Syndout

Building the world’s first speech-enabled publishing platform for smartphones and handheld devices

Launched in 2004, SyndOut was the pioneering speech-enabled platform for publishing and delivering content on small screen cell phones. This innovative system streamlined the process of disseminating content across various formats, notably Flashpaper, PDF, and audio mp3, catering to on-the-go access needs.

Functionality

SyndOut introduced a template engine with unique audio, SMS, and display advertising formats. Features included a Sweepstakes engine, extensive content listings, and an interactive article interface optimized for small screens. It uniquely adapted content for seamless transitions between devices, embodying its namesake "SyndOut," an abbreviation for "syndicate out."

Features

The platform's article interface boasted an 'actions' widget with article statistics, inline dictionary, print-to-email functions, shareable audio files, commenting capabilities, and calendar integration, enhancing user engagement.

Case Example: Texas Medical News

As the first publication on the SyndOut platform, Texas Medical News tailored its offerings for small screen cell phones. It integrated text advertisements and efficient pagination, with a standout print-to-email feature for direct inbox delivery of content in PDF or Flashpaper. SyndOut's advertising system dynamically inserted ads into these formats.

Impact and Development

SyndOut marked a significant leap in the “spoken web” era, pre-dating the widespread use of voice and audio on mobile devices. It combined tools for developers to build sophisticated mobile sites and simplified content contribution for non-technical staff, utilizing a mobile web browser.