Greetings. Below is a message that I sent to some of my work colleagues regarding the summer release of some new Olympus digital voice recorders and media players. Blind Bargains has the same information, along with many other sites, but they also have the U.S. prices, which are expected to be $249 for the Olympus D2 and $299 for the Olympus D4. Are the features for either of these players enough to get me to go out and buy one? Probably not since I've already got and am happy with my Booksense from Gw Micro. However, if the Olympus players live up to their billing and if what I speculate below about their ability to perhaps play the DAISY NLS files, then this would truly be a notable development. It could mean that a mainstream developer of technology is really taking an interest in the blind market and attempting to reach out beyond offering one token product for the blind. Given the battery life though, it does present an interesting and thought provoking case for getting these new players. Enjoy.
***
The Olympus D4 and D2 have been announced. Among other things, these players include built in voice guidance and text to speech, as well as the ability to play DAISY files specific to the blind and low vision. Though it doesn’t say so directly, since it supports the DAISY files for the blind, I’m assuming that this means it will play the NLS digital talking book files. If this is true, then this is probably the first mainstream off the shelf player that will be able to play these types of files. Read more at the link below:
http://j.mp/aeyK8E
Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts
Thursday, February 11
Thursday, January 14
Save Wayfinder Access
Greetings. I received this message the other day regarding the Wayfinder Access product. I bought this product for my Nokia N82 phone a year ago. The times that I have used it, I have found it very interesting and helpful. Wayfinder Access was by far the cheapest and most afordable, other than the free packages that were under development, of the various GPS solutions out there for the blind. The next GPS product for the blind costs double the price of Wayfinder Access and though it runs on Windows Mobile phones, I don't believe that it can run on the Symbian platform. Hopefully another company will take up development and continue this great product. If not, then we might have seen the end of an era for a certain portion of the mobile blind population. Anyway, if you are inclined to help save the software or help continue its development and are on Facebook, then check out this group. Here's the message.
***
From: Darren Harris
Greetings all,
I do apologize for this cross posting but I feel that it is necessary.
I don't know how many of you have herd but the wayfinder access gps solution
for simbion based mobile phones is no longer available. Vodafone who own the
rights to wayfinder products have pulled the plug on it completely. They
have discontinued the entire wayfinder product line effectively in order to
create their own package. Which we believe is going to be completely
inaccessible to blind people.
Considering how accessible wayfinder access is to use as a product, we feel
that this is unacceptable action to be undertaken.
If you are on facebook, then I have created a group called (save wayfinder
action group). The purpose of this group is to bring a dedicated group of
people together so that we can constructively build a case in favour of
keeping access going as a product.
If you think and believe as we do that this product should be saved, then
please come and join in and help to build a case for this product.
It's not often that we come across a product that is in the adaptive market
and that is as cheap comparatively as access.
Please spread the word on other mailing lists as this is important.
Specifically the various phone and technology lists that there are out there
and anybody else who you think may benefit from this.
Thank you for your attention.
***
From: Darren Harris
Greetings all,
I do apologize for this cross posting but I feel that it is necessary.
I don't know how many of you have herd but the wayfinder access gps solution
for simbion based mobile phones is no longer available. Vodafone who own the
rights to wayfinder products have pulled the plug on it completely. They
have discontinued the entire wayfinder product line effectively in order to
create their own package. Which we believe is going to be completely
inaccessible to blind people.
Considering how accessible wayfinder access is to use as a product, we feel
that this is unacceptable action to be undertaken.
If you are on facebook, then I have created a group called (save wayfinder
action group). The purpose of this group is to bring a dedicated group of
people together so that we can constructively build a case in favour of
keeping access going as a product.
If you think and believe as we do that this product should be saved, then
please come and join in and help to build a case for this product.
It's not often that we come across a product that is in the adaptive market
and that is as cheap comparatively as access.
Please spread the word on other mailing lists as this is important.
Specifically the various phone and technology lists that there are out there
and anybody else who you think may benefit from this.
Thank you for your attention.
Friday, January 1
2009 Annual Access Awards
Greetings. Once again, the folks over at Blind bargains are doing their annual awards for the best of 2009 in accessible technologies, products, software and websites. Click here to view 2009 Access Award rules and submit nominations. This first period of nominations goes until January 14 at 5pm EST. Nominations can only be submitted once per person and per category. View the categories and consider what you want to nominate for which before making your submissions. Enjoy and good luck to all.
Thursday, December 17
Reflections since 2000
Greetings. This is usually the time of year when I put up my year end reflections. This time though, I thought I’d do something a little different. Since we’re coming to the end of the first decade of the 2,000’s, I thought I’d do a review of some of the changes in technology between 2000 and 2009. Perhaps we can use some of these as a gage for what will come in the next 10 years. I’m sure I’m going to miss some things here so forgive me in advance.
Screen readers: The last 10 years has seen more screen readers being developed for blind users, and ones that can run on a portable USB flash/thumb/pin drive, to ones that can run from a simple website. You no longer have to be tied to an actual computer to use a screen reader. Now, when I go to my parent’s house, I can bring up a web based screen reader and have instant access to their computer, rather than waiting for them to purchase an expensive screen reader and leave it on their system for the few times that I might visit them during the year.
Notetakers: Before the year 2000, there were a few note taking devices on the blindness market, but mainly from one company. In 2000, the BrailleNote was introduced and in 2003 the PAC Mate was brought into being. Fast forward a few years and we have a range of different note taking devices in various forms and with similar abilities, some with and some without Braille displays; some using Qwerty (computer style) and some using Perkins (Braille style) keyboards; and some that have specific functions and other that have more general functions. In other words, the blind user now has lots more choice. Some newer notetakers even have built in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth access, which makes getting connected to the web in order to browse websites or send/receive email lots easier. Add to that the mainstream laptops and mini-laptops, known as netbooks, that have become very popular in the last couple of years. In the beginning of this year alone perhaps 1 person I worked with had a netbook. Now though, aside from me there’s an additional 5 or 6 other people I know that have and use netbooks for greater portability. This particular portion of the tech industry, the netbooks and notetakers, will be interesting to watch over the next 2-5 years to see how they shake out.
Book reading: Before year 2000, blind people read books on their computers, in Braille, or on tape. Now though there are a number of different options, including for lack of a better phrase, the portable book reader, such as the Victor Reader Stream and Booksense, among several others. In fact, after the Stream came out in 2007 and it was seen how popular such a device was, several more devices have come out with the ability to read books, listen to music, play audio books, read different types of files (such as Word documents, text, HTML, and others), and do other things. To be fair, there were a couple of devices around that could read those types of files and other material, but they were old and out dated. In fact, one of them, the Book Port, was initially promised to have new life, but the update project for it was shelved after about 6 months in 2008 I believe. At any rate, information and entertainment has really grown in leaps and bounds as far as portability.
I can’t talk about books and portability without mentioning the work of the national Library Service (NLS). In 2000, they started their Web Braille program, where the user could download a growing collection of books and magazines in Braille formatted files. In 2007, they began officially testing a similar download service for their many audio books. That collection began with around 7,000 books, and now numbers around 16,500 books, and is growing nearly every week. Thanks to funding from Congress, the digital talking book is here and here to stay!
Cell phones: Here’s an area that’s affected everyone, blind or not. However, until around 2002, the blind did not have ready access to such devices. Sure, you could dial a number, but that quickly lost some luster when compared with all the things that your friends and colleagues could do on their phones, such as text message, take pictures, manage contacts and calendar appointments, view call logs, and much more. Then, in 2002, the Talks screen reader was created and announced that it would work with a couple of Nokia phone models. Though it’s taken a few years to get rolling, now true phone accessibility is becoming more of a forethought rather than an afterthought with many manufacturers. With some providers such as Verizon, there are even some phones that you can buy off the shelf that have built in accessibility that are increasingly allowing greater access. Perhaps not at the level of Talks, but we’re getting there. Of course I can’t talk about phone access without mentioning Apple and the work that they’ve been doing with making phones more accessible, and phones with touch screens o less. Say what you want about a touch screen accessible phone, the fact that this is now an option for the blind user, and that having a screen reader on such a phone, is a great sign of things to come. Talk about built in accessibility.
