Greetings. I received this from a coworker. I usually don't like getting/forwarding these types of emails, but this one was too good and too funny to pass up. So, instead of forwarding it and clogging up the information superhighway with useless traffic, I'm posting it here. Besides, it's a good read. Enjoy.
***
Men Are Just Happier People--
Your last name stays put.
The garage is all yours.
Wedding plans take care of themselves.
Chocolate is just another snack.
You can never be pregnant.
Car mechanics tell you the truth.
The world is your urinal.
You never have to drive to another petrol station restroom because this
one is just too icky.
You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
Same work, more pay.
Wrinkles add character.
People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them.
New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
One mood all the time.
Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
You know stuff about tanks and engines.
A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.
You can open all your own jars.
You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
Your underwear is $8.95 for a twelve-pack..
Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.
You never have strap problems in public.
You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes..
Everything on your face stays its original color.
The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.
You only have to shave your face and neck.
You can play with toys all your life.
One wallet and one pair of shoes -- one color for all seasons.
You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.
You can 'do' your nails with a pocket knife.
You have freedom of choice concerning growing a moustache.
You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25
minutes.
No wonder men are happier.
Send this to the women who can handle it and to the men who will enjoy
reading it.
Thursday, April 30
Message from NLS regarding new BARD site
Greetings. I received this message today from the NLS regarding the new BARD site. BARD stands for Braille and Audio Recorded Download. The new site launched today, which for the user means unlimited downloads,a list of the top downloads in fiction and nonfiction, and other improvements. However, before you go counting the number of downloads you can do in an hour, consider the following note. Enjoy and happy downloading/reading!
***
To all users of the NLS BARD service:
Now that the new NLS BARD web site has been launched, we're asking again that users exercise restraint in downloading, especially during the critical first weeks of operation of the new site.
We are experiencing an enormous load on the system at the current time. This load is far higher than is to be expected based on a single day without service or any pent-up demand remaining from the pilot site's thirty-item limit.
Please remember that there is no need to download more than what you can reasonably consume. The site will be available at all times, and no materials will be removed. Please download only what you need.
As before, questions and comments should be sent to NLSDownload@loc.gov
Send questions or requests about the book and magazine collection to your library.
***
To all users of the NLS BARD service:
Now that the new NLS BARD web site has been launched, we're asking again that users exercise restraint in downloading, especially during the critical first weeks of operation of the new site.
We are experiencing an enormous load on the system at the current time. This load is far higher than is to be expected based on a single day without service or any pent-up demand remaining from the pilot site's thirty-item limit.
Please remember that there is no need to download more than what you can reasonably consume. The site will be available at all times, and no materials will be removed. Please download only what you need.
As before, questions and comments should be sent to NLSDownload@loc.gov
Send questions or requests about the book and magazine collection to your library.
Wednesday, April 22
Book notifications will be turned off soon
Greetings. I received the following note from the NLS Digital Download Pilot program today regarding the end of their weekly announcements by email. As has been reported and posted on other blogs recently, the NLS Digital Download program will be ceasing on April 28, to be replaced by the new BARD site, covering Braille and recorded downloads, on April 30. Among the advantages of this are unlimited downloads, a list of frequently downloaded books, and more. Unfortunately, this means that this Friday will be the last day that emailed notices of new books being added to the collection. Read more below. Enjoy.
***
All:
This Friday's new book and magazine announcements will be the last messages sent on the DTB-Test mailing list.
The download pilot test will end next Tuesday. You should have received a message last week detailing the change to our permanent service, the NLS BARD.
There will be no announcements of materials added to BARD. Users are asked to refer to the Recently Added Books and Magazines pages on the site.
Thanks again to everyone who participated in the pilot test. We couldn't have done it without you.
- Neil
***
All:
This Friday's new book and magazine announcements will be the last messages sent on the DTB-Test mailing list.
The download pilot test will end next Tuesday. You should have received a message last week detailing the change to our permanent service, the NLS BARD.
There will be no announcements of materials added to BARD. Users are asked to refer to the Recently Added Books and Magazines pages on the site.
Thanks again to everyone who participated in the pilot test. We couldn't have done it without you.
- Neil
2009 NFL Draft coverage
Greetings. In the extreme dry spell of non-football season, with the NBA and NHL playoffs just kicking off and baseball barely in it's first month, it's great to have a distraction from the non-NFL sports. Among the many media outlets that might be covering the 2009 NFL Draft you've got the sports TV channels such as ESPN and the NFL Network, local/national radio sports networks or stations, and, as should come as no surprise, Sirius/XM Satellite Radio. Check out this post from the Orbetcast blog on 2009 NFL Draft: Every pick from every round on Sirius XM. May all the football nuts rejoyce, or at least enjoy the break in the minotany. enjoy.
Saturday, April 18
Can-Am Braille
Greetings. I received the following press release from a friend and thought it was appropriate to post here. Please excuse any formatting errors. Links are provided where appropriate. Enjoy.
***
The following press release was received via the National Federation of the
Blind and forwarded herein for your information.
It is an interesting announcement that will hopefully include many consumer
product-oriented industries down stream, including food and pharmaceutical,
and will make product information more readily available for the blind and
visually impaired.
Given that this announcement of a US and Canadian standard will likely lead
to making Braille labeling available and commonplace on millions of packages
over time, this is an even more compelling reason to encourage and support
Braille literacy for all age groups.
Mike Vandervoort
Board Member,
NFB of Texas, Abilene Chapter
PRESS RELEASE -- Converting Magazine, 3/19/2009 9:15:00 AM
To better satisfy the needs of the visually impaired in North America, the
International Association of Diecutting and Diemaking (IADD), located in
Crystal Lake, IL, has created "Can-Am Braille," a set of guidelines and
recommendations for the use of Braille on packaging.
The IADD worked in conjunction with the Braille Authority of North America
(BANA) over the past 18 months to develop the standard, whose official
release is set for Friday, May 8, at the 2009 IADD.FSEA Odyssey in Atlanta,
GA, USA.
An informative technical workshop, "Let Your Fingers Do the Talking: Braille
on Folding Cartons" will review the North American standard in detail. All
participants will receive a copy; further distribution will take place
postworkshop through the IADD and BANA websites to reach out and bring
together the printing, paperboard packaging and pharmaceutical industries.
The standard has been reviewed and received its final approval by the IADD
Executive Committee and Board of Directors in January 2009.
"The use of Braille in packaging will continue to increase over the next
several years," predicts Stephen Brighton, IADD Braille Task Force Chair,
"following European pharmaceutical and food product packaging trends in
Europe."
Brighton explains that in October 2005, a previous directive of the European
Commission regarding the use of Braille for pharmaceutical packaging was
implemented as law for newly approved medicinal products. To address these
requirements, the European Carton Manufacturers Association worked closely
with national carton associations from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France,
Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the
United Kingdom to develop a standard that is being used as a set of
guidelines and recommendations for the use of Braille on packaging. Can-Am
Braille is derived from this standard.
Already the Canadian and U.S. packaging markets are experiencing the effects
of the European requirements, with some larger pharmaceutical companies
incorporating Braille on their packaging for the last few years. It is
essential that a common standard be in place to ensure that blind and
visually impaired individuals will be able to benefit from its use. When
asked why the IADD chose to base its standard on a European one, Brighton
elaborates, "There is nothing about Braille that we can hold autonomous. We
have had the opportunity to collaborate with BANA to marry their knowledge
of Braille with our knowledge of what's practically possible when applying
Braille to paperboard substrates. What we are really dealing with is the
independence of the visually impaired. Our responsibility is to ensure that
their independence is respected and that we, as an industry, do the best
that we can to produce pharmaceutical, fast food or other types of
paperboard packaging with the best quality braille for readability and
continuity through the use of the standard. Otherwise the purpose of
producing the Braille and the resources it takes in these economic times
ends up being an exercise in futility for everyone involved."
"We are looking forward to the implementation of this standard," said Judy
Dixon, chair for the Braille Authority of North America, "It will have the
effect of making more Braille labels to help blind people identify the
packages in their everyday lives and this will be a very positive step
forward."
Interestingly, no government legislation similar to that of Europe is
currently proposed in the U.S. or Canada that would require pharmaceutical
packaging to have Braille on it. The original concept of creating a North
American standard stemmed from a Braille workshop and discussions at an IADD
Can-Am Chapter meeting. Some members had participated in a Braille workshop
at the IADD Annual Meeting in Switzerland in November 2006. It was felt that
a proactive approach on the part of industry to develop and implement its
own standard would be a way of reducing or even eliminating legislative
intervention. This has allowed the standard to be developed in a time frame
that fosters continuity, making it more of an international standard, and
that ensures it will work from a practical standpoint.
The IADD Board approved the Can-Am Braille standard in January 2009. The
BANA Board reviewed and has approved the IADD Can-Am Braille standard in
November 2008.
Contact: Jill May, IADD Chapter Relations Coordinator, International
Association of Diecutting and Diemaking.
jmay@iadd.org
For more information about the IADD, visit
www.iadd.org
For more information about BANA, visit
www.brailleauthority.org
***
The following press release was received via the National Federation of the
Blind and forwarded herein for your information.
It is an interesting announcement that will hopefully include many consumer
product-oriented industries down stream, including food and pharmaceutical,
and will make product information more readily available for the blind and
visually impaired.
Given that this announcement of a US and Canadian standard will likely lead
to making Braille labeling available and commonplace on millions of packages
over time, this is an even more compelling reason to encourage and support
Braille literacy for all age groups.
Mike Vandervoort
Board Member,
NFB of Texas, Abilene Chapter
PRESS RELEASE -- Converting Magazine, 3/19/2009 9:15:00 AM
To better satisfy the needs of the visually impaired in North America, the
International Association of Diecutting and Diemaking (IADD), located in
Crystal Lake, IL, has created "Can-Am Braille," a set of guidelines and
recommendations for the use of Braille on packaging.
The IADD worked in conjunction with the Braille Authority of North America
(BANA) over the past 18 months to develop the standard, whose official
release is set for Friday, May 8, at the 2009 IADD.FSEA Odyssey in Atlanta,
GA, USA.
An informative technical workshop, "Let Your Fingers Do the Talking: Braille
on Folding Cartons" will review the North American standard in detail. All
participants will receive a copy; further distribution will take place
postworkshop through the IADD and BANA websites to reach out and bring
together the printing, paperboard packaging and pharmaceutical industries.
The standard has been reviewed and received its final approval by the IADD
Executive Committee and Board of Directors in January 2009.
"The use of Braille in packaging will continue to increase over the next
several years," predicts Stephen Brighton, IADD Braille Task Force Chair,
"following European pharmaceutical and food product packaging trends in
Europe."
Brighton explains that in October 2005, a previous directive of the European
Commission regarding the use of Braille for pharmaceutical packaging was
implemented as law for newly approved medicinal products. To address these
requirements, the European Carton Manufacturers Association worked closely
with national carton associations from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France,
Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the
United Kingdom to develop a standard that is being used as a set of
guidelines and recommendations for the use of Braille on packaging. Can-Am
Braille is derived from this standard.
Already the Canadian and U.S. packaging markets are experiencing the effects
of the European requirements, with some larger pharmaceutical companies
incorporating Braille on their packaging for the last few years. It is
essential that a common standard be in place to ensure that blind and
visually impaired individuals will be able to benefit from its use. When
asked why the IADD chose to base its standard on a European one, Brighton
elaborates, "There is nothing about Braille that we can hold autonomous. We
have had the opportunity to collaborate with BANA to marry their knowledge
of Braille with our knowledge of what's practically possible when applying
Braille to paperboard substrates. What we are really dealing with is the
independence of the visually impaired. Our responsibility is to ensure that
their independence is respected and that we, as an industry, do the best
that we can to produce pharmaceutical, fast food or other types of
paperboard packaging with the best quality braille for readability and
continuity through the use of the standard. Otherwise the purpose of
producing the Braille and the resources it takes in these economic times
ends up being an exercise in futility for everyone involved."
"We are looking forward to the implementation of this standard," said Judy
Dixon, chair for the Braille Authority of North America, "It will have the
effect of making more Braille labels to help blind people identify the
packages in their everyday lives and this will be a very positive step
forward."
Interestingly, no government legislation similar to that of Europe is
currently proposed in the U.S. or Canada that would require pharmaceutical
packaging to have Braille on it. The original concept of creating a North
American standard stemmed from a Braille workshop and discussions at an IADD
Can-Am Chapter meeting. Some members had participated in a Braille workshop
at the IADD Annual Meeting in Switzerland in November 2006. It was felt that
a proactive approach on the part of industry to develop and implement its
own standard would be a way of reducing or even eliminating legislative
intervention. This has allowed the standard to be developed in a time frame
that fosters continuity, making it more of an international standard, and
that ensures it will work from a practical standpoint.
The IADD Board approved the Can-Am Braille standard in January 2009. The
BANA Board reviewed and has approved the IADD Can-Am Braille standard in
November 2008.
Contact: Jill May, IADD Chapter Relations Coordinator, International
Association of Diecutting and Diemaking.
jmay@iadd.org
For more information about the IADD, visit
www.iadd.org
For more information about BANA, visit
www.brailleauthority.org
Audio description now at Disney
Greetings. I came across this article from the weekly MoPix email newsletter, from the Orlando Sentinel, called Heard but not seen at Disney: Device helps blind visualize rides. Very cool! Hopefully other parks and tourist attractions will adopt these audio descriptive ways as well. enjoy.
Wednesday, April 15
Stream FAQ updated
Greetings. I received this note from HumanWare yesterday regarding the FAQ for the Victor Reader Stream. This would be a good page to bookmark and check back with regularly. If any of the below questions, covering such topics as SD cards, RFB&D, the nLS digital download program, bookmarks, bookshelves, and more; look like ones you'd want to know more about, then check out this FAQ page. Enjoy.
***
Dear Victor Reader Stream Friends:
We have recently updated the Stream FAQ (frequently asked questions) document on the Stream support page at:
http://www.humanware.com/stream_support
On that page select the documentation link and then the Stream FAQ document. This FAQ has over 100 answers to questions we have received about the Stream and we encourage you to review it. Following is a list of some of those questions.
