Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind the source for blindness news and information since 1907

Last week, a Ziegler reader emailed me with a question regarding the audio edition file format and why they were not able to play the files on their Digital Talking Book Player.  Since this may be a problem that other readers are experiencing, I wanted to include this as a Tech Corner article.  Below, you’ll see their question, as well as Steven’s response.

The reader wrote:

I want to download the Matilda Ziegler Magazine to a flash drive and listen to it on my Digital Talking Book Player that I got from my public library talking book services. When I click the link on the website, it lets me download it to my computer. I then unzip it to the flash drive but the unzipped magazine is the wrong format for the player. I do not want to listen to the magazine on my computer, I just want to listen to it on my Digital Talking Book Player. I can download other magazines and books to my flash drive and listen to them on my player. Why can’t I do it with the Matilda Ziegler Magazine?

Steven responded:

Hello,

When you unzip the files, they should unzip in the MP3 format.  The first thing you need to do is check to see if your player supports the MP3 format.  You can do this by checking the manual included with your player or you can call the manufacturer of your player to see if it supports this format. 

If the player does not support the MP3 format, you can always download a file converter program and change the format from MP3 to .wav, or whatever format your player supports.  When you check your manual or speak to the manufacturer, make a list of the supported formats and see which one you would need to convert the file to in order to play it.

The other thing I would be curious about is, can you plug the player directly into your computer and see if the computer would recognize it as a removable storage device?  Perhaps you can just unzip the files from Windows Explorer directly to the player if it will plug into the computer through the computer’s USB ports.

-Steven

To submit your own questions to Tech Corner, please email the editor at editor@matildaziegler.com with Tech Corner in the subject line.

To navigate between Tech Corner posts, please search for the ## symbol by using your browser or word processor’s search or find function.

Question 1:

Submitted by Dawn Delgado

I wanted to get some ideas from you and maybe from readers of the Ziegler Magazine, too, about which cell phones were the most accessible to the blind while not costing an arm and a leg either with initial purchase or monthly fees.

Steven’s Response:

This was taken from the American Foundation for the Blind website

http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=4&TopicID=327&DocumentID=3599

Section 3. Access for People Who Are Blind: Off-the-Shelf Phones vs. Third Party Software 

There are two ways access to cell phones is currently provided for people with vision loss: 

list of 2 items

• off-the-shelf or built-in accessibility, meaning access is incorporated directly into the phone; and

• using third party access software.

list end 

Currently, there is a limited selection of off-the-shelf phones which include built-in access to many but not all cell phone features. 

Other phones, specifically phones running the Symbian, Windows Mobile and Windows Mobile Pocket PC Operating System platforms are compatible with third party screen reader programs that provide speech output and/or braille output to support nearly every feature and function on the phones. This third party software is similar to running the Window-Eyes or JAWS screen reader software programs on a personal computer. 

Off-the-Shelf Phones 

LG Phones with Voice Command 

LG Electronics’ phones with the “Voice Command” feature are available from several service providers. These phones allow you to use your voice to control many, but not all, aspects of the phones. It is speaker-independent, meaning that it recognizes any voice, so you do not have to train it to understand your voice. The speech recognition quality is robust, even in some noisy situations. These phones also have text-to-speech functionality that provides access to some but not all of the display screen information. This speech output also allows you to use the phone’s control buttons to control the phone, in case you do not wish to speak commands to your phone. It will also speak the various menus as you navigate through them, but the speech doesn’t support many of the underlying applications found in the menus. 

To access LG’s Voice Command function, you press the Voice button, and a recorded human voice responds, “Please say a command.” For example, you could say, “Call  800-555-1212,” and the phone will respond “Did you say call  800-555-1212?” You then respond “yes,” and the phone will place your call. Although LG’s Voice Command functions are certainly desirable for blind people, the number and function keys on the phones should be redesigned to be more identifiable by touch, including more consistent use of a “nib” or dot on the 5 key of all models. The amount of functionality supported by speech input and output varies by phone model. Here is a general list of some of the tasks and information you can access using these LG phones. 

list of 6 items

• You can dial by voice by speaking a phone number or the name of someone you have entered into your Contacts application.

• The phones will speak the digits as you dial a number.

• You can get a great deal of spoken phone status information, such as battery and signal strength. The phone also tells you how many missed calls, new

voicemails, and new text messages you have.

• You can independently create contacts and look up the numbers for contacts you have entered in the phone’s contacts/phonebook application.

• The phones will speak the number of an incoming caller or the person’s name if you have entered it into your contacts list.

