My Top Ten Of 2011: Numbers 3, 2, 1 And More

I wanted to make sure the podcast archive was online before I finished my poll results here on TRS. To hear myself, J.J., Jamie and Lisa discuss the year that was in AT, click on the link below to be taken to the SeroSpectives podcast archive.

http://serotalk.com/2012/01/06/this-year-in-assistive-technology-for-2011/

And now, as the late Paul Harvey was known for saying, “the… rest of the story’. Here is the story that was chosen for the number three position.

http://www.blindbargains.com/bargains.php?m=6454

And my choice was the number 2 story selected by the panel.

Demise of Qwitter accessible Twitter client, replacements emerge
notoriety is a fickle thing. And it doesn’t always bring about fame and fortune. It can, as seen earlier this year, bring on headaches and forking of a project. Quitter demonstrated the beauty and the pitfalls of Open Source. It also, unfortunately, showed the darker side of a community enraged with some forms of snarkyness that the internet is never in short supply of on just about any subject. There are lots of fingers to be pointed in various directions for the “who and the why”, almost as many as the various offshoots of Quitter actually, and this too shall pass into obscurity like so much other “Twitter Drama’. For now though, it was one of the bigger stories of 2011.

Here is the link to what was said on Blind Bargains about the Quitter story.

http://www.blindbargains.com/bargains.php?m=6451

To make things fun and confusing, here was what I chose for number 2.

Apple to launch iPhone 4S simultaneously with AT&T, Verizon and Sprint
The story here isn’t VoiceOver, iOS5 or even the passing of Steve Jobs. No, the acceptance of voice control with a TTS engine by the mainstream in the passion for Siri far and away is the highlight of what otherwise is just the same old iPhone in a relative modified shell. For years this technology has been available but it took the Apple marketing team to make it cool enough to use. The question is, where does Siri go after the novelty wears off? That we may see in 2012 because Siri, like iCloud, is still in beta.

Lastly, the panel and I were in sync with the number 1 story. Here is the link…

http://www.blindbargains.com/bargains.php?m=6453

With my thoughts being…

Amazon Kindle Fire released, completely inaccessible/Amazon releases accessible Kindle for PC
this one is just so frustrating and infuriating. There is no good reason why the largest online retailer, who had months of time prior to this product’s launch, should have released the Kindle Fire without some form of access. Even using Talkback, as the Fire relies on a modded version of Android at its core, would have been something. But the fun doesn’t stop with Amazon there. the cheapest and newest of the kindles does not feature a speaker nor TTS. And the release of the Kindle for PC, with its considerable drawbacks, should have been the “Spector of Doom” for what was to come in 2011. It’s funny that many try to pit Apple versus Google on the Mobile Accessibility Wars when it really seems that Amazon is the bigger offender of anyone seeing how they have poor access on just about every platform they touch. More than anything else, Amazon’s approach .. or lack thereof.. on Access is the biggest story in Assistive Technology in 2011.

I want to thank the guys at Blind Bargains for asking me back for my third go around with this look back at the year. And it was really great fun to be able to do this in person and in podcast form. I hope you enjoyed the panel’s feedback and I invite you to continue to listen to the “This Month In AT” shows as they end up being the genesis for this conversation for the end of what will be in 2012.

My Top Ten Of 2011: Number 5

2011 will be this odd sort of year where I’ll look back at those 365 days and scratch my head as to what was the “next big thing” in the areas of trends or innovations in Assistive Technology only to come away with a blank stare. Because nothing really stood out. Well nothing that did not jump right out at me and say “hey! Right here! I’m Number one!”. Even the panel’s choice for number five has a need for some time and distance before one can say what the impact is, or was, or will be?, on the landscape of Assistive Technology.

http://blindbargains.com/bargains.php?m=6449

Some will argue that the story linked to above should have been the number one.. of any lists, polls, discussions, musings, water cooler quarterbacking or well-meant conglomerations of the Sub-Genius [hail bob reference here]. Or, like comments made by Dark Nexus made on the panel’s stories, one may wonder just how we arrived at our decisions anyway. Coin tosses, slips of paper drawn from a box or dart boards were not used or harmed in the making of our Top Ten I can assure you. and I can see why someone would wonder “why?”. My only answer is that when looking at this stuff all day, all week and okay all year, you can lose the forest from the trees. Inside baseball happens with every tech podcast and blog, therefore, I will lay that down as to part of the “why?” in my selections. However, in the case below the decision purely came from the splash on social media and the remarks made at the summer shows. To say this was a quick way to get someone to comment, okay a sure fire way honestly, would be an understatement. And this is why I chose this story for number five.

