DC Night Out

Arthur C Clarke once said
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarke’s_three_laws

When I woke up on Thursday Sep 18th the most significant email I received was an announcement that the Mobile Geo GPS product had finally been released, and I figured I would try to install it before heading off to work.

My prior background with GPS systems involved some use of one of the original Atlas Speaks products, and also more recently, I’ve started playing with the Verizon Wireless VZ Navigator. Unfortunately, VZ Navigator’s menus do not work correctly with the Mobile Speak MSS screen reader. Through trial and error with VZ Navigator, I have got it so that I can press a series of buttons and essentially it will tell me what street I am on or near. However, I have not been able to get beyond that point. There are many important features in VZ Navigator that I cannot use because of the current incompatibility with the MSS screen reader. For instance, one should be able to use the VZ Navigator product to find a nearby coffee shop or pub, or plan a route from A to B.

I downloaded and ran the Mobile Geo installation. FYI, I think it would be better if Code Factory provided an .exe or .msi file rather than a .zip file. The .zip file adds several steps to the installation process.

My Motorola Q9C kept dropping in and out of Active Sync which I have not seen before with this device. After I got through numerous continue buttons in the activation wizard, you could probably get rid of most of those too, I got to the place where you pick where to install (device or memory card). However, device was the only option, probably because the device inexplicably disconnected, so I picked device and the installation crashed.

Then my device would not connect via Active Sync, again for no apparent reason, and after several reboots and connection and disconnection of the USB cable, it just as inexplicably connected again. This time, after hitting the continue button again in that activation wizard several times, I got the product installed and was even able to say that I wanted it on the storage card. I activated a 30 day trial license for Mobile Geo.

I also had to shut down and restart the Jaws screen reader several times as I lost speech when Active Sync was interacting with the Motorola device. I wish each time I had to do this, it would send Freedom Scientific a distress signal.

I then went outside, and fired up Mobile Geo, only to be told that I did not have a recent enough version of the MSS screen reader for Mobile Geo to run. I figured it was current because I installed it a couple of weeks ago. I believe it was the MSS public beta 170 which was on the device, so I went ahead and downloaded the latest MSS version which I think is 178.

I first uninstalled MSS which I think you are supposed to do rather than just installing the new version on top. Really, though, all the AT venders should take a page out of Apple’s play book. It is extremely cumbersome to install, uninstall, and upgrade these AT products. This process should be made automated so the user can push one or two buttons and leave it to do its thing. Only the most geeky user has the patience for any of this.

Just as an example, I recently called Apple tech support out of curiosity because I am considering getting a Mac Mini. I asked the representative how to configure the Apple bluetooth wireless keyboard. I was told to just turn the keyboard on, and the rep told me where the switch is, and then turn on the Macintosh. The rep told me that the keyboard would automatically be ready for me to use when the Macintosh booted up. Take that, Microsoft! No pairing, wizards, entering pins, etc. That is how such a device should work in the most basic configuration. You should turn it on, and it should work. The Macintosh system also apparently has a way to configure Bluetooth devices with in the operating system, but that is a secondary method that one need not use unless it is desireable to do it that way.

Given that the Humanware Breeze is priced I believe similarly to the Geo, that product may appeal to people who want to just turn it on and have it work. I would have thought that Mobile Geo would be significantly less expensive than the Humanware Breeze product. Even given the premiums we often pay for blindness products, I really wouldn’t expect to pay more than $500 for the Mobile Geo software. A key limitation in the Breeze, however, is that you cannot set up a route with it, unless you walked the route before. If I walked a route before, I don’t think I would necessarily need or want to use GPS. The unfortunate thing is that the Breeze probably could have more features, but rumor is that Humanware dumbed down the device. Instead, they should have set up different modes. Though you have to give it to Humanware, you can at least turn it on and it works! I saw this first hand last summer so its not just hyppe from their sales department. You could probably get the Breeze up and running in 15 minutes something I wasn’t able to do with Mobile Geo.

