Dallas: Geeky High Points Of This Year’s NFB Convention Schedule

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I’ve attended both ACB and NFB Conventions in the past. I’m not suggesting one is better than the other. And, I’m not suggesting you belong to both, either or neither group. What I am saying is that Convention can be a wonderful time where you can learn from others who are into the same things you find interesting. Networking, learning and dog gone it.. having fun with others. that is why I look forward to July.

I’m going to NFB again this year because I’m speaking at the AT Trainers Division meeting. Also, Dallas is kinda closer to Austin. Therefore, I am heading to Dallas on July 3rd.

Here are some portions of the schedule I’ve marked as points of interest. The full schedule can be found at the official 2010 NFB Convention site.

http://www.nfb.org/nfb/National_Convention.asp

Saturday July 3rd

7:30 - 8:45 am—HAM RADIO GROUP EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS Milan Room, Tower mezzanine  
Discuss convention frequencies, hotel architectural features, and distributing special FM receivers for the hearing-impaired and Spanish-speaking attendees. D. Curtis Willoughby (ka0vba), Chairperson

8:30 - 11:30 am—WHAT’S NEW IN JAWS 11 AND A FIRST LOOK AT JAWS 12—FREEDOM SCIENTIFIC, INC.
Senators Lecture Hall, Tower lobby
Join Eric Damery, JAWS Product Manager, for an exciting and informative session covering the new details surrounding JAWS development during the past year.  In addition to many demonstrations of JAWS 11 with Research It, this will also be the first look at JAWS 12 scheduled for public beta in August 2010.

9:00 am - 12:00 noon—GW MICRO: SENSE NOTETAKER AND BOOKSENSE TRAINING (Registration: $10; refreshments provided)
Fleur-de-Lis A Room, Atrium mezzanine
The Braille Sense Plus and other Sense notetakers are exciting devices in Braille notetaker technology.  Learn new features, including the GW Sense Navigation GPS.  See the BookSense in action; play your books and audio files with ease.  Raul Gallegos and Jeremy Curry. To register, call 260-489-3671.

9:00 am - 5:00 pm—NFB JERNIGAN INSTITUTE’S ACCESS TECHNOLOGY SEMINARS
Governors Lecture Hall, Tower lobby  
    9:00 - 11:30 am—Apple’s Mac system, iPod series, iPhone, and iPad
    1:00 - 2:00 pm—Ebay’s accessibility improvements
    2:15 - 3:30 pm—Blackboard Learn, the online platform for education      
    3:45 - 5:00 pm—Accessing e-Books rapidly expanding market

1:00 - 3:00 pm—FREEDOM SCIENTIFIC; OPENBOOK 9 AND PEARL PORTABLE READING SOLUTION
Senators Lecture Hall, Tower lobby
Have lightning fast OCR with OpenBook in a portable solution that folds up.  Connect via a USB port and scan documents. Have them read aloud using Eloquence voices or any of Real Speak Solo Direct human-sounding voices now available on OpenBook. Magnify work, write under the camera, and reformat text.

1:00 - 5:00 pm—HUMANWARE PRODUCT SHOWCASE AND USER GROUPS
Obelisk A Room, Atrium mezzanine
Sessions: 1:00 Breeze; 2:00 Portable Devices; 3:00 Stream; 4:00 BrailleNote
Join HumanWare to learn about recent updates and share product tips. Give us your suggestions or ask questions about your favorite HumanWare product. Door Prizes for every session! 

1:30 - 2:45 pm—EXPERIENCE THE BLIO READER: MAKING THE WORLD’S BOOKS ENJOYABLE, USABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE!
Peridot Room, Atrium mezzanine
Presented by James Gashel.

2:00 - 5:00 pm—GW MICRO: WINDOW-EYES TRAINING (Registration: $10; refreshments provided)
Fleur-de-Lis A Room, Atrium mezzanine
Explore the power of Window-Eyes with advanced scripting support, Office 2010, Windows 7, and much more.  Come to see support for the Internet and scripting provided by a screen reader.  Presenters: Jeremy Curry and Raul Gallegos. To register, call 260-489-3671.

3:00 - 4:45 pm—EXPERIENCE THE BLIO READER: MAKING THE WORLD’S BOOKS ENJOYABLE, USABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE!
Peridot Room, Atrium mezzanine
Presented by James Gashel.

7:00 - 10:00 pm—INDEPENDENCE SCIENCE, LLC FOCUS GROUP ONE
Fleur-de-Lis B Room, Atrium mezzanine
(Preregistration by May 15 was required to attend.) Independence Science LLC, in collaboration with Purdue University researchers, is collecting feedback on a new portable handheld data collection device for blind students to use in high school science laboratories.  (Focus Group Two meets Monday at 7:00 pm) 

7:30 - 9:00 pm—knfbReader MOBILE USERS MEETING
Fleur-de-Lis A Room, Atrium mezzanine
Conducted by Michael Hingson

Sunday July 4th

1:30 - 2:45 pm—EXPERIENCE THE BLIO READER: MAKING THE WORLD’S BOOKS ENJOYABLE, USABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE!
Peridot Room, Atrium mezzanine
Presented by James Gashel

Not AT related, but fun to attend anyway...
2:30 - 5:30 pm—TRAVEL AND TOURISM DIVISION
Milan Room, Tower mezzanine
Don Gillmore, President

3:00 - 4:45 pm—EXPERIENCE THE BLIO READER: MAKING THE WORLD’S BOOKS ENJOYABLE, USABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE!
Peridot Room, Atrium mezzanine
Presented by James Gashel

3:00 - 5:00 pm—WHAT’S NEW WITH NFB-NEWSLINE®
Lalique Room, Atrium mezzanine
Learn about the NFB’s free audible newspaper service for the blind and visually impaired.  Topics cover Podable News, the new voices, the new on-demand article request feature, and more.  Sign up for NFB-NEWSLINE® at its exhibit hall table.

8:00 - 9:30 pm—WEBMASTERS MEETING
Fleur-de-Lis B Room, Atrium mezzanine
A meeting for all NFB affiliate and division Webmasters to discuss the importance of an informative, accessible, and visually attractive Website.
Gary Wunder, Chairperson, Webmasters Group

Monday July 5th

Don't Miss!!!
12:30 - 5:00 pm—NFB IN COMPUTER SCIENCE
Rosetta Room, Atrium mezzanine  
   12:30 pm–Registration; 1:00 pm–Meeting begins
Some of the topics include: the Macintosh as a productivity tool for the blind; Solona, a CAPTCHA-solving service; Association of Information Technology Professionals presentation; accessibility to Microsoft’s products by its director of accessibility, Rob Sinclair; elections; and much more.  Curtis Chong, President

Don't Miss!!
5:30 - 7:00 pm—KURZWEIL 1000 USERS’ CONTINGENT
Steuben Room, Atrium mezzanine 
Join the Kurzweil 1000 Users’ Contingent!  Meet with Steve Baum, Vice President of Engineering, and share some Kurzweil 1000 experiences.  Kurzweil 1000 is our state-of-the-art, text-to-speech and life navigation software for blind and visually impaired readers.

