[Dtb-talk] No $330.00 player for me,

[David B Andrews]

It strikes me that you and others are assuming that NLS is limiting
access to their system from different hardeware manufacturers.

I can't speak for NLS, but I have no reason to believe this is
true, as long as NLS was confident that all necessary procedures and
steps were in place to ensure that authorized devices are only
available to eligible  NLS users.

Hope that makes sense.  

Dave



David Andrews
Chief Technology Officer
Minnesota State Services for the Blind
2200 University Ave. W., #240
St. Paul, MN  55114-1840
(651) 642-0513  Office
(612) 730-7931  Cell
(651) 649-5927  Fax


>>> gkearney at gmail.com 11/26/2007 2:53 AM >>>
Interesting. I suspect that policy, if it is the case, could run
into  
some serious problems. It is one thing to say that you will not  
support software players due to security concerns. It is quite
another  
to say you will not authorize a given hardware device due to the
fact  
that too many people might own one. Thus maintaing high hardware
costs  
and a monopoly of manufacturers in perpetuity.

I suspect congress, and the California delegation in particular,
would  
not look kindly on such an approach. Perhaps it is time to let some
 
members of congress know. Perhaps a bill instructing the NLS to  
authorize all manufactures of devices access to the needed keys is
in  
order to prevent them from picking and choosing who they will
permit  
to profit from the sale of such devices is needed.

I think the NLS need to decide here. Either only they build the  
players and permit no one else to have the keys or the means to  
authorize any players. Or they permit anyone, including mass market
 
makers like Apple to build players and they then give them the
needed  
information to authorizes such players for NLS patrons. Given that 

they have already decided to do the latter I do not see how they
can  
tell others that such options are not open to them.

Greg Kearney
535 S. Jackson St.
Casper, Wyoming 82601
307-224-4022
gkearney at gmail.com 



On Nov 25, 2007, at 10:23 PM, Wes Derby wrote:

> Hello.
>
> I've been a lurker here for a while, but thought I'd throw in my
two  
> cents
> on this one.
>
> Having spoken to someone from NLS during a conference a few
months  
> back, I
> think Dan's statement is pretty accurate.  I inquired as to
whether  
> the
> notetakers with on-board media players, such as the PACMate and 

> BrailleNote,
> might eventually be given the necessary rights and keys to
support  
> the NLS
> digital talking books.  the person I spoke to admitted he wasn't 

> sure what a
> PACMate or BrailleNote was, but said that they do in fact want to
 
> limit
> distribution to manufacturers/products that are primarily used by
NLS
> patrons.  This was as of last June, anyway...So don't expect to
see  
> support
> for NLS books on an iPod or any other commercial device any time
in  
> the
> near, or probably distant, future.
>
>
> ---
> Visit me on Myspace:
> http://www.myspace.com/wesderby 
> Now, I actually remember to log in and check it!
>
> Check out CashCrate:
http://www.cashcrate.com/index.php?ref=230383 
> It's free to join, and a great way to earn a few extra bucks.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Dan Rossi" <dr25 at andrew.cmu.edu>
> To: "Discussion of Digital Talking Books" <dtb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, November 25, 2007 7:53 AM
> Subject: Re: [Dtb-talk] No $330.00 player for me,
>
>
>> I don't think the issue is a hardware manufacturer being able to
do a
>> firmware upgrade to a mainstream player to support NLS books.  I
 
>> think the
>> issue is the NLS wanting to play it pretty careful on just who
gets
>> licensed to support their books.
>>
>> The scenario I can cook up in my own active imagination is that
NLS  
>> is
>> pretty sure there isn't going to be a rush of sighted folks  
>> purchasing
>> something like the Stream and then attempting to download NLS
books
>> illegally.  However, if a number of mainstream products
supported NLS
>> books, there would be more incentive for non-NLS users to
attempt  
>> to get
>> their hands on NLS books.  Thus, the fewer products supporting
the  
>> NLS
>> format, the smaller the incentive for illegally obtaining their 

>> books.  A
>> bit of security through obscurity.  Not a great plan, but it
works,  
>> and I
>> see it pretty often in the I.T. industry in general.
>>
>> -- 
>> Blue skies.
>> Dan Rossi
>> Carnegie Mellon University.
>> E-Mail: dr25 at andrew.cmu.edu 
>> Tel: (412) 268-9081
>> _______________________________________________
>> Dtb-talk mailing list
>> Dtb-talk at nfbnet.org 
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/dtb-talk 
>>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Dtb-talk mailing list
> Dtb-talk at nfbnet.org 
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/dtb-talk 

_______________________________________________
Dtb-talk mailing list
Dtb-talk at nfbnet.org 
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/dtb-talk