• Some models support composing and reading text messages.

list end 

Motorola i355 and i580 

Available from Nextel, the Motorola i355 and i580 provide access similar to that of the LG phones, but not to as many features and functions as the LG phones. The buttons on these Motorola phones are more tactilely discernable than the LG phones. After rebates and agreement the i355 is $29.00 while the i580 after rebates and agreement is an expensive $279.00. 

Speech output from Motorola’s Text-to-speech engine supports the following features: 

list of 10 items

• the number keys you have pressed;

• the names, phone numbers, and types of contacts as you scroll through contacts (However, there is no speech support for adding/creating contacts.);

• the status information on the home screen, including the time and date, if you have voice mail, the battery level, and the signal strength;

• the word “home” when you return to the main screen;

• a prompt indicating that you have started or ended a call;

• the names, phone numbers, and types of contacts as you scroll through recent calls;

• the menu options as you scroll through the main menu only;

• notices, such as “low battery” and “keypad locked”;

• caller ID information;

• pop-ups, such as “new voice mail” and “new text message”.

list end 

The text-to-speech is built into the i580, but you have to download and install the software for the i355. This is a simple process for a person with a screen reader and a minimum level of experience using a web browser. However, we discovered a compatibility problem between the software and phone when testing the i355 in the Summer of 2006. Although Motorola fixed the problem in subsequent releases of the i355, you should check with Nextel and/or Motorola to be sure the software is compatible with the current version of the i355. The software performs the same on both phones, but there is one problem we discovered when testing the i580. You have to go through the menus to reach the setting on the i580 to turn on the text-to-speech. You have to first go

to the menu and choose settings, but that is where the speech output stops briefly. You have to then scroll down five times and press OK to activate the voice-playback settings, where the speech support returns. 

Samsung A640 

Newly available from SprintPCS, the Samsung A640 has speech output functionality similar to the LG phones, but again, not as robust as the LG phones. However, we have not yet been able to completely evaluate this phone, and we could find no information online about this phone’s access features. It was also not available at our local Sprint store. 

Service Providers and Off-the-Shelf Phones 

Disclaimer: Much of the information below is based on conversations with manufacturers and service providers, and has not been confirmed through our own accessibility testing. We recommend you visit your local cell phone retailer to feel the buttons on the LG phones and verify the availability of the Voice Command feature. The following is a listing by provider of the off-the-shelf phones discussed herein. 

The New AT&T 

AT&T now carries some LG phones with Voice Command. Check with your local store to see which ones they carry and to see if the tactile nature of the phones and buttons appeal to you. 

AT&T now offers Code Factory’s Mobile Speak screen reader and the Mobile Magnifier magnification application at a steeply discounted price for their customers with vision loss. (See the discussion of third-party software for further details about Code Factory and other screen access software.) 

Sprint 

Sprint offers the LG Lotus with Voice Command.

Verizon 

LG VX8350 (speech supports composing text messages)

LG VX9900 (QWERTY keyboard; speech output supports composing and reading text messages). Read AFB TECH’s review of the LG VX8350 

Third Party Software 

There are three companies that manufacture third-party screen reader software for cellular phones: Code Factory, Dolphin Computer Access, and Nuance. This software provides speech and braille access to nearly every function of the phones with which they are compatible. So far, some games and other software from third-party venders are the only things we have found to not be compatible with the screen readers. This software is available only on selected phones running the Symbian, Windows Mobile, and Windows Pocket operating systems. There are roughly 40 compatible Symbian phones, 20 Pocket PC phones, and 50

Windows Mobile Smartphones 

Symbian phones work only with service providers using the GSM network, with AT&T and T-Mobile being the national carriers. Pocket PC and Smartphones are available on both GSM and CDMA carriers with Verizon, Sprint/Nextel and Alltel being the national CDMA carriers. Here is a list of the third-party screen reader products available on the respective operating system platforms: 

From AT&T:

Information about Mobile Speak, pricing, supported devices, and more

list of 3 items

• Symbian cell phones: (1) Code Factory’s Mobile Speak screen reader and (2) Nuance’s TALKS screen reader.

• Pocket PC PDAs: (1) Code Factory’s Mobile Speak Pocket screen reader and (2) Dolphin’s Pocket Hal screen reader.

• Smartphones: (1) Code Factory’s Mobile Speak Smartphone screen reader and (2) Dolphin’s Smart Hal screen reader.

list end

How does this Software Work? 

