[optacon-l] Re: Optacon Research
- From: "Antonio Quatraro" <a.quatraro@xxxxxxxx>
- To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 31 Dec 2011 09:02:56 +0100
dear Dr. Bliss,
your work has meant a real revolution for many Italians, including myself.
Just imagine to have a real "glance" at what your peers see:
I myself started learning Chinese thanks to you.
I know a few musicians who coud read directly their scores, and who still
use it.
Some children could sit side by side with their sighted classmates using
your invention.
So please accept the sincere feelings of my gratitude.
Antonio Quatraro - Florence
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dianne B. Phelps" <d.bphelps@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, December 31, 2011 12:39 AM
Subject: [optacon-l] Re: Optacon Research
> Dear Dr. Bliss,
>
> While it is a tragedy this endeavor could not move forward, I completely
> understand your decision. As I say, I just found the concept really
> interesting and had communicated with Dr. (For give me: I am not going to
> spell this correctly) Tritchiakov a few times on the subject. I had not
> heard the AFB's endeavor to make Kurzweil available in that way and have
> purchased my own reading equipment and software over the years after the
> first optacon because of what the optacon allowed me to do in my work,
> giving me an income to manage carefully for my needs.
>
> In any case, there is still nothing quite like the optacon in my book, and
> I
> can certainly manage the use of two separate entities to do what I need.
>
> I just can't thank you and all the others who worked on the development of
> the optacon for what that device did for me. It, at the time, was right up
> there along side the guide dog as far as wonders of the world are
> concerned., and while there are other technologies which have helped me
> greatly and are as important in maintaining my life, the optacon was the
> best because it replaced my so treasured coke-bottle-bottomed reading
> glasses. The difference with the optacon was that I could really see
> punctuation for the first time.
>
> Sending you happy smiles and appreciative hugs,
>
> Dianne B. Phelps, Napa, California
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> On Behalf Of Jim Bliss
> Sent: Friday, December 30, 2011 2:42 PM
> To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [optacon-l] Re: Optacon Research
>
> I cancelled the Talking Optacon project, which almost finished, because
> AFB
> had received a large grant to make the Kurzweil Talking Reader available
> free. I felt there was no way we could compete with that.
> Jim Bliss
>
> On Fri, Dec 30, 2011 at 11:50 AM, Dianne B. Phelps
> <d.bphelps@xxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:
>
>> I still use my slate and stylus as well and have found over the years
>> that
>> all of these tools work together to enable me. It shouldn't have to be
>> one
>> thing or the other. I was not aware that they ever finished that talking
>> optacon. I was very interested in that researched, but stopped hearing
>> about
>> it after a time.
>>
>> Dianne
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:
>> optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
>> On Behalf Of Nick Dotson
>> Sent: Friday, December 30, 2011 2:15 AM
>> To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Subject: [optacon-l] Re: Optacon Research
>>
>> It is an inaccurate observation that people don't use pens and pencils
>> anymore. BTW, I still use slate and styli.
>>
>> Nick
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:
>> optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
>> On Behalf Of Fran
>> Sent: Friday, December 30, 2011 4:07 AM
>> To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Subject: [optacon-l] Re: Optacon Research
>>
>> HI all,
>> I admit that I've been using the optacon less and less with the advent of
>> computers, but this is natural...people hardly use pens and pencils
>> anymore!
>>
>> But even with PCs, OCR, talking phones, readily available audiobooks, and
>> much more, the optacon cannot be replaced. There are certain tasks which
>> only the optacon can perform, and the freedom and self-confidence it can
>> give us has no match. So screen readers and the optacon should be viewed
> as
>> complementary technologies, rather than in competition. Will Freedom
>> Scientific or other companies ever realize that and make a profit out of
>> this?
>>
>> Happy new year to all!
