Re: Announcing the Orion Smart book

  • From: Alex Midence <alex.midence@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2011 11:24:45 -0600

That's in the $5.00 version.



On 3/10/11, Trouble <trouble1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> If you sit down does it give weight? lol
>
> At 10:01 AM 3/10/2011, you wrote:
>>Oh yeah, I can see it now:
>>
>>
>>"Butt scratch Pro $1.99.  Use the haptic feedback of your android
>>device to scratch that itchy bottom unobtrusively.  Press the mute
>>button on your blue tooth headset to activate this feature discretely
>>and never again suffer the embarrassment of scratching your backside
>>in front of others when you thought noone was looking.  All you need
>>is your Android device and a capacious back pocket and you are set.
>>For just $1 more, you can get our Buttscratch Deluxe application.
>>Hear your phone read out your blood pressure and fat to body mass
>>ratio each time you activate the application.
>>
>>Disclaimer:  Avoid pressing mute during phone conversations as this
>>may cause potential awkwardness in the rest of your conversation."
>>
>>
>>
>>I'll be a millionaire in no time!  =)
>>
>>Alex M
>>
>>
>>On 3/10/11, Ken Perry <whistler@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> > Write a android application and pull in some money and then you can
>> > afford
>> > anything you want snicker.
>> >
>> > ken
>> >
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> > [mailto:programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Alex Midence
>> > Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2011 9:32 AM
>> > To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> > Subject: Re: Announcing the Orion Smart book
>> >
>> > There sure is a lot to be said for compactness.  I am a classic
>> > example of this scenario.  I have a dell laptop for work which goes on
>> > a docking station.  It's hooked up to a braille display and a flatbed
>> > scanner and all sorts of things.  I can and do sometimes take it with
>> > me to work but, for meetings, I use a braille sense note taker because
>> > I like the six key input  (because I can, as ken put it, hammer out
>> > text like mad on there) and I like the braille display right then and
>> > there.  For textbooks, I use a victor reader stream because it will
>> > play rfbd books and braille sense won't.  For the phone, I use an
>> > Android with a qwerty keyboard because, until codefactory's Mobile
>> > Access, you couldn't use a touch screen and so forth.  And, at home, I
>> > use a desktop because I have linux and windows on there since they
>> > sort of compliment each other's accessibility holes.  One device to
>> > rule them all would be nice.  I'd love to be able to just carry around
>> > something nice and compact like an Icon with a braille display.  It
>> > could even double as a phone if it's android capable and such.  The
>> > only obstacle is price.  I have a wife, a child and another on the
>> > way.  I work so, government aid is out of the question.  I make a
>> > decent wage so, noone is going to help me out with paying for anything
>> > because I make too much to get help but not enough to cough up 1300
>> > bucks at the drop of a hat because, well, dog gone it, I have bills to
>> > pay.  Got house, car, light, gas, water, medical bills, credit card
>> > bills, ... you know, the usual stuff.  I also have day care on top of
>> > that all which is practically as much as a second mortgage.  All this
>> > leaves me with enough for food, gas, incidentals, internet and the odd
>> > treat now and again.  Where'm I going with this?  People like me who
>> > are not in the system just can't afford the one device rule.  I wish I
>> > could.  I'd love to have an Orion thingy.  Will I ever have one?
>> > Probably not.  Will some of my friends who also work and have bills
>> > and things get one?  One or two might, just might with a tax return or
>> > something but probably not many.  Yeah, a netbook is bigger, clunkier
>> > and doesn't have a nice braille six key keypad on there but, speakup
>> > plus the stuff I mentioned before and Alpine for e-mail to boot for
>> > $150 looks way way way more doable.  If I shell out an additional $50
>> > and make it $200, I can get something with enough processor power to
>> > handle Gnome.  Then, I get Orca.  Give me a machine that has Orca,
>> > Speakup, Yasr and Emacspeak on it that I can tote in my backpack or
>> > briefcase because it's the size of a paperback when folded up and I'm
>> > a happy camper.  About the only thing I won't be able to do as nicely
>> > is pdfs and web browsing.  And, even that will improve shortly with
>> > Gnome 3 when Orca can read webkit gtk+ well.  Again, I am not by any
>> > means knocking this product.  All I'm saying is that I most
>> > unfortunately can't and may never be able to afford it and so, I must
>> > sadly look to other options as must many in my boat.  When you can't
>> > afford Chez François and Chateau La Trop Chère, you go get something
>> > from the dollar menu at McDonald's.
