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Top Tech Tidbits. The world's #1 online resource for current news and trends in adaptive technology. Masthead logo includes title as well as five stylized access logos, clockwise a long cane user, enlarged print, fingers signing interpreter, full braille cell, hearing aid user.

 

 

 


ARCHIVE / 2012:


  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 385

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, December 27, 2012 - Volume 385
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: One Gently Used Focus 40 Blue 1st Generation Braille Terminal for USD $1,195.00!!!
Photo of the Focus 40 Blue And the Braille Display deals just keep on coming as we wrap up 2012. Flying Blind, LLC is pleased to offer one lucky recipient a Focus 40-Cell Bluetooth Braille Terminal for a price approximately 60% off of its suggested retail price! This Braille Display is a perfect fit for the individual who prefers the globally acclaimed Jaws for Windows screenreading software for their desktop needs and Voiceover for their iOS device. This Braille display offers ergonomic input / output capabilities bundled with both USB and Bluetooth connectivity options. Unit has been used primarily by sighted service providers as a means of demonstrating refreshable Braille on an occasional basis. This is an unbeatable price for a Braille display that can do it all! Price includes shipping within the 48 Continental United States, and this unit will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. For more information, email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today!

Greetings,

1) The flurry of technology retrospective programs for 2012 is beginning. Both Viewpoints and Serotalk will be giving us one, and Main Menu's two-hour special of the year in review will air on GMT Saturday, 29 December at 01:00.
http://www.acbradio.org/mainstream

2) The people behind RS Games, the free cross-platform client for audio games that work on PC, Mac and Linux, have released two new games, Farkle and Rummy.
http://www.rsgames.org/

3) Brian Hartgen has created "A Guide for Configuring Outlook with JAWS":
http://www.hartgen.org/node/188

4) This Apple Accessibility page is said to be new, and provides a thorough collection of resources.
http://www.apple.com/support/accessibility/

5) This CNet article is called "Windows 8: What you need to know about the new OS":
http://reviews.cnet.com/windows-8/

6) CNet also brings us "Three reasons a Windows 8 Laptop Leads, MacBook Lags":
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57558035-75/three-reasons-a-windows-8-laptop-leads-macbook-lags/

7) Upgrades to two DAISY book creation tools have been announced: Tobi V. 2.0 and DAISY Pipeline 2 V. 1.4.
http://www.daisy.org/daisy-news#newsitem1209

8) In podcasts:

Episode 13 of That Android Show is a comprehensive look at the Nexus 7, and includes a mini-tutorial on android navigation among other features.
http://thatandroidshow.com/2012/12/23/that-android-show-episode-13-a-long-look-at-the-nexus-7/

Episode 13 of Triple Click Home is ready.
http://tripleclickhome.com/2012/12/25/triple-click-home-episode-13-we-win/

Episode 11 of @AccessTalk covers Windows 8 and Microsoft Surface, the Nexus 4, thoughts on the Trekker Breeze, and more:
http://AccessTalk.co.uk

And from AppleVis:

Get Hooked on Books with Nook for iOS:
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/get-hooked-books-nook-ios#comment-8405

Sweeten up your virtual life with Cupcakes!
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/sweeten-your-virtual-life-cupcakes

Create and Share Tasty Virtual Popcorn Treats on Your iDevice, with More Popcorn!
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/create-and-share-tasty-virtual-popcorn-treats-your-idevice-more-popcorn

New Podcast: AIRS-LA: A Streaming Audio Service for the Print-Impaired:
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/airs-la-streaming-audio-service-print-impaired-audio-internet-reading-service-los

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 384

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, December 20, 2012 - Volume 384
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: One Refurbished BrailleConnect 24 Refreshable Braille Terminal for $1,500.00 USD!!!
Photo of the BrailleConnect 24 That's right, Flying Blind, LLC is offering this gently used rarity at a fantastic price, and just in time for the holiday. This wireless, 24-cell Braille input/output solution marries pocket-sized access with desktop functionality. It is also worth mentioning that the one and only Stevie Wonder was the original purchaser of this unit, so you'll be giving a home to a one-of-a-kind Braille display that has been in the hands of a modern-day virtuoso and living legend! This BrailleConnect 24 is in fantastic shape, and is the perfect solution for a person who uses a desktop PC, and a portable i-device. Price includes shipping and this unit will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. For more information, or to purchase this unit, email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today! Happy Holidays from the Team at Flying Blind,LLC!

Greetings,

1) I (Dean Martineau) am part of a screening committee helping a donor wishing to donate adaptive technology to one or more K-12 students who will use it well and who would not otherwise be able to obtain it. This offer is not limited to students in the US. Approximately $3,000.00 USD worth of equipment can be made available, which can cover the price of some braille displays, laptops, tablets and reading devices. There is a preference for providing braille hardware, but all requests will be considered. If you have, or are, a student who meets the criteria of potential effective use and genuine inability to obtain the equipment any other way, write to dean@topdotenterprises.com describing the student and his or her equipment needs, concisely but thoroughly. This will be an informal and fairly rapid process. If the right candidate(s) are found, they obviously will not receive their new technology on Christmas, but they might be able to know it is coming, and should receive it in January.

2) The DAISY Consortium announces that Obi 2.5 has been Released, allowing users to "Create DAISY Compliant Audio Books with Rich Navigation":
http://www.daisy.org/daisy-news#newsitem1204

3) A few years ago, the December and January issues of FSCast were taken up by a well-constructed two-part tutorial on the use of iTunes with JAWS, also quite useful to users of other Windows screen readers. Now, with the release of iTunes 11, history is repeating itself, and the first part of the current two-part tutorial formed the content of the December, 2012 issue of FSCast:
http://www.freedomscientific.com/FSCast/episodes/fscast073-december2012.asp

4) Access Technology Institute has release its $80 textbook, "An Immersion into Windows 8 with JAWS for Windows":
http://www.blindtraining.com/shop/win8-jfw.htm

5) What are the best and most influential products released in 2012, according to CNET?
http://www.cnet.com/8301-33506_1-57557848-306/galaxy-s3-beats-iphone-5-for-best-device-of-2012/

6) The December 2012 issue of AccessWorld contains reviews of the Candy and Candy Grip Hand-held Video Magnifiers from HIMS, Inc., The "iBill Second-Generation US Currency Identifier", the "Nest Thermostat" and more:
http://www.afb.org/aw/main.asp

7) Another no-frills search engine you can use in case you think Google is getting too complicated:
http://startpage.com/

8) This Lifehacker article is called "Top 10 Handy iOS Tweaks That Don't Require Jailbreaking":
http://lifehacker.com/5968627/top-10-handy-ios-tweaks-that-dont-require-jailbreaking?utm_campaign=socialflow_lifehacker_twitter&utm_source=lifehacker_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

9) For some dramatic audio stories, visit:
https://donnajodhan.com/

10) There's a new app for iOS to help people learn VoiceOver. It's called VoStarter. Read about it, with some feedback, here:
http://www.fredshead.info/2012/12/learning-how-to-use-voiceover-with.html

11) Here is a direct link to a presentation about Android given at the Computer Center for Visually Impaired Persons at Baruch College:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ccvipdemo

12) In podcast updates:

You can follow the "How to be Blind Roundtable Podcast" here:
http://htb2.com/

There are now nearly twenty podcasts on the AppleVis site with David Woodbridge demonstrating various features of the Mac:
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/tags/mac-os-x

Join David Woodbridge on a Tour of his iPhone's Home Screen:
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/join-david-woodbridge-tour-his-iphones-home-screen

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 383

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, December 13, 2012 - Volume 383
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Three Refurbished HumanWare Smartview 360s + Rolling Carrying Case for only $900.00 USD Each!!!
Photo of the HumanWare Smartview 360 Flying Blind, LLC is excited to share some unparalleled holiday cheer with its low-vision subscribers this week. This versatile video magnifier boasts an easy to manipulate camera for desktop and distance viewing, making it the perfect companion for students, professionals, and seniors. It takes up less space than two sheets of paper, has an integrated 19-inch monitor, and offers true color and contrast modes for up close and distance viewing. Make school, work, or home related tasks easy on the eyes by opting for this gently-used, simple, but powerful solution that is also easy on the holiday budget! You save over $1,300.00 USD by purchasing one of these gems today, each of which ships for free in the continental US with its optional rolling carrying case, at no extra charge. For more information, email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107. At this ridiculously unheard-of low holiday price, act fast, before these three units become gifts for someone else!

Greetings,

1) Window-Eyes version 8 is now officially released, featuring much-improved web navigation, the ability to boot into safe mode, support for Windows 8, and much more:
http://www.gwmicro.com/Window-Eyes/Latest_Features/

2) You can now buy Vocalizer voices for Window-Eyes. Sample them here:
http://www.gwmicro.com/voices/

3) CAVI is finishing up its first audio editing course, with another one due to start in February. Students completed final editing projects. One student put together a production at once insightful, hilarious and technically competent, depicting different screen readers courting her favor. This is the direct link:
http://t.co/TY54gzxo

4) Speaking of CAVI, they will offer a free "CAVI Cast" entitled "Vocational Rehabilitation for the Blind in the United States", GMT Monday, 17 December at 00:00. For these events, they use Team Talk, in the room:
http://tt.cucat.org

A guide for setting up Team Talk for use in CAVI activities can be found at:
http://www.cucat.org/wiki/index.php?n=Main.SettingUpTeamtalk

5)Amazon has claimed it is adding accessibility features to its Kindle Fire. The NFT AT blog offers cogent reasons to dispute this assertion:
https://nfb.org/blog/atblog/amazon-why-do-you-keep-burning-blind-readers

6) Apple has released iTunes version 11, which seems to work well with most adaptive technology, especially the Mac. Here we have "21 Useful iTunes 11 Keyboard Shortcuts":
http://osxdaily.com/2012/12/07/useful-itunes-keyboard-shortcuts/

7) The WGBH / National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM) has produced a free e-book, "Creating Accessible iBooks Textbooks with iBooks Author":
http://ncam.wgbh.org/about/news/creating-accessible-ibooks

8) Braille Sonar is a new iOS app that serves as a reference guide to contracted Braille and Nemeth code symbols. This is the iTunes link:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/braille-sonar/id577954633?mt=8

9) Code Factory announces Mobile Accessibility version 2.0 for Android, offering access to Jelly Bean on tablets, two new apps for increased productivity and some improvement in Braille support:
http://www.codefactory.es/MA/en/MA_manual_en.html

10) EASI offers a free webinar, "IMS Access for All version 3: Accessibility Through Personalization" on Monday, 17 December at 19:00 GMT. To register, go to:
http://easi.cc/clinic.htm

To learn what they'll be talking about, go to:
http://www.imsglobal.org/accessibility/

11) Learn about the new features and structure of the NLS BARD website in the US on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 18 December at 00:00 in the Pat Price Training Room. Archives of this and earlier presentations are also available here:
http://www.accessibleworld.org/

12) Here's a rundown of the latest podcasts:

From Ireland, the November Technology Podcast from NICB:
http://www.ncbi.ie/news/technology-podcast-november-2012

Web Axe Podcast #96 is entitled WordPress, Events. You can read a transcript or listen to it.
http://www.webaxe.org/podcast-96-wordpress-events/

Viewpoints, planning to have its name changed to Eyes on Success once the new year rolls around, gives us an episode on the present and future of NVDA.
http://ViewPointsPlus.net/vp_1250_podcast.mp3

Two new episodes of the Tech Doctor Blog and Podcast are on the site, one, a talk Robert Carter gave entitled "An Accessible Life for the Visually Impaired," and the other on Accessible Books.
http://www.dr-carter.com/

Finally, an AppleVis podcast on a promising Twitter app for iOS, Twitterrific 5 for Twitter
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/applevis-extra-4-twitterrific-5-twitter#comment-7976

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 382

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, December 6, 2012 - Volume 382
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Refurbished BrailleNote mPower32s with Braille Keyboards for $1,945.00 USD!!!
Photo of the BrailleNote mPower 32 That's right -- Flying Blind, LLC is most thankful to have a few of these reconditioned 32 Cell BrailleNote mPower 32s for sale on a weekend where it's considered fashionable to spend money on tremendous bargains!!! Each unit has been tested, verified, and equipped with the latest version of the Keysoft software for the mPower, and ships with a 30 day warranty. For the past 12 years the BrailleNote family of products have revolutionized the means by which we portably manage information. So why not be the proud owner of a notetaker which sets standards in the industry at a price you can afford? Price includes shipping within the Continental United States and all available units will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. For more information, or to order one of these gently used gems before it's too late, email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today. Act now while there's still time!!!

Greetings,

1) Here is an article comparing iOS and Android from the author's perspective.
http://joeorozco.com/blog_iphone_vs_android

2) The ZoomReader App now supports the iPad Retina Display and the latest iPod. Watch a video about this here:
http://youtu.be/3wH1yJcNO3I

And get more information here:
http://www.aisquared.com/news/more/zoomreader_for_all_ios_devices/

3) Here are three links regarding WordPress accessibility:

WordPress Core Accessibility Updates:
http://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/2012/11/26/core-accessibility-updates/

Accessible WordPress Themes:
http://wp-accessible.org/themes/

Accessibility with WordPress - Accessing Higher Ground 2012:
http://deboraheo.posterous.com/accessibility-with-wordpress-accessing-higher

4) This article by Brian Hartgen is called "The advantages of owning an iPad."
http://www.hartgen.org/node/183

5) This NFB AT blog post is called "Low vision and books (and a few other things) on the iPad Mini and the Nexus 7"
https://nfb.org/blog/atblog/low-vision-and-books-and-few-other-things-ipad-mini-and-nexus-7

And this one discusses the "Nook App for iOS":
https://nfb.org/blog/atblog/nook-app-ios

6) Here are some informative AppleVis "Guide" Posts:

Learn How To Visualise iOS Apps:
http://www.applevis.com/guides/ios/learn-how-visualise-ios-apps

Obtaining the iTunes Store link to an App:
http://www.applevis.com/guides/gaming/obtaining-itunes-store-link-app

The all new iTunes 11 and using it with VoiceOver.
http://www.applevis.com/guides/itunes-software/all-new-itunes-11-and-using-it-voice-over

How to Access AutoCorrect Suggestions in iOS When Using a Bluetooth Keyboard:
http://www.applevis.com/guides/accessories/how-access-autocorrect-suggestions-ios-when-using-bluetooth-keyboard

7) iTunes Version 11 is out, and From Cult of Mac comes the article "The Ultimate List Of iTunes 11 Tips, Tricks And Changes"
http://www.cultofmac.com/203679/the-ultimate-list-of-itunes-11-tips-tricks-and-changes-roundup/?utm_medium=twit&utm_campaign=spread-us

8) Some of the latest Applevis podcasts include:

Stem Stumper: An Accessible Puzzle Game for iOS:
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/stem-stumper-accessible-puzzle-game-ios

MacBook Air: Unboxing and Initial Setup with VoiceOver Assistance:
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/macbook-air-unboxing-and-initial-setup-voiceover-assistance

Westminster Chimes: Turn your iOS Device into a Chiming Clock
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/westminster-chimes-turn-your-ios-device-chiming-clock

Get Hooked on Books with Nook for iOS
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/get-hooked-books-nook-ios

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 381

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, November 29, 2012 - Volume 381
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Refurbished BrailleNote mPower32s with Braille Keyboards for $1,945.00 USD!!!
Photo of the BrailleNote mPower 32 That's right -- Flying Blind, LLC is most thankful to have a few of these reconditioned 32 Cell BrailleNote mPower 32s for sale on a weekend where it's considered fashionable to spend money on tremendous bargains!!! Each unit has been tested, verified, and equipped with the latest version of the Keysoft software for the mPower, and ships with a 30 day warranty. For the past 12 years the BrailleNote family of products have revolutionized the means by which we portably manage information. So why not be the proud owner of a notetaker which sets standards in the industry at a price you can afford? Price includes shipping within the Continental United States and all available units will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. For more information, or to order one of these gently used gems before it's too late, email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today. Act now while there's still time!!!

Greetings,

1) For many, the most exciting tech news of the week is that now, buying, downloading and reading books and magazines using the Nook App from Barnes & Noble is fully accessible on the iPhone, iPad and iPod.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/nook-for-ipad-iphone-ipod-touch/379003589

2) David Woodbridge has produced numerous clear podcasts detailing use of the Mac, but they haven't always been easy to find. On this site, you can find them by category, for instance, "Mountain Lion," or by date in the archive. Basic Mac and VoiceOver podcasts are in the April, 2011 archive; Lion-related podcasts are in the July, 2011 archive, and Mountain Lion casts are in the July, 2012 archive.
http://davidwoodbr.podbean.com/

3) From the TechKnowMore Blog of RNIB comes the post "Navigating the Windows 8 Start Screen with the Keyboard".
http://www.rnib.org.uk/livingwithsightloss/computersphones/updates/techknowmore/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?List=338a9817-aaef-4ff4-9063-9175534b70d0&ID=133

4) National Braille Press has released a $6 booklet available in paper Braille, downloadable Braille, CD Braille or Word, entitled "The Quick Guide to iMessaging".
http://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/IMESSAGE.html

5) The AbleGamers Foundation has Released its 2012 Accessible Holiday Gift Guide.
http://www.ablegamers.com/Disabled-Gamers-General-News/ablegamers-holiday-gift-guide-for-disabled-gamers-2012.html

6) Check out recorded webinars by SSBBART Group on a variety of web accessibility topics.
https://www.ssbbartgroup.com/reference/index.php/Webinar_Recordings

7) Try this simplified search engine, created in reaction to Google's growing complexity.
http://duckduckgo.com

8) On Main Menu on GMT Saturday, 1 December, we hear from John Martyn about his JAWS scripts for many applications including Rhapsody, iTunes, Spotify, and more. Then, David Tanner brings us a demo of using charms in Windows 8. It airs first at 01:00 on ACB Radio Mainstream.
http://www.acbradio.org/mainstream

And then it is archived on the website at:
http://mainmenu.acbradio.org

9) Learn about the Plextalk PTN2 player on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 4 December at 01:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

10) Jackie McBride will offer a free webinar to those who haven't yet signed up for a Paypal account, & who might feel somewhat intimidated about doing so. Emphasis will be on setting up a personal as opposed to a business account. She can accommodate 100 attendees, and the one-hour session will take place on GMT Saturday, 1 December at 21:00 GMT. If you want to attend, or find out about procuring a recording of the session if one becomes available, write to her at:
abletec@gmail.com

11) EASI offers two free webinars: "IMS Access for All Version 3: Accessibility Through Personalization" on Monday, 17 December at 19:00 GMT, and "Updating the Accessibility of Adobe Digital Editions E-Reader" on Tuesday, 18 December at 19:00 GMT, and a four-part, fee-based series, "Simple Multimedia using PowerPoint, Lecshare Wizard and Camtasia" starting Thursday, 13 December.
http://easi.cc/clinic.htm

12) A good variety of podcasts have become available in the past week or so.

There are two New Tech Doctor podcasts: "Apple Accessibility From the Early Days to Now with Darcy Burnard" and "An Accessible Life for the Visually Impaired".
http://www.dr-carter.com/

ViewPoints 1248 Displaying Graphs in Audio.
http://ViewPointsPlus.net/vp_1248_podcast.mp3

Google Voice and Obihai Equals Phone Service.
http://www.mysticplacepodcast.com/audio/mp45obitalk.mp3

Spread the Magic of the Season with a Free, Personalized Video Message from Magic Santa
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/spread-magic-season-free-personalized-video-message-magic-santa

Music Generating Apps for iOS that Emulate the Theremin
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/music-generating-apps-ios-emulate-theremin

Facebook for iOS: An Introductory Overview
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/facebook-ios-introductory-overview

YouPlayer: Not Just Another YouTube App for iOS... this one Claims Full VoiceOver Support!
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/youplayer-not-just-another-youtube-app-ios-its-one-claims-full-voiceover-support

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 380

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, November 22, 2012 - Volume 380
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Refurbished BrailleNote mPower32s with Braille Keyboards for $1,945.00 USD!!!
Photo of the BrailleNote mPower 32 That's right -- Flying Blind, LLC is most thankful to have a few of these reconditioned 32 Cell BrailleNote mPower 32s for sale on a weekend where it's considered fashionable to spend money on tremendous bargains!!! Each unit has been tested, verified, and equipped with the latest version of the Keysoft software for the mPower, and ships with a 30 day warranty. For the past 12 years the BrailleNote family of products have revolutionized the means by which we portably manage information. So why not be the proud owner of a notetaker which sets standards in the industry at a price you can afford? Price includes shipping within the Continental United States and all available units will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. For more information, or to order one of these gently used gems before it's too late, email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today. Act now while there's still time!!!

Greetings,

We open this issue wishing a Happy Thanksgiving to all of our readers in the United States.

1) This AFB page lists Scholarships and Grants for Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired and not from AFB.
http://www.afb.org/section.aspx?DocumentID=1845

2) Creators of the NFB AT Blog continue to explore the accessibility, or lack of it, of the Nook Tablet.
https://nfb.org/blog/atblog/nook-tablet-sequel-plot-thickens

3) Freedom scientific has updated its schedule of free webinars.
http://www.freedomscientific.com/training/Free-Webinars.asp

And paid webinars
http://www.freedomscientific.com/training/Paid-Webinars.asp

4) In a miscellany of Windows 8 news items, listen to the SPN Windows 8 special from Serotalk.
http://serotalk.com/2012/11/14/come-join-us-for-a-discussion-of-windows-8/

This article from Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox is entitled "Windows 8's Disappointing Usability for Both Novice & Power Users".
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/windows-8.html

But then, we have the article: "10 Awesome Improvements For Desktop Users in Windows 8" from HowToGeek.
http://www.howtogeek.com/128123/10-awesome-improvements-for-desktop-users-in-windows-8/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=051112&utm_content=emailsidebar

You can Download the "Windows 8 Accessibility Tutorial Guide" from the Official Microsoft Download Center.
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35751&utm_source=buffer&buffer_share=0edba

And finally in this department, from Matthew Starkie, a post containing a link to a PDF on Windows 8 Shortcut Keys and a few tips on creating your own.
http://blogs.technet.com/b/matthew_starkie/archive/2012/11/21/windows-8-shortcut-keys.aspx

5) From MacTrast comes the article "How to Back Up Your Mac: Our Complete Guide".
http://www.mactrast.com/2012/11/tips-for-backing-up-your-mac/

6) On Main Menu for GMT Saturday 24 November, you will hear about JAWS 14, the MiniGuide mobility aid, and the Reminders app in Mountain Lion. Listen to the program at 02:00 GMT and for the next 24 hours at:
http://www.acbradio.org/mainstream

Or get it from the archive later at:
http://mainmenu.acbradio.org/

7) The five-lesson, $49 course "Working with Job Seekers Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired" is now available in the AFB e-learning center.
http://www2.afb.org/store/product.asp?sku=EWEBJOBACCOM&mscssid=69PGENME16X59LN1MWBEV5R83RRE8SB0

8) The people at Pearson Higher Education have written a post to the NFB AT blog.
https://nfb.org/blog/atblog/note-pearson-higher-education

9) From the Penny Arcade Report comes the article "The PA Report - Gaming is challenging for disabled gamers, but a new document provides both awareness and solutions."
http://penny-arcade.com/report/editorial-article/gaming-is-challenging-for-disabled-gamers-but-a-new-document-provides-both

10) Remember that you can find free Window-Eyes-related webinars on topics from iTunes to social networking and beyond at:
http://www.gwmicro.com/Training/Webinar_Training/

11) From the blog of Rob Margel you can download the Office 365 Accessibility Fact Sheet.
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/robmar/archive/2012/11/19/download-office-365-accessibility-fact-sheet.aspx

12) Learn about backing up your address book and favorites in Windows 7 and about a little-known way to restore files you may have inadvertently deleted, on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 27 November at 01:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

13) Plenty of podcasts this time around.

There's the 2012 SPN Holiday Review Special where presenters discuss and demonstrate their favorite gift items.
http://serotalk.com/2012/11/21/2012-spn-holiday-review-special/

Three podcasts about an intriguing iOS App, BossJock, that turns your iPhone into a portable mixer, can be found on the Blind World Blog and Podcast page.
http://blindworldblog.blogspot.com/

And an AudioBoo demonstrating the same program is at:
http://audioboo.fm/boos/1061860-demonstration-of-the-bossjock-studio-iphone-app-bossjockapp

Then there's Triple Click Home, Episode 12.
http://tripleclickhome.com/2012/11/20/triple-click-home-episode-12-blind-people-gotta-rock/

From AppleVis, we hear about The AQ SmartSpeaker, a Portable Wireless Speaker with AirPlay Support.
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/aq-smartspeaker-portable-wireless-speaker-airplay-support

And Phone Drive: Use Your iOS Device as a Portable Wireless Flash Drive.
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/phone-drive-use-your-ios-device-portable-wireless-flash-drive

14) The webinar "Out of Sight, Not Out of Mind: Advances in Vision Rehabilitation - A Multidisciplinary View" is available for $25 from the AFB E-Learning Center. It discusses the most recent information available about the causes and treatment of AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration), concise and informational overviews of the effects of aging on vision, the emotional and psychological components of vision loss, and the integration of the individual's psychological recovery into low vision services delivery.
http://www2.afb.org/store/product.asp?sku=EVREHABWEBARCHIVE&mscssid=F8DE6B18XAW49G1UK1CNSMPWV63PAK7E

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 379

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, November 15, 2012 - Volume 379
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Two Refurbished BrailleConnect 40 Cell Braille Displays For $1,995.00 USD Each!!!
Photo of the BrailleConnect 40 That's right! Flying Blind, LLC is selling a couple of gently used BrailleConnect 40 Cell Braille Terminals for 1,995.00 USD each -- that's approximately $3,000.00 USD off of their suggested list prices!!! These Braille displays offer USB and Bluetooth connectivity to all of today's desktop and portable Windows and Apple computers and handheld devices. Its Braille input keys make wireless data entry into devices with a touch screen both effortless and efficient. These displays come with a one year warranty and will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. For more information, email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today. Act now before it's too late to score on this ridiculously fantastic bargain!!!

Greetings,

1) This is a Microsoft page documenting Narrator under Windows 8, with links to other Windows 8 information.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/hear-text-read-aloud-with-narrator

2) The Braille Plus 18 is now actually out. It is the first Android device designed specifically for students and adults who are Braille users. Learn about it on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 20 November at 01:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

3) Belarc Advisor is a well-respected, fully accessible program that does a Free Personal PC Audit, for software, hardware, and security configuration information on your computer. A new version is out giving information about missing Adobe and Java security updates among other information.
http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

4) Text Browser is a Google Script powered way to browse the web with only text.
http://orig.lifehacker.com/5957700/text-browser-is-a-google-script-powered-way-to-browse-the-web-with-only-text?utm_campaign=socialflow_lifehacker_twitter&utm_source=lifehacker_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

5) Here are several posts on web accessibility from the Humanising Technology Blog.
http://www.nomensa.com/blog/category/web-accessibility/

6) NVDASR 2012.3 is here, with 30 new features and 50 fixes.
http://www.nvda-project.org/blog/NVDA2012.3Released

7) This article is entitled "A Guide to Making the Switch from Using a Windows Screen Reader to VoiceOver on a Mac".
http://www.applevis.com/guides/guide-making-switch-using-windows-screen-reader-voiceover-mac

8) Amazon Prime users can borrow one book per month for free reading. The Kindle is generally inaccessible, but Lisa Salinger outlines a way screen reader users can take advantage of this feature.
http://lisasalinger.com/links/Tips.html

9) IDEAL Reader is a fully accessible eBook Reader for Android. The app is in beta now, and supports books in Epub2 and Epub3 format, with support for Daisy2 and Daisy3 coming.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.easyaccess.epubreader

10) The webinar "Out of Sight, Not Out of Mind: Advances in Vision Rehabilitation - A Multidisciplinary View" is available for $25 from the AFB E-Learning Center. It discusses the most recent information available about the causes and treatment of AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration), concise and informational overviews of the effects of aging on vision, the emotional and psychological components of vision loss, and the integration of the individual's psychological recovery into low vision services delivery.
http://www2.afb.org/store/product.asp?sku=EVREHABWEBARCHIVE&mscssid=F8DE6B18XAW49G1UK1CNSMPWV63PAK7E

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 378

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, November 8, 2012 - Volume 378
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: 3 BrailleSense Notetakers for $1,695.00 USD each!!!
Photo of the Braille Sense Plus Notetaker Flying Blind, LLC is currently offering 3 BrailleSense notetakers manufactured by Hims for the unbeatable price of $1,695.00 USD each! Each device comes with a 90-day manufacturer warranty. We currently have 1 (One) BrailleSense Classic with Braille Keyboard, and 2 (Two) BrailleSense Plus with a QWERTY keyboard. These gently-used robust solutions are the perfect companion for the Braille user wishing to organize their life at a most affordable price, which also includes shipping within the Continental United States. For more information, email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today. All units will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis, so act now while supplies last!