The WWW: Okay, so that’ a broad category, but just think about how many different web services have gained usage in the broader population over the past 10 years or so, such as: blogs, podcasts, social networking sites, more personalized e-commerce and shopping, staying connected, ability to use web services via your cell phone, such as texting a site for the weather or current stock quotes, among many other uses; streaming audio and video; and much, much more. Let’s not forget the growing popularity of a certain website start up that flew under the radar for a few years and quickly went from unknown to people trying to copy what they were doing and draw their users. And further, the site even added various applications that helped to change the way we work and play, such as email, shopping and bargain comparison, working with documents, spreadsheets, presentations, keeping up calendar appointments and contacts, tracking stocks and other finances, and much more. Yes, I’m speaking of Google and their many services. Google has transformed from a noun to a verb, as in, “Google it,” when someone needs to look something up. Currently, Google is even working on their own cell phone and portable netbook. That’s probably one of the big things that I’m excited about and will be closely following, to see how this whole Google Chrome operating system fills out and if it will be accessible. I suppose that might say something: am I excited about the new offering from Microsoft in Windows Seven? No, the thing that excites me is what their competitors are doing, and I’m not the only one.
Even though it's not tech related so much, technology has been affected by the next two items: the terrorist attacks of 2001, and the economic boom and eventual bust. One phrase seems appropriate here, which I've told students and friends regarding money: it's not how much money you have, but how you manage the money you have. Hopefully we can take that phrase and apply it as we go forward. Sure there will be tough times ahead, perhaps even tougher than what we're going through now in the recession/recovery. But if we can manage our money, then these times won't seem so tough when they do come. That's been my personal experience this year in the current economically tight times.
Hopefully we can take what we’ve learned from the first 10 years of the 21st century and apply it to the next 10 years. I think as we go forward, month by month and year by year, our lives will even more interlock with the web and the possibility that we’re going to be a web-based society is not too far off. Will we be to the point of talking to our kitchen appliances and having them automatically order things from the grocery store to refill current refrigerator stock? Who knows, anything’s possible.
On a personal level, this last 10 years has seen me wrap up my college career, get an unexpected job in working part time and doing something that I was meant to do and not what I thought I was going to do, find a full time job just weeks after being let go from the part time one, and really building my teaching ability and the different areas I would grow in, and even getting another Seeing Eye dog, which is something that I never thought I’d do. Not to mention starting a personal website which has grown to attract more than 7400 unique visitors, and maintaining the professional website for the White Cane Day Austin celebration. So it’s been a great year and a great last 10 years. Here’s to 10 more!
Screen readers: The last 10 years has seen more screen readers being developed for blind users, and ones that can run on a portable USB flash/thumb/pin drive, to ones that can run from a simple website. You no longer have to be tied to an actual computer to use a screen reader. Now, when I go to my parent’s house, I can bring up a web based screen reader and have instant access to their computer, rather than waiting for them to purchase an expensive screen reader and leave it on their system for the few times that I might visit them during the year.
Notetakers: Before the year 2000, there were a few note taking devices on the blindness market, but mainly from one company. In 2000, the BrailleNote was introduced and in 2003 the PAC Mate was brought into being. Fast forward a few years and we have a range of different note taking devices in various forms and with similar abilities, some with and some without Braille displays; some using Qwerty (computer style) and some using Perkins (Braille style) keyboards; and some that have specific functions and other that have more general functions. In other words, the blind user now has lots more choice. Some newer notetakers even have built in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth access, which makes getting connected to the web in order to browse websites or send/receive email lots easier. Add to that the mainstream laptops and mini-laptops, known as netbooks, that have become very popular in the last couple of years. In the beginning of this year alone perhaps 1 person I worked with had a netbook. Now though, aside from me there’s an additional 5 or 6 other people I know that have and use netbooks for greater portability. This particular portion of the tech industry, the netbooks and notetakers, will be interesting to watch over the next 2-5 years to see how they shake out.
Book reading: Before year 2000, blind people read books on their computers, in Braille, or on tape. Now though there are a number of different options, including for lack of a better phrase, the portable book reader, such as the Victor Reader Stream and Booksense, among several others. In fact, after the Stream came out in 2007 and it was seen how popular such a device was, several more devices have come out with the ability to read books, listen to music, play audio books, read different types of files (such as Word documents, text, HTML, and others), and do other things. To be fair, there were a couple of devices around that could read those types of files and other material, but they were old and out dated. In fact, one of them, the Book Port, was initially promised to have new life, but the update project for it was shelved after about 6 months in 2008 I believe. At any rate, information and entertainment has really grown in leaps and bounds as far as portability.
I can’t talk about books and portability without mentioning the work of the national Library Service (NLS). In 2000, they started their Web Braille program, where the user could download a growing collection of books and magazines in Braille formatted files. In 2007, they began officially testing a similar download service for their many audio books. That collection began with around 7,000 books, and now numbers around 16,500 books, and is growing nearly every week. Thanks to funding from Congress, the digital talking book is here and here to stay!
Cell phones: Here’s an area that’s affected everyone, blind or not. However, until around 2002, the blind did not have ready access to such devices. Sure, you could dial a number, but that quickly lost some luster when compared with all the things that your friends and colleagues could do on their phones, such as text message, take pictures, manage contacts and calendar appointments, view call logs, and much more. Then, in 2002, the Talks screen reader was created and announced that it would work with a couple of Nokia phone models. Though it’s taken a few years to get rolling, now true phone accessibility is becoming more of a forethought rather than an afterthought with many manufacturers. With some providers such as Verizon, there are even some phones that you can buy off the shelf that have built in accessibility that are increasingly allowing greater access. Perhaps not at the level of Talks, but we’re getting there. Of course I can’t talk about phone access without mentioning Apple and the work that they’ve been doing with making phones more accessible, and phones with touch screens o less. Say what you want about a touch screen accessible phone, the fact that this is now an option for the blind user, and that having a screen reader on such a phone, is a great sign of things to come. Talk about built in accessibility.
The WWW: Okay, so that’ a broad category, but just think about how many different web services have gained usage in the broader population over the past 10 years or so, such as: blogs, podcasts, social networking sites, more personalized e-commerce and shopping, staying connected, ability to use web services via your cell phone, such as texting a site for the weather or current stock quotes, among many other uses; streaming audio and video; and much, much more. Let’s not forget the growing popularity of a certain website start up that flew under the radar for a few years and quickly went from unknown to people trying to copy what they were doing and draw their users. And further, the site even added various applications that helped to change the way we work and play, such as email, shopping and bargain comparison, working with documents, spreadsheets, presentations, keeping up calendar appointments and contacts, tracking stocks and other finances, and much more. Yes, I’m speaking of Google and their many services. Google has transformed from a noun to a verb, as in, “Google it,” when someone needs to look something up. Currently, Google is even working on their own cell phone and portable netbook. That’s probably one of the big things that I’m excited about and will be closely following, to see how this whole Google Chrome operating system fills out and if it will be accessible. I suppose that might say something: am I excited about the new offering from Microsoft in Windows Seven? No, the thing that excites me is what their competitors are doing, and I’m not the only one.
Even though it's not tech related so much, technology has been affected by the next two items: the terrorist attacks of 2001, and the economic boom and eventual bust. One phrase seems appropriate here, which I've told students and friends regarding money: it's not how much money you have, but how you manage the money you have. Hopefully we can take that phrase and apply it as we go forward. Sure there will be tough times ahead, perhaps even tougher than what we're going through now in the recession/recovery. But if we can manage our money, then these times won't seem so tough when they do come. That's been my personal experience this year in the current economically tight times.
Hopefully we can take what we’ve learned from the first 10 years of the 21st century and apply it to the next 10 years. I think as we go forward, month by month and year by year, our lives will even more interlock with the web and the possibility that we’re going to be a web-based society is not too far off. Will we be to the point of talking to our kitchen appliances and having them automatically order things from the grocery store to refill current refrigerator stock? Who knows, anything’s possible.
On a personal level, this last 10 years has seen me wrap up my college career, get an unexpected job in working part time and doing something that I was meant to do and not what I thought I was going to do, find a full time job just weeks after being let go from the part time one, and really building my teaching ability and the different areas I would grow in, and even getting another Seeing Eye dog, which is something that I never thought I’d do. Not to mention starting a personal website which has grown to attract more than 7400 unique visitors, and maintaining the professional website for the White Cane Day Austin celebration. So it’s been a great year and a great last 10 years. Here’s to 10 more!
