AccessWatch

Blogging From The Mac

2011-03-30T09:22:00.001-06:00

So much to do and so little time! I have learned to truly enjoy using mail on the Mac as I was told I would. I have decided that Skype is much more pleasant to use on the Mac than I first believed as well. My work schedule has kept me from spending as much time with the Mac Book as I would like, but I have successfully made a recording with Audio Hijack Pro, one of the pieces of software that many podcasters use. In almost two weeks with the Mac Book Pro, this is the first time I have used Text Edit, which would certainly be a part of my weekly routine if I in fact owned this computer. I imagine that I would be willing to purchase iWork for the added functionality that suite of programs provides, especially if VoiceOver is able to give me information such as what page I am on and when I pass over a page break, two pieces of information I absolutely require for my work. If this information is not readily available, this would be a serious impediment to my owning a Mac, if not an actuals show-stopper.

There is much more to learn and little remaining time to learn it in, so I expect to be sitting in my comfortable recliner with this computer on my lap a lot over the coming days.

Being Productive With The Mac

2011-03-21T22:10:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was filled with church, a visit with friends my wife and I hadn’t seen for some time, paperwork, and a nap. No time for the Mac at all. Today wasn’t a lot better, but I did something today I have not done since acquiring the Mac—I did something simply because it needed doing. In other words, I was productive.
As I stated in my last post, setting up mail was a joy and reading it was about as much fun today. I managed to set up my Gmail account as an SMTP account rather than an IMAP account as I had intended, and I do not yet know how to sort messages by conversation thread, my preferred way of reading. I also need to review the VoiceOver commands for reading word by word, etc. While using standard Apple commands works pretty well, I think the dedicated VO commands will be of great value in the mail program.
Another thing that every Mac enthusiast raves about is having a spell checker from anywhere one is. I am beginning to see the benefit of this as I work with the Mac. Whether in Twitter or Mail, it has been easy to spot misspelled words. I have up to this point simply edited them. I have not played with how to get suggested replacement words, etc.
All in all, another good day with the Mac.

To Tweet Or Not To Tweet, That Is The Question.

2011-03-19T22:29:00.001-06:00

Not much to report on the Mac front today. Some time spent with my wife and two cats, house chores and a couple of errands took up most of the day. I listened to more podcasts from Vision Australia and then tackled setting up e-mail. All I can say is “Wow!” It was an easier process than I could have hoped for. I was reading messages in no time.
I then turned my attention to Twitter. I figured I would look in the app store for Syrinx, the Twitter client recommended to me by Dr. Robert Carter of the Tech Doctor Podcast. I was unable to figure out how to search the app store. I quickly abandoned the store and went to Google where the program was obtained and installed with no problem whatsoever. I learned during my podcast listening that Quick Nav was my friend on the Web. It made the experience more like using my iPod Touch with a Bluetooth keyboard than ever before.
I played with Syrinx a bit and decided to send out a couple test posts. The public post went fine. Another intended as a direct message went public. Fortunately it was not of an extremely sensitive nature, a hasty apology was issued, and no harm was done. I discovered that along with finders and sidebars and tables, I really my want to explore menus a bit more. What a concept!
All in all, not a bad day with the Mac. Tomorrow is church, some paperwork for my job, and possibly a bit more time with the Mac.

Finders and Sidebars and Tables, Oh My!

2011-03-18T22:21:00.001-06:00

Today was all about listening to podcasts, reading manuals, exploring files and folders, and attempting to install programs. I began today's Mac experience by listening to part of Mike Arrigo's
Blind Cool Tech podcast entitled "Mac Demo 7" that deals with how to accomplish various tasks including installation of new software. The first program I attempted to install was Adobe's Flash Player update which the Mac insisted I needed in order to play a YouTube video. Either the program installed itself automatically last evening or I simply was unable to properly update it myself today. YouTube, the Mac, nor I are happy about that at this point. My second attempt which turned out better was the installation of Skype. One thing I learned during the process of installing programs on the Mac was that one really needs to allow the displaying of file extensions. By default, file extensions are hidden, so I decided to try installing programs that way first. Showing file extensions as suggested in Mike's podcast really does help. When a program is installed on the Mac, one downloads a DMG or disk image file to the downloads folder of the hard drive. When this file is opened, a virtual disk is mounted on the desktop. Opening this disk or folder if you prefer, shows an install file with an APP extension. This file is copied to the applications folder and run from there. I understand that when an application is purchased from the app store, it is downloaded and installed automatically. You can quickly understand from the explanation above why being aware of what types of files you are working with is very important.

The process of moving around in the Finder where folders and files can be worked with is rather straightforward when explained. One interacts with a table that allows one to choose folders such as downloads or applications. At that point, one stops interacting with that table and moves to a table where a list of files is shown. Interacting with the second table allows one to work with these files. The problem for me was that for some reason I really struggled with the fact that I needed to stop interacting with one table so I could view the contents of another table.
A considerable amount of fussing and near cussing convinced me to walk away for a bit. When I returned after dinner with my wife, things seemed to fall into place and a previously difficult task seemed quite easy.

