[Dtb-talk] The Physical Cartridges themselves?

Sat Jul 30 20:57:24 UTC 2011

Because not all of us receive books from our libraries. If a patron only 
downloads books from BARD and never gets books from the library that is the 
reason for self updating.

The newer books will have the newest firmware update. If a new firmware 
update is issued tomorrow then it is going to take a wile before a patron 
will get the update from the library. So they can go get the update sooner 
if the have the computer savvy to do it.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
To: "'Discussion of Digital Talking Books'" <dtb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, July 30, 2011 3:31 PM
Subject: Re: [Dtb-talk] The Physical Cartridges themselves?

> 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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