[Dtb-talk] The Physical Cartridges themselves?

Sat Jul 30 19:31:06 UTC 2011

If the firmware is on the cartridges, how come we have the capability to
update the firmware?

Mike

-----Original Message-----
From: dtb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:dtb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Lynn Evans
Sent: Saturday, July 30, 2011 11:29 AM
To: Discussion of Digital Talking Books
Subject: Re: [Dtb-talk] The Physical Cartridges themselves?

I would think NLS has a few more patrons then you do Down Under.

Also you have a central location and NLS has regional libraries spread
throughout the 50 states.

Not only are the cartridges right protected, according to my library here in
Florida each cartridge with a book has the firmware on it for the NLS
player.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Greg Kearney" <gkearney at gmail.com>
To: "Discussion of Digital Talking Books" <dtb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, July 30, 2011 12:05 AM
Subject: Re: [Dtb-talk] The Physical Cartridges themselves?

> Well as I said we went a different rout here. We assigned the cartridge to

> the user and not the book. We then developed software that reads the 
> unique serial number tied to each cartridge and then erases and lads that 
> users next set of books.
>
> This achieves several things:
>
> 1. No book is ever "put of stock" as we do not store copies on a self but 
> rather on a server.
> 2. We need only about 2 cartridges per user this reducing the number of 
> cartridge required.
> 3. We reduce the number of packages that go out in the mails by putting 
> several books on a drive.
> 4. We no longer need a big room filled up with shelves for books.
>
> As a result our drives are not write protected and as of yet that has 
> never been an issue for us.
>
> Gregory Kearney | Manager Accessible Media
> Association for the Blind of WA - Guide Dogs WA
> PO Box 101, Victoria Park WA 6979 | 61 Kitchener Ave, Victoria Park WA 
> 6100
> Tel: 08 9311 8246 | Fax: 08 9361 8696 | www.guidedogswa.com.au
> Tel: 307-224-4022 (North America)
> Email: greg.kearney at guidedogswa.com.au
> Email: gkearney at gmail.com
>
> On 30/07/2011, at 11:50 AM, Lynn Evans wrote:
>
>> Please allow me to chime or clang in on this subject.
>>
>> The cartridges are indeed flash drives in a different form that is in a 
>> cartridge with a big finger hole on one end and the USB connector on the 
>> other end.
>>
>> The cable used to connect a blank cartridge to the computer is a standard

>> USB extension cable. The cable will be able to connect one end to the 
>> other end like a necklace. I have been told these cables can be found in 
>> the Dollar Store for you guessed it a dollar.
>>
>> NLS did not choose to use flash drives or even smaller flash cards 
>> because of the dexterity issues that some patrons would have with working

>> with small objects.
>>
>> The use of a flash card reader along with a flash card is problematic at 
>> best. NLS has recommended during the BARD pilot phrase that flash cards 
>> not be used with the NLS digital players. Some may have reported some 
>> success in their use. Others have reported slow access of data transfer 
>> from card to player causing the player to loose its place in the book.
>>
>> It is a waist of human resources and librarian's time for them to sit at 
>> a computer all day erasing cartridges and then replacing the files with 
>> newly requested books from NLS patrons.   NLS has contracted with a 
>> company to load books, mass produce books and ship them out to our 
>> regional libraries. Like the audio cassettes the cartridges are kept in 
>> their blue shipping boxes ready to be pulled off the library shelves, 
>> affixed with the patron's address card and mailed out.   What would be 
>> the point of fixing the cartridges so they can not be erased only to have

>> the librarians replace the books with other books on the same cartridge?
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Greg Kearney" <gkearney at gmail.com>
>> To: "Discussion of Digital Talking Books" <dtb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Friday, July 29, 2011 3:18 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Dtb-talk] The Physical Cartridges themselves?
>>
>>
>>> It would be possible to build an SD card reader into the housing of a 
>>> NSL Drive. We have considered building such a thing but right now the 
>>> drives are less expensive and you have to have a really BIG order to 
>>> justify all the plastic production work.
>>>
>>> Gregory Kearney | Manager Accessible Media
>>> Association for the Blind of WA - Guide Dogs WA
>>> PO Box 101, Victoria Park WA 6979 | 61 Kitchener Ave, Victoria Park WA 
>>> 6100
>>> Tel: 08 9311 8246 | Fax: 08 9361 8696 | www.guidedogswa.com.au
>>> Tel: 307-224-4022 (North America)
>>> Email: greg.kearney at guidedogswa.com.au
>>> Email: gkearney at gmail.com
>>>
>>> On 30/07/2011, at 1:31 AM, Eric SS wrote:
>>>
>>>> Paul, good question. It would be interesting.
>>>>
>>>> I was just wondering why the blank cartridges we can buy are limited to

>>>> 1 or
>>>> 2GB. Also, why couldn't there be an empty cartridge so that we could 
>>>> insert
>>>> an SD card of whatever capacity.
>>>>
>>>> Curious minds keep us from getting work done...
>>>>
>>>> Eric SS
>>>>
>>>>
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