RFB&D Becomes Learning Alley
What’s more confusing than an odd series of letters in an abbreviation for a long running service? Well for starters this name change comes to mind at the top of that list of possible answers. While the name reflects a broader focus, it still remains a mystery to some out there why this was the choice for rebranding. However, it did make for some interesting conversations in the confusion of the word “Ally” for the various screen readers. A five, “come and stumble down the learning Alley with me”. Trust me, if you are reading this without a screen reader, it’s a funny phrase.

Poll Question Results And New Non Technical Related Poll Question Added

No clear winner in our last poll. Unless you consider that many people are going to buy something Apple based in their future. In that case, Apple won the poll.

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

iPhone 4   3 (15%)
iPad   10 (52%)
iPod   3 (15%)
Mac Mini    1 (5%)
I'll never buy an Apple anything   2 (10%)

I’m actually surprised that the iPhone didn’t score higher. The poll closed shortly before the big Bumper scare 2010 took hold in earnest. Which in my mind will forever be remembered as “the day where Steve Jobbs turned on the press’. Talk about biting the hand that fed you.

This next poll question comes from my days in Vocational Rehab and my own struggles to accept my vision loss. The below question is one that is sometimes asked by some members of support groups for those who are newly Blind or who are losing vision later in life. It can say a lot about what one thinks about vision loss or what they find to be important for self confidence. I’ll provide my own honest answer when the poll closes near the end of this month. But for now, how would you answer the following?

Poll Question: If Given One Wish, What Would You Choose?

Restored Or Perfect Vision
One Million Dollars
Fully Retired At Age 60 Or Lower
A Fully Paid For Home

This is one of those questions I find worthy of being great for a discussion on a podcast. Perhaps that may happen one day. Hint, Hint!

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.

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.

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.

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.

April’s Poll Results And May’s Poll Added

I bet you can guess the answer to which answer won just by reading the question.

April's Poll Question: Where Do You Get The Most News About Assistive Technology?

Social Networks: Twitter, Facebook, Friend Feed, etc    3 (42%)
  Surfing A Company's Website    2 (28%)
  Email Lists    1 (14%)
  Podcasts    1 (14%)
  Word Of Mouth: Friends, CoWorkers, etc   0 (0%)

No real surprise considering the way that all the world is going these days. Many AT companies have really embraced the new world of social media and I believe it is providing positive feeback to all involved. And it cuts down the myth that there aren’t a lot of us who are super techies or crazed Blind Enthusiast Bloggers and Podcasters doing the hip new thing. Today’s common AT User is younger, willing to adapt and not as fearful to try the latest craze at the drop of a dime. Unlike yours truly who had to be kicked in the rear by his fellow Blind Bloggers and Podcasters to get over himself and dive into the latter half of this decade. Um.. but moving on..

The summer travel season is almost here. Time to make plans to hang out in the sun, watter or where ever you like. The summer for the AT Industry is a little odd though. For many of us the summer is the end to a “Hat Trick” of events. The big three AT shin digs use to be ATIA, CSUN and ACB/NFB or Sight Village for our friends outside the US. A second ATIA in October may just put the finishing touches on the old “Closing The Gap” convention, however, for most people the cycle runs down in July with the summer convention season. So this month’s poll asks…

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

ACB
  NFB
  Sight Village
  The Nearest Sci Fi Or Comic Convention
  Travel? I've Got The Internet Thank You Very Much!

To know more about this year’s national conventions you can visit the following links.

ACB 2009 National Convention

http://www.acb.org/convention/

NFB 2009 National Convention

http://www.afb.org/community.asp?EventID=1665

Sight Village 2009

http://www.viewplus.com/sightvillage-registration/

Poll Results And April’s Mini Poll Added

Bet you thought I forgot about the poll eh? Quite the opposite really. More on that in a second. When you see a delay in the poll results, and I know that happens more often than not, it is chiefly due to my inability to think up a good question for the following month. Sometimes they strike like lightning and sometimes they come to me like a snail going uphill. For April the snail won by a wide margin. But there were no wide margins in our poll results on IE8. Take a look below..

