That kind of device won't be marketed towards that segment, nor should it be. Most devices that are designed for the blind are mostly utilitarian in that aesthetics take a step back but person-device interaction is highly emphasized.
Take a look at some of the internet devices out there for the blind. They are computers in their own right, but the only interaction available is through the keyboard (and audio).
I wish I could remember the name of this device, but it was essentially a MP3 player with no screen; just directional buttons and voice-based navigation. It was manufactured for blind users, and it worked wonderfully. It could even read text files and accept CF cards for expansion!
I think that a cell phone with just buttons on it and braille lettering would suffice, provided that the voice navigation is really good. An added advantage is that having no screen can make for very thin and attractive devices, if aesthetics is something of a priority for them.
The McDonald's thing isn't a bad idea...if you have NO other options on the table (or you are considering working for them in a corporate level). Being a college graduate should open up many doors to help prevent needing to consider a job like that.
Speaking from a few years of experience in that area, one can learn those end-user interactions in environments much less strenuous and rewarding than those.
I'm a senior in a five-year Computer Engineering program, so I'm not sure how much help this will be for you.
I just recently finished a long co-op assignment doing business analysis, and if you are not one that likes to do a lot of coding, but likes organizing big technical projects and talking with many different areas of a business, then this might be a good route to consider.
I personally did not like it because I'm the type that likes helping out in what I do best and love most: getting "down 'n dirty." I've also dealt with a lot of people who only understood technology and computing from a surface-level standpoint, which is often just right for a business analyst (not too technical to sour the project setup, but not too business-oriented to be lost in the way of things).
I think most will be confused with the much more popular site Technorati (http://www.technorati.com/). I thought I heard of this web site, until I remembered that it was actually this one I've heard of.
Netbooks shipping with Ubuntu default and Dell shipping Linux pre-packaged pretty much says that it's starting to become a serious contender in the consumer OS market.
It has a long way to go, but the ball is definitely rolling.
I think there are several schools of thought on this issue. Do you give the students maximum freedom and test their desire to be educated? Or do you take a more totalitarian approach and "force" the laptops to be used as learning tools?
I don't have any experience in school administration, even at an IT support level. However, understand that not every kid that goes to school goes with the intention to learn. With that being the case, expect that there will be students that will use the computer for their own personal leisure and students that will really use them as they were intended to be used.
Being that I believe that the desire for students to truly learn and excel rest with them, I would probably be really lax about the restrictions on the computer. Really determined slackers will find ways to bypass soft restrictions anyway, which is an extra step that your department will have to prepare for. That is, of course, if you decide to distribute a shiny new Macbook to every new student.
Is there any way that you can distribute computers based on academic performance? It might seem like bribery in a sense, but in this case it just might make sense. Better performing students would obviously make good use of having a laptop and being more productive, so why not save money and let them enjoy the prize?
I really want Linux to be my main desktop operating system. It's just the stupid small things that take huge blocks of time to "solve" that prevent me from making the switch. Why would I want to spend tons of hours editing my xorg.conf to get an extended desktop that (a) doesn't work with Compiz because it's really a hack and not a solution, and (b) has to be reconfigured, by me, everytime I dock/undock my laptop? Getting dual-screens of any kind to work with Windows takes five minutes at the most.
It's these kinds of pitfalls that make it difficult for me to push my clients to give it a try. I'm more supportive of those that are curious and wish to try it, but I would be hard pressed to do that setup for someone with a small business.
Seriously, now that Compiz is mature as a desktop composition engine, using that with the latest GNOME not only looks a ton more elegant than KDE, but is also less cluttered and a lot more professional.
I think that Linux will become a more serious desktop alternative when it makes serious headways in the corporate sector. Given that many (if not most) people get most of their computer exposure in that environment, this is the area that they should be attacking (and I seriously hope that they are).
I believe that once Evolution adapts a more stable foundation for Exchange and when OpenOffice.org expands a little more, growth will ensue.
My work-provided, dual-core IBM Thinkpad T60 takes close to five minutes to boot up thanks to all of the god-knows-what they put on it that I can't do anything about. I'm not really used to not having admin rights at my job, and it's really lame that opening most things takes forever and a day.
Fortunately, it's a laptop so I suppose power emissions are a lot lower. It's still a pet peeve.
Why can't computers have timers automatically configured to turn themselves on before the user enters the office?
This is what I did in my last position, and it worked well. I was due to come in at 8:30am, so I turned off the computer when I had to go (or scripted a time for it to turn off if there was a process running), and configured the BIOS alarm to wake the computer up at 7:30am every weekday. Worked every time; the only thing I had to do was log in, but since credentials are cached, all of my background programs were started before I even had to type my user name.
