I know that sounds really drastic but it is true. Why should we care though? Because, fact is, disabled people need the internet.

There are a lot of things that make me want to question all humanity, simply because it seems that common sense is becoming more and more a luxury than anything else today. Why? Today, I read an article that’s just promoting nothing more than false intentions.

I’m on twitter a lot and I read what my followers post a great deal. When I saw the article about the notion that Verizon was fighting against Net Neutrality to benefit the disabled populace, I didn’t have anything clever to say. I didn’t have a retort to utter. I didn’t even have a tweet to formulate in wake of this. Ladies and gents, there’s simply no other word to describe what they are claiming and the propositions that they claim, other than one. It’s a word that fits all, I believe, given this context and the huge array of just false debauchery that Verizon is trying to cook up.

LIES.

If you have not heard about the FCC and their latest plan to destroy the internet do a Google search for FCC and net neutrality. You will get some really interesting articles that basically outline what their new rules will entail.

It’s a proposal that would ban Internet providers from blocking or slowing down access to websites but may let them charge content companies for faster and more reliable delivery of their traffic to users.

It sounds good on paper and in a simple sentence like that. It’s not. I will briefly explain why.

Anything can be abused, including this new law. Internet service providers (ISPs), like Comcast or AT&T—believe that, as providers of internet access, they should be able to distribute bandwidth differently depending on the service.

They’d prefer, for example, to create tiers of internet service that’s more about paying for priority access than for bandwidth speeds. As such, in theory, they could charge high-bandwidth services—like Netflix, for example—extra money, since their service costs more for Comcast to provide to its customers—or they could charge users, like you and me, extra to access Netflix. They can also provide certain services to you at different speeds.

For example, perhaps your ISP might give preferential treatment to Hulu, so it streams Hulu videos quickly and for free, while Netflix is stuck running slowly (or we have to pay extra to access it). If you don’t think that won’t wrack up a huge bill, you are wrong.

How many people use cell phones and access Facebook, twitter, Netflix, ETC. This will affect everything that’s connected to the internet and they can all have a separate charge attached for that device to access websites and content.

This will also affect your tablets, game systems, ANYTHING that is hooked up to the internet. Knowing the USA, those fees can be taxed. enough said.

Imagine that Verizon or AT&T don’t like the idea of Google Voice, because it allows you to send text messages for free using your data connection. Your cellphone carrier could block access to Google Voice from your smartphone so you’re forced to pay for a texting plan from them. Or, they see that a lot of people are using Facebook on their smartphone, so even if they have the bandwidth to carry that traffic, they decide to charge you extra to access Facebook, just because they know it’s in high demand and that they can make a profit.

Obviously this will be great for people who have money spilling outa their pockets and who live in a financial bubble ignorant of the rest of us but I don’t think the FCC remembers that not everyone has money, If this rueling gets past it will ban some disabled people from using the internet. Let’s be real here.

Take SSI. How much is your internet bill per year now and how often do people on SSI rely on the internet and websites that host special content like Facebook, for social collaboration and school websites that often hold YouTube videos, which can have a steep price on it too on top of your internet bill if net neutrality is killed.

People on SSI or even SSDI won’t be able to pay all of that, given the fact that disabled people use the internet more than anything else for more than just socializing. People host teleconferences on Facebook, promote goods on blogs, the list goes on and I should not even have to point these out.

These ISP;s certainly won’t remember that not everyone has money because they want to have the money and they will want to have the money that they think they should have any way that they can get it, including charging people like you and I to use an email provider that isn’t with your default ISP like, for example, if you’re using Comcast and you look at your Gmail. Comcast could charge you to access Gmail even though Gmail is free.

The reason why blind people use Gmail is that it offers a lot of customization. For example, it offers free IMAP and POP3 access to mail clients. Yahoo does not.

This is why I say that Verizon is spewing illogical banter. There’s a stereotype about us Americans that say, frankly, we are greedy.

Verizon and Comcast really want to have this new rueling passed just so they can get more money and the fact that Verizon is using disabled people as a valuable excuse to justify why they want to kill Net Neutrality just so they can have more money really makes me, well, disappointed at my own country.

Hears the claim Verizon makes. Without a fast lane, disabled Americans could get stuck with subpar service as Internet traffic increases.

The issue that’s a constant problem isn’t even about the speed of access but, rather, the simple act of accessing something. I don’t understand how this will help us access something such as a website that isn’t designed to be accessible or obtaining some key information that’s in an accessible element on the inaccessible or partially accessible website. Since the internet often has inaccessible websites, even today, we would just turn to the phone, or, in my case, text one of my minions to look something up for me, adding a winking smiley at the end just because. The issue of speed doesn’t even culminate into a logical fit within this particular claim, if people really knew about screen readers and magnifiers and such. Instead of slower speeds dolling out a subpar service it’s the incomplete and botched content that we cannot access because developers didn’t make whatever accessible.

If there were, indeed, a way for ISPs to create two lanes of internet access, one slow, with costs to use all these demanding sites like Netflix and such, and one fast, combined with services like Facebook, it would ban a lot of disabled people from accessing some very key information all together all because of costs that would be designated by the ISP and then that would be yet another contender blind and visually impaired activists would have to constantly advocate for.

State rehabilitation will not pay for internet as is, and that’s just one monthly cost to access all websites and services. If this were to actually be enforced people with disabilities wouldn’t have access to certain sites at all because of the high costs that will, without a doubt, be determined by the ISP.

This could lead to loss of employment, fewer educational opportunities because this will affect schools too, and overall fewer productivity and would make the unemployment rate for disabled people increase because a lot of disabled people work from home, using many sites and services every day that wouldn’t be able to be accessed because, oh no! The bill is really high!

Speed is not the issue and it infuriates me that Verizon even uses that as a claim. If people know about screen readers, magnifiers, and accessibility issues with software and sites then they will see right through this fallacy. If they don’t know about disabled people and access technology it would be a simple conclusion that would make sense in their minds even though its hugely false, that speed would help us.

Access is an issue but the irony is access would be an even bigger issue, coupled with taxes and stuff, I’m sure, will be added onto these extra speed costs and costs to access content, thereby bridging the disabled homeless and otherwise on an even wider separation all because of money. Access won’t be an issue, it will morph into a barrier, one that will always be up.

This is just for work. Could you only imagine how disabled people wouldn’t have access to sites like twitter, where news is happening all day, every day? Oh my god!I don’t even want to entertain that nightmare.

I just cannot believe that Verizon would even say such a disingenuous thing. It won’t help disabled people at all. It would ban some from even using the internet, even some who are not disabled. I don’t think people who work at these companies know that not everyone works at Verizon or otherwise, but hey, in America, it’s all about the money. It’s all about the money.

About Our Presenters

Erin Edgar is a lawyer currently working for Legal Aid, which is a non-profit lawfirm that assists low-income clients with various issues. She and her husband, Rodney, co-host a podcast called Tech Access Weekly which focuses on news and events  in assistive and mainstream technology. She also co-hosts the Book Hoarders Annonymous Podcast, which is dedicated to book lovers of all persuasions. Follow her on Twitter, or reach her via email.

Jason Meddaugh is a cofounder of BlindBargains.com, one of the most popular deals and news websites for the blind and visually impaired. He also manages A T Guys, a website featuring low-cost tech gadgets and accessories. He is also a cohost on That Android Show. Follow him on Twitter.

Jamie Pauls, [Producer and host of the SeroTalk Podcast, plays keyboard professionally, and has shared the stage several times with current X Factor winner Tate Stevens. He is a music therapist who has worked with both the elderly and children, and teaches a music Appreciation class one evening a week at a community college. In the current setting, he is best known for his work as Content Director for Serotek. You can follow him on Twitter.

Joe Steinkamp is cohost of the SeroTalk Podcast as well as several other SPN podcasts. You can follow him on Twitter, and can read his personal Top Ten list on his blog.

Top Stories — 6-10

Story 10: X+Y = Math Access

SeroTalk Podcast, including an interview on the T84 Calculator

Story 9: A Tasty Google Treat

That Android Show

Story 8: Real Potential in Access to Set Top Boxes

Comcast Website

Stories 7 and 6: A Tie! Between two A T Giants

Victor Reader Stream: Second Generation

Sendero GPS

This Year at Serotek

Introducing Our New, Redesigned Website

Serotek Ambassadors’ Club is Launched

Serotek Podcast Network Reaches Highest Listener Count Yet

Serotek Launches the Newly Updated Socializer

The Top Five Stories

Story 5: You Down with UEB?

Unified English Braille to become official code in 2016

Story 4: Love Em or Hate em, Apple Gets People Talking

Apple iOS 7 Page

Triple Click Home

Story 3: The Tap Tap See Controversy

Tap Tap See Review

Triple Click Home Interview

Story 2: The Holy Grail of iPhone Apps

Story 1: Amazon Helps and Fights A T in the Same Breath

Kindle Fire HDX Product Page

Kindle Fire HDX: Usable By the Blind At Last?

By Buddy Brannan

Anyone who has been following the Serotek blog, SeroTalk, or even just me, will know that Amazon has taken a fair bit of heat over the Kindle and its halfhearted, lackluster, token efforts toward making Kindle content usable by people who are blind or visually impaired. It’s probably fair to say that many of us thought that Amazon wouldn’t ever make its content available to us in any meaningful way; its seeming unwillingness to do so in the face of complaints, demonstrations, and lawsuits against some of its institutions using its Kindle readers in pilot programs bolstered our belief that some miracle would have to happen before we were able to use Amazon Kindle content in any meaningful way. Sure, there was some rudimentary text-to-speech capabilities in some Kindle models. However, it wasn’t possible to independently activate it, some content didn’t read with it, and even if a book you wanted to read did work, access to many of the platform’s other options were unavailable. Moreover, enough detail, such as word or single letter navigation, was unavailable, making use for more than pleasure reading impossible.

Enter the Kindle app for iOS. I used to joke that it was 99% accessible. The only thing that didn’t work was the actual book reading, but everything else worked perfectly. All of that changed just a few months ago when, one fine day, we all received a pleasant surprise: a Kindle reading app that would read Kindle content and gave blind people the ability to use most if not all Kindle functions. The community was ecstatic! Finally, we would have access to the couple million titles available to everyone else. This, we said, was our Gutenberg. We hoped that this newly realized access to ebooks heralded Amazon’s turning the corner, and we would at last see even better access to Kindle hardware next.

Imagine our delight when we read the announcement that the Kindle Fire HDX would be coming, with new features, a higher res display, and by the way, it would have features for people with print impairments. Anticipation, excitement, and yes, still some skepticism. After all, a leopard can’t change its spots, right? What would we really get? Would it be more of the same, or would we see something like what we got with the iOS app? Being one who was very critical of Amazon’s efforts (or lack thereof) in this arena, not to mention being a gadget freak, I picked up a Kindle Fire HDX myself just a couple weeks after its release. So how does it stack up? Are we going to be pleased or sorely disappointed? To be fair, I haven’t explored everything about the device. There is plenty I don’t know about it. Even so, it leaves a decent first impression. It’s a good solid start, understanding that there’s plenty of room for improvement. Bottom line: I don’t hate it, which is, let’s be honest, about as close to a ringing endorsement as one can expect. And it’s a lot better than we’ve gotten in past years.

Physical Description

The Kindle Fire HDX is about the size of a paperback book, though of course, a lot thinner. Officially, it’s 7.3″ X 5.0″ X 0.35″ (186 X 128 X 9.0mm) and weighs 10.7 ounces, or masses 303 grams. (The cellular capable version is slightly heavier.) I don’t know about any of you, but official specs don’t usually mean a lot to me. If you’ve seen an iPad Mini, The Kindle Fire HDX is slightly smaller and slightly thicker than the Mini. The back edges are beveled. With the tablet in landscape mode (sideways), you’ll find stereo speakers at either end of the top back beveled edge. On the left edge, near the corner where the speaker is, you will find a single button, which locks the unit or powers it on and off. Directly opposite, on the right edge, again near the speaker, are two buttons, one above the other. These are the volume up and down buttons. Having control buttons on the edges, in the back panel around the beveled edges, seems a little strange at first glance, but it really does work out all right. It does seem a bit strange to have the on off button at the bottom of the tablet while in portrait, and the volume up button to the left of volume down, again in portrait mode, but with the tablet held in landscape mode with the speakers toward the top, the arrangement makes sense. Again with the tablet in landscape mode with the speakers facing away from you, the left edge has a micro USB port for charging or plugging into a computer, while the right edge has a stereo headphone jack. The front of the Kindle is all touch screen, with no physical buttons at all.

Setting Up

The first question in my mind was whether or not I could set up the Kindle Fire HDX without sighted assistance. This is indeed possible. Once the tablet powers on, hold the power button until you hear three piano notes. This is the power off screen. Simply hold two fingers on the screen, spread slightly apart. If you’ve done it correctly, you’ll be advised to hold your fingers a bit longer on the screen, and then Talkback will start. The first thing you get is a tutorial on the basic gestures used to navigate the interface. This is pretty much straight up Talkback, so if you’re an Android user,, it is likely you’ll feel right at home. It is possible to turn on the screen reader at any time, not just on initial startup. This is done as mentioned above, from the power off screen. One thing though, if you temporarily disable the screen reader as documented, you can’t easily turn it back on. So if you’re going to hand it to a friend who doesn’t need a talking tablet, go through the accessibility settings and disabled the screen reader completely. You’ll then be able to turn it back on much more easily than you would if you just disabled it.

Typing took a bit of getting used to. It seems you have to lift your finger pretty well dead center on a key, or it won’t register, giving you a high-pitched beep. This beep lets you know that doing a swipe up will bring up some other interface element, but to me it just said “I didn’t get that letter”.

The Home Screen

The home screen is divided into five parts:

The status bar has the time and battery percentage if you turn that on. You can do a three finger swipe down from this to bring up notifications and change settings. * A row of buttons to select different kinds of content, such as apps, books, audiobooks, music, and so forth. All the buttons don’t fit, so this area scrolls left and right as you swipe through it. * The carousel is a big area that rotates through all of the available books, apps, music, and documents. The most recently accessed ones are first. Swipe to the left or right to change to different items. * The home screen: This is a grid of applications or other content that you always want to be available. You can add to or subtract from this grid with a tap and hold on any item. This brings up a context menu to allow you to add or remove or delete entirely. If you want this to take up your screen and make the carousel disappear, you can do so by scrolling up from the home screen grid. * The menu bar usually has buttons on it for search, menu, and back.