6:30 - 9:30 pm—SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING DIVISION
Wyeth Room, Atrium mezzanine 
  6:30 pm–Registration; 7:00 pm–Meeting begins
John Miller, President

I'll be speaking at this one...
6:30 - 10:00 pm—ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY TRAINERS DIVISION
Manchester Room, Tower mezzanine
  6:30 pm–Registration; 7:00 pm–Meeting begins
Topics: determining the right note taker for your student; plunging without fear into Windows 7 with Cathyanne Murtha of Access Technology Institute; Jsay Pro; and teaching the Mac.  Michael Barber, President

7:00 - 10:00 pm—INDEPENDENCE SCIENCE FOCUS GROUP TWO
Fleur-de-Lis B Room, Atrium mezzanine
(Preregistration by May 15 was required to attend.) Independence Science LLC, in collaboration with Purdue University researchers, is collecting feedback on a new portable handheld data collection device for blind students to use in high school science laboratories.

Tuesday July 6th

6:00 - 8:00 pm—AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR THE BLIND INTRODUCES AccessWorld  EVERY MONTH AND NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY RESOURCES
Peacock Terrace, West Wing
You are invited to our informational reception. Announcing AFB AccessWorld, every month—more authors, more information, more often. CareerConnect, FamilyConnect, and SeniorSite offer newly-expanded opportunities. Network with families, seniors, and successful mentors. We look forward to meeting you.

7:00 - 8:30 pm—BOOKSHARE AT NFB MEMBER PARTY
Lalique Room, Atrium mezzanine
Enjoy snacks and refreshments while meeting the Bookshare staff. This is your opportunity to talk with us and share your ideas; we’re here to listen.  Plan to have fun with contests, drawings, and interacting with your fellow members.  We look forward to seeing you. 

8:00 - 9:00 pm—BEP: U.S. CURRENCY IDENTIFICATION FOCUS GROUP Steuben Room, Atrium mezzanine
Representatives of the U.S. Dept. of the Treasury’s Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) and the Office of Product Development provide an update on BEP’s progress to provide blind individuals with access to U.S. currency and discuss concepts it is currently testing. (Session Two: Wednesday at 7:00 pm.)   

Wednesday July 7th

During the General Session …

9:50 am    THE APEX AND OTHER DEVELOPMENTS AT HUMANWARE
Gilles Pepin, Chief Executive Officer, HumanWare; Drummondville, Canada

11:10 am    ASSURING INTERNET ACCESSIBILITY
Preety Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, Deque Systems, Inc.; Reston, Virginia

7:00 - 8:00 pm—BEP: U.S. CURRENCY IDENTIFICATION FOCUS GROUP Steuben Room, Atrium mezzanine
Representatives of the U.S. Dept. of the Treasury’s Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) and the Office of Product Development provide an update on BEP’s progress to provide blind individuals with access to U.S. currency and discuss concepts it is currently testing.

7:00 - 8:15 pm—EXPERIENCE THE BLIO READER: MAKING THE WORLD’S BOOKS ENJOYABLE, USABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE!
Peridot Room, Atrium mezzanine
Presented by James Gashel

7:00 - 9:00 pm—WHAT’S NEW WITH NFB-NEWSLINE® 
Lalique Room, Atrium mezzanine
Learn about the NFB’s free audible newspaper service for the blind and visually impaired.  Topics cover Podable News, the new voices, the new on-demand article request feature, and more.  Sign up for NFB-NEWSLINE® at its exhibit hall table.

A possible don't miss..
7:00 - 11:00 pm—NON 24-HOUR SLEEP WAKE DISORDER SEMINAR
Obelisk A Room, Atrium mezzanine
Circadian rhythm sleep disorders in totally blind people. Total loss of light perception prevents synchronization of circadian body clock rhythms to the 24-hour day, leading to cyclic insomnia and daytime napping. The causes of this sleep disorder and possible treatment options will be presented and discussed.

7:30 - 9:00 pm—INTRODUCTION TO ORACLE SIEBEL CALL CENTER
Obelisk B Room, Atrium mezzanine
Don Mauck, Accessibility Evangelist at Oracle, will demonstrate the accessibility features built into the Oracle Siebel Call Center. Oracle CRM products are used by more than 4,000 enterprises and more than 4.6 million business users; these enterprises represent potential employment opportunities for the blind.

8:00 - 10:00 pm—COMMITTEE ON RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Rosetta Room, Atrium mezzanine
For the most part, technological developments tend to exclude blind people.  Developers must change the ways future technologies are designed.  Join us—perhaps you can suggest a technology or approach that nobody else has considered.  Curtis Chong, Chairperson

8:30 - 9:45 pm—EXPERIENCE THE BLIO READER: MAKING THE WORLD’S BOOKS ENJOYABLE, USABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE!
Peridot Room, Atrium mezzanine
Presented by James Gashel

Thursday July 8th

During the General Session ..
9:05 am    BUYING AND SELLING ONLINE: EBAY BUILDS ACCESSIBILITY FOR THE BLIND INTO ITS PLATFORM
Dane Glasgow, Vice President, Buyer Experience Product Management, Ebay, Inc.; San Jose, California

10:50 am    ACCESSIBLE DESIGN, A MODEL FOR THE FUTURE
Steve Eastman, President, Target.com; Minneapolis, Minnesota

12:15 - 1:45 pm—EVERYTHING YOU’VE EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NLS 
Obelisk A Room, Atrium mezzanine 
A question-and-answer session with Frank Kurt Cylke, Director, and staff of the
National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.

11:00 pm—SCIENCE FICTION MEETING
All persons interested in science fiction and fantasy are welcome to join in an open discussion.  Please contact Ed Meskys for room location.

Oh Yeah, That Poll Thing

I haven’t forgot about that box on the top right of the page. Honest! I just haven’t thought of any good questions lately. And I’m not sure that today’s question is good or not. Only time will tell I guess.

Poll Question: If It Had The Features You Wanted, How Much Would You Pay for A Victor Reader Stream Update?

Something close to $20 U.S.   2 (11%)
Maybe around $30 U.S.   7 (38%)
I might spend $40 U.S.   1 (5%)
No more than $50 U.S.   4 (22%)
I'll never buy an update for my Victor Reader Stream   4 (22%)

It wasn’t by any means a scientific poll, however, it did give us some idea of what people thought about the upgrade before the pricing was announced. Remember, to learn more about the update visit Humanware at the link below.

http://www.humanware.com/en-usa/about_us/press_releases/2010_press_releases/victor_reader_stream%3A__new_version%2C_new_companion%2C_new_softpak%21

Poll Question: The Next iOS Apple Do’hicky I must get Is..

iPhone 4
iPad
iPod
Mac Mini
I'll never buy an Apple anything

I’ll set this one for mid July and see how it goes after many get their hands on Apple stuff at this year’s Blindness conventions. Wonder if there will be a clear winner this time around.

By the way.. 7

Poll: Travel Poll Over, Stream Poll Added

Spring break is just around the corner. Many will be traveling all across our great land. But who will travel to where when it comes to AT conventions?

Poll Question: What Event Will You Attend In 2010?

ATIA   2 (18%)
CSUN   4 (36%)
ACB National Convention    2 (18%)
NFB National Convention    2 (18%)
Sight Village    1 (9%)

It looks like a lot of those who voted are heading to sunny San Diego to enjoy CSUN. Frankly, SD is just a bit out of my price range. Not that L.A. wasn’t cheap. I just can justify the trip there with touristy type things with Hollywood and all. Still, I will be bringing you stories from the halls of NFB in Dallas come this summer.

And money plays a lot into the way we look at Assistive Technology. Take, for instance, the idea of a paid upgrade for an accessible MP3 player. Rumors are running wild about a possible paid upgrade for the illustrious Victor Reader Stream. Okay, many are really just saying that there wasn’t enough in the 3.1 update. But go with me here a little. Its Imaginationland time.

