A Day in the Life of a Person with a Disability

Did ya hear?

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 02:59:50 GMT

Richard,

Did ya hear? Nvidia just copped to shipping bad mobile GPUs for about a year. They run hot, and the time frame squarely nails Roddy. Now things start to make sense. Nvidia says they do intend to take the earnings hit of replacements.

Yes, I do have the A09 BIOS, and it helps a bit. That’s just because it implements Nvidia’s stop-gap recommendation of running the fan more. I wonder when I’ll get a cooler GPU.

Scott

Stargate: Continuum

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 22:16:42 GMT

I think “meh” sums up my reaction to Continuum, the latest direct-to-DVD release of the Stargate series. Perhaps my response stems from the fact that it really is a standalone episode of Stargate expanded to feature length. Yes, as one of the extra features points out, this movie does pull elements from nearly every season of Stargate, but the plot itself neither ties up any loose ends or creates any new ones. That’s disappointing, as I certainly expect and hope for future releases. Some hint of the future baddies would be nice.

I know you drool over Amanda Tapping so I’ll warn you to watch Continuum with a towel handy. Now we see why she has been absent from the Atlantis spin-off. Still, I spotted a canon error in Continuum. It has been Stargate canon that Lt. Col. Samantha Carter never took flying lessons so how is she piloting a F-15C? O’Neal and Mitchell are Air Force fighter jocks (and Teal’C is flight-rated), but not Carter. Oops.

My Netflix rating for Continuum: 3 stars.

RIP KE5NPZ, de W5RUA

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 21:35:22 GMT

Enough initials for ya?

What that all means is that I changed my Amateur Radio callsign. Most people will shrug and say, “so?” Fair enough, but it is about honoring traditions and remembering hams who helped us become hams. W5RUA used to be George Taylor, a nice guy who loaned me the first quality shortwave receiver I ever saw. I know it was a Halicrafters, but I can’t find a photo of the exact unit on the Internet. In any case, this was my first piece of gear, and I remember many a late night sitting in front of this very heavy radio filled with glowing tubes listening to strange voices from around the world. This was in 1970-71, long before home computers and the Internet.

I wish that I could give George a nice little obituary. The very fact that his callsign was available means he has been dead or incapacitated for at least two years. Sadly though, I can’t say a lot about George because I don’t know much. I know that he was involved with the Shriners’ charity, and was one of a group of hams who would make phone-patches for children in Shriners’ hospitals. But, beyond that, about all I can say about old George is that he allowed me to delve deeper into the strange world of shortwave and get hooked. Picking up his callsign was a nice way to remember him.

There was another reason for changing my callsign. Callsigns are assigned linearly, making it very obvious who has a new callsign. Someone with a KExxxx callsign must be new to ham radio. Since I first discovered it in the late 60’s, I’m no newbie. A W5 is more a match for what experience I have.

There is one other thing. My grandfather was W5HU, and I would’ve preferred to inherit his venerable call. Alas, some old putz up in Cedar Creek, Texas snatched it up before I could even get licensed. Oh well, W5RUA is noble enough.

Golden-Shellback.com

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 01:51:25 GMT

Richard,

Before I forget, Dell needs to check out the current Tekzilla ASAP. I kid you not. A “Roddy” doing the backstroke while running! I think an investigation is in order. This stuff could be valuable if it doesn’t screw up cooling.

Scott

RE: TATN '08

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 19:04:46 GMT

Uhm, no, not what I said at all.

For instance, I specifically said that you ARE a role model. That is the
basic issue as I see it. Have you ever heard the saying, "actions speak
louder than words?" That is what I'm talking about. Whatever advice you give
to people, they are still going to look at the AAC you use and see that as a
tacit comment about the others. Most people aren't going to understand the
complicated criteria that can be a part of selecting the "right" AAC for
them. Now do you understand what I was saying?

By the way, I have much the same problem with Dr. Stephen Hawkins. So you're
in good company! :)

I also asked you to respond on my blog instead of in private email. That was
for fairness, so that everyone could read your comments for themselves. I'll
transfer your response this time, but I encourage you to consider starting a
blog of your own.

I'm glad you're getting an ECO. That is what I'd pick if I had to have a PRC
product. What I read suggests that an ECO could also run Xpress-It. That's
an intriguing thought, and I've toyed with the idea of bugging Carla for an
evaluation unit. I damn sure couldn't afford the $8,000 list price! Ow!

