[Electronics-talk] question about a Mack computer

Gabe Vega Via Iphone4S theblindtech at gmail.com
Thu Apr 11 01:17:30 UTC 2013 

Here is a mac support site for the blind and visually impaired.
http://commtechusa.net


Gabe Vega 
Sent from my iPhone
(623) 565-9357

On Apr 10, 2013, at 4:19 PM, "Becky Sabo" <beckyasabo at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi all,
> I just purchase a Mack computer.  I love it a lot but I have some questions
> and I was wondering if you could help me or recommend where else to get help
> from'  Is there a list serve for Mack users?  Is there a program to use like
> word on the Mack?
> What kind of apps are good.  Any help would be great.
> Becky Sabo 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Electronics-talk [mailto:electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Gerald Levy
> Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2013 3:36 PM
> To: Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances
> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] GPS in the Big City
> 
> 
> As I stated previously, I have some real safety concerns over using the
> IPhone as a GPS device.  How is it possible for a blind person to hold an
> IPhone to his ear with one hand, use his other hand to swipe the touchscreen
> to activate variouls commands while simultaneously scanning with a white
> cane?  At least dedicated GPS devices can be worn around the neck to leave
> both hands free.  And they have large, tactile buttons that are easy to
> locate by touch with one hand , leaving the other hand free to navigate with
> a cane.  So even if the IPhone functions as an effective GPS Device, is it
> really safe to use for this purpose?  Navigating around a sparse, suburban
> or rural setting or a college campus with an IPhone might make sense, but a
> crowded, noisy urban environment?  I don't think so.  Just my two Apple
> bites,for what they're worth.
> 
> Gerald
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Christopher Chaltain" <chaltain at gmail.com>
> To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances" 
> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2013 5:20 PM
> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] GPS in the Big City
> 
> 
>> I've actually heard of doctor's starting to use iPhones to check people's 
>> blood pressure and pulse. There's really no reason a multipurpose device 
>> can't perform the function of a dedicated device just as well if not 
>> better than a dedicated device. As I've said before, it just depends on 
>> the technology included in the different devices.
>> 
>> I'm not going to do the math to check your figures, and I don't know what 
>> dedicated GPS devices cost anyway, but if you're going to purchase an 
>> iPhone, because you want a smart phone for reasons that have nothing to do
> 
>> with using the GPS, then the cost of the iPhone is a sunk cost and why 
>> wouldn't you use it's GPS feature? If you find it meets your needs then 
>> there's no reason to purchase a separate GPS device in addition to your 
>> smart phone.
>> 
>> I'm not necessarily a big fan of multipurpose devices. I have a dedicated 
>> MP3/DAISY player for example. I've never been interested in getting a 
>> dedicated GPS device, but I do use the various GPS apps on my iPhone.
>> 
>> Finally, no one needs to justify to me or anyone else on this list why 
>> they don't want to use an iPhone or it's GPS functionality. No one is 
>> forcing anyone to use an iPhone or it's GPS apps, and no one is keeping 
>> anyone from using a dedicated GPS device. I think this started with a 
>> question as to whether an iPhone would be more accurate in NYC than a 
>> BrailleNote running the Sendero GPS ap. I think that question has been 
>> asked and answered
>> On 04/10/2013 03:34 PM, Gerald Levy wrote:
>>> 
>>> If that is the case, then I challenge someone on this list to produce a
>>> podcast demonstrating the IPhone GPS app in an urban setting so that the
>>> rest of us can evaluate its performance for ourselves.  Sorry, but until
>>> I hear a real-world demo of the IPhone GPS app in action, I will remain
>>> unconvinced that it is superior to a dedicated GPS device.  Next,
>>> someone will claim that the IPhone can monitor your blood pressure more
>>> effectively than a dedicated blood pressure monitor. There are just
>>> limits to what a single device can do. Besides, at $200 for an IPhone,
>>> plus a $1200 commitment over two years for an IPhone contract, it is
>>> certainly moreexpensive over the long term than a dedicated GPS device.
>>> 
>>> Gerald
>>> 
>>> 
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Barbour" <jbar at barcore.com>
>>> To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances"
>>> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2013 4:06 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] GPS in the Big City
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> I'm not sure why you say there is no way the iPhone can be a better
>>>> locating device than the breeze, when several of us have told you how.
>>>> 
>>>> The iPhone has better ways of figureing it where it is in places like
>>>> Manhattan where there are lots of concrete structures around.
>>>> 
>>>> GPS signals get confused in the city.  Cell tower and wifi signals
>>>> much less so.
>>>> 
