[gps-talkusers] Re: using dual GPS is the ideal way to go
- From: Aaron Linson <blindgeek1989@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2013 23:36:05 -0400
I would have to agree with you Dale, I didn't buy my note taker it was given to
me by my state agency however, I still use my braille writer when I feel the
need to or even my slate and stylus when I'm on the go and don't have my
brailenote with me to take down ideas that i might have. I also record my ideas
on the voice memos app on the iPhone and write them in braille later. With the
seeing eye gps app and gps for dedicated note takers I feel there is a line
that is getting drown that people will have to decide what they need. I know I
will use all of the tools given to me in different situations. I'm greatful I
have these devices to play around with and use however, mainstream technology
will never be able to do some of the thigns that dedicated blindness specific
software and hardware are able to do no matter how hard they thy.
Aaron Linson
IOS and Android Accessibility Advocate
Once an Eagle
Always an Eagle
On Mar 11, 2013, at 10:59 PM, "Dale Leavens" <dleavens@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> Doubtless there will always be a need for specialized devices. There is also
> always a cost-benefit point which will be different for each individual. For
> a time when I was having to fudge software to manage some functions
> on-the-job I would have loved refreshable braille but the cost was
> prohibitive particularly as I was not a programmer by function but more by
> necessity to better and more efficiently perform my paid activities. If I
> hadn't been sending kids to university and paying for some of my own
> continuing education at the time I might well have purchased something. I did
> buy a couple of Perkins Braillers which got daily use and still do. I type a
> lot faster than ever I write braille though and I used to use a notebook all
> the time on courses for note taking or report writing and even taking
> examinations.
>
> Presumably I would really need a braille notetaker for writing braille music
> if that was my need and probably many others do. I wouldn't say they are not
> without real value to many blind people. My daughter, who is a Visual
> Impairment Educator tells me that their school board uses notetakers
> particularly in the early grades within her school board both as a means of
> creating electronic documents and encouraging braille literacy. Quite
> probably they will be accommodated when/if they move on into higher
> education, they have special accessibility personnel there to assist.
>
> Quite possibly I am just too old. It has always been expected that I would
> adapt to the environments in which I worked and studied so I probably have a
> strong bias toward standardized devices.
>
> I expect that there will be a few blindness specific GPS options available
> soon for smart phones. With the Symbian operating system in decline and poor
> accessibility on the various Windows platforms companies like Code Factory
> and others will be looking for products with which to earn income. It might
> be something other than IOS at first because that is easier and cheaper to
> develop. I expect too that Seeing Eye will mature rapidly into a very
> serviceable product for similar market reasons.
>
> Dale Leavens.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Aaron Linson
> To: gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Monday, March 11, 2013 10:26 PM
> Subject: [gps-talkusers] Re: using dual GPS is the ideal way to go
>
> I've got one questoin, what about those people who rely on braille? You can't
> read braille music or any other type of braille format with an iOS device.
> Plus iOS devices are not instant on and bluetooth connectivity can have
> problems.
> Aaron Linson
> IOS and Android Accessibility Advocate
> Once an Eagle
> Always an Eagle
>
> On Mar 11, 2013, at 10:08 PM, Mary Ellen Earls <meearls@xxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>> Well … Let's look at this from another way. Mike May is pioneering again by
>> bringing a specialized application to a mainstream device as did the folks
>> at the American Foundation for the Blind, Learning Alley, NLS and Bookshare.
>> Hats off to these people who are realizing in the beginning that there
>> shouldn't be a need any longer for such expensive and specialized equipment.
>> Congratulations to you all for this!
>> Mary Ellen Earls
>> On Mar 11, 2013, at 4:48 PM, Mike Arrigo <n0oxy@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>>> With the availability of main stream mobile devices that are accessible, it
>>> simply makes no sense to pay much more money for these notetakers that use
>>> outdated operating systems in a proprietary environment.
>>> On Mar 11, 2013, at 4:33 PM, "Michael May" <mikemay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Dale,
>>>>
>>>> Its not really about processor power or memory any more. The
>>>> differentiating
>>>> factor between a PDA and the phone is the keyboard versus the touch screen
>>>> or spotty voice recognition, especially in mobile environments. Yes, you
>>>> can
>>>> add an external keyboard or Braille display but that takes away from the
>>>> main benefit of the iPhone as a handheld unit. External devices don't
>>>> always
>>>> connect and they are a second item to charge. Add an external GPS receiver
>>>> because the built-in one is mediocre, and the mobile situation turns
>>>> complicated.
>>>>
>>>> Something like a Braille Sense OnHand has a built in keyboard and GPS, no
>>>> external pieces needed.