On the Windows platform, Skype and APH’s Studio Recorder have among the easiest to use product update features. You just do Help, Check For Updates, and relatively quickly without rebooting you are up and running. Windows screen reader updates should be made more automated as well. Maybe you have it update automatically at 4:00 A.M. if you really must reboot. Code Factory products should also be able to update over the air with wireless internet, and the user interface to complete those updates should by default require as few clicks, button presses, or interactions as possible. Dare I forget, the Level Star Icon - APH Braille Plus also has a remarkably easy to use update feature that will work over WIFI, and usually “just works.” You can basically start the update, and as they say, set it and forget it.

Miraculously, however, I was able to uninstall MSS 170 and install 178 without much trouble. It took some time and there were too many continue buttons to push, and too many reboots, but it did essentially work. Remember, I’m trying to do this and get to work on time.

With the new version of MSS, I again went outside, and fired up the Mobile Geo. This time I was told that I didn’t have a license even though I did license it in the earlier steps. I’m assuming the reinstall of the MSS screen reader component deactivated my Mobile Geo trial license.

I ran the Activation manager, and said I wanted a trial of Mobile Geo. However, it said that it could not connect to the internet. I remember though that Code Factory support once told me that you sometimes must launch Internet Explorer on the mobile device before you use the activation wizard. I did this, but then I never could get the activation wizard to retry the connection to the activation server. I even tried ending some processes in the Motorola Q9C’s task manager. Eventually I rebooted the phone, started up IE on the phone, and then successfully managed to activate a trial license. I guess the order you do things is important :).

I then, I guess this is the 3rd time, as they say “firedup Mobile Geo,” and I got the welcome music and it said it was trying to start the Sendero GPS engine. At least I made a little progress, and didn’t get an error message right away. I think I ran through all the possible pre start error messages or at least I hope so.

However, the Mobile Geo would not recognize the built in GPS receiver in my Verizon Wireless Motorola Q9C which I bought with in the last 30 days. Mobile Geo seemed to want to configure a bluetooth device, and I am not sure that this built in GPS device in the phone is bluetooth.

Nevertheless, I activated bluetooth, and also activated the VZ Navigator to see if that would wake up the GPS receiver, and make it talk to Mobile Geo.

However, it didn’t. To be honest, I did not read all the information as to exactly which built in GPS receivers are compatible with Mobile Geo. I do remember that Code Factory issued some caveats in this regard. I just expected that if I have a mobile phone, and if it can work with Verizons GPS, that it should work with Mobile Geo, or at least I would like it too. Couldn’t Code Factory have partnered with Verizon Wireless or Motorola to ensure that this did work?

I guess I need to take a look at the recommended bluetooth GPS receivers. I have no idea if such a device costs $50 or $300 on top of the is it $800 for the Mobile Geo software? I really would have preferred for it to work with the GPS in my phone. The last thing I need is to have to carry around another device, the bluetooth GPS receiver. Its another device to carry and eventually lose, and plus you’d have to figure out where to put it or how to carry it in addition to the phone.

One other oddity I noticed was that it appears that you do not get a map as part of the demo, and that only the Washington DC map is available. I don’t know how the GPS would work in Boston if the demo does not come with the Boston map. Luckily for me, I actually do travel to Washington frequently, so in theory I could try the Washington DC map. But what about someone in Seattle Washington who doesn’t travel to the nations capital who wants to try the demo?

It still seems like a product that only a computer geek would install especially with all the glitches I had trying to install it. Though once installed, perhaps it would be useful to a broader slice of the population. Bluetooth pairing worries me though. I mean when it works its great, but it has its glitches at least if my Microsoft Bluetooth keyboard under Windows is any guide. I’ve also heard about problems with bluetooth com ports in the first generation of Motorola Q handsets. This meant, for instance, that a Humanware Braille display would not work on a first generation Motorola Q handset without hacking the registry of the device to enable a com port. I don’t know if these bluetooth com port issues have been addressed in newer Motorola Q devices like this Q9C that I have.

Code Factory and other AT venders should have more rigorous usability testing. They should take their products to different kinds of users, and see how those users try to install or configure the products, and then incorporate those findings in the user interface. In general you want to simplify user interfaces. Again think of that Apple bluetooth keyboards installation process :). I recognize that Code Factory and other AT venders are limited by the complexities inherent in Microsoft products, and this also largely explains why the products may be so cumbersome to set up. Remember the issues with Active Sync? That’s Motorola and Microsoft, not Code Factory.

