[Electronics-talk] Fwd: Free Software for Sprint

Wed Jan 11 01:53:05 UTC 2012

The bluetooth keyboard I own was made by Motorolla specifically for 
android but pairs nicely with my IPhone.  It's full-sized and has special 
functions on a few extra keys too.  Nicest feature of all, keys snap back 
in except the spacebar which is on a spring.  As long as it's carried in a 
case or garbage bag rolled up when the keys do fall out you have a chance 
of retrieving them from the bag which is lots easier than from several 
mile's distance.On Tue, 10 Jan 2012, Baracco, Andrew W wrote:

> Well, this is obviously Sprint's attempt to comply with the 21st Century
> Communications and Video Accessibility Act.  From what I have read about
> this product, if Sprint is indeed offering the full version of this
> product, it will act as a kind of screen reader when used outside of the
> accessibility suite. Unless they have made improvements, it will only
> work on a phone that has a keyboard, or some type of cursor tracking
> device like a trackball.  This means that it won't work on a phone that
> is entirely touch screen, or on an Android tablet.  Also, you can't
> install it without sighted assistance. Having said that, it would
> probably meet the needs of the vast majority of blind smart phone users
> who wish to go the Android route.  You just need to make sure that the
> phone that you get is running at least version 2.2 of the Android OS.  I
> do not know if it works with Android 4.0, also known as Ice Cream
> Sandwich.
> 
> Andy
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org
> [mailto:electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of fred olver
> Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2012 3:59 AM
> To: Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances
> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] Fwd: Free Software for Sprint
> 
> Well, the software might be free, and I will work with maybe eight or
> ten pieces of software, but how many other available pieces of software
> will it work with, I'm betting very few.
> 
> Fred Olver
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "David Andrews" <dandrews at visi.com>
> To: <david.andrews at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2012 3:42 AM
> Subject: [Electronics-talk] Fwd: Free Software for Sprint
> 
> 
> 
> >
> >Sprint to Offer Mobile Accessibility Application, Developed by Code 
> >Factory, for Free to Customers Who are Blind or Have L
> >Tools
> >*         <http://www.fiercetelecom.com/forward?path=node/43538>Email
> >*         <http://www.fiercetelecom.com/print/node/43538>Print
> >Posted January 9, 2012
> >Mobile Accessibility application and new Accessibility Sprint ID packs
> make 
> >smartphone usage more accessible for Sprint customers
> >OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(<http://www.businesswire.com>BUSINESS WIRE)--
> Sprint 
> >(NYSE: S) is offering customers who are blind or visually impaired, as
> well 
> >as elderly individuals or those who cannot read print on smartphones 
> >because of physical, perceptual, developmental, cognitive or learning 
> >disabilities, free solutions that will provide them easier access to
> their 
> >Android-powered smartphone's functionality. The solutions include five
> new 
> >Accessibility Sprint ID packs - bundles of applications available on
> select 
> >Android-powered smartphones - and the Mobile Accessibility suite of 
> >applications.
> >Mobile Accessibility, developed by Code Factory, is a suite of
> accessible 
> >applications that have been specifically designed for people who are
> blind 
> >or visually impaired. Mobile Accessibility, which features a simplified
> 
> >user interface and textual information that is spoken aloud using voice
> 
> >synthesis to aid navigation of the device, will be offered to Sprint 
> >postpaid and Boost Mobile prepaid customers through the Android Market
> for 
> >free starting this quarter.
> >The application is available for free for postpaid Sprint customers
> with 
> >Android-powered smartphones activated on a monthly service plan that 
> >includes data, such as the Everything Data plan starting at $79.99. The
> app 
> >is also free for no-contract customers with Android-powered smartphones
> on 
> >Boost Mobile's Monthly or Daily Unlimited plans.
> >The application, which typically costs $99, will be available in
> English 
> >and Spanish in the Android Market under the names Sprint Mobile 
> >Accessibility EN & ES and Boost Mobile Accessibility EN & ES.
> >"Sprint strives to satisfy all our customers' wireless needs, and with 
> >solutions such as these, we're helping our customers with disabilities 
> >realize the full potential of their smartphones," said Fared Adib,
> Sprint 
> >vice president-Product Development. "That is why we're offering the
> Mobile 
> >Accessibility app and Accessibility ID packs free of charge."
> >"Code Factory is delighted that one of the most important carriers in
> the 
> >world decided to subsidize Mobile Accessibility for their customers and
> is 
> >helping to assure that the product reaches as many people as possible
> at no 
> >cost for them," said Eduard Sanchez, Code Factory CEO. "We are proud to
> be 
> >a new partner with Sprint and hope this is the start of a longtime 
> >relationship for accessibility for blind and visually impaired Sprint 
> >customers."
> >The main features of Mobile Accessibility:
> >    * Touch navigation: Users can simply move their finger around the 