Hypothetically speaking, let us say that there is a new update. And it has that oh so special feature you have always wanted. A clock, docx support or even the ability to not have to use that Stream Companion software anymore. Whatever the magic button is.. you would press it for what price?

New Poll Question: If It Had The Features You Wanted, How Much Would You Pay for A Victor Reader Stream Update?

Something close to $20 U.S.
Maybe around $30 U.S.
I might spend $40 U.S.
No more than $50 U.S.
I'll never buy an update for my Victor Reader Stream

Again, I’m just talking in fantasy speak here. Humanware does have some news about the Stream and the Companion software coming at CSUN. I just thought it would be interesting to see what others thought on the rumors going strong on the net. I’ll leave this up until CSUN ends.

Blind Bargains Awards And My concession Speech

Ahem, is this thing on?..  I would like to thank everyone for coming here today and braving the cold weather to celebrate what was a tightly contested race. But, at the end of the month, we failed to gain enough support to cross the finish line as the winner of the Best Blindness Related Blog.

I say to you gentle readers and followers of the site, no tears. For you did not let this blog down. No, I your humble and semi prolific author have let you down. And for that .. um.. well okay it couldn’t be helped.

The wealth of stuff that happened between June of 2009 and the end of that year was simply astounding. the fall of Vista and the rise of Windows 7. the moves by Apple with Snow Leopard and the iPhone. Why you can barely swing a NFB straight cane and not hit a pile of new talking MP3 players these days right?

and then there was the note takers. So many options between the Braille Sense Plus, the Icon and the new Apex. Plus the Video Magnifiers started to fall out of the trees man. Ruby, Sense View Light, Versa, the Pebble and about a dozen others all from China.

At no time in my 30 plus years of using Assistive Technology have I been this overwhelmed at the non dearth of choices coming on the market for us who are Blind and Visually Impaired.

This cornucopia of tech occupied a whole lot of my offline life, which, as you know, directly impacts the time I have to blog. So if I’m not writing, in a way,  that is a very good thing. A good thing indeed.

Getting back to the tons’o’stuff thing for a moment, another great story of 2009 was the emergence of my fellow pundits. Amateur podcasters and bloggers went mainstream in a big way in 2009. And so did the fragmentation of information. There is a huge vast newly formed Echo Chamber that has grown from the mailing lists into dozens of RSS feeds. And that too is a win win for the community.

Therefore, I don’t see this lack of a statue, do we get a statuette, er. um.. as a defeat. As the fact that I don’t have to write about everything and anything is a blessing. Oh right. Less about me then. Uh.. maybe next year? Hmm.. Thanks for coming and there is an ice cream cake in the shape of the Apple logo in the corner. And no, I wasn't the one that took a bite out of it. That is the way the logo looks normally. Honest!

End of speech.

All kidding aside, I am again thrilled to be nominated for the award. and, as I have said before, I’m a bit on the guilty side of things in that I could have done more to deserve the nomination.

I am always knocked out by how many people do read these ramblings, even after a prolonged offline forced absence. Over the last 5 years I’ve been able to say “Ranger1138” in a crowded room and for some strange reason people listen. Or throw their PAC Mates at me. It is such a strange world.

I want to acknowledge the other nominees and the winner of the category now, because I’m a fan of all of them.

The winner, as it should be really, is the team of writers at Fred’s Head. I’ve always liked how they post things on just about every part of the spectrum of living with Blindness and Low Vision. Life skills tips, tech tips, Service Animal suggestions and non related Blindness things as well. You name it, they’ve pretty much talked about it over the years. My hat is off to them and congratulations on the winning of this year’s award.

http://www.fredshead.info/

Sometimes I think I’ve said too much on TRS. Sometimes I think I may have overstepped my bounds and maybe, alright for sure, offended one of my dear friends in the AT Industry.  And then I read the Serotek Blog. It is at that moment I realize that I’m a monk who has taken a vow of silence. Mike Calvo’s impressions on matters is always compelling even if you don’t agree with his views on every post. But in every life some rain must fall, which at times means Mike can be a monsoon when he is fired up. Just go back to the Intel Reader post from November if you want to know more.

http://serotek.com/blog

I’ve saved the best for last. I salute you Ms. Roberts. You’re passionate and strong arguments on a wide range of topics have been a pleasure to read throughout 2009. I’ve been following all the ups and downs while pulling for you the entire way like a sled dog in Alaska. One day I hope to be able to play a board game with you offline and discuss the weight of the world. Good job and all the best to you in 2010.

http://www.blindgal.com/

I also know that this mutual admiration society thing may sound a little tiring at this stage, however, I want to thank JJ and the crew at Blind Bargains for their organizing of this year’s awards. JJ and BB have really outdone themselves in the last year to become a serious contender for our fingers, ears and attention in the universe of AT. And I admire the zeal, and energy too, at which they have put into their efforts in 2009.

http://www.blindbargains.com/

Two more posts on a look back at 2009 and then I’ll stop reminiscing about the past and get back to the future. Or find a way to make a DeLorean tell me with a DecTalk when I’ve hit 88.8 miles per hour. “DeLorean is reminiscing ”   

A Look Back At 2009: Part 2

Here are two more stories from the year that was 2009.

Windows 7 and same-day screen reader access

As I said in the Blind Bargains Top 11, the fantastic ability for many players in AT to have launch day versions up and running is unto its self a great story. But in a way it is also a reflection of the times we live in now.

Back when Vista was still in the 5 year gestation phase of development, getting anyone to discuss their plans for betas, let alone full product, releases was like pulling teeth with a rusty pair of plyers. I should know well because many would run and hide from me when I approached their booths at CSUN each year. I believe that was back when I coined the phrase “Look, I know this is like beating a dead horse with a straight cane but.. “. Conversations eventually went like this..

Ranger: “Hi!”

AT Rep: “No.”

Ranger: “no? No to what?”

AT Rep: “You know darn well what. Vista… the answer is no.”

Sheepish looks, and innocent appeals to their nature, with questions like  “What about the children?” usually got me beaten over the head with whatever was being given away that year in the booth. And despite what you might think, those rubber sharks can leave a mark. Glad the famous cookie jars were no where to be found. I wasn’t alone in my barrage of inquiries as a blanket generic statement was memorized by all Reps for distribution in the case where anyone uttered the dreaded “V” word.

Vista’s launch, however, turned out to be an interesting snapshot of how tastes and needs were changing. One particular AT company saw a big jump in the number of users who were either interested in Vista or who were already running the OS with their product via the public beta program. In fact,  if nothing else, Vista and 7 have cemented the need for a public beta because it truly expands the scope of the product prior to its official release. 

The rise in the technical level of Blind users in the last five years is staggering. Just look at the number of good sites, podcasts and social media mavens who have come online and made their voices heard as a result of increased access to both Apple and Windows.  Not to mention Mobile and the drive for more to speak about Blind Gadget Culture. Vista, and now 7, showed many in the business that we Blind folk just won’t sit around waiting for the doors to be open on big named devices and software. Hence the “must have” calls for 7 to be ready with your access solution of choice.

Not to say that it was easy but.. 7 development was not nearly as hard as it was for Vista. 7, despite what some have claimed, is not Vista 2.0. However that particular spherical shaped object didn’t fall all that far away from the tree who spawned it actually. So, minus a few hurdles, existing code could be modified from Vista to give us suitable launch day versions of many AT products.

There is another side to the coin and to borrow a catch phrase from the famous Paul Harvey “Page 2!”.

