Jimmy

29^th Annual International Technology Conference for Persons with Disabilities

Date: March 17-22, 2014

Place: Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel, San Diego, California

Event Address:

CSUN Center on Disabilities

18111 Nordhoff Street

Bayramian Hall 110, Center on Disabilities

Northridge, CA 91330-8340

E-mail: conference@csun.edu

818-677-2578 (W)

818-677-4929 (W) (Fax)

AFB: Darren Burton and William Herschel showcased some items from their booth:

· Access Note

· Fleksy which is an additional format to Access Note and it contains a Bluetooth QWERTY keyboard

· Fleksy Ease is used with Apple iOS products

AlexandraVision Ltd. = located in Switzerland = a Swiss watch-based co. selling vibrating watches for the blind

· Co. has been creating an unique form of stone for our watch

· It’s handheld with only three buttons: one button for hours; one button for minutes (you only have to change this button twice per yr. w/ Daylight Savings Time); and one button to set your meal time (which is set by vibrations)

· It’s not an atomic watch

· It fits in your pocket very easily

· Battery life = lasts up to 5 yrs.

· Some of the vibrating watches are made more for female; some watches are made out of sherry wood with wooden pendants, therefore, the female vibrating watches = well-liked b/c they are both fashionable and functional

· These vibrating watches are being sold mainly to: the deaf-blind community

· To purchase vibrating watches, please contact: A T Guys and visit their website for more ordering information

Robert J.: American Thermoform Corp.

· 3D printer (deposits from layer to layer)

· Aside: see demo of a 3D printer @ http://youtu.be/-Ktlgl9HXFY

· Additional feature in 3D printer: added fabrication

· Paper feeds out of the printer like a fishing line

· Contains a thick-jet pointer head

· Produces 3D objects and the finishing touch is called= 3D printer

· For Example, 3D object he used to showcase the item = handmade model of Lincoln donated to their co. by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC

· For more info. please contact Robert @ 909-593-6711, Ext. 107 or visit website @ http://www.3dtactilegraphics.com/

Dr. Bob Stepp from Computer Applications Specialties Co.

· Available: Braille translation software containing six-key Braille editing, pages of virtual Braille paper and simulating dots on the screen; Braille = spoken by JAWS and is in print notation

· You can utilize your knowledge of a clipboard and any info. that holds data on a clipboard = then it has the same spatial representation as Braille

· It is available in both Braille and Print

· It contains a Braille transcriber for proofreading and the print view shows the page boundaries are centered on a page and it also has a spell-checker for Braille

· Used with Windows software versions Windows 95 to Windows 8.1

· Contains 62 GB of space and is portable

· You have to purchase the laptop with a license and you can also install any of its software on more than one computer

· If you purchase the new Braille transcribing software and if you are both a customer and a purchaser of the software and you are dissatisfied or if at any time you feel dissatisfied, just simply click Complete Undo at the top right-hand corner of the software webpage and it will automatically delete all of the downloaded software from your computer for you

· Please visit http://www.braille2000.com/ for further information.

· You can purchase the software document process either of three different ways:

· 1. $26.00 per premium license with free lifetime updates and upgrades that which costs $949.00

· 2. You can buy the license and pay for the license and software at a one-time fee, where you do not get the license but still get free additional updates of the software and that costs $749.00

· 3. It can start at a price of $389 you can fill in the price value and you get the Basic Edition at $10.00 per download of their software

Barry Greenblatt from Maxi Aids:

Now they sell specialty switches

Project RAY has been a very successful product for their co. = a Smartphone designed specifically for the visually impaired; you can change it to your own voice and record your own voice on it

· There were numerous products that the company was showcasing at their booth this year at CSUN and they were as follows:

· 1. A Large Print Talking Calculator

· 2. CCTV’s (together Maxi-Aids has partnered with another co. called Nordica to sell CCTV’s)

· 3. Talking Clock

· 4. Talking Weight Scale (w/ Braille)

· 5. Horizon Kitchen Scale (w/ Braille)

· Please find Maxi Aids on FB or visit http://www.maxiaids.com/ or call @ 1-800-522-6294 (M-F 8:30 AM ET-5:30PM ET)

Douglas CEO from Tactalis and Invici Technologies, Inc. from Calgary, Alberta, Canada

(INTERVIEW with Douglas that was not included in this conference, but I found it via Google Search. Please visit http://www.cbc.ca/homestretch/episode/2013/09/16/invici-technologies/ (it is about SEVEN MINUTES LONG.)