I would still be interested in trying this product but I wanted to give the reader a sense of my day 1 experience. I will file another report if I get the required bluetooth receiver or other useful information. It seemed it was finally at the cusp of connecting if only it had a compatible GPS receiver to work with.

I hope that Code Factory can use my day 1 experience to improve the usability of future versions of their products. It strikes me that maybe this product, in its current state, should have been released as a free public beta for say 90 days. I do applaud Code Factory at least for letting consumers try this product on a device for 30 days before they buy it. I also applaud Code Factory and Sendero for blazing the trail to accessibility of these mobile phones and GPS offerings. Mobile Speak Smart phone was and is actually the screen reader that got me out of the dark ages so that I can and do routinely use SMS text messages and the mobile internet. As those who know me can attest, despite any flaws, I recommend that people who are blind get out of the dark ages, and ensure that they can at least access SMS text messaging using products like MSS or Talks. In fact, a litmus test I use to see how hip fellow blind people are on technology is I ask them if they can send and receive SMS messages on the device they have. And if not, I recommend that they go out and get out of the stone age. Where necessary, I also recommend they talk to their mobile phone carrier about offsetting the costs for the screen reader.

I got to work with in just about 15 minutes of on time.

For more conversation, reviews, et al on accessibility, technology, and other topics folow my micro blog on Twitter at:
http://twitter.com/pyyhkala

Serotek announced this evening a free public beta of System Access To Go. Essentially you can access the above web page from any Windows machine running IE, and with in about 30 seconds or less have a self voicing screen reader on your pc. The screen reader runs from the web, and you do not need to install software beforehand. Actually Serotek doesn’t like to call it a screen reader, but I don’t know what else to call it for now. It is a compelling application in that it provides access so quickly to not only the internet but the Windows desktop as well.

[tags]Serotek, System Access, accessibility, screen reader, software development, blind, civil rights[/tags]

The National Federation Of The Blind blog has more details and links to Boston Herald articles concerning a recent incident in which the U.S. Navy discriminated against a Boston resident who is blind seeking to tour the U.S.S. JFK air craft carrier. The discrimination was done in the name of spurious and unfounded safety concerns. As with many of these instances, the Navy believes that as long as it sites “safety” to justify its actions it can discriminate with impunity.

Navy can’t see an injustice
By David Ticchi/ As You Were Saying…
Saturday, March 10, 2007 - Updated: 12:42 PM EST

The Navy’s recent refusal to permit a blind person to join a public tour of the USS John F. Kennedy is a reminder that blind people still experience discrimination
and public humiliation in much the same way as when black people were turned away from lunch counters in the South until the passing of anti-segregation
laws.
    The Navy’s justification that the denial was based on safety concerns does not change the fact that discrimination and humiliation occurred.
    In fact, the rationale that the blind are not safe in places suitable for the general public only adds insult to the injury that has been done. The
idea that the blind are unsafe in other places where members of the public are invited is simply wrong. More to the point, refusing to admit a blind person
on a public tour is against the law.
    In prohibiting Boston resident Mika Pyyhkala from touring the aircraft carrier while she was docked in Southie, Navy officials demonstrated an irrational
prejudice against the blind.
    This prejudice was not based on animosity toward blind people, but on ignorance about the nature of blindness and how blind people move about in the
world. However, prejudice based on ignorance is still prejudice, and in this case the Navy’s ignorance about blindness is no excuse for its conduct.
    The law makes it clear that no person with a disability can be prohibited from entering any place that the general public is invited.
    Because the Navy opened this vessel for public tours, it was illegal to deny anyone access on the basis of disability, just as it would have been illegal
to deny someone access on the basis of race.
    The determination of whether it was a good idea for Pyyhkala to board the ship was not up to the Navy. Congress has already determined that to deny
a person with a disability access to a public event or place is a violation of that individual’s civil rights; therefore, Pyyhkala’s civil rights were
violated.
    This is not the first time that a blind person has been denied equal access to a place of public accommodation on the demonstrably illogical assertion
that the intent of the discrimination was to protect the safety of the blind person. The problem is that the people making the determination that blind
people will be unsafe are not blind themselves and have no idea of what blindness is really like.
    Blind people, on the other hand, are used to being blind and have developed techniques to deal with their blindness. Those techniques, which include
the use of a white cane or guide dog to assist in navigation, are more than adequate to protect the blind from the hazards that exist in the world.
    Blind people have the same ability and the same right as other Americans to determine their own destiny. The United States of America was founded on
the principle that all individuals are created equal and entitled to inalienable rights including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. When blind
people are denied the opportunity to determine their own destiny, for good or ill, these rights are violated.
    It is a sad irony that Mika Pyyhkala was prevented from boarding a ship commissioned to defend a country with such high ideals and named for a civil
rights leader. Blind Americans are simply Americans who have the physical characteristic of blindness, and we will settle for nothing less than the full
rights to which, as Americans, we are entitled.
    