Tuesday, November 10
ACB Radio premiers new product
Greetings. I received the following announcement in my email earlier. Those in the blindness community who are also into AT have doubtless been seeign announcements and emails from HumanWare regarding a new product. Though the official word is expected to be tomorrow on November 11, ACB Radio will have a show this Friday night all about this new product. Read on for details on the live show, but unfortunately not what the product is going to be. It sounds like you will want to listen to the show live or download the podcast later though. Enjoy.
***
ACB Radio is proud to announce a special live event where you will learn about a
fabulous new product being launched by HumanWare. Read on and be a part of the live, call-in event!
what is it? Well, something great has just become smaller and better!
HumanWare is soon to launch an exciting new product. Is it a new DAISY player? A new Braille device? A new
scanning or low vision aid?
We can only tell you that the device is small enough to be inserted into a #1 size envelope.
Be among the first to find out about one of the most exciting products to be announced.
And, you'll hear about it first on ACB Radio Mainstream, just after Main Menu! Pass it on and tell your friends! It's way cool and worth hearing about!
when: Friday, November 13 at 9 PM Eastern, 6 Pacific; that's Saturday morning at 2 UTC.
ACB Radio's Marlaina will host this exciting program, and have as her guest
Matthew Janausauskas, HumanWare's Technical Support Manager.
Marlaina and Matthew will take your calls at 866 666 7926.
Remember, you'll hear it first on ACB Radio Mainstream, just after Main Menu.
So, join Marlaina and Matthew on Friday the 13th! It could be your lucky day!
To listen to the program on November 13 at 9 PM Eastern and 6 PM Pacific, point your browser to:
http://www.acbradio.org/mainstream
This is an event you will not want to miss!
Larry Turnbull
ACBRadio Managing Director
***
ACB Radio is proud to announce a special live event where you will learn about a
fabulous new product being launched by HumanWare. Read on and be a part of the live, call-in event!
what is it? Well, something great has just become smaller and better!
HumanWare is soon to launch an exciting new product. Is it a new DAISY player? A new Braille device? A new
scanning or low vision aid?
We can only tell you that the device is small enough to be inserted into a #1 size envelope.
Be among the first to find out about one of the most exciting products to be announced.
And, you'll hear about it first on ACB Radio Mainstream, just after Main Menu! Pass it on and tell your friends! It's way cool and worth hearing about!
when: Friday, November 13 at 9 PM Eastern, 6 Pacific; that's Saturday morning at 2 UTC.
ACB Radio's Marlaina will host this exciting program, and have as her guest
Matthew Janausauskas, HumanWare's Technical Support Manager.
Marlaina and Matthew will take your calls at 866 666 7926.
Remember, you'll hear it first on ACB Radio Mainstream, just after Main Menu.
So, join Marlaina and Matthew on Friday the 13th! It could be your lucky day!
To listen to the program on November 13 at 9 PM Eastern and 6 PM Pacific, point your browser to:
http://www.acbradio.org/mainstream
This is an event you will not want to miss!
Larry Turnbull
ACBRadio Managing Director
Saturday, November 7
Review of Microsoft Security Essentials
Greetings. Though this software has been out for a month or two, it's getting great reviews and showing good promise. If you're hesitant about trying it or currently using paid security software and want to see how MSE stacks up against competition, then check out this review from Ars Technica called First look: Microsoft Security Essentials impresses. To hear a review of the Microsoft Security Essentials software (direct MP3 download) then check out this podcast from Mary Emmerson. I've put this free software on my netbook and am considering doing the same with my Windows Vista home PC. Read the review to find out why. Enjoy.
Sunday, October 25
Removing the U3 LaunchPad tool from a SanDisk USB flash drive
Greetings. To get rid of the annoying U3 LaunchPad tool, click this link to read the steps for removing the SanDisk U3 LaunchPad from your USB flash drive. If you're going to use the S.A. to Go software on your drive, you might not want to do this. However, keeping the U3 software on the drive can be annoying since it causes the computer to become sluggish while the software loads, whenever you plug the drive into a computer. This page, which is apart of the forum on the SanDisk site, offers easy steps to remove this software. Note that you can also activate the LaunchPad application on the drive and it will offer an option to use the drive for storage, and once chosen, this will remove the software. This forum page also gives you the option of downloading a small removal application that can remove the software for you. These SanDisk flash drives can be used on Windows XP operating systems or above. Once the software is removed, you might want to delete any associaited folders from the drive and start from scratch. This is what I have done and it makes the process easier, since I can create and put what I want on the drive, which doesn't always match the folder names they offer. Enjoy.
Monday, October 19
Overview of Kurzweil 1000 version 12
Greetings. Main Menu, from ACB radio, recently did a show on the new features in Kurzweil 1000 version 12. This link is a direct download of the MP3 file. The show is about an hour long and after the shorrt bit of tech news, there's a good interview with Stephen Baum, the lead developer of Kurzweil 1000. Among other notable things with version 12, users now have the ability to run Kurzweil from a USB flash drive. Check out the show above for more on this exciting new release. Enjoy.
Wednesday, October 7
Viewing PDF's in Google search results
Greetings. Google has had the ability to allow you to view PDF files in search results, but today they have improved that, according to the Google blog post called Quickly view formatted PDFs in your search results. Though the examples they give are untagged images, hopefully this will improve the usability of PDF files in search results. It will be interesting to see if form fields show up as they do on a normal web page and are accessible with screen readers. Enjoy.
Wednesday, September 30
Another Stream to choose from
Greetings. Since we now have a definite competitive market for playing digital audio books, such as from NLS, RFBD, BookShare and Audible, among others, there is more of a choice for consumers. I read today on the Fred's Head Companion blog of the new
Victir Reader Stream, Library Edition
that has come out. For those that already own a Stream, this new Library Edition apparently is no different from the regular unit. I looked on the HumanWare site this afternoon on the Stream's page and couldn't find any more information, such as price, for this new player. I'm assuming that it costs similar to the regular Stream unit. It sounds like more of a solution for those in education, libraries, or independent living/training centers, but I'm sure that individuals can get one of these units as well. However, I submit that if you already have a stream or another digital book player, then you probably can pass on the Stream Library Edition. Read the link above for more information on what differs this unit from the regular Stream, or for a play on words, the main Stream. Enjoy.
Victir Reader Stream, Library Edition
that has come out. For those that already own a Stream, this new Library Edition apparently is no different from the regular unit. I looked on the HumanWare site this afternoon on the Stream's page and couldn't find any more information, such as price, for this new player. I'm assuming that it costs similar to the regular Stream unit. It sounds like more of a solution for those in education, libraries, or independent living/training centers, but I'm sure that individuals can get one of these units as well. However, I submit that if you already have a stream or another digital book player, then you probably can pass on the Stream Library Edition. Read the link above for more information on what differs this unit from the regular Stream, or for a play on words, the main Stream. Enjoy.
Friday, September 4
First netbook experience
Greetings. Thought I'd try to get this post out before it starts thunder storming again. We had a nasty one earlier. For a place like Austin that has been in a long drout, it really thundered and poured earlier, but at least we're getting some. Maybe we'll even catch up to the other parts of the state of Texas.
Anyway, netbooks have gained popularity in the general computing population and among the blind. Mainly because they are smaller and lighter than a laptop but stil sport many of the same things you find on a laptop or desktop PC. I've been looking into this netbook thing for around 6 months or so, studying different models, reading reviews, and considering features. I decided early on not to get one that was deeply discounted, since while that might have been a good deal, it also had the possibility of being cheap, as in not standing up to regular use over time. I also wanted to get one that included a long battery life, had wireless connection options for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and, from what you can tell from reviews anyway, looked to have a good keyboard. Oh, and now with all these different colors of netbooks, I also was hip to find one in blue. I finally found what I was looking for.
A week ago I ordered and today I received the ASUS EEE PC 1000HE, which sports, among other things: Wi-Fi of 802.11B/G/N (which means it can connect to all current Wi-FI standards and will likely keep pace for some time to come); Bluetooth; a normal sized keyboard, though from initial typing, the keys are smaller and some in weird places, but that's something I can adjust to; and the model I chose was a blue color with good looking finish on it. My colleagues at work today said that it was a very nice blue and finish. And the battery life is advertised at 9.5 hours. From the reviews, actual time looks to be around 8 or 9 hours, but still; that's lots better than some of the MSI models I read about that only got 4-6 hours. Though people have told me that even though the battery is 5 hours, it lasts them all day. I say, as long as the price doesn't go too high, the longer battery the better.