The only caveat is that I can't do this for Thinkpads for some strange reason.
Lots of people are intolerant of even rebooting their computer during the day, but don't realize how infuriated they would get when their computer starts acting up because they didn't restart. Unless one works at a software development house, I doubt *most* users need their PCs on 24/7.
Then again, I think I'm being naive for a repetitive intern.
There are a lot of reasons why Blackberry devices are better than anything Good Technology can put out. Start with the basic stuff like UI and work your way up.
It won't solve for another problem: losing the computer in an area without signal (like a train).
If the thief is smart (which is normally not the case), he can remove the hard drive right on the train or in that same area and completely avoid the SMS message. Unless, of course, the SMS can somehow be sent to the security chip without the interference of an operating system.
When I lost my Treo in the subway, the Good administrator for my hosted email service could not remote wipe the phone because it could never find service. It's possible that someone removed the SIM right away, but I'm sure that I lost it while getting off the train.
Nonetheless, it's a great idea that covers many other common circumstances.
Fortunately, most thieves are petty thieves and wouldn't know that this module is there in the first place.
I agree with this. Having scientific prowess does not immediately translate into making progressive political decisions, though there have been exceptions to that rule. In fact, it's often the more technical people that have trouble making these precise decisions because they lack the skills needed to understand how the public works. He might be different, though. I know that Wikipedia is not the most credible outlet for information, but he seems a bit diverse: read here.
I do like how he is forward thinking in attempting to solve the global warming crisis, and has dedicated manpower for creating solutions. Despite this, will he have answers to address the diminishing supply of petroleum and really initiate the movement to alternative energy sources?
I think Barack Obama is definitely up to something here.
This is probably the finest example of how to not win over support from people outside of the Linux and Open-Source community.
I was kind of surprised to hear of the reaction that the teacher had to a student handing out Linux disks, as I don't know anyone who would take personal offense to trying out that software. Almost reads like a joke, but then again there is Rule 36...
However, I was even more surprised by the response that was given to her claims. Did he honestly think he could be persuasive by being condescending, insulting and, well, just downright mean?? His points are valid, though I think one of them is pure opinion. (I don't think Linux was designed to "free people from Microsoft." I think that it was designed as an alternative to closed-source operating systems in general, which being "freed" from Microsoft Windows is a side effect.) Yet, if that teacher was being a bit harsh, Starks did nothing to quench that fire.
With all of that said, I think that Linux is gaining positive momentum in education and public offices. Naturally, it will be a slow transition, considering most IT departments are not too comfortable with the idea of switching all of their computer network to a Linux-based one (and with good reason). It's getting there, though.
It's not about the distance; it's about the attitude. While I'm not saying that you might have prohibitive conditions that prevent biking to work, have you considered using public transportation for half of it, and then biking the rest? Or maybe parking your car a little farther from your job and biking it out?
It's not as much about distance, as it is about motivation (in my opinion).
The world *was* built for you, it's your culture of no exercise and bad diet that's to blame.
While I agree with all that you said, I have some contention about this, as there are several people who are medically obese and can't do much about it. They can exercise and follow the same patterns needed to "get fit," but they never will. It's really sad, actually.
This is coming from a lean person who was overweight, borderlining obesity.
Now the real question is whether there will be enough pressure for Comcast to remove this unnecessary throttling. Given their track record with many of their other questionable services, I doubt that they will.
Isn't this initiative similar to that launched by Chris McKintrey and Pushpinder Singh, both of whom created databases where questions used to aid in trying to give robots personality?
Didn't both of these projects fail for the same reason?
I'm sure that Slashdot actually covered this story, but for those interested, the link is here.
The point is that many developing countries do not have the economical manpower to deploy cellular antennas everywhere, thus eliminating the possibility of many areas receiving cell phone service. This person is attempting to solve that problem by using consumer-grade hardware and open-source software.
Though it will surely not deliver the kind of quality one would receive from using VoIP or even cellular, it would probably be a highly desirable alternative to the natives in the areas where this will be implemented. I'm glad that people are taking the initiative to rectify this issue.
Slashdot Mirror
You think that a Zippo lighter's a waste of intelligence?
The iFart application is the leading application in the App Store right now. Yes, a farting application.
That kind of device won't be marketed towards that segment, nor should it be. Most devices that are designed for the blind are mostly utilitarian in that aesthetics take a step back but person-device interaction is highly emphasized.