> > screen and the voice synthesis will read the text located under their 
> > finger. They can swipe up/down/right/left and tap on the screen to 
> > navigate through the interface, and they can enable sound and
> vibration 
> > feedback.
> >    * Easy to input text: In or outside the Mobile Accessibility suite 
> > users can use the touch QWERTY keyboard or speech recognition to write
> 
> > text quickly and easily - making it possible to write an SMS or email 
> > using their voice only.
> >    * Voice synthesis: Provides customers natural sounding voice read
> back.
> >With Mobile Accessibility, users can do the following:
> >    * Phone: Make calls, answer calls, hear the caller ID and manage
> their 
> > call log.
> >    * Contacts: App tells user how many contacts they have and speaks
> the 
> > contact's name they selected.
> >    * SMS: Virtual keyboard is larger and fills the entire screen. When
> the 
> > user clicks a letter on the keyboard, the app reads the letter to
> them. 
> > This makes it easier for them to compose emails or SMS messages. It
> also 
> > reads SMS messages to the user.
> >    * Alarms: Set their alarms.
> >    * Web: Full Web browser experience; also reads text from Web page
> to 
> > the user.
> >    * Calendar: Create, edit and delete a calendar entry. View all
> events 
> > per day, week or month.
> >    * Email: Full access to Gmail accounts; reads emails to the user.
> >    * Where am I?: GPS application that gives the user an update about 
> > their current location.
> >    * Access to basic phone functions, such as date and time, missed
> calls, 
> > etc. User can click on the function and it speaks to them.
> >"Having the ability to gain greater access to information on
> smartphones 
> >through the use of a free suite of applications is a very positive 
> >development in the blind community's quest for more affordable
> choices," 
> >said Mitch Pomerantz, president of the American Council of the Blind
> (ACB). 
> >"The American Council of the Blind commends Sprint for its willingness
> to 
> >take another positive step toward full product accessibility."
> >Accessibility Sprint ID packs:
> >Today Sprint is launching five accessibility-themed Sprint ID packs, 
> >developed by Apps4Android, which are bundles of applications designed
> to 
> >accommodate the access needs of Sprint subscribers with print 
> >disabilities - people who are unable to read standard printed material,
> 
> >including text on their smartphone, because of blindness, visual 
> >disability, physical limitations, organic dysfunction or dyslexia. For
> more 
> >information about the Accessibility ID packs, read 
> ><http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bu
> sinesswire.com%2Fnews%2Fhome%2F20120109006634%2Fen&esheet=50125434&lan=e
> n-US&anchor=today%27s+press+release&index=1&md5=6c416915d9284f77111ef97d
> 7c80a47f>today's 
> >press release.
> >About Sprint Nextel
> >Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline 
> >communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, 
> >businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 53
> million 
> >customers at the end of 3Q 2011 and is widely recognized for
> developing, 
> >engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first 
> >wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States;
> offering 
> >industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including
> 
> >Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant
> national 
> >and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1
> Internet 
> >backbone. The 2011 American Customer Satisfaction Index showed Sprint
> is 
> >the #1 most improved company in customer satisfaction, across all 
> >industries, over the last three years. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 3 in
> its 
> >2011 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation's greenest
> companies, 
> >the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more and
> visit 
> >Sprint at 
> ><http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sp
> rint.com&esheet=50125434&lan=en-US&anchor=www.sprint.com&index=2&md5=de9
> 659d58f17dc113e8cbff7ffa6c144>www.sprint.com 
> >or 
> ><http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fa
> cebook.com%2Fsprint&esheet=50125434&lan=en-US&anchor=www.facebook.com%2F
> sprint&index=3&md5=843e523a31b78b8bf59c1ad4ecb258e9>www.facebook.com/spr
> int 
> >and 
> ><http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tw
> itter.com%2Fsprint&esheet=50125434&lan=en-US&anchor=www.twitter.com%2Fsp
> rint&index=4&md5=40adca48a4642e7af7b468ea6d51db86>www.twitter.com/sprint
> .
> >About Code Factory
> >Founded in 1998 with headquarters in Terrassa (Barcelona), Spain, Code 
> >Factory is the global leader committed to the development of products 
> >designed to eliminate barriers to the accessibility of mobile
> technology 
> >for the blind and visually impaired. Today, Code Factory is the leading
> 
> >provider of accessible mobile applications such as screen readers,
> screen 
> >magnifiers, and Braille interfaces. Code Factory's products are
> compatible 
> >with the widest range of mainstream mobile devices running on Symbian, 
> >Windows Mobile, BlackBerry Smartphones, and Android. Among Code
> Factory's 
> >customers are well-known organizations for the blind such as ONCE in
> Spain, 
> >and carriers Sprint, AT&T, Bouygues Telecom, SFR, TIM and Vodafone.
> >
> >
> >
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