Usage

I was able to read books, play music, watch movies, and install and use apps. I was also able to browse the web, though the built-in browser isn’t nearly as easy to use as Mozilla Firefox is. You’ll have to get Firefox from a third party app site though, more on that in a minute. You are supposed to be able to read a book continuously, or you can review it in any amount of detail. Reading continuously with the latest update was a bit hit and miss, and the most I was able to get the Kindle to read nonstop was a chapter. Reviewing is done by dragging your finger around the screen. In one way, this is great, since you can really get a good idea of how a page, or a book, or an app, is visually laid out. Getting the exact information you want, such as a specific word, will take some practice, maybe even a lot of practice. Also, note that, unlike with Voiceover, if other audio is playing (such as music or a movie), screen reader output does not cause your other audio to duck. This may make some things difficult to do while listening to audio content. Some gestures are a little difficult to get used to. For instance, some actions require you to draw a circle in order to select a specific action, or a level of navigation granularity. Fortunately, it’s not picky about how perfect your circle is. Also, of course, with auto rotate turned on (the default behavior), the gestures are relative to the tablet orientation. I also found that some gestures, such as the home or back gesture, or the swipe down to get the status display, had to be quite exaggerated in order to properly register. One thing that made using the Kindle Fire HDX easier for me was to turn the autorotate feature off and lock the orientation into portrait mode. It really is OK to do this, as apps such as Netflix or Amazon Instant Video, which require a landscape orientation, will automatically rotate to accommodate. In all other cases though, the screen stays the way you lock it. I’ve been asked about how usable the Netflix app was. I’m pleased to say that one can select content and watch movies and TV shows. Unfortunately, I was unable to do anything more than start a show and watch all the way through. Part of this was because of the absence of audio ducking, and part was due to not being able to find the player controls. I also started an Amazon Prime video, but truthfully, I didn’t play with it much more than to determine that I could start and play and pause a movie. For the record, it was “Contact”. I do have to say that audio was quite good, considering the Kindle Fire HDX’s compact size. I was also able to navigate my Amazon music library, select tracks, and play them. This could be a great little music player for those of you with a lot of music purchased from Amazon. Again, all content is available from the carousel. It is also available from the category buttons at the top of the home screen.

Speaking of categories, There was one thing that was unclear to me when I first started with the Kindle Fire HDX. That was determining what was displayed and what was not when viewing content by category. For instance, I couldn’t figure out why some third party apps I installed were shown as installed but weren’t showing in my list of apps. It turns out you can display content that is either locally installed or available from the cloud. Some stuff available from the cloud also happens to be on your local device, but the reverse isn’t always true, especially when you’re talking about third party stuff. And speaking of third party apps

Amazon has an Android marketplace, it’s true. However, apps there may not be the same version available from other places. I saw, for instance, a later version of ES File Explorer than was available on the Amazon app store. For this, you may want to install a third party app store. Google Play is not supported, although there is at least one article that tells one how to at least get some Google services. This is an exercise left to the reader. I installed another app store called 1Mobile, from which I was able to find lots of free apps. These installed fine on the Kindle Fire HDX, although you have to be sure to set your security settings to allow this. Again, exercise for the reader. I definitely recommend Mozilla’s Firefox browser. Browsing with the built in browsers possible, though I admit to not spending a lot of time with it. I admit to a certain bias against Web browsers that reside on tablets and phones, but I’ll use them if I don’t have a desktop or notebook computer easily at hand.

Things To Improve

As I’ve said before, Amazon has a good start on providing an accessible reading experience on their hardware. I have not tried pairing with a braille display, nor have I tried pairing with a bluetooth keyboard,but I understand both are possible. Anyway, as with all things in their first run, there is still room for improvement. For the screen reader, a greater speed range would be something I’d like to see, and I think others would agree. I have mine set to the fastest speed, and it’s comfortable for me, though I wouldn’t mind a bit more. I know others would like more than a bit more. The Ivona voices are quite nice. I don’t know if other voices, like Espeak, or Acapella, or Realspeak, are available or not, but I’m sure that everyone has preferences in this regard.

The voice for reading books now seems to agree with the voice for the screen reader, which is to say, they’re the same. While this is true, it’s possible to make the book reading voice go a lot faster than the screen reader voice. The fact that the voice itself is the same for both book reading and screen reading is good. The speed choices need to likewise agree. I’d like to see the previous granularity gesture introduced again, or allow a choice. Selecting the menu,then drawing a circle to find the right granularity, seems overly complicated to me, especially for something that may well need to be done often.

Duck other audio when it’s playing and the screen reader is talking. Maybe this is a wanna have rather than a gotta have, but sometimes audiobooks or music really do compete in volume with the voice, and it isn’t possible to adjust them individually.

Things I haven’t Done

I haven’t used the Amazon app to buy anything, nor have I purchased from the Kindle store on the Kindle Fire HDX. I have purchased Kindle content from the computer, and it shows up beautifully on the tablet. This is true both of Audible books and Kindle books. I haven’t done a lot of Web browsing, certainly no more than necessary. See my above bias against tablet browsing.

I haven’t completed a kindle book, though I have lots of them to work on.

Bottom Line

I don’t hate it. I don’t love it yet either, but I could, given a bit more time and a bit more polish. The audio from the speakers is quite good, not to mention pretty punchy. I could easily see watching movies on this, or listening to audiobooks. Once automatic continuous read works reliably, I could even see reading Kindle books with it. With a bit of practice, I think I could get to where I was looking up words, highlighting, making notes, and the rest. I’m not nearly as comfortable editing or typing on it, but I expect that would come with more time as well. I’m not sure I’d recommend it for a new computer user, or for someone who needed to use it as a serious productivity tool, at least, not yet. I still believe that it has potential though, and I will be watching updates and improvements eagerly.

Welcome to this week’s edition of the SeroTalk Podcast. After Jamie, Ricky and Joe discuss the top news stories of the week, Joe interviews Justin of Solo-DX about their new MovieReading app for iOS that will allow you to listen to audio descriptions of movies from any theater or even from home. In addition to visiting their Web site, you can follow them on Twitter or send them an email.

News in A T

Listen to the NVAccess podcast for info about NVDA 2013.3 & exciting news about Open Office

RIP Winamp: iconic media player to be discontinued December 20th, 2013

AOL reportedly wants to sell Winamp to Microsoft

Accessing Spotify on the PC using the new app Blindspot

Experience Descriptive Audio at the Theater with a New iOS App MovieReading

An Immersion into Excel 2013 with Jaws for Windows

Help make Bookshare better, take the survey:

DoItWrite

Learn about DoItWrite from The Blind Educator

Mainstream Matters

Kindle Fire OS 3.1 Integrates Goodreads, Introduces Chromecast-like Second Screen

What “devices and services” really means to Microsoft

Why I may never install Office for Mac again

Hi again: Apple’s ‘lost’ iWork features find their way back

Samsung owes Apple $290M more in damages, jury says

30 days with OS X 10.9 ‘Mavericks’

FCC to consider proposal allowing airline passengers to make cell phone calls above 10,000 feet on some planes.

Is Voice the Key to Wearable Technology?

Mailbag

Blog Comment from Terry Miller

Not related to any present discussion, however “Tiz the Season”, I’m perplexed by the extremely loud Music played at each establishment within a Mall, or such place; when a Blind person chooses to investigate a place of Business. This is of course to draw in, “sighted Customers”. What results is a cacophony of mixed “loud” Music that doesn’t allow an independent Blind person to navigate or (for that matter) to interact with the Proprietor of an individual Store. The Lighting is another matter; because, many “pop-culture” establishments like to hi lite their individual articles for sale, with neon, or black lighting. All this constitutes non-verbal transactions. Both of these issues are on the rise. What say you?

Roundabout

How Music Affects and Benefits Your Brain

Toddler knows the name of all U.S. presidents, in order

Someone Recorded Crickets then Slowed Down the Track, And It Sounds Like Humans Singing

Do you enjoy our SPN Podcasts? You can help us out a whole lot by taking this very short survey.

Join Jamie Pauls, Ricky Enger and Lisa Salinger as they discuss the top news stories of the week. Topics covered in this episode include:

News in A T

TapTapSee Goes Subscription-based

ONExSENSE: Michael Curran & James Teh at TEDxBrisbane

Mosen Consulting eBook, Tweeting Blind

A List of New iOS 7 Keyboard Shortcuts

David Woodbridge: Main new features of Mavericks using VoiceOver on the Mac air

Click here to report accessibility bugs with Apple products.

Accessible apps for news junkies, no rehab needed

Assistive Technology: A Necessity for Student Success | Matthew Lynch, Ed.D.

ZoomText Mac Tips & Tricks – Installing in Mavericks

Digital Accessible Books for Disabled Veterans

It Began in Colombia

Mainstream Matters

Internet Explorer 11 for Windows 7 is all about performance

Mysterious Google Barge Is ‘Interactive Space’

New BlackBerry boss John Chen out to prove skeptics wrong

Apple is still shipping Macs with Mountain Lion, not Mavericks

Apple promises to restore some iWork features within six months

Apple Rolls Out Mavericks Update to Fix Email Glitch

Mailbag

From Aaron Linson

As a blind person in college, I use both mainstream and dedicated aka blindnesss specific devices. I am a big believer in braille and have been using a braille note since the first one was introduced in 2000. I use it for a lot of music braille reading and since Preview on the Mac is a pain to use for pdf’s I read those in braille as well. I also have the gps on the braille note apex and also the Samsung Galaxy S4 I have nearby explorer. I think that there are always going to be people who say well you’re not one of us because you don’t use device x or y but, we just need to say that’s your opinion and move on. Thanks, Aaron Linson Producer of The Cast Podcast

From Mike Arrigo

Great show. Regarding the experience on Android that Ricky mentioned, you can actually navigate by web element in chrome using talkback, but the way you do it is not as obvious. Open the local context menu and you will have a navigation option, choosing that will allow you to navigate by web element. I agree that using firefox probably offers the best web experience. There are some interesting changes in android 4.4, I’m actually thinking of getting the nexus 5, not sure yet. For one thing, web views in applications are now handled by the chrome browser. Also, apparently you can set what are called live regions which will bipass explore by touch, this would be very useful for applications such as fleksy. I have not installed mavericks yet, I prefer to wait until at least the first major update so any major bugs can be fixed. Glad Buddy is enjoying his new kindle fire HDX. Hopefully the stand alone kindle app will become accessible as well.

And also from Mike

Ricky and Joe will probably be the most interested in this. The swype keyboard from nuance is now accessible on android. There is a trial if you want to play with it before purchasing it. You can read the corrections, and, if you want to dictate, you can using dragon’s speech recognition, which is the same dictation that is used on IOS. Pretty cool for sure.

Roundabout

San Francisco Will Become Gotham City to Make Child’s Wish of Being ‘Batkid’ Come True

Million-Year Data Storage Disk Unveiled

It’s the official end of an era: Blockbuster just threw in the towel

Replay the Accessible Event archive of the show

About Our Presenters Luis Arellano is an instructional assistant for California School Districts and a regular, helpful participant in the SAMNet Community. He enjoys comparing, contrasting, and demonstrating various mainstream technology solutions.

Rick Harmon manages various email lists related to blindness and technology. He also runs the Blind Geek Zone website and Podcast. Since their launch in 2006, the site and podcast have served as portals to hundreds of free tutorials and demonstrations for the blind community. While he did the majority of these, he has selected high-quality submissions by others for tinclusion as well. In 2007, Rick began offering paid training and support services, both in person in his local area, and by phone.

Laura Legendary is a speaker, author, and educator specializing in disability awareness, advocacy, accessibility, and assistive technology. Read the Accessible Insights Blog. Most recently, Laura has added entrepreneur to the list with her Elegant Insights Braille Creations. Follow Laura on Twitter at either @Accessible_Info or @ElegantInsights.

In the Community

Dr. Abraham Nemeth, inventor of the Braille math code, dies at 94

Jaws 15 has been Released

Serotek: a Fresh Season of Updates

FCC adopts TV rules for blind and deaf

Microsoft

Goodbye Microsoft Security Essentials: Microsoft Now Recommends You Use a Third-Party Antivirus

Do I Need to Stop Using Microsoft Security Essentials?

Windows 8.1: What a difference a year makes

Android

The Google Nexus 5 is finally here. Get all the details

Android 4.4 KitKat is here at last. Take a deep dive into the new OS

Apple

From iPad Air to Mac Pro: everything you need to know about Apple’s fall event | The Verge

Papa Sangre II on the App Store on iTunes

[Technically Speaking

I’m the original voice of Siri’

Amazon Launches Kindle Fire HDX Tablets, Fire OS 3.0

Turn on Accessibility Features on your Kindle Fire HD or Kindle Fire HDX

The latest SeroTalk Podcast contains an interview about the Kindle Fire HDX.

Welcome to this froggy edition of the podcast where show host Jamie Pauls fights with a scratchy throat but prevails nonetheless. Ricky and Joe lend their support as the team talks about the top news stories of the week. Then, a less raspy Jamie Pauls visits with Buddy Brannan about his experiences using the new Kindle Fire HDX with built-in Accessibility. Stories covered in this episode include:

Papa Sangre II on the App Store on iTunes

FSCast Episode 83, October 2013

ZoomText 10.1.2 is Released!

Announcing: Braille Sense U2 MINI

A Demonstration of Some of the English TTS Voices Available to VoiceOver users in OS X Mavericks

A Picture’s Worth A Thousand Words

FCC adopts TV rules for blind and deaf

Beyond a gadget: Google Glass is a boon to disabled

Which Android smartphones and tablets will get the KitKat upgrade?

Apple testing Mail update for OS X Mavericks to fix Gmail, stability, and smart mailbox issues

The case against Gmail

Google donates 17,000 Nexus 7s to Hurricane Sandy communities

Apple admits iPhone 5S battery problem, replaces phones

Southwest & Dish to provide passengers in-flight entertainment via Apple’s iPad 2

Amazon increases free shipping minimum to $35

Amazon Offers Low-Cost Kindle Versions of Print Books with “MatchBook”

Amazon will now donate part of your purchase to charity

Roundabout

The Adventure Blog: Blind Adventurer Erik Weihenmayer Temporarily Detained In Peru

The Blind Have A Hard Time Getting Jobs Because Of Social Stigma

Dell has been selling Ultrabooks that smell like cat urine

Jamie, Ricky and Joe have a lot to discuss in this week’s SeroTalk podcast. Topics covered include:

Blind Bargains: President Obama Declares October 15 Blind Americans Equality Day

HumanWare sees its global development expand through a partnership with Essilor

Lease to Own Option Now available for Adaptive Technology solutions costing over $1,700 from Triumph Technology

Reader’s view: Drive safely, pay attention and watch for the blind

There’s No Such Thing as a “blind Ghetto” Product

Why Can Some Blind People Process Speech Far Faster Than Sighted Persons?: Scientific American

Blind, Yet Now I See

Windows 8.1: What a difference a year makes

Microsoft pulls botched Windows RT 8.1 update, tolerates mediocre Surface 2 review (Updated)

Review: The Kindle Fire HDX Is the Amazon-centric Tablet Finally Done Right

Do I Need to Stop Using Microsoft Security Essentials?

Windows XP users get a year of Chrome support after OS retires

Nexus 5 quietly appears at Google Play for $349

Android 4.4 KitKat tweets hint at Oct. 28 launch

Google Maps for iOS updates with faster navigation, more languages

Tim Cook talks hiring of Angela Ahrendts as Retail chief, says she is ‘best person in the world for this role’

Amazon listing may be hinting at new Apple TV at 22nd Oct event

Mailbag

Jesse writes:

Hey guys. You do a very awesome job with the podcast. I love it! I was just thinking if Ricky did record a voice professionally, Serotek could make it one of the standard voices for system access and it would be your own trademarked voice. Just a thought. Keep doing an awesome job. Jesse

From Mike Arrigo Regarding the Amazon Kindle Fire HD, unless Amazon has changed their position, the device will be fairly locked down. You will not be able to side load apps, which means you could not install braille back or even the google play store. Also, the boot loader is locked with no way to officially unlock it, so installing a different rom would be difficult if not imposible. And, as stated, no access to the google play store. Because of these reasons, it’s not a tablet I would consider. If you want an android tablet, go with the nexus 7. Regarding mobile accessibility on Windows Phone 8, unfortunately this is not a screen reader. It’s a suite of applications, similar to what mobile accessibility is on android. However, on windows phone 8, you don’t have access to the native phone interface or any third party apps. If this is Microsoft’s idea of accessibility on this platform, I suggest they try again. This is not even true accessibility, and considering that IOS and Android provide accessibility for the native interface including third party apps, there’s no reason to go with a platform that only provides this limited functionality. Microsoft needs to do what Google and Apple have done, provide a built in screen reader that works with the native platform interface and built in applications, as well as third party applications that conform to the platform standards.

