[blindlaw] wireless head phone for courtroom

Tue Sep 21 18:03:15 UTC 2010

Hello Dennis:
The two blue tooth ear pieces I have are both JABRA makes. One is a JABRA 
960, and that one is pretty old. I don't think you can buy them any more - 
that one has a batterry life of about 4 hours. Messes me up when I'm trying 
to work all day in the office, It means I need to plug it into the charger 
at lunch time or I will end up being without it later in the day and wearing 
a wired headset or listening to JAWS aloud all day. I do a lot of work by 
telephone and find the blue tooth wireless ear piece to be very handy. The 
JABRA 960 is a bit on the heavy side, for an earpiece that is, and is 
slightly larger than the newer ones that are out. Even the old one is less 
than the size of your ear and is not very obtrusive at all.
The newer one I have, a BT LHGM is smaller and is lighter - and is very easy 
to wear and get used to and is less obtrusive. Remember, these things are 
pretty darn small to begin with, so I wouldn't worry about it much.
These are the same blue tooth earpieces that you can use with your cell 
phone, so you have an idea how small they are.
I would suggest that  you check around your area in places like Staples 
office supply and ask to "see" a few of them. They all seem to come in a 
bubble pack, so I'd ask they pull one out for you.  I have made it a 
practice to get the kind that has a CD ROM with them so that any software 
that might not already be on your computer, is available for loading. this 
avoids the online search to find and download the software from some other 
web site. Getting the darn things configured with your laptop is the trick, 
that is not remotely accessible. What you really need is a computer-savvy 
teen ager to help out. If you don't happen to have one of your own, they are 
easily found in such places as any computer store or can be very easily 
rented or loaned through friends who have one or two at home.
  I usually find blue tooth earpieces  with a USB thing, less than the size 
of a thumb drive, that comes with the earpiece,  and gets plugged in to one 
of my USB ports. I think they are antennas, but I'm not sure, all I know is 
that if I don't have that USB thing plugged in, it won't work right.
I have paid between $150 and $400 for these items. They do range in price, 
and they change quickly, very quickly. My new, BT LHGM was bought 2 years 
ago and is already considered old. IT still works great, so I'm not in any 
hurry to get rid of it any time soon.  So I'm kind of curious to know what 
is new that is out there now.
One other thing,  with JAWS, and I use version 10 these days, when a blue 
tooth device "connects" with your laptop, some devices will pull jaws in 
right away and you needn't do anything other than wait for it to kick in. 
Others, once you hear the connection sound, usually your default email 
receipt sound, you need to pop into jaws and change your sound card default.
Don't panic about that, if you are using JAWS 10 like I am, pull JAWS up, 
tap U for utilities, then O for sound cards and then arrow up or down to see 
what kinds of sound cards are listed. If you have a blue tooth device that 
you've just turned on, one item listed there will be "Blue Tooth Device" 
listed right with the sound cards. If the blue tooth is not turned on, that 
"blue tooth device" item won't show in with the sound cards.
I run XP home edition with JAWS 10, and after I'd had the blue tooth operate 
a few times, it began picking up JAWS automatically all by itself.
Getting the blue tooth to kick in after you turn it on takes about 10 
seconds.
The oddest experience I've had with those earpieces is that sighted people 
think I'm on the telephone all the time. Using it as a simple earpiece is a 
new experience for those sighted people around you.

 Hope this helps.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dennis Clark" <dennisgclark at sbcglobal.net>
To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, September 20, 2010 6:38 PM
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] wireless head phone for courtroom

> Hello Ross,
> Your positive experience with these Bluetooth ear pieces is very
> encouraging.  Can you recommend any specific brands or models that you 
> have
> liked?  Also, are any of them particularly small so that they are not
> obtrusive?  I look forward to hearing from you.
> All the best,
> Dennis
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Ross Doerr" <rumpole at roadrunner.com>
> To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, September 20, 2010 12:59 PM
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] wireless head phone for courtroom
>
>
>>I have been using blue tooth headset ear pieces to do my work for the past
>>5 years. Almost all laptops these days  are blue tooth compatible, and I
>>find them to be pretty useful.
>> I have used them extensively  in administrative hearings and in courts.
>> About the only draw back  to using them is that, when you first start
>> using them, your ear might take a while to get used to wearing it. But
>> they all come with volume controls on them and you can set them up to be
>> secure connections.
>> This way, my laptop is my talking file,  and all I really have to worry
>> about is keeping any evidence exhibits in hard copy straight, doing quick
>> search prep for my computer file, and in general, tryng to make sure
>> nobody from the other table can glance over at what is on my laptop
>> screen.
>>  Oh yes, one more thing, I have never found a blue tooth ear piece that
>> does not "blink". Not that it is distratcing, but one needs to know that
>> what you have in your ear does "flash".
>> No, that does not make you a flasher.
>> OH yes, one other thing, The little batterey in the ear piece is not
>> constant. Some will last 4 hours, some six hours and others 8 hours. It
>> all depends on how much you are willing to spend on one.
>> One last thing - sales people in computer stores all tell you that all 
>> you
>> need to do is to charge up a blue tooth ear piece and your computer will
>> recognize it.  Well, In the 5 years I've been using them, I have never
>> once been able to get a laptop to do that.
>> I've used two blue tooth ear pieces, I still have both of them, and have
>> undergone two computer crashes at home and two at the officve. Each time
>> it was an inaccessible re-configuration deal with someone sighted to get
>> it installed properly again.
>> Once installed, I have found that JAWS works pretty well with them.
>> IF you want to know any more, contact me off list at:
>> rumpole at roadrunner.com
>> Hope that helps.
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Shannon Geihsler" <sbg at sbgaal.com>
>> To: <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Monday, September 20, 2010 3:19 PM
>> Subject: [blindlaw] wireless head phone for courtroom
>>
>>
>>> Dear All:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Has anyone found a wireless head phone that works well for being able to
>>> hear the screen reader you have on your computer?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Any help is greatly appreciated.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Shannon
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Law Office of Shannon Brady Geihsler, PLLC
>>> 1001 Main St., Suite 803
>>> Lubbock, TX 79401
>>> Phone: 763-3999
>>> Fax: 749-3752
>>>
>>> This email may contain material that is confidential, privileged and/or
>>> attorney work product for the sole use of the intended recipient. Any
>>> review, reliance or distribution by others or forwarding without express
>>> permission is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended 
>>> recipient,
>>> please contact the sender and delete all copies.
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
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>>
>>
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