The emergence of new technologies is relentless. While there are many studies that have examined the transformative value, impact, and adoption, our understanding of the underlying ecosystem that shapes the emergence of these new technologies is surprisingly limited. Motivated by the call for pursuing contemporary information systems (IS) research that captures market realities and provides pra...

The world of Virtual Environments and Immersive Technologies (Sutherland, 1965) (Kalawsky, 1993) are evolving quite rapidly. As the range and complexity of applications increases, so does the requirement for intelligent interaction. The now relatively simple environments of the OZ project (Bates, Loyall & Reilly, 1992) have been superseded by Virtual Theatres (Doyle & Hayes-Roth, 1997) (Giannac...

It is my great pleasure to write this first annual article showcasing the Emerging Technologies Committee (ETC) within ComSoc. The ETC was formed in 2006 to identify and promote new technology directions in the broad field of communications and related areas. Indeed, as communications becomes more interdisciplinary and its applications more diverse, the ETC's goal is to bring these cutting edge...

The emergence and popularity of 2G and 3G cellular networks as well as the high market penetration of mobile devices have created strong demands for introducing new applications in the area of mobile commerce (MCommerce). M-Commerce deals with selling goods, services, and content, including related functions like advertising and payment transactions, over a cellular network, and hence follows s...

Laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation of uterine leiomyomas with a new Federal Drug Administration (FDA)-approved device, a device that delivers radiofrequency energy, is a novel procedure that aims to meet patient and physician demand for effective, minimally invasive leiomyoma treatment. However, as a new procedure, the durability of symptom relief, the safety in widespread use, and ultimately...

CHAT has its limits. It is a three-hour exercise. However, the real world problems of healthcare rationing and priority-setting are too complex for a three-hour exercise. What is needed, as a supplement, are sustained processes of rational democratic deliberation that can address the challenges to healthcare justice posed by costly emerging medical technologies, such as these targeted cancer th...

The MIT-UIC Technology Scanning Project has the broad goal of identifying new and emerging technologies as applied to the railroads, in a generalized search for technologies. To gain an understanding of what technologies are currently emerging and what they are capable of, we conducted a survey of MIT’s over 200 labs, research centers and programs. The new technologies can be grouped into diffe...