Podscanning : audio microcontent and synchronous communication for mobile devices

Over the past decade, computationally powerful audio communication devices have become commonplace. Mobile devices have high storage capacity for digital audio, and smartphones or networked PDAs can be used to stream internet radio and download podcasts. However, applications that allow mobile devices to be used for synchronous communication (such as person-to-person audio interaction and listening to broadcast synchronous audio) are distinct from applications that allow stored audio playback. To demonstrate the benefits of more fluidity in mobile user interfaces between asynchronous audio and synchronous audio playback, I have implemented a new user interface approach - audio scanning - that merges these data types in a single user interface. A combined interface must solve two different research problems. Asynchronous messaging queues grow longer without constant user intervention. Synchronous audio, on the other hand, can be disruptive and transient. To address these problems, a timing heuristic is used in audio scanning to allow sporadic yet controlled delivery of organized audio bursts.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture. Program in Media Arts and Sciences.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2010

Author dc:creator

• Wheeler, Patrick Sean

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Christopher Schmandt.

• Architecture. Program in Media Arts and Sciences.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/57786

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/57786