Skype on the Mac is ... well ... Skype! Viewing and working with contacts is quite easy. Making a call and initiating a chat are no problem either. Reading incoming chats was a bit more tedious for me, but I suspect practice both with VoiceOver navigation commands and moving around the Skype application itself will help matters. Ending this part of our discussion on a more positive note, audio quality on the Mac Book is superb. I used the built-in speakers and microphone to chat with David Woodbridge who produces a set of instructional podcasts for
Vision Australia which we shall talk about later, and Kevin Chao of the
VoiceOver On podcast. My audio being sent to them and theirs to me was crystal clear!

I have always been someone who prefers to customize programs as little as possible. I don't know why this is, but I will always try to use default settings where I can. That being said, I highly recommend that any new Mac user quickly visit Vision Australia's AT podcasts and work through the session on how to make your Mac easier to use. The explanations are straightforward and the setting adjustments which are recommended really do help the blind Mac user have a better experience with VoiceOver and the Mac operating system.

To any experienced Mac users reading this entry, my explanations probably seem very crude and clumsy. Scroll areas, sidebars, and tables are all jumbled together in my head at this point. Any comments you wish to make will be read and appreciated. All I ask is that you be gentle with me at this point.

The euphoria was bound to subside sooner or later and I'm glad it has. Today's exploration of the Mac felt like work, but I learned a lot and am ready for round three tomorrow. I think I will tackle setting up e-mail. If I have time, maybe Twitter? We shall see!

My First Day with the Mac

2011-03-17T21:58:00.001-06:00

I was recently granted a loan of an early 2011-model 15-inch Mac Book Pro for evaluation on behalf of Acb Radio's Main Menu program which I currently produce and host. My curiosity about using the Mac with VoiceOver has increased over the past couple years or so as I have listened to a myriad of podcasts and tutorials on using the product. As I interviewed people about the Mac, it became increasingly apparent to me that the only way I could continue to ask new questions about the process of using a Mac with a screen reader was to actually play with one myself. One can only learn so much through second-hand information. When I learned that I would be evaluating a Mac for a month, I began counting down the days excitedly. Any chance to play with new technology is one I will not pass up.

When the package arrived at my door this morning at about 10:30, I began the painstaking process of opening a box that did not actually belong to me. Much more care was needed to preserve the integrity of this package than most, but all went well. After the box was finally opened, the unpacking of the equipment was much as it always is--packing material, cords, manuals, and trying to make sure nothing gets lost in the shuffle.

Having listened to more than one Mac setup podcast, I was not surprised but still very pleased to hear the familiar voice of Alex, the text-to-speech engine that is the default when a Mac is first turn on out of the box. I was struck by the fact that I had to do nothing special to make this happen--it just did!

I worked my way through the VoiceOver tutorial and set up the Mac with no problems at all. I quickly explored the dock and opened Safari. I was struck with how similar using VoiceOver on the Mac was compared to using VoiceOver on my iPod Touch; the transition was almost seamless. I was comfortable enough with Safari to log into my bank's Web site and transfer money from our home checking account to savings with no misgivings whatsoever. Finally, I adjusted some VoiceOver settings which included telling VoiceOver to speak at the log on screen.

As interested as I was in my own initial reaction to using a Mac, I was equally interested in my sighted wife Stacie's reaction. She has an aversion to most technology and especially hates computers. The one exception to her general dislike of technology is her iPod which she absolutely loves! When Stacie came home from work, I showed her how to turn VoiceOver off and allowed her to play with the computer. I had no way to guide her in using the Mac as I barely knew how to do the basics with a screen reader running, let alone trying to help her figure out what was going on visually. Stacie began surfing the Web on the Mac as though she had done it every day for a year. She was intrigued with Face Time and spent some time on Face Book as well. She confirmed that the snapshot I had taken of myself during account setup was satisfactory and then she gave the computer back to me.

I placed a CD into the computer to demonstrate the quality of the Mac Book's speakers. Navigating iTunes for the first time was a bit tricky. I was finally able to play the CD and search the help text to find out how to eject the CD when I was finished with it. It never occurred to me to simply explore the menus. It's funny how a little stress can cause one not to think clearly enough to solve a simple problem.

Since my wife and I had an appointment later in the evening, I shut the computer down and rested my mind a bit before leaving the house.

My first impressions of the Mac in general and VoiceOver in particular are quite favorable. I was able to rearrange my work schedule so that I could take today and tomorrow off, so day two of my journey with the Mac should be full of excitement. Stay tuned!

Stream Newswire - Spanish Version 3.2 Released

2010-08-05T12:26:00.000-06:00

Dear Victor Reader Stream Customer:
HumanWare is pleased to announce the release of Stream software version 3.2 in Spanish.
The free software download is available at:
www.humanware.com/stream_software
On that page you will find the software download link under the Spanish heading along
with the Release Notes in Spanish. The Release Notes describe the features of 3.2
and also the SoftPak features. After installing the software, you will also find
the Release Notes on your Stream in the Text Files bookshelf.
After installing the version 3.2, you have the option to purchase the Stream SoftPak.
The SoftPak includes 5 additional features:
- Ability to play unprotected EPUB books
- Ability to play MS Word 2007 DOCX documents
- Support for Audible.com Enhanced Audio books
- Ability to play unprotected MP4 audio files including iTunes music files
- Ability to record voice notes in MP3 or wav formats.
More information about the SoftPak is available at:
www.humanware.com/softpak
We are also pleased to offer a version 3.2 that includes Stream English menus and
messages along with the Spanish Monica and English Samantha text-to-speech voices.
This version is on the same page but under the English heading.
Both versions include Monica and Samantha text-to-speech but the difference is that
the version under the Spanish heading also has Spanish menus and messages.
Thank you,
The HumanWare Team