You still haven't told me how you could properly demo things like Xpress-It.
There is a slight possibility that I might convince Dell to provide a laptop
for that purpose, but first I'd have to be comfortable that it was a good
idea.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Texas TERA [mailto:texastera@gmail.com]
> Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2008 11:15 PM
> To: 'Scott Royall'; cca.cons@prentrom.com
> Subject: RE: TATN '08
>
> Scott,
>
> I really think there is a misunderstanding here. I never said I didn't
> like X-Press and it couldn't work for some people. I never said I didn't
> think the DEC Talk voice wasn't out dated. I'll be getting an ECO in
> the near future that has a better voice. I clearly stated the opposite.
> I have kept all our email contacts. I just feel that you are shoving it
> down my throat that it is what would best for me. With my job, I support
> all of the known AAC devices.
>
> You say I'm not a role model, funny, I think most peoplr in the AAC
> world would disagree with you.. The problem is I haven't seen you in
> that world. I am strong advocate for improving AAC devices and
> communicate with AAC manufacture R&D deparrtments. It is your choice
> rather you want to work with me. I'm sorry that you can't accept our
> differences and move on.
>
>
> I sincerely wish you the best of luck.
>
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: Scott Royall [mailto:royall@conchbbs.com]
> Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2008 9:27 PM
> To: cca.cons@prentrom.com; texastera@gmail.com
> Subject: FW: TATN '08
>
>
>
> Carla,
>
>
>
> Below is a long post I just sent to my blog. Kate also got a copy.
>
>
>
> I'm sorry; I'm well aware that you two are friends, but I found Kate too
> interested in defending the merits of her Minspeak to offer me any
> reason to work with her. I think she misses the whole point rather
> concisely summed up in the final paragraph: as a fellow role-model, her
> actions say far more than words can. The fact that she does travel to
> more conferences further compounds the unspoken message against newer
> products, let alone mine.
>
>
>
> Kate doesn't need to reply to this email. I won't respond because that
> would be a waste of our time. However, she's encouraged to respond on my
> blog if she wants. My blog in my commentary on the realities of my life.
> As such, it will probably be the only legacy I leave behind since
> Xpress-It obviously isn't going anywhere.
>
>
>
> Scott
>
>
>
> From: Scott Royall [mailto:royall@conchbbs.com]
> Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2008 8:46 PM
> Subject: TATN '08
>
>
>
> I attended the Texas Assistive Technology Network '08 a few weeks ago,
> and I promised to write about a couple of people I met there.
> Unfortunately, life has intervened with a number of minor emergencies
> that required my attention, including a couple of computer crashes.
> Another reason why I'm reluctant to start discussing my experience at
> TATN is because I recognize that my comments will probably be considered
> as incendiary, although that's absolutely not my intention. One lady in
> particular could, and should, be a mutual benefit to herself and me as
> she's leading an effort to set up a clearinghouse in the Austin area for
> information and technology useful in independent living. This
> clearinghouse is to include examples of assistive technology, such as
> AAC products. Her name is Kate May <mailto:texastera@gmail.com> , and
> she is a fellow AAC user as well as having a degree in Special Ed. Yet,
> her comments, both at the conference and in email, raise serious
> questions in my mind regarding her ability to be impartial.
>
>
>
> There, I said it, although I sure didn't want to.
>
>
>
> To clarify, Kate uses a Minspeak, an older dedicated AAC device by
> Prentke Romich. It's menu-driven, based on PRC's Semantic Compaction
> technology. The voice quality is roughly equal to DECTalk, which I first
> saw in 1983. DECTalk wasn't bad for the time. Indeed, it was the first
> artificial voice to gain any traction with my managers at Shell. The
> release of Windows 95, however, spawned technologies that quickly
> retired DECTalk's venerable hardware. We literally gave it to a school.
> Yet, Kate's quite comfortable with her Minspeak, although a friend (who
> I'll tell you about in a moment) was quick to point that better voices
> are available. Of course, Kate's reluctance to change AAC products is
> entirely understandable. It's just an example of a general phenomenon I
> mentioned in my TATN presentation; most people aren't in love with
> technology, and they find re-learning how to do a task stressful enough
> to be avoided. What Kate has told me says that the environment around
> her, and her own verbal capabilities, do not generate much demand for a
> better artificial voice.
>
>
>
> Kate's fondness for her Minspeak is certainly her right, and nominally
> only her business if it wasn't for a couple of emailed statements. She
> told me that she intends to be the primary advisor for people coming to
> TERA, her clearinghouse, looking for AAC options. Ok, but then she said
> that she was "not proficient" in text-to-speech programs similar to
> Xpress-It. Hmm. Although I genuinely don't mean to pick, that seems to
> be a significant disconnect to me. Saying that different people need
> different AAC solutions should be a given. Still, anyone intending to
> advise others would be well to develop proficiency in the major types. I
> did earn my chops ten years ago. After all, I didn't write Xpress-It for
> fun. As much as such an arrangement ought to be mutually beneficial, I
> can't see how I can afford to work with Kate. Sending her a copy of
> Xpress-It wouldn't help her without an appropriate computer. And, I can'
> t afford to keep someone nearby to represent me, so I guess we can't do
> business unless something changes.
>
>
>
> It is tempting to say that it's no surprise that Kate's friend was a PRC
> employee, but that's disingenuous in the extreme. Yes, Carla is paid by
> PRC, as a SLP in a consulting capacity. She was quick to observe that
> her paycheck wasn't tied to PRC sales, at least not directly. What was
> more impressive, though, was her behavior. While Kate didn't appear
> interested in Xpress-It, asking only one question that I'm aware of,
> Carla was all eyes and ears, very quickly grasping why PRC products were
> inappropriate for me once she knew a bit about the private sector
> environment that I operated in. Rarely do the SLPs I encounter show much
> understanding of life in the Private Sector, but Carla seemed to. About
> the only part that she couldn't quite get her brain around was why
> hospital SLPs would shun products like Xpress-It in favor of more
> comprehensive solutions. I know the official explanation about SLP
> workloads, but Carla is probably right in suspecting that the deep
> pockets of the larger vendors have something to do with it also. PRC
> historically doesn't do much business with hospitals either because
> their products are more tuned for the education sector. In any case,
> Carla was a joy to meet, having a uncommon degree of what I call "snap"
> despite her protestations of being a "techno-phobe" (yeah right, Carla).
> Of course, she earned a few points by being easy to look at, and by
> immediately going ga-ga over Lilly. That showed fine taste.
>
>
>
> Long-time readers of my blog know that I tend to favor Private Sector
> solutions whenever possible. Not that the Private Sector gets everything
> right by a long shot, but, as long as there's healthy competition, it
> will weed out the mistakes. The Public Sector, on the gripping hand,
> operates under a different set of rules that I find rather bizarre
> sometimes. There has been such a push in the last three decades to
> include everyone that various acceptance standards have been lowered
> right into mediocrity. Hardly an evening goes by that my ham friends and
> I don't meet on-air to bemoan the decline of the "American Way."
> Naturally, I know people have sung that lament since at least 1770.
> However, as I communicated with Kate, I began to realize a likely link
> between the Public Sector's willingness to accept mediocre performance
> and the almost glacial rate of progress in AAC.
>
>
>
> I do not know that much about Kate's history. I do know that her degree
> is in Special Education, and she is affiliated with the Austin ISD. I
> don't know if she has ever worked in the Private Sector. I also am aware
> that disabled people who do seek employment tend to aim for the Public
> Sector directly or through allied companies. That practice does make
> some sense, because competition to find and keep those jobs is less
> intense than for Private Sector equivalents. Even so, some sources put
> unemployment among the Disabled as high as 80%, and I daresay Kate would
> agree that the only way to put a dent in that figure is by enlisting the
> Private Sector much more effectively than it is now. That means that
> people who need AAC solutions can't afford to settle for "good enough,"
> because employers won't. I talked about this in my TATN talk; "good
> enough" needs to disappear from the Public Sector lexicon.
>
>
>
> This blog entry is waaay longer than I would like. I would've preferred
> to break it up into easily-digestible chunks, but I realized that I had
> a natural train of thought that I needed to follow through before
> opening up to comment. Obviously, Kate is not going to be pleased by my
> viewpoint, and that's her constitutional right. At least my viewpoint is
> now on the record in its entirety for everyone interested to weigh for
> themselves. My greatest concern is the outcome of what Kate is trying to
> do with her TERA project. I'm frequently told that I'm a de facto
> role-model, and I wonder if Kate truly realizes the fallout of being
> one. She is certainly setting herself up as another role-model while
> using very old AAC, thereby sending a strong unspoken message that
> contradicts anything good she says about the newer technology. In
> effect, I believe Kate is supporting the status quo-albeit unwillingly,
> and I think a serious reality check is called for.
>
>
> Internal Virus Database is out of date.
> Checked by AVG.
> Version: 8.0.100 / Virus Database: 270.3.0/1505 - Release Date: 6/16/2008
7:20 AM

