Hello Krister, Your reply is thought provoking, to say the least; for this I thank you.
I think that GPS navigation accessibility for the blind and low vision is one of the most exciting, controversial, and difficult to effectively implement. Several things come to mind as I read your comments: 1. In selecting a GPS solution, data map obsolescence should not weigh too heavily in your decision making process these days as many apps use one of only three or four mapping systems. 2. As much as we all enjoy using off-the-shelf apps on our devices, we should not become prejudice against blindness products and/or blindness companies as they are often the first to address our very specific needs. No matter how far we've come, we still have a long way to go in leveling the proverbial technology playing field and I am certain that companies like Sendero, Humanware, Freedom Scientific, etc will continue to be our first best hope in making tomorrow accessible. I think that we should be encouraging them to continue their efforts and not berate their truly groundbreaking achievements. I don't know about you but I would hate to go back to a world without the Looktel Money Reader, Digit-Eyes, Ariadne GPS, etc. 3. As for either developing or adapting an onboard iOS GPS navigation Apps that offers a truly comprehensive experience comparable to Mobile Geo or Trekker, to me, it is not a question of if it can be done but when it will be done. Krister, in my never to be humble opinion (smile), we should not discard or disregard any company that enables us to seek out new streets, new cities, or new civilizations. Most Sincerely, Mark -----Original Message----- From: viphone@googlegroups.com [mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Krister Ekstrom Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2012 4:26 AM To: viphone@googlegroups.com Subject: Re: Mark On iPhone On Trekker Breeze Hi Mark and others. I really don't understand one thing in this whole discussion of what gps system to use. I don't like the blind specific solutions from Sendero and others. From what i have heard, the maps very seldom if ever get updated, which means that how ever good the gps is at various anouncements, the maps we follow will be obsolete, so the pois wi want simply won't be there. Another thing is that a mainstream off-the-shelf gps app could easily be modified so that it speaks whatever you desire it to speak. I say easily, thereby taking a risk since i don't know anything about programming, but remember that the blind specific gps-es sends their info to the speech synth/screen reader rather than talks via a recorded voice, am i right? If so there are means for an app such as Navigon to send the things we want it to send, such as street names and such to the screen reader, in this case VoiceOver. We have seen this done before, in games like Kings corner, chat apps like IM plus and gps apps like Ariadne, so Navigon, Tomtom and others should be able to do this, if someone with much, much better programming knowledge than me could describe the solution to the developers of said apps. If they then will listen, that's a totally different story but it could be done. Am i totally wrong in this? /Krister 8 maj 2012 kl. 12:40 skrev Les Kriegler: > Hi Mark, > > I really enjoyed reading your most informative post. I also purchased > the Trekker Breeze at the end of last year. I did so because I wanted an more comprehensive way of accessing walking routes. I do like street names announced, and I have not been able to get that reliably from the commercially available apps. If a company like Sendero comes out with an app comparable to Mobile Geo, I'll probably obtain it, but for now, the Breeze is a really good option and I've made good use of it. Also, even though we have GPS in our vehicle, my wife actually prefers all of the information the Breeze provides when we are on route. > > Les > On May 7, 2012, at 7:30 PM, M. Taylor wrote: > >> Hello Everyone, >> >> In 2005 I purchased my first GPS solution; it was the Trekker/Maestro >> Del 51 PDA from HumanWare. If memory serves, among other >> difficulties, the PDA did not have an Off button. When not in use, >> it had to be plugged into a charger to prevent power loss. Be that >> as it may, it was the most amazing piece of technology I had experienced. >> >> Back in those days, I was using a Motorola TimePort which was an >> upgrade to the Star Trek Motorola phone. Of course, these phones had >> virtually no accessibility but, still they were usable. >> >> Sometime in 2007/2008 I switched to my first Windows Mobile phone. >> That was to be the beginning of a lot of changes in my life not the >> least of which was my subsequent association with Code Factory. >> >> Enter Mobile Geo; this onboard GPS software solution put the power of >> true independent GPS navigation for the blind and low vision on a cell phone. >> So, I put away my then outdated Trekker/Maestro PDA. >> >> Then, of course, came yet another game changer; the iPhone. >> >> For whatever reason I thought that either Code Factory's Mobile Geo >> or Humanware's Trekker would find its way to iOS. This, obviously, >> did not happen. >> >> As a result, since iPhone 3GS, I have purchased virtually every iOS >> GPS navigation software app in hopes of bringing the power of Geo or >> Trekker to a single mobile device. I shutter to think of all the >> money I have spent on this endeavor (smile). >> >> As far as off-the-shelf iOS GPS navigation solutions are concerned, I >> hold that A T & T Wireless Navigator is the most accurate and >> easy-to-use app on the market. Recently, they added the ability to >> download the maps to your phone so you can now travel without benefit >> of a active satellite connection. I believe that the monthly cost for Navigator is $9.95. >> >> As wonderful as Navigator is, it falls short of meeting the one >> criteria I demand in order to recommend it, or any GPS app for that >> matter, as a solution for true independent navigation by the blind >> and low vision; said criteria being the ability to have streets, >> cross-streets, etc automatically announced without engaging any kind >> of route function or without having to touch, shake, or otherwise interact with the hardware device, itself. >> >> Until this past Thursday, my solution, when traveling independently, >> was to fire up my old beloved Samsung Epix, running Windows 6.1, and launching Geo. >> I could go on and on about how much of a pain this was given that I >> can hardly remember any of the Mobile Speak commands as I just don't >> use my beloved Samsung Epix anymore but I will spare you the gory >> details. Add to this the fact that I also had to fire up my GPS >> receiver and connect a special headset adaptor as the Epix does not >> have a standard headset jack, as many of the models in that era did not. >> >> ON Friday, I received my new Trekker Breeze from Humanware; thus, I >> have come full-circle, as the saying goes. >> >> Suffice me to say that the Breeze is every bit as marvelous as the >> original Trekker and Geo were with the advantage that one does not >> have to become a software geek in order to be up and running in a >> matter of minute. It works right out of the box. >> >> The Breeze is roughly the same size as the iPhone 4 S but just a >> little thicker. >> >> What an iOS world we live in; even before I powered on my Breeze for >> the first time, I turned the audio CD files that are included in the >> package into an audio book complete with cover art and placed it on >> both my 4 S and Nanno. Then, I converted the user guide and quick >> start guide into iBooks and placed them on my 4 S. This took only a >> few minutes. Only after performing these iOS-centric tasks did I >> power on the Breeze and begin yet another chapter in my GPS navigation life. >> >> Mark >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" Google Group. >> To search the VIPhone public archive, visit http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/. >> To post to this group, send email to viphone@googlegroups.com. >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" Google Group. > To search the VIPhone public archive, visit http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/. > To post to this group, send email to viphone@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" Google Group. 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