>>>> Hope that helps,
>>>> 
>>>> Jim
>>>> 
>>>> On Wed, Apr 10, 2013 at 03:50:49PM -0400, Gerald Levy wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>> There is simply no way a one-device-does-it-all gadget like the
>>>>> IPhone could
>>>>> possibly be as reliable as a dedicated GPS device like the Trekker
>>>>> Breeze. A
>>>>> few years ago,someone (Lynn Tatum, I think) produced a podcast
>>>>> demonstrating
>>>>> the Trekker Breeze as she walked the streets of midtown Manhattan.
>>>>> The unit
>>>>> did not always announce the correct streets or building addresses, a
>>>>> problem
>>>>> attributable to the multitude of tall buildings in the area.  Besides,
>>>>> walking around in a noisy urban environment with an IPhone glued to
>>>>> your ear
>>>>> while trying to listen for traffic and other important auditory clues
>>>>> is a
>>>>> recipe for trouble.  Distracted walking for a blind person is just as
>>>>> dangerous as distracted driving is for a sighted person.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Gerald
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Christopher Chaltain"
>>>>> <chaltain at gmail.com>
>>>>> To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances"
>>>>> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>>>> Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2013 2:45 PM
>>>>> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] GPS in the Big City
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>>> I haven't listened to this podcast, but I don't think your conclusion
>>>>>> follows from this one data point. Was this using the Maps app from
>>>>>> Apple?
>>>>>> If so, it had some well reported map issues when it was first 
>>>>>> released.
>>>>>> Was wifi enabled during this test? It's true that tall buildings will
>>>>>> block satellite signals, but it isn't clear from what you say below
>>>>> that
>>>>>> this is why there were accuracy problems in Acron. Also, using cell
>>>>>> tower
>>>>>> and wifi hotspot triangulation will improve GPS accuracy, and I would
>>>>>> expect New York City has quite a few cell towers and documented wifi
>>>>> hot
>>>>>> spots, so this accuracy could be improved quite a bit.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> On 04/10/2013 01:35 PM, Gerald Levy wrote:
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Not true at all.  Last year, Rick Harmon from Blind Geek Zone
>>>>> produced >>a
>>>>>>> podcast demonstrating the GPS app for the IPhone 4 in his home town 
>>>>>>> of
>>>>>>> Akron, Ohio.  Needless to say, it was not very accurate and often
>>>>>>> announced incorrect street names and landmarks, even though Akron
>>>>> is >>not
>>>>>>> a particularly dense urban area like midtown Manhattan.  So it would
>>>>>>> stand to reason that the GPS app for the IPhone would not work well
>>>>> in >>a
>>>>>>> major city with a lot of tall buildings that could block the direct
>>>>>>> line
>>>>>>> of sight to the orbiting GPS satellites.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Gerald
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Christopher Chaltain"
>>>>>>> <chaltain at gmail.com>
>>>>>>> To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances"
>>>>>>> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>>> Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2013 11:56 AM
>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] GPS in the Big City
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> I'm not sure about the BrailleNote running Sendero, but
>>>>> iPhone/Android
>>>>>>>> running a GPS app will also use cell tower and wifi hotspot
>>>>>>>> triangulation to improve location reliability. I would think this
>>>>>>>> would help quite a bit in a large metropolitan area, but I can't
>>>>> speak
>>>>>>>> from experience.
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> On 04/10/2013 10:49 AM, Tracy Carcione wrote:
>>>>>>>>> I work in midtown Manhattan.  I have Sendero GPS, running on a
>>>>>>>>> Braillenote PK.  I find it pretty unreliable in New York City,
>>>>>>>>> probably
>>>>>>>>> because of the many tall buildings.  It frequently says I'm 2 
>>>>>>>>> blocks
>>>>>>>>> away from where I know I am, and heading in a different direction
>>>>>>>>> than
>>>>>>>>> I'm heading.  My question is, does this happen with all GPS in big
>>>>>>>>> cities, or is it because the GPS is running on a PK, not the most
>>>>>>>>> powerful system in the world?  Would, say, IPhone GPS be more
>>>>>>>>> reliable
>>>>>>>>> in the big city?
>>>>>>>>> I am only interested in the big city aspect.  At home, in north
>>>>>>>>> Jersey,
>>>>>>>>> the Sendero and PK work reasonably well.
>>>>>>>>> Thanks.
>>>>>>>>> Tracy
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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> 0gmail.com
>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>> Christopher (CJ)
>>>>>>>> chaltain at Gmail
>>>>>>>> 
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>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>> 
>>>>>> -- >Christopher (CJ)
>>>>>> chaltain at Gmail
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>> 
>>>>> 
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>> 
>> -- 
>> Christopher (CJ)
>> chaltain at Gmail
>> 
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> 
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