Re: Has Anybody Updated to Voice Dream Premium?

I wrote them again, to find out whether it will be a completely new app, or an upgrade of the current version. They wrote back and said it will be an upgrade of the current version. So when we get updates to the current version, hopefully they will say that the subscription is necessary, rather

Live Audio Description of the April 8 Solar Eclipse

A note from the Audio Description Project mailing list: We will be doing live AD of the solar eclipse from 1:30-2:00 pm Central time from our view in Austin TX. You can listen in Austin at Koop community radio 91.7 FM or online streaming anywhere at Koop.org. April Sullivan & Celia Hughes

Re: Making everyone pay for voice dream

This is like buying a piece of hardware and then having the manufacturer tell you years later that you have to start paying a recurring charge to use it or they’re going to take it away from you, after you paid your payments. No piece of software out there is worth that kind of money.On Mar 26,

Re: Making everyone pay for voice dream

I disagree. Everyone who already paid for the thing is absolutely right to be furious. Frankly, that app isn’t worth what they’re charging for it. Good thing the android equivalent hasn’t gone down this crappy path.On Mar 26, 2024, at 5:11 PM, Corey Cook wrote:Everyone needs to calm down.  Corey

Re: Making everyone pay for voice dream

None of you who are saying Winston could’ve done this and that have any proof at all. Winston got out because he knew he was going to have to do something like what these people are doing and I guess he didn’t want to do it. As for subscription model going to collapse, the pay one time model is

RE: Has Anybody Updated to Voice Dream Premium?

Hanks Arnold, I also just posted the text from their blog, which is what you got in the email. I suspect maybe you subscribed to their blog? Anyway, thanks, Richard, USA "It's no great honor to be blind, but it's more than a nuisance and less than a disaster. Either you're going to

Re: Has Anybody Updated to Voice Dream Premium?

I forgot to add that there are options to pay with Apple Pay, your credit card, or the Cash app. Arnold Schmidt Sent from Arnold's iPhone S E 3 On Mar 26, 2024, at 3:33 PM, Arnold Schmidt wrote:  First, a quick update. They wrote back to me and said that they do plan to offer a monthly

Re: Has Anybody Updated to Voice Dream Premium?

First, a quick update. They wrote back to me and said that they do plan to offer a monthly subscription in the future. And for more confusion, they said that if I wanted to continue to use the current app, to turn off automatic updates. So I don't understand conxactly what won't work after May

Re: Making everyone pay for voice dream

I wouldn’t mind paying a subscription fee for an app I use very often. VDR is an app I use once or twice a year, for this reason it is not worth it to subscribe. However, the subscription fee business model for smart phones apps will eventually collapse. With the numbers of apps we need and

RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream

I would’ve been willing to pay Winston Why he would’ve engaged with us. He would’ve probably had a monthly option. This company doesn’t engage with us. Sometimes they can’t even put out proper release notes. “bug fixes” what “bugs” did you fix? They were called out on this more than

Re: Making everyone pay for voice dream

That’s true, however, Winston was very much engaged with the blind community and talked to us about what worked for us and what did not. These people are not engaged with us at all.Subscription models are becoming way over the top, and these businesses are engaging in them due to greed nothing

Re: Voice Dream Pricing

And if they do offer a monthly subscription, don’t be surprised if it’s a little bit more money than if you paid for it all at once. That’s real common in this subscription model. Yearly subscriptions are usually somewhat discounted over the monthly price. So if they charge Six dollars a month, we

Re: Has Anybody Updated to Voice Dream Premium?

I have yet to see this email. I definitely don’t have it. I also don’t think they’re going to be bypassing the App Store in the US anytime too soon, because they’re going to be forced to do it if at all, and that’s going to take a long time. And there are a lot of restrictions on it even in the

Re: Has Anybody Updated to Voice Dream Premium?