March’s Poll Question: Are You Going To Update Your Internet Explorer To Version 8?

Yes   8 (38%)
  No   2 (9%)
  I'll Wait For The Service Pack   6 (28%)
  Internet Explorer.. Never!    5 (23%)

I’m shocked to see that the “haves” beat the “have nots” on this one. Frankly so many people on the web bash Internet Explorer so often that I kind of think of it as a darkhorse in the Browser Wars instead of the market leader. I like IE8. I didn’t like the pre releases at all and I was fully prepared to drop this release like a hot rock at the first signs of odd behavior. Then the safety features kicked in on a couple of BBC and Sun websites.. and I thought to myself that this was a good thing because the page elements that were blocked or detected were very very bad. And I haven’t looked back since.

I’m not downing Firefox by any means but I’m not sold on the maturity of version 3 with all the AT programs yet. So I have it, it is installed and I do use it for testing. However, I’ve had great luck with IE8 for most of my work needs. It has become my default browser at home while my office computer is the test bench for IE7.. for now [he says ominously].

I have also adopted a little more than Internet Explorer 8 recently. You might have read the post about my slow moving self taking on a more Social Networking track a few weeks ago. Or you may have seen the Twitter and Facebook elements added to the sidebar. In either case, thanks to a particular person, I’ve jumped in and I’m doing a lot of Tweeting. Around “Follower” 24 this new poll question came to me.

April’s Poll Question: Where Do You Get The Most News About Assistive Technology?

Social Networks: Twitter, Facebook, Friend Feed, etc

Surfing A Company's Website

Email Lists

Podcasts

Word Of Mouth: Friends, Coworkers, etc

I do all of the above to some extent. But I work in the Industry and I kinda have to read up on these things. But I’m interested to see what all of you think is the big avenue for you in how you get your news on the products you use. I’ll roll this one into early May. Oh, I do have a May poll question already in mind. We may actually go back to a real monthly schedule! .. probably not though knowing me.

Feb’s Poll Results And March’s Mini Poll Added

This month’s poll question came about from the simple fact that five people I know at work have bought various types of Netbooks since the first of the year. All said that they had open keys for their AT programs of choice and it seemed stilly to them to go for a note taker without a Braille Display option for simple things like surfing the web or taking notes. And it looks like the worm has also turned for those who voted in the poll as well. Check out the votes..

Feb's Poll Question Of The Month: Would You Buy A Netbook Running An Assistive Technology Program Or A Traditional Blindness Related Note Taker If Given Half The Chance?

I would buy the Netbook AT Program Combo Meal   12 (50%)
I would buy a Blindness Related Note Taker   0 (0%)
I gotta have my Braille input or Braille output Note Taker   6 (25%)
  Whatever, I use a laptop for all things in portable computing    6 (25%)

I do caution some people to do the research before you buy if you are going for a Netbook. Not all systems are created equal. And hardware configurations are a plenty. Also, and this gets a lot of people, a Netbook is not a laptop. So don’t expect smooth sailing if you are one of those people who have 7 windows open at a time while streaming media. Moreover, with most of these systems coming in at such a low price .. we may have entered the new world of disposable computing. New from Bic, the disposable Netbook Lighter combo! Now available at Right Aid, 7-11 and Fry’s. And then there will eventually be the recycling bits. Green for paper, yellow for glass and purple for those dead Netbooks. And we will all have flying cars and dogs that will talk too. Okay maybe not that last part.  Rutt’ro Roorge!

I’m scarce for poll questions at the moment, however, this one seems timely. 

March’s Mini Poll Question: Are You Going To Update Your Internet Explorer To Version 8?

Yes
  No
  I'll Wait For The Service Pack
  Internet Explorer.. Never!

I’ve got a guess how this might go. So we will do a mini poll this time around and go with something else in a few weeks.

January’s Poll Results And February's Poll Added

Lets take a look at how Windows 7 did with last month’s poll.

January’s Poll Question: Are You Excited About Windows 7?

