Editorial Pointers

So, we have all these wondrous gadgets and devices to help us track, find, and keep the information and communication we need and desire. But getting them to work together, and more importantly, to appreciate our personal state of concentration in order to determine the best time to communicate with us, is what sets Attentive User Interfaces apart from the rest of the UI crowd.

This month’s special section introduces the latest achievements in devices that track a user’s attention and "sense" the best time to interrupt with requested or desired information. Included are eye-tracking sensors; vibration alerts; attentive phones; and attentive videoconferencing that tracks the focus of all participants. Guest Editor Roel Vertegaal, HCI professor and director of the Human Media Lab at Queen’s University, Ontario, called on some of the world’s leading AUI experts from industry and research to explore the latest advances and prototypes. The many devices in this section clearly indicate the speed at which the AUI field is moving and growing.

Also in this issue, José del R. Millán tells a fascinating account of his work on devices activated through the voluntary control of human thought. Gordon, Loeb, and Sohail offer a framework for insurance against losses from information security breaches. Pinto et al. examine an extended architecture to eliminate boundaries to accessing and sharing data. And Anderson, Banker, and Ravindran use Y2K as a backdrop to suggest that companies are underinvesting in IT.

We are also very pleased to welcome Michael Cusumano to Communications’ roster of columnists. Cusumano, the Sloan Management Review Distinguished Professor of Management at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, specializes in strategic planning and technology management in the software industry. He is a noted author and has worked as a consultant to dozens of corporate leaders worldwide. His new column, aptly titled "Technology Strategy and Management," explores software development management and competitive technology strategy as the high-tech industry struggles to regain its footing. His first installment argues that software companies benefit by focusing their business strategy as providers of products and services rather than limiting themselves to one or the other.

Diane Crawford, Editor