Hubbub on a Palm

Hubbub on a PC

Requirements
Note: You do not have to have both the PC and Palm versions. You can run either one or both.

• Palm Hubbub:
  • Palm V, Vx, III, or IIIx, or the Kyocera Smartphone.
  • Minstrel wireless modem for the Palms, such as that sold by Omnisky.
• PC Hubbub:
  • PC running Windows 95, 98, 2000, or NT
  • Any sound card

Features

• Awareness
  • You can see and hear when each "bub" logs in or becomes active on a computer after being idle for more than 5 minutes.
  • You can identify by sound who has become active. Each bub has a "Sound ID" or song rif that is like their name. (You choose one when you sign up.) Each time a bub becomes active, their Sound ID plays, so you can tell who became active without looking. A footer also appears so you can see who it was, if you don't recognize the Sound ID.
  • You can see how actively each bub is using their computer within the last 15 seconds, so you know if they're really there.
  • You can see how long each bub has been active or idle and from what location.
  • You can type a custom message to indicate to others where you are.
  • When exchanging text messages with someone, you can see if they are typing, focused, or not focused in that window.

• Sound and text messages
  • Hubbub has 14 "Sound Instant Messages" that are short sequences of notes with meaning. You can send someone a sound message to say "hi" and you can integrate them into your text messages. The messages are: Hi, Bye, Talk?, Busy, Ready, Yes, No, OK, Cool, LOL (Laugh Out Loud), Bummer, Thanks, No Problem, and BRB (Be Right Back).
  • Like all instant messengers, you can send each other text messages that appear instantly on the other person's screen
  • Sound and text messages are preceded by the person's Sound ID, so you know who's sending you the message. (But only if they haven't just sent you a message.)

• Access anywhere
  • You can run Hubbub in as many places as you like. No need to log out of another location or log in to each new location. Just start it up and forget about it.
  • When someone sends you a message, it "finds" you on whatever device you're using. And you can just send a message to someone without worry about which location they're at.
  • Palm device always indicates the strength of your connection to the Internet, so if you leave a coverage area, you'll know right away
  • There is a mechanism to boost reliability of messages even if you or your conversation partner has a weak connection to the Internet.
  • On the Palm, you can send email wirelessly to bubs who are offline.

• Sound control
  • You can Mute all of Hubbub or just "activity sounds" (the sounds that play when each person becomes active on a computer.
  • You can turn on and off "activity sounds" for each bub, so you choose whose sounds you want to hear.

• Privacy control
  • You can decide who gets to list you as a bub in their Hubbub, and you can remove yourself from their list. In Hubbub, bub membership is symmetric, so if you have me, I have you. If you remove me, you're removed from my list. So no one can send you messages or observe you if you don't approve, even if you once gave them permission.
  • You can block any bub's access to information about your activity level and/or your location. So you can let someone send you messages, but not know where you are. And you can change your mind at any time.

• Easy to use
  • Hubbub was designed from the ground up to be simple to use. It was tested under real use conditions for many months and revised repeatedly to fix usability problems, all before it was released. Still, there is always room for improvement, so:
  • Hubbub has a built-in feedback mechanism. You can send us email from within Hubbub. The Help menu has a Send Feedback item that will send mail to us with your message. Please use it!

Caveats
Hubbub is a research prototype, not a fully supported product. We are releasing it to learn more about its use among a broader community outside AT&T. We encourage you to try it and give feedback. If you encounter bugs or usability problems or have suggestions for features, please send us a note at hubbub@uidesigns.com. Occasionally we may send out upgrades that address these problems.

Also, please note that all activity on Hubbub is being logged for research purposes only. We may develop aggregate statistics on usage (e.g. how many users logged on per day, how many messages were sent per day, the number of users per country), which we may share with potential partners. However, we will never share any data that could identify you with anyone outside the Research division of AT&T Labs. We may select anonymous quotes for research papers only, again without revealing your identity.

Ready to give it a try? Sign up now.
Need still more information? Drop us a line at hubbub@uidesigns.com.