[nfb-db] Communication Options and Technology

[Haben Girma]

I've also seen a FaceToFace setup, and I don't much like it. The PDA for 
the sighted person to use requires the use of a stylus to poke at the 
tiny touch-screen keyboard. A friend of mine has tried typing on it and 
found it very slow and uncomfortable. For fast and efficient 
communication the sighted person would need a comfortable keyboard.

Haben

Yirmiyah wrote:
> Hi Haben,
>
> I have no personal experience with this product, but Freedom 
> Scientific makes an add-on for PAC Mate called FaceToFace.  I've cut 
> and pasted some of the relevant text from their data sheet on the 
> product.  I'm hoping that someone who has personal experience with it 
> can also contact you, but hopefully this information is a start:
>
> FaceToFace includes the
> application and a CompactFlash®
> Bluetooth card. It can be run on a PAC
> Mate 4.1 or PAC Mate Omni. The PAC
> Mate Omni is available with either a
> 20-cell or 40-cell refreshable braille
> display, however, the PAC Mate and
> braille display must be purchased
> separately.
>
> For a truly portable solution FaceTo-
> Face is available with a companion
> HP iPAQ Pocket PC for the sighted
> half of the conversation.
>
>
> On May 14, 2009, at 8:56 PM, Haben Girma wrote:
>
>>
>> Hi there,
>> I'm contemplating all my options for communicating with the public in 
>> such places as restaurants, offices, etc. I'm a braille reader with 
>> significant hearing loss and very good speech. I am familiar with the 
>> Screen Braille Communicator, but I find it uncomfortable to use. 
>> Firstly, the braille display is tiny, and secondly the QWERTY 
>> keyboard for the other person is awkward to type on. My PAC Mate has 
>> a much nicer QWERTY keyboard, so I've contemplated using my PAC Mate 
>> to communicate with the public. The problem with the PAC Mate is that 
>> the braille display faces the person typing. Hence, I would not be 
>> able to read what the person writes until after they have finished, 
>> and then the PAC Mate would need to be pushed back across the table 
>> to me. The ideal setup for me would be for the PAC Mate's braille 
>> display to wirelessly receive information from the main body of the 
>> PAC Mate. That way, someone could type on the PAC Mate to me while 
>> I'm facing them on the other side of the table reading what they are 
>> saying on the PAC Mate's braille display. Now, is this at all 
>> possible with the PAC Mate? The ALVA BC640, which I also have, has 
>> built-in bluetooth functionality. Would the PAC Mate be able to 
>> connect with an ALVA BC640 to get it to do what I want?
>>
>> All ideas and suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
>>
>> Haben
>>
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>
>
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