Great news; I was looking forward to using my bn as a USB braille keyboard!
Have a great day,
Alex
New email address: [email protected]
----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris Hallsworth" <[email protected]>
To: "'Alex Hall'" <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, November 19, 2009 4:24
Subject: RE: [Braillenote] Tech Talk Apex presentation: summary
Hi Alex and all, Humanware reps have got the Apex to work with JAWS 11
with
both Bluetooth and USB connections. This is using the 32 bit version. I
got
this from the BCAB (British Computer Association of the Blind) list. I
have
since enquired on 64 bit compatibility and they will get back to either
myself or the list on that one. So don't fret; the Apex, like the mPower,
appears to work fine with JAWS.
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Alex Hall
Sent: 17 November 2009 02:40
To: [email protected]
Subject: [Braillenote] Tech Talk Apex presentation: summary
Here it is. We already know most of this from Friday's ACB Radio
presentation, but I tried to write it all down.
From the Tech Talk presentation
The Apex took two years, over two million dollars, 18 developers,
and "an army" of beta testers to produce. Over ten percent of
Humanware's profits go straight back into R&D.
The "up" key on the scroll wheel, the key at 12 o'clock on the
wheel setup, is the same as sending the exit command (e chord).
The key at 6 o'clock is the "help" key. These keys are not
currently customizable.
Here is a description of the device:
Left face, front to back: record button, headphone jack,
microphone jack (still mono since stereo is so expensive), on/off
rocker switch, reset button (not as recessed as that on the
mPower so you do not need a sharp object to press x
Back face, left to right: three USB ports (side by side), SD card
slot (SD/SDHC support), LEDs for bluetooth, wifi, power, VGA
port, 10/100 wired ethernet port (AKA DSL, cable).
Right side, back to front: AC adapter port (with tactile mark for
identification), mini USB (client USB) port.
Front, right to left: thumb keys like usual, though a bit
slimmer.
Inside: bluetooth 2.1, wifi b/g, 8gb internal storage, 256mb ram.
Battery: removable with a slide switch like many laptops have.
Keysoft: the Apex has ks9.0 (build unknown), which has the same
features as ks8.0.20, but the underlying improvements take
advantage of the new Apex hardware. One rep, for example, said
he was online for over three hours one day and never had to reset
or even close Keyweb. Another example of new things: if you plug
in an ethernet cable, the Apex knows; you do not need to even
make a new connection configuration for the cable.
Multi-tasking: not yet, aside from what you can already do, but
the platform is there for expansion.
Extensions: all extensions are already on the Apex, so all you
buy is an unlock code.
Upgrading: just put the upgrade on any media, from a thumb drive
to a high capacity sd card, and put the card in the Apex. You
will be prompted to upgrade, say "yes", and there you go. Not
more size limits or doing special resets.
Miscellaneous:
Apex cannot act as a Braille display for Serotech screen readers.
Bluetooth supports two connections at once, so you can emboss
with bluetooth while using a bluetooth headset, or use a
bluetooth headset while using a bluetooth GPS receiver.
A French version of the Apex is in development, but will not be
ready for the December 1 Apex launch date.
The Apex will keep its time and date setting for 30 days with no
battery, and will sync its time with an internet server.
The Apex works with USB as a braille display with Window Eyes, no
mention of JAWS support.
Battery life: 8-12 hours with normal use, but that will obviously
vary with how you use it: speech, braille, media playback, radio,
wifi, bluetooth, external media cards... The idea is that you
can get a "full day's use out of the device on a single charge".
However, you do not have to condition the battery anymore; there
is not even the option to do so. Therefore, you should get into
the habit of charging it every night.
Battery Cost: just $50!! Considering that the mPower takes $78
per battery change, and that you are lucky to get a laptop batter
for under $100 (especially one that can last for more than 8
hours) that is a great price.
Have a great day,
Alex
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