The Ellisys Tracker 110 (http://www.ellisys.com/) is usually regarded as the least expensive yet functional hardware USB analyzer. It's about $900. I have one and it seems to work well. It feels overpriced but, when you need it, you need it. Lots of other resources at http://www.usb.org. One of the Ellisys developers hangs out there as well.
While I can agree there are probably simpler ways than using Windows to accomplish what ATMs need to do, the impetus for multimedia capable ATMs appears to be the Americans with Disabilities Act:
The Americans With Disabilities Act and ATMs: Accessibility for Blind Users
In recent years, blind representatives have been approaching banks and other ATM owners about improving blind users' access to ATMs, relying on the 1992 Americans With Disability Act Accessibility Guidelines ("ADAAG") requirement that ATMs be "accessible to and independently usable by persons with vision impairments." ADAAG provides the technical requirements for making facilities accessible. The related regulation, which interprets the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA"), is promulgated by the Department of Justice and dictates which facilities must be available.
Unavailable in 1992, blind representatives have in recent years been demanding that ATMs provide audio output in some fashion in order to make them "accessible to and independently usable by persons with vision impairments." In addition, the Access Board in November 1999 proposed to amend ADAAG to specifically require audible "verification of user input," displayed text and labels, as well as receipts. The proposal also includes requirements related to keyboard layout and cash disbursement.
The Access Board released "draft final" changes to ADAGG in late April 2002. It made those changes final 10 September 2002 and will send them to OMB, which has 90 days to review before the final guidelines are made public. However, the Access Board's revised ADAAG has no legal effect until the Department of Justice adopts it as part of its ADA regulation. The Department of Justice must put out for public comment proposed changes to its regulation, along with the ADAAG appendix, review comments, and adopt the regulation as final before any revisions become effective. It has not yet released proposed changes to the regulation.
The new requirements are not expected to be mandatory until at least 2004, if not later. This should give ATM owners ample time to implement if they take advantage of the advance notice and begin plans early.
As expected, the "draft final" requires that ATMs be speech enabled, but it also reflects changes to the proposal that respond to many of the industry's comments. For example, it recognizes the technical difficulties in providing "dynamic" information in an audible format and provides appropriate exceptions for dynamic alphabetic information "where voice synthesis cannot be supported." It also specifically provides that certain information on receipts as well as statements and checks need not be provided orally. The draft final also eliminated many of the keyboard specifications as well as the proposed requirement to provide bills in descending order. The Board at this time is also not applying the requirements to POS terminals. The final guidelines are expected to be virtually identical to the draft final.
It is not clear how any modified new regulation will apply to existing ATMs. The general rule under ADA is that facilities existing in 1992 had to remove barriers if it was "readily achievable" and provide auxiliary aids and services if not an "undue burden." The Department of Justice must address how any modified requirements will apply to existing facilities. In discussions with Department of Justice staff, staff is sympathetic to the costs and burdens of retrofitting technologically-based facilities that depreciate over a short period relative to other facilities such as buildings.
ABA has been actively involved in this issue. It submitted comments to the Access Board on its 1999 proposal and testified at Access Board's hearings. In addition, it brought together the various interested parties, including ATM owners, vendors, networks, software vendors, as well as blind representatives, to attempt to agree on technical as well as
recent copyright rules applying to the Internet have all but squelched-out Internet radio.
Those rules don't say one can't create original content (news, music, whatever) and start an internet radio station. Outbound bandwidth on your $40/month cable connection may be a problem but fixing that's just a matter of a little money.
use 4x75 A/C in the car (4 windows down at 75mph). Similar for the household.
Windows down in the car is great around town for saving fuel. On the highway the increased aerodynamic drag reduces fuel consumption to a degree comparable to running the a/c compressor. If you're already hauling around the a/c, you might as well be comfortable on the highway.
If she uses a discover card they have a program called deskshop that fills out forms and generates single use card numbers to improve security. Works pretty well in my experience.
Slashdot Mirror
The Ellisys Tracker 110 (http://www.ellisys.com/) is usually regarded as the least expensive yet functional hardware USB analyzer. It's about $900. I have one and it seems to work well. It feels overpriced but, when you need it, you need it. Lots of other resources at http://www.usb.org. One of the Ellisys developers hangs out there as well.
