[Electronics-talk] looking for good talking clock and timer

Sun Feb 2 18:05:21 UTC 2014

Good point on your phone comment.  I'm just a private kind of guy.  Can't 
stand automated voice response systems either.  Just remember, I'm a novice. 
I don't think I'll be going back to those phones of yesterday.
I'm finding that the learning curve isn't as bad as I thought it was. 
Thanks for your sharing.
Vince

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Christopher Chaltain" <chaltain at gmail.com>
To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances" 
<electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, February 02, 2014 10:54 AM
Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] looking for good talking clock and timer

> OK, first, to perform a spotlight search, just do a three finger swipe
> down on any home page. A spotlight search will search through your
> folders and home pages for an app. It'll also search through the data on
> your phone, such as text messages, contacts, songs and so on. Just start
> typing, and a list of hits will start appearing. Just touch near the top
> of the screen and swipe to the right to move through them. For example,
> on my iPhone, the Clock app is in my Productivity folder. I couldn't
> search for the Timer tab in the clock app though.
>
> Handwriting is a way to enter text by drawing characters on the screen.
> You can also use it to search for apps through the folders and home
> pages on your phone. To make sure handwriting is in your roter, add it
> by going to Settings -> General -> Accessibility -> VoiceOver -> Roter
> and selecting handwriting. Now on a home page, just turn the roter to
> handwriting and then start spelling the app you're locking for. For
> example, tracing the lower case letter 'c' will give you all of the apps
> on your phone that start with the letter 'c'. If you then trace the
> lower case letter 'l', you'll see all of the apps on your phone that
> start with the letters 'cl', such as the Clock app.
>
> I hope this helps. I understand you're wanting to talk more on your
> phone than to your phone, but don't forget, the iPhone is more than just
> a phone. If you just think of it as a phone then you could be missing
> out on a lot of it's features. that's OK, but if all you want is a
> phone, you might be better served looking for an accessilble feature
> phone, if there are any out there any more. I'm not convinced that
> everyone, or even every blind person, needs a smart phone.
>
> On 02/02/2014 01:18 AM, cheez wrote:
>> Hi, Chrristopher:
>> Sure, I'd appreciate it if you would explain more.  I really don't like
>> talking to my phones, I rather talk on them. You can write me off list.
>> Thanks.
>> Vince
>> cheez at cox.net
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Christopher Chaltain"
>> <chaltain at gmail.com>
>> To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances"
>> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Saturday, February 01, 2014 1:22 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] looking for good talking clock and timer
>>
>>
>>> Fred is referring to the timer tab in the clock app. The clock app is a
>>> native app on your iPhone, so you don't need to download it. I think
>>> it's in the Utilities folder, but I'm not sure where it is by default.
>>> You can also get to it from the Control Panel, which you can bring up by
>>> touching the top of the screen on any of the status icons and then doing
>>> a three finger swipe up. You can also search for it using handwriting
>>> mode on any home page or using the spotlight search. I can explain more
>>> if interested.
>>>
>>> Note that if you're using Siri, as Fred suggests, then you don't need to
>>> know where the clock app is. Siri will use it by default.
>>>
>>> On 02/01/2014 01:20 PM, cheez wrote:
>>>> Fred, Is that timer on the iPhone an app that you had to download?
>>>> I'm a novice iPhone user.
>>>> Vince
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Fred Wurtzel" <f.wurtzel at att.net>
>>>> To: "'Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances'"
>>>> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Saturday, February 01, 2014 11:19 AM
>>>> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] looking for good talking clock and 
>>>> timer
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>
>>>>> I know this is not a stand-alone device, but there some good apps
>>>>> for the
>>>>> iPhone.  I assume there are similar Android apps available.  Certainly
>>>>> not a
>>>>> perfect solution, but if you have such a device it reduces the
>>>>> number of
>>>>> things to manage.  I like setting the timer on the iPhone.  I simply
>>>>> tell
>>>>> Siri to set timer for x many minutes and off we go. I can say check
>>>>> timer
>>>>> and it will report the remaining time. Not quite as handy as an
>>>>> automatic
>>>>> report, but tolerable, for me.
>>>>>
>>>>> I use my iOS timer on my treadmill and elliptical.  The timer will
>>>>> stop the
>>>>> music or book or radio when finished or play an alarm, depending on my
>>>>> choice.  The Book Port Plus, Victor Stream the National Library 
>>>>> Service
>>>>> digital player and the Booksense all have sleep timers which also work
>>>>> reasonably well, though you need to manually check progress on all of
>>>>> these
>>>>> solutions.  I like the fact that you can set the Booksense to any time
>>>>> in 1
>>>>> minute intervals.  The Book Port has a sleep timer which only has
>>>>> fairly
>>>>> large increments., not great for workouts.
>>>>>
>>>>> I sure wish some would write an app that would emulate the Sharp
>>>>> talking
>>>>> clock and the Talking clock/calculator..  Those were wonderful
>>>>> devices. The
>>>>> Talking clock would make various elapsed time interval reports as low
>>>>> as 10
>>>>> seconds and up to 30 or 60 minutes, can't remember for sure.  I am
