[Electronics-talk] More On the Narrator Radio

[Baracco, Andrew W]

Apple brought accessibility to the iPod Nano a few yewars ago.  I
wouldn't call the iPod Nano a high end product.

Andy


-----Original Message-----
From: electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jenny Keller
Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2012 6:08 PM
To: Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances
Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] More On the Narrator Radio

Yeah, but I can say that I'd rather pay more up front than pay hand over
fist for updates for a computer and programs that cost less in the
beginning.

Jenny
On Jul 31, 2012, at 6:31 PM, Christopher Chaltain wrote:

> I'm not sure Apple has taught us that accessibility need not cost
more.
> I think what Apple has taught us is that accessibility in high end 
> products need not cost more. Apple products need not cost more to get 
> accessibility but they're not the cheapest products to begin with.
> 
> On 30/07/12 16:48, Baracco, Andrew W wrote:
>> Radios like these are not the answer as regards access.  The answer 
>> is universal access, just like what is being done with phones.  
>> Unless a lot of sighted persons buy this radio, it won't be around 
>> this time next year.  We don't need a radio for the blind.  I've 
>> owned radios all my life, and have been able to tune them.  What we 
>> need is universal access built into a range of products that are sold

>> in mainstream stores or through mainstream outlets.  The Apple 
>> devices have shown us that accessibility need not cost more, and that

>> special devices do not have to be manufactured for blind persons. I 
>> do not plan to buy one of these radios any time soon.
>> 
>> Andy
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org
>> [mailto:electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Roland 
>> Hudson
>> Sent: Monday, July 30, 2012 2:30 PM
>> To: Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances
>> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] More On the Narrator Radio
>> 
>> Steve,
>> You have pretty well summed up my thoughts on this radio. I'm pleased

>> to have it and think while it's not close to perfection, 
>> manufacturers should be encouraged when they are trying to do 
>> something special for us. I hope the radio sells well enough to 
>> encourage more manufacturers to bring us products we can use.
>> 
>> Best wishes,
>> 
>> Rollie
>> 
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Steve Jacobson" <steve.jacobson at visi.com>
>> To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances" 
>> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Monday, July 30, 2012 12:37 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] More On the Narrator Radio
>> 
>> 
>>> Gerald,
>>> 
>>> When I heard some of the original promotional materials, I was very 
>>> skeptical about reading artist information as that would require 
>>> some
>> kind
>>> of text to speech conversion.  To what degree that could have run on

>>> whatever microprocessor is being used is something I don't know.
>> Given
>>> that it is done to some degree on cordless phone handsets, although
>> not
>>> all that well, and on some cellphones, it certainly is possible, but

>>> I don't know what such a system costs.  Even so, I don't
>> 
>>> think such claims should have been made when it was likely known by 
>>> someone that those claims were not true.  However, I also know that 
>>> the press releases were probably written by marketers who don't
>> know
>>> the difference between text-to-speech and fixed-vocabulary speech.
>> They
>>> would assume if it can speak the time and frequency when it is 
>>> displayed, it can certainly display the artist.  You and I
>> know
>>> those are two different things, but it isn't obvious to the public.
>>> 
>>> It would be nice had the radio handled that situation, and I also 
>>> have
>> 
>>> some frustrations that you have to wait until an announcement
>> completes in
>>> some cases before pressing a given button again.  This is not a 
>>> perfect radio.  I also don't like the preset system that is used, 
>>> and
>> this
>>> has nothing to do with accessibility.  Presets are more like 
>>> bookmarks
>> as
>>> you move up and down the band in that they seem to be ordered by 
>>> frequency.  I like to group my presets by the type of programming
>> even
>>> if the stations are not next to each other on the dial.
>>> 
>>> Nevertheless, after dealing with a Bose and some other radios for a
>> long
>>> time, it does almost feel like a miracle to me that I can deal with
>> the
>>> clock myself.  No more having the radio coming on at midnight.  I 
>>> also liked the fact that they put the whole manual on the CD and not
>> just
>>> the part that dealt with accessibility.  Finally, the antenna
>> connections
>>> to this radio are the same as is commonly used on most stereos, even