Here is a link to Windows Weekly episode 333 referenced by Joe

Roundabout

Steve Jobs ‘believed he was a World War II pilot’

19-year-old Dairy Queen manager does good deed for blind man

Thomas Edison’s Talking Dolls Sound Like They’re Possessed By Satan

Recommended Reading

Here is a list of the books which were mentioned in this week’s podcast:

Johnny Carson by Henry Bushkin

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Do you enjoy our SPN Podcasts? You can help us out a whole lot by taking this very short survey.

Welcome to SeroTalk Podcast 173, where Jamie, Ricky and Joe discuss the top news stories of the week. Topics covered in this episode include:

Shutdown Slams Blind Merchants

2013 Employment Resources for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired

ReadIt Air Now Shipping Vision Air International

GWSocialEyes Price Change Coming Soon

Turn on Accessibility Features on your Kindle Fire HD or Kindle Fire HDX:

Review of the Kindle Fire HDX

Eye surgeon Anthony Vipin Das has created shoes that see for the blind

Disney invents touchscreen that lets you feel textures

Apps on iPhone 5S more crash-prone than other models

Apple reportedly cutting iPhone 5C production in half

Apple’s iPad event reportedly set for October 22

Twitter to let you watch TV through a tweet

Samsung import ban in effect after President Obama declines to veto ITC order

Leaked Doc Provides More Nexus 5 Details

Android 4.4 KitKat: The seven things we know so far

PayPal Lets You Pay With QR Codes

On Kickstarters and Sandwiches

Mailbag

Hi SeroTalk Podcast Team (whoever you may be this week), My name is Kelsey and I live in England. As a listener to your show for almost a year now (wow!), this is my first time contributing to the show. Whilst sitting on the train earlier last week, a rather interesting thought came to me. Android, as we all know, is skinned by hardware and software developers. For example, HTC phones and Nexus devices, besides their hardware, look completely different. Of course, many blind people know this due to the frustration of inaccessible UIs. Well, I was thinking, do you think creators of Windows 8 tablets may start to introduce this? With the Surfaces (Surfi?) being the equivalent of a Google Nexus with Android and then other manufacturers (Acer, Del etc) skinning Windows to make it unique. With MicroSoft’s cooperation, there is a strong possibility that Windows may start heading this way. How do you think this would effect accessibility? Do you think it would begin to fragment the same way TalkBack does on several Android phones and tablets? Moving a little further into this fantasy Android meets the all-mighty Windows, could the desktop, for want of a better word, die? Could the Windows 8 start screen take over and the desktop vanish? Personally, I believe that laptop/desktop computers should have the desktop and the new start screen however the tablet version of Windows 8 Pro and Windows RT should just have an all-inclusive start screen and scrap the desktop.
This would likely start a we hate MicroSoft uprising in the mainstream community because, as we know, the start screen has not been adopted with the open arms that MicroSoft were obviously hoping for. As a user of Windows 8 for over a year now (I got it the day it came out), I have fallen in love with the new UI and think this is a great plan for the future of desktop computing. Yes, a few tweaks here and there are required for an optimal experience but for those people who are not ready for a fully touch-based experience just yet, Windows 8 is still a lovely operating system. Really, I believe that tablet computing is the future of consumer business and over here, laptops and desktops alike are not yet becoming extinct but they’re not as popular as they were say three or four years back. Many people do have a love hate relationship with Windows 8 and I understand that fully. I’m sure in 2015 – 2016 everyone will find something else to moan about, we’ll all be used to the start screen, MicroSoft will change it again based on the complaints of 2012 – 2013 and we’ll all moan once more! I love your show and hope you keep up the good work for years to come where you can talk about new technologies as it comes along. Thanks, Kelsey

P S: Jo, I can’t wait for the next Apple event (potentially scheduled for October apparently). I’m sure you’re as excited as I am!

Roundabout

Colorado sixth-grader’s beer-making experiment headed for space

My Daughter’s Homework Is Killing Me

Do you enjoy our SPN Podcasts? You can help us out a whole lot by taking this very short survey.

Welcome to what turned out to be one of the longest SeroTalk podcasts ever. Jamie, Ricky and Joe had a lot to say about this week’s news. Also, Alena Roberts brings us an interview with the developers of the iOS game CodeName Cygnus. Of course, your feedback is the icing on the cake and we have a lot of mail for you to read this month. Let’s get started, shall we?

Blind Bargains: The New Kindle Fire Has New Accessibility Features , Perhaps for Real This Time

Amazon Launches Kindle Fire HDX Tablets, Fire OS 3.0

2013: The Year of Books for Blinks

Sony Walkman Range Updated With New Android 4.1 Equipped Devices

Reading Kindle Books on Your iOS Device: A Quick Reference Guide

Bookshare now available through the CNIB Library!

Please upgrade to FaceBook version 6.5.1 to get notifications read back with VoiceOver on iOS.

Disney tightens up resort disability program

Stevie Wonder Speaks Up For Children With Disabilities

Blind Bargains: NBC Announces Over 100 Hours of Coverage for the 2014 and 2016 Paralympics

Web Engineer: “Help Apple shape the future of UI interaction patterns and accessibility on the Web.”

Talking Windows 7 Pre-installation Environment

Unveiling the Serotek Ambassadors’ Club

Accessible Games

New RPG puts players in the shoes of a blind hero

? Three Monkeys Development Trailer

Three Monkeys – Yoska Monologue

Wewrite

Papa Sangre Sequel To Star None Other Than Famed English Actor Sean Bean

Valve fires up SteamOS, its bid for living room PC gaming

Valve’s Steam Machine prototype to ship early to 300 lucky players

Gaming with the kids is gaining popularity according to new report

T-Mobile dropping BlackBerry from in-store retail selection

BlackBerry Accepts $4.7 Billion Buyout Offer

Unofficial iMessage app for Android appears, likely unsafe

Bill Gates: ‘Control+Alt+Delete’ Was a Mistake

Mailbag

Mike Arrigo writes:

Lots of good stuff covered in this show. I do hope the NLS app comes to android soon as well. I’ve heard rumors that the company they contracted with to develop the app really messed things up, so it could be a while, but I hope that’s not the case, but I do wish they would have released them both at the same time. Since I got my iphone 5 in July, I will not be upgrading. My next phone will probably be a galaxy s 3, the s 4 still costs more than I am willing to pay but the 3 has great hardware specs still. I upgraded to IOS 7 the day it came out, it is working fine on my iphone 5. I agree with Jamie about the new app switcher, it’s much better I think. Really though, if this was an overhall of the platform, I don’t notice anything really major. Itunes radio is nice. Admitedly, I’m disappointed that some of the limitations were not removed. You still cannot change your default keyboard, I was really hoping that would be permitted. You still cannot install other system voices, I will talk more about voices in a minute, and there is still no file management, this is something every other operating system, whether mobile or desktop provides. I’m not saying I want IOS to become Android, but I do want the ability to customize my device the way I want it, and I don’t want a brick wall between me and it’s files. Transferring content to an iphone is still much more difficult than it needs to be. Ok, regarding voices. The reason there are some differences is because IOS 7 is using a new version of the vocalizer TTS engine. Previous versions used what is called vocalizer automotive, IOS 7 uses the newest version, it’s called vocalizer expressive. For some languages, the voices are totally different now, and some users are not happy with the new voices. I read the post of one user who is actually thinking about switching to android because the voice in his language is awful. He likes the acapela voices for his language, but again, you cannot install those as system voices like you can in Android.

From Jordan Gallacher

Hello, A couple of comments about iOS 7 after listening to your most recent podcast. First, I am happy to say there was an update to the Facebook app that fixed the problem of not being able to get to the notifications. Here are the things I don’t like about iOS 7. First, for some strange reason, my e-mail messages are all now starting at the end of iPhone for my signature. I liked it better when it would automatically start at the top on the first blank line. Here is my two biggest problems I have noticed with my bluetooth keyboard. As you mentioned, the Control key does not stop the speech like it used to. My other issue is that my F11 key is not working as it was in iOS 6 to get back to the Home screen and open the App Switcher. Annoyes me that I now really can’t be across the room from my phone and get back to the Home screen using my bluetooth keyboard. Other than those issues, I have been quite happy with iOS 7. Hopefully enough people complain about the things that are not working right that Apple will have to fix them, especially the bluetooth keyboard issues. Regards, Jordan

Jenine Stanley says:

Hey guys,

Thanks so much for the Echo demo. You succeeded in either bringing back memories or inducing PTSD, not sure which at the moment.

I got my first computer back in 1988 and I agree with Ricki about the sheer novelty of having a thing that echoed your keystrokes and that you could actually, in some cases, manipulate faster than a sighted person.

I was fascinated with linguistics at that point in my life and began taking classes at Ohio State with the hope of working on synthetic speech. Of course the Linguistics Department was not exactly aware of synthetic speech back then and directed me toward the computer folks who didn’t know about it either. Ah, once again way ahead of my time.

Then I went to work for a company called Computer Conversations which made the Verbal Operating System VOS. We also worked on a speech synthesizer called the Verbette. Yes, that really was the name and no I did not come up with it.

The speech was based on the same chip set used in most of the synthesizers at that time, I believe the SSI1 chip. What we did that was slightly different was to add controls for articulation and inflection which were soon added to synthesizers like the Artic products. It was also a parallel port device about the size of a pack of cigarettes. I still have one of the first run models in my computer junk museum box.

Part of my job on that project was to go through the pronunciation tables to correct or tweak anything to give the speech a more Midwestern accent as opposed to East Coast or Valley Girl.

From there I was sparked to find more, different and better speech synthesizers. OK, don’t shoot me but I loved the Double Talk and Triple Talk. Yes, they could be annoying but for the time, they offered a much more fluid, natural sounding speech. I don’t speed speech up much but I do mess with pitch and tone.

Then we got to the point where software based speech was not only possible but varied. Yay! I must own a ton of software synthesizer programs from the really good, Ivona and Nuance, to the really scary, too numerous to mention. My current favorite, which has been on my desktop PC for a couple years now, is Ivona’s Kendra. Ivona’s Joey is on my work laptop.

I really like the male Siri voice with the new inflection. Oh how I wish that one was available for Voice Over. I’m using the Irish English Voice Over for now, though I do like the South African voice.

And yes, I too loath Samantha! She sounds way too much like a former coworker at another job whom I could not stand.

I can only imagine the voice actors convention, a bit like running into NLS narrators at national conventions. You stand there in the elevator listening and think, “Hey, that guy sounds familiar. Who is he?”

Then you realize you’re staring at Jack Fox. Oops. Luckily he found it funny.

Then you run into a voice you can’t stand and say so, not knowing said narrator is standing about 3 feet away. Again, oops.

My final foot-in-mouth moment happened when I was browsing the APH booth at a convention a while back and asked one of the people his name. Roy Avers spoke up and I blubbered that he sounded nothing like he did when reading. I got the feeling he heard that a lot because he just sighed and went on processing my order. Gee, even telling him he was the voice of Isaac Asimov didn’t help. Imagine that?

Jenine Stanley

Bob Reid says:

Hi once again. If you look deep into the comments on the Youtube video, it is suggested that Susan C. Bennett is the old voice of Siri and Samantha and not Allison Dufty as so many are assuming. Apparently, Steve Jobs chose her personally. This could very well be the case as Susan’s lower register matches Samantha, “s’s” included. Check out the demos on her website. http://www.susancbennett.com/ Bob.

Wayne Mills writes in to say:

Hi Ricky, Jamie, Patrick and Joe,

I’m not really prone to sending mails (except for my other one) but I felt I should write because I was really worried about you all after this podcast. What has happened ? It seemed like I had entered an IOS twilight zone where I didn’t recognised what you were all saying about IOS7. It felt as though you had all woken up on chrismas day and didn’t get the Christmas present you thought you were going to get!

I thought I should offer a bit of support for IOS7. After reading my own mail though, I realise I sound like an Apple fan boy but I’m not really – just saying what my actual experience was on installing IOS7. I do say that I am a loyal customer though simply because of the huge difference the iPone and Mac has made to my independent lifestyle. It essentially has reached the status of being a personal assistant in many respects.

I’m using the 4S and I’m not really able to say that there is any significant slowing of my phone. Possibly ever so slightly spongy on the odd app but nothing significant. It is certainly not creaking and cracking under the strain of IOS 7. I wonder if almost full memory may be responsible for the slowing that others have reported on their devices.

Having said that, I do wonder if there might be a deliberate attempt to slow the OS slightly as mentioned in order to encourage an upgrade to the 5S. The Os was not a significant installation size and I don’t see anything that I would think would be taxing on the hardware really that ought to result in some people’s reported experience. §.

Patrick, I want to put your mind at ease in relation to Daniel’s voice. That nasty voice that starts on initialising IOS7 is just an initialisation voice. Once configured, you simply choose the high quality voices you want to use. don’t forget, the blind community were asking to be able to choose multiple voices and Apple have provided that. I have chosen the English; Irish; Australian and French high quality voices that all work perfectly well. I have had no stuttering or difficulty. I can change them through the rotor for the material I am reading.

Do remember, the compact voice for IOs 6 was also not pleasant to listen to unless you were using the high quality voice for the region you are in. .

What about the improvements in Siri? The voice recognition is much improved. You can ask Siri to read your mails as a group; by subject or by sender’s name or date received. You can send an e-mail interactively. You can also perform these tasks for messages. Because the voice recognition is much more accurate, it is a much smoother activity and not quite the fight we used to have at times in IOS 6.

Siri will also get information from Widipedia when you want to know about a particular subject and this feature often provides the immediate answer to many questions. You can go to the full article if you need to.

What about the handwriting feature? Of course, many blind people have acquired their sight issues later in life. the handwriting feature allows a person who has difficulty with a touch keyboard to handwrite their pass code; their mail or text message. Even a letter if they wished. The handwriting feature can also teach a blind child about the shapes of print for signature etc. In my case, I have used a mixture of all three input options. the handwriting option is really helpful to input the passcode because it does not announce the key press. Great when I’m in a public place. ll

I am a blind user of the phone so don’t know much about the low vision issues but I believe there are options to increase contrast and boldness in the accessibility settings and that these do offer significant improvement to the standard screen. That may help some people with the visual issues of the screen depending on their eye condition. I’d be interested in knowing if these options do offer any significant improvement generally.

Joe, I do like you and you are a bonnie lad but I think you are developing your very own Android distortion field – it might be the same Apple distortion field that has mutated and infected your space ! I think Apple ring tones seem to bother you a bit but like other devices, you can just download some more if you’d like you know. Just like other mobiles.

I know you like to evangelise about Talkback and how its open source contributions mean that there are advantages in the updating of its software. Of course that is true but only to an extent. The updates you refer to have been developing for some years now and they are still not equal to the OS integration of voiceover. Having said that, I am really pleased that there is competition for its own sake in terms of building our opportunities for mainstream inclusion in design.