These third-party software products provide access to cell phones in a way that is very similar to how JAWS or Window-Eyes provide access to computers. Each has a set of commands used to access information that is displayed on the screen. The Code Factory and Nuance products are also compatible with wireless braille displays, and Dolphin promises this compatibility in a future release. 

Pricing 

The prices of the phones compatible with third-party screen reader software vary widely, with newer models costing more than models reaching the end of their life cycle. Service contracts also affect the price, with longer contracts resulting in less expensive phones. We have found older phones with long contracts costing as low as $0, and newer phones without contracts costing as much as $399. The Symbian and Smartphone software programs cost $295, and the Pocket PC software costs $495 to $599, making the total cost of phone and software out of the reach of many people with vision loss. 

Note: AT&T (formerly Cingular) now offers Code Factory’s Mobile Speak and Mobile Magnifier products at the discounted rate of $89. They are the only service provider offering screen reader or screen magnifier products to their customers with vision loss. They no longer offer the TALKS software. 

Documentation 

The developers of the access software do provide accessible electronic manuals, but the manuals are fairly limited in scope, providing enough for you to learn the basics with the expectation you can learn the rest on your own. The manuals for the phones themselves, however, come in untagged PDF documents. The accessibility of these manuals varies from nonexistent to very good, but even the best should be tagged to avoid common PDF accessibility barriers, such as unlabelled graphics. 

Here are a few other useful links I found below.  I hope this helps.

http://www.squidoo.com/blind-cell-phone

http://www.maxiaids.com/store/default.asp

##

Question 2:

Submitted by Steve

I’ve just got an iPhone 4, and haven’t got much idea yet as to the strokes to use to operate the iphone.  Could you please tell me if there is a simple guide, written by an ordinary user, using simple instructions?

Steve Famiglietti’s Answer:

New owners of the snazzy iPhone 4 are no doubt still in awe over what their new and shiny little device can do for them. Make calls, send emails, look at pictures and videos, and even snap pics with the built-in camera. Oh and the apps! Please, please let’s not forget the apps! But, if you’re completely new to the wonderful world of Apple devices, even something as simple as sending an email might be enough to send you into chaos. Luckily, Apple has now put their iPhone 4 User Guide online. So whatever your question is, you can get the answer to it right away – wherever you are! 

The iPhone 4.0 User Guide can be found at

http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/iPhone_iOS4_User_Guide.pdf.  The entire PDF document is a whopping 244 pages long, and covers everything from placing photos onto your iPhone, emailing from your device, reading iBooks on your iPhone, and of course, it will tell you how to set it all up from beginning to end, and your very first sync! 

The Apple iPhone 4 User Guide is done very well and is laid out in a simple, easy to understand format. It truly does cover everything you could ever possibly want to know about your iPhone 4, and maybe even some things that you didn’t even know you wanted! The user guide probably won’t be needed by many who have previously owned an iPod or iPhone device but it is especially useful for those who have never owned an Apple device before. And, while the user guide does mostly remain specific to the iPhone 4, there are also some sections that deal with the iPhone 3G. If any of the sections only pertain to the iPhone 4 specifically, they state so at the top of the section. 

Check out the iPhone 4 user guide and find out just how to make the most out of your iPhone 4!

##

Question 3:

Submitted by Penny:

When I am reading my e-mail or reading a document I have found on the net, my computer just suddenly shuts down.  What is the reason for this and what can I do to stop this from happening?

Steven Famiglietti’s Answer:

Hi there Penny,

I have seen this issue happen a few times with my own computer and from other computers.  In the case of my computer, Windows will automatically restart if a major problem or crash happens while I am working.  In many cases, I don’t know what the exact issue was that occurred but, the computer restarts and all seems to be fine from that point.  I’ve had this happen on my own computer about 3 times in 3 years. 

Here are some things to consider that might help.  Make sure that you are getting the Windows updates downloaded and installed.  If you are running an antivirus program, make sure that it is running and that the virus definitions are up to date.  If you are running out of date virus definitions, your antivirus program can’t protect your machine from the latest viruses.  If the problem continues and you are running a screen reader such as JAWS or Window-Eyes, give either GW Micro or Freedom Scientific technical support a call and explain the issue.  If you are not running a screen reader or any kind of adaptive software, you may need to bring the computer to someone for repairs.  Sometimes a defective power supply can be to blame.  The hard part with computers is that it is difficult to know the exact problem because symptoms of problems can often be similar. 

I hope this helps.

This week we have four questions from our readers that were addressed by Steven.  You can navigate between questions by searching for the ## symbol.

