[blindlaw] wireless head phone for courtroom

Tue Sep 28 08:09:18 UTC 2010

Hello Ross,
I've been out of town for a few days and I am very behind in my email.  I 
really appreciate hearing from you.  I had no idea that these kinds of 
portable wireless Bluetooth ear pieces were available.  I knew that there 
were wireless earphones for cell phones but I wasn't aware that they could 
be made to function with computers.  I will venture over to Best Buy later 
this week and see if they have anything available which isn't in a bubble 
package and can be examined.  I will let you know if I find anything new or 
interesting.
All the best,
Dennis
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ross Doerr" <rumpole at roadrunner.com>
To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2010 11:03 AM
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] wireless head phone for courtroom


> 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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