Audible.com Books and Audible Manager
Q. Can I try out the Audible service without Subscribing?
Q. What is Audible Manager?
Q. How do I activate my Stream with Audible Manager?
Q. Can I use more than one SD card for Audible books on the Stream?
Q. After I activate my Stream how do I transfer Audible books to it?
Battery
Q. Why does the green power light (LED) sometimes blink when I plug the Stream to AC power?
Q. If I cannot see the LED how do I tell if the player is charging?
Q. Can I quickly get battery status without listening to all the Information items?
Q. Can I recharge the Stream while it is in use?
Q. Will I lose any bookmarks or player settings if I change the battery or allow the battery to fully deplete?
Q. What is the best way to store the battery for a long period of non use?
Bookmarks
Q. How do I place a bookmark precisely at the start of a chapter or page or file?
Q. How can I quickly remove all the bookmarks in a single book?
Q. Will the Stream Bookmark data base fill up if I never delete bookmarks?
Q. Can I enter a bookmark while recording?
Q. During playback, will the Stream alert me if I pass over a previously bookmarked position?
Bookshelf and Folders
Q. Can I have sub-folders within the $VR bookshelf folders?
Q. How can I read .doc documents on the Stream?
Q. I have many books on my Talking Books bookshelf. Can I arrange them in categories?
Q. Can I list my Talking Books bookshelf in date order?
Q. When my podcast episode ends, can Stream automatically play the next one?
Bookshare (United States)
Q. What is the proper way to put a Bookshare book into the Stream Bookshelf?
CNIB Online Digital Audio Books (Canada)
Q. How do I transfer a CNIB Library Online Digital Audio book to the Stream?
General
Q. What should I do if my Stream does not respond even to the power button?
Q. Can I play the Stream while it is connected to my PC?
Q. Why do some audio files play at different volume levels on different bookshelves?
Q. Will Stream play WMA protected books such as those from Overdrive or NetLibrary.com sources?
Q. Can the Stream play MP3 books from Overdrive?
Q. How do I know if my public library's Overdrive service offer MP3 books?
Q. How do I do a factory reset of the Stream?
Q. Can I use the Windows Explorer SEND TO menu to send files to my Stream?
NFB (United States)
Q. I receive NFB newspapers by email. How do I transfer them to the Stream?
NLS Books (United States)
Q. What is the process to participate in the expanded NLS pilot project and enable my Stream to play NLS books?
Q. Once I am authorized for the NLS pilot download, how do I download a book?
Q. After downloading the book on my computer, how do I transfer it to my Stream?
Q. As an alternative, can I transfer NLS zip books using Stream Companion?
Q. Will the Stream play the future book cartridges that NLS will distribute?
Playback and Navigation
Q. If I accidentally press key 4 or 6 how can I quickly get back to my reading position?
Q. How can I quickly get to the start of a book?
Q. How can I quickly reach the end of a book?
Q. How can I quickly jump to a position far into a large text file?
Q. How can I quickly jump to a position far into a large audio file?
Q. How do I backup just a few seconds with Rewind key? If I hold it too long it backs up 1 minute.
Q. Can I resume reading a few seconds back from where I last stopped?
Q. How can I lock the keypad while playing a book?
Playing Content from CDs
Q. How do I copy CD DAISY books to the Stream?
Q. How do I copy DAISY multi-CD books to the Stream?
Q. Why does Stream not play the files I copied from my audio CD using Windows Explorer?
Q. I have a DAISY CD with multiple books and a Discinfo.html file. How do I copy that CD to my Stream SD card?
Recording
Q. How do I find the total recording time available on my memory card?
Q. What are the recording specifications and space required for the AMR-WB+ files?
Q. I have many Audio Notes and cannot remember all the note numbers. Can I rename/move the Notes for archival?
Q. What type of microphone should I use on my Stream?
RFB&D (United States)
Q. How do I obtain the RFB&D User Authorization Key?
Q. How do I install the RFB&D UAK once I have purchased it?
Q. How do I play RFB&D CD AudioPlus books on the Stream?
Q. How do I play RFB&D AudioPlus books that come on more than one CD?
SD Card
Q. What type of SD cards should I use in Stream?
Q. Do I need to format my SD card before using it?
Q. How do I format my SD card?
Q. If I format the card and replace the files will I lose all the bookmarks and reading positions in my books?
Q. If I write-protect the SD card does it mean I cannot set bookmarks?
Q. Is there anything I can do if the Safely Remove Hardware option is not in my Windows System Tray?
Q. How do I set up a USB flash drive for use on the Stream?
Q. How do I set up books to play on the USB flash drive?
Q. Do all Stream functions work on the books on the USB flash drive?
Thank you,
The HumanWare Team
***
Dear Victor Reader Stream Friends:
We have recently updated the Stream FAQ (frequently asked questions) document on the Stream support page at:
http://www.humanware.com/stream_support
On that page select the documentation link and then the Stream FAQ document. This FAQ has over 100 answers to questions we have received about the Stream and we encourage you to review it. Following is a list of some of those questions.
Audible.com Books and Audible Manager
Q. Can I try out the Audible service without Subscribing?
Q. What is Audible Manager?
Q. How do I activate my Stream with Audible Manager?
Q. Can I use more than one SD card for Audible books on the Stream?
Q. After I activate my Stream how do I transfer Audible books to it?
Battery
Q. Why does the green power light (LED) sometimes blink when I plug the Stream to AC power?
Q. If I cannot see the LED how do I tell if the player is charging?
Q. Can I quickly get battery status without listening to all the Information items?
Q. Can I recharge the Stream while it is in use?
Q. Will I lose any bookmarks or player settings if I change the battery or allow the battery to fully deplete?
Q. What is the best way to store the battery for a long period of non use?
Bookmarks
Q. How do I place a bookmark precisely at the start of a chapter or page or file?
Q. How can I quickly remove all the bookmarks in a single book?
Q. Will the Stream Bookmark data base fill up if I never delete bookmarks?
Q. Can I enter a bookmark while recording?
Q. During playback, will the Stream alert me if I pass over a previously bookmarked position?
Bookshelf and Folders
Q. Can I have sub-folders within the $VR bookshelf folders?
Q. How can I read .doc documents on the Stream?
Q. I have many books on my Talking Books bookshelf. Can I arrange them in categories?
Q. Can I list my Talking Books bookshelf in date order?
Q. When my podcast episode ends, can Stream automatically play the next one?
Bookshare (United States)
Q. What is the proper way to put a Bookshare book into the Stream Bookshelf?
CNIB Online Digital Audio Books (Canada)
Q. How do I transfer a CNIB Library Online Digital Audio book to the Stream?
General
Q. What should I do if my Stream does not respond even to the power button?
Q. Can I play the Stream while it is connected to my PC?
Q. Why do some audio files play at different volume levels on different bookshelves?
Q. Will Stream play WMA protected books such as those from Overdrive or NetLibrary.com sources?
Q. Can the Stream play MP3 books from Overdrive?
Q. How do I know if my public library's Overdrive service offer MP3 books?
Q. How do I do a factory reset of the Stream?
Q. Can I use the Windows Explorer SEND TO menu to send files to my Stream?
NFB (United States)
Q. I receive NFB newspapers by email. How do I transfer them to the Stream?
NLS Books (United States)
Q. What is the process to participate in the expanded NLS pilot project and enable my Stream to play NLS books?
Q. Once I am authorized for the NLS pilot download, how do I download a book?
Q. After downloading the book on my computer, how do I transfer it to my Stream?
Q. As an alternative, can I transfer NLS zip books using Stream Companion?
Q. Will the Stream play the future book cartridges that NLS will distribute?
Playback and Navigation
Q. If I accidentally press key 4 or 6 how can I quickly get back to my reading position?
Q. How can I quickly get to the start of a book?
Q. How can I quickly reach the end of a book?
Q. How can I quickly jump to a position far into a large text file?
Q. How can I quickly jump to a position far into a large audio file?
Q. How do I backup just a few seconds with Rewind key? If I hold it too long it backs up 1 minute.
Q. Can I resume reading a few seconds back from where I last stopped?
Q. How can I lock the keypad while playing a book?
Playing Content from CDs
Q. How do I copy CD DAISY books to the Stream?
Q. How do I copy DAISY multi-CD books to the Stream?
Q. Why does Stream not play the files I copied from my audio CD using Windows Explorer?
Q. I have a DAISY CD with multiple books and a Discinfo.html file. How do I copy that CD to my Stream SD card?
Recording
Q. How do I find the total recording time available on my memory card?
Q. What are the recording specifications and space required for the AMR-WB+ files?
Q. I have many Audio Notes and cannot remember all the note numbers. Can I rename/move the Notes for archival?
Q. What type of microphone should I use on my Stream?
RFB&D (United States)
Q. How do I obtain the RFB&D User Authorization Key?
Q. How do I install the RFB&D UAK once I have purchased it?
Q. How do I play RFB&D CD AudioPlus books on the Stream?
Q. How do I play RFB&D AudioPlus books that come on more than one CD?
SD Card
Q. What type of SD cards should I use in Stream?
Q. Do I need to format my SD card before using it?
Q. How do I format my SD card?
Q. If I format the card and replace the files will I lose all the bookmarks and reading positions in my books?
Q. If I write-protect the SD card does it mean I cannot set bookmarks?
Q. Is there anything I can do if the Safely Remove Hardware option is not in my Windows System Tray?
Q. How do I set up a USB flash drive for use on the Stream?
Q. How do I set up books to play on the USB flash drive?
Q. Do all Stream functions work on the books on the USB flash drive?
Thank you,
The HumanWare Team
The other side of the news
Greetings. Below is a story I received from a guide dog related email list. Note that though the suspect of said crime appears to be a German Shepherd, the crime could have been committed by any high energy breed from any guide dog school. Enjoy.
***
Seeing Eye Dog prime Suspect in Toy Slaying
Virginia, April 10, 2009.
The body of Mr. Toy Octopus was discovered yesterday in his Charlottesville
home under suspicious circumstances.
"[Mr. Octopus] was the least judgmental toy I ever knew," said Mr. Stuffed Lamb, a close friend of the deceased. "He welcomed everyone he met with at least two open arms."
The cause of death remains unknown, but officials say evidence suggests
homicide. The prime suspect is one Yani Gg. Shepherd, also ofCharlottesville. Ms. Shepherd, who works as a Seeing Eye dog for a law student at the university, was unavailable for comment.
Glaze Y. Labrador, Shepherd's roommate and a retired guide herself, has another theory: "I firmly believe Mr. Octopus's demise was the unfortunate result of a botched squeakectomy," she stated in a press conference
yesterday. "Yani is young, and squeakectomies can be messy in the best of circumstances."
Shepherd, whose owner is not yet licensed to practice law, is seeking legal
representation.
"Normally, she'd have a hard time finding an attorney who would work for kibble," said the labrador-poodle mix of a local defense lawyer, who wished to remain anonymous. "But given the state of the economy, all bets are
off."
Meanwhile, the toys who knew Octopus continue to grieve. Perhaps they can find some small comfort in the knowledge that their friend's rattle and squeaker were recovered and are suitable for transplantation.
***
Seeing Eye Dog prime Suspect in Toy Slaying
Virginia, April 10, 2009.
The body of Mr. Toy Octopus was discovered yesterday in his Charlottesville
home under suspicious circumstances.
"[Mr. Octopus] was the least judgmental toy I ever knew," said Mr. Stuffed Lamb, a close friend of the deceased. "He welcomed everyone he met with at least two open arms."
The cause of death remains unknown, but officials say evidence suggests
homicide. The prime suspect is one Yani Gg. Shepherd, also ofCharlottesville. Ms. Shepherd, who works as a Seeing Eye dog for a law student at the university, was unavailable for comment.
Glaze Y. Labrador, Shepherd's roommate and a retired guide herself, has another theory: "I firmly believe Mr. Octopus's demise was the unfortunate result of a botched squeakectomy," she stated in a press conference
yesterday. "Yani is young, and squeakectomies can be messy in the best of circumstances."
Shepherd, whose owner is not yet licensed to practice law, is seeking legal
representation.
"Normally, she'd have a hard time finding an attorney who would work for kibble," said the labrador-poodle mix of a local defense lawyer, who wished to remain anonymous. "But given the state of the economy, all bets are
off."
Meanwhile, the toys who knew Octopus continue to grieve. Perhaps they can find some small comfort in the knowledge that their friend's rattle and squeaker were recovered and are suitable for transplantation.
Tuesday, April 7
Stream and Companion audio demonstrations
Greetings. I received the following note from HumanWare regarding version 3 of the Victor Reader Stream and some associated audio demos/tutorials. Enjoy.
****
Dear Victor Reader Stream Friends:
As a follow up to last week's release of Stream 3.0 and Companion software 3.0 we have posted two recorded tutorials. Please visit the Stream product page at:
http://www.humanware.ca/stream.html
On that page look for the Demos and Reviews heading. At the top of that list you will find two recorded tutorials for using the new features of both Stream 3.0 and the new Companion 3.0 software. These are MP3 files that you can download and listen to on your Stream.
Thank you,
The HumanWare Team
****
Dear Victor Reader Stream Friends:
As a follow up to last week's release of Stream 3.0 and Companion software 3.0 we have posted two recorded tutorials. Please visit the Stream product page at:
http://www.humanware.ca/stream.html
On that page look for the Demos and Reviews heading. At the top of that list you will find two recorded tutorials for using the new features of both Stream 3.0 and the new Companion 3.0 software. These are MP3 files that you can download and listen to on your Stream.
Thank you,
The HumanWare Team
Saturday, April 4
State of Sirius baseball coverage
Greetings. I just read on Orbetcast the post called XM gets every 2009 MLB game; Sirius comes up (almost) empty. Apparently, XM will have every MLB game for this season, and Sirius will only airre a select few of the games. If you're a baseball lover, then you might want to sign up with XM Radio and still get the Best of Sirius for the NFL coverage. I'm glad that Sirius picked up some baseball, but it is rather disappointing for even the remote baseball fan, such as myself, to see that the "Best Of" packages don't get the large portion of games expected. However, if you're an autoracing fan, then that will be covered on the Best of Sirius/XM packages, which is some consulation I suppose. At any rate, it looks like the die-heart baseball people will be going to XM for the summer. Enjoy.
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.
Another JAWS update
Greetings. For those JAWS purists that love having the "latest and greatest," FS released another update earlier this week. Take a lookat the extensive range of fixes (or, perhaps not so much):
Regarding the Gmail fixes, there's no indication of whether these fixes apply to the Standard or the Basic HTML views. As always you can download the update from the FS site or perform a "check for updates" from the JAWS Help menu/submenu, depending if you have JAWS in its own window or in the system tray. Since it has only been 2 weeks since the last update, I'm thinking that something was broken 2 weeks ago and fixed now. Ah well, so goes tech and assistive tech. Enjoy.
- The Yahoo Instant Messenger.jss script file has been updated and included in JAWS 10 to provide support for the latest version of Yahoo! Messenger 9. Make sure to download the latest Yahoo! Messenger for full compatibility with JAWS 10.
- The message history in AOL Instant Messenger and the e-mail messages in the Gmail Inbox are now visible to JAWS. Previously, the virtual buffer would appear to be blank if you tried to read message history or Inbox messages.
- When navigating through the Gmail Inbox, you can once again select and open an e-mail message by pressing ENTER when focus is on the text in the Subject column. In a previous release, it was necessary to turn off the Virtual Cursor or use the JAWS cursor to open the e-mail message.
