(this form links directly to en.wikipedia.org articles, no audio will be
generated by the Pediaphon.)
Even if no suitable article is found, the answer
will be generated of en.wikipedia.org output as MP3 file. I
(A pls File (a Winamp Playlist), a asx File (Windows Media Player
Meta file) and a Podcast too.).
The main advantage of these small meta data files is, that the playback will start immidiatly if a suitable playing program (Windows Media Player, iTunes or Winamp,
and/or Freeamp) is installed.
This procedure is known as 'pseudo Streaming' or more accurately as 'progressive download'. Only if the
MP3 file has to be tranfered to a MP3-Player the download of the (large) of
the MP3 file is necessary.
IPod owners users can use the comfortable Podcast procedure for the same purpose.
For this funtionality a XML Podcast File will be generated for each request.
Just 'drag and drop' the XML link into Itunes.
To listen to the audio output immediately, just press
the buttons 'hear Wikipedia article (Windows)' or 'hears
Wikipedia article (Java)'. The Java version requires an
installed SUN Java runtime (>=Java 1.3).
Then either a web page with embedded Windows Media Player or with an Java
applet will be generated. The appropriate playlist parameters will be integrated
dynamically. In this case the audio should
start immediately, (streaming) before the whole
MP3 file is downloaded.
Mobile Pediaphon:
All (SMS able, today really all) mobile phones:
Guidance
here!
Mobile
InterNet (WAP), starting from WAP 1.0:
Guidance
here!
Smartphones with web browsers:
Nokia S60 phones:
Just download the (very small) Playlist .'pls' File (a Winamp Playlist), then the
S60-Internetradio program should start. You
need to install the Shoutcast client for Nokia S60 of phones.
Podcast phones:
Just download the podcast (ending .xml).
Windows CE NET based phones:
Just download the asx File (Windows Media Player Meta
file), start it with a click.
Mobile 2003 Phone edition:
With Mobile 2003 Phone edition this does not work, because there is no asx
support anymore. Here (as with all other
phones) the generated MP3-Datei must be downloaded and
stored on a memory card or local file system of the
phone. Finally open the downloaded MP3 file with the build in MP3 player.
All other phones with MP3 player:
The generated MP3-Datei must be downloaded completely and
stored on a memory card or local file system of the
phone. Finally open the downloaded MP3 file with the build in MP3 player.
Legal:
Contents of the generated articles stand under the
GNU license for free documentation .
Pediaphon is a free service of Andreas Bischoff, which
produces MP3-Audiodateien from German and English language Wikipedia articles by
speech synthesis. The service is operated at the university in Hagen at the control engineering
group.
Credits:
Technically this service was realized by freephone, MBROLA
and the MP3-Encoder LAME. Pediaphon represents a contribution to
the Wikiprojekt spoken Wikipedia. The logo was created by
Heike Kollakowski .