Abstract: An improved social networking system enhances text messages in a social networking system with audio content by connecting a social networking session to nearby audio speakers and routing audio messages from the session to the connected speakers in near real-time response to members' transmissions of audio messages. The system includes, for each member, a User Interface Module that provides the member with the ability to connect the social networking session to a nearby speaker. It also allows the user to rapidly select an audio clip from a personalized menu of prerecorded audio clips, and to cause all audio speakers connected to the session to timely play the selected audio clip. The menu of audio clips is chosen to include a variety of sound recordings from a wide range of sources that members will consider amusing or pertinent to recent events, such as pre-recorded “trash-talk” clips, famous movie clips, TV clips, music clips, and radio clips.

Abstract: A group-controlled audio entertainment system provides each member of a group with the ability to rapidly select an audio clip from a menu of canned audio clips, and to cause an audio speaker to timely play the selected audio clip in a room where the group is watching a sporting event. The menu of audio clips is chosen to include a variety of sound recordings that fans will consider amusing or pertinent to certain types of sporting events, such as pre-recorded “trash-talk” clips. The system also allows users from remote locations to send audio clips to the audio speaker, to thereby “trash talk” during game time. Remote users can record audio clips and then forward them to the group-controlled audio speaker, or can send text and/or email messages to the group-controlled speaker that the system converts to corresponding audio.