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Hi everyone! The final release of version 2.0 of the Klango Player was just released on Monday. For those of you who don't yet have this and are curious, please head on over to http://www.klango.net and check this thing out! This program is undoubtedly tops on my list of accessible programs. It's nice to see somebody or a group of people doing the right thing, and the Klango team is no exception. They have not only taken the time to make their software fully accessible, but they are also very responsive to user feedback. The software has been updated to include such features as a fully-integrated Wikipedia browser and a shopping feature.

Hello there! Before I get to the topic of discussion I'd like to wish all those who celebrate Rosh Hashanah a very Happy New Year and Shalom. I think I said that right. But I'm not Jewish so I can't be sure on that one. I've seen and heard the word "shalom" a few times before though. And now back to our regularly scheduled writing. First off for you JAWS users out there, the second public beta of version 10.0 was just released last week. I downloaded and installed it and I think it is pretty good. More voices have been included. However, please do not download them if your system is full or even near full with other large programs. These extra voices take up a great deal of memory and will therefore eat up your hard drive if you're not careful. You have been warned. This beta includes two totally new features which I'd like to discuss briefly. Those of you familiar with Apple and their products will know that in recent years the company has been harshly criticized for their nonwillingness to make their products accessible to those of us using adaptive technology. Well, fear not because the popular iTunes software is now accessible and JAWS 10 includes support for it. I have not yet verified this myself, but I heard it demonstrated in the latest episode of Freedom Scientific's podcast. I just might try it out though since it is free. The other big feature in this release is something called JAWS Tandem. It is a feature which will allow support personnel using JAWS versions 10 and later to remotely connect with other JAWS users who have versions 10 and up. This will undoubtedly lead to not only improved tech support, but also better training among JAWS users. That's all on the JAWS front for now. The other new release I'd like to talk about is Klango Player 2.0. Yesterday it was announced on the Klango listserv and a little bit in the forums that the final release of version 2.0 will be rolled out next Monday, October 6. I for one--having used the beta of the Klango Player for a little over a month now--am very excited. Those of you not using it but who are curious have absolutely got to go check this thing out! It is absolutely free, and the developers are extremely responsive to user feedback. I'm not just saying that for the money either. But these folks seriously care about accessibility and it shows. Please head on over to http://www.klango.net and check it out!

Hi

Hello people! I think I'm finally back on here but we'll see about that. I think an explanation is in order as to the reason(s)? for my blogging hiatus. First it was my phone and Internet. Well, mostly my phone and I'm not talking about my cell phone. Some vines out in the back of my building had gotten just a bit too ambitious, and had managed to wind themselves around the cable that goes to my phone and Internet. As a result my landline phone was usable but the line was very scratchy. In addition, my Internet connection was spotty at best. But now all that is fixed, at least for now, and I can get on with my life. YIPPY! Reason Number 2 for my absense was a change that occurred on Tabulas. For whatever reason this new control panel wasn't being read exactly right by any of my assistive technology, but I sent a couple messages to the powers that be here on Tabulas and I think my assistive technology is now picking up both edit fields. Let's hope so anyway. So I hope you now have a good enough explanation of my absence on these pages. Now on to some other shtuff. First off I'd like to let everyone who uses it know that the first public beta of JAWS version 10 was released last week. I've been using it and I must say that as unhappy as I am about the recent FS vs. GW Micro lawsuit, this beta turned out pretty good. I have not yet listened to the podcast episode in which the beta version is discussed, but I hear the sound quality is not so hot this time. One other thing is that the double-speak that has occurred in certain places, is still present. Somehow the JAWS team at FS has still not managed to come up with a viable solution to the double-speaking of some messages. So the only solution I can offer JAWS users is to tap either Control key. But even then you might miss some important information. Anyway, I like this beta and I do recommend people download it and give it a try if they haven't already done so. Another thing I'd like to discuss briefly here is a project that I began work on recently with some other people. I mentioned it in an earlier entry. I am now part of a team that is developing a website which will contain experiences of people with different impairments. The project is still very much in its infancy, but a lot of great ideas were presented at our first formal meeting which took place this week. Stay tuned right here for more on this. Finally, I have been doing a lot with the new Klango Player that I also talked about earlier. It too, is still in beta form but I think it'll blossom into a very cool piece of software. I'm told it will remain free of charge, which is definitely good news for those of us on limited incomes. Until next time, have a wonderful day and please don't do anything I wouldn't do. But then again most of you probably don't know what I wouldn't do! Peace out my friends! Let's hope this thing goes through

Hi everybody. I discovered a really cool piece of software yesterday that I think deserves a good write-up. I was searching around on http://www.blindcooltech.com--a podcast all about accessible technology and the ways people with a vision impairment accomplish various things--and I came to an episode called "Dancing the Klango." Having used an older version of this a couple years ago I was happy to hear that name again, but I was also rather curious so I downloaded and listened to the podcast episode. There is a company in Poland and they've released the Klango Media Player. actually this is much more than just a media player. The whole thing is self-voicing and therefore does not require a screen reader. It is currently in beta form but upon doing various things with it I found very little if anything wrong with it. Besides a media player, this software includes message boards, email, and a whole host of other neat features. It is free and I think it will remain that way. If you have a sound card and want to try out something way cool, go to http://www.klango.net and check out this little gem. The company says that http://www.klangogames.com is still fully operational and not outdated, but I have yet to verify that. Have fun and enjoy! I didn't say Klingon I said Klango, and this is not just a small program that only serves one function. I tried it both with and without headphones, and I can honestly say the term "virtual reality" applies here.