Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 177
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) Spoonbill Software has released its fourteenth free accessible self-voicing game, BG Chess Challenge, which can be played at different skill levels and with different levels of graphics. Chess instructions are also included.
http://www.spoonbillsoftware.com.au/blindgamers.htm

2) Window-Eyes 7 is officially released, with iTunes support enhanced browsing features and a growing number of scripts written by dedicated script writers.
http://www.gwmicro.com/News_&_Events/Latest_News/?newsNo=101

3) The September edition of FSCast from Freedom Scientific discusses the further progress of version 10 toward its intended release near the end of the year. When Beta 2 appears, it will include support for iTunes and a new Tandem feature allowing a skilled JAWS 10 user to control the computer of another JAWS 10 user for training or tech support purposes.
http://www.freedomscientific.com/fscast

4) The Adept1, a new form of voice-enabled universal assistant for those who have disabilities or are otherwise eyes or hands busy.
their website describes the device and offers a link to a demonstration and further discussion via GoogleTech Talk.
a new form of voice-enabled universal assistant for those who have disabilities or are otherwise eyes or hands busy.
http://www.amazability.com/

5) "Label It! Braille and Audio Strategies for Identifying Items at Home and
Work" is a National Braille Press book written by Judy Dixon, and she will discuss the book and related subjects on Tek Talk for GMT Tuesday, 30 September.
http://www.accessibleworld.org

6) There has been considerable discussion about the accessibility improvements on the Apple front. Mac users have had good access to most of iTunes features, but their access has improved, and Windows users now have access through Window-Eyes and apparently soon through JAWS, with a third-party package supplementing JAWS access. Meanwhile, the newest iPod Nanno can speak menus and song titles. Here is a podcast discussing these developments, mostly from the Mac-user perspective:
http://www.shanejackson.net/Talking_iPod_Nano.mp3
Meanwhile, Brian Hartgen offers a podcast concerning Windows access to iTunes and another one concerning a set of JAWS scripts they have written called J-Tools to enhance word processing and Internet use for JAWS users. He plans to do a podcast on the iPod Nanno in the upcoming week.
http://tandtconsultancy.wordpress.com

7) this Fred's Head Companion post is entitled Internet Resources for Teaching Math to Visually Impaired Students.
http://www.fredshead.info/2005/11/internet-resources-for-teaching-math.html

8) They also tell us about a search engine that is human-indexed, hence a bit slower than the usual Google but perhaps more satisfying to use? Note that when I tried to access it, the Url failed, but perhaps that was only temporary.
http://www.oggleus.com/

9) Code Factory announces the release of Mobile Geo, its GPS program for windows Mobile and Pocket Pc phones, developd in conjunction with Sendero Group, the makers of the GPS solution for the BrailleNote family.
http://www.codefactory.es/MobileGeo

10) Biographies of six US presidents from the American Experience tv series are available with audio description for free download through the now-accessible iTunes U, and through their web site:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/presidents/

11) Apple Offers a VoiceOver Getting Started for Leopard Podcast
http://www.lioncourt.com/

12) Developers of the Microsoft Word Save as Daisy plug-in plan to release two versions in the next four months. They are seeking a variety of beta testers. If interested, choose the category "Project Microsoft Save as DAISY Beta" and fill out the form here:
http://www.daisy.org/support/contactus.shtml

13) Accessibility reviews of Google Chrome version 0.2, Acefire version 1.0, TeamTalk version 3.5, and Weather Underground have been addedd to the AccessWatch database.
http://www.accesswatch.info

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 |