[nfbwatlk] Talking Signs in Seattle

[Smirfette]

Hi folks,
First of all, I wasn't refering to Mr. Heart, I was refering to the signs 
that were put out by I believe metro, please correct me if I'm wrong.
I don't believe they are ready for use as of yet, but perhaps in time.
thank you
----- Original Message s----- 
From: "marty" <martythekid at hotmail.com>
To: "NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List" <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, September 06, 2006 10:38 AM
Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] Talking Signs in Seattle


> Hay guys,
>   You know I don't know about all the rest of you folks but I grew up on
> star treck, and this stuff is straight out of the series. Why not have a
> small receiver that is placed in the ear, that will pick up the signal 
> from
> said signs, and go from there. If it can help some folks, why have a fit
> about it? No admitteddely, this technology will not be available every
> where, yet if it could be of some assistance, then why  not? but the 
> system
> that Mr. Heart has out is a more user friendly system, just in the size of
> the receiver,  its about the size of a lighter, and with some of this blue
> tooth technology, things will be useable without the entire world knowing
> anything about what help it gives, to anyone, not just the blind, and that
> was what it was designed for, and supported by the local store owners who
> advirtize there.Folks lets face it, these people are working on improveing
> their carma, so they are going to do what they think will help, its up to 
> us
> to choose what we are going to do whith it. No it will never replace the
> common sence of just asking, not to mention, basic good mobility skills,
> which are good anywhere.Its education and choice, and what , and how its
> used.
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Jim Portillo" s<jp100 at earthlink.net>
> To: "NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List" <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, September 01, 2006 10:00 AM
> Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] Talking Signs in Seattle
>
>
>> Oh, are you talking about Harry Hart?
>>>From what I understand, he's gotten some money for that, but I'm not sure
>> how much or for how many.
>> Jim
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
>> To: "NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List" <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Friday, September 01, 2006 9:33 AM
>> Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] Talking Signs in Seattle
>>
>>
>>> Actually, there is a fellow working on such a system in Seattle using
>>> the same technology as the RF ID tags used on merchandise. Don't know
>>> how far he's gotten, though. Although I'm not enamered of talking signs,
>>> the idea had some traction as regular merchants could use the system as
>>> you describe and text could be scrolled onto the little handheld
>>> receivers. Speech synthesis would be used for the blind. My chief
>>> concern there was maintainability of the system; someone would always
>>> have to update it.
>>>
>>> Mike
>>>
>>> On Fri, 1 Sep 2006, Carl Jarvis wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi Mike,
>>>> Did you ever wander around Woodland Park back in the days when you 
>>>> could
>>>> buy
>>>> an Elephant Key and put it into the box positioned by each exhibit? 
>>>> The
>>>> box
>>>> would begin to tell you everything you never wanted to know about what
>>>> was
>>>> supposed to be in there.  Of course they might have moved the original
>>>> occupant and put something else in, or the box refused to work at all.
>>>> I
>>>> suspect that those little problems were what finally did the project 
>>>> in.
>>>> Still, I have a point here, it seems to me that talking signs could 
>>>> have
>>>> a
>>>> very broad appeal.  Think of old uncle Fuddy Duddy arriving in our Fair
>>>> City.  As he rolls off the box car, he can trot into town and rent a
>>>> unit
>>>> for the day.  As he pan handles his way up one street and down another
>>>> he
>>>> will be aware of all of the local attractions.
>>>> But really, such a system could be underwritten by the local merchants.
>>>> Not
>>>> that they would want to have old uncle Duddy dropping in, but it would
>>>> be
>>>> a
>>>> way of advertising under the guise of providing a public service.  And
>>>> at
>>>> it's finest, such a system might even include a little screen so 
>>>> sighted
>>>> folks could stand mesmerized by the sight of all the local shops and
>>>> their
>>>> mounds of merchandise, along with a road map taking them right up to 
>>>> the
>>>> front door.  Eventually the blind might have to fight just to have such
>>>> a
>>>> system audio described.
>>>> Carl Jarvis
>>>>
>>>>
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>>
>>
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