Dear AccessWorld Editor,
In reply to Maribel Steel's frustration with Siri in her March letter, I have several suggestions. I've had the pleasure of assisting many sighted colleagues and friends to better utilize voice recognition.
First, it's important to listen to someone who is successfully utilizing Siri. Last time I went to my hairdresser, I had her listen while I texted friends, added items to my grocery list, scheduled appointments, changed meeting dates, answered email and created some reminders. She had previously not been able to do a thing with Siri, but after that she could also use Siri well. She does a lot of driving and needs to keep her eyes on the road and her hands on the wheel. My hairdresser claims not to be very good with technology,but she easily learned by listening to me. I learned through YouTube. I simply had it search for all videos about Siri and listened to both the successes and failures.
This issue with Siri demonstrates a problem many people have with technology. They do not approach it as a fun adventure but rather as a serious task. Though I now use Siri to accomplish duties in my job, when I got my iPhone for Christmas I goofed off with it for several weeks before trusting it to my work calendar and email. To master the onscreen keyboard, I did not attempt to write critical memos, but instead I played text adventure games. I put appointments on my calendar like, "brush the dog" and "call Mom," things that didn't matter if I messed them up. I tried to take videos of my friend's cat, read price tags at Wal-Mart, and searched the web for entertainment.
One of the funniest Siri experiences I had was when I asked her to "call my husband at home." "Which husband?" Siri replied. This happened because I had duplicates of some of my contact records. Rather than being frustrated, I found it hilarious because I was still in the exploration stage, and not yet using the iPhone as a serious tool.
I now can type accurate memos, schedule meetings reliably, and keep track of a complex to-do list, but that's because I started out with the iPhone as a toy.
One of my job duties is to train students to use digital voice recorders. I always tell them to not wait until they need to record an important course lecture, but rather to sit in front of the television and record a program. To simulate [the conditions in] a large lecture hall, I suggest that they put a pocket radio in their garage or on their patio, turn on a sports event, and record at varying distances.
I also suggest when they are practicing taking notes on a computer or iOS device, that they first take notes on trivial things like TV commercials. I ask them to [listen to a medication commercial and] list three side effects, or write down the diseases [the medication is] supposed to alleviate. If new technology is a toy first, and a tool later, people will be far more effective with more complex tasks.
People feel that playing games with technology is a waste of time, but playing is how children learn how to navigate the world. So why can't we, as adults, use the love of play to learn to navigate complex technology!
Sincerely,
Deborah Armstrong
Dear AccessWorld Editor,
I am a Hearing Instrument Practitioner in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. I am thrilled to have this positive review, Phonak ComPilot Product Review: Wearing a Necklace of Sound, A Product of Interest for Deaf-Blind or Hard of Hearing, by Deborah Kendrick, forwarded to me by an avid reader of AccessWorld Magazine. I have passed it on to my Phonak rep who will hopefully kick it upstairs to have the glaring usability issues rectified.
There are a few points to mention to readers if you get comments asking for further information:
The newest version of the ComPilot (ComPilot Air or uStream) can also come without a neck-loop. The antenna is integrated but the buttons aren't quite as handy.
Unitron (sister company of Phonak) has quite the same accessories. In Canada the ComPilot (and often also a second accessory such as a Bluetooth remote microphone or TV adapter) is included in the price of new hearing instruments. This might also be true in the USA.
Most hearing instruments come with great accessories like this nowadays. The ComPilot happens to be an outstanding device and more usable than some others. For slightly older Phonak hearing instruments, there is also the iCom which is not as great but a serviceable streaming option for older instruments.
The streaming function though can be generic but by default isn't.
So even for this the ComPilot must be configured by the HIP/Aud when purchased separately. The level of beep or voice alerts can be changed to be "warning only" or go into detail all the time.
The microphone is on the top of the device (between the holes for the neck loop) and what seems to be a microphone grill on the front of the device is purely decorative. The neck loop allows the ComPilot to hang at an ideal distance from the mouth so that things like background noise or wind noise don't disrupt the streamed phone conversation too much. There also is a short neckloop available.
If the streaming audio quality is generally poor (eg intermittent in one ear) the issue is nearly always a defect in the neckloop/antenna. The antenna can be easily replaced and typically free of charge.
There are two other separate hearing instruments I would like to point out for you:
The ReSound LiNX connects directly with an iPhone. There are still issues to be worked out with this though as the battery doesn't last as long as people would expect and it's sometimes intermittent. It is promising though. Check out other iOS compatible hearing aids.
Hansaton xEarA ITE (larger in-the-ear) hearing aids can be charged using an overnight induction charger. Batteries don't need to be changed.
Hansaton has just partnered with Sonova (parent of Phonak and Unitron) so their next line of instruments will all be compatible with devices such as the ComPilot. A rechargeable RIC (similar to the Phonak Audeo line) will be launched soon.
Again, thank you for this excellent and helpful article.
Best regards,
Martin Sattler
Dear AccessWorld Editor,
Voice Dream Writer: An iOS Editor with Accessibility Extras by Bill Holton was an excellent, thorough review. Nice job!
I had heard of this app, but I am now going to get it based on your review.
Thanks!
John Riehl
Dear AccessWorld Editor,
AccessWorld's one article, CSUN 2015: What's New from the Exhibit Hall and Beyond by J.J. Meddaugh, is good, but it is simply not enough. Why not publish several articles, running over several months, to more fully cover CSUN? Then, one would be able to begin to scratch the surface of things.
Thank you,
David
Dear AccessWorld Editor,
Thank you very much for the article, CSUN 2015: What's New from the Exhibit Hall and Beyond, by J.J. Meddaugh. I strongly suggest more articles in future issues to cover more CSUN Conference information.
Sincerely,
Michael Micallef
