I work for a madman

[DaveW]

This is a beast to explain.

I went into my placement today, to meet the team. For the next 8 weeks i'll be working on something called the Antonine Wall Interpretation Project. The Antonine wall was built by the Romans to try and keep Scots the hell away from them, but as you'd expect it didn't work and we booted them south, prompting them to build Hadrians wall (further south) to try and keep us at bay. That didn't work either, so they kind of gave up after that.

I'm working for the museum displaying the artifacts, and my new Boss (who doesn't even own a mobile phone) has asked me to spend the next 8 weeks finding out how possible it would be to create a system where users:

1) Bring their MP3 Player, mobile phone, or i-pod to the museum
2) Download information about the exhibits
3) Walk about, and listen to the information
4) Then take the information away, visit the wall, and listen to more stuff from the museum.

Now you're probably already thinking "Hang on, there's all sorts of issues there." Here's the ones that I've already pointed out.

1) Everyone has a different MP3 Player. We can't possibly serve them all.
2) iPod is great, but iPod videos are few.
3) Mobile phones are the best for this-Bluetooth even allows exhibit interaction. However, this would require Java mobile development-not a huge problem, but it is if you factor in filesize, and the time it takes to transfer all the data to a device.

Basically, for the first time in my life, I think I'm faced with a project that is impractical, unfeasible, and ludicrously overambitious.

You're a smart bunch though-do you have any suggestions that could help me here? Can you think of any way that this can be done without asking everyone to bring their cables and drivers? I don't want to tell my new boss that he's paid me £2000 to tell him his pet project is stupid, I really don't, so any input on this...even to re-enforce my belief that the whole thing is ludicrous...would be greatly appreciated.

-Dave

[.Maleficus.]

Wow. That is a huge undertaking. But, unless I'm wrong, the 3 major MP3 transfer programs are iTunes, Zune, and Windows Media Player. Still, you'd have one hell of a time with that, because with all that, the people would either need to take control of a mouse, open the program they need, and transfer. Too much time. You could have separate stations that go for iPod, WMP devices, Zunes, etc. but that costs $$$. I won't even touch stuff about phones, cause I don't know anything about that stuff.

Does it really have to be video? It could be all audio as they walk around the exhibits. ie, 1 track for one display, click the next button for track 2 and display 2, etc. Like syncing a CD of the exhibit. Like I said, I know nothing about Bluetooth.

Sorry I couldn't help much, but hell, that's a lot to work with. Best of luck to you and your boss with this though.

[Luke122]

Why not just buy a bunch of cheapo MP3 players, and load the info on them, then let people use them while they are there?

If they want to keep the info, give them a link to download from the internet when they get home...?

[Zephik]

1. Feasible - Advertise it, "Hey, bring your iPods and blah blah blah!"
2. Feasible - Doesn't iTunes have an option, where when you plug in your iPod you can have it automatically upload certain information or types of media or something? You could have a computer at the entrance and have people connect their iPods to the computer, thus automatically downloading that information. or another idea is to have a person stand behind a desk and have them upload the information for the people.
3. Feasible - Once you figure out how to get the information on their devices, thats pretty easy for them to do. As I'm sure they know how to work their own mp3 player.
4. Wait what? You want to take the information BACK? ie delete the information from their players? Hmm, don't really see a point to this. But you can always just have a person that stands at the desk to it for them. or something.

round 2

1. True. You can always make it an iPod only thing. or just train that person at the desk to understand how to work different players. iPods use iTunes, everything else uses drag and drop. ...well not entirely true. But true enough. You can have a "compatibility list" so people know right away that they are able to use this new feature or not.
2. bah, you don't need to limit it to iPod videos. Just have the mp3 for each exhibit. Or for special users, such as video users, can get a lil slideshow on their ipods with sound. or something.
3. ugh, I won't even go there. I say scratch the mobile phone idea.

Well, I don't know if that helps you or not, but maybe it will gave you some ideas. or something. lol good luck Dave!

Why not just buy a bunch of cheapo MP3 players, and load the info on them, then let people use them while they are there?

If they want to keep the info, give them a link to download from the internet when they get home...?

I like that idea! You think it would be pricey, but not pricey in comparison to most other options! Just get a lot of 20 cheapo mp3 players and put security tags on them so they can't steal them or walk out with them. Voila!

[Computer-Geek]

Luke has a good idea. you would need to have alot of mp3 players and something in them so they beep if someone tries to leave with it.

[calumc]

with those mp3 players look on www.made-in-china.com its got a directory of just about every product thats made in china and you can get mp3s for around $10. They all say min. order of 100 bla bla bla but you can just tell them you want a sample order of about 25 to 'evaluate' their product.

[nil8]

I agree with Luke's idea. Good idea.
Voice encoded into mp3 is incredibly small(128kbps is all you need for bitrate).

I'm assuming the museum already has some sort of anti-theft system(most do), lump them into that if possible.

Get 256mb mp3 players CHEAP wholesale and save yourself the hassle of this 'bring in your equipment' nonsense.

[Wasabisam]

Some of the art Gallery's and museums ive been to and seen do whats already been said. They buy a load of cheap mp3 players or cheap tape players and also buy cheap headphones. Then they charge say $3 per person or somthing to borrow them then give them back at the end. Therefore you will make your money back and can buy say better mp3 players or better headphones. And nobody steals them because like its been said also they beep if they go through like a super market thingie. And people use them too because there cheaper than a tour of the place.

Hope that helps

sam

[Mitternacht]

Luke has a good idea. you would need to have alot of mp3 players and something in them so they beep if someone tries to leave with it.

Collateral. The visitors will give up something like a license or ID or something, and in order to get it back, return the MP3 player.

[Jim Beam]

you could find someone to embed the information on a chip in MP3 format then make a small player with the chip in it then just tell em to bring thier headphones.

or you could support these and sell them for 20 bucks get 15 bucks back if you return it sell used ones for 15 bucks and you get 10 bucks back if you return it http://www.usbgeek.com/prod_detail.php?prod_id=0528