Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 233
The Week's News in Access Technology

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

This Issue's Featured Advertisement:
Povidi Announces the Availability of the SoundPost Orientation System For North American Customers
 
On November 3rd Povidi NZ LTD announced the availability of the SoundPost Orientation System for customers who live in North America. SoundPost is the first orientation solution of its kind offering vision impaired customers an unparalleled means of safely identifying a desired location while traveling throughout their community. SoundPost consists of a hand controller that the user holds to locate strategically placed base stations which can be mounted to doorways, light posts, ambiguous bus stops, etc.
 
For additional information, or to purchase a SoundPost Hand Controller (US$175), Base Station (US$195), or a Kit which includes 1 Hand Controller and 2 Base Stations (US$545), simply visit http://www.flying-blind.com/ and select the appropriate "Add to Cart" button.

Greetings,

1) I checked this link before sending Tidbits for distribution on Wednesday, and it worked then: Google is inviting people with vision loss to take part in usability studies of its products. (The last time I was told about this, the link turned out not to work; if this one goes dead after the newsletter appears, feel free to tell me, but I probably won't have an alternative.)
https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dEFpUm5NQjA5QVdVcGJ0Y195b3h3bmc6MA

2) Serotek Tech Chat 39 covered Twitter software for Windows, Macintosh, iPhone and Windows Mobile devices. They also provided links to software and a few entities to follow to get you started.
http://serotalk.com/2009/10/30/tech-chat-39-twitter-101/

3) Speaking of Twitter, we learn from Fred's Head that Microsoft has launched @MicrosoftHelps to provide real time support to Windows 7 users. Microsoft describes it as "The official Twitter account for Microsoft Customer Service."
http://www.twitter.com/MicrosoftHelps

4) The Orator screen reader for Blackberry phones is in its pre-sale phase, and a mailing list and web site have been launched to inform about and discuss it. The web site is at
http://www.accessiblebb.com
And you can join the Email group by visiting this direct URL:
http://www.accessiblebb.com/chat.php

5) The BrailleNote PB Wiki is a comprehensive page for beginning to advanced users of the BrailleNote. Its owner is seeking ideas for what you might want in its next version.
http://braillenote.pbworks.com/

6) A new version of Amadeus Pro, a multi-track sound editor for the Mac that costs under $50, has been released, with numerous accessibility advancements.
http://www.hairersoft.com/Welcome.html

7) This Fred's Head article discusses how you can listen to a lot of live concert recordings online.
http://www.fredshead.info/2009/10/listen-to-live-concert-recordings.html

8) This one describes two places for watching old movies or for listening to old broadcasts of Murcery Theater Online.
http://www.fredshead.info/2009/10/classic-cinema-online.html

9) ZoomText Version 9.18.5 has been released with support for Windows 7, better support for Internet Explorer 8, and some bug fixes, has been released.
http://www.aisquared.com

10) GW Micro has posted version 1.4 of their Word Accent script which enables users of version 7.11 or later to enter any of nine types of accented characters into any application, not just Word.
http://www.gwmicro.com/scripts/wordaccent

11) The second part of the annual Stocking Stuffers program, where you can learn about lower-priced holiday gift ideas for the blind, will be aired on Tek Talk this GMT Tuesday, 10 November at 01:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

12) The Federal Interagency Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility (CCAM) invites you to participate in the United We Ride National Dialogue.
http://www.uwrdialogue.org/

13) The Lions Center for the Blind in Oakland, California is looking for a full-time Assistive Technology Specialist to head up the computer instruction and technology labs. Candidates should email their resume and cover letter to
roberto_gonzalez@lbcenter.org

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.

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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.

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