On 06/09/06, Rony ronbillypop@yahoo.co.uk wrote: We can do a re-think on how the TX device can be kept passive with no power consumption and all the electronics in the receiver itself. For example a bar coded page mounted on a board, that the user simply downloads into his device using a bar code reader. yes this is one of the perfect solutions every on the thread. and bar code readers are cheep too. Another option is to eliminate the use of any device for receiving and make a pole mounted kiosk that has a built in keyboard and speakers for interactive queries, like a public telephone. This kiosk will be powered on only when a user presses a button. no this again incurs maintainance cost and it will be even more with the kind of suggestion you are having. and this kind of setups will fail more often than not due to rough or miss handeling.
I think we need to first make an algorithm of what we want and expect from the system and then decide the best way to go about that.
Here's a startup list.
1. What is the information that the user of this service is looking for. 2. What are the total queries that a user will ask the system for interactive directions. 3. How is the system expected to resolve these queries. 4. How will the user interact with the system. 5. How is data stored and updated in this system. wow, so at last we have at least concluded to work out the requirements and then see how we go about it. this is a very helthy sign for any project like this. I too believe in the phelosophy of first working out all the necessary aspects and nitty gritty details and then search alternative technologies and cost effective solutions for the same. explore the market and you will find millions of options, well at least a lot of cost effective once for what we need. roni, thanks for those suggestions only thing I will suggest is that what ever is worked out we need to except one thing, people in the city are even today quite un deceplened and they wil throw garbage any where around. so docking the machine in is not at all a good idea. bar code is one of the best ideas coming out and again focusing on the hand held device having the major work to do. this and similar ideas will always incur less maintainance so less cost. that's why I favoured even the central server. any ways after the networking issue raised may be central server wil go out of question. but a keyboard driven interface again incurs maintainance.