🚀 go-pugleaf

                            THE BLIND NEWS DIGEST

                                 Issue # 938

                          Wednesday, June 16, 1993

Today's Topics:


                                ******


                         Re: Questions from a new d
                          Reading Machine Comparis
                         Re: speech for unix systems
                              braille questions
                                r.f.b. access
                             Advantedge addendum
                          Re: Ms dos 6 and multiple
                                  Watches?
                          Buying New Tape Recorder
                            Re: scanner question


                                ******


To subscribe to the Blind News Digest mailing list or have your
thoughts in the next issue, please send electronic mail to
Bill McGarry at any of the following addresses:


UUCP:       uunet!bunker!wtm
INTERNET:   wtm@bunker.shel.isc-br.com
BITNET:     blindnws@ndsuvm1.bitnet
Fidonet:    The Handicap News BBS (141/420)   1-203-337-1607
            (300/1200/2400 baud, 24 hours)
Compuserve: 73170,1064

                              Bill McGarry (Moderator)
                              (203) 337-1518



------



Subject: Re: Questions from a new d
From: Kelly.Ford@f8.n121.z1.fidonet.org (Kelly Ford)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:121/8 - JW-PC DataFlex.HST, Sun Prairie WI


[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

Bob,
I'm only 26 but just returned with my first guide dog a few weeks ago.
 I had many of the same questions you listed in your post.  It surprised
me how many people said the dog would be such a good companion.  Don't
get me wrong, I like my dog enjoy playing with it but didn't get it for
the companionship reason.
If your experience is anything like mine, you have a lot of fun and a
little stress ahead of you.  Don't be surprised if everything seems
really great at the school and then find yourself wondering what you got
into the first few days at home.  Things are really different once you
return to your life with the dog.
Still, I think you'll really enjoy the process of walking with a dog.
I've been a cane user all my life and for a bit said I don't need a dog.
 I probably still don't need one but it is really a faster way of
travel.  I think all cane users encounter things on a daily basis that
the dog just goes around.
The first few trips with a dog are probably going to seem really
strange.  It couldn't be more different from a cane if they tried to
make it so.  The best thing I can suggest is to try and totally trust
the dog on those first few trips.  If your training is anything like
mine, you'll have an instructor close at hand so nothing bad's going to
happen.
When I went on my first trip I picked up the harness and just let the
dog do its thing.  Obviously you have to control the dog but I focussed
on learning to follow my dog and read what it was doing.
When you are in training ask all the questions you can think of.  Also,
don't be surprised if on some days it seems like the dog and you have
gone backwards.

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!121!8!Kelly.Ford
Internet: Kelly.Ford@f8.n121.z1.fidonet.org




------



Subject: Reading Machine Comparis
From: Ron.Denis@f52.n363.z1.fidonet.org (Ron Denis)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:363/52 - Central Florida Psy, Orlando FL


[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

I would like to personally thank Peter S. and Stephen B. for their
informative messages on the Reading Advantage and open Book.  I have, as
hasbeen mentioned wometime in the past, an older dos-based arkinstone.
Though not financially able to switch to anything else at the moment, I
find myself wishing increasingly that I could and am delighted with the
interchanges and improvements in these products which is obviously
emerging.  We are sdlowly moving toward my ideaZl, a human with buttons
that will read only what's on the page without comment and will jump
around in response to comands without comment or complaint.  <grin>
The review and response were excellent (back on topic) and I for one
appreciated them both.

Ron

... And on the seventh day, someone said, "What do you do for an encore?"
___ Via Silver Xpress V3.01

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!363!52!Ron.Denis
Internet: Ron.Denis@f52.n363.z1.fidonet.org




------



Subject: Re: speech for unix systems
From: dlawlor@morgan.ucs.mun.ca (Doug Lawlor)
Organization: Memorial University of Newfoundland

shandrow@enuxva.eas.asu.edu (Darrell Shandrow) writes:

>Index Number: 29437

>I think that it is great that IBM is providing direct screen access
>to the rs6000 Unix workstations.  Does anyone know if this will be
>demonstrated at the NFB convention?  73
On the subject of unix, has anyone managed to get linux talking?  I
thought I heard that someone was writing a speech device driver for it.

Doug
A

--
Doug Lawlor, vo1cm
Internet: dlawlor@morgan.ucs.mun.ca or dlawlor@kean.ucs.mun.ca




------



Subject: braille questions
From: dashiell@nadc.nadc.navy.mil (Jude DaShiell)


(1)  there is only one recognized standard for computer braille.
there were different forms of it in the past.

(2)  standard braille and computer braille have the alphabet in
common and that's about all.

(3)  it buys you nothing for going into computer braille and then
going into nemeth code since nemeth code is yet another standard.
It is better for math than computer braille if the transcribers
remember to include a table of symbols if very high math is being
transcribed.

(4)  The american printing house for the blind in louisville
publishes nemeth code books in both braille and also in print.  The
print version even has cell diagrams depicting the layout of the
dots in the cells.  These diagrams are like windows that are
rectangular in shape with three panes going up and two panes going
across.  Some panes will have circles on them to represent dot
positions and others will not.

Hope this helps.

<dashiell@nadc.nadc.navy.mil>
j. DaShiell
Naval Air Warfare Center
Aircraft Division Warminster
Street and Jacksonville Roads
Warminster, PA   18974-5000
(215)-441-2229




------



Subject: r.f.b. access
From: dashiell@nadc.nadc.navy.mil (Jude DaShiell)


They're looking for anonymous for a log in and your
e-mail address as a password.