TATN '08

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:46:44 GMT

I attended the Texas Assistive Technology Network '08 a few weeks ago, and I promised to write about a couple of people I met there. Unfortunately, life has intervened with a number of minor emergencies that required my attention, including a couple of computer crashes. Another reason why I’m reluctant to start discussing my experience at TATN is because I recognize that my comments will probably be considered as incendiary, although that's absolutely not my intention. One lady in particular could, and should, be a mutual benefit to herself and me as she's leading an effort to set up a clearinghouse in the Austin area for information and technology useful in independent living. This clearinghouse is to include examples of assistive technology, such as AAC products. Her name is Kate May, and she is a fellow AAC user as well as having a degree in Special Ed. Yet, her comments, both at the conference and in email, raise serious questions in my mind regarding her ability to be impartial.

There, I said it, although I sure didn’t want to.

To clarify, Kate uses a Minspeak, an older dedicated AAC device by Prentke Romich. It’s menu-driven, based on PRC’s Semantic Compaction technology. The voice quality is roughly equal to DECTalk, which I first saw in 1983. DECTalk wasn’t bad for the time. Indeed, it was the first artificial voice to gain any traction with my managers at Shell. The release of Windows 95, however, spawned technologies that quickly retired DECTalk’s venerable hardware. We literally gave it to a school. Yet, Kate’s quite comfortable with her Minspeak, although a friend (who I’ll tell you about in a moment) was quick to point that better voices are available. Of course, Kate’s reluctance to change AAC products is entirely understandable. It’s just an example of a general phenomenon I mentioned in my TATN presentation; most people aren’t in love with technology, and they find re-learning how to do a task stressful enough to be avoided. What Kate has told me says that the environment around her, and her own verbal capabilities, do not generate much demand for a better artificial voice.

Kate’s fondness for her Minspeak is certainly her right, and nominally only her business if it wasn’t for a couple of emailed statements. She told me that she intends to be the primary advisor for people coming to TERA, her clearinghouse, looking for AAC options. Ok, but then she said that she was “not proficient” in text-to-speech programs similar to Xpress-It. Hmm. Although I genuinely don’t mean to pick, that seems to be a significant disconnect to me. Saying that different people need different AAC solutions should be a given. Still, anyone intending to advise others would be well to develop proficiency in the major types. I did earn my chops ten years ago. After all, I didn’t write Xpress-It for fun. As much as such an arrangement ought to be mutually beneficial, I can’t see how I can afford to work with Kate. Sending her a copy of Xpress-It wouldn’t help her without an appropriate computer. And, I can’t afford to keep someone nearby to represent me, so I guess we can’t do business unless something changes.

It is tempting to say that it’s no surprise that Kate’s friend was a PRC employee, but that’s disingenuous in the extreme. Yes, Carla is paid by PRC, as a SLP in a consulting capacity. She was quick to observe that her paycheck wasn’t tied to PRC sales, at least not directly. What was more impressive, though, was her behavior. While Kate didn’t appear interested in Xpress-It, asking only one question that I’m aware of, Carla was all eyes and ears, very quickly grasping why PRC products were inappropriate for me once she knew a bit about the private sector environment that I operated in. Rarely do the SLPs I encounter show much understanding of life in the Private Sector, but Carla seemed to. About the only part that she couldn’t quite get her brain around was why hospital SLPs would shun products like Xpress-It in favor of more comprehensive solutions. I know the official explanation about SLP workloads, but Carla is probably right in suspecting that the deep pockets of the larger vendors have something to do with it also. PRC historically doesn’t do much business with hospitals either because their products are more tuned for the education sector. In any case, Carla was a joy to meet, having a uncommon degree of what I call ”snap” despite her protestations of being a “techno-phobe” (yeah right, Carla). Of course, she earned a few points by being easy to look at, and by immediately going ga-ga over Lilly. That showed fine taste.