Victor Reader Stream List Changing Ownership

2010-07-27T14:24:00.000-06:00

As I write this post, it is hard to comprehend that it has been almost three years since I took on the role as owner and moderator of the Victor Reader Stream list. I have made many mistakes as a list moderator and learned much in the process. I am proud to say that the culture of this list today is one of goodwill and cooperation among the membership. At over 600 members, that is quite an accomplishment.
It has become increasingly apparent to me over the past several months that it is time for me to pass the torch to someone else. My duties as producer and host of ACB Radio’s Main Menu program, my work responsibilities as a music therapist working in a state school, a music appreciation instructor at a community college, a board member and Sunday school teacher at my church, and a keyboard player in a couple bands not to mention spending time with my wife and two cats keeps me quite busy. To put it plainly, something has to give.
The person who has accepted the post of owner and moderator of the list has been a long-time list member who has posted many helpful instructions over the years and visited with me privately about many matters list-related and otherwise. He was an encouragement to me when I was about ready to chuck the whole thing. I’m glad I didn’t do that, because I can now place this most excellent list into the capable hands of Brian Lingard.
I am certain Brian will have a different moderating style than I did, but I trust you will all work with him as respectfully as you have with me. I will stick around as a list member like the rest of you, and I will be excited to watch Brian take the list and Web site to a whole new level.
If you wish to post comments to me privately, please send them to the following address
jamiepauls@gmail.com

Sincerely,
Jamie Pauls

Tutorials now free on AccessWatch

2010-01-01T13:37:00.002-06:00

Several years ago I decided to dabble in the area of producing tutorials for sale. It was a learning experience and my hat is off to anyone who does it on a regular basis. Out of that project came two tutorials. The first was a tutorial on using the now popular Rhapsody music subscription service. I knew I wouldn't sell a ton of those tutorials and I was right, but many people benefited from the lessons I provided on getting up and running with the service. While many things have changed about the service over the years, it is in many ways more accessible than it was. The most significant change is the ability to purchase tracks in unprotected MP3 format, thereby allowing the purchaser to burn songs to CD using their CD burning program of choice. The second tutorial was on using Nero 8. While newer versions of Nero are available today, this tutorial is still quite relevant. I stopped receiving sales for either tutorial quite some time back, so I decided to offer both for free. Visit AccessWatch and move to the "tutorials" heading to find both downloads.

What's next on Main Menu?

2009-12-28T22:36:00.002-06:00

I enjoy every Main Menu show I have the opportunity to host and produce, but this one was especially fun. Read the announcement below:

Main Menu begins 2010 with a bang! We first hear a greeting from ACB president Mitch Pomerantz. Next, your host is joined by J.J. Meddaugh of Blind Bargains and Rick Harmon of The Blind Geek Zone to discuss the top news stories of 2009 as published on Blind Bargains. The number one story of the year will be posted on the site just hours before the panel discussion airs on Main Menu. Finally, the three of us predict what stories will rank in the top ten list for 2010. Take notes and see how close we are!

Main Menu airs on Saturdays at 1:00 UTC; that’s Fridays at 8:00 Eastern time in the U.S. Subscribe to the Main Menu podcast feed at: http://mainmenu.acbradio.org/rss.php
Call the Main Menu comment line at (206) 338-7823

AccessWatch Stays

2009-12-28T14:37:00.002-06:00

Greetings all:

I won't take the time to write a fancy announcement. I will just let you know that AccessWatch isn't going away. I spent a lot of time doing some soul-searching and visiting privately with some members of the blind community who I respect greatly. I believe in AccessWatch and have spent too much time on the project to let it die. I will redouble my efforts to make the current site thrive over the next year and to possibly take it in some new directions. My thanks to Rick Harmon of the Blind Geek Zone, J.J. Meddaugh of Blind Bargains, and the loyal AccessWatch users who took the time to write me privately. Your comments are much appreciated.

May you all have a blessed and prosperous 2010.

Jamie Pauls

AccessWatch Going Offline As Of December 12

2009-12-08T20:52:00.000-06:00

Greetings AccessWatch Users:

It is hard to believe that AccessWatch is approaching its sixth birthday I truly believe that the site has been a service to the blind community, and the creation of a review system for accessible software has been a truly unique service as well.

Since the creation of AccessWatch, I have had the privilege of accomplishing other goals such as creating some tutorials which have been a positive influence as well. Although my blogging has been very minimal, I have enjoyed that too and have come to respect those who do it regularly and well. While I am reminiscing, I mustn’t forget my brief podcasting career either. Since May of this year, I have been honored to serve as producer and host of ACB Radio’s Main Menu technology show and continue to enjoy the work that I and others on the Main Menu team do for ACB Radio and the blind community at large.

Unfortunately, I feel that AccessWatch has begun to slip more and more into the background over the past year or so; I have updated the site once in that time and I can’t recall the last software review I submitted for the site. This brings me to the purpose of my e-mail. (Remember when AccessWatch users got at least one of these per year?) I feel that it is time to put AccessWatch.info to rest. I will continue to maintain the AccessWatch blog and may even attempt to revive it in the near future, but the AccessWatch Web site and review system will be taken offline as of December 12.