I also have to say that it is not quite fair to say that there is closed communication in the Apple environment.I have e-mailed developers and Apple on a number of occasions and have found all to be open and willing to respond to concerns and interest. Apple developers do seem to be keen on responding to accessibility issues when they are made aware of them and an Apple market means that they can direct accessibility to a clearly identified disability group re: their time and intellectual investment..

Anyway, just throwing a thought into the ring just to get Joe to bite …

Thanks to you all for your show, always good to listen to at triple speed on downcast !

Warm regards Wayne

Roundabout

Maybe You Get Bad Customer Service Because You’re a Bad Customer

Audioboo / brief demo of Milton, an electronic memory game

Blind man’s guide dog dies after pushing young boy from path of speeding car

Do you enjoy our SPN Podcasts? You can help us out a whole lot by taking this very short survey.

This week, Jamie, Ricky and Joe return to their familiar places on the podcast. Topics discussed in this week’s episode include:

Extra Extra, Read all About it: the NLS Bard Mobile app is on its way!

JAWS 15 Public Beta

NCBI Podcast #16 Features Sendero GPS, the Serotek Socializer, and more

Amazon.com: Out of the Whirlpool: A Memoir of Remorse and Reconciliation eBook: Sue Wiygul Martin: Kindle Store

ATI Seminar Subscription

Keyboard shortcuts – Perform common Firefox tasks quickly

Homophones are Not Mistaken in Braille

Keeping Students with Disabilities Safe from Bullying

National Federation of the Blind Comments on Gun Ownership by Blind Individuals

Apple launches iPhone 5C: Color, costs aimed at emerging markets

2015: 64-bit ARM chips in iPhone 5S serve up taste of Intel-free future for Apple

Apple provides details on Touch ID’s privacy features

What’s right (and wrong) with the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s

10 new iOS 7 features for the enterprise

iCloud Keychain Removed in iOS 7 GM

OS X 10.8.5 update more than doubles 802.11ac file transfer speeds

Blast Processing

Microsoft’s Cortana shapes up to take on Siri, Google Now

Facebook suddenly deletes Social Fixer’s Facebook pages

Facebook testing videos that autoplay in mobile News Feed

Mailbag

From Luis

Hi Jamie, Joe, Ricky, or whom ever else that will join this week’s podcast,

After just finishing listening to Podcast 168 and listening to RoundAbout. The last story covered about the Simpson’s creator finding funny with his cancer fight. It reminds me about a story on CBS’s Today show back in February. On how creative a cancer survivor became with his wealth. Here’s the story that I got back then from a Houston morning show. By the way, as far as I know, no one has located the treasure yet, but be aware. That people have needed to be rescued when trying to follow the clues. Enjoy.

This Riddle Will Lead You To Millions! If You Can Solve It! Sarah Pepper February 28, 2013 A man was dying of cancer and so he hid a box with jewels and treasure in it! He wrote a riddle and if you can solve it the treasure is yours! I know, sounds like “The Goonies” but it is legit, it was on the “Today Show”! Here is the riddle. “The Thrill of the Chase”. As I have gone alone in there And with my treasures bold, I can keep my secret where, And hint of riches new and old. Begin it where warm waters halt And take it in the canyon down, Not far, but too far to walk. Put in below the home of Brown. From there it’s no place for the meek, The end is drawing ever nigh; There’ll be no paddle up your creek, Just heavy loads and water high. If you’ve been wise and found the blaze, Look quickly down, your quest to cease But tarry scant with marvel gaze, Just take the chest and go in peace. So why is it that I must go And leave my trove for all to seek? The answers I already know I’ve done it tired, and now I’m weak So hear me all and listen good, Your effort will be worth the cold. If you are brave and in the wood I give you title to the gold. Happy hunting!

From Mike Arrigo

The plextalk update is really good. Samantha actually sounds decent now, that was a change that is long overdue. I used to have a tech net subscription and I’m also sorry to see this disappear. It was a great way to get access to Microsoft software at a good price, and it’s how I got windows 7. I don’t know, some of the decisions Microsoft is making these days do not seem to be in their best interest. I have yet to hear anyone say that they really like windows 8, now they’re purchasing Nokia’s hardware division, and they’re discontinuing a service that is clearly still in demand. they are going to have to rethink some things if they intend to remain competitive.

Roundabout

First Blind Solo Kayaker Goes Down Entire Length of Grand Canyon

Why Do We Clap?

Surgeon live-streams knee repair with Google Glass

Do you enjoy our SPN Podcasts? You can help us out a whole lot by taking this very short survey.

If there is one thing that can be said about a SeroTalk Podcast, it is that you never know what you’re going to get. Petting cheetah cubs, riding in self-driving cars and rapping about science are just a few of the stories we cover on this week’s episode. One thing you can be sure of, however, is that the SeroTalk podcast team will get you where you need to go all in one piece. Join Jamie, Ricky and Joe as they discuss the top stories of the week including:

The Next Chapter

A Review of the Socializer System Access Mobile Network App from Serotek

Entertainment Apps For The Blind And Visually Impaired

Papa Sangre II

Blind games: The next battleground in accessibility

Blind Bargains: Introducing the Cosmo Braille Writer

Life – A tactile comic for the blind

Using the Victor Reader Stream as an audible teleprompter

Now Hear This! Musings of a Blind Hearing Aid wearer

From Fedora Outlier: Managing Your Wireless Settings On Windows & Mac

Campaign for a more accessible Netflix

New release of the Kindle app for iOS adds Accessibility Quick Reference to the FAQ section in Settings

Amazon and Sony Don’t Want to Build E-Readers for the Blind

Blind Bargains: Amazon and Sony Are Requesting That The Accessibility Requirement Be Waived for E-Book Readers

Dropbox Folder Management Using JAWS for Windows

Screen Reader Failure: Innovation, Deterioration, Despair

Roundabout

H E A R and There Audio Magazine: Petting Cheetah Cubs at the Cincinnati Zoo

Science Rap B.A.T.T.L.E.S. Bring Hip-Hop Into The Classroom

What it’s like to ride in a self-driving car

Join Lisa Salinger on August 19 at 8 PM in the Pat Price Tech Talk Training room over at Accessible World to discuss our exciting new SAMNet Socializer. We look forward to seeing you there.

Do you enjoy our SPN Podcasts? You can help us out a whole lot by taking this very short survey.

In this special discussing the state of technology, Ricky Enger is joined by Mike Calvo and Joe Orozco to explore happenings in mainstream and assistive technology.

The talk begins by exploring Serotek’s view on the screen reader in general, and expands to cover specifics about System Access as well as free screen readers such as Voiceover, Narrator and NVDA. The team then discusses the role that the SeroTalk Podcast Network plays in bringing unbiased news about mainstream and assistive technology to the community, and provides a way for AT companies to work together for the benefit of all.

The community talk continues with a discussion of Serotek’s new Socializer, available with a SAMNet or Accessibility Anywhere subscription. After that, the discussion turns to updates in mainstream technology, focusing on accessibility of and availability of ebooks. The Amazon Kindle app was discussed in detail, along with the Nook and iBooks apps. Bookshare, Audible and NLS are discussed, and the group explores what it means for the blindness community to have access to more books than ever before. The group closes with Mike Calvo giving a brief glimpse of the future of Serotek as well as a look at the future of mainstream and assistive technology in the blindness community.

Internet Taxation Coming Soon to a Link Near You Syria cut off from the Internet once again No joke: The Onion tells how Syrian Electronic Army hacked its Twitter Twitter API v 1 retirement date extended to June 11 Don’t throw dirt on the grave of Windows 8 just yet Microsoft confirms public preview of Windows 8 in late June What’s new about Windows Blue Windows Start button could make a comeback, Microsoft exec says Tablets devastate laptop market T-Mobile USA moves half million iPhone 5’s in first month, spurs first subscriber growth since 2009 New Apple patent suggests that future iPhones could sport invisible buttons Apple closes in on 50 billion app downloads, offers $10,000 to the person who hits it David Woodbridge: Review of the Accessible Kindle app with VoiceOver NFB Grading of Kindle Accessibility on iOS Chris Danielsen from NFB comments on Buddy’s Kindle opinion post. “Poisoning the Treaty for the Blind” Blind advocates: Hollywood lobbying threatens deal for accessible books Here is a related article from Matt Campbell about HTML5, W3C and DRM Serotek blog post: Consumer Tip: Protect Yourself from Bill Shock A user review of NVDA in the Braille Monitor: My Constant Search for Accessibility The 2013.1rc2 version of NVDA has been released [ChromeVox 27 Released! Math support, ChromeVox context menu, and more] Viber more accessible on iOS but not PC and Mac Looktel Money Reader Gains New Currencies Join CathyAnne on May 18, 4:00 PM for An Introduction to Word 2013

Roundabout

Poll: 90% of parents admit to multitasking while behind the wheel, even with kids in the car Typing with Brain Waves Do you enjoy our SPN Podcasts? You can help us out a whole lot by taking this very short survey.

Amazon Bringing New Accessibility Features to Free Kindle Reading Apps

Kindle for iOS Can Make Siri Read Your Books Aloud (Sort of)

Did you know you can send documents you’ve scanned using DocuScan Plus directly to your Kindle hardware or iOS app?

Amazon Kindle for iOS Now Accessible to VoiceOver Users by Justin Romack

National Federation of the Blind Comments on Amazon Kindle App

Amazon Kindle Accessibility: What?!

How to get the Kindle for iOS Accessibility Gestures – Quick Reference Guide

New update for Fleksy

Personality, Android and iOS

ChangeReaction 2 Is Released for Windows Operating Systems

Top Reader

Free Webinar: NetEcho by Internet Speech

Five Things I Didn’t Know About Writing a Book

iOS Success: Making the iPad Accessible, A Guide for Teachers and Parents

The Human Error with Humanware

Here are the results of a March 2013 survey of computer users with low vision conducted by WebAIM:

Freedom Scientific Announces Departure of Jonathan Mosen

Eric Schmidt Is Right, Using Google Glass Is Weird — Here’s My Experience

Google joins FIDO’s crusade to replace passwords | Security & Privacy

Google’s virtual assistant invades Siri’s turf

Microsoft ‘Mohoro’ Could Be A Whole New Way To Use Windows

Bloomberg: Jony Ive said to be considering ‘more dramatic’ changes to email and calendar amid iOS 7

How much is too much to pay for coffee with Tim Cook?

Roundabout

I’m still here: back online after a year without the internet

Happy birthday, Web! Public Internet turns 20

Sky News: Blind people ‘have better memories’

Do you enjoy our SPN Podcasts? You can help us out a whole lot by taking this very short survey.

About Our Presenters Amy Billman is an east to west coast transplant, happily calling California her home for the past four years. She has a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance, and a master’s in human resource management; and her passions lie in both music and HR.

Prior to moving to California, she was fortunate to have a job working in the nonprofit sector, where one of her many responsibilities, was helping clients with disabilities become job ready.

Amy is currently employed as a freelance transcription specialist; where she provides transcription services to clients in the market research industry.

She has owned and operated SpeedDots with her partner Doug, since 2011, and gets to use both her managing skills, and marketing background to run their company. “Our mission and goal,” she says, is to see that all who use iOS devices can truly, “type With Confidence.” It’s not just a slogan! I love educating people on how they can be even more productive with these already awesome and fully accessible devices. “In my spare time, you can usually find me in pursuit of my other passion: kitchen therapy! I enjoy cooking, and feeding people!”

You can follow her on twitter. Or, contact her via email. Visit SpeedDots for more information about our products.

Byron Lee is a Ham Radio Operator (KC9EEK), Broadcast Personality, Audio Engineer, Voice Over Artist, Web Designer, IT Professional, and most importantly, a huge geek! When asked about Byron, people often say “He’s just this guy, ya’ know?”

He is currently employed by Horizons for the Blind, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for people who are blind or visually impaired, and is currently working on the DirectionsForMe project, a one stop source for accessible packaging information.

In addition, Byron hosts two Internet radio shows. The Talk Zone is a two hour program about adaptive technology, disability rights, science fiction, pop-culture, and just about any other topic. The Fun Zone is a one hour program featuring comedy music. His shows are simulcast on ACB Radio Mainstream, Radio Free Dishnuts, The Beyond Radio Network, and Dementia Radio. He has also been involved in other radio shows and podcasts such as End of Line, a SeroTalk Podcast.

Justin Romack is a husband, daddy, marketing consultant, drummer and percussionist, and a ranting and raving fan of Texas Rangers baseball, much to the chagrin of his Twitter followers.

Justin owns Ontempo Ideas, a digital marketing agency delivering social media management, email marketing, search engine optimization and copywriting services to brands, businesses and organizations. He’s also the director of marketing and community for Fedora Outlier, LLC, a nationally-recognized provider of consulting, teaching and support for Apple’s array of accessible technologies.

Connect, heckle or stalk Justin online by following @JustinRomack on Twitter, finding Ontempo Ideas on Facebook, circling him on Google+, or connecting to his network on LinkedIn.

US Federal Reserve to introduce new $100 bill, first time with some accessibility.

WebAIM: Survey of Users with Low Vision Results

University of Bath (UK) study finds that congenitally blind people have better memories than sighted

Personality, Android and iOS

High Contrast Episode 10 Reviews Nexus 7 and iPad Mini

Directions for Me is seeking donations.

Amazon Bringing New Accessibility Features to Free Kindle Reading Apps

Did you know you can send documents you’ve scanned using DocuScan Plus directly to your #Kindle hardware or iOS app?

You can read about some of the crowd-sourcing features of the Kindle app–as well as directions to highlight sections and create notes within text–by clicking this link.

Google Now available for iPhone and iPad

The Old Hat Guide to iPhone Accessibility is now available.

Twitter Launches Twitter music App and Service

EasyChirp and SoloDX turn to crowd-funding, and meet their goals.

Sense Notetaker v8.0 Released – HIMS Inc

Zombies, Run! Season 2 is…Live?

We are delighted and proud to announce The Nightjar game — featuring Benedict Cumberbatch — is now on sale

Welcome to this week’s episode of the SeroTalk Podcast. Join Jamie, Ricky and Joe as they discuss the top news stories of the week which include:

Facebook invades Android’s Home

Report: Google Prepping Cheaper Nexus 7 for Summer Release

Countdown clock: Microsoft marches toward its Messenger phase-out

Microsoft’s Windows Blue looks to be named Windows 8.1

SkyDrive app is Microsoft’s ‘new normal’

Amazon extends AutoRip to vinyl records

Amazon Hires Former Windows Phone Exec to Work on ‘Something Secret’

Rumor has it that Apple’s iOS 7 development is delayed

Steve Jobs Shaped Next Two iPhones

Tim Cook’s apology did its job. Apple earns respect in China.

The first call from a cell phone was made 40 years ago today

April Fools’ 2013: From Twttr to Google Nose to Nokia’s microwave

Serotek Introduces TrikeTech For Tots

A BlindBargains Exclusive: Milieu Smartphone for the Blind Community

SeroTalk April Fools Podcast

Dropbox 2.0.4 adds workaround for screen readers

Walmart Expands Program to Provide Talking Prescription Containers

J-Tools will be re-released and will be free!