- Resolved an issue related to certain Web pages with frames, which, when updated, created a situation where JAWS would not read the text present in the updated frame. This problem was reported for both Gmail and the Webinar software used by the Freedom Scientific Training department for the new Webinars, both free and paid, now being offered.
- The default JAWS dictionary file (default.jdf) has been updated to include the correct pronunciation of two Russian symbols.
- In the JAWS help file, the Using the JAWS Cursor topic now describes the Real Window and the Focus Window restriction options that are available for the JAWS Cursor. Previously, this topic only mentioned the Application Window, Current Window, Unrestricted, and Frame restrictions.
Regarding the Gmail fixes, there's no indication of whether these fixes apply to the Standard or the Basic HTML views. As always you can download the update from the FS site or perform a "check for updates" from the JAWS Help menu/submenu, depending if you have JAWS in its own window or in the system tray. Since it has only been 2 weeks since the last update, I'm thinking that something was broken 2 weeks ago and fixed now. Ah well, so goes tech and assistive tech. Enjoy.
Wednesday, April 1
Newsline expands yet again
Greetings. NFB Newsline, a service where you can call a local or toll free number to listen to local/national newspapers or magazines, or get TV listings, has done it again. They've expanded and given the user more options. Yesterday, the NFB Newsline Online website launched, which among other things, allows you to read content on the web, have it automatically downloaded and placed on your Victor Reader Stream, or Icon/APH Braille Plus Mobile Manager, and perform other functions. If you're not registered with this free service, you can obtain an application from the site as well. If you're already signed upf or Newsline, then there's no additional cost. You will have to log in with your user ID and pass code, as well as agree to an agreement stating how you will or won't use the service, but this only happens the first time you log into the site. You can also sign up to have your papers emailed to you as DAISY files each day/week. Visit the site and read more about this exciting service for the blind. For more about Newsline, visit the official NFB Newsline website. enjoy.
Tuesday, March 31
New game at All inPlay
Greetings. I received the following email in my Inbox earlier. To join in the fun, visit the All inPlay website. Note that for the next 15 days, members and nonmembers alike can play this new game for free. Enjoy.
***
Greetings, All inPlayers,
We're happy to announce that our fifth game, Loco Locution, is officially gold. Our diligent beta testers have helped us make Loco the best it can be, and we thank all of you.
The launch of Loco also heralds the start of fifteen days of free access! That's right, in keeping with our tradition of opening the site after we release a title, we're busting open the doors of Allinplay.com for a fifteen-day free period starting today. Anyone can jump on and play free through April 15, so tell your friends!
Not only that, get ready for a Loco weekend! We'll host two tournaments as follows:
On Friday April 10, starting at 3 pm U.S. eastern, 2000 GMT, everyone is invited to play in the Loco Draw Poker tournament. Get back to the basics with 24 hours of five-card fun.
On Saturday April 11, immediately following the conclusion of the Draw Poker tourney, we'll up the ante with 24 hours of Hold'em hysteria.
But don't worry, we won't be celebrating long. We'll be right back to work on our sixth game. And sorry, we can't tell you what it is yet, but we *can* say it's the game we get the most requests for, so keep your ears pealed!
Cheers,
The All inPlay Team
***
Greetings, All inPlayers,
We're happy to announce that our fifth game, Loco Locution, is officially gold. Our diligent beta testers have helped us make Loco the best it can be, and we thank all of you.
The launch of Loco also heralds the start of fifteen days of free access! That's right, in keeping with our tradition of opening the site after we release a title, we're busting open the doors of Allinplay.com for a fifteen-day free period starting today. Anyone can jump on and play free through April 15, so tell your friends!
Not only that, get ready for a Loco weekend! We'll host two tournaments as follows:
On Friday April 10, starting at 3 pm U.S. eastern, 2000 GMT, everyone is invited to play in the Loco Draw Poker tournament. Get back to the basics with 24 hours of five-card fun.
On Saturday April 11, immediately following the conclusion of the Draw Poker tourney, we'll up the ante with 24 hours of Hold'em hysteria.
But don't worry, we won't be celebrating long. We'll be right back to work on our sixth game. And sorry, we can't tell you what it is yet, but we *can* say it's the game we get the most requests for, so keep your ears pealed!
Cheers,
The All inPlay Team
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
Thursday, March 26
Louis Braille coin released
Greetings. I received the following announcement in my Inbox today. Enjoy.
***
National Federation of the Blind Celebrates
Release of the 2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar
NFB Jernigan Institute Releases
Report to the Nation on Braille Literacy Crisis
Baltimore, Maryland (March 26, 2009): The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the nation’s oldest and largest organization of blind people and the leading
advocate for Braille literacy, today celebrates the release of the 2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar. This historic commemorative coin, the
first-ever U.S. coin to contain tactile, readable Braille, will be launched at a special ceremony at the headquarters of the National Federation of the
Blind in Baltimore beginning at 10:00 a.m. on March 26, 2009.
The NFB Jernigan Institute, the research and training arm of the National Federation of the Blind, will also release a report to the nation on the literacy
crisis facing the blind in America. “The Braille Literacy Crisis in America: Facing the Truth, Reversing the Trend, Empowering the Blind” describes the
factors that have contributed to the shocking illiteracy rate of 90 percent among blind children and outlines steps to reverse this trend.
A portion of the money from sales of the 2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar, which was authorized by a law signed by President George W. Bush
in 2006, will be used to support the NFB’s “Braille Readers are Leaders” campaign. The campaign is a national initiative created to double the number
of blind children learning Braille by 2015.
Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “If the blind can read, the blind can achieve. The Louis Braille Bicentennial
Silver Dollar celebrates the man who gave literacy to the blind and is a unique and beautiful keepsake, but it is also a coin with a mission: to make sure
that every blind child and every adult losing vision in our nation has the opportunity to learn Braille.”
Dr. Fredric K. Schroeder, first vice president of the National Federation of the Blind and coordinator of the NFB’s national Braille Readers are Leaders
campaign, said: “Braille is not being taught to many blind children and adults because there are myths and misconceptions surrounding the code. Braille
is said to be slow and inefficient, difficult to learn, unnecessary in light of new technology, and something that isolates blind students from their sighted
peers. But the blind know these myths to be false, and studies have shown that Braille leads to employment opportunities, independence, and self-confidence
for blind people.”
The program celebrating the launch of the Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar will feature:
· The presentation of the report
· Remarks by Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind
· Remarks by Dr. Abraham Nemeth, who invented the Braille code used for mathematics and scientific notation in the United States
· Demonstrations by proficient Braille readers, including blind children
· A message from United States Senator Christopher J. Dodd, chairman of the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs and the sponsor of the
legislation authorizing the Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar
· Ed Moy, director of the United States Mint, who will give remarks and sign certificates of authenticity
· A “Braille Fair” featuring fun activities for children and adults who want to learn about Braille
The National Federation of the Blind is asking the American public, through purchasing this stunning silver dollar, to join its campaign to bring literacy,
education, opportunity, and success to the blind of America. The Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar goes on sale to the general public at noon today.
Those interested in ordering a coin should visit
www.usmint.gov
or call 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). For more information about the National Federation of the Blind and the Braille Readers are Leaders campaign, visit
www.braille.org
***
National Federation of the Blind Celebrates
Release of the 2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar
NFB Jernigan Institute Releases
Report to the Nation on Braille Literacy Crisis
Baltimore, Maryland (March 26, 2009): The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the nation’s oldest and largest organization of blind people and the leading
advocate for Braille literacy, today celebrates the release of the 2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar. This historic commemorative coin, the
first-ever U.S. coin to contain tactile, readable Braille, will be launched at a special ceremony at the headquarters of the National Federation of the
Blind in Baltimore beginning at 10:00 a.m. on March 26, 2009.
The NFB Jernigan Institute, the research and training arm of the National Federation of the Blind, will also release a report to the nation on the literacy
crisis facing the blind in America. “The Braille Literacy Crisis in America: Facing the Truth, Reversing the Trend, Empowering the Blind” describes the
factors that have contributed to the shocking illiteracy rate of 90 percent among blind children and outlines steps to reverse this trend.
A portion of the money from sales of the 2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar, which was authorized by a law signed by President George W. Bush
in 2006, will be used to support the NFB’s “Braille Readers are Leaders” campaign. The campaign is a national initiative created to double the number
of blind children learning Braille by 2015.
Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “If the blind can read, the blind can achieve. The Louis Braille Bicentennial
Silver Dollar celebrates the man who gave literacy to the blind and is a unique and beautiful keepsake, but it is also a coin with a mission: to make sure
that every blind child and every adult losing vision in our nation has the opportunity to learn Braille.”
Dr. Fredric K. Schroeder, first vice president of the National Federation of the Blind and coordinator of the NFB’s national Braille Readers are Leaders
campaign, said: “Braille is not being taught to many blind children and adults because there are myths and misconceptions surrounding the code. Braille
is said to be slow and inefficient, difficult to learn, unnecessary in light of new technology, and something that isolates blind students from their sighted
peers. But the blind know these myths to be false, and studies have shown that Braille leads to employment opportunities, independence, and self-confidence
for blind people.”
The program celebrating the launch of the Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar will feature:
· The presentation of the report
· Remarks by Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind
· Remarks by Dr. Abraham Nemeth, who invented the Braille code used for mathematics and scientific notation in the United States
· Demonstrations by proficient Braille readers, including blind children
· A message from United States Senator Christopher J. Dodd, chairman of the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs and the sponsor of the
legislation authorizing the Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar
· Ed Moy, director of the United States Mint, who will give remarks and sign certificates of authenticity
· A “Braille Fair” featuring fun activities for children and adults who want to learn about Braille
The National Federation of the Blind is asking the American public, through purchasing this stunning silver dollar, to join its campaign to bring literacy,
education, opportunity, and success to the blind of America. The Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar goes on sale to the general public at noon today.
Those interested in ordering a coin should visit
www.usmint.gov
or call 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). For more information about the National Federation of the Blind and the Braille Readers are Leaders campaign, visit
www.braille.org
Tuesday, March 24
Preview of Stream 3.0 software
Greetings. The Accessible World website has provided previews the last two weeks of the upcoming stream 3.0 software for both the Victor Reader stream and the Stream Companion. Stream version 3 should be on the web by next Monday, according to HumanWare and assuming all goes according to plan with their various last minute testing and finalizing processes. The following downloadable MP3 files cover the new features and enhancements to these different software packages. I'm putting links to both files here so as to keep them together, but one need not use the Stream Companion software if one is comfortable transferring files using the standard Windows and clipboard commands.
To download and listen to the Stream Companion version 3 software overview, go to the following address: http://accessibleworld.org/audio/download/329/tt-03-16-09.mp3
To download and listen to the Victor Reader Stream version 3overview of new features and enhancements, go to this address: http://accessibleworld.org/audio/download/331/tt-03-23-09.mp3
Both of these software releases look to offer some really cool new features and enhancements. On the Stream Companion side, instead of a multipage dialog like you had in prior versions, the interface of the program has been redone to reflect a tree view and the typical Windows menu bar, with plenty of hot keys and other selections to make performing a transfer to or from the stream very easy. On the Stream version 3.0 side, this release builds on prior releases in the folder and subfolder structure, which more aligns the Stream with Windows concepts that are familiar to everyone. There are lots of other features in Stream version 3 that are really exciting. For instance, being able to organize one's music such that each artist and associated albums are in one folder group, and being able to only play random selections in that one group for that one artist. When I initially heard of the changes to the music bookshelf, I wasn't that impressed. However, after hearing them demonstrated, well, let's just say that I've changed my mind on those enhancements. Bookmark notification, easier navigation among folders in several of the bookshelves, and other things also jump out at me from this new release. One nifty improvement that's more of a convenience change than anything is that after you update the Stream to version 3, the next time you power it on, it will automatically detect that you've already done the update, and thus remove the update file. This is a timesaver since before, you would have had to go back and remove the file before starting to use the new version, lest you update the Stream each time you turn it on. Again, not critical, but nifty all the same. The same idea applies for those new users of the NLS Digital Talking Book Pilot Program, when they install the user key, the Stream will remove it after the unit is turned on the next time. I see this as a good thing for new Stream users since they don't have to go back and remove that file later before starting to use their Streams. Over all, this looks to be a great release for anyone from the serious student in college or other school environment, the music lover, or the person who simply loves their Stream and wants to use it to its fullest potential. It's going to take a lot for Stream competitors to match what the Stream has done for the blind community.
one big thing that did not make it into this release, and it doesn't sound like it will ever make the Stream is the playing of digitally protected Windows Media content. Apparently, in order to do this, the stream would need to have a clock. So it doesn't look like this is going to happen on this device. Time will tell if another Victor Reader from HumanWare or another device altogether will be able to do this. Watch the Stream newswire next week for the announcement of the new versions and related documentation. I'll post the announcement here as well. Enjoy.
To download and listen to the Stream Companion version 3 software overview, go to the following address: http://accessibleworld.org/audio/download/329/tt-03-16-09.mp3
To download and listen to the Victor Reader Stream version 3overview of new features and enhancements, go to this address: http://accessibleworld.org/audio/download/331/tt-03-23-09.mp3
Both of these software releases look to offer some really cool new features and enhancements. On the Stream Companion side, instead of a multipage dialog like you had in prior versions, the interface of the program has been redone to reflect a tree view and the typical Windows menu bar, with plenty of hot keys and other selections to make performing a transfer to or from the stream very easy. On the Stream version 3.0 side, this release builds on prior releases in the folder and subfolder structure, which more aligns the Stream with Windows concepts that are familiar to everyone. There are lots of other features in Stream version 3 that are really exciting. For instance, being able to organize one's music such that each artist and associated albums are in one folder group, and being able to only play random selections in that one group for that one artist. When I initially heard of the changes to the music bookshelf, I wasn't that impressed. However, after hearing them demonstrated, well, let's just say that I've changed my mind on those enhancements. Bookmark notification, easier navigation among folders in several of the bookshelves, and other things also jump out at me from this new release. One nifty improvement that's more of a convenience change than anything is that after you update the Stream to version 3, the next time you power it on, it will automatically detect that you've already done the update, and thus remove the update file. This is a timesaver since before, you would have had to go back and remove the file before starting to use the new version, lest you update the Stream each time you turn it on. Again, not critical, but nifty all the same. The same idea applies for those new users of the NLS Digital Talking Book Pilot Program, when they install the user key, the Stream will remove it after the unit is turned on the next time. I see this as a good thing for new Stream users since they don't have to go back and remove that file later before starting to use their Streams. Over all, this looks to be a great release for anyone from the serious student in college or other school environment, the music lover, or the person who simply loves their Stream and wants to use it to its fullest potential. It's going to take a lot for Stream competitors to match what the Stream has done for the blind community.
one big thing that did not make it into this release, and it doesn't sound like it will ever make the Stream is the playing of digitally protected Windows Media content. Apparently, in order to do this, the stream would need to have a clock. So it doesn't look like this is going to happen on this device. Time will tell if another Victor Reader from HumanWare or another device altogether will be able to do this. Watch the Stream newswire next week for the announcement of the new versions and related documentation. I'll post the announcement here as well. Enjoy.
