[access-uk] Re: Accessible Internet Radio

  • From: "Jackie Cairns" <cairnsplace@xxxxxxx>
  • To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2008 20:09:39 -0000

Thanks Steve. It was a very helpful suggestion by Ron, but I just wondered what I would gain with already having a screen reader and access to the Internet for stations , apart from, perhaps, simplicity of getting to them. You are right in that it can be tricky to reach some as the pages are Flash-based, or have strange icons that the Shark doesn't readily acknowledge (smile). 


Jackie
----- Original Message ----- From: "Steve Nutt" <steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 7:56 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Accessible Internet Radio



Hi Jackie,

I am not sure you would gain anything in your case, except finding radio
stations is sometimes easier, as it is designed for the beginning user. You 
also get the audio described movies, which you can't get otherwise.

All the best

Steve

-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of 
Jackie Cairns
Sent: 17 January 2008 12:31
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Accessible Internet Radio

Ron, please forgive me for being completely stupid here, but what is the
point of that if it is PC-based when you could go on the Internet using a
screen reader to log onto radio stations anyway as I do now?

Yes, I've definitely heard of Freedom Box and the System Access thing, but
I'm just not sure what you would gain by having them over what you have with 
a PC and Internet access with your screen reader.

Steve, explain please (smile).

Thanks Ron for the info.

Jackie
----- Original Message -----
From: "ron sears" <r.sears1@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 12:10 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Accessible Internet Radio
Jackie, the best thing would be to ask Steve. He will explain the pricing 
structure.  Basically it is what was once the Freedom Box which I am sure
you
would have heard about.  It is a network with all this content on plus
there is
System Access which although not strictly a screenreader is much cheaper
than
Jaws or Windoweyes.  You can also have all this on a key to take and plug
into
any computer and it will talk.  There are others on this list who have it
so you
may get some more feed back.

Cheers

Ron
----- Original Message ----- From: "Jackie Cairns" <cairnsplace@xxxxxxx> 
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 11:51 AM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Accessible Internet Radio
Ron, this has passed me by. What is it and how does it work please? See, 


I
don't know everything unfortunately (big smile).

Jackie
----- Original Message ----- From: "ron sears" <r.sears1@xxxxxxxxxxxx> 
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 11:44 AM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Accessible Internet Radio



Hello All.  If this radio is not accessible, why not go for the SAMOBILE
network
sold by Steve Nutt.  There are quite a number of stations from all over
the
world and lots in the U.K.  You could listen to these using your RF
wireless
headphones.  There are also hundreds of audio described films and other
content.
The cost is about the same as your radios you are researching and you
won't have
a problem with accessibility.

Cheers

Ron
----- Original Message ----- From: "Jackie Cairns" <cairnsplace@xxxxxxx> 
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2008 5:46 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Accessible Internet Radio


Hi All

Right, here is the latest on the accessibility of Internet radio.  I've
been
messing around for over a day and have come up against some problems that 
I'll share with you now so you know the score.

Firstly, we picked the Intempo Internet radio from Argos at £119.99.  As
it
happened, it was one of the only choices of five they had in stock, but
it
was my first pick anyway.

The Intempo came with wireless capability, and an ethernet port.  More
importantly, it had 99 presets and a remote control to allow you to key
in
those presets directly.  When Ian turned it on, he told us that the
display
came up with the welcome logo, and then found the network.  Of course it
came up with Sky, and asked for our security key.  Now in answer to
Marie's
question, you have to use the dial to spin it round for each letter or
number you want to key in, then select it.  This is totally useless for
us
by the way.

Once it accepted the security key and proceeded to log onto our network,
it
asked whether we wanted Windows Media Player or stations.  We selected
the
latter.  Then it wanted to know if we wanted genre or locations, and we
again chose the latter.  There was a massive list of countries, with
Afghanistan at the top of the alphabetical list.  Ian chose the
Netherlands,
and found Sky Radio, which came on after a few minutes of waiting.  If
you
turned off the radio and turned it back on again, it defaulted to the
last
station we were listening to, so that was helpful.

But after initially listening to the station, we started to notice it
cutting off altogether for maybe 30 seconds or so, then coming back on.
Then whatever was playing began to jump like the arm on a record being
moved
over it at random.

Senior Ian checked that this was not happening on Sky Radio using the
Internet on the PC, and it stayed completely steady.  So we tried the
radio
directly using the RJ45, and got the same results. We turned all the PCs 
off and just had the radio running, with the same outcome.

We decided today that we would have to try another radio in case the
Intempo
had a fault.  We knew it couldn't be our connection to the Internet
because
everything else has been working normally. So the only other radio Argos 
had was a Bush at £89.99.  They couldn't give us another Intempo as it
was
the only one they had, but were happy about refunding us our money.

When we brought the Bush home and Ian went through the same procedure,
the
exact same thing started to occur.  This radio has 10 presets and is
wireless only.

So now we have a dilemma.  For some unknown reason, both radios, bearing
in
mind they are different models altogether, do the same thing when they
are
connected to a radio station, whatever that station happens to be.  We
tried
Capital FM and the BBC, but it still did the same with both sets.
I have to be honest and say that these radios are completely inaccessible 
for a non-sighted person to navigate.  Even if you remember that the
radio
asks you for genre or locations, and you manage to remember how many
times
to go up and down the massive list in each category, you are on a hiding
to
nothing because you don't know any of the stations available.  We knew
this
when we started out, so aren't so much frustrated about that.  What we
had
planned to do is pick a few of our favourites and store them into the
presets.  But if the radios don't have fast enough processors, and keep
dropping out or jumping, I don't know what the pleasure is in all
honesty.

Carol asked why it would not be simpler to just use a PC.  I just wanted
an
Internet radio to be able to move it anywhere away from the computer
without
having it switched on all the time.  For example, lying in bed and
listening
to something without being tied to a laptop would have been nice.

Now guys, the positive thing is that I am currently talking to TNAUK
about
their talking Internet radio.  I can't say anything else at the moment,
but
I'm in the process of bending their ear and arm (smile).  When I know
more,
I'll certainly post it because I've no intention of being involved in any 
trial and then not compiling some sort of evaluation review that be for
all
to read.

If anyone has any ideas why these radios do this, I would be fascinated
to
know.  I wonder if the processors aren't as fast, so therefore have
smaller
memory buffers.  But how they sell on that basis, I don't know.

Any comments welcome, on or off list.

Jackie

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