[Dtb-talk] NLS Digital Players

Tue Feb 16 03:13:31 UTC 2010

I use the HumanWare companion software to unzip and transfer my books to 
flash drives and cartridges.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Greg Kearney" <gkearney at gmail.com>
To: "Discussion of Digital Talking Books" <dtb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, February 15, 2010 5:55 PM
Subject: Re: [Dtb-talk] NLS Digital Players

> Yes we are using them in Western Australia on the east coast they use CDs.
>
> We have found that we can use small USB SD card readers and plug 
> VictorReader Stream SD cards into the NLS players and they will find the 
> books even if there are several VR Stream folders on the card.
>
>
> Gregory Kearney
> Manager - Accessible Media
> Association for the Blind of Western Australia
> 61 Kitchener Avenue, PO Box 101
> Victoria Park 6979, WA Australia
>
> Telephone: +61 (08) 9311 8202
> Telephone: +1 (307) 224-4022 (North America)
> Fax: +61 (08) 9361 8696
> Toll free: 1800 658 388 (Australia only)
> Email: gkearney at gmail.com
>
> On 16/02/2010, at 5:00 AM, James Aldrich wrote:
>
>> Hello!
>>
>> So are you folks in Australia using the cartridges as well?
>>
>> I use a Victor Stream and the NLS Player and I'm very happy with both! 
>> The player will last over 29 hours on a charge according to the 
>> information key where the stream lasts 15 hours on a good battery.  I 
>> think the battery in my stream could be going down now but I'll use it 
>> till I only get minutes on a charge.  I also like the tone quality of the 
>> player.
>>
>> Jim Aldrich
>>
>> the
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Greg Kearney" <gkearney at gmail.com>
>> To: "Discussion of Digital Talking Books" <dtb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Monday, February 15, 2010 12:44 AM
>> Subject: Re: [Dtb-talk] NLS Digital Players
>>
>>
>>> But we should remember who we are serving. OVer 80% of our clients here, 
>>> and we are typical, are over the age of 70 many have lost their sight in 
>>> the recent past and do not have either access to or even the means to 
>>> obtain extensive rehabilitation. They will never be downloading books 
>>> form the internet. They can not even handle SD cards well.
>>>
>>> We use VictorReader Streams (Library Editions) here for some of our 
>>> clients but other require a robust simple and loud player with simple 
>>> controls.
>>>
>>> While I have been known to be critical of some of the decisions the NLS 
>>> made on the matter of the form factor of the drives and player I think 
>>> they were right on the mark. We have been very happy with that aspect of 
>>> the program that we adopted here.
>>>
>>> Gregory Kearney
>>> Manager - Accessible Media
>>> Association for the Blind of Western Australia
>>> 61 Kitchener Avenue, PO Box 101
>>> Victoria Park 6979, WA Australia
>>>
>>> Telephone: +61 (08) 9311 8202
>>> Telephone: +1 (307) 224-4022 (North America)
>>> Fax: +61 (08) 9361 8696
>>> Toll free: 1800 658 388 (Australia only)
>>> Email: gkearney at gmail.com
>>>
>>> On 15/02/2010, at 3:21 PM, Rakesh Chand wrote:
>>>
>>>> I suppose, with all the new technology people are generally looking for 
>>>> smaller compact gadgets so, we from the blindness community need to 
>>>> perhaps, catch-up. Let's forget about cassettes let's put our focus on 
>>>> MP-4 or MP-3 players USB-drives etc etc.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I personally can have a desk-top at home & I don't have one, because, I 
>>>> like to have something that is more mobile & more accessible. I'm 
>>>> really fancying to have a V-stream as currently, I've a Note-book but, 
>>>> my wife keeps reminding me how bulky the old V-stream looked like...
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> So all in all, we blind folks need to be in the community rather than 
>>>> shying away... People who have vision fancy small compact stuff!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> But hey yes, Valerie has a point to be noted. Trust you all had a 
>>>> beautiful day!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Have a great evening!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Rakesh
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Valerie Lewis" 
>>>> <vlewis at suffolk.lib.ny.us>
>>>> To: "Discussion of Digital Talking Books" <dtb-talk at nfbnet.org>; "Tim 
>>>> Gillett" <tim.gillett at optusnet.com.au>
>>>> Sent: Monday, February 15, 2010 6:28 PM
>>>> Subject: Re: [Dtb-talk] NLS Digital Players
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Aditionally, the National Library Service program is designed for 
>>>>> people
>>>>> with physical disabilities who cannot hold a book or turn pages. The
>>>>> cartridges can be used more easily than the microscopic electronics 
>>>>> that
>>>>> are commercially available. People with dexterity problems can
>>>>> grab/grasp/hold the NLS cartridges and can use the larger buttons on 
>>>>> the
>>>>> NLS DTB machine.
>>>>>
>>>>> Valerie
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On Mon, Feb 15, 2010, Tim Gillett <tim.gillett at optusnet.com.au> said:
>>>>>
>>>>>> David wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "NLS does not provide blank cartridges or thumb drives.
>>>>>> They are in the business of providing books preloaded on cartridges
>>>>>> - in the way that they have provided cassettes."
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Yes it's easy to forget the whole purpose of the NLS larger cartridge 
>>>>>> housing
>>>>>> is to make it easy for the Print handicapped to read books.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> One of the downsides of the miniaturisation of electronics has been 
>>>>>> its effect on the blind.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The compact cassette was still reasonably large enough for easy use 
>>>>>> by the blind.  Whereas
>>>>>> on the modern flash card there is usually not enough room  for 
>>>>>> adequate braille or printed labelling
>>>>>> for example, let alone reliably inserting such small media into a 
>>>>>> player.
>>>>>> And what if the blind person drops a tiny memory card? How do they 
>>>>>> find it again?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Similarly players with tiny control buttons and tiny screens  make 
>>>>>> them almost impossible to use,
>>>>>> especially for the elderly blind.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I came across this many times with the blind here in WA when 
>>>>>> cassettes were the current format
>>>>>> and here in WA. but clients had to find their own cassette player.
>>>>>> The old "shoebox" cassette player with its large piano key operation 
>>>>>> was fairly easy for most blind to use.
>>>>>> But once it started to disappear from the market and was replaced by 
>>>>>> smaller, more fiddly Walkmans
>>>>>> the blind struggled to use these players.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I'm pleased to see the designers of the NLS player specified a 
>>>>>> largish cartridge
>>>>>> even though it only contains a small memory stick inside. This is 
>>>>>> practical for the blind,
>>>>>> however antiquated and "uncool" it might appear by sighted people's 
>>>>>> standards.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Similarly it's pleasing in the NLS DTB to see other features carried 
>>>>>> over from the old TBC1 players
>>>>>> such as internal speaker, rechargeable battery, variable speed 
>>>>>> control, automatic power down etc.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> It's important we stay real and remember  the many blind people in 
>>>>>> their homes who have to use these devices.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Tim Gillett
>>>>>> Audio/Electronics Technician
>>>>>> Perth, Western Australia
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> -- 
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>
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>
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