iACToR Weekly Newsletter #48

[James Cullen]

Opening Statement

Hello iACToR members,

As a reminder, the Interactive Media Institute, in collaboration with the Virtual Reality Medical Institute, is pleased to announce the final Call for Papers for the International Association of CyberPsychology, Training, & Rehabilitation’s (iACToR) 17th Annual Conference. The CyberPsychology & CyberTherapy Conference (CYBER17) is scheduled for September 25-28, 2012 in the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium. Abstract Submission Deadline is March 1, 2012.

CYBER17 brings together researchers, clinicians, funders and policymakers to share and discuss trends in healthcare and technology. CYBER17 continues to seek input from a wider segment of the scientific community, and is interested in attracting experts in clinical therapy and rehabilitation, cognitive sciences, social sciences, and computer sciences dedicated to meeting the conference’s core topic: experiencing the future of health & well-being.

Abstract and Presentation Themes
The Annual CyberPsychology & CyberTherapy Conference began as a symposium that featured presentations dealing mostly with conceptual matters and future possibilities at the Medicine Meets Virtual Reality Conference. CYBER17 has now grown to a full-scale conference that seeks presentations whose controlled clinical trials demonstrate unique applications of cutting edge technologies that improve the access and increase the quality of healthcare. CYBER17’s focus areas include:

1. The Impact of Technologies as Tools
CYBER17 will continue its examination of the exciting applications of advanced technologies being used in training, therapy, rehabilitation, and education for the improvement of the quality and availability of healthcare for people around the globe.

2. The Influence of New Technologies
CYBER17 will further its investigation into how new technologies are influencing behavior and society through the use of positive technology, healthy ageing and well-being.

3. The Imprint of Social Networking
CYBER17 will embrace, as it did in 2011, the exploration of social networking tools on individual behavior and societal relations.

4. The Introduction of New Technologies and New Terms
CYBER17 will study the psychological aspects of new areas influenced by technology such as cyberfashion, cyberadvertising and cyberstalking.

Online Submission
Please submit your abstract soon as the location of this year's conference provides a unique opportunity to raise the visibility and importance of your research on one of the world's most prominent stages. When you are ready to submit your abstract, please visit http://www.interactivemediainstitute.com/CYBER17 and click on “On-Line Abstract Submission.” More information will be asked during submission of your abstract, such as name of the author, affiliation, and if your study is completed or still in progress.

Please contact iACToR's Communication Director, Mr. James Cullen, should you have any questions regarding the conference. For further information, please visit http://www.interactivemediainstitute.com/CYBER17.

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Calls, Conferences and Capital

The Fourth International Conferences on Advances in Multimedia
April 29 – May 4th, 2012 | Chamonix / Mont Blanc, France
Registration now open! | http://www.iaria.org/conferences2012/MMEDIA12.html

 

MMEDIA 2012 aims to provide an international forum by researchers, students, and professionals for presenting recent research results on advances in multimedia, mobile and ubiquitous multimedia and to bring together experts from both academia and industry for the exchange of ideas and discussion on future challenges in multimedia fundamentals, mobile and ubiquitous multimedia, multimedia ontology, multimedia user-centered perception, multimedia services and applications, and mobile multimedia.

To register for this exciting conference, visit http://www.iaria.org/conferences2012/MMEDIA12.html

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Top CyberPsychology News

Passwords in the Future Could be Replaced by your Heartbeat
Digital Trends - Soon, your computers and personal data may no longer need an overly complicated or easily deciphered password to protect, only your beating heart. User-created passwords could one day become obsolete, if research led by Chun-Liang Lin at the National Chung Hsing University in Taichung, Taiwan, proves successful. The industrious team behind this groundbreaking new technology, which creates a fully-encrypted password out of a user’s heartbeat, could forever change the way we access our protected and valuable personal information. Email passwords, bank account passwords, and more could all be accessed with the touch of your finger and verified with the beat of your heart. To read more, please visit http://bit.ly/xI3eop.

Fifty Cameras, a Fake Home and Virtual Reality: How Tide’s New Detergent Came Together
Time - Laundry detergent is not my regular beat. But when Procter & Gamble invited me to check out one of its secret lairs, with a PR rep touting “advanced modeling and virtual reality” within, I couldn’t resist. Yes, the maker of Tide, Bounty, Duracell, Head & Shoulders and countless other household brands has a secret lair near its Cincinnati, Ohio headquarters. It’s one of 52 P&G “Innovation Centers” around the world, and until this week, the press has never been allowed inside any of them. My request to bring a camera was denied. The occasion for lifting the veil of secrecy was a new line of detergent, called Tide Pods. These little packets of polyvinyl, roughly the circumference of your thumb and forefinger together, are stuffed with highly concentrated detergent, along with isolated swirls of stain remover and brightener. To read more, please visit http://ti.me/wYAf7j.

Ford Upgrades Virtual Reality Simulator to Help Develop Future Safety Technologies, Driver Aids
Bradenton Herald - Ford recently upgraded its state-of-the-art VIRtual Test Track EXperiment (VIRTTEX) simulator with improved image rendering technologies and capabilities to study driver performance, helping in the development of safety and driver aid technologies. VIRTTEX has helped in the development of heads-up displays, drowsy driver alerts and lane departure warning technology soon to be available on the all-new Ford Fusion. Ford is the only North American automaker with a high-fidelity, motion-based simulator featuring a spherical dome on top of a hydraulic system to mimic vehicle movement. The simulator was developed in 2001. To read more, please visit http://bit.ly/wcbGeB.

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5 Ways to Get More Involved

1. Become a Premium Member of iACToR!
   • Get extensive discounts off the 17th Annual CyberPsychology and CyberTherapy Conference.
   • Get discounted subscriptions to your favorite CyberPsychology publications
   • Enjoy premium access ot the fast growing social networking psychology association on the internet
   • Take part in the annual iACToR General Assembly
   • Receive discounted membership to affiliated associations and societies.
2. Join your local iACToR Chapter! Please visit the Chapter page to request membership to the appropriate iACToR Chapter. This is an excellent way to become acquainted and introduced to colleagues in your area!
   
   
3. Begin the discussion! Please visit the Forum, find the appropriate category, and click Add a Discussion! As this field is rapidly growing, collaboration and discussion is vital to the growth and progress. Some have begun already, and we hope to see you post as well.
   
   
4. Invite your colleagues! On the right hand side, under your name, next to the friends hyperlink is an Invite hyperlink. We encourage you to invite your colleagues to join in the discussion.
   
   
5. Update Your Profile and Comment on Others! Keep members up to date with your latest information. Post a blog, update your status, add a picture of yourself, and let the community know your area of expertise. All can be done with in your Profile page and we encourage you to do so!

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Create your own reality!

Brenda K. Wiederhold, PhD, MBA, BCIA
Secretary General
International Association of CyberPsychology, Training, & Rehabilitation (iACToR)