Abstract: A user visiting a space is equipped with a mobile device in communication with a service system. Media items held by the service system are associated with various locations around the space and a user arriving at such a location is presented with the corresponding item or items. Preferably, these media items are pre-emptively loaded into a cache of the user's mobile device in dependence on the user's progress around the space. Items can also be flushed from cache on this basis. Instead of, or as a precursor to, flushing an item from cache to free up space, the cache space occupied by an item is reduced by degrading it.

Abstract: A physical object is provided that comprises a base medium, such as a paper sheet, and a memory tag embedded in it or attached to it. The memory tag stores at least one data item and location data relating each of one or more areas on the object's surface to a corresponding data item. Preferably, the data item or items stored by the tag comprise a print data item representing an item printed on the object, and/or a meta data item representing an instruction, or data to be output, in response to user selection of the corresponding area on the object's surface. Apparatus is provided for writing the data items and location data to the memory tag; apparatus is also provided for subsequently using the location data for interpreting user selections made by indicating positions on the object.

Abstract: A physical object is provided that comprises a base medium, such as a paper sheet, and multiple memory tags embedded in it or attached to it. At least one of the memory tags stores location data concerning a location relationship between the object and one or more of the tags. The location data can comprise, for example, tag-location data giving the location in or on the object of the or each tag concerned, or area-of-responsibility data indicating the area of the object's surface for which the or each tag concerned has responsibility in terms of storing related data items such as print data items. Apparatus is provided for writing the location data; apparatus is also provided for subsequently using and displaying the location data particularly for facilitating access to data items stored by the tags.

Abstract: A network-based game system includes a game processing subsystem for providing a virtual game environment in which player-controlled virtual game entities can move. Players communicate with the game processing subsystem via connectivity subsystems, such as wireless and wired LANs, that each permit access by multiple players. The processing subsystem associates each connectivity subsystem with a respective particular location in the game environment. Each particular location has at least one special game-play significance for a virtual game entity associated with a player communicating with the processing subsystem via the corresponding connectivity subsystem; for example, the game entity can only enter and leave the game at this location.

Abstract: A memory tag has a memory. Associated with the memory tag there is a readable structure. The readable structure can be read to generate an identifier. However, the readable structure cannot be provided so as to encode a predetermined identifier.

Abstract: A physical object includes a base medium, such as a paper sheet, and a memory tag embedded in it or attached to it. The memory tag stores at least one measure/location data pair including a measurement of a location-dependent characteristic of the base medium originally associated with the tag, and a location in or on the object where the measurement was made. Preferably the measure/location data pair is digitally signed and stored in encrypted form. By checking whether the measure included in the stored data pair matches a current measure of the base medium at the indicated location, it is possible to check whether the base medium is the original medium. Apparatus is provided for originally writing the data pair to the memory tag; apparatus is also provided for subsequendy using the data pair for carrying out the checking operation.

Abstract: A mobile device is equipped with a communications subsystem capable of wireless communication with a communications infrastructure using any of multiple different data-transfer services each with an associated cost. A service determination subsystem of the device uses a currently-active quality-of-experience profile to determine what service or services are to be used by the communications subsystem. A cost prediction arrangement is provided for predicting, on the basis of past data transfers involving the device, communication costs for the device to the end of a current usage period for at least one quality-of-experience profile used as the currently-active profile for future communications in the usage period. The cost prediction arrangement can be part of the mobile device or hosted by a remote system.

Abstract: A standalone memory device is provided that when in a first state allows data to be written to the device from a data source but prevents a normal user from useably accessing that data. When in a second state the device enables the user to useably access data stored in the device. The device is arranged to implement a prohibition or restriction on re-entry to its first state after having left it. In preferred embodiments, the device limits the number of times or the frequency at which, it re-enters its first state, whereby to limit the amount or rate of transfer of data via the memory device from the data source to a data recipient. The device can be used to limit content download from data sources at an exhibition. A system and method using the device are also provided.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for presenting a user with a visual indication of the likely user-perceived location of sound sources in an audio field generated from left and right audio channel signals. To produce this visual indication, corresponding components in the left and right channel signals are detected by a correlation arrangement. These corresponding components are then used by a source-determination arrangement to infer the presence of at least one sound source and to determine the azimuth location of this source within the audio field. A display processing arrangement causes a visual indication of the sound source and its location to be presented to the user.

