Mobile technologies to enable users' informed decisions

Abstract

The significant wide impact of mobile technologies (e.g., smartphones, tablets) and the difficulty of mastering their complexity (due to factors like constant emergence and evolution) pose new challenges to many (if not all) software engineering disciplines. We particularly see these challenges when thinking of average citizens that carry out their daily activities in smart environments where mobile technologies and sensors installed provide many potential advantages to support them. Applications that could enable informed decision-making are currently beyond what software developers can provide. This position paper discusses challenges, and highlights current approaches available in order to support decision-making for thoughtful living. We present an initial version of a comprehensive framework to overcome the challenges identified and analyse which software engineering research lines may help to implement it. A motivating scenario is used to conduct the discussion.