[nfbwatlk] Talking Signs in Seattle

Wed Sep 6 23:41:41 CDT 2006

Hopefully there is a volume control and a place for an earplug. However, I
agree with Mike if you have a cane or dog guide using  up 1 hand and
packages in the other, unless you're an odd duck wih  3 or 4   hands
(parents with 2 or 3 small kids are in a catagory by themselves), that
device isn' going to b much use  to you.

Bob Sellers

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "marty" <martythekid at hotmail.com>
To: "NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List" <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, September 06, 2006 5:47 PM
Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] Talking Signs in Seattle

> Mr.Heart's omni stuff is working fine downtown, as I heard one respond to
an
> activated receiver, it worked well. However, if it were me, and things
were
> afordable to me, I think that I would rather have something that didn't
make
> a public anouncement as I walked by, but I'm one who likes to remain in
the
> background.
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Smirfette" <smirfette28 at hotmail.com>
> To: "NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List" <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, September 06, 2006 1:30 PM
> Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] Talking Signs in Seattle
>
>
> > 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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> >>>>> nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org
> >>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbwatlk
> >>>>>
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> >>>>
> >>>
> >>>
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> >>
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