Abstract: A memory tag has a memory. Associated with the memory tag there is a readable structure. The readable structure can be read to generate an identifier. However, the readable structure cannot be provided so as to encode a predetermined identifier.

Abstract: A text message generated at a sending device is converted into audio form by a message-conversion system for delivery to a target recipient. This conversion is effected in a manner enabling emotions, encoded by indicators embedded in the text message, to be expressed through multiple types of presentation feature in the audio form of the message. The mapping of emotions to feature values is pre-established for each feature type whilst the sender selection of one or more feature types to be used to express encoded emotions is specified by type indications inserted into the message at its time of generation.

Abstract: An announcement method and system is provided for a collection of devices located in proximity to each other. Upon a user generating an announcement prompt, such as a hand clap, the devices knowing their relative locations, and knowing or determining the position of the user, take respective turns to make sound announcements about themselves in an order that proceeds clockwise or anticlockwise with respect to the user. Preferably, the first-to-announce device is selected such that the angle subtended at the user between the first and last-to-announce devices is minimised. In this manner, the user can more easily locate each device as it announces. The output method can be applied to any form of human-discernible output.

Abstract: A mobile device is used to effect task-related communication with a remote entity via the communications infrastructure of a wireless hotspot through which the mobile device is moving. The device includes a first estimation arrangement for estimating the time remaining before the mobile device leaves the coverage zone of the hotspot having regard to the predicted movement of the device. The device further includes a second estimation arrangement for estimating the time needed to complete the task-related communication. These two time estimates are compared with each other by a monitor unit of the device to determine whether there is sufficient time to complete the task-related communication.

Abstract: A method is provided of setting the voice personality of a voice service site. A user browsing a voice web visits a voice site where the voice output of the site is presented using a set of voice personality characterisers with which the user is particularly comfortable. The user, in subsequently transferring to another voice service site, opts to have the voice personality that was embodied in the set of voice personality characterisers used by the site being left, transfer with the user to the new site. This transfer will typically be subject to permissions set by both the site being left and the site about to be visited.

Abstract: Information with local relevance is diffused locally using mobile devices equipped with non-wired short-range communication means, the information being propagated from an originating point in messages passed from device to device in an unstructured way. The devices implement measures for limiting message propagation including controlling propagation of a message from a particular originating point (OP1) in dependence on the prominence of the occurrence of that originating point in a set of most recently received messages.

Abstract: In order to match up individual recordings in a sequence (150) of recordings with corresponding items in a sequence (151) of separately-stored auxiliary data items concerning those recordings, both the recordings and auxiliary data are time-stamped, though from different clocks. The process of subsequently matching up the recordings and auxiliary data involves matching the pattern of timestamps.

Abstract: A camera (90) is provided with an arrangement for location-stamping image recordings and with a subsystem for recording location data (175) independently of making an image recording. The independently-recorded location data is sequentially associated with the image recordings and can be used subsequently to retrieve corresponding photos from a photo archive (40).

Abstract: Information with local relevance is diffused locally using mobile devices (10) equipped with non-wired short-range communication means, the information being propagated from an originating point (12) in messages passed from device to device in an unstructured way. To encourage users of the mobile devices (10) to participate in the propagation method, the presentation of a message received at a device to the device user is inhibited unless the device is enabled to propagate on the message.

Abstract: A mobile device is used to effect task-related communication with a remote entity via the communications infrastructure of a wireless hotspot through which the mobile device is moving. The device includes a first estimation arrangement for estimating the time remaining before the mobile device leaves the coverage zone of the hotspot having regard to the predicted movement of the device. The device further includes a second estimation arrangement for estimating the time needed to complete the task-related communication. These two time estimates are compared with each other by a monitor unit of the device to determine whether there is sufficient time to complete the task-related communication.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for presenting a user with a visual indication of the likely user-perceived location of sound sources in an audio field generated from left and right audio channel signals. To produce this visual indication, corresponding components in the left and right channel signals are detected by a correlation arrangement. These corresponding components are then used by a source-determination arrangement to infer the presence of at least one sound source and to determine the azimuth location of this source within the audio field. A display processing arrangement causes a visual indication of the sound source and its location to be presented to the user.