[nobe-l] Independence Science August 2018 newsletter

Fri Aug 10 23:02:13 UTC 2018

Hello:

     I thought the following newsletter would be of interest to the readers
of this list. If anyone wants to subscribe, please go to the Independence
Science site noted below. Thank you.

Regards,

Robert

Independence Science Newsletter

August 2018

Published and distributed by Independence Science

3000 KENT AVE

WEST LAFAYETTE, IN 47906-1075

Phone: (866) 862-9665

     Note for Robert Jaquiss, press #4.

Email:  <mailto:rjaquiss at independencescience.com>
rjaquiss at independencescience.com 

 <http://www.independencescience.com> http://www.independencescience.com 

Robert Jaquiss, Editor

>From The Editor

     Happy Summer, half of summer is past. Please see the announcements:

.        Independence Science has a new redesigned web page, please check it
out.

.        A less expensive method for laboratory access.

.        JAWS scripts for JAWS 2018.

.        Updated information for the 2018 ISLAND conference.

There are amazing technological advances being developed. At the national
convention of the National Federation of the Blind, you had a chance to see
AIRA, Orcam and other systems. National Braille Press showed the Braille Me
and the American Printing House showed the Canute. The Braille Me is a 20
cell braille display which retails for $499. 

The Canute is still under development. It is the first multiline braille
display and has nine lines of forty cells. The Canute is intended for
reading braille text and cannot be used in an interactive mode.

ISLAND 2018 Conference

     The 2018 ISLAND conference will be held at Princeton University
September 14-15, 2018. Our keynote speaker for this year is Michael Hingson.
An excerpt from his site follows:

On September 11, 2001, a blind man escaped the World Trade Center by walking
down 78 flights of stairs with his guide dog. Days later, America fell in
love with Mike and Roselle and the special bond that helped them both
survive one of the country's darkest days.

Immediately after the 9-11 tragedy, Michael was featured on the Larry King
show five times. To quote Larry King. "Michael Hingson is an international
hero honored and awarded by top organizations worldwide."  This media
exposure changed the course of Michael's life and launched him into a
speaking career that has spanned over a decade. He now travels the world as
a keynote and inspirational speaker that can motivate audiences to action.

For more information about the ISLAND conference, go to:

 <http://independencescience.com/island-2018/>
http://independencescience.com/island-2018/ 

The registration form is at:

 <http://independencescience.com/island_registration/>
http://independencescience.com/island_registration/

Please note: The room rate at the conference hotel is good only until August
15, so make your hotel reservations soon! Those reserving rooms after August
15 will be charged the regular room rate.

Logger Pro Scripts for JAWS 2018

     Any user upgrading their JAWS to JAWS 2018 will need replacements
scripts. Please contact Independence Science for assistance.

Less expensive laboratory access with a PC

If you have a desktop or laptop pc available in a lab, it is possible to
acquire data using the following setup:

1.   Logger Pro.

2.   JAWS Scripts for Logger Pro.

3.   Labquest or Labquest Mini.

Proceed as follows:

1.   Start Logger Pro. (Note: the JAWS scripts must have previously been
installed.)

2.   Connect the Labquest hardware to the PC. (Note: The Labquest drivers
must already be installed.)

3.   The Logger Pro commands can now be used to collect and analyze data.

Sci-Voice Talking LabQuest 2 now available:

     Why you would want to own a Sci-Voice Talking LabQuest2:

Use a faster more robust interface for scientific data collection. The use
of the external keyboard makes scientific data collection much more
intuitive meaning there is less to remember and the user experience is much
faster than ever before. In addition to this new faster experience, the
Sci-Voice Talking LabQuest2 offers a larger hard-drive, a bigger storage
space on-board the device, and a faster processer. Simplified keyboard
access to speech rate and volume control leads to a smoother user
experience. Also, on-screen reverse polarity is now available for low vision
users. In addition to an 

Enhanced talking periodic table experience, this new device provides access
to all of the Vernier Software & Technology published lab curricula under
the new Lab Instructions page. This new plethora of accessible resources
serves as a valuable reference for both students and teachers. As an added
bonus, a useful resource folder has also been added under the Lab
Instructions section of the new Sci-Voice Talking LabQuest2. In here you
will find information about solubility rules, strong and weak acids and
basis, and more will be added soon! All of this and more is available now in
the new Sci-Voice Talking LabQuest2. 

For more information, please email Robert Jaquiss at
<mailto:rjaquiss at IndependenceScience.com> rjaquiss at IndependenceScience.com.
You may also call: (866) 862-9665, Ext.4.

The 2018 SASS Camp

Independence Science was proud to send two of our employees this past week
to help Blind students from around Michigan learn about sound in the
Michigan NFB Sensational Adventures in Summer Science (SASS) Camp. SASSy
scientists and staff had fun using the Talking LabQuest to explore decibels
of everyday objects, compare unmodified, amplified, and mechanically
enhanced sound differences, and feel sound waves when pairing the LabQuest,
sound meter and microphone sensors with a prototype of the APH graphitti.
Parents were stunned seeing how much students learned over the week and the
amazement of "touching" their child's voice using the LabQuest and Graphitti
pairing. Independence Science looks forward to the day when the Graphitti
tablet is commercially available helping to make science more accessible to
the blind.

Technical Tips

     The following technical tips are offered in hopes they may be of use.
Due to the many possible variations in PCs and equipment, Independence
Science cannot be responsible for any undesirable outcomes. 

1.   For many of us, a classic Perkins brailler is still an essential tool.
If you need to get yours repaired, here is a link to a list of brailler
repair services:  <https://nfb.org/braillewriter-repair-resource-list>
https://nfb.org/braillewriter-repair-resource-list.

2.   Warning! Independence Science strongly advises all iS current and
future customers to not upgrade the operating system on their Sci-Voice
Talking LabQuest 2 device without being notified by Independence Science.
There are other versions of operating systems that are not compatible with
the text-to-speech features of Sci-Voice Talking LabQuest. Therefore, we
strongly advise all ISci customers to not upgrade the OS on your device
without prior notification. Failure to do so will likely disable the
text-to-speech on your device.

    Please send comments and suggestions to me at:
<mailto:rjaquiss at IndependenceScience.com> rjaquiss at IndependenceScience.com.