    I had asked support about possibly charging half price for previous owners of the app, and below is the reply. Hi Maria, Thank you for reaching out to us and for your suggestion. We may be able to offer discounts in the future. The current price is actually 25% off the current price:

RE: Voice Dream Pricing

$59 for the year is not bad. For some context it is about the price of 3 somewhat ok pizzas. Corey Cook From: viphone@googlegroups.com On Behalf Of Richard Turner Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2024 2:45 PM To: viphone@googlegroups.com Subject: Voice Dream Pricing I confirmed

Voice Dream Pricing

I confirmed with the company that the price will be $59 per year. If you want a monthly subscrption instead, I suggest you write directly to: supp...@voicedream.com Richard, USA "It's no great honor to be blind, but it's more than a nuisance and less

RE: Has Anybody Updated to Voice Dream Premium?

Bypassing the app store is coming thanks to the European Union. They are also responsible for Apple switching to USB-C ports in their newer devices. Here is an article from November 2023: https://pocketnow.com/apple-allow-apps-outside-app-store-on-iphone-what-does-this-mean-for-you/ HTH,

RE: Has Anybody Updated to Voice Dream Premium?

Arnold, could you share that email, or at least the contents of it? Richard, USA "It's no great honor to be blind, but it's more than a nuisance and less than a disaster. Either you're going to fight like hell when your sight fails or you're going to stand on the sidelines for the rest of

RE: Has Anybody Updated to Voice Dream Premium?

It sounds like they are trying to bypass the app store. Corey Cook -Original Message- From: viphone@googlegroups.com On Behalf Of Arnold Schmidt Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2024 2:31 PM To: viphone@googlegroups.com Subject: Has Anybody Updated to Voice Dream Premium? When I got the

Has Anybody Updated to Voice Dream Premium?

When I got the email today and read through it, it seems that Voice Dream Premium is perhaps more than we have now. I don't know if that is just advertising, or is it really more than we have now. But my big question is, when I tap the get started button, I notice that I seem to be buying my

RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream

They did grandfather old users, however now that timeframe is over. It is called a business decition Corey Cook -Original Message- From: viphone@googlegroups.com On Behalf Of Dennis Long Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2024 1:26 PM To: viphone@googlegroups.com Subject: Re: Making everyone

RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream

Hi Chris, I agree with you, I wish there was a monthly subscription, for now, that's my single and only pet peeve! Cheers, Leo Bado. I have found both freedom of loneliness and the safety from being understood, for those who understand us enslave something in us. Khalil Gibran. -Original

Re: Making everyone pay for voice dream

they did two things wrong 1 they said current users would be grandfathered in that is not the case now. 2 they didn't give a monthly option or have a lower price for just the iPhone Dennis Long Sent from my iPhone 15 Pro Max > On Mar 26, 2024, at 1:23 PM, Chris Chaffin wrote: > >  >

RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream

Again, and this should be my last post on this topic, Winston was going to start charging because the one-time purchase model is simply not sustainable. So, you would be making the same charges against Winston had he not had the good sense to sell when he did. Richard, USA "It's

Re: Making everyone pay for voice dream

What I think is that originally the new owners thought that they would have enough new subscribers to keep it going, and that is why they originally stated that current owners did not have to subscribe. But now that a year has past, they did not get as many new subscribers as they planned,

RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream, a blog post from Winston Chen ...

The same people complaining about this, will most likely get dinner using Uber eats tonight. Corey Cook From: viphone@googlegroups.com On Behalf Of k...@axistech.net Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2024 12:09 PM To: viphone@googlegroups.com Subject: RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream,

RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream

More over this company doesn’t keep their word. They said when they took over. That grandfathered users wouldn’t have to pay. Again as others have said I would consider it. From: viphone@googlegroups.com On Behalf Of Corey Cook Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2024 12:23 PM To:

Re: Making everyone pay for voice dream

I agree that $60 a year is a bit much, but I think people are going to be surprised and disappointed at what they can get for alternatives. I admit that I have yet to try Dolphin Easy Reader and the Bookshare reader for myself, but reading the reviews are not encouraging. It is one thing if a

Re: Making everyone pay for voice dream, a blog post from Winston Chen ...

