Abstract
Natural user interfaces are becoming widespread as a focus of research in human-computer interaction. Gestural interaction is an important part of this field, but generally done by mimicry. This raises concerns such as the necessity of creating abstractions for non-imitable commands and the difficulty of finding gestures that are meaningful for a worldwide audience. Cultural backgrounds impart different meanings to gestures. In this research , we explore the concept of allowing individuals to interact with computer systems using gesture from the individual’s own culture, focusing on a software engineering approach to support this idea. The aim is to leverage the rich semantics of non-mimicry cultural gestures to expand gestural interaction to support abstract commands for instructions that do not have a matching gestural imitation. This approach also holds the potential to support the learning of gestural commands, by linking them to the cultural background of each user. The proposed software engineering approach demonstrates the feasibility of planning applications with commands in mind, not specific gestures, separating concerns between gestural identification (which can include cultural background elements) and actual commands.

Abstract
A considerable number of domains deal with large and complex volumes of temporal data. The management of these volumes, from capture, storage, search, transfer, analysis and visualization, still provides interesting challenges. One critical task is the efficient retrieval of data (raw data or intermediate results from analytic tools). Previous work proposed the TravelLight method which reduced the turnaround time and improved interactive retrieval of data from large temporal datasets by exploring the temporal consistency of records in a database. In this work we propose improvements to the method by adopting a new paradigm focused in the management of time intervals instead of solely in data items. A major advantage of this paradigm shift is to enable the separation of the method implementation from any particular temporal data source, as it is autonomous and efficient in the management of retrieved data. Our work demonstrates that the overheads introduced by the new paradigm are smaller than prior overall overheads, further reducing the turnaround time. Reported results concern experiments with a temporally linear navigation across two datasets of one million items. With the obtained results it is possible to conclude that the improvements presented in this work further reduce turnaround time thus enhancing the response of interactive tasks over very large temporal datasets.

Abstract

Abstract
Entrepreneurship education is increasingly being promoted, driven by a wide consensus in modern societies concerning its benefits in fostering the development of several professional and personal attitudes and skills, such as business expertise, creativity, risk assessment or responsibility. In this context, several authorities have been actively developing policies and activities to empower entrepreneurship culture in young people. Serious Games are recognized as having an important role and potential in education and social networks emerged in the last decade as the platform preferred by many people to socialize, play games or conduct professional activities. This paper presents a proposal for BIZZY, a serious game to be developed and implemented as a Facebook application, to enable young people in the range 12-18 years old to learn entrepreneurial skills progressively, by guiding them to develop a business project from the early idea to the business plan.

Abstract

Abstract
Touchscreens allow interaction with icons and buttons for executing applications or selecting information. This can be used for non-verbal communication, enabling the deaf to communicate without the need for sign language translation and with a richer context than just using text. This paper explores the development process of iconographic driven applications for nonverbal communication following a user centered design approach. MyCarMobile, a mobile application intended to facilitate the communication of the deaf with roadside assistance services, is introduced as a case study. The application follows the iconographic driven interaction model allowing users to describe an occurrence, through the interaction with icons and buttons in a touchscreen device. Based on the implementation of the case study application and previous work a set of guidelines for implementing iconographic driven applications is proposed. © 2014 Springer International Publishing.