In Tech Chat 23, Shane Jackson gives a 30 minute demo of the iPhone 3G S and answers numerous questions.

Shane Jackson Blog and Podcast - www.BlindWorldBlog.BlogSpot.com

Follow Shane Jackson on Twitter

Email Shane Jackson with Your iPhone Questions.

Listen to shane’s podcast in iTunes by searching for either Shane Jackson or blindworldblog all one word.

Listen to Tech chat 23 - 30 Minute Demo of the iPhone 3G s Plus Many Questions Answered

Join us this and every Thursday evening at our new time of 9PM Eastern or 6PM Pacific in the Tech Room for our weekly Tech Chat, recorded and made available as a podcast. Tonight, our special guest is Shane Jackson, who will be telling us about how to use the iPhone 3G S, and answering your questions. Not a member of SAMNet? No problem, just download and run the program below to join us between 8:30 and 11:30 Eastern.

Download chat client to join us live Thursdays at 9PM Eastern.

It’s convention time again, and whether you’re headed to the Motor City, enjoying time in sunny Orlando, or relaxing at home, Serotek has everything you need to stay connected wherever you are.  The following specials are available beginning Friday July 3 and ending Friday July 10 at noon Eastern.

Enter to win a Lenovo IdeaPad S10 Netbook with SA Atom License

Are you ready to jump in to the accessible digital lifestyle in a big way? Now is the perfect time to do just that. Purchase Serotek’s award-winning System Access screen reader for $499, and be entered in a drawing to win the Lenovo IdeaPad S10 netbook. System Access Mobile provides a license for two computers, plus the ability to install System Access on a U3 thumb drive for the ultimate in portability and accessibility anywhere life takes you. And when you purchase System Access Mobile between midnight EST Friday July 3 and 12 PM EST Friday July 10, you’ll be automatically entered in a drawing to win the sleek and stylish IdeaPad S10 notebook.  With a 1.6GHZ Intel atom processor, 80GB hard drive, 6-cell battery, 1GB RAM, built-in high-speed wireless and LAN access, built-in webcam and microphone, and much more, this netbook is the ideal social networking PC. 

The winner will be announced at 3 PM EST Friday July 10 via Serotek’s public announcements list.

Refurbished MSI Wind Model U100-641US with System Access Atom License: $399

At about 2 pounds, measuring around 7 inches wide and 10 inches long, the MSI Wind Netbook is no ordinary notebook PC. With built-in 802.11g Wi-Fi connectivity, you can access the Internet immediately. The speedy and energy-efficient Intel Atom 1.6GHz processor, combined with a 3-cell battery, enables up to 3 hours of battery life for a more mobile lifestyle. Windows XP Home Edition comes pre-loaded, so you’ll have no trouble using all of your favorite Windows applications.  The ergonomically designed keyboard is only 20% smaller than a full-sized keyboard, so you can type comfortably whether you’re doing a quick Web search, posting to your blog, or taking notes in class. The 160 GB hard disk provides plenty of room for your music, audio books, and other digital media. The 10-inch wide-screen LCD, with an LED backlight for extra brightness, is perfect for mobile Web browsing. The built-in webcam is ideal for video-enabled chat programs such as Skype. And with the included System Access Atom license, you’ll have accessibility anywhere you go.

MSI Model AE1900–10SUS WindTop PC with SA Atom License: $699

With this revolutionary all-in-one desktop PC and built-in touch screen, you can launch all your favorite applications simply by touching the icons on the screen.  Including an Intel dual core 1.6GHz Atom processor, 2GB memory, 250 GB hard drive, DVD drive supporting dual layer burning, built-in gigabit LAN and wireless 802.11b/g/n, and SRS premium sound, this unit has everything you need right at your fingertips. If you don’t want to use the built-in touch screen, the unit also comes with keyboard and mouse to access all your applications in the traditional way. The unit comes loaded with Windows Vista Home Basic, and at 18.7 x 1.9 x 14.4 inches, this PC packs a whole lot of power in a sleek and compact design.

Begin taking advantage of these great specials.

if you are a new customer.  If you already have a Serotek account, whether as a  

 current customer or a free SAToGo user, log in to your account

In SeroTalk Tech Chat 22, we had a live panel discussion on the iPhone 3G S, and its potential impact on the access technology industry. Panel participants included Mike Calvo, Ricky enger and Michael Lauf with

Serotek Corporation,

Bill Boules - www.billboules.com - with the Friday Morning Podcast

and Jeffrey Stark with Canadians With Disabilities / Ontario - www.cwdo.org .

This chat was available for all persons to attend, regardless of whether you were a member of SAMNet.

Listen to Tech Chat 22 On How the iPhone Could Radically Change the Access Technology Industry

 

June 23RD, Serotek announced the launch of Accessible Event that will forever change access technology. The press conference was held live from the National Press Club in Washington D.C..

AccessibleEvent.com

Listen to, and/or View the June 23 Accessible Event Press Conference.

Accessible Event Demo of A Staff Meeting

In Podcast 17, Mike Calvo, Ricky enger and Michael Lauf discuss the

Press conference Announcing the Launch of Accessible Event.