I agree. It helps me a lot in my teaching. - Original Message - From: k...@axistech.net To: viphone@googlegroups.com Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2024 9:18 AM Subject: RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream, a blog post from Winston Chen ... Hello Richard, This message is

RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream

It is very, very simple. Don’t subscribe. If your income depended on this and you needed to help support a staff, you may feel differently. IN any case, I’m going to stop reading this topic because it will now be nothing but repetition of things already said. And if anyone hopes to make a

Re: Making everyone pay for voice dream

So save yourself some money Dennis and start using NVDA. It works. Been using it for years, and I do pay them something every month because developers do have to eat. Freedom scientific? Been there done that way too complicated for me.Sent from my iPhoneOn Mar 26, 2024, at 12:53 AM, Dennis Long

Re: Making everyone pay for voice dream

I have a friend that is a grandfathered user and she got an email this morning informing her as of May 1 she would have to pay.On Mar 26, 2024, at 12:17 PM, llump...@austin.rr.com wrote:It’s not clear to me where we older users are grandfathered into not paying or not.  From:

Re: Making everyone pay for voice dream

How much money do you save by using books share? How many books would you be purchasing if not for books share and reading with ease through Voice Dream reader? My problem isn’t the subscription as such. For instance, I can’t imagine paying for a weather app or a Parcel app, like somebody else’s.

RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream

It’s not clear to me where we older users are grandfathered into not paying or not. From: viphone@googlegroups.com On Behalf Of Feliciano Godoy Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2024 11:11 AM To: viphone@googlegroups.com Subject: Re: Making everyone pay for voice dream Hi all, It's

RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream

They're going to switch to a subscription model for everyone and we either like it and pay or don't. -Original Message- From: viphone@googlegroups.com On Behalf Of Dennis Long Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2024 11:12 AM To: viphone@googlegroups.com Subject: RE: Making everyone pay for

RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream

Again it is more than 50% of a cost of a screen reader. They are saying their app is more valuable than a screen reader. No it isn’t. From: viphone@googlegroups.com On Behalf Of sarai.bucciare...@gmail.com Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2024 7:18 AM To: viphone@googlegroups.com Subject: RE:

RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream

No yearly as far as I can tell. From: viphone@googlegroups.com On Behalf Of leobado1...@gmail.com Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2024 7:56 AM To: viphone@googlegroups.com Subject: RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream so, are both choices available? monthly subscription and yearly subscription?

RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream

I have done that as well. I’m 1 Trillian percent with you. More I suggest contacting opin...@livingblindfully.com and getting your comments in there. From: viphone@googlegroups.com On Behalf Of Kerry Macdonald Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2024 10:25 AM

RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream

I agree $20 I might go that. Even that is a might. I just don't use it enough. I'm not against paying for apps. I subscribe to weather apps and parcel. So clearly I'm not against app subscriptions. This is again is more than 50% of the cost of a screen reader. That needs to be pointed

Re: Making everyone pay for voice dream

Hi all, It's unfortunate that this is a new subscription model for New users but I understand developers need to get paid for their work for such app. Considering Voice Dream inclusiveness with Accessibility, it's worth supporting in my opinion if you use the app daily. They get continuous

RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream, a blog post from Winston Chen ...

Hi Richard, I saw that after I wrote my message but I stick by what I said. Some people have no idea what it takes to develop and maintain an app. And, because of this small market it often costs more than an app for the general market. And I wonder how many of the folks complaining about

Re: Making everyone pay for voice dream

Agree. Twenty or thirty dollars even I would pay, but 60 a year is steep. Understand they need to make money, however. I don’t know the percentage of blind people who are not working or on SS, but bet a lot so they must make a decision. Reggie Alvarado On Mar 26, 2024, at 11:56 AM, Ron

RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream

I agree if it were $10 or $20 a year I might think about it. but $60 again more than 50% the cost of my screen reader I think not. I told them so. From: viphone@googlegroups.com On Behalf Of regina alvarado Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2024 10:52 AM To: viphone@googlegroups.com Subject: Re:

Re: Making everyone pay for voice dream

Hi Group, I  would be willing to pay up to twenty dollars yearly, but this is ridiculous. I could afford it, but it is still way too high for an app on an Apple device. As mentioned before, the average price of most apps usable with IOS devices is between five and ten dollars US.  Allowing

RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream, a blog post from Winston Chen ...