Rebuttal to Mike Calvo on WSJ Live

Aftershocks

Looking for headphones with a safer open ear design so you can still talk with others around you or hear your environment? Aftershokz Headphones utilize Bone Conduction audio that lets you listen to your favorite tunes, or SeroTalk network podcasts, yet still be able to hear your nearby surroundings. You can get 40% off if you use the promotional code SPN40 at the checkout area on the Aftershokz website just for being a listener of this very podcast!

To learn more about these amazing headphones, and to read about the new Bluez with wireless options, visit Aftershokz.com. You can also catch SPN’s own Mike Calvo, from last year, reviewing a pair of the Aftershocks that he uses in his daily work.

Mailbag

From Jake:

Hello Jamie, Ricky and Joe. I just got through listening to your April Fool’s Day podcast and loved it. I do indeed remember Vocal-Eyes, although I used it a few years prior to 2003 at a Jesuit college I attended which is no longer in existence. Vocal-Eyes was a great screen reader though. I can remember I had an Audapter speech box and how cool it was playing with all the parameters. I cannot remember what make the computer was, but obviously I used DOS. It is indeed amazing to think how far we’ve come in terms of assistive technology. Happy 4/1/13 to Serotek!

Jake

Blog comment: Aleeha Dudley

Wonderful podcast as usual! Let’s see: cn 2003 I was 10 years old and used borrowed computers running Windows XP. I used a Braille N’ Speak in classes and that was the extent of it. I now own a Windows 7 Dell laptop, an iPhone, iPad mini, iPod Shuffle, BrailleNote Apex, BookSense and Brailliant display. Thank you Apple for not staying in the accessibility dark ages. I don’t know what I’d do without my Apple stuff. Once again, a great podcast as always and I look forward to more awesome content from the SeroTalk team!<

Roundabout

Guided By Touch: Indianapolis Museum of Art Tours

Google Glass Early Adopters Want To Build Learning, Healthcare, Accessibility & Safety Apps

While Ricky and Joe were scurrying around at this year’s CSUN conference, gathering excellent interviews for your listening pleasure, Jamie, Lisa and Buddy sat down together and did the podcast thing. We trust that you will enjoy the results of our musings.

CSUN: It Won’t be Hard to Access BARD with the Upcoming iOS App from NLS

Ananse Productions Gets Fancy with Letter Clever for iOS and Android

LookTel VoiceOver Tutorial

Making Zombies, Run! 2 accessible

Netflix Agrees to Caption All Videos by 2014

Solo-DX

What Will Sequestration Mean for People with Disabilities?

Microsoft’s Office 365: Business users’ top questions (and answers)

Amazon launches Cloud Player app for iPad, iPad Mini

As sink Nook sales, so slumps B&N’s fiscal health

Google’s Andy Rubin: ‘No plans’ to open Android stores

iPad Mini to bury 9.7-inch iPad in 2013, says DisplaySearch

iCloud nearly back to normal after early morning outage

Tim Cook doesn’t like Apple’s falling share price, either

iTunes U crosses 1 billion downloads—have you used it?

Prepaid Carrier Could Be Stuck With $100 Million Worth of Unsold iPhones

Bloody well time, Microsoft releases Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7

Mailbag

From Robert Carter:

Hi,

In podcast 143, Rodny said that 1password did not allow passwords to be stored in the cloud. This is incorrect. 1password uses Dropbox to store an ncrypted database of your passwords. This allows one to access passwords across platForms and from multiple devices.

I have been working with the developers of 1password to make it fully VoiceOver compatible.

Robert Carter

Typed with BrailleTouch

Sent from my iPhone

From Chelsea Cook

Hi Serotalk Team,

Once again, another great, thought-provoking,  and funny podcast! I listen to SPN every week.

I had some general comments about this week’s show. Regarding the rats seeing in different spectrums, I think that is super cool. As a physics and astronomy student, I get asked all the time how I can do astronomy when blind. What people don’t realize is that optical observations account for very little these days; major things happening in the universe  are usually always in spectrums the human eye cannot process anyway. Once viewed from this perspective, people seem to think it is the coolest thing ever. But imagine if I could look into the night sky and see in a different spectrum than my sighted peers? What do you mean, you can’t see that X-ray binary?

I think fingerprinting the human voice would make dictation a lot more accurate than it already is. At least for me, the conversations with Siri break down when I am tired.

Technology keeps changing. Like Joe, I really, really want an Apple watch. Imagine breadcrumbing your place in a crowded room with your bag, iPhone neatly tucked away inside? then, when you wanted to come back to your spot, you could tell the watch to locate the phone and play the hot and cold game until both devices had found each other and subsequently your seat? Vibrations? Bluetooth? NFC? These are the reasons I write realistic science fiction; wouldn’t it be cool to see ideas come to life that fifty years ago were just dreams? And still no hover car as of yet. Darn!

Regards,

Chelsea

PS. You guys should start a “shownotes book list.” I can never remember all your recommendations

From Michael

Dear SeroTalk land,

I am an avid listener who hails from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Regarding Podcast 142 on what Ricky mentioned; I find it fascinating how Apple once used unreliable voiceprint technology in Mac OS 9.2 as an account login option, than compared to the technology now days being used for Dictation and Siri.

Alos, I don’t know if people are aware of the iOS app called “Braille Pad” (student or pro). Even though I haven’t had the opportunity to try it myself, I believe it allows six key entry via keyboard and I’m not sure about touch input. I encourage other visually impaired/blind iOS users to give it a try.

However, I am familiar with the Mac version of it, which is called “Braille Writer” (student or pro). Braille Writer Pro makes a descent substitution for Perky Duck on a Mac, but found it currently incompatible with VoiceOver navigation.

Anyways, that is all I wanted to say and hope this is somewhat interesting.

Great job with the podcasting and am looking forward to hearing next week’s episode.

From Michael

————————-

P.S.    I tried to leave an iReport from my iPad, but couldn’t find an Info button, or any other button to create and submit a report, otherwise I would have loved to talk about what I wrote.

Michael’s World

Visually Impaired Student

www.mts.net/~wefour

From James Mannion

Hi everyone,

I really enjoy many of the podcasts on SPN including both That Android show and Triple Click Home. I listened to Serotalk 143 and really appreciated Mike’s comments concerning the horrable inconsiderate selfish Samsung suit. I completely agreed with Mike’s assessment, but find myself looking for anything if there is truly something to go on at this point that gives us reason to be confident that they are not going to have success either there and then here in the US or launch the same thing in the US with or without their success in Germany. Yes it is wrong on every moral and technical level when you consider that the end result they are asking for is for Apple not to be allowed to provide us access and possibly for no one to be able to. Do we necessarily have confidence that judges care about that though. I use my phone for a lot every day and it makes me sick to think that maybe just around the cornor Samsung is going to be taking that away from me in their own selfish inconsiderate persuit of more billions of dollars. I also understand that they are just using us as a pon in that persuit as well. I find myself quite concerned about it wishing I had reason to be confident it is dead and put in its rightful place.

Jim

Another email from James Mannion

Hi,

I have a speaker recommendation for Mike Calvo to check out and review. They are the Vanatoo Transparent one speakers. They are sold on amazon and on their own site, http://www.vanatoo.com/ I have been using them for a while now as computer speakers and I also have an airport express hooked up to them as well for airplay streaming. I would give them a 9 out of 10 for sound for sure. They have numerous connectivity options that prove very convenient. They look fantastic. I sold my Bose Companion 20 speakers after coming across these in a store and buying them that day. The Bose sounded pretty good some of the time, other than when something was playing that hit on that 60 hz bass hump they had and if you could ignore their constant club echo sound. Yes the bose companion 20 sounded amazing for their size, but I didn’t care they were smaller than they could have been and those sound characteristics took something away from them. You might want to check out these Vanatoo speakers. They are pretty cool.

Roundabout

Why Did Bach Go Blind?

Virtual boy teaches autistic children social skills

Blindness not stopping ex-cop

Recommended Reading

As promised, here is a link to the excellent book Beethoven’s Hair by Russell Martin that Jamie mentioned during our Roundabout segment.

Do you enjoy our SPN Podcasts? You can help us out a whole lot by taking this very short survey.

Replay the Accessible Event archive of the show

It took three hours and seven people putting their heads together, but we succeeded in counting down the top ten stories of 2012 as compiled by the Blind Bargains team. We even managed to throw in a few extra stories along the way. Here’s how we did it:

The Panel

Joe Steinkamp is cohost of the SeroTalk Podcast

Follow him on Twitter

Jason Meddaugh is a cofounder of BlindBargains.com,

one of the most popular deals and news websites for the blind and visually impaired. He also manages A T Guys,

                        a website featuring low-cost tech gadgets and accessories. He is also a cohost on That Android Show.

Follow him on Twitter

Pratik Patel

is the President and CEO of EZFire, a firm dedicated to promoting usability and accessibility to devices, web sites, software, and other electronic material. He is the current chair of the Information Access committee for the American Council of the Blind

and serves as the President of ACB’s New York affiliate. His background includes legislation, access to assistive technologies, accessible books and other instructional material as well as many different forms of new devices. His Recent efforts include the implementation of the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act, which includes accessibility to videos, interfaces to televisions, DVR’s, and other mobile software and devices.

Jamie Pauls

Producer and host of the SeroTalk Podcast

plays keyboard professionally, and has shared the stage several times with current X Factor winner Tate Stevens. He is a music therapist who has worked with both the elderly and children, and teaches a music Appreciation class one evening a week at a community college. In the current setting, he is best known for his work as Content Director for Serotek

and the SeroTalk Podcast Network.

Steve Sawczyn

is host of SeroSpectives

Léonie Watson is Director of Accessibility at Nomensa, and Chair of the British Computer Association of the Blind. She works with companies around the world to create and implement digital inclusion strategies, and she’s a W3C invited expert working on HTML5 accessibility. Léonie is one quarter of the AccessTalk podcast

 (which is really just a good excuse to get together and chat about technology). According to her Twitter profile she’s also a screen reader user, book addict and tequila drinker, although you know what they say about things you read on the internet! Follow her on Twitter,

visit her website,

or send her E-mail.

Wade Wingler

is the Director of Assistive Technology with the INDATA Project at Easter Seals Crossroads

in Indiana, and was instrumental in starting Assistive Technology Radio.

The Stories

10. 10 Windows Phone still with No Access

Win Super Site

Link to SeroTalk 129 where we discuss how a Microsoft Surface Phone would fix the issue of Windows Phone 8

9. Amazon Adds Accessibility to some Kindle Models, but falls short

Amazon home page

Link to SeroTalk 135 where we revisit this issue on the week that NFB protests amazon.

8. iPad Refreshed Twice, iPad Mini Added

iPad home page

Link to SPN Mobile Special where we talk about the iPad Mini and iPad 4 in depth.

7. Focus 14 Braille Display Released, Focus 40 Refreshed

Focus page

Link to our interview with Freedom Scientific on the Focus 14, and more, from our coverage of the blinded Veterans Association National Convention

6. GWConnect Updated, causes debate with ad-supported model

GW Micro page

Accessible Event

System Access with Windows 8

Accessibility Anywhere

5. Panasonic Announces Line of 30 UK Televisions with Text-to-speech Capabilities

4. NVDA Releases Several major Updates

NVDA Home Page

3. iPhone 5 released

iPhone home page

Link to SPN’s Triple Click Home for news on all things Apple

2. Nexus 7 and Android 4.1 include major accessibility changes

Link to That Android Show on the Nexus 7

Exoskeletons for people with spinal cord injuries:

iOS Guided Access

Livescribe Smartpen

National Association of the Deaf vs Netflix

Robots for kids with autism

1. Fleksy Blends Assistive Tech and Mainstream Simplicity

On this, our final news-related episode of the year, Jamie, Ricky and Joe settle in to discuss the top stories of the week. Then, Jamie visits with Brian Fishler of Laugh for Sight about Gotham Comedy Radio, a new podcast being launched in conjunction with the SeroTalk Podcast Network.

Listen to Legendary Comedian Robert Klein on the first episode of Gotham Comedy Radio

This is the unedited podcast. The edited version will be coming soon.

Will Kindle E-Books Leave Blind Students Behind?

Amazon, Why Do You Keep Burning Blind Readers?

Amazon Books for All Accessibility Protest

our latest SPN Mobile special: Scratching the Surface with Mike Calvo

An Accessibility Review of the Kindle 3

Kindle Fire: Down in Flames!

podcast 79: What’s Up Happy Rants

Brand new Tech Doctor podcast entitled: Accessible Books

Amazon Instant Video App

Draconis Entertainment Releases Their First Mac Audio Game for the Visually Impaired

FamilyConnect Holiday Guide to Toys, Games, and Gadgets for Children Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired

Braille Sonar for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad on the iTunes App Store

The must have accessible apps for blind android users

Code Factory releases new mobile Accessibility

Braille typewriters get a digital-era update

THE IMPORTANCE OF BRAILLE LITERACY

Facebook now has a dedicated accessibility page

Facebook voting is gone, but privacy issues just get worse

Google CEO Larry Page talks Apple, Android monetization and an eventual Motorola Nexus device

In bringing Office to iOS, Microsoft is playing a dangerous game

Microsoft Surface vs. Google Nexus: The numbers don’t tell the whole story

Microsoft: Surface Tablet to Debut in Retail Stores Soon

Redbox Challenges Netflix With $6 a Month Streaming Service

The future of television has arrived: it’s called the iPad

Apple Could Acquire Navigation Partner TomTom To Fix Maps [Analyst]

CNET 100

Roundabout

Tape runs out for Sony’s portable cassette recorders

Welcome back to another episode of the SeroTalk Podcast. Jamie Pauls, Lisa Salinger and Joe Steinkamp have a lot to discuss this week, so let’s jump right into the stories covered on this episode.

National Federation of the Blind Condemns Amazon’s Push to Put Kindle E-books in Schools

Amazon making Kindle Fire more accessible via voice, touch controls

Blind Bargains: An Apology, and the Announcement of 2011 Blind Bargains Access Award Winners

Window-Eyes 8.0 Now Available!

★ iWork for iOS Apps Updated with Improved Accessibility

iPhone VoiceOver Function For People With Disabilities

iPhone vs. Android: One Year Later | Joe Orozco

The advantages of owning an iPad

Tim Cook Explains The Biggest Changes He’s Made To Apple After Steve Jobs

Apple to begin manufacturing some Macs in the U.S.

T-Mobile CEO: Our iPhone experience will be ‘dramatically different’

T-Mobile to end smartphone subsidies next year

Surface sales may exceed 1M in Q4, says researcher

Microsoft’s Android bashing campaign goes down in flames as #WindowsRage trends

Why don’t computer users take passwords seriously?

Twitter SMS bug lets hackers tweet via other users’ accounts

The skinny on Netflix-Disney deal (FAQ)

Roundabout

Apple Promises To Fix iOS 6 Maps For Christmas By Physically Altering Planet Earth [Humor]

Building a sensitive robot, and perhaps a future politician?

After a bit of an absence, Jamie, Ricky and Joe are back with another podcast. Did you miss us? We decided to let the rest of the Serotek team have their say with our 2012 SPN holiday review special. In addition to our holiday review special, Ricky Enger, Mike Calvo and Joe Steinkamp sat down to discuss the current state of mobile accessibility in our latest SPN Mobile special: Scratching the Surface with Mike Calvo.

In SeroTalk Podcast 133, we discuss the top news of the week. Then, Jamie Pauls sits down with Dennis of Aftershokz to discuss the company’s latest generation of bone conduction headphones. And now, it’s time for the news!

