Assignment 8: More on Smartphone Usage.                          

due: 12:00pm May 27th by email to:

cs303@cs.stanford.edu,
(submission instructions below)





Same as last week, we're keeping the assignment to a minimum so you'll have ample time to work on your projects.



(1) "The Age of the Thumb" and "Diversity in Smartphone Usage".

The reading for this week provides some sociological insight into cultural differences in the use of mobile phones.

Genevieve Bell: The Age of the Thumb: A Cultural Reading of Mobile Technologies from Asia.

Write a paragraph arguing the relevance (or lack of relevance) of this work to a computer scientist working in the USA.


There is also quite a variety of usage patterns among individual users:

Falaki et al: Diversity in Smartphone Usage.

Please skim this paper to get the gist of things. Examine the results presented in the figures. Choose one of sections {3, 4, 5} to read in depth. Suggest a follow-up experiment to further investigate these usage patterns.



(2) Class projects.

Next class, there will be another opportunity to go over your (ongoing) experimental results. This is aimed at giving you the chance to refine the arguments you will be making in the discussion section of your final report.  You'll also be able to plan for any follow-up experiments you'll need, or additional data analysis.

Also due: constructive comments on at least 6 of the blogs of your classmates. Bonus points for posting on all 8 of your classmates' blogs!



What to submit:

(0) Reading review paragraph for the Bell reading.
(1) Suggested follow up experiment from the Falaki paper.
(2) Links to your comments on your classmates' blogs.