[bookport] Re: Suggestions for Improvements to Book Port -Others' Input and Discussion Requested

  • From: "ROB MEREDITH" <rmeredith@xxxxxxx>
  • To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 10 May 2004 08:27:53 -0400

Jeremiah:

You are missing one detail in your MP3 mark-up discussion. That is, the =
device doesn't know whether the file was sent as music or spoken word. =
Both files are actually marked up; the difference is in the mark-up =
itself. Music uses recurring marks to simulate movement by time; spoken =
word mark-up marks phrases.

>>> jzrogers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 05/10/04 06:35AM >>>
Greetings to all ye Book Porters

A few weeks back, there were a number of messages surrounding Book =3D
Port's behavior when playing MP3 audio, where it leaves markers once it =
=3D
has played the file, etc. I didn't weigh in on the discussion at that =3D
point, because I wanted to think over the idea I had and to decide =3D
whether or not the practicality of it warranted suggesting it to APH for =
=3D
consideration. Please do point out, publicly or privately, the positives =
=3D
and negatives you find in the following thoughts.

At present, the transfer tool allows the user the option of specifying =3D
whether mp3 audio is sent to the machine as music, which is to say that =
=3D
it is unmarked, or to have the software deduce breaks in paragraphs, =3D
chapters, and other navigational units. Many of you were asking for a =3D
means of resetting all of the markers within a given folder such that =3D
you could start at any given point in the list of files and have the =3D
files play, starting from the beginning, in exactly the same fashion as =
=3D
would occur when using a commercial CD player. Seemingly with little =3D
modification of the Book Port's firmware, and perhaps with only slight =3D
modification to the transfer tool, APH could instruct the device not to =
=3D
keep track of where it left off playing a given file if that file were =3D
sent as music, while still retaining the device's present behavior for =3D
audio files which were sent allowing the transfer tool to mark them up. =
=3D
If, for some reason, one wanted to start at a given point other than the =
=3D
beginning of a sent-as-music file, they could still use the device's =3D
marking features.

Concerning a separate issue altogether, I also have a suggestion for how =
=3D
the Book Port behaves once locked and powered off. At present, if any =3D
key other than the 1+3 combination is pressed, the machine emits that =3D
all-too-familiar half-second or so buzz, waits the customary ten seconds =
=3D
or so of inactivity, then powers off. Over the course of half an hour in =
=3D
one's pocket, briefcase, or other location of transportation, this could =
=3D
happen dozens of times, and could cause lots of disruption to those =3D
around the device with that annoying beep. My suggestion, then, is to =3D
have the lock and unlock command be a combination of keys, and to have =3D
the machine's behavior when the unit is locked and not reading to be =3D
completely unresponsive to keys or key combinations other than the =3D
command chosen as the unlock command. Further, I suggest that the unlock =
=3D
command be a combination of keys other than on the same row or column. I =
=3D
suggest 1+F, given that they'd take two hands to invoke and that it =3D
shouldn't interfere with any of the present command structure.

I look forward to reading any insuing discussion in response to these =3D
thoughts.

Jeremiah Z. Rogers, jzrogers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx=20





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