I would be interested to receive feedback from those of you who have benefitted and perhaps continue to benefit from the site. If the responses indicate that I should change my mind regarding this matter, I will consider doing so. If not, then AccessWatch will cease to exist in its present form as of this Saturday.

Please send all comments to

jamiepauls@sbcglobal.net

Thanks to those of you who have been such loyal supporters of the Web site over the past nearly six years. It has truly been fun!

Jamie Pauls

Coming up on Main Menu for the week of May 16, 2009

2009-05-13T21:07:00.002-06:00

On this week's edition of Main Menu:

David Tanner talks with David Andrews about the new NLS digital talking book players soon to be released and David Andrews gives us a demonstration of the player. Next, David Tanner takes us on a quick tour of the NLS BARD site

Https://nlsbard.loc.gov

For downloading digital talking books. Lastly, Shane Davidson reviews Loco Locution from

www.allinplay.com

Main Menu first airs on Saturdays at 1:00 UTC; that's Fridays at 9:00 Eastern time in the U.S. The show repeats on Wednesdays at 1:00 UTC; that's Tuesdays at 9:00 Eastern time in the U.S.

Freedom Scientific Files Patent Infringement Suit against GW Micro

2009-02-04T12:54:00.002-06:00

The following is from the National Federation of the Blind's Braille Monitor. It is quite comprehensive as far as it can be at this point.

