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2012 Top Tech Tidbits Newsletter Archive

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, May 17, 2012 - Volume 353
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: One Refurbished ALVA Braille Controller 640 Braille Terminal + Feature Pack for USD $1,595.00!
Once again Flying Blind, LLC scores big on the refurbished Braille display front! The ALVA BC640 offers seamless Bluetooth and USB connectivity with a variety of today's most popular desktop and mobile screenreaders. Its Braille keyboard enables you to write directly to a PC or wirelessly to a mobile device in your preferred grade of Braille. The stereo speakers on its feature pack allow you to route the audio from your computer or mobile device wirelessly to the Braille Controller. You can also store files on the Braille Controller as well as use its internal notetaker to create, edit, and share documents with a PC. This one of a kind 40 cell Braille display is almost 70% off of its suggested list price. Price includes shipping within the continental United States and as a single item will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. Email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today to take advantage of this fantastic bargain!

Greetings,

1) We held a successful iPhone training Marathon Day a week ago, despite technical glitches and some operator ineptitude. This is not a comprehensive or organized training, rather, it is the recording of responses, by a variety of competent iPhone users, to many questions. We'll probably do this again soon. Here are two links to download the recording; one of them at least should work:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2285317/iptm.zip
http://tinyurl.com/bqao4xr

2) This author will appear on Tek Talk, explaining the use of Replay A/V, a now-free windows program to record virtually any streaming radio station. The program airs on GMT Tuesday, 22 May at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

3) NV Access announces the release of NVDA 2012.2 beta1. It is intended for those who are interested in testing and evaluating the upcoming NVDA 2012.2 release, but is not recommended for production use. New features include Announcement of graphics in Word, support for windows 8 Metro style apps, a portable creation feature, and more.
http://www.nvda-project.org/blog/NVDA2012.2beta1Released

4) From OS X Daily, we get "Navigate the Dock in Mac OS X with These 8 Keyboard Shortcuts"
http://osxdaily.com/2012/05/08/navigate-the-dock-in-mac-os-x-with-these-8-keyboard-shortcuts/?utm_source=feedburner

5) The University of Minnesota has compiled a database of peer-reviewed, open-source textbooks, now including 90 books.
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/05/10/university-minnesota-compiles-database-peer-reviewed-open-source-textbooks

6) HumanWare has released version 3.5 of the software for the Victor Reader Stream. It allows for pitch adjustment and improves the ability to navigate by time.
http://support.humanware.com/en-canada/support/vr_stream_software

7) The Dolphin Access group has produced a video touting their multi-faceted screen reader SuperNova.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KuEZxVexsk&list=PL1FF4223CFAC24573&index=1&feature=plpp_video

8) Recent AppleVis podcasts include:
Comparing the Relative Merits of AudioLabels, Digit-Eyes Audio Scanner and Labeler, and LookTel Recognizer:
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/head-head-comparing-relative-merits-audiolabels-digit-eyes-audio-scanner-and
Item Chooser: an iOS Feature that Offers Fast and Easy Searching of your iDevice Screen:
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/item-chooser-ios-feature-offers-fast-and-easy-searching-your-idevice-screen
A Walk-Through and Demonstration of AudioLabels:
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/walk-through-and-demonstration-audiolabels

9) For explanations of the differences between the Unified English Braille Code and the current English Braille American Code, check this out:
http://www.dotlessbraille.org/UEBvsEBAE.htm

10) Episode 31 of the Mystic Place Podcast gives the host's experience and impressions of the Taxi Magic service, usable by a free iPhone app. There is no monthly fee, however they add an additional charge of $1.50 to your ride.
http://www.mysticplace.info/audio/mp31taximagic.mp3

11) A recent edition of the Viewpoints podcast featured an interview and demonstration of watching television, movies and home video independently using Apple TV.
http://viewpointsplus.net/vp_1213_podcast.mp3

12) From the HowTo Geek site, we have:
How To Launch any Program in Windows with a Hotkey:
http://www.howtogeek.com/113690/beginner-how-to-launch-any-program-in-windows-with-a-hotkey/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=150512
How to Use CCleaner Like a Pro: 9 Tips & Tricks:
http://www.howtogeek.com/113382/how-to-use-ccleaner-like-a-pro-9-tips-tricks/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=150512&utm_content=emailsidebar

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, May 10, 2012 - Volume 352
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: One BrailleNote mPower 18 + BrailleNote GPS for USD$2,195.00!
Flying Blind, LLC is pleased to offer this 18 Cell BrailleNote mPower to any user looking for a great deal on a notetaker that needs to find a good home. This gently used BrailleNote is running Keysoft 8, and is equipped with the internationally acclaimed BrailleNote GPS application running 2010 maps. The BrailleNote name is synonymous with excellence and innovation, and this unit is definitely geared toward making any BrailleNote customer happy and productive at a more than affordable price. Price includes shipping within the continental United States, and this single item will be offered on a first come, first serve basis. For more information please email featured@flying-blind.com or call (216) 381-8107 today.

Greetings,

1) We hear a lot about Apple TV, and now thanks to Tek Talk we can hear about an accessible entertainment system based on it, on GMT Tuesday, 15 May at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

2) A user wrote to recommend an online contact Management System called Exact Contact he found and likes, claiming that it is quite accessible.
http://www.exactcontact.net

3) Two free games are now available for users of the Braille Sense notetakers.
http://www.braillesoft.net/bsense.htm

4) Jeffrey Stark, an articulate advocate for the use of Android phones, has written a blog post to his Jeffrey's Soapbox Blog: A Blind Trek Through Android Part 1: Unwrapping the Ice cream Sandwich (Getting Started)
http://blog.blackspheretech.com/?p=118

5) Amy Mason from the NFB Technology Center gives us a video comparing the accessibility, or lack of it, of reading on the Nook Easy Touch and iBooks running on the iPad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CNQCrowbUI&feature=plcp

6) Research in Motion announces a free screen reader for Blackberry smartphones. The screen reader offers functionality for core phone services and is available in five languages.
http://press.rim.com/release.jsp?id=5898

7) Robert Carter talks with Anna Dresner, author of "Getting Started with the iPhone and iOS 5 for Blind Users" on the tech Doctor podcast.
http://www.dr-carter.com/?p=113

8) Read A Guide to Using Prizmo, a Scanning and OCR Application for the iPhone on the Applevis site:
http://www.applevis.com/guides/guide-using-prizmo-scanning-and-ocr-application-iphone

9) Read about bookshare's tenth anniversary bash:
http://ht.ly/aFixn

10) In NV Access Podcast Episode 1 the topics are NVDA 2012.1, Windows 8, and near-term plans.
http://t.co/KfbCJIGq

11) The A T Guys announce Bar Code Finder 2.0, A free Windows App for BC Scan, with support for the Directions For Me service which provides accessible package directions.
http://bcscan.com/software.php

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, May 3, 2012 - Volume 351
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Flying Blind, LLC Publications RSS Feed
For those of you wishing to receive new Flying Blind, LLC Publications automatically via RSS Feed (including Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday) you may use the following link (or feed) which will be updated (or syndicated) with the release of each new Flying Blind, LLC Publication: www.flying-blind.com/feed.xml. RSS is an automatic content syndication technology which uses a standard informational format (XML) that is easily recognizable to a variety of software applications called RSS Readers (or Aggregators). A user may subscribe to an RSS feed by entering its address (www.flying-blind.com/feed.xml) into their reader of choice to initiate the subscription process. The RSS reader then checks the user's subscribed feeds regularly for any updates and provides a user interface to monitor and read these feeds. It is our hope that this additional distribution channel will help our readers to get the adaptech information they need, when they need it. Flying Blind, LLC. Empowerment Through Technology.

Greetings,

1) If you're looking for web hosting, web development training, JAWS scripting, or tech support, I can report that I'm very pleased with the services of Jackie Mcbride and brighter Vision technologies. Write to her at:
abletec@gmail.com

2) Thanks to Jackie allowing me free access to her Talking Communities room, I am able to offer a Free iPhone Training Marathon Day on Saturday, 5 May.
http://topdotenterprises.com/marathon.htm

3) While we're talking iPhone, Anna Dresner has updated and enhanced National Braille Press's thorough book, now entitled "Getting Started with the iPhone and iOS5 for Blind Users". It is available for $23 in paper and electronic braille, Word, and DAISY at:
http://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/IPHONE-IOS5.html

4) Version Version 1.7.2.0 of the DAISY book creation tool Tobi Has Been Released, with emphasis on making images accessible.
http://www.daisy.org/daisy-news#newsitem1105

5) We hear about the Intel Reader with Capture Station on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 8 May at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

6) Robert Carter talks with Jolie Mason, founder and program director of the Los Angeles Radio Reading Service. They talk many iPhone topics.
http://www.dr-carter.com/?p=109

7) Mushroom FM has launched a second channel, this one dedicated to radio drama and comedy. Unique features of the site is that programs air on a schedule, so that you can hear each series, such as Hancock's Half Hour and many others, at the same time each week, and programs come from various countries.
http://www.mushroomfm.com/escape

8) The Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) has put together an excellent resource about where to find funding for assistive technology called the ATIA Funding Resources Guide. This guide can be accessed by going to the following link:
http://www.atia.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=4219

9) WebAIM has another fascinating screen reader survey for which they would like responses.
http://webaim.org/projects/screenreadersurvey4/

10) "Creating Accessible EPUB, PDF, Word DAISY, Audio Content and Converting Between Formats" is a 4-part fee-based course from EASI starting 7 May.
http://easi.cc/workshops/text.htm

11) Episode 29 of the Mystic Place Blog and Podcast consists of a description and demonstration of the Breville BJE200XL 700-Watt Compact Juice Fountain.
http://www.mysticplace.info/audio/mp29juicer.mp3

12) A T Guys offers a brand new, redesigned case from Executive Products for the iPhone 4 and 4S, redesigned to accomodate the modified placement of the proximity sensor on the phone.
http://www.atguys.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=17

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, April 26, 2012 - Volume 350
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Flying Blind, LLC Publications RSS Feed
For those of you wishing to receive new Flying Blind, LLC Publications automatically via RSS Feed (including Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday) you may use the following link (or feed) which will be updated (or syndicated) with the release of each new Flying Blind, LLC Publication: www.flying-blind.com/feed.xml. RSS is an automatic content syndication technology which uses a standard informational format (XML) that is easily recognizable to a variety of software applications called RSS Readers (or Aggregators). A user may subscribe to an RSS feed by entering its address (www.flying-blind.com/feed.xml) into their reader of choice to initiate the subscription process. The RSS reader then checks the user's subscribed feeds regularly for any updates and provides a user interface to monitor and read these feeds. It is our hope that this additional distribution channel will help our readers to get the adaptech information they need, when they need it. Flying Blind, LLC. Empowerment Through Technology.