Greetings,

1) We'll put the listing of recent podcasts first this time around:

An Introduction to the New Apple Maps App in iOS
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/introduction-new-apple-maps-app-ios-6

Demonstration of the iPad Mini
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/demonstration-ipad-mini

Pandora Radio: Create Your Own Personalized Radio Station
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/pandora-radio-create-your-own-personalized-radio-station

iTunes Tutorial #6: Manually Transferring a Podcast File to your iDevice
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/itunes-tutorial-6-manually-transferring-podcast-file-your-idevice

iTunes Tutorial #7: Connecting Your iDevice and Synchronize for the First Time
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/itunes-tutorial-7-connecting-your-idevice-and-synchronize-first-time

iTunes Tutorial #8: Updating to the Latest Version of iOS Via your Computer
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/itunes-tutorial-8-updating-latest-version-ios-your-computer

iTunes Tutorial #9: Transferring iOS Apps Between Libraries
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/itunes-tutorial-9-transferring-ios-apps-between-libraries

FSCast #71, Interview with a Blind Travel Agent
http://www.freedomscientific.com/FSCast/episodes/fscast071-october2012.asp

New Tech Doctor podcast "Amazon Kindle Accessibility"
http://www.dr-carter.com/

SeroTalk Podcast #131
http://serotalk.com/2012/11/05/serotalk-podcast-131-little-swipey-places/

2) The November, 2012 issue of AccessWorld includes reviews of the Plextalk PTN2 and the Fleksy App, an article on Navigating Online Shopping Websites with a Screen Reader, The AccessWorld Holiday Gift Guide 2012, Tips for navigating airports as a blind person, Results of a survey on the accessibility of travel sites, and more.
http://www.afb.org/aw/main.asp

3) If you were planning to buy a BrailleNote or BrailleSense product, and you buy it through Sendero by the end of the year, you get their GPS free.
http://www.senderogroup.com

4) The American Foundation for the Blind has been offering the free online course, Bridging the Gap: Best Practices for Instructing Adults Who Are Visually Impaired and Have Low Literacy Skills, for the past eight years. They will discontinue it for revision at the end of the year. If you want to take it before this happens, you need to register by December 1.
http://www.afb.org

5) AFB offers a four-part series of low-vision technology webinars. They can be purchased for $25 each or $65 for the series.
http://www2.afb.org/store/product.asp?sku=ETECHWEBSERIES&mscssid=UTVXVTFTL5BU8MCEXXPFRCAJS51R5CQ4

6) A textbook on JAWS 14 and Internet Explorer 9 is now available for $80.
http://www.blindtraining.com/shop/msie-jfw14.htm

7) Those living in Europe, India, Australia or New Zealand who meet the qualifications may be able to become a certified trainer for Kathy Ann Murtha's organization. She is expanding into offering training in those regions. Send a resume to:
cathy@blihdtraining.com

And fill out the application located at:
http://www.attrainers.com/trainer_application.php

8) The second installment of Stocking Stuffers, holiday gift-giving ideas, will air on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 13 November at 01:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

9) Here is a series of webinars on web accessibility from the University of Hawaii:
http://www.media.cds.hawaii.edu/?page_id=61

10) Blogs of Joe Orozco and the NFB Technology Center contain reviews of the Microsoft Surface RT running Narrator, and both come to very similar conclusions. Here is Joe's review:
http://joeorozco.com/blog_microsoft_surface_from_a_blind_perspective

And the AT Blog:
https://nfb.org/blog/atblog/microsoft-surface-rt

11) The AT Blog also offers a brief dismissal of the Kindle Paper White:
https://nfb.org/blog/atblog/kindle-paperwhite
And a more lengthy dismissal of the Nook HD:
https://nfb.org/blog/atblog/somewhat-scathing-review-nook-hd

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 377

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, November 1, 2012 - Volume 377
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: 3 BrailleSense Notetakers for $1,695.00 USD each!!!
Photo of the Braille Sense Plus Notetaker Flying Blind, LLC is currently offering 3 BrailleSense notetakers manufactured by Hims for the unbeatable price of $1,695.00 USD each! Each device comes with a 90-day manufacturer warranty. We currently have 1 (One) BrailleSense Classic with Braille Keyboard, 1 (One) BrailleSense Classic with a QWERTY keyboard, and 1 (One) BrailleSense Plus with a QWERTY keyboard. These gently-used robust solutions are the perfect companion for the Braille user wishing to organize their life at a most affordable price, which also includes shipping within the Continental United States. For more information, email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today. All units will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis, so act now while supplies last!

Greetings,

1) Tek Talk offers the first of its annual two-part series it calls Stocking Stuffers, with organizations coming to speak of various lower-tech, lower-cost holiday gift items.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

2) The Cisco Academy for the Vision Impaired [CAVI] will be offering a new Computer 101 course next term. It will cover computer fundamentals ranging from how to set up and use your screen reader efficiently to how to surf the internet safely. The course will be offered in both Windows and Mac versions. If you're interested in the course or have any questions, please send an email to:
comp101@ciscovision.org

Specify Mac or Windows version. Deadline for enrollment is January 7th. To read about the course, go to:
http://wiki.cucat.org/index.php?n=Main.Computers101

3) Freedom Scientific announces the release of Magic Version 12, with customizable speech verbosity, new mouse, cursor, and color schemes, Navigation Quick Keys for web navigation, and more.
http://www.freedomscientific.com/downloads/magic/MAGic-whats-new.asp

4) GW Micro has produced a number of knowledge base articles instructing how to use the new features in Version 8 Beta: Using Window-Eyes in Safe Mode:
http://gwmicro.com/kb2018

Can I use Window-Eyes on my Mac?
http://gwmicro.com/kb2019

Using Windows 8 with Window-Eyes:
http://gwmicro.com/kb2021

Window-Eyes and Blackboard:
http://gwmicro.com/kb2023

5) JAWS Scripts For TeamTalk: 4.1 through 4.4 have been released:
http://www.dlee.org/teamtalk/

6) The Hadley school has released a new business module, "Selling on Ebay":
http://hadley.edu/ShowCourseDetail.asp?courseid=FCE-250

7) All manner of podcast this week:

iBlindTech Democast Episode 28 - Pages Intro and episode 27: Ariadne GPS:
http://www.iblindtech.com/democast/

That Android Show Episode 12: This One Matches My Outfit
http://thatandroidshow.com/2012/10/29/that-android-show-episode-12-this-one-matches-my-outfit/

A review and walkthrough of the U-verse Easy Remote App:
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/review-and-walk-through-u-verse-easy-remote-app

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 376

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, October 25, 2012 - Volume 376
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: 3 BrailleSense Notetakers for $1,745.00 USD each!!!
Photo of the Braille Sense Plus Notetaker Flying Blind, LLC is currently offering 3 BrailleSense notetakers manufactured by Hims for the unbeatable price of $1,745.00 USD each! Each device comes with a 90-day manufacturer warranty. We currently have 1 (One) BrailleSense Classic with Braille Keyboard, 1 (One) BrailleSense Classic with a QWERTY keyboard, and 1 (One) BrailleSense Plus with a QWERTY keyboard. These gently-used robust solutions are the perfect companion for the Braille user wishing to organize their life at a most affordable price, which also includes shipping within the Continental United States. For more information, email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today. All units will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis, so act now while supplies last!

Greetings,

1) The big release of Windows 8 is this week, and Main Menu will be covering it in its usual time slots, GMT Friday at 01:00 and repeating much of the next 24 hours.
http://www.acbradio.org/mainstream

2) Window-Eyes Version 8 is now in public beta, featuring access to safe mode, improved web browsing, access to OpenOffice, and more.
http://www.gwmicro.com/beta

3. On that topic, the article "Java and OpenOffice Accessibility" has been posted to the GW Micro knowledge base.
http://gwmicro.com/kb2017

4) JAWS version 14 is now official, with more powerful ability to customize display of web pages, additional responsive voices, and better support for Outlook.
http://www.freedomscientific.com/downloads/jaws/JAWS-whats-new.asp

5) Learn about the Read Easy Move, the portable reading machine GW Micro is importing from the UK, on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 30 October at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

6) Apps4Android announces the release of a beta version of its "no-cost-to-the-user" accessible Voter Information Guide:
http://www.apps4android.org/?p=4060

7) Here are the latest Apple-related podcasts:

Three Quirky and Fun Apps for Generating Music on your iOS Device:
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/3-quirky-and-fun-apps-generating-music-your-ios-device

Using the VIP Mailbox in iOS 6:
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/using-vip-mailbox-ios-6

MaxEmail Fax: Send and Receive Faxes on your iPhone:
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/maxemail-fax-send-and-receive-faxes-your-iphone

AudioBoo: Record and Share your Voice With the World from your iOS Device:
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/audioboo-record-and-share-your-voice-world-your-ios-device

8) Read a pro-NVDA comparison between JAWS 14 and NVDA:
http://writingweird.blogspot.com/2012/10/an-in-depth-review-of-jaws-14-features.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheWeirdWritingsOfRobertKingett+%28the+weird+writings%29

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 375

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, October 18, 2012 - Volume 375
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Flying Blind, LLC Offers Up 7 Savory Deals Starting at $1,495.00 USD!!!
Photo of a sign that reads Amazing Deal hanging by string from a thumbtack. This week Flying Blind, LLC has more deals for you than we have space to list them. Flying Blind, LLC currently has 7 refurbished notetakers for sale at prices that are at least 50% off of the newer version of each item. Each unit has been thoroughly tested and is in fantastic working condition. Each unit also comes with either a 30 or 90 day warranty. All units ship free within the continental United States and will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. For more information, email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today. Act now before it's too late to take advantage of these great deals! Available notetaker models are as follows:

1 (One) BrailleSense 32 With Braille keyboard + 90-Day-Warranty: $1,795.00 USD.
1 (One) BrailleSense32 with QWERTY keyboard + 90-Day-Warranty: $1,895.00 USD.
1 (One) BrailleSense32 Plus with QWERTY Keyboard + 90-Day-Warranty: $1,895.00 USD.
1 (One) BrailleNote18 mPower with Braille keyboard + 30-Day-Warranty: $1,495.00 USD.
1 (One) BrailleNote32 mPower with Braille Keyboard + 30-Day-Warranty: $1,995.00 USD.
2 (Two) ALVA Braille Controller 640s with Feature Packs + 90-Day-Warranty: $1,995.00 USD.

Greetings,

1) Techvision offers low-cost and free lessons for various adaptive technologies online:
http://www.yourtechvision.com/

2) MacForTheBlind is a site offering documentation, audio demonstrations, and information on the Mac and VoiceOver for iOS:
http://macfortheblind.com/

3) Cecimac is a French-language site for all things Mac accessibility:
http://cecimac.org/

In addition to the wealth of French material, there is an English page, and both pages link to Mac-related information in several other languages:
http://cecimac.org/english.htm

4) While on the French theme, Cecitek offers frequent French-language podcasts on adaptive technology:
http://www.cecitek.fr/

5) The AT Blog from the NFB offers a positive story about the accessibility of in-flight WiFi:
http://nfb.org/blog/atblog/flight-wi-fi

6) GW Micro is gearing up to release Window-Eyes version 8, which will begin with a public beta version. They send out teaser emails and videos with information about its features, and this will be the page to check as release time draws nigh:
http://www.gwmicro.com/beta

7) Learn about the latest the new accessibility features in Android 4.1, Jellybean, on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 23 October at 00:00:
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

8) Dotris is a computer game designed to work with braille displays. It is screen-reader independent and works with many displays. It is being offered as donationware:
http://www.ndadamson.com

9) Following up on an item from last week, there is an iOS app for the Blue Letter Bible, and it is apparently quite accessible:
http://www.blueletterbible.org/iphone/

10) Natalie Shaheenn from the NFB is looking for blind people who play, have played, or have some knowledge of video games. They say they are working on a project where they could use some input. These people need not be hardcore gamers to be helpful. Email:
nshaheen@nfb.org

11) Home Readers is an organization that has been around since 1996, recording mail-order catalogs, cookbooks and magazines. Their catalog readings complement and enhance web shopping, providing thorough product descriptions, and materials are now available as .MP3 files.
http://homereaders.com/

12) A new version of the Nokia Screen Reader, still free, supports many more devices and languages.
http://codefactory.es/en/products.asp?id=425

13) The Humble eBook Bundle site lets you pay what you want for a set of books and choose to what charities the money goes:
http://www.humblebundle.com/

14) In podcasts:

NV Access Podcast: Episode 4 fills us in on new developments with NVDA:
http://www.nvaccess.org/blog/PodcastEpisode4

For iOS: YouTube App for iOS 6: Signing-In and Controlling Playback with VoiceOver:
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/youtube-app-ios-6-signing-and-controlling-playback-voiceover

And for the Mac, Jaksta: An App Allowing Stream Ripping From the Mac:
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/jaksta-app-allowing-stream-ripping-mac#comment-6781

15) From the HowToGeek:

The Difference Between .com, .net, .org and Why We're About To See Many More Top-Level Domains:
http://www.howtogeek.com/126670/the-difference-between-.com-.net-.org-and-why-were-about-to-see-many-more-top-level-domains/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=151012

And, What is the Windows Page File and Should You Disable It?
http://www.howtogeek.com/126430/htg-explains-what-is-the-windows-page-file-and-should-you-disable-it/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=111012

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 374

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, October 11, 2012 - Volume 374
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Two Refurbished Cub Jr. Braille Embossers for $2,095.00 USD each!!!
Photo of the Cub, Jr. Braille Embosser These one of a kind desktop embossers from View Plus Technologies combine a robust yet sleek design with fantastic embossing capabilities for the user wishing to emboss text and graphics at a price that is approximately 50% off of the suggested list price. Emboss 30 Braille Characters Per Second using either Tractor and/or Single Sheet Feed. Both units have hardly been used having embossed less than 100 pages between both units, and are in pristine condition. Price includes shipping within the continental United States and will ship with all accompanying View Plus embosser software. Both embossers will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. For more information, email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today. Act now while there's still time to take advantage of this amazing bargain!!!

Greetings,

1) With Public Beta #2 of JAWS for Windows Version 14, the company introduces Flexible Web, a wizard that helps you hide unwanted web content on particular pages, such as advertisements, or start particular pages reading from a specific point. Hear about it on FSCast 70:
http://www.freedomscientific.com/FSCast/default.asp

Take the free webinar, "New in JAWS 14: Part Two, Flexible Web," on Wednesday, 24 October at 16:00 GMT:
http://www.freedomscientific.com/training/Free-Webinars.asp

Or hear all about JFW14 on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 16 October at 00:00:
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

2) The October, 2012 issue of Accessworld includes What's on this Page: A Review of the SayText, Prizmo, and TextDetective iOS Reading Apps, ZoomText Reinventing Itself: A Review of ZoomText 10 and Its New Features, An Evaluation of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Using the Nexus 7, Accessible Television for the Visually Impaired: Is It Only for the United Kingdom? and more at:
http://www.afb.org/aw/main.asp

3) A reader recommends the Blue Letter Bible homepage as a powerful site containing different Bible versions, dictionaries, concordances, commentaries and audio material:
http://www.blueletterbible.org/

4) AI Squared will hold two free webinars, one on the ZoomText camera and the other on troubleshooting ZoomText.
http://www.aisquared.com/training

5) The October, 2012 issue of the Braille Monitor contains an article entitled Braille Edge 40: The Newest Offering by HIMS Inc:
https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm12/bm1209/bm120908.htm

6) GW Micro now sells an approximately $2,600.00 USD portable reading machine, the ReadEasy Move:
http://www.gwmicro.com/Reading_Systems/ReadEasy_Move/

7) The US Department of Education now offers a free Android App for identifying US currency:
http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-announces-new-app-identify-us-currency

8) In the podcast department, from Applevis, we have:

A Walk-Through and Demonstration of the Official Twitter App for iOS:
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/walk-through-and-demonstration-official-twitter-app-ios

Apple TV: Rearranging Icons and Using the Accessibility Menu:
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/apple-tv-rearranging-icons-and-using-accessibility-menu

And A Guide to Using the Netflix iOS App with VoiceOver:
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/guide-using-netflix-ios-app-voiceover

And Serotalk Podcast #127 is also out:
http://serotalk.com/2012/10/10/serotalk-podcast-127-chicken-fingers-on-the-buffet-of-life/

9) From HowToGeek, we can choose from:

How To Get a Better Wireless Signal and Reduce Wireless Network Interference:
http://www.howtogeek.com/126327/how-to-get-a-better-wireless-signal-and-reduce-wireless-network-interference/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=101012

How To Troubleshoot Internet Connection Problems:
http://www.howtogeek.com/126265/how-to-troubleshoot-internet-connection-problems/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=101012

7 Ways To Free Up Hard Disk Space On Windows:
http://www.howtogeek.com/125923/7-ways-to-free-up-hard-disk-space-on-windows/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=101012&utm_content=emailsidebar

How System Restore Works in Windows:
http://www.howtogeek.com/125852/htg-explains-how-system-restore-works-in-windows/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=041012

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 373

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, October 4, 2012 - Volume 373
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: One Hardly Used BraillePen12 for $850.00 USD!!!
Photo of the BraillePen 12 Flying Blind, LLC is pleased to announce the availability of one BraillePen12 that is less than 2 months old and hardly used for $850.00. This inexpensive, portable, refreshable Braille option is the perfect, pocket-sized companion for your iPhone or Android touting excellent, responsive refreshable Braille cells coupled with a Perkins-style Braille keyboard designed for efficient Braille input. BraillePen12 is a Flying Blind, LLC Endorsed Product and this unit is listing for $245.00 USD off of its current suggested list price. Price also includes shipping within the 48 continental United States. For more information, email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today.

Greetings,

1) You'll get the joy of listening to yours truly discussing and demonstrating iOS6 and talking about the iPhone 5 on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 9 October at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

2) This Macworld article is entitled "My Day with Siri."
http://www.macworld.com/article/2010277/my-day-with-siri.html

3) This Ars Technica article is called "Apple giveth and Apple taketh Away: Features Users Miss in iOS 6":
http://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/10/apple-giveth-and-apple-taketh-away-features-users-miss-in-ios-6/

4) From Utah State University comes "Web accessibility tips for a less-techy audience":
http://www.cpdusu.org/blog/2012/09/web-accessibility-tips-for-a-less-techy-audience/#.UFuABRhVK50.twitter

5) This comprehensive story, from iMore.com, bears the title "Notification Center: The Ultimate Guide"
http://m.imore.com/notification-center-ultimate-guide

6) Now, for podcasts:

One current and one upcoming episode of Viewpoints both deal with social networking. The 3 October installment is "Why Use Social Media"
http://ViewPointsPlus.net/vp_1240_podcast.mp3

While the 10 October one will be more specific: "How to Use Social Media":
http://ViewPointsPlus.net/vp_1241_podcast.mp3

The topic for the Tech doctor Podcast is iPhone 5 and iOS 6:
http://www.dr-carter.com/?p=161

Episode 9 of the AccessTalk podcast from the UK features New smart phones, 3D printers, mobile broadband & the Kindle Fire:
http://accesstalk.co.uk/2012/09/podcast-9-2/

Installment 24 of the iBlindTech Democast deals with the Downcast app for listening to podcasts:
http://www.iblindtech.com/democast/episode-24-downcast-app.html

The Serotalk Podcast Network has been generating lots of content. Here's their Mobile Devices special:
http://serotalk.com/2012/10/01/spn-special-mobile-devices/

And their mostly-weekly podcasts continue. This is episode 126:
http://serotalk.com/2012/10/02/serotalk-podcast-126-superman-is-jealous/

7) Window-Eyes is now available in Arabic and Hebrew versions:
http://www.gwmicro.com

8) From HowToGeek:

How Antivirus Software Works
http://www.howtogeek.com/125650/htg-explains-how-antivirus-software-works/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=011012

How To Check If Your Account Passwords Have Been Leaked Online and Protect Yourself From Future Leaks
http://www.howtogeek.com/125569/how-to-check-if-your-account-passwords-have-been-leaked-online-and-protect-yourself-from-future-leaks/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=011012

The Best Text to Speech (TTS) Software Programs and Online Tools
http://www.howtogeek.com/125305/the-best-text-to-speech-tts-software-programs-and-online-tools/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=011012

9) A software developer with extensive Java experience is needed to work on the BrailleBlaster project. This work will be done under contract with the American Printing House for the Blind (APH.) Email:
john.boyer@abilitiessoft.com

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 372

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, September 27, 2012 - Volume 372
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Two Refurbished Cub Jr. Braille Embossers for $2,595.00 USD each!!!
Photo of the Cub, Jr. Braille Embosser These one of a kind desktop embossers from View Plus Technologies combine a robust yet sleek design with fantastic embossing capabilities for the user wishing to emboss text and graphics at a price that is over 35% off of the suggested list price. Emboss 30 Braille Characters Per Second using either tractor and/or Single Sheet Feed. Both units have hardly been used having embossed less than 100 pages between both units, and are in pristine condition. Price includes shipping within the continental United States and will ship with all accompanying View Plus embosser software. Both embossers will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. For more information, email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today. Act now while there's still time to take advantage of this amazing bargain!!!

Greetings,

1) Learn about the new web access support in the Dolphin line of screen readers on Tek Talk, on GMT Tuesday, 2 October at 00:00
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

2) This blog post describes and links to an iTunes link for the eBook version of the iOS6 manual, readable only on an i-device.
http://www.tuaw.com/2012/09/23/iphone-user-guide-for-ios-6-now-available-as-an-ebook/

And this direct download link takes you to a PDF of the iPhone 5 manual.
http://t.co/xoxAPLGI

3) There are now 31 sessions in the free Window-Eyes Scripting Class archive.
https://www.gwmicro.com/App_Central/Developers/Interactive_Classes/

4) Glooko is an iOS app that allows you to log readings from your glucose monitor. This blog post is entitled "Managing Diabetes With Your iPhone: Glooko Now Supports 17 Different Glucose Meters":
http://techcrunch.com/2012/09/25/managing-diabetes-with-your-iphone-glooko-now-supports-17-different-glucose-meters/

5) CAVI is gauging interest in a "Computer 101" course, with versions for either Mac or Windows. The course would cover computer basics, from "What is a screen reader?" to "Here's how to surf the internet and use Facebook." History indicates that the course might cost around $150.00 USD.If you or someone you know would be interested in the course, email:
comp101@ciscovision.org

6) The Freedom Scientific Training Department has listed a number of free and paid webinars for the rest of 2012. See the list of free ones at:
http://www.freedomscientific.com/training/Free-Webinars.asp

And the paid courses, which tend to cost around $30
http://www.freedomscientific.com/training/Paid-Webinars.asp

7) Here is a list, with some descriptions, of a multitude of paid online file backup and file sharing services.
http://www.tripwiremagazine.com/2012/06//online-file-storage.html

8) This Lifehacker post is entitled, "Top 10 Secret Features of iOS 6"
http://lifehacker.com/5944961/top-10-secret-features-of-ios-6?utm_campaign=socialflow_lifehacker_twitter&utm_source=lifehacker_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

9) The Braille Plus from American Printing House is actually available!
https://shop.aph.org/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=11051&krypto=w%2FE%2FZ6s4BbPWrvdsJEOQwpypyEj39Tfr28%2BhC%2B%2FuqvhLVohgJ92bTZzW8PTPoJVcnt4%2FpuTQEyRPJhI2eiRCEw%3D%3D&ddkey=http:ProductDisplay

10) Here is the RNIB's Learning Braille page:
http://www.rnib.org.uk/livingwithsightloss/reading/how/braille/learning/Pages/learn_braille.aspx

11) This site calls itself "The definitive guide to Apple's iOS 6 software features for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad"
http://t.co/vb4oigS8

12) Here is a rundown of recent podcasts:

AmazonBasics Bluetooth Keyboard: Unboxing, Demonstration and Review
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/amazonbasics-bluetooth-keyboard-unboxing-demonstration-and-review

Friday Podcast: Bridging Apps (Cristen Reat & Sami Rahman), JAWS 14, Don Johnston Tutorials, iOS 6 Accessibility
http://blog.eastersealstech.com/friday-podcast-bridging-apps-cristen-reat-sami-rahman-jaws-14-don-johnston-tutorials-ios-6-accessibility-ham-radiovoice-over-on-ios/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+INDATAblog+%28INDATA+Blog%29

How to use the iOS 6 CallBack Feature with VoiceOver
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/how-use-ios-6-callback-feature-voiceover

Reviewing the Gameplay and Accessibility of iOS Games from Storm8
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/reviewing-gameplay-and-accessibility-ios-games-storm8

AppleVis Extra No. 3: Conference Call Discussion of iOS 6
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/applevis-extra-no-3-conference-call-discussion-ios-6

Using the Braile Sense notetakers with iOS 6
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/using-braile-sense-notetakers-ios-6

Episode 10 of Triple Click Home
http://tripleclickhome.com/2012/09/25/triple-click-home-episode-10-disrupting-is-what-they-do/

Triple Click Home. Braille Displays, Flying Blind, and more from Viewpoints:
http://www.ViewPointsPlus.net

13) And from HowToGeek:

What Are the Sys Rq, Scroll Lock, and Pause/Break Keys on My Keyboard?
http://www.howtogeek.com/125315/htg-explains-what-are-the-sys-rq-scroll-lock-and-pausebreak-keys-on-my-keyboard/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=260912

Should I Leave My Laptop Plugged In All The Time?
http://www.howtogeek.com/124715/should-i-leave-my-laptop-plugged-in-all-the-time/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=260912

How To Easily Back Up Your Gmail and Perform Scheduled Backups With GMVault
http://www.howtogeek.com/125225/how-to-easily-back-up-your-gmail-and-perform-scheduled-backups-with-gmvault/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=260912

14) Special Google Searches That Show Instant Answers
http://www.howtogeek.com/125101/14-special-google-searches-that-show-instant-answers/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=230912

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 371

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, September 20, 2012 - Volume 371
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: One Remaining BrailleConnect 40 Cell Braille Display For $2,375.00 USD!
Photo of the BrailleConnect 40 Flying Blind, LLC has received yet one more of these fantastic, refreshable Braille displays, and is selling it to one lucky user for $2,375.00 USD, that's more than $2,700.00 USD off of its suggested list price! This single remaining unit is in fantastic condition, has seen little to no use, and is waiting to serve one fortunate user with limitless refreshable Braille access when connected to a variety of devices!!! Flying Blind, LLC is committed to finding this one remaining BrailleConnect unit a good home! This display is in perfect working order and has been thoroughly tested prior to delivery. This sleek yet rugged Braille terminal offers enough Braille for PC and Macintosh use while also providing ergonomic portability for use with today's portables such as netbooks, iPads, and mobile phones! This display comes with a 30 day warranty and will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. Price also includes shipping within the 48 continental United States. For more information email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107. Act Now before it's too late to take advantage of this unbelievable deal! (PC not included. Mobile phone not included.)

