MobileMedia Kevin '05

Experience: PodThology

2005-12-05T08:14:00.000-08:00

Here is the finished product, in all its glory!
Subscribe with the links below or download the .zip file to listen!

PodThology* / iTunes RSS* / RSS link* / Non-iPod users (.zip file)

*enhanced chaptered PodGuide that will only work with iTunes. Enjoy!

Download the map!

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podthology@gmail.com

PodThology COMPLETE! Almost...

2005-12-02T08:24:00.000-08:00

The research was interesting, writing the script was cool, recording the experience was awesome, and now it has allcome together. The actual raw audio files and supplemental materials are complete for the PodThology. The only thing left to do is to deliver and execute this thing! As soon as the .mp3 and .m4u files are up and ready for download, I will blog a link.

Till then, check out the PodThology Report

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It is a really good thing...

2005-12-02T08:21:00.000-08:00

this is not a blogging course...because I would have failed a long time ago. You see, that is the one little problem with blogs, you have to update them. A blog is only a good as its most recent post. Otherwise it is not a blog, it is just an archive of ideas. I am a horrible blogger, and admit this. Oh well.

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We aren't the only ones...

2005-11-16T22:27:00.000-08:00

I thought this was cool, especially since it is very similar to the mobile media showcase idea that we are doing...

CellFlix Festival

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The SLAM is coming...

2005-11-16T20:52:00.000-08:00

The New Media Institute Holiday Slam is coming (December 10) and we need to get ready. Not only are the projects going to be shown off, but we are doing a mobile media showcase with filmmakers. I have been assigned to the "DIVERSITY" arm of this operation and was able to track down three relevant articles on this topic. You can download them here --> Diversity

Aside from that, the PodThology is coming along nicely... the template for the map is done and now all I have to do it the recording and editing, the hard part. Check out the template below.

Things are moving right along!
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Progress.

2005-11-15T08:51:00.000-08:00

Sorry it has been so long... I have been rather busy with Advertising Campaigns class, but now that it is over, I am more wholly devoted to the new media pursuit!

SCRIPTS! Are virtually completed! On to the recording phase! The first step will be to record the scripted voice over content, and to add the ambient noise and sound effects after.

ETHICS... seeing as how this project covers a rather touchy subject these days, I have encountered some politically correct hurdles. Mostly in reference to the terminology that will be accepted for the project. I am meeting with the interim VP of Diversity at UGA tomorrow with Shamp to discuss this matter...

More tomorrow!

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Podthology Framework

2005-11-02T09:43:00.000-08:00

Many apologies for the late post, but my Advertising Campaigns course has been kicking my butt, but is thankfully ending next week! As far as this past week of MMS, after many hours of research I have narrowed down 10 distinct locations to include in the Podthology as well as an outline of events that will occur at each. Check out the map below:

I have updated the proposal to include a short summary of events for each location, from here the next step is to actually record the narrative audio, and then finally to mix it down with sound effects and ambient noise. I should have most of the scripting done by next week ready to record. YEAH!

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PodVenture Begins (Now Podthology)

2005-10-19T09:39:00.000-07:00

PodVenture has been re-configured...

Ok so after much consideration and discussion the PodVenture project has been reformulated into what is now called the Podthology. It is essentially an interactive place-based and user-controlled auditory experience that showcases a particularly important date in time within a specific locale. For the prototype of this idea, Downtown Athens will serve as the test location with the date of January 7, 1961, the day UGA was desegregated being the story foundation. For a full proposal click below...

The next step is doing some more research at the library by looking at the newspapers from that day to get some ideas. Then a map will be devised with the specific locations that will be in the tour. It will be cool, I promise!

Athens Podthology Proposal

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LBS & PodVenture

2005-10-11T12:41:00.000-07:00

Little Big Screen (LBS)
Chris and I are pretty much heading up the LBS project. Tomorrow (Wed 12th) we are going to mock up the entire process as if it were happening. Chris has been abel to get the blogging script in synch with the e-mail to check every minute, blog the image, and then send a reply message to the sender. I am handling the iMovie portion of the process to figure out how the flow of files will work. As it looks now, we should have a killer prototype.

PodVenture
So Shamp wants to do something with iPods, and I want to do something artistic and creative...well I came up with PodVenture. It is kindof like those choose your own adventure books, but interactive! It would take place in the downtown Athens area, and would be a choose your own adventure story about a historical period in Athens. Users get to decide at the end of each short segment what the character does next by going to a different chapter, and then would also go to that location. The only thing holding this baby back is creative storytelling, but boy do I have some ideas...