Wednesday, March 18
Keysoft 7.5 update
Greetings. I don't usually post updates, unless they're major ones, for the BrailleNote line of products here. However, I'm doing it today because I know a lot of people use BookShare and this update mainly addresses the new zip file archives from the new BookShare site. Plus, there's some other things in here that a BrailleNote owner/enthusiast might like. I received this information from the GUI-Talk email list. enjoy.
***
Longueuil, Quebec, March 18 2009 -- KeySoft 7.5, Build 31 for the BrailleNote mPower, BrailleNote Classic and BrailleNote PK has been released today.
In January 2009 Bookshare updated their web site offering members a number of benefits including a change from their proprietary decompression technology, (the unpack tool), to the industry standard unzip technology. This change temporarily interrupted access to Bookshare books using the BrailleNote family of products. From Bookshare member feedback and comments we recognized the importance of this access and are releasing this free update that fixes the ability to download and unzip books to current users of KeySoft 7.5.
For users of the BrailleNote PK and Classic we have also taken the opportunity to correct the error associated with scheduling an appointment, and the failure in some circumstances to retain words added to the spelling dictionary that were corrected for mPower users in Build 29. For PK users the long term issue of sometimes losing speech has been identified and corrected.
Please read the file "Release Note for KeySoft 7.5 Build 31" for further tips on using the Bookshare site with your BrailleNote.
We encourage existing KeySoft 7.5 users to take advantage of this important Bookshare access update as the Development Team finalizes the release of KeySoft 8.0.
Installation Notes:
BrailleNote mPower
Users upgrading their mPower from an earlier version of KeySoft 7.5 do not have to download and re-install the 7.5 Product Key. Users installing KeySoft 7.5 for the first time will need to obtain a Product key. The following brief instructions apply to those Users who are already running KeySoft 7.5 on their mPower.
Simply download the new Bin file from the KeySoft 7.5 Upgrade page, using the link "KeySoft 7.5 mPower Download".
Save the Bin file to a correctly prepared SD card. This card must be 512mB or less in capacity. Insert the card in the mPower, connect the AC Adapter, and perform a Reset with dots 4-5 held down. The upgrade process will then begin. Do not remove the AC adapter or press Reset during the upgrade process.
BrailleNote Classic
Users upgrading their Classic from an earlier version of KeySoft 7.5 do not have to download and re-install the 7.5 Product Key. Users installing KeySoft 7.5 for the first time will need to obtain a Product key. The following brief instructions apply to those Users who are already running KeySoft 7.5 on their Classic.
Simply download the new Bin file from the KeySoft 7.5 Upgrade page, using the link "KeySoft 7.5 Classic Download".
Save the Bin file to a Compact Flash card. Connect the AC Adapter, and perform a Reset with dots 4-5 held down. The upgrade process will then begin. Do not remove the AC adapter or press Reset during the upgrade process.
BrailleNote PK
The following brief instructions apply to PK Users.
Download the correct version of the BrailleNote PK Upgrader, using the link "BrailleNote PK Upgrader".
Download the new NB0 file from the KeySoft 7.5 Upgrade page, using the link "KeySoft 7.5 BrailleNote PK Download".
Save both files to a Compact Flash card. Connect the AC Adapter, and run the "BrailleNote PK Upgrade.exe" using the Utilities Menu, Application Program option. The upgrade process will then begin. Do not remove the AC adapter or press Reset during the upgrade process.
KeySoft 7.5 upgrade page:
http://www.humanware.com/en-usa/support/braillenote/software/keysoft_7.5_upgrade
***
Longueuil, Quebec, March 18 2009 -- KeySoft 7.5, Build 31 for the BrailleNote mPower, BrailleNote Classic and BrailleNote PK has been released today.
In January 2009 Bookshare updated their web site offering members a number of benefits including a change from their proprietary decompression technology, (the unpack tool), to the industry standard unzip technology. This change temporarily interrupted access to Bookshare books using the BrailleNote family of products. From Bookshare member feedback and comments we recognized the importance of this access and are releasing this free update that fixes the ability to download and unzip books to current users of KeySoft 7.5.
For users of the BrailleNote PK and Classic we have also taken the opportunity to correct the error associated with scheduling an appointment, and the failure in some circumstances to retain words added to the spelling dictionary that were corrected for mPower users in Build 29. For PK users the long term issue of sometimes losing speech has been identified and corrected.
Please read the file "Release Note for KeySoft 7.5 Build 31" for further tips on using the Bookshare site with your BrailleNote.
We encourage existing KeySoft 7.5 users to take advantage of this important Bookshare access update as the Development Team finalizes the release of KeySoft 8.0.
Installation Notes:
BrailleNote mPower
Users upgrading their mPower from an earlier version of KeySoft 7.5 do not have to download and re-install the 7.5 Product Key. Users installing KeySoft 7.5 for the first time will need to obtain a Product key. The following brief instructions apply to those Users who are already running KeySoft 7.5 on their mPower.
Simply download the new Bin file from the KeySoft 7.5 Upgrade page, using the link "KeySoft 7.5 mPower Download".
Save the Bin file to a correctly prepared SD card. This card must be 512mB or less in capacity. Insert the card in the mPower, connect the AC Adapter, and perform a Reset with dots 4-5 held down. The upgrade process will then begin. Do not remove the AC adapter or press Reset during the upgrade process.
BrailleNote Classic
Users upgrading their Classic from an earlier version of KeySoft 7.5 do not have to download and re-install the 7.5 Product Key. Users installing KeySoft 7.5 for the first time will need to obtain a Product key. The following brief instructions apply to those Users who are already running KeySoft 7.5 on their Classic.
Simply download the new Bin file from the KeySoft 7.5 Upgrade page, using the link "KeySoft 7.5 Classic Download".
Save the Bin file to a Compact Flash card. Connect the AC Adapter, and perform a Reset with dots 4-5 held down. The upgrade process will then begin. Do not remove the AC adapter or press Reset during the upgrade process.
BrailleNote PK
The following brief instructions apply to PK Users.
Download the correct version of the BrailleNote PK Upgrader, using the link "BrailleNote PK Upgrader".
Download the new NB0 file from the KeySoft 7.5 Upgrade page, using the link "KeySoft 7.5 BrailleNote PK Download".
Save both files to a Compact Flash card. Connect the AC Adapter, and run the "BrailleNote PK Upgrade.exe" using the Utilities Menu, Application Program option. The upgrade process will then begin. Do not remove the AC adapter or press Reset during the upgrade process.
KeySoft 7.5 upgrade page:
http://www.humanware.com/en-usa/support/braillenote/software/keysoft_7.5_upgrade
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
Sunday, March 15
Still kicking ass after all these years
Gretings. For those offended by the title of this post, you might want to skip this entry. For others, keep reading.
Metallica is my other fave band of all time. True, the pair of Petra and Metallica doesn't necessarily fit, at least when put together, but they each have their place in my world. Petra has brought me closer to God, and Metallica has (no, not what you're thinking), helped me cope with reality. No, I'm not doing drugs or anything like that. However, for lack of better phrasing, when your blind/disabled, you need some way of dealing with the mass of stupid people, or those that ask questions such as, "How do you get around campus without going up steps," or the ever popular, "Do you read lips?" Okay, to be truthful, I wasn't asked this second one directly, but a friend of mine was. Anyway, with all the daily stress you got from a job, boss, paperwork, etc., there needs to be an outlet for that stress. Or, in my case, for the dealing with stupid or "misinformed" or "ignorant" people. Metallica has filled that void perfectly. So far, they've been the only group to relieve that stress. There's nothing like putting on headphones, raising the volume, and jamming to Metallica to fulfill that need for satisfaction. Along with playing some truly awesome songs over their history, they've also helped me to calm down after a stresfull confrontation, whether it be with a "stupid" person, a coworker, or a family member. Yes, even family can bring stress.
They've also seen me through my recent training at The Seeing Eye. Many times while waiting for my instructor to come back with another student, I was jamming to Metallica, listening to a CD in the van's stereo and jacking the volume up to, well, loud. Or loud for me. I don't usually blast my stereo, but it's something I've started doing more of with the Sirius Satellite radio, and something I started doing more often in that Seeing Eye van. I often wondered if my fellow students and other instructors would bring this fact up to me at other times in class, saying that they could hear the music from down the block, but I didn't really care. No one ever did by the way, not that it would have mattered. I especially enjoy live cuts, and when the cut of "Cyanide" came on, as performed at Oz Fest last year, well, let's just say that those were times when you probably could have heard the CD from down the block. If you were to pass by the van at that point, which some people did, you would have seen me "head banging," bouncing up and down and I'm sure causing Gucci my new guide to look at me with quisical looks, wondering what I was up to. Those were fun times and ones that I'll always remember fondly.
Oddly enough, my first 'Tallica tape wasn't bought till about 10 years ago when I got the "Black" album that came out in 1991. I really burned that tape up, especially in the dorm at college. I especially enjoyed cranking the songs "Of Wold and Man" and "Through the Never." My first Metallica CD was the S&M double live album in the fall of 1999. I probably scored a little lower on my final exams that semester due to the listening that I did.
Favorite Metallica album: I've been going over this for the past day or so and can't really come up with anything, at least if we go by the criteria of loving each song and being able to listen to each song an infinite number of times without getting tired of it. For Metallica, I need to slightly alter the criteria to be: loving almost every song, since it seems like there's one or two songs I could point to on many of their albums that I could listen to in a pinch, but I really don't like all that much. In other words, if there's nothing else on the radio, then I'll listen to them, but I also won't go looking for these tunes to hear either. So, if that's the criteria, then my fave albums, in no particular order would be: "Death Magnetic," "... And Justice for All," and "Master of Puppets." If "unforgiven III" wasn't on the Magnetic album, then it would be perfect. Not only does it sound lesser than I know they can do, it doesn't even fit the pattern of the first two Unforgiven songs, in style or melody. But it's stil in that group of fave discs.
I've never been to a "live" Metallica show, preferring to live through their own live recordings, on the Live Sh*t disc and the recent incarnation of the Live Metallica site, where you can purchase shows and download them for a nominal fee for your listening pleasure. I'd love to go to a 'Tallica show someday, but for me, whenever I've contemplated going to a show my first problem has always been how will I get there, who can I get to go with, and that's where the desire stops since in my past that would involve having to justify going on a school night or asking a family member, none of whom, except maybe one of my brothers, would even entertain that notion.
In some instances, I love the recorded versions of songs better than the studio versions. The first two Metallica albums fit in this category. Aside from a few songs, like "Fade to Black," "For Whom the Bell Tolls," and one or two others, I really can't listen to those records. However, I absolutely love hearing those songs played live. There's just a certain quality of the live song that you don't get with the recorded one. Perhaps it's that you can hear more of the band's style when they play live; perhaps it's that James interacts with the audience, which gives a special feel to it; or, perhaps it's because it seems like live songs are played faster than their studio counterparts. Whatever the reason, I love the live songs. I read the book, "Slash," by Slash from the former Guns N' Roses superpower in the late eighties and early nineties, and according to him, he said that you can tell more of what a band's like by how they play songs live. I scoffed at that when I read it, but upon reflection and listening to some Guns' songs I have live and some Metallica songs, it makes sense. There's just something about hearing a good live recording, not one where the crowd noise is piped in for affect, or where the lead singer says something generic between songs like, "How's everybody feel?" But one where you can hear how the band fits together and why they're together.
I first heard Metallica on the now discontinued rock music network known as Z-Rock, when they were playing the "Black" album. Hearing "Sad But True" was the song that did it for me. So heavy, but so groovy; it had a slow melodic rhythm that jumped out at me and drew me in. That was the song that I had the thought of, "I've got to check this group out," which I did, slowly over time. Around 1992 or 93, the local rock station in Dallas, 97.1 The Eagle, started something that they did for at least 18-24 months, each night at 11 or midnight, they would play 20-30 minutes of nothing but Metallica, calling it "Manditory Metallica." This is where I really got familiar with the body of work up until that date. In 1997, the Eagle was part of the group of stations nationwide that airred a live question and answer session with Metallica and where the band played certain songs in acoustic form, for several hours one night. I also remember when "Enter Sandman" was big, and you even heard it on the local top 40 station, all be it in a slightly editted and shortened form. It was shortened I believe not so much because of any language, but because the station didn't want to be pegged as a heavy metal station. I think it even went up the top 40 weekly charts for a little while anyway, which was neat to see.
The "Black" album really changed Metallica. Sure, if they had continued in the direction they were headed in after the Justice album, then who knows where and what they might have gone and become. But, in other ways, after releasing the "Black" album in 91, they ended up drawing more fans than they might have otherwise done if they had stuck in the small metal category they were in before. Sure, there was some aspect of poppishness to some songs, like "Enter Sandman." But then again, who can argue with the heaviness of "Sad But True," or the grinding of "Holier Than Thou," and other songs that appeased the metal head. I think they carried on that more mainstream theme with Load and Reload later in the nineties, but still satisfied their core rock/metal fans. They disappointed and lost a lot of people with the "Saint Anger" record in 2003, but I think they gained those fans back, or a good portion of them anyway, with "Death Magnetic" released last year. I read earlier today that the Magnetic disc went platnum after only 3 weeks. Pretty good for an artist who lost many people with their prior record. And yet they continue touring. Any group that tours as much as Metallica doesn't do it for the money; rather, they tour because they want to play live. That's what I want to see in a group I listen to. Too many musicians do it for the money or because they "need" the money and those are the ones I dont' want to support. Metallica is one of the few groups that i'll probably keep digging even 10 years and more from now.
So here's to you Metallica; keep rocking, keep kicking ass, keep giving us great metal. Good on you for what you've done, and here's hoping that it continues for another 10-15 years, or longer.
Metallica is my other fave band of all time. True, the pair of Petra and Metallica doesn't necessarily fit, at least when put together, but they each have their place in my world. Petra has brought me closer to God, and Metallica has (no, not what you're thinking), helped me cope with reality. No, I'm not doing drugs or anything like that. However, for lack of better phrasing, when your blind/disabled, you need some way of dealing with the mass of stupid people, or those that ask questions such as, "How do you get around campus without going up steps," or the ever popular, "Do you read lips?" Okay, to be truthful, I wasn't asked this second one directly, but a friend of mine was. Anyway, with all the daily stress you got from a job, boss, paperwork, etc., there needs to be an outlet for that stress. Or, in my case, for the dealing with stupid or "misinformed" or "ignorant" people. Metallica has filled that void perfectly. So far, they've been the only group to relieve that stress. There's nothing like putting on headphones, raising the volume, and jamming to Metallica to fulfill that need for satisfaction. Along with playing some truly awesome songs over their history, they've also helped me to calm down after a stresfull confrontation, whether it be with a "stupid" person, a coworker, or a family member. Yes, even family can bring stress.