>> >
>> > Alex M
>> >
>> > On 3/10/11, Ken Perry <whistler@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> >>
>> >> I agree with you.  The one thing I hate in all the world and the thing
>> > that
>> >> is only now changing in the sited world is that we have to carry
>> >> multiple
>> >> devices to do multiple things.  So for example a sited person who needs
>> > the
>> >> computer for administrative tasks at work has to carry at the very
>> >> least
>> > one
>> >> cell phone and one net book.  To us that becomes right now an IPhone,
>> >> and
>> >> probably a netbook running windows if you run linux you can use speak
>> >> up
>> > but
>> >> you lose all the advanced stuff and if  you think you're not losing
>> >> something just go ahead and talk to me about the stability of Linux as
>> >> an
>> >> access platform.  It got better with Vinux but there is a reason I have
>> > both
>> >> a windows box and a Linux box.  Then there is the Mac book pro but the
>> >> reason I didn't mention it before is cost so I am thinking at the least
>> >> a
>> >> sited person will grab their net book and their phone.  Now there is
>> >> us.
>> > We
>> >> need a book reader because sorry IPhone sucks for book reading right
>> >> now
>> > you
>> >> can't lock the screen and read and stick it in your pocket.  You can't
>> > read
>> >> nls books or for that matter Bookshare without work.   When I say work
>> >> I
>> >> want to push two keys and download a book and read it it so that means
>> >> you
>> >> need something like a book port + or a Braille+ if you want quick
>> >> access
>> > to
>> >> books. Slower access using a computer means something like book sense
>> >> or
>> >> victor stream.  Anyway let's throw the kendil into the mix for sited
>> > people
>> >> so now you got your kindle your netbook and your phone that's three
>> >> items.
>> >>
>> >> Ok I am rambling but I have rambled to say this.  The Motorola Atrix is
>> > the
>> >> first step away from the insanity it's an Android phone that is a
>> >> netbook.
>> >> Not only that but there are several people on Android working for
>> >> access
>> > to
>> >> all document types, Google docs and much more.  This means you grab
>> >> your
>> >> netbook or not because your phone is the brains of your netbook and the
>> > only
>> >> thing you gain carrying it is screen size and keyboard.  So if you're
>> > doing
>> >> serious work you use the netbook if you're doing meetings and stuff you
>> >> do
>> >> the phone you have a kindil app on the Atrix and your done with
>> >> multiple
>> >> devices.  Especially if you get an app that can handle all book types
>> >> some
>> >> day.
>> >>
>> >> The one drawback to an android phone or an IPhone for that matter for
>> >> the
>> >> blind in the long run is the input. Tell me you want to carry around a
>> > blue
>> >> tooth keyboard so you can type or that netbook shell for theATrix?
>> >> What
>> > if
>> >> the Android phone had a keyboard you could type fast on like Oh I don't
>> > know
>> >> a 6 key keyboard. I might suck at Braille reading but I can hammer text
>> > with
>> >> a 6 key keyboard like mad and I would imagine most of you could.  So
>> >> now
>> >> take that Android operating system that will have all this cool stuff
>> >> in
>> > the
>> >> future or even take the stuff that is out for it now and make it
>> > accessible.
>> >> What do you get?  The ability to ditch all your devices and carry one.
>> > One
>> >> to rule them all.  Sure there will be phones you can get cheaper but I
>> >> go
>> >> back to the input.  Find me one with input you can deal with easily.  I
>> > can
>> >> smoke any of you using Nokia sembion if you have an IPhone that is
>> >> because
>> >> it has buttons and you can text like mad.  The problem is find me a
>> >> smart
>> >> phone with a easy keyboard.  I have 4 phones and they all suck here at
>> > work.
>> >> I have an IPhone that I use for almost anything but when it comes to
>> > writing
>> >> documents, doing serious web browsing and book reading the IPhone goes
>> >> on
>> >> the charger and the laptop and book reader come out.  I want one device
>> >> to
>> >> rule them all and that is the way the industry is going look at what
>> >> they
>> >> just added to the new LION operating system that is going to replace
>> >> Snow
>> >> leopard it is even moving to IPhone like.  Someday soon there will be a
>> >> crash where desktops hit phones and all you will have on your desk is a
>> >> monitor if you need it and a keyboard   everything will be on the phone
>> > and
>> >> me personally I want easy input .
>> >>
>> >> Ken
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> -----Original Message-----
>> >> From: programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> >> [mailto:programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Homme,
>> >> James
>> >> Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2011 7:57 AM
>> >> To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> >> Subject: RE: Announcing the Orion Smart book
>> >>
>> >> Hi,
>> >> One of the ideas that keeps this whole thing going is that we have
>> >> those
>> > of
>> >> us who, for whatever reason, believe that we need products specifically
>> >> designed for the blind, and we have people who work in the blindness
>> > field,
>> >> who are sighted, who feel this way. Both groups could step back and
>> > realize
>> >> that it's really the features we need, not just the specialized
>> >> products.