Begin article
Freedom Scientific Files Patent Infringement Suit against GW Micro
by Daniel B. Frye
When two of the leading producers of access technology in the blindness field have
differences that can apparently be resolved only in federal court, blind consumers
deserve to know what is going on. How might the dispute affect this small market?
Will the actions of either party influence consumer access to diverse, responsive,
and competitive products in the U.S. and international blindness communities?
Mindful of the importance of access technology to blind people and curious about
the rationale and implications of the row that has developed between Freedom Scientific
and GW Micro, we are reporting what we have discovered at this stage of the argument
so that our readers will understand the issues involved in this litigation. Here
is what we know at the moment:
On July 15, 2008, Freedom Scientific--the company that developed and promotes the
JAWS screen reader and the PAC Mate Omni as well as other blindness and low-vision
products--filed a patent infringement lawsuit against GW Micro, a smaller access
technology company known primarily for its rival screen-reading software, Window-Eyes.
The Freedom Scientific lawsuit alleges that GW Micro has ”willfully infringed" and
has "induced" others to behave similarly with respect to its U.S. Patent No. 6,993,707,
issued on January 31, 2006, for a "Document Placeholder" by ”making, importing, selling,
offering to sell and/or using within the United States computer software covered
by this patent.” The case was filed in the United States District Court, Middle District
of Florida.
As background, the Document Placeholder technology in question is the feature in
both JAWS and Window-Eyes that allows a user to identify a particular place or bit
of content on a Website and return to this same point on the Webpage (using a few
simple key strokes) repeatedly while originally viewing the page or during subsequent
visits. This technology is designed to make large and cluttered Websites more convenient
and accessible for blind computer users.
Both Dan Weirich and Doug Geoffray, the two principal executives at GW Micro, agreed
to be interviewed for this article on the condition that their attorney be present
to offer them legal counsel during the exchange. Mr. Weirich began by insisting that
GW Micro is not guilty of violating Freedom Scientific's document placeholder method
patent. While the GW Micro answer filed in response to the lawsuit on September 29,
2008, denies the allegations of willful patent infringement and contains six legal
affirmative defenses in response to the Freedom Scientific claims, we will focus
here on the basic arguments that most blind computer users will understand.
First, GW Micro questions the very legitimacy of the document placeholder patent.
Weirich told the Braille Monitor
that this technology--albeit in a more primitive form--has existed and been used
by various access technology companies since 1999, well before Freedom Scientific
acquired its patent in January 2006. In their answer GW Micro suggests that Freedom
Scientific may have misled the government in applying for this patent by alleging
that this technology was new and innovative, when in fact some version of it had
existed for almost seven years before the patent was issued. In the first GW Micro
public statement about this lawsuit, issued on August 15, 2008, Weirich said, "As
many of our users know, our screen reader--Window-Eyes--has had the capability of
returning to a specific line within a Webpage since version 3.1, which was released
over nine years ago, well before Freedom Scientific's alleged invention." Weirich
went on to note, "The implication in a recent Freedom Scientific press release that
GW Micro is benefiting from Freedom Scientific's investment at no charge is simply
not accurate nor in line with GW Micro's tradition of success and fair play.”
Second, both Weirich and Geoffray point out that the method, design, and functionality
of GW Micro's document placeholder feature are quite different from those in Freedom
Scientific's JAWS product. According to Weirich, the technology that Window-Eyes
relies on will allow the user of this screen-reading software to return to his or
her place even on a constantly changing Webpage; GW Micro officials explain that
the Freedom Scientific version of this technology relies on counting lines on a Webpage
and may not be able to return to a specific location on a Webpage that is often updated.
Further, Weirich and Geoffray emphasize that their version of the document placeholder
technology has nothing to do with HTML tags; instead they rely solely on Windows
MSAA tags to make their version of this technology function.
More important than GW Micro's technical legal defenses may be the sense of inequitable
treatment to which Weirich and Geoffray feel they have been subjected. In discussing
the basis and motivation for the lawsuit, Weirich said: "Both Doug and I have worked
in the blindness access-technology field for over twenty years; GW Micro has been
in business since 1990, and we had both worked for other companies before our time
here. Throughout these years it has always been customary for access-technology companies
to innovate and develop much of the same functionality in our blindness products.
When returning from a tradeshow in July, I arrived to learn of the lawsuit. We had
no preliminary discussions with Freedom Scientific about its concerns--no discussions,
no warnings, no courtesy calls asking us to stop use of the technology, no indication
at all was ever received from Freedom Scientific about this issue until the lawsuit
arrived on our doorstep. I just had a neighbor share the news with me that a tree
on the border of our property was dead. Similarly, I would have expected in a small
market like the blindness access technology community that some collegial exchanges
might have occurred before moving directly to litigation." Weirich went on to say,
"One of the things about this lawsuit that troubles me so much is that we are all
compelled to spend precious resources--precious resources that largely come from
rehabilitation and other government funds--on this lawsuit. We at GW Micro would
rather spend these resources on product development or other projects that will directly
benefit our consumers."
When we asked Weirich and Geoffray what they thought had really motivated this lawsuit,
they were both at a loss to give a definite answer. Weirich speculated that perhaps
GW Micro's increasing success and market share in the screen-reader competition may
have proved threatening to officials at Freedom Scientific. Weirich added that he
knows nothing about Freedom Scientific's finances, but he suggested by implication
that perhaps troubles on this score may have motivated the lawsuit.
In closing, Weirich asked that the Braille Monitor
report that "GW Micro is not going anywhere. We plan to stick around and provide
quality services and products to our customer base. This lawsuit is just a bump in
the road. This legal action will not prevent us from making further enhancements
to Window-Eyes."
Lee Hamilton, president and chief executive officer of Freedom Scientific, declined
the Braille Monitor's
repeated requests to be interviewed for this article. We even offered to conduct
Hamilton's interview in the presence of Freedom Scientific's attorneys, but this
did not sway his decision. In a December 19 email response to our interview request,
Hamilton offered the following:
Thank you for the invitation, which I received on Tuesday of this week, to contribute
our perspective to your forthcoming article. As you can appreciate, it was necessary
to seek advice from our legal counsel before responding, and I have only just received
that advice.
As you are aware, when it was clear that this issue might become a matter of public
interest, we published a press release outlining our need to protect our investment
in research and development for the benefit of our shareholders and customers. I
understand you have a copy of that press release. Our legal counsel has advised that
it would be imprudent for us to comment further at this time. It is my belief that
our press release provides a clear summary of our reasons for taking the action we
have, and this should be useful in balancing your article.
As you will no doubt be aware, we have a close and highly valuable working relationship
with the NFB. This is manifested in our regular meetings with the International Braille
and Technology Center and our active participation at NFB state and national conventions.
We value the NFB's role and function highly. Please be assured that we are not offering
any further comment to any media on this matter at this time; in no way is this a
refusal to speak specifically to an NFB publication on the matter.
In the absence of any further comment from Freedom Scientific about its lawsuit,
we reprint the press release that it offered when the action was first announced.
Here it is:
Freedom Scientific Files Patent Infringement Suit
(St. Petersburg, Florida — July 24, 2008) Freedom Scientific has taken steps to protect
one of its patented technologies by filing suit against GW Micro, Inc., according
to Dr. Lee Hamilton, president and CEO of Freedom Scientific.
“Freedom Scientific invests more in research and development than any other company
in the blindness technology industry,” said Dr. Hamilton. “We have a talented, experienced
team of developers and testers, many of whom are blind themselves. They develop innovative
solutions to the access issues faced by those with vision impairments and then turn
those ideas into products that make a difference. Along the way, Freedom Scientific
files patents to protect the investment it makes in developing new technologies.”
Freedom Scientific follows the standard business practice of filing patents for good
reason. Not filing for and then enforcing patents would stifle innovation. If Freedom
invests resources into developing new technologies only to find that other companies
can benefit from our investment at no charge to them, then there would be no incentive
to invest. Those with vision impairments would be the poorer for that in terms of
independence and employability.
This practice is by no means new in this industry. Freedom Scientific itself already
pays for the use of patented technologies pertaining specifically to assistive technology.
There you have the press release. At present this lawsuit remains at the preliminary
stages of litigation. The parties have not yet even commenced discovery. Motions
from both parties have been filed in a battle to determine the federal venue in which
this case will be tried. GW Micro would like the case moved to the federal district
court in Indiana; Freedom Scientific continues to urge that the case be tried in
the federal courts in Florida.
We will report further developments in this case as they emerge. In the meanwhile
it will be for consumers to draw their own inferences and conclusions about the ethical
and legal positions that Freedom Scientific and GW Micro have espoused and adopted
in this case. Is GW Micro being subject to legal bullying tactics from a larger and
more powerful player in the blindness access-technology field? Is Freedom Scientific
genuinely working to champion the cause of creativity and innovation for the long-term
benefit of blind consumers by suing its primary competitor in the screen-reading
software industry for infringement of its patents? Only time will tell.
End Article

Stream Newswire - New Download Resource Page

2009-01-28T08:09:00.002-06:00

I will be adding these links to the VR Stream Users site in a couple of days:

Dear Victor Reader Stream Friends:

The Victor Reader Stream, the world acclaimed accessible audio player, welcomes 2009 with a new download resource page and new software releases.

The first month of 2009 is almost complete and we want to bring you the latest news regarding Victor Reader Stream.