>>>>> sure of
>>>>> the 10 second report.
>>>>>
>>>>> Warm Regards,
>>>>>
>>>>> Fred
>>>>>
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: Electronics-talk [mailto:electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>>>> Behalf Of Gerald Levy
>>>>> Sent: Saturday, February 01, 2014 12:31 PM
>>>>> To: Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances
>>>>> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] looking for good talking clock and
>>>>> timer
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Unfortunately,products like the Sharp EL-640 seem to be going the way
>>>>> of the
>>>>>
>>>>> dinosaur.  There are presently only two or three talking countdown
>>>>> timer/clocks left on the market.  None of them have all the features
>>>>> you are
>>>>>
>>>>> seeking.  Maxi-Aids used to sell the Reizen 3 in 1 Super Cube talking
>>>>> clock
>>>>> with countdown timer which had a talking alarm clock, but it is
>>>>> apparently
>>>>> no longer available.  The best of the  talking countdown timers still
>>>>> on the
>>>>>
>>>>> market is probably the one sold by FutureAids, ILA, Maxi-Aids and a 
>>>>> few
>>>>> others.  It is a pocket-sized talking countdown/countup timer with
>>>>> clock.
>>>>> The timer speaks the elapsed time at regular intervals, but the 
>>>>> talking
>>>>> clock does not have an alarm, nor does it have an hourly time
>>>>> announcement.
>>>>> It is available from FutureAids for $14.95 with free shipping, which 
>>>>> is
>>>>> probably the lowest overall price you can find it for.  Maxi-Aids
>>>>> sells it
>>>>> for $9.95 plus shipping.  I use this timer myself to time my workout
>>>>> sessions.  It operates on two AG-13 button cell batteries which are
>>>>> easily
>>>>> user replaceable.
>>>>>
>>>>> http://www.braillebookstore.com/Talking-Timer-Clock.1
>>>>>
>>>>> Gerald
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Peter Russillo"
>>>>> <plrussillo at comcast.net>
>>>>> To: <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>>>> Sent: Saturday, February 01, 2014 11:31 AM
>>>>> Subject: [Electronics-talk] looking for good talking clock and timer
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Hello.  I'm curious if there is a talking clock with alarm and
>>>>>> countdown
>>>>>> timer that is similar to the Sharp El-640 talking
>>>>>> clock/calculator/timer;
>>>>>> I have had an EL-640 for 19 years, and it finally bit the dust.  If
>>>>>> anyone
>>>>>
>>>>>> on the list knows of a clock and timer that's similar to the EL-640,
>>>>>> including announcing time hourly as well as every five minutes as the
>>>>>> EL-640, please let me know on or off list.  My email is:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> plrussillo at comcast.net
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Thanks.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Peter Russillo
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> Electronics-talk mailing list
>>>>>> Electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org
>>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>>>> Electronics-talk:
>>>>>>
>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org/bwaylimited%40
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> verizon.net
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Electronics-talk mailing list
>>>>> Electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org
>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>>> Electronics-talk:
>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org/f.wurtzel%40at
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> t.net
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Electronics-talk mailing list
>>>>> Electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org
>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>>> Electronics-talk:
>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org/cheez%40cox.net
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Internal Virus Database is out of date.
>>>> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
>>>> Version: 8.5.454 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/5970 - Release Date: 
>>>> 07/06/13
>>>> 16:46:00
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Electronics-talk mailing list
>>>> Electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org
>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>> Electronics-talk:
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org/chaltain%40gmail.com
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Christopher (CJ)
>>> chaltain at Gmail
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Electronics-talk mailing list
>>> Electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> Electronics-talk:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org/cheez%40cox.net
>>>
>>
>>
>> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Internal Virus Database is out of date.
>> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
>> Version: 8.5.454 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/5970 - Release Date: 07/06/13
>> 16:46:00
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Electronics-talk mailing list
>> Electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> Electronics-talk:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org/chaltain%40gmail.com
>>
>
> -- 
> Christopher (CJ)
> chaltain at Gmail
>
> _______________________________________________
> Electronics-talk mailing list
> Electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> Electronics-talk:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org/cheez%40cox.net

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Internal Virus Database is out of date.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.5.454 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/5970 - Release Date: 07/06/13 
16:46:00