The entire podcast was devoted to the great accessibility and functionality of

Apple’s New iPhone 3G S.

iPhone 3G S User Guide PDF

iPhone Docs at www.ICanWorkThisThing.com

iPhone 13 Minute Video Demo

iPhone VoiceOver Chapters Read by Alex in Daisy or iPod Book Formats

Apple Accessibility at www.apple.com/accessibility

iPhone Podcast Available From blindworldblog.blogspot.com

iPhone Podcast and Lots of Mac Info at www.LionCourt.com

Listen to SeroTalk Podcast 17 on the iPhone 3G S

In Tech chat 21,

Lena Hinkle

demonstrates the forthcoming NLS digital talkingbook player.

Find your talking book library and click on “Find a Library”.

Talking Books online catalog

She also discusses

OverDrive.com

Find a public library offering downloadable Overdrive audio books.

Find out which books are offered at Overdrive.

Books for children in K-12 companion site.

Listen to Tech Chat 21 - New NLS digital Talking Book Player and OverDrive audio Book Service

 

Mike Aarigo has just recorded his eighth

Podcast explaining how to perform many functions on the Mac that the NFB alleges can’t be done!

Hopefully this tutorial will  help you to make a more informed decision.

IN Tech chat 20, we speak with Scott White, Director of Sponsor Technology, for Newsline, a service provided by the

National Federation of the Blind

NFB Newsline Online

allows you to read 285 newspapers online, or download them to your Victor Reader Stream, Icon or Braille Plus.

We learned of two new features coming soon. Podable will allow you to create custom rss feeds to hear your favorite news publications with Eloquence and other speech engines.

Key Stream will allow you to navigate Newsline via your computer, an have news stories read to you via your speakers, just as if you were using your phone.

Listen to SeroTalk Tech Chat 20 - Four New Services From NFB Newsline

Apple has certainly been the talk of the town this week, both in the sighted and blind communities.  Everyone had something to say about Apple, and Serotek was no exception.  Both Mike Calvo and Michael Lauf posted thought-provoking and heartfelt articles about the buzz surrounding the company this week, and I felt compelled to add my own contribution.

It began with the WWDC conference on Monday, when Apple announced, among other things, the third generation iPhone.  While our sighted counterparts discussed the merits of Apple’s latest offering, the blind community, for the first time, had something to discuss as well.  And discuss it we did, on email lists, social networking sites, podcasts, blogs, and in any other venue you could think of.  When Apple announced that the iPhone 3GS, in all its sleek, futuristic, buttonless glory would be accessible, it wasn’t hard to predict that the blind community would talk about it.  But who knew that the addition of accessibility to a wildly popular product would be so controversial?  It was, though, in rather spectacular fashion. 

There were those who fully embraced the iPhone without ever having seen it, simply because Apple was the company behind it.  There were those who expressed a great deal of enthusiasm for what Apple had done, all the while taking a “wait and see” approach to purchasing the device.  There were those who decided to show their support for Apple’s accessibility initiative by preordering the iPhone, knowing that if it wasn’t perfect the first time around there would be a need for real-world consumer feedback to make it better.   And then, there were those who scoffed at the very idea of a blind person using a device with a touch screen, and who showed not the slightest interest in seeing the unit in action.  This was not, after all, the kind of interface that a blind person typically used.  After reading the documentation on how the device would work, it could be safely and emphatically stated that such a device would be a hindrance, not a help to a blind person’s productivity. 

It was the attitude of this group which really disturbed me.  It wasn’t their smug superiority which bothered me the most, though that was bad enough.  It wasn’t  their complete lack of enthusiasm for new technology which by all rights should have generated at least a spark of curiosity that upset me.  A jaded attitude about a new approach to things wasn’t something I could readily understand, but I couldn’t condemn them for that either.  No, what bothered me the most was their willingness to denounce others for expressing their enthusiasm in exploring the unknown.  Curiosity should never be discouraged, and if you observe those who explore a path you aren’t willing to take yourself, you might be pleasantly surprised by what you learn from them.  

On social networking sites like Twitter, the iPhone debate continued well in to Tuesday with no end in site, and discussions became more and more heated.  But I had a job to do, and it was time for me to focus on things other than Apple for a while.  Well, that was a great idea in theory,  but it wasn’t going to happen.  You see, something else transpired which dragged my attention back to Apple and its place in the blind community.  The Braille Monitor produced by the National Federation of The blind published a review of the VoiceOver screen reader in its June issue.  I knew very little about the Mac except that it had beautiful hardware and a screen reader built in to its operating system.  This scant knowledge wasn’t nearly enough to decide whether or not to purchase a Mac, so I was excited to see what the folks from the International Braille and Technology Access Center had to say about the functionality and ease of use of the VoiceOver screen reader.  The Center, and the NFB itself, have always been  well-respected voices in the blind community, and for many the recommendations made by these groups often influence their decisions to purchase a product or not.  With the Institute’s high degree of credibility in mind, I sat back and prepared to enjoy a well-informed review of the Mac and its screen reader.

