GPS guidance could be delivered through audio cues
While we recently saw just how important listening to your DAP could eventually become when trying to shuffle through menus and playlists, a team of researchers at Swansea and Glasgow Universities are hoping to throw GPS into the mix while we're at it. Essentially, DAP / PMP owners would be able to program a destination into their handheld, and if headed in the right direction, music would be delivered in a perfect stereo split. Heading off course, however, would shift the volume to one ear or the other, providing auditory cues of which way to turn in order to get back on track. Moreover, customized POI preferences could be programmed in so that users could be given an "aural nudge" when passing by something that the device knew would pique his / her interest. Hey, we're down with anything that allows us to focus more on our surroundings and less on that pesky display, but this stuff should probably come with some sort of disclaimer before being loosed on the GPS-obeying UK crowd (we kid, we kid -- sort of).
Filed under: GPS, Portable Audio
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
tekdroid @ May 13th 2007 4:27AM
oh noez
Alexander Riedel @ May 13th 2007 5:26AM
Give Me a Ping Vasily, One Ping Only
Jamie Marsden @ May 13th 2007 7:39AM
Could be good for blind people in some way?
nj @ May 13th 2007 8:17AM
ahh what about onstar, havent they been doing audio clues for a while? and if the dap has such a big screen why not just use that, also you shouldent be listening on headphones whilst driving, or sometimes walking.
Jonathan M. @ May 13th 2007 8:54AM
You, sir, should be listening on headphones. I heard they just released "Hooked On Phonics: DAP Edition".
Just be sure to park your car while you're listening. And maybe you shouldn't walk while you're listening, either.
Tim @ May 14th 2007 5:09AM
That directional audio thing would become mightily annoying if you were on a bus or similar.