Take a look at some of the internet devices out there for the blind. They are computers in their own right, but the only interaction available is through the keyboard (and audio).
I wish I could remember the name of this device, but it was essentially a MP3 player with no screen; just directional buttons and voice-based navigation. It was manufactured for blind users, and it worked wonderfully. It could even read text files and accept CF cards for expansion!
I think that a cell phone with just buttons on it and braille lettering would suffice, provided that the voice navigation is really good. An added advantage is that having no screen can make for very thin and attractive devices, if aesthetics is something of a priority for them.
GSM phones cannot work without SIM cards. Thus, unlocked iPhone 3G devices will only work with SIM-based carriers (ala T-Mobile and AT&T).
Street View and directions with public transportation and walking were added on firmware revision 2.2.
The McDonald's thing isn't a bad idea...if you have NO other options on the table (or you are considering working for them in a corporate level). Being a college graduate should open up many doors to help prevent needing to consider a job like that.
Speaking from a few years of experience in that area, one can learn those end-user interactions in environments much less strenuous and rewarding than those.
I'm a senior in a five-year Computer Engineering program, so I'm not sure how much help this will be for you.
I just recently finished a long co-op assignment doing business analysis, and if you are not one that likes to do a lot of coding, but likes organizing big technical projects and talking with many different areas of a business, then this might be a good route to consider.
I personally did not like it because I'm the type that likes helping out in what I do best and love most: getting "down 'n dirty." I've also dealt with a lot of people who only understood technology and computing from a surface-level standpoint, which is often just right for a business analyst (not too technical to sour the project setup, but not too business-oriented to be lost in the way of things).
Good luck!
I think most will be confused with the much more popular site Technorati (http://www.technorati.com/). I thought I heard of this web site, until I remembered that it was actually this one I've heard of.
I agree with this.
Netbooks shipping with Ubuntu default and Dell shipping Linux pre-packaged pretty much says that it's starting to become a serious contender in the consumer OS market.
It has a long way to go, but the ball is definitely rolling.
I think there are several schools of thought on this issue. Do you give the students maximum freedom and test their desire to be educated? Or do you take a more totalitarian approach and "force" the laptops to be used as learning tools?
I don't have any experience in school administration, even at an IT support level. However, understand that not every kid that goes to school goes with the intention to learn. With that being the case, expect that there will be students that will use the computer for their own personal leisure and students that will really use them as they were intended to be used.
Being that I believe that the desire for students to truly learn and excel rest with them, I would probably be really lax about the restrictions on the computer. Really determined slackers will find ways to bypass soft restrictions anyway, which is an extra step that your department will have to prepare for. That is, of course, if you decide to distribute a shiny new Macbook to every new student.
Is there any way that you can distribute computers based on academic performance? It might seem like bribery in a sense, but in this case it just might make sense. Better performing students would obviously make good use of having a laptop and being more productive, so why not save money and let them enjoy the prize?
If you are slightly mechanically inclined, you can look up the model of your car and find a way to turn that light off.
Or you can find a guy that will do it for at most 1/4 of that price.
I really want Linux to be my main desktop operating system. It's just the stupid small things that take huge blocks of time to "solve" that prevent me from making the switch. Why would I want to spend tons of hours editing my xorg.conf to get an extended desktop that (a) doesn't work with Compiz because it's really a hack and not a solution, and (b) has to be reconfigured, by me, everytime I dock/undock my laptop? Getting dual-screens of any kind to work with Windows takes five minutes at the most.
It's these kinds of pitfalls that make it difficult for me to push my clients to give it a try. I'm more supportive of those that are curious and wish to try it, but I would be hard pressed to do that setup for someone with a small business.
It is a lot closer than before, though.
Seriously, now that Compiz is mature as a desktop composition engine, using that with the latest GNOME not only looks a ton more elegant than KDE, but is also less cluttered and a lot more professional.
I think that Linux will become a more serious desktop alternative when it makes serious headways in the corporate sector. Given that many (if not most) people get most of their computer exposure in that environment, this is the area that they should be attacking (and I seriously hope that they are).
I believe that once Evolution adapts a more stable foundation for Exchange and when OpenOffice.org expands a little more, growth will ensue.
No. Just no.
My work-provided, dual-core IBM Thinkpad T60 takes close to five minutes to boot up thanks to all of the god-knows-what they put on it that I can't do anything about. I'm not really used to not having admin rights at my job, and it's really lame that opening most things takes forever and a day.
Fortunately, it's a laptop so I suppose power emissions are a lot lower. It's still a pet peeve.
Why can't computers have timers automatically configured to turn themselves on before the user enters the office?
