News
Webcam/CCTV Survey Results
Thanks to everyone who participated in the webcam/CCTV survey from the last ZoomNews issue. Congratulations to Katheryn Puntillo whose name was chosen in the raffle - she won a $100 Amazon.com gift certificate!
So much to go through, it’s certainly kept us very busy the last few days. Read on for the results!
ITN GreaterBoston Transportation
ITNGreaterBoston is a new community-based transportation alternative that enables the elderly and adults who are visually impaired to remain mobile, active and independent. This is an affiliate of ITNAmerica, the first national non-profit transportation network for seniors and adults who are visually impaired. This network brings together families, businesses, healthcare providers and community organizations to weave a strong web of support to help these two groups continue to live independently.
Spotlight: Blind Radio
Gerry McGoldrick started BlindRadio back in 2003 when he realized that there was a strong need for accessible internet radio, especially since many other media sources are not accessible. Most internet radio sites were and still are difficult to use even using modern software so the concept of BlindRadio is to give ‘everybody’ access to internet radio - the site is accessible meaning that it is specifically designed to be available to all web users.
You can choose stations based on your location or genre you’re interested in. It brings thousands of online radio channels to you with a clear, easy to use menu. If you don’t like the colors or text size, change them in the access options - it’s that simple. Head on over there and check it out!
Cool Websites #7
ZoomText user Kathy Kalaluhi sent in a bunch of websites that she thought other ZoomText users would find interesting and helpful. We liked the idea so much that it’s become a regular “column” in ZoomNews! Below were her suggestions and if you’d like to submit any websites for the next issue, please email them to Becca at !
Tablet Survey Results
Thanks to everyone who participated in the tablet survey from the last ZoomNews issue. Congratulations to Gina Herrman whose name was chosen in the raffle - she won a $100 Amazon.com gift certificate!
The most popularly owned tablet device is the iPad and the device that most of you are planning to buy in the near future is the iPad 2. Good thing we’ve got an app for that!
If you’d like to see the complete details, you can download a PDF document that contains the graphical results. Read on for another chance to win!
ZoomReader is a da Vinci Award Nominee!
We’re proud to announce that ZoomReader is a nominee in the Lifestyle category for the 2011 da Vinci Awards!
What are the da Vinci Awards you say? Complete information can be found on their website, but read on to find out the basics.
Highlight: Lime Lighter
Bill McCann is the founder and president of Dancing Dots Braille Music Technology, the company that has been helping blind and low vision musicians make music since 1992. His company created the world’s first commercial Braille music translator software, GOODFEEL and has pioneered in the area of creating what he calls “accessible scores”. Dancing Dots markets an access solution for creating professional-sounding, multi-track audio productions. Their latest products enable low vision musicians to read and to write music in an accessible environment.
The Lime Lighter displays printed music notation using the traditional five-line staff. You can magnify the music up to 10 times the original size and can even edit the music and print it out. But, for most people with low vision, this technology will be of interest as a way of reading music comfortably. Use it in conjuntion with the SharpEye software, which lets you scans printed music and it will convert it to various music file formats. To round out the experience, use Lime Aloud to create and print editions of your own musical ideas!
For more information, go to the Dancing Dots website or you can watch a video of Bill demoing the Lime Lighter at a recent conference.
Cool Websites #6
ZoomText user Kathy Kalaluhi sent in a bunch of websites that she thought other ZoomText users would find interesting and helpful. We liked the idea so much that it’s become a regular “column” in ZoomNews! Below were her suggestions and if you’d like to submit any websites for the next issue, please email them to Becca at !
Introducing ZoomContacts for the iPad!
Ai Squared is proud to announce ZoomContacts for the iPad & iPad 2! ZoomContacts is the perfect “Large Print” contact application for iPad users who have difficulty seeing the small text on their screen. ZoomContacts uses Apple’s internal Contacts database to store and manage information but presents it using multiple font size and color combination choices. This makes it easier on the eyes for those folks who could use a little visual assistance.
ZoomContacts is available now in the iTunes App Store for $4.99.
Want to see the app in action? Watch the video right here by clicking on the play button below or go onto YouTube and watch it there. For even more information, check out our mobile site.
New App Sneak Peek!
In the next week or so, we’re going to be releasing a new app! This time around it’s for the iPad and iPad 2.
This time around, we developed an app that isn’t specifically “assistive technology” but it’s more of a lifestyle app that an even wider audience would find useful in their everyday lives.
We promise to spill all the details soon, so keep an eye on your inbox!!