Greetings,

1) AppleVis will host an internationally-available conference call to discuss the new iOS6 and its features. The event will take place on GMT Friday, 21 September at 01:00. There are phone numbers you can use to call in from a great number of countries.
http://www.applevis.com/applevis-blog/advocacy/upcoming-applevis-extra-all-about-ios-6

2) This post from TUAW, The Unofficial Apple Weblog, answers the burning question: "What can you say to Siri in iOS 6?"
http://www.tuaw.com/2012/09/14/what-can-you-say-to-siri-in-ios-6/

3) Back to AppleVis, they will be posting several podcasts about iOS6 after it is released on the 19th, after this newsletter will have been sent off for mailing, so check the site. And they offer a well-considered post, "Comparison - Mac or PC? DSA and advice and buying guide."
http://www.applevis.com/guides/accessories/comparison-mac-or-pc-dsa-and-advice-and-buying-guide

4) More about the iOS6 upgrade: To find out if specific features of Maps, Siri, iTunes, Dictation, and the App Store are available in your country, check out:
http://www.apple.com/ca/ios/feature-availability/

5) The Accessibility Consultant Engagement Program, ACE, is a no-cost program offered by Deque for accessibility consultants. It claims to offer a newsletter and webinars, surveys, and other virtual gatherings and resources that provide a deep look at a current topic in the field of accessibility.
http://info.deque.com/ace-registration

6) The Indata Project offers a Free Webinar on making your website and content more accessible to people with disabilities, Wednesday, September 24 from 13:00-19:00 GMT.
http://blog.eastersealstech.com/free-web-accessibility-webinar-2/

7) Supernova V. 13 from Dolphin Systems brings modern web access to this screen reader, with quick access keys and initial support for ARIA Internet applications. It is available in fifteen languages.
http://www.yourdolphin.com/newsitem.asp?id=659

8) This week's Main Menu is focused on, what else, iPhone 5 and iOS6, with David woodbridge, the maker of all the many iOS podcasts from Australia. It airs at 01:00 GMT on Saturday, 22 September, then throughout much of the rest of the day.
http://www.acbradio.org/mainstream

9) Learn about the Book Port DT, the desktop player-recorder from APH, on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 25 September at 01:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

10) MushroomFM is holding a 12-hour virtual concert, Mushroomstock, on GMT Saturday, 22 September at 15:00. Enjoy the virtual hot dog stands and beer tents, and get your virtual seat by emailing:
tickets@mushroomfm.com

11) Kathy Ann Murtha is selling an $80 textbook, An Immersion into System Access.
http://www.blindtraining.com/shop/SystemAccess.htm

12) The article Useful Accessibility Tools from Access IQ reviews free tools for checking websites for accessibility.
http://www.accessiq.org/content/useful-accessibility-tools

13) Let's come back to iOS6 and iPhone 5. Here are three reviews of the phone:

Review 1:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444450004578004370248427736.html?mod=wsj_share_tweet

Review 2:
http://www.cnet.com/iphone-5/

Review 3:
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.pocket-lint.com/review/5989/apple-iphone-5-phone-review

14) The Internet Archive is launching a service allowing you to watch 30-second excerpts, or pay to borrow DVD's of hundreds of thousands of news broadcasts over the last three years and beyond.
http://blog.archive.org/2012/09/17/launch-of-tv-news-search-borrow-with-350000-broadcasts/

15) You can now create e-books from your choice of articles and entire categories from wikipedia.
http://blog.wikimedia.org/2012/09/17/new-e-book-export-feature-enabled-on-wikipedia/

15) This post from AirfareWatchDog is called "How 9 Airlines Work with Twitter and How we'd Grade Them"
http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/blog/12541805/how-9-airlines-work-with-twitter-and-how-wed-grade-them/

16) We'll end with some tips from the HowToGeek:

8 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do In Windows 7's Task Manager
http://www.howtogeek.com/124187/8-things-you-didnt-know-you-could-do-in-windows-7s-task-manager/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=110912

5 Ways To Quickly Launch Programs On Windows
http://www.howtogeek.com/124109/5-ways-to-quickly-launch-programs-on-windows/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=110912

How To Create Your Own Custom Google Search Engine
http://www.howtogeek.com/124703/how-to-create-your-own-custom-google-search-engine/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=170912

Why You Shouldn't Disable UAC
http://www.howtogeek.com/124754/htg-explains-why-you-shouldnt-disable-uac/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=180912

How to Get Pro Features in Windows Home Versions with Third Party Tools
http://www.howtogeek.com/124260/use-these-alternatives-to-get-professional-features-on-home-versions-of-windows/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=120912

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 370

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, September 13, 2012 - Volume 370
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: One Hardly Used BrailleConnect 24 for $2,295.00 USD!!!
Photo of the BrailleConnect 24 This rare 24 cell option provides the user with portability for all of today’s handheld mobile devices while providing enough Braille cells to effectively access a PC. It’s the perfect companion for the power user who wants to quickly access their handheld device to use Apps on the go as well as for those times when desktop computer access is preferred. Unit includes a 30-day warranty and free shipping within the continental United States. For more information, email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today.

Greetings,

1) GW Micro has updated its free ad-supported Skype client, GW Connect, to version 2.1 , reducing start-up time and fixing a variety of bugs.
http://www.gwmicro.com/App_Central/Apps/App_Details/?scriptid=1353

2) Accessible Devices Program #31 deals with the Quest from Envision America.
http://www.accessible-devices.com/feed.xml

3) The JAWS 14 public beta is out, featuring better voices, improved Office and web support, and more.
http://www.freedomscientific.com/downloads/jaws/jaws-public-beta.asp

4) With the coming release of Windows 8 we'll share some articles in preparation for it. Here are three:

Windows 8 Simplifies Computing
http://betanews.com/2012/09/11/windows-8-simplifies-computing/?utm_medium=betane.ws-twitter&utm_source=t.co&awesm=betane.ws_oA9&utm_content=twitter-publisher-main&utm_campaign=

Windows 8 Review, Part 1, The Desktop
http://www.winsupersite.com/article/windows8/windows-8-review-part-1-desktop-144218?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Five Reasons to Make the Switch
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/261955/five_reasons_to_make_the_switch_to_windows_8.html#tk.rss_news

5) ZCaptcha is a new service blind users can try for solving CAPTCHAs. There is a minimal cost to use the service because the people doing the solving are themselves paid a small amount.
http://www.azavia.com/zcaptcha

6) Here are several appleVis podcasts:

Blogging on the GO: A Guide to the Wordpress iOS Aapp
http://www.applevis.com/applevis-podcast/ios-apps/blogging-go-guide-wordpress-ios-app

AppShopper, a Guide and Walkthrough.
http://www.applevis.com/applevis-podcast/ios-apps/appshopper-guide-and-walk-through

Keep the Chatter Going with Conversation Cards
http://www.applevis.com/applevis-podcast/ios-apps/keep-chatter-going-conversation-cards

Muxic: The Music Lover's Alternative to the Native iOS Music App
http://www.applevis.com/applevis-podcast/ios-apps/muxic-music-lovers-alternative-native-ios

Dice With Buddies: Roll Your Way to Victory
http://www.applevis.com/applevis-podcast/gaming/dice-buddies-roll-your-way-victory

LookTel Recognizer Revisited
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/looktel-recognizer-revisited

New & Updated: Remapping the Keys on your Mac's Keyboard to Enhance the VoiceOver Experience
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/new-updated-updatedremapping-keys-your-macs-keyboard-enhance-voiceover-experience

YouMail Visual Voicemail: A Great Alternative to the iPhone's Native Voicemail App
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/youmail-visual-voicemail-great-alternative-iphones-native-voicemail-app

And a tech doctor podcast: 1Password and VoiceOver
http://www.dr-carter.com/

7) A student discusses his GPS experiences on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 18 September at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

8) JAWS scripts for the Tween Twitter client have been released.
http://www.dlee.org/tween/

9) Humanware has released the Deaf-Blind Communicator, a $99 iOS app that allows a deaf-blind person with a braille display and an i-device to communicate with the sighted speaker writing on the phone. This is an iTunes link:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/humanware-communicator/id550473985

10) Several helpful articles from the HowToGeek site:

Is ReadyBoost Worth Using?
http://www.howtogeek.com/123780/htg-explains-is-readyboost-worth-using/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=070912

How Windows Uses The Task Scheduler for System Tasks
http://www.howtogeek.com/123460/htg-explains-how-windows-uses-the-task-scheduler-for-system-tasks/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=100912&utm_content=emailsidebar

How Windows 8's Backup System Differs From Windows 7's
http://www.howtogeek.com/123713/how-windows-8s-backup-system-differs-from-windows-7s/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=060912

11) Several recent Viewpoints podcasts dealt with products on display at the AER conference in July.
http://interactive.wxxi.org/viewpoints

12) Read recent posts from the AT blog of the NFB regarding the $99 Humanware Communicator, the new Google YouTube app for the iPhone, and Kindle's complete failure to include accessibility features in their announced new Kindles.
http://nfb.org/at-blog

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 369

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, September 6, 2012 - Volume 369
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: One Gently Used Seika USB 40 Cell Braille Display for $1,450.00 USD!!!
Photo of the Seika USB 40 Cell Braille Display The world's most inexpensive 40 cell Braille display just got a whole lot cheaper! Flying Blind, LLC has a gently used Seika 40 cell Braille display with USB connectivity that it is selling for $1,450.00, approximately $850.00 USD off its suggested list price! This unit is in fantastic shape and will meet all of your desktop needs. Price includes shipping within the continental United States, and this unit will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today.

Greetings,

1) Have a listen to this hilarious and thought-provoking podcast from VICT Consultancy: BrailleNote Battery Scandal:
http://www.vict-consultancy.co.uk/media/BBS_Podcast.MP3

2) And VICT Consultancy has produced vTurbo for NVDA, a £2.99 (around $5.00) program which adds six capabilities to NVDA: Application specific settings, Voice profiles, Enhanced say-all mode, Read just text, Fast speech dictionary entry, and Smart Numlock function.
http://www.vict-consultancy.co.uk/content/vTurbo_for_NVDA.html

3) The Maccessibillity web site has been streamlined, eliminating outdated content and making the current content easier to locate.
http://maccessibility.net/2012/09/03/the-new-maccessibility-is-here/

4) It's that time of year again, when Freedom Scientific fills us in on the year's coming release of JAWS, this time, JAWS 14, on FSCast.
http://www.freedomscientific.com/FSCast/episodes/fscast069-august2012.asp

5) The latest Tech Doctor podcast features Anne Robertson who teaches the Mac in France.
http://www.dr-carter.com/

6) The September, 2012 issue of AccessWorld features a review of the STEP textbook rental program, reviews of books on the iPhone from National Braille Press, a review of the new free screen reader for Blackberry, reviews of two pairs of glasses which purport to alert travelers to objects through vibration, and more.
http://www.afb.org/accessworld

7) Learn about the new Quest from Envision America on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 11 September at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

8) Lisa Salinger is starting a $50, six-week iPhone and iPod Basics class with the first session scheduled for 16:30 GMT on Saturday, 22 September. Another series may run on Tuesday nights stateside, on Wednesdays at 01:00 GMT. Prepayment is required. To learn more, write to:
lisasali@ptd.net

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 368

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, August 30, 2012 - Volume 368
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Stop By the New Flying Blind, LLC Online Store
Screen Shot of the Flying Blind, LLC Online Store. Flying Blind, LLC is pleased to announce the launch of its new online store, specializing in proven adaptive technology solutions that you can trust. Just look for "Store" in our main menu at http://www.flying-blind.com or visit the store directly at https://www.toptechtidbits.com/store.html. We have several products still under review that may still be added upon approval. We will also be announcing the availability of a section devoted to all of the refurbished equipment sold by Flying Blind, LLC in the weeks to come. All products sold in the Flying Blind, LLC Online Store are products that Flying Blind, LLC's founder, Larry L. Lewis, Jr., either personally uses, or publicly endorses. All Flying Blind, LLC Online Store transactions are encrypted and secure. For additional questions please email store@flying-blind.com.

Greetings,

1) This is a clear explanation of blog accessibility, with links to useful resources, from Below the Fold.
http://www.readbelowthefold.com/web-accessibility/the-basics-of-blog-accessibility.html

2) Knowbility claims to pay US access technology users for web site accessibility testing.
https://access-works.com/

3) If you love working in shell windows and feel at home at the command line, Holly may be the to-do app for you:
http://lifehacker.com/5937538/holly-is-a-web%20based-to%20do-manager-for-people-who-love-the-command-line?utm_campaign=socialflow_lifehacker_twitter&utm_source=lifehacker_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

4) CAVI will start its $150 ten-week audio editing course in mid-September.
http://wiki.cucat.org/index.php?n=Main.AudioEditingFundamentals

5) Talking Scientific Calculator is a $4.95 iOS app that allows full calculator use with braille and Bluetooth keyboards, and gives the user the choice to receive feedback using the human voice or VoiceOver. This is an App Store link:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/talking-scientific-calculator/id411433609?mt=8

6) The people behind the Mac-cessibility Network have posted a page with listings of accessible iOS apps in 33 categories. The list is not exhaustive, but all the apps have been found to be accessible by blind users.
http://maccessibility.net/iphone/apps/

7) A presentation on audio games for the blind, discussing console gaming and Japanese role-playing games, is located on this page and is likely to contain some hitherto unknown gaming resources.
http://www.cucat.org/cavicasts/2012/

8) The Main Menu Show, first airing at 01:00 on GMT Saturday, 1 September, covers a lot of ground, with segments on OBI DAISY production software, The Swamp audio game, using iCloud with VoiceOver on the Mac, and more.
http://www.acbradio.org/mainstream

9) Recordings of the 2012 Job Seekers Seminar and an employment committee meeting which is said to have become another seminar, from the 2012 National Federation of the Blind convention, may be of interest.
http://www.nfb.org/national-convention-highlights

10) Recent posts to the NFB Access Technology Blog include:

BrailleEdge 40: The Newest Offering by HIMS-Inc.
http://nfb.org/blog/atblog/brailleedge-40-newest-offering-hims-inc

Robo Braille: Eenhancing the Accessibility of Documents
http://nfb.org/blog/atblog/robo-braille-enhancing-accessibility-documents

Nexus 7
http://nfb.org/blog/atblog/nexus-7

11) Recent iOS and Mac-related podcasts include:

AppShopper, a Guide and Walk-Through
http://www.applevis.com/applevis-podcast/ios-apps/appshopper-guide-and-walk-through

Blogging on the GO: A Guide to the Wordpress iOS App:
http://www.applevis.com/applevis-podcast/ios-apps/blogging-go-guide-wordpress-ios-app

Remap the Keys on your Mac's Keyboard to Enhance the VoiceOver Experience
http://www.applevis.com/applevis-podcast/mac-os-x/remap-keys-your-macs-keyboard-enhance-voiceover-experience

12) EASI's $350 online course for September is "Creating and Repurposing More Accessible Documents"
http://easi.cc/workshops/text.htm

13) This CNET article is called "Six Tips for Managing your iTunes Library"
http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57496963-285/six-tips-for-managing-your-itunes-library/

14) This guide from AppleVis is called "Ringtones for Rookies: 11 Easy Steps to Getting all your Favorites onto your iPhone"
http://www.applevis.com/guides/iphone/ringtones-rookies-11-easy-steps-getting-all-your-favorites-your-iphone

15) This Lifehacker piece, "Top 10 Tools That Are Better in the Command Line," is Linux-centric, but Mac users can run these from their terminals, and windows users can install a program to make these tips useful.
http://lifehacker.com/5935869/top-10-tools-that-are-better-in-the-command-line?utm_campaign=socialflow_lifehacker_twitter&utm_source=lifehacker_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

16) Some articles from HowTo Geek:

How To Switch Webmail Providers Without Losing All Your Email
http://www.howtogeek.com/122790/how-to-switch-webmail-providers-without-losing-all-your-email/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=270812

How to Combine All Your Email Addresses into One Outlook.com Inbox
http://www.howtogeek.com/122695/how-to-combine-all-your-email-addresses-into-one-outlook.com-inbox/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=270812

The Best Articles for Using and Customizing Windows 8
http://www.howtogeek.com/122553/the-best-articles-for-using-and-customizing-windows-8/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=270812

What is DNS?
http://www.howtogeek.com/122845/htg-explains-what-is-dns/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=280812

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 367

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, August 23, 2012 - Volume 367
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Stop By the New Flying Blind, LLC Online Store
Screen Shot of the Flying Blind, LLC Online Store. Flying Blind, LLC is pleased to announce the launch of its new online store, specializing in proven adaptive technology solutions that you can trust. Just look for "Store" in our main menu at http://www.flying-blind.com or visit the store directly at https://www.toptechtidbits.com/store.html. We have several products still under review that may still be added upon approval. We will also be announcing the availability of a section devoted to all of the refurbished equipment sold by Flying Blind, LLC in the weeks to come. All products sold in the Flying Blind, LLC Online Store are products that Flying Blind, LLC's founder, Larry L. Lewis, Jr., either personally uses, or publicly endorses. All Flying Blind, LLC Online Store transactions are encrypted and secure. For additional questions please email store@flying-blind.com.

Greetings,

1) Verizon wireless is making Mobile Accessibility Suite available to their visually impaired customers running at least version 2.2 of Android and who have a data plan. It bundles together ten apps to improve access to the touch screen.
http://www.phonescoop.com/articles/article.php?a=10979

2) Learn about the Accessible Digital TV Radio, VU Indicator and Auditory Oscilloscope Adaptation, available from Oehm electronics, on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 28 August at 00:00. Oehm electronics also repairs vintage Blazie engineering and Telesensory products and entertains ideas for new products.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2
 
3) Twitter has produced what is said to be an excellent small business guide for using twitter. This site contains a link to it as well as a simplified version of the guide.
http://www.lifesocialmedia.com/twitters-small-business-guide-simplified/

4) NCH Software posts a guest article on its site, touting the fact that its transcription and business point of sale software are all fully accessible to the blind.
http://nchsoftware.blogspot.com/2012/08/nch-software-packages-fully-accessible.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nchsoftware+%28NCH+Software%29

5) This VisionAware post, "A Top Eight List of My Favorite Blog Posts by Joe Strechay" offers people researching or coping with vision loss a variety of resources.
http://www.visionaware.org/blog.aspx?BlogID=9&BlogEntryID=439

6) Ted, which offers "Riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world."has compiled a list of its 20 most popular talks.
http://techcrunch.com/2012/08/21/ted-reveals-top-20-most-watched-talks-sir-ken-robinson-tops-the-list/

7) This PC World article is called "Three Ways Windows 8 Will Boost Accessibility":
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/250088/three_ways_windows_8_will_boost_accessibility.html

8) The latest Tech Doctor podcast features Tonya Engst, co-founder of TidBITS (not related to this newsletter,) and editor-in-chief of Take Control Books.
http://bit.ly/9Cf5W9

9) Podcasts from AppleVis include:

Quicknav and the rotor, Giving VoiceOver users ways to Navigate web Content Effectively with Safari:
http://www.applevis.com/applevis-podcast/braille/quicknav-and-rotor-giving-voiceover-users-ways-navigate-web-content

And Magic Guide, a brief demo of the Disneyland Resort App:
http://www.applevis.com/applevis-podcast/ios/magic-guide-brief-demo-disneyland-resort-app

10) From DansTips newsletter we learn about Bleeping Computer, a community based site for novice users to learn the basics about computers and technology.
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/

And a tutorial on The Basics of Making Advanced Searches With Wildcards and Filters in Windows:
http://www.7tutorials.com/basics-making-advanced-searches-wildcards-and-filters

11) Sendero GPS version 2012.5 for the Braillenote and Sense lines of products now comes with an EZ mode which costs 1/3 of the full price, hence $498.
http://www.gosendero.com/

Here is a podcast demonstrating some of the new features:
http://www.mysticplace.info/audio/mp38sendero20125.mp3

12) Employment opportunities: The Society for the blind in Sacramento, CA, is seeking an adaptive technology instructor. Email resume and cover letter to:
kankeny@societyfortheblind.org

And Fidelity Investments seeks to contract a web Accessibility Specialist:
http://maximum.simplyhired.com/a/jbb/job-details/738739?trkap=Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQqKjAjI2FkdmVydGlzZXJfaWQqKjAjI3NpdGVfcHVibGlzaGVyX2lkKioxMDAyIyNwdWJsaXNoZXJfaWQqKjEwMDIjI3JlZmluZF9rZXkqKjYyNTYuNzM4Nzc3IyNvcmdfaWQqKjc1NDczNDU1NSMjc2VhcmNoX29uZXRfY29kZSoqIyNqb2Jfb25ldF9jb2RlKio0MS0zMDMxLjAxIyNqb2JfY2xhc3NpZmljYXRpb24qKiMjaXNfc3BvbnNvcmVkKio%3D%3Ba945bc010e861dba1250902951b49134

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 366

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, August 16, 2012 - Volume 366
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Flying Blind, LLC AdapTech VideoCast - Volume 2: The Brailliant in Action!
YouTube Video Thumbnail showing Larry Lewis of Flying Blind, LLC sitting at a large table with a Brailliant in front of him. In this installment of the Flying Blind, LLC AdapTech Videocast, available at http://youtu.be/vuPQVhGiScQ, Larry Lewis introduces you to the Brailliant Bi Series of Refreshable Braille displays, manufactured by HumanWare. This state-of-the-art solution, which comes in both 32 and 40 cell models, is a tremendous asset for both the Windows and iOS user of adaptive screenreading technology. In this video, Lewis takes you on a comprehensive tour of the Brailliant hardware, and demonstrates the Brailliant in action. Lewis concludes the video by announcing a special offer for those customers wishing to order the Brailliant through Flying Blind, LLC during the month of August. Just reference this special when contacting Flying Blind, LLC, and we'll be happy to honor it should you order a unit by or before August 31, 2012. Flying Blind, LLC is your premiere source for Brailliant integration within educational, vocational, and community-based technology environments. After checking out this video, feel free to email brailliant@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 to get your pre-sales Brailliant questions answered, and have your product needs fulfilled in a caring and responsive manner!

Greetings,

1) The August, 2012 issue of AccessWorld contains articles about creating, managing and sharing information using iOS, using the iPad as a CCTV, an evaluation of the Victor Stratus, and more.
http://www.afb.org/accessworld

2) Here are two comparisons of iOS and Android Jelly Bean, both from admitted iOS proponents, but both informative:

iOS or Android for the Visually Impaired Revisited: Jelly Bean or iOS?
http://www.applevis.com/applevis-blog/advocacy/ios-or-android-visually-impaired-revisited-jelly-bean-or-ios

And, not mentioning accessibility, An Openly Biased Review of Android Jelly Bean by an iPhone Lover:
http://gizmodo.com/5933636/an-openly-biased-review-of-android-jelly-bean-by-an-iphone-lover

3) This is a well written article with additional resources on making iOS apps accessible to blind users who use VoiceOver, from .net magazine:
http://www.netmagazine.com/features/make-your-ios-app-accessible-voiceover

4) The Cisco Academy for the Visually Impaired will conduct a short course, about nine lessons, on single and multi-track audio editing. Cost will be $150. If interested, email:
caviinfo@ciscovision.org

5) AI Squared holds free weekly webinars on ZoomText. Coming up are sessions on the large print keyboard and on ZoomText hotkeys.
http://www.aisquared.com/blog/2012/08/new-free-webinars-posted/

6) This Signal to Noise podcast features Nisus Writer Express, a promising word processor for the Mac.
http://signaltonoise.podbean.com/

7) The latest Chromevox release, 1.22.0 includes better navigation, simplified options, and a user survey!
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/kgejglhpjiefppelpmljglcjbhoiplfn#detail/kgejglhpjiefppelpmljglcjbhoiplfn

8) Learn about the Stream Companion software on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 21 August at 00:00:
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

9) The newest AppleVis podcasts include AppleVis Extra #1:
http://www.applevis.com/applevis-podcast/ios-apps/applevis-extra-1

And Revisiting Zello Walkie Talkie: Live Private and Public Chat on your iDevice:
http://www.applevis.com/applevis-podcast/ios-apps/revisiting-zello-walkie-talkie-live-private-and-public-chat-your-idevice

10) If you want to download NLS books and pput them onto cartridges that will fit into the NLS player, this site offers resources for buying blank cartridges.
http://www.loc.gov/nls/cartridges/index.html

11) From the HowTo Geek site, we learn How Scammers Forge Email Addresses and How You Can Tell:
http://www.howtogeek.com/121532/htg-explains-how-scammers-forge-email-addresses-and-how-you-can-tell/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=120812

12) Thanks to Gizmo, we learn that we can get Free Books In Daily Bite-Size Chunks By Email from DailyLit:
http://www.dailylit.com/

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 365

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, August 9, 2012 - Volume 365
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Flying Blind, LLC AdapTech VideoCast - Volume 2: The Brailliant in Action!
YouTube Video Thumbnail showing Larry Lewis of Flying Blind, LLC sitting at a large table with a Brailliant in front of him. In this installment of the Flying Blind, LLC AdapTech Videocast, Larry Lewis introduces you to the Brailliant Bi Series of Refreshable Braille displays, manufactured by HumanWare. This state-of-the-art solution, which comes in both 32 and 40 cell models, is a tremendous asset for both the Windows and iOS user of adaptive screenreading technology. In this video, Lewis takes you on a comprehensive tour of the Brailliant hardware, and demonstrates the Brailliant in action. Lewis concludes the video by announcing a special offer for those customers wishing to order the Brailliant through Flying Blind, LLC during the month of August. Just reference this special when contacting Flying Blind, LLC, and we'll be happy to honor it should you order a unit by or before August 31, 2012. Flying Blind, LLC is your premiere source for Brailliant integration within educational, vocational, and community-based technology environments. After checking out this video, feel free to email brailliant@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 to get your pre-sales Brailliant questions answered, and have your product needs fulfilled in a caring and responsive manner!

Greetings,

1) Learn about Kurzweil 1000 Version 13 on Tek Talk, aired on GMT Tuesday, 14 August at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

2) The Carroll Center now offers fully accessible video tutorials on the use of VoiceOver with iOS devices, and also with Apple TV with VoiceOver.
http://carroll.org/video-tutorials/

3) This Ars Technica post, not referencing Accessibility considerations at all, is called "Cooking with the iPad: Which apps offer the best experience?"
http://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/08/cooking-with-the-ipad-which-apps-offer-the-best-experience/

4) An upcoming Hadly Seminar on 29 August at 16:00 GMT is called "iReading on the iPad Using the Read2go App".
http://hadley.edu/SeminarUpcomings.asp

5) Manuals for many products from American Printing House can be freely downloaded. Some of them take the form of PDfs with no text.
http://www.aph.org/manuals/index.html

6) A new version of the PDF Accessibility Checker from the Swiss foundation for accessible technologies is now available.
http://access-for-all.ch/en/pdf-lab/pdf-accessibility-checker-pac.html

7) This post from Kiran's Blog is called "Random thoughts on Android Jellybean and Google Nexus 7 Accessibility"
http://kirankaja12.wordpress.com/2012/08/02/random-thoughts-on-android-jellybean-and-google-nexus-7-accessibility/

8) On this topic in general, this late June, 2012 article from the SSB BART Group is entitled "The Mobile Accessibility Landscape".
https://www.webaccessibility.com/blog/2012/06/29/the-mobile-accessibility-landscape/

9) This same organization offers a free webinar, "Best Practices for Accessible Training 101", on Tuesday, 28 August at 18:00 GMT.
https://www.ssbbartgroup.com/webinarregistration.php?id=0

10) Efforts are underway to ensure accessibility to WordPress. This post is entitled "How accessible is the WordPress CMS for a Blind Content Manager?"
http://blog.rrwd.nl/2012/03/23/how-accessible-is-the-wordpress-cms-for-a-blind-content-manager/

One individual is seeking to create an accessible theme.
http://davidakennedy.com/blog/what-do-you-need-in-an-accessible-wordpress-theme/#.UCE5UY5QZwE

11) The people behind VizWiz are seeking funding and volunteers to keep it going.
http://www.innovocracy.org/GreatInnovations/Details.aspx?id=20

12) The Haven is an intriguing free windows audio player that lets you change the pitch and speed of the recording at will. Here are JAWS scripts for it as well as the link to download the player.
http://www.dlee.org/hayaemon/

13) Here is the Internet Archive's collection of DAISY books.
http://archive.org/details/printdisabled

14) This week's roundup of podcasts follows.