>>>>
>>>> What I am finding is that people are willing to sacrifice the productivity
>>>> of the PDA for the basic functionality of the mobile device. I understand
>>>> how it is hard to justify access tech prices even if the products are
>>>> superior versus dirt cheap App Store and Market Place mainstream prices.
>>>>
>>>> Mike
>>>>
>>>> From: gps-talkusers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>> [mailto:gps-talkusers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Dale Leavens
>>>> Sent: Monday, March 11, 2013 11:28 AM
>>>> To: gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>> Subject: [gps-talkusers] Re: using dual GPS is the ideal way to go
>>>>
>>>> Mike,
>>>>
>>>> Are there any technical reasons why a suitable smart phone cannot offer the
>>>> same or even superior capabilities to those of a note taker with respect to
>>>> GPS? They do have far superior microprocessors now and more memory if I am
>>>> not mistaken and of course built-in receivers, intuitively I would have
>>>> thought them a more suitable platform. I don't remember detailed
>>>> specifications of note takers as I have always had far more need for direct
>>>> mainstream connectivity so got more seamless use from notebook computers.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks.
>>>>
>>>> Dale leavens.
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "Michael May" <mikemay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>>> To: <gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>>> Sent: Monday, March 11, 2013 2:14 PM
>>>> Subject: [gps-talkusers] using dual GPS is the ideal way to go
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Mary,
>>>>>
>>>>> Probably a poor choice of words on my part. Let's call dual GPS the ideal
>>>>> way to go but not the only way. There are plenty of situations where
>>>>> people
>>>>> have more than one product, say an iPhone using Audible and a Stream also
>>>>> using Audible.
>>>>>
>>>>> I do agree that it is very unfortunate that high priced specialty
>>>>> technology
>>>>> costs so much and yet the government funding for it is limited. I'll
>>>>> address
>>>>> that in a separate email. The point of my story was to say that the iPhone
>>>>> is not a replacement for a full fledged accessible GPS product with a real
>>>>> keyboard and comprehensive real-time and explore features. For those
>>>>> fortunate enough to have a BrailleNote or Braille Sense with GPS, make the
>>>>> most of it, especially in challenging situations.
>>>>>
>>>>> Mike
>>>>>
>>>>> From: gps-talkusers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>>> [mailto:gps-talkusers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Mary Otten
>>>>> Sent: Saturday, March 09, 2013 10:17 PM
>>>>> To: gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>>> Subject: [gps-talkusers] Re: using dual GPS is the only way to go
>>>>>
>>>>> This really is kind of a sad commentary. How many people who don't get
>>>>> bucks
>>>>> from some agency can realistically think about having 2 gps solutions when
>>>>> one of them costs a whole pile of money, and the remainder of the
>>>>> applications on that expensive platform can be duplicated elsewhere
>>>>> cheaper?
>>>>> Obviously, you can't go from 0 app to full blown solution in 6 months or a
>>>>> year. But I hope the goal for the ios gps solution is to have a full
>>>>> product
>>>>> which will essentially make unnecessary those other entirely too expensive
>>>>> solutions.
>>>>> Mary Otten
>>>>> motten53@xxxxxxxxx
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> To change your email settings (unsubscribe, digest only, or vacation
>>>>> mode):
>>>>> http://senderogroup.com/social_media/email.htm
>>>>>
>>>>> Additionally, to unsubscribe send an email to
>>>>> gps-talkusers-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with "unsubscribe" in the Subject.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> To change your email settings (unsubscribe, digest only, or vacation
>>>>> mode):
>>>>> http://senderogroup.com/social_media/email.htm
>>>>>
>>>>> Additionally, to unsubscribe send an email to
>>>>> gps-talkusers-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with "unsubscribe" in the Subject.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> To change your email settings (unsubscribe, digest only, or vacation mode):
>>>> http://senderogroup.com/social_media/email.htm
>>>>
>>>> Additionally, to unsubscribe send an email to
>>>> gps-talkusers-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with "unsubscribe" in the Subject.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> To change your email settings (unsubscribe, digest only, or vacation mode):
>>>> http://senderogroup.com/social_media/email.htm
>>>>
>>>> Additionally, to unsubscribe send an email to
>>>> gps-talkusers-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with "unsubscribe" in the Subject.
>>>
>>> To change your email settings (unsubscribe, digest only, or vacation mode):
>>> http://senderogroup.com/social_media/email.htm
>>>
>>> Additionally, to unsubscribe send an email to
>>> gps-talkusers-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with "unsubscribe" in the Subject.
>>
>> To change your email settings (unsubscribe, digest only, or vacation mode):
>> http://senderogroup.com/social_media/email.htm
>>
>> Additionally, to unsubscribe send an email to
>> gps-talkusers-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with "unsubscribe" in the Subject.
Other related posts:
