Blindskills, Inc. - Publisher of DIALOGUE Magazine
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by Jackie Ohime, LaPorte, Indiana
EDITOR'S NOTE: This column is provided as an informational service to readers. As with all purchases, readers are expected to investigate thoroughly before making transactions. Send items for possible inclusion in this column to magazine@blindskills.com.
ATLAS OF NORTHERN AFRICA is the newest publication offered by The Princeton Braillists. The volume covers Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, Sudan, South Sudan and Cape Verde. For each country an introductory section of facts and general information is followed by a full page tactile map showing cities, towns, rivers, mountains, and places of special interest. The book covers 78 pages, contains a total of 16 maps, and costs $14.00 if the purchaser is eligible to receive Free Matter under special postal regulations. Also available for $14.00 per volume are two additional geographical reference works for this region--ATLAS OF EASTERN AND CENTRAL AFRICA and ATLAS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA. To order, send check or purchase order to: Princeton Braillists, 76 Leabrook Lane, Princeton, NJ 08542.
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AFB Press offers a DVD called MASTERING THE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH AUDITION, KINESTHESIA, AND COGNITION: AN O&M APPROACH TO GUIDE DOG TRAVEL. It approaches the subject from the teaching perspective rather than offering direct training to individual consumers. It provides explanations of critical auditory, kinesthetic, distance estimation, and alignment skills needed for safe and efficient travel. Demonstrations are shown in a variety of indoor and outdoor settings. Other features include talking accessible menus as well as English and French translations. The DVD was produced by Institut Nazareth & Louis Braille and written by Hélène Guérette and Carole Zabihaylo. MASTERING THE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH AUDITION, KINESTHESIA AND COGNITION: AN O&M APPROACH TO GUIDE DOG TRAVEL is available for $59.95. For more information contact AFB Press at 800-232-3044 or visit the AFB store online at www.afb.org.
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Message of Hope, a ministry of Unity, provides the following services free of charge to persons who are visually impaired: 1. DAILY WORD MAGAZINE on CD or in braille or the DAILY WORD message of the day via email; 2. Nondenominational, spirituality-centered books, pamphlets and literature through an audio lending library, a hardcopy braille book lending library, and by email in .brf format; 3. Follow-up letters of prayer support on cassette or in braille. For more information, contact Message of Hope at 866-421-3066; send email to message-of-hope@unityonline.org, or visit their website at www.unityonline.org .
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Choice Magazine Listening (CML) has changed its publication schedule from bimonthly to quarterly. Each recorded bimonthly issue formerly contained eight hours of unabridged articles, fiction and poetry selected from approximately 100 contemporary magazines. The quarterly issues have been enlarged to twelve hours so that the overall amount of content remains about 48 hours per year. CML offers its service at no charge to listeners who are unable to read standard print. CML is available for downloading from the NLS BARD website, and subscribers can arrange to receive their issues on a cartridge which is compatible with the NLS Digital Talking Book player. The cartridge must be returned to CML in order to receive the next issue. For further information, telephone toll-free 888-724-6423 or visit the CML website at www.choicemagazinelistening.org.
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The Described Captioned Media Program (DCMP) has announced the availability of a documentary short, BLINDSPOT, on YouTube.com and the DCMP Web site. The award-winning filmmakers have made it available for free. The film is an intimate portrait of two young blind New Yorkers who daily embrace the city. Jamil (26) and Tamesha (24) met in fourth grade. Aided by Jamil's guide dog, they demonstrate everyday courage in a city that often doesn't "see" them. Anyone can view BLINDSPOT on the DCMP website with description or with captions or watch it on YouTube.com with both captions and description.
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HumanWare has developed Stratus, a desktop DAISY reader. According to Jerry Chevalier, HumanWare's Victor Brand Manager, Stratus will replace the Victor Reader Classic in the HumanWare product catalogue. The Stratus 12M reads DAISY files from CD and DVD data disks, Secure Digital (SD) cards, and USB thumb drives. It also reads text, HTML and Microsoft Word document files using relatively high quality voices from Acapela. Stratus does not have recording capabilities, and it cannot be directly connected to a computer, although one model allows files to be transferred through SD cards or thumb drives.
The unit is about eight inches square and about two inches thick. Its speaker is said to produce much greater volume than that of the smaller Victor Reader Stream. Battery life for the Stratus is estimated at ten hours with the CD unit in constant motion.
The Stratus Basic, with CD access only, sells for $425. Stratus 12M with CD, USB, and SD access sells for $455. For further information, including estimated delivery time, telephone HumanWare USA at 800-722-3393. Additional information is also available at humanware.com.
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Freedom Scientific has signed on to become the US distributor for the PLEXTALK Pocket. The palm-sized PLEXTALK Pocket provides access to Talking Books, podcasts, and music, using a Secure Digital or SDHC card with a maximum capacity of 32 gigabytes. It offers high-quality recording facilities, accepting stereo microphone and line level inputs, with either automatic or manual level controls, which readily speak their readings. The built-in wireless radio connects to many Wi-Fi routers and can play the streams of many preloaded internet radio stations. The device does not have a web browser.