Syria suffers Internet ‘blackout’; cut off from the outside world

Apple releases iTunes 11 with “dramatically simplified user interface”

Analyst: Apple’s iPad 4 is not selling well. Why? Blame the Mini

iPod Creator: Scott Forstall ‘Got What He Deserved’

Apple SVP Eddy Cue Fires Richard Williamson For Botching Apple Maps

Report: Apple bumps Android from top spot in U.S. smartphone market on strength of iPhone 5

Apple Sold 11 iPads Per Hour On Black Friday While Microsoft Sold Zero Surface Tablets

Windows 8 off to a slow start with consumers in month one, says NPD

Pricing for Microsoft’s Surface Pro Revealed; $899 for 64GB, $999 for 128GB

RIM’s Stock Up 55% in Past 30 Days on BlackBerry 10 Optimism

AT&T is the worst-rated wireless carrier for the third year in a row, according to Consumer Reports

Google+ chief: Facebook is the social network of the past

Like it or not, nonreplaceable CPUs may be the future of desktops

Every computer term you’ve ever wanted to know, explained in our tech dictionary:

Barnes And Noble’s Nook App Gets VoiceOver And Zoom Accessibility

Everything you ever wanted to know about iMessage – in a braille booklet

New Podcast: YouPlayer: Not Just Another YouTube App for iOS … it’s one that Claims Full VoiceOverSupport!

Navigating the Windows8 Start screen with the Keyboard

Mailbag

Blog comment from Jim

Roundabout

Smart specs may replace guide dogs

the voice behind Siri (interview with Kerin Jacobson)

In our latest SPN Mobile special, Ricky Enger, Mike Calvo and Joe Steinkamp discuss the current state of mobile accessibility. We encourage you to follow the links below to learn more about the products mentioned in this podcast.

Surface by Microsoft, Buy the New Windows Tablet

Logitech Rechargeable Touchpad T650 with Windows 8 Multi-Touch Navigation

Google Nexus

iPad Mini

Welcome to yet another edition of the SeroTalk Podcast where Jamie Pauls, Lisa Salinger and Buddy Brannan sit down to discuss the top news stories of the week. Items covered in this week’s podcast include:

How an Indonesian ISP took down the mighty Google for 30 minutes

Obama faces piracy, privacy tests in his second term

Pirate Cinema by Cory Doctorow

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

Microsoft’s Surface a balloting device in one precinct in Virginia

Why you can’t vote with your iPhone: There may be an app for it, but there isn’t an appetite

Amazon Prime give and take: get monthly payment option, pay more

New Tech Doctor podcast “Amazon Kindle Accessibility” featuring Lisa Salinger and Allison Hartley

Borrowing Books with Kindle and Prime by Lisa Salinger

Windows 8 may be ‘safer’, but you’re still not buying it

Report: Microsoft Office for iOS, Android could debut early next year

Microsoft Office for iOS, Android to have Office 365 subscription tie-in: Report

Microsoft confirms Windows Live Messenger retirement in favor of Skype

Windows RT 32GB tablets actually only have 16GB of usable space nullifying storage cost advantage over iPad

Surface with Windows RT is No PC Replacement

Taking Surface to Work

5 Reasons Why Apple’s Stock is Tanking

iPad-controlled street lights coming to London

Apple, publishers cut e-book deal with EU regulators – report

BANA Adopts UEB

Window-Eyes 8.0 Beta 2 Now Available

Roundabout

Climbing 103 Floors On a ‘Bionic’ Leg

After Paralysis, Blind Man Takes 1st Steps with Robotic Suit:

Welcome back to this week’s edition of the SeroTalk Podcast where Jamie Pauls, Ricky Enger and Joe Steinkamp discuss the top news stories of the week. Here are the links to all the topics discussed in this episode:

Home page of the American Red Cross

iTunes now accepting donations for the American Red Cross Sandy relief efforts

FCC says wireless service is improving after Sandy

iPad Mini review:  The perfect size, but at a price

4th Gen iPad’s A6X Processor Makes It More Than Twice As Fast As Its Predecessor

Apple executive shakeup: Scott Forstall and John Browett are leaving the company

iTunes 11 delayed into ‘end of November’

Apple Releases iOS 6.0.1

Meet Android 4.2

Windows 8: 4 Million Sold in First 3 Days

Windows 8/RT touch interface confuses, frustrates early users

Does Microsoft’s New Windows Phone 8 Have What It Takes To Compete With iPhone?

Windows 7 keeps growing in popularity over XP

Freedom Scientific loses lawsuit against GW Micro

An Immersion into Internet Explorer 9 with JAWS for Windows 14

ACB Radio Tuner Version 7 has been published

Station Playlist Studio Scripts 4.01

Version 1 of Scripts for the Tween Twitter client are released!

Syntellia raises $900K for its Fleksy keyboard, headed to more platforms

AppleVis Podcast: An Introduction to the New Apple Maps App in iOS 6

NBBA 2012 World Series Championship Game Audio

SPN Special: Accessibility Anywhere

Mailbag

From James Muirhead.:

Good morning folks,

Thank you for the informative show and your efforts to apply pressure to various

companies, e.g. Amazon and their Kindles.

Although I muse a Macbook Pro and iPhone 5, I lack a simple braille notetaker.

I am still using a very fragile Braille lite as I still find this the fastest way

to input and retrieve specific information, e.g. details during a phone call or notes

on lectures.

I am on the mailing list for the Braille  +.  Again this seems to be a notetaker

and a great deal more.  I suspect that I would not use a great deal of the “more”.

I have been unable to elicit any response from Brian  MacDonald and the B2G notetaker

I am hoping that it will be more directed to elegant ways of notetaking and finding

information within files.  I am very untidy with my filing and make frequent use

of the “global find” in the braille lite, as I know I may have written about a certain

subject, but cannot remember in which file I wrote it!

Your efforts are much appreciated, though not always the humour.  I particularly

like Ricky when she uses her English accent, which she does very well.

Roundabout

Ethiopian kids hack OLPCs in 5 months with zero instruction

Welcome back to another episode of the SeroTalk Podcast. This week, Jamie Pauls, Ricky Enger and Joe Steinkamp once again discuss the top news stories of the week. Then, Jamie Pauls visits with laura Legendary of Elegant Insights Jewelry. Stories covered in this week’s podcast include:

Apple v Android: the winner is… the disabled community

Blind Community Raises Awareness with ‘Flash Mob’ Dance

Home Readers  | The gateway to shopping for the blind and visually impaired

Braille Plus 18 User Guide

Window-Eyes 8.0 Public Beta

OptiGuide

An Evaluation of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Using the Nexus 7

Newsweek turns to digital-only publication

Amazon launches Whispercast service to help schools, workplaces manage Kindle devices

Apple iPad Mini: The ultimate rumor roundup

5 Ways to Increase Your iPhone 5 Battery Life

Elop: a Surface phone would stimulate the Windows Phone ecosystem

Microsoft Office 365: More new packages and prices coming in November

Only 6% of Fans Engage With a Brand’s Facebook Page [STUDY]

Facebook partners with Panda Security

Mailbag

Blog comment from Sue

Great podcast as usual. About that article where it talks about blind people not being connected to the net for me I have been pretty lucky. I have been on the net since I was 21 years old which was in 96 which really opened up the door and that is how my husband and I met been married for nine years and loving it. As far as Lee there has got to be some blindness organization where they do something at least twice a month so he can get out and do stuff. I know when I grew up in PA there were two camps I went to during the summer. Also if he got a PC with either NVDA or System access he could at least keep up with what is going on in the world. Not everyone needs or wants a smart phone. I know they are awesome, for me I am mainly here at home and on the PC. My cell phone is a basic one. One of these days am going to get an Ipod touch.

From Christine Diller In Maryland

Good Evening Folks,

I just finished listening to Podcast 128. As always, a most informative presentation, a great job done by all!

While it’s nice having Ricky back, lending her expertise on various points of conversation, I have to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed Podcast 127, starring Buddy, Jamie, and Joe! I’ve never laughed so hard in all my life! You guys were awesome, even if my husband found me totally insane, sitting with my earphones in my ears, laughing hysterically over something of which he was totally unaware! Thanks for the hilarious show! Oh yes, much knowledge was gained as well.

Now if I may, a few comments from Podcast 128:

I’m a staunch advocate in educating the general public about blindness and low vision, leaving a positive impression. That’s not to say however, that I haven’t experienced situations where I wanted to scream, tearing my hair out! For example, I was once asked whether my dog cooked for me. Before replying, I had to take a deep breath, biting my tongue! It was so hard not to laugh! My dog and I, along with the individual in question, walked away, both feeling good about how I handled the situation, I think!

Now onto sounds that make one cry. The “fork against a plate” is one which causes me to cringe. Two others though, which drive me up the wall are “listening to someone crunching on an apple,” along with “hearing a person rubbing a page between their fingers, or rubbing pages together while they read.”

Wishing everyone a great week, and Joe, stay away from those emery boards!

From Pam Francis

Hi folks,

Thanks again for another informative podcast.

At the end you asked for sounds that made us cringe or react in any given way.

When I was young, I remember watching a test pattern on a black & white TV & hearing, “This is a test of the Emergency broadcast system.” The subsequent tone used to totally freek me out. To this day, I have schoolmates who have told me of my reaction. I had a very high pitched scream & ran in to a closet. By the grace of God, that menacing tone was replaced when the Emergency Alert system was activated. I still don’t like it; but do not run from the room or mute the channel be it TV or radio.

If I may, I would also like to ask another couple of questions & make another comment.

I have seen several articles posted by you & others regarding windows accessibility without a 3rd party screen reader. Per the surface tablet, if there is minimal accessibility to no accessibility, do you think Windows will have conceded to Apple with reference to tablet accessibility?

Also, if one is not familiar with Android as a platform, What is the learning curve with a Nexus 7 versus an Ipad other than accessibility gestures? I ask this because we are the launch city for Google fiber. Within our installation, we are given a Nexus 7, supposedly to be used as a remote. I also understand they have a conventional remote.

However I hope to use this opportunity to try to familiarize myself with some sort of Android, if for no other reason than to broaden my horizons.

You also made comments referencing wireless carriers having accessibility departments. Though I am a Verizon customer, I have yet to find a dependable link or contact number to get direct accessibility support. I know it exists with AT&T. I have been a Verizon customer for almost 15 years. Through the years, I have seen various phones attempt at accessibility be it gimmicky or intended. Their version of the Talks screen reader was a joke. I am forever disturbed by the customer service reps doubling as tech support reading data base answers from a computer screen rather than having raw knowledge.

I also made a futile attempt at contacting an accessibility team within google. They offer a feedback form with no means of communicating with anyone directly responsible for accessibility.

I am trying to make them aware of the needs of those of us who have such needs that are willing to subscribe to their service.

Apple does have a dedicated team with a dedicated number.

the number is, for your listeners benefit 866-204-3930 Keep up your tireless work for all of us. It does not go unnoticed.

Roundabout

Police use Taser on blind man, thinking his cane was samurai sword

This week, Ricky Enger takes the host’s chair where she is joined by Buddy Brannan and Lisa Salinger. After the news, Jamie Pauls visits with Marissa Slaughter, social Media Coordinator for Fred’s Head from APH.

Wickedpedia: The dark side of Wikipedia

1 in 4 tablet owners say it is now their primary computer

Not Just the Fax: 10 Office Technologies on Their Way Out

Early adopters experiencing issues with Apple’s iPhone 5

Consumer Reports checks out Apple Maps, and isn’t happy

The Best Apple Map Alternatives Aren’t Found In The App Store

Some early iPhone 5 adopters stuck by Lightning – literally

Many Android owners plan exodus to the iPhone (survey)

Researchers bypass NFC access control with smartphone

An Immersion into System Access

Designing for Accessibility: Q&A with Jeff Wieland

The Qube 1.0 Beta 4.3 with full SndUp support is now available for download:

News regarding the Android Team-FM App

Hadley Seminar: Accessing Facebook On Your iPhone

If you have Facebook, join the discussion on Amazon’s wall about the lack of Kindle accessibility.

Cinemark Installing Audio Description Technology Across the United States

Presidential Candidates To Skip Disability Forum

Tech-savvy ways to follow the elections (video)

Roundabout

Managing Diabetes With Your iPhone: Glooko Now Supports 17 Different Glucose Meters

A “life-changing” invention from the West Bank

Mike Calvo is joined by Ricky Enger and Lisa Salinger to discuss the recent mobile device updates as well as current and future trends.

A Look at the Latest in iOS and Android

iPhone 5

Arstechnica Review of iPhone 5

Drop and Durability Test for iPhone 5

iPhone 5 Lightning Adapters to Remain Reassuringly Expensive Courtesy of Authentication Chip

Teardown revives hopes that Lightning might be USB 3.0-compatible

Verizon won’t relock the iPhone 5’s GSM

iOS 6

Maccessibility » A First Look at VoiceOver in iOS 6

Op-ed: iOS 6′s Do Not Disturb and the ring/silent switch

Taking Apple’s Passbook for a real-world spin

How to add almost any gift card to Passbook

Wrong turn: Apple’s buggy iOS 6 maps lead to widespread complaints

Top 10 Secret Features of iOS 6

What can you say to Siri in iOS 6?

Android Jellybean

Google Nexus 7 review

Accessibility Gestures for Android 4.1, Jellybean

Acapela TTS for Android

Siri-ous New Voice Assistant for Android devices

This week, Buddy Brannan joins Jamie Pauls and Ricky Enger to discuss the news of the week. Stories discussed in this week’s podcast include:

Go Daddy: Sorry about the outage. And no, it wasn’t a hack

“Six strikes” Internet warning system will come to US this year

California passes driverless car bill

Global TV shipments down again as Samsung dominates

BlackBerry sinks to zero sales in ‘a meaningful number’ of stores

iOS 6 coming Sept 19, here’s what’s new

 Apple’s era of secrecy is over

Five reasons iPhone 5 disappoints

Five great things about iPhone 5

Get your iPhone ready for iOS 6

Verizon will enable iPhone’s FaceTime on all data plans, unlike AT&T

Google VP says Apple v Samsung verdict was a “wake-up call”

Blind and online: Progress, not perfection, for visually impaired tech users

Bionic revolution: The tech getting disabled people into work

New Tips for Amtrak Travel

Working To Improve Autocorrect, An App Finds An Unlikely Audience: The Blind

What’s New in JAWS 14 Public Beta

Roundabout

Winner Is Served: Christine Ha Takes Top Prize on MasterChef

Please take this screen reader user survey and help spread the word about System Access.

Join us for another episode of the SeroTalk Podcast as Jamie Pauls, Ricky Enger and Joe Steinkamp tackle the top news stories of the week. After the news, Jamie Pauls and Patrick Purdue join Mike Calvo to discuss the iShower, a Bluetooth-enabled wireless shower speaker.

In The News

Amazon’s new 7-inch Kindle Fire: twice the RAM, faster processor, longer battery life, $159

Kindle Fire HD 8.9: how the new Kindle tablet compares with the competition

Amazon just put Android tablets on notice with the Kindle Fire product line

Amazon debuts new Kindle Fires, just don’t call them gadgets

The quest for the best search engine: Bing It On

Google wins patent on face-to-unlock feature

A Windows user’s life with the Mac, two months in

Nokia aims to dazzle with Windows Phone 8 Lumia 920

Nokia mangles Lumia phone launch by faking camera’s capabilities

No new Apple TV this year, report says

Apple: We didn’t pass iPhone, iPad device IDs to FBI

iPhone 5 rumor roundup

Apple claims dibs on new dock adapters, report says

The BrailleNote Battery Scandal

An indoor navigation solution for blind users? Check out Navatar

FSCast Episode 69, Augusst 2012 discusses the upcoming release of Jaws 14

Roundabout

AT&T to test Text-to-911 service in Tennessee

Why Remote Workers Are More (Yes, More) Engaged

Please take this screen reader user survey and help spread the word about System Access.