Greetings,

1) Tek Talk brings us another conversation about the new Braille Plus 18 from American Printing House on GMT tuesday, 1 May at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

2) Not everybody will agree that these apps are really the Top 10 iPhone Apps for the Visually Impaired, but it's great to see the editors at about.com even discussing the matter.
http://assistivetechnology.about.com/od/ATCAT6/tp/Top-10-Iphone-Apps-For-The-Visually-Impaired.htm

3) The latest release of the Duxbury Braille translator, DBT 11.1sr4, brings contracted braille for Croatian and some fixes.
http://www.duxburysystems.com/dbt.asp
Window-Eyes 7.5.4.1 brings some needed fixes:
http://www.gwmicro.com/Window-Eyes/Latest_Features/
And JAWS 13.0.852 brings a variety of fixes and some improved functionality on web pages that use ARIA.
http://www.freedomscientific.com/downloads/jaws/JAWS13-previous-enhancements.asp

4) You can keep up with changes to the Braille codes in North America by joining the Unified Braille Announcement list by sending a blank message to:
uba-join@moblind.org

5) The 52-hour 2-year birthday celebration for Internet radio station Mushroom FM starts on Friday, 27 April at 19:00 GMT, and there will be fun and prizes.
http://mushroomfm.com/birthday

6) Users of any of the Serotek programs now have access to two new high-quality American-English voices from Ivona. You can sample the voices as part of your account, then if you want permanent access to them, you pay $25.
http://serotalk.com/2012/04/19/serotek-introduces-new-ivona-voices/

7) GW Micro and Independence Science have collaborated to produce a hardware-software combo, called the ISci Lab Solution which should greatly increase the ability of blind and visually impaired students to take part in science lab activities.
http://www.independencescience.com/

8) EASI offers two free webinars in May: The Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure (GPII) on Thursday, 3 May, and Better Communication With Plain English on Tuesday, 22 May. Both begin at 18:00 GMT. Register here:
http://easi.cc/clinic.htm/#may

9) Comprehensive JAWS scripts have now been released for Peachtree Complete Accounting
http://www.scriptsforjaws.com/index.php

10) Full proceedings of General Assembly of the International Council on English Braille (ICEB) will stream starting the morning of Sunday, 6 May in South Africa.
http://www.iceb2012.net

11) Tech Access Democast, Episode 3 is an 18-minute Review of the Brailliant 40
http://techaccessweekly.com/democast/2012/04/23/ta-democast-3-review-of-the-brailliant-40/

12) From the Serotalk Podcast Network, with their creative naming conventions, we have episode 6 of Triple Click Home, the iOS-related podcast.
http://tripleclickhome.com/2012/04/19/triple-click-home-episode-6-underpants-are-funny/
And the Serotalk Podcast is now up to episode #105 with the 24 April release:
http://serotalk.com/2012/04/24/the-watched-phone-never-updates/

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, April 19, 2012 - Volume 349
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Training with Dean Martineau
Dean Martineau provides adaptive technology training along with training on mainstream applications for today's most common hardware and software configurations, in English and Spanish, by phone, online, and in person, with flexible arrangements, and at affordable prices. If you have a technology training need, please contact Dean at dean@topdotenterprises.com. You can also follow Dean on Twitter @deantopdot.

Greetings,

1) This Guardian article discusses accessibility problems with UK price-comparison sites.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/apr/17/price-comparison-sites-disabled-older-people-struggle

2) Here are YouTube videos describing the use of the Victor Reader Stream.
In Spanish
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRmYcCJgYK4&feature=sharevideos
And in English
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4GOx6l0BAM&feature=share

3) Screen Reader Demos, Research and Resources is a well-researched article by Alistair Duggin in which he lists a wealth of articles discussing aspects of screen reader use, most related to creating accessible content.
http://alistairduggin.co.uk/blog/screenreader-resources/

4) This Accessible YouTube Guide from Fred's Head offers resources that will be new to many for making the experience of uploading and watching YouTube videos better with a screen reader.
http://www.fredshead.info/2012/04/accessible-youtube-guide.html27s+Head+from+APH%29

5) And this Fred's Head post provides many resources for Braille Writer Repair
http://www.fredshead.info/2009/03/braille-writer-repair.html

6) Learn about the Braille Pen on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 24 April at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

7) Students and faculty at North Carolina State University hope you will take their Diagram accessibility survey.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/formResponse?formkey=dEVZLWRJaGdpVi1yTEVNSUppOXBmM3c6MQ&ifq

8) This is a collection of 2012 and 2011 IBM accessibility feature articles.
http://www-03.ibm.com/able/news/2011_features.html

9) From the TechKnowMore blog of RNIB comes a post entitled Useful iOS Music Applications for Blind and Partially Sighted Musicians
http://www.rnib.org.uk/livingwithsightloss/computersphones/updates/techknowmore/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?List=338a9817-aaef-4ff4-9063-9175534b70d0&ID=96

10) Free videos for a new iPad apps programming course at Carnegie Mellon University are now available.
http://www.kurzweilai.net/free-videos-for-new-ipad-apps-programming-course-at-cmu-now-available?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

11) Recent AppleVis podcasts include:

TWiT Live: An iOS App For Fans of This Week in Tech
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/twit-live-ios-app-fans-week-tech
Vokul Revisited: Bigger and Better than Before
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/vokul-revisited-bigger-and-better
Exploring the Advanced Features of List Recorder: Part 1 - Recording Items
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/exploring-advanced-features-list-recorder-part-1-recording-items
Exploring the Advanced Features of List Recorder: Part 2 - Exporting and Importing Lists and Their Data
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/exploring-advanced-features-list-recorder-part-2-exporting-and-importing-lists-and
Exploring the Advanced Features of List Recorder: Part 3 - Using Tilt Gestures to Operate the App
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/exploring-advanced-features-list-recorder-part-3-using-tilt-gestures-operate-app

13) Recent info from the Gizmo site includes:

How to Report Spam.
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-report-spam.htm
How to Tell if a File is Malicious
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-tell-if-file-malicious.htm
How To Avoid Spam
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-avoid-getting-spammed.htm
A New Routine to Read News Using this Great App
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/new-routine-read-news-using-great-app.htm
How to Protect Your Online Privacyv http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-protect-your-online-privacy.htm
How to Tell If A Website Is Dangerous
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-tell-if-website-dangerous.htm
How to Stay Safe While Online
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-stay-safe-while-online.htm
How to Know If Your Computer Is Infected
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-know-if-your-computer-infected.htm
How to Clean An Infected Computer
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-clean-infected-computer.htm
This Beta Online Organizer/Planner Shows Great Promise
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/beta-online-organizerplanner-shows-great-promise.htm
Best Free PC Tune-up Utility
http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-pc-tune-up-utility.htm

14) EASI will offer a free webinar on Saturday, 21 April at 18:00 GMT on Adaptech's Ongoing research, Knowledge transfer and Free and Inexpensive Adaptive Information and Communication technologies. http://easi.cc/clinic.htm

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 348

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 348
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Refurbished Braille Sense Plus QWERTY Notetakers Reduced to USD$3,095.00!
Flying Blind, LLC still has a couple of BrailleSense Plus 32 cell notetakers with QWERTY keyboards and we need to find homes for these units! So we've reduced the price of these notetakers to USD$3,095.00, now USD$2,900 off of their suggested list price. These units are internally outfitted with all of the latest wireless and Bluetooth connectivity options available for a dedicated notetaker. The Braille Sense Plus takes advantage of an intuitive user interface that is familiar to Windows users. File transfer, email, web surfing, and book downloading all come effortlessly to Braille Sense Plus users. Cost includes a 90 day manufacturer's warranty and shipping within the Continental United States. For more information please email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 while supplies last!

Greetings,

1) Three members of the Yahoo! Accessibility team were among the 2000 employees laid off recently. BlindBargains reports.
http://blindbargains.com/bargains.php?m=6724

2) The latest update to the Learning Ally app for iOS allows users to download books directly to their device without passing through iTunes. This link is from the iTunes store:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/learning-ally-audio/id418888450?mt=8

3) For the technically savvy, Yahoo has a code library for building web pages, and one of its modules includes a way to build accessible charts.
http://ht.ly/acq2j

4) Here is a blog post that briefly describes 5 Websites To Instantly Convert Text To Speech
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-websites-instantly-convert-text-speech/

5) The April, 2012 issue of AFB AccessWorld includes Product Evaluation: BrailleNote Apex from HumanWare, Let's Talk: A Guide to GW Connect, a Free Skype Application for Windows Users from GW Micro, What is This?: A Review of the VizWiz, Digit-Eyes, and LookTel Recognizer Apps for the iPhone, and more.
http://www.afb.org/aw/main.asp

6) This blog post is entitled 3 Ways to Make Phone Calls from the iPad or iPod touch
http://osxdaily.com/2012/04/06/make-phone-calls-from-ipad-ipod-touch/

7) And this one, from LifeHacker, is called Always Get the Best Deals on Mobile Apps
http://lifehacker.com/5900235/always-get-the-best-deals-on-mobile-apps

8) Here is one person's listing of the top ten Twitter-related news items for last week:
http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/top-10-twitter-080412_b20633

9) A new section of the Digit-eyes website describes using laser scanners and digit-eyes on iPhone iPad, iPod, and desktop.
http://digit-eyes.com/laser/ Digit-Eyes

10) On Main Menu, airing on GMT Saturday, 14 April at 01:00 and repeated throughout the day, listen to the first half of a two part panel discussion talking about all types of note takers, their advantages, and their weaknesses.
http://mainmenu.acbradio.org/pweb/

11) How to Make Images More Accessible Using the New Image Description Editor is a free EASI webinar on 19 April at 18:00 GMT. Register here:
http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/880286/Tobi-How-to-Make-Images-More-Accessible-Using-the-New-Image-Description-Editor

12) HumanWare will hold two free webinars discussing use of the new Brailliant braille displays with iOS devices. Register for the session on Wednesday, 25 April at 19:00 GMT or for the one on Thursday, 26 April at 00:00 GMT
http://www.humanware.com/en-usa/products/product_presentations/webinar_registration#reg

13) Forming Computer Users Groups To Cope With The Technological Revolution Of The 21st Century will be the topic for Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 16 April at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

14) The two latest episodes of Mystic Place Blog and Podcast concern BurnAware Pro, a CD/DVD-burning program, and QRead, the accessible reading program.
http://www.mysticplace.info/?feed=podcast

15) The article Window-Eyes Remote Assistance has been posted to the GW Micro knowledgebase.
http://gwmicro.com/kb2014

16) GW Micro announces the release of Window-Eyes 7.5.4. This version includes general stability improvements, web, email, and Office fixes, better handling of accidental presses of the Insert key, enhanced support for Windows Live Mail, and updated Eurobraille support. Users can use the check for Updates feature or go to:
http://www.gwmicro.com/upgrade