For around three years now I’ve heard tons of mess about Microsoft and how it should be like Apple in the Mac’s new found approach to access. I’ve sat through more debates on “Bolt On Vs. Baked In”, “Screen Scrape Vs. Screen Grab” and “Off Screen Model Vs. Flavor of the Week” than I can count. Now I believe these discussions to be fruitful but man did they ever multiply.

Moreover, I also have been somewhat of an AT Oral Historian in many offline circles. History does repeat and I find myself being more of a curmudgeon on meetings that show me a utopia where all applications are easy to read and full of wonder. This semi negative pessimism can generally be attributed to the dark humor that surrounds the computer industry as a whole, however, my hands are a bit scarred from previous attempts at sticking them into the fire from previous claims that made similar types of promises. 

I was a user on the front lines of a zillion versions of DOS. I was a user during the infamous stare down with Microsoft over Windows 95. Additionally I’ve survived numerous releases of Office. And I, like Microsoft, have been between the hammer and the anvil several times over the years in regards to access. The tools that were forged over time are ones that let me compete with others on equal footing and I appreciate that access ,for MS, has gained a better focus in the design of products to come. I give pause though if future access means a more Apple like approach.

The strength that has evolved for Windows is that the software  is a ubiquitous platform that has numerous partners who give it ample support. If the restaurant doesn’t serve Coke then sometimes Pepsi will do in a pinch. Or, as we are seeing more and more, if Dr. Pepper is on sale then it scratches the ich on one’s need to be budget conscious. I could extend this flimsy example further about ordering watter instead and the use of NVDA .. Naaahhh…

The point is that you aren’t forced to drink one flavor of soda. I don’t care how good it tastes, eventually, you will find that you need more from your soda in some arena. Having a market of choices means that competition will always force the drive to improve any product. Therefore, we have diet, energy and other drinks you may wish to try to quench your thirst with when looking around for what fits your particular pallet.

Mixing metaphors aside, some feel that this is a dead argument because Narrator isn’t as good as all the other options on the planet. Including the Thunder Screen Reader. What if I told you that Narrator was in the process of getting a serious facelift? Read on..

At CSUN in 2006 a co-worker and I sat in the big ballroom where Microsoft was going to outline their upcoming commitment to access for Vista and Office. The room was all a titter because a press release had also just dropped on Vista and Office 07’s plans to use their Wonder Twin powers in one giant move to co-market their respective launches. There is nothing like the fear and panic in a Rep’s eyes and voice when something gets announced that they had no clue about. And this was the case that day in Los Angeles.

The team was frantically on their cell phones, email and Power Points. Changes looked to be in flux and the phrase “uh, that is what we can say today” was uttered a few more times than it usually would in a similar venue. The course correction for Microsoft came later but that day they discussed the following “Ease of Access” options.    

Minor improvements to Narrator, updated On Screen Keyboard, no change to Magnifier, On Screen Alerts for the Deaf, Speech Recognition and Cognitive Enhancements.

The last one in the list never surfaced. It was demonstrated sure but I’ve never heard hide nor haire of it since 2006. From what I remember, the style of the feature acted in some ways like the methods Screen Magnifiers use to highlight buttons and other controls in modes like Focus Enhancements. Perhaps one day this part of EOA will return. I’d be interested to see it if it ever does. There were many I served in my tech support days who I think who could qualify as the target market.

Anyway, back on track, a lot of the discussion time was given to Vista’s Speech Recognition. It was said that this portion of access was the first to be given the new look and feel for Microsoft. More would come either through Service Packs or in future Windows releases.

And it did. Speech Recognition improved greatly not just in Windows but in Windows Mobile as well. Not the phones mind you, but in the offshoot of Windows Mobile that became Windows Automotive. If you have heard Leo at TWIT talk about Ford Sync then you have heard an ad for Windows Automotive. Microsoft technologies have an annoying habbit of not being integrated across their platforms. They do, surprisingly enough, steal tech from one another for big projects. Speech Recognition tech was just such a high profile project.

Windows 7 advanced Windows Magnifier. If you run in the AERO version of 7 you can enable Magnifier on the fly by pressing the Windows Key with either the number pad’s plus or minus keys. AERO allows Windows 7 to use a full screen magnifier mode instead of the narrow banner ad like strip of magnification found in previous flavors of Windows. The key is the full screen version goes away if you use a Mirror Driver that would snap you back to a non AERO version of 7. Which means you would have to use System Access, or something else, if you wanted to use Windows Magnifier with Screen Reader assistance.

Now follow me here, if Magnifier and Speech Recognition saw an an improvement, what would come next in an upgrade of on board options for MS? Before you answer consider the following items in the paragraph below.

Apple has Voiceover, Google has Talkback and even Linux has.. stuff. Microsoft, and some other big tech names, have given the NVDA project money for future releases. If the current needs for increased security to be built in to future applications remains a constant part of development, then who better than Microsoft to show how that could be done without our current forms of AT?

All signs point north and I’m anxious to see what comes in the talks on Windows 8 in the next 6 to 8 months. Remember that MS has committed to the three year life cycle again. Which means that if true, a public beta will arise from the depths in about 24 months or less. Regardless if it is good or bad, for me I’d have to say bad, a better version of Narrator is coming. and it is coming sooner than some would expect. One thing is certain, as MS improves the state of their products the rest of the Industry will have to justify themselves in new and exciting ways in order to stay competitive with the many free models of AT spawning onto the scene. 

Book Sense

The Book Sense is an amazing piece of kit that I adore. I used an ARCHOS 604 as my main player for years. It has a display that is as big as most hand held Video Magnifiers. And while not sporting speech, it wasn’t Rockbox friendly, it let me change the color and the fonts enough to make it serviceable for what I wanted it to do on my daily commute.

I have many friends with a victor Reader Stream, and I’m in no way putting that device down in the slightest, but it never caught on with me. I was in love with the Book Sense the first day I held it though. The size, weight, interface and that blessed switch for the key lock. mmmm… I pre-ordered mine right then and there. I had no idea how the clock, radio and support for docx. would save my bacon until later on when I made my goodbyes with the ARCHOS.

the $64,000 question remained on if someone could dethrone the King of all Blind friendly players. The question, and some of us in the wings, were stunned by the reception the unit got at its unveiling at Convention.

To say that there was a rush on the G.W. booth would be an understatement. I saw credit and debit cards outstretched eagerly to the gang in the booth. And when their machine went down, the throngs hit the ATMs. It was truly shocking to see how fast they were purchased honestly.

That isn’t my reason for choosing it for the list however. That inspiration springs from this intrepid soul who decided to take an improvised poll on if each person who left the booth already had a Stream in their possession. 60% of more than 20 people polled said they already had a Victor Stream. While this is in no way a scientific method for determining buying habbits, it did show that brand loyalty and the better mousetraps ideals were in a state of upheaval.

It also got me to thinking about the rise of products coming from overseas. Also, how often would someone buy the same thing with similar features rolled through my mind’s lint brush too. Better yet, at what price does it trigger someone to buy the same thing again? Or when is good vs. price vs. good enough helping or hurting the community? I’m all down with the idea of cheaper products, however, I’m not sure if I want to start a product cycle where you replace your treasured items every 20 to 36 months at the current prices seen in the market for lots of things. This thought is why I didn’t go with the iBill on the Top 11 list. It is a cool doo dad. I’m just not sure if it harkens the bountiful harvest that others are hoping for in the cry for cheaper and durible products.

This series centers around me being more opinionated than usual. In no way do I suggest that you subscribed to the points I view here, or anywhere for that matter  on the thoughts that emanate from my fevered brain. I invite you to toss your thoughts into the comments section, email me or hit me up on Twitter. I love to debate these things and I love even more to have someone show me the errors in my ways. Part 3 is in the works, and barring real life, it will be up soon.

