers to questions like: Where is node X located? Which nodes are near me? What is the trace of node Y

Distributed resource discovery using a context sensitive infrastructure

Distributed Resource Discovery in a World Wide Web environment using full-text indices will never scale. The distinct properties of WWW information (volume, rate of change, topical diversity) limits the scaleability of traditional approaches to distributed Resource Discovery. An approach combining metadata clustering and query routing can, on the other hand, be proven to scale much better. This paper presents the Content-Sensitive Infrastructure, which is a design building on these results. We also present an analytical framework for comparing scaleability of different distribution strategies

Distributed tuplespace and location management - an integrated perspective using Bluetooth

Location based or "context aware" computing is becoming increasingly recognized as a vital part of a mobile computing environment. As a consequence, the need for location-management middleware is widely recognized and actively researched. Location management is frequently offered to the application through an API where the location is given in the form of coordinates. It is the opinion of the authors that a localization API should offer localized data (e.g. direction to the nearest pharmacy) directly through a transparent and integrated API. Our proposed middleware for location and context management is built on top of Mobispace. Mobispace is a distributed tuplespace made for J2me units where replication between local replicas takes place with a central server (over GPRS) or with other mobile units (using Bluetooth). Since a Bluetooth connection indicates physical proximity to another node, a set of stationary nodes may distribute locality information over Bluetooth connections, and this information may be retrieved through the ordinary tuplespace AP

Transfer of Session State Between Satellites in a Space Information Network

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Population Based Routing in LEO Satellite Networks

Packet switching in a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite network may calculate the best traffic route through the less populated areas of the planet, in order to avoid relaying through the busiest satellites. A number of ideas for route calculation in a LEO system have been evaluated and the performance results are presented. This paper reports from ongoing research on Space Information Networks (SIN) with the purpose to offer application services in a LEO satellite network to mobile users. The conclusion is that route calculation based on population density gives a moderate, but significant improvement in resource utilization.publishedVersio

ystems Thinking in Food Chain Certification: A Case Study of the impacts of GLOBALG.A.P. Certification in a Food Industry Supply Chain.

Private certification standards increasingly govern sustainability in global food systems, yet their systemic impacts, particularly within industrialised contexts, require deeper understanding. This thesis undertakes an investigation into how GLOBALG.A.P. certification requirements could affect the specific tomato supply chain of Unil AS, which links Mediterranean production (Greece/Italy) with Norwegian retail. My research employed a qualitative case study methodology informed by agroecology and systems thinking, my research utilised semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, document analysis, and systems mapping to explore the potential ripple effects of certification. The analysis reveals certification primarily functions as a market access gatekeeper, structuring supplier participation. This occurs, however, alongside significant power asymmetries where producers bear substantial prerequisite costs while retailers retain decision authority. Implementation faces challenges in adapting standardised requirements to diverse local agroecological and social contexts, a process often mediated by intermediaries. Applying a systems perspective highlights feedback loops that reinforce certification's role but may also exclude smaller producers, leading to emergent properties like supply chain consolidation and governance hybridisation. My study concludes that GLOBALG.A.P. certification acts as a complex adaptive governance intervention within this supply chain. While offering standardisation benefits valued by retailers, it presents clear trade-offs concerning equity, farmer autonomy, and agroecological principles such as diversity and local adaptation. Understanding these systemic dynamics, as revealed through this research, is crucial for leveraging certification effectively and equitably in transitions towards sustainable food systems. Keywords: GLOBALG.A.P., certification systems, food supply chains, systems thinking, agroecology, sustainability governance, Norwegian retail, case study.Private certification standards increasingly govern sustainability in global food systems, yet their systemic impacts, particularly within industrialised contexts, require deeper understanding. This thesis undertakes an investigation into how GLOBALG.A.P. certification requirements could affect the specific tomato supply chain of Unil AS, which links Mediterranean production (Greece/Italy) with Norwegian retail. My research employed a qualitative case study methodology informed by agroecology and systems thinking, my research utilised semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, document analysis, and systems mapping to explore the potential ripple effects of certification. The analysis reveals certification primarily functions as a market access gatekeeper, structuring supplier participation. This occurs, however, alongside significant power asymmetries where producers bear substantial prerequisite costs while retailers retain decision authority. Implementation faces challenges in adapting standardised requirements to diverse local agroecological and social contexts, a process often mediated by intermediaries. Applying a systems perspective highlights feedback loops that reinforce certification's role but may also exclude smaller producers, leading to emergent properties like supply chain consolidation and governance hybridisation. My study concludes that GLOBALG.A.P. certification acts as a complex adaptive governance intervention within this supply chain. While offering standardisation benefits valued by retailers, it presents clear trade-offs concerning equity, farmer autonomy, and agroecological principles such as diversity and local adaptation. Understanding these systemic dynamics, as revealed through this research, is crucial for leveraging certification effectively and equitably in transitions towards sustainable food systems. Keywords: GLOBALG.A.P., certification systems, food supply chains, systems thinking, agroecology, sustainability governance, Norwegian retail, case study

Didactic Tales: Roald Dahl and the Traditions of the Fable and Fairy Tale

Denne analysen av verkene til Roald Dahl, med henvisninger til Grimm-brødrenes eventyr og Æsops fabler, tar stilling til de didaktiske elementene i barnelitteratur. Det finnes mange forbindelser mellom Dahl og verkene til Grimm-brødrene og Æsop, både gjennom direkte referanser til eventyr og ved gjennomgående tematikk som karaktertrekk, avslutninger, det overnaturlige og antropomorfisme. Dahls romaner inkluderer tilpassede elementer fra eventyr, som igjen inneholder tilpassede elementer fra fabelen. I likhet med fabler og eventyr kan Dahls verk anses som moralistiske, hvilket denne oppgaven argumenterer for. Moralistiske elementer i Dahl inkluderer protagonistens integritet, belønninger for moralske personer, og straffelse av skurken. Teknikkene som er brukt til å implementere ønskede moralske verdier i leseren er hovedsakelig humor og skrekkelementer. Ofte er Dahls verk både skremmende og morsomme; verkene veksler mellom å oppmuntre og skremme barn til å oppføre seg i henhold til sosiale normer. Denne masteroppgaven argumenterer at å skremme barn til å oppføre seg bygger på ytre motivasjon siden barnet oppfører seg pent for å unnslippe straff. Denne formen for didaktikk kan anses som gammeldags og utdatert, og dermed setter spørsmålstegn ved hvorvidt didaktikken i Dahls verk er passende i det moderne samfunn.This analysis of the works of Roald Dahl with reference to the Grimm brothers’ fairy tales and Aesop’s fables evaluates the didactic elements in children’s literature. There are many connections between Dahl and the works of the Grimms and Aesop, both by direct references to fairy tales and through recurring themes such as character traits, endings, the supernatural, and anthropomorphism. Dahl’s novels include adapted elements of the fairy tale, which in turn includes adapted elements of the fable. Like fables and fairy tales, Dahl’s works may be seen as moralistic, as this thesis argues. Moralistic elements found in Dahl include the integrity of the protagonist, rewards for the morally “good”, and punishment of the villain. The techniques used to implement the desired moral values in the reader are mostly humor and horror. Dahl’s works are often both horrifying and humorous; his works tread a fine line between encouraging and frightening children into behaving according to social norms. This thesis argues that scaring children into behaving properly builds on extrinsic motivation, since the child will behave well in order to escape punishment. This type of didacticism may be considered old-fashioned and out of date, and thus brings into question the suitability of the didactics in Dahl’s novels in modern society

Cooperative Caching in Space Information Networks

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