They've also seen me through my recent training at The Seeing Eye. Many times while waiting for my instructor to come back with another student, I was jamming to Metallica, listening to a CD in the van's stereo and jacking the volume up to, well, loud. Or loud for me. I don't usually blast my stereo, but it's something I've started doing more of with the Sirius Satellite radio, and something I started doing more often in that Seeing Eye van. I often wondered if my fellow students and other instructors would bring this fact up to me at other times in class, saying that they could hear the music from down the block, but I didn't really care. No one ever did by the way, not that it would have mattered. I especially enjoy live cuts, and when the cut of "Cyanide" came on, as performed at Oz Fest last year, well, let's just say that those were times when you probably could have heard the CD from down the block. If you were to pass by the van at that point, which some people did, you would have seen me "head banging," bouncing up and down and I'm sure causing Gucci my new guide to look at me with quisical looks, wondering what I was up to. Those were fun times and ones that I'll always remember fondly.
Oddly enough, my first 'Tallica tape wasn't bought till about 10 years ago when I got the "Black" album that came out in 1991. I really burned that tape up, especially in the dorm at college. I especially enjoyed cranking the songs "Of Wold and Man" and "Through the Never." My first Metallica CD was the S&M double live album in the fall of 1999. I probably scored a little lower on my final exams that semester due to the listening that I did.
Favorite Metallica album: I've been going over this for the past day or so and can't really come up with anything, at least if we go by the criteria of loving each song and being able to listen to each song an infinite number of times without getting tired of it. For Metallica, I need to slightly alter the criteria to be: loving almost every song, since it seems like there's one or two songs I could point to on many of their albums that I could listen to in a pinch, but I really don't like all that much. In other words, if there's nothing else on the radio, then I'll listen to them, but I also won't go looking for these tunes to hear either. So, if that's the criteria, then my fave albums, in no particular order would be: "Death Magnetic," "... And Justice for All," and "Master of Puppets." If "unforgiven III" wasn't on the Magnetic album, then it would be perfect. Not only does it sound lesser than I know they can do, it doesn't even fit the pattern of the first two Unforgiven songs, in style or melody. But it's stil in that group of fave discs.
I've never been to a "live" Metallica show, preferring to live through their own live recordings, on the Live Sh*t disc and the recent incarnation of the Live Metallica site, where you can purchase shows and download them for a nominal fee for your listening pleasure. I'd love to go to a 'Tallica show someday, but for me, whenever I've contemplated going to a show my first problem has always been how will I get there, who can I get to go with, and that's where the desire stops since in my past that would involve having to justify going on a school night or asking a family member, none of whom, except maybe one of my brothers, would even entertain that notion.
In some instances, I love the recorded versions of songs better than the studio versions. The first two Metallica albums fit in this category. Aside from a few songs, like "Fade to Black," "For Whom the Bell Tolls," and one or two others, I really can't listen to those records. However, I absolutely love hearing those songs played live. There's just a certain quality of the live song that you don't get with the recorded one. Perhaps it's that you can hear more of the band's style when they play live; perhaps it's that James interacts with the audience, which gives a special feel to it; or, perhaps it's because it seems like live songs are played faster than their studio counterparts. Whatever the reason, I love the live songs. I read the book, "Slash," by Slash from the former Guns N' Roses superpower in the late eighties and early nineties, and according to him, he said that you can tell more of what a band's like by how they play songs live. I scoffed at that when I read it, but upon reflection and listening to some Guns' songs I have live and some Metallica songs, it makes sense. There's just something about hearing a good live recording, not one where the crowd noise is piped in for affect, or where the lead singer says something generic between songs like, "How's everybody feel?" But one where you can hear how the band fits together and why they're together.
I first heard Metallica on the now discontinued rock music network known as Z-Rock, when they were playing the "Black" album. Hearing "Sad But True" was the song that did it for me. So heavy, but so groovy; it had a slow melodic rhythm that jumped out at me and drew me in. That was the song that I had the thought of, "I've got to check this group out," which I did, slowly over time. Around 1992 or 93, the local rock station in Dallas, 97.1 The Eagle, started something that they did for at least 18-24 months, each night at 11 or midnight, they would play 20-30 minutes of nothing but Metallica, calling it "Manditory Metallica." This is where I really got familiar with the body of work up until that date. In 1997, the Eagle was part of the group of stations nationwide that airred a live question and answer session with Metallica and where the band played certain songs in acoustic form, for several hours one night. I also remember when "Enter Sandman" was big, and you even heard it on the local top 40 station, all be it in a slightly editted and shortened form. It was shortened I believe not so much because of any language, but because the station didn't want to be pegged as a heavy metal station. I think it even went up the top 40 weekly charts for a little while anyway, which was neat to see.
The "Black" album really changed Metallica. Sure, if they had continued in the direction they were headed in after the Justice album, then who knows where and what they might have gone and become. But, in other ways, after releasing the "Black" album in 91, they ended up drawing more fans than they might have otherwise done if they had stuck in the small metal category they were in before. Sure, there was some aspect of poppishness to some songs, like "Enter Sandman." But then again, who can argue with the heaviness of "Sad But True," or the grinding of "Holier Than Thou," and other songs that appeased the metal head. I think they carried on that more mainstream theme with Load and Reload later in the nineties, but still satisfied their core rock/metal fans. They disappointed and lost a lot of people with the "Saint Anger" record in 2003, but I think they gained those fans back, or a good portion of them anyway, with "Death Magnetic" released last year. I read earlier today that the Magnetic disc went platnum after only 3 weeks. Pretty good for an artist who lost many people with their prior record. And yet they continue touring. Any group that tours as much as Metallica doesn't do it for the money; rather, they tour because they want to play live. That's what I want to see in a group I listen to. Too many musicians do it for the money or because they "need" the money and those are the ones I dont' want to support. Metallica is one of the few groups that i'll probably keep digging even 10 years and more from now.
So here's to you Metallica; keep rocking, keep kicking ass, keep giving us great metal. Good on you for what you've done, and here's hoping that it continues for another 10-15 years, or longer.
Saturday, March 14
Petra had rocked my world
Greetings. I was listening to the radio the other day and the hosts were talking about the bands in music that had influenced them the most and that when they heard a song by said band, they thought something like, "Wow, I've got to check this out." In my life, there are two bands that fit that description, and oddly enough they come from opposite ends of the spectrum. They are Petra, the long time Christian rock band that retired in 2005, and Metallica, the still running metal band. Both of these bands have really influenced me and been an outlet for me at different times in my life, and in some cases continue to be an outlet. I've got most of the musical catelog from Petra, at least since the mid eighties on, and all from Metallica. Of the two, I've actually only been to a Petra concert, and that was their farewell show in Irving, Texas, in 2005.
My first real music tape, after you got past the "kid stuff" that was out for young Christian kids in the eighties, was from Petra. It was the album "On Fire" that someone had given to me for a birthday or other gift. I remember listening to that tape multiple times growing up. I wouldn't do this today, but I was oblivious to the danger as a kid, but I used to put the tape in my boombox and take it into the bathroom, setting it on the floor or on the toilet lid and listen to On Fire while taking a bath. Weird perhaps for a 10 year old, but I didn't care. Later, when cleaning out my "kid" tapes and tossing them, I kept the Petra one and set the tape case away in my closet. A year or two later when rummaging in the closet for something, i found that storage case and that tape, and fell in love with Petra all over again, but this time as a pre-teen who was just getting into the pre-teen musical scene, and at that time, Petra were the only band out there that was Christian and also played rock.
A couple years later, I was sitting in the cafeteria at the school for the blind's summer program for youth, when a friend and brother that I had just met put headphones over my ears and said, "Check this out." He proceeded to play the "Armed and Dangerous" album from Petra to me. I was enraptured and it was at that point that I had that thought of, "Wow, I've got to check this group out." After listening to the title track and then "I Am On The Rock," I asked him, who this group was, and to my astonishment, he said, "Petra." I replied with something like, "This is Petra? The same guys that did 'On Fire'?" I was hooked after that.
My first CD was "Unseen Power" from Petra back in 1991. I admired Petra on a number of levels, for making great songs that really rocked out; for making great softer songs that had deeper messages; for, at least after a certain point, having completely new material on all their albums, which is hard for an artist to do; and for being a great influence. It was when listening to the "Beyond Belief" album that I noticed a theme in all the songs, some sort of connection. I think that this is my all time fave Petra album, but when you've got a group that you really dig, it's hard to rate anything in a one, two, three, order.
Petra were there when I was in junior high and at the school for the blind's summer program and feeling down and missing my folks and friends. I remember going to a store one weekend and looking longingly at the "Petra Praise" album that came out in 1990 or so. I didn't buy it at the time because probably I didn't have enough money. A few days later I got a care package from home that contained that exact album. I was so blessed by that alone. I couldn't figure out if someone at the school had talked with my folks or something, but now I know that it was the Lord looking out for me. I later talked with my parents who said that they saw that in the store and thought I'd enjoy it. Boy did I. In a place where there was next to none as far as fellow believers at the summer camp experience, I burned that tape up, listening to the songs and letting them become apart of me, over and over. I had them practically memorized by the end of camp, but kept listening. In that tape, and in a tape that my junior high church group sent to me, I felt that connection wit those back home, but more importantly with the Holy Spirit and God. Those were great memories. I even got some of the other kids to listen to them to, much to their chagrin since they were probably expecting some sort of flowery group instead of this busting out rock group, considering that this was the praise tape I had been listening to. Some made fun of me for listening to that tape, but I didn't care; that tape was my answer from God and from those back home to my loneliness.
I've snuck other Petra songs into main stream society as well, such as at some of the school to work weekends that the Texas commission for the Blind's Transition program used to have, now called Division for Blind Services. Or, at a high school dance that I sent to the DJ and asked him to play. They only played one song, but I loved it. One song in the age of George Michael, Janet Jackson and other artists in the early nineties period. I remember the DJ saying something before the song, likely apologizing for what he was about to play since it was a Christian song and this still was the secular high school dance, but I soked it up all the same. I've even turned other mains tream friends through the Dallas Services program for blind teens onto petra. One guy who really got into it and, for that brief time anyway, changed his attitude and outlook on life. I don't know if he ever became a Christian, but Petra was a welcoem addition to his musical collection, which included rock stuff and top-40 for the time around 1992 or so. Come to think of it, he probably dug Petra because of their musical talent and ability, since he really got into that sort of thing, but having the added bonus of a positive message didn't hurt either.
Even today, I've got loads of Petra songs on my computer, in my Victor reader Stream, and on a USB flash drive, that I listen to while doing stuff at work. They still sound great after all these years.
So here's to Petra; for being an awesome influence on my and other people's lives, for being great musicians, and for being there when I neede you and needed God's help. I'll write a separate entry of the other influential band. Talk later.
My first real music tape, after you got past the "kid stuff" that was out for young Christian kids in the eighties, was from Petra. It was the album "On Fire" that someone had given to me for a birthday or other gift. I remember listening to that tape multiple times growing up. I wouldn't do this today, but I was oblivious to the danger as a kid, but I used to put the tape in my boombox and take it into the bathroom, setting it on the floor or on the toilet lid and listen to On Fire while taking a bath. Weird perhaps for a 10 year old, but I didn't care. Later, when cleaning out my "kid" tapes and tossing them, I kept the Petra one and set the tape case away in my closet. A year or two later when rummaging in the closet for something, i found that storage case and that tape, and fell in love with Petra all over again, but this time as a pre-teen who was just getting into the pre-teen musical scene, and at that time, Petra were the only band out there that was Christian and also played rock.
A couple years later, I was sitting in the cafeteria at the school for the blind's summer program for youth, when a friend and brother that I had just met put headphones over my ears and said, "Check this out." He proceeded to play the "Armed and Dangerous" album from Petra to me. I was enraptured and it was at that point that I had that thought of, "Wow, I've got to check this group out." After listening to the title track and then "I Am On The Rock," I asked him, who this group was, and to my astonishment, he said, "Petra." I replied with something like, "This is Petra? The same guys that did 'On Fire'?" I was hooked after that.
My first CD was "Unseen Power" from Petra back in 1991. I admired Petra on a number of levels, for making great songs that really rocked out; for making great softer songs that had deeper messages; for, at least after a certain point, having completely new material on all their albums, which is hard for an artist to do; and for being a great influence. It was when listening to the "Beyond Belief" album that I noticed a theme in all the songs, some sort of connection. I think that this is my all time fave Petra album, but when you've got a group that you really dig, it's hard to rate anything in a one, two, three, order.
Petra were there when I was in junior high and at the school for the blind's summer program and feeling down and missing my folks and friends. I remember going to a store one weekend and looking longingly at the "Petra Praise" album that came out in 1990 or so. I didn't buy it at the time because probably I didn't have enough money. A few days later I got a care package from home that contained that exact album. I was so blessed by that alone. I couldn't figure out if someone at the school had talked with my folks or something, but now I know that it was the Lord looking out for me. I later talked with my parents who said that they saw that in the store and thought I'd enjoy it. Boy did I. In a place where there was next to none as far as fellow believers at the summer camp experience, I burned that tape up, listening to the songs and letting them become apart of me, over and over. I had them practically memorized by the end of camp, but kept listening. In that tape, and in a tape that my junior high church group sent to me, I felt that connection wit those back home, but more importantly with the Holy Spirit and God. Those were great memories. I even got some of the other kids to listen to them to, much to their chagrin since they were probably expecting some sort of flowery group instead of this busting out rock group, considering that this was the praise tape I had been listening to. Some made fun of me for listening to that tape, but I didn't care; that tape was my answer from God and from those back home to my loneliness.
I've snuck other Petra songs into main stream society as well, such as at some of the school to work weekends that the Texas commission for the Blind's Transition program used to have, now called Division for Blind Services. Or, at a high school dance that I sent to the DJ and asked him to play. They only played one song, but I loved it. One song in the age of George Michael, Janet Jackson and other artists in the early nineties period. I remember the DJ saying something before the song, likely apologizing for what he was about to play since it was a Christian song and this still was the secular high school dance, but I soked it up all the same. I've even turned other mains tream friends through the Dallas Services program for blind teens onto petra. One guy who really got into it and, for that brief time anyway, changed his attitude and outlook on life. I don't know if he ever became a Christian, but Petra was a welcoem addition to his musical collection, which included rock stuff and top-40 for the time around 1992 or so. Come to think of it, he probably dug Petra because of their musical talent and ability, since he really got into that sort of thing, but having the added bonus of a positive message didn't hurt either.
Even today, I've got loads of Petra songs on my computer, in my Victor reader Stream, and on a USB flash drive, that I listen to while doing stuff at work. They still sound great after all these years.