17) Recent posts to NFB's Access Technology Blog include discussions of The New iPad and Microsoft Security Essentials
http://nfb.org/access-technology-blog

18) Here are many enticing posts from the gizmo site. Note that I haven't tested any of this content for accessibility:

How to Remove Facebook Timeline.
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/facebook-timeline-remove-sort.htm

Turn Your Android Device Into Ebook Reader for Free
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/free-mobile-app-week-moon-reader-android.htm

Elixir Tells You Everything About Your Android Mobile
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/free-mobile-app-week-elixir-2-android.htm

Enjoy your Android Experience Over-the-Air Using your PC
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/enjoy-your-android-experience-over-air-using-your-pc.htm

A Must-Have App for your Android Device
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/must-have-app-your-android-device.htm

Copy Files for Reading and Playing on your iPad or iPhone
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/copy-files-reading-and-playing-your-ipad-or-iphone.htm

Share and View Files from your Device On the Go
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/share-and-view-files-your-ios-device-go.htm

Your Phone Is Also A Free Mini Scanner!
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/your-phone-also-free-mini-scanner.htm

9 Superb Free Apps that you Simply Must Install on Your Android Phone
http://www.techsupportalert.com/9-best-free-android-apps-you-simply-must-install-your-new-mobile-device.htm

The Editors' Choice List:
Our Selection of the Best PC Freeware
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/top-freeware-picks-category-editors.htm

Blue Screen of Death Survival Guide: Every Error Explained
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/blue-screen-death-survival-guide-every-error-explained.htm

The Hidden Master List of Useful Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts That You Didn't Know You Already Had
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/hidden-master-list-useful-windows-7-keyboard-shortcuts-you-didnt-know-you-already-had.htm

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 347
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Refurbished Braille Sense Plus QWERTY Notetakers Reduced to USD$3,095.00!
Flying Blind, LLC still has a couple of BrailleSense Plus 32 cell notetakers with QWERTY keyboards and we need to find homes for these units! So we've reduced the price of these notetakers to USD$3,095.00, now USD$2,900 off of their suggested list price. These units are internally outfitted with all of the latest wireless and Bluetooth connectivity options available for a dedicated notetaker. The Braille Sense Plus takes advantage of an intuitive user interface that is familiar to Windows users. File transfer, email, web surfing, and book downloading all come effortlessly to Braille Sense Plus users. Cost includes a 90 day manufacturer's warranty and shipping within the Continental United States. For more information please email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 while supplies last!

Greetings,

1) Media Access Australia has provided a page both with general instructions about using Facebook and about overcoming its accessibility challenges.
http://www.mediaaccess.org.au/online-media/social-media/facebook

2) The April, 2012 issue of The Braille Monitor contains Advanced Technology for Producing Tactile Materials
http://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm12/bm1204/bm120407.htm

3) Among recently released iOS-related podcasts, we have White & Yellow Pages: Now Offers Free Turn-By-Turn Voice GPS Navigation
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/white-yellow-pages-now-offers-free-turn-turn-voice-gps-navigation
My Local TV: Easy Access to Local Television News from Stations Across the United States
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/my-local-tv-easy-access-local-television-news-stations-across-united-states
List Recorder 2.3: Fixes, Changes and Improvements
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/list-recorder-23-fixes-changes-and-improvements
Weather Alert USA: Comprehensive Weather Data and Alerts from the Official NOAA NWS Network
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/weather-alert-usa-comprehensive-weather-data-and-alerts-official-noaa-nws-network

4) EASI produced a webinar, Overview of the Accessibility of Mainstream E-Readers. You can watch the presentations and view the slides.
http://easi.cc/archive/e-readers/resources.htm

5) The Chance to Meet Blio, Accessible E-Books for All will be the topic of Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 10 April at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

6) Have you had any difficulties accessing online travel sites? AFB wants you to complete a survey.
http://www.afb.org/blog.aspx?BlogEntryID=265

7) This blog post is titled A Tale of Two OS Updates: iOS and Android, and the discussion might be of interest to those looking to choose one or the other of those two operating systems for their next phone.
http://www.applevis.com/blog/tale-two-os-updates-ios-and-android

8) The latest Tech Doctor podcast is "Virtually In Australia with the Piano-Man, Scott Erichsen"
http://www.dr-carter.com

9) This Cult of Mac post, very detailed and not the easiest to read, carries the ambitious title "Almost Every iOS Text Editor Compared"
http://www.cultofmac.com/158434/almost-every-ios-text-editor-compared/

10) The makers of Digit-Eyes for iOS devices continue to research ways to make those devices more useful for identifying objects. In this post they compare the KDC300 and Scanfob 2002 Bluetooth Laser Scanners for the iPhone.
http://www.digit-eyes.com/blog/?p=131

11) This is a link to information about an Assistive Technology Position Opening at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
https://statejobs.doer.state.mn.us/JobPosting/b8c3b075c8894bbeb6ee7665a30d4116/View

12) Led Zeppelin music sounnds quite different when the Dec-Talk synthesizer handles the vocals!
http://q-audio.net/i/1M8W

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 346
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: One Gently Used BrailleNote Apex32 Cell Notetaker With Perkins-Style, Braille Keyboard for USD $3,595.00!!!
Flying Blind, LLC is pleasantly shocked and extremely excited to have a gently used BrailleNote Apex32 Notetaker for sale for USD $3,595.00 - that's approximately USD $2,800.00 off of it's suggested list price!!! The BrailleNote name is synonymous with excellence and innovation, and the Apex continues to set standards that other notetakers have yet to meet. This unit is in pristine condition, and is begging for w new home! That, and it's robust yet intuitive functionality will offer limitless options to whomever receives it. This is a single unit and will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. Includes shipping anywhere within the continental United States. For more information, email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today!

Greetings,

1) The Great Big List from the 2012 CSUN International Technology & Persons with Disabilities Conference contains links to Conference presentations, wrap-ups, podcasts, blog and news coverage, photos, and more.
http://curbcut.net/events/the-great-big-list-from-the-2012-csun-international-technology-persons-with-disabilities-conference/
And the collections of interviews conducted by Serotek while at the Conference can now be downloaded.
http://serotalk.com/
Finally, the latest edition of The Tech Doctor Podcast is entitled CSUN 2012 with Jessica Rathwell.
http://www.dr-carter.com/?p=104

2) Among Apple-related podcasts, from AppleVis, we have Enabling and Using the Emoticons Keyboard on Your iOS Device
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/enabling-and-using-emoticons-keyboard-your-ios-device
iSamurai: Do You Have the Wit, Skill and Strategy to be a Samurai Warrior?
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/isamurai-do-you-have-wit-skill-and-strategy-be-samurai-warrior
Sit Back and Let Voice Brief Tell You About Your Latest Emails, News, Weather, Upcoming Events and More
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/sit-back-and-let-voice-brief-tell-you-about-your-latest-emails-news-weather
Questions and Answers With Evi
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/questions-and-answers-evi
And from the Serotalk Podcast Network we have Triple Click Home, Episode 5
http://tripleclickhome.com/2012/03/26/triple-click-home-episode-5-how-we-envy-thee/

3) Here is another ambitious project to produce a low-cost braille display.
http://bristolbrailletechnology.com/#news.23-09-2011-prototype

4) This is a fascinating comparison between JAWS, NVDA and Window-Eyes on their handling of PDF documents.
http://accessibilitychatter.com/?p=18

5) Developers of apps for iOS can Increase Accessibility with Accessibility Hints from Yahoo! Accessibility.
http://ht.ly/9OzcU

6) Tech Access Weekly Democast 1 discusses The New iPad
http://techaccessweekly.com/democast/2012/03/26/ta-democast-1-the-new-ipad/

7) If you have an idea to improve accessibility at Google, they want to hear it!
https://services.google.com/fb/forms/accessibilityfeedback/

8) NVDA 2012.1 is officially released. Highlights include support for the Itunes store, improved support for better Braille performance and enhanced support for Microsoft Word.
http://www.nvda-project.org

9) Learn about .RAR files and how to open and create them, and how to use the free program 7Zip to open and create many types of archives, The Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 3 April at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

10) Recent posts to the NFB Access Technology Blog give a variety of recent Apple-related news, such as a site for a keyboard shortcut list, a new Apple Accessibility phone number, the iPhone manual available in .BRF format, and more. You can also find the review of QRead, whose link was not accurate in the last tidbits.
http://nfb.org/access-technology-blog

11) The Hadley School offers offers three courses in its Family Education Program: You, Your Child and Your Community, Beginning the Special Education Journey and How to Be Your Child's Advocate. The courses are offered free to relatives and educators of the visually impaired, and course materials are now available in e-book formats.
http://www.hadley.edu

12) National Industries for the Blind is seeking applicants for the Joseph Roeder Assistive Technology Scholarship, a $2,500 scholarship to an individual who is blind, interested in pursuing education in computer science, information systems or a related field, and pursuing a career in access technology. For information, write to:
kgallagher@nib.org

13) Read "A Personal Journey Through the iPhone 4S" from Matilda Ziegler
http://www.matildaziegler.com/2012/03/28/feature-writer-steve-famiglietti-a-personal-journey-through-the-iphone-4s/

14) From the HowToGeek site, we have The Best Articles for Playing, Customizing, and Organizing Your Media
http://www.howtogeek.com/109533/the-best-articles-for-playing-customizing-and-organizing-your-media/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=250312
What's the Difference Between Sleep and Hibernate in Windows?
http://www.howtogeek.com/102897/whats-the-difference-between-sleep-and-hibernate-in-windows/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=280312
How to Remotely Shut Down or Restart Windows PCs
http://www.howtogeek.com/109655/how-to-remotely-shut-down-or-restart-windows-pcs/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=260312
The Best Tips for Speeding Up Your Windows PC
http://www.howtogeek.com/107280/the-best-tips-for-speeding-up-your-windows-pc/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=040312

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 345
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Refurbished Braille Sense Plus QWERTY Notetakers Reduced to USD$3,195.00!
A couple of weeks ago Flying Blind, LLC had a number of Braille Sense Plus notetakers for sale. Well, thanks to overwhelming demand the units with the Braille keyboards are now sold out, and our stock is down to the three QWERTY units which we are now offering at an even deeper discount. These units are internally outfitted with all of the latest wireless and Bluetooth connectivity options available for a dedicated notetaker. The Braille Sense Plus takes advantage of an intuitive user interface that is familiar to Windows users. File transfer, email, web surfing, and book downloading all come effortlessly to Braille Sense Plus users, and Flying Blind, LLC is ecstatic to be able to offer you these solutions for approximately USD$2,800.00 off of their suggested list price! Cost includes shipping within the Continental United States. For more information please email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 while supplies last!