The company Tactalis HCI has created and developed tablet computers where you can feel graphics/images/symbols on a touch screen

· You can scan a single page or magazine

· It’s not static

· You can zoom in on one particular area of focus

· It’s very interactive

· You can download/create/share/exchange files

· You can request information as to where you are going i.e. e.g. to get from Point A to Point B, where is that office located?

· User experience = very clean

· It works on some Windows platforms

· There also options for iOS devices and/or Android devices/apps

· It sits on top of a computer

· As of right now, this product isn’t shipping; it’s still in the manufacturing stage; the company doesn’t take pre-orders; the product will not be available to sometime later in 2014

· Please visit http://www.tactalis.com/ or find them on Twitter: @Tactalis

Marie Huetz de Lemps, M.M. from Telorion UK

From London, United Kingdom

Smartphones for the blind and visually impaired

There is a keypad overlay on the screen

There is a touch(ing) interface

Hardware ONLY

Galaxy phones

Free

Photos

You can switch to Android if you need to by removing the overlay

Price of product is 360.oo euros or you can purchase the entire package as a bundle for 700.00 euros

There is a screen icon on their website for more information, please visit http://www.telorion.com/ or find them on FB or Twitter

Jeff Bazer from Dolphin Computer Access

http://www.yourdolphin.com/

There are two central themes that the co. Dolphin is working on:

· Read what you want how you want

· A huge platform for SuperNova and Guide

· The company Dolphin is creating screen magnification software for both SuperNova and Guide

· The co. has also partnered with BookShare and major libraries to make accessible e-book readers for blind and visually impaired users

· The co. has also added a new item to their product line called = BookShelf

· With the usage of OCR technology in the form of image/pdf files you can move content to more than one device; it’s portable

· The co. has recently added touch screen capability and beta software to both of their products: SuperNova and Guide

· These products are available on 8”-11” tablets, 15” laptop, and 27” touch displays

· Some of Dolphin’s new products: 1. Producer; 2. Creator; 3. Dolphin Publisher (with the usage of DAISY books and DAISY book formats); 4. ePod and ePubs

· Some of their digital books are now available with text-to-speech capabilities

· The co. has gone an extra step by adding more books in DAISY book format

· COMING SOON!: one more product line: Braille embossers and a brand new version of EasyReader

· Download free 30-day trials of Dolphin’s products or view free demonstrations of their products and find out more info. about Dolphin’s product lines, please visit http://www.yourdolphin.com/ (Note: Dolphin also sold away a free Windows 8 Dell Tablet at the 2014 CSUN Conference)

Greg Stilson from HumanWare; e-mail address: greg.stilson@humanware.com

Matthew Janasuauskas (Product Manager for Digital Books at HumanWare)

HumanWare has added a very new version of Victor Reader Stream: version 4.3 which adds new features: such as wireless capabilities as well as use the device ON THE GO! (Without a PC) or listen on Internet Radio (the co. has partnered with oo Tunes) (Cost: $36.00)

The co. has created a new iOS app for Apple users with new Search features and different browsing functions, e.g. you can use Internet Radio and the new Search feature to search for your favorite genre/station as well as read National Library Service (NLS) Books

You can also now use: this is a new feature: the introduction of HumanWare Playlist (where you can create your own listening playlist)

(Hint: sometimes if some Federal Gov’t. employees are using Internet Radio they may be listening to NPR Radio (National Public Radio) and not Internet Radio)

You can listen to either commercial radio or even the SeroTalk Podcast Network (SPN) on Victor Reader Stream

You can customize your own favorite radio station

There are no separate playlists (there is a misconfiguration page)

You can access .pdf files and .txt files as well as use Wiktionary (Online Wikipedia Dictionary)

You can refine your Search

e.g. if you’re looking for a book or article you might want to consider reading, it will narrow down your search and it will give you a synopsis of a book or article that you are trying to find

Hit play to go back to boot up the search menus; confirm usage

There is a separate section under Bookshelf called References where you can view Wikipedia articles or other references

It will share English and all languages; if you have to view a different language and you find a dictionary in that language it will turn it into another language and you will be able to view that dictionary in another language

