Re: [Audyssey] Accessibility Article
Hi tom. I will do. given what I do with a screen reader in terms of reading something while doing something else I can see the advantage. For instance, in my flat I only actually turn on my monitor if I've watching a dvd or playing a game with graphics. Sinse I also use a wireless keyboard, i can pretty much be anywhere in my flat and use my pc, including lying on my settee, or in the kitchin cooking etc. I've even frequently read long stuff such as game manual, scripts, or things from chronicles of arborell while eating pizza! Actually thinking about it, I'm almost surprised someone like winamp doesn't produce a basic self voicing interface precisely for that reason. Beware the Grue! dark. - Original Message - From: "Thomas Ward" To: "Gamers Discussion list" Sent: Saturday, December 25, 2010 8:33 PM Subject: Re: [Audyssey] Accessibility Article Hi Dark, Smile. Well, glad to help. Actually, there have been a number of mainstream programs out there like this that use Sapi voices. Text To Audio, Text Aloud, and the Cepstral voices comes with a program called Swift Talker or something like that. People have been buying and using these types of programs for years in the publishing industry, and that's not the only use for them either. As I said earlier Sapi voices are employed in all kinds of mainstream applications. For example, Omnipage, written by Scansoft, uses the Scansoft voices to read aloud scanned documents in Omnipage. I imagine this feature wasn't added just for accessibility, but is appreciated by corperations that would like to have documents read aloud as they are scanned etc. This is another case in point how adding accessibility into a product from the start just works out for everybody. Anyway, if you want your writer friends to get a nice text to audio type program tell them to head over to http://www.nextup.com and check out Text Aloud as well as the various voices they have available for it. Cheers! On 12/25/10, dark wrote: Ah, good to know tom. I feel rather a fool sinse I've been using realspeak daniel as my default sapi voice for years but didn't look into this. Stil, I'm glad it's out there. I've actually had none sited friends of mine interested in such a program as well, those who write for example. Beware the Grue! dark. --- Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org. --- Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org.
Re: [Audyssey] Accessibility Article
Hi, Actually, those kind of apps were even around since the Dos/Windows 3.1 days. I doubt if anyone remembers this, but when Creative Labs released the Sounbblaster 16 sound card one of its selling points is it came with a software TTS voice, the name escapes me at the moment, and a Dos program that would read text documents aloud. I used the program a lot for listening to various text documents. However, the fact of the matter is this stuff has been around for years. Cheers! On 12/25/10, peter Mahach wrote: > well those kind of apps were around since, even 2000. if you go on the old > main menu archives you can get audio demos of them. They usually relied on > microsoft agent (the character thingies that pop up and do stuff, they can > use sapi to speak) to do things such as say date/time, speak the clipboard, > do a reminder or even read out the mail to you. A good example of such an > app that's still around is cyber buddy. --- Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org.
Re: [Audyssey] Accessibility Article
well those kind of apps were around since, even 2000. if you go on the old main menu archives you can get audio demos of them. They usually relied on microsoft agent (the character thingies that pop up and do stuff, they can use sapi to speak) to do things such as say date/time, speak the clipboard, do a reminder or even read out the mail to you. A good example of such an app that's still around is cyber buddy. - Original Message - From: "Thomas Ward" To: "Gamers Discussion list" Sent: Saturday, December 25, 2010 9:33 PM Subject: Re: [Audyssey] Accessibility Article Hi Dark, Smile. Well, glad to help. Actually, there have been a number of mainstream programs out there like this that use Sapi voices. Text To Audio, Text Aloud, and the Cepstral voices comes with a program called Swift Talker or something like that. People have been buying and using these types of programs for years in the publishing industry, and that's not the only use for them either. As I said earlier Sapi voices are employed in all kinds of mainstream applications. For example, Omnipage, written by Scansoft, uses the Scansoft voices to read aloud scanned documents in Omnipage. I imagine this feature wasn't added just for accessibility, but is appreciated by corperations that would like to have documents read aloud as they are scanned etc. This is another case in point how adding accessibility into a product from the start just works out for everybody. Anyway, if you want your writer friends to get a nice text to audio type program tell them to head over to http://www.nextup.com and check out Text Aloud as well as the various voices they have available for it. Cheers! On 12/25/10, dark wrote: Ah, good to know tom. I feel rather a fool sinse I've been using realspeak daniel as my default sapi voice for years but didn't look into this. Stil, I'm glad it's out there. I've actually had none sited friends of mine interested in such a program as well, those who write for example. Beware the Grue! dark. --- Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org. __ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature database 5266 (20100709) __ The message was checked by ESET Smart Security. http://www.eset.com __ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature database 5266 (20100709) __ The message was checked by ESET Smart Security. http://www.eset.com --- Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org.
