From meiwaku to tokushita !

Abstract

Based on ethnographically-inspired research in Japan, we report on people's experiences using digital money payment systems that use Sony's FeliCa near-field communication smartcard technology. As an example of ubiquitous computing in the here and now, the adoption of digital money is found to be messy and contingent, shot through with cultural and social factors that do not hinder this adoption but rather constitute its specific character. Adoption is strongly tied to Japanese conceptions of the aesthetic and moral virtue of smooth flow and avoidance of commotion, as well as the excitement at winning something for nothing. Implications for design of mobile payment systems stress the need to produce open-ended platforms that can serve as the vehicle for multiple meanings and experiences without foreclosing such possibilities in the name of efficiency.

Mobile Gesture Interfaces Based on Touch

“…In this category of interfaces, NFC is used for creating digital service access points. Simple examples of service interfaces include RFID-based public transportation ticketing [10] and mobile payment [1] solutions, where a touch of the reader transfers the action into the background system that then validates and processes the transaction.…”

“…It has been found to be a cheap, simple and relatively robust technology for applications ranging from m-commerce (mobile commerce) in Japan [1] to cattle management in Australia [2]. In recent years, there has been interest in and efforts to integrate RFID readers into standard mobile phones.…”

“…In recent years, there has been interest in and efforts to integrate RFID readers into standard mobile phones. In Japan, Sony's passive near-field communication (NFC) FeliCa mobile phones have gained popularity, especially in mobile payment [1]. In Europe, the first mobile phone models integrating NFC-readers and related standardization have been available for some years now, although their consumer penetration currently falls far short of Japan.…”

#CHImoney

“…Yet, despite some notable exceptions (e.g. [5,6,8]), researchers in HCI have largely resisted the topic of money: this despite a rich literature in economic sociology, ICT4D [ [6]], anthropology, business IT, and science and technology studies on the subject. Such studies have shown that monetary transactions are part of nearly all social institutions, including marriage, birth and death [ [7], [9]].…”

“…The study of money and its exchange is therefore also a study of how meaning and value are assigned by those who use it. This idea can be leveraged to support design; for example, Mainwaring et al's ethnographic studies of digital money use shows how cultural aspects can be leveraged to design mobile payment systems that fit with the context of its users [ [5]]. In this workshop, then, we hope to bring this rigorous multi-disciplinary work into conversation with HCI to produce novel understandings of the role of money in contemporary computing environments.…”