Welcome back to another episode of the SeroTalk Podcast. Here are the stories that Jamie, Ricky and Joe discuss on this week’s show:

The cloud is still the safest place to be for small-to-medium businesses

Netflix’s new feature makes TV show marathons easier

YouTube Re-Imagined: 505,347,842 Channels on Every Single Screen

Amazon’s 10-inch Kindle Fire caught sailing through FCC certification

RealPlayer for Android exits beta

Windows 8 and Surface: Why has Microsoft gone so quiet?

RIM chief: BlackBerry 10 could be licensed to handset rivals

Apple

Apple Retail Stores Seeing Significant Layoffs of Recent Hires?

Apple is in danger of being boring

Judge urges Apple, Samsung CEOs to talk settlement

iPad Mini? Nah, here comes the iBook

Computers stolen from Steve Jobs’ home

AT

ClaroRead for Mac

Anywhere, Everywhere: That’s Accessibility

iOS or Android for the visually impaired revisited: Jelly Bean or iOS?

Where to go phone app for finding relief areas at airports.

Humanware is offering $200 off of the Trekker Breeze until August 31

Roundabout

Illinois allows mini horses as service animals

Michael Lauf’s ATIA 2011  interview with Cheryl of Jacksonville, Florida about her guide horse

Learn about Serotek’s SAMNet Vets program

London 2012: Isobel’s story – YouTube

Please take this screen reader user survey and help spread the word about System Access.

Listen to SeroTalk Podcast 118: Twitigation

A helping of analysis, a smidge of prognostication, a dash of humor and a pinch of sarcasm are all a part of the recipe for this week’s SeroTalk Podcast with Jamie, Ricky and Joe. Your emails and iReports are the icing on the cake. Stories discussed in this week’s show include:

How to upgrade your Hotmail email address to @outlook.com

How new Outlook just made my Gmail usable again

Outlook is nice, but it’s no Gmail [review]

Windows 7 poised to topple XP as leading OS

Dropbox bolsters security: Will businesses be wary?

T-Mobile close to $2 billion deal for its 7,000 towers, report says

Watch live TV on your phone! No, really

Amazon’s cloud music service gets scan and match

What happened to Google’s Nexus Q?

Blind and visually impaired fastest growing iPhone market

Wifarer’s mobile app doesn’t just map the indoors, it maps the objects within

Learn about the excellent work that David Woodbridge does as an Apple Ambassador in the new Tech Doctor podcast

A Blind Trek Through Android – Part 1: Unwrapping the Jelly Bean (Getting Started)

No-C-Notes® Music – Download Digital Audio Sheet Music

NosillaCast #377 Fleksy Keyboard for the Blind, Motion X GPS for Geotagging, @jasonhowell of Tech News Today

AllMenus

Ten Affordable Screen Readers

Feature Writer Alena Roberts – Bring on the Braille

Mailbag

We had so much in the way of feedback again this week, thanks to all of you for your emails and iReports!, that we had to share a few of them here online in the show notes.

From Paul

“Dear All,

I listened with interest as usual to SP #117 and, as a blind person here in the UK (as well as an RNIB volunteer), I felt I had to respond to your piece about the RNIB’s promotional video.

The RNIB used to be called the Royal National Institute for the Blind.

Only very recently in its history did it change its name to the Royal National Institute of Blind People, reflecting a significant change in attitude. Surely the ‘of Blind People’ assertion denotes a sense of ownership and involvement by blind people themselves in the activities of this organisation, as opposed to simply being on the receiving end of alms or other forms of charity ‘for the Blind’. In this context, has the RNIB really shot itself in the foot or, even worse, has it shot the credibility of blind people here in the UK with its emotive promotional material?

Let’s imagine for a moment that none of us has any feelings or sensitivities about what it means to be blind or visually impaired. What is the RNIB trying to do here? It is engaged in the activity of fund-raising. Fund-raising is about money, money and more money. Money is measured in numbers using arithmetic – not by racing pulses or elevated blood pressure which is perhaps more relevant to measuring emotions.

The problem faced by the RNIB is that it is having to compete for funds with the other 180,000 or so charities which exist in Great Britain. The existence of this mind-boggling number of charitable bodies is probably due to the insufficiencies of state-provided services: in Norway, for example, visually impaired people are horrified that we Brits have to go to charities for help to buy expensive assistive technology. In Norway, they get A.T. by right from the state, so there’s less need for the kind of fund-raising which is necessary in the UK. It seems that in the UK, members of the public are more likely to pay for services for ‘the less fortunate’ privately by way of philanthropy rather than by suffering higher taxes to finance public spending on the same services.

Remembering, therefore, that the success of a fund-raising promotion should only be measured in terms of the quantities of cash generated as a result, the real question is whether the RNIB’s current campaign is effective, not whether it is ‘appropriate’. For an organisation which is only in a position to offer services to visually impaired people if they have the funding to do so, staying financially solvent, especially during an economic crisis, is mission critical.

If we are to credit the RNIB or their promotions team with any intelligence (I think we should), perhaps we can give them the benefit of the doubt by understanding that their analyses and projections, following on from hard data through market research, have indicated that the heart-string-pulling technique of immersing poor little Emma in involuntary illiteracy would be the most effective method of persuading the Great British public to part with £3 per month (an amount somehow linked to the provision to Emma of a Daisy player or whatever).

The fact that blind people here in the UK, as well as elsewhere, might view this campaign technique with teeth-grinding, buttock-clenching concern could well be regarded as a price worth paying if the campaign produces the goods and enables the RNIB to do whatever it does. So, assuming that the RNIB’s approach has been precisely tailored to match the prevailing culture and mindset of the British public, perhaps our emotional responses to the promotional material can be regarded more as verdicts on the culture here in the UK, rather than on the campaign techniques of the RNIB.

The big question is, how can a body such as the RNIB continue to promote the interests of blind people if it cannot raise sufficient funds to survive or to provide services which are the basis of its existence?

Catch 22.

The other side of the coin is, of course, that the integrity, esteem and public perception of visually impaired people should not be sold at any price. It might even be possible to argue that if an organisation with the stated aims of the RNIB has to resort to financially rewarding, but socially damaging campaign techniques, it might well be time for such an organisation to review its own structure and costs in an effort to become more efficient so that it need not resort to inappropriate methods of campaigning.

If you were charged with ensuring the financial survival of the RNIB, what would you do and what would you rule out?

Paul”

From Gordon

“Hi everyone,

I have been listening to Serotalk 117 and the chat about the RNIB’s promotional advert.

My first thought was “this is revolting”.  It was so negative in its presentation of blindness and how blind people relate to the world around them.  I very much agreed with everyone’s comments.

However, to be fair to RNIB in some way, here in the UK this is very much an identikit charity advert.  It’s as though every charity appeal promo has been written by the same team of marketeers.  Perhaps there is a group of them in a little dingy room somewhere in the less well-paid quarters of London whose lives revolve around creating tearjerking appeals to the British public to separate our cash from our pockets and propel it into the meedy coffers of the charity sector.

Every ad has the same format, whether it’s for a disability charity, one for the homeless, overseas aid, animals … they are all tearjerkers and present the target as needy, helpless, defenceless and their only hope is the monthly charity aid being sought.  So, this RNIB advert is not so shocking in that context.

Except … a charity like RNIB, which is a membership organisation, should be presenting much more positive images and aims as it does in most of its work.  In this context, the advert is highly disappointing and is very much reminiscent of campaigns and attitudes It is out of step in a very

significant way with the usual campaigns of RNIB.   of previous decades.

Anyway, sending this response gives me a great opportunity to thank all of you involved in producing Serotak and the other podcasts for all of the really enjoyable audio coming out every week and month.  They are so informative and professional, a great pleasure to hear, especially as they are presented in such a friendly and involving manner.  Thanks everyone!

Gordon,

Stirling, Scotland”

From Pamela

“Thanks again for another informative podcast.

I still have major issues with the video you asked for a one word response to from RNIB.

We as visually impaired people deal with enough stereotyping & cynicism among general society without international help. Why is it that the image of a blind person who seems unmotivated or socially inadequate is the image that sticks in one’s mind versus those of us who are high functioning members of society; who on occasion do ask for help when needed?

There are times I wish we as high functioning blind  people who have either, or both held a job &/or run a household & raised a family, functioning as our sighted counterparts could somehow work with less functional blind people to help them integrate to the best of their ability within society.

If we did a better job within our own subculture of helping each other with concerns in daily life, we would not have to respond to such a plea for money from an organization who is obviously working with & for the benefit of blind people; though in another country. They would have a more positive image if we could be pictured helping a newly blinded person adjust to their surroundings rather than picturing them in a dim & dark world.

 I have an anecdote to share that may help you understand why I am so adamant.

I, as I am sure all of you have, done my share of traveling. 2 years ago I went to Seward Alaska alone for a week. I have family heritage there who was a part of Alaskan history. My Great Great Aunt wrote her autobiography while living there depicting most of her accomplishments. The focus of my trip was to retrieve information for my then ailing Mother who had never met her; but had read her book. The information I brought home was not in the book. At any rate, while in Alaska for the entire week I never was asked the age old question “What are you doing so far from home being blind?”

To make you laugh, as expensive as the Alaska trip was, the information, 50 pages & 125 pictures on a CD afforded me by the curator of the local museum cost me $9.

Without a militant attitude, though it has mellowed through the years, I have tried to educate by example. I have no problem with any legitimate organization asking for pledges or donations for their given cause if it is done in a tasteful manner.

Keep up your excellent work.

Scincerely,

Pamela Francis”

From Lewis

Hello Serotalk Podcasters,

I left you a voice mail but I screwed it up royally so here is my attempt at a coherent email.

My reaction towards the RNIB video that you played on Podcast 117 is sadness and anger. While listening to the audio I pictured someone who has nothing left in their life accept for this donated audio book player which has become their life line. This saddens me because here is an organization dedicated to enriching the life of the blind and visually impaired who is choosing to perpetuate society’s misconceptions. This sadness then evolved into anger. As someone who is going to leave the home soon to become independent and perhaps even risking burning bridges with my family this is a slap in the face. How could an organization portray the people they are helping in such a pathetic way? If were an employer who watched the video I would never hire a blind person accept out of pity! If RNIB wants shock value why not create a video showing blind people doing things and living a productive life. Show an Emma, who is playing with her friends, who still rides a bike, who discovered another way to see and then grew up to be successful. Then tell society how with their help more Emma’s can be created.

Thank you for letting me rant and keep up the great work. Oh speaking of independence, I would love to hear a podcast in which Mike Calvo and other Serotek staff discuss their journeys to become independent individuals. I would like to know what they wished they would have known, mistakes they’ve made, and anything I can do to make the road easier to travel.

Take care,

Louis”

From Dick

“Hello Jamie:  First, I want to let you know that I thoroughly enjoyed your printing house tour.  I have toured the original printing house three times and the mmuseum twice.  In 1954 in kentergarten, through the third grade, I used the slate and stylus, as well as the hall braille writer. I received a perkins in the fourth grade.  But I digress. Though you did not include it in the audio tour, I hope you didn’t miss the Hall Of Fame.  It includes embossed representations of some of the well-known leaders in work with bllind persons and is very interesting.  I also listened to to the coverage of the ACB Convention through Serotek’s link to ACB Radio.  I have finished the Conventions’

Special Eppisodes one and two, and hope to complete eppisode three today.  Thank you for all the hard work you and others on the Serotek team do to put all this matterial together.  I believe it is very

informative to lots of people.   Dick Seifert, Little Rock, Arkansas.”

From Harry

“Hi Jamey, Joe, and Ricky,

I can’t thank you enough for the great coverage from the exhibit halls of both conventions!

I loved it, because both conventions had different exhibiters, and you got’um all!

I sure look forward to ATIA in January, 2013!

You all take care,

Sincerely,

Harry Brown”

Roundabout

About Emma: our response – RNIB

Twitter Algorithm Predicts When You’ll Get Sick (8 Days In Advance, With 90% Accuracy) [STUDY]

“Odor menu” lets blind patrons order food by smell, not braille

Listen to SeroTalk Podcast 117: My Little Phony

There was no shortage of topics for Jamie Pauls, Ricky Enger and Joe Steinkamp to discuss on this week’s podcast. We look forward to your reactions to this week’s episode of the show. Stories up for discussion this week include:

Mountain Lion

OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion: the Ars Technica review

Mac Blog: Microsoft Confirms Office 2011 and 2008 Compatibility with OS X Mountain Lion

Why should I, a Windows user, care about Mountain Lion anyway?

Listen to a discussion of Mountain Lion on ACB Radio’s Main Menu

David Woodbridge’s Mountain Lion podcasts from AppleVis available on iBlink Radio.

General Tech

Redbox and Verizon’s Netflix competitor goes into alpha test

4G LTE BlackBerry PlayBook may debut this month

NTP settles e-mail patent suit with Google, Apple, Microsoft and others

Jeff Bezos Hijacks Amazon.com to Announce Education Initiative

Staples Executive Outs Six New Kindle Fire Tablets

Nokia to make carriers partners on Windows Phone, report says

Scott Thompson gets new CEO gig

iOS

New iPod Touch could match taller size of new iPhone

iPad Mini to debut in September, says analyst

Is there really ‘unprecedented’ demand for iPhone 5?

Report: iOS 6 won’t ask for password to download free apps

AT

SPN Special: A Discussion of Windows 8 by Jeremy Curry from NFB 2012

Accessibility gestures for Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)

Download a free 14 day trial of Georgie online here

Roundabout

Here is a link to RNIB’s new fund-raising ad.

Play your tunes through a toilet

This week, Lisa Salinger and Buddy Brannan join Jamie Pauls to discuss the top news stories of the week. Enjoy!

AT

the death of skype talking: a bend in the rode.

Braille, Relevance of Literacy, And Double Standards

 Webvisum in Recovery!

Captcha solving lives on, though at a small cost

An update on Fleksy

Will the Americans with Disabilities Act tear a hole in Internet law?

Freedom Scientific Announces Scanning and Reading Desktop Video Magnifier

General Tech

T-Mobile USA CEO Philipp Humm quits to ‘join rival firm’

Amazon could slash Kindle Fire price to $149 as a new model approaches

Apple

Gmail iOS app gets push notification, finally

Apple wins ban on Samsung Galaxy Tab 10 .1

iOS 6 Beta 2 roundup: Here’s what’s new

 Bye-bye, downloads: Apple’s new Podcasts app enables better streaming

Mountain Lion to phone home daily looking for security updates

Speak for Yourself app might make iPad comeback, report says

World’s smallest iPhone charger fits on your keychain

Apple’s iPhone’s Siri Does Not Call 911

Google

What’s New in Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

Google unveils Nexus Q, the ‘Tiny Android computer’

Brin: Google Glass lands for consumers in 2014

Google announces Chrome for iPhone & iPad, coming to App Store today

 Google Launches Offline Editing for Google Docs, Google Drive Apps for iOS and Chrome OS

Mailbag

Hi Guys,

Firstly, I should like to thank you for providing an informative and brilliantly presented series of podcasts to keep us up-to-date with the general tech world as well as assistive technology.  As a trainer and consultant of AT myself, I find your podcasts an invaluable resource.  I am also a big fan of That Android Show.

