Our digital technologies have inspired new ways of thinking about old religious topics. Digitalists include computer scientists, transhumanists, singularitarians, and futurists. Writers such as Moravec, Bostrom, Kurzweil, and Chalmers are digitalists. Although they are usually scientists, rationalists, and atheists, digitalists they have worked out novel and entirely naturalistic ways of thinking about bodies, minds, souls, universes, gods, and life after death. Your Digital Afterlives starts with three digitalist theories of life after death. It examines personality capture, body uploading, and promotion to higher levels of simulation. It then examines the idea that reality itself is ultimately a system of self-surpassing computations. On that view, you will have infinitely many digital lives across infinitely many digital worlds. Your Digital Afterlives looks at superhuman bodies and infinite bodies. Thinking of nature in purely computational terms has the potential to radically and positively change our understanding of life after death.

This book presents unique insights and advice on defining and managing the innovation transformation journey. Using novel ideas, examples and best practices, it empowers management executives at all levels to drive cultural, technological and organizational changes toward innovation. Covering modern innovation techniques, tools, programs and strategies, it focuses on the role of the latest technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence to discover, handle and manage ideas), methodologies (including Agile Engineering and Rapid Prototyping) and combinations of these (like hackathons or gamification). At the same time, it highlights the importance of culture and provides suggestions on how to build it. In the era of AI and the unprecedented pace of technology evolution, companies need to become truly innovative in order to survive. The transformation toward an innovation-led company is difficult - it requires a strong leadership and culture, advanced technologies and well-designed programs. The book is based on the author's long-term experience and novel ideas, and reflects two decades of startup, consulting and corporate leadership experience. It is intended for business, technology, and innovation leaders.

This book combines the three dimensions of technology, society and economy to explore the advent of today's cloud ecosystems as successors to older service ecosystems based on networks. Further, it describes the shifting of services to the cloud as a long-term trend that is still progressing rapidly.The book adopts a comprehensive perspective on the key success factors for the technology - compelling business models and ecosystems including private, public and national organizations. The authors explore the evolution of service ecosystems, describe the similarities and differences, and analyze the way they have created and changed industries. Lastly, based on the current status of cloud computing and related technologies like virtualization, the internet of things, fog computing, big data and analytics, cognitive computing and blockchain, the authors provide a revealing outlook on the possibilities of future technologies, the future of the internet, and the potential impacts on business and society.

This new reference investigates the notion that ICTs have the potential to improve the lives of people and contribute to social development in a developing countries.

A Gift of Fire: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues for Computing and the Internet, 4e is ideal for courses in Computer Ethics and Computers and Society. Sara Baase explores the social, legal, philosophical, ethical, political, constitutional, and economic implications of computing and the controversies they raise. With a computer scientist's perspective, and with historical context for many issues, she covers the issues students will face both as members of a technological society and as professionals in computer-related fields. A primary goal is to develop computer professionals who understand the implications of what they create and how it fits into society at large.

The book focuses on Social Collective Intelligence, a term used to denote a class of socio-technical systems that combine, in a coordinated way, the strengths of humans, machines and collectives in terms of competences, knowledge and problem solving capabilities with the communication, computing and storage capabilities of advanced ICT. Social Collective Intelligence opens a number of challenges for researchers in both computer science and social sciences; at the same time it provides an innovative approach to solve challenges in diverse application domains, ranging from health to education and organization of work. The book will provide a cohesive and holistic treatment of Social Collective Intelligence, including challenges emerging in various disciplines (computer science, sociology, ethics) and opportunities for innovating in various application areas. By going through the book the reader will gauge insight and knowledge into the challenges and opportunities provided by this new, exciting, field of investigation. Benefits for scientists will be in terms of accessing a comprehensive treatment of the open research challenges in a multidisciplinary perspective. Benefits for practitioners and applied researchers will be in terms of access to novel approaches to tackle relevant problems in their field. Benefits for policy-makers and public bodies representatives will be in terms of understanding how technological advances can support them in supporting the progress of society and economy.

