Information, Please

March 1996 / State Of The Art / Learn the Lingo / Information, Please

Multimedia is great for information kiosks. These interactive stations present information in a visually attractive way, sometimes using sound as well. A hotel, for example , could have a kiosk application that takes guests on a virtual tour of the property.
Tools like Macromedia's Authorware and Asymetrix's Multimedia Toolbook can generate applications that recognize "hot spots," so guests can touch the screen to punch up details on nearby attractions. The kiosk simply interprets the selections and branches to the part of the presentation that addresses the guest's request. TourGuide from American Training International goes one step further. It enables you to update a kiosk's software over a modem, making it easier to keep the application up to date. Just as voice mail hasn't replaced operators and office assistants, a kiosk is not likely to replace a hotel concierge, but it can address a guest's questions at all hours of the day or night.

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Matthew Wilson
My approach to software engineering is far more pragmatic than it is theoretical--and no language better exemplifies this than C++.

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