Digital audio communication system with improved interface

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention allow users to post or publish audio information to a destination on a digital network. A particular embodiment provides a user interface for recording and uploading a short comment, remark, song segment, sound effect or any other audio portion. The comment can be sent directly to another user's device or can be published or uploaded to a network site, web page, user group or other location. A user interface allows organizing, reviewing, editing, tagging, transferring and other types of processing or manipulation in association with the audio portion to be transferred, or which has been received.

1 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A method for sorting transmissions received by an electronic device, comprising:
 providing an electronic device;   receiving with the electronic device a plurality of transmissions, each transmission having metadata associated therewith; and   accessing a group of the plurality of transmissions in an order based on the metadata, wherein the accessing includes displaying information about at least a portion of the transmissions, and   wherein, when a user selects a predetermined button or icon, the accessing includes accessing only transmissions not yet accessed by a user of the electronic device.   
     
     
         20 . A method as defined in  claim 19 , wherein when a user selects the predetermined button or icon, the accessing includes accessing only transmissions from within the accessed group that have not yet accessed by a user of the electronic device. 
     
     
         21 . A method as defined in  claim 19 , wherein the accessed group is a subset of the plurality of transmissions. 
     
     
         22 . A method as defined in  claim 19 , wherein the accessing includes displaying information about at least a portion of the transmissions in a list. 
     
     
         23 . A method as defined in  claim 19 , wherein the metadata for each of the plurality of transmissions includes information about an originator of the transmission. 
     
     
         24 . A method as defined in  claim 19 , wherein the metadata for each of the plurality of transmissions includes a user's relationship with an originator of the transmission. 
     
     
         25 . A method as defined in  claim 24 , wherein the user's relationship includes the user's family relationship. 
     
     
         26 . A method as defined in  claim 19 , wherein the groups are based on a user's relationship with an originator of the transmission. 
     
     
         27 . A method as defined in  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of transmissions are each audio recordings. 
     
     
         28 . A method as defined in  claim 19 , wherein the accessing includes selecting a group of the transmissions based on the metadata. 
     
     
         29 . A method as defined in  claim 28 , wherein the selecting includes selecting a button or icon associated with the group. 
     
     
         30 . A method as defined in  claim 19 , wherein the accessing of transmissions not yet accessed by a user of the electronic device includes accessing the transmissions in an order based on the time each transmission was received. 
     
     
         31 . A method as defined in  claim 19 , wherein the accessing of transmissions not yet accessed by a user of the electronic device includes accessing the transmissions in a reverse chronological order. 
     
     
         32 . A method as defined in  claim 19 , wherein the accessing includes accessing all the transmissions from one transmission originator, followed by accessing all the transmissions from another transmission originator. 
     
     
         33 . A method as defined in  claim 19 , wherein the electronic device has an aspect ratio that is taller than it is wide when the device is held in a portrait mode position and that is wider than it is tall when the device is held in a landscape mode position, and wherein when the device is held in the portrait mode position the transmissions are shown in a table view and when the device is held in the landscape mode position the transmissions are shown in a graphical timeline.