Apex Poll Results And New Poll Added

Either this is a very small reflection of our changing desires or some out their just *love* the mPower they have already. I’ll hold off from making silly remarks and odd speculation.

Poll Results: Braille Note Apex: Thumbs Up Or Thumbs Down

Up 0 (0%)
Down 3 (25%)
I Want A Braille Sense Plus 1 (8%)
I Want An Icon 0 (0%)
I Use A Laptop Or A Netbook As My Note Taker 8 (66%)

I’ve played around with the Braille Note Apex BT a bit before I went on vacation. And I’ve spent maybe around a hour with the QT version. That isn’t enough time at all for me to get a feel for both units. But I can say that if you hold a mPower in your left hand and then, an Apex in your right, you will notice a difference. Is that worth an upgrade, a switch from another camp or the price of entry for someone who is just now looking? Probably not.

The new connections, the extra memory and the newer software versions for Keysoft and Windows are a compelling list of new things to consider though. But this is like trying to tell someone how great their pair of shoes is and that you should buy them without wearing them first. My advice is always “try before you buy”. Especially if you start doing the mental math of the Netbook, used mPower or other routes.

And you know where you could try an Apex out? Why at an event where a bunch of Blindness Assistive Technology companies hang out of course. Okay, where Assistive Technology companies chain their employees to their booths for hours and hours is a more accurate description of the situation, however, the same opportunity awaits. It also leads us into the next poll question.

Poll Question: What Event Will You Attend In 2010?

ATIA

CSUN

NFB National Convention

ACB National Convention

Sight Village

I know it is early to ask this one. Still ATIA is next week and I didn’t have anything big to ask at the moment. I’ll leave this up until early next month. News out of ATIA may fuel the fires for the next question.. I hope.

A Look Back At 2009: Part One

I want to sincerely thank J.J. and the crew at Blind Bargains for asking me to participate with their Top Ten 2009 series of posts. He caught me right before I began the longest vacation I’ve taken in ten years, therefore, he got a down and dirty raw stream of consciousness on the events I selected from his list. And what a comprehensive list it was. There were stories in there that I completly forgot about or I wasn’t aware that they even happened in the course of the year. 2009 turned out to be very much a turning point for the AT Industry in several arenas. But it may or may not be obvious as to what made the year so big for so many.

J.J. encouraged me to create my own list, however, I decided to go in a different direction and highlight some of the key stories from his original long list instead. Nevertheless, before you go any further, you should read the Top Ten, okay Eleven, list the team posted first.

http://www.blindbargains.com/search.php?psps_search=Blind+Bargains+Top+11+Stories+of+2009

You also may want to download the companion piece from Main Menu’s archives as it expands greatly on many of the stories in the list. You can find the archives at this link.

http://mainmenu.acbradio.org/shows.php

The following blurbs are a more refined version or a longer director’s cut of my original musings to J.J.’s list. They are in no particular order as I really only selected one story as the biggest of the year. I’ll point that monster out in a post later on in this series.

Amazon Promises a More Accessible Kindle

The rollercoaster ride of the Kindle began 2009 with many declaring it the new textbook replacement. Well , that didn’t last very long as two problems arose. One problem was that a pilot study found that people didn’t find it effective at the University used for the study. The second came when the NFB and others decided to remind Amazon of the inaccessibility of the Kindle in general.

The Kindle, however, moved onwards and Amazon later released the Kindle DX. This larger version of the unit was even loosely marketed as a device that would be better for those who had issues with Low Vision. I’ll stop right there because I don’t want to launch into a tirade on font sizes, colors and styles on non backlit displays.. let me just say that Text to Speech in the menus, not the materials, is a bigger sticking point for the Kindle models at large.

What some don’t realize is that Amazon is bound to restrictions set by the Publishers. If a Publisher does not authorize the company to allow the kindle to read the given book with speech, then there isn’t much Amazon can do about that. However, if they had made everything else talk they would have avoided a lot of drama over the year and left the fight back to the Publishers where the true issue still belongs.

Moreover, not making the iPhone and other Kindle software apps that were also released in 2009 seems a bit like history repeating. Still, the number of alternatives to the Kindle is staggering and all we see in 2009 is the tip of a very big iceberg when it comes to E-Publishing.

I end on this note for you conspiracy buffs. Amazon owns Audible.. think about that a bit.

Intel Reader

Speaking of reading text aloud, the release of the Intel Reader is an interesting example of mainstream collaborating with the niche that is today’s Assistive Technology Industry.  At face value this seems like a mixture of chocolate and peanut butter that should result in a wonderful end product. But it really depends on who you ask as some might be allergic to one ingredient or prefer solitary confinement for their sweets.

The Intel Reader turns out to be an okay device for someone who is Low Vision. The device sports a large display similar to those found on many hand held Video Magnifiers. The text can be enlarged and modified to some degree. The colors of the display, and for the bezel of the unit as well, do not distract someone from seeing the screen if they suffer from glare sensitivity.

The Text To Speech is generally clear and easy to understand and there are a minimal set of options to customize the voices in pitch and rate. There is a simple file browser for reviewing past saved materials. And the controls are easy to find and mostly reside on the face of the unit.

The first question that hit the web was “Is this a competitor to the KNFB Reader?”. Now, I’m going to be very opinionated and blunt here so be prepared, oh **** no!

I’ll try very very hard to be brief. It is heavy, it is wide, it does not fit well in smaller hands, it isn’t easy to navigate through large texts, it takes a millennium to boot up and that is my short list. Again, and I can’t stress this enough, for some this may be a wonderful device to use for those who aren’t technically minded.

The Intel Reader has a story behind the story though. This story involves marketing terms like brand synergy, product elevation and other made up sales terms not worth noting here. The need to find new blue oceans in the field of Assistive Technology was a driving force in 2009 and it will practically be the foremost directive for some individuals in 2010.

The Intel Reader is an advanced scout in a new army of products that are meant to reach out beyond the traditional devices we long time users of Assistive Tech know and love. Many people who I spoke to offline see this as a sign that things are moving away from some core features and dare I say needs of the current Blindness population. I usually remind people that the Trekker Breeze was really the first product to begin this trend for Humanware.

To clarify, a lot of time is going into new products that would fit the bill of the aging population. Sadly an even larger emerging market comes from those who have returned from military service overseas. And, not to be forgotten, there is a lot of Government spending being aimed at the primary Education sector as well. In other words, if you are reading this blog then you might not be the intended audience for the Intel Reader. Which isn’t a bad thing as those market segments need entry level devices like this.

The untold story behind it all is that 2009 could be deemed “The Year Of Choice”. I’ll expand on that insightful remark in part 2 of this series.

Detroit 2009: The Lost Humanware Notes Are Now Found!

 

The simple truth is that I renamed the file in which I had these notes and then promptly archived it away for safe keeping.. from myself it appears. And in even a more embarrassing admission, gulp, it was in a fairly completed state of being postworthy.

I was already in a reflexive kind of mood from my talks with Blind Bargains on the stories of 2009. So I figured I’d go ahead and post this info in the spirit of nostalgia. Or what was already on the table pre Braille Note Apex. In either case, I’ve not altered the tone of the write up. Nor did I drop in pieces of knowledge from the far flung future that is 2010. With that said, as promised more than six months ago, I give you the lost Humanware notes from the NFB 2009 National Convention. 

 

***

 

The room had the best air movement and temperature out of all the rooms I was in for the Convention. It, like so many others, was small and 60 chairs fill up quickly than convention goers realize. People came and went during the presentation as Humanware broke their time into specific product meetings.