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Projects Commence!

2005-10-05T10:47:00.000-07:00

So after our meeting last week (sorry this post took so long) we decided upon two definite projects for the semester.

- "Little Big Screen" is going to take place during a UGA sporting event. Basically fans are able to take a picture with their camera phone, MMS it to an email address we set up where we pick the best (and most decent) ones to be formatted and presented in the form od a slideshow on the JumboTron.

- "Athens SMS" is kind of like the google area code search but better! The way it works is any Cingular user sends a text message to the Athens short-code (284367) and is pushed back a WAP message that has a link to our Athens SMS home page. On that page users can navigate restaurants, bars, and stores and get informative video content with "Yours Truly" as the guide!

For this week we are troubleshooting a lot of the little obstacles we have to get over in order to make these things happen. We already have a working prototype of the Athens SMS that you can try so our efforts are focused on the Little Big Screen

I have written what I feel is a pretty darn good formal proposal for this project to get approval from all parties involved. Check it out here.

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Ideas, Ideas, Ideas...

2005-09-28T08:54:00.000-07:00

Forced creative, sometimes a good thing because it makes you start thinking, but also can be very stressful... Either way, I was able to come up with a few ideas, check it:

Bluetooth Triangulation. Shamp wanted to know how his Prius knows when his keys are inside the car so it doesn't lock. I am assuming it is using three different bluetooth points that are able to triangulate where the keys are. This same principle could be used for application where it is vital to know where people or objects are like hospitals or childcare facilities. Other technologies could be coupled with this idea, like identification, bluetooth keycards, or VOBT (voice over bluetooth). This PDF Report details how it could be done, Enjoy!

RFID $$$$. Wouldn't it be NICE if you didn't have to carry cash or worry about 18362 checking debits when you are on vacation. Also, wouldn't it be cool if a casino, hotel, resort, or theme park could give you an RFID device that allows you to pay for things by loading money onto it, or even being billed when you leave. This would not only make things easier for the guest, it would also encourage more spending (the casino chips theory), and has the potential for major security features! Other information could also be programmed in that worked in conjunction with non-monetary functions like information or attractions.

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.3GP Audio

2005-09-26T09:44:00.000-07:00

Dr. Shamp wanted me to find out about exporting audio in the .3GP format versus the .mp3 format, so here it is. There are three components to looks at, compatibility, file size, and audio quality. With .3GP you have an Apple Quicktime based format that is widely compatible with nearly all cellphones as well as all Apple products. The file size of .3GP audio is very small, but unfortunately there is poor audio quality to accompany that... Conversely, the .mp3 format is supported on virtually any device and is highly scalable. You have much more control over the bit-rate when exporting, which also grants control over file size. I found that while an .mp3 is essentially a larger file than a .3GP, bitrate parameters can be manipulated to achieve the same files size and maintain a better audio quality. MP3 WINS!

Here are my comparable test files:
3GP (12 kbps) - 16kb file
MP3 (64 kbps) - 36kb file
MP3 (24 kbps) - 16kb file

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Inside the bubble...

2005-09-26T09:32:00.000-07:00

This past Friday we got a chance to go to the Nokia office in Atlanta and see all the new technologies they are working on. They have a test bubble network inside the office only that is running technologies like WCDMA, SIP, and HSDPA. Combined with the amazing phones these guys are making, we were able to experience P2P live video transfer, live gaming, and even mobile television! The whole idea behind it is that everything is converging to an IP (internet protocol) base, no more curcuit switching for phones. From computers, to PDAs, to cellphones, soon everything and everyone is going to be connected everywhere! yikes...

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m-Learning

2005-09-21T09:34:00.000-07:00

Who better to learn from than the Europeans! These pepole have had 3G towers for some time now and are way ahead of us anyway. Check out this AMAZING resource from a graduate student in London - http://mlearning.rave.ac.uk/mlearning

Cellular Communication

2005-09-21T08:14:00.000-07:00

Five years ago, only Zack Morris had a cellphone, and now all of us would be lost without one! Now these things are changing to quickly, even the service providers don't know how to handle it! In order to get more comfortable with all this stuff I toyed arond with it a bit. I successfully created a WML & HTML page (see HTML here), and thanks to the MIME Type server crack that Chris figured out, I have a working .3GP video on the server as well. Click here to see it or type the address into your phone. Either way this stuff is cool and we are well on our way to cranking out some killer content and applications for it.