Greetings,

1) Read what Michael Doise, author of the i-Accessibility Blog, says about the new iPad.
http://iaccessibility.net/2012/03/16/the-new-ipad/

2) There is a new Tech Doctor podcast called "Talking Tech with Amy Ruell"
http://www.dr-carter.com/?p=101

3) Here is an overview of the new Narrator to be found in Windows 8.
http://tink.co.uk/2012/03/windows-8-narrator-overview/

4) Read this installment of Alex's blog for some thoughts on how the Windows 8 Narrator works with Firefox.
http://asurkov.blogspot.com/2012/03/windows-8-narrator-on-web.html

5) This AppleVis blog post and accompanying discussion make for good reading on the topic: iOS or Android for the Visually Impaired: Nine Reasons That Count.
http://www.applevis.com/blog/ios-or-android-visually-impaired-nine-reasons-count

6) A T Guys has released a free iOS app for BlindBargains. An Android app is also out.
http://blindbargains.com/bargains.php?m=6643

7) From HowToGeeks, we learn "What You Can Find in an Email Header?"
http://www.howtogeek.com/108205/htg-explains-what-can-you-find-in-an-email-header/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=180312&utm_content=emailsidebar
And we have a link to a series, "The Best Articles for Backing Up and Syncing Your Data".
http://www.howtogeek.com/108679/the-best-articles-for-backing-up-and-syncing-your-data/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=180312

8) HIMS, Inc. Is talking about their new notetaker and Braille display on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 27 March at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

9) Adjusting the settings of Window-Eyes for the login screen and replying to all when using Outlook with Window-Eyes are the latest additions to the "How Do I Do That?" video tutorial series.
http://www.gwmicro.com/Training/Tutorials/
Sign up for the Tutorial podcast to receive these tutorials automatically at:
http://www.gwmicro.com/Audio_Video_Archive/Podcast/

10) Audacity is a free, open-source, multi-track audio editor. A free guide to using it with JAWS, also useful with other screen readers, is available.
http://vip.chowo.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/jaws/Audacity-2.0-Guide.html

11) Episode 1210 of Viewpoints is a side-by-side comparison of the PC and Mac.
http://www.ViewPointsPlus.net

12) "Podcast 5: New iPads, Windows 8 and Talking TVs" comes to us from AccessTalk.
http://accesstalk.co.uk/2012/03/podcast-5-new-ipads-windows-8-and-talking-tvs/

13) Here are some recent articles from the Gizmo site:
Best Sites for Windows Tips, Tricks and Tweaking.
http://www.techsupportalert.com/best_tips_and_tricks.htm
Audacity 2.0 Released
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/audacity-20-released.htm
Copy Files for Reading and Playing on your iPad or iPhone
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/copy-files-reading-and-playing-your-ipad-or-iphone.htm
Shortcuts for Faster and Easier Use of Windows Media Player in Windows 7
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/shortcuts-faster-and-easier-use-windows-media-player-windows-7.htm

14) The March 15, 2012 post to the NFB Access Technology Blog was a thorough review of the alluring new reading app QRead.
http://q-continuum.net/qread/

15) This AppleVis podcast is entitled "Voice To Apps: Bringing Voice Recognition to Messaging, Email, Facebook Twitter and More"
http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/episodes/voice-apps-bringing-voice-recognition-messaging-email-facebook-twitter-and-more

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 344
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Take Advantage of Flying Blind, LLC's Apple Accessibility Initiative (AAI) Professional Development Seminar Before the End of March and Save 20%!!!
If you are an educator of vision impaired students there's still time to take advantage of the 20% savings that you receive when you and your peers commit to Flying Blind, LLC's Apple Accessibility Initiative. This professional development seminar, designed by Flying Blind, LLC and delivered by Larry L. Lewis himself introduces you to all of the essential access components of the iOS operating system.
 
More importantly, the AAI Professional Development Seminar offers you real world, tangible strategies for integrating iOS devices and specific applications into your students' educational experience. In addition, Mr. Lewis will illustrate how you can create a framework whereby your students' can interact with their sighted classmates using mainstream technology bundled with adap-tech "know-how" to independently and efficiently complete tasks both in and out of the classroom! For a complete outline of what is covered within the AAI Professional Development Seminar you will find a PDF here: http://www.flying-blind.com/articles_2012/fbllc_aai_brochure.pdf, and an HTML version here: http://www.flying-blind.com/articles_2012/articleid_1.html.
 
Flying Blind, LLC will honor all commitments in writing to those wishing to host the AAI Professional Development Seminar if received by the close of business on March 30th, 2012, which locks you and your colleagues in at the discounted price for this ins-service. For more information, please email aai@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today!

Greetings,

1) Learn about two free programs you can use to record sound onto your PC, Audacity and MP3 Direct Cut, in Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 20 March at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

2) The Access Technology Higher Education Network (ATHEN), in its continuing effort to assist institutions in ascertaining the accessibility of the Google Apps suite, conducted evaluations of GMail and Calendar, covering assistive technologies used by those with visual, mobility, learning, and cognitive disabilities. The report can be found online at:
http://athenpro.org/google-gmail-calendar-accessibility
EASI will present a free webinar on the accessibility of Google Apps on Tuesday, 20 March at 18:00 GMT. Register at:
http://easi.cc/clinic.htm

3) Recent short posts to the Access Technology Blog include Khan Academy Releases iPad App, PaperPort Notes App for iPad: Notetaking with Dictation, and How To Cut, Copy and Paste While Using VoiceOver
http://bdmtech.blogspot.com/

4) Anandtech takes us in-depth with the Windows 8 Consumer Preview:
http://www.anandtech.com/print/5630

5) Among other topics, Issue #41 of the Assistive Technology Update podcast discusses Assistive Technology Alternative Financing Programs:
http://atupdate.libsyn.com/atu41-assistive-technology-alternative-financing-programs-basil-kessler-i-pad-3-a-k-a-the-new-ipad-alzheimers-dimentia-training-morgan-s-wonderland-giveaway-zoom-reader-for-i-phone-youtube-captions

6) Nokia Maps now offers voice directions via the web for iOS and Android:
http://conversations.nokia.com/2012/03/13/nokia-maps-brings-voice-navigation-to-other-platforms/?utm_source=feedburner

7) Learn how to use the Outlook Calendar with Window-Eyes in this accessible video. GW Micro claims that Window-Eyes makes the Outlook Calendar fully accessible and easy-to-use, and even provides functionality not available in the traditional Outlook Calendar interface.
http://www.gwmicro.com/Training/Tutorials/

8) This blog post, while a year old, seems to contain a very comprehensive list of VoiceOver Keyboard Commands for iOS:
http://www.hllf.net/70

9) Here is a GW Micro Knowledgebase article, How to Access the Thesaurus in Microsoft Word 2010:
http://www.gwmicro.com/Support/Knowledge_Base/?kbnumber=GWKB2009

10) From the March 2012 Braille Monitor, "NEWSLINE on My Job" shows how a freelance writer uses NFB Newsline.
http://nfb.org/Images/nfb/Publications/bm/bm12/bm1203/bm120311.htm

11) The Matilda Ziegler brings us Helpful Tips for Windows 7 Users: Part 1:
http://bit.ly/yt7dgd
And The Quest for Accessible Home Appliances:
http://bit.ly/xAgH12

12) The last hurrah for the recent CSUN Conference comes from the Viewpoints podcast, in the form of the first in a two-part series.
http://www.ViewPointsPlus.net

13) Do you need to know what type of computer to buy for Window-Eyes? Check out the Knowledge Base article at:
http://www.gwmicro.com/Support/Knowledge_Base/?kbnumber=GWKB1097

14) In conclusion, here are a goodly number of links from the Gizmo site:
How to Clean An Infected Computer
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-clean-infected-computer.htm
How to Know If Your Computer Is Infected
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-know-if-your-computer-infected.htm
How to Protect Your Online Privacy
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-protect-your-online-privacy.htm
How to Stay Safe While Online
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-stay-safe-while-online.htm
How To Avoid Spam
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-avoid-getting-spammed.htm
How to Tell if a File is Malicious
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-tell-if-file-malicious.htm
Is It Down? Monitor Up To 50 Websites, Every 5 Minutes
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/it-down-monitor-50-websites-every-5-minutes.htm
A Promising Alternative Search Engine
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/promising-alternative-search-engine.htm
Free Biography, Autobiography and Memoir Books Online
http://www.techsupportalert.com/free-books-biography

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 343
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Refurbished Braille Sense PLUS Notetakers for USD $3,445.00!
That's right! You read correctly! Flying Blind, LLC has come into a cache of refurbished Braille Sense Plus notetakers and is selling them at a price over USD $2,550 off of their suggested list price! These units come with either QWERTY or Braille input keyboards and are internally outfitted with all the latest wireless and Bluetooth connectivity options available for a dedicated notetaker. The Braille Sense Plus takes advantage of an intuitive user interface that is familiar to Windows users. File transfer, email, web surfing, and book downloading come effortlessly to Braille Sense Plus users, and Flying Blind, LLC is ecstatic to be able to offer you these solutions at such an unbelievably deep discount. Cost includes shipping within the Continental United States and all units will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. For more information please email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 while supplies last!

Greetings,

1) There is alot of information about the recent CSUN conference, where you can learn about technology that is here now and that which will presumably be coming soon. By far the most useful set of audio interviews taken at the Conference can be found at:
http://blindbargains.com/audio/
A stream containing all the Serotek interviews at:
http://serotalk.com/2012/03/03/all-csun-2012-interviews-now-available-on-spn-radio/
Here are 5 good news stories from CSUN 2012, courtesy of Media Access Australia:
http://mediaaccess.org.au/latest_news/general/5-good-news-stories-from-csun-2012
Here is a presentation on Mobile Accessibility, and the associated panel discussion.
http://www.iheni.com/mobile-accessibility-presentation-at-csun-2012/
There was a presentation on the accessible DAISY format and its convergence with EPUB3. The slidedeck and text transcript are here:
http://www.slideshare.net/daisyconsortium/epub-3-state-of-the-art-and-accessibility-11826887
Here is one CSUN recap:
http://john.foliot.ca/csun-2012-recap/
Finally, the writers of the NFB Access Technology Blog give their summary of the conference:
http://nfb.org/access-technology-blog

2) The public beta release of Windows 8 has generated alot of talk. Here is an article on it from Week in Geek:
http://www.howtogeek.com/107581/week-in-geek-windows-8-consumer-preview-downloaded-1-million-times-in-first-24-hours/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=040312
And here is "Windows 8 Consumer Preview Review: Part I - Introduction, Installation, and Improvements" from Inclusive Planet:
http://www.inclusiveplanet.com/en/channelpost/13210890
GW Micro has placed a recording of the Window-Eyes and Windows 8 CSUN 2012 presentation on their podcast page:
http://www.gwmicro.com/podcast

3) Christopher Toth, the talented author of the defunct Qwitter program and the Hope program that makes Pandora accessible has now produced QRead, a $30 reading program that allows for impressive navigation of most unprotected ebook formats.
http://q-continuum.net/qread/