Dr. David Ticchi is president of the Cambridge Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind.
[tags]discrimination, military, Navy, USS John F. Kennedy, National Federation Of The Blind, civil rights, blindness, Boston[/tags]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
John G. Paré Jr.
Director of Public Relations
National Federation of the Blind
(410) 659-9314, extension 2371
(410) 913-3912 (Cell)
jpare@nfb.org

U.S. Navy Discriminates Against Blind Americans
Baltimore, Maryland (March 5, 2007): Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “The fact that a blind person was not permitted
to tour the U.S.S. John F. Kennedy like other members of the public is a stain upon the good reputation of the United States Armed Forces.  Members of
the military are charged with defending the rights of all Americans, and for them to trample upon those rights instead is unacceptable.  At the very least,
United States Navy officials owe Mika Pyyhkala an apology for their conduct in this matter.  The National Federation of the Blind will pursue all available
legal remedies under the laws of the United States and the state of Massachusetts.  Our intention is to send, loud and clear, the message that the blind
will not tolerate discrimination against us in any aspect of life.  If we allow the claim that we cannot visit an aircraft carrier that is open to the
public, based on the patently fallacious justification that our doing so would be unsafe, to be made with impunity, we will next be told that we cannot
visit a restaurant, or a school, or a park. Blind people work, play, and move about in the world as well as anyone, and we will not stand for being treated
like small children.”  

# # #

About the National Federation of the Blind

With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind is the largest and most influential membership organization of blind people in the
United States.   The NFB improves blind people’s lives through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs encouraging independence and self-confidence.
 It is the leading force in the blindness field today and the voice of the nation’s blind.  In January 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the
Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and training center in the United States for the blind led by the blind.

Thanks to Microsoft for making changes to the web page below that enable a user of a screen reader to register for the Office 2007 launch events. Previously, the page was written in Macromedia Flash and was not accessible to people who are blind using screen readers.

By attending one of the many Office 2007 nationwide launch events, you can also score a free copy of Microsoft Office 2007 and other products.
Ready for a New Day Launch Tour 2007
[tags]Microsoft Office 2007, accessibility, promotions, blind, universal design, screen reader[/tags]

Thanks to FeedBurner for adding an audio captcha to the sign up process used when a person wants to subscribe to a feed by email. Details from the companys Burning Questions blog:
“Email Audible Captcha, by Arun Kannan

An often requested feature on the
FeedBurner Email
service has been to offer visually-impaired subscribers an option to complete the email subscription form with the aid of an audio
captcha
. This hack offers an audio captcha that spells out numbers and permits captcha completion by the listener.

Uncle Owen said we needed to get this one into production on the south range by midday or there’d be hell to pay.”

My understanding is that this change is being put in to production today, but it may not be live on all sites presently. But if you want to try it right now, use the link below to
Subscribe To The Burning Questions Feed via email.
Burning Questions • Hackathon Episode IV: A New Hack
[tags]FeedBurner, accessibility, blind, captcha, civil rights, universal design[/tags]

United Airlines - An United offer fit for a star.
Here’s the Flyertalk Thread discussing all details related to this offer.
[tags]United Airlines, frequent flyer miles[/tags]

“Meet Elly Kulesza, Terror Toddler.

In her finer moments—mainly when she’s on land — 3-year-old Elly is an adorable and sweet-mannered child, a blue-eyed charmer who likes to dance and harbors
a particular fondness for Thomas the Tank Engine.