Long-time readers of my blog know that I tend to favor Private Sector solutions whenever possible. Not that the Private Sector gets everything right by a long shot, but, as long as there’s healthy competition, it will weed out the mistakes. The Public Sector, on the gripping hand, operates under a different set of rules that I find rather bizarre sometimes. There has been such a push in the last three decades to include everyone that various acceptance standards have been lowered right into mediocrity. Hardly an evening goes by that my ham friends and I don’t meet on-air to bemoan the decline of the “American Way.” Naturally, I know people have sung that lament since at least 1770. However, as I communicated with Kate, I began to realize a likely link between the Public Sector’s willingness to accept mediocre performance and the almost glacial rate of progress in AAC.

I do not know that much about Kate’s history. I do know that her degree is in Special Education, and she is affiliated with the Austin ISD. I don’t know if she has ever worked in the Private Sector. I also am aware that disabled people who do seek employment tend to aim for the Public Sector directly or through allied companies. That practice does make some sense, because competition to find and keep those jobs is less intense than for Private Sector equivalents. Even so, some sources put unemployment among the Disabled as high as 80%, and I daresay Kate would agree that the only way to put a dent in that figure is by enlisting the Private Sector much more effectively than it is now. That means that people who need AAC solutions can’t afford to settle for “good enough,” because employers won’t. I talked about this in my TATN talk; “good enough” needs to disappear from the Public Sector lexicon.

This blog entry is waaay longer than I would like. I would’ve preferred to break it up into easily-digestible chunks, but I realized that I had a natural train of thought that I needed to follow through before opening up to comment. Obviously, Kate is not going to be pleased by my viewpoint, and that’s her constitutional right. At least my viewpoint is now on the record in its entirety for everyone interested to weigh for themselves. My greatest concern is the outcome of what Kate is trying to do with her TERA project. I’m frequently told that I’m a de facto role-model, and I wonder if Kate truly realizes the fallout of being one. She is certainly setting herself up as another role-model while using very old AAC, thereby sending a strong unspoken message that contradicts anything good she says about the newer technology. In effect, I believe Kate is supporting the status quo—albeit unwillingly, and I think a serious reality check is called for.

Dead "Roddy" in the middle of the road

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:10:36 GMT

Dell: Onsite keyboard replacement

Richard,

Let me update you on the situation below. Arlowe Guffrey's "Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road" has been playing in my head all weekend, if that tells you anything. I was already pretty certain that the problem was a hard-drive failure when I wrote the text below, but Spinrite very quickly confirmed the diagnosis.

Google Spinrite, if you're not familiar with it. It’s not much to look at because it's based on DOS, but that's exactly why it works so well. Spinrite is the only utility for salvaging data from a damaged hard-drive automatically. You simply boot into Spinrite, and tell it which hard-drive or partition needs help. It then starts a painstaking process of extracting data from damaged sectors, a process that can take months in extreme cases. Spinrite is really intended to be run semi-regularly because the way it operates gives the SMART firmware that's already built into all modern hard-drives a better chance to notice and lock out weak sectors preemptively. Yet, Spinrite also has a well-earned reputation for salvaging drives at least temporarily. In fact, Spinrite would've already told me if Roddy's hard-drive was hopeless because of how closely it monitors the SMART subsystem. There’s no need to despair, slow progress is being made, but Spinrite is having to salvage data literally bit-by-bit from a heavily damaged portion of the disk. There’s no predicting how long that will take, as it depends on how large the damaged area is.

Anyway, the plan is to let Spinrite cook on. I already know the drive is bootable, it was causing a blue screen after running several minutes. That tells me that either the pagefile or a DLL was damaged. I have a three-week old image of the drive. The hope is to get the system back going long enough to refresh the image, and then you can dispatch a replacement drive. Roger?

Meanwhile, the M1710 is once more proving as steadfast as its namesake, Lilly.

Scott

From: Scott Royall [mailto:royall@conchbbs.com]
Sent: Friday, July 11, 2008 4:41 PM
To: 'Richard_Bernier@Dell.com'
Subject: RE: Dell: Onsite keyboard replacement

Well, don’t celebrate. Roddy is down hard. I don’t yet have a firm diagnosis, but it may be a hard-drive issue. We’ll see.

From: Richard_Bernier@Dell.com [mailto:Richard_Bernier@Dell.com]
Sent: Friday, July 11, 2008 11:59 AM
To: royall@conchbbs.com
Subject: RE: Dell: Onsite keyboard replacement

Okay, sounds good! Have a great weekend Mr. Royall.

Best regards,

Richard Bernier
Dell Communities & Conversations
Dell Inc.
800-822-8965 Ext. 726-8859 | Richard_Bernier@dell.com
Doing good or needing improvement, either way you can contact my manager geoffrey_knox@dell.com

From: Scott Royall [mailto:royall@conchbbs.com]
Sent: Wednesday, July 09, 2008 4:02 PM
To: Bernier, Richard
Subject: RE: Dell: Onsite keyboard replacement

Not at this time, thanks.