Episode 8 of AccessTech covers Fleksy, Windows 8, Mountain Lion, Nokia and more.
http://AccessTalk.co.uk

SeroTalk Podcast 118 covers the weeks technology news and views.
http://serotalk.com/2012/08/06/serotalk-podcast-118-twitigation/

The Friday Podcast from the Indiana Adaptive Technology Blog talks about the upcoming iPhone 5, dictation in Windows and the Mac, and much more.
http://blog.eastersealstech.com/friday-podcast-32/

We mentioned Sue Martin's blog a while back. Here is an FSCast interview with her.
http://www.freedomscientific.com/FSCast/episodes/fscast068-july2012.asp

Next, a podcast on the Insignia Narrator Radio from Best Buy.
http://t.co/79lHnfRw

The rest of these all concern iOS:

From applevis: A Guide to Managing Apps and Folders on your iDevice Home Screen
http://www.applevis.com/applevis-podcast/ios/guide-managing-apps-and-folders-your-idevice-home-screen

Using the Pinch Gesture and Rotor to Select, Copy and Paste Text in iOS.
http://www.applevis.com/applevis-podcast/ios/using-pinch-gesture-and-rotor-select-copy-and-paste-text-ios

MLB At Bat: Keep up to Date With Your Favorite Squads and Stars.
http://www.applevis.com/node/3610

Latest episodes of the iBlindTech Democast cover searching for text in Safari, copying and pasting on the iPhone, the App Switcher, and the iPhone's typing modes.
http://www.iblindtech.com/democast/

And finally, Triple Click Home, Episode 9.
http://tripleclickhome.com/2012/08/07/triple-click-home-episode-9-the-slide-to-unlock-people/

15) This is a direct link to a video showcasing Talking LabQuest, Part of the ISci Lab Solution with Window-Eyes designed to increase accessibility of science labs.
http://t.co/GZbTV9j3

16) From Lifehacker, here is "7 Awesome Features You've Forgotten About in Windows 7"
http://lifehacker.com/5932456/7-awesome-features-youve-forgotten-about-in-windows-7?utm_campaign=socialflow_lifehacker_twitter&utm_source=lifehacker_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

17) From the Access technology Blog of the NFB comes "Mountain Lion: Does it Roar, or Slip in on Quiet Cat's Feet?"
http://nfb.org/access-technology-blog

18) Freedom Scientific is hiring both full-time in-house and contract work-from-home tech support specialists. Email resume to:
bryanc@freedomscientific.com

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 364

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, August 2, 2012 - Volume 364
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: One Refurbished Juliette 60 Pro for $2,295.00 USD!!!
Photo of the Juliette Pro 60 This sturdily designed workhorse manufactured by Enabling Technologies is a fantastic bargain for the Braille user in need of a heavy duty, yet affordable Braille embosser to produce hardcopy Braille! It's capable of producing large quantities of Braille at a speed of 60 characters per second either on one or both sides of the Braille page. It's speech output functionality serves as the perfect companion for a user wishing to Braille a quick document, or for the individual wishing to produce copious amounts of text on either 8-1/2 by 11 or 11 by 11-1/2 sized paper. Price includes shipping within the 48 Continental United States which means that one lucky Braillist will be saving approximately 50% off of the suggested list price of this embosser which has been used for less than 10 hours! This embosser will be sold on a first come, first serve basis, so act now before it's too late! For more information, email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today.

Greetings,

1) Adaptive Technology Snippets from New Zealand are now available on the web.
http://www.rnzfb.org.nz/members/useful-resources/adaptive-technology-snippets

2) On Main Menu this week, airing at 01:00 GMT Saturday and repeating throughout that day, there will be a demonstration of the Cash Manager Package and a discussion of the dictation feature of Mountain Lion.
http://www.acbradio.org/mainstream

3) Here is this week's collection of podcasts:

Several seminars from Sight Village are available:
http://www.team-fm.com/sv2go

Fifteen initial Mountain Lion Demos
http://davidwoodbr.podbean.com/

Tech Access DemoCast, Episode 9 "Kindle For PC":
http://techaccessweekly.com/democast/2012/07/30/ta-democast-9-kindle-for-pc/

From Applevis, we have: Type Brailler Learn Braille: Helps You Learn to Read and Write Braille:
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/type-brailler-learn-braille-helps-you-learn-read-and-write-braille

Worder: A Challenging Word Game for iOS
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/worder-challenging-word-game-ios

Keep Up-to-date With the Latest Action from London 2012 with the Official Results App for the Olympics:
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/keep-date-latest-action-london-2012-official-results-app-olympic-and-paralympic

Voicebook VO: Designed to Make Basic Facebook Functionality Accessible to VoiceOver users:
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/voicebook-vo-designed-make-basic-facebook-functionality-accessible-voiceover-users

And finally, find out how to use flipboard on the iPad.
http://www.victortsaran.net/content/using-flipboard-ipad

4) From Jeffrey's Soapbox, we have these blog posts:

A Blind Trek Through the BlackBerry Patch with the Blackberry Screen Reader:
http://blog.blackspheretech.com/?p=148

And A Blind Trek Through Android, Part 1: Unwrapping the Jelly Bean (Getting Started):
http://blog.blackspheretech.com/?p=135

5) This article is called "Take a Memo: Ten Tips for Successful Voice Dictation":
http://tidbits.com/article/13156

6) The VoiceOver manual for Mountain Lion is at:
http://help.apple.com/voiceover/info/guide/10.8/English.lproj/index.html

7) This is an article about the popular radio service TuneIn:
http://techcrunch.com/2012/07/24/tunein-tesla-model-s/

8) This one is called "How Blind Photographers Like Chris Holmes Are Overcoming The Odds To Produce Stunning Images":
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/07/16/blind-photography_n_1676884.html

9) Learn about Alt, a workflow accelerator, on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 21 August at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 363

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, July 26, 2012 - Volume 363
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: One Refurbished Juliette 60 Pro for $2,595.00 USD!!!
Photo of the Juliette Pro 60 This sturdily designed workhorse manufactured by Enabling Technologies is a fantastic bargain for the Braille user in need of a heavy duty, yet affordable Braille embosser to produce hardcopy Braille! It's capable of producing large quantities of Braille at a speed of 60 characters per second either on one or both sides of the Braille page. It's speech output functionality serves as the perfect companion for a user wishing to Braille a quick document, or for the individual wishing to produce copious amounts of text on either 8-1/2 by 11 or 11 by 11-1/2 sized paper. Price includes shipping within the 48 Continental United States which means that one lucky Braillist will be saving approximately $2,000.00 on this embosser which has been used for less than 10 hours! This embosser will be sold on a first come, first serve basis, so act now before it's too late! For more information, email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today.

Greetings,

1) The latest Mac operating system, Mountain Lion, was released this week, and David Woodbridge has produced a series of podcasts about it.
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/tags/mac-os-x

Mountain Lion will also be the topic for Main Menu, airing first at 01:00 GMT on Saturday, 28 July and repeating throughout the day.
http://www.acbradio.org/mainstream

2) Talk about the Fleksy iPhone App remains plentiful. The creators were interviewed on Blind Access Journal.
http://blindaccessjournal.com/2012/07/write-it-fast-type-easily-with-fleksy-for-ios/

And Fleksy is featured among other topics on Program #121 of Talking vision from Australia.
http://www.visionaustralia.org/talkingvision/

3) The National Federation of the Blind held a "Train the Trainers" event in May. A 14 MB ZIP file of handouts is available on this site:
http://nfb.org/training-the-trainers

4) There are several technology-related presentations here:

Audio from the 2012 NFB National Convention is now available at:
http://www.nfb.org/national-convention-highlights

5) "Jelly Bean Accessibility Explained: Touch Exploration Augmented By Gestures" is the 24 July post to the Eyes-Free Android blog:
http://eyes-free.blogspot.com/2012/07/jelly-bean-accessibility-explainedtouch.html

6) Accessing Windows Live Mail with Window-Eyes will be a free online webinar to take place Wednesday, 8 August at 18:00 GMT. Archives will be available.
http://www.gwmicro.com/meeting

7) As Windows 8's October release approaches, this blog post, "Using your feedback to make Narrator work better with touch." begins to take on importance.
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/07/18/using-your-feedback-to-make-narrator-work-better-with-touch.aspx

8) The SeroTalk site contains material on windows 8 Accessibility from the recent conventions as well as interview packages from those conventions.
http://serotalk.com/

9) Exact Contact, a free online contact management system with an emphasis on accessibility, is free for consumer use.
https://www.exactcontact.net/

10) EASI will offer a free webinar, The DIAGRAM Center: Making Digital Images Accessible, on Wednesday, 8 August at 18:00 GMT.
http://easi.cc/clinic.htm#august

11) Learn a perspective on the future of assistive and information technology, universal design and more on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday 31 August at 01:00:
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 362

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, July 19, 2012 - Volume 362
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: One Remaining BrailleConnect 40 Cell Braille Display Reduced To $1,795.00 USD!
Photo of the BrailleConnect 40 Flying Blind, LLC has found great homes for all but one of these refreshable Braille displays reduced to $1,795.00 USD, that's more than $3,200.00 USD off of its suggested list price! This single remaining unit is in fantastic condition and is waiting to serve one fortunate user with limitless refreshable Braille access when connected to a variety of devices!!! Who could have ever imagined a wireless 40 Cell Braille display for less than $1,800.00 USD? Flying Blind, LLC is committed to finding this one remaining BrailleConnect unit a good home! This display is in perfect working order and has been thoroughly tested prior to delivery. This sleek yet rugged Braille terminal offers enough Braille for PC and Macintosh use while also providing ergonomic portability for use with today's portables such as netbooks, iPads, and mobile phones! This display comes with a 30 day warranty and will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. Price also includes shipping within the 48 continental United States. For more information email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107. ACT NOW before it's too late to take advantage of this unbelievable deal! (PC not included. Mobile phone not included.)

Greetings,

1) The July 2012 AccessWorld features articles about alternatives to Siri, the Insignia Narrator HD Radio, haptic technology, the transformer, a computer-compatible electronic magnifier, and the forthcoming AFB iPhone notetaking app.
http://www.afb.org/accessworld

2) Lisa Snider, an archival student and web-accessibility expert, is looking for volunteers for a website usability study.
lsnider@interchange.ubc.ca

3) SpeedDots Announces New Tactile Screen protectors for the iPad:
http://speeddots.com

4) Georgie is a rather expensive Android app that provides lots of accessibility including OCR and perhaps GPS capability, and one can buy phones with the app pre-installed.
http://crave.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/georgie-first-smart-phone-for-the-blind-on-sale-today-50008641/

5) Let's assemble all the podcasts for the week here:

From AppleVis, Introducing TextDetective: A New OCR App for the Vision-Impaired:
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/introducing-textdetective-new-ocr-app-vision-impaired

DropVox: Quickly and Easily Record Voice Memos to Dropbox
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/dropvox-quickly-and-easily-record-voice-memos-dropbox

Also Apple-related: A podcast all about Looktel BreadCrumbs GPS:
http://www.looktel.com/downloads/podcasts/LookTelBreadcrumbsGPS_Podcast.mp3

And the new Fleksy App:
http://tffp.marrie.org/486

Next, Nexus 7 Accessibility: Where Are We?
http://www.victortsaran.net/content/nexus-7-accessibility-where-are-we

And Switching Map Folders with Sendero GPS 2012:
http://t.co/YKngjXNl

Next, High Contrast Episode 2: Me Likey Chrome:
http://t.co/zaiP7Ztd

The SeroTalk crew received so much feedback, they produced a Feedback Special:
http://serotalk.com/2012/07/18/serotalk-podcast-feedback-special-1/

Access Wizard Episode 4 deals with Linux. Ubuntu 12.04. Accessibility bugs & UI quirks.
http://www.voiceoveron.com/2012/07/11/access-wizard-episode-4-linux-ubuntu-12-04-accessibility-bugs-ui-quirks/

A detailed review and demonstration of the Braille Sense U2:
http://bit.ly/9Cf5W9

6) Some potentially useful guides have appeared on the AppleVis site:

VoiceOver Keyboard Shortcuts for Mac OS X:
http://www.applevis.com/guides/voiceover-keyboard-shortcuts-mac-os-x

VoiceOver Gestures for use with a Multi-Touch Trackpad on Mac OS X:
http://www.applevis.com/guides/voiceover-gestures-use-multi-touch-trackpad-mac-os-x

A Guide to Making the Switch from Using a Windows Screen Reader to VoiceOver on a Mac:
http://www.applevis.com/guides/guide-making-switch-using-windows-screen-reader-voiceover-mac

7) Many people have been intrigued by Fleksy, the innovative $15 iPhone app to facilitate faster typing by the blind on the screen. The developers will be answering questions on GMT Tuesday, 31 July at 01:15.
http://happytyping.tk/

8) The latest $75 textbook from Kathy Ann Murtha is Internet Explorer 9 with System Access:
http://www.blindtraining.com/shop/msie-sa.htm

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 361

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, July 12, 2012 - Volume 361
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Refurbished BrailleConnect 40 Cell Braille Displays Reduced To $1,795.00 USD!
Photo of the BrailleConnect 40 Flying Blind, LLC is reducing its remaining inventory of refurbished but barely-used BrailleConnect 40 Cell Terminals to the astoundingly low price of $1,795.00 USD each, that's more than $3,200.00 USD off of their suggested list price! Who could have ever imagined a wireless 40 Cell Braille display for less than $1,800.00 USD? Flying Blind, LLC is pleased to pass along these additional savings in the interest of finding these remaining BrailleConnect units good homes! Each display is in perfect working order and has been thoroughly tested prior to delivery. This sleek yet rugged Braille terminal offers enough Braille for PC and Macintosh use while providing ergonomic portability for use with today's portables such as netbooks, iPads, and mobile phones! Each display comes with a 30 day warranty and all units will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. Price also includes shipping within the 48 continental United States. For more information email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107. ACT NOW before it's too late to take advantage of this unbelievable deal! (PC not included. Mobile phone not included.)

Greetings,

Since the organizers of the AER Conference have seen fit to hold it near my home, I may drop in for a day or two. If you're coming and would like to meet or visit, drop me an email at: dean@topdotenterprises.com.

1) Cisco Academy for the Vision Impaired is taking enrollments to their courses to improve computer skills. Enrollment deadline is July 21. These are high-level courses, and with scholarship, they cost $150.
http://www.ciscovision.org

2) Viewpoints has posted Part 1 of a two-part series on Android accessibility; the second part comes next week.
http://www.ViewPointsPlus.net

3) Learn about goings-on at Triumph Technology on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 17 July at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

4) Check out Sue Martin's book excerpt detailing her sight loss and rehabilitation, as well as her frequently-updated blog on the same range of topics.
http://www.OutOfTheWhirlpool.com

5) The National Research & Training Center (NRTC) on Blindness and Low Vision at Mississippi State University maintains an online participant registry for those interested in participating in research that seeks to enhance employment and independent living outcomes for individuals who are blind or visually impaired. If you would like to sign up or read more about it, please visit this link:
http://tiny.cc/participant-registry

6) IRTI has produced three videos demonstrating their line of eClipseReader and eClipseWriter DAISY products.
http://www.eclipsereader.com/eClipseWriter/

7) Rick Harmon gave a thorough demonstration on Tek Talk on using an iPhone to scan barcodes and thereby gain much useful information. Here is the recording:
http://www.blind-geek-zone.net/Audio/BGZ056.mp3

8) Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool (x64) 4.10 has been released. This free program, available in a 32-bit version as well, removes some high-profile malware.
http://t.co/iqEPXm73

9) From Opinion by pen, here is a readable review of Dragon Nagturally Speaking.
http://opinionbypen.com/dragon-naturally-speaking-a-users-review/

10) The iPhone App for Learning Ally, formerly Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, which enables you to play and navigate books on your bookshelf, formerly cost $19.95, but now it is free.
http://www.applevis.com/app-deals/ios-apps-gone-free/learning-ally-audio

11) Work continues on the JAWS scripts for Skype.
http://www.dlee.org/skype/

12) A recent AppleVis podcast discusses Using the Built-in Text Expander on Mac OS X
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/using-built-text-expander-mac-os-x

13) From the HowToGeek site, comes the answer to the question: Do You Really Need to Safely Remove USB Sticks?
http://www.howtogeek.com/118546/htg-explains-do-you-really-need-to-safely-remove-usb-sticks/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=100712

14) The Finds of the Week from the Gizmo site are a collection of some interesting web sites, technical, reference and otherwise.
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/finds-week-9-amazing-photoblogs-password-security-usb-drive-hacks-six-best-firefox-alterna-0?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GizmosDailyTechTreats+%28Gizmo%27s+Daily+Tech+Treats%29

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 360

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, July 5, 2012 - Volume 360
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Refurbished BrailleConnect 40 Cell Braille Displays Reduced To $1,795.00 USD!
Photo of the BrailleConnect 40 Flying Blind, LLC is reducing its remaining inventory of refurbished but barely-used BrailleConnect 40 Cell Terminals to the astoundingly low price of $1,795.00 USD each, that's more than $3,200.00 USD off of their suggested list price! Who could have ever imagined a wireless 40 Cell Braille display for less than $1,800.00 USD? Flying Blind, LLC is pleased to pass along these additional savings in the interest of finding these remaining BrailleConnect units good homes! Each display is in perfect working order and has been thoroughly tested prior to delivery. This sleek yet rugged Braille terminal offers enough Braille for PC and Macintosh use while providing ergonomic portability for use with today's portables such as netbooks, iPads, and mobile phones! Each display comes with a 30 day warranty and all units will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. Price also includes shipping within the 48 continental United States. For more information email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107. ACT NOW before it's too late to take advantage of this unbelievable deal! (PC not included. Mobile phone not included.)

Greetings,

1.) We begin with a corrected link from last week's Tidbits: iOS6 isn't out yet, but accessibility improvements are promised. Here's a video explaining Guided Access in iOS6.
http://www.cultofmac.com/175642/heres-how-guided-access-works-in-ios-6-video/

2) RoboBraille now allows you to convert PowerPoint presentations into .rtf, tagged .pdf, or .zip web projects, and to convert word documents into tagged .pdf:
http://www.robobraille.org/web/

3) There being lots of competition in the portable digital player market, Humanware has seen fit to lower the price of the Vicgtor Reader Stream with its SoftPak to $258 for the summer.
http://visit.humanware.com/e/3332/2012-07-03/28vtmf/454577122

4) Serotek has initiated an arrangement whereby you can use their screen reader, online service and OCR program for $21.95 per month.
http://serotalk.com/2012/07/01/anywhere-everywhere-that%e2%80%99s-accessibility/

5) Here is a guide to using the built-in accessibility features on the new iPad, by Amber Bobner of the Wonderbaby website, courtesy of Insight Magazine of the RNIB.
http://www.rnib.org.uk/professionals/Documents/insight_40_ipad.doc

6) The OpenCulture site features some 500 free college courses, links to free materials for learning some 40 languages, and more:
http://www.openculture.com/?view=mobile

7) This is a very basic listing of Best Android Apps for the blind and visually impaired:
http://www.androidauthority.com/best-android-apps-visually-impaired-blind-97471/

8) Learn about using the iPhone as a Bar Code Reader on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 10 July at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

9) Much more audio-described television programming is becoming available in some US markets starting this month. To find out about what is available and try to get description for your favorite shows, go to:
http://www.VideoDescription.info/

10) From the HowToGeek site, we learn How to Easily Watch Netflix and Hulu From Anywhere in the World:
http://www.howtogeek.com/117528/how-to-easily-watch-netflix-and-hulu-from-anywhere-in-the-world/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=280612
And Add Multiple Types of Items to the Desktop Context Menu in Windows 7 or 8:
http://www.howtogeek.com/117477/add-program-shortcuts-urls-files-and-folders-to-the-desktop-context-menu-in-windows-7-or-8/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=280612

11) GW Micro has posted the article, "Links Not Accessible in HTML Emails" to its knowledgebase.
http://gwmicro.com/kb2016

12) And the company is making it easier for users of JAWS and System Access to switch to Window-Eyes by creating a new keyboard layout, called the Insert Key layout.
https://www.gwmicro.com/App_Central/Apps/App_Details/?scriptid=1377

13) Sodbeans, an accessible interface for programmers, has been upgraded to version 3.
http://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/sodbeans/wiki/Sodbeans/ReleaseNotes

14) EASI offers a 4-part, fee-based Webinar Series: Streaming More Accessible Multimedia, starting 10 July:
https://www.secure.servsite.com/easi/enrollment/dates.shtml

15) Here's the latest on the status of The Qube, the excellent PC-based screen-reader-friendly Twitter client.
http://www.quartzprojects.co.uk/?p=20

16) LookTel Breadcrumbs GPS will be an interesting entry in the arena of GPS Apps for the iPhone. It is not available yet, but thorough documentation is.
http://www.looktel.com/breadcrumbs-documentation

17) BGZ Podcast 54 is a demo of the Chrome browser for iOS:
http://www.blind-geek-zone.net/audio/bgz054.mp3

18) The latest Tech doctor podcast is entitled "Talking 2012 Apple MacBooks" with Katie Floyd.
http://www.dr-carter.com/?p=120

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 359

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, June 28, 2012 - Volume 359
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Come Check out BraillePen at This Year's Summer Conventions!
Photo of the BraillePen Slim and BraillePen12 Side by Side. We're all charged up and ready to hit the road this weekend. We're most pleased to be showing off the BraillePen12 and BraillePen Slim in a series of four International Conferences, which presents us with a fantastic opportunity to bring the world's lowest cost, most versitile Braille input/output device to thousands of current and prospective customers. If you are attending any of the conferences listed below, please stop by the Aroga Technologies booth and check out this pocket-sized alternative that is also easy on your pocket book! Also, try out the newly released clipboard feature which allows users to jot down information on their BraillePen and effortlessly transfer it to their iPad or Mobile phone. Lastly, we'll be providing free shipping on all orders placed at the conference as well as entering customers into a drawing to receive a free BraillePen12 valued at $995.00 USD! So travel safe and be sure to stop by and pay us a visit if you're attending any of these conferences. You'll be glad you did!

National Federation of The Blind National Convention, Hilton Anatole Hotel, Dallas, July 1st -3rd. | American Council of the Blind, Galt House Hotel, Louisville, July 7th - 9th . | AHEAD Conference, Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, July 11th - 13th. | AER International Conference, Hyatt Regency, Bellevue, July 18th - 20th.

Greetings,

1) Alot of AppleVis podcasts have appeared:

CarTunes Music Player: Control the Music on Your iOS Device Using Simple Gestures
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/cartunes-music-player-control-music-your-ios-device-using-simple-gestures
GJ Tuner: A Free iOS App to Make Guitar Tuning Easier
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/gj-tuner-free-ios-app-make-guitar-tuning-easier
iTunes Match: What it is, How it Works, and Whether it's Worth it
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/itunes-match-what-it-how-it-works-and-whether-its-worth-it
AroundMe: Information on Nearby Businesses and Points of Interest
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/aroundme-information-nearby-businesses-and-points-interest
Podcasts: Introducing Apple&'s New Standalone Podcast App for iOS
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/podcasts-introducing-apples-new-standalone-podcast-app-ios

2) While we're reviewing podcasts, we have two about the not-yet-released typing app for the iPhone that testers are excited about, called Fleksy: From The Tech Doctor Blog and Podcast, Touch Screen Typing: Easier and Faster with Fleksy.
http://www.dr-carter.com/?p=118
And from Accessible Devices, Show 30 Fleksy
http://accessible-devices.com/podcasts/?p=episode&name=2012-06-24_show30fleksy.mp3

3) According to Serotalk, Triple-Click Home Episode 8 answers the question you've all been wanting to ask: Why Can't I Dictate My Password?
http://tripleclickhome.com/welcome-to-triple-click-home/

4) Episodes 32 and 33 of the Mystic Place Blog and Podcast deal with Becky Internet Email with screen readers. Episode 32 describes how to configure Becky for optimal accessibility and initial account set up. Episode 33 deals with the address book and sending / viewing attachments.
http://www.mysticplace.info/?feed=podcast

5) iOS6 isn't out yet, but accessibility improvements are promised. Here's a video explaining Guided Access in iOS6.
http://www.cultofmac.com/175642/heres-how-guided-access-works-in-ios-6-video/s

6) EASI gives us a free word document, ten tips for online teachers:
http://easi.cc/zip/ten-tips.doc

7) Kathy ann Murtha offers $75.00 textbooks on PowerPoint 2010 with either JAWS or window-eyes.
http://www.blindtraining.com/shop/office2010.htm

8) A growing number of plug-ins are available to enhance the functionality of NVDA.
http://stormdragon.us/nvda/

9) This post, 50 Popular Voice Over Compatible iOS Apps, from the TechKnowMore Blog - RNIB mentioned some that you might not know of:
http://www.rnib.org.uk/livingwithsightloss/computersphones/updates/techknowmore/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?List=338a9817-aaef-4ff4-9063-9175534b70d0&ID=111

10) The Described Video (DV) Guide is a comprehensive list of most described television programming across Canada.
http://www.ami.ca/dvguide

11) If you have Usher's Syndrome, register with the Usher's Syndrome Registry to learn about possible treatments and gain support.
https://www.usher-registry.org/

12) The National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program will enable deaf-blind people to receive some significant adaptive technology at little or no cost. Perkins School is conducting outreach for the program. For information, email:
Jackie.Ellington@fcc.gov

13) Seminars Hadley will present Tuning in with BookPort Plus, addressing the features made available by the device's wireless access, on Wednesday, 11 July at 16:00 TMT.
http://hadley.edu/SeminarDetails.asp?sid=146

14) Here are some items from the Gizmo site:

Browse 600,000 Product Manuals Online
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/browse-600000-product-manuals-online.htm
Learn How to Be a Google Power Searcher
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/learn-how-be-google-power-searcher.htm
Best Free Disk De-fragmenter
http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-disk-de-fragmenter.htm
Create And Publish An Online Survey In Minutes
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/create-and-publish-online-survey-minutes.htm

15) And from the HowToGeek site, we glean:

Week in Geek: Google Finds 9,500 New Malicious Websites Per Day
http://www.howtogeek.com/117374/week-in-geek-google-finds-9500-new-malicious-websites-per-day/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=240612
How to Find Your Computer's Private & Public IP Addresses
http://www.howtogeek.com/latest/240612.html
The Best Websites for Listening to Podcasts and Learning How to Create Your Own
http://www.howtogeek.com/117297/the-best-websites-for-listening-to-podcasts-and-learning-how-to-create-your-own/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=240612
How to Activate VLC's Web Interface, Control VLC From a Browser, & Use Any Smartphone as a Remote
http://www.howtogeek.com/117261/how-to-activate-vlcs-web-interface-control-vlc-from-a-browser-use-any-smartphone-as-a-remote/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=240612

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 358

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, June 21, 2012 - Volume 358
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: BraillePen12 Firmware Update for Current and Prospective BraillePen Users Provides All New Clipboard Functionality!
Video still with a play button in the center showing Larry Lewis of Flying Blind, LLC holding a BraillePen12. Flying Blind, LLC is pleased to announce the availability of a new firmware build for BraillePen12 customers. Not only is BraillePen12 the only wireless Braille input/output device on the market for less than $1,000.00 USD, but it now boasts the only "clipboard" feature as well, making it possible for users to create and edit text on the fly, using their BraillePen as a stand-alone device, and then pasting the contents of that text into the edit field of their favorite iOS or Android application. To celebrate the launch of the new Flying Blind, LLC YouTube Channel (now available at www.youtube.com/flyingblindllc) Larry Lewis gets hands on with BraillePen and iOS in this first volume of the Flying Blind, LLC AdapTech Videocast in which Lewis provides an introduction to BraillePen, demonstrates how to easily connect or pair a BraillePen wirelessly via Bluetooth to an iOS device, and then closes by showing off the newly released BraillePen "Clipboard Feature". Note that this free videocast is available in two parts and is about 25 minutes in length.