Firstly, a new resource page for finding download content for your Stream is now available on the Stream product and support pages.
Many of you have told us that the Internet is so vast it is difficult to know where to begin looking for content that you can download and enjoy on your Stream. To help you get started we have compiled a web page of sample Internet sources for digital books, music, podcasts as well as information about DAISY libraries. The new download resource page can be found at:
http://www.humanware.com/en-canada/support/find_content_for_stream

Here you will find sections for English, French, and German download sources as well as links to DAISY libraries.

We are also pleased to inform you that we are busy working on new software releases for both the Stream and Stream Companion. As we near the completion of these projects we will be able to confirm the new features and release date for these free software upgrades.

So stay tuned to this Stream Newswire as we will soon be able to tell you about new and fun ways to use your Stream.

Thank you ,
The HumanWare Team

Serotek to Launch Online Radio Station

2009-01-27T14:49:00.002-06:00

Looks like ACB Radio will have some competition. There's nothing wrong with that; I wish Serotek the best

From: Serotek Announcements [mailto:noreply@serotek.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 12:15 PM
To: jamiepauls@sbcglobal.net
Subject: Serotek to Launch Online Radio Station

Please do not reply to this message. If you don't wish to receive any more Serotek announcements, activate the link at the end of this message.

For Immediate Release

Media Contact:
pr@serotek.com
612.720.1068

Technical Contact :
info@serotek.com

Serotek to Launch Online Radio Station

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn - January 27, 2009 - Serotek Corporation, the leading provider of internet and digital information accessibility software and services, will launch a new online radio station this week. The station is called SAMNet Radio and can be heard from http://radio.samobile.net. The name of the station is derived from Serotek's online community, the System Access Mobile Network, or SAMNet. SAMNet Radio will air the best music of the last 40 years, the latest technology news, live and interactive voice chats, and a portal for all to know what is happening in the SAMNet community. Directed at an audience who is blind or has low vision, SAMNet Radio's slogan is "Your station, your community." The station's manager is Michael Lauf, former creator, host and producer of HandiTalk, the first interactive internet radio program to discuss the needs of the blind and visually impaired. "I'm excited to oversee a radio station that specializes in the needs and interests of the visually impaired community," said Michael Lauf, SAMNet Radio station manager, "The combination of music, home-grown podcasts, access technology news and interviews, and interactive talk shows, all on one radio station, will make us like no other entity in the world." The inaugural broadcast will stream live on Wednesday, January 28, from the Internet Café of the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) annual conference in Orlando, Florida. Those unable to attend ATIA can hear what is happening at the event and stay abreast of news announced at the show. Reactions to the first broadcast will also be discussed during the next installment of Serotalk, Serotek's podcast and interactive blog. For more information about Serotalk, visit http://www.serotalk.com. To add the RSS feed for Serotalk to your web browser, news reader or podcatcher, visit http://serotalk.c! om/feed< /a>.

Serotek Corporation
Serotek Corporation is a leading technology company that develops software and manufactures accessibility solutions under the System Access brand. Committed to the mission of providing accessibility anywhere, Serotek began with the launch of the first online community specifically designed to meet the needs of people with visual impairment. Since then, Serotek has introduced several powerful, affordable solutions that require minimal training and investment. For more information, visit www.serotek.com.

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Giving Twitter A Chance!

2009-01-25T18:18:00.002-06:00

I signed up with a Twitter account about a year ago and used it briefly, but just couldn't get into the swing of using it. Thanks to the Serotalk podcast discussed in my previous post, I decided to give it another go. After just one day, I think it is safe to say that I am hooked. I have a good friend who can't understand why anyone would text a person via cell phone when they could simply call them. As addictive as texting is, it does sound completely crazy when you try to explain it! I don't think I will even talk to my friend about Twitter!

A New Podcast In Town!

2009-01-24T17:11:00.002-06:00

It has been a long time since I've been excited about a podcast. While I still enjoy Blind Cool Tech, it isn't the podcast it used to be. Don't take me wrong; I'm not criticizing anyone for not podcasting anymore. The AccessWatch podcast went by the wayside a long time ago. Nevertheless, it is a good feeling to be excited about a new podcast the way I was when I first discovered the medium eons ago.

The podcast that is causing me to check my RSS feeds anxiously these days is the Serotalk podcast. Unlike FSCast from Freedom Scientific which I also enjoy listening to, the Serotalk podcast does not focus exclusively on one company or one screen reader. While Serotek's System Access products are understandably front and center, much of the discussion translates to whatever your screen reader of choice might happen to be at the moment.

If you haven't checked it out lately, I strongly urge you to do so.

__________

Minor But Needed Updates To AccessWatch

2009-01-24T15:56:00.002-06:00

I have just updated the AccessWatch web site to reflect the latest versions of screen readers and have added a bit of content as well. Not much new will be evident, but that will change soon.

IBM and GW Micro Join Steering Committee for Accessibility Interoperability Alliance Expanded Committee Drives Associations Strategic Mission

2008-08-18T08:11:00.003-06:00

Way to go GW. Great news!

WAKEFIELD, Mass. — August 4, 2008 — The Accessibility Interoperability Alliance (AIA), a coalition of leading information and assistive technology companies dedicated to enabling developers to more easily create accessible software, hardware and Web products, welcomes the addition of two new steering committee members: Doug Geoffray of GW Micro and Richard Schwerdtfeger of IBM.

