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By Jeff (BrailleWorks Blog Admin), on September 3rd, 2010
It’s not always easy for blind or visually impaired people to use mobile phones, but designer Nikko van Stolk has come up with a concept phone that might be able to solve the problem, dubbed the Tactile. The Tactile uses digital texture to allow the visually impaired to access a variety of features that are offered by modern multi-touch phones. This is achieved by using an array of conductive pins under the multi-touch display, sending digital information as pulses of electricity to the user’s fingertips to simulate texture. Sounds pretty fancy, but it’ll be a shame if it doesn’t become a reality- the Tactile would probably be really useful to folks who are visually impaired.
“As cell phones have become an increasingly conspicuous part of everyday life, they have also become more and more powerful, equipped with computer operating systems and more features being added with every new model. Web browsers, e-mail, multimedia messaging, voice dialing, phone books, word processors, multi-color displays, and cameras are some of the features available on today’s cell phones, but there are concerns among the blind and visually impaired community as to whether or not these and other cell phone features will be accessible.” - American Foundation for the Blind
A | So good, blind people like it B | I’m glad I could hear it
C | I had one eye open
D | I’m glad I couldn’t see it
F | Blindness was a blessing
Although I am blind, I can appreciate a good movie as well as sighted individuals. I rely more on a good story line than special effects. Visit my website at: blindsidereviews.com.
Based on the 1996 short story titled “Baster” by Jeffrey Eugeniges, is the charming romantic comedy The Switch.
Television producer Kassie Larson (Jennifer Aniston) is almost 40 years old and wants to have a baby. She tells her neurotic best friend Wally Mars (Jason Bateman) who is a Wall Street investor that she is going to hire somebody to be a sperm donor. (Haven’t we seen this before?) Kassie hires Roland (Patrick Wilson) to be the donor and then throws an insemination party and invites all of her friends and acquaintances. (I never saw that before.)
Wally who has been in love with Kassie for years - but is to afraid to tell her - is drunk and goes to the bathroom and accidentally spills Roland’s sample and then replaces it with his own. After Kassie becomes pregnant she goes back to her home state of Minnesota only to return back to New York years later with a seven year old boy named Sebastian (Thomas Robinson) who is neurotic and pessimistic like Wally. After meeting Sebastian, Wally remembers what he did in the bathroom seven years ago and tells his Wall Street friend Leonard (Jeff Goldbloom) who tells him to tell Kassie. Of course we know he isn’t going to do that or it would be the end of the movie and in the meantime Kassie begins dating Roland.
My first and really only complaint - and it’s a big one - is how can anyone make a substitution like he did in the bathroom and not remember it for 7 years. This film begins nicely and cruises to the halfway point where it kicks into high gear for the last half and it’s just fantastic. The chemistry between Jason Bateman and the little boy Thomas Robinson is great and every scene they are in together is heartwarming. Also Jeff Goldbloom is the gem in this movie and every time he is on screen he steals the scene. (Of course that is much better than what Wally steals in the bathroom.)
This isn’t a hilarious crude slapstick comedy but it’s a humorous, cute, sensitive story. It’s one of those films that will have its following for a short while and since I’m one of those people, I’m giving it a B- rating.
This movie has been given a PG13 rating by the MPAA.
By Jeff (BrailleWorks Blog Admin), on August 16th, 2010
Blind Driver Challenge Receives Top Awards at NIWeek 2010
BALTIMORE, Aug. 16, 2010 – The National Federation of the Blind’s Blind Driver Challenge-an innovative effort to create a nonvisual interface that empowers a blind person to operate an automobile-received the 2010 Application of the Year Award at the National Instruments Graphical System Design Achievement Awards ceremony held during the NIWeek annual conference in Austin, Texas. In response to a challenge issued by the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) , students and researchers at Virginia Tech - using National Instruments (NI) technology - developed a semi-autonomous vehicle that allows a blind driver to successfully navigate, control speed, and avoid collision while traversing a closed driving course. NIWeek, hosted by National Instruments, is the world’s leading graphical system design conference and exhibition, showcasing the latest developments in graphical system design, virtual instrumentation, and commercial technologies. The Virginia Tech/TORC Blind Driver Challenge team project also received the Graphical System Design Achievement Award in the Robotics category.
Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “The Blind Driver Challenge is a National Federation of the Blind initiative to cause the creation of a nonvisual driving interface for the blind. We can build a car that the blind can drive independently and safely. All we need is an interface that can capture information from the environment and provide it to the blind driver in nonvisual ways. The innovations produced in the process of creating this blind-drivable vehicle will help the blind gain access to a great deal of information that has traditionally been presented only visually. These innovations will also help the sighted find ways to learn more than they now know and operate machines with increased efficiency and safety.”