The first hour was devoted to the Trekker Breeze. I arrived 30 minutes into this discussion and, to be honest, it was the same questions/answers I heard about the product in Dallas 2008. It breaks down to this… some people don’t know how GPS works and some people want it to do more than it currently can [or ever] can be offered professionally. I like the Breeze for point to point travel and if that isn’t enough for some people Humanware has two other solutions with even more functionality available.

So I’ll pick up with the Braille/Voice Note meetings. Keysoft 8 will be arriving soon. The update will feature the new Keychat program that will let you expand your abilities to talk with other users over the web. The update will also have support for Audible formats like it’s Victor Reader Stream cousins. Generic printer driver support has been enhanced and the company has worked with HP to have better on board driver support for their lines of printers.

The crowd cheered when it was announced that the Eloquence synth was coming to a Braille and Voice Note mPower and PK near you really soon. The sub folder improvements that came with the 3.0 edition of the Victor Reader software will also now be coming to Keysoft 8. Enhanced support for USB drives helps you keep more stuff in those folders, however, it is recommended that the USB drive not be a U3 compatible device. The units can detect non U3 USB sticks better. You can always uninstall the U3 portion of a drive if you already have a drive that you want to use with your mPower though.

Another great improvement with Keysoft 8 comes in the form of support for WPA wireless encryption.

Several questions were asked about the memory and storage limitations with on board memory in the Braille and Voice Note lines. The panel wanted to stay away from a technical chat on hardware and Windows CE specs, however, info did slip that Humanware looks at their product cycles in a 5 year plan. The company didn’t have anything to announce today but quick math shows that the mPower is coming up on its 5^th birthday very soon.

Once when the cat jumped out of the bag on the possibility of new hardware, the team announced that it was time to talk about the next version of the Victor reader Stream software.

They moved right into the Highlight reel and then topped it off with talk on the update with little preamble. Some of the features that were spotlighted were the following tender morsels :

A statement was made that all updates will be free for the stream.

E pub book support was coming It was said that this was a sub set of the DAISY format and Google is looking to use this in future E Books initiatives.

Selectable and variable sample rate MP3 recording is on its way.

The team is considering support for the Office .docx format for a later release.

Support for “Save as DAISY” is also an upcoming feature being considered for a future release.

The panel was inundated with requests for the “Date and Time” feature to be a priority for an upcoming version of the software updates. The panel did their level best to quell the rising tide, however, they said that it was not set for release just yet.

More requests now for Kindle and PDF support. Now it gets technical. Some discussions on how fast these formats change and how often it would take to keep up with it all. Minor discussions on conversion and the Humanware Companion software. But nothing earth shattering.

A great tip for training someone on the Victor Reader Stream is to use the unit without a SD card on board. I may have to use that one next time I do an overview on this product.

The last session focused on Humanware Mobile. Some time was given to the new Braille Connect 12 cell display. The crowd was unmoved, however, this can work with mobile phones and may be a neat alternative for those who go for the mobile phone option over a larger more friendlier Netbook display.

A representative for RIM is on the panel. Here come the facts and figures.

25 million Blackberry users active in over 150 countries.

13,000 employees worldwide.

Their app store, called App World, is now going and they now have an accessible API.

AT solutions will come from 3^rd party development.

14 point font is a built in feature for Low Vision users.

Alphabetic speed dialing for those who memorize their contact lists.

Voice dialing options.

The rep went on to say that previous versions of the Blackberry OS were very JAVA dependent. The memory of older versions of the popular phone could not accommodate common TTS software solutions. Therefore, only the newer phones going forward would be able to use Orator.

RIM will be openly working with their developers at their public events to design applications with a need to have accessibility “baked in” with future releases. Information from these events will be released to the public and it looks like tere is a concerted effort to have third parties on board.

Some of the designs in mind include a Training Wizard for new users and support for external keyboards for those who dislike the “stickyness” of the track ball. I asked specifically if this sticky behavior was object or element based. At the time of the event it was said that it was based on elements.

A brief demonstration of the early GUI and main menu navigation was given. The unit was in a solid beta, however, the release of Orator is dependent on several issues. The timing of hardware that supports the product is hampered by the partnerships RIM has with their carriers. Subsidies and hardware inventories can complicate the release of any new phone. And so is the case with RIM and Orator. The good news is that when the product does go live it will be ready to go on many of RIM’s later releases.

Finally! Poll Results And New Poll Added For January 2010

I realize it has been like forever since we last looked at a poll. So, to refresh everyone’s memory..

Poll Question: Which Upgrade Do You Want To Buy?

Windows 7   6 (42%)
Kurzweil 1000 Version 12   2 (14%)
Apple 10.6 Snow Leopard    2 (14%)
JAWS 11.0   4 (28%)

Windows 7 has come roaring out of the gate in both sales and public perception, therefore, it isn’t surprising that many of you are keen to upgrade to the latest version of Windows. As I said in my remarks from Detroit, and again to those who scoffed then and now, XP is going to see a swift move to the back burner for many in development and in the Enterprise. The consumer side of things may take a little longer than Microsoft would like, however, eventually new computer sales will end XP’s life cycle over the next two years.

Speaking of upgrades, how about we take the temperature on how many feel about the new offerings from Humanware?

Poll: Braille Note Apex: Thumbs Up Or Thumbs Down

Up
Down
I Want A Braille Sense Plus
I Want An Icon
I Use A Laptop Or A Netbook As My Note Taker

I’ve set this one for the middle of the month. We may revisit this one though once the new units start to ship in earnest. Maybe by convention we may have more fuel for this fire.

One Month With... The Book Sense

I’ll say this upfront. There is nothing wrong with the Victor Reader Stream. It is a good unit, well designed and it has some great features. For me, however, I found that there were some things about the Book Sense that were more appealing to the type of user that I am. So if you choose to stay with a Stream, upgrade from a Stream or skip buying a Stream all together and buy a Book Sense .. it’s okay. Both devices sound pretty darn good.

Now while I’m being honest here, I don’t really use Audible or NLS. I’m mostly a MP3, podcast and alternate media kind of person. I have a few MP4s and a lot of MP3s. I scan text and read via doc. Or docx. At times. And I listen to music just about, as much as I listen to podcasts. The next bit will be slanted to my style of use. Thought I should clarify that first.

I purchased the Book Sense XT. That is the “off white” and more expensive unit. It is also the one that has Bluetooth headset support, a FM Radio and 4 GB of flash memory on board. I specifically wanted the radio and Bluetooth support. Therefore, my path was set to go for the XT model instead of the Ruby Red model.

I have stayed away from reviews, discussion threads and other avenues of those who have put up their views of the device. I’ve done this for two key reasons. The first being that I’m odd and what I use it for isn’t the norm. The second is that making a direct comparison of the Stream V Book Sense can’t be done yet as the Book Sense is still adding features to its firmware. I can’t tell you how the NLS book reading experience is because that support is coming in an updated software release. Thus, I’m skipping that head-to-head battle cry for now.

My quick impressions though do end up making some connections between the two units. And I see why it is difficult not to pair the two off in a steel cage and watch. With that said, here are some very rough ideas I have about the Book Sense.

It’s a little more complicated than I thought initially. What I mean by that is the addition of a directional pad, to go along with the numeric keypad, ends up making some things a little more confusing at first. You may want to use the numbers for a lot of navigation-based tasks, I know I sure did, but that would be wrong. Learning when to use the nav pad and when is a good time to utilize its powers does take some getting used to for someone who has used the Victor Reader prior to working with the Book Sense. It isn’t a bad thing.. it’s just different.