Yes, I’m there on launch day!   7 (38%)
  No, I’m fine thanks.   6 (33%)
  Yes! I’m running the Beta right now..    3 (16%)
   What? I don’t use this Windows thing you speak of..   2 (11%)

It looks like we are split down the middle again this month. That isn’t surprising since Windows 7 has a hard wall to climb in order to set it apart from its bigger brother named Vista. Still the buzz is good and we are seriously looking at a Windows 7 Winter Wonderland at the end of this year. And if you read Mark Taylor’s or Rick Harman’s blogs then you know that the barriers to access won’t be the same this go around.

Now with taxes looming on the horizon, sorry if that makes some out there a bit queasy for I too hate math, my mind has been turning to the idea of buying … something. Mind you I’m not loaded by any means. Even a Creative Zen 1 GB Stone’s price tag gives me pause in this lovely economy. So it is quite alright if you pretend to use Monopoly money when answering this month’s question. The only catch is that I get to choose the race car not the boot as my Monopoly character.

February's Poll Question Of The Month: Would You Buy A Netbook Running An Assistive Technology Program Or A Traditional Blindness Related Note Taker If Given Half The Chance?

I would buy the Netbook AT Program Combo Meal
  I would buy a Blindness Related Note Taker
  I gotta have my Braille input or Braille output Note Taker
  Whatever, I use a laptop for all things in portable computing

this question came to be when two co-workers came to me on the same day with their MSI U100s running either a Screen Reader or a Screen Magnifier on the little device. I have entertained this question with several people off line for about a year. But I will save that topic for the end of the month after everyone else has had their say on the subject.

December’s Poll Results And January’s Poll Added

This is kind of neat. We have a tie on the question I was asking and a real winner in the area of paid radio. See the results below.

December’s Poll Question: Do You Like The New Combined Serious XM Radio?

Yeah 2 (25%)
Nope 2 (25%)
I don’t hear a difference 0 (0%)
Dude.. the radio is dead, I gave up and only listen to MP3s 4 (50%)

So the winner was MP3s and User Generated Content I guess. I’ve met many who have stopped their subscriptions to both services who say that they don’t like the music changes to their fave stations. Others who I know still hang in there with Serious because of the sports content. Personally I tend to listen to XM more because the music channels are on my DirecTV. I haven’t been a big fan of the changes at all. Although I have heard some new music I didn’t hear on XM pre merger. In fact that is how the new Metallica disc ended up as a link on the right side of the page. XM plays it a lot and it gave me a good look at the thing because prior to the merge I had no plans on buying it at all.

And now another mini poll for January…

January’s Poll Question: Are You Excited About Windows 7?

Yes, I’m there on launch day!
No, I’m fine thanks.
Yes! I’m running the Beta right now..
What? I don’t use this Windows thing you speak of..

Thanks and a shout out go to Rick who’s comments in the last post inspired this month’s question. Well that and I don’t want to make a Assistive Tech question this close to ATIA. Still, this is a valid discussion topic. And I have already committed myself to jabbering about it in 2009 anyways.

November’s Poll Results And December Mini Poll Added

I know the results have been on the sidebar for weeks, however, for posterity's sake I’m posting them here.

November's Poll Question: My MP3 Player Of Choice Is..

The New Apple 4 Gig Nano 2 (10%)
The Victor Reader Stream 9 (47%)
The Icon/PAC Mate/Braille Sense/Braille or Voice Note 2 (10%)
Rockbox Enabled Players 1 (5%)
Some Other Accessible Player 2 (10%)
I Use An Off The Shelf MP3 Player With No Assistance 3 (15%)

In less than 18 months the Victor Reader Stream has dominated the landscape of how Blind people are accessing text and MP3s. Even with iTunes support more readily available out of the box for JFW and Window Eyes, I find that others are still opting for the VRS because the usability of iTunes its self is such a mess. The iTunes program, from my perspective, should be thought of as bloatware or malware in the fact that it pushes so much stuff we Blind users don’t use. The App Store for the iPhone? Whatever.. And the Apple Software Updater is almost as bad as the Adobe Updater. It makes me almost long for the days of the Real Player updates. You had a bit more control over those but not by much. Real Player Games Updates anyone? No thanks. I just want to hear a song. And three pop ups and two tool tips in my taskbar later I finally got to hear that song I forgot that I wanted to listen to in the first place.