From: Richard_Bernier@Dell.com [mailto:Richard_Bernier@Dell.com]
Sent: Wednesday, July 09, 2008 2:34 PM
To: royall@conchbbs.com
Subject: Dell: Onsite keyboard replacement

Mr. Royall,

I just checked the service order and it indicated that the work was completed. Is there anything that I may do for you?

Regards,

Richard Bernier
Dell Communities & Conversations
Dell Inc.
800-822-8965 Ext. 726-8859 | Richard_Bernier@dell.com

Doing good or needing improvement, either way you can contact my manager geoffrey_knox@dell.com

Internal Virus Database is out of date.
Checked by AVG.
Version: 8.0.100 / Virus Database: 270.3.0/1505 - Release Date: 6/16/2008 7:20 AM

Keyboard (again)

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 04:10:02 GMT

Richard,

I love Roddy (the dog), I truly do, but she just innocently clawed the heck out of her namesake’s keyboard. She was just being affectionate, but she got to my face by walking on the open laptop’s keyboard. Ouch! Scratch the = key mechanism. The numb is still there, obviously, but that’s not going to last. Hopefully, it will last until you can dispatch another keyboard. Sigh. M1530 keyboards have to get more durable.

Scott

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 03:30:52 GMT

Yes, I’m home from Texas Assistive Technology Network '08, and I know that there are family members eager for a report. TATN isn't where you go to make fast sales or quickly change minds. As the name indicates, it's really an opportunity to network and exchange ideas. The discussions can also be a hoot.

For the uninitiated, this is a blog entry. I blog about my experiences, and TATN was one of them. My blog is at http://adayinthelifeofaperson.spaces.live.com/.

Remember, the presentation is at http://www.conchbbs.com/filestore/TATN '08_0001.wmv. It’s 60 megabytes so don’t try viewing it over dialup.

In a day or two, I’ll talk about a couple of characters I met at TATN. They were the hoot, and pretty interesting to talk with. J

FW: Windows Weekly 64: Celtics Win

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 21:20:02 GMT

Ok, I admit it. Podcasts like this renew my hope for humanity. Microsoft could and should take Darth Jobs to task. J

Feed: Windows Weekly
Posted on: Friday, June 20, 2008 2:02 AM
Author: leo@leoville.com (Leo Laporte)
Subject: Windows Weekly 64: Celtics Win

Hosts: Paul Thurrott and Leo Laporte

Firefox 3, Microsoft advertising, MSN Music, Lotus Symphony, your taskbar, and more.

Topics:

Paul attends Celtics finals victory in Game 6
Firefox 3 download day: 8.3 million downloads for the record
New features: new UI, extensibility, awesomebar, library, malware protection and more.
Microsoft hires new advertising firm
Paul bought a new MacBook … to run Windows Vista
MSN Music

News quickie: Lotus Symphony 1.0 released

Vista tip of the week: Master the taskbar (includes start menu and tray)

Software of the week: Twhirl

Also: Google Talk Labs Edition

Audible.com pick of the week: The Spies of Warsaw (Unabridged) by Alan Furst

Check out Paul's blog at http://www.internet-nexus.com and the SuperSite for Windows http://winsupersite.com for more information.

Thanks to Cachefly for the bandwidth for this show. The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Derek K. Miller.

Running time: 1:11:19

View article...

Enclosures:

WW-064.mp3 (33 MB)
http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/twit.cachefly.net/WW-064.mp3

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 02:12:30 GMT

A podcast worth the time: www.twit.tv/ww61

FW: TATN '08

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:07:51 GMT

25a25sig

Maybe, but remember that I’m speaking to these people more as a former client than a slick-haired, forked-tongue vendor. I consciously keep a low gloss on the presentation in order to be easier for them to sympathize with. The audience will mainly be educators, and a grizzled ex-student may be heard better than a smooth outsider with no budget. Although Xpress-It is currently still on the site, it won’t be next week. I meant what I said about changes coming, but I also don’t want to appear disingenuous. I want to cause the rehab community to seriously rethink what it’s doing even if I never sell a copy of Xpress-It.

Besides, the presentation was finished and deep into transcoding by the time I saw your comment. Windows Movie Maker had absolutely no problem doing what I had in mind. (Screw Apple, HARD!) The presentation is available here for all to critique. Even Apple boxes can view it, but I warn you, it’s not for skinny pipes! If you’re on DSL, you’ll be downloading a while. That’s because it’s meant for a large screen.

From: DJSloan
Sent: Saturday, June 14, 2008 6:04 PM
To: Scott Royall
Subject: Re: TATN '08

Scott ..
Shows the product.
Good audience participation.
Well summarized.
I'd like to see a more direct 'summary' of where you are going when a topic is introduced (like a teaser) to keep people's interest.
DJS

Scott Royall wrote:

Here is a draft of the presentation I’m to give at the Texas Assistive Technology Network ’08 conference on the 24^th. I’m not really happy with it, because I think it wanders too much. However, I was trying to say something important and use up a reasonable amount of time without giving yet another boring product demo. What do you think?

I still have to make the overhead slides. I want to use an Apple file format called Enhanced MP3, which will display slides synchronized to the audio. But, I’m having trouble finding software to create the file.

--

==========================================
DJSloan .. Houston, Texas
DJSloan25a26@Yahoo.com
Reference:

Apple does it again

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 21:34:49 GMT

No, I don’t mean the iPhone. Once again, Apple twisted reality to suit them. You can do a slideshow to sound, IF you are willing to have your slides change at one fixed rate (that you can set). That’s probably good for slideshows, but it’s an anathema to presentations.

