High Time for Temporal Variation: Improving Sonic Interaction with Auditory Interfaces

Listening is a powerful, under-appreciated, mechanism for acquiring information about the world. Changes in the hum of a car engine can offer an early clue about potential problems; the rustle of leaves informs us of weather conditions even before checking the forecast; slight fluctuations in the sound of a kettle tell us the water is almost boiled. These are but a few examples of important sonic interactions we have with our environment throughout the day.