A really interesting delema for Humanware will be how they release and market a Victor Reader Stream 2. With so many great features already included in the 2.0 software one would be hard pressed to upgrade to a better model when one finally does come along. That is a real problem for Apple as they too are reaching the end of the feature list for the iPod lines.

Speaking of music, I’ve been listening to the newly combined Serious and XM radio stations. I have my own thoughts about the merger but I thought that this would make a good Mini Poll Question to ask all of you before I pull out another soapbox. So..

December’s Poll Question: Do You Like The New Combined Serious XM Radio?

Yeah
Nope
I don’t hear a difference
Dude.. the radio is dead, I gave up and only listen to MP3s

I’ll run this until the early part of January and then I will come up with something more exciting. We are less than a month away from ATIA and the press releases should start picking up steam again very soon. We may have some neat things to talk about as we stand in the shadow of another version of Windows and Office. 2009 is shaping up to be a weird kind of year for sure.

October’s Poll Results And November Poll Added

Well it looks like we had a landslide victory for the choice I probably would have chosen myself. And I sure don’t blame anyone for going with the winning option, however, it does make for little content for me to ramble on about this month.

October’s Poll Question: All I Want For Xmas Is ...

An Upgrade For My Screen Reader/Magnifier/OCR 2 (11%)
A Note Taker Like a PAC Mate, Voice Note, Icon Or Braille Sense 3 (16%)
A Victor Reader Stream 1 (5%)
A New Video Magnifier/Hand Held CCTV 0 (0%)
Starbucks, iTunes Or Other Online Gift Cards 0 (0%)
Money, Because It Goes With Everything I Already Own 12 (66%)

Looking back at that one I could have changed the last choice to “All of the above” and gotten almost the same results huh? Still I can’t disagree with the winner.

Let us try something new then. Recently Apple has released the 4 GB Nano which supports a spoken interface. And many of the leading Screen Readers have offered either free updates or third party scripts for iTunes access. The question is now.. is Apple too late? With Milestones, Plextalks, Olympias and that juggernaut known as the Victor Reader, has Apple done enough to get you on board with everyone else who doesn’t already own a Zune? Personally I use my ARCHOS 604 often because it has a very large screen and I can customize the way that the text and backgrounds look. But how do the rest of you feel about the options you have for MP3 playback?

November’s Poll Question: My MP3 Player Of Choice Is..

The New Apple 4 Gig Nano
The Victor Reader Stream
The Icon/PAC Mate/Braille Sense/Braille or Voice Note
Rockbox Enabled Players
Some Other Accessible Player
I Use An Off The Shelf MP3 Player With No Assistance

I know this is a lot like a poll we did before, however, we never had Apple as a real contender before. So we will see where this one takes us.

Poll: August’s Results And New! October Poll Added

Let us take a look at the now vintage poll from August shall we?

August’s Poll Question: Which Public Beta Will You Download And Install This Month?

JAWS 10.0 16 (69%)
Window Eyes 7.0 5 (21%)
Windows Live Mesh 0 (0%)
Firefox 3.1 Alpha 2 (8%)

I guess this wasn’t as much as a barn burner as I had originally thought. The response to the new Window Eyes has been good. I haven’t delved into it too much but I plan to learn more about it in the next few months. I’ve been playing with Live mesh and I like what I have seen so far. If you didn’t do a search on that one I recommend that you might want to if you like the idea of a remote desktop via a web interface. Speaking of remotes, Eric at Freedom Scientific spoke to a group I cobbled together this week and he said that Tandem has already seen over 1,000 connections. It seems that we all have some good stuff ahead of us in the upcoming year no matter which product[s] you use.

But enough about the past poll. Lets jump to this month’s question. As we approach the Xmas season I thought we might see what some would like to ask Santa for if Santa was real and made of obscene amounts of cash.

October’s Poll Question: All I Want For Xmas Is ...

