Richard Harper – författare

We make decisions every day. Yet we are sometimes perplexed by these decisions and the decisions of others. To complicate things further, we live in an age where there are more things to choose from than ever before – the Internet is transforming our choices and making us more accountable for them: what we choose is recorded, modelled and used to predict our future behaviour.

So are we in a position to make better choices today than we were a decade ago? Certainly there are some who believe so. Psychologists claim we are subject to hidden mental processes that lead us to one thing rather than another; economists offer predictions about what people will buy; and some philosophers claim that our choices echo our evolutionary past.

Are these claims merited? Do they reflect the beginnings of a new science of choice? This book offers a critical overview of these and other claims, showing where they are justified and where they are exaggerated. It will be an essential reference for anyone interested in whether science can help us to understand both the ways people make choices in their everyday lives and how these may be changing.

The title of this new book: “The Connected Home” reflects the move away from the idea that smart homes would alter the lives of those living in them by providing technologies to take over tasks that were previously the responsibility of the householder, such as managing entertainment, education – and even eating! Up until around 10 years ago this view was commonplace but time has shown that the technologies to support a smart home have not developed in such a way as to support this premise. Instead, what people do in their homes has moved the concept of a smart home into that of the ‘connected home’.  The rise of on-line games technologies, video connections via Skype, social networking, internet browsing etc are now an integral part of the home environment and have had a significant effect on the home.

The contributors to this exciting new book consider and discuss the effects and ramifications of the connected home from a variety of viewpoints: an examination of the take-up of personal computers and the Internet in domestic situations; an analysis of the changing intersection of technology and human habits in the connected home; the impact of gaming, texting, e-book readers, tablets and other devices and their effect on the social conditions of a household; the relationship between digital messaging applications and real geography; and an overview of how sensing technologies for the smart home might evolve (lightweight medical technologies for example). The book culminates by addressing unfinished ambitions from the smart home agenda, the factors that have prevented their realisation, and addresses the need for extending research into the area.

Written by an experienced former senior judge of the family court, this practical guide provides all students and practitioners working with children with a clear understanding of safeguarding good practice and the principles and proceedings of the family court.

Where there is serious risk of harm, it examines how all involved in the community or family court proceedings can place the child at the centre of their practical decision-making. Incorporating the most up-to-date legislation, and emphasising the importance of multi-agency working, the book enables practitioners, and all stakeholders, to better understand the workings of the family court and to recognise and implement appropriate actions. Fictional case studies with critical questions are included to encourage deep reflection and ways to apply new-found knowledge to practice. The book demystifies the family court to provide an accessible guide for students and both experienced and newly qualified practitioners.

Chapters delve into the structure of the family court, preparing reports and statements, public and private court proceedings, giving evidence, and urgent interventions. The author''s professional experience and expertise ensures readers are fully equipped with a unique and practical understanding for safeguarding the welfare of children within the family court system.

Written by an experienced former senior judge of the family court, this practical guide provides all students and practitioners working with children with a clear understanding of safeguarding good practice and the principles and proceedings of the family court.

Where there is serious risk of harm, it examines how all involved in the community or family court proceedings can place the child at the centre of their practical decision-making. Incorporating the most up-to-date legislation, and emphasising the importance of multi-agency working, the book enables practitioners, and all stakeholders, to better understand the workings of the family court and to recognise and implement appropriate actions. Fictional case studies with critical questions are included to encourage deep reflection and ways to apply new-found knowledge to practice. The book demystifies the family court to provide an accessible guide for students and both experienced and newly qualified practitioners.

Chapters delve into the structure of the family court, preparing reports and statements, public and private court proceedings, giving evidence, and urgent interventions. The author''s professional experience and expertise ensures readers are fully equipped with a unique and practical understanding for safeguarding the welfare of children within the family court system.

This book looks at why ethnographic approaches have been turned to in the design of computing devices for the workplace, for the home and elsewhere. It presents a history of ethnography, both as it was practiced before computer science picked it up and since, most especially in the CSCW and HCI domains. It examines, further, the various ethnographic or ‘fieldwork’ frameworks currently popular, explaining and examining what each claims and entails. The focus of the book throughout is on the practical relationship between theory and practice, a relationship that is often misunderstood yet fundamental to successful design.

The book is illustrated with real examples from the authors’ various experiences in academic and commercial settings, reporting on the use of ethnography before, during and after design innovation and implementation. The result is a book that provides the working knowledge necessary for using any kind of ethnographic approach in the design of computer technologies.

"A fascinating insight into potentially one of the most exciting developments that affects each and every one of us as we move forward into the 21st Century. This book indicates the direction industry must take if we are to achieve the dream of living in a Smart Home." Steve Hearnden, Mobile Telecommunications Consultant, UK

"A timely and much needed compliment to more technology-led explorations of the Smart Home. It draws attention to the complexity, diversity and conceptual richness of domestic life and critically reflects on the adoption and use of technologies in the home to date." Geraldine Fitzpatrick, Sapient Ltd, UK

If the predictions of leading electronics and consumer companies are to be believed, in the future you may never again have to worry about forgetting to switch the lights off, or locking the front door when you leave your home. Even mundane chores such as visiting your local supermarket to stock up your fridge will become a thing of the past, as the Smart Homes of the future will be able to decide what is needed and order them for us. Inside the Smart Home looks at the designs and technologies behind these new innovations, along with their time-saving, environmental and security benefits, amongst others. Despite these clear advantages however, Smart Homes have so far failed to reach the levels of success originally anticipated, thereby forcing designers to further examine the roles and practicalities of these new technologies. Through the use of detailed case studies from such international giants as Orange, Ariston, Philips Electronics and Electrolux, this book clearly demonstrates what will be possible for our domestic settings in the future if we continue to develop the concept of the Smart Home.