4) From the Serotalk Podcast Network we have Episode 6 of That Android Show
http://thatandroidshow.com/2012/03/05/what-would-you-do-for-a-clondike-phone/
And Serotalk Podcast Podcast 98
http://serotalk.com/2012/03/06/serotalk-podcast-98-triplespectives/

5) This Blind Access Journal podcast features an interview with Nancy Miracle, maker of the iOS app Digit-eyes which is apparently ripe for an upgrade.
http://blindaccessjournal.com/2012/03/csun-nancy-miracle-digit-eyes-bar-code-scanner-for-ios/

6) Here is an AppleVis podcast entitled TuneIn Radio: 50000 Radio Stations in the Palm of Your Hand
http://www.applevis.com/node/2485

7) If you want to test a web site for accessibility, you can input the URL into the WAVE Web Accessibility Tool
http://five.wave.webaim.org/

8) Office Enhance provides enhancements for Microsoft Office products under Window-Eyes, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, in the spell checker.
http://www.gwmicro.com/apps/Office_Enhance

9) An update for Dolphin Guide fixes problems accessing the BBC Listen Again service and other bugs.
http://www.yourdolphin.com/productdetail.asp?id=30&z=3

10) Tween is a mainstream Twitter app that happens to be accessible to users who are blind. This page gives keyboard shortcuts and pertinent links.
http://www.dlee.org/tween/resources.htm

11) Here is David Pogue's article, Time to Kill Off Captchas from Scientific American:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=time-to-kill-off-captchas

12) You might enjoy "My 17-Point Checklist For Teaching Good Writing and Blogging" from Search Engine Journal
http://www.searchenginejournal.com/my-17-point-checklist-for-teaching-good-writing-and-blogging/40338/

13) Here are recent finds from the Gizmo site:
Is this Website down, or is it me?
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/website-down-or-it-me.htm
Get A Story A Week Sent To Your email, Kindle, or Instapaper For Free
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/get-story-week-sent-your-email-kindle-or-instapaper-free.htm
Create Your Own Music Mash-Up From MP3 Files
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/create-your-own-music-mash-mp3-files.htm
The Ultimate Developer and Power Users Tool List for Windows
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/ultimate-developer-and-power-users-tool-list-windows.htm
Understanding Codecs
http://www.techsupportalert.com/understanding-codecs.htm

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 342
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Join Larry Lewis of Flying Blind, LLC and Steve Barclay of Aroga Technologies at CSUN in San Diego Today and Tomorrow!!!

When: Today (3/1) and Tomorrow (3/2) from 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM in the Aroga Suite. Lewis, Founder of Flying Blind, LLC and Barclay, Vice President of Sales for Aroga Technologies (www.aroga.com), will be hosting two more sessions within the Aroga Suite titled: "Is 12 Cells Enough?". Each session will begin at 4:00 PM and conclude around 5:30 PM and will run Thursday (3/1) and Friday (3/2). These two sessions are face to face, hands-on workshops based on the recent webinars hosted by Lewis and Barclay that illustrate the power and mobility of portable, refreshable Braille access to iOS devices in a variety of settings. These sessions will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis, so please email training@flying-blind.com or call (216) 381-8107 to reserve your space today!

Greetings,

1) Here are some tantalizing items from the How-To Geek Newsletter:
How to Search Google Like a Pro: 11 Tricks You Have to Know
http://www.howtogeek.com/106718/how-to-search-google-like-a-pro-11-tricks-you-have-to-know/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=270212
How To Access Your Ebook Library on Your iPad via Dropbox
http://www.howtogeek.com/106521/how-to-access-your-ebook-library-on-your-ipad-via-dropbox/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=270212&utm_content=emailsidebar
How To Combine All Your Email Addresses into One Gmail Inbox
http://www.howtogeek.com/106034/how-to-combine-all-your-email-addresses-into-one-gmail-inbox/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=270212&utm_content=emailsidebar

2) The JAWS-users page has alot of useful information and tutorials, much of which is useful for users of other screen readers. Items have recently been added to the Tips and Tricks and Audio sections.
http://www.jaws-users.com/help/

3) The next quarter's schedule of free and paid webinars has been posted to the Freedom Scientific page.
http://www.freedomscientific.com/training/e-LearningEntrance.asp

4) Learn about BrailleTouch, a forthcoming Android and iOS app that will let users write on their smartphone using a simulated braille keyboard, on Tek Talk for GMT Tuesday, 6 March at 01:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

5) Here is a guide to Android Accessibility for a prospective user of android phones.
http://eyes-free.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/documentation/android_access/index.html

6) The latest tech doctor podcast is entitled Screenless Audio Editing With Sound Studio.
http://www.dr-carter.com/?p=99

7) Listen to episode 4 of Triple Click Home, the iDevices-related podcast from the Serotek Podcast Network.
http://tripleclickhome.com/2012/02/27/triple-click-home-episode-4-beefed-up-book-reader-thing/

8) This page is entitled Web Accessibility and Older People: Meeting the Needs of Aging Web Users.
http://www.w3.org/WAI/older-users/

9) The American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults (AAF) is making its free Braille books for blind children available online as downloadable BRF files.
http://www.actionfund.org/actionfund/default.asp

10) A partnership between Sprint and Code Factory now brings a free version of the Mobile Accessibility suite for Android devices, called Wireless Accessibility, to the Android Market. This is the complete version of Mobile Accessibility including the screen reader component and is compatible with Sprint, Boost, and Virgin Mobile handsets.
http://www.blindbargains.com/link/6506

11) The shortcut world site lists keyboard shortcuts for Linux, Mac OS, Windows, web applications and an extensive list of other software applications. This wiki-style reference database for keyboard shortcuts is constantly under development.
http://shortcutworld.com/

12) HIMS announces the release of BookSense Master, free, downloadable companion software for the PC, created to assist with the location and transfer of files to BookSense.
http://www.hims-inc.com/Upgrade/SenseMaster/BookSense_Master_Install_1_0_20120202.zip

13) Here are some of the latest additions to the Gizmo site:
All The Figures You'll Need To Prune Your Hard Drive
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/all-figures-youll-need-prune-your-hard-drive.htm
How to Manage Your USB Devices Better
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-manage-your-usb-devices-better.htm
Improve Your Privacy On Twitter
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/improve-your-privacy-twitter.htm
Windows 8 Consumer Preview: A Fresh Start for Microsoft, by Ed Bott
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/windows-8-consumer-preview-a-fresh-start-for-microsoft/4540

14) Gerardo Corripio has started a blog in Spanish, Tuimagina, related to adaptive technology, podcasting, social networking, and the like.
http://tuimagina.wordpress.com/

15) Check the BlindBargains site for podcasts coming from the CSUN conference which is currently under way.
http://blindbargains.com/

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 341
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: One Gently Used BrailleNote Apex32 Cell Notetaker With Perkins-Style, Braille Keyboard for USD $3,595.00!!!
Flying Blind, LLC is pleasantly shocked and excited to have a gently used BrailleNote Apex32 Notetaker for sale for USD $3,595.00 - that's approximately USD $2,800.00 off of it's suggested list price!!! The BrailleNote name is synonymous with excellence and innovation, and the Apex continues to set standards that other notetakers have yet to meet. This unit is in pristine condition, and is running Keysoft Version 9.2, the latest version of software available for the Apex! That, and it's robust yet intuitive functionality will offer limitless options to whomever receives it. This is a single unit and will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. Includes shipping anywhere within the continental United States. For more information, email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today!

Greetings,

1) GW Micro has so far created six of their concise video "How Do I Do That" tutorials covering different Window-Eyes tasks, fully usable by blind and sighted users.
http://www.gwmicro.com/Training/Tutorials/

2) Victor Reader Stream users can grab version 3.4.6 of the Stream software, and 3.5.6 of the Stream Companion program, using the Check for Update feature of the Companion. The upgrade provides navigational enhancements in DAISY and text books and improvements in handling Russian documents.
http://visit.humanware.com/e/3332/tream-software/sct19/375428668

3) The Serotek site is busy these days. Read a review of the Aftershockz Bone Conduction Headphones:
http://serotalk.com/2012/02/21/a-review-of-the-aftershockz-bone-conduction-headphones/
SeroTalk Podcast 96: We're A Tween
http://serotalk.com/2012/02/21/serotalk-podcast-96-were-a-tween/
Listen to the three sets of interviews conducted during the ATIA conference, and follow Mike Calvo as he blogs his way down to the CSUN conference.
http://serotalk.com/

4) Viewpoints podcast 1208 is a conversation with Serotek staff.
http://viewpointsplus.net/vp_1208_podcast.mp3

5) This edition of the tech doctor podcast covers such matters as jailbreaking iOS devices and Android tablets.
http://www.dr-carter.com/?p=96

6) Register for a free webinar, Benefits of New Electronic Magnification Devices versus Conventional Magnifiers, to take place on Tuesday, 6 March at 17:00 GMT
http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/549964/0be1d9c63b/1808504051/8a2cf77a54/

7) Tech Access Weekly, Episode #127, is a 55-minute program on the latest tech news and buzz.
http://techaccessweekly.com/podcast/2012/02/18/tech-access-weekly-episode-127/

8. Maybe you want to read 10 Must-Learn Lessons For Twitter Newbies
http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/10-lessons-twitter-newbies_b10079

9) A new version of the popular navigation app Ariadne GPS recently hit the iOS app store. Read about it and listen to a podcast.
http://www.ariadnegps.eu/

10) Among new appleVis podcasts we have Getting Started With Hokusai, a Free and Fully Accessible Multitrack Audio Editor
http://www.applevis.com/node/2388
Exploring Some of the Advanced Features of the Reminders App
http://www.applevis.com/node/2395
Read, Create and Share QR Codes Quickly and Easily With Your iDevice
http://www.applevis.com/node/2406

11) Version 8.1 of Keysoft is available, adding the ability to read PDF documents to the BrailleNote and VoiceNote mPower
http://www.humanware.com/index.php?Action=Page.Link&PageLink=7195&To=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.humanware.ca%2Fweb%2Fen%2FNewsletter%2F356.htm

12) Learn about the latest developments in Dolphin Guide, a product intended for use by seniors and others who find conventional windows unnecessarily challenging, on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 28 February at 01:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

13) The Mystic Place Community web site is a multi user interactive site with File libraries, forums, member profiles etc.
http://www.mysticplacecommunity.info

14) Are you on Facebook? Stop by and "Like" Flying Blind, LLC to begin receiving Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday as part of your Facebook News Feed.
http://www.facebook.com/flyingblindllc

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 340
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: One Refurbished ALVA Braille Controller 640 Braille Terminal + Feature Pack for USD $2,000.00!!!
Once again, Flying Blind, LLC scores big on the refurbished Braille display front! The ALVA BC640 offers seamless Bluetooth and USB connectivity with a variety of today's most popular screenreaders. Its Braille keyboard enables you to write directly to a PC or Mobile device wirelessly in your preferred Grade of Braille. The stereo speakers on its feature pack allow you to route the audio from your computer or mobile device wirelessly to the Braille Controller. You may also store files on the Braille Controller as well as use its internal notetaker to create, edit, and share documents with a PC. This one of a kind, 40 cell Braille display is approximately 60% off its suggested list price. Price includes shipping within the continental United States and as a single item will be available on a first come, first serve basis. Email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today to take advantage of this fantastic bargain!

