[nfbwatlk] Talking Signs in Seattle

Lauren Merryfield lauren at catliness.com
Fri Sep 8 03:30:16 CDT 2006 

Hi,
I wouldn't want to cross streets with a headset on.  I know of at least two 
people who died because they did it and didn't hear the cars coming.
thanks
Lauren
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----- Original Message ----- 
From: "marty" <martythekid at hotmail.com>
To: "NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List" <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, September 07, 2006 12:54 AM
Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] Talking Signs in Seattle


> the device that Mr.Heart has out , is small, shirt pocket small. It can 
> also
> ve set up to be picked up by a cell phone, and most  folks have a headset,
> thus hands free. who knows, it doesn't beep if you are on the right trail,
> but it does tell you the proper directions of where you are , and how to 
> get
> to other advirtized places. It seems like a cool gadget, but it will never
> replace common sence and just asking. and thats inexpencieve, doesn't
> require batteries, and doesn't need to be reprogrammed. shrug, what ever 
> it
> takes to get the job done, right?
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Bob Sellers" <robertsellers500 at comcast.net>
> To: "NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List" <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, September 06, 2006 9:41 PM
> Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] Talking Signs in Seattle
>
>
>>
>> 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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>>> >>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbwatlk
>>> >>>>>
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>>> >>>
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