I absolutely LOVE! The clock and alarm options. Now I know how late I am to the bus, to work or to a family gathering. All along, I’m doing my best to be blissfully ignorant that I am doing so by listening intently to something else instead of said clock and time. No really having that thing say the time in the same pair of headphones has helped me tremendously. This is one key feature that the BS has and that the VRS doesn’t.

I know its super silly but I use the radio .. a lot. I can catch a weather or traffic report then skip back to a book or podcast with just a couple of button presses. Again, this sounds like a minor feature for some. And I know other devices have a talking radio in them. I still like that it is in the same device with the time and alarm on board.

The switch for the key lock! That thing rules. I know it sounds trivial again but I really do like moving that switch to the lock and unlocked position. As often as I travel knowing that I’ve locked the device has saved me tons of time in having to go back to find my place in a file.

Not all, of course, is perfect. And here are a few of my minor quibbles.

I’m not a fan of any equalizer settings. I like the way that you can customize the sound of the Victor Reader Stream more than the preset options on board the Book Sense. Pop sounds too bright and Rock is a little too compressed. I’d love to see a Custom option with bass, treble and controls like those found with the Stream.

The key for jumping to a percentage of a file also just so happens to be the key for deleting a file. And to make matters more confusing the key is context sensitive. So if you are in a file then you jump to a percentage. If not you had better pay attention when the unit asks you if you’re sure you want to delete that file. I know.. I’ve done it when traveling on autopilot.

The buttons can feel mushy at times. It isn’t a deal breaker but for some who need button definition this isn’t for you. The distinct and raised buttons of the Stream may be easier to find for those who have less sensitivity in their fingers. Or, like me, you may find that you press downwards with too much force when multitasking and you flinch when you do this because the front of the device has some give. I also kind of end up pressing too lightly as a result when trying to complete button presses where you have to hold down the button for two seconds. I want to press downwards for the needed number of seconds but I do end up a lot of times not doing so because I don’t want to press down too hard on the face of the unit.

Overall though I can say that I am really happy with my purchase of the Book Sense XT. I would tell those on the fence to wait for the features to show up that they may want. Alternatively, to bite the bullet and buy the device before it goes off sale this September 30th if you are a bargain hunter. Once NLS support arrives, however, the real deal begins and I will revisit what I’ve said here and update things more feature to feature and pound for pound.

Detroit 2009 Day 2: Walking Through The ricochet Exhibit Hall

This is just my opinion but man is this layout confusing. And the setting is really dark. And they put the Independence Store, the Braille Literacy and the Assistive Technology all in one big echodrome. The inner isles are hard to navigate when four people decide to just stop and do nothing. They aren’t listening to a demo, they aren’t talking and they all brought half their houses with them in rollaway cases that would make a giant tortoise jealous. Even the Dog Guides look confused on deciding on a path to lead through this mass of individuals who just seem to exist to occupy space for all that I can tell. Geez.. Despite all that, I did see some interesting stuff and here is a small run down of my first trip through the eye of the needle.

ABISee: I saw the new Eye Pal Solo in person. It is the same chassis, for the most part, of the Eye Pal with an ability to use the Solo without connecting it to a computer. It stores up to 6 pages at a time and it is geared towards older and very young users. It is still quite mobile but it may not be what you are looking for if you want a lot of functionality with your OCR needs.

Duxbury: I grabbed a demo disc of 10.7. There is a free utility on the disc I need to check out later. But 11.1 is on the way later in the year or early next. 10.7 will mostly run in Windows 7, however like most companies, better support is coming in the next release. Still the engineering teams are hard at work on it and it looks like embossing is safe for Dux users in Win 7.

G.W. Micro: I’m so happy for the gang in FT. Wayne. They were rarely not busy with parts of the day having people in rows four persons deep. The Voice and Braille Sense had their fans in force. But the star of the show was the Book Sense. People walked right up, dropped cash on the table and walked away happy. I’ve not seen that in AT in a while. Looks like we may have competition in the Talking MP3 market for sure.

I also got a glance at a new Sense View hand held video magnifier. It improves on the already popular Sense View Classic and all the same features are on board this new prototype. The new unit sports a larger and brighter display over the Classic unit. The form factor is still small and the contrast in false colors appeared to be very good. No word officially on the name, date or final feature set. So we will need to see what happens there.

Ai Squared: The teams in Vermont are also busy themselves working on a new update to the 9.18 series. Expect to see that very soon. You can also expect to hear about a relaunch of a product as well before July is over. When the official PR goes live, I’ll post it here.

View Plus: I got a chance to feel the results of the new Tiger technology. The changes are minor but the effect is so subtle that it is deceptive at first touch. I like the new output of the Tiger and I got to say it is a nice revision to an already great line of products.

Freedom Scientific: I wasn’t sure about the Ruby. I thought it kind of heavy, bulky and a little unwieldy. I was putting those first impressions to rest after some time with it however. The false color contrast is good. The unit even keeps a bright image when tilted slightly in the collapsed handle position. The camera is in the center making page navigation easier for first time users of Video Magnifiers. The unit is also well balanced when the handle is extended. This is crucial because you don’t want your arm to get tired before you read an entire page. I admit I came away impressed with my first looks at the Ruby.

I also got my hands on the Focus Blue prototype. The weight is good and it falls right in there with the other Bluetooth enabled Braille Displays. Responsiveness was speedy and clear. The unit I saw was on a machine running JAWS 11 and Windows 7. Again, and I know this sounds strange, I have to hand it to the AT companies like Freedom Scientific for having products in the pipeline and ready to go for Windows 7 this October. If you are a PAC Mate fan and you are thinking about going to a Netbook then check out the new Focus as it may fit the bill for portable Braille access.

Humanware: What if I told you that there was a new AT product that smashed the concepts of digital convergence in a way that is exciting and confusing all at the same time? Well my friends that product is here and it is called the Versa Plus. Now you can have a small hand held Video Magnifier that records meetings, plays audio files, plays video files and oh yeah lets you read stuff somewhere in all that too. I’m so torn on the Versa Plus. On one hand it is neat to see all this functionality in a hand held device. On the other, navigation of the features isn’t all that intuitive and it may be a Jack of all trades/Master of none dilemma for some. And I haven’t even got to the part where we hook this thing up to the computer for importing and exporting files yet. Remember when a cell phone was used to make calls and a CCTV was used to read stuff? Dude I’m getting either too old for tech or I’ve lost the spark in seeing the silver lining. In either case I seriously honestly say you need to spend time with this device before you decide to purchase it. The learning curve can be steep for those who may just be looking for a spot reading device. And if that is the case Humanware has the lower costing Versa, without all the media features, that might fit the bill nicely.

Optelec: Speaking of Video Magnifiers with tons of confusing controls and features.. I saw the Far View. I like the distance camera as it gives the Sense View Duo some competition in that hand held Video Magnifier arena. I’m lost though in how the Far View works. There are more buttons on this thing than a common cell phone. I was afraid of hitting something when I looked at things further away. Very busy controls on the outside, however, the inside menus aren’t much better. Many companies with these on screen menus do not let you adjust color, font size or other options to make things less complex when you go to customize your unit’s settings. This is the case with the Far View. It is a good first generation device but man would I like to pass some notes on a hardware refresh.

I’ll be posting more on my exploits on bruised feet from being squashed by someone who must be living out of their rollaway case instead of getting a hotel room like a normal person later on this week.

May’s Poll Results And New Poll Added For July!