>>> small ones, except for those that are truly portable.  I have a
>> Teac
>>> HD Radio for example, and my kids have two small Sony stereos that
>> also
>>> use an AM loop and an FM dipole antenna in each case.
>>> Therefore, I think that criticism is a little harsh and really 
>>> doesn't
>> 
>>> have much to do with accessibility.  I also think that the AM
>> sensitivity
>>> is poor, and while I don't like it, I have also found that to be
>> pretty
>>> common
>>> on many small stereos, and even some pretty good stereos that use
>> these
>>> small square loops.  I think this radio is actually better on AM 
>>> than
>> is
>>> the Teac HD radio that I own.  I think it is unfortunate when one 
>>> can't believe advertising, but frankly, I take all promotional
>> material
>>> about anything with a few granes of salt so I was less bothered by
>> some of
>>> the shortcomings than you were.
>>> 
>>> In short, I think we have to be sure people know what they are 
>>> getting
>> 
>>> when they buy this radio, and comments here help make that possible,
>> but I
>>> don't regret buying mine at all.
>>> 
>>> Best regards,
>>> 
>>> Steve Jacobson
>>> 
>>> On Mon, 30 Jul 2012 14:07:43 -0400, Gerald Levy wrote:
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> The following editorial about the Narrator HD radio was published 
>>>> in
>> this
>>>> weeks's edition of the Mathilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind:
>>> 
>>>> Op Ed with Bob Branco - The Narrator Isn't All That was Advertised
>>> 
>>>> Several weeks ago, most of you heard about a wonderful new radio 
>>>> that
>> Best
>>>> Buy was selling called the Narrator.  It is supposed to be the best
>> radio
>>>> for visually impaired people ever manufactured.  While
>>> reading one of the original press releases, I was so enthused with 
>>> the
>> 
>>> information that I ordered the Narrator myself.  Why not?  It is
>> supposed
>>> to be extremely user friendly for the blind and visually impaired.
>>> 
>>>> While it allows you to set the clock, the alarm, the radio band, 
>>>> and specific radio stations by using voice application, the 
>>>> Narrator does
>> not
>>>> totally perform as it was advertised.  For example, in a press 
>>>> release
>> I
>>> received as part of a mass email from a consumer organization, it
>> states
>>> in one of the paragraphs as follows:  "With speech turned on, the
>> radio
>>> will announce the artist and song, and will show and announce visual

>>> images as well."  This is not true.  Though the Narrator may display

>>> artist and song titles on the screen if you happen to find an
>> HD
>>> radio station that provides that service, you won't hear it in voice
>> mode.
>>> 
>>>> If a blind person hopes to use the menu or bookmark buttons to
>> navigate
>>>> the radio in voice mode, think again.  Those two features are for 
>>>> just
>> the
>>>> sighted.
>>> 
>>>> Although the Narrator comes with an audio CD instruction manual, 
>>>> which
>> 
>>>> most people may feel is what you should read in order to use the
>> product,
>>>> the only section of the CD that benefits the blind is track 12.
>>> 
>>>> If you feel that locating HD radio stations is difficult with the 
>>>> Narrator, well, it's just as tough to tune in a regular A.M.
station.
>> The
>>>> Narrator does not come with a normal telescopic antenna which you 
>>>> can
>>> rotate.  It comes with two plastic shoelace Y-shaped antennas which
>> you
>>> have to plug into two different adaptors on the back of the radio, 
>>> and
>> 
>>> even after you plug them in, you have to swing the antennas around, 
>>> especially the A.M. one, in order to pick up a station which
>> may
>>> be as close as 25 miles away.
>>> 
>>>> I have one more side note.  Although Best Buy uses the Insignia 
>>>> label
>> on
>>>> the Narrator as well as other products, a representative from 
>>>> Insignia
>> 
>>>> told me that the company had nothing to do with manufacturing
>>> the Narrator.
>>> 
>>>> So, if you are blind and are satisfied with setting the clock and
>> alarm on
>>>> your own, finding and presetting radio stations and tuning into
>> certain
>>>> frequencies, then you will like the Narrator.  But do not expect it

>>>> to
>>> be the miracle radio that's being advertised, because it isn't.
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> Gerald
>>> 
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>> .ja
>> cobson%40visi.com
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
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>> hir
>> l%40cox.net
>> 
>> 
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> 
> --
> Christopher (CJ)
> chaltain at Gmail
> 
> 
> 
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