[access-uk] Re: Sight Village - my review
- From: "Steve Nutt" <steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 23 Jul 2005 09:57:33 +0100
Hi Andrew,
Just one correction. If you have a demo of Freedom Box, you certainly can
look at System Access as well. This is very easy.
1. Log on to Freedom Box.
2. Alt-P for Preferences
3. Tab over to Start System Access, and you will be able to play with it.
Good luck.
All the best
--
Computer Room Services: the long cane for blind computer users.
Telephone Voice: +44(0)1438 742286, Fax/BBS: +44(0)1438 759589
mobile: +44(0)7956 334938,
Email: Steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Web site: http://www.comproom.co.uk
-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Andrew Hodgson
Sent: 19 July 2005 18:26
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; bcab@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Sight Village - my review
Hi all,
Since I actually took time off to go to Sight this year - thought I would
give you a small review for those who were not able to make it - here are
some of the product highlights. Note I only went round a few sights, and
these were mainly ones I had heard about before. Although Cobolt were
showing some new products, I just couldn't get in without a major attack
from dogs and people, so didn't bother.
I did, however, manage to get a quick look at the note detecter, which I
found to be very small and compact. Unfortunately, however, I did think
that it would take a bit of getting the note into the device, since it had
to go in quite a long way into it. I had imagined something you could just
pass the note through or put the note on in order for it to work. However,
I can really see a target market for these devices, especially if you have a
lot of notes you want sorting.
One of the companies I think we can see some good inivations coming in the
next year or two is called Code Factory. They first came out with the
Mobile Accessability package, which is still being sold today, which gives
VI people using a series 60 phone a comfortable interface with which to
perform specific key tasks. However, they have now got out a few more
products, including Mobile Speak and Pocket Mobile Speak. These two
products are screen readers, mobile speak being for series 60 and pocket
mobile speak being for any pocket PDA. Mobile speak comes with some extra
tools, and there are add-ons which can be purchased, which include a colour
detector/light probe, as well as a product which allows you to use your PCs
keyboard as a phone keyboard. They also have a user friendly installation
system, but I didn't see this in operation. The Pocket PC version works
with any PDA, as long as you have a bluetooth keyboard for input. A company
called Optilec also do a bluetoo th braille keyboard, which certainly works
with the Mobile Speak product, but I didn't use it with the PDA product. I
certainly think it's a good thing to have a good competition in this area,
especially since Pocket Hal was the only PDA product which worked on a
_standard_ PDA, and Talks was the only product you could get as a screen
reader for a mobile phone.
Code Factory's site is at http://www.codefactory.es/.
I also looked at the new media system from Portset. Now those who remember
the teletext systems they did and loved those will love this product. It is
a talking audio described freeview receiver, which speaks the EPG facilities
(including 7 day EPG) as well as providing a hard disk recorder (and live
pause), time record facilities and also talking teletext. The product is in
a prototype state at the moment, and as such I couldn't really explore it.
It also has a DVD drive, although this facility is not working currently due
to accessability of DVDs. I must say a few things about this product,
because I think Portset have been very brave in designing a product which
[A] replaces the old teletext reader, [B] provides a modern equavilent of
the television receiver (where no license is required) and [C] gives a VI
person a small box with all these features installed. They have a battle
with teletext currently, since in the Freeview world each operator has
really their own c hoice over how things are done, and there is no standard
in making these accessible or presentable to anything other than a standard
Freeview box.
If you were going to Sight Village this week, I would definitely give this a
look.
I also met up with Blazie who explained about the new version of the Pacmate
software, and they were updating current units whilst there (although I was
very early in the morning, and it was very quiet in the stand).
Unfortunately I did not have my unit with me, and when trying to download
update from FS direct, it told me my serial was not allowed!! Will need to
get that sorted.
At Steve's stand I looked at the new System Access from Freedombox, which I
was very impressed with. There are two versions available for portable use
- one on a CD and one on a USB key. The USB key version I think came in at
just over £300, including all the software. I am not sure whether you need
to keep a Freedombox subscription up with that as well yearly. I was very
impressed with the plug in, use it, remove it and no trace being left
approach, which unfortunately is not the same with the Dolphin Pen (although
the Dolphin Pen has magnification, and needs no yearly subscription). The
system also has a recovery option, which means if the contents gets damaged,
you can re-install the contents if you have an active Internet connection.
Unfortunately, due to no connection being available, we were not able to
look at the Freedom Box itself. I have downloaded a copy, but am only able
to look at the desktop bit, and not System Access, so can't say how well the
screen rea der performs. There was also the GW Micro notetaker there, but
unfortunately I got so swampt with notetakers today, I didn't get to
memorise what the specialities with this one were.
I also saw the Oacis (spell) mobile from RNIB, which although has only basic
features, is smaller than any series 60 phone, and the battery also lasts a
lot longer.
This had been my first Sight at the new venues, and overall I found them
slightly better than the old stuffy venue of QAC, however, I think that
companies like Cobalt would do a lot better with larger stands, where they
could get more people in. I certainly think that notetakers will be an
interesting development over the following years, with even bets on whether
we loose the specialist models for blind people approach and go with
standard PDAs with bluetooth accessories, or wether these go altogether.
Thanks.
Andrew.
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