Yeah, I skipped June. Sorry about that folks. But enough about that, lets look at the results of who wanted to go where this summer.

May’s Poll Question: Which Summer Convention Are You Going To Attend?

ACB 2 (16%)
NFB 1 (8%)
Sight Village 1 (8%)
The Nearest Sci Fi Or Comic Convention 0 (0%)
Travel? I've Got The Internet Thank You Very Much! 8 (66%)

Many of you chose to stay at home and stream the conventions where ever possible. And I can’t blame you considering the cost of things these days. I am amazed though that some 3,000 people came to Detroit though. And they come from as far away as Alaska and Hawaii. However, for my fellow friends down in the Southern parts of the US, I’m loving 63 degrees in July. A guy could grow used to this. Along with being just a stone’s throw from Canada to boot.. eh?

This month’s poll question comes directly from the responses I’ve read about the interest and the reviews of Voiceover on the iPhone. Plus I have to say that the approach Humanware, Code Factory and RIM are taking with the Blackberry peeked my curiosity too. But with so many options now for us on the Mobile platforms, and with contracts always expiring, what platform do you think You want to use on your next phone?

July’s Poll Question: What Cell Phone Platform Do You Want To Buy For Your Next Accessible Phone?

Windows Mobile with Mobile Speak or Talks
Synbian with Mobile Speak or Talks
Blackberry with Orator
The iPhone
Other

We sure have come a long way in just a year when it comes to mobile options for communication. And I am really interested to see how this poll turns out.

Weekly Tweet Roundup For May 12th

If you follow the feed you know already that I am up to my freaking neck with tons of Microsoft updates. And Microsoft info on upcoming updates. Oh and also a bit more on Technical Previews to even more updates that are coming two months sooner than I expected them to show up. Everywhere I turn I see a .exe or .msi or .zip. I’m hearing “20%.. 45%.. 70% completed” in my sleep. I don’t need to count sheep anymore because I have a computer progress bar to lull me off to dreamland. But enough whining, let us look at some cool links.

The Path To Somewhere Near 7: The Super Site for Windows has up a series of articles on what to expect and how to upgrade your systems from XP or Vista to 7RC.

http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/win7_upgrade.asp

Office 2010 Technical Preview: The sign up page to be considered for the next version of of Office is up for those interested in playing with the Technical Preview. The TP will be shown off in mid July and might be on store shelves by this time next year.

https://microsoft.crgevents.com/Office2010TheMovie/Content/Default.aspx?p=Home&

Netbooks V Notebooks: Thinking of buying a Netbook? My best advice is to hold fast for six months. The reasons are many but this article does a great job in summarizing what I already have said to others who have asked me about them.

http://tech.blorge.com/Structure:%20/2009/05/09/lenovo-on-the-future-of-the-netbook/

Patch Tuesday: Here is a rundown on what patches will be rolling out from Windows Update today.

http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/05/microsoft-patch-tuesday-for-may-2009-one-bulletin.ars

IE9: Upgraded to Internet Explorer 8 yet? Well you better do it before IE9 rolls by. No.. I’m not kidding. Early development already exists for the next version of IE and some already have wish lists.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=2372

CNET Reviews The Victor Reader Stream: Mainstream press for Humanware’s little marvel.

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12519_7-10226447-49.html?tag=centerColumnArea1.2

And that is just a sample of the info off my Twitter feed. To read more on the music, Sci Fi and other tech I’m playing with you can subscribe to the feed at

http://twitter.com/RangerStation

Victor Reader Stream 3.0 Software Online Now

You can stop wearing out the F5 button on your computer keyboard and start downloading the new software now.
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http://www.humanware.com/en-canada/support/vr_stream_software

Humanware Goes PR Crazy At CSUN 09

Victor Reader Stream, new Video Magnifiers and a co-branding deal with Code Factory? Wow….

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HUMANWARE UNVEILS VICTOR READER STREAM 3.0

[This announcement is displayed in text only for accessibility with Braille Notetakers. A web version with images is available at: http://www.humanware.com/en-canada/about_us/press_releases/2009_press_releases/humanware_unveils_victor_reader_stream_3]

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). To receive an email announcement for this release and stay informed on future Stream activities be sure to Register to the Stream Newswire (http://www.humanware.com/en-canada/products/blindness/dtb_players/compact_models/stream_news).


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ORATOR FOR BLACKBERRY® SMARTPHONES

[This announcement is displayed in text only for accessibility with Braille Notetakers.]

With The CSUN 24th Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference around the corner, HumanWare would like to invite you to be the first to get your hands on HumanWare's newest and most innovative software solution called "Orator for BlackBerry® Smartphones". With over 21 million subscribers in 150 countries, the BlackBerry® smartphone is a popular and an indispensible communication tool for people on the go. While providing effective communication solutions for customers, including customers with disabilities, BlackBerry® smartphones have remained inaccessible to the blindness community, until now. Introducing Orator for BlackBerry® smartphones, the first screen reader that empowers blind and visually impaired customers to access and experience BlackBerry® smartphones.

Come visit us at the HumanWare booth 247 for a personal demonstration and to enter your name to win 1 of 3 packages of Orator for BlackBerry® smartphones with a new BlackBerry® smartphone.

If you are interested in learning more on the Orator for BlackBerry® smartphones solution, be sure to attend the product presentation.

Orator for BlackBerry® Smartphones: blind access solution for BlackBerry® smartphones

When: Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Time: 1h50 PM to 2h50 PM
Where: New York room at the Marriott
Speakers: Greg Fields, Accessibility Product Manager, Research In Motion (RIM)
Michel Pepin, Product Manager, HumanWare

Attendees of this session will learn more about Orator for BlackBerry® smartphones and get a sneak preview of how the Orator for BlackBerry® smartphones enables blind and visually impaired customers to remain in touch with important information, people, family and friends while on the go.

For those not able to attend this presentation, be sure to visit the HumanWare booth in the exhibit hall at booth 247 during the following exhibit hours:

• Wednesday, March 18 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
• Thursday, March 19 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Friday, March 20 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Saturday, March 21 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

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HUMANWARE UNVEILS NEW LOW VISION PRODUCTS AT CSUN 2009

[This announcement is displayed in text only for accessibility with Braille Notetakers. A web version with images is available at: http://www.humanware.com/en-usa/about_us/press_releases/2009_press_releases/copy_of_humanware_low_vision_products_featured_at_csun]

HumanWare is proud to announce two new handheld electronic magnifiers that will be on display at our Booth #247 at the 2009 CSUN conference in Los Angeles.

The SmartView Versa is a handheld electronic magnifier. Its features include: a 4.3" screen, 5x to 15x magnification, and a rechargeable battery.

The SmartView Versa+ is a handheld electronic magnifier. Its features include: a 4.3" screen, 5x to 15x magnification, saves images, plays music and videos, SD card slot to store information and images, and a rechargeable battery.

After trying them out, please fill out a form to enroll in a drawing to win a FREE SmartView Versa+. The winner will receive this prize 1 month after the announcement.

Come see our portable distance viewing camera, the SmartView Graduate. This low vision aid is a perfect companion for any student or traveling professional. This distance viewing camera has a stand with 2 USB ports that interface with your laptop. This exciting product works very well with Zoomtext.

HumanWare will also be displaying our complete line of low vision products such as the SmartView Nano and Pocket, which are low cost electronic magnifiers, along with our very popular desktop video magnifiers, the SmartView Xtend and the myReader 2, which is our one-button digital technology unit.

Our HumanWare associates are looking forward to meeting and showing you our very exciting and innovative low vision products.