So here's to Petra; for being an awesome influence on my and other people's lives, for being great musicians, and for being there when I neede you and needed God's help. I'll write a separate entry of the other influential band. Talk later.
Friday, March 13
JAWS 10 Update 1 released
Greetings. Yesterday, Freedom Scientific released JAWS 10 Update 1. This link has information on new features and the various lists of enhancements/fixes since the full version of JAWS 10 was released last fall. There really aren't any major new features to report, except that JAWS can now officially run on 64 bit operating systems, which is notable since pretty much any new computer you buy in the stores these days only comes with 64 bit. There are probably still 32 bit operating systems out there, but likely only on the Web. There are some fixes that caught my eye in the IE and Word areas, but nothing earth shattering. At any rate, for those that like to have "the latest" or if you're in a teaching/training position and need to have it, there you go. One interesting item is that this is being referred to as an "update," not a patch. It does fit the description of the usual spring patch we might see from FS though. If the last few years are any indication, there may be one more patch in a few months, and then we'll have version 11 toward the end of the year. Enjoy.
Thursday, March 12
Talks version 4 released
Greetings. Talks version 4 was released yesterday. This version contains several improvements that look interesting to me, such as the ability to have Talks speak while on a call, to view Quick Office Word documents on your phone, and to have your license code tied to your SIM card rather than to your phone. This is particularly notable since when you switch phones, you won't have to pay the $100 transfer fee to move your Talks license from the old to the new handset. Also, Talks and Zooms, the low vision solution from Nuance, are now compiled in a single license, from what I understand from the release notes. This is notable if you ever want to demonstrate the low vision side of cell phone accessibility, which I can see myself doing for students I regularly teach.
There's another significant feature to Talks 4: that it's now supported on the Verizon Wireless Motorola Q9C phone. This is significant in that Talks can now run on a Windows mobile based device. Hopefully more WM devices will be supported in the future opening further the range of phones and options available to the end user. Click here to read the official press release from Verizon Wireless.
Below I've pasted the release notes and other related information from Talks version 4. I received this information from an email list. Note that the Nuance Talks site has not been updated yet with relevant pricing and version information, but I'm sure it will be soon. Enjoy.
***
Introduction
Nuance proudly announce the release of the Nuance Accessibility Suite -
Nuance TALKS and Nuance ZOOMS - Version 4.00 for Series 60 2nd and 3rd
Edition for March 11th, 2009.
This version also includes the first release of Nuance Daisy2Go, a DAISY
audio+text book player. The player can be used on any phone that has a
license which is valid for TALKS&ZOOMS or TALKS Premium Edition 4.00.
Version 4 is a free upgrade for all Premium Edition licenses generated
after November 13th, 2007.
2. The new handsets
2.1. Changes to the list of supported phone models
The following handsets are newly supported (please see section 4 "Known
Issues" about some limitations):
* Nokia 6650
* Nokia E66
* Nokia E71
* Nokia N79
* Nokia N85
* Nokia N96
At the same time, any 1st Edition handsets are no longer supported
(Nokia 36xx, Nokia 7650, N-Gage, N-Gage QD, Siemens SX1).
3. What's New?
This section lists the improvements of TALKS 4.00 compared to the
previous version (3.60).
3.1. New audio system (S60 3rd Ed.)
We have completely revised the audio handling in TALKS. This is most
noticeable by the ability to use speech during a call on handsets
running S60 3rd Edition for all supported text-to-speech engines. With
the previous version of TALKS, the Nokia TTS had to be used during a
call; and for S60 3rd Edition FP2, no speech during a call was possible.
The new audio handling appears to have some positive impact on
performance on a number of phones as well.
For S60 3rd Edition handsets, we have introduced two new speech
settings, which allow adjusting the base audio volume and initial
response time, so you can fine-tune speech playback for your phone,
firmware version, etc.
3.2. Support for Quick Word (S60 3rd Ed.)
It is now possible to open Word documents, such as e mail attachments,
and read them in QuickWord. QuickWord is a part of QuickOffice, and its
view-only version is pre-installed on most handsets, while the full
version that allows editing text is pre-installed on the Nokia E Series
handsets, or can be purchased otherwise.
TALKS&ZOOMS supports the view-only and full version of QuickWord 3.x, as
well as the full versions of newer releases (4.x and later, as
pre-installed on FP2 phones). When using the full version, please make
sure to switch to edit mode to allow TALKS to read the content.
3.3. SIM-based licensing
The new release of TALKS&ZOOMS gives users more freedom by offering
SIM-based licensing. When TALKS&ZOOMS is registered to a SIM-card
instead of being registered to a phone/IMEI, the user can move that SIM
card from one phone to the other, as long as the SIM license is valid
for the TALKS version installed to the new handset.
3.4. Configurable object recognition
TALKS assigns so-called "roles" to the objects it recognizes on the
mobile phone's display, and composes speech output from the text and
roles of these objects. In numerous cases, in particular when a
3rd-party application was used, TALKS has not been able to determine all
required roles correctly; in other cases, the user did not like to hear
certain announcements.
Now, the user can define the role of an object using the Object Viewer,
and thus create special speech output for each application.
Furthermore, the Object Viewer can now be used for easier entry of
replacements into the dictionary, similar to its use to assign image
labels known from the previous release.
3.5. Nuance Daisy2Go (S60 3rd Ed.)
Nuance Daisy2go is a player/viewer for books that conform to the DAISY
2.02 specification, for phones utilizing S60 3rd Edition. Daisy2go is a
part of the Nuance Accessibility Suite, and it has been optimized for
Nuance TALKS, to allow for easy alternation between audio and textual
content.
Nuance Daisy2go provides the following functionality:
* A Bookshelf view, that allows you to find, sort, open, and delte
DAISY titles.
* The Content view, which can show the content for the selected
DAISY title in tree or list view, and allows you to select the chapter
or section you want to access.
* The Bookmarks view, which lists all bookmarks defined for the
selected DAISY title, and allows deleting them.
* The Text view which displays the textual content of a DAISY
book; text size and colour can be changed. For a title with audio and
text content, this is synchronized with the audio tracks that make up
the book.
* The Play view, that shows the navigation levels for the selected
book, "Heading 1", "Heading 2", ..., "Heading 6", "Text block", and
"Phrase".
* A DAISY-fy feature that allows importing a folder with MP3 files
as a title on the bookshelf.
* The Book Info view, that shows information about the selected
DAISY title, like the format, title, publisher, author, narrator,
creator, duration, etcc., depending upon what is available for the
selected book.
* Forward and backward cueing, like for a tape recorder, with
adjustable speed.
* Increase or decrease the playback volume.
* Increase or decrease the playback speed without pitch changes
* Optional auto-resume at start-up, or for a selected DAISY title.
3.6. ZOOMS now available for all Premium licenses
We are now making the ZOOMS component of the Nuance Accessibility Suite
available to all users of TALKS Premium Edition. Further, we have
implemented a View choice that you can find in the Options menu of the
TALKS settings application. This allows reducing the number of visible
tab sheets and options to TALKS-only or ZOOMS-only, or accessing the
full TALKS&ZOOMS configuration, depending upon what the user likes to
use.
3.7. Other Improvements
* Some more lines on the Standby screen can now be read
* Faster reading of icons on Standby screen once the popup with
the name has been shown for the first time
* Calendar: all upcoming appointments on the Standby screen are
read, not just the first two
* Calendar: correct number of items and full contents are read in
Day view
* You can now choose the key that is used as the TALKS key from a
list of several options, allowing e.g. the use of the "Multimedia" key
* New setting: "Read subtitles" to control reading of tab sheets
* New setting: "Read function keys", to control key echo for
function keys, such as [Key 1] and [Key 2]
* TALKS can now be muted on a per-application basis
* When softkeys change on typing the first character of a text
field (e.g. Key 1 changing to OK), both the character and the key label
is read
* Text status (T9, upper/lower etc.) are read automatically when
focus switches to a text field, and new setting "Read text status" can
turn this behaviour on or off
* Pressing "#" no longer reads information that is unrelated to
the text status
* Manual registration screen now allows character-by-character
reading of IMEI
* Support for additional type of automatically updating progress
indicators
* Braille: input is now possible in 3rd party applications where
this did not work before, and also works for the first digit of a phone
number and for selecting items from the phone's main menu
* 3rd Edition FP2: Battery and network status are also read when
keyboard is locked
* Nokia E90: Fixed swapped softkey labels in ZOOMS "Distributed
Views" mode
* Nokia 6124: added workaround to allow input of text into edit
fields on web pages
* Bug fixes and stability improvements
4. Known Issues
* Not all icons are labelled on newer phones, so some status
indicators, like 3G or GPRS, may not be read in all situations.
* 3rd Edition (FP1 and FP2): "Search" application is not
supported.
* Nokia E66/E71: The new calendar application is not yet
supported.
* Nokia E66/E71: Some elements on the Active Standby screen are
not yet supported, e.g. voice mailbox and received messages.
* 3rd Edition FP2: Some status indicators (e.g. Bluetooth) cannot
be read while the phone keyboard is locked.
* 3rd Edition FP2: Built-in Help screens are not read because they
use the web browser in a way that is not yet supported by TALKS.
* 3rd Edition FP2: You will notice a slow response of voice
recognition "beep" after holding [Key 2] when TALKS is not muted
* N96: "Photos" application (and "Photos" submenu of "Gallery") is
not supported.
* N96: Daisy2Go does not support firmware versions prior to 20.x
of this phone. This is expected to be fixed by a future firmware update.
* Some features are not supported on 2nd Edition phones:
* SIM-based licensing is only available on 2nd Edition FP2 and FP3
phones
* Fast reading of icons on the Active Standby screen
* Reading of current street name in map view of Wayfinder Access
* Features of new audio system, e.g. delay and volume factor
adjustments
5. FAQ
Q: Your software does not install on my E-Series handset or branded
device, and reports a Certificate Error! Why?
A: While TALKS&ZOOMS for S60 3rd Edition itself is certified, and thus
can be installed on any supported S60 3rd Edition handset, the
installers for the TTS engines (Eloquence or RealSpeak Mobile) are not
signed. E-Series handsets and some branded devices do only accept the
installation of signed software, unless you turn of the corresponding
option inside the Application Manager:
* Open the phone menu.
* Open the App. Manager inside the Tools folder
* Press "Options", then select "Settings".
* Set "Software Installation" from "Signed only" to "All".
* Press "Back" to close the Settings dialogue, then "Exit" to
close the App. Manager.
* Now, you can install the TTS engine.
Another reason could be that the date on your phone is not set correctly
- as 3rd Edition software is digitally signed, SIS files can only be
installed if the phone is set to a valid date.
Q: Can I install the new release of TALKS&ZOOMS, while a previous
release is active?
A: Yes, if the new version is installed to the same memory location as
the previous release. If you would like to change the memory location,
you have to remove the previous release first!
Q: Why do I get an "Upgrade error" when installing the S60 3rd Edition
version?
A: The most likely reasons are that you have used a beta release, or
already have the Nokia TTS driver available that was installed as a
separate file with version 3.10. Please remove any beta version, as well
as the Nokia TTS driver, before upgrading to TALKS 4.00.
There's another significant feature to Talks 4: that it's now supported on the Verizon Wireless Motorola Q9C phone. This is significant in that Talks can now run on a Windows mobile based device. Hopefully more WM devices will be supported in the future opening further the range of phones and options available to the end user. Click here to read the official press release from Verizon Wireless.
Below I've pasted the release notes and other related information from Talks version 4. I received this information from an email list. Note that the Nuance Talks site has not been updated yet with relevant pricing and version information, but I'm sure it will be soon. Enjoy.
***
Introduction
Nuance proudly announce the release of the Nuance Accessibility Suite -
Nuance TALKS and Nuance ZOOMS - Version 4.00 for Series 60 2nd and 3rd
Edition for March 11th, 2009.
This version also includes the first release of Nuance Daisy2Go, a DAISY
audio+text book player. The player can be used on any phone that has a
license which is valid for TALKS&ZOOMS or TALKS Premium Edition 4.00.
Version 4 is a free upgrade for all Premium Edition licenses generated
after November 13th, 2007.
2. The new handsets
2.1. Changes to the list of supported phone models
The following handsets are newly supported (please see section 4 "Known
Issues" about some limitations):
* Nokia 6650
* Nokia E66
* Nokia E71
* Nokia N79
* Nokia N85
* Nokia N96
At the same time, any 1st Edition handsets are no longer supported
(Nokia 36xx, Nokia 7650, N-Gage, N-Gage QD, Siemens SX1).
3. What's New?
This section lists the improvements of TALKS 4.00 compared to the
previous version (3.60).
3.1. New audio system (S60 3rd Ed.)
We have completely revised the audio handling in TALKS. This is most
noticeable by the ability to use speech during a call on handsets
running S60 3rd Edition for all supported text-to-speech engines. With
the previous version of TALKS, the Nokia TTS had to be used during a
call; and for S60 3rd Edition FP2, no speech during a call was possible.
The new audio handling appears to have some positive impact on
performance on a number of phones as well.
For S60 3rd Edition handsets, we have introduced two new speech
settings, which allow adjusting the base audio volume and initial
response time, so you can fine-tune speech playback for your phone,
firmware version, etc.
3.2. Support for Quick Word (S60 3rd Ed.)
It is now possible to open Word documents, such as e mail attachments,
and read them in QuickWord. QuickWord is a part of QuickOffice, and its
view-only version is pre-installed on most handsets, while the full
version that allows editing text is pre-installed on the Nokia E Series
handsets, or can be purchased otherwise.
TALKS&ZOOMS supports the view-only and full version of QuickWord 3.x, as
well as the full versions of newer releases (4.x and later, as
pre-installed on FP2 phones). When using the full version, please make
sure to switch to edit mode to allow TALKS to read the content.
3.3. SIM-based licensing
The new release of TALKS&ZOOMS gives users more freedom by offering
SIM-based licensing. When TALKS&ZOOMS is registered to a SIM-card
instead of being registered to a phone/IMEI, the user can move that SIM
card from one phone to the other, as long as the SIM license is valid
for the TALKS version installed to the new handset.
3.4. Configurable object recognition
TALKS assigns so-called "roles" to the objects it recognizes on the
mobile phone's display, and composes speech output from the text and
roles of these objects. In numerous cases, in particular when a
3rd-party application was used, TALKS has not been able to determine all
required roles correctly; in other cases, the user did not like to hear
certain announcements.
Now, the user can define the role of an object using the Object Viewer,
and thus create special speech output for each application.
Furthermore, the Object Viewer can now be used for easier entry of
replacements into the dictionary, similar to its use to assign image
labels known from the previous release.
