We explore the metaphorical "daily memory pill"concept - a brief pictorial lifelog recap aimed at reviving and preserving memories. Leveraging psychological strategies, we explore the potential of such summaries to boost autobiographical memory. We developed an automated lifelogging memory prosthesis and a research protocol (Automated Memory Validation "AMV") for conducting privacy-aware, in-situ evaluations. We conducted a real-world lifelogging experiment for a month (n=11). We also designed a browser "Pixel Memories"for browsing one-week worth of lifelogs. The results suggest that daily timelapse summaries, while not yielding significant memory augmentation effects, also do not lead to memory degradation. Participants' confidence in recalled content remains unaltered, but the study highlights the challenge of users' overestimation of memory accuracy. Our core contributions, the AMV protocol and "Pixel Memories"browser, advance our understanding of memory augmentations and offer a privacy-preserving method for evaluating future ubicomp systems.

Despite the extensive analysis of the consequences of interruptions caused by smartphone notifications, research on the effects on users has so far been sparse. Therefore, in this work we (1) explore concepts on preventing interruptions elicited by notification delay in a focus group; (2) implement a smartphone application manipulating the notification delay in three distinct ways varying in the degree of user-control; (3) evaluate all three concepts with 13 users in a four-week field trial. We thereby gather qualitative feedback in 52 semi-structured interviews, one per participant after each mode and an additional control week. The results show that through the intensive preoccupation with their notification management, users reflect critically about advantages and disadvantages of their continuous reachability. Based on the results from the focus group and field trial, we derive four design implications summarizing the users' experiences and suggestions on notification delay mechanisms.

Ubiquitous technologies change the way we learn new languages. They provide easy access to multilingual media content within everyday scenarios to enhance language skills or improve vocabulary. The detection of learners’ vocabulary deficiencies is an integral part of effective language learning. However, retrieving translations during everyday media consumption causes inattention and hinders fluent learning. In this paper, we investigate Electroencephalography (EEG) to assess single-word incomprehension within non-native learning contents. In a user study (N = 10), we employed Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) to display text while recording Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) for different word difficulties. Our results show that incomprehension of words can be detected in participants’ neural responses, as is confirmed by post hoc ratings. We conclude with use case scenarios in which our approach can facilitate seamless vocabulary deficiency detection in everyday life.

Reading foreign language texts is a frequently used strategy for language learning. Visual text augmentation methods further support the learning experience, e.g., by annotating vocabulary or grammar. Common approaches are integrated dictionaries or static grammar highlights. This work investigates how we can further support grammar learning with the dynamic visualization and interaction opportunities offered by digital reading devices. In collaboration with teachers and potential learners, we identify difficulties learners experience with English grammar and gather ideas for suitable interactive text augmentations. Based on this, we design four different concepts that augment adjectives and adverbs in English-language texts using typographic cues and interactive information displays. The concepts are evaluated in a within-subject study (N = 16). Results show that participants preferred concepts that presented case-specific support, did not distract too much from the text, and gave details on demand. We conclude with design recommendations for designing text augmentation for language learning.

In this paper we describe the design and architecture of an adaptive proactive environment in which information, which reflects the communal interests of current inhabitants, is proactively displayed on large-scale public displays. Adaptation is achieved through implicit communication between the environment and personal sensor devices worn by users. These devices, called Pendle, serve two purposes: they store and make available to the environment user preferences, and they allow users to override the environment's proactive behavior by means of simple gestures. The result is a smooth integration of environment-controlled interaction (experienced by the user as implicit interaction, triggered by their presence) and user-controlled explicit interaction. Initial results show that user-controlled adaptation leads to an engaging user experience that is unobtrusive and not distracting. Crown