For BookShare and all of its users they’re releasing a new Notes page

The co. HumanWare has enhanced to a new version of Victor Reader Stream and its release of a new version: Version 4.3 with other various new features:

BookShare

Lists: most recently added Lists:

Characterization of categories:

Sort the catalog or list by category/subject/or titles

Confirm to download to add a book to BookShelf

These features are very convenient for both the customer and the user of the product(s)/Service(s)

Battery life: very good

Victor Reader stream: (stream) = heavier use of Wi-Fi: speed control = best

Stream costs $369.00 with free shipping if you order from the website

Greg Stilson (Job Title: Product Manager for Braille Division)

He hopes that in 2014 different tasks will be accomplished

In December 2013: key highlights for the co. and their products: software updates; for both Braille and Print translation software; you can printout a copy in Braille; you can write it on your Perkins Brailler and if you are taking a math course you can have it speak back to you in Braille with mathematical contractions/symbols

It enables the user to get better feedback from both teachers and students can use it more easily with classroom assignments and homework assignments

It works well with PowerPoint presentations; for versions of Microsoft Office 2007 or above (when using t5his PowerPoint with BrailleNote Apex for example, you can view any bullets/slide numbers; the slide layout in Braille and you can see all headings/footers/bullets, etc.)

What is new from HumanWare at 2014 CSUN Conference?

They have updated some of the features in their products: they have also formed a partnership with Sendero Group to make GPS and its features more accessible to the blind by creating a new user interface: PSoft = a new Braille user interface

They have also created KeyMaps application (by partnership with Sendero Group) e.g. if you wanted to visit or look at a particular hotel you want to be able to travel to: the hotel is def. located on Google Maps, you would be able to see or look at the street view of the hotel and where the hotel is located on Google Maps; You can download any map in any country by using Key Maps

Other Examples of daily travel activities with use of this new application:

The map would or could tell you where you could walk to get cups of coffee (if desired) in and around the particular hotel destination; it could also be used to find a route to the nearest restaurant location(s), etc.

When buying this new application: Key Maps: it is available for purchase as a GPS package

Before the initial cost was over $1,100.00, now they have reduced the initial price to just $599.00

For each GPS user, this GPS package contains an update to KeySoft Micro 1.1. (outside):

You can request a license: you can call Customer Service from HumanWare and they will be happy to assist you.

BrailleNote Apex can now be used with any iDevice i.e. e.g. iPod, iPad, iPhone, etc. on same network; you can narrow it down to directly to the iPad or any iDevice, etc.; when you buy the package, you will also subscribe or get help to KeySoft 1.1/orientation help along with any free updates; you will always have free upgrades; for the co.: HumanWare, they will plan to follow through or push forth for these updates to their products as their initial plan in the release schedule and this is a large investment for computer hardware for their co.

For more information, please visit http://www.HumanWare.com/ or contact Customer Svc. @ 1-800-722-3393

Notes and Summaries from the 29th Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference (California State University-Northridge) (CSUN) at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego, California from March 17-22, 2014:

2014 CSUN
SeroTalk
WebAble

There were over 300 exhibitors from various companies that provide both assistive and accessible technology to persons with disabilities.

Below is some of the notes and summaries I have created giving the details from Serotalk Interviews:

I have chosen to give this info. from 4 Specials at CSUN 2014:

Here is the latest on assistive and accessible technology for blind and visually impaired people as well as other persons with disabilities.

By the way, This event is being sponsored by HIMS, Inc.

Here is the latest from HIMS, Inc. from Dave Wilkinson:

video magnifier: revolutionary product, it works with a monitor or tablet, there are several models and it contains an electronically-controlled camera, it is using such advanced digital technology like Apple iOS, iPad, and Android devices
wireless, PCs and Macs or standard monitor w/ every platform

for reading books they have a product called BookSense
Blaze and their new model Easy

listen to music and podcasts, print, camera, a cappella speech which has the same features as BookSense only additional stereo speaker and 10 different equalizers
YouTube speaker/ ear phones

Compare BlazeEasy vs. BookSense XT e-book readers

PlexTalk from HumanWare
shipping of these such products will be in the upcoming months probably before Summer 2014.

Jimmy

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Song titled: "Changes"

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

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Thursday, March 27, 2014

2014 CSUN International Technology Conference for Persons with Disabilities

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Thursday, October 31, 2013

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Friday, October 4, 2013

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