Oops, I meant Karl. Fingers going ahead of my brain again, . Richard, USA "It's no great honor to be blind, but it's more than a nuisance and less than a disaster. Either you're going to fight like hell when your sight fails or you're going to stand on the sidelines for the rest of

RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream, a blog post from Winston Chen ...

supp...@voicedream.com Richard, USA "It's no great honor to be blind, but it's more than a nuisance and less than a disaster. Either you're going to fight like hell when your sight fails or you're going to stand on the sidelines for the rest of your

RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream, a blog post from Winston Chen ...

Rl, I have nothing to do with the company. I am just a long time supporter and previously a beta tester for Winston back in the early days. Richard, USA "It's no great honor to be blind, but it's more than a nuisance and less than a disaster. Either you're going to fight like hell

Re: Making everyone pay for voice dream, a blog post from Winston Chen ...

I get where Winston is coming from, but it is just the fact that subscriptions are taking over the world. By the time you get all the subscriptions and pay for them your whole check is gone. I just can’t afford it. So, I will find another reader, which probably will not be anywhere near as good.

Re: Making everyone pay for voice dream

It's called Dolphin EasyReader. Dolphin are a UK-based company that developed Supernova screen-reader and magnification software. Their EasyReader can read other ebook formats besides DAISY. On 3/26/2024 4:55 AM, Richard Turner wrote: I mentioned DAISY Easy Reader and Speech Central if you

RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream, a blog post from Winston Chen ...

Hello Richard, This message is very much appreciated and completely understandable. Unfortunately in the free or low cost app world we often forget what it takes to keep them going. Clearly your company is small and hasn’t large amounts of resources to keep basically giving away such a

RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream, a blog post from Winston Chen ...

This decision to make Reader for macOS a subscription was not an easy one: I agonized over it for the past two years, because I know a lot of people do not like subscriptions. And some of you who are excited about this new app will be disappointed. I get it. So, why go with the subscription

Re: Making everyone pay for voice dream

I buy books share because I can download a lot of books in a year. This is just a standalone reading tool. It’s wonderful app but it’s just an app. I just think that $59 a year for an app that you just listen to books on is way too much. I will use some other way to read I do plan on contacting

Re: Making everyone pay for voice dream

Hi Carrie,I agree with you completely and I'll send a message as well. I have no intention of paying their fee and I will simply find another book reader.JODYTo Boldly Go   thunderwalker...@gmail.com "What's within you is stronger than what's in your way."  NO BARRIERS  Erik WeihenmayerOn Mar

Re: Making everyone pay for voice dream

Although I love Voice Dream, I think this is an outrage and simply greed on the developers part. Yes, I know developers need to eat, but I think they are just jumping on this subscription bandwagon that everyone has been doing these days which I feel is a very greedy way to do business. Those of

Re: Does anyone know how to stop Siri / Safari from opening a default app in iOS?

ok From: M. Taylor on behalf of M. Taylor Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2024 12:07:42 AM To: viphone@googlegroups.com Subject: Does anyone know how to stop Siri / Safari from opening a default app in iOS? Hello Everyone, I've been fighting a terrible, terrible

RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream

so, are both choices available? monthly subscription and yearly subscription? Cheers, Leo Bado. I have found both freedom of loneliness and the safety from being understood, for those who understand us enslave something in us. Khalil Gibran. From: viphone@googlegroups.com On Behalf

Re: Making everyone pay for voice dream

Then don't use it.Richard, USA“Grandma always told us, “Be careful when you pray for patience. God stores it on the other side of Hell and you will have to go through Hell to get it.”-- Cedrick Bridgeforth My web site: https://www.turner42.com/ On Mar 26, 2024, at 12:53 AM, Dennis Long wrote:I

RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream

That’s $5 a month. I’m sure people waste $5 a month on crap they don’t need. Heck a streaming service is more expensive. Bookshare is now $79 a year. From: viphone@googlegroups.com On Behalf Of Dennis Long Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2024 2:41 AM To: viphone@googlegroups.com Subject: RE:

Re: Making everyone pay for voice dream

i haven't heard back yet. Dennis LongSent from my iPhone 15  Pro MaxOn Mar 26, 2024, at 6:08 AM, leobado1...@gmail.com wrote:Have they given you an actual answer on the price? Cheers,Leo Bado. I have found both freedom of loneliness and the safety from being understood, for those who understand

RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream

Have they given you an actual answer on the price? Cheers, Leo Bado. I have found both freedom of loneliness and the safety from being understood, for those who understand us enslave something in us. Khalil Gibran. From: viphone@googlegroups.com On Behalf Of Dennis Long Sent:

RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream

Oh boy, as for the Microsoft voices , read the VDR FAQ. To my understanding, they won’t implemented any of the cloud-based voices, but let’s say they do, well all they could really do is to offer the possibility to introduce your own API key, but you have to purchase this from Microsoft just as

RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream

I hope it gets boycotted. Again its more then half a Jaws subscription. That is a screen reader. They are way out of line with their pricing. From: viphone@googlegroups.com On Behalf Of Joshua Hendrickson Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2024 3:37 AM To: viphone@googlegroups.com Subject: Re:

RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream

They aren't considering that a large number of blind people can't afford $60 a year. They aren't also considering that a large number of blind people aren't able to find jobs in the USA.More over if it were more reasonably priced maybe and it’s a big maybe. It would be a big maybe because

RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream

If I can’t upload my own content to then it will be gone on May 1st. It is one thing if you want to use it for book share books that’s fine. But to charge if you import say a word document that is nuts it isn’t worth $60 a year. No where close. From: viphone@googlegroups.com On Behalf

RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream

Not at these rates make it reasonable this is ridiculous. From: viphone@googlegroups.com On Behalf Of sarai.bucciare...@gmail.com Sent: Monday, March 25, 2024 8:25 PM To: viphone@googlegroups.com Subject: RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream Developers have to eat too. They should get

RE: Making everyone pay for voice dream

Oh I reached out to them. They are ridiculous. I remember this company saying something if you had already purchased it. I’m off to find what that was. I will again encourage everyone to at the least contact them the more that don’t buy it the stronger message it will send them. This is

Re: Making everyone pay for voice dream

I’d expect this subscription could pay for things like new audio formats like ogg could be played. Also maybe newer voices like those from Microsofft. Take a chance and see what happens. I wish people weren’t so picky. I will support voice dream reader and I really hope others will do so as well.

Re: Making everyone pay for voice dream

There are two other alternatives worth mentioning, if what one mostly uses Voice Dream  for is to read Bookshare books. If one already has a Victor Reader Stream, it can be used and books can be downloaded to it directly. Also, if one already has Jaws on a computer, Jaws has FS reader within it.

Re: Making everyone pay for voice dream

Gera  i agreee with you completely.  Dennis LongSent from my iPhone 15  Pro MaxOn Mar 26, 2024, at 12:44 AM, Gerardo Corripio wrote:Here in Mexico, $60 is almost a thousand Mexican pesos! Yeah I know... you can divide 1000 per month, which would be around 150 or so, but if you've already bought

Re: Making everyone pay for voice dream

i have contacted them. we all need to contact them and stand together. if necessary boycott the new company behind it. i will no longer recommend it. Dennis LongSent from my iPhone 15  Pro MaxOn Mar 26, 2024, at 12:55 AM, Richard Turner wrote:I mentioned DAISY Easy Reader and Speech Central if

Re: Making everyone pay for voice dream

i won't pay for it. i did already. if i had not already paid for it that would be one thing. Dennis LongSent from my iPhone 15  Pro MaxOn Mar 26, 2024, at 12:11 AM, Joshua Hendrickson wrote:I can’t believe all this negative talk about not wanting to pay $60 per year for voice dream reader. For

Re: Making everyone pay for voice dream

there pricing is crazy. more over i already paid for it. Dennis LongSent from my iPhone 15  Pro MaxOn Mar 26, 2024, at 12:55 AM, Richard Turner wrote:I mentioned DAISY Easy Reader and Speech Central if you cannot afford Voice Dream Reader.Perhaps you should reach out to supp...@voicedream.com