Re: [android-developers] Re: Can an Android app have exclusive access to the audio h/w?

On Fri, Mar 23, 2012 at 01:54:52PM -0700, Chris Stratton wrote:
> Presumably your sound can be as loud as any sound any other SDK application
> is producing. Do you have to play an intelligible sound file, or might it
> be enough to mix in enough "klaxon" or "buzzer" of various sorts that the
> user realizes *something* atypical is happening, picks up the device, and
> is then able to see notifications?

Taking the above a step further...don't forget that the alarm itself
only needs to be HEARD, not understood. Make the audio as "hot" as
possible, i.e., forget about audio quality, clipping, etc., and drive
the levels REALLY high. Don't forget to give the user a QUICK way
to silence it. While all of that is going on, pop up an alert screen
with the emergency announcement.

And if you do this for anything OTHER than emergency alerts (e.g.,
do NOT do this for, say, a Tornado Watch (WARNING, yes, but not a
watch---for a watch, a popup is fine), be prepared for users to want
to hunt you down and strangle you.

Oh, and keep in mind that alerts like this may be repeated (and usually
are), so make sure you note the nature of the alarm and its expiration
time and don't sound the alarm for the same warning twice once it's
cleared by the user.

Later,
--jim

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