NEXT STEPS:
Streaming (get our QT server associated with .3GP files)
Nokia - talk to the people who do this for a living

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Ok, time for some ideas...

2005-09-20T13:13:00.000-07:00

Since I have been slacking in the ideas department, I decided to have a good ol' brainstorming session and think some cool stuff up. As a front desk clerk for the past three years, I am hospitality minded, so that is where my ideas flowed... two ideas to be exact...

(1) Wouldn't it be cool if, instead of getting a little red blinky-buzzy thing, the restaurant got your cell number, and notified you that way? A basic program could be written that allowed the hostess to notify the guest when their table is ready, as well as an HTML version of the menu or basic information about the restaurant. Another way to go about this would be a partnership with a phone manufacturer or service provider who would provide the phones for people to play with and be notified.

(2) Another similar idea would apply to people staying in hotels, especially businessmen. Instead of having to come check out in the morning, guests would get a WAP message pushed to their phone with the total bill, and could reply with a "digital signature" for the charges.

Just a few ideas, who knows...

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Downtown Athens PodGuide Plan

2005-09-14T12:21:00.000-07:00

This week I was charged with the task of outlining a plan to create and execute a PodGuide for downtown Athens, Georgia. What I came up with is a 4 part proposal that covers the main downtown area in four distinct zones. The proposal found here, covers everything from recording to delivery. CHECK IT OUT!

Clayton PodGuide

2005-09-11T07:06:00.004-07:00

Here is the finished product, in all its glory!
To subscribe just paste the following links into iTunes or your aggregator.

iTunes / Other

*this is an enhanced PodGuide which will only work in iPods and in iTunes. Enjoy!

Auto-blog-ography (or...my bio)

2005-09-07T18:14:00.000-07:00

Kevin Michael Planovsky

I think I am a rather interesting fellow... as self-admitted "cool nerd", much of my time is spent either online (because what good is a computer without connectivity), or hanging out with friends. At 22, I like to think I have accomplished a lot. I've worked at the local Best Western for 3 years, dabble in freelance webdesign, and help run a UGA community website called PartyDawgs.com. I am currently a four-and-a-halfth year Senior, graduating in December with an ABJ in Advertising, a Drama minor, and of course...the coveted NMI Certificate. When it comes to fun I enjoy Volleyball, Kayaking, Raquetball, Poker, and the occasional night on the town! I decided to become a Mobile Media Scholar because I always like being on the cutting edge, and playing with cool toys. Plus I needed something worth while to take up more time this semester! My favorite NMI project thus far has definitely been working with Kiana and Benaiah on Classic City Reverb, our Athens local music podcast. Regardless, out of all the technologies that we get to play and learn with, I am most excited about the future of the music world in relation to mobile and audio media technologies. As a big music fan, I am eager to see how the face of music promotion and distribution is, and will continue to change as more innovations emerge!

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Operation Clayton St.

2005-09-02T09:53:00.000-07:00

After the podcast refresher we re-grouped at the NMI on Wednesday afternoon... I brought Barberitos! (for myself of course, I mean, I am a college student) We had some great discussion about what we can do with the technology as well as some exploration with a really cool idea making use of the new Cingular & Georgia Bulldogs partnership. Before long Dr. Shamp (sshamp@uga.edu) charged us with another task. We split the main streets in downtown Athens in 4 ways and each picked an area to go "speak" with 6 businesses about what they do. We are to compile a somewhat guided tour of these locations in the form of an enhanced PodGuide. I have the West end of Clayton St. which should prove to be rather fun. I am planning on hitting The Hotdog King, Wuxtry, Native America, Transmet, Heery's, and one of the bars along here...not sure which one yet. I will let you know how it comes along, till then...

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Podcasting...Again.

2005-08-30T13:50:00.000-07:00

So we were charged with the task of learning all there is to know about podcasting this week, and to make our own so we know the technology throughout. Last semester my capstone project was to make a podcast, which we successfully did for 3 episodes. So this week has mostly been a refresher course. I spent most of the week getting more acclaimated to the new iTunes 4.9 and all its podcasting glory. Toyed around with GarageBand a bit (which is absolutely amazing) and eventually got around to making another sample podcast. The XML is the only semi-complicated part, creating the audio is a breeze and then all you need after that is an audience! What I am particularly looking forward to is the Enhanced Podcasts we are going to create next week...I have already been looking into it a bit and hope to have something fun for ya'll to check out. Till next time...

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BlogLaunch

2005-08-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

Up 'n' running...
I am currently researching Enhanced Podcast technology and should have something to check out very soon.
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