SpinVox does voicemail-to-text
UK-based firm takes your voicemail and sends it to you as a text message or email. You still have the voice file, but you get the text however you want. Have it work on as many lines as you want; they charge by the message (about a shilling thruppence … sorry, 14 cents at the cheapest rate; 30 cents at the most expensive).
Great benchmark for the relay service and CapTel. When will it show up in the colonies?
Mount Olympus
or Nokia, or Blackberry…the RAM Triple Base Adapter Mount lets you mount and position up to three portable devices. Designed for bicycle handlebars, but wheelchair users could find a good use for it as well.
Desktop set
Microsoft has released a new wireless keyboard and mouse for the Mac. Features include a curved design (great if it accommodates your proportions; could be problematic otherwise), hot keys, zoom slider, and eject button.
Press Release: Microsoft Delivers First Desktop Designed Exclusively for Mac Users
Remote control your doors
When the music’s over, turn off the light — no, just open the door. 4-button remote control lets you open the door, close it after a pre-set time, and you can control 2 doors with one remote. There’s an obstacle detector and an electric strike (the gimmick in the door frame that receives the bolt). Great for all those with key or knob issues, but at $325, is this mainstream product any better priced than the ones that travel in the rehab market?
Broadband Internet use shows dramatic growth
Broadband Internet subscription grew 40% in the last year, especially among minorities and low income households. 84 million Americans now have broadband at home, as prices for computers and the service continue to drop. 48 million people have now produced some content of their own, including websites and blog postings. The spread in usage has important accessibility implications. First, it’s clear that the Internet is now a basic part of mainstream living, so the importance of accessibility is higher than ever. Second, those 84 million folks certainly include an increasing proportion of people with disabilities, so they are finding their way online somehow.
New iPod capabilities
Apple has already teamed up with Nike to create iPod software that tracks information about jogging sessions and uploads it to a PC. This article speculates on other applications for motion sensors in iPods–including the ability to change volume or song selection by gross movement of the device rather than fine button-pushing movement.
EZ, phone home
OK, let’s get this straight: On one hand, marketers want to attract cell phone customers by putting in more features, and more features drive up the phone price. On the other, customers who aren’t early adopters want fewer features and more simplicity; one article respondent even says, “I would pay MORE for a phone without a camera or an MP3 player.” Hmm…