Greetings,

1) Rick Harmon demonstrates his favorite iOS apps on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 21 February at 01:00 GMT.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

2) Hadley School offers frequent one-hour seminars on a variety of interesting topics. You can attend in person, online, or download the old ones from the website. Now, all past Seminars@Hadley are now available as downloadable podcasts. For information on how to subscribe to Seminars@Hadley podcasts, visit:
http://hadley.edu/Podcasts.asp

3) The Forsythe Center for Entrepreneurship of the Hadley School operates an email list for blind and visually impaired entrepreneurs and business owners. Networking is highly encouraged, and the Center will announce its programs through the list. To join send a blank message to:
HadleyFCE-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

4) GW Micro is proud to announce the release of Window-Eyes 7.5.3. This version includes a number of stability improvements, native support for QT-based programs, support for the new Braille Edge display from HIMS, and Windows Live Mail and Thunderbird improvements. For a detailed list of all Window-Eyes 7.5.3 features and enhancements, visit:
http://www.gwmicro.com/Window-Eyes/Latest_Features/

5) Serotek has updated its Accessible Event meeting platform to include text chat, support for multiple simultaneous presenters, and a variety of other features. A Mac version is available and an iOS version awaits release by Apple. See the system in action at:
http://www.accessibleevent.com/tour
For more information or to use the system for a class, meeting or seminar, visit:
http://accessibleevent.com

6) While we're talking about Serotek, they now offer monthly payment plans for their OCR program DocuScanPlus. Purchase over three- and six-month periods is possible.
http://www.serotek.com/dsp

7) Helping Hands Braille Ministries provides the daily devotional, Our Daily Bread. For those interested in receiving a monthly Braille hardcopy, or a emailed BRF file, please email:
helpinghands@slmin.org
For a catalog of other available Christian literature visit our site at:
http://www.brailleministries.org

8) Version 0.0.1 of a new program named JpgToSig-A-01 is now posted at:
http://www.austincc.edu/baldwin/SWT-SVG/SVGDraw01.zip
JpgToSig-A-01 makes it easier for sighted teachers and others who assist blind students to enhance bitmap images, convert them to SIG files, and emboss them in the enhanced format on an embosser that accepts the Duxbury QuickTac SIG file format for graphics data. This version of the program is not accessible to blind users (An accessible version designed for use by blind students will be published in the upcoming weeks.)

9) Episode #1206 of ViewPoints features an interview with Larry Skutchan of APH about their product development team and what to expect in the next firmware release of the Bookport Plus. You can subscribe to the podcast or download individual shows and read show notes at the URL:
http://www.ViewPointsPlus.net

10) LibreOffice 3.5, a free Office suite, has been released from the Document Foundation. New features listed at:
http://www.libreoffice.org/download/3-5-new-features-and-fixes/
Indications are that the program works reliably with NVDA as long as the Java Access Bridge is installed, and may work with other screen readers.

11) Here are some AppleVis podcasts:
6 Steps For Keeping Your iDevice Safe and Secure
http://www.applevis.com/sites/default/files/podcasts/applevispodcast33.mp3
Using Reminders to Create and Manage Tasks and Lists
http://www.applevis.com/sites/default/files/podcasts/applevispodcast34.mp3
Voxer Walkie-Talkie: Send instant Audio, Text, Photo and Location Messages to your Friends
http://www.applevis.com/sites/default/files/podcasts/applevispodcast32.mp3

12) From Abrahams Accessibility, here is the latest on Android Ice Cream Sandwich Accessibility:
http://www.it-director.com/blogs/Abrahams_Accessibility/2012/2/android_ice_cream_sandwich_accessi_.html

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 339
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: One (1) Focus 80 Display For USD$2,995.00!!!
Flying Blind, LLC has a barely used Focus 80-Cell refreshable Braille terminal for the deeply discounted price of USD$2,995.00. Over 50% off of its suggested retail cost. This 80-Cell solution is optimal for JAWS For Windows users who require a great deal of Braille to access complex applications from a desktop PC. It's various controls and responsive Braille output make navigating through difficult, graphical applications, effortless and efficient. Shipping within the 48 continental United States is included in this fantastic price, and this Focus 80 will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today.

Greetings,

1) I (Dean Martineau) am selling a perfectly working PlexTalk PtR2 recorder, a fully-accessible, specialized, DAISY recorder and player, asking $425 including shipping or best offer.

2) In this edition of The Tech Doctor Blog and Podcast, we hear an interview with a prolific mainstream Apple podcaster and committed advocate for Blind Apple users.
http://www.dr-carter.com/?p=93

3) The Utah Assistive Technology Program will offer a free webinar, Assistive Technology and Early Intervention Part 2, on 15 February.
http://utahatprogram.blogspot.com/2012/01/free-webinar-assistive-technology-and.html
The starting time given is presumably Mountain Time, which means the event will run from 22:00-23:30 GMT. Screen reader users need to email:
sachin.pavithran@usu.edu
By Friday, 10 February to access the webinar by phone; everybody else needs to email:
storee.powell@usu.edu

4) Accessibility technology Consultant Jerry Berrier will have fun with his iPhone and let you listen in as he demonstrates a variety of fun apps on Tek Talk on GMT 14 February at 01:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

5) A second podcast on using NVDA and iTunes is available.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1625623/NVDA%20and%20iTunes%20Demonstration.mp3

6) Here is a 14 minute Blind Access Journal podcast entitled Talk and Drop: DropVox Voice Memo Recorder for iOS
http://blindaccessjournal.com/2012/02/talk-and-drop-dropvox-voice-memo-recorder-for-ios/

7) The February, 2012 issue of AccessWorld is now available, including A Review of the IBIS HD Video Magnifier (CCTV), an evaluation of The Readit Scholar, Diabetes and Visual Impairment: An Update on Accessible Blood Glucose Meters, information about AccessWorld App Version 1.8 and more:
http://www.afb.org/accessworld

8) GW Micro has begun to make available How Do I Do That? video mini-tutorials with fully accessible audio content on particular window-eyes features. The first two free offerings in the series concern how to add an attachment and how to use the ribbon with window-eyes.
http://www.gwmicro.com/Training/Tutorials/

9) The Veterans Health Administration Section 508 office created an innovative set of tutorials that explains portable document format (PDF) accessibility barriers and provides solutions that address them. The tutorial is "Creating Accessible PDFs with Adobe Acrobat Professional" and it is available at:
http://www.ehealth.va.gov/508/tutorials/pdf/index.asp

10) The VHA Section 508 office also has training on developing accessible Flash. The course is available at:
http://www.ehealth.va.gov/508/flash/index.asp

11) SpeechHub is a new set of speech synthesizers, at present, only for NVDA. Several synthesizers and languages are available.
http://www.speechhub.org/

12) The US Internal Revenue Service offers accessible tax preparation assistance.
http://www.irs.gov/accessibility/index.html
Here is a Youtube video describing what they offer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4PfzKqpXmg

13) Kathy Ann Murtha announces the release of two new $75 textbooks: Internet Explorer 9 with JAWS for Windows 13 and Internet Explorer 9 with Window-Eyes 7.5
http://www.blindtraining.com/shop/browsers.htm

14) This Blind Access Journal podcast is entitled Take Your Favorite Podcasts on the Road: Downcast for iOS:
http://blindaccessjournal.com/2012/02/take-your-favorite-podcasts-on-the-road-downcast-for-ios/

15) The NFB Access Technology Blog offers reviews of News Apps for iOS devices:
http://www.nfb.org/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=922&SnID=1727144647
And DAISY videos from the eBook Accessibility Symposium:
http://www.nfb.org/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=920&SnID=1727144647

16) From the land of Serotalk, we can obtain SeroTalk Podcast 94:
http://serotalk.com/2012/02/07/serotalk-podcast-94-walk-without-sticks/
Archives of SeroSpectives: This Month in Tech for January 2012, with yours truly as one of the panelists:
http://serotalk.com/2012/02/03/archives-of-serospectives-this-month-in-tech-for-january-2012-are-now-available/
And a blog post by CEO Mike Calvo entitled The Disney Standard:
http://serotalk.com/2012/02/02/the-disney-standard/

17) This AppleVis podcast is entitled WeatherBug 2.0: Improving Accessibility With Custom Labels:
http://www.applevis.com/node/2307

18) These are some of the latest discoveries from the gizmo site:
Spam Blockers: The Best Products for Home Use
http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-antispam.htm
Fake online product reviews
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/fake-online-product-reviews.htm
How to Tell if a File is Malicious
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-tell-if-file-malicious.htm
Finds of the Week (February 5, 2012)
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/finds-eek-february-5-2012.htm
How to Know If Your Computer Is Infected
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-know-if-your-computer-infected.htm
A Handy Tweaking Tool For Windows
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/handy-tweaking-tool-windows.htm
Help with Foreign Postal Addresses
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/website-week-help-foreign-postal-addresses.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GizmosDailyTechTreats+%28Gizmo%27s+Daily+Tech+Treats%29

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 338
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: One (1) Focus 80 Display For USD$2,995.00!!!
Flying Blind, LLC has a barely used Focus 80-Cell refreshable Braille terminal for the deeply discounted price of USD$2,995.00. Over 50% off of its suggested retail cost. This 80-Cell solution is optimal for JAWS For Windows users who require a great deal of Braille to access complex applications from a desktop PC. It's various controls and responsive Braille output make navigating through difficult, graphical applications, effortless and efficient. Shipping within the 48 continental United States is included in this fantastic price, and this Focus 80 will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information email featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 today.