While I can agree there are probably simpler ways than using Windows to accomplish what ATMs need to do, the impetus for multimedia capable ATMs appears to be the Americans with Disabilities Act:
The Americans With Disabilities Act and ATMs:
Accessibility for Blind Users
In recent years, blind representatives have been approaching banks and other ATM owners about improving blind users' access to ATMs, relying on the 1992 Americans With Disability Act Accessibility Guidelines ("ADAAG") requirement that ATMs be "accessible to and independently usable by persons with vision impairments." ADAAG provides the technical requirements for making facilities accessible. The related regulation, which interprets the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA"), is promulgated by the Department of Justice and dictates which facilities must be available.
Unavailable in 1992, blind representatives have in recent years been demanding that ATMs provide audio output in some fashion in order to make them "accessible to and independently usable by persons with vision impairments." In addition, the Access Board in November 1999 proposed to amend ADAAG to specifically require audible "verification of user input," displayed text and labels, as well as receipts. The proposal also includes requirements related to keyboard layout and cash disbursement.
The Access Board released "draft final" changes to ADAGG in late April 2002. It made those changes final 10 September 2002 and will send them to OMB, which has 90 days to review before the final guidelines are made public. However, the Access Board's revised ADAAG has no legal effect until the Department of Justice adopts it as part of its ADA regulation. The Department of Justice must put out for public comment proposed changes to its regulation, along with the ADAAG appendix, review comments, and adopt the regulation as final before any revisions become effective. It has not yet released proposed changes to the regulation.
The new requirements are not expected to be mandatory until at least 2004, if not later. This should give ATM owners ample time to implement if they take advantage of the advance notice and begin plans early.
As expected, the "draft final" requires that ATMs be speech enabled, but it also reflects changes to the proposal that respond to many of the industry's comments. For example, it recognizes the technical difficulties in providing "dynamic" information in an audible format and provides appropriate exceptions for dynamic alphabetic information "where voice synthesis cannot be supported." It also specifically provides that certain information on receipts as well as statements and checks need not be provided orally. The draft final also eliminated many of the keyboard specifications as well as the proposed requirement to provide bills in descending order. The Board at this time is also not applying the requirements to POS terminals. The final guidelines are expected to be virtually identical to the draft final.
It is not clear how any modified new regulation will apply to existing ATMs. The general rule under ADA is that facilities existing in 1992 had to remove barriers if it was "readily achievable" and provide auxiliary aids and services if not an "undue burden." The Department of Justice must address how any modified requirements will apply to existing facilities. In discussions with Department of Justice staff, staff is sympathetic to the costs and burdens of retrofitting technologically-based facilities that depreciate over a short period relative to other facilities such as buildings.
ABA has been actively involved in this issue. It submitted comments to the Access Board on its 1999 proposal and testified at Access Board's hearings. In addition, it brought together the various interested parties, including ATM owners, vendors, networks, software vendors, as well as blind representatives, to attempt to agree on technical as well as
recent copyright rules applying to the Internet have all but squelched-out Internet radio.
Those rules don't say one can't create original content (news, music, whatever) and start an internet radio station. Outbound bandwidth on your $40/month cable connection may be a problem but fixing that's just a matter of a little money.
128k down / 64k up and always on would be fine for my use, and I'd even be OK with a (reasonable) download cap, for say $25-$30 per month.
Wide Open West offers packages like that in a few US states. I think it's about $20/month if you get it with cable TV.
use 4x75 A/C in the car (4 windows down at 75mph). Similar for the household.
Windows down in the car is great around town for saving fuel. On the highway the increased aerodynamic drag reduces fuel consumption to a degree comparable to running the a/c compressor. If you're already hauling around the a/c, you might as well be comfortable on the highway.
If she uses a discover card they have a program called deskshop that fills out forms and generates single use card numbers to improve security. Works pretty well in my experience.
m ain.shtml
More details: http://www2.discovercard.com/shopcenter/deskshop/