<dashiell@nadc.nadc.navy.mil>
j. DaShiell
Naval Air Warfare Center
Aircraft Division Warminster
Street and Jacksonville Roads
Warminster, PA   18974-5000
(215)-441-2229




------



Subject: Advantedge addendum
From: Peter.Scialli@f432.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Peter Scialli)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:109/432 - The Idea Link, Wheaton MD


[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

  I have followed Stephen's advice in several areas and have been able
  to somewhat refine the use of Reading AdvantEdge.  I find it a bit
  inconvenient to manualy reset options for batch recognition following
  batch scanning, but it works well non the less.  I have been able to
  have the batch acquisition process perform just about as fast as that
  on Open Book.  The processing seems to be a touch on the slow side in
  comparison, but it really doesn't matter since the intention is to
  take care of the recognition as an unattended process.  Be warened
  about using uncompressed TIF files as suggested by Steph, they are
  huge.  At 400 dpi, the landscape images take up around 1.8 megabytes
  each.
    By the way, I guess I need to recant somewhat my impression that
    Advantedge runs perfectly on a compressed drive.  I was getting some
    unexplained disk writing errors, probably related to the so-called
    swap files.  I moved some data around to make room on my
    uncompressed drive for these, and the whole thing seems to be
    running more smoothly.  Steph, perhaps you can address this issue
    for us.  I feel it may be important for some to be able to run
    everything on a compressed drive and I don't quite understand why
    there should be problems.  I'd also be curious to know if having
    even more memory than 8 Megabytes would allow AdvantEdge to run
    faster on a machine of a given clock speed.  Thanks for listening.

     Peter

 * JABBER v1.1 * REALITY.SYS Corrupted: Re-boot universe? (Y/N/Q)
===
 * KMail 2.94g - The Idea Link -

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!109!432!Peter.Scialli
Internet: Peter.Scialli@f432.n109.z1.fidonet.org




------



Subject: Re: Ms dos 6 and multiple
From: Stew.Bowden@f270.n271.z1.fidonet.org (Stew Bowden)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:271/270 - VA Data Exchange, Newport News VA


[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

Hi Glenn: I would have done what you are trying to do with the autoexec.bat
file. I would write a batch file for speech, and copy that to the autoexec.bat
file when I wanted speech, and I would write another batch file without speech,
and when i wanted that one I would copy that batch file to the autoexec.bat
file. I do that here, because there are others who from time to time use my
system, and they don't want speech. Hope this helps. Stew

... when the computer asks you are you sure, ponder a moment

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!271!270!Stew.Bowden
Internet: Stew.Bowden@f270.n271.z1.fidonet.org




------



Subject: Watches?
From: Christopher.Hill@p233.f4115.n124.z1.fidonet.org (Christopher Hill)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:124/4115.233 - Southern Crossroads, Grapevine TX


[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

Norm Gezik wrote in a message to All:

NG>     Does anyone have any information on where a guy can buy a
NG> new watch that will take a little more abuse than others?

I had one of AFB's quartz battery powered watches.  It lasted
pretty good, although I broke the plastic see-through top, and
basically beat it to h***.

I've had a couple of talking watches from radio shack.  I've got
their new model with the brittish accent.  It's been in the water a
couple of times, but it still works.

Hope this helps..
Chris

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!124!4115.233!Christopher.Hill
Internet: Christopher.Hill@p233.f4115.n124.z1.fidonet.org




------



Subject: Buying New Tape Recorder
From: Craig.Werner@f110.n260.z1.fidonet.org (Craig Werner)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:260/110 - <BIBMUG, N Tonawanda NY


[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

Hello, everyone.

I am helping a friend to make a selection of a new desktop tape
machine.  She needs a machine with a variable-frequency power supply
and built-in tone indexing.  She is considering the machines in the
$200 price range offered by APH (GE) and RFB (Panasonic).  Has
anyone ever compared the two?  She is leaning towards the GE since
its nicad battery charger is built in.  Any advice is gratefully
received.

Craig Werner <Internet werner@world.std.com>

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!260!110!Craig.Werner
Internet: Craig.Werner@f110.n260.z1.fidonet.org




------



Subject: Re: scanner question
From: William.Wilson@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (William Wilson)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:129/89 - BlinkLink, Pittsburgh PA


[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

 SB> I agree, it would be nice to see some comparative reviews of
 SB> The Reading AdvantEdge and Oscar. Peter Scialli's mini-review
 SB> was, I thought, quite good - given both his biases (which he
 SB> was very up-front about), and the small amount of time he had
 SB> spent with the system. I, of course, have used both systems,
 SB> but not systematically, and my biases are such that I really
 SB> don't think you should take what I would say seriously.

Stephen,
     You know, one of the things you have passed over lightly in your
descriptions of the Reading AdvantEdge, and yet which sure as heck has
my interest peaked, is the lack of a copyright protection scheme with
your product!

     Am I missing something here, or isn't it true that only the
Xerox/Kurzweil endeavor in the software based OCR game for the visually
disabled contains this feature?  That is, when I upgrade my system, or
even just optimize my hard disk, something I do quite regularly, can't I
expect problems with either Open Book Unbound or Soft Oscar that I won't
have with the Reading AdvantEdge?

     Sure, I want as accurate recognition as I can get, and of course
speed and flexibility are all issues, but most definitely, in my case at
least, it is very important that I don't experience the troubles I've
heard about when doing what I consider normal maintenance and find my
OCR program needs another installation, most particularly when I have
only so many available to me as with the Soft Oscar package!

     I don't usually give my opinion on products of which I have as
limited experience as I do with these, but for sure, the Reading
AdvantEdge has caught my attention enough with this one feature to cause
me to be saving money I might otherwise be blowing on going to a
convention this summer! <grin>
                                        Willie

... I always listen!

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!89!William.Wilson
Internet: William.Wilson@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org




------






                                ******

                 End of Issue # 938 of the Blind News Digest

                                ******