In his story The Aleph, Jorge Luis Borges describes fantastical geographic points where a viewer can see everything in the universe, from every possible angle, simultaneously. It's a tantalizing meditation on infinity, and one that I've been waiting for someone to try and create with a smartphone app. Vine and Twitter come close, but VoxxBoxx (free) goes further. With this iPhone app, you can tune in to eight-second audio clips uploaded anonymously from other VoxxBoxx users. It's a really provactive and stirring idea, but it's held back by a dated, wonky design.
What the Heck Is it?
Don't be fooled by the dated skeuomorphic metal and wood design! VoxxBoxx launched just a few days ago for iPhone, despite looking more iOS 4 than iOS 7. I was a bit surprised by the outdated interface, and more surprised still when text on some screens ran right off the edge of my iPhone 5c's( at Amazon) display.
The interface has just five buttons, which are made to match the old-timey radio feel of the app. Tap Listen to hear eight seconds of audio, recorded and broadcast anonymously by other VoxxBoxx users. The developers call these transmissions "Voxxes" and promise that you will only hear each Voxx once. That's an ephemeral artistic flourish that matches the anti-surveillance zeitgeist upon which other apps, like SnapChat, have capitalized.
If you want to send your own Voxx, just tap the Send button and prattle on for a few seconds. There's no timer, so try to pace yourself. After you've recorded your Voxx, you can preview it by tapping the Listen button. Note that the Send and Listen buttons serve different purposes at different times and sometimes have different labels, but they occupy the same position on the screen It's a bit confusing at first, but I quickly caught on.
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You can report offensive Voxxes immediately after hearing them by tapping the Report button. Tapping reveals some textual instructions, as well as a language toggle between English and "Nederlands." Interestingly, this page notes that all Voxxes are screened and moderated.
There's also a button to connect with Facebook. Doing so lets you post a public link to your Voxx on the social network. It works smoothly now, but was completely non-functional when I first tested the app. Also, I wonder how anonymous the service really is if Voxxes can be so easily shared.
The app is clearly laser-focused at sharing and listening, but I'd really like to see VoxxBoxx add an option for continuous play. Though hardly anonymous, the Vine app lets you scroll through endless feeds of video. The Vine Peek website takes that one step further and displays a never-ending cavalcade of the latest Vine uploads. Both are mesmerizing experiences. I'd like to just switch Voxx on and let the strange transmissions wash through my head, like that of You Are Listening To.
Listen Closely
VoxxBoxx is a public art project with a lot of potential, but it's in need of a developer makeover. The design feels very dated on iOS 7, and some features could be greatly improved. I'd like to see VoxxBoxx's developers abandon the buttons and grille speakers and embrace a brighter, livelier iOS 7 interface that's divorced from physical objects. The process for creating a Voxx also needs to be simplified, as it's more than a bit confusing.
In the end, Voxx is probably too artsy to get the mass appeal of Vine or Twitter. And that's perfectly fine. With some tweaks, and a fresh design, it could be a wonderful, weird experience.
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