On digital media services, uncivil commenting is a persistent issue causing negative emotional reactions. One enabler for such problematic behavior is the user interface, conditioning, and structuring text-based communication online. However, the specific roles and influences of UIs are little understood, which calls for critical analysis of the current UI solutions as well as speculative exploration of alternative designs. This paper reports a research-through-design study on the problematic phenomenon regarding uncivil and inconsiderate commenting on online news, envisioning unconventional solutions with a critical voice. We unpack this problem area and outline critical perspectives to possible solutions by describing and analyzing four designs that propose to support emotion regulation by facilitating self-reflection. The design choices are further discussed in respect to interviews of ten news media experts. The findings are reflected against the question of how can critique meaningfully manifest in this challenging problem area.

Experiences in airports may shape future travel plans and contribute to tourism destination development. However, a chaotic environment and time-consuming procedural routines in airports may result in negative associations towards the host country and its culture. Despite the existence of assistive airport applications, little attention is given to facilitating travelers' engagement with cultural exploration.

Analyzing data from complex production systems and processes can be used in improving existing products, processes, and services, and innovating novel offerings. We report the findings from a six-month case study with a company developing flexible manufacturing systems. During a collaborative development process of a data analytics and visualization tool, our goal was to identify potential metrics, business opportunities, and challenges when utilizing logged data of end-users' human-machine interactions in development activities. Our key contributions include a characterization of the potential usage data metrics to be logged and visualized, identification of opportunities this data entails for business, and discussion about the challenges related to usage data logging in the studied context. Finally, we propose topics that should be considered in the organization before investing in usage data logging in the context of flexible manufacturing systems.

With the rapid advancement and development of emerging technologies, more in-depth understanding of user interactions and experiences are needed. In this study, we explored the reactions, impressions, and emotions elicited by a 360-degree video that markets an airport and local attractions for a distant destination. Differences in presence and viewing experiences on a mobile phone and VR headset were examined in two contexts: a semi-public setting and a private setting. Our results showed a preference for the private setting, not only because of distractions present in the semi-public location, but also due to social and cultural anxieties felt by participants. Furthermore, we suggest a set of guidelines that relate to the experiential elements of viewing 360-degree videos that can aid designers and researchers in the creation of unique content and novel services, in which we recommend establishing an emotional connection, providing engagement, guiding viewer attention, encouraging exploration, understanding the appropriate viewing context, and avoiding technical flaws.

Reading of digital news on personal devices has dramatically increased. Parallel to new devices, novel services and content types are created forming new habits and experiences for readers. Previous research is limited in understanding temporal aspects of such users' experiences (UX). This study aims to understand UX of mobile news reading in a real context of use over one week in two different case studies. UX of digital replicas, browser optimized versions of digital news, and a novel media authentication method for news reading and ordering were explored with actual news readers (N=36) in field using their own tablets and personal computers. Data-collection included daily diaries with UX questionnaires, and retrospective interviews. The results showed that the studied forms of digital news and authentication method provided positive UX, and they were appealing for future digital news. UX also showed a tendency of improving over a time. The user's habits of reading digital news reflected the conventions of reading a print newspaper.

Mobile handheld devices are an increasing part of everyday fieldwork of news professionals. Mobile assignments delivered to mobile journalists' smartphones are one potential future development step. We present findings on using mobile assignments from two exploratory user studies in which smartphones were used as news reporting tools. Mobile assignments were perceived as handy for fast reporting situations and simple stories but challenging in case of more complex tasks. Structured information content of assignments, process phase based information and supporting situation and activity awareness would support the work of both editorial staff and mobile journalists. The locationing of reporters for sending location-based assignments was found acceptable for coordinating the work although some privacy concerns were expressed. The findings provide new information on using mobile assignments in work where carrying out tasks involves creativity and the tasks may be complex, not strictly limited or they may not have clear completion criteria.

Readers are increasingly participating to news content creation by submitting user-generated content (UGC). We studied the participation motivations of active readers who send photo content to a hyperlocal news publisher. The first results based on an online questionnaire indicate that fun, the opportunity to get a monetary reward and informing others of local issues are the strongest motivators. In addition, participation to the news making activity and self-expression are important motivations. Those who intentionally planned and searched for topics to report with photos, reported more often the opportunity for extra income and development as a photographer as participation motivations than those, who captured photos when a good topic came about.

We studied the mobile users' preferences and concerns of using location-based assignments (LBA) and geotagging in crowdsourced news making. First, nine readers who had submitted reader's photos were interviewed about their perceptions of LBA and geotagging scenarios. Second, a quasi-experiment in field conditions was carried out with nineteen participants. After completing four LBA tasks with a mobile phone, participants were interviewed on their perceptions and asked to complete a questionnaire on their preferences for receiving LBA and usage of geotags. Findings indicate that the perceived benefits of LBA and geotagging are greater than the perceived risks. The task type, temporal context, preciseness of location query, proximity to the reporting location, parallel tasks, social context and incentives affected the participation preferences. We propose a framework for participation preferences to support further studies in location-based crowdsourcing and in the development of crowdsourcing processes and systems.

As news organizations are moving towards systematically using the power of crowds in news reporting, mobile phones are potential mobile tools for reader reporters. We conducted two user studies to support the development of future mobile crowdsourcing processes and mobile tools for news reporting. In a quasi-experiment on future mobile crowdsourcing process with location-based assignments, SMS messages were experienced as an easy and handy means for news assignments. A customized mobile client prototype was preferred for submission of multimedia content (photo and video), since submission was experienced simple to use and reliable especially for videos. Based on our findings and earlier research we discuss implications for the development of mobile crowdsourcing processes with mobile news reporting assignments.

Understanding the factors affecting user experience of mobile systems and services is becoming increasingly important as the mobile ecosystem is becoming a reality. The aim of my work is to contribute to the theory building of frameworks on factors affecting user experience in the mobile context and to the methodology for studying and evaluating user experience of mobile systems and services.

Introduces a new probability density function (pdf) estimation method based on the concept of order statistic filter banks. The proposed method offers a new kind of possibility for statistical analysis of signals with real time processing capabilities. Besides the new real time processing method offers a procedure to control such properties of the pdf estimate as the variance and the resolution.>

Coherence analysis enables the studying of linear dependencies between multichannel time series. In the case of a multivariate autoregressive (MAR) spectrum the conventional coherence analysis can be applied. However, since we are able to decompose the MAR spectrum, there is a possibility to gain more information through coherence analysis based on conditioned spectra than with conventional methods. The authors formulate the coherence analysis based on the conditioned MAR spectra (reduced and noise conditioned spectra) by giving related definitions for partial and multiple coherences.>