The ASUS 1000He is an older ASUS model, coming out in February of this year, but from what I've read it seems to be among the better of the various ASUS models. It also includes an SD slot, several USB ports, a Lan/Ethernet jack, web cam, microphone, and other things I'm probably forgetting. It weighs just over 3 pounds, which is notable since many notetakers weigh between 2-4 pounds and laptops around 6 pounds or more.
I'm still working out the kinks of getting a new computer, but this weekend should be rather fun as that process happens. Now I can understand why wireless web surfing is so much fun. Earlier, before all the storms, I was on an unsecured wireless netbook and going to Google and other websites. I actually signed into Gmail before I remembered that this was an unsecured network, and then I quickly signed out. I even was able to stream, all be it in fragments, a video and a radio station's audio. That brief wireless experience will see me investing in one of the many wireless routers out there. Though I have used my PAC Mate notetaker wirelessly before, it was somewhat limited with pocket versions of Internet Explorer and in the JAWS quick keys that actually work in the IE Mobile application, which by the way aren't nearly as many as on a PC. Now though, I've got full support on the netbook for any JAWS feature I want to use and in full versions of applications such as Internet Explorer.
Though I still have some kinks to work out and essentially a new computer to get used to, I'm more than pleased with my purchase and research, and look forward to many happy hours of mobile computing! Incidentally, if anyone has any resources for getting started with the netbook I have, then please email me through my site and let me know. Thanks.
Anyway, netbooks have gained popularity in the general computing population and among the blind. Mainly because they are smaller and lighter than a laptop but stil sport many of the same things you find on a laptop or desktop PC. I've been looking into this netbook thing for around 6 months or so, studying different models, reading reviews, and considering features. I decided early on not to get one that was deeply discounted, since while that might have been a good deal, it also had the possibility of being cheap, as in not standing up to regular use over time. I also wanted to get one that included a long battery life, had wireless connection options for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and, from what you can tell from reviews anyway, looked to have a good keyboard. Oh, and now with all these different colors of netbooks, I also was hip to find one in blue. I finally found what I was looking for.
A week ago I ordered and today I received the ASUS EEE PC 1000HE, which sports, among other things: Wi-Fi of 802.11B/G/N (which means it can connect to all current Wi-FI standards and will likely keep pace for some time to come); Bluetooth; a normal sized keyboard, though from initial typing, the keys are smaller and some in weird places, but that's something I can adjust to; and the model I chose was a blue color with good looking finish on it. My colleagues at work today said that it was a very nice blue and finish. And the battery life is advertised at 9.5 hours. From the reviews, actual time looks to be around 8 or 9 hours, but still; that's lots better than some of the MSI models I read about that only got 4-6 hours. Though people have told me that even though the battery is 5 hours, it lasts them all day. I say, as long as the price doesn't go too high, the longer battery the better.
The ASUS 1000He is an older ASUS model, coming out in February of this year, but from what I've read it seems to be among the better of the various ASUS models. It also includes an SD slot, several USB ports, a Lan/Ethernet jack, web cam, microphone, and other things I'm probably forgetting. It weighs just over 3 pounds, which is notable since many notetakers weigh between 2-4 pounds and laptops around 6 pounds or more.
I'm still working out the kinks of getting a new computer, but this weekend should be rather fun as that process happens. Now I can understand why wireless web surfing is so much fun. Earlier, before all the storms, I was on an unsecured wireless netbook and going to Google and other websites. I actually signed into Gmail before I remembered that this was an unsecured network, and then I quickly signed out. I even was able to stream, all be it in fragments, a video and a radio station's audio. That brief wireless experience will see me investing in one of the many wireless routers out there. Though I have used my PAC Mate notetaker wirelessly before, it was somewhat limited with pocket versions of Internet Explorer and in the JAWS quick keys that actually work in the IE Mobile application, which by the way aren't nearly as many as on a PC. Now though, I've got full support on the netbook for any JAWS feature I want to use and in full versions of applications such as Internet Explorer.
Though I still have some kinks to work out and essentially a new computer to get used to, I'm more than pleased with my purchase and research, and look forward to many happy hours of mobile computing! Incidentally, if anyone has any resources for getting started with the netbook I have, then please email me through my site and let me know. Thanks.
Tuesday, August 11
FS Reader now free
Greetings. For those interested, Freedom Scientific has announced a change in pricing for their FS Reader program that allows you to read Daisy material on the PAC Mate and PAC Mate Omni machines--in short, it's now free! Read the official press release regarding the free FS Reader. This is a good thing and will allow more people to be able to read Daisy content. Others would theorize why this was done; I won't. I'll just say this: I'm still waiting for a ntoetaker manufacturer to step out and add the ability to read the new NLS digital talking books with their Daisy program. Thus far, no one has done this. When this happens, I think that said company's Daisy program will see it's popularity soar! In the press release above, it is hinted that FS Reader will also be fre with the new JAWS 11 to be released later this year, and also for demonstration versions of JAWS. This is a good thing for students or those who may not have the funds to purchase a full license of JAWS. Enjoy.
Saturday, July 18
Interesting story from a blind iPhone owner
Greetings. I came across this post to the Blind Phones email list regarding the new iPhone 3GS, which is reported to be "accessible." I applaud Apple for building in accessibility in a screen reader and appropriate gestures to read and activate things on the screen, however, the nature of the phone as a touch screen leaves me a little skeptical of how practical it really is. Even though I've got a colleague at work who is excited about the possibility and saving her money for one, and even though a student yesterday in one of my classes was really encouraging me to take a look at one (even after I had spoken to him with another teacher of our skepticism), I'm waiting until I can actually get a look at one and see for myself. I've got my Nokia N82 and am quite happy with it. However, here's one person's experience. In short, they used the new iPhone for about a month and ended up returning it to the store and going back to their N82. Read more about it at http://tinyurl.com/nfzktx Enjoy, and think about it before you buy.
Thursday, July 2
The Booksense makes sense
Greetings. I have yet to place my order for this new and exciting device, and I'm already posting about it here on my blog. The Booksense is one of the newest book reading/MP3 playing devices out there. Rather than me ramble through lots of features, let me point you to two resources. The first is a Comparison chart between the Booksense, VR Stream, and Plextalk Pocket and the Booksense Unvailing (MP3 file direct download link). Both of these will give you more than enough information on this new product.
I initially read over the comparison chart out of curiosity, to see how the Booksense would stack up against the Victor Reader Stream. However, I found myself going over sections of the chart several times to make sure I was reading it right. Shortly after I had finished, I was on the phone with a local dealer of GW Micro products asking about pricing and other features. The price for the Booksense XT might seem a little high at $499, but given that all you get, and add on the discount they're running till September 30 where they're taking off $50 of the XT price and $35 from the Booksense Standard's price, it more than makes up for it. So, below is a summary of some of the key features or distinguishing characteristics of the Booksense, at least compared to the Sttream, and other notes. This is not an exaustive list, but these are some of the things that jumped out at me. Check out the two links above for more details.
Cons:
* Wording: the dealer told me that the Booksense is still under development to a degree and the manufacturer's are working on some of the wording in certain parts of it. Nothing big, but coming from the perspective of a computer teacher, there are some terms used that are usually used with Windows, and the way you interact with said item differs from how you might do it in Windows. The Booksense is not a computer, but I couldn't help but notice this conflict.
* Battery life: the Booksense runs for 12 hours, verses the Stream which runs for 15 hours. I haven't timed my Stream from start to finish, so I don't know if I actually play it for the full 15 hours. However, given that this is really the only major problem I have with the Booksense, and that the pros listed below more than make up for the battery life, I can deal with it.
Now, here's some of the pros that I found interesting:
* Folder names: the names of the folders where you put your reading material or audio files make more sense than the Stream. For instance, instead of calling the music folder VrMusic, on the Booksense, it's simply called Music. What a concept?
* Battery charge time, especially since it takes half the time of the Stream, at 2 hours verses 4 for the Stream.
* Recording formats: You can record in some more standard formats on the Booksense, rather than an obscure one where you need special software in order to convert them into a standard format.
