Registered: Nov 1999
Location:
Posts: 145

Why has the Visor's microphone so far remained unexploited by developers? Even if it only meant to be used with future Springboards, wouldn't still be possible for somebody to write an application that uses it? Perhaps not for a bloated voice recog app, but something along the lines of a sound meter or whatever.

If the microphone isn't hard wired to the Visor, and just directly to one of the Springboard pins, perhaps somebody can make a reaaaal cheap Springboard who's only function is to wire the mic back into the Visor circuit board. Am I making any sense?

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Sydney Australia
Posts: 1883

you are making sense, but I don't think companies will make it because there is probably not a lot of profit to be made....

maybe an enthousiastic amature can make such a springboard...

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: New Mexico, USA
Posts: 112

The increasingly-anxiously-awaited 6pack will let you do some voice recording. Don't know if it will flow signal back into the Visor for other sound apps. Probably not too great a mic anyway...

And yes, you need a Springboard to get at the mic, which is hooked directly to the Springboard interface.

j.


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"Vaya con Visor!"

-john

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Qu�bec, Canada
Posts: 20

I'd definitely go for a simple, inexpensive (less than 20$, say?) Springboard/software combo that would loop the mic back in a DSP and store it on the Visor. Phone quality would still be pretty nice. And since DSPs are usually two-way and there would be space left in the Springboard, a 1/8" jack for headphones would just send me to heaven. I don't think a simple loop would do the trick, because the Springboard connectors probably can't take an analog signal...

PS: after reading my message, I realize you must be wondering what I do with 1/8" jacks for them to 'send me to heaven' ;-))

Six

[This message has been edited by Six (edited 05-12-2000).]

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: Santa Clarita, CA
Posts: 198

A simple voice or sound recorder springboard would be pretty cool. Use the microphone, have a meg or 2 of ram that can also be accessed by the Visor. Shouldn't be too complicated or expensive.

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Hmmmmmmmm......

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Metro Station, Hollywood and Highland
Posts: 1018

There was a previous thread in which the overhead involved in making springboards was discussed. One poster in the thread made quite a convincing case that $30 is the bottom threshold for modules. Even if that's not true, I wouldn't want a module that forced you to store sound files in the Visor's RAM. In all likelihood, Innogear will make an InnoPak that will combine voice recording with 2 megs of flash RAM for $50. And let's not forget that the SixPak and the MiniJam will feature voice recording as well.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 103

There is another thread in the springboard module listing area that where innogear says that they may start using MMC (MultiMedia Cards) in more of their devices. Why not ask them about a voice recording unit that uses the multiMedia cards to record instead of the visors memory.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Metro Station, Hollywood and Highland
Posts: 1018

Bane:

The MiniJam does just that: it uses MMC and does voice recording. I realize that you're talking about a dedicated voice recorder, but Bob Fullerton from Innogear pointed out in another thread (I can't remember where) that there wouldn't be much of a price difference between the MiniJam and a dedicated MMC module. That is, the manufacturing costs wouldn't make an MMC voice recorder substantially different than the MiniJam.

Right now a 32 mb MMC card cost around $50, and that just for the memory card itself. If you're looking for a cheap voice recorder (around $50), that only seems feasable with flash, even though you wouldn't have nearly as much storage capability. Fortunately, you can compress spoken word file at a much higher ratio than music MP3s, so a couple of megs would probably be adequate for most purposes.