Flying Blind, LLC AdapTech Videocast - Volume 1A
Introduction to BraillePen12 And Its New Clipboard Feature
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86JkQLXwC8M&feature=youtube_gdata

Flying Blind, LLC AdapTech Videocast - Volume 1B
Introduction to BraillePen12 And Its New Clipboard Feature (Continued)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ulGF8SnI2g&feature=youtube_gdata

Larry Lewis will be representing Aroga Technologies at four upcoming International Conventions commencing in less than 2 weeks. Look for more information about these conferences in your inbox next week, and if you're attending any of these conferences, stop by, pay him a visit, and try out this revolutionary utility which marries notetaker know-how with mainstream access. All BraillePen12s are shipping with this new firmware, and current BraillePen users may contact their authorized BraillePen resellers to get their units updated. We'll also be updating units at the summer conventions. Lastly, you may call (800) 561-6222 and speak to Aroga Technology's Service Department to get your unit updated. For any BraillePen related questions, please email braillepen@flying-blind.com or call (216) 381-8107.

Greetings,

1) Readers' Digest is now available to subscribers of NFB Newsline.
http://www.nfbnewsline.org/

2) The book "Twenty-One iPhone Apps We Can't Live Without" is available for $9.00 In Braille, eBraille, Word/ASCII, and DAISY from National Braille Press.
http://nbp.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=0150d8e3e15bab5b5433561b9&id=d2456cfb73&e=1296c71151

3) Vocalizer synthesizers in a lot of languages are available for NVDA in a package costing about 65 pounds or $95.
http://www.vocalizer-nvda.com

4) "Is The Android Operating System Accessible?" will be the question discussed on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 26 June at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

5) A Democast 7 discusses the Braille Edge 40 by HIMS.
http://techaccessweekly.com/democast/2012/06/18/ta-democast-7-braille-edge-40-by-hims/

6) This blog post lists the available accessibility-related apps for Google Chrome.
https://andreashead.wikispaces.com/Google+Chrome++Apps+for+Accessibility

7) AppleVis podcasts from this week include Color Recognition Apps: Part 1 - ColorVisor
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/color-recognition-apps-part-1-colorvisor
And SKY.FM: Making Internet Radio a Shared Listening Experience
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/skyfm-making-internet-radio-shared-listening-experience

8) Assistive Technology and Cloud-Based Computing will be the topic for a free day-long training, in-person and online, on Friday, 29 June.
http://www.eastersealscrossroads.org/blog/2012/may/assistive-technology-and-cloud-based-computing

9) It's a busy week for new content from the Gizmo site:

How to Create an Audio CD from MP3 Files Using Free Software
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-create-audio-cd-mp3-files-using-free-software.htm
How to Report Malware or False Positives to Multiple Antivirus Vendors
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-report-malware-or-false-positives-multiple-antivirus-vendors.htm
Tens of Thousands of Free Kindle eBooks Online
http://www.techsupportalert.com/free-books-kindle
Best Free Search Engine
http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-google-search-engine-alternative.htm
How to Manage Super-Hidden Windows System Files
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-manage-super-hidden-windows-system-files.htm
Four Ways to Speedier and Better Google Searches
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/four-ways-speedier-and-better-google-searches.htm
Free Online Courses And Lectures. Learn SQL, Psychology, Business And More
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/free-online-courses-and-lectures-learn-sql-psychology-business-and-more.htm
Shortcuts for Faster and Easier Use of Windows Media Player in Windows 7
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/shortcuts-faster-and-easier-use-windows-media-player-windows-7.htm
Watch 6301 Full-Length Documentaries From Your Browser
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/watch-6301-full-length-documentaries-your-browser.htm

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 357

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, June 14, 2012 - Volume 357
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Refurbished BrailleConnect 40 Cell Braille Displays for USD$1,895.00!
Photo of the BrailleConnect 40 Flying Blind, LLC is ecstatic to announce that it has come into a few barely used BrailleConnect 40 Cell Terminals and is selling them for the obscenely low price of $1,895.00 USD each, that's more than $3,100.00 USD off of their suggested list price! Who could have ever imagined a wireless 40 Cell Braille display for less than $1,900.00? That's less than $50 per cell!!! Each display is in fantastic working order and has been thoroughly tested prior to delivery. This sleek yet rugged Braille terminal offers enough Braille for PC and Macintosh use while providing enough portability for use with today's portables such as netbooks, iPads, and mobile phones! Each display comes with a 30 day warranty and all units will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. Price also includes shipping within the 48 continental United States. For more information email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107. ACT NOW before it's too late to take advantage of this unbelievable deal! (PC not included. Mobile phone not included.)

Greetings,

1) BG Battleship, the 20th free accessible game from Spoonbill Software, is a customizable version of the pencil-and-paper game.
http://www.spoonbillsoftware.com.au/blindgamers.htm

2) Kurzweil 1000, Version 13, is now available, offering more text-to-speech voices, the ability to read and save using the EPUB format, the ability to get text from various cameras, and new versions of the recognition engines.
http://www.kurzweiledu.com/special/kurzweil-1000-text-access-blind-low-vision/?utm_source=K1000&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=v13_announce
Stephen baum will conduct a webinar on the new version on Wednesday, 20 June at 14:00 GMT.
https://clt.webex.com/mw0306ld/mywebex/default.do?service=1&siteurl=clt&nomenu=true&main_url=%2Fmc0805ld%2Fe.do%3Fsiteurl%3Dclt%26AT%3DMI%26EventID%3D139331567%26UID%3D0%26Host%3Da2c2129e045f655f233b%26RG%3D1%26FrameSet%3D2

3) Here are links to 500 movies, not audio-described, that you can stream for free.
http://gizmodo.com/5917304/here-are-500-full+length-movies-you-can-stream-completely-free

4) A couple of the services mentioned here have serious accessibility problems, but nonetheless there might be some interesting information: Five Best Internet Radio Services
http://lifehacker.com/5917063/five-best-internet-radio-services

5) The June 2012 issue of Accessworld is now available, featuring an interview with George Kerscher, a review of the Topolino Smart USB Video Camera (CCTV,) and more.
http://www.afb.org/accessworld

6) Learn about "Using Windows Media Player To Listen To Spoken Word Files Quickly", on Tek Talk, GMT Tuesday, 19 June at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

7) Zello is a walkie-talkie-type program with versions for windows and iOS, probably among others. Doug Lee has written JAWS scripts to make the windows version much more usable, and has written a manual on how to use it with the scripts.
http://www.dlee.org/zello/

8) Here is a Downloadable 37-page Microsoft Windows 8 Release Preview guide:
http://t.co/W26IaCO9

9) Recent AppleVis podcasts include Audio Invaders: A Retro Space Shooter for iOS
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/audio-invaders-retro-space-shooter-ios
Reminder++: Aan Alternative to the Native iOS Reminders App
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/reminder-alternative-native-ios-reminders-app
Turn your Store Receipts into Cash or Other Rewards with Receipt Hog
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/turn-your-store-receipts-cash-or-other-rewards-receipt-hog
Find the Best Food for your Dog with iK9 Dog Food Advocate
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/find-best-food-your-dog-ik9-dog-food-advocate

10) The post entitled "What Is Voiceover And Why Should I Care?" seeks to explain VoiceOver on the iPhone to those not in the habit of using it.
http://iphoneappcafe.com/what-is-voiceover-and-why-should-i-care/#comment-9019

11) From OneVoice for Accessible ICT, developers can learn about Moving Together: Mobile Apps for Inclusion and Assistance and Seven Steps to Accessible Mobile Apps
http://www.onevoiceict.org/news/moving-together-mobile-apps-inclusion-and-assistance

12) ZoomText 10.0.3 is Released, offering support for Internet Explorer 9, Thunderbird, and better collaboration with JAWS.
http://aisquared.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=46e107c7813eb905dfd2a6938&id=f2031f7d3c&e=83e5547f97

13) GW Micro has posted Windows Live Mail 1.2.5, enhanced scripts, which fix errors and add functionality for a hotkey.
http://www.gwmicro.com/App_Central/Apps/App_Details/?scriptid=1277

14) NVDA 2012.2 went from being a Release Candidate to a full release.
http://www.nvda-project.org/blog/NVDA2012.2Released

15) Now available: SeroSpectives: This Month in Technology for May, 2012
http://serotalk.com/2012/06/08/serospectives-this-month-in-technology-for-may-2012/
And SeroTalk Podcast 112: Fairy Dust and Farmville
http://serotalk.com/2012/06/11/serotalk-podcast-112-fairy-dust-and-farmville/

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 356

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, June 7, 2012 - Volume 356
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: One Refurbished BrailleNote32 Apex + BrailleNote GPS + Oxford Dictionary for USD$4,500.00!
Photo of the BrailleNote Apex32 Cell Notetaker Flying Blind, LLC has a gently used 32-Cell BrailleNote Apex with Sendero GPS and the Oxford Dictionary preinstalled on the unit. The unit also comes with an extra battery. This is a fantastic bargain for the notetaker user wishing to unleash every bit of power that the Apex has to offer, and at a savings of almost $3,500 off of the combined suggested list prices of these items. Price includes shipping within the 48 continental United States and as a single unit will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information email featured@flying-blind.com or call (216) 381-8107 today.

Greetings,

1) Thanks to the new free NFB Newsline iPhone app, all that content is now easily available on i-devices. Here's the BlindBargains description with links.
http://www.blindbargains.com/bargains.php?m=6977
And here is a podcast about the app.
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/what%E2%80%99s-latest-stay-current-nfb-newsline

2) Here is a cogent letter explaining why individuals would do well to support the development of the NVDA screen reader.
http://srinivasu.org/blog/2012/05/appeal-to-my-twitter-followers-support-nvda/
NVDA 2012.2RC is available, meaning that while it is still being tested, version 2012.2 is almost ready for official release.
http://www.nvda-project.org/blog/NVDA2012.2rc2Released

3) "Another Visit With The Kindle" will be the topic for Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 12 June at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

4) Here are papers presented by IBM at the 2012 CSUN conference.
http://www-03.ibm.com/able/education/csun12papers.html

5) The VisionAware blog is the fruit of a partnership between American Foundation for the Blind and Reader's Digest Partners for Sight Foundation, aiming to provide information and support to people undergoing vision loss.
http://www.visionaware.org/blog.aspx?BlogEntryID=348

6) The Hadley School for the Blind is now offering the following five new courses as part of its Forsythe Center for Entrepreneurship Program - Using PowerPoint 2010, Networking with LinkedIn, Networking Skills, Obtaining Financing and Federal Government Benefits. Courses are offered free of charge and are open to anyone who is blind or visually impaired, over age 14 and serious about starting or growing a business. For more information on the FCE program and to enroll in the new courses, please visit:
http://www.hadley.edu/fce

7) HIMS is pleased to announce the long-anticipated 7.0 firmware release for all Braille Sense and Voice Sense Notetakers! This release features a new Google Maps application, a new Bookshare download application, support for IMAP email, support for saving password protected files in the Word Processor, and support for Nemeth Braille and fractional arithmetic in the calculator, as well as several other features and fixes.
http://www.hims-inc.com/products/braille-sense-notetakers

8) EASI will present two Free Webinars: The Cutting Edge of e-book Accessibility, Friday, 15 June at 18:00 GMT
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEFRVmhpOGFlTVN5T09ScWREeDdsVWc6MQ
Accessibility and Usability: Working Together at MIT, Tuesday, 26 June at 18:00 GMT.
http://bit.ly/JiIYW8

9) I periodically get this question, so here is an article that might answer it, from the HowTo Geek: What Is RSS and How Can I Benefit From Using It?
http://www.howtogeek.com/115317/htg-explains-what-is-rss-and-how-can-i-benefit-from-using-it/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=060612

10) This post offers strategies for obtaining accessible textbooks.
http://assistivetechnology.about.com/od/ATCAT3/a/Make-College-Textbooks-Accessible.htm

11) The June 2012 Braille Monitor contains an article entitled Braille Notetakers' Determining Your Perfect Fit.
http://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm12/bm1206/bm120604.html

12) From Tech Access Weekly, here is a 30-minute podcast on recording and editing with goldwave.
http://techaccessweekly.com/democast/2012/06/04/ta-democast-6-recording-and-editing-with-goldwave/

13) A New Audio Demonstration of the Quantum Bar Code Scanner has been Posted.
http://blindbargains.com/b/6978 BlindBargains.com

14) This article describes the new BlindSquare iPhone Navigation App:
http://mashable.com/2012/06/01/blindsquare-app/

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 355

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, May 31, 2012 - Volume 355
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Refurbished Smartview Synergy SD Video Magnifiers with 22 Inch Monitors for USD$1,195.00!
Photo of the Synergy SD with 22 Inch Monitor Flying Blind, LLC is deviating a bit from its traditional reputation of offering the best pricing on refurbished, refreshable Braille equipment, and is showing the same kind of love to its low-vision customers by offering UNBELIEVABLE pricing on HumanWare's Smartview Synergy SD Video Magnifiers. These units tout ease of use, configurability, and ergonomic excellence in a desktop design with the end user's comfort being the company's primary focus. These units bring the printed word as well as photographs back to life for those whose vision has been compromised, and for a price thousands of dollars lower than its competitors! All units come with a one (1) year manufacturer's warranty. Price includes shipping within the continental United States. For more information, or to place your order, email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107. Flying Blind, LLC has limited quantities of these life-changers so act now while supplies last!

Greetings,

1) An item where fast action will be needed: A survey discussing the accessibility of free conference call services will remain open until Saturday the 2nd of June.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NBDX7GK

2) Here is information about the free VizWiz Social iPhone app, an app that allows blind users to receive quick answers to questions about their surroundings.
http://vizwiz.org/details.php

3) This video, from The Blind Film Critic, discusses how blind people write Braille.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj51UuxwjaE

4) The latest tech doctor podcast is entitled "From Apple to Law School" with Shane Jackson
http://www.dr-carter.com/?p=115

5) Forums on the AppleVis site that you might want to follow include:
Using iPhone with a Braille display as a notetaker:
http://www.applevis.com/applevis-forum/braille-users/using-iphone-braille-display-notetaker
Whats better, Windows with JAWS or a Mac with VO?
http://www.applevis.com/applevis-forum/os-x-mac-app-discussion/whats-better-windows-jaws-or-mac-vo
Mac for college:
http://www.applevis.com/applevis-forum/os-x-mac-app-discussion/mac-college
Also, the Voice Book social networking app has generated a lot of discussion:
http://www.applevis.com/ios-app-directory/social-networking/voice-book-vo

6) This opinion post from PM's World Blog is entitled "Why I think twitter clients specifically for blind people are something which should go away", and gives good information about past and present access to Twitter.
http://pmsworld.tdrealms.com/blog,3

7) The Ice Cream Sandwich from an Accessibility Point of View page has 14 podcasts and counting.
http://www.jjhof.com/android/ics/

8) In more Android news, Braille support is now available on Android by means of Mobile Accessibility from Code Factory.
http://www.codefactory.es/en/products.asp?id=415

9) Dodge City Desperados for Windows is a free computer game just released by Rich De Steno. Send a request for it and any of his other free games to:
ironrock@verizon.net

10) The Cisco Academy for the visually Impaired offers fairly regular lecture/discussion sessions on topics related to their classes, or of probable interest to the students. The one given on 21 May concerns how best to use a scanner to read print documents.
http://www.cucat.org/class_notes/CaviCasts/2012/20120521_optimize_scanning.mp3
This link leads to the page where you can access all the CAVI Casts for the last six years:
http://www.cucat.org/class_notes/CaviCasts/

11) Free JAWS scripts have been written for the Zello communication program; one of the script commands gives help on how to use the program.
http://www.dlee.org/zello/

12) A new podcast from the Serotalk Podcast Network is High Contrast, with a focus on low vision. Here is the first episode's program page.
http://serotalk.com/2012/05/11/high-contrast-episode-1-three-ipads-for-three-hosts/

13) While we're with that organization, Jamie Pauls wrote a blog post on the Power of Braille:
http://serotalk.com/2012/05/18/the-power-of-braille/

14) And finally, the seventh episode of the iOS-related Triple Click Home podcast is ready.
http://tripleclickhome.com/2012/05/29/triple-click-home-episode-7-speaking-of-electric-sheep/

15) The Daisy Consortium has written a guide for using screen readers on their forums. The article is a good refresher on using a windows screen reader on the web.
http://www.daisy.org/daisypedia/screen-reader-users-guide-daisy-forums
 
16) Version 10 of J-Say has been released, supporting Jaws for Windows 13.0.718 and Dragon NaturallySpeaking Professional 11.5. New features include a custom menu, more responsive support in Word and the ability to select a phrase in a document by simply saying the phrase.
http://www.tandt-consultancy.com/pages/whats_new_in_j-say_v9.php

17) Learn about the forthcoming accessible FM/HD Radio, The Narrator, produced and marketed by Insignia and Best Buy, on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 5 June at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

18) A new blog, "Making it on the Playground of Life", is geared toward parents and teachers of blind children.
http://makingitontheplayground.com/

19) From HowTo Geek, we glean 47 Keyboard Shortcuts That Work in All Web Browsers
http://www.howtogeek.com/114518/47-keyboard-shortcuts-that-work-in-all-web-browsers/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=21051220
And "How to Share CD & DVD Drives Over the Network on Windows"
http://www.howtogeek.com/114254/how-to-share-cd-dvd-drives-over-the-network-on-windows/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=180512

20) With the forthcoming release of Windows 8, here's what one avid Mac user thought when he tried an early version:
http://www.macworld.com.au/blogs/a-mac-users-take-on-windows-8-55517/

21) The Access Wizard podcast has been launched, with rants about bugs in iOS 5.1. This was formerly the VoiceOver On podcast, but the presenters have backed away from their previous exclusive focus on Apple.
http://www.voiceoveron.com/

22) LookTel Recognizer Documentation, an app for the iPhone, is now available via the following link:
http://www.looktel.com/blog/looktel-recognizer-documentation

23) The list of iOS apps that have been developed specifically for the blind or people with low vision, intended to assist with everyday tasks, increase independence and generally make things easier, is quite long:
http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios-apps-for-blind-and-vision-impaired

24) The Hadley School offers 4-5 free online seminars per month, some related to technology and some not. On Wednesday, 7 June at 16:00 GMT, the topic will be NLS/BARD: Downloading Done Easy. You can always keep track of these on the Upcoming Seminars Page at:
http://hadley.edu/SeminarUpcomings.asp
And archives of years of previous ones can be found on the re-organized Previous Seminars page at:
http://hadley.edu/PastSeminars.asp

25) Recent AppleVis podcasts include:
Revisiting the WeatherBug: Accessibility Fixes and New Features:
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/revisiting-weatherbug-accessibility-fixes-and-new-features
Achieving the Optimal Twitter Experience on iOS:
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/achieving-optimal-twitter-experience-ios
Quickly and Easily Create Disposable Email Addresses With Trashmail - Spam Protection:
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/quickly-and-easily-create-disposable-email-addresses-trashmail-spam-protection
SayHi Translate: A Real-Time iOS Translator for Travel, Business and Learning:
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/sayhi-translate-real-time-ios-translator-travel-business-and-learning

26) The Gizmo website of the Week was Discover Magazine, a lively general-audience magazine covering science, technology and medicine:
http://discovermagazine.com/

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 354

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, May 24, 2012 - Volume 354
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Refurbished Smartview Synergy SD Video Magnifiers with 22 Inch Monitors for USD$1,195.00!
Photo of the Synergy SD with 22 Inch Monitor Flying Blind, LLC is deviating a bit from its traditional reputation of offering the best pricing on refurbished, refreshable Braille equipment, and is showing the same kind of love to its low-vision customers by offering UNBELIEVABLE pricing on HumanWare's Smartview Synergy SD Video Magnifiers. These units tout ease of use, configurability, and ergonomic excellence in a desktop design with the end user's comfort being the company's primary focus. These units bring the printed word as well as photographs back to life for those whose vision has been compromised, and for a price thousands of dollars lower than its competitors! All units come with a one (1) year manufacturer's warranty. Price includes shipping within the continental United States. For more information, or to place your order, email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107. Flying Blind, LLC has limited quantities of these life-changers so act now while supplies last!

Greetings,

1) I recorded a 45-minute demo of the Safari web browser using the iPhone on Tek Talk. We covered a lot of material, so the audio archive might be useful for those interested.
http://accessibleworld.org/sites/default/files/tt-05-21-12-dean-martineau-surfing-iphone-safari.mp3

2) GW Connect, the free and accessible Skype client produced by GW Micro, has undergone considerable improvements and is now up to version 2.0. Enhancements include the ability to manage multiple voice calls, send SMS messages, set your voicemail greeting, and buy an ad-free version if you want.
http://www.gwmicro.com/Apps/gwconnect

3) Another interesting addition to GW Micro Script Central is quickspell, a script for using spell-check on Handy Tech braille displays.
https://www.gwmicro.com/App_Central/Apps/App_Details/?scriptid=1375

4) Read the Carroll Center's blog for perspectives on vision loss and timely information.
http://carroll.org/category/blog/

5) Freedom Scientific has scheduled a number of free webinars:
http://www.freedomscientific.com/training/Free-Webinars.asp
And reasonably-priced paid ones:
http://www.freedomscientific.com/training/Paid-Webinars.asp

6) This brief post, from diary of a blind college writer, points to information about accessibility improvements in some Google services.
http://lostcollegewriting.blogspot.com/2012/05/googles-avvessibility-improovements.html?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

7) The May, 2012 issue of AccessWorld contains a discussion of the importance of iOS devices by Larry Lewis, A Review of the BrailleTouch Prototype for iOS, Plextalk Pocket PTP1 DAISY Book Player and Digital Recorder, A Review of Three Talking Thermometers, A Review of Two Accessible Gaming Platforms, and more.
http://www.afb.org/aw/main.asp

8) Remember that articles from the gizmo site that we have mentioned in the past are frequently updated, but we don't usually mention those updates here. It may be worth keeping up with the site:
http://www.techsupportalert.com/tracker_updated_only
This week, we have the article 446 Places for Free Books Online:
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/50-places-free-books-online.htm

9) Recent AppleVis podcasts include:
Viggle: Earn Rewards for Watching Television:
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/viggle-earn-rewards-watching-television
Flipboard: Enjoy, Browse, Comment on and Share all the News and Updates that Matter to You:
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/flipboard-enjoy-browse-comment-and-share-all-news-and-updates-matter-you
Test Your Luck on the Slots with Accessible Fruitmachine:
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/test-your-luck-slots-accessible-fruitmachine

10) The title of NV Access Podcast Episode 2 is NVDA 2012.2 & Interesting Usage Stats.
http://www.nvaccess.org/blog/PodcastEpisode2

11) Textbooks on using Excel 2010 with JAWS and Window-Eyes are available from Access technology Institute.
http://www.blindtraining.com/shop/office2010.htm

12) Here is a brief Demo of the new Blackberry Screen Reader:
http://audioboo.fm/boos/813974-quick-demo-of-the-new-blackberry-screen-reader-enjoy-audio

13) The chris Cole Center in Austin, Texas has an opening for an assistive technology trainer.
https://rm.accesshr.hhsc.state.tx.us/ENG/careerportal/Job_Profile.cfm?szOrderID=200736&szReturnToSearch=1&&szWordsToHighlight=ccrc

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 353

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, May 17, 2012 - Volume 353
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: One Refurbished ALVA Braille Controller 640 Braille Terminal + Feature Pack for USD $1,595.00!
Photo of the ALVA Braille Controller 640 Braille Terminal + Feature Pack Once again Flying Blind, LLC scores big on the refurbished Braille display front! The ALVA BC640 offers seamless Bluetooth and USB connectivity with a variety of today's most popular desktop and mobile screenreaders. Its Braille keyboard enables you to write directly to a PC or wirelessly to a mobile device in your preferred grade of Braille. The stereo speakers on its feature pack allow you to route the audio from your computer or mobile device wirelessly to the Braille Controller. You can also store files on the Braille Controller as well as use its internal notetaker to create, edit, and share documents with a PC. This one of a kind 40 cell Braille display is almost 70% off of its suggested list price. Price includes shipping within the continental United States and as a single item will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. Email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today to take advantage of this fantastic bargain!

Greetings,

1) We held a successful iPhone training Marathon Day a week ago, despite technical glitches and some operator ineptitude. This is not a comprehensive or organized training, rather, it is the recording of responses, by a variety of competent iPhone users, to many questions. We'll probably do this again soon. Here are two links to download the recording; one of them at least should work:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2285317/iptm.zip
http://tinyurl.com/bqao4xr

2) This author will appear on Tek Talk, explaining the use of Replay A/V, a now-free windows program to record virtually any streaming radio station. The program airs on GMT Tuesday, 22 May at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

3) NV Access announces the release of NVDA 2012.2 beta1. It is intended for those who are interested in testing and evaluating the upcoming NVDA 2012.2 release, but is not recommended for production use. New features include Announcement of graphics in Word, support for windows 8 Metro style apps, a portable creation feature, and more.
http://www.nvda-project.org/blog/NVDA2012.2beta1Released

4) From OS X Daily, we get "Navigate the Dock in Mac OS X with These 8 Keyboard Shortcuts"
http://osxdaily.com/2012/05/08/navigate-the-dock-in-mac-os-x-with-these-8-keyboard-shortcuts/?utm_source=feedburner

5) The University of Minnesota has compiled a database of peer-reviewed, open-source textbooks, now including 90 books.
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/05/10/university-minnesota-compiles-database-peer-reviewed-open-source-textbooks

6) HumanWare has released version 3.5 of the software for the Victor Reader Stream. It allows for pitch adjustment and improves the ability to navigate by time.
http://support.humanware.com/en-canada/support/vr_stream_software

7) The Dolphin Access group has produced a video touting their multi-faceted screen reader SuperNova.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KuEZxVexsk&list=PL1FF4223CFAC24573&index=1&feature=plpp_video

8) Recent AppleVis podcasts include:
Comparing the Relative Merits of AudioLabels, Digit-Eyes Audio Scanner and Labeler, and LookTel Recognizer:
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/head-head-comparing-relative-merits-audiolabels-digit-eyes-audio-scanner-and
Item Chooser: an iOS Feature that Offers Fast and Easy Searching of your iDevice Screen:
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/item-chooser-ios-feature-offers-fast-and-easy-searching-your-idevice-screen
A Walk-Through and Demonstration of AudioLabels:
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/walk-through-and-demonstration-audiolabels

9) For explanations of the differences between the Unified English Braille Code and the current English Braille American Code, check this out:
http://www.dotlessbraille.org/UEBvsEBAE.htm

10) Episode 31 of the Mystic Place Podcast gives the host's experience and impressions of the Taxi Magic service, usable by a free iPhone app. There is no monthly fee, however they add an additional charge of $1.50 to your ride.
http://www.mysticplace.info/audio/mp31taximagic.mp3

11) A recent edition of the Viewpoints podcast featured an interview and demonstration of watching television, movies and home video independently using Apple TV.
http://viewpointsplus.net/vp_1213_podcast.mp3

12) From the HowTo Geek site, we have:
How To Launch any Program in Windows with a Hotkey:
http://www.howtogeek.com/113690/beginner-how-to-launch-any-program-in-windows-with-a-hotkey/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=150512
How to Use CCleaner Like a Pro: 9 Tips & Tricks:
http://www.howtogeek.com/113382/how-to-use-ccleaner-like-a-pro-9-tips-tricks/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=150512&utm_content=emailsidebar

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 352

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, May 10, 2012 - Volume 352
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: One BrailleNote mPower 18 + BrailleNote GPS for USD$2,195.00!
Photo of the BrailleNote mPower 18 Flying Blind, LLC is pleased to offer this 18 Cell BrailleNote mPower to any user looking for a great deal on a notetaker that needs to find a good home. This gently used BrailleNote is running Keysoft 8, and is equipped with the internationally acclaimed BrailleNote GPS application running 2010 maps. The BrailleNote name is synonymous with excellence and innovation, and this unit is definitely geared toward making any BrailleNote customer happy and productive at a more than affordable price. Price includes shipping within the continental United States, and this single item will be offered on a first come, first serve basis. For more information please email featured@flying-blind.com or call (216) 381-8107 today.

