Tenets of design for information exchange for boredom relief in passengers on long airport layovers using handheld devices

The 1990s saw the emergence of a wired world, but the turn of the new century has already heralded its unwiring. In designing for wireless technologies, currently the emphasis is on overcoming technological constraints. But, the focus is also on identifying and developing new applications that were otherwise impossible to achieve.;A novel wireless handheld airport companion is proposed for design and development to cater to air travelers with long layovers between flights for boredom relief as a pre-development research. It is a common observation that people dread long layovers in unfamiliar locations probably much more than long flights itself. The layover scenario offers an opportunity to inform and entertain people in a "small universe" by providing a facility that can connect them. Connected people share tidbits of information in transient relationships that might last for just as long as the sharing of information takes place (Intranet Design Magazine: IT Advisor 2000). This concept raises a plethora of research questions and may have significant implications on design issues for this medium. These are explored in the context of a chat interaction and exchange of flight related information using simulated prototype chunks with sample users.