The five-member Steering Committee guides the AIA in its mission to improve the lives of people who can benefit from accessibility technologies. The AIA accomplishes this by encouraging the enhancement of current technologies, creating new technologies, and promoting the implementation of APIs and specifications across platforms and the accessibility industry.

"We are very pleased to have Doug and Rich join the AIA leadership team. They both have a pragmatic understanding of the technical and business challenges facing the accessibility industry today, and have a long history of working across boundaries to advance the state of the art in accessibility," said Rob Sinclair, Chair of the Steering Committee and director of the Accessibility Business Unit at Microsoft. "Their technical expertise and long-standing relationships with members of the AIA make them highly valued additions to our Steering Committee. We look forward to working with them in this new capacity."

Richard Schwerdtfeger is a Distinguished Engineer, the IBM Software Group Accessibility Strategist and Architect, Chair of the IBM Accessibility Architecture Review Board, and a Master Inventor. His responsibilities include guiding the overall accessibility architecture and strategy for IBM Software Group and he participates in numerous W3C standards efforts including HTML, WAI Protocols and Formats, and Ubiquitous Web Applications. He chairs the W3C WAI-ARIA subcommittee accessibility effort for Web 2.0 applications as well as OASIS and IMS GLC Access for All accessibility standards efforts.

Doug Geoffray is co-owner of GW Micro, Inc. and leads the software development and product support groups. Geoffray has been developing assistive technology for more than 25 years. He currently oversees a team at GW Micro that focuses mainly on Window-Eyes, a leader in Windows screen readers.

About the Accessibility Interoperability Alliance (AIA)

Initiated by the accessibility industry, the AIA is a group of leading Information Technology (IT) and Assistive Technology (AT) companies, content providers, and other key engineering organizations, working to collaborate on the creation of solutions to long-standing compatibility problems that hinder the development of solutions for people with disabilities. Since its founding in 2007, AIA members have worked together to develop accessible technology for customers with disabilities. Founding members of AIA include Adobe Systems, BayFirst Solutions LLC, Microsoft, Novell Inc., Claro Software Ltd., Dolphin Computer Access, GW Micro, Inc., HiSoftware Inc., Madentec Inc., Texthelp Systems Inc. and QualiLife. More information about the AIA can be found at http://www.AccessInteropAlliance.org.

__________

Of Lawsuits and Press Releases

2008-08-15T10:41:00.001-06:00

Over the past several weeks, I have been trying to sort out my feelings concerning the lawsuit Freedom Scientific has filed against GW Micro over placemarkers on the Internet. The foremost emotion I have experienced is sadness. It is not often that a press release from a screen reader developer makes me sad. Usually, I smile when a new release of a screen reader comes out. I eagerly await the myriad of demonstrations and interviews touting new features. Occasionally I smile when a screen reader developer sponsors audio description of a TV show or participates in an episode of Home Makeover. Sadness is an emotion I experience less frequently. I dread the day that Fox News does a short piece on two screen reader developers suing one another over a feature that makes using the Internet easier for blind people. Another emotion I have been experiencing is anger—anger that we even have to talk about this at all; anger that I even care about patent infringement and HTML tags; anger that support lists are spending more time belittling the competition than dealing with real questions concerning how to use their favorite screen reader.
The last emotion I have been experiencing lately is fear. The stakes are really high for all of us—the developers and the users alike. This is no game and it’s not a TV show where everything will turn out right in the end; it’s reality in the most brutal sense of the word.
Everyone reading this probably has an opinion regarding who should or who will win this lawsuit if it ever goes to court. I am no different. I would submit for your consideration, however, the possibility that, in the end, nobody will win. That, my friends, is a truly sobering thought.

GW Micro Response to Freedom Scientific Lawsuit

2008-08-14T13:11:00.004-06:00

Fort Wayne, Indiana, August 15, 2008 -- GW Micro, Inc., a Fort Wayne, Indiana-based company dedicated to providing high quality adaptive technology solutions for blind and visually impaired individuals, announced today that it has received notice of a patent infringement lawsuit brought by Freedom Scientific, Inc., the self-described "world leader in technology-based solutions for people with visual impairments." The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court, Middle District of Florida, alleging infringement of U.S. Patent No. 6,993,707 for a "Document Placemarker." GW Micro has reviewed the claim and believes it is overreaching and not consistent with what Freedom Scientific told the Patent Office when obtaining its patent. GW Micro intends to defend itself vigorously and expects to prevail in court.

"As many of our users know, our screen reader -- Window-Eyes -- has had the capability of returning to a specific line within a webpage since version 3.1, which was released over nine years ago, well before Freedom Scientific's alleged invention," said Dan Weirich, GW Micro's Corporate President. Weirich went on to note that, "The implication in a recent Freedom Scientific press release that GW Micro is 'benefit[ing] from [Freedom Scientific's] investment at no charge' is simply not accurate nor in line with GW Micro's tradition of success and fair play." Finally, Weirich concluded, "We will aggressively defend both our legal position and our place in the assistive technology community."