Greetings,

1) We hear a lot about Apple TV, and now thanks to Tek Talk we can hear about an accessible entertainment system based on it, on GMT Tuesday, 15 May at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

2) A user wrote to recommend an online contact Management System called Exact Contact he found and likes, claiming that it is quite accessible.
http://www.exactcontact.net

3) Two free games are now available for users of the Braille Sense notetakers.
http://www.braillesoft.net/bsense.htm

4) Jeffrey Stark, an articulate advocate for the use of Android phones, has written a blog post to his Jeffrey's Soapbox Blog: A Blind Trek Through Android Part 1: Unwrapping the Ice cream Sandwich (Getting Started)
http://blog.blackspheretech.com/?p=118

5) Amy Mason from the NFB Technology Center gives us a video comparing the accessibility, or lack of it, of reading on the Nook Easy Touch and iBooks running on the iPad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CNQCrowbUI&feature=plcp

6) Research in Motion announces a free screen reader for Blackberry smartphones. The screen reader offers functionality for core phone services and is available in five languages.
http://press.rim.com/release.jsp?id=5898

7) Robert Carter talks with Anna Dresner, author of "Getting Started with the iPhone and iOS 5 for Blind Users" on the tech Doctor podcast.
http://www.dr-carter.com/?p=113

8) Read A Guide to Using Prizmo, a Scanning and OCR Application for the iPhone on the Applevis site:
http://www.applevis.com/guides/guide-using-prizmo-scanning-and-ocr-application-iphone

9) Read about bookshare's tenth anniversary bash:
http://ht.ly/aFixn

10) In NV Access Podcast Episode 1 the topics are NVDA 2012.1, Windows 8, and near-term plans.
http://t.co/KfbCJIGq

11) The A T Guys announce Bar Code Finder 2.0, A free Windows App for BC Scan, with support for the Directions For Me service which provides accessible package directions.
http://bcscan.com/software.php

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 351

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, May 3, 2012 - Volume 351
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Top Tech Tidbits RSS Feed
For those of you wishing to receive new Flying Blind, LLC Publications automatically via RSS Feed (including Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday) you may use the following link (or feed) which will be updated (or syndicated) with the release of each new Flying Blind, LLC Publication: https://toptechtidbits.com/rss. RSS is an automatic content syndication technology which uses a standard informational format (XML) that is easily recognizable to a variety of software applications called RSS Readers (or Aggregators). A user may subscribe to an RSS feed by entering its address (https://toptechtidbits.com/rss) into their reader of choice to initiate the subscription process. The RSS reader then checks the user's subscribed feeds regularly for any updates and provides a user interface to monitor and read these feeds. It is our hope that this additional distribution channel will help our readers to get the adaptech information they need, when they need it. Flying Blind, LLC. Empowerment Through Technology.

Greetings,

1) If you're looking for web hosting, web development training, JAWS scripting, or tech support, I can report that I'm very pleased with the services of Jackie Mcbride and brighter Vision technologies. Write to her at:
abletec@gmail.com

2) Thanks to Jackie allowing me free access to her Talking Communities room, I am able to offer a Free iPhone Training Marathon Day on Saturday, 5 May.
http://topdotenterprises.com/marathon.htm

3) While we're talking iPhone, Anna Dresner has updated and enhanced National Braille Press's thorough book, now entitled "Getting Started with the iPhone and iOS5 for Blind Users". It is available for $23 in paper and electronic braille, Word, and DAISY at:
http://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/IPHONE-IOS5.html

4) Version Version 1.7.2.0 of the DAISY book creation tool Tobi Has Been Released, with emphasis on making images accessible.
http://www.daisy.org/daisy-news#newsitem1105

5) We hear about the Intel Reader with Capture Station on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 8 May at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

6) Robert Carter talks with Jolie Mason, founder and program director of the Los Angeles Radio Reading Service. They talk many iPhone topics.
http://www.dr-carter.com/?p=109

7) Mushroom FM has launched a second channel, this one dedicated to radio drama and comedy. Unique features of the site is that programs air on a schedule, so that you can hear each series, such as Hancock's Half Hour and many others, at the same time each week, and programs come from various countries.
http://www.mushroomfm.com/escape

8) The Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) has put together an excellent resource about where to find funding for assistive technology called the ATIA Funding Resources Guide. This guide can be accessed by going to the following link:
http://www.atia.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=4219

9) WebAIM has another fascinating screen reader survey for which they would like responses.
http://webaim.org/projects/screenreadersurvey4/

10) "Creating Accessible EPUB, PDF, Word DAISY, Audio Content and Converting Between Formats" is a 4-part fee-based course from EASI starting 7 May.
http://easi.cc/workshops/text.htm

11) Episode 29 of the Mystic Place Blog and Podcast consists of a description and demonstration of the Breville BJE200XL 700-Watt Compact Juice Fountain.
http://www.mysticplace.info/audio/mp29juicer.mp3

12) A T Guys offers a brand new, redesigned case from Executive Products for the iPhone 4 and 4S, redesigned to accomodate the modified placement of the proximity sensor on the phone.
https://www.atguys.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=17

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 350

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, April 26, 2012 - Volume 350
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Top Tech Tidbits RSS Feed
For those of you wishing to receive new Flying Blind, LLC Publications automatically via RSS Feed (including Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday) you may use the following link (or feed) which will be updated (or syndicated) with the release of each new Flying Blind, LLC Publication: https://toptechtidbits.com/rss. RSS is an automatic content syndication technology which uses a standard informational format (XML) that is easily recognizable to a variety of software applications called RSS Readers (or Aggregators). A user may subscribe to an RSS feed by entering its address (https://toptechtidbits.com/rss) into their reader of choice to initiate the subscription process. The RSS reader then checks the user's subscribed feeds regularly for any updates and provides a user interface to monitor and read these feeds. It is our hope that this additional distribution channel will help our readers to get the adaptech information they need, when they need it. Flying Blind, LLC. Empowerment Through Technology.

Greetings,

1) Tek Talk brings us another conversation about the new Braille Plus 18 from American Printing House on GMT tuesday, 1 May at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

2) Not everybody will agree that these apps are really the Top 10 iPhone Apps for the Visually Impaired, but it's great to see the editors at about.com even discussing the matter.
http://assistivetechnology.about.com/od/ATCAT6/tp/Top-10-Iphone-Apps-For-The-Visually-Impaired.htm

3) The latest release of the Duxbury Braille translator, DBT 11.1sr4, brings contracted braille for Croatian and some fixes.
http://www.duxburysystems.com/dbt.asp
Window-Eyes 7.5.4.1 brings some needed fixes:
http://www.gwmicro.com/Window-Eyes/Latest_Features/
And JAWS 13.0.852 brings a variety of fixes and some improved functionality on web pages that use ARIA.
http://www.freedomscientific.com/downloads/jaws/JAWS13-previous-enhancements.asp

4) You can keep up with changes to the Braille codes in North America by joining the Unified Braille Announcement list by sending a blank message to:
uba-join@moblind.org

5) The 52-hour 2-year birthday celebration for Internet radio station Mushroom FM starts on Friday, 27 April at 19:00 GMT, and there will be fun and prizes.
http://mushroomfm.com/birthday

6) Users of any of the Serotek programs now have access to two new high-quality American-English voices from Ivona. You can sample the voices as part of your account, then if you want permanent access to them, you pay $25.
http://serotalk.com/2012/04/19/serotek-introduces-new-ivona-voices/

7) GW Micro and Independence Science have collaborated to produce a hardware-software combo, called the ISci Lab Solution which should greatly increase the ability of blind and visually impaired students to take part in science lab activities.
http://www.independencescience.com/

8) EASI offers two free webinars in May: The Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure (GPII) on Thursday, 3 May, and Better Communication With Plain English on Tuesday, 22 May. Both begin at 18:00 GMT. Register here:
http://easi.cc/clinic.htm/#may

9) Comprehensive JAWS scripts have now been released for Peachtree Complete Accounting
http://www.scriptsforjaws.com/index.php

10) Full proceedings of General Assembly of the International Council on English Braille (ICEB) will stream starting the morning of Sunday, 6 May in South Africa.
http://www.iceb2012.net

11) Tech Access Democast, Episode 3 is an 18-minute Review of the Brailliant 40
http://techaccessweekly.com/democast/2012/04/23/ta-democast-3-review-of-the-brailliant-40/

12) From the Serotalk Podcast Network, with their creative naming conventions, we have episode 6 of Triple Click Home, the iOS-related podcast.
http://tripleclickhome.com/2012/04/19/triple-click-home-episode-6-underpants-are-funny/
And the Serotalk Podcast is now up to episode #105 with the 24 April release:
http://serotalk.com/2012/04/24/the-watched-phone-never-updates/

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 349

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, April 19, 2012 - Volume 349
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Training with Dean Martineau
Dean Martineau provides adaptive technology training along with training on mainstream applications for today's most common hardware and software configurations, in English and Spanish, by phone, online, and in person, with flexible arrangements, and at affordable prices. If you have a technology training need, please contact Dean at dean@topdotenterprises.com. You can also follow Dean on Twitter @deantopdot.

Greetings,

1) This Guardian article discusses accessibility problems with UK price-comparison sites.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/apr/17/price-comparison-sites-disabled-older-people-struggle

2) Here are YouTube videos describing the use of the Victor Reader Stream.
In Spanish
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRmYcCJgYK4&feature=sharevideos
And in English
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4GOx6l0BAM&feature=share

3) Screen Reader Demos, Research and Resources is a well-researched article by Alistair Duggin in which he lists a wealth of articles discussing aspects of screen reader use, most related to creating accessible content.
http://alistairduggin.co.uk/blog/screenreader-resources/

4) This Accessible YouTube Guide from Fred's Head offers resources that will be new to many for making the experience of uploading and watching YouTube videos better with a screen reader.
http://www.fredshead.info/2012/04/accessible-youtube-guide.html27s+Head+from+APH%29

5) And this Fred's Head post provides many resources for Braille Writer Repair
http://www.fredshead.info/2009/03/braille-writer-repair.html

6) Learn about the Braille Pen on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 24 April at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

7) Students and faculty at North Carolina State University hope you will take their Diagram accessibility survey.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/formResponse?formkey=dEVZLWRJaGdpVi1yTEVNSUppOXBmM3c6MQ&ifq

8) This is a collection of 2012 and 2011 IBM accessibility feature articles.
http://www-03.ibm.com/able/news/2011_features.html

9) From the TechKnowMore blog of RNIB comes a post entitled Useful iOS Music Applications for Blind and Partially Sighted Musicians
http://www.rnib.org.uk/livingwithsightloss/computersphones/updates/techknowmore/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?List=338a9817-aaef-4ff4-9063-9175534b70d0&ID=96

10) Free videos for a new iPad apps programming course at Carnegie Mellon University are now available.
http://www.kurzweilai.net/free-videos-for-new-ipad-apps-programming-course-at-cmu-now-available?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

11) Recent AppleVis podcasts include:

TWiT Live: An iOS App For Fans of This Week in Tech
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/twit-live-ios-app-fans-week-tech
Vokul Revisited: Bigger and Better than Before
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/vokul-revisited-bigger-and-better
Exploring the Advanced Features of List Recorder: Part 1 - Recording Items
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/exploring-advanced-features-list-recorder-part-1-recording-items
Exploring the Advanced Features of List Recorder: Part 2 - Exporting and Importing Lists and Their Data
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/exploring-advanced-features-list-recorder-part-2-exporting-and-importing-lists-and
Exploring the Advanced Features of List Recorder: Part 3 - Using Tilt Gestures to Operate the App
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/exploring-advanced-features-list-recorder-part-3-using-tilt-gestures-operate-app

12) This post from OS X Daily Flash is called 11 Tips to Get the Absolute Best Battery Life on a Mac Laptop
http://osxdaily.com/2012/04/16/tips-battery-life-mac-laptop/

13) Recent info from the Gizmo site includes:

How to Report Spam.
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-report-spam.htm
How to Tell if a File is Malicious
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-tell-if-file-malicious.htm
How To Avoid Spam
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-avoid-getting-spammed.htm
A New Routine to Read News Using this Great App
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/new-routine-read-news-using-great-app.htm
How to Protect Your Online Privacyv http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-protect-your-online-privacy.htm
How to Tell If A Website Is Dangerous
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-tell-if-website-dangerous.htm
How to Stay Safe While Online
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-stay-safe-while-online.htm
How to Know If Your Computer Is Infected
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-know-if-your-computer-infected.htm
How to Clean An Infected Computer
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-clean-infected-computer.htm
This Beta Online Organizer/Planner Shows Great Promise
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/beta-online-organizerplanner-shows-great-promise.htm
Best Free PC Tune-up Utility
http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-pc-tune-up-utility.htm

14) EASI will offer a free webinar on Saturday, 21 April at 18:00 GMT on Adaptech's Ongoing research, Knowledge transfer and Free and Inexpensive Adaptive Information and Communication technologies. http://easi.cc/clinic.htm

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 348

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 348
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Refurbished Braille Sense Plus QWERTY Notetakers Reduced to USD$3,095.00!
Photo of the Braille Sense Plus Notetaker Flying Blind, LLC still has a couple of BrailleSense Plus 32 cell notetakers with QWERTY keyboards and we need to find homes for these units! So we've reduced the price of these notetakers to USD$3,095.00, now USD$2,900 off of their suggested list price. These units are internally outfitted with all of the latest wireless and Bluetooth connectivity options available for a dedicated notetaker. The Braille Sense Plus takes advantage of an intuitive user interface that is familiar to Windows users. File transfer, email, web surfing, and book downloading all come effortlessly to Braille Sense Plus users. Cost includes a 90 day manufacturer's warranty and shipping within the Continental United States. For more information please email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 while supplies last!

Greetings,

1) Three members of the Yahoo! Accessibility team were among the 2000 employees laid off recently. BlindBargains reports.
http://blindbargains.com/bargains.php?m=6724

2) The latest update to the Learning Ally app for iOS allows users to download books directly to their device without passing through iTunes. This link is from the iTunes store:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/learning-ally-audio/id418888450?mt=8

3) For the technically savvy, Yahoo has a code library for building web pages, and one of its modules includes a way to build accessible charts.
http://ht.ly/acq2j

4) Here is a blog post that briefly describes 5 Websites To Instantly Convert Text To Speech
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-websites-instantly-convert-text-speech/

5) The April, 2012 issue of AFB AccessWorld includes Product Evaluation: BrailleNote Apex from HumanWare, Let's Talk: A Guide to GW Connect, a Free Skype Application for Windows Users from GW Micro, What is This?: A Review of the VizWiz, Digit-Eyes, and LookTel Recognizer Apps for the iPhone, and more.
http://www.afb.org/aw/main.asp

6) This blog post is entitled 3 Ways to Make Phone Calls from the iPad or iPod touch
http://osxdaily.com/2012/04/06/make-phone-calls-from-ipad-ipod-touch/

7) And this one, from LifeHacker, is called Always Get the Best Deals on Mobile Apps
http://lifehacker.com/5900235/always-get-the-best-deals-on-mobile-apps

8) Here is one person's listing of the top ten Twitter-related news items for last week:
http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/top-10-twitter-080412_b20633

9) A new section of the Digit-eyes website describes using laser scanners and digit-eyes on iPhone iPad, iPod, and desktop.
http://digit-eyes.com/laser/ Digit-Eyes

10) On Main Menu, airing on GMT Saturday, 14 April at 01:00 and repeated throughout the day, listen to the first half of a two part panel discussion talking about all types of note takers, their advantages, and their weaknesses.
http://mainmenu.acbradio.org/pweb/

11) How to Make Images More Accessible Using the New Image Description Editor is a free EASI webinar on 19 April at 18:00 GMT. Register here:
http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/880286/Tobi-How-to-Make-Images-More-Accessible-Using-the-New-Image-Description-Editor

12) HumanWare will hold two free webinars discussing use of the new Brailliant braille displays with iOS devices. Register for the session on Wednesday, 25 April at 19:00 GMT or for the one on Thursday, 26 April at 00:00 GMT
http://www.humanware.com/en-usa/products/product_presentations/webinar_registration#reg

13) Forming Computer Users Groups To Cope With The Technological Revolution Of The 21st Century will be the topic for Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 16 April at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

14) The two latest episodes of Mystic Place Blog and Podcast concern BurnAware Pro, a CD/DVD-burning program, and QRead, the accessible reading program.
http://www.mysticplace.info/?feed=podcast

15) The article Window-Eyes Remote Assistance has been posted to the GW Micro knowledgebase.
http://gwmicro.com/kb2014

16) GW Micro announces the release of Window-Eyes 7.5.4. This version includes general stability improvements, web, email, and Office fixes, better handling of accidental presses of the Insert key, enhanced support for Windows Live Mail, and updated Eurobraille support. Users can use the check for Updates feature or go to:
http://www.gwmicro.com/upgrade

17) Recent posts to NFB's Access Technology Blog include discussions of The New iPad and Microsoft Security Essentials
http://nfb.org/access-technology-blog

18) Here are many enticing posts from the gizmo site. Note that I haven't tested any of this content for accessibility:

How to Remove Facebook Timeline.
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/facebook-timeline-remove-sort.htm

Turn Your Android Device Into Ebook Reader for Free
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/free-mobile-app-week-moon-reader-android.htm

Elixir Tells You Everything About Your Android Mobile
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/free-mobile-app-week-elixir-2-android.htm

Enjoy your Android Experience Over-the-Air Using your PC
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/enjoy-your-android-experience-over-air-using-your-pc.htm

A Must-Have App for your Android Device
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/must-have-app-your-android-device.htm

Copy Files for Reading and Playing on your iPad or iPhone
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/copy-files-reading-and-playing-your-ipad-or-iphone.htm

Share and View Files from your Device On the Go
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/share-and-view-files-your-ios-device-go.htm

Your Phone Is Also A Free Mini Scanner!
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/your-phone-also-free-mini-scanner.htm

9 Superb Free Apps that you Simply Must Install on Your Android Phone
http://www.techsupportalert.com/9-best-free-android-apps-you-simply-must-install-your-new-mobile-device.htm

The Editors' Choice List:
Our Selection of the Best PC Freeware
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/top-freeware-picks-category-editors.htm

Blue Screen of Death Survival Guide: Every Error Explained
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/blue-screen-death-survival-guide-every-error-explained.htm

The Hidden Master List of Useful Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts That You Didn't Know You Already Had
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/hidden-master-list-useful-windows-7-keyboard-shortcuts-you-didnt-know-you-already-had.htm

19) Another software update for Dolphin Guide Version 6 customers is now available for download via the internet updater. This free release includes a number of fixes and will update the Guide software to version 6.0.30. For questions, email
guide.support@yourdolphin.com

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 347

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 347
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Refurbished Braille Sense Plus QWERTY Notetakers Reduced to USD$3,095.00!
Photo of the Braille Sense Plus Notetaker Flying Blind, LLC still has a couple of BrailleSense Plus 32 cell notetakers with QWERTY keyboards and we need to find homes for these units! So we've reduced the price of these notetakers to USD$3,095.00, now USD$2,900 off of their suggested list price. These units are internally outfitted with all of the latest wireless and Bluetooth connectivity options available for a dedicated notetaker. The Braille Sense Plus takes advantage of an intuitive user interface that is familiar to Windows users. File transfer, email, web surfing, and book downloading all come effortlessly to Braille Sense Plus users. Cost includes a 90 day manufacturer's warranty and shipping within the Continental United States. For more information please email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 while supplies last!

Greetings,

1) Media Access Australia has provided a page both with general instructions about using Facebook and about overcoming its accessibility challenges.
http://www.mediaaccess.org.au/online-media/social-media/facebook

2) The April, 2012 issue of The Braille Monitor contains Advanced Technology for Producing Tactile Materials
http://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm12/bm1204/bm120407.htm

3) Among recently released iOS-related podcasts, we have White & Yellow Pages: Now Offers Free Turn-By-Turn Voice GPS Navigation
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/white-yellow-pages-now-offers-free-turn-turn-voice-gps-navigation
My Local TV: Easy Access to Local Television News from Stations Across the United States
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/my-local-tv-easy-access-local-television-news-stations-across-united-states
List Recorder 2.3: Fixes, Changes and Improvements
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/list-recorder-23-fixes-changes-and-improvements
Weather Alert USA: Comprehensive Weather Data and Alerts from the Official NOAA NWS Network
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/weather-alert-usa-comprehensive-weather-data-and-alerts-official-noaa-nws-network

4) EASI produced a webinar, Overview of the Accessibility of Mainstream E-Readers. You can watch the presentations and view the slides.
http://easi.cc/archive/e-readers/resources.htm

5) The Chance to Meet Blio, Accessible E-Books for All will be the topic of Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 10 April at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

6) Have you had any difficulties accessing online travel sites? AFB wants you to complete a survey.
http://www.afb.org/blog.aspx?BlogEntryID=265

7) This blog post is titled A Tale of Two OS Updates: iOS and Android, and the discussion might be of interest to those looking to choose one or the other of those two operating systems for their next phone.
http://www.applevis.com/blog/tale-two-os-updates-ios-and-android

8) The latest Tech Doctor podcast is "Virtually In Australia with the Piano-Man, Scott Erichsen"
http://www.dr-carter.com

9) This Cult of Mac post, very detailed and not the easiest to read, carries the ambitious title "Almost Every iOS Text Editor Compared"
http://www.cultofmac.com/158434/almost-every-ios-text-editor-compared/

10) The makers of Digit-Eyes for iOS devices continue to research ways to make those devices more useful for identifying objects. In this post they compare the KDC300 and Scanfob 2002 Bluetooth Laser Scanners for the iPhone.
http://www.digit-eyes.com/blog/?p=131

11) This is a link to information about an Assistive Technology Position Opening at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
https://statejobs.doer.state.mn.us/JobPosting/b8c3b075c8894bbeb6ee7665a30d4116/View

12) Led Zeppelin music sounnds quite different when the Dec-Talk synthesizer handles the vocals!
http://q-audio.net/i/1M8W

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 346

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 346
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: One Gently Used BrailleNote Apex32 Cell Notetaker With Perkins-Style, Braille Keyboard for USD $3,595.00!!!
Photo of the BrailleNote Apex32 Cell Notetaker Flying Blind, LLC is pleasantly shocked and extremely excited to have a gently used BrailleNote Apex32 Notetaker for sale for USD $3,595.00 - that's approximately USD $2,800.00 off of it's suggested list price!!! The BrailleNote name is synonymous with excellence and innovation, and the Apex continues to set standards that other notetakers have yet to meet. This unit is in pristine condition, and is begging for w new home! That, and it's robust yet intuitive functionality will offer limitless options to whomever receives it. This is a single unit and will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. Includes shipping anywhere within the continental United States. For more information, email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today!

Greetings,

1) The Great Big List from the 2012 CSUN International Technology & Persons with Disabilities Conference contains links to Conference presentations, wrap-ups, podcasts, blog and news coverage, photos, and more.
http://curbcut.net/events/the-great-big-list-from-the-2012-csun-international-technology-persons-with-disabilities-conference/
And the collections of interviews conducted by Serotek while at the Conference can now be downloaded.
http://serotalk.com/
Finally, the latest edition of The Tech Doctor Podcast is entitled CSUN 2012 with Jessica Rathwell.
http://www.dr-carter.com/?p=104

2) Among Apple-related podcasts, from AppleVis, we have Enabling and Using the Emoticons Keyboard on Your iOS Device
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/enabling-and-using-emoticons-keyboard-your-ios-device
iSamurai: Do You Have the Wit, Skill and Strategy to be a Samurai Warrior?
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/isamurai-do-you-have-wit-skill-and-strategy-be-samurai-warrior
Sit Back and Let Voice Brief Tell You About Your Latest Emails, News, Weather, Upcoming Events and More
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/sit-back-and-let-voice-brief-tell-you-about-your-latest-emails-news-weather
Questions and Answers With Evi
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/questions-and-answers-evi
And from the Serotalk Podcast Network we have Triple Click Home, Episode 5
http://tripleclickhome.com/2012/03/26/triple-click-home-episode-5-how-we-envy-thee/

3) Here is another ambitious project to produce a low-cost braille display.
http://bristolbrailletechnology.com/#news.23-09-2011-prototype

4) This is a fascinating comparison between JAWS, NVDA and Window-Eyes on their handling of PDF documents.
http://accessibilitychatter.com/?p=18

5) Developers of apps for iOS can Increase Accessibility with Accessibility Hints from Yahoo! Accessibility.
http://ht.ly/9OzcU

6) Tech Access Weekly Democast 1 discusses The New iPad
http://techaccessweekly.com/democast/2012/03/26/ta-democast-1-the-new-ipad/

7) If you have an idea to improve accessibility at Google, they want to hear it!
https://services.google.com/fb/forms/accessibilityfeedback/

8) NVDA 2012.1 is officially released. Highlights include support for the Itunes store, improved support for better Braille performance and enhanced support for Microsoft Word.
http://www.nvda-project.org

9) Learn about .RAR files and how to open and create them, and how to use the free program 7Zip to open and create many types of archives, The Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 3 April at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

10) Recent posts to the NFB Access Technology Blog give a variety of recent Apple-related news, such as a site for a keyboard shortcut list, a new Apple Accessibility phone number, the iPhone manual available in .BRF format, and more. You can also find the review of QRead, whose link was not accurate in the last tidbits.
http://nfb.org/access-technology-blog

11) The Hadley School offers offers three courses in its Family Education Program: You, Your Child and Your Community, Beginning the Special Education Journey and How to Be Your Child's Advocate. The courses are offered free to relatives and educators of the visually impaired, and course materials are now available in e-book formats.
http://www.hadley.edu

12) National Industries for the Blind is seeking applicants for the Joseph Roeder Assistive Technology Scholarship, a $2,500 scholarship to an individual who is blind, interested in pursuing education in computer science, information systems or a related field, and pursuing a career in access technology. For information, write to:
kgallagher@nib.org

13) Read "A Personal Journey Through the iPhone 4S" from Matilda Ziegler
http://www.matildaziegler.com/2012/03/28/feature-writer-steve-famiglietti-a-personal-journey-through-the-iphone-4s/

14) From the HowToGeek site, we have The Best Articles for Playing, Customizing, and Organizing Your Media
http://www.howtogeek.com/109533/the-best-articles-for-playing-customizing-and-organizing-your-media/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=250312
What's the Difference Between Sleep and Hibernate in Windows?
http://www.howtogeek.com/102897/whats-the-difference-between-sleep-and-hibernate-in-windows/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=280312
How to Remotely Shut Down or Restart Windows PCs
http://www.howtogeek.com/109655/how-to-remotely-shut-down-or-restart-windows-pcs/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=260312
The Best Tips for Speeding Up Your Windows PC
http://www.howtogeek.com/107280/the-best-tips-for-speeding-up-your-windows-pc/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=040312

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 345

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 345
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Refurbished Braille Sense Plus QWERTY Notetakers Reduced to USD$3,195.00!
Photo of the Braille Sense Plus Notetaker A couple of weeks ago Flying Blind, LLC had a number of Braille Sense Plus notetakers for sale. Well, thanks to overwhelming demand the units with the Braille keyboards are now sold out, and our stock is down to the three QWERTY units which we are now offering at an even deeper discount. These units are internally outfitted with all of the latest wireless and Bluetooth connectivity options available for a dedicated notetaker. The Braille Sense Plus takes advantage of an intuitive user interface that is familiar to Windows users. File transfer, email, web surfing, and book downloading all come effortlessly to Braille Sense Plus users, and Flying Blind, LLC is ecstatic to be able to offer you these solutions for approximately USD$2,800.00 off of their suggested list price! Cost includes shipping within the Continental United States. For more information please email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 while supplies last!

