Introduction

Abstract

The Ubiquitous Computing paradigm was introduced in the early 1990s by Weiser (Weiser 1991, 1993). The term ubiquitous computing(Ubicomp) is used to describe a reality in which numerous computers are invisibly woven into the fabric of daily life. At the time Weiser wrote his papers the use of personal computers was on the rise, the Internet was still in its infancy, and mobile communication was a long way off—let alone the actual reality of being surrounded by ubiquitous invisible computers (Bell/Dourish 2007, 134). The technological advancements in recent years have made realizing the early Ubicomp vision possible (Gershenfeld/Krikorian/Cohen 2004; Leimeister/Krcmar 2005; Mattern 2003a, 2003c, 2005b).