The 21st century has seen an expansion in digital technology and the ways in which it affects everyday life. These technologies have become essential in the growth of social communication and mass media. Fostering 21st Century Digital Literacy and Technical Competency offers the latest in research on the technological advances on computer proficiency in the educational system and society. This collection of research brings together theories and experiences in order to create a common framework and is essential for educators and professionals in the technology fields.

Cryptography has experienced rapid development, with major advances recently in both secret and public key ciphers, cryptographic hash functions, cryptographic algorithms and multiparty protocols, including their software engineering correctness verification, and various methods of cryptanalysis. This textbook introduces the reader to these areas, offering an understanding of the essential, most important, and most interesting ideas, based on the authors' teaching and research experience.

After introducing the basic mathematical and computational complexity concepts, and some historical context, including the story of Enigma, the authors explain symmetric and asymmetric cryptography, electronic signatures and hash functions, PGP systems, public key infrastructures, cryptographic protocols, and applications in network security. In each case the text presents the key technologies, algorithms, and protocols, along with methods of design and analysis, while the content is characterized by a visual style and all algorithms are presented in readable pseudocode or using simple graphics and diagrams.

The book is suitable for undergraduate and graduate courses in computer science and engineering, particularly in the area of networking, and it is also a suitable reference text for self-study by practitioners and researchers. The authors assume only basic elementary mathematical experience, the text covers the foundational mathematics and computational complexity theory.

This book focuses on how to apply network coding at different layers in wireless networks - including MAC, routing, and TCP - with special focus on cognitive radio networks. It discusses how to select parameters in network coding (e.g., coding field, number of packets involved, redundant information ration) in order to be suitable for the varying wireless environments. The author explores how to deploy network coding in MAC to improve network performance and examine joint network coding with opportunistic routing to improve the successful rate of routing. In regards to TCP and network coding, the author considers transport layer protocol working with network coding to overcome the transmission error rate, particularly with how to use the ACK feedback of TCP to enhance the efficiency of network coding. The book pertains to researchers and postgraduate students, especially whose interests are in opportunistic routing and TCP in cognitive radio networks.

The book explores new ways to reconstruct and enhance speech that is compromised by various neuro-motor disorders - collectively known as "dysarthria." The authors address some of the extant lacunae in speech research of dysarthric conditions: they show how new methods can improve speaker recognition when speech is impaired due to developmental or acquired pathologies; they present a novel multi-dimensional approach to help the speech system both assess dysarthric speech and to perform intelligibility improvement of the impaired speech; they display well-performing software solutions for developmental and acquired speech impairments, and for vocal injuries; and they examine non-acoustic signals and muted nonverbal sounds in relation to audible speech conversion.

This text presents an overview of smart information systems for both the private and public sector, highlighting the research questions that can be studied by applying computational intelligence. The book demonstrates how to transform raw data into effective smart information services, covering the challenges and potential of this approach. Each chapter describes the algorithms, tools, measures and evaluations used to answer important questions. This is then further illustrated by a diverse selection of case studies reflecting genuine problems faced by SMEs, multinational manufacturers, service companies, and the public sector. Features: provides a state-of-the-art introduction to the field, integrating contributions from both academia and industry; reviews novel information aggregation services; discusses personalization and recommendation systems; examines sensor-based knowledge acquisition services, describing how the analysis of sensor data can be used to provide a clear picture of our world.

Human Computer Interaction (HCI) is easy to define yet difficult to predict. Encompassing the management, study, planning, and design of the ways in which users interact with computers, this field has evolved from using punch cards to force touch in a matter of decades. What was once considered science fiction is now ubiquitous. The future of HCI is mercurial, yet predictions point to the effortless use of high-functioning services. The Handbook of Research on Human-Computer Interfaces, Developments, and Applications is primarily concerned with emerging research regarding gesture interaction, augmented reality, and assistive technologies and their place within HCI. From gaming to rehabilitation systems, these new technologies share the need to interface with humans, and as computers become thoroughly integrated into everyday life, so does the necessity of HCI research. This handbook of research benefits the research needs of programmers, developers, students and educators in computer science, and researchers.

