[Electronics-talk] Best Buy's HD Radio May Shut Us SkepticsUpForNow

Tue Jun 5 13:02:03 UTC 2012

I just emailed them and asked them to post the Quick Start Guide for 
Visually Impaired Consumers on the Product Support page for the Narrator 
radio.  Let's see what happens.

Gerald

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lanie" <readtobuild at gmail.com>
To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances" 
<electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2012 8:07 AM
Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] Best Buy's HD Radio May Shut Us 
SkepticsUpForNow

> What if someone were to email Best Buy and ask them about it? Maybe 
> they'll have a reason why it's not available yet.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Gerald Levy" <bwaylimited at verizon.net
> To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and 
> appliances"<electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
> Date sent: Tue, 05 Jun 2012 08:01:27 -0400
> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] Best Buy's HD Radio May Shut Us SkepticsUp 
> ForNow
>
>
> Ray,
>
> I will be looking forward to your podcast demonstration of this radio. 
> But
> to be perfectly blunt, Insignia/Best Buy deserves to be taken to task for
> not making the special quick start guide for visually impaired consumers
> available on the product support page.  This is simply inexcusable.  It is
> not clear from the documentation that is available whether the clock has
> speech output , or whether the speech output is confined to announcing the
> menu options only.  So if you want to be a guinea pig and shell out $100 
> for
> this "talking" radio to discover its accessibility features for yourself,
> then by all means go for it.  I'll be eagerly awaiting your podcast.
>
> Gerald
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ray Foret Jr" <rforetjr at att.net
> To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances"
> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
> Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2012 7:30 AM
> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] Best Buy's HD Radio May Shut Us Skeptics 
> Up
> ForNow
>
>
> Okay.  You want to throw down the gontlet like that do you mister
> nagativity?  Fine!  I accept your chalendge.  When the radio comes, I will
> do a recording on exactly what happens with the out of the box experience
> as a blind person.  I will also go in to a detailed description of how the
> unit works.  Who knows, I might even rub it in your nose a little.  You
> think you can do better?  Why don't you then?  Look, I'm not flaming here;
> at least, I sure don't mean it that way; but, the plain fact is this.  YOu
> never have anything good to say about anyone or anything.  YOu want
> completely accessible everything yesterday and threten to sue if you don't
> get it; and then, when somebody does come along and give it a try, you put
> it down.  I was planning a recording on the subject of the radio even
> before your chalendge to do one.
>
> Sorry Dave; but, frankly, I've just about had it.
>
>
> Sincerely,
> The Constantly Barefooted Ray!!!
>
> Now a very proud and happy Mac user!!!
>
> Skype name:
> barefootedray
>
> On Jun 5, 2012, at 6:18 AM, Gerald Levy wrote:
>
>
> I just visited the product support page for the Narrator "talking" HD
> clock radio and perused both the User Manual and standard Quick Start
> Guide.  To my great dismay, there is no mention of the speech function or
> any other special accessibility features in either document.  There is
> supposed to be a special quick start guide for visually impaired
> consumers, but it is not listed on the product support page.  In fact,
> reading both documents was enough to turn me off to this radio, because
> without any explanation of the blind-friendly accessibility features,
> this radio, which is menu driven, sounds like it would be difficult for a
> blind user to master.  But this is not at all surprising, given that
> Insignia has a reputation for designing schlocky products.  Remember the
> voice-command talking clock radio it sold a few years ago?  It was
> plagued by so many technical glitches that it was quickly discontinued
> and wound up being sold on Cowboom for only $8.  I got stuck with one of
> these
> lemons , which now serves as a paperweight.  So until someone does a
> comprehensive podcast that explains how to set up and use the Narrator
> radio, I will remain skeptical  and hold off on ordering one, and advise
> others to do  likewise.
>
> Gerald
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "cheez" <cheez at cox.net
> To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances"
> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
> Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2012 1:22 AM
> Subject: [Electronics-talk] Best Buy's HD Radio May Shut Us Skeptics Up
> For Now
>
>
> Best Buy is going to be selling a new HD Radio--called the
> Narrator--starting in July.  The radio, which was manufactured with the
> blind in mind, will be selling for $99.  If you want the added two year
> protection plan, you will need to pay an extra $14.99.
>
> "With The Narrator coming to market, people with visual disabilities
> will have a radio that they can program and tune themselves," said Dave
> Noble, chairman of government relations for IAAIS.
>
> For years, blind people have had to pay a lot of money for radios with
> single purpose receivers that provided low audio quality.  Now, the
> Narrator, a table top receiver, speaks commands as soon as a blind or
> visually impaired person turns it on.  However, this feature can be
> turned off so that a sighted person can use the radio silently as well.
> This makes the radio have universal appeal for everyone and will also
> help to keep the price lower.  With speech turned on, the radio will
> announce the artist and song, and will show and announce visual images
> as well.  The radio is also equipped with large buttons with raised
> lettering.
>
> Another great feature is that the radio comes with a PDF Quick Start
> Guide, along with a user manual.  In addition, you can get the warranty
> information as a PDF document as well.  All of these documents can be
> downloaded from the Best Buy website and have been verified to be
> accessible with screen readers.
>
> The radio was created with input from the International Association of
> Audio Information Services, the group that represents Radio Reading
> Services.  The radio manufacturer chose to partner with the IAAIS to
> help identify and solve issues for the everyday technology needs of
> people with visual disabilities.
>
> The Narrator will be promoted on air by iBiquity and its alliance member
> stations.  It will be marketed under the Best Buy Insignia brand.
>
> While the visually impaired community has had other radio companies
> create accessible products (C.  Crane comes to mind), it's fantastic to
> see that a very large electronics company like Best Buy is taking an
> interest in accessible products and teaming up with organizations who
> can help them design the radio from the ground up.  It's also incredibly
> beneficial that they created a product that is equally usable for both
> the sighted and visually impaired--an important element in keeping the
> cost as low as possible.  Hopefully, others will follow the lead of
> companies like Best Buy and Apple and begin building accessibility into
> their products that can serve everyone equally.
>
> Sources:
>
> http://radioworld.com/article/best-buy-takes-pre-orders-for-'the-
> narrator'-/213556
>
> http://www.dealerscope.com/article/best-buy-debuts-talking-hd-rad
> io/1
>
>
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