About the only way that I know of to do what I need is with video. I seem to vaguely recall that several video authoring tools will set stills to a soundtrack. Maybe even Windows Movie Maker will. In any case, I will have to rethink my slides just a week before my debut. Fun.

TATN '08

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 23:36:03 GMT

RE: Talk

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 19:49:00 GMT

Indeed.

I don’t think my laptops count as secondary presenters, but I will share this with them.

From: Angela Standridge [mailto:amstand@esc4.net]
Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2008 2:37 PM
To: Scott Royall
Subject: RE: Talk

§ Presenter: Scott Royall

(If you have secondary presenters please share this information with them )

§ Title of Presentation: Walk the Walk and Talk the Talk

§ Abstract that will go in program: Come hear what it is like to be on the communicator’s side of the communication device. I am Scott Royall, born in Bryan, Texas in 1956. I worked for Shell Oil for 14 years as a software developer before being laid off in April, 2002. I'm also physically disabled with Cerebral Palsy. I use a customized electric wheelchair to get around, but am unable to talk. One of life's first lessons I had to learn was that verbal communication is one of the tools that makes the difference between just existing and actually being a member of society. That's what prompted me to use my skills as software developer to create Xpress-It. With Xpress-It, a standard laptop computer, an automotive-type audio amplifier and speakers, I can talk to anyone. Experience a real-time demonstration of Express-It from a real-time communicator!

§ Day, Session and Time: 06/24/08 Tuesday, Session 6, 3:00-4:00

§ Presentation Room Number: 106

§ Strand (s): Augmentative Communication

Angela Standridge, M.A., CCC-SLP, ATP

Region 4 ESC

713-744-6831

From: Scott Royall [mailto:royall@conchbbs.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2008 2:28 PM
To: Angela Standridge
Subject: Talk

What time is my presentation scheduled for? I’m about a third through the first revision.

RE: Heh

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 22:50:13 GMT

You’re Dell, don’t you know better? I seriously doubt the D610 has a user-replaceable CPU. J

Dell has a real image problem, as you well know. I was on the radio the other day with a ham who had a new HP something-or-other. He needed to reload the software for his do-everything printer, and was trying to communicate with HP. Of course it was the classic tale of trying to chat with India. He couldn’t believe Dell could be any better.

Dell, I know the economic arguments for outsourcing support to India, Panama, etc, but it’s a false economy. Americans want to speak to someone who actually does understand.

From: Richard_Bernier@Dell.com [mailto:Richard_Bernier@Dell.com]
Sent: Monday, June 02, 2008 10:31 AM
To: royall@conchbbs.com
Subject: RE: Heh/

Ah, the quest for low wattage, less heat, and better processing. I recently bought an Intel L7400 processor on eBay a couple of weeks ago (they are not easy to find).

Intel Core™2 Duo Processor L7400Δ

LE80537LF0214M 1.50 GHz 667 MHz 4 MB Unified 17 watts 1.1625 V-1.3 V 100° C 479 μFC-BGA

Good description link: http://www.cp65.com/news/20070118.shtml

It’s basically, is a super high quality Merom processor. The only problem is that it comes in a surface mount packaging, no pins. So, it’s not going to fit in my Latitude D620 L Now, it just sitting on a shelf.

Richard Bernier
Online Community Outreach Liaison
Dell Inc.
800-822-8965 Ext. 726-8859 | Richard_Bernier@dell.com
Doing good or needing improvement, either way you can contact my manager mailto:geoffrey_knoxr@dell.com?subject=Customer feedback on Richard Bernier

From: Scott Royall [mailto:royall@conchbbs.com]
Sent: Saturday, May 31, 2008 6:24 PM
To: Bernier, Richard
Subject: Heh/

This should raise a grin.

RE: Texas AT Regional Conference- Handout Reminder

Tue, 20 May 2008 20:53:56 GMT

RE: Texas AT Regional Conference- Handout Reminder

Angela, that’s a very kind offer. When do you need my decision? You’re right, an hour slot is easier to manage in terms of logistics, and I think I do have some relevant things to say. I would be more credible, though, if I had a copy of Xpress-It to give away. Anyone can criticize the status quo, but it’s much better to have a real alternative in hand.

The real reason why I hesitate is because I haven’t written the presentation yet. I have a pretty good idea of what needs to be said, but it’s in my head. The Ironkeys did arrive today, and I’d love to have one ready. There just isn’t time with the other stuff I’d need to complete. If I am going to still present, that preparation would have to get the highest priority. (I haven’t done a presentation in eight years so I know I’m rusty.)

From: Angela Standridge [mailto:amstand@esc4.net]
Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 9:01 AM
To: Scott Royall
Subject: RE: Texas AT Regional Conference- Handout Reminder

Scott- I gave your vendor space away already. However- I have not given your presentation slot away yet. That might be easier to manage attendant wise anyway. I will comp your registration. Let me know.

Angela Standridge, M.A., CCC-SLP, ATP

Region 4 ESC

713-744-6831

From: Scott Royall [mailto:royall@conchbbs.com]
Sent: Monday, May 19, 2008 4:34 PM
To: 'Dave Jevans'; Angela Standridge
Cc: 'Mark Zalatimo'
Subject: RE: Texas AT Regional Conference- Handout Reminder

Thank you. Maybe I’ll be ready for TATN ’09.

From: Dave Jevans [mailto:djevans@ironkey.com]
Sent: Monday, May 19, 2008 4:21 PM
To: Scott Royall; 'Angela Standridge'
Cc: 'Mark Zalatimo'
Subject: RE: Texas AT Regional Conference- Handout Reminder

Scott,

Keys have been shipped and should arrive tomorrow.