The PLEXTALK Pocket is physically identical to the Book Port Plus, although the two have different firmware, so some of the controls and features are different as well.
The PLEXTALK Pocket comes with a free software program called PRS PRO, which allows editing of audio DAISY files recorded on the device. The regular price is $345. Until October 31, the new distributor is offering an introductory price of $275. For more information or to purchase, contact Freedom Scientific at 800-444-4443 or visit their website at www.freedomscientific.com.
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National Braille Press (NBP) offers new braille pendants--1.25 by .25 inch pieces of pure copper with the braille word "read" and a small raised open book at the bottom. The braille "read" pendant costs $32.00 in bright copper and $25.00 in dark copper. For more information contact NBP at 800-548-7323 or visit the NBP website at www/nbp.org.
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The Hadley School for the Blind offers a new course called SELF-EMPLOYMENT WITH A MINIMAL INVESTMENT. The first version is available through the Adult Continuing Education (ACE) program, the High School (HS) program and the Family Education (FE) program. The second version is available through the Hadley School for Professional Studies (HSPS) and is intended for blindness professionals helping their clients learn about self-employment. The ACE/HS/FE version is free, and the HSPS version will have a $99 tuition fee but is being offered free for a limited time. Both courses are completely online. In the HSPS version, there is an additional lesson which discusses the vocational rehabilitation counselor's role in assisting a client with self-employment. Contact Hadley Student Services at 800-526-9909 or visit the website at www.hadley.edu.
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American Printing House for the Blind has released APH Light-Touch, an updated version of the classic Perkins Brailler. The new unit accepts paper up to 14 inches long and eleven and a half inches wide, with a maximum line width of 42 characters. The keys have been redesigned to trigger the emboss mechanism with one-third less pressure than required by the original Perkins unit. The APH Light-Touch Perkins Brailler retails for $730. To purchase, contact APH at 800-223-1839 or visit the website at www.aph.org.
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Bay Area Digital has added a Talking Cooking Thermometer to its line of accessible products. According to a company press release, the unit has a range of 50 to 500 degrees F and responds with an audible reading within about six seconds. The company literature says that the thermometer need not be left in the oven; its probe can be quickly inserted for a reference reading while food continues to cook in the oven or on the stove top. Temperature readings are spoken in a clear, synthetic voice and displayed in large numbers. Power is supplied by a 1.5-volt battery. The Talking Cooking Thermometer sells for $39.95 plus shipping. To order, telephone Bay Area Digital at 888-881-1998 or visit their website at Bay Area Digital has added a Talking Cooking Thermometer to its line of accessible products. According to a company press release, the unit has a range of 50 to 500 degrees F and responds with an audible reading within about six seconds. The company literature says that the thermometer need not be left in the oven; its probe can be quickly inserted for a reference reading while food continues to cook in the oven or on the stove top. Temperature readings are spoken in a clear, synthetic voice and displayed in large numbers. Power is supplied by a 1.5-volt battery. The Talking Cooking Thermometer sells for $39.95 plus shipping. To order, telephone Bay Area Digital at 888-881-1998 or visit their website at bayareadigital.us.
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Read2go is a program or "app" which will allow Bookshare.org members to download and read books and periodicals from Bookshare on their Apple portable or iOS devices. The first version of Read2go is compatible with any iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch running OS4.0 or higher. Users can read the Bookshare DAISY files using the built-in Voiceover Apple screen reader, or they can employ either of the two Acapela voices supplied with the app. Read2go sells for $19.99 in the iTunes app store operated by Apple, which may be accessed directly from any compatible Apple device with an internet connection. Bookshare is reportedly working with partners to develop a similar app for Android devices.
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The National Association of Guide Dog Users (NAGDU) has a new hotline. The NAGDU Education & Advocacy Hotline offers information about the legal rights of individuals who use service animals with the option to speak with a live advocate who is trained to resolve access denials, as well as specific guidance concerning restaurants, taxicabs, and health care facilities. The Hotline is available anytime by calling 866-972-3647 toll-free.
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Independent Living Aids has a new memory-sharpening game called Freeze Up. Two to eight players think of a name that belongs in the category they have chosen. For instance, if the category is "animals," and the first letter must be "s", the player can say "snake", "snail" or any other animal beginning with "s." Each player is given 60 seconds per game to think of names in the categories. The last player to use up his or her time is the winner. Freeze Up sells for $26.95. To purchase Freeze Up, contact Independent Living Aids at 800-537-2118 or purchase online at www.independentliving.com.
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A company called BPC Programs offers games for blind users. Available titles include: THREE-D VELOCITY, TREASURE HUNT, TOURNAMENT, SPACE, THE GREAT ESCAPE, and many more. For more information and to download games, visit www.bpcprograms.com.
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