[Nfbmt] Who uses what?

[Marks, Jim]

Sorry to be so slow in replying and for missing so many Chapter meetings.
Seems like life keeps getting the way of participating like I want.  I have
to admit that I missed the most recent Chapter meeting because I went to a
music concert by Iris Dement.  Iris was wonderful, but so is our collective
activity.

The device I use the most these days is my Android smart phone.  It's a jack
of all trades sort of device.  I use in the usual way for things like making
calls and texting.  And there are lots of really good apps for blind people,
too.  For example, I use the KNFB Reader app that makes my smart phone a
portable reading tool.  It really works well, so much so, I can't figure out
how I got along without it.  Another useful app is Nearby Explorer, a way
finding tool designed for blind users.  It's accurate enough to walk in
unfamiliar places with confidence.  Yet another app is the Ideal Currency
Identifier.  It tells me the denomination of bills.  I often use mainstream
apps such as Google Maps.  It allows me to navigate from a car.  I simply
tell it where I want to go, and it gives step-by-step driving instructions
for my drivers and me.  There are far more apps I could mention, but this
gives an idea of why I like my smart phone so much.

My phone is a Galaxy Note 3, and it's now over two years old.  Newer phones
perform even better, but what I have is so good, I'm actually reluctant to
give it up.  To help operate the phone, I use a separate Braille Bluetooth
keyboard called the Focus 14.  It takes a while to get the knack of using
it, and I learn new things almost every time I try to use the device.  

Now, I know a lot of blind folks really like the Apple phones.  Today,
though, the Android option is every bit as good as the Apple.  And I have to
admit I like the diversity of Android.  Apple's stuff is elegant and well
supported, but Apple takes the philosophy of not caring much about user
input and favoring giving us technology the company thinks we need.  Android
is more user generated, and, as a consequence, sometimes frustrating to use
as frequent app updates require relearning things over and over again.
Still, I like the challenge.  Really, using technology means adopting an
attitude of problem solving in a very dynamic environment.  Technology not
only gives me tools to use, it keeps my thinking cap functioning like it
should.

Best!



Jim Marks
Blind.grizzly at gmail.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Nfbmt [mailto:nfbmt-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Rik James via
Nfbmt
Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 2:41 PM
To: NFB of Montana Discussion List
Cc: Rik James
Subject: [Nfbmt] Who uses what?

How many members are using which device?

Who feels like they need help with which device?

Who would like to devote a part of a chapter meeting discussing this?

But not only devices.
How about other non-device aspects to day to day life as a blind person?
List some of those as well.

I keep spending time looking for things.
I am working on my scanning technique.
Seems that too often, I say well I can't find it.
Then to find out the lost item was right in the area where I had been
looking.
What is wrong with this picture?
Frustration.

What should I do?
I have an old thinking cap.
I used to wear it, until I got too big headed.
So I put it in a drawer
Of course my life was rather dull, not wearing my thinking cap.
But when living off of my wits proved too great a challenge, I chose to
reconsider my situation.
Then, when my ego had shrunk a bit, I could not remember which drawer I had
put it in.

What?
Look again in that drawer.
Why yes. There it is.

That's just silly.
Isn't it?
Who needs to wear a hat just to think?

Ah well.
Complications.

Looking for the cell phone.
Call myself up on the land line.
That works.
Should I have put the phone where the hat was?
Silly again. Oh well.

Let us hear your thoughts, folks.
Rik James


_______________________________________________
Nfbmt mailing list
Nfbmt at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmt_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Nfbmt:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmt_nfbnet.org/blind.grizzly%40gmail.com

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: winmail.dat
Type: application/ms-tnef
Size: 6430 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbmt_nfbnet.org/attachments/20160224/9f60b53e/attachment.bin>