>> >> I'm definitely in favor of having specialized stuff such as screen
>> >> readers
>> >> and Braille displays. I'm less in favor of software that has screen
>> >> reader
>> >> features. Now that things like smart phones have gotten so powerful,
>> >> I'm
>> >> less in favor of specialized hardware than I used to be. At the same
>> >> time,
>> >> though, I like the Braille  and differently shaped buttons on my
>> >> digital
>> >> talking book player. So I guess I'm not totally sure what I want. :)
>> >>
>> >> Jim
>> >>
>> >> Besides that, there is the human nature factor that we like
>> >> convenience.
>> > We
>> >> may not want to put together our own mix of features by getting a piece
>> >> of
>> >> hardware here and downloading and installing software from this sight
>> >> over
>> >> there. We want stuff to just work, and we want to get it in one place.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> -----Original Message-----
>> >> From: programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> >> [mailto:programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Kerneels
>> >> Roos
>> >> Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2011 4:03 AM
>> >> To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> >> Subject: Re: Announcing the Orion Smart book
>> >>
>> >> Point taken Cina, point taken.
>> >>
>> >> I'm assuming you are referring to the blind community as being the most
>> >> uneducated consumer base ever documented. Well, this is probably the
>> >> key. From a local perspective I can definitely say that here in South
>> >> Africa blind people seem to be very well informed about assistive
>> >> technologies, and if compared to abled bodied individuals the blind
>> >> community is on average way more tech savvy. The problem is, the AT
>> >> space is so complicated and full of all sorts of options. I consider
>> >> myself fairly well informed, yet every now and again Ihear about
>> >> something I've never heard about ever before.    We should really
>> >> strive
>> >> to inform everyone better.
>> >>
>> >> So, I think any new AT device or software is a good thing in itself,
>> >> the
>> >> problem is with the system at large, the lobsided market, greedy
>> >> companies, government interferance -- you named it. Imagine everyone
>> >> would just back off and let the market sort itself out. I don't know, I
>> >> just know things could be way better and benefit many more than are
>> >> benefitting right now.
>> >>
>> >> The encouraging and amazing thing is, amidst all of the injustices
>> >> individuals arise that break the vicious cycle by offering their second
>> >> hand AT devices at fair prices,by contributing to efforts like Vinux,
>> >> and some companies asking reasonable prices.
>> >>
>> >> I salute you / them!
>> >>
>> >> On 3/10/2011 8:42 AM, Sina Bahram wrote:
>> >>> There's a market alright. Fed by world governments, insane trade
>> >> agreements, blood sucking AT companies, and the documentedly most
>> >>> uneducated consumer base ever to exist in the history of consumer
>> >>> bases.
>> >>>
>> >>> I so should not get involved in this thread.
>> >>>
>> >>> Signing off.
>> >>>
>> >>> Take care,
>> >>> Sina
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>> -----Original Message-----
>> >>> From: programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> >> [mailto:programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Dale
>> >> Leavens
>> >>> Sent: Wednesday, March 09, 2011 8:10 PM
>> >>> To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> >>> Subject: Re: Announcing the Orion Smart book
>> >>>
>> >>> But so far we don't have the price for the braille display.
>> >>>
>> >>> What I quoted was the current hardware as shown on the LevelStar Site.
>> >>>
>> >>> Unless they have some new refreshable braille technology the Orion
>> >>> will
>> > be
>> >> a
>> >>> lot more than two grand and you can have braille on any number of
>> >>> devices
>> >>> these days.
>> >>>
>> >>> I agree. A netbook and at least you have a fully compatible word
>> >> processor,
>> >>> one used by the rest of the world assuming one shares documents with
>> >>> the
>> >>> rest of the world.
>> >>>
>> >>> for a hundred bucks you can buy a 32 GB card for your Stream. Modern
>> >>> SSD
>> >>> drives are used these days maybe the Orion will upgrade to a solid
>> >>> state
>> >>> drive. Even that on the Icon wouldn't justify $1,300.
>> >>>
>> >>> I will say that I approve the use of braille but for the speed of
>> >>> speech
>> >> it
>> >>> will have to get a bunch cheaper before I'll be buying int.
>> >>>
>> >>> I guess there is a market but I don't see it.
