Broadcasting and narrowcasting on the net and planning for device diversity
may not be topics that all digital librarians would wish to add to their
overcrowded agendas, but some forward-looking researchers in the programme
may find things of interest in this meeting.

Steve

*****************************************************************
British Computer Society
Electronic Publishing Specialist Group

A joint meeting with the British HCI Group

Designing information for mobile and broadband network users

Wednesday 15 December 1999
9.30 a.m. for 10.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.

Brunei Gallery, School of Oriental & African Studies, 
Russell Square, London, WC1
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Web information designers and content creators work in an environment where
they cannot be sure exactly how a page will appear on screen. Now they
must be prepared for even greater uncertainty in how their
material will be viewed, just as the market for electronic
information is about to grow dramatically. This is due to
the impending explosion of new Internet-enabled devices:
at one extreme, high bandwidth connections such as digital
and cable television; at the other, the 'connected everywhere'
mobile devices such as phones and hand-held computers.

This meeting will explore the challenges that device diversity
presents, and will consider how to build a framework for information design
with leading-edge examples and a particular emphasis on usability
principles. Forming the background to this coverage will be the technical
infrastructure, emerging international standards, commercial competition
and other factors that will shape this fast-expanding environment. 

The programme will comprise a mix of reviews and presentations from
industry insiders, opening with a broad overview and then a balance of
speakers on both mobile and broadband topics. The intended audience is
information designers, content developers, Web and Internet information
service providers, publishers, and all those who need to plan and build for
these new services.

Speakers will include

**Alan Dix, of Staffordshire University and the company aQtive, a
specialist in Web usability design who will consider information contexts
and bandwidth maximisation.
**Matt Jones, of Middlesex University, will review designing for small
screens, including  reference to a collaboration with Reuters. 
**Van Thanh Do, from Ericsson, will describe implications and applications
of the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) and Wireless Markup Language
(WML) standards.
**Dave Raggett, of W3C, will discuss work on XHTML and Voice Browsers in
the context of mobile devices, including the relationship between XHTML and
WML.
**Josh Rubin, from the international design company Razorfish, will present
small screen case studies.
**Michael Blakstad, CEO of Workhouse, which produces content for broadband
delivery services including Open and NTL, will give an overview of
'traditional' TV and the transistion to interactive TV.
**Andrew Lowe of Billco will talk about work with Hasbro and creating
content for Open.
**Stuart Nolan from Oyster will discuss Internet and broadband strategies,
including TV.
**Anthony Lilley, of Magic Lantern, consultants and content creators for
broadband services.

These details are available in a more readable form, together with
registration details and a booking form, on the Group's Web site:
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/kis/support/cc/staff/malcolm/mobile.html

The fee for the meeting is £50 + VAT for Group members and
£100 + VAT for non-members (full details on Web site).


Steve Hitchcock                                                          
EprintLink Project, 
Multimedia Research Group, Department of Electronics and Computer Science  
University of Southampton SO17 1BJ,  UK                     
Email: [log in to unmask]
Tel:  +44 (0)23 8059 3256     Fax: +44 (0)23 8059 2865


%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%