At 10:52 PM -0500 5/16/08, Scott Royall wrote:

I appreciate the timely reminder. Regretfully, it looks very unlikely that I will be attending TATN '08 in any capacity. The chief reason is frankly a lack of caregiver talent capable of supporting me through a multi-day event. Even my own mother wouldn't credit all the minutiae involved in creating a creditable presence. Showing up doesn't really count as a start. The image you project must both set you apart and render you eminently believable. Let's face reality, yours is a especially tough crowd because educational resources are notoriously overstressed and overwhelmed. Following the path of least resistance is apparently irresistible until it is no longer viable. Challenging that thinking is tough enough without also worrying whether or not my caregivers are being helpful.

There is a second reason. IronKey still hasn't delivered any samples of their product yet. As you may recall, IronKey is potentially the system I'll use to deliver and secure Xpress-It. However, if keys arrived tomorrow, it is unlikely that I have time to integrate their offering into Xpress-It, test, and perfect the presentation too by June 23rd. While there is no law saying the two are inseparable, it goes to delivery rather than more promises like those made by other vendors. Credibility seems to really hold sway in the AT field.

I'm starting to wonder if I'm the only one Xpress-It will ever have an opportunity to help. I know it still has cost/benefit advantages, but that doesn't mean much if nobody in a position to cause purchases seriously looks at the program. The situation is circular. Sales are what create most of the resources necessary to do further development, which in turn supposedly leads to more sales. There are a number of recent development in the PC world that could be very helpful to disabled people, but I don't know how much longer I can keep Xpress-It relevant working as an one-man band. If no one notices when someone takes a more strategic approach to enabling people, I think that says something sad about when the Disabled can hope to really be welcomed at the table of life. Meanwhile, all I can say is, "maybe next year."

From: Angela Standridge [mailto:amstand@esc4.net]
Sent: Friday, May 16, 2008 11:45 AM
To: ROYALL@CONCHBBS.COM
Subject: Texas AT Regional Conference- Handout Reminder

Dear Scott Royall,

You are scheduled to present Walk the Walk and Talk the Talk at the conference.

If your session will have hard copy handouts, please provide at least 50 copies. If additional participants request handouts, it is left to the discretion of the presenter as to whether or not to provide additional handouts.

Electronic handouts can be posted to the conference website for participants to print out before or after the conference. We will post PDF only electronic format handouts to the conference website if they are submitted by May 31, 2008 to amstand@esc4.net. To enable participates to find your electronic handouts, please name your files using the following protocol: primary presenter's last name.title.of.session.pdf, for example standridge.aac.for.all.pdf.

If you cannot convert to PDF, we will accept MS Office files. If you have Office '07, please save to the '03 format.

If you would like to ship your hard copy handouts, please send them to my attention at the address in the signature line CLEARLY LABELED with your name and your session title.

If you have already submitted your handouts, Thank You!

The pre-program is up on the website http://www.texasatconference.net to preview the other sessions.

See you in June!

Angela Standridge

Region 4 ESC

7145 West Tidwell

Houston, TX 77092

713-744-6831

RE: Texas AT Regional Conference- Handout Reminder

Mon, 19 May 2008 21:55:37 GMT

Dear Jeanne Schorsch,

Ok, let me get Xpress-It cleaned back up first.

From: Angela Standridge [mailto:amstand@esc4.net]
Sent: Monday, May 19, 2008 4:03 PM
To: Scott Royall
Subject: RE: Texas AT Regional Conference- Handout Reminder

Just tell Dave I suggested he might be interested. He vends many items across the board. It may or may not work with his current product line. All you can do is ask. He is a very easy going guy.

Angela Standridge, M.A., CCC-SLP, ATP

Region 4 ESC

713-744-6831

From: Scott Royall [mailto:royall@conchbbs.com]
Sent: Monday, May 19, 2008 3:14 PM
To: Angela Standridge
Subject: RE: Texas AT Regional Conference- Handout Reminder

Affirmative. Release my spot.

Other AAC companies have seen Xpress-It, and their general reaction is much the same as the rehab field. They have trouble imagining a use for an AAC solution that doesn’t try to manage the entire user interaction. You may dimly recall my account of encountering the Words+ rep at TATN ’07. She couldn’t believe EZKeys miserably failed to meet Shell’s expectations. Her mantra seemed to be “you just needed my training.” Only on the second day did the rep admit that Words+ was working to address compatibility issues with non-AAC software.

I’ll contact Dave. Do you think an email of introduction would be appropriate? I can’t get USAAC.ORG to even acknowledge my existence.

From: Angela Standridge [mailto:amstand@esc4.net]
Sent: Monday, May 19, 2008 10:55 AM
To: Scott Royall
Subject: RE: Texas AT Regional Conference- Handout Reminder

Sorry to hear that. Just to clarify- you are declining to present and to exhibit? There is quite a waiting list for the exhibit hall, so I want to make sure before I give your spot away.

As for your product, have you thought of marketing to an existing AAC company? I worked for several years for Prentke Romich Company http://www.prentrom.com. I thin the current CEO is Dave Moffat. There is also a company started by on or their engineers, Dave Hershberger that is usually more open to new stuff http://www.saltillo.com . It might be a way to get the tool to people who need it. You also might target ALS clinics as there is a growing number of these patients.

