Dear AccessWorld Editor,
In response to The HumanWare BrailleNote Touch: A Braille Tablet for the 21st Century by Jamie Pauls
I have been a BrailleNote user since approximately 2000, when the first BrailleNote appeared. I have recently been thinking about updating my notetaking solutions and looking at tablets, iPhones, etc. I am a confirmed braille user, so the idea of touch braille certainly appeals. This facility I understand is now available on iOS devices too, and presumably there is an Android app that enables you to do this. Jamie Pauls' article was extremely interesting, and I enjoyed reading about the new facilities on the BrailleNote Touch. However, nothing in the article told me why I should spend approximately $5,000 equivalent on a device designed for visually impaired people as opposed to $2,000 on a 40-cell braille display with braille keyboard and an off-the-shelf tablet.
My overriding question therefore is, am I effectively spending $3,000 on a fancy case with a built-in braille keyboard? Furthermore, I cannot see what this solution would do for me that a 12-cell braille display with the keyboard connected via Bluetooth to my iPhone would not do if not equally as well, very nearly as well. Saving me even more money, as I already own and would already own a smartphone.
Finally, I thank you very much for writing the article, it seems to outline the facilities offered by the device very clearly.
With kind regards,
Rob Powell
Response from AccessWorld author, Jamie Pauls
Dear Rob,
Thank you for your willingness to engage in a dialogue regarding the benefits and/or drawbacks of purchasing a BrailleNote Touch as opposed to a more mainstream solution.
Many will find the 18- or 32-cell options available in the BrailleNote Touch to be superior to smaller displays. The fact that no pairing is ever needed when using braille and speech separately or together is another plus. Humanware has provided braille and speech support when the Touch first starts up, and throughout the update process. For those who may need specially designed apps, the KeySoft suite of applications is very solid. The fact that the Touch is a Google-certified device and can be operated independently of KeySoft means that many mainstream apps will work with the Touch. Also, professionals in a school setting will be able to sign students onto the Internet without needing to give that student a password that they would not otherwise be allowed to have.
The price of the Touch was mentioned in the article as one of the drawbacks of the unit, and it is certainly a version 1 product, but Humanware states that it is committed to improving the device, and many people are already finding it to be a great tool in their daily lives. Tech-savvy individuals who are willing to take the extra time to set up and maintain their technology may find less expensive options more suitable, but the response to the release of the BrailleNote Touch indicates that many people find the features and benefits of the unit to be worth the price.
Dear AccessWorld Editor,
In response to The Aware Audible Proximity Solution Navigation App: An Interview with Rasha Said, App Creator and Founder of Sensible Innovations by Aaron Preece:
Curious, do I just download the app and go to the mall and away I go? Or does someone have to set-up iBeacons or something. How does the app know where I am?
Best,
David
Response from AccessWorld Associate, Aaron Preece
Hello David,
Thank you for reaching out with your question.
To know where you are and provide you with directions, the Aware app must be able to connect to iBeacons configured for Aware. It uses Bluetooth to search for these when you launch the app. An organization or location, such as an airport, must specifically set up the Aware beacons; they are not available by default. Unless a venue has installed beacons for their location, Aware will not be able to determine where you are. It is possible to see which areas currently have Aware through the Venues button in the app itself. You can manually read information about locations and read through the navigation instructions for a location even if you cannot connect to beacons at the time. In short, you cannot use Aware to navigate a location unless the manager/owner of the location has specifically set up aware beacons there.
Dear AccessWorld Editor,
I just read the article Best Android Apps for People with Low Vision by Shelly Brisbin, and I wanted to submit a list of some that I had found. I hope this will help other blind users.
Applebee's: an online ordering app; lets you browse the menu and place an order for pick up
Astro: file manager a file management app for Android
BARD Mobile: the NLS app for Android
Blind-Droid minesweeper: a blind accessible version of the classic game
Chase Mobile: the banking app for JP Morgan Chase
Dark Unknown Planet: a retro text adventure game
Delight Games: an interactive fiction app, with a library of books
Dice world: online dice game
eBay: ideal currency identifier
K-Love: radio app for K-Love Christian radio station
Lighthouse Mystery: retro text adventure game
Moonbase3: retro text adventure game
My Fitness Pal: fitness app
Mystery of the Dark Manor: retro text adventure game
Ringo: an app for assigning custom ringtones to contacts and custom message tones
The Ice Guardian: retro text adventure
The Time Traveler: retro text adventure
Dear AccessWorld Editor,
In response to A Review of Sonar Glasses from G-Technology Group by Janet Ingber.
Below is a letter from the manufacturer of Sonar Glasses.
We would like to make some updates to the review of Sonar Glasses in the August, 2016 issue of AccessWorld.
Our phone number for sales and customer support is 571-297-4756.
Our new website is SonarGlasses.com. Customers can place orders online, and download accessible and audio versions of the Instruction Manual.
There is no longer an Advanced version of Sonar Glasses. All Sonar Glasses now come with an adjustable detection range.
All Sonar Glasses come with a silent vibration detection signal.
We are able to customize many features of Sonar Glasses per request, and we can also provide a water resistant version.
Only one battery is required to power Sonar Glasses. We include two batteries with Sonar Glasses so that a charged battery can be available for use while the other battery is being recharged.
We do not offer in-home training on the use of Sonar Glasses. We train customers free of charge over the phone.
We are continuously making improvements to Sonar Glasses based on customer feedback and the availability of new technology.
Thank you.
Jeff Shad
Director, Sales & Marketing
G-Technology Group
571-297-4756, ex. 1010
jshad@sonarglasses.com
