Matt We've been playing with the same idea but have hesitated due to a perceived problem with the cost of ownership of the handhelds. Currently, we're constantly retrieving what's left of cameras and cell phones from our various animal exhibits (amazing what an otter can do to a cell phone in 30 seconds!!) and are afraid that the cost of PDA ownership/replacement would be too great. At this point we're approaching it from the standpoint of wi-fi connection/content delivery to visitor owned PDAs/Phones to avoid the cost of ownership of the device itself.
Look forward to hearing further developments with your pilot program. Regards Randy Heise Information Technology Manager The High Desert Museum 59800 South Highway 97 Bend, OR 97702-7963 (541) 382-4754 Ext. 244 (541) 382-5256 Facsimile [email protected] www.highdesertmuseum.org -----Original Message----- From: Matt Morgan [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, November 04, 2004 1:01 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Announcing PocketMuseum(TM) Digital Guides I'm doubly thrilled to announce the successful beginning to the pilot of Brooklyn Museum's new initiative, PocketMuseum(TM) Digital Guides. They are PocketPC handhelds (these particular ones are Dell Axims), wirelessly connected to our existing, museum-wide, WiFi network. As far as we know, we are the first museum in the US to issue visitor-handhelds that function throughout the Museum, rather than within specific exhibitions; and I think we are the first Museum in NYC to use WiFi handhelds at all. We launched on 10/22, and the pilot has been going pretty well (but then, we have very realistic expectations). The current content is pretty basic, but focuses on material or subjects that is hard to deliver in a traditional label, such as behind-the-scenes work (construction of our new front entrance, conservation of the Totem poles), art that's not currently on view (Judy Chicago's "The Dinner Party"), in-depth exposition, and cross-collectional pieces. In the future, given the continued success of the pilot, we'll probably add streaming audio and more interactive features, like visitor discussion (important to a community-minded museum!), send a photo to a friend, etc. But since this is MCN, let me cut short the content discussion and get straight to some details of how we do this technically. First, content is delivered via http from a web server. This is how our stationery gallery kiosks work as well. Web technologies are cheap, pervasive, and powerful. I wouldn't do content delivery any other way. Second, the pages are pure, standards-based HTML. We wanted the content to work on almost any device that someone may bring into the Museum (web phones!), not just the ones we provide. So avoiding any heavy or proprietary client-side requirements is essential. We may, in future, add specific features that make more demands on the client but in general we will focus on server-side programming. Third, location is handled via Hypertags(tm). Hypertags are infrared transmitters that send a URL, via the IR port, to a small client on the handheld. The handheld then downloads that URL into the browser. So by pointing the handheld at the Hypertag, you automatically download the right content for that tag. This is the one proprietary piece of our solution, and by far the most expensive part. But there's no simpler way to answer the question "where am I?" on a wireless network. One sad negative of Hypertags: the client, while freely downloadable and available to visitors who bring their own PocketPC-based handhelds, will never work on many mini-browsers. So we are trying some other, map-like ways to get people to the right content, but none of them are as slick as Hypertags. If you're in NYC, please come any time the Museum's open (except First Saturdays) to try out the Digital Guides, and let me know what you think (or fill in our survey, at the end of your tour). At least for the initial pilot, which is going to continue through November, we're handing them out for no charge. I'd love to hear what anyone thinks. Any questions or comments, please email me and I'd be happy to chat! Thanks, Matt Morgan Manager of Information Systems Brooklyn Museum --- You are currently subscribed to mcn_mcn-l as: [email protected] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [email protected] --- You are currently subscribed to mcn_mcn-l as: [email protected] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [email protected]