Re: [Audyssey] Accessibility Article
Hi Dark, Smile. Well, glad to help. Actually, there have been a number of mainstream programs out there like this that use Sapi voices. Text To Audio, Text Aloud, and the Cepstral voices comes with a program called Swift Talker or something like that. People have been buying and using these types of programs for years in the publishing industry, and that's not the only use for them either. As I said earlier Sapi voices are employed in all kinds of mainstream applications. For example, Omnipage, written by Scansoft, uses the Scansoft voices to read aloud scanned documents in Omnipage. I imagine this feature wasn't added just for accessibility, but is appreciated by corperations that would like to have documents read aloud as they are scanned etc. This is another case in point how adding accessibility into a product from the start just works out for everybody. Anyway, if you want your writer friends to get a nice text to audio type program tell them to head over to http://www.nextup.com and check out Text Aloud as well as the various voices they have available for it. Cheers! On 12/25/10, dark wrote: > Ah, good to know tom. > > I feel rather a fool sinse I've been using realspeak daniel as my default > sapi voice for years but didn't look into this. > > Stil, I'm glad it's out there. > > I've actually had none sited friends of mine interested in such a program as > well, those who write for example. > > Beware the Grue! > > dark. --- Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org.
Re: [Audyssey] Accessibility Article
Ah, good to know tom. I feel rather a fool sinse I've been using realspeak daniel as my default sapi voice for years but didn't look into this. Stil, I'm glad it's out there. I've actually had none sited friends of mine interested in such a program as well, those who write for example. Beware the Grue! dark. - Original Message - From: "Thomas Ward" To: "Gamers Discussion list" Sent: Friday, December 24, 2010 11:56 PM Subject: Re: [Audyssey] Accessibility Article Hi Dark, Dark Wrote: I've often wondered for a while if people with perfectly normal vision would find a basic program to read aloud a page of text or a webpage useful for similar reasons, though of course the down side would be that they'd probably not have a decent voice to do it in. My response: Actually, such programs do exist. For example, Text Aloud, sold by Nextup.com, is one such program. It was never designed strictly as an accessibility program. It was actually written and designed for the mainstream market, and if you look at their feedback section there are comments from editors, authors, journalists, etc that use Text Aloud in their day job to listen to e-mails or to listen to whatever it is they are working on. Of course, Nextup.com sells a variety of high quality voices from Scansoft, Cepstral, AT&T, Neospeech, etc so I think that awareness of better voices is certainly out there. In fact, the Sapi voices are one of those technologies that helps us, but has been used quite extensively in the mainstream market as well. A number of Sapi voices are employed for answering phones, speaking recorded messages, and the weather channel, etc uses Sapi voices to read out the weather reports 24/7. They are used in our day to day lives, and help everyone. Smile. --- Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org. --- Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org.