“She’s a typical 3-year-old,” said her mother”
“she’s not like
one of those ‘Nanny 911’ children you see on TV.”

“Elly’s dad, Gerald Kulesza, is a full-time EMT in Boston who also attends nursing school full time, and he did so well last semester that Elly’s mom surprised
her husband with a trip to Florida to visit his parents, who live in Bonita Springs. So on Jan. 11, the family flew from Logan Airport to Fort Meyers on
AirTran Airways, and even though it was Elly’s first plane trip she behaved like a dream and spent most of the flight coloring in her coloring book and watching movies on a portable DVD player.”
(and regarding the return flight)
“Then came … The Boarding. Suddenly and without warning, angelic little Elly morphed into every parents’ nightmare.

Her mom thinks it may have been because of the ear surgery Elly underwent earlier this month, and perhaps her memory of the discomfort and ear pressure she endured during the plane’s descent into Florida. For whatever reason, when they got on the plane, Elly started to cry and wouldn’t stop. Nor would she sit down — she plopped herself down on the floor in front of her seat and proceeded to throw a temper tantrum.

“I was trying to console her and the stewardess came over and said, ‘Did you buy that seat for her?’ remembers Ms. Kulesza, 31, who is four months pregnant.
“I said yes, and she told me my daughter needs to sit in it. I told her I was trying.”

Moments later, an AirTran Airways employee armed with a walkie-talkie addressed Mr. Kulesza.

“Sir, you need to get her under control,” she said.

“We’re trying,” Mr. Kulesza noted.

The passengers, meanwhile, were quite understanding and one of them offered the toddler a lollipop, which she rejected. Then the walkie-talkie woman returned
to the Kuleszas’ aisle and displayed the raw tact and diplomacy of Donald Trump.

“Sir, you need to get off the plane,” she announced.

“What?” a stunned Mr. Kulesza asked. “Are you serious?”

“Sir, you need to get off the plane now.”

They got off the plane, while their luggage and car seat flew on to Boston. In the terminal they were directed to an AirTran supervisor, who told the couple
that the stewardess was uncomfortable “because you have an unruly child who struck a woman on board.”

Mr. Kulesza was incredulous. “That was her mother,” he explained. “She hit her on the arm. Lady, this is a 3-year-old child we’re talking about.”

“Sir, we don’t differentiate between 3 and 33,” the AirTran supervisor replied. Mr. Kulesza said the woman proceeded to lecture him about child discipline,
and how she would never tolerate her children behaving in such a manner, at which point Mr. Kulesza said, “You really need to stop talking now.””

“The couple were also told that, since they had been ejected from the plane, they were banned from flying with AirTran for 24 hours. So they were forced
to return to Bonita Springs for the night, and Mr. Kulesza missed a 16-hour work shift,”

Worcester Telegram & Gazette Dianne Williamson
[tags]AirTran Airways, Logan Airport, customer service, airlines, children[/tags]

Thanks to the Online Travel Review — Daily Airline News blog for bringing this to our attention.

You can save $17 each way ($34 roundtrip) for JetBlue Airways (B6) tickets booked via the following procedure:
Access the JetBlue | Deals | Seventeen promotion landing page. Then enter the promotion password
SEVENTEEN
(all spelled out in upper case)
You will then be taken to a standard looking JetBlue flight shopping page where each one-way fare will be discounted by $17.
For example, you can fly from Boston to Washington Dullis (BOS to IAD) for $64.80 including all taxes when using this discount on a roundtrip basis. Or you can fly from JFK to PIT for $22.40 one-way including taxes as discussed in this thread from the Mileage Run forum on Flyertalk.

The poster reports this $17 coupon was originally found on a web site called
Fat Wallet

This is a really good deal especially when combined with some of B6’s low fares. Unless you fly enough to be a preferred or elite member with one of the legacy carriers, JetBlue offers a very good value proposition for flying in coach with their expanded leg room, numerous snacks, and live in seat television and XM satalite radio. They also have a good reputation in general with regard to customer service even for occasional flyers. When you call JetBlue you will reach a live agent in America who works at home, rather than some off shore call center which many of the legacy carriers have farmed out their reservations and even customer relations functions too.
[tags]JetBlue Airways, airlines, air fares, air travel, Boston, Washington[/tags]