Our first question is one sent from Karen.  She says:

Hi Steven,
I recovered some deleted e-mails using the recover file recovery program. However, I don’t know how to get to the registry since there is no “Help” section. Any suggestions?
Thanks.

Steven answered:

I don’t know much about working within the registry of Windows.  It would be best if a tech support person worked with the user to go into the registry.  As you know, a person can cause huge problems if they go into the registry and make changes.

##

The next question was sent from George.  He asks:

Hi Steven,
I have a Compaq laptop and a Acer netbook computer. Both run Windows XP. I use Window Eyes and have an older version 5.5 because I give talks I use earphones with either the laptop or the netbook.
I would like to use a wireless keypad and a Bluetooth earpiece which would allow me to move about without being tied to the computer. Is this doable? The Geek squad at Best Buy in our community says it is not.
I purchased a Targus wireless number keypad and have a Samsung Bluetooth, but thus far in my experimentation it is not working. Can you help?

Thanks!

Steven responded, saying:

I did some research for you and I think the best thing to do is to send an email directly to the gentleman below from GW Micro, as I emailed them directly about your issue.  I’m sure he can provide you with the assistance you need.  It sounds like an upgrade to Window-Eyes will help you.  The Geek Squads are helpful, but, one has to be careful and understand that they won’t always know answers to situations that arise when we are working with programs like Window-Eyes because it is such a specific software program.  Here is his reply to me:

“You can do this, but WE 7.2, the current version, will do a much better job of switching between the internal sound device and the Bluetooth sound device.”

The above message is from mdlawler@gwmicro.com Drop him an email about the situation and he should be able to help.

##

Submitted by Miss Albright, she asked:

Hello, I am thinking about purchasing a Mac soon because of it’s stability over windows and it also supports its own screen reading program with the computer.  I was told that I can still use my Windows-based programs on the Mac, but how is this possible and does it work?

Steven replied:

If you buy a Mac, you can actually partition the hard drive and install Windows on the one half of the drive.  There are many adaptive programs that people must use which are not made for the Mac.  We have encountered this problem at my day job.  Our I.T. department split the hard drive on our new Mac and they installed a copy of Windows XP in order to have all of the necessary adaptive programs with it.  When we start the Mac, we can choose whether or not we want to load the Mac software or if we want Windows to load. 

If you have an I.T. person handy, you can ask them to do this for you.  If you don’t have an I.T. person handy, you would want to contact your local computer experts.  I am sure they can help you with the hands-on aspects of this.

##

Estelita asked:

I am using Skype version 3.8 and JAWS 8.  I can read the incoming chat message, but I can’t find a way to write back.  Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you.

Steven answered:

The first thing I would do is drop an email to Freedom Scientific’s Technical Support Department at Support@freedomscientific.com.  They may have some suggestions for you.  If possible, you may need to upgrade to the latest version of JAWS for Windows.  Here in the United States, the version that is currently shipping is JAWS version 11.0.1447. 

If you can’t buy the upgrade to version 11.0.1447, you can download a demo copy of it at 

http://freedomscientific.com/downloads/jaws/jaws-downloads.asp

The demo version will work just like a licensed version.  In other words, you will have all the latest features and enhancements for JAWS for Windows, but, it will only run for 40 minutes.  After the 40 minutes is up, you will have to restart your computer. 

You can also have more than one version of JAWS for Windows installed onto your computer at a time.  When you buy or download a different version, such as 9, 10 or 11, they install into their own folders.  This is nice because you can test different versions of JAWS with the programs you use most such as Skype. 

My final suggestion is to try to turn on forms mode when you are trying to enter text into the edit box to answer a chat message on Skype.  Be sure you’re in the edit box and then press enter to turn on forms mode.  

I hope these suggestions solve your problem and best of luck.

I am very happy to add in a new section of the magazine called Tech Corner with Steven Famiglietti.  As you know, Steven has been teaching assistive technology to the blind for over 12 years, and is very involved with Oak Hill in Connecticut. 

This section will serve as a sort of “Dear Abby” for technology-related questions.  Readers will submit questions by emailing them to Blind@verizon.net with the subject heading “Tech Corner.”  Every week, I will pick a few choice questions to send on to Steven and he will do his best to answer them.  Those answers will then be posted in the following magazine so that the people who submitted them, as well as anyone else who may be experiencing the same issues or asking the same questions, can be helped.

It is my hope that this new section will valuable to all of you.  So please, send in your questions!