As I began reading the article, a few things jumped out at me.  I remember playing with a Mac equipped with the Outspoken screen reader in the early ‘90’s, yet the article states that the Mac platform has been inaccessible until quite recently.  While I knew that VoiceOver had been around for a number of years and that Outspoken was available before that, I wasn’t going to dismiss the entire article because of those inaccuracies.  As I read on, my excitement for Apple’s innovations began to diminish.  Browsing the web seemed cumbersome and counterintuitive, and there were things that I took for granted in Windows, such as a functional calendar solution, that were apparently completely unusable on the Mac.  The end result of the article was that the NFB could not recommend any product, even if it was free, if it would hamper the productivity of a blind person.  And from what I had just read, I had to agree that the Mac didn’t appear to be a particularly productive solution.

But how could this be?  I have several friends who own Macs, and they’re usually rather sensible people.  Yet, they are quite fond of their Macs, and many of them spend more time on the Mac than in Windows.  Something wasn’t right here.  Had my sensible friends been brain-washed to accept a cumbersome and unwieldy screen reader without protesting its many apparent flaws?  Were my normally sensible and rather busy friends ok with not having a functional calendar to keep track of appointments?  Had my dear, normally sensible friends been influenced by some sort of hypnotic suggestion?  Was some strange electromagnetic field generated by the beautiful, sleek hardware keeping them from realizing the truth?

It was time to do a little research, and save my friends from their horrible fate if I could.  I set out armed with a google search engine and a thirst for knowledge.  Not surprisingly, one of the first things I came across was the VoiceOver documentation itself.  After giving it a quick perusal, it seemed that web page navigation wasn’t nearly as cumbersome as it had appeared in the NFB article.  But perhaps the documentation was meant to lure gullible and trusting consumers like myself in to believing the hype, and if I wasn’t careful I’d end up just as deluded and brain-washed as the very friends I was trying to save.  I knew I needed to find people with real-world experience in using the Mac, so my Google search continued.

Imagine my delight when I found an episode of the Screenless Switchers podcast dedicated to discussing the very article I had just read.  As I listened, I got exactly what I was hoping for – an entirely different perspective on the Mac than that provided in the article.  Granted, the podcast was produced by seasoned Mac veterans rather than someone who had explored it for only a week, but I was nevertheless intrigued by the podcast.  I did get to hear live demonstrations of how the Mac performed in certain situations, and even more importantly, I discovered that some things described in the article as utter impossibilities on the Mac were in fact quite easy to accomplish.  My thirst for knowledge still hadn’t been slaked though, so I continued with my trusty Google search engine and discovered a wealth of content related to the Mac experience from a blind person’s perspective.  There was the Mac-cessibility blog and podcast, the Mac Visionaries mailing list, and of course I’ve always known that there is a Mac chat held each Friday night on the System Access Mobile Network.  In reading blog posts, documentation, and actually speaking with a few Mac users, what I discovered was that those who used the Mac were productive, intelligent people who enjoyed the Mac experience.  All agreed that there was room for improvement, which was actually pretty comforting.  Every product, no matter how skillfully developed, can use improvement.

I felt much better after having done some research, especially as my findings varied significantly from the rather disappointing and unfavorable experience represented in the NFB article.  Imagine if I had read the article with no further research at all.  

So, is the Mac right for me?  I don’t know yet.  I want to do more research and have a little hands-on experience before making that decision.  Is the iPhone right for me?  I don’t know yet, but I’m keeping an open mind.  But it isn’t really my own decisions I’m thinking about at the moment.  It is the people who read scathing posts from individuals denouncing the iPhone and accept them on faith that I worry about.  It is the people who read articles from seemingly trustworthy sources and accept them as fact that I worry about. 

But why am I so concerned?  It all goes back to my earlier statement that curiosity should never be discouraged.  I always try to approach new technology with an open mind, and often with a sense of wonder.  How can this new technology change my life?  How can others benefit from this new technology?  What new ideas will be sparked by the availability of this new technology?  I hope never to lose that sense of wonder.  I understand that my approach to technology may not be the right approach for everyone.  I know that some people view technology merely as a means to an end, and don’t necessarily feel their heartbeat quicken every time they find out that something new is on the horizon. 

Still, I reflect on the idea that we were all beginners in terms of technology at one time, and whether we’re now technical gurus or folks who just use our computers for the bare necessities, we all had hurdles to overcome as we learned more and more about technology.  How different might our outcomes have been if we had been discouraged from exploring a new technology on the basis of a single scathing remark or a single poorly researched article from a credible source? 

I don’t want to see even one blind person lose their sense of adventure because they’ve been inundated with the message that the status quo is just fine thank you.  I don’t want to see even one blind person lose their sense of adventure because it’s easier to stay in the comfort zone than to step outside it.  And I don’t want to see a single blind person who loses sight of why we explore new technology in the first place, to see what new things it can offer us, not to compare it to what already exists and find it lacking just because it is different. 

What I do want to see is a whole community of blind people looking to the future with that sense of wonder and expectation, and being excited, not afraid to embrace the changes which will inevitably come.