Yes, I own one, I will get back to you guys off list, and I can agree with all of Gordon's points that he made before as well.
Sent from my iPhone On Jul 29, 2013, at 2:54 PM, "Mrs. Lynnette Annabel Smith" <[email protected]> wrote: > Hello Dane > > Not entirely constructive comment this time. :) > > you are correct though that it is pretty shameful but that's how it is. > Gordon and others I believe, at least one of whom works for HumanWare, have > lobbied for the next implementation of KeySoft to come equipped with an > up-to-date Email client. Alas, KeySoft 9.3 which runs under Windows CE > version 6.0 is still not ready to be called an up-to-date client in many > ways. In fact, HumanWare seems to be basking in their own glory because they > have released a web browser with all of the features found in Internet > Explorer. I wouldn't kick up much of a song and dance over that myself, since > we all know of the many security holes in that particular browser. Microsoft > is forever releasing security updates to try and fend off the potential for > threat. Are we truly to believe that HumanWAre's client is going to be > totally safe and secure? Somehow, I have my doubts and I think it's a matter > of almost criminal negligence given that the company charges not far short of > $5000 US for the BrailleNote Apex. We ourselves would dearly love to phase > out POP3 on our own servers, but we cannot do that until we are sure that all > of our users can connect to our servers effectively. We have a couple of > people using our services who use either BrailleNotes or VoiceNotes, and none > of them have been able to get the device working as yet. I am sure it isn't > just our servers with which they are having problems but I am not aware of > any way that I can test that out here as things stand. Our servers are, and > will always remain, secured for both incoming and outgoing mail. We believe > that having the servers set as open relays is not only inviting all spammers > to make hay while the sun shines, but would also be darn right irresponsible > and it would be tantamount to dropping our clients in the brown clarity stuff > and for sure, when the dust settled we would not be the one left wearing the > clean white suit. :) > > Seriously though, without some kind of email service outside of our own > servers we cannot test to see if it is us who are doing something wrong with > the BrailleNote. I doubt it, since I know that Gordon has the user name, > email address and server addresses set correctly along with the ports and > other info. Gordon knows rather a lot about this sort of thing being a server > operator himself. He knows enough to be able to comment that the problem most > likely lies with the Apex itself rather than our servers which comply totally > with RFC standards and procedures. > > I refuse in principle to set up a GoggleMail or Hotmail account. GoogleMail > is the cause of much strife to us because of their own sloppy procedures. > Microsoft is it would seem trying to clean up its act but still their free > services are being hammered by those with evil on their minds. > > Anyway, if anybody else happens to have a BrailleNote, we plan to set up a > test account. In fact, if anybody else has any form of portable device like > this and they would like to do us a favour and test for us, please feel free > to get back to us off list and we will more than happily give you details of > how you can help. Particularly in the case of HumanWare, to whom we plan to > write a letter highlighting the issue, but also in the case of other > accessibility devices, we would very much like to know which devices will > work and which won't. Submitting that kind of data to HumanWAre themselves > might just make them wake up to the modern reality and instruct their > developers to push this issue to the top of their priority list for KeySoft > 9.4 or whatever they plan to call it. > > I have a hunch that HumanWAre is probably the only company whose email client > is still restricted to POP3 and I really feel that their users should be > making a noise about this issue. POP3 is a protocol which was fine in the > early days of TCPIP, so I am told. But now that the world has changed and we > are all in need of secure services in which to conduct our emails, especially > those which contain sensitive information such as receipts and other personal > data, everybody has the right to expect that their providers provide a > service which is both efficient and secure. Sadly, it is still the case that > many providers don't require any authentication when a client logs on to > their email servers. Just imagine Amazon, Apple or Microsoft Stores based > around websites where the client doesn't have a password or key phrase to > protect themselves, or which doesn't employ security to transfer their > sensitive information like credit or debit card. I think the client would > probably kick up a fuss; and very rightly so. The same should be true of > email. Many people don't seem to give that a thought. They just set up their > client using the email server address and their log-in credentials. They > probably don't even realise that their emails are being transmitted totally > in the clear. Anybody monitoring the IP network (which I am told buy a lot of > people is a pretty simple thing to do these days) could gain access to quite > a lot of sensitive information that way. > > We try but sadly not all providers do. Which leads me back to Gordon's > original question, all be it repeated. Does anybody else on list happen to > own a HumanWare BrailleNote or other similar accessibility designed device > and, if so, would they be willing to test for us?? > > Lynne > > On 28 Jul 2013, at 21:14, Dane Trethowan <[email protected]> wrote: > >> I don't own one of these machines so can't comment on the machine itself but >> what I can say is that Humen B Ware ought to be absolutely ashamed of >> themselves fo even giving you an eMail client that doesn't support iMap, >> just about every eMail client I can think of off the top of my head supports >> iMap of some sort and even Eudora going back 15 years ago I'm sure supported >> some form of iMap so its not as though iMap has just burst onto the scene, >> makes you wonder just how much else users of Braillenote products may be >> missing with Key Soft or