* Built in FM radio: not a big thing and not a deal breaker for me. I'd be just as happy without a radio on my device, but in this day and age of combining multiple tasks into one device, I'm all for it. This way I can just take one device with me on trips, rather than carrying my reading device and a Walkman or other portable radio.
* Built in storage on the Booksense XT model: try 4 GB of storage! Since I have a 32 GB SDHC card, built in storage isn't a big deal, except for perhaps important documents or files that I don't want to accidentally delete on the sD card, like perhaps the user manual.
* Smaller size: according to the unvailing event linked above, the Booksense is 30 percent smaller than the Stream. Meaning, it's about the size of a candy bar cell phone. That sounds pretty good to me!
*Every Booksense comes with an SD card. The size of the card will depend on which model you buy: the standard has a 2 GB and the XT has an 8 GB. I can't tell you how many people I talked with, that when I told them of the stream, I also had to endure the disappointment from them upon hearing that the Stream didn't come with a card included. It's definitely a downer to find that you have to buy something else when you've already spent a certain amount on a product. Not a big deal, but definitely notable that each Booksense comes with its own card. And no, there's no way to not get a card. Consider it another option for storing lots of tunes or books.
* Ability to charge the Booksense via USB: yes, if you have the unit connected to your computer via the USB cable, then along with transferring files, you can also charge the battery. There's forward thinking.
* Ability to read Audible, Book Share, NLS digital talking books, and coming in the next release in another month or so, RFB&D files.
* Ability to read Word documents, including Word 2007 files.
* And more.
I'll probably read over this list later and think of things to add, but this list is a start. Considering that I was looking at netbooks and seriously considering which one to buy, and now this netbook purchase has been moved back for several months, that tells you where my buying priorities have shifted to.
Will the BookSsense overtake the stream? Who knows; only time will tell on that. As the dealer said earlier, there are people that will like one over the other, and there will be those people that like both. Also, both of these devices are great devices. In a sense, the Booksense is an extension of the Stream, just as in the next year or two, there may be newer devices that build on what the Booksense is doing. Will I get rid of my Stream after I get a Booksense? No way; the Stream is special. Personally, I think the Stream was the right device at the right time in the right place when it came out. I sat down one day not long ago and calculated approximately how much money the Stream has made HumanWare in 18 months, given a certain number of units that were sold in that timeframe. The first 18 months saw around 15,000 Streams sold, which assuming they all cost the same price and that everyone paid for them (yes, assumptions here, but I had to go off of something), I came up with over $5,000,000! I wonder how many other devices for the blind have made that much money in their first 18 months? I'm not sure that the Booksense will capture that following that the Stream had it its history, but then again, who's to say it won't? It will be interesting to watch how things go for GW Micro over the next few months and year.
One other question I want to toss out: with GW Micro and HumanWare diversifying their product lines in recent years, having screen readers, screen magnifyers, portable magnifyers in some cases, note takers, and now book/Daisy reading and mP3 playing devices, when is Freedom Scientific going to join in with their contribution? And, how will that contribution compare with what's already out there? Time will tell on that front as well.
AS for me, I'll be reading up on the Booksense over the next 2 days, and anxiously awaiting my own unit. If the attendance at the unvailing of the Booksense or some of the comments I've read from other people on the web is any indication, this looks to be a device that many people will want to get their hands on. A colleague of mine wrote that he's already preordered his and will have it when he returns from the NFB convention next week. At the time I read that, I thought, "How can you preorder a device that you haven't even seen yet? Crazy." However, now I think I know.
I initially read over the comparison chart out of curiosity, to see how the Booksense would stack up against the Victor Reader Stream. However, I found myself going over sections of the chart several times to make sure I was reading it right. Shortly after I had finished, I was on the phone with a local dealer of GW Micro products asking about pricing and other features. The price for the Booksense XT might seem a little high at $499, but given that all you get, and add on the discount they're running till September 30 where they're taking off $50 of the XT price and $35 from the Booksense Standard's price, it more than makes up for it. So, below is a summary of some of the key features or distinguishing characteristics of the Booksense, at least compared to the Sttream, and other notes. This is not an exaustive list, but these are some of the things that jumped out at me. Check out the two links above for more details.
Cons:
* Wording: the dealer told me that the Booksense is still under development to a degree and the manufacturer's are working on some of the wording in certain parts of it. Nothing big, but coming from the perspective of a computer teacher, there are some terms used that are usually used with Windows, and the way you interact with said item differs from how you might do it in Windows. The Booksense is not a computer, but I couldn't help but notice this conflict.
* Battery life: the Booksense runs for 12 hours, verses the Stream which runs for 15 hours. I haven't timed my Stream from start to finish, so I don't know if I actually play it for the full 15 hours. However, given that this is really the only major problem I have with the Booksense, and that the pros listed below more than make up for the battery life, I can deal with it.
Now, here's some of the pros that I found interesting:
* Folder names: the names of the folders where you put your reading material or audio files make more sense than the Stream. For instance, instead of calling the music folder VrMusic, on the Booksense, it's simply called Music. What a concept?
* Battery charge time, especially since it takes half the time of the Stream, at 2 hours verses 4 for the Stream.
* Recording formats: You can record in some more standard formats on the Booksense, rather than an obscure one where you need special software in order to convert them into a standard format.
* Built in FM radio: not a big thing and not a deal breaker for me. I'd be just as happy without a radio on my device, but in this day and age of combining multiple tasks into one device, I'm all for it. This way I can just take one device with me on trips, rather than carrying my reading device and a Walkman or other portable radio.
* Built in storage on the Booksense XT model: try 4 GB of storage! Since I have a 32 GB SDHC card, built in storage isn't a big deal, except for perhaps important documents or files that I don't want to accidentally delete on the sD card, like perhaps the user manual.
* Smaller size: according to the unvailing event linked above, the Booksense is 30 percent smaller than the Stream. Meaning, it's about the size of a candy bar cell phone. That sounds pretty good to me!
*Every Booksense comes with an SD card. The size of the card will depend on which model you buy: the standard has a 2 GB and the XT has an 8 GB. I can't tell you how many people I talked with, that when I told them of the stream, I also had to endure the disappointment from them upon hearing that the Stream didn't come with a card included. It's definitely a downer to find that you have to buy something else when you've already spent a certain amount on a product. Not a big deal, but definitely notable that each Booksense comes with its own card. And no, there's no way to not get a card. Consider it another option for storing lots of tunes or books.
* Ability to charge the Booksense via USB: yes, if you have the unit connected to your computer via the USB cable, then along with transferring files, you can also charge the battery. There's forward thinking.
* Ability to read Audible, Book Share, NLS digital talking books, and coming in the next release in another month or so, RFB&D files.
* Ability to read Word documents, including Word 2007 files.
* And more.
I'll probably read over this list later and think of things to add, but this list is a start. Considering that I was looking at netbooks and seriously considering which one to buy, and now this netbook purchase has been moved back for several months, that tells you where my buying priorities have shifted to.
Will the BookSsense overtake the stream? Who knows; only time will tell on that. As the dealer said earlier, there are people that will like one over the other, and there will be those people that like both. Also, both of these devices are great devices. In a sense, the Booksense is an extension of the Stream, just as in the next year or two, there may be newer devices that build on what the Booksense is doing. Will I get rid of my Stream after I get a Booksense? No way; the Stream is special. Personally, I think the Stream was the right device at the right time in the right place when it came out. I sat down one day not long ago and calculated approximately how much money the Stream has made HumanWare in 18 months, given a certain number of units that were sold in that timeframe. The first 18 months saw around 15,000 Streams sold, which assuming they all cost the same price and that everyone paid for them (yes, assumptions here, but I had to go off of something), I came up with over $5,000,000! I wonder how many other devices for the blind have made that much money in their first 18 months? I'm not sure that the Booksense will capture that following that the Stream had it its history, but then again, who's to say it won't? It will be interesting to watch how things go for GW Micro over the next few months and year.
One other question I want to toss out: with GW Micro and HumanWare diversifying their product lines in recent years, having screen readers, screen magnifyers, portable magnifyers in some cases, note takers, and now book/Daisy reading and mP3 playing devices, when is Freedom Scientific going to join in with their contribution? And, how will that contribution compare with what's already out there? Time will tell on that front as well.
AS for me, I'll be reading up on the Booksense over the next 2 days, and anxiously awaiting my own unit. If the attendance at the unvailing of the Booksense or some of the comments I've read from other people on the web is any indication, this looks to be a device that many people will want to get their hands on. A colleague of mine wrote that he's already preordered his and will have it when he returns from the NFB convention next week. At the time I read that, I thought, "How can you preorder a device that you haven't even seen yet? Crazy." However, now I think I know.
Thursday, May 14
Interesting iPhone app
Greetings. This came to my Inbox today and thought I'd put it here. I wonder how many people will ultimately buy and download this application, especially when most iPhone apps are $1 or less. Time will tell. Enjoy.
***
Tuesday, May 12, 2009, 4:54pm CDT
Apple approves new guide dog game for iPhone
San Antonio Business Journal - by
Tamarind Phinisee
San Antonio application developer Joseph Dolan has created a new interactive
program for
Apple Inc.
that will benefit
Guide Dogs of Texas.
Guide Dogs of Texas raises, trains and provides guide dogs to visually
impaired Texans to enhance their mobility and independence. It is the only
guide
dog school in Texas and is a member of the International Guide Dog
Federation.
Dolan created a downloadable application called Pocket Puppy Raiser that
allows users to interact with a virtual puppy on the Apple iPhone. Users can
scratch
a sleeping puppy's belly until its leg shakes, pet the dog until it licks
the iPhone screen or play a game of tug-of-war with the pup. Apple approved
Pocket
Puppy Raiser on May 7.
The application costs $2.99 per download and proceeds will be split among
the iPhone App Store, Dolan and Guide Dogs of Texas.
Dolan, a graduate of Texas State Technical College, developed the
application upon the recommendation of his mother, Michelle Pelletier, who
works for Guide
Dogs of Texas as a puppy raising program manager.
Dolan says he plans to upgrade the Pocket Puppy Raiser to reflect the
different tasks guide dogs perform as they grow older.
"I'm thinking about starting the dog out as a puppy, and then as it gets
bigger and becomes a guide dog it will take its owner for a walk on the
street
and stop at a crosswalk for traffic or for a walk to the Alamo," he says.
"It will be a challenge, but I think I can do it."
To download the app, go to iTunes and search "Pocket Puppy Raiser."
***
Tuesday, May 12, 2009, 4:54pm CDT
Apple approves new guide dog game for iPhone
San Antonio Business Journal - by
Tamarind Phinisee
San Antonio application developer Joseph Dolan has created a new interactive
program for
Apple Inc.
that will benefit
Guide Dogs of Texas.
Guide Dogs of Texas raises, trains and provides guide dogs to visually
impaired Texans to enhance their mobility and independence. It is the only
guide
dog school in Texas and is a member of the International Guide Dog
Federation.
Dolan created a downloadable application called Pocket Puppy Raiser that
allows users to interact with a virtual puppy on the Apple iPhone. Users can
scratch
a sleeping puppy's belly until its leg shakes, pet the dog until it licks
the iPhone screen or play a game of tug-of-war with the pup. Apple approved
Puppy Raiser on May 7.
The application costs $2.99 per download and proceeds will be split among
the iPhone App Store, Dolan and Guide Dogs of Texas.
Dolan, a graduate of Texas State Technical College, developed the
application upon the recommendation of his mother, Michelle Pelletier, who
works for Guide
Dogs of Texas as a puppy raising program manager.
Dolan says he plans to upgrade the Pocket Puppy Raiser to reflect the
different tasks guide dogs perform as they grow older.
"I'm thinking about starting the dog out as a puppy, and then as it gets
bigger and becomes a guide dog it will take its owner for a walk on the
street
and stop at a crosswalk for traffic or for a walk to the Alamo," he says.
"It will be a challenge, but I think I can do it."
To download the app, go to iTunes and search "Pocket Puppy Raiser."
Comparison of USB Flash drives
Greetings. In going through my round of blogs, RSS feeds and podcasts today, I came across this story from Ranger's Twitter feed called Small wonders: the 2009 Ars USB flash drive roundup. Though it does get technical at times, even for me, it does give you an overview of the current flash drives on the market and how well they stack up against each other. In other words, it would be good to read this before buying that additional flash drive. Enjoy.
Tuesday, May 5
CNET reviews the Stream
Greetings. Imagine my surprise when going through my daily round of blogs, posts and RSS feeds today to find a review of the Victor Reader Stream done by a CNET reviewer. The article is called An audiobook player designed for the Blind. Apparently you have to have an account with the CNET site or have a Facebook account to post comments. Otherwise, I would have made the following comment: Though the $349 price tag might seem expensive, it's relatively cheap and affordable in the blind community, where many hardware/software products made for the blind cost many times more than that amount. For instance, if you want to use your computer with a flexible and up to date screen reading software package, plan on spending around $1,000. Suddenly, that $349 price tag doesn't seem so much. Also, I think that shipping is included in that price, for what that's worth. AS the article notes, the price is comparable to similar mainstream MP3 players, such as the iPod. There's no indication on when this article was published, but it looks to be fairly recent going on the date of the one comment currently there. It's great to see a mainstream site like CNET review blindness products. Hopefully this will bring even more exposure and users to the Stream family.
Thursday, April 2
Could netbooks dethrone the PC?
Greetings. The new York Times Technology section has an interesting article called Light and Cheap, Netbooks Are Poised to Reshape PC Industry. It talks about the rise of the netbook and how it could pose a serious threat to PC's and laptops this year. Several of my colleagues at work have these netbooks. I've heard speculation among some at work that the netbook will force the manufacturers of today's electronic note takers to really dig deep and catch up in their features. I've even considered getting a netbook from time to time. I haven't yet found one that suits me. It could happen at any time though. I'm subscribed to an RSS feed for the MSI WIND netbooks, and some of what's coming looks awfully interesting. There's a certain appeal to carrying around a computer in your backpack that weighs less than 3 pounds, verses a heavy laptop or note taker weighing in at between 4 and 6 pounds, or more. Enjoy.
Tuesday, March 31
Stream and Companion software version 3released
Greetings. Wouldn't you know it, a prediction of when a software package was going to be released did not come true; technology. However, it's out now. Below find the emails for the VR Stream version 3 and then the newly named HumanWare Companion 3 software. I'm putting them both here for convenience, but as mentioned before, your use of the Companion software is purely optional. There are some features in the Companion that you might want to check out though. At any rate, enjoy.
***Victor Reader Stream version 3***
Dear Victor Reader Friends:
HumanWare is please to announce the release of the new Stream 3.0 software. Stream 3.0 is a major release with exciting new features and numerous usability improvements. Version 3 responds to popular requests received from many Stream customers. New features include:
- Optional multi-level bookshelf navigation for Other Books, Podcasts, and Text. Now you can optionally organize these bookshelves into multiple levels of folders and navigate at those levels.
- Optional multi-level folder navigation within Music files. For example, now you could choose to organize your music by levels such as genre, artist, and album and navigate at those levels to more quickly find your desired music.
- Further you can now instantly create temporary playlists of a subset of your music collection and limit Random play to only that portion of your music.
- Text Search. Now you can enter words to search for in your text files or text portion of DAISY books.
- A new Bookmark alert feature can be enabled to notify you when you pass over a previously bookmarked position during playback. It will even automatically announce your audio bookmarks.
- Two text-to-speech voices. The English versions will now include both a male and female text-to-speech voice.
- Optional voice label for your SD cards
Usability Improvements:
- A 30 minute Time Jump choice has been added
- Single hotkey (#9) to toggle music random play on or off
- Book title is included in the delete confirmation prompt. Also, after deletion, the next book on the bookshelf is announced.
- Press key 4 in music to repeat the current song
- Go To Percent added to Other Books and Podcasts
- Automatic removal of the UPG file after the software upgrade
and more. Please see the Release Notes for full details on the new features and instructions on how to use them.
Both the software and Release Notes can be downloaded from the Stream support page at:
http://www.humanware.com/stream_support
Select the Software link on that page. You will find the Release Notes at the top and the English 3.0 software download links. You can choose from two English versions one with Samantha + Tom text-to-speech voices and another with Samantha + Daniel (UK) voices. You can upgrade to version 3 from any prior Stream version. To install the new software, follow these steps:
- Download the software zip file
- Unzip the single UPG upgrade file from the zip file. You do not need special unzip software. Simply press Enter to open the zip file and you can then select the UPG file.
- Copy this UPG file to the root of your Stream SD card.
- Disconnect the Stream from the computer, connect it to AC power and turn it on.
- The Stream will automatically start the update process which takes about 2 minutes during which time it will announce intermittent "please Wait" messages. The Stream will power off when the new software is installed.
After the new software is installed, an html Release Notes document will also be available in a HumanWare sub-folder of your Text Bookshelf so you may read the Release Notes with your Stream. The html version allows you to navigate the Release Notes section by section using the 2/8 keys to select the level and keys 4 and 6 to move between sections.
With this announcement, version 3 is available in English only. As other version 3 languages become available they will be posted on the same download page. We also are releasing a new version of Stream Companion which will be described in a second email.
HumanWare values your continued support of the Victor Reader Stream. We remain committed to our customers to make the Stream the most powerful, flexible, and enjoyable product used for listening to digital talking books, computer files, and music.
Thank you,
The HumanWare Team
***HumanWare Companion version 3***
Dear Victor Reader Friends:
HumanWare is please to announce the release of the new Stream Companion 3.0 program.
It is available for free download on the Stream support page at:
http://www.humanware.com/stream_support
or from the ClassMate Reader support page at:
http://www.HumanWare.com/classmate_support
Select the software link on either of those pages. The software has been renamed to HumanWare Companion because it now supports both of the HumanWare digital talking book players: Victor Reader Stream and ClassMate Reader. The ClassMate Reader is a DAISY and MP3 player with an integral screen. It is designed for people with learning disabilities who can benefit from seeing the text displayed while listening to the corresponding audio. It also has a built-in talking dictionary and many other features designed to help people with learning or reading disabilities. To find more information about the ClassMate Reader visit:
http://www.humanware.com/en-canada/products/learning_disabilities
The HumanWare Companion is a completely new program. You do not need to uninstall the previous version of Stream Companion or ClassMate Companion. Those previous programs can remain on your computer along with the new HumanWare Companion. Once you are familiar with the new HumanWare Companion, you can then remove the old Stream or ClassMate Companion using the Windows Add/Remove option of Control Panel.
To install HumanWare Companion, download the executable (EXE) file from the above link and run this file.
The new HumanWare Companion Installation procedure will ask you to select from a list of available languages. English is the default. If you are installing for the first time, you will be asked to read and accept the license. You will also be asked if you want a Complete or Custom installation. Select 'Complete' to install for the Stream. If you are using the ClassMate Reader you should select 'Custom' to allow you to customize the Companion for that player. After installation you also have the ability to change either the language or player choices using the Options item of the Companion Tools menu.
After installing, you can run the program by selecting the HumanWare Companion icon on your desktop. Note that the desktop Stream or ClassMate Companion icons will still run the old versions of those programs until you decide to uninstall them.
The HumanWare Companion is optional software to support the Stream or the ClassMate Reader. There is no need to install this software unless you need its functionality. The Companion automates the unzipping of books and creation of folders on the SD card so many people find it more convenient than Windows for transferring books and files to the SD card. The Companion also lets you convert audio note files to wav files for use on your computer. The new features and changes for version 3.0 include:
- A complete new interface using simple pull-down menus instead of former multi-page dialogs. Now there is a Transfer menu with items for each of the Stream bookshelves.
- Five less controls in the transfer dialog windows making the dialogs easier to navigate especially for keyboard users. The Refresh button has been moved to the File menu. The About and Help buttons have been moved to a Help menu. The two controls for SD space before and after the operation have been moved to the status line at the bottom of the screen.
- The options dialog of the Tools menu lets you choose the interface language from a list of available languages. You can also choose which book player (Stream or Classmate) you are using.
- A new tree view allows you to view your music by folder and/or file.
- The Options dialog of the Tools menu lets you choose to sort your book titles or file names either alphabetically or by location (path).
- You can now append to an existing playlist in the Music window.
- There are single shortcut keys for each of the bookshelf transfer windows.
- There is a Tools menu item to create the new Stream 3.0 SD card label.
- Companion now supports the new Bookshare zip format. Select the check box to include zip files in the Talking Books transfer window and your zip Bookshare books will appear in the book list. Then just check the Bookshare books you wish to transfer. Companion will request your Bookshare password, unzip your books and transfer them to your SD card.
Also, with respect to NLS download books in the United States, we are aware that the previous Companion version 2 was not transferring some NLS books properly. These issues have been corrected in Companion 3.0.
After installing the User Guide can be read by selecting the Help menu.
HumanWare hopes you enjoy the new Companion 3.0 software.
Thank you,
The HumanWare Team
***Victor Reader Stream version 3***
Dear Victor Reader Friends:
HumanWare is please to announce the release of the new Stream 3.0 software. Stream 3.0 is a major release with exciting new features and numerous usability improvements. Version 3 responds to popular requests received from many Stream customers. New features include:
- Optional multi-level bookshelf navigation for Other Books, Podcasts, and Text. Now you can optionally organize these bookshelves into multiple levels of folders and navigate at those levels.
- Optional multi-level folder navigation within Music files. For example, now you could choose to organize your music by levels such as genre, artist, and album and navigate at those levels to more quickly find your desired music.
- Further you can now instantly create temporary playlists of a subset of your music collection and limit Random play to only that portion of your music.
- Text Search. Now you can enter words to search for in your text files or text portion of DAISY books.
- A new Bookmark alert feature can be enabled to notify you when you pass over a previously bookmarked position during playback. It will even automatically announce your audio bookmarks.
- Two text-to-speech voices. The English versions will now include both a male and female text-to-speech voice.
- Optional voice label for your SD cards
Usability Improvements:
- A 30 minute Time Jump choice has been added
- Single hotkey (#9) to toggle music random play on or off
- Book title is included in the delete confirmation prompt. Also, after deletion, the next book on the bookshelf is announced.
- Press key 4 in music to repeat the current song
- Go To Percent added to Other Books and Podcasts
- Automatic removal of the UPG file after the software upgrade
and more. Please see the Release Notes for full details on the new features and instructions on how to use them.
Both the software and Release Notes can be downloaded from the Stream support page at:
http://www.humanware.com/stream_support
Select the Software link on that page. You will find the Release Notes at the top and the English 3.0 software download links. You can choose from two English versions one with Samantha + Tom text-to-speech voices and another with Samantha + Daniel (UK) voices. You can upgrade to version 3 from any prior Stream version. To install the new software, follow these steps:
- Download the software zip file
- Unzip the single UPG upgrade file from the zip file. You do not need special unzip software. Simply press Enter to open the zip file and you can then select the UPG file.
- Copy this UPG file to the root of your Stream SD card.
- Disconnect the Stream from the computer, connect it to AC power and turn it on.
- The Stream will automatically start the update process which takes about 2 minutes during which time it will announce intermittent "please Wait" messages. The Stream will power off when the new software is installed.
After the new software is installed, an html Release Notes document will also be available in a HumanWare sub-folder of your Text Bookshelf so you may read the Release Notes with your Stream. The html version allows you to navigate the Release Notes section by section using the 2/8 keys to select the level and keys 4 and 6 to move between sections.
With this announcement, version 3 is available in English only. As other version 3 languages become available they will be posted on the same download page. We also are releasing a new version of Stream Companion which will be described in a second email.
HumanWare values your continued support of the Victor Reader Stream. We remain committed to our customers to make the Stream the most powerful, flexible, and enjoyable product used for listening to digital talking books, computer files, and music.
Thank you,
The HumanWare Team
***HumanWare Companion version 3***
Dear Victor Reader Friends:
HumanWare is please to announce the release of the new Stream Companion 3.0 program.
It is available for free download on the Stream support page at:
http://www.humanware.com/stream_support
or from the ClassMate Reader support page at:
http://www.HumanWare.com/classmate_support
Select the software link on either of those pages. The software has been renamed to HumanWare Companion because it now supports both of the HumanWare digital talking book players: Victor Reader Stream and ClassMate Reader. The ClassMate Reader is a DAISY and MP3 player with an integral screen. It is designed for people with learning disabilities who can benefit from seeing the text displayed while listening to the corresponding audio. It also has a built-in talking dictionary and many other features designed to help people with learning or reading disabilities. To find more information about the ClassMate Reader visit:
http://www.humanware.com/en-canada/products/learning_disabilities
The HumanWare Companion is a completely new program. You do not need to uninstall the previous version of Stream Companion or ClassMate Companion. Those previous programs can remain on your computer along with the new HumanWare Companion. Once you are familiar with the new HumanWare Companion, you can then remove the old Stream or ClassMate Companion using the Windows Add/Remove option of Control Panel.
To install HumanWare Companion, download the executable (EXE) file from the above link and run this file.
The new HumanWare Companion Installation procedure will ask you to select from a list of available languages. English is the default. If you are installing for the first time, you will be asked to read and accept the license. You will also be asked if you want a Complete or Custom installation. Select 'Complete' to install for the Stream. If you are using the ClassMate Reader you should select 'Custom' to allow you to customize the Companion for that player. After installation you also have the ability to change either the language or player choices using the Options item of the Companion Tools menu.
After installing, you can run the program by selecting the HumanWare Companion icon on your desktop. Note that the desktop Stream or ClassMate Companion icons will still run the old versions of those programs until you decide to uninstall them.
The HumanWare Companion is optional software to support the Stream or the ClassMate Reader. There is no need to install this software unless you need its functionality. The Companion automates the unzipping of books and creation of folders on the SD card so many people find it more convenient than Windows for transferring books and files to the SD card. The Companion also lets you convert audio note files to wav files for use on your computer. The new features and changes for version 3.0 include:
- A complete new interface using simple pull-down menus instead of former multi-page dialogs. Now there is a Transfer menu with items for each of the Stream bookshelves.
- Five less controls in the transfer dialog windows making the dialogs easier to navigate especially for keyboard users. The Refresh button has been moved to the File menu. The About and Help buttons have been moved to a Help menu. The two controls for SD space before and after the operation have been moved to the status line at the bottom of the screen.
- The options dialog of the Tools menu lets you choose the interface language from a list of available languages. You can also choose which book player (Stream or Classmate) you are using.
- A new tree view allows you to view your music by folder and/or file.
- The Options dialog of the Tools menu lets you choose to sort your book titles or file names either alphabetically or by location (path).
- You can now append to an existing playlist in the Music window.
- There are single shortcut keys for each of the bookshelf transfer windows.
- There is a Tools menu item to create the new Stream 3.0 SD card label.
- Companion now supports the new Bookshare zip format. Select the check box to include zip files in the Talking Books transfer window and your zip Bookshare books will appear in the book list. Then just check the Bookshare books you wish to transfer. Companion will request your Bookshare password, unzip your books and transfer them to your SD card.
Also, with respect to NLS download books in the United States, we are aware that the previous Companion version 2 was not transferring some NLS books properly. These issues have been corrected in Companion 3.0.
After installing the User Guide can be read by selecting the Help menu.
HumanWare hopes you enjoy the new Companion 3.0 software.
Thank you,
The HumanWare Team
Tuesday, March 17
Stream 3.0 announced
Greetings. I received the following note from HumanWare today regarding version 3of the Stream. From the brief list of new features, it looks like they've made a genuine effort to appease those looking for music improvements and those looking for other improvements. While I can appreciate the music enhancements, I don't just have the Stream to play music, but rather to listen to books and play other kinds of files. Though I know people who do have the Stream just for playing music. If you want to do that, why not get an iPod? Oh well, to each his/her own I suppose. One particular feature that looks good to me right off is a bookmark notification when reading a book or file. I've increasingly used more and more bookmarks in my books and files, so this will be helpful. Anyway, read on for details of Stream version 3. It looks like it should be ready for download by the end of March, which is good. This will make 9 months between version 2 and version 3. Pretty good in my book. Enjoy.
***
Los Angeles California, March 17, 2009 -- Today at the annual CSUN technology conference in Los Angeles, HumanWare announced the latest version of its popular Victor Reader Stream DAISY NISO book player, MP3 player, and voice recorder. The latest release of software for the Stream is version 3.0. It is a free upgrade software for the tens of thousands of users who now enjoy their Stream worldwide.
Version 3.0 is a major release packed with new features that continue to distinguish the Stream as the industry leader among pocket size accessible players. Version 3.0 responds to popular requests received from many Stream customers. New features include:
• Multi-level bookshelf navigation for Other Books, Podcasts, and Text. Now you can optionally organize these bookshelves into multiple levels of folders and navigate at those levels.
• Multi-level folder navigation within Music files. For example, now you could choose to organize your music by levels such as genre, artist, and album and navigate at those levels to more quickly find your desired music.
• Further you can now instantly create temporary playlists of any subset of your music collection and limit Random play to only that portion of your music.
• Moreover, you can turn random play on or off with a single key press like many commercial MP3 players.
• Text Search. Yes, now you can enter words to search for in your text files or text-only DAISY books.
• Bookmark alert. You can enable an optional bookmark alert feature to notify you when you are playing a book and pass over a previously bookmarked position. It will even automatically announce your audio bookmarks.
• Two text-to-speech voices. The English version of Stream 3.0 will now include both a male and female text-to-speech voice.
• A 30 minute Time Jump feature and many other usability improvements have been added.
"With the increasing use of 8gb, 16, and even 32gb storage cards, users are managing ever increasing amounts of data on their Stream", says Gerry Chevalier, Victor Reader Product Manager. "With thousands of music files and hundreds of podcasts or text files they have asked us to provide more efficient navigation and version 3 delivers just that."
Says Chevalier, "The improved navigation as well as the bookmark alert, text search and other usability improvements in Stream 3.0 renews HumanWare's commitment to our Stream customers that we would continue to enhance the Stream over time to maximize their Stream investment."
And there's more. HumanWare is pleased to announce that Stream 3.0 will also be accompanied by a completely new-look Stream Companion software. The new Stream Companion 3.0 Windows software has a completely new menu driven interface, support for the new Bookshare zip format, and more.
HumanWare expects to have both the Stream 3.0 and Companion 3.0 available for free download before the end of March. The software will be made available on the Stream Support Page
http://www.humanware.com/en-usa/support/victor_reader_stream
***
Los Angeles California, March 17, 2009 -- Today at the annual CSUN technology conference in Los Angeles, HumanWare announced the latest version of its popular Victor Reader Stream DAISY NISO book player, MP3 player, and voice recorder. The latest release of software for the Stream is version 3.0. It is a free upgrade software for the tens of thousands of users who now enjoy their Stream worldwide.
Version 3.0 is a major release packed with new features that continue to distinguish the Stream as the industry leader among pocket size accessible players. Version 3.0 responds to popular requests received from many Stream customers. New features include:
• Multi-level bookshelf navigation for Other Books, Podcasts, and Text. Now you can optionally organize these bookshelves into multiple levels of folders and navigate at those levels.
• Multi-level folder navigation within Music files. For example, now you could choose to organize your music by levels such as genre, artist, and album and navigate at those levels to more quickly find your desired music.
• Further you can now instantly create temporary playlists of any subset of your music collection and limit Random play to only that portion of your music.
• Moreover, you can turn random play on or off with a single key press like many commercial MP3 players.
• Text Search. Yes, now you can enter words to search for in your text files or text-only DAISY books.
• Bookmark alert. You can enable an optional bookmark alert feature to notify you when you are playing a book and pass over a previously bookmarked position. It will even automatically announce your audio bookmarks.
• Two text-to-speech voices. The English version of Stream 3.0 will now include both a male and female text-to-speech voice.
• A 30 minute Time Jump feature and many other usability improvements have been added.
"With the increasing use of 8gb, 16, and even 32gb storage cards, users are managing ever increasing amounts of data on their Stream", says Gerry Chevalier, Victor Reader Product Manager. "With thousands of music files and hundreds of podcasts or text files they have asked us to provide more efficient navigation and version 3 delivers just that."
Says Chevalier, "The improved navigation as well as the bookmark alert, text search and other usability improvements in Stream 3.0 renews HumanWare's commitment to our Stream customers that we would continue to enhance the Stream over time to maximize their Stream investment."
And there's more. HumanWare is pleased to announce that Stream 3.0 will also be accompanied by a completely new-look Stream Companion software. The new Stream Companion 3.0 Windows software has a completely new menu driven interface, support for the new Bookshare zip format, and more.
HumanWare expects to have both the Stream 3.0 and Companion 3.0 available for free download before the end of March. The software will be made available on the Stream Support Page
http://www.humanware.com/en-usa/support/victor_reader_stream
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