This agenda-setting book presents state of the art research in Music and Human-Computer Interaction (also known as 'Music Interaction'). Music Interaction research is at an exciting and formative stage. Topics discussed include interactive music systems, digital and virtual musical instruments, theories, methodologies and technologies for Music Interaction. Musical activities covered include composition, performance, improvisation, analysis, live coding, and collaborative music making. Innovative approaches to existing musical activities are explored, as well as tools that make new kinds of musical activity possible. Music and Human-Computer Interaction is stimulating reading for professionals and enthusiasts alike: researchers, musicians, interactive music system designers, music software developers, educators, and those seeking deeper involvement in music interaction. It presents the very latest research, discusses fundamental ideas, and identifies key issues and directions for future work.

This book illustrates how goal-oriented, automated measurement can be used to create Lean organizations and to facilitate the development of Lean software, while also demonstrating the practical implementation of Lean software development by combining tried and trusted tools. In order to be successful, a Lean orientation of software development has to go hand in hand with a company's overall business strategy. To achieve this, two interrelated aspects require special attention: measurement and experience management. In this book, Janes and Succi provide the necessary knowledge to establish "Lean software company thinking," while also exploiting the latest approaches to software measurement. A comprehensive, company-wide measurement approach is exactly what companies need in order to align their activities to the demands of their stakeholders, to their business strategy, etc. With the automatic, non-invasive measurement approach proposed in this book, even small and medium-sized enterprises that do not have the resources to introduce heavyweight processes will be able to make their software development processes considerably more Lean. The book is divided into three parts. Part I, "Motivation for Lean Software Development," explains just what "Lean Production" means, why it can be advantageous to apply Lean concepts to software engineering, and which existing approaches are best suited to achieving this. Part II, "The Pillars of Lean Software Development," presents the tools needed to achieve Lean software development: Non-invasive Measurement, the Goal Question Metric approach, and the Experience Factory. Finally, Part III, "Lean Software Development in Action," shows how different tools can be combined to enable Lean Thinking in software development. The book primarily addresses the needs of all those working in the field of software engineering who want to understand how to establish an efficient and effective software development process. This group includes developers, managers, and students pursuing an M.Sc. degree in software engineering.

This important text synthesizes the state of knowledge related to thinking and technology and provides strategies for helping young people cultivate thinking skills required to navigate the new digital landscape. The rise of technology has resulted in new ways of searching and communicating information among youth, often creating information "overload". We do not know how the new technologies will affect the ways young people learn and think. There are plenty of warnings about the dangers of information technology, but there is also enormous potential for technology to aid human thinking, which this book explores from an open-minded perspective. Coverage Includes: - An up to date review of the literature on thinking skills in general, and in relation to technology.- Practical guidelines for thinking with technology.- A scholarly review of the characteristics of the digital generation.- A discussion of the various steps involved in the thinking process.- A historical context of the Information Age and the transition from oral history, to printing press, to the Internet. Thinking Skills for the Digital Generation: The Development of Thinking and Learning in the Age of Information is an invaluable reference for educators and research professionals particularly interested in educational technology, and improving thinking and problem-solving skills.

This book highlights cooperative coverage control approaches of multi-agent systems in uncertain environments and their applications in various fields. A novel theoretical formulation of multi-agent coverage is proposed to fulfill the coverage task via divide-and-conquer scheme. By taking workload partition and sweeping operations simultaneously, a distributed sweep coverage algorithm of multi-agent systems is developed to cooperatively complete the workload on the given region, and its input-to-state stability is guaranteed in theory. Moreover, the coverage performance is evaluated by estimating the error between the actual coverage time and the optimal time. Three application scenarios are presented to demonstrate the advantages of cooperative coverage control approaches in missile interception, intelligent transportation systems and environment monitoring, respectively.