An Upgrade For My Screen Reader/Magnifier/OCR
A Note Taker Like a PAC Mate, Voice Note, Icon Or Braille Sense
A Victor Reader Stream
A New Video Magnifier/Hand Held CCTV
Starbucks, iTunes Or Other Online Gift Cards
Money, Because It Goes With Everything I Already Own

Since Wal Mart decided to put their Holiday paraphernalia up this week to attract sales, I thought we could look ahead as well. It just feels so wrong to see this stuff before “The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown” airs. And now that makes me thing of Dolly Madison’s cupcakes and pies and doughnuts and .. darn you childhood advertisers!

June’s Poll Results And July’s Smaller Poll Added

My day job has really heated up and I haven’t found the time to keep up with things here as much as I would have liked after convention. So I’m going to punt the ball this month and start a new in August on the poll. For now lets look at the results from June.

Poll Of The Month: If money fell out of the sky I would go to which Convention?

Sight Village 3 (15%)

Closing The Gap 0 (0%)

ACB National Convention 1 (5%)

CSUN 10 (52%)

ATIA 1 (5%)

NFB National Convention 4 (21%)

So CSUN eh? Having been to CSUN a few times I can say honestly that I tend to get more info on Blindness technology at the NFB and ACB conventions instead of CSUN. The last three years, for me, have really taken CSUN down a peg on the hierarchy of AT conventions. However, if you have an interest in tech outside of Blindness then L.A. is the place for you. No other cons in the US have the density and variety of tracks and subjects on the Disabled Community. Plus, if you aren’t going to Site Village, the international flair can’t be beat either. Just remember if you are going so you can hear the latest on say Window Eyes CSUN isn’t the end all be all it used to be anymore.

I’ve never been to Closing The Gap. While I would love a work excuse to visit the Mall of America in Minnesota, I can’t justify the lack of a need to go to that convention for me to do so. Sad as I know I would enjoy all the cheesy merchandise around Camp Snoopy. “Happiness is a warm puppy” after all. CTG is mostly educational based activities now and I am not surprised that no one voted for that option.

I’ve been to both ACB and NFB conventions. And I have to say that I got something good out of both of them. In fact this past NFB convention in Dallas was very eventful and productive in the sessions offered. A few of the meetings I wanted to get to were scheduled at the same time as my meetings with the movers and shakers. But minus that the meetings I did attend, and the people I did meet, was well worth the 100 degree heat. You never need travel outside the hotel though if that thought puts you off coming to Texas. As everything is enclosed within the Hilton as far as the convention goes. I’m looking forward to the return to Dallas in 2010.

The really great thing is that I and others on the net have been covering the happenings on at some of these high profile conventions for a while now. And between JJ’s coverage, the gang at T&T Consulting, Main Menu and a few other outlets you the reader at home can get all of the important info and none of the hassle of travel or the joy of expensive travel costs. This trend of living via Twiter began for the mainstream tech media with CES and then WWDC with us in the Blindness Tech world catching up to how other Trade Press cover these things. It will be interesting to see how this “instant on'” world of information gathering will effect how AT is marketed in the future.

Now.. the lackluster mini poll for July. I apologize for the subject matter at hand but traveling gave me this burning question to ask all of you. Make sure you weight your options carefully before you vote.

Poll Question For July: What Sandwich Sounds Good Right About Now?

Ham
Turkey
BLT
Rubin
Meatball Sub
Veggie Delight

Considering that Denny’s was cheaper than the hotel, this isn’t as bad of a question as one might think. And yes, this was almost a “What is your favorite pizza topping?” poll as well. For now I’m saving that until the next time I am too tired to be thought provoking after a convention. We will resume our more tech oriented fare in August.. unless I go totally all Facebook and start asking about your fave colors or “Who’s hotter?”. Then all bets are off.

May's Poll Results And June's Poll Question Added

Here are the numbers for last month's poll.

May's Poll Question Results: Which Note Taker/Accessible PDA Do You Want To Own?

PAC Mate Omni 6 (21%)
mPower 3 (10%)
Icon 1 (3%)
Braile Sense Plus 3 (10%)
A new Smartphone with Access Software 14 (50%)
Other 1 (3%)

I'll be up front and honest... The PAC Mate number surprises me. Don't get me wrong here but the PAC Mate upgrade is very compelling. You get Windows Mobile 6, the ability to use Wireless G and the Power Point Viewer. And if you have a PM then by all means go out and upgrade the unit. I just don't know if the Mate is the thing I would want when faced with today's options in the PDA/Note Taker arena. Still to each his or her own and I can't argue with numbers or the previous success of the PM.

