Arturo Pizano

Webtour: a system to record and playback dynamic multimedia annotations on web document content

In this paper, we present the key ideas involved in the design and implementation of “WEBTOUR,” a system to record, playback, store, search, and distribute personalized dynamic multimedia annotations on web documents in the form of guided web tours. Using WEBTOUR, web document designers can easily augment the contents of standard web documents by recording such annotations on each document. Upon playback, all media components that comprise the annotation are synchronized and overlaid on top of the web documents. We also present several application scenarios where WEBTOUR is both useful and cost effective.

Composite Device Computing Environment: A Framework for Situated Interaction Using Small Screen Devices

Abstract: Contemporary small screen devices are used as personal companion or communication devices. However, their physical dimensions constrain the processing, communication and user interface capabilities. Thus, rich content presentation and diverse service access via small screen appliances is limited accordingly. This paper introduces the Composite Device Computing Environment (CDCE) that provides a framework for dynamically detecting and utilising surrounding computing resources to overcome the small screen device limitations. CDCE includes the communication infrastructure in addition to supporting alternative models for interactivity between small screen clients and surrounding computing resources.

Integrated multimedia messaging concepts and applications

Recent developments in the computer telephony integration field are beginning to fulfill the long sought goal of bringing together two of the most important communication tools of our time, the ubiquitous telephone and the computer. Simultaneously, advances in multimedia technology now enable the creation, capture and manipulation of arbitrarily complex digital objects including text, images, graphics, voice and video. The convergence of these two fields is enabling a new set of applications that will significantly impact the way in which we communicate and share information. Key among these applications is what has been termed integrated multimedia messaging, i.e., the development of systems capable of handling e-mail, voice-mail and fax in a single universal in-box.

Multimedia messaging systems

The origin of electronic mail (e-mail) systems can be traced back to the mid-1960’s when users of time-shared systems devised simple file sharing mechanisms which they used to leave messages for each other [21]. Since then the use of e-mail systems has grown considerably, particularly in the last few years with the advent of local area networks, messaging standards and the Internet.