%0 Journal Article
%T Utilizing Context in Location-Aware Short-Range Wireless Communication
%A Vesa A. Korhonen
%A Ritva Pyykk£¿nen
%J International Journal of Digital Multimedia Broadcasting
%D 2010
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2010/417213
%X We discuss how a short-range wireless communication service implemented for modern mobile communication devices can provide additional value for both the consumer and the service/product provider. When used as an information search tool, such systems allow services and products being promoted at the location they are available. For the customer, it may provide a ¡°digitally augmented vision¡±, an enhanced view to the current environment. With data filtering and search rules, this may provide a self-manageable context, where the user's own personal environment and preferences to the features available in the current surroundings cooperate with a direct connection to the web-based social media. A preliminary design for such service is provided. The conclusion is that the method can generate additional revenue to the company and please the customers' buying process. In addition to the marketing, the principles described here are also applicable to other forms of human interaction. 1. Introduction Mobile computing and social networking are important trends on the early 21st century in both private consumption and providing of services and products. Both of them have had an enormous effect to the ways the Internet services are being used. Less attention has been paid to the development of storage devices. Memory sticks can be carried anywhere, and especially physically very small memory cards have become an integral part of the mobile devices. A mobile handset may incorporate gigabytes of storage space due these devices. In addition to QWERTY-keyboard, there are high-quality camera and voice recording capabilities available, allowing the creation of multimedia content with reasonable effort. Producing and sharing content while in nomadic move has become not only possible but also feasible. While on the move, the users may also evaluate, comment, and discuss about virtually everything they happen to encounters including both products and services they purchase. Internet access from the mobile device is a key feature here. However, there are alternatives and additions emerging to the operator-oriented ¡°traditional¡± wireless network access. Communication methods could vary depending on the location of the other party: being near, it would be possible to use Short-Range Wireless Networking (SRWN, for short), being far, the traditional Internet access is always an alternative. Quite similar to the way we used to have it without the mobile digital devices: friends near us could be visited or seen spontaneously, if known or assumed to be around. Friends overseas
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijdmb/2010/417213/