PlayRightNow - Designing a media player experience for PlayNow arena

This paper discusses the process of designing a media player tailored for PlayNowTM arena with the purpose of enhancing the user experience of this media portal. The design process is divided into two main stages, the first consisting on gathering information to inform the design of a media player and the second stage involving a low-fidelity prototype of a media player. In the first stage, three main activities are carried out to inform the design of the interface: a literary review of relevant research and studies related to the way people use digital media and its effect on society; an evaluation of the interfaces and features offered by some of the existing popular media players in the market today from an interaction design point of view; and user observations and interviews on people’s relation to digital media. Based on the information and data collected from the first stage, an iterative process of design of interfaces was adapted, whereby potential users and design experts were consulted with their opinions and suggestions that influenced the sketching of various possible interfaces. Finally, a design of a media player for PlayNowTM arena is proposed, which is believed to have the potential of providing its users with a better experience in relation to digital content, as well as attracting new customers and increasing the revenue of this media portal

A Location Aware Service to Minimize Travel Costs Using Dynamic Information

Automotive navigation systems have become common accessories in vehicles manufactured today. However, the information provided by these systems is quite limited in that many systems only provide static information. As a result, manufacturers of such systems have not been able to fully capitalize from the potential applications for mobile commerce (mcommerce) which is critically dependent on providing consumers with dynamic information. The objective of this paper is to discuss a novel method, known as Dynamic Location Cost Minimization (DLCM), which can be used with a vehicle’s navigation system to determine the optimum location to purchase gas. With the increasing cost of gas and the possibility of higher prices due to proposed gas price taxes, providing a means for consumers to minimize their costs to travel could prove to be very beneficial, and potentially help drive down prices due to increased competition. In addition, the proposed method could also be used in conjunction with mobile phones to facilitate real-time decisions for other services or purchases. Anecdotal evidence presented in this paper merits further investigation into the usability and acceptance of this technology