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>> ----- Original Message -----
>> >>> From: "Alex Midence"<alex.midence@xxxxxxxxx>
>> >>> To:<programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> >>> Sent: Wednesday, March 09, 2011 7:00 PM
>> >>> Subject: Re: Announcing the Orion Smart book
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>>> Well, if it does braille output, it's got my vote sight unseen.  At
>> >>>> the price it's selling for, it looks like you can have a little
>> >>>> braille display for under 2k.  That's really cool.  I still can't
>> >>>> afford it, mind, but it's really cool.  I wonder if you can use it as
>> >>>> an external speech synth and/or braille display for a screen reader
>> >>>> on
>> >>>> a laptop or desktop.  That would be really nifty.  The note taker
>> >>>> stuff isn't really that exciting to me.  I can grab a $150 netbook
>> >>>> off
>> >>>> of craigslist and load up soemthing like Vinux on there and I have a
>> >>>> powerful note taker right there and then.  You don't even need all
>> >>>> the
>> >>>> stuff Vinux comes with pre-installed really.  All you really need is
>> >>>> Pico, abook, tudu, mplayer and Lynx running on something with speakup
>> >>>> installed and you got a decent note taker.  Couple of megs more gets
>> >>>> you emacspeak and you have something that is just as powerful as any
>> >>>> word processor out there, imho.  Add a menu feature of some kind
>> >>>> which
>> >>>> launches what you want at the press of a key and you don't even need
>> >>>> to have the command line come up to bring up your stuff.  That
>> >>>> braille
>> >>>> display and that speech synth though are very attention grabbing for
>> >>>> me.  Don't get me wrong, I am not knocking all the nice apps featured
>> >>>> on there.  I just can't see myself going into debt for them when I
>> >>>> can
>> >>>> get a comparable set of them for ffree on a much much cheaper
>> >>>> machine.
>> >>>>
>> >>>> For daisy, I have a victor reader which also stores songs.  I don't
>> >>>> need 40 gigs of songs.  IN fact, I have a 2 gig mini flash card for
>> >>>> my
>> >>>> music and an 8 gb one for my audio books.  Podcasts, I get through my
>> >>>> android phone and stitcher but a braille display, that for under 2
>> >>>> grand is not to be sneezed at.
>> >>>>
>> >>>> Alex M
>> >>>>
>> >>>> On 3/9/11, Dale Leavens<dleavens@xxxxxxx>  wrote:
>> >>>>> Well, I don't get it.
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> The LevelStar Site doesn't give much information on the Icon, look
>> >>>>> like
>> >>>>> you
>> >>>>> don't get any input other than audio without the docking station
>> >>>>> which
>> >>>>> means
>> >>>>> $1,300 for the Icon and $600 for the keyboard, $1,900 altogether.
>> >>>>> For
>> >>>>> that
>> >>>>> you get 8 more gigs of hard drive than you get on an iPhone.
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> I presume you can do input in some way outside of the docking
>> >>>>> station
>> >> but
>> >>>>> they don't tell you anything about that.
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> Having braille output albeit only 18 cells will add to the
>> >>>>> capability
>> > of
>> >>>>> course but it seems redundant to me to have yet another isolated
>> >>>>> note
>> >>>>> taker.
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> The iPhone and come to that the iPod touch already does all that
>> >>>>> stuff
>> >>>>> and
>> >>>>> more for less.
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>    ----- Original Message -----
>> >>>>>    From: Littlefield, Tyler
>> >>>>>    To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> >>>>>    Cc: Ken Perry
>> >>>>>    Sent: Wednesday, March 09, 2011 5:36 PM
>> >>>>>    Subject: Re: Announcing the Orion Smart book
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>    I seen that! And even with no price tag, it's already making my
>> >> wallet
>> >>>>> clench up in fear.
>> >>>>>    On 3/9/2011 1:39 PM, Ken Perry wrote:
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>      I can now show you what I am helping to work on.  Here is the
>> >>>>> announcement that was put out today.
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>
>> >>
>> >
>> //www.freelists.org/post/accesscomp/Fw-icondiscuss-A-Glimpse-Of-The-Lev
>> >> elStar-Orion-SmartBooks-At-CSUN-2011
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> --
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> Thanks,
>> >>>>> Ty
>> >>>>>
>> >>>> __________
>> >>>> View the list's information and change your settings at
>> >>>> //www.freelists.org/list/programmingblind
>> >>>>
>> >>>>
>> >>> __________
>> >>> View the list's information and change your settings at
>> >>> //www.freelists.org/list/programmingblind
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>> >>> __________
>> >>> View the list's information and change your settings at
>> >>> //www.freelists.org/list/programmingblind
>> >>>
>> >>
>> >> --
>> >> Kerneels Roos
>> >> Cell: +27 (0)82 309 1998
>> >> Skype: cornelis.roos
>> >>
>> >> "There are only two kinds of programming languages in the world; those
>> >> everyone complains about, and those nobody uses."
>> >>
>> >> __________
>> >> View the list's information and change your settings at
>> >> //www.freelists.org/list/programmingblind
>> >>
>> >>
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>> >>
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>> >
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>
> Tim
> trouble
>
> "Never offend people with style when you can offend them with substance."
> --Sam Brown
>
> Blindeudora list owner.
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