3.5. Nuance Daisy2Go (S60 3rd Ed.)
Nuance Daisy2go is a player/viewer for books that conform to the DAISY
2.02 specification, for phones utilizing S60 3rd Edition. Daisy2go is a
part of the Nuance Accessibility Suite, and it has been optimized for
Nuance TALKS, to allow for easy alternation between audio and textual
content.
Nuance Daisy2go provides the following functionality:
* A Bookshelf view, that allows you to find, sort, open, and delte
DAISY titles.
* The Content view, which can show the content for the selected
DAISY title in tree or list view, and allows you to select the chapter
or section you want to access.
* The Bookmarks view, which lists all bookmarks defined for the
selected DAISY title, and allows deleting them.
* The Text view which displays the textual content of a DAISY
book; text size and colour can be changed. For a title with audio and
text content, this is synchronized with the audio tracks that make up
the book.
* The Play view, that shows the navigation levels for the selected
book, "Heading 1", "Heading 2", ..., "Heading 6", "Text block", and
"Phrase".
* A DAISY-fy feature that allows importing a folder with MP3 files
as a title on the bookshelf.
* The Book Info view, that shows information about the selected
DAISY title, like the format, title, publisher, author, narrator,
creator, duration, etcc., depending upon what is available for the
selected book.
* Forward and backward cueing, like for a tape recorder, with
adjustable speed.
* Increase or decrease the playback volume.
* Increase or decrease the playback speed without pitch changes
* Optional auto-resume at start-up, or for a selected DAISY title.
3.6. ZOOMS now available for all Premium licenses
We are now making the ZOOMS component of the Nuance Accessibility Suite
available to all users of TALKS Premium Edition. Further, we have
implemented a View choice that you can find in the Options menu of the
TALKS settings application. This allows reducing the number of visible
tab sheets and options to TALKS-only or ZOOMS-only, or accessing the
full TALKS&ZOOMS configuration, depending upon what the user likes to
use.
3.7. Other Improvements
* Some more lines on the Standby screen can now be read
* Faster reading of icons on Standby screen once the popup with
the name has been shown for the first time
* Calendar: all upcoming appointments on the Standby screen are
read, not just the first two
* Calendar: correct number of items and full contents are read in
Day view
* You can now choose the key that is used as the TALKS key from a
list of several options, allowing e.g. the use of the "Multimedia" key
* New setting: "Read subtitles" to control reading of tab sheets
* New setting: "Read function keys", to control key echo for
function keys, such as [Key 1] and [Key 2]
* TALKS can now be muted on a per-application basis
* When softkeys change on typing the first character of a text
field (e.g. Key 1 changing to OK), both the character and the key label
is read
* Text status (T9, upper/lower etc.) are read automatically when
focus switches to a text field, and new setting "Read text status" can
turn this behaviour on or off
* Pressing "#" no longer reads information that is unrelated to
the text status
* Manual registration screen now allows character-by-character
reading of IMEI
* Support for additional type of automatically updating progress
indicators
* Braille: input is now possible in 3rd party applications where
this did not work before, and also works for the first digit of a phone
number and for selecting items from the phone's main menu
* 3rd Edition FP2: Battery and network status are also read when
keyboard is locked
* Nokia E90: Fixed swapped softkey labels in ZOOMS "Distributed
Views" mode
* Nokia 6124: added workaround to allow input of text into edit
fields on web pages
* Bug fixes and stability improvements
4. Known Issues
* Not all icons are labelled on newer phones, so some status
indicators, like 3G or GPRS, may not be read in all situations.
* 3rd Edition (FP1 and FP2): "Search" application is not
supported.
* Nokia E66/E71: The new calendar application is not yet
supported.
* Nokia E66/E71: Some elements on the Active Standby screen are
not yet supported, e.g. voice mailbox and received messages.
* 3rd Edition FP2: Some status indicators (e.g. Bluetooth) cannot
be read while the phone keyboard is locked.
* 3rd Edition FP2: Built-in Help screens are not read because they
use the web browser in a way that is not yet supported by TALKS.
* 3rd Edition FP2: You will notice a slow response of voice
recognition "beep" after holding [Key 2] when TALKS is not muted
* N96: "Photos" application (and "Photos" submenu of "Gallery") is
not supported.
* N96: Daisy2Go does not support firmware versions prior to 20.x
of this phone. This is expected to be fixed by a future firmware update.
* Some features are not supported on 2nd Edition phones:
* SIM-based licensing is only available on 2nd Edition FP2 and FP3
phones
* Fast reading of icons on the Active Standby screen
* Reading of current street name in map view of Wayfinder Access
* Features of new audio system, e.g. delay and volume factor
adjustments
5. FAQ
Q: Your software does not install on my E-Series handset or branded
device, and reports a Certificate Error! Why?
A: While TALKS&ZOOMS for S60 3rd Edition itself is certified, and thus
can be installed on any supported S60 3rd Edition handset, the
installers for the TTS engines (Eloquence or RealSpeak Mobile) are not
signed. E-Series handsets and some branded devices do only accept the
installation of signed software, unless you turn of the corresponding
option inside the Application Manager:
* Open the phone menu.
* Open the App. Manager inside the Tools folder
* Press "Options", then select "Settings".
* Set "Software Installation" from "Signed only" to "All".
* Press "Back" to close the Settings dialogue, then "Exit" to
close the App. Manager.
* Now, you can install the TTS engine.
Another reason could be that the date on your phone is not set correctly
- as 3rd Edition software is digitally signed, SIS files can only be
installed if the phone is set to a valid date.
Q: Can I install the new release of TALKS&ZOOMS, while a previous
release is active?
A: Yes, if the new version is installed to the same memory location as
the previous release. If you would like to change the memory location,
you have to remove the previous release first!
Q: Why do I get an "Upgrade error" when installing the S60 3rd Edition
version?
A: The most likely reasons are that you have used a beta release, or
already have the Nokia TTS driver available that was installed as a
separate file with version 3.10. Please remove any beta version, as well
as the Nokia TTS driver, before upgrading to TALKS 4.00.
Wednesday, March 11
Free screen reader for Android devices
Greetings. I received the following information from the Gui-talk email list and thought it worth posting here. You may remember the article I posted not long ago regarding the blind Google engineer who was testing a new phone for accessibility. This post is in regards to that information. Enjoy, and as always, please pardon any formatting errors.
***
Dear list members,
As some of you already know, the Google employees T.V. Raman and Charles
Chen are working on solutions which allow blind persons to use Android
devices including new touch screen input and speech/tactile output
methods. At the moment, there are only two cell phones from HTC,
exclusively sold by T-Mobile and soon by Vodafone, but in the future there
will be many more Android-based devices, including some without touch
screens or possibly even without a display.
T.V. and his colleague are developing the first free screen reader for a
mobile platform. We, the worldwide blind community, should promote and
support his work. Google should hear from many persons that their
employees T.V. and Charles are doing a great and important job. Then
Google and other members of the Open Handset Alliance (OHA) probably will
spend more attention and resources on that.
On this page you can find more information:
http://blind.wikia.com/wiki/Open_Letter_Initiative#Android_Accessibility
As it seems, Nokia fortunately has similar plans:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Nokia_plans_handsets_for_disabled/rssarticleshow/3830729.cms
Best regards
Per Busch
http://blind.wikia.com/wiki/User:Per_B
***
Dear list members,
As some of you already know, the Google employees T.V. Raman and Charles
Chen are working on solutions which allow blind persons to use Android
devices including new touch screen input and speech/tactile output
methods. At the moment, there are only two cell phones from HTC,
exclusively sold by T-Mobile and soon by Vodafone, but in the future there
will be many more Android-based devices, including some without touch
screens or possibly even without a display.
T.V. and his colleague are developing the first free screen reader for a
mobile platform. We, the worldwide blind community, should promote and
support his work. Google should hear from many persons that their
employees T.V. and Charles are doing a great and important job. Then
Google and other members of the Open Handset Alliance (OHA) probably will
spend more attention and resources on that.
On this page you can find more information:
http://blind.wikia.com/wiki/Open_Letter_Initiative#Android_Accessibility
As it seems, Nokia fortunately has similar plans:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Nokia_plans_handsets_for_disabled/rssarticleshow/3830729.cms
Best regards
Per Busch
http://blind.wikia.com/wiki/User:Per_B
An interesting partnership
Greetings. I received the following note from HumanWare yesterday and thought it worth posting here. Enjoy.
***
HUMANWARE AND READHOWYOUWANT JOIN FORCES TO BRING BOOKS TO VISUALLY IMPAIRED READERS
Longueuil, Quebec, March 10, 2009 -- HumanWare, the leader in assistive technologies for people with print disability, and digital publishing innovator ReadHowYouWant are partnering to help visually impaired readers discover the book reading device, and the format that's right for their reading needs.
ReadHowYouWant offers thousands of books in accessible formats, including 24 pt. large print, braille, and DAISY files at www.readhowyouwant.com. HumanWare provides playback devices for readers who are blind or have low vision to use with braille and DAISY files at www.humanware.com. "From the moment it appeared on the market, the Victor Reader Stream has proven itself to be the greatest portable DAISY book reading device ever. Today we are proud to team up with Read How You Want. We invite all readers to take a look at the selection of books they have to offer. Reading should always be an enjoyable experience. We hope that our customers will regularly visit our new website where they will be able to check out new DAISY book releases. Pass the word around!" says HumanWare CEO Gilles Pepin.
Beginning in April, readers will be able to go to the HumanWare website to download free, first chapters of 20 bestselling ReadHowYouWant titles each month as part of the "Free Chapter Download Program." The free, first chapters come from popular books from a variety of well-known publishers of adult and young adult books, including Wiley, Random House Australia, Murdoch Books, and Weekly Reader. The first month's selected titles will include such best sellers as, The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle (New World Library), "Praise Song for the Day," the inauguration poem by Elizabeth Alexander (Graywolf Press), and Leadership and Self-Deception by the Arbinger Institute (Berrett-Kohler), as well as children's and young adult titles to include, How to Take the GRRRR Out of Anger by Marjorie Lisovskis and Elizabeth Verdick (Free Spirit Publishing), and Extreme Habitats: Mountain Survival by Susie Hodge (Weekly Reader). After enjoying the complimentary first chapter, readers may visit ReadHowYouWant's website at www.readhowyouwant.com to purchase the entire file.
ReadHowYouWant will be demoing HumanWare's devices at book industry events such as the Frankfurt Book Fair, the London Book Fair, and Book Expo America. Similarly, HumanWare will present braille and DAISY files from ReadHowYouWant's collection on their players at technology industry shows, including CSUN and ATIA (Assistive Technologies Industry Association) conferences.
ReadHowYouWant produces Grade 2 contracted braille files, and has developed a house style that supports automated transcription while maintaining accuracy. These files may be read with a refreshable electronic braille display such as the Humanware Braillenote or Brailliant or embossed to make traditional braille books. Words are not split at line ends to make reading easier, particularly for newer braille readers.
About HumanWare
HumanWare is the global leader in assistive technologies for vision, including products for the blind and visually impaired. HumanWare's products include BrailleNote, the leading productivity device for blind people in education, in business and in their personal lives; the Victor Reader product line, the world's leading digital talking book players; and myReader2, the new version of HumanWare's unique "auto-reader" for people with low vision. For more information visit www.humanware.com
About ReadHowYouWant
ReadHowYouWant Pty Ltd and its R&D parent company, Accessible Publishing Systems Pty Ltd are both Sydney, Australia-based privately held companies founded in 2004 by electronic publishing pioneers Christopher Stephen and Greg Duncan. When Chris's sister, who suffers from MS, developed difficulty reading, they began experimenting to determine whether people with reading difficulties could benefit from changing the text format.
After more than four years of testing, ReadHowYouWant has successfully developed award-winning conversion technology that reformats existing books into the widest selection of on-demand, alternative format editions on the market today. Each edition has been optimized for maximum readability. The company's goals are to make reading easier and more enjoyable by delivering formats that suit the reader and to give people with reading difficulties access to books in the formats of their choice-at an affordable price, and as soon as the book is published. For more information visit www.readhowyouwant.com
***
HUMANWARE AND READHOWYOUWANT JOIN FORCES TO BRING BOOKS TO VISUALLY IMPAIRED READERS
Longueuil, Quebec, March 10, 2009 -- HumanWare, the leader in assistive technologies for people with print disability, and digital publishing innovator ReadHowYouWant are partnering to help visually impaired readers discover the book reading device, and the format that's right for their reading needs.
ReadHowYouWant offers thousands of books in accessible formats, including 24 pt. large print, braille, and DAISY files at www.readhowyouwant.com. HumanWare provides playback devices for readers who are blind or have low vision to use with braille and DAISY files at www.humanware.com. "From the moment it appeared on the market, the Victor Reader Stream has proven itself to be the greatest portable DAISY book reading device ever. Today we are proud to team up with Read How You Want. We invite all readers to take a look at the selection of books they have to offer. Reading should always be an enjoyable experience. We hope that our customers will regularly visit our new website where they will be able to check out new DAISY book releases. Pass the word around!" says HumanWare CEO Gilles Pepin.
Beginning in April, readers will be able to go to the HumanWare website to download free, first chapters of 20 bestselling ReadHowYouWant titles each month as part of the "Free Chapter Download Program." The free, first chapters come from popular books from a variety of well-known publishers of adult and young adult books, including Wiley, Random House Australia, Murdoch Books, and Weekly Reader. The first month's selected titles will include such best sellers as, The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle (New World Library), "Praise Song for the Day," the inauguration poem by Elizabeth Alexander (Graywolf Press), and Leadership and Self-Deception by the Arbinger Institute (Berrett-Kohler), as well as children's and young adult titles to include, How to Take the GRRRR Out of Anger by Marjorie Lisovskis and Elizabeth Verdick (Free Spirit Publishing), and Extreme Habitats: Mountain Survival by Susie Hodge (Weekly Reader). After enjoying the complimentary first chapter, readers may visit ReadHowYouWant's website at www.readhowyouwant.com to purchase the entire file.
ReadHowYouWant will be demoing HumanWare's devices at book industry events such as the Frankfurt Book Fair, the London Book Fair, and Book Expo America. Similarly, HumanWare will present braille and DAISY files from ReadHowYouWant's collection on their players at technology industry shows, including CSUN and ATIA (Assistive Technologies Industry Association) conferences.
ReadHowYouWant produces Grade 2 contracted braille files, and has developed a house style that supports automated transcription while maintaining accuracy. These files may be read with a refreshable electronic braille display such as the Humanware Braillenote or Brailliant or embossed to make traditional braille books. Words are not split at line ends to make reading easier, particularly for newer braille readers.