Greetings,

1) Read what Michael Doise, author of the i-Accessibility Blog, says about the new iPad.
http://iaccessibility.net/2012/03/16/the-new-ipad/

2) There is a new Tech Doctor podcast called "Talking Tech with Amy Ruell"
http://www.dr-carter.com/?p=101

3) Here is an overview of the new Narrator to be found in Windows 8.
http://tink.co.uk/2012/03/windows-8-narrator-overview/

4) Read this installment of Alex's blog for some thoughts on how the Windows 8 Narrator works with Firefox.
http://asurkov.blogspot.com/2012/03/windows-8-narrator-on-web.html

5) This AppleVis blog post and accompanying discussion make for good reading on the topic: iOS or Android for the Visually Impaired: Nine Reasons That Count.
http://www.applevis.com/blog/ios-or-android-visually-impaired-nine-reasons-count

6) A T Guys has released a free iOS app for BlindBargains. An Android app is also out.
http://blindbargains.com/bargains.php?m=6643

7) From HowToGeeks, we learn "What You Can Find in an Email Header?"
http://www.howtogeek.com/108205/htg-explains-what-can-you-find-in-an-email-header/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=180312&utm_content=emailsidebar
And we have a link to a series, "The Best Articles for Backing Up and Syncing Your Data".
http://www.howtogeek.com/108679/the-best-articles-for-backing-up-and-syncing-your-data/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=180312

8) HIMS, Inc. Is talking about their new notetaker and Braille display on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 27 March at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

9) Adjusting the settings of Window-Eyes for the login screen and replying to all when using Outlook with Window-Eyes are the latest additions to the "How Do I Do That?" video tutorial series.
http://www.gwmicro.com/Training/Tutorials/
Sign up for the Tutorial podcast to receive these tutorials automatically at:
http://www.gwmicro.com/Audio_Video_Archive/Podcast/

10) Audacity is a free, open-source, multi-track audio editor. A free guide to using it with JAWS, also useful with other screen readers, is available.
http://vip.chowo.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/jaws/Audacity-2.0-Guide.html

11) Episode 1210 of Viewpoints is a side-by-side comparison of the PC and Mac.
http://www.ViewPointsPlus.net

12) "Podcast 5: New iPads, Windows 8 and Talking TVs" comes to us from AccessTalk.
http://accesstalk.co.uk/2012/03/podcast-5-new-ipads-windows-8-and-talking-tvs/

13) Here are some recent articles from the Gizmo site:
Best Sites for Windows Tips, Tricks and Tweaking.
http://www.techsupportalert.com/best_tips_and_tricks.htm
Audacity 2.0 Released
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/audacity-20-released.htm
Copy Files for Reading and Playing on your iPad or iPhone
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/copy-files-reading-and-playing-your-ipad-or-iphone.htm
Shortcuts for Faster and Easier Use of Windows Media Player in Windows 7
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/shortcuts-faster-and-easier-use-windows-media-player-windows-7.htm

14) The March 15, 2012 post to the NFB Access Technology Blog was a thorough review of the alluring new reading app QRead.
http://q-continuum.net/qread/

15) This AppleVis podcast is entitled "Voice To Apps: Bringing Voice Recognition to Messaging, Email, Facebook Twitter and More"
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/voice-apps-bringing-voice-recognition-messaging-email-facebook-twitter-and-more

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 344

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 344
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Take Advantage of Flying Blind, LLC's Apple Accessibility Initiative (AAI) Professional Development Seminar Before the End of March and Save 20%!!!
Photo of a female hand interacting with the touch interface of an Apple iPad. If you are an educator of vision impaired students there's still time to take advantage of the 20% savings that you receive when you and your peers commit to Flying Blind, LLC's Apple Accessibility Initiative. This professional development seminar, designed by Flying Blind, LLC and delivered by Larry L. Lewis himself introduces you to all of the essential access components of the iOS operating system.
 
More importantly, the AAI Professional Development Seminar offers you real world, tangible strategies for integrating iOS devices and specific applications into your students' educational experience. In addition, Mr. Lewis will illustrate how you can create a framework whereby your students' can interact with their sighted classmates using mainstream technology bundled with adap-tech "know-how" to independently and efficiently complete tasks both in and out of the classroom! For a complete outline of what is covered within the AAI Professional Development Seminar you will find a PDF here: http://www.flying-blind.com/articles_2012/fbllc_aai_brochure.pdf, and an HTML version here: http://www.flying-blind.com/articles_2012/articleid_1.html.
 
Flying Blind, LLC will honor all commitments in writing to those wishing to host the AAI Professional Development Seminar if received by the close of business on March 30th, 2012, which locks you and your colleagues in at the discounted price for this ins-service. For more information, please email aai@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today!

Greetings,

1) Learn about two free programs you can use to record sound onto your PC, Audacity and MP3 Direct Cut, in Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 20 March at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

2) The Access Technology Higher Education Network (ATHEN), in its continuing effort to assist institutions in ascertaining the accessibility of the Google Apps suite, conducted evaluations of GMail and Calendar, covering assistive technologies used by those with visual, mobility, learning, and cognitive disabilities. The report can be found online at:
http://athenpro.org/google-gmail-calendar-accessibility
EASI will present a free webinar on the accessibility of Google Apps on Tuesday, 20 March at 18:00 GMT. Register at:
http://easi.cc/clinic.htm

3) Recent short posts to the Access Technology Blog include Khan Academy Releases iPad App, PaperPort Notes App for iPad: Notetaking with Dictation, and How To Cut, Copy and Paste While Using VoiceOver
http://bdmtech.blogspot.com/

4) Anandtech takes us in-depth with the Windows 8 Consumer Preview:
http://www.anandtech.com/print/5630

5) Among other topics, Issue #41 of the Assistive Technology Update podcast discusses Assistive Technology Alternative Financing Programs:
http://atupdate.libsyn.com/atu41-assistive-technology-alternative-financing-programs-basil-kessler-i-pad-3-a-k-a-the-new-ipad-alzheimers-dimentia-training-morgan-s-wonderland-giveaway-zoom-reader-for-i-phone-youtube-captions

6) Nokia Maps now offers voice directions via the web for iOS and Android:
http://conversations.nokia.com/2012/03/13/nokia-maps-brings-voice-navigation-to-other-platforms/?utm_source=feedburner

7) Learn how to use the Outlook Calendar with Window-Eyes in this accessible video. GW Micro claims that Window-Eyes makes the Outlook Calendar fully accessible and easy-to-use, and even provides functionality not available in the traditional Outlook Calendar interface.
http://www.gwmicro.com/Training/Tutorials/

8) This blog post, while a year old, seems to contain a very comprehensive list of VoiceOver Keyboard Commands for iOS:
http://www.hllf.net/70

9) Here is a GW Micro Knowledgebase article, How to Access the Thesaurus in Microsoft Word 2010:
http://www.gwmicro.com/Support/Knowledge_Base/?kbnumber=GWKB2009

10) From the March 2012 Braille Monitor, "NEWSLINE on My Job" shows how a freelance writer uses NFB Newsline.
http://nfb.org/Images/nfb/Publications/bm/bm12/bm1203/bm120311.htm

11) The Matilda Ziegler brings us Helpful Tips for Windows 7 Users: Part 1:
http://bit.ly/yt7dgd
And The Quest for Accessible Home Appliances:
http://bit.ly/xAgH12

12) The last hurrah for the recent CSUN Conference comes from the Viewpoints podcast, in the form of the first in a two-part series.
http://www.ViewPointsPlus.net

13) Do you need to know what type of computer to buy for Window-Eyes? Check out the Knowledge Base article at:
http://www.gwmicro.com/Support/Knowledge_Base/?kbnumber=GWKB1097

14) In conclusion, here are a goodly number of links from the Gizmo site:
How to Clean An Infected Computer
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-clean-infected-computer.htm
How to Know If Your Computer Is Infected
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-know-if-your-computer-infected.htm
How to Protect Your Online Privacy
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-protect-your-online-privacy.htm
How to Stay Safe While Online
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-stay-safe-while-online.htm
How To Avoid Spam
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-avoid-getting-spammed.htm
How to Tell if a File is Malicious
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-tell-if-file-malicious.htm
Is It Down? Monitor Up To 50 Websites, Every 5 Minutes
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/it-down-monitor-50-websites-every-5-minutes.htm
A Promising Alternative Search Engine
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/promising-alternative-search-engine.htm
Free Biography, Autobiography and Memoir Books Online
http://www.techsupportalert.com/free-books-biography

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 343

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 343
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Refurbished Braille Sense PLUS Notetakers for USD $3,445.00!
Photo of the Braille Sense Plus Notetaker That's right! You read correctly! Flying Blind, LLC has come into a cache of refurbished Braille Sense Plus notetakers and is selling them at a price over USD $2,550 off of their suggested list price! These units come with either QWERTY or Braille input keyboards and are internally outfitted with all the latest wireless and Bluetooth connectivity options available for a dedicated notetaker. The Braille Sense Plus takes advantage of an intuitive user interface that is familiar to Windows users. File transfer, email, web surfing, and book downloading come effortlessly to Braille Sense Plus users, and Flying Blind, LLC is ecstatic to be able to offer you these solutions at such an unbelievably deep discount. Cost includes shipping within the Continental United States and all units will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. For more information please email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 while supplies last!

Greetings,

1) There is alot of information about the recent CSUN conference, where you can learn about technology that is here now and that which will presumably be coming soon. By far the most useful set of audio interviews taken at the Conference can be found at:
http://blindbargains.com/audio/
A stream containing all the Serotek interviews at:
http://serotalk.com/2012/03/03/all-csun-2012-interviews-now-available-on-spn-radio/
Here are 5 good news stories from CSUN 2012, courtesy of Media Access Australia:
http://mediaaccess.org.au/latest_news/general/5-good-news-stories-from-csun-2012
Here is a presentation on Mobile Accessibility, and the associated panel discussion.
http://www.iheni.com/mobile-accessibility-presentation-at-csun-2012/
There was a presentation on the accessible DAISY format and its convergence with EPUB3. The slidedeck and text transcript are here:
http://www.slideshare.net/daisyconsortium/epub-3-state-of-the-art-and-accessibility-11826887
Here is one CSUN recap:
http://john.foliot.ca/csun-2012-recap/
Finally, the writers of the NFB Access Technology Blog give their summary of the conference:
http://nfb.org/access-technology-blog

2) The public beta release of Windows 8 has generated alot of talk. Here is an article on it from Week in Geek:
http://www.howtogeek.com/107581/week-in-geek-windows-8-consumer-preview-downloaded-1-million-times-in-first-24-hours/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=040312
And here is "Windows 8 Consumer Preview Review: Part I - Introduction, Installation, and Improvements" from Inclusive Planet:
http://www.inclusiveplanet.com/en/channelpost/13210890
GW Micro has placed a recording of the Window-Eyes and Windows 8 CSUN 2012 presentation on their podcast page:
http://www.gwmicro.com/podcast

3) Christopher Toth, the talented author of the defunct Qwitter program and the Hope program that makes Pandora accessible has now produced QRead, a $30 reading program that allows for impressive navigation of most unprotected ebook formats.
http://q-continuum.net/qread/

4) From the Serotalk Podcast Network we have Episode 6 of That Android Show
http://thatandroidshow.com/2012/03/05/what-would-you-do-for-a-clondike-phone/
And Serotalk Podcast Podcast 98
http://serotalk.com/2012/03/06/serotalk-podcast-98-triplespectives/

5) This Blind Access Journal podcast features an interview with Nancy Miracle, maker of the iOS app Digit-eyes which is apparently ripe for an upgrade.
http://blindaccessjournal.com/2012/03/csun-nancy-miracle-digit-eyes-bar-code-scanner-for-ios/

6) Here is an AppleVis podcast entitled TuneIn Radio: 50000 Radio Stations in the Palm of Your Hand
http://www.applevis.com/node/2485

7) If you want to test a web site for accessibility, you can input the URL into the WAVE Web Accessibility Tool
http://five.wave.webaim.org/

8) Office Enhance provides enhancements for Microsoft Office products under Window-Eyes, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, in the spell checker.
http://www.gwmicro.com/apps/Office_Enhance

9) An update for Dolphin Guide fixes problems accessing the BBC Listen Again service and other bugs.
http://www.yourdolphin.com/productdetail.asp?id=30&z=3

10) Tween is a mainstream Twitter app that happens to be accessible to users who are blind. This page gives keyboard shortcuts and pertinent links.
http://www.dlee.org/tween/resources.htm

11) Here is David Pogue's article, Time to Kill Off Captchas from Scientific American:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=time-to-kill-off-captchas

12) You might enjoy "My 17-Point Checklist For Teaching Good Writing and Blogging" from Search Engine Journal
http://www.searchenginejournal.com/my-17-point-checklist-for-teaching-good-writing-and-blogging/40338/

13) Here are recent finds from the Gizmo site:
Is this Website down, or is it me?
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/website-down-or-it-me.htm
Get A Story A Week Sent To Your email, Kindle, or Instapaper For Free
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/get-story-week-sent-your-email-kindle-or-instapaper-free.htm
Create Your Own Music Mash-Up From MP3 Files
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/create-your-own-music-mash-mp3-files.htm
The Ultimate Developer and Power Users Tool List for Windows
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/ultimate-developer-and-power-users-tool-list-windows.htm
Understanding Codecs
http://www.techsupportalert.com/understanding-codecs.htm

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 342

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 342
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Join Larry Lewis of Flying Blind, LLC and Steve Barclay of Aroga Technologies at CSUN in San Diego Today and Tomorrow!!!
27th Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference Logo
When: Today (3/1) and Tomorrow (3/2) from 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM in the Aroga Suite. Lewis, Founder of Flying Blind, LLC and Barclay, Vice President of Sales for Aroga Technologies (www.aroga.com), will be hosting two more sessions within the Aroga Suite titled: "Is 12 Cells Enough?". Each session will begin at 4:00 PM and conclude around 5:30 PM and will run Thursday (3/1) and Friday (3/2). These two sessions are face to face, hands-on workshops based on the recent webinars hosted by Lewis and Barclay that illustrate the power and mobility of portable, refreshable Braille access to iOS devices in a variety of settings. These sessions will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis, so please email training@flying-blind.com or call (216) 381-8107 to reserve your space today!

Greetings,

1) Here are some tantalizing items from the How-To Geek Newsletter:
How to Search Google Like a Pro: 11 Tricks You Have to Know
http://www.howtogeek.com/106718/how-to-search-google-like-a-pro-11-tricks-you-have-to-know/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=270212
How To Access Your Ebook Library on Your iPad via Dropbox
http://www.howtogeek.com/106521/how-to-access-your-ebook-library-on-your-ipad-via-dropbox/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=270212&utm_content=emailsidebar
How To Combine All Your Email Addresses into One Gmail Inbox
http://www.howtogeek.com/106034/how-to-combine-all-your-email-addresses-into-one-gmail-inbox/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=270212&utm_content=emailsidebar

2) The JAWS-users page has alot of useful information and tutorials, much of which is useful for users of other screen readers. Items have recently been added to the Tips and Tricks and Audio sections.
http://www.jaws-users.com/help/

3) The next quarter's schedule of free and paid webinars has been posted to the Freedom Scientific page.
http://www.freedomscientific.com/training/e-LearningEntrance.asp

4) Learn about BrailleTouch, a forthcoming Android and iOS app that will let users write on their smartphone using a simulated braille keyboard, on Tek Talk for GMT Tuesday, 6 March at 01:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

5) Here is a guide to Android Accessibility for a prospective user of android phones.
http://eyes-free.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/documentation/android_access/index.html

6) The latest tech doctor podcast is entitled Screenless Audio Editing With Sound Studio.
http://www.dr-carter.com/?p=99

7) Listen to episode 4 of Triple Click Home, the iDevices-related podcast from the Serotek Podcast Network.
http://tripleclickhome.com/2012/02/27/triple-click-home-episode-4-beefed-up-book-reader-thing/

8) This page is entitled Web Accessibility and Older People: Meeting the Needs of Aging Web Users.
http://www.w3.org/WAI/older-users/

9) The American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults (AAF) is making its free Braille books for blind children available online as downloadable BRF files.
http://www.actionfund.org/actionfund/default.asp

10) A partnership between Sprint and Code Factory now brings a free version of the Mobile Accessibility suite for Android devices, called Wireless Accessibility, to the Android Market. This is the complete version of Mobile Accessibility including the screen reader component and is compatible with Sprint, Boost, and Virgin Mobile handsets.
http://www.blindbargains.com/link/6506

11) The shortcut world site lists keyboard shortcuts for Linux, Mac OS, Windows, web applications and an extensive list of other software applications. This wiki-style reference database for keyboard shortcuts is constantly under development.
http://shortcutworld.com/

12) HIMS announces the release of BookSense Master, free, downloadable companion software for the PC, created to assist with the location and transfer of files to BookSense.
http://www.hims-inc.com/Upgrade/SenseMaster/BookSense_Master_Install_1_0_20120202.zip

13) Here are some of the latest additions to the Gizmo site:
All The Figures You'll Need To Prune Your Hard Drive
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/all-figures-youll-need-prune-your-hard-drive.htm
How to Manage Your USB Devices Better
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-manage-your-usb-devices-better.htm
Improve Your Privacy On Twitter
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/improve-your-privacy-twitter.htm
Windows 8 Consumer Preview: A Fresh Start for Microsoft, by Ed Bott
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/windows-8-consumer-preview-a-fresh-start-for-microsoft/4540

14) Gerardo Corripio has started a blog in Spanish, Tuimagina, related to adaptive technology, podcasting, social networking, and the like.
http://tuimagina.wordpress.com/

15) Check the BlindBargains site for podcasts coming from the CSUN conference which is currently under way.
http://blindbargains.com/

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 341

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 341
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: One Gently Used BrailleNote Apex32 Cell Notetaker With Perkins-Style, Braille Keyboard for USD $3,595.00!!!
Photo of the BrailleNote Apex32 Cell Notetaker Flying Blind, LLC is pleasantly shocked and excited to have a gently used BrailleNote Apex32 Notetaker for sale for USD $3,595.00 - that's approximately USD $2,800.00 off of it's suggested list price!!! The BrailleNote name is synonymous with excellence and innovation, and the Apex continues to set standards that other notetakers have yet to meet. This unit is in pristine condition, and is running Keysoft Version 9.2, the latest version of software available for the Apex! That, and it's robust yet intuitive functionality will offer limitless options to whomever receives it. This is a single unit and will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. Includes shipping anywhere within the continental United States. For more information, email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today!

Greetings,

1) GW Micro has so far created six of their concise video "How Do I Do That" tutorials covering different Window-Eyes tasks, fully usable by blind and sighted users.
http://www.gwmicro.com/Training/Tutorials/

2) Victor Reader Stream users can grab version 3.4.6 of the Stream software, and 3.5.6 of the Stream Companion program, using the Check for Update feature of the Companion. The upgrade provides navigational enhancements in DAISY and text books and improvements in handling Russian documents.
http://visit.humanware.com/e/3332/tream-software/sct19/375428668

3) The Serotek site is busy these days. Read a review of the Aftershockz Bone Conduction Headphones:
http://serotalk.com/2012/02/21/a-review-of-the-aftershockz-bone-conduction-headphones/
SeroTalk Podcast 96: We're A Tween
http://serotalk.com/2012/02/21/serotalk-podcast-96-were-a-tween/
Listen to the three sets of interviews conducted during the ATIA conference, and follow Mike Calvo as he blogs his way down to the CSUN conference.
http://serotalk.com/

4) Viewpoints podcast 1208 is a conversation with Serotek staff.
http://viewpointsplus.net/vp_1208_podcast.mp3

5) This edition of the tech doctor podcast covers such matters as jailbreaking iOS devices and Android tablets.
http://www.dr-carter.com/?p=96

6) Register for a free webinar, Benefits of New Electronic Magnification Devices versus Conventional Magnifiers, to take place on Tuesday, 6 March at 17:00 GMT
http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/549964/0be1d9c63b/1808504051/8a2cf77a54/

7) Tech Access Weekly, Episode #127, is a 55-minute program on the latest tech news and buzz.
http://techaccessweekly.com/podcast/2012/02/18/tech-access-weekly-episode-127/

8. Maybe you want to read 10 Must-Learn Lessons For Twitter Newbies
http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/10-lessons-twitter-newbies_b10079

9) A new version of the popular navigation app Ariadne GPS recently hit the iOS app store. Read about it and listen to a podcast.
http://www.ariadnegps.eu/

10) Among new appleVis podcasts we have Getting Started With Hokusai, a Free and Fully Accessible Multitrack Audio Editor
http://www.applevis.com/node/2388
Exploring Some of the Advanced Features of the Reminders App
http://www.applevis.com/node/2395
Read, Create and Share QR Codes Quickly and Easily With Your iDevice
http://www.applevis.com/node/2406

11) Version 8.1 of Keysoft is available, adding the ability to read PDF documents to the BrailleNote and VoiceNote mPower
http://www.humanware.com/index.php?Action=Page.Link&PageLink=7195&To=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.humanware.ca%2Fweb%2Fen%2FNewsletter%2F356.htm

12) Learn about the latest developments in Dolphin Guide, a product intended for use by seniors and others who find conventional windows unnecessarily challenging, on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 28 February at 01:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

13) The Mystic Place Community web site is a multi user interactive site with File libraries, forums, member profiles etc.
http://www.mysticplacecommunity.info

14) Are you on Facebook? Stop by and "Like" Flying Blind, LLC to begin receiving Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday as part of your Facebook News Feed.
http://www.facebook.com/flyingblindllc

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 340

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 340
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: One Refurbished ALVA Braille Controller 640 Braille Terminal + Feature Pack for USD $2,000.00!!!
Photo of the ALVA Braille Controller 640 Braille Terminal + Feature Pack Once again, Flying Blind, LLC scores big on the refurbished Braille display front! The ALVA BC640 offers seamless Bluetooth and USB connectivity with a variety of today's most popular screenreaders. Its Braille keyboard enables you to write directly to a PC or Mobile device wirelessly in your preferred Grade of Braille. The stereo speakers on its feature pack allow you to route the audio from your computer or mobile device wirelessly to the Braille Controller. You may also store files on the Braille Controller as well as use its internal notetaker to create, edit, and share documents with a PC. This one of a kind, 40 cell Braille display is approximately 60% off its suggested list price. Price includes shipping within the continental United States and as a single item will be available on a first come, first serve basis. Email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today to take advantage of this fantastic bargain!

Greetings,

1) Rick Harmon demonstrates his favorite iOS apps on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 21 February at 01:00 GMT.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

2) Hadley School offers frequent one-hour seminars on a variety of interesting topics. You can attend in person, online, or download the old ones from the website. Now, all past Seminars@Hadley are now available as downloadable podcasts. For information on how to subscribe to Seminars@Hadley podcasts, visit:
http://hadley.edu/Podcasts.asp

3) The Forsythe Center for Entrepreneurship of the Hadley School operates an email list for blind and visually impaired entrepreneurs and business owners. Networking is highly encouraged, and the Center will announce its programs through the list. To join send a blank message to:
HadleyFCE-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

4) GW Micro is proud to announce the release of Window-Eyes 7.5.3. This version includes a number of stability improvements, native support for QT-based programs, support for the new Braille Edge display from HIMS, and Windows Live Mail and Thunderbird improvements. For a detailed list of all Window-Eyes 7.5.3 features and enhancements, visit:
http://www.gwmicro.com/Window-Eyes/Latest_Features/

5) Serotek has updated its Accessible Event meeting platform to include text chat, support for multiple simultaneous presenters, and a variety of other features. A Mac version is available and an iOS version awaits release by Apple. See the system in action at:
http://www.accessibleevent.com/tour
For more information or to use the system for a class, meeting or seminar, visit:
http://accessibleevent.com

6) While we're talking about Serotek, they now offer monthly payment plans for their OCR program DocuScanPlus. Purchase over three- and six-month periods is possible.
http://www.serotek.com/dsp

7) Helping Hands Braille Ministries provides the daily devotional, Our Daily Bread. For those interested in receiving a monthly Braille hardcopy, or a emailed BRF file, please email:
helpinghands@slmin.org
For a catalog of other available Christian literature visit our site at:
http://www.brailleministries.org

8) Version 0.0.1 of a new program named JpgToSig-A-01 is now posted at:
http://www.austincc.edu/baldwin/SWT-SVG/SVGDraw01.zip
JpgToSig-A-01 makes it easier for sighted teachers and others who assist blind students to enhance bitmap images, convert them to SIG files, and emboss them in the enhanced format on an embosser that accepts the Duxbury QuickTac SIG file format for graphics data. This version of the program is not accessible to blind users (An accessible version designed for use by blind students will be published in the upcoming weeks.)

9) Episode #1206 of ViewPoints features an interview with Larry Skutchan of APH about their product development team and what to expect in the next firmware release of the Bookport Plus. You can subscribe to the podcast or download individual shows and read show notes at the URL:
http://www.ViewPointsPlus.net

10) LibreOffice 3.5, a free Office suite, has been released from the Document Foundation. New features listed at:
http://www.libreoffice.org/download/3-5-new-features-and-fixes/
Indications are that the program works reliably with NVDA as long as the Java Access Bridge is installed, and may work with other screen readers.

11) Here are some AppleVis podcasts:
6 Steps For Keeping Your iDevice Safe and Secure
http://www.applevis.com/sites/default/files/podcasts/applevispodcast33.mp3
Using Reminders to Create and Manage Tasks and Lists
http://www.applevis.com/sites/default/files/podcasts/applevispodcast34.mp3
Voxer Walkie-Talkie: Send instant Audio, Text, Photo and Location Messages to your Friends
http://www.applevis.com/sites/default/files/podcasts/applevispodcast32.mp3

12) From Abrahams Accessibility, here is the latest on Android Ice Cream Sandwich Accessibility:
http://www.it-director.com/blogs/Abrahams_Accessibility/2012/2/android_ice_cream_sandwich_accessi_.html

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 339

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 339
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: One (1) Focus 80 Display For USD$2,995.00!!!
Photo of a Focus 40-Cell Braille Terminal and a Focus 80-Cell Braille Terminal above a photo of a man working on a PC using a Focus 80-Cell Braille Terminal. Flying Blind, LLC has a barely used Focus 80-Cell refreshable Braille terminal for the deeply discounted price of USD$2,995.00. Over 50% off of its suggested retail cost. This 80-Cell solution is optimal for JAWS For Windows users who require a great deal of Braille to access complex applications from a desktop PC. It's various controls and responsive Braille output make navigating through difficult, graphical applications, effortless and efficient. Shipping within the 48 continental United States is included in this fantastic price, and this Focus 80 will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today.

Greetings,

1) I (Dean Martineau) am selling a perfectly working PlexTalk PtR2 recorder, a fully-accessible, specialized, DAISY recorder and player, asking $425 including shipping or best offer.