There is so much I could comment on arising from your podcasts in general and #113 in particular, but I was particularly struck by Ricky’s views in relation to the effects on independence of will and thinking by the sharing of articles, news and information using social networking. 

The awareness of information overload caused by inefficient use of IT and the internet has been around for a couple of decades and it has always been thought that the way to counteract this is precisely to be more selective and independently minded in order to avoid endless distraction.

In my view, it seems that the social networking obsession is promoting distraction, information overload and a herd mentality which could well be socially disadvantageous.  Not only is it observable that some office workers cannot concentrate on their work for any length of time without being distracted by texts, tweats, Facebook updates and the like, it seems that some friends with whom one was formerly able to chat for hours now rudely break off in mid-sentence in order to respond to messages on their phones.  Also, I like a good blether on any subject under the sun, but not necessarily a fragmented whistle-stop tour around irrelevant global trivia shared on social networking which has little impact on my life or that of my companion.  Following on Joe’s comments on the Skype ads as being conversation starters, it is easy to take the view that friends should not need ads to get them started on a conversation, but what about friends obsessively referring to other irrelevances sponsored by mindless sharing on social networks?

Thankfully, the SPN podcasts present a good balance of information and opinion which I value – using my own independence of will and thought, of course!  I would hope that my own podcasts will be considered useful to others interested in assistive technology.  If you wish to check them out, my podcast page is:

http://www.vict-consultancy.co.uk/content/podcasts.html

Kind regards,

Paul

Paul Warner

VICT Consultancy

www.vict-consultancy.co.uk

Roundabout

Tweet for Tea: Meet the World’s First Twitter-Activated Vending Machine

 The Bio-Retina Implant Could Give Sight to the Blind, With Laser Power

Once again, Jamie Pauls, Ricky Enger and Joe Steinkamp settle in for a discussion of what was by all accounts a slow news week. Never fear, though. The gang found plenty to talk about, anyway. The topics discussed in this week’s podcast include the following:

Tablet Computing

Microsoft and Barnes & Noble settle patent dispute; create new subsidiary

An Accessibility Review of the Amazon Kindle 3 by Ricky Enger

For Windows 8 tablets, a weak forecast

Target will yank Kindles–why?

20 improvements I’d like to see in iOS 6

Smartphones

RIM Launches Blackberry 10

BlackBerry 10: Best feature nobody’s talking about

Samsung leapfrogs Apple as top smartphone vendor worldwide

iPhone 5 launching with 4-inch screen, new Dock connector?

Security

Facebook users: What? Facebook has privacy settings?

iTunes users griping about Apple’s security questions

General Tech

Twitter pumps up Discover feature with social signals

Hulu’s possible future: A playground for cable subscribers

AT

Global Accessibility Awareness Day Home Page

Skype 4.0 released and claims improved accessibility

EyeRing: Wearable Camera That Detects Objects For The Visually Impaired

Robot sensing and smartphones help blind navigate                                                      

Mushroom Escape – For the Best in Radio Drama and Comedy

Take the WebAIM screen reader user survey

Technology for Blind & Visually Impaired Viewers Debuts in UK

Mailbag

This week, we bring you an iReport from Blinky X. We trust that you will enjoy his comments as much as we did!

Roundabout

Feature Writer Alena Roberts – Think a Blind Man Can’t Be a Fashion Designer? Think Again

This week, while Ricky and Joe are off to CSUN, Jamie Pauls, Buddy Brannan and Lisa Salinger discuss the news of the week. Here are the stories they discuss:

Privacy

Five ways Google’s unified privacy policy affects you

iPad Rumor Roundup

Apple sends out invites for March 7 iPad event

iPad 3 rumor roundup

Apple iPad 3: What to expect

The curious case of the missing iPad 3 home button

iPad 3: Apple’s Biggest Test

AT

QRead: The Accessible eText reader from the future!

Window-Eyes and Windows 8 Presentation now available online

Listen to SPN coverage and Blind Bargains coverage on iBlink Radio.

App will help blind, visually impaired navigate streets

Blind Bargains: IPPLEX Rleases LookTel Recognizer Ap for iOS

Blind Bargains: Code Factory Announces Braille Support for Android with Mobile Accessibility V1.9

Blind Bargains: Free Mobile Accessibility App Now Available for Sprint, Boost, Virgin Mobile

Introducing ChromeVox (with audio description) – YouTube

Just Another Checkbox by Mike Calvo

Windows 8 Roundup

It’s Windows 8 download day: Here’s what we know

Windows 8 beta folds in 100,000 code changes (live blog)

Windows 8 Beta: Hands-on with Microsoft’s tablet-friendly OS

Is Microsoft hoping for the best but preparing for the worst with Windows 8?

Is Windows too expensive?

Apple

Apple reportedly cooking up new audio file format

General Tech

Verizon to offer shared family data plan by midyear

Roundabout

Nascar driver tweets during race, adds 130,000 followers

Blind attorney teaches self-defense and overcomes fear

Playing Video Games Can Help Improve Your Vision

What delights the senses more than leftover fruitcake, is more exciting than freezing in Times Square, and will change your life more than another batch of New Year’s resolutions? It’s This Year in Technology. Come join our guests: J.J. Meddaugh of Blind Bargains fame, as well as Joe Steinkamp and Jamie Pauls from Serotek, as they count down the top ten technology-related events that shaped 2011, and reveal their choice for Number One!

JANUARY

show notes page from TMIAT Jan 2011

Stories

Zoom Reader

Hope for Pandora

NVDA needs your help to continue on

Kindle for PC

FEBRUARY

Show notes page for Feb TMIAT

The Cobra Screen Reader emerges

MARCH

Show notes for March TMIAT

ATT to buy T Mobile

Mobile Accessibility for Android released

Launch of Android Access.net

Horizons for the Blind and A T Guys Join Forces to Launch Cutting Edge Product Information using Bar Codes

Here are some additional technology Top Ten Lists for your enjoyment.

The most popular stories of 2011 from Ars Technica

Mashable’s Top Ten iOS apps of 2011

ZDNet’s Top 10 Security Stories in 2011

8 Jokes, Memes and Parady Accounts of 2011

The best and worst of Sci Fi TV in 2011

APRIL

Show notes for TMIT

Mozilla launches the Aurora Channel for new Accessibility features

MAY

Show Notes for May TMIAT

Microsoft dials up Skype

DocuScan Plus launches for the Mac

Bureau of Engraving launches money reader app for iOS

Chromium OS has built in screen reader

JUNE

show notes for June TMIAT

Here come the Chromebooks

JULY

Show notes for July TMIT

code Factory releases the Accessible Browser and Music Player for Android

The BookSense 2.3 update includes Voice Recognition

Blio for iOS released

NVDA gets grant from Mozilla

Apple unleashes a Lion to the Mac App Store

Google Labs shutting down

AUGUST

Show notes for July TIMT

Steve Jobs Resigns

Google Plus Keyboard Accessibility

ACB/Google Survey on computer usage

Nuance acquires Loquendo

SEPTEMBER

Show Notes for September TMIAT

Microsoft talks Windows 8

Facebook launches major redesign

Here is a list of the Top Five things that Serotek has done this past year.

5 DocuScan Plus launches for the Mac

4 iBlink Radio for Android makes Apple Vis Hall of fame

3 SAM Vets Program

2 The launch of SPN, new shows and some guy as a new host of a little old show called SeroTalk

1 The community! It sounds silly but its true. Either you guys passing around the April Fool’s GTO Notetaker announcement, the 13 days of Christmas with matt and the Guide Dogs or the wonderful way people tell other people about our convention coverage or the Rose Bowl parade. The community is at the heart of it all and we sincerely thank all of you!

OCTOBER

Show notes for October TMIAT

Tribute to Steve Jobs

Siri and the iPhone 4s

Kindle Fire, down in flames!

NOVEMBER

Show notes for November TMIAT

OCR add on for NVDA

Robot Guide Dogs?

Google releases Android’s Ice Cream Sandwich

DECEMBER

AT&T withdraws bid for T Mobile

GW Skype

Top Ten list

10 Chrome OS includes ChromeVox ScreenReader
9 Ipplex Releases $1.99 LookTel Money Reader for iOS Devices

8 Google unleashes Android Ice Cream Sandwich with Explore by Touch and other accessibility improvements

7 NFB Blind Driver Challenge
6 GW Skype Released, controversy abounds over ads in software

5 Steve Jobs dies
4 Code Factory Releases Mobile Accessibility for Android
3 Apple to launch iPhone 4S simultaneously with AT&T, Verizon and Sprint
2 Demise of Qwitter accessible Twitter client, replacements emerge
1 Amazon Kindle Fire released, completely inaccessible

If you would like to share your thoughts with us, leave us a message in iBlink via iReport, or drop us an email resources@serotek.com

On this week’s podcast, Jamie Pauls interviews three guests. Our first guest is Dan Aranoff, a blind food critic from New York City who began his writing career by blogging about things that frustrated him and eventually turned his writing into a passion for food.

Our second guest is Michael Barnes, a gentleman who was frustrated with the difficulty he was having in playing some old DOS games by Rich De Steno on his Windows 7 computer and ended up co-developing an iOS app that allows the playing of these games on an iOS device.

Our third guest is Russell Rowland, a student who was initially reluctant to go to college but now embraces the experience and encourages others to make their dreams come true.

Finally, Serotek’s own Lisa Salinger explores some of the more confusing aspects of Microsoft Security Essentials available from Ninite.com among other places and demonstrates how to use the program effectively with any screen reader.

What do all of these stories have in common, you may ask? Each of our four guests saw a problem or a a challenge and tackled it head on. They didn’t take no for an answer and they didn’t let obstacles detour them from their goals.

We trust that this podcast will both entertain and inspire you as you listen.

This week, Jamie Pauls, Ricky Enger, and Joe Steinkamp discuss the top news stories of the week. Then, Jamie Pauls and Mike Calvo discuss three Christmas gift ideas for the holiday season. Items reviewed by Mike include:

Twelve South PlugBug All-in-One Dual Charger for MacBook and iPad, iPhone, or iPod

Price: $34.99

Nespresso Pixie Espresso Maker

List Price: $249.00

Price: $149.40

50 NESPRESSO Capsules Varieties COFFEE NEW

Price: $53.89

The news stories covered in this week’s podcast include the following:

Holidays and Shopping

Having a Secret Santa gift exchange at work? These gifts, all under $20, are useful, memorable, and just plain cool

Why you should avoid cheap tablets

Amazon Kindle Fire owners are reporting a Wi-Fi bug

Hackers hit supermarket self-checkout lanes, steal money from shoppers

More people were affected by a Lucky Supermarkets credit card scam than initially thought

U.S. smartphone owners gravitate towards mobile shopping (survey)

Apple

Apple’s secret code names for iOS revealed

Do you miss Snow Leopard? Lion Secrets can help take you back

The iPad is not a PC, and neither are Windows 8 tablets

System Access: The Alternative Commitment

Apple interested in improving noise cancellation via voice recognition: Apple is investigating the use of user-s…

Downcast v2.5 is now available with iCloud sync support, revamped video player, many bug fixes and much more.

Behringer Announces 700 Pound, 10,000 Watt, $30,000 iPhone Dock..

Browsing

Facebook Accessibility feedback form

Facebook to launch a Subscribe button for websites

Gowalla confirms: Facebook acquires location-based social network

How Google can deal a death blow to Firefox

Avoiding Common Website Accessibility Mistakes

Symantec: Spam is at its lowest level in almost three years

Mailbag

Once again we present emails, BLAB line calls, and iReports from our listeners.

Round About

Vet fights for mobility iBOT has given him

Voice controls let blind gamer ‘hang’ with friends online

Can sitting all day make your butt bigger?

This week, Jamie Pauls, Joe Steinkamp, and Mike Calvo discuss the news of the week. Also, Mike reviews several SoundDock options from bose for iOS and other devices including the following:

Bose SoundLink Wireless Mobile Speaker – Nylon

Bose SoundDock Portable Digital Music System (Gloss Black

Bose SoundDock Series II Digital Music System for iPod (Black

AT

The twitmonger users list is now active. subscribe using twitmonger_users-subscribe@lists.shaned.net

Qwitter replacement in alpha testing. go to: http://twitmonger.shaned.net/ and grab a copy.

I’ve modified Qwitter 4.5.1 to use the new API, so it can now receive direct messages. Also added mentions streaming.

Purchase Hope, the accessible PC client for Pandora which is still in active development by Christopher Toth.

NVDA 2011.3rc1 released!

HumanWare is seeking input on the future of the Victor Reader Stream via Survey Gizmo

ZoomText 10 feature leak alert – introducing the ZoomText Camera!

November 2011 AccessWorld is now live! Holiday edition (gift ideas 4 ppl w/vision loss)

Self Promotion

Serotek Conquers a New Frontier for Blind Veterans.

SeroSpectives Deck the Dogs.. and the Canes Too!

Amazon

New on Suntimes: My review of the Kindle Fire. At last, a great alternative to the iPad.

The Kindle Fire is getting great reviews … except not. Wired: Is This Really The Tablet Everyone’s Talking about?

A Kindle smartphone may be coming in 2012

U.S. authors: Kindle lending library is ‘contract breach’

Amazon’s cloud is the world’s 42nd fastest supercomputer:

Holidays

NFB – National Federation of the Blind Partners with Santa to Promote Braille Literacy:

Assistive Technology for Young Children: A Parent’s Perspective – YouTube

Chicago Lighthouse pairs with electronics retailer to help the visually impaired

Starbucks Holiday Cups Come to Life With Augmented Reality App

Google

DAISY Player for Android goes live, on sales for a limited time. :Darwin Reader Website:

Best Android Apps and options for disabled users

Ivona free update for Android voices

Google Music hits almost all the high notes

Cloud Music Showdown: Google vs. Amazon vs Apple

Apple

Apple launches iTunes Match: music hoarders need not apply:

How to Enable iTunes Match On Your iPhone or iPad: Apple released iTunes Match today, and users can now access t…

More on iTunes Match’s new ID3 tags

Apple Can’t Handle The Demand For iTunes Match, Temporarily Halts New Sign-Ups

Apple kicks off worldwide iPod nano first-generation replacement program

Apple’s iCloud inaccessible for some users

iPhone owners might want to avoid iOS 5.0.1 update

RT @papasangre: I’m back. Hit the App Store now-ish.

Tests suggests iPhone battery issue not a hardware problem

The iPhone 5 Was Real, Says A Source Who Played With A Prototype

Mac OS X has its own sandbox security hole:

Apple fixes iTunes man-in-the-middle security hole

OS X Lion growth stagnates at 16% Mac market share

Web stats indicate Mac OS X Lion still growing very fast

MacBook Air supplies almost one-third of Apple notebook sales:

Sirispective

A Comprehensive Audio Demonstration of Siri

Siri’s security sabotaged, developer releases crack tools

SPN Launches Triple Click Home

Kickers

Support new regulations encouraging service dog relief areas within security @ airports.

[NFBAustin] awesome BELL Video, complete