Angela Standridge, M.A., CCC-SLP, ATP

Region 4 ESC

713-744-6831

From: Scott Royall [mailto:royall@conchbbs.com]
Sent: Friday, May 16, 2008 10:52 PM
To: Angela Standridge
Cc: djevans@ironkey.com; 'Mark Zalatimo'
Subject: RE: Texas AT Regional Conference- Handout Reminder

I appreciate the timely reminder. Regretfully, it looks very unlikely that I will be attending TATN ’08 in any capacity. The chief reason is frankly a lack of caregiver talent capable of supporting me through a multi-day event. Even my own mother wouldn’t credit all the minutiae involved in creating a creditable presence. Showing up doesn’t really count as a start. The image you project must both set you apart and render you eminently believable. Let’s face reality, yours is a especially tough crowd because educational resources are notoriously overstressed and overwhelmed. Following the path of least resistance is apparently irresistible until it is no longer viable. Challenging that thinking is tough enough without also worrying whether or not my caregivers are being helpful.

There is a second reason. IronKey still hasn’t delivered any samples of their product yet. As you may recall, IronKey is potentially the system I’ll use to deliver and secure Xpress-It. However, if keys arrived tomorrow, it is unlikely that I have time to integrate their offering into Xpress-It, test, and perfect the presentation too by June 23^rd. While there is no law saying the two are inseparable, it goes to delivery rather than more promises like those made by other vendors. Credibility seems to really hold sway in the AT field.

I’m starting to wonder if I’m the only one Xpress-It will ever have an opportunity to help. I know it still has cost/benefit advantages, but that doesn’t mean much if nobody in a position to cause purchases seriously looks at the program. The situation is circular. Sales are what create most of the resources necessary to do further development, which in turn supposedly leads to more sales. There are a number of recent development in the PC world that could be very helpful to disabled people, but I don’t know how much longer I can keep Xpress-It relevant working as an one-man band. If no one notices when someone takes a more strategic approach to enabling people, I think that says something sad about when the Disabled can hope to really be welcomed at the table of life. Meanwhile, all I can say is, “maybe next year.”

From: Angela Standridge [mailto:amstand@esc4.net]
Sent: Friday, May 16, 2008 11:45 AM
To: ROYALL@CONCHBBS.COM
Subject: Texas AT Regional Conference- Handout Reminder

Dear Scott Royall,

You are scheduled to present Walk the Walk and Talk the Talk at the conference.

If your session will have hard copy handouts, please provide at least 50 copies. If additional participants request handouts, it is left to the discretion of the presenter as to whether or not to provide additional handouts.

Electronic handouts can be posted to the conference website for participants to print out before or after the conference. We will post PDF only electronic format handouts to the conference website if they are submitted by May 31, 2008 to amstand@esc4.net. To enable participates to find your electronic handouts, please name your files using the following protocol: primary presenter’s last name.title.of.session.pdf, for example standridge.aac.for.all.pdf.

If you cannot convert to PDF, we will accept MS Office files. If you have Office ’07, please save to the ’03 format.

If you would like to ship your hard copy handouts, please send them to my attention at the address in the signature line CLEARLY LABELED with your name and your session title.

If you have already submitted your handouts, Thank You!

The pre-program is up on the website http://www.texasatconference.net to preview the other sessions.

See you in June!

Angela Standridge

Region 4 ESC

7145 West Tidwell

Houston, TX 77092

713-744-6831

RE: Texas AT Regional Conference- Handout Reminder

Mon, 19 May 2008 20:14:24 GMT

Dear Jeanne Schorsch,

Affirmative. Release my spot.

I’ll contact Dave. Do you think an email of introduction would be appropriate? I can’t get USAAC.ORG to even acknowledge my existence.

From: Angela Standridge [mailto:amstand@esc4.net]
Sent: Monday, May 19, 2008 10:55 AM
To: Scott Royall
Subject: RE: Texas AT Regional Conference- Handout Reminder

Sorry to hear that. Just to clarify- you are declining to present and to exhibit? There is quite a waiting list for the exhibit hall, so I want to make sure before I give your spot away.

Angela Standridge, M.A., CCC-SLP, ATP

Region 4 ESC

713-744-6831

From: Angela Standridge [mailto:amstand@esc4.net]
Sent: Friday, May 16, 2008 11:45 AM
To: ROYALL@CONCHBBS.COM
Subject: Texas AT Regional Conference- Handout Reminder

Dear Scott Royall,

You are scheduled to present Walk the Walk and Talk the Talk at the conference.

If you cannot convert to PDF, we will accept MS Office files. If you have Office ’07, please save to the ’03 format.

If you would like to ship your hard copy handouts, please send them to my attention at the address in the signature line CLEARLY LABELED with your name and your session title.

If you have already submitted your handouts, Thank You!

The pre-program is up on the website http://www.texasatconference.net to preview the other sessions.

See you in June!

Angela Standridge

Region 4 ESC

7145 West Tidwell

Houston, TX 77092

713-744-6831

RE: Texas AT Regional Conference- Handout Reminder

Sat, 17 May 2008 03:52:33 GMT

Dear Jeanne Schorsch,

From: Angela Standridge [mailto:amstand@esc4.net]
Sent: Friday, May 16, 2008 11:45 AM
To: ROYALL@CONCHBBS.COM
Subject: Texas AT Regional Conference- Handout Reminder

Dear Scott Royall,

You are scheduled to present Walk the Walk and Talk the Talk at the conference.

If you cannot convert to PDF, we will accept MS Office files. If you have Office ’07, please save to the ’03 format.

If you would like to ship your hard copy handouts, please send them to my attention at the address in the signature line CLEARLY LABELED with your name and your session title.

If you have already submitted your handouts, Thank You!

The pre-program is up on the website http://www.texasatconference.net to preview the other sessions.

See you in June!

Angela Standridge

Region 4 ESC

7145 West Tidwell

Houston, TX 77092

713-744-6831

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