Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 197
The Week's News in Access Technology

Distributed by Flying Blind, LLC
http://www.flying-blind.com/

For questions and comments regarding Tidbits, please e-mail Dean Martineau at dean@topdotenterprises.com. Dean Martineau provides adaptive technology training by phone, online, and in person, with flexible arrangements, and at affordable prices.

1) The latest Serotek tech chat is entitled "Digital Servants - Using Our computers and Devices to Be Independent," a the notes provide lots of links for online shopping and web page tracking.
http://serotalk.com/2009/02/20/digital-servants-using-our-computers-and-devices-to-be-independent/

2) Email2phone is a service striving to reach out to the blind community. They provide a system where people can read and send e-mail by phone.
http://www.email2phone.net

3) Sendero Group, makers of GPS systems for the Braille Note family, are considering developing a "pay as you go' plan so that people can acquire these systems less painfully. If you might take advantage of such a system, contact Sendero Group:
http://www.senderogroup.com/index.htm

4) Dolphin Systems has released version 10.02 of their product line of screen readers and screen magnifiers. This upgrade features a number of improvements to access to various programs.
http://www.yourdolphin.com/newsitem.asp?id=309

5) drbongo and ald0 announce the new, version 1.3, release of Vinux - Linux for the Visually Impaired
http://vinux.org.uk/downloads/latest_release_announcement-1.3.txt

6) LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired offers an Accessible Cell Phone Seminar on Tuesday, 24 March, with panel presentations from 17:00-19:00 GMT. People throughout the world can take part via telephone conference call or online. To do either, write for instructions to
info@lighthouse-sf.org

7) Code Factory Releases V2.1 of Mobile Speak Smartphone and Mobile Speak Pocket, with support for more than 15 new phones, support for the new BookShare library format and other new features.
http://www.codefactory.es/descargas/family_1/product_3/Whats_new_pocketpc.html

8) Easy YouTube lets you have control over videos on YouTube using the keyboard and it works well with screen readers. the link is
http://icant.co.uk/easy-youtube

9) The creators of Gizmo's Best Ever Freeware have unearthed a list of free programs that enhance Microsoft Office 2007.
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gizmosbest/~3/EMfplKLRctM/free-software-office-2007-microsoft.htm

10) Greg Stillson and Dave Wilson representing humanware will demonstrate KeySoft 8, the newest upgrade for the BrailleNote family of devices on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday 3 March at 0100.
http://www.accessibleworld.org

11) Jeff Weiss has written a Window-Eyes script called Mission Impossible. Its main purpose is a learning opportunity; those wishing to learn to script Window-Eyes can look at the source, which is liberally comented.
http://www.gwmicro.com/Script_Central/

12) Magnifh OutLoud is a simple screen magnifier that also has some ability to read text.
http://www.turningpointtechnology.com/Vision/CG/Magnify%20OutLoud.htm

13) This Fred's Head Companion post discusses Disposable ways to communicate, meaning temporary e-mail addresses and phone numbers you can use when you don't want people to use your real address or number.
http://www.fredshead.info/2009/02/disposable-ways-to-communicate.html

Would you like to receive text-only versions of the Tidbits and Flying Blind, LLC E-Newsletters? If so, find the link at the bottom of every E-News titled "Update Profile/E-Mail Address", and check this newly-available option.

Feel free to forward individual Tidbits, or the entire tidbits issue, to interested people (but make sure they don't already receive it; a lot do!) When doing this, please have the courtesy to cite your source, perhaps directing them to the tidbits website (see below.)

Tidbits is intentionally concise, but I know a lot of people don't understand many of the items because little explanation is given. If a Tidbit brings up a question in your mind, feel free to ask, and I'll answer as time, knowledge and inclination permit.

Visit the Tidbits page at http://www.topdotenterprises.com/tidbits.htm where you can subscribe to the RSS feed and grab back issues. All that welcome information for future issues can come to me at dean@topdotenterprises.com.

People can subscribe to Tidbits via e-mail: tttt-join@topdotenterprises.com (Make sure to get all 4 T's into the address!)

| Flying Blind, LLC | 955 Pembrook Road | Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44121 |