[gui-talk] Fwd: DeafBlind Communicator to Tap the Power and Simplicity ofKeySoft

[Steve Pattison]

From: Ramona Mandy ramona.mandy at humanware.com
To: vip-l at softspeak.com.au

DeafBlind Communicator to Tap the Power and Simplicity of KeySoft

 The DeafBlind Communicator (DBC) is being designed to provide a simple 
way
to handle TTY communications and to be a portable way to deal with
face-to-face communications.

Simplicity
A simple conversation approach is provided through an intuitive Chat 
Menu
which is automatically entered when the DBC is first turned on. When in 
a
conversation, whether it's Face to Face or TTY, the way you communicate 
is
identical.

Our goal is to produce a DeafBlind Communicator that is simple and 
straight
forward which any Braille user can learn to use with minimal training.

Hidden Applications Activated
 We realize that some deafblind people will want to do more or grow into
doing more than basic communications, so we have built the DBC on a much
more powerful platform that offers additional capabilities. A secondary 
goal
for the DBC is to ensure that any user can choose to activate other, 
more
powerful applications (initially hidden from the user), which provide 
access
to the kinds of capabilities and functions available in mainstream
technology (note the list below).

Main Menu
Word processor
Planner
Address list
Email
Internet
Chat
Media center
Book reader
Scientific calculator
Database manager
Games
File manager
Utilities
Terminal for screen reader
Remote synthesizer
Keyboard learn

KeySoft, the environment (user-interface) that is used in the DBC, is 
the
same one used in the BrailleNote and has reached its celebrated 
friendliness
through over twenty years of constant improvement. Once a user chooses 
to
activate the full-blown features of the DBC, the Chat Menu noted above
becomes one of the applications listed in the Main Menu. From that menu, 
a
simple press of the character "C" instantly takes you to the KeyChat 
Menu
and from there everything "looks" exactly the same as the basic DBC.

We plan to start accepting orders in April and shipping in June 2008.

The basic DBC will have many similarities to the TeleBraille in both 
feature
and function. Although the KeySoft user interface will "feel" somewhat
different from that of the TeleBraille, it is still very easy to use. Of
course, if the user chooses to activate the more powerful features, the 
DBC
will be a fully functional BrailleNote that includes TeleBraille-type
functionality.

The BNPK will not support the DBC. Unfortunately, the PK does not have a
landline connection on it to enable TTY communications. Also, the
BrailleNote mPower, on which the DBC is based, has significantly more 
memory
and power to handle the added functions of the DBC.

The DBC will not include the screen reader Mobile Speak Pocket (MSP). 
All of
the functions relating to the cell phone (DB Companion) will be 
controlled
from the DB BrailleNote. As noted above, if the user chooses to activate 
the
full functionality of the BrailleNote applications, the DB BrailleNote
becomes a fully functional PDA on its own that does not require the
complexity of a screen reader or any other additional software.



Ramona Mandy
National Blindness Products Consultant
HumanWare
27 Palmer Street
South Melbourne VIC 3205
Australia
Tel: 03 9686 2601
Mob: 0404 834 924
Fax: 02 9686 2855
Email: ramona.mandy at humanware.com
Web: www.humanware.com

Regards Steve
Email:  srp at internode.on.net
Windows Live Messenger:  internetuser383 at hotmail.com
Skype:  steve1963