About HumanWare
HumanWare is the global leader in assistive technologies for vision, including products for the blind and visually impaired. HumanWare's products include BrailleNote, the leading productivity device for blind people in education, in business and in their personal lives; the Victor Reader product line, the world's leading digital talking book players; and myReader2, the new version of HumanWare's unique "auto-reader" for people with low vision. For more information visit www.humanware.com
About ReadHowYouWant
ReadHowYouWant Pty Ltd and its R&D parent company, Accessible Publishing Systems Pty Ltd are both Sydney, Australia-based privately held companies founded in 2004 by electronic publishing pioneers Christopher Stephen and Greg Duncan. When Chris's sister, who suffers from MS, developed difficulty reading, they began experimenting to determine whether people with reading difficulties could benefit from changing the text format.
After more than four years of testing, ReadHowYouWant has successfully developed award-winning conversion technology that reformats existing books into the widest selection of on-demand, alternative format editions on the market today. Each edition has been optimized for maximum readability. The company's goals are to make reading easier and more enjoyable by delivering formats that suit the reader and to give people with reading difficulties access to books in the formats of their choice-at an affordable price, and as soon as the book is published. For more information visit www.readhowyouwant.com
Tuesday, March 10
Thoughts on Street Talk version 2
Greetings. I learned from reading the daily deals from the Blind Bargains site today, that Freedom Scientific is poised to release the next version of street Talk for the PAC Mate. It will be called Street Talk VIP and the you can read all about it from the link above.
While I'm pleased that they're finally going to release the long awaited Street Talk version 2, even though that's not what they're calling it, there are several things of note here. First, it's not called Street Talk version 2. Since the PAC Mate went to the Omni, all we heard from FS is that they were "working on the next version of Street Talk." However, this grows even more curious and interesting when you consider where they went with Street Talk. If you read the Blind Bargains post carefully, you se that FS has adopted the Sendero GPS program model and pricing for their GPS solution. Why is this significant? For the longest time, what differed Street Talk and the Sendero Group GPS solution, among other things, was the price. Street Talk 1 was around $600 for the full package, of hardware GPS, Street Talk 1.0 software, and appropriate connection cards for the PAC Mate. Verses the varying cost of the sendero GPS product, which usually ends up being around $1,500, which included their GPS software and minimum specs on storage cards and connection. Since I've never invested in either of these solutions, my quoting of what they include might be slightly off. However, the fact remains that FS was charging less than half of what the Sendero Group was charging for similar GPS software. If you look at all of the products that use the Sendero GPS software, such as the Braille Note line, the Voice Sense and Sense Nav products, and others, they tend to revolve around the $1,500 pricing point. Why so expensive? From what I've heard, it's due to the extremely accurate GPS data and that these programs are customized for the blind user. Street Talk was customized for the blind user, but only in the since that the Street Talk software itself was customized for the blind PAC Mate user. The other parts of the Street Talk package, including the off the shelf Destinator software that also ran with Street Talk, were just that--off the shelf. In other words, they were what any normal sighted geek would use on their mobile device. Okay, perhaps the mobile device of the sighted geek didn't use an older version of Destinator, but they did use the same software in that regard as blind folk with their PAC Mates. Now though, that's not the case.
I can't help but wonder why FS chose to go in this direction of going for one of the "blind oriented" GPS packages, rather than continuing to innovate with Street Talk. We may never know, at least not publicly, but I would like to ask an FS rep this question,along with the following: is this a sign of things to come? Are you going to move more toward what the other GPS packages and related note takers for the blind on the market are doing, such as with the Braille Note and Voice Sense, in that they are in a closed operating system? This could be a sign of things to come, or, it could just be a small piece in the over all FS product catelog. Either way, it's an interesting move. I'm sure that they will promote the new Street Talk VIP heavily over the next few months, at CSUN and the summer convensions, and at the other trade shows they go to throughout the rest of the year. I can't help but return to that initial question though of "Why the switch to the Sendero Group products?" Time will tell I suppose.
While I'm pleased that they're finally going to release the long awaited Street Talk version 2, even though that's not what they're calling it, there are several things of note here. First, it's not called Street Talk version 2. Since the PAC Mate went to the Omni, all we heard from FS is that they were "working on the next version of Street Talk." However, this grows even more curious and interesting when you consider where they went with Street Talk. If you read the Blind Bargains post carefully, you se that FS has adopted the Sendero GPS program model and pricing for their GPS solution. Why is this significant? For the longest time, what differed Street Talk and the Sendero Group GPS solution, among other things, was the price. Street Talk 1 was around $600 for the full package, of hardware GPS, Street Talk 1.0 software, and appropriate connection cards for the PAC Mate. Verses the varying cost of the sendero GPS product, which usually ends up being around $1,500, which included their GPS software and minimum specs on storage cards and connection. Since I've never invested in either of these solutions, my quoting of what they include might be slightly off. However, the fact remains that FS was charging less than half of what the Sendero Group was charging for similar GPS software. If you look at all of the products that use the Sendero GPS software, such as the Braille Note line, the Voice Sense and Sense Nav products, and others, they tend to revolve around the $1,500 pricing point. Why so expensive? From what I've heard, it's due to the extremely accurate GPS data and that these programs are customized for the blind user. Street Talk was customized for the blind user, but only in the since that the Street Talk software itself was customized for the blind PAC Mate user. The other parts of the Street Talk package, including the off the shelf Destinator software that also ran with Street Talk, were just that--off the shelf. In other words, they were what any normal sighted geek would use on their mobile device. Okay, perhaps the mobile device of the sighted geek didn't use an older version of Destinator, but they did use the same software in that regard as blind folk with their PAC Mates. Now though, that's not the case.
I can't help but wonder why FS chose to go in this direction of going for one of the "blind oriented" GPS packages, rather than continuing to innovate with Street Talk. We may never know, at least not publicly, but I would like to ask an FS rep this question,along with the following: is this a sign of things to come? Are you going to move more toward what the other GPS packages and related note takers for the blind on the market are doing, such as with the Braille Note and Voice Sense, in that they are in a closed operating system? This could be a sign of things to come, or, it could just be a small piece in the over all FS product catelog. Either way, it's an interesting move. I'm sure that they will promote the new Street Talk VIP heavily over the next few months, at CSUN and the summer convensions, and at the other trade shows they go to throughout the rest of the year. I can't help but return to that initial question though of "Why the switch to the Sendero Group products?" Time will tell I suppose.
Metallica returns to satellite radio
Greetings. I received the following announcement in my email Inbox regarding Metallica's return to satellite radio. Personally, since hearing that Metalllica had a dedicated channel on XM Radio, this was something I was really looking forward to when signing up with Sirius last fall. I was slightly disappointed to discover that the dedicated band channels on XM weren't carried over when the XM and Sirius channels merged last november. Only slightly though; it seems that the Mighty Mat are given their due on several of the Sirius rock/metal channels that i regularly tune into. However, when i read this email from Sirius, I was furiously rubbing my hands together with glee. According to the Orbetcast blog, it looks like this channel will be around for about a month. I'm all in it, and always hoping that Sirius/XM will bring back the band channel for "All Metallica" at some point. Until then, starting this Saturday, I'll be enjoying the Manditory Metallica any time of the day or night. Enjoy.
***
***
Mandatory Metallica
takes over Liquid Metal
Exclusive Limited-Time
Engagement Channel
Starts This Saturday, March 14
You'll hear virtually every song from the Metallica catalog, including rare live cuts from the band's personal archives and new songs from their latest platinum album, Death Magnetic.
The channel will also feature interviews with all four band members, and with other artists including Linkin Park, Slipknot, Disturbed, Guns N' Roses, Chris Cornell and many others The launch of the channel coincides with the release of "Guitar Hero: Metallica" on March 29, as well as the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 4.
Saturday, February 28
Google Engineer Adapts Cell Phone for Blind
Greetings. Here's another story that I received from the Gui-Talk list that I'm just getting around to posting. Seems like lately, most of my email reading and sorting has been happening on the weekends. Ah well. Enjoy, and as always, please excuse any formatting errors.
***
Google Engineer Adapts Cell Phone for Blind
By SUNITA SOHRABJI
indiawest.com
February 19, 2009 02:10:00 PM
How functional would your cell phone be if you couldn't see its numbers?
For many blind users, including Google engineer T.V. Raman, the small
keyboards of a cell phone can be daunting.
So Raman is developing software to adapt T Mobile's G1 touchscreen phone
- which uses Google's Android software - to make it friendlier for blind
people and others with limited vision, such as the elderly.
"The small keyboard of a cell phone is not easy to use, particularly if
you
need one hand free,"
Raman told India-West in a telephone interview from Google headquarters
in
Mountain View, Calif. The blind generally need one hand free to hold a
guide
dog.
Cell phone screen readers - software that reads aloud the content of the
screen - are available, but often cost as much as the cell phone itself,
said Raman, whose adaptation to the G1 allows the phone to be used with
a
single hand.
Blind G1 users begin by touching anywhere on the screen. Raman's dialer
interprets that first touch as 5, the center of a regular dial phone
pad.
The user can then slide a finger up, down or sideways to finish dialing
the
number. Mistakes can be corrected simply by shaking the phone.
"You can actually use it with one hand," said the affable Raman, 43, who
lives in the Blossom Hill area of the Silicon Valley, with his constant
companion Hubbell, a yellow Labrador.
The G1 has been on the market since October 2008, and Raman is releasing
his
software free and as open source over a Google Web site:
LINK:
http://code.google.com/p/eyes-free/.
Raman and his colleagues at Google are also tweaking the G1's GPS system
to
meet the needs of the blind.
Raman lost his sight to glaucoma, at the age of 14. The Pune native said
his
biggest challenge at the time was "convincing people that I could do
what I
wanted to do."
India in the late 70s and early 80s was largely devoid of political
correctness, said Raman, adding, "If people thought you couldn't do
something because you were blind, they'd tell you."
In 1989, after finishing his masters in computer science at the Indian
Institute of Technology, Bombay, Raman and his brother arrived at
Cornell
University in Ithaca, New York.
The relaxed, quiet Cornell campus proved to be less of a challenge to
negotiate than the streets of Pune and Mumbai, said Raman, who jokingly
envisioned the scenario of taking a guide dog onto a crowded Mumbai bus.
Raman - who freely admits he's not very good with a cane - got his first
guide dog in 1990, Aster, who opened up the small Cornell campus for
him.
Aster, a black Lab, guided Raman for nine years until she died of cancer
in
December 1999.
Hubell, Raman's effusive yellow Lab, has been with him since Aster died,
and
has her own Web site with lots of photos. The two frequently hike
together
in the San Francisco Bay Area's huge expanse of wilderness areas.
The advent of technology has made the world more tangibly accessible for
the
disabled, Raman told India-West, adding that for him, the biggest
advantage
is being able to read.
"There was a time when what I read was limited to what was available,"
said Raman, adding, "Now, I can read whatever I choose to read." Raman
uses
a screen reader to navigate the Web.
Online banking and shopping are particularly useful for people with
limited
mobility, said Raman, adding that while technology for the disabled has
not
quite kept pace, it has equalized things a lot more.
After earning his Ph.D. in applied mathematics from Cornell, Raman
worked
for Digital Equipment Corporation in Cambridge, Mass. He moved to the
Silicon Valley in 1995, and began working at Adobe, on its signature
.pdf
file format.
Raman next moved on to IBM Research in 1999, then to Google in 2005,
where,
he said, he thrives in an environment that is "bottom-up, driven by
people
who are motivated by their ideas."
SOURCE
www.indiawest.com/readmore.aspx?id=911&sid=1
***
Google Engineer Adapts Cell Phone for Blind
By SUNITA SOHRABJI
indiawest.com
February 19, 2009 02:10:00 PM
How functional would your cell phone be if you couldn't see its numbers?
For many blind users, including Google engineer T.V. Raman, the small
keyboards of a cell phone can be daunting.
So Raman is developing software to adapt T Mobile's G1 touchscreen phone
- which uses Google's Android software - to make it friendlier for blind
people and others with limited vision, such as the elderly.
"The small keyboard of a cell phone is not easy to use, particularly if
you
need one hand free,"
Raman told India-West in a telephone interview from Google headquarters
in
Mountain View, Calif. The blind generally need one hand free to hold a
guide
dog.
Cell phone screen readers - software that reads aloud the content of the
screen - are available, but often cost as much as the cell phone itself,
said Raman, whose adaptation to the G1 allows the phone to be used with
a
single hand.
Blind G1 users begin by touching anywhere on the screen. Raman's dialer
interprets that first touch as 5, the center of a regular dial phone
pad.
The user can then slide a finger up, down or sideways to finish dialing
the
number. Mistakes can be corrected simply by shaking the phone.
"You can actually use it with one hand," said the affable Raman, 43, who
lives in the Blossom Hill area of the Silicon Valley, with his constant
companion Hubbell, a yellow Labrador.
The G1 has been on the market since October 2008, and Raman is releasing
his
software free and as open source over a Google Web site:
LINK:
http://code.google.com/p/eyes-free/.
Raman and his colleagues at Google are also tweaking the G1's GPS system
to
meet the needs of the blind.
Raman lost his sight to glaucoma, at the age of 14. The Pune native said
his
biggest challenge at the time was "convincing people that I could do
what I
wanted to do."
India in the late 70s and early 80s was largely devoid of political
correctness, said Raman, adding, "If people thought you couldn't do
something because you were blind, they'd tell you."
In 1989, after finishing his masters in computer science at the Indian
Institute of Technology, Bombay, Raman and his brother arrived at
Cornell
University in Ithaca, New York.
The relaxed, quiet Cornell campus proved to be less of a challenge to
negotiate than the streets of Pune and Mumbai, said Raman, who jokingly
envisioned the scenario of taking a guide dog onto a crowded Mumbai bus.
Raman - who freely admits he's not very good with a cane - got his first
guide dog in 1990, Aster, who opened up the small Cornell campus for
him.
Aster, a black Lab, guided Raman for nine years until she died of cancer
in
December 1999.
Hubell, Raman's effusive yellow Lab, has been with him since Aster died,
and
has her own Web site with lots of photos. The two frequently hike
together
in the San Francisco Bay Area's huge expanse of wilderness areas.
The advent of technology has made the world more tangibly accessible for
the
disabled, Raman told India-West, adding that for him, the biggest
advantage
is being able to read.
"There was a time when what I read was limited to what was available,"
said Raman, adding, "Now, I can read whatever I choose to read." Raman
uses
a screen reader to navigate the Web.
Online banking and shopping are particularly useful for people with
limited
mobility, said Raman, adding that while technology for the disabled has
not
quite kept pace, it has equalized things a lot more.
After earning his Ph.D. in applied mathematics from Cornell, Raman
worked
for Digital Equipment Corporation in Cambridge, Mass. He moved to the
Silicon Valley in 1995, and began working at Adobe, on its signature
file format.
Raman next moved on to IBM Research in 1999, then to Google in 2005,
where,
he said, he thrives in an environment that is "bottom-up, driven by
people
who are motivated by their ideas."
SOURCE
www.indiawest.com/readmore.aspx?id=911&sid=1
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