Top Tech tidbits for thursday, February 8, 2007
1) For-The-People and BITS (Blind Information Technology Specialists) will offer an introductory seminar on System Access and Freedom Box on 25 February at 01:00 gmt. A free account is necessary to take part.
http://www.for-the-people.com
2) A new version of the open-source windows screen reader Non-Visual Desktop has been released. the author says he now can use this program as his exclusive screen reader.
http://www.nvaccess.org/nvda/
3) Accessible World will feature the second part of its training on Microsoft Word, with answers to questions about the new Word version 11. Drop into the Tech Talk room or wait a few days for the archive.
http://www.accessibleworld.org>
4) The team at AccessWorld has assembled a page detailing screen reader manufacturers' statements about their products' readiness to run Windows Vista. Find the article, Are We Ready for Vista, on this page.
http://www.afb.org/aw/main.asp
5) this Fred's Head Companion piece gives a good listing of ways to find phone numbers without using a phone book. the article doesn't mention the TellME Business Search beta, which I mentioned accompanied by the wrong phone number a couple issues ago. the correct number for that service is (800) 555-8355. Here's the link for the article:
http://fredsheadcompanion.blogspot.com/2007/02/finding-friends-and-businesses-without_05.html
6) Gw Micro and AI Squared have announced that they have worked together behind the scenes to ensure that the screen reader Gw Micro and the screen enlargement program ZoomText work together weamlessly in Windows Vista.
7) Ralph Stewart of myradiostore.com is willing to advocate with Xm Radio to produce receivers that are blind-friendly if there is sufficient interest. those who might be interested n such a receiver are encouraged to e-mail
ralphs@myradiostore.com
8) Eons is a new company that has developed a search engine for the web which they claim is great for those over 50. Results are shown in a larger font, and you only see four results per screen to minimize confusion.
http://www.eons.com.
9) Humanware announces that the BrailleNote interfaces with Mobile Speak Pocket so that users of the mPower can work with pocket pc devices and phones.
http://humanware.com/
10) An accessibility review of Techno Shock version 1.2 has been added to the AccessWatch database.
http://www.accesswatch.info
11) This posting from the Access Technologists Higher Education Network blog provides links to a lot of great audio and video material on a range of technology suggested by the title of the blog.
http://athenpro.blogspot.com/2007/02/multimedia-edition.html
12) And the same blog pointed out a National Public Radio story, Downloading Audio Books Gains in Popularity, available for listening here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7189148
13) The E-Sword Bible Program is a powerful study tool featuring several versions of the Bible as well as dictionaries and commentaries. the program is quite usable with speech, and to make it more useful, there is a low-traffic mailing list where users can ask and answer accessibility questions. To join, send a blank message to
eSword-Accessibility-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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