Cognitive infocommunications (CogInfoCom) investigates connections between the cognitive sciences and different areas of infocommunications. CogInfoCom also focuses on engineering application fields integrating related scientific areas and results.

Cognitive infocommunications systems involve hardware and software components that collect and store information and enable users to interact with this information. Besides communication security, considerations include the amount of stored information, which may be huge. This means that there is a need for algorithms and solutions that store and process data effectively. The CogInfoCom field presents a number of motivational challenges requiring active deep research, implementation, integration and measurement.

This special issue focuses on the Cognitive Mobile Applications and Services track of the 3rd IEEE International Conference on Cognitive Infocommunications (CogInfoComf12). Mobile phones and tablets are now everyday tools that enable users to easily connect to the Internet, download social content, find interesting places, etc. Mobile technology has become one of the most important fields in the IT industry just as Web technology was 10-15 years ago. Mobile phones and tablets use sensors and interfaces like accelerometers, cameras, GPS, and thermometers that monitor and enable easier interaction with the real world. Agents hosted by mobile devices that learn from sensor-originated information also support individual applications and complex systems.

This special issue focuses on the cognitive capabilities of mobile phones, the various agents that mobile devices host, and how they can be applied efficiently in applications and services including social aspects of mobile solutions. Papers from the conference cover mobile controlled environments, mobile-supported learning, augmented reality, energy efficiency and communication techniques.

We thank the authors for submitting their papers to CogInfoCom as a venue for presenting their findings. We are also grateful to program committee members and reviewers for their efforts in making the conference and the special issue possible. We feel that these papers will provide readers with interesting and valuable results from the field of cognitive infocommunications.