is it Key botch. >> >> >> On 29/07/2013 12:17 AM, Gordon Smith wrote: >>> Hi all >>> >>> Does anybody on list happen to own one of these machines, updated to >>> Keysoft 9.3 which was released earlier this month? if so, I would very >>> much welcome a discussion with you regarding some weird problems I'm having >>> with the Apex. Actually I have already told Humanware how poor I think >>> their E-Mail client, (known as "KeyMail" actually is). KeyMail does not, >>> for instance, support any incarnation of IMAP which, without even trying, >>> rules out using it with iCloud or any other service which employs only >>> IMAP. IMAP is definitely the way to go regarding mail. POP3 should be >>> phased out, in my humble opinion. But back to the point. KeyMail is so >>> incredibly inflexible that, with a server which requires authentication on >>> sending E-Mail, the inability to define the type of authentication in use, >>> the fact that KeyMail doesn't support any other protocol than POP3 coupled >>> with a few other issues all go to make KeyMail the worst E-Mail client I >>> have ever tried to use, and that includes Microsoft Outlook Express. >>> >>> KeyMail is really in need of a rewrite, in my view. Although the commands >>> are logical as in they fit the general topology of KeySoft, it is sometimes >>> difficult to jump from one place to another quickly and, although you can >>> now kind of multitask using KeyMail and KeyWeb, along with KeyWord and >>> KeyPlan, there's still a great deal of work which I think the developers >>> could have done to make KeySoft an operating system worthy of calling a >>> modern environment. >>> >>> The hardware specification of the Apex is kind of old-fashioned as well. >>> It has a 100MBPS Ethernet port, Wireless-A/B/G compatibility and only a >>> 512MHZ processor. Officially, KeySoft only allows you to use a 32GB or >>> smaller format SD card. However, I and others have used a pre-formatted >>> 64GB or even greater capacity SD card with goos success. I have tried it >>> with a 64GB card and experienced no ill-effects whatsoever. The Apex has 1 >>> USB client port and 3 USB host ports. This allows you to plug in, for >>> example, a USB memory stick, an embosser four Braille and a printer >>> simultaneously. One of the nice things about KeySoft is its universal and >>> on-the-fly formatting. For instance, if you have a document which you need >>> to print using an ink printer, and also which you would like to emboss >>> using any connected embosser, there is no need to modify your document's >>> format, as it is all done on the fly by the BrailleNote. I haven't >>> personally tried this yet, but I plan to do so shortly. But I have tried >>> playing around with a few documents and looking at the format structure. >>> The files look absolutely fine for embossing, all of the codes appear to be >>> perfectly valid. Conversely, for printing using an ink printer, the format >>> appears to be perfectly correct. Styles and other elements I have not yet >>> tested. I play to do that shortly too. >>> >>> Anyway, all this is really beside the point. If anybody else out there is >>> using an Apex, may we have a discussion? The above-mentioned would be my >>> starting point. If you have had success with doing things like sending >>> authenticated mail, I'd love to know how you managed it because I simply >>> cannot get KeyMail to play at all on the sending side. >>> >>> Regarding application extensions, As I understand it, developers of Windows >>> CE 6.0 extensions couldn't have their applications installed by the user >>> into KeySoft. My understanding is that in order to implement extensions, >>> developers would need to comply with the very strict topology of KeySoft. >>> I can sort of understand that, but if only Humanware would invite >>> third-party developers to enable missing functionality, even with the >>> hardware restrictions we now have, KeySoft could be a far more powerful >>> piece of software engineering than it currently is. >>> >>> HumanWare also charges astronomical prices for their KeySoft extensions, >>> and also their accompanying hardware. Consider: The Concise Oxford >>> Dictionary costs in excess of £100 GBP. The same thing on a Mac or a PC can >>> be purchased for just over 10% of that cost. HumanWAre charges £25.00 for >>> a power cable to attach their power supply to the electrical wall outlet. >>> Consider, the same cables minus the rubber pull-out handle come supplied >>> with any old cassette recorder, radio, even video and hi-fi equipment. >>> HumanWare charges £45.00 for a spare battery for the Apex. They also >>> charge £76.00 for what they term a "Deluxe" case. The "Deluxe" case is now >>> a canvas cloth case instead of the old leather cases which used to come >>> supplied with the older models. All this pricing astounds me to be honest. >>> >>> Anyway, I would welcome comment from any other KeySoft users either >>> privately or on list. >>> >>> Kind regards >>> >>> <--- Gordon Smith ---> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> <[email protected]> >>> >>> Telephone: >>> >>> United Kingdom: Free Phone: >>> 0800 8620538 >>> >>> Mobile: >>> +44 7907 823971 >>> >>> Europe and other non-specified: >>> +44 1642 688095 >>> >>> United States Of America And Canada: >>> +1 646 9151493 >>> Or: >>> +1 209 436 9443 >>> >>> Vic. Australia: >>> +61 38 8205930 >>> Vic. Australia >>> +61 39 0284505 >>> >>> Fax: >>> +44 1642 365123 >>> >>> Follow Us On Twitter: >>> <http://twitter.com/maciosaccess> >>> >>> Skype: >>> <skype:mac-access-dot-net?call> >>> >>> ------------------------------ >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> ======================================= >>> >>> The Techno-Chat E-Mail forum is guaranteed malware, spyware, Trojan, virus >>> and worm-free >>> >>> To modify your subscription options, please visit for forum's dedicated web >>> pages located at >>> http://mail.tft-bbs.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/techno-chat >>> >>> You can find an archive of all messages posted to the Techno-Chat group at >>> either of the following websites: >>> >>> http://mail.tft-bbs.co.uk/pipermail/techno-chat/index.html >>> >>> Or: >>> <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]> >>> you may also subscribe to this list via RSS. 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