Greetings,

1) The makers of the free screen reader NVDA announce that 2012.1beta1 has been released. This version promises a better experience for Braille users, much more access to format information in Word, and access to the iTunes store.
http://www.nvda-project.org/blog/NVDA2012.1beta1Released
Keep up with news about NvDA by joining the nvda-announce mailing list:
http://lists.nvaccess.org/listinfo/nvda-announce

2) Here is lots of technical information about access improvements in version 10 of Firefox:
http://www.marcozehe.de/2012/01/31/new-in-accessibility-in-firefox-10/

3) Among podcasts from the Applevis site for i-devices, we have:
Three Weather Apps Go Head-To-Head:
http://www.applevis.com/node/2277
NVDA and iTunes:
http://www.applevis.com/node/2276
A Demonstration of the Improved Accessibility Coming Soon to the Hokusai Audio Editor for iOS:
http://www.applevis.com/node/2275
An In-Depth Demonstration of the Tascam iM2 Stereo Microphone Adapter
http://www.applevis.com/node/2274
Turn Your iPhone into a Motion Detector with VM Alert:
http://www.applevis.com/node/2234

4) A contributor to AppleVis offers us a written tutorial for the game King of Dragon Pass:
http://www.applevis.com/node/2284

5) Learn about migrating from Windows XP to windows 7 on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 7 February at 01:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

6) Here are a couple of humorous video demonstrations of using J-Say, the package that leverages JAWS and Dragon for speech input, to get the job done:
http://www.ehealth.va.gov/ehealth/508/sw/video/outlook_at_video.html

7) The NFB anticipates some employment opportunities will result from new regulations requiring video description of more TV shows. They are offering a training, 14-18 May, expenses paid, to gain the necessary skills.
http://www.nfb.org/vdrdc

8) From the February, 2012 Braille Monitor come two articles: I Am a Blind Electrical Engineer:
http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/bm/bm12/bm1202/bm120204.htm
Mainstream Access to E-Books: My Perspective
http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/bm/bm12/bm1202/bm120208.htm

9) From the web accessibility podcast and blog we glean both a podcast and its transcript introducing the Women of CSUN12, as that conference comes up at the end of the month.
http://webaxe.blogspot.com/2012/01/podcast-94-women-of-csun12.html

10) Nomensa's accessible media player 2.0 is now a free open-source download!
http://www.nomensa.com/about/news-items/nomensas-accessible-media-player-20-now-free-download

11) In response to a question, this is said to be an Internet speed test site which is accessible.
http://testmy.net/

12) Listen to Episode 5 of That Android show:
http://thatandroidshow.com/2012/01/31/that-android-show-episode-5-anadroid/

13) This article is entitled Jailbreaking Your iPhone 4S Or iPad 2: Not Nearly As Scary As It Might Sound
http://serotalk.com/2012/01/30/jailbreaking-your-iphone-4s-or-ipad-not-nearly-as-scary-as-it-might-sound/

14) This blog post is called 100+ Google Tricks for Teachers:
http://www.teachhub.com/100-google-tricks-teachers-0

15) Here's one called a List of Siri Commands:
http://www.mactalk.com.au/31/104774-list-siri-commands.html

16) I didn't proofread too well last week, hence this item was not well covered. The INDATA Project at Easter Seals Crossroads has launched AssistiveTechnologyRadio.com, which streams podcasts, conference recordings and other material all the time.
http://www.assistivetechnologyradio.com/

17) Inform is a design system for interactive fiction based on natural language. Interactive fiction lets the player explore worlds and stories through text. Write adventure games, historical simulations, gripping stories or experimental digital art. The system is said to work well with screen readers.
http://inform7.com/

18) Sodbeans, an accessible programming and editing environment, has been upgraded to version 2.5:
https://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/sodbeans/wiki/Sodbeans/ReleaseNotes

19) Microsoft Research and the University of Rochester are conducting a brief survey on the use of social networking technologies by members of the blind and visually impaired communities. They are interested in learning more about how blind and visually-impaired people use social networks, so that they can build tools that leverage existing social networking sites to improve accessibility.
http://go.madmimi.com/redirects/640644521f869eaa74cadaa5b18bb1e6?pa=7381136608

20) Window-Eyes scripts for Station Playlist Studio scripts have been updated to version 3.5.3:
http://www.gwmicro.com/App_Central/Apps/App_Details/?scriptid=1268

21) Hims, Inc. has released version 6.2 for their BrailleSense and VoiceSense line of Notetakers. This version adds support for content from the national Library Service, the ability to read and write Spanish documents, and support for the optional "Sense Dictionary".
http://www.hims-inc.com/news/new-upgrade-v62-firmware-upgrade-release-braille-sense-and-voice-sense

22) We offer you via Lockergnome, Nine iPhone Apps to Get You out of Bad Situations
http://www.lockergnome.com/ios/2012/01/25/nine-iphone-apps-to-get-you-out-of-bad-situations

23) Learning ally has created tutorials on how to use their vastly improved audiobook Manager:
http://www.learningally.org/Training-Support/Learning-Ally-BookShelf-and-Audiobook-Manager/Learning-Ally-Audiobook-Manager-screen-reader-audio-instructions/959/

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 337
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Refurbished Brailliant 32's At Ridiculous Discounts!!!
Flying Blind, LLC is pleased to offer our subscribers a couple of gently used Brailliant 32-Cell Braille terminals, with 30 day warranties, for USD$1,995.00 each. Flying Blind, LLC also has an additional Brailliant 32 in excellent condition for USD$1,450.00. These Braille displays are the perfect size for either portable or desktop computer access for the Braille reader wishing to benefit from a sleek design that has been coupled with a powerful user interface. All prices include shipping within the 48 continental United States. For more information, please send an email to featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107. Act now while supplies last!

Greetings,

1) A big news item during the past week has been Apple's new textbook initiative. The NF Access Technology Blog describes the experience of navigating textbooks:
http://www.nfb.org/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=918&SnID=472933475

2) Apple puts out a Support Page for authors to make their iBooks more accessible.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5073 #a11y #axs

3) This blogger discusses, The Good, The Bad and the Ugly of The iBooks 2.0 format:
http://www.baldurbjarnason.com/notes/the-ibooks-textbook-format/

4) New tutorials have been added to the YouTube Channel regarding the Save as DAISY add-in for Microsoft Word:
http://www.youtube.com/user/daisyconsortium

5) This is a PDF by Mike Pacielo entitled Creating Accessible Adobe PDF's:
http://t.co/8YPBBcFL

7) Learn How to add your favorite MLB teams schedule to your IOS device
http://www.appletothecore.info/2012/01/how-to-add-your-favorite-mlb-teams.html

8) From the SPN (Serotalk Podcast Network,) we have episode three of the triple Click Home podcast
http://tripleclickhome.com/2012/01/24/triple-click-home-episode-3-a-couple-of-few/
And Serotalk Podcast #93
http://serotalk.com/2012/01/23/serotalk-podcast-93-a-promise-ring-and-a-password/

Assistive Technology Radio:
http://www.assist

9) A recent podcast from Applevis is entitled, An Open Invitation To Get Involved:
http://www.applevis.com/blog/applevis-podcast-open-invitation-get-involved
The Accessible Devices podcast featured an interview with a member of the Applevis team:
http://www.accessible-devices.com/feed.xml

11) The NFB Access Technology Blog discussed Skype Connect, the product formerly known as GW Skype:
http://www.nfb.org/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=915&SnID=472933475

12) A new article has just been posted to the GW Micro Knowledgebase: Adobe Audition:
http://gwmicro.com/kb0

13) The iPhone Tactile ScreenShot Quick Reference Guide is now available for $27 from National Braille Press. These tactile screen shots of various iPhone screens show you what appears where on your iPhone's status bar, home screen apps, keypad, contacts, calendar, Apps Store, iBooks, iTunes.
http://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/IPHONE-TACTILES.html

14) From the NVDA Blog, we learn that NV Access Offers Phone-based Support and Training to Australian Users:
http://www.nvda-project.org/blog/PaidSupport

15) Duxbury Systems announces Service Release 3 of DBT version 11. Improvements include support for more embossers, improved table-handling functions, improved import of .docx files, and more.
http://www.duxburysystems.com/dbt.asp%0b

16) The Blio reader app is now accessible on Android phones.
http://www.blindbargains.com/link/6467

17) Overview of the Accessibility of Mainstream e-readers is a free EASI webinar to take place on Thursday, 9 February at 19:00 GMT.
http://easi.cc/clinic.htm
They also offer a four-part, fee-based workshop on barrier-free web design:
http://easi.cc/workshops/easiweb.htm
And a Four-part Webinar Series: Exploring CSS or Cascading Style Sheets: A Primer:
http://easi.cc/clinic.htm

18) Here are a few interesting-looking items from the Gizmo site:
Free File Search Utility is the Best Yet:
http://www.techsupportalert.com/users/gizmorichards Understanding The Windows 7 UAC
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/understanding-windows-7-uac.htm Best Free Online Backup Sites
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/best-free-online-backup-sites.htm

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 336
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: One (1) Focus 40 Display For USD$1,195.00!!!
After providing many of our subscribers with Focus Braille displays a couple of weeks ago, Flying Blind, LLC is pleased to have obtained another of these low cost gems which are selling for USD$1,195.00! This 40-Cell Braille Terminal works extremely well with the globally acclaimed JAWS screenreader, and is a must-have for any user who is in need of refreshable Braille and who is on a tight budget. We only have one of these units to part with, and will do so on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please contact featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 to put this lonely Braille display to work for you!

Greetings,

1) Among the podcasts hosted on Applevis recently are:
A Walk-through of NewsFolio, an Accessible RSS Reader with Google Reader Synchronization
http://www.applevis.com/node/2146
A Walk-through and Review of Vokul, a Powerful New Voice Control App and Siri Alternative
http://www.applevis.com/node/2145
A Walk-through of Ski & Snow Report, a Must Have app for all Skiers
http://www.applevis.com/node/2154
A Walk-thru of NextBuses: Departure Information for 370,000 Bus Stops Across England, Wales and Scotland
http://www.applevis.com/node/2171

2) This post by Jim Fruchterman, with its associated comments, gives some enlightenment about the much-discussed SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act.)
http://benetech.blogspot.com/2011/11/why-im-scared-of-sopa-bill.html

4) Serotek's Mike Calvo reviews four Bluetooth devices.
http://serotalk.com/2012/01/18/a-review-of-four-bluetooth-devices-by-mike-calvo/

5) Seminars Hadley will present an elaboration of how blind people read and produce music, on Thursday, 19 January at 16:00 GMT. Chances are you'll miss the live event, but it will be available for download later:
http://www.hadley.edu/PastSeminars.asp

7) Two free computer games for Windows are available from Rich De Steno. Atlantic City Blackjack is a realistic blackjack game and Destination Mars is a challenging space travel game. Send your request for either or both games by email to
ironrock@verizon.net.