The paper describing the project was submitted by Dr. Dennis Hong, director of the Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory (RoMeLa) at Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering, along with Greg Jannaman and Kimberly Wenger, two of the undergraduate students that worked under Dr. Hong’s direction on the first-generation prototype of the nonvisual interface for a blind-drivable vehicle. Dr. Hong and his students are currently working with the NFB on the second-generation prototype vehicle, which will integrate new and improved versions of the first-generation nonvisual interface technologies into a Ford Escape. The vehicle is scheduled to be demonstrated to the public as part of the pre-race activities at the 2011 Rolex 24 At Daytona on January 29, 2011.
Dr. Hong said: “Three years ago we accepted the NFB Blind Driver Challenge to develop a vehicle that can be driven by a blind person. I recognized this as an opportunity to motivate my students to challenge themselves to change the world. Winning the National Instruments Graphical System Design Achievement Award is a tremendous validation of their hard work and creativity.”
Ray Almgren, vice president of marketing for core platforms at National Instruments, said: “The competition was very intense this year, with more than one hundred applications submitted by universities and technology companies from around the world who are using National Instruments hardware and software to create life-changing technologies. The Blind Driver Challenge of the National Federation of the Blind is truly reflective of our commitment to provide students, engineers, and scientists with the technology and training to improve quality of life worldwide.”
For more information about the NFB, please visit www.nfb.org. For a digital news release about the Blind Driver Challenge and the planned debut of the BDC car at the Rolex 24, including audio and video clips for television and radio, please visit www.DigitalNewsRelease.com/?q=NFB_CarKit.
About the National Federation of the Blind With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind is the largest and most influential membership organization of blind people in the United States. The NFB improves blind people’s lives through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs encouraging independence and self-confidence. It is the leading force in the blindness field today and the voice of the nation’s blind. In January 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and training center in the United States for the blind led by the blind.
About National Instruments National Instruments (www.ni.com) is transforming the way engineers and scientists design, prototype and deploy systems for measurement, automation and embedded applications. NI empowers customers with off-the-shelf software such as NI LabVIEW and modular cost-effective hardware, and sells to a broad base of more than 30,000 different companies worldwide, with no one customer representing more than 3 percent of revenue and no one industry representing more than 15 percent of revenue. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, NI has more than 5,000 employees and direct operations in more than 40 countries. For the past 11 years, FORTUNE magazine has named NI one of the 100 best companies to work for in America.
LabVIEW, National Instruments, NI, ni.com and NIWeek are trademarks of National Instruments. Other product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.
By Jeff (BrailleWorks Blog Admin), on August 16th, 2010
Reliance Mobile has announced the launch of Braille Bill service. The Braille Bill service is part of multiple innovative & reliable convenience options that Reliance Mobile is introducing in the Indian market for its over 110 million mobile subscribers. The Braille Bill service is first-of-its kind initiative introduced by an Indian telecom operator aiming to create an enabling and convenient customer service environment for the visually impaired. The service is in line with Reliance ADA Group’s Corporate Social responsibility objectives.
Blind movie critic Jay Forry reviews Dinner for Schmucks; staring Paul Rudd & Steve Carell. Tim Conrad (Paul Rudd) is an executive at Fender Financial and his boss, Lance Fender (Bruce Greenwood) invites him to an exclusive dinner party. At this dinner, company executives have to bring one special guest who is so weird that at the end of the night, one of them will be voted the biggest idiot. Tim is reluctant but really wants a promotion and he lucks out when he meets I.R.S. employee, Barry Speck (Steve Carell).
In 1995, Pixar Animation and Disney Studios teamed up to tell their first story about talking toys and 15 years later with one only installment in-between, most of the toys are back in, Toy Story 3.
By Jeff (BrailleWorks Blog Admin), on June 7th, 2010
Life becomes difficult for the visually impaired, as they have to rely on others as soon as they steps out from their places. Developed by a group of designers, including Pia Weitgasser, Kristina Chudikova, Joe Müller, the “na:vi” is a GPS navigating system that allows the visually impaired to move freely without any help or assistance from others.
Blind movie critic Jay Forry gives his Blindside Review of Prince of Persia; The Sands of Time. This is the kind of summer popcorn flick that can be enjoyed by everybody.
By Jeff (BrailleWorks Blog Admin), on May 20th, 2010
The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) of Michigan will again take to the streets of Lansing on Thursday, May 20, to protest what it feels is an atmosphere of cover-up, secrecy, and intimidation by Patrick Cannon, director of the Michigan Commission for the Blind.
After much anticipation, Iron Man 2 flies into action. Jay Forry gives his Blindside Review and tells if the sequel is as good as the first Iron Man. As expected, this film is a lot of fun with a superb cast of characters and some great action scenes.
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