enabling search within video is one of the projects at CSAIL web.sls.csail.mit.edu/lectures/

See “Lecture Browser: Enabling Search within Video”

See also http://www.technologyreview.com/communications/37354/

Could this be used to find things in an audio archive after selecting their visual equivalent in a phone? Could this be used with Google apps such as http://www.google.com/insidesearch/

In earlier academic literature there has been some previous research I know of in the area such as talkminer TalkMiner: A Search Engine for Online Lecture Video” url: http://talkminer.com/

There is also a more general article on such search engines here http://websearch.about.com/b/2012/02/08/use-talkminer-to-find-video-lectures-on-any-subject.htm

Could the above be combined with new interactive videos such as TED talks?

http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/04/ted-ed-turns-videos-into-interactive.html

Could the navigation peripherals be more physical, such as Siftables?

http://www.ted.com/talks/david_merrill_demos_siftables_the_smart_blocks.html

Would they be on new display options such as

http://www.ted.com/talks/mike_matas.html