Re: [Audyssey] Accessibility Article
Hi Dark, Dark Wrote: I've often wondered for a while if people with perfectly normal vision would find a basic program to read aloud a page of text or a webpage useful for similar reasons, though of course the down side would be that they'd probably not have a decent voice to do it in. My response: Actually, such programs do exist. For example, Text Aloud, sold by Nextup.com, is one such program. It was never designed strictly as an accessibility program. It was actually written and designed for the mainstream market, and if you look at their feedback section there are comments from editors, authors, journalists, etc that use Text Aloud in their day job to listen to e-mails or to listen to whatever it is they are working on. Of course, Nextup.com sells a variety of high quality voices from Scansoft, Cepstral, AT&T, Neospeech, etc so I think that awareness of better voices is certainly out there. In fact, the Sapi voices are one of those technologies that helps us, but has been used quite extensively in the mainstream market as well. A number of Sapi voices are employed for answering phones, speaking recorded messages, and the weather channel, etc uses Sapi voices to read out the weather reports 24/7. They are used in our day to day lives, and help everyone. Smile. --- Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org.
Re: [Audyssey] Accessibility Article
Hi, Well, that was certainly an interesting read. However, I think a lot of what was said is something we've been trying to say for years. Features added for accessibility etc end up helping the general market too. Plus making the features as a general market feature will cover the initial cost for research and development. I wonder how many companies are actually listening though. Smile. On 12/23/10, Eleanor Robinson wrote: > Thought you might be interested to read this article in Gamasutra. > > http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/6239/resetting_accessibility_in_games.php > > Eleanor Robinson > 7-128 Software > > --- > Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org > If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to > gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. > You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at > http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. > All messages are archived and can be searched and read at > http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. > If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, > please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org. > --- Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org.
Re: [Audyssey] Accessibility Article
Well, I had a classic controller... got it for tatsunoko vs. capcom but never knew that. Thanks for that pointer... no pun intended. lol. At 11:49 AM 24/12/2010, you wrote: are you aware that you can use the classic controller with the wii to move through menus? You don't have to use the wiimote. --- Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org. --- Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org.
Re: [Audyssey] Accessibility Article
are you aware that you can use the classic controller with the wii to move through menus? You don't have to use the wiimote. --- Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org.
Re: [Audyssey] Accessibility Article
interesting artical indeed, and I certainly see the logic. In fact I was recently presented with an example of this when I read the user guide for Core exiles on mining which (being written before some access info was added to the game), tells players to "click the mine icon, it looks like a red square with a pick coming out" where as now, there is an icon clearly labled "mine asteroid" with text. To that extent I agree, adaptation can lead to interesting ideas. However, there are circumstances where the opposite is true. i'm thinking here particularly of the wii. The wiimote is regarded by many people as a great access aide for menue navigation, afterall, someone with problems pressing buttons or moving joysticks is much better off pointing the wiimote at the screen. yet, from a visual imparement point of view, it's a pain in the rear! In fact, it's the chief reason i've not bought a Wii myself (that and the white background for the menues). Now, if Nintendo offered a conventional press to move type menue interface as an alternative, who else would it bennifit besides myself? would that group make a large enough demographic to warrent nintendo spending the time, especially when taking into account both the normal wii menue users and those with motor imparements who found the facility useful. I did in fact get comments to this effect, that I was being unfair to physically impared gamers when discussing this matter on the retroremakes forum. what about eye tracking or voice control. Great for people with certain disabilities, and probably helpful to the general population, but not for specific other groups. I'm not saying I disagree with the point of the artical, in fact I think it's a most intreaguing one, only that because capitalism is an essentially amoral process, appealing to capitalism in the form of inervation may have it's down side too. Then again, as slightly left wing I do freely admit i am suspicious of commercial moativations generally. Btw, this actually makes me think of an idea I've had for a while. Often, i bang Hal on reading something, then go and do something else such as cooking, sorting laundry, washing up etc (in fact this is why i dislike hoovering so much, sinse it's too noisy to read or listen to anything while doing it). I've often wondered for a while if people with perfectly normal vision would find a basic program to read aloud a page of text or a webpage useful for similar reasons, though of course the down side would be that they'd probably not have a decent voice to do it in. Stil, it might be a nice litle project to have people more aware of what working with a screen reader is like, as well as provide a useful functiong which is currently only (as far as I know), available via a screen reader. Beware the Grue! dark. --- Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org.