Information is considered both an essential element of organizational design and an asset to be processed and managed. Further research on and application of topics relating to the architecture, management, and use of information is imperative to organizational success. The Handbook of Research on Information Architecture and Management in Modern Organizations focuses on information as an essential element of organizational design and emphasizes the strategic role of knowledge transfer and management in organizations across industries. Taking a cross-disciplinary approach to information architecture and management, this publication draws on research essential to diverse organizations and is designed for use by business professionals, researchers, academicians, and upper-level students. This comprehensive reference work features key research and concepts on topics related to information functionality, information modeling, information overload, information retrieval, innovation management, organizational architecture, informed governance, and relevant applications across industries.

This book focuses on the methodological treatment of UML/P and addresses three core topics of model-based software development: code generation, the systematic testing of programs using a model-based definition of test cases, and the evolutionary refactoring and transformation of models. For each of these topics, it first details the foundational concepts and techniques, and then presents their application with UML/P. This separation between basic principles and applications makes the content more accessible and allows the reader to transfer this knowledge directly to other model-based approaches and languages. After an introduction to the book and its primary goals in Chapter 1, Chapter 2 outlines an agile UML-based approach using UML/P as the primary development language for creating executable models, generating code from the models, designing test cases, and planning iterative evolution through refactoring. In the interest of completeness, Chapter 3 provides a brief summary of UML/P, which is used throughout the book. Next, Chapters 4 and 5 discuss core techniques for code generation, addressing the architecture of a code generator and methods for controlling it, as well as the suitability of UML/P notations for test or product code. Chapters 6 and 7 then discuss general concepts for testing software as well as the special features which arise due to the use of UML/P. Chapter 8 details test patterns to show how to use UML/P diagrams to define test cases and emphasizes in particular the use of functional tests for distributed and concurrent software systems. In closing, Chapters 9 and 10 examine techniques for transforming models and code and thus provide a solid foundation for refactoring as a type of transformation that preserves semantics. Overall, this book will be of great benefit for practical software development, for academic training in the field of Software Engineering, and for research in the area of model-based software development. Practitioners will learn how to use modern model-based techniques to improve the production of code and thus significantly increase quality. Students will find both important scientific basics as well as direct applications of the techniques presented. And last but not least, the book will offer scientists a comprehensive overview of the current state of development in the three core topics it covers.

As a usability specialist or interaction designer working with the government, or as a government or contractor professional involved in specifying, procuring, or managing system development, you need this book. Editors Elizabeth Buie and Dianne Murray have brought together over 30 experts to outline practical advice to both usability specialists and government technology professionals and managers.

Working with internal and external government systems is a unique and difficult task because of of the sheer magnitude of the audience for external systems (the entire population of a country, and sometimes more), and because of the need to achieve government transparency while protecting citizens privacy.. Open government, plain language, accessibility, biometrics, service design, internal vs. external systems, and cross-cultural issues, as well as working with the government, are all covered in this book.
Covers both public-facing systems and internal systems run by governmentsDetails usability and user experience approaches specific to government websites, intranets, complex systems, and applicationsProvides practical material that allows you to take the information and immediately use it to make a difference in your projects"

The book describes recent research results in the areas of modelling, creation, management and presentation of interactive 3D multimedia content. The book describes the current state of the art in the field and identifies the most important research and design issues. Consecutive chapters address these issues. These are: database modelling of 3D content, security in 3D environments, describing interactivity of content, searching content, visualization of search results, modelling mixed reality content, and efficient creation of interactive 3D content. Each chapter is illustrated with example applications based on the proposed approach. The final chapter discusses some important ethical issues related to the widespread use of virtual environments in everyday life. The book provides ready to use solutions for many important problems related to the creation of interactive 3D multimedia applications and will be a primary reading for researchers and developers working in this domain.

Current speech recognition systems are based on speaker independent speech models and suffer from inter-speaker variations in speech signal characteristics. This work develops an integrated approach for speech and speaker recognition in order to gain space for self-learning opportunities of the system. This work introduces a reliable speaker identification which enables the speech recognizer to create robust speaker dependent models In addition, this book gives a new approach to solve the reverse problem, how to improve speech recognition if speakers can be recognized. The speaker identification enables the speaker adaptation to adapt to different speakers which results in an optimal long-term adaptation.