8) Even though we have left Office 2007 behind, this tutorial regarding shortcut kehys could be of interest if you're looking to move from Office 2003:
http://goo.gl/6bZdE

10) You can read Understanding WebAccessibilty - A Guide to create Accessible Work environment or download a pdf version of it.
http://t.co/qUdBcmT4 #web #a11y #axs

11) Watch a Youtube video introducing STEPP - The Student E-Rent Pilot Project
http://lnkd.in/JJbzHt

12) There are now JAWS scripts for the chat system TeamTalk at:
http://t.co/j1QNmnCS

13) Here is An update, not entirely favorable, on Google Apps accessibility.
http://t.co/njivWp7S HT @Jennison #highered #a11y #Google

14) From YouTube help site, we can read how to work with YouTube with a screen reader.
http://t.co/BOkoQ20Z

15) This article, written in the wake of a security breach, concerns ways to make, and remember strong passwords.
http://t.co/VZsldwaa

16) Accessibility reviews for stella version 2.1,Fix WU version 1.0, Dectalk version 4.4, final burn alpha, kega fusion version 3.64, and blue msx version 2.8 have been added to the AccessWatch system.
http://www.accesswatch.info

17) Here are lots of updates from the gizmo site. I don't check out most of these, so some may prove to be duds, but others are gems:
Best Free PC Tune-up Utility
http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-pc-tune-up-utility.htm
Interesting Beta Websites and Applications
http://www.techsupportalert.com/interesting-betas.htm
Speed Up Your Hearing
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/speed-your-hearing.htm
How to Easily Insert Special Symbols and Characters in Windows - Part I
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-easily-insert-special-symbols-and-characters-windows-part-i.htm
How to Easily Insert Special Symbols and Characters in Windows - Part II
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-easily-insert-special-symbols-and-characters-windows-part-ii.htm
How to rip DVD movies using freeware HandBrake
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/rip-dvd-movie.htm
Website of the Week (refdesk.com)
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/web-site-week-refdeskcom.htm
Website of the Week (WonderHowTo.com)
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/site-week-wonderhowtocom.htm
Website of the Week (Wonderopolis)
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/web-site-week-wonderopolis.htm
Website of the Week (Simple Help)
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/web-site-week-simple-help.htm
Website of the Week (Mashable)
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/web-site-week-mashable.htm
Website of the Week (WhatsRunning.net)
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/web-site-week-whatsrunningnet.htm-0
Website of the Week (Encyclopedia Smithsonian)
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/web-site-week-encyclopedia-smithsonian.htm
Website of the Week (CopyPasteCharacter.com)
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/web-site-week-copypastecharactercom.htm
Website of the Week (Life's Little Mysteries)
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/web-site-week-lifes-little-mysteries.htm
Extraordinary World Libraries
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/extraordinary-world-libraries.htm
Create And Publish A Web Page In Seconds
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/create-and-publish-web-page-seconds.htm
How to Know If Your Computer Is Infected
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-know-if-your-computer-infected.htm

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 335
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Refurbished PacMate 20-Cell and 40-Cell Portable Braille displays For Unbelievably Affordable Prices!!!
Flying Blind, LLC is pleased to offer its subscribers a tremendous savings on some refurbished PacMate 20-Cell and 40-Cell portable Braille displays. These incredibly compact displays provide four-way navigation, duo cursor routing functionality, and 10 programmable function keys in a size too portable to pass up, and at a price too low to beat! They're a fantastic compliment to the globally acclaimed JAWS For Windows screenreader. We have a few PacMate 40-Cell displays for USD $995.00 each and one 20-Cell Model for USD $695.00. This price includes shipping within the U.S. and Canada, and also includes a 90 day service warranty! Imagine, a 40-Cell display for less than 1K? Unbelievable! Act now while supplies last by emailing featured@flying-blind.com or calling +1 (216) 381-8107 today!

Greetings,

1) The In Touch program from the BBC presented an installment on the latest mobile phones and what they offer the visually impaired.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b018xs8r

2) The British Computer Association of the Blind (BCAB) offers a CD containing tutorials for using Windows 7, Windows Live Mail, the Internet, and Word 2010, all with JAWS 11 and above, all available in DAISY, text, html and audio formats. Only available on cd, the disk costs 60 pounds for non-members, 25 pounds for members, or 46 pounds 50 pence, which gives you the disk and a membership.
http://bcab.org.uk/training-events/gtgw-tutorials

3) In BGZ Podcast #51: Rick Harmon Demonstrates the RII Mini Bluetooth Keyboard.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1581531/BGZ051.mp3 #Audio

4) And in BGZ Podcast #52, he talks about the NewTrent 7000mah USB battery.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1581531/BGZ052.mp3

5) Applevis is inviting and storing podcasts, and a recent one features a Review and Walk-Through of an iOS app called Voice Changer Plus.
http://www.applevis.com/node/2108

6) Starting January 12 EASI is providing a 4-part webinar series on creating accessible Powerpoints. Read more and ask about the scholarship, register for the series as a member or register and pay online for this fee-based series.
http://easi.cc/clinic.htm

7) David Bales has written a guide to Windows Live Mail 2011. It includes a detailed description of how to use the ribbons in this program using either the standard windows keystrokes or the Jaws virtual ribbon. It's available here:
http://goo.gl/mnHqJ

8) Tek Talk for GMT Tuesday, January 17 will feature a side-by-side comparison of the experience of using iTunes on a Mac and in Windows.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

9) This article is entitled 14 Websites to Convert Youtube files to MP3 Online.
http://www.geekersmagazine.com/youtube-to-mp3-converter/

10) Ian Humphreys announces the release of the 19th game in the Blind Gamers series, BG Master Mind 1.0. To request this free game, write to:
games@spoonbillsoftware.com.au

11) Skwire Software produces a free and very accessible program to add hotkeys to various media players. As an example, you could open the program and assign Windows-P to play a file in Winamp. URL is:
http://skwire.dcmembers.com/fp/?page=mph

12) Sprint now offers the Mobile Accessibility package developed by Code Factory for free to its Sprint and some of its Boost Mobile customers who use android phones.
http://t.co/TongXzvG

13) Here is An In Depth Analysis of HTML5 Multimedia and Accessibility
http://net.tutsplus.com/tutorials/html-css-techniques/an-in-depth-overview-of-html5-multimedia-and-accessibility/

14) This LowVisionBureau blog entry and podcast discusses one of the options for accessible use of Twitter.
http://lowvisionbureau.com/blog/lvbpodcast/twitter-accessible-for-visually-impaired-people/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

15) T&T Consultancy announces that J-Tools version 5, to provide compatibility with jaws 13, is now available.
http://www.tandt-consultancy.com/pages/news.php?article=40

16) GW Micro sales manager and trainer, Marc Solomon, was recently interviewed by the Georgia Radio Reading Service (GaRRS) and the interview is scheduled to air on GMT Sunday, 15 January, 2012, at 01:03 during the Technology Talk radio show. If you would like to listen to the radio show live, you can access the GaRRS Audio Stream Listen Page at:
http://www.garrs.info/GLP/GLP-X.html
If you can't make it to the live broadcast, you can access an archive of the audio recording at:
http://garrs.info/programs/SPECIAL EDITIONS/index.html

Top Tech Tidbits - Volume 334
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology

A Flying Blind, LLC Publication
http://www.flying-blind.com/

This Week's Featured Advertisement: Refurbished Focus USB 40 And 80 Cell Braille Displays For Unbelievably Affordable Prices!!!
Flying Blind, LLC is pleased to kick off 2012 with a number of refurbished Focus Braille displays at incredibly low prices. Focus Braille displays are manufactured by Freedom Scientific, developers of the globally acclaimed JAWS For Windows Screenreader which provides exceptional Braille support and functionality with its Focus Braille terminals. While supplies last we will be offering the Focus 40-Cell Braille Terminal for USD$1,195.00 and the Focus 80-Cell Braille Terminal for USD$2,195.00. These units connect seamlessly to your PC and provide robust, affordable, tactile access to all that the Windows operating system has to offer. Each display comes with a 90 day service warranty. Please contact us at featured@flying-blind.com or call +1 (216) 381-8107 while supplies last!!!

Greetings,

1) The January, 2012 issue of The Braille Monitor contains an article entitled Mainstream Access to E-Books - What Works, What Doesn't, and What Is Still Unclear
http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/bm/bm12/bm1201/bm120105.htm

2) The January, 2012 issue of AccessWorld is now available, featuring a review of the low-cost screen magnifier CDesk COMPASS by AdaptiveVoice, an evaluation of the trekker Breeze, discussion of The Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act, A Guide to Accessing Spotify and Rhapsody Music Streaming Sites with a Screen Reader, and more.
http://www.afb.org/accessworld

3) Detailed instructions on how to install the Java access bridge for windows under various system configurations are found here.
http://ojt-accessibility.java.net/accessbridge

4) Along the same lines, JWin is a free, open source program for detecting and installing the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) on Windows, together with the Java Access Bridge (JAB), which is needed for full accessibility of Java-based applications to assistive technologies used by persons with disabilities.
http://EmpowermentZone.com/JWin_setup.zip

5) The Cisco Academy for the Vision Impaired is offering its unique and proven Courses for the first semester, 2012. Application dedline is 3 February. Besides established courses in IT essentials and CCNA Discovery and Exploration, a new course, "An intro to command-line Linux administration". Per-course cost is $500 if an employer or agency is paying and roughly a third of that if you pay out of pocket. Please see:
http://www.ciscovision.org/
Or Email:
caviinfo@ciscovision.org

6) Learn about the latest version of the accessible audio production scripts and tutorial called CakeTalking for SONAR from Dancing Dots in a brand-new audio presentation created by Bryan Smart.
http://www.dancingdots.com/huge/ct8.5demo.mp3

7) Many people and organizations have striven to create a truly affordable braille display; so far, none has brought a product to fruition. Now, David Pankhurst appears to be launching an endeavor with considerable energy. I hope it happens someday, and maybe he'll be the person to get it done.
http://www.indiegogo.com/Open-Source-Braille-Display

8) Part of the Tek Talk presentation for GMT Tuesday, 10 January, at 01:00 will be the second part of a two-part tutorial on using SendSpace.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

9) Here are some of the latest additions to the Gizmo site:
Start The Year With A Free Security Check For Your PC
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/start-year-free-security-check-your-pc.htm
Gizmo's Freeware Award for Best Freeware Product of 2011
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/gizmo-s-freeware-award-best-freeware-product-2011.htm
This Selection of Useful Tutorials and How-To Articles Will Help Make You a Better PC User
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/selection-useful-tutorials-and-how-articles-will-help-make-you-better-pc-user.htm
Best Free File Archiver-Zip Utility
http://www.techsupportalert.com/users/akt
Best Free OCR Software
http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-ocr-software.htm

10) Allison Hilliker and Darrell Shandrow demonstrate finding, downloading and reading with Bookshare's Read2Go iOS app in this podcast.
http://blindaccessjournal.com/2012/01/never-leave-home-without-your-books-bookshare-read2go-for-ios/

11) You can find the JAWS scripts to work with the latest version of the Goldwave audio editor on the Blind Geek Zone Programs page.
http://www.blind-geek-zone.net/programs.htm

12) GW Micro has launched a new email list: GW-Apps, designed for discussions related to all GW Micro and Window-Eyes Apps, including GW Skype. You can sign up for this list, and all other GW Micro lists, at
http://www.gwmicro.com/listserv