2) In this edition of The Tech Doctor Blog and Podcast, we hear an interview with a prolific mainstream Apple podcaster and committed advocate for Blind Apple users.
http://www.dr-carter.com/?p=93

3) The Utah Assistive Technology Program will offer a free webinar, Assistive Technology and Early Intervention Part 2, on 15 February.
http://utahatprogram.blogspot.com/2012/01/free-webinar-assistive-technology-and.html
The starting time given is presumably Mountain Time, which means the event will run from 22:00-23:30 GMT. Screen reader users need to email:
sachin.pavithran@usu.edu
By Friday, 10 February to access the webinar by phone; everybody else needs to email:
storee.powell@usu.edu

4) Accessibility technology Consultant Jerry Berrier will have fun with his iPhone and let you listen in as he demonstrates a variety of fun apps on Tek Talk on GMT 14 February at 01:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

5) A second podcast on using NVDA and iTunes is available.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1625623/NVDA%20and%20iTunes%20Demonstration.mp3

6) Here is a 14 minute Blind Access Journal podcast entitled Talk and Drop: DropVox Voice Memo Recorder for iOS
http://blindaccessjournal.com/2012/02/talk-and-drop-dropvox-voice-memo-recorder-for-ios/

7) The February, 2012 issue of AccessWorld is now available, including A Review of the IBIS HD Video Magnifier (CCTV), an evaluation of The Readit Scholar, Diabetes and Visual Impairment: An Update on Accessible Blood Glucose Meters, information about AccessWorld App Version 1.8 and more:
http://www.afb.org/accessworld

8) GW Micro has begun to make available How Do I Do That? video mini-tutorials with fully accessible audio content on particular window-eyes features. The first two free offerings in the series concern how to add an attachment and how to use the ribbon with window-eyes.
http://www.gwmicro.com/Training/Tutorials/

9) The Veterans Health Administration Section 508 office created an innovative set of tutorials that explains portable document format (PDF) accessibility barriers and provides solutions that address them. The tutorial is "Creating Accessible PDFs with Adobe Acrobat Professional" and it is available at:
http://www.ehealth.va.gov/508/tutorials/pdf/index.asp

10) The VHA Section 508 office also has training on developing accessible Flash. The course is available at:
http://www.ehealth.va.gov/508/flash/index.asp

11) SpeechHub is a new set of speech synthesizers, at present, only for NVDA. Several synthesizers and languages are available.
http://www.speechhub.org/

12) The US Internal Revenue Service offers accessible tax preparation assistance.
http://www.irs.gov/accessibility/index.html
Here is a Youtube video describing what they offer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4PfzKqpXmg

13) Kathy Ann Murtha announces the release of two new $75 textbooks: Internet Explorer 9 with JAWS for Windows 13 and Internet Explorer 9 with Window-Eyes 7.5
http://www.blindtraining.com/shop/browsers.htm

14) This Blind Access Journal podcast is entitled Take Your Favorite Podcasts on the Road: Downcast for iOS:
http://blindaccessjournal.com/2012/02/take-your-favorite-podcasts-on-the-road-downcast-for-ios/

15) The NFB Access Technology Blog offers reviews of News Apps for iOS devices:
http://www.nfb.org/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=922&SnID=1727144647
And DAISY videos from the eBook Accessibility Symposium:
http://www.nfb.org/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=920&SnID=1727144647

16) From the land of Serotalk, we can obtain SeroTalk Podcast 94:
http://serotalk.com/2012/02/07/serotalk-podcast-94-walk-without-sticks/
Archives of SeroSpectives: This Month in Tech for January 2012, with yours truly as one of the panelists:
http://serotalk.com/2012/02/03/archives-of-serospectives-this-month-in-tech-for-january-2012-are-now-available/
And a blog post by CEO Mike Calvo entitled The Disney Standard:
http://serotalk.com/2012/02/02/the-disney-standard/

17) This AppleVis podcast is entitled WeatherBug 2.0: Improving Accessibility With Custom Labels:
http://www.applevis.com/node/2307

18) These are some of the latest discoveries from the gizmo site:
Spam Blockers: The Best Products for Home Use
http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-antispam.htm
Fake online product reviews
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/fake-online-product-reviews.htm
How to Tell if a File is Malicious
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-tell-if-file-malicious.htm
Finds of the Week (February 5, 2012)
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/finds-eek-february-5-2012.htm
How to Know If Your Computer Is Infected
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-know-if-your-computer-infected.htm
A Handy Tweaking Tool For Windows
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/handy-tweaking-tool-windows.htm
Help with Foreign Postal Addresses
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/website-week-help-foreign-postal-addresses.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GizmosDailyTechTreats+%28Gizmo%27s+Daily+Tech+Treats%29

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 338

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 338
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: One (1) Focus 80 Display For USD$2,995.00!!!
Photo of a Focus 40-Cell Braille Terminal and a Focus 80-Cell Braille Terminal above a photo of a man working on a PC using a Focus 80-Cell Braille Terminal. Flying Blind, LLC has a barely used Focus 80-Cell refreshable Braille terminal for the deeply discounted price of USD$2,995.00. Over 50% off of its suggested retail cost. This 80-Cell solution is optimal for JAWS For Windows users who require a great deal of Braille to access complex applications from a desktop PC. It's various controls and responsive Braille output make navigating through difficult, graphical applications, effortless and efficient. Shipping within the 48 continental United States is included in this fantastic price, and this Focus 80 will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today.

Greetings,

1) The makers of the free screen reader NVDA announce that 2012.1beta1 has been released. This version promises a better experience for Braille users, much more access to format information in Word, and access to the iTunes store.
http://www.nvda-project.org/blog/NVDA2012.1beta1Released
Keep up with news about NvDA by joining the nvda-announce mailing list:
http://lists.nvaccess.org/listinfo/nvda-announce

2) Here is lots of technical information about access improvements in version 10 of Firefox:
http://www.marcozehe.de/2012/01/31/new-in-accessibility-in-firefox-10/

3) Among podcasts from the Applevis site for i-devices, we have:
Three Weather Apps Go Head-To-Head:
http://www.applevis.com/node/2277
NVDA and iTunes:
http://www.applevis.com/node/2276
A Demonstration of the Improved Accessibility Coming Soon to the Hokusai Audio Editor for iOS:
http://www.applevis.com/node/2275
An In-Depth Demonstration of the Tascam iM2 Stereo Microphone Adapter
http://www.applevis.com/node/2274
Turn Your iPhone into a Motion Detector with VM Alert:
http://www.applevis.com/node/2234

4) A contributor to AppleVis offers us a written tutorial for the game King of Dragon Pass:
http://www.applevis.com/node/2284

5) Learn about migrating from Windows XP to windows 7 on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 7 February at 01:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

6) Here are a couple of humorous video demonstrations of using J-Say, the package that leverages JAWS and Dragon for speech input, to get the job done:
http://www.ehealth.va.gov/ehealth/508/sw/video/outlook_at_video.html

7) The NFB anticipates some employment opportunities will result from new regulations requiring video description of more TV shows. They are offering a training, 14-18 May, expenses paid, to gain the necessary skills.
http://www.nfb.org/vdrdc

8) From the February, 2012 Braille Monitor come two articles: I Am a Blind Electrical Engineer:
http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/bm/bm12/bm1202/bm120204.htm
Mainstream Access to E-Books: My Perspective
http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/bm/bm12/bm1202/bm120208.htm

9) From the web accessibility podcast and blog we glean both a podcast and its transcript introducing the Women of CSUN12, as that conference comes up at the end of the month.
http://webaxe.blogspot.com/2012/01/podcast-94-women-of-csun12.html

10) Nomensa's accessible media player 2.0 is now a free open-source download!
http://www.nomensa.com/about/news-items/nomensas-accessible-media-player-20-now-free-download

11) In response to a question, this is said to be an Internet speed test site which is accessible.
http://testmy.net/

12) Listen to Episode 5 of That Android show:
http://thatandroidshow.com/2012/01/31/that-android-show-episode-5-anadroid/

13) This article is entitled Jailbreaking Your iPhone 4S Or iPad 2: Not Nearly As Scary As It Might Sound
http://serotalk.com/2012/01/30/jailbreaking-your-iphone-4s-or-ipad-not-nearly-as-scary-as-it-might-sound/

14) This blog post is called 100+ Google Tricks for Teachers:
http://www.teachhub.com/100-google-tricks-teachers-0

15) Here's one called a List of Siri Commands:
http://www.mactalk.com.au/31/104774-list-siri-commands.html

16) I didn't proofread too well last week, hence this item was not well covered. The INDATA Project at Easter Seals Crossroads has launched AssistiveTechnologyRadio.com, which streams podcasts, conference recordings and other material all the time.
http://www.assistivetechnologyradio.com/

17) Inform is a design system for interactive fiction based on natural language. Interactive fiction lets the player explore worlds and stories through text. Write adventure games, historical simulations, gripping stories or experimental digital art. The system is said to work well with screen readers.
http://inform7.com/

18) Sodbeans, an accessible programming and editing environment, has been upgraded to version 2.5:
https://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/sodbeans/wiki/Sodbeans/ReleaseNotes

19) Microsoft Research and the University of Rochester are conducting a brief survey on the use of social networking technologies by members of the blind and visually impaired communities. They are interested in learning more about how blind and visually-impaired people use social networks, so that they can build tools that leverage existing social networking sites to improve accessibility.
http://go.madmimi.com/redirects/640644521f869eaa74cadaa5b18bb1e6?pa=7381136608

20) Window-Eyes scripts for Station Playlist Studio scripts have been updated to version 3.5.3:
http://www.gwmicro.com/App_Central/Apps/App_Details/?scriptid=1268

21) Hims, Inc. has released version 6.2 for their BrailleSense and VoiceSense line of Notetakers. This version adds support for content from the national Library Service, the ability to read and write Spanish documents, and support for the optional "Sense Dictionary".
http://www.hims-inc.com/news/new-upgrade-v62-firmware-upgrade-release-braille-sense-and-voice-sense

22) We offer you via Lockergnome, Nine iPhone Apps to Get You out of Bad Situations
http://www.lockergnome.com/ios/2012/01/25/nine-iphone-apps-to-get-you-out-of-bad-situations

23) Learning ally has created tutorials on how to use their vastly improved audiobook Manager:
http://www.learningally.org/Training-Support/Learning-Ally-BookShelf-and-Audiobook-Manager/Learning-Ally-Audiobook-Manager-screen-reader-audio-instructions/959/

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 337

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 337
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Refurbished Brailliant 32's At Ridiculous Discounts!!!
Photo of a Brailliant 32-Cell Braille Terminal Flying Blind, LLC is pleased to offer our subscribers a couple of gently used Brailliant 32-Cell Braille terminals, with 30 day warranties, for USD$1,995.00 each. Flying Blind, LLC also has an additional Brailliant 32 in excellent condition for USD$1,450.00. These Braille displays are the perfect size for either portable or desktop computer access for the Braille reader wishing to benefit from a sleek design that has been coupled with a powerful user interface. All prices include shipping within the 48 continental United States. For more information, please send an email to featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107. Act now while supplies last!

Greetings,

1) A big news item during the past week has been Apple's new textbook initiative. The NF Access Technology Blog describes the experience of navigating textbooks:
http://www.nfb.org/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=918&SnID=472933475

2) Apple puts out a Support Page for authors to make their iBooks more accessible.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5073 #a11y #axs

3) This blogger discusses, The Good, The Bad and the Ugly of The iBooks 2.0 format:
http://www.baldurbjarnason.com/notes/the-ibooks-textbook-format/

4) New tutorials have been added to the YouTube Channel regarding the Save as DAISY add-in for Microsoft Word:
http://www.youtube.com/user/daisyconsortium

5) This is a PDF by Mike Pacielo entitled Creating Accessible Adobe PDF's:
http://t.co/8YPBBcFL

6) Peter Proscia will present eClipseWriter Pro Version 5.0's upcoming release, including the product's new camera-based Scan and Read tools and enhanced word processing features, on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 31 January at 01:00:
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

7) Learn How to add your favorite MLB teams schedule to your IOS device
http://www.appletothecore.info/2012/01/how-to-add-your-favorite-mlb-teams.html

8) From the SPN (Serotalk Podcast Network,) we have episode three of the triple Click Home podcast
http://tripleclickhome.com/2012/01/24/triple-click-home-episode-3-a-couple-of-few/
And Serotalk Podcast #93
http://serotalk.com/2012/01/23/serotalk-podcast-93-a-promise-ring-and-a-password/

Assistive Technology Radio:
http://www.assist

9) A recent podcast from Applevis is entitled, An Open Invitation To Get Involved:
http://www.applevis.com/blog/applevis-podcast-open-invitation-get-involved
The Accessible Devices podcast featured an interview with a member of the Applevis team:
http://www.accessible-devices.com/feed.xml

11) The NFB Access Technology Blog discussed Skype Connect, the product formerly known as GW Skype:
http://www.nfb.org/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=915&SnID=472933475

12) A new article has just been posted to the GW Micro Knowledgebase: Adobe Audition:
http://gwmicro.com/kb0

13) The iPhone Tactile ScreenShot Quick Reference Guide is now available for $27 from National Braille Press. These tactile screen shots of various iPhone screens show you what appears where on your iPhone's status bar, home screen apps, keypad, contacts, calendar, Apps Store, iBooks, iTunes.
http://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/IPHONE-TACTILES.html

14) From the NVDA Blog, we learn that NV Access Offers Phone-based Support and Training to Australian Users:
http://www.nvda-project.org/blog/PaidSupport

15) Duxbury Systems announces Service Release 3 of DBT version 11. Improvements include support for more embossers, improved table-handling functions, improved import of .docx files, and more.
http://www.duxburysystems.com/dbt.asp%0b

16) The Blio reader app is now accessible on Android phones.
http://www.blindbargains.com/link/6467

17) Overview of the Accessibility of Mainstream e-readers is a free EASI webinar to take place on Thursday, 9 February at 19:00 GMT.
http://easi.cc/clinic.htm
They also offer a four-part, fee-based workshop on barrier-free web design:
http://easi.cc/workshops/easiweb.htm
And a Four-part Webinar Series: Exploring CSS or Cascading Style Sheets: A Primer:
http://easi.cc/clinic.htm

18) Here are a few interesting-looking items from the Gizmo site:
Free File Search Utility is the Best Yet:
http://www.techsupportalert.com/users/gizmorichards Understanding The Windows 7 UAC
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/understanding-windows-7-uac.htm Best Free Online Backup Sites
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/best-free-online-backup-sites.htm

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 336

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 336
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: One (1) Focus 40 Display For USD$1,195.00!!!
Photo of a Focus 40-Cell Braille Terminal and a Focus 80-Cell Braille Terminal above a photo of a man working on a PC using a Focus 80-Cell Braille Terminal. After providing many of our subscribers with Focus Braille displays a couple of weeks ago, Flying Blind, LLC is pleased to have obtained another of these low cost gems which are selling for USD$1,195.00! This 40-Cell Braille Terminal works extremely well with the globally acclaimed JAWS screenreader, and is a must-have for any user who is in need of refreshable Braille and who is on a tight budget. We only have one of these units to part with, and will do so on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please contact featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 to put this lonely Braille display to work for you!

Greetings,

1) Among the podcasts hosted on Applevis recently are:
A Walk-through of NewsFolio, an Accessible RSS Reader with Google Reader Synchronization
http://www.applevis.com/node/2146
A Walk-through and Review of Vokul, a Powerful New Voice Control App and Siri Alternative
http://www.applevis.com/node/2145
A Walk-through of Ski & Snow Report, a Must Have app for all Skiers
http://www.applevis.com/node/2154
A Walk-thru of NextBuses: Departure Information for 370,000 Bus Stops Across England, Wales and Scotland
http://www.applevis.com/node/2171

2) This post by Jim Fruchterman, with its associated comments, gives some enlightenment about the much-discussed SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act.)
http://benetech.blogspot.com/2011/11/why-im-scared-of-sopa-bill.html

3) The NFB Access Technology Blog features several posts describing discoveries made at the recent Consumer Electronics show.
http://www.nfb.org/nfb/Access_Technology_Blog.asp

4) Serotek's Mike Calvo reviews four Bluetooth devices.
http://serotalk.com/2012/01/18/a-review-of-four-bluetooth-devices-by-mike-calvo/

5) Seminars Hadley will present an elaboration of how blind people read and produce music, on Thursday, 19 January at 16:00 GMT. Chances are you'll miss the live event, but it will be available for download later:
http://www.hadley.edu/PastSeminars.asp

6) Learn about the extremely accessible version of skype produced by Gw Micro on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 24 January at 01:00
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

7) Two free computer games for Windows are available from Rich De Steno. Atlantic City Blackjack is a realistic blackjack game and Destination Mars is a challenging space travel game. Send your request for either or both games by email to
ironrock@verizon.net.

8) Even though we have left Office 2007 behind, this tutorial regarding shortcut kehys could be of interest if you're looking to move from Office 2003:
http://goo.gl/6bZdE

9) From Joe Dolson Accessible Web Design comes this post on How to structure an accessibility review.
http://bit.ly/xFQW95 #a11y

10) You can read Understanding WebAccessibilty - A Guide to create Accessible Work environment or download a pdf version of it.
http://t.co/qUdBcmT4 #web #a11y #axs

11) Watch a Youtube video introducing STEPP - The Student E-Rent Pilot Project
http://lnkd.in/JJbzHt

12) There are now JAWS scripts for the chat system TeamTalk at:
http://t.co/j1QNmnCS

13) Here is An update, not entirely favorable, on Google Apps accessibility.
http://t.co/njivWp7S HT @Jennison #highered #a11y #Google

14) From YouTube help site, we can read how to work with YouTube with a screen reader.
http://t.co/BOkoQ20Z

15) This article, written in the wake of a security breach, concerns ways to make, and remember strong passwords.
http://t.co/VZsldwaa

16) Accessibility reviews for stella version 2.1,Fix WU version 1.0, Dectalk version 4.4, final burn alpha, kega fusion version 3.64, and blue msx version 2.8 have been added to the AccessWatch system.
http://www.accesswatch.info

17) Here are lots of updates from the gizmo site. I don't check out most of these, so some may prove to be duds, but others are gems:
Best Free PC Tune-up Utility
http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-pc-tune-up-utility.htm
Interesting Beta Websites and Applications
http://www.techsupportalert.com/interesting-betas.htm
Speed Up Your Hearing
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/speed-your-hearing.htm
How to Easily Insert Special Symbols and Characters in Windows - Part I
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-easily-insert-special-symbols-and-characters-windows-part-i.htm
How to Easily Insert Special Symbols and Characters in Windows - Part II
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-easily-insert-special-symbols-and-characters-windows-part-ii.htm
How to rip DVD movies using freeware HandBrake
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/rip-dvd-movie.htm
Website of the Week (refdesk.com)
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/web-site-week-refdeskcom.htm
Website of the Week (WonderHowTo.com)
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/site-week-wonderhowtocom.htm
Website of the Week (Wonderopolis)
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/web-site-week-wonderopolis.htm
Website of the Week (Simple Help)
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/web-site-week-simple-help.htm
Website of the Week (Mashable)
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/web-site-week-mashable.htm
Website of the Week (WhatsRunning.net)
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/web-site-week-whatsrunningnet.htm-0
Website of the Week (Encyclopedia Smithsonian)
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/web-site-week-encyclopedia-smithsonian.htm
Website of the Week (CopyPasteCharacter.com)
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/web-site-week-copypastecharactercom.htm
Website of the Week (Life's Little Mysteries)
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/web-site-week-lifes-little-mysteries.htm
Extraordinary World Libraries
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/extraordinary-world-libraries.htm
Create And Publish A Web Page In Seconds
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/create-and-publish-web-page-seconds.htm
How to Know If Your Computer Is Infected
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-know-if-your-computer-infected.htm

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 335

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 335
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Refurbished PacMate 20-Cell and 40-Cell Portable Braille displays For Unbelievably Affordable Prices!!!
Photo of a Focus 40-Cell Braille Terminal and a Focus 80-Cell Braille Terminal above a photo of a man working on a PC using a Focus 80-Cell Braille Terminal. Flying Blind, LLC is pleased to offer its subscribers a tremendous savings on some refurbished PacMate 20-Cell and 40-Cell portable Braille displays. These incredibly compact displays provide four-way navigation, duo cursor routing functionality, and 10 programmable function keys in a size too portable to pass up, and at a price too low to beat! They're a fantastic compliment to the globally acclaimed JAWS For Windows screenreader. We have a few PacMate 40-Cell displays for USD $995.00 each and one 20-Cell Model for USD $695.00. This price includes shipping within the U.S. and Canada, and also includes a 90 day service warranty! Imagine, a 40-Cell display for less than 1K? Unbelievable! Act now while supplies last by emailing featured@flying-blind.com or calling +1 (216) 381-8107 today!

Greetings,

1) The In Touch program from the BBC presented an installment on the latest mobile phones and what they offer the visually impaired.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b018xs8r

2) The British Computer Association of the Blind (BCAB) offers a CD containing tutorials for using Windows 7, Windows Live Mail, the Internet, and Word 2010, all with JAWS 11 and above, all available in DAISY, text, html and audio formats. Only available on cd, the disk costs 60 pounds for non-members, 25 pounds for members, or 46 pounds 50 pence, which gives you the disk and a membership.
http://bcab.org.uk/training-events/gtgw-tutorials

3) In BGZ Podcast #51: Rick Harmon Demonstrates the RII Mini Bluetooth Keyboard.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1581531/BGZ051.mp3 #Audio

4) And in BGZ Podcast #52, he talks about the NewTrent 7000mah USB battery.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1581531/BGZ052.mp3

5) Applevis is inviting and storing podcasts, and a recent one features a Review and Walk-Through of an iOS app called Voice Changer Plus.
http://www.applevis.com/node/2108

6) Starting January 12 EASI is providing a 4-part webinar series on creating accessible Powerpoints. Read more and ask about the scholarship, register for the series as a member or register and pay online for this fee-based series.
http://easi.cc/clinic.htm

7) David Bales has written a guide to Windows Live Mail 2011. It includes a detailed description of how to use the ribbons in this program using either the standard windows keystrokes or the Jaws virtual ribbon. It's available here:
http://goo.gl/mnHqJ

8) Tek Talk for GMT Tuesday, January 17 will feature a side-by-side comparison of the experience of using iTunes on a Mac and in Windows.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

9) This article is entitled 14 Websites to Convert Youtube files to MP3 Online.
http://www.geekersmagazine.com/youtube-to-mp3-converter/

10) Ian Humphreys announces the release of the 19th game in the Blind Gamers series, BG Master Mind 1.0. To request this free game, write to:
games@spoonbillsoftware.com.au

11) Skwire Software produces a free and very accessible program to add hotkeys to various media players. As an example, you could open the program and assign Windows-P to play a file in Winamp. URL is:
http://skwire.dcmembers.com/fp/?page=mph

12) Sprint now offers the Mobile Accessibility package developed by Code Factory for free to its Sprint and some of its Boost Mobile customers who use android phones.
http://t.co/TongXzvG

13) Here is An In Depth Analysis of HTML5 Multimedia and Accessibility
http://net.tutsplus.com/tutorials/html-css-techniques/an-in-depth-overview-of-html5-multimedia-and-accessibility/

14) This LowVisionBureau blog entry and podcast discusses one of the options for accessible use of Twitter.
http://lowvisionbureau.com/blog/lvbpodcast/twitter-accessible-for-visually-impaired-people/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

15) T&T Consultancy announces that J-Tools version 5, to provide compatibility with jaws 13, is now available.
http://www.tandt-consultancy.com/pages/news.php?article=40

16) GW Micro sales manager and trainer, Marc Solomon, was recently interviewed by the Georgia Radio Reading Service (GaRRS) and the interview is scheduled to air on GMT Sunday, 15 January, 2012, at 01:03 during the Technology Talk radio show. If you would like to listen to the radio show live, you can access the GaRRS Audio Stream Listen Page at:
http://www.garrs.info/GLP/GLP-X.html
If you can't make it to the live broadcast, you can access an archive of the audio recording at:
http://garrs.info/programs/SPECIAL EDITIONS/index.html

  

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 334

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 334
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Refurbished Focus USB 40 And 80 Cell Braille Displays For Unbelievably Affordable Prices!!!
Photo of a Focus 40-Cell Braille Terminal and a Focus 80-Cell Braille Terminal above a photo of a man working on a PC using a Focus 80-Cell Braille Terminal. Flying Blind, LLC is pleased to kick off 2012 with a number of refurbished Focus Braille displays at incredibly low prices. Focus Braille displays are manufactured by Freedom Scientific, developers of the globally acclaimed JAWS For Windows Screenreader which provides exceptional Braille support and functionality with its Focus Braille terminals. While supplies last we will be offering the Focus 40-Cell Braille Terminal for USD$1,195.00 and the Focus 80-Cell Braille Terminal for USD$2,195.00. These units connect seamlessly to your PC and provide robust, affordable, tactile access to all that the Windows operating system has to offer. Each display comes with a 90 day service warranty. Please contact us at featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 while supplies last!!!

Greetings,

1) The January, 2012 issue of The Braille Monitor contains an article entitled Mainstream Access to E-Books - What Works, What Doesn't, and What Is Still Unclear
http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/bm/bm12/bm1201/bm120105.htm

2) The January, 2012 issue of AccessWorld is now available, featuring a review of the low-cost screen magnifier CDesk COMPASS by AdaptiveVoice, an evaluation of the trekker Breeze, discussion of The Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act, A Guide to Accessing Spotify and Rhapsody Music Streaming Sites with a Screen Reader, and more.
http://www.afb.org/accessworld

3) Detailed instructions on how to install the Java access bridge for windows under various system configurations are found here.
http://ojt-accessibility.java.net/accessbridge

4) Along the same lines, JWin is a free, open source program for detecting and installing the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) on Windows, together with the Java Access Bridge (JAB), which is needed for full accessibility of Java-based applications to assistive technologies used by persons with disabilities.
http://EmpowermentZone.com/JWin_setup.zip

5) The Cisco Academy for the Vision Impaired is offering its unique and proven Courses for the first semester, 2012. Application dedline is 3 February. Besides established courses in IT essentials and CCNA Discovery and Exploration, a new course, "An intro to command-line Linux administration". Per-course cost is $500 if an employer or agency is paying and roughly a third of that if you pay out of pocket. Please see:
http://www.ciscovision.org/
Or Email:
caviinfo@ciscovision.org

6) Learn about the latest version of the accessible audio production scripts and tutorial called CakeTalking for SONAR from Dancing Dots in a brand-new audio presentation created by Bryan Smart.
http://www.dancingdots.com/huge/ct8.5demo.mp3

7) Many people and organizations have striven to create a truly affordable braille display; so far, none has brought a product to fruition. Now, David Pankhurst appears to be launching an endeavor with considerable energy. I hope it happens someday, and maybe he'll be the person to get it done.
http://www.indiegogo.com/Open-Source-Braille-Display

8) Part of the Tek Talk presentation for GMT Tuesday, 10 January, at 01:00 will be the second part of a two-part tutorial on using SendSpace.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

9) Here are some of the latest additions to the Gizmo site:
Start The Year With A Free Security Check For Your PC
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/start-year-free-security-check-your-pc.htm
Gizmo's Freeware Award for Best Freeware Product of 2011
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/gizmo-s-freeware-award-best-freeware-product-2011.htm
This Selection of Useful Tutorials and How-To Articles Will Help Make You a Better PC User
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/selection-useful-tutorials-and-how-articles-will-help-make-you-better-pc-user.htm
Best Free File Archiver-Zip Utility
http://www.techsupportalert.com/users/akt
Best Free OCR Software
http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-ocr-software.htm

10) Allison Hilliker and Darrell Shandrow demonstrate finding, downloading and reading with Bookshare's Read2Go iOS app in this podcast.
http://blindaccessjournal.com/2012/01/never-leave-home-without-your-books-bookshare-read2go-for-ios/

11) You can find the JAWS scripts to work with the latest version of the Goldwave audio editor on the Blind Geek Zone Programs page.
http://www.blind-geek-zone.net/programs.htm

12) GW Micro has launched a new email list: GW-Apps, designed for discussions related to all GW Micro and Window-Eyes Apps, including GW Skype. You can sign up for this list, and all other GW Micro lists, at
http://www.gwmicro.com/listserv


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