Connecting phones faster than light!

Replies

• 

  durga ch

  hmm. sounds interesting
  every device has a audio recording feature, the members can be instructed to 'record' the sessions in their respective devices. These audio files can be transmitted to the server (either via bluetooth/nfc) and the app on the server can pick and stitch the segments of various audio files to make a single file with highest audio quality .
  both audio recording , BT and NFC are prebuilt and no one really have to do anything apart from the session establishment. Its the app on the server which does major work or peering , collecting and processing audio files.
• 

  Kaustubh Katdare

  Interesting idea. However, it's not clear whether you want the system to work only for meetings where participants are in close physical proximity (so that you can use NFC, Beam, Bluetooth) or for remote conferencing too.
  
  However, any of the approaches you've mentioned will require special actions from the participants; and app installation seems to be the easiest and 'one time' activity.
  
  As a participant, I'd only want to click on an app icon on my phone which would either connect me to the cloud service or turns on NFC or Bluetooth. Cloud option seems to be the most practical one.
  
  PS: Could you please explain how your approach is going to be different from regular recording feature offered by conferencing services? What'd be the advantage of each one using his/her own smartphone mic?
• 

  Thunderbird

  durga

  hmm. sounds interesting
  every device has a audio recording feature, the members can be instructed to 'record' the sessions in their respective devices. These audio files can be transmitted to the server (either via bluetooth/nfc) and the app on the server can pick and stitch the segments of various audio files to make a single file with highest audio quality .
  both audio recording , BT and NFC are prebuilt and no one really have to do anything apart from the session establishment. Its the app on the server which does major work or peering , collecting and processing audio files.

  Hey Durga,
  Thanks a lot. That's a pretty good elaboration. I think this would be an interesting way to go.
  But how do you pair the multiple phones. Let's say we have 6 phones of which one establishes a session. Maybe this guy has an app or something to invite people. How do they end up in the same session without any friction. The goal is basically zero set up costs.
• 

  Thunderbird

  Kaustubh Katdare

  Interesting idea. However, it's not clear whether you want the system to work only for meetings where participants are in close physical proximity (so that you can use NFC, Beam, Bluetooth) or for remote conferencing too.
  
  However, any of the approaches you've mentioned will require special actions from the participants; and app installation seems to be the easiest and 'one time' activity.
  
  As a participant, I'd only want to click on an app icon on my phone which would either connect me to the cloud service or turns on NFC or Bluetooth. Cloud option seems to be the most practical one.
  
  PS: Could you please explain how your approach is going to be different from regular recording feature offered by conferencing services? What'd be the advantage of each one using his/her own smartphone mic?

  Thanks Kaustubh,
  
  It could be something that works remotely as well, but my purpose would be close proximity, which might give you some advantages for pairing the devices. If indeed everyone should install an app, there should still be a very simple way to achieve this. I thought about using email verification, but then the initiator has to ask everyone for their email first, they would have to install the app, and then you would require to get them all in the same chat.
  
  I like the one click idea. That is definitely the way I see it. I'm just not entirely sure how to fix this on the "back end".
  
  I was thinking that the big advantage is twofold. First the people already have smartphones, tablets, etc. So you don't require any special tool. Secondly, the phones would be in closer proximity to the speaker, allowing a better signal. (Maybe also for speaker separation it's useful, because every speaker has their own phone).
  
  Thanks,
  Pieter
• 

  durga ch

  Thunderbird

  Let's say we have 6 phones of which one establishes a session. Maybe this guy has an app or something to invite people. How do they end up in the same session without any friction. The goal is basically zero set up costs.

  is there a need for intercommunication amongst these clients?
• 

  Thunderbird

  durga

  is there a need for intercommunication amongst these clients?

  Actually there is. I was thinking that it would be interesting to have one central device that captures everything in real time and that you can use this device to go back and forth in the audio file, being able to see who says what etc. I guess as opposed to your suggestion to have 'the app' on the server side, it could be one phone, and then you want to pair the other phones as quickly as possible at the beginning of the conversation. Hope I'm making sense. Let me know if not 😀
• 

  durga ch

  would it not be sufficient for the clients to peer with the server? I am unable to understand how intercommunication between clients is doing anything in specific?
• 

  Thunderbird

  durga

  would it not be sufficient for the clients to peer with the server? I am unable to understand how intercommunication between clients is doing anything in specific?

  Hi, sorry. I guess indeed I needed that answer to realize that indeed there is no need to 'physically' link the devices, but instead use the server for pairing. The only situation I can imagine that would be problematic is when there is not proper internet connection.
  So for making the devices connect with the same group on the server side, the best option probably would be using unique URL's for the conversation then I guess.