[Nfbmt] Who uses what?

[Bruce&Joy Breslauer]

Low and high tech solutions:

A slate and stylus.  Who uses that any more?  I do, I do.  It doesn't wear
out, doesn't need batteries, and isn't too expensive to replace.  I used to
take notes on it in college, but that was another era when the dinosaurs
roamed.

Also a Braille writer.  Not as portable as a notetaker and much too loud to
use anywhere but home.  But still mighty functional.  I have had mine since I
was ten.  I use it every day.

Various notetakers, all of which are so outdated they do not do email or
internet any more.  Ah well, maybe some day.

A Samsung Haven flip cell phone, which speaks every function to me.  I use it
to make phone calls and text.  They don't make them any more so if I want one
I have to find it used.

Talking clock: Tells the time and the indoor and outdoor temperature on the
hour.  Shuts up between eleven p.m. and eight a.m.

Braille Watch:  Silently tells me the time.

Desktop and Laptop Computer with JAWS (Job Access with Speech) Screen Reader.
Pretty much indispensable.  I need to figure out why the laptop computer
doesn't connect with Wyfi systems in hotels and other places other than home,
though.

Printer/scanner/copier/fax machine:  As a scanner, it lets me weed out junk
mail and know what my bills and other mail are, as long as they are not
handwritten.  We haven't had someone read our mail in over fifteen years now.
I love the autonomy and privacy of that.

Trekker Breeze:  GPS System.  It doesn't do everything I would like it to do,
but it's cheaper than many and better than nothing.

Victor Reader Stream:  Love to download books and podcasts with this and
listen to internet radio and NFB NewslineR.

Talking Thermometer: I have more than one, one for use in the kitchen, which
I don't use much but it is handy for checking the internal temperature of
meats or poultry, and one for human body temperature use.  They are not
interchangeable.

I know someone who has a talking microwave.  Now that has to be a cool
device.  I have mine marked in Braille.  Same with my gas range, dishwasher,
and washer and dryer.

I.D. Mate:  A bar code scanner that speaks.  Most of the time it will tell
you what item you are scanning, and even give you preparation instructions on
some items.

Labeling Tape:  It comes on a roll that you can put into a Braille writer and
write Braille on it, then peel off the sticker and stick it on a box or can
or CD or whatever you want to label.  It comes in two sizes, one is one
Braille line, and the other will take three or four. One is probably four
inches by 1/2 inch, and the other is probably 4 inches square.

Dymo tape:  Another type of peel-and-stick labeling tape that comes in a
roll, but is much sturdier.  You can write on it with a Braille writer, a
slate and stylus, or a Dymo tape writer.

There is another type of Braille labeling that I use in the freezer.  It
consists of plastic labels that can hold one or two lines of Braille.  They
have a hole at each end that you can put an elastic band into, and then
stretch it onto a package or box and put it in the freezer.  They are
reusable.  They are easier to read in the cold freezer because they are more
sturdy than most other labeling methods, and because they aren't stick-on
labels they don't often come off in the freezer.

Money Identifier:  I like to carry this with me and slip a bill in it and
push a button and it usually tells me the denomination of the bill.  Handy
for when no one else is around, which is often the case.

Talking Compass: Something I got thinking I would use it a lot, and I don't.

White cane or guide dog:  Mobility devices.  One has a wagging tail and sheds
and needs to be fed and taken out; the other one doesn't.  But one is so much
more cuddly than the other.

I have been thinking lately how many of these gadgets could be replaced by a
Smart phone.  I could probably open my own gadget store.  Joy

-----Original Message-----
From: Nfbmt [mailto:nfbmt-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Marks, Jim via
Nfbmt
Sent: Wednesday, February 24, 2016 9:04 PM
To: 'NFB of Montana Discussion List'
Cc: Marks, Jim
Subject: Re: [Nfbmt] Who uses what?

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


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