Speaking of numbers... how about that Mobile Phone number. That is good news for Mobile Speak, Talks and others. I'm sure a few of those who selected that option also dreamed of the N 82 and a little somthin' somethin' right? Perchance to dream I guess.

Honorable mention has to go to GW Micro for the buzz they have gathering on the new updated Braille Sense Plus. Now if they would only pin a few arms back in korea and get them to get us a QWERTY version of that thing! Sigh.. what did I just say about dreaming?

While we are dreaming let us consider what else we would do if money happened to be no object. June begins the big convention season. So why not a poll question on...

June's Poll Of The Month: If money fell out of the sky I would go to which Convention?

Sight Village
Closing The Gap
ACB National Convention
CSUN
ATIA
NFB National Convention

I've been to three out of that list. Sadly one of them wasn't Sight Village. Yikes! I would be so broke if I did go. One day of that trip would have to be to *the* Tenth Planet for a ton of Sci Fi gear I can't get in the States. Daleks, Cybermen and Torchwood everywhere. Oh the customs fees! Oops, sorry dreaming again.

I am more than likely heading back to Dallas this year to meet up with a lot of my friends in the biz. So I guess I will have to add a "plus one" to the NFB number when this poll ends.

Polls: April's Poll Results And May's Poll Added

This one was over before it began. Take a look at last month's results.

April's Poll Question: Which Computer Based OCR Program Is Your Favorite?

Open Book 3 (10%)
Kurzweil 1000 18 (60%)
Cicero 0 (0%)
System Access's Document Scan 0 (0%)
Other 9 (30%)

I'm not trying to persuade anyone on this topic at all. But the new Open Book is worth a look and I have used the System Access Document Scan on the road a few times with good results as well. If you don't have an Eye Pal or another portable OCR on you.. having OCR on a pen drive is a great thing. Well as long as you can find a computer with a scanner. Then Zoom EX and Eye Pal are very helpful.

This month's poll question is one that some of you have been all waiting for...

Poll Question Of The Month: Which Note Taker/Accessible PDA Do You Want To Own?

PAC Mate Omni
mPower
Icon
Braile Sense Plus
A new Smartphone with Access Software
Other

I imagine some out there have plans for all those refund dollars coming to you this month. And some out there may be thinking of a new gadget. So this is why I worded the question with "want" rather than "have". But feel free to answer any way you *want*.

Poll: Feb's Poll Results And New March Poll Now Online

Well this one was a fun poll to watch. In less than 14 hours 10 people had posted their views. Then things were a little slow. Then, from out of nowhere, votes came in a big flury in just about all of the choices available.

February's Question: Do You Own Or Are You Going To Buy A Victor Reader Stream?

Yes, I own a Stream and I love it! 13 (52%)

Yes, I have one but I just don't get the hype.. 4 (16%)

Yes, I am thinking about buying a Stream 3 (12%)

No, I am not interested in getting a Stream 4 (16%)

No, I use another device kinda like the Victor Reader Stream 1 (4%)

More than 50% love their VRS. Then another 16% own a VRS but don't see the hype. And then you have 12% thinking that they will buy a Stream at some point. So 80% of 25 voters either have or are going to buy a VRS. I haven't seen this kind of product adoption in the Blindness community in years. The VRS really is the right price at the right time I guess. Oh! And I hope the 1 person who voted that they had something else isn't stuck with a first generation Plextalk or something like that.

Now this month's poll came out of the fact that you need a Screen Reader for the KNFB Reader/Cell Phone if you are going to access the other features on the phone. However, to make things a little less specific, let us just consider Smartphones/Mobile OS in general shall we? With mobile devices becoming the next emerging market in the AT industry..

Poll Of The Month: Which Cell Phone Access Program Do You Use?

Mobile Speak/Mobile Magnifier
Talks/Magnifier
Smart or Pocket HAL
I use the built in speech provided by the make and model of my cell phone

Personally I am evaluating each with my Motorola Q at the moment. I'm sure by the end of the month I will have some dog in this hunt. till then we will have to see who comes out the winner.