>>
>> Fran
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Carrie Green" <midorikeri@xxxxxxxxx>
>> To: "Optacon List" <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> Sent: Friday, December 30, 2011 3:04 AM
>> Subject: [optacon-l] Re: Optacon Research
>>
>>
>> > Hello Everyone,
>> > To add my two cents to the conversation, I'd hazard a guess that
>> > perhaps
>> > Freedom Scientific doesn't want other alternatives besides what they
>> > are
>> > currently producing. If we have a device that can give us the ability
>> > to
>> > view graphics and text without having to purchase a screen reader or
>> > OCR
>> > software/hardware or a braille display, that would limit their profit
>> > margins. Of course, only certain people can use the optacon, as those
>> that
>>
>> > lose their sight later in life may not even use braille, and may not
> have
>> > or be able to develop the tactile skills necessary to use an Optacon. I
>> > know a number of blind individuals that just can't individuate the
>> braille
>>
>> > dots, and surmise that the Optacon would be next to impossible for them
>> to
>>
>> > use. I personally have challenges with my Optacon, as I had some very
>> > basic training in primary school, but didn't purchase one until I was
>> > about thirty years of age. My skills are not very good, but I still try
>> to
>>
>> > use it as often as possible. They are amaz
>> > ing tools for us, and I do hope that there is something comparable in
> the
>> > near future.
>> >
>> > Happy New Year.
>> >
>> > Carrie
>> > to view the list archives, go to:
>> >
>> > www.freelists.org/archives/optacon-l
>> >
>> > To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to:
>> >
>> > optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" (without
>> > the
>> > quotes) in the message subject.
>> >
>> > Tell your friends about the list. They can subscribe by sending a
>> message
>>
>> > to:
>> >
>> > optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "subscribe" (without the
>> > quotes) in the message subject.
>> >
>> >
>> > __________ Informazioni da ESET NOD32 Antivirus, versione del database
>> > delle firme digitali 6754 (20111230) __________
>> >
>> > Il messaggio è stato controllato da ESET NOD32 Antivirus.
>> >
>> > www.nod32.it
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
>> to view the list archives, go to:
>>
>> www.freelists.org/archives/optacon-l
>>
>> To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to:
>>
>> optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" (without the
>> quotes) in the message subject.
>>
>> Tell your friends about the list. They can subscribe by sending a
>> message
>> to:
>>
>> optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "subscribe" (without the
>> quotes) in the message subject.
>>
>> to view the list archives, go to:
>>
>> www.freelists.org/archives/optacon-l
>>
>> To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to:
>>
>> optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" (without the
>> quotes) in the message subject.
>>
>> Tell your friends about the list. They can subscribe by sending a
>> message
>> to:
>>
>> optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "subscribe" (without the
>> quotes) in the message subject.
>>
>> to view the list archives, go to:
>>
>> www.freelists.org/archives/optacon-l
>>
>> To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to:
>>
>> optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" (without the
>> quotes) in the message subject.
>>
>> Tell your friends about the list. They can subscribe by sending a
>> message
>> to:
>>
>> optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "subscribe" (without the
>> quotes) in the message subject.
>>
>>
>
> to view the list archives, go to:
>
> www.freelists.org/archives/optacon-l
>
> To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to:
>
> optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" (without the
> quotes) in the message subject.
>
> Tell your friends about the list. They can subscribe by sending a message
> to:
>
> optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "subscribe" (without the
> quotes) in the message subject.
>
> to view the list archives, go to:
>
> www.freelists.org/archives/optacon-l
>
> To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to:
>
> optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" (without the
> quotes) in the message subject.
>
> Tell your friends about the list. They can subscribe by sending a message
> to:
>
> optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "subscribe" (without the
> quotes) in the message subject.
>
to view the list archives, go to:
www.freelists.org/archives/optacon-l
To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to:
optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" (without the
quotes) in the message subject.
Tell your friends about the list. They can subscribe by sending a message to:
optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "subscribe" (without the quotes)
in the message subject.
Other related posts:
