The SummerFest'09 media is now available here: http://sf09.hcsnet.edu.au/summerfest09/videos. You'll find media from our Summer Schools, Speed Papers, Skills Sessions and Plenary Speakers. You can also find media from our constituent events, ICoMC2, ALTA, ALAS, AusNC, IIVC and OzPHON. If you met someone at Summer School and would like to get in touch with them, you may be able to find their contact details on the attendance list: http://sf09.hcsnet.edu.au/summerfest09/summerschool.

Tabletops are compelling interfaces with unique characteristics. In everyday work, education and entertainment environments, tabletops can provide a stunning experience of intuitive interaction by direct touch and gestures ideal for small group collaboration. Recent developments of various technologies such as display and multi-touch technologies open up new possibilities to enrich interaction on horizontal interactive displays. Bringing together current research in the domain of tabletops, this book, edited by Christian Mueller-Tomfelde, CSIRO ICT Centre, integrates and summarises findings from the most important international tabletop research teams. It provides a state-of-the art overview and allows for the discussion of emerging and future directions. Find out more here: http://www.springer.com/computer/hci/book/978-1-84996-112-7.

The 10th International Symposium on Processability Approaches to Language Acquisition will be held at the University of Western Sydney (19-21 September 2010) with some prominent international keynote speakers. The conference is aimed at linguists and psycholinguists whose research includes study of speech production. Submissions are invited: Proposals for papers and posters on research related to processability, bilingualism, and second language acquisition are invited, particularly research on advanced learners including advanced L2 users such as interpreters and translators (especially trainees). Papers must not have been previously published. Each author may submit no more than one individual and one co-authored abstract. Posters will be orally presented as 4-minute ‘speed-papers'as well as visual posters. This format is ideal for research students and work-in-progress presentations. All submissions will be reviewed anonymously and evaluated in terms of originality, clarity, and significance of findings and conclusions. Please send your 300 words abstract to Kenny Wang k.wang@uws.edu.au by March 22nd, 2010. For details please check the conference website: http://www.processability.net.

Last week we announced that we were considering putting together a book of previously-published papers by HCSNet members. We've had around a dozen responses to that message, but that's not enough to make the project fly. So, here's a rerun of last week's message: It has been suggested that we might, as a way of leaving a legacy that represents what HCSNet has been about, produce a book consisting of a collection of papers on human communication science. But instead of asking people to write new material, the book would consist of reprints of relevan journal and conference papers by HCSNet members. To be appropriate, such papers would have to be reasonably generally accessible (although we might expect to add short prefaces or other introductory material to bridge gaps), and would have to have already been published in a high quality journal or conference. We would aim to publish this with a reputable publisher, and we'd aim to sort out the republication issues and other associated administration. If this idea sounds interesting to you, please send an email to newsletter@hcsnet.edu.au by March 12th 2010, with details of the paper you'd like to propose for inclusion.

The HCSNet Workshop: Advances in Speech Production: Tools, Techniques and Recent Research submission date has been extended to Monday 15 March 2010. This two-day workshop will be held on at MARCS Auditory Laboratories, University of Western Sydney, and will introduce some of the key tools used in speech production research, e.g., EMA, NDI WAVE system; Optical motion capture, Ultrasound, Electropalatograph (EPG), Electroglottograph (EGG) and describe how data produced by these techniques can be usefully analyzed and used to visualize speech articulation. This workshop will provide hands on demonstrations of how such technology is being used to explore the intricacies of both speech production and perception. The workshop will also provide opportunity for participants to engage in demonstrations and tutorials. The workshop will provide a terrific opportunity for “hands on” demonstrations and tutorials in a team of international and national experts who will provide specialist knowledge. HCSNet will fund a number of travel grants of up to $500 to help cover the costs of travel and accommodation for Australian-based HCSNet members from outside the Sydney area. For more information, including details of submission formats and travel bursary conditions, please see: http://www.hcsnet.edu.au/hcsnetevents/2010/asp_2010.

We have a small amount of funds remaining in what was previously the workshops budget, and we're looking to run a small number of events between now and the middle of the year. If you would like to propose a workshop, or perhaps a more innovative form of event that costs about the same($15k-$20k), please submit a brief proposal via the workshop funding program via the Event Submissions page at http://www.hcsnet.edu.au/node/add/hcsnet_event. The absolutely final closing date is March 26th, but we will be processing applications as they come in, so don't delay!