Daniel R. Weirich
GW Micro, Inc.
725 Airport North Office Park
Fort Wayne, IN 46825
ph 260-489-3671
www.gwmicro.com

Review added for AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition version 8.0.1 build 100

2008-08-06T14:41:00.002-06:00

Review added for AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition version 8.0.1 build
100

This is an alert to let you know that emerson has just added a review for
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition version 8.0.1 build 100. You may read it by
using the following link:
http://www.accesswatch.info/reviewdisplay.php?pid=0000000210

Special announcement from Bibles for the Blind

2008-08-06T11:17:00.003-06:00

-----Original Message-----
From: blindattic-bounces@blindtreasures.com
[mailto:blindattic-bounces@blindtreasures.com] On Behalf Of Keith Reedy
Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2008 11:04 AM
To: blindattic@blindtreasures.com
SubjSpecial announcement from Bibles for the Blind,our BRF
files are now on our site for free download.

We are pleased to announce that the BRF files that we have used to
create hard copy braille our now on our website.

The KJV Bible, 17 BRF files, The daily devotional My Utmost for His
Highest by Oswald Chambers 4 BRF files and more. For details see:
www.biblesfortheblind.org

Keith Reedy

Stream News Wire: Software 2.0 Re-Release

2008-07-14T12:47:00.002-06:00

Dear Victor Reader Customer:

This is to announce that the re-release of Stream 2.0 is now available for download. The new version is 2.0.6 and can be downloaded from:
http://www.humanware.com/en-canada/support/vr_stream_software

There you will find 3 choices for the English version 2.0 with Samantha, Tom, or Daniel text-to-speech voices. The Release Notes for 2.0.6 are the same as for the original version 2.0.3 and are also available on the above page. The Release Notes explain how to install the software and list in detail all new features and improvements. Briefly,to install follow these steps:

- Download the software zip file from the above link

- Unzip the single UPG upgrade file from the zip file. You do not need special unzip software. Simply press Enter to open the zip file and you can then select the UPG file.

- Copy this UPG file to the root of your Stream SD card.

- Disconnect the Stream from the computer, connect it to AC power and turn it on.

- The Stream will automatically start the update process which takes about 1 minute during which time it will announce intermittent "please Wait" messages. The Stream will power off when the new software is installed.

- You may then remove the UPG file from the SD card.

After the new software is installed, the Release Notes document will also be available in a HumanWare sub-folder of your Text Bookshelf so you may read the Release Notes with your Stream. It is in html format on the Stream so you can navigate it by any of heading levels 1, 2, or 3.

This version corrects the issues with NISO e-text talking book formats where Fast Forward was causing the Stream to shutdown and where page navigation was not working. Examples of NISO e-text books are the Stream built-in User Guide, NFB newspapers, and Bookshare.org books.

Following are important points regarding this new version 2.0.6 release.

1. Audible Bookmarks
For future improvements, Audible has changed their playback engine and this new engine is included in Version 2.0. It does not affect how you listen or navigate in Audible books but it required a change to the way Stream identifies Audible books in the Stream's bookmark database. This will result in the loss of reading position and bookmarks saved in version 1.2. Prior to installing you may wish to note the elapsed reading time position in your Audible books so after installing you can then use the Go To Time function to quickly return to your reading position. Subsequent Audible book reading positions and bookmarks will be maintained.

2. INFO key Announcement of SD Space Remaining
After the original 2.0.3 release , we received reports that SD space remaining does not report correctly on all cards. We investigated this and found that some cards have incorrect value for total space usage but it is not clear why. It is related to Windows and/or Linux not updating this value after adding or removing files. We left the feature in as it seems to report accurately in most cases. It is not specific to any brand of card or size of card. We were able to correct one card by reformatting and re-transferring the files but it is not clear this is always the solution. Also, if the space used has an incorrect value it does not appear there is any other problem with the data on the card. We will investigate an alternative method to reporting SD space for a future release.

3. Recording Audio Bookmarks
In Stream 2.0 there is a bug whereby audio bookmarks can only be recorded by pressing and holding the Record key while you voice your recording. The single press at start of recording and second press at end of recording does not work. . This will be corrected on the next version. For recording audio notes, both methods still work.

We appreciate your patience over the past two weeks while we addressed the NISO text book playback issues and we hope you will enjoy the many new features and improvements in version 2.0.6.

Thank you,

The HumanWare Team

Reviews For UK Audio Network version n/a

2008-07-04T09:33:00.000-06:00

Reviews For UK Audio Network version n/a
Average Rating: 5 Based On 2 Reviews
Date: June 21, 2007, 7:36:17pm
user:
jajoehl
computer: Dell Pentium
operating system: Windows XP Service Pack 2
screen reader: JAWS for Windows version 8.0, NVDA version 0.5, SA to Go beta
rating: 5
comments: The UK Audio Network is a fun and interactive website containing lots of
games. These include trivia, Name That Tune, and several other great games. You will
also find accessible greeting cards, radio stations, and a whole host of other fun
things to pass the time. This website is totally self-voicing and does not require
the use of a screen reader. The UK Audio Network is located at
http://www.pressakey.net.
Have fun!
Date: July 04, 2008, 10:17:26am
user:
blake
computer: home-built computer, Intel Pentium 4, 1.8ghz processor, 1GB RAM
operating system: Windows XP Pro
screen reader: jaws 9.0
rating: 5
comments: I agree with everything the previous reviewer stated. In addition, the
UK Audio Network also offers audio-described movies, radio drama and blind sports
events. A recently added feature I like is the audiobook section, wich offers audio
versions of books in the public domain (books whose copyright has expired. Example:
Aesop's Fables.
accesswatch review system custom -designed by
Tyson Treasure