1- Navigate
The map constitute the main focus of the application: all the subsequent actions are connected to the map visualization. To scroll the map the user needs to act on the phone joypad. Each time the pad will be pressed in a certain direction, the map will recenter accordingly. There are several zoom levels, which vary depending on the part of the world that is currently being visualized. To zoom in the visualization it is enough to click on the center of the joy pad of the phone. On the cotrary, to zoom out, the star button needs to be used.
Figure 1: Zooming in to Geneva
The main function of ShoutSpace, aka STAMPS, is to navigate and access the messages left in the system. On the map you can see the messages left by other users represented as squares. The threads between the messages are represented by lines connecting the squares. To read the messages you can select the left menu key and then select the command read. This will ask the application to visualize the list of the messages found in the area currently being visualized (see figure 2). To read the message of interest then, you need to select the corresponding title and click on the center fo the joypad. This will cause the content of the message to be displayed (see figure 2).On the main line is reported the title of the message. On the second the author and the time when the message was posted in the system. On the third line, the actual content of the message.
Figure 2: Retrieving the list of titles (left) and reading a message (right)
Once a message is visualized on the screen is possible to write a reply to it or to delete it from the local cache by using the left menu key. Clicking on the 'Reply' command, will allow you to select a new location to where attach the new message and then to write the reply to the message of interest (see figure 3).
Figure 3: Writing a reply to the message currently visualized
2- Post
You can add new content to the map as a new message, or as a reply to an existing message. In the first case, you have to select the 'crayon' key on the keypad or the command from the menu. This will visualize a little red pointed that will allow you to select the anchor point of the message on the map (see figure 4). The subsequent pressing of the center of the joypad will cause the message window to appear. The message window will allow you to enter the title of the message and the content (see figure 4).
To reply to an existing message, you just need to select the starting message, and then click on the 'Reply' command in the menu. Then the program will ask you to pinpoint the position of the reply message. The last step will require you to fill the title and the body of the message.
Figure 4: Writing a new message
3- Filter/Search
In ShoutSpace, STAMPS, it is possible to highlight the messages on the map matching the criteria you set. To run a search on the messages, you need to select the 'Search' command from the menu. Then you will prompted for the desired keywords. Please put a simple space between the words in a case you have more than one. The matching messages will be displaied as a list. From there it will be possible to select the corresponding one and then visualize its content.