This is what I did in my last position, and it worked well. I was due to come in at 8:30am, so I turned off the computer when I had to go (or scripted a time for it to turn off if there was a process running), and configured the BIOS alarm to wake the computer up at 7:30am every weekday. Worked every time; the only thing I had to do was log in, but since credentials are cached, all of my background programs were started before I even had to type my user name.
The only caveat is that I can't do this for Thinkpads for some strange reason.
Lots of people are intolerant of even rebooting their computer during the day, but don't realize how infuriated they would get when their computer starts acting up because they didn't restart. Unless one works at a software development house, I doubt *most* users need their PCs on 24/7.
Then again, I think I'm being naive for a repetitive intern.
There are a lot of reasons why Blackberry devices are better than anything Good Technology can put out. Start with the basic stuff like UI and work your way up.
It won't solve for another problem: losing the computer in an area without signal (like a train).
If the thief is smart (which is normally not the case), he can remove the hard drive right on the train or in that same area and completely avoid the SMS message. Unless, of course, the SMS can somehow be sent to the security chip without the interference of an operating system.
When I lost my Treo in the subway, the Good administrator for my hosted email service could not remote wipe the phone because it could never find service. It's possible that someone removed the SIM right away, but I'm sure that I lost it while getting off the train.
Nonetheless, it's a great idea that covers many other common circumstances. Fortunately, most thieves are petty thieves and wouldn't know that this module is there in the first place.
I agree with this. Having scientific prowess does not immediately translate into making progressive political decisions, though there have been exceptions to that rule. In fact, it's often the more technical people that have trouble making these precise decisions because they lack the skills needed to understand how the public works. He might be different, though. I know that Wikipedia is not the most credible outlet for information, but he seems a bit diverse: read here.
I do like how he is forward thinking in attempting to solve the global warming crisis, and has dedicated manpower for creating solutions. Despite this, will he have answers to address the diminishing supply of petroleum and really initiate the movement to alternative energy sources?
I think Barack Obama is definitely up to something here.
This is probably the finest example of how to not win over support from people outside of the Linux and Open-Source community.
I was kind of surprised to hear of the reaction that the teacher had to a student handing out Linux disks, as I don't know anyone who would take personal offense to trying out that software. Almost reads like a joke, but then again there is Rule 36...
However, I was even more surprised by the response that was given to her claims. Did he honestly think he could be persuasive by being condescending, insulting and, well, just downright mean?? His points are valid, though I think one of them is pure opinion. (I don't think Linux was designed to "free people from Microsoft." I think that it was designed as an alternative to closed-source operating systems in general, which being "freed" from Microsoft Windows is a side effect.) Yet, if that teacher was being a bit harsh, Starks did nothing to quench that fire.
With all of that said, I think that Linux is gaining positive momentum in education and public offices. Naturally, it will be a slow transition, considering most IT departments are not too comfortable with the idea of switching all of their computer network to a Linux-based one (and with good reason). It's getting there, though.
Their software may need work, but if iPhone users are already switching to the Android, then it is definitely an imminent threat.
I already know several people who switched to the G1 as soon as it was released.
Just sayin'.
It's not about the distance; it's about the attitude. While I'm not saying that you might have prohibitive conditions that prevent biking to work, have you considered using public transportation for half of it, and then biking the rest? Or maybe parking your car a little farther from your job and biking it out?
It's not as much about distance, as it is about motivation (in my opinion).
While I agree with all that you said, I have some contention about this, as there are several people who are medically obese and can't do much about it. They can exercise and follow the same patterns needed to "get fit," but they never will. It's really sad, actually.
This is coming from a lean person who was overweight, borderlining obesity.
Now the real question is whether there will be enough pressure for Comcast to remove this unnecessary throttling. Given their track record with many of their other questionable services, I doubt that they will.
Isn't this initiative similar to that launched by Chris McKintrey and Pushpinder Singh, both of whom created databases where questions used to aid in trying to give robots personality?
Didn't both of these projects fail for the same reason?
I'm sure that Slashdot actually covered this story, but for those interested, the link is here.
That's not the point of this research project.
The point is that many developing countries do not have the economical manpower to deploy cellular antennas everywhere, thus eliminating the possibility of many areas receiving cell phone service. This person is attempting to solve that problem by using consumer-grade hardware and open-source software.
Though it will surely not deliver the kind of quality one would receive from using VoIP or even cellular, it would probably be a highly desirable alternative to the natives in the areas where this will be implemented. I'm glad that people are taking the initiative to rectify this issue.