I know we’ve mentioned the Kickstarter idea funding-and-donation web site–I won’t belabor it, but I think it’s a fab idea, and you should check it out in general when you have some time.  (There’s the usual proportion of zany ideas too, of course.)

The idea/proposal we want to  tell you about now is actually based on a pretty straight-forward idea:  deaf folks like music, too.  I mean, jeez, didn’t you see Mister Holland’s Opus?

Us hearing folks got iTunes (and plenty of other sources like Amazon) to feed our music jones; the deaf, not so much.  So this group has proposed ASLTunes–visually-oriented music videos for the deaf to enjoy.  One of… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

photos by Kevin

My mother has sensorineural hearing loss, and she has worn hearing aids in each ear ever since she was 36. My husband has hearing loss from working with loud machinery, and although he doesn’t wear hearing aids, he misses some tones and quiet speech is sometimes garbled. My friend Angie’s daughter caught a virus several years ago that wasn’t treated quickly enough; the result was that she went profoundly deaf in both ears and has since been fitted with two Cochlear Implants.

My point is that hearing loss and forms of deafness are much more common than you might think.

According to Gaudelet University, “the world’s only university in which… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

From the Editorial Staff of Gear Diary: Is there someone in your life who would benefit from speaking their text rather than typing it? If so, here are five gifts with which you can’t go wrong.

The key to accurate voice recognition is wearing the right headphones. Andrea Electronics SuperBeam Phones are just the thing. We’ll be reviewing the headphones over the next few days but they are already impressive. As the company explains

SuperBeam headsets deliver Hi-Definition sound for all your social media and multimedia applications. The unique integrated array microphone system is designed for use with Andrea’s patented beam forming and digital noise reduction audio software, providing “Boom freed” convenience. SuperBeam also provides 3D

I’ve used a number of Andrea headphones for voice recognition in the past, and I’ve always been impressed. The company’s SuperBeam Phones are a departure from previous models, and I’m really loving the design choices that went into creating them. They are sleek on-ear headphones that drop the microphone boom, but still offer great voice quality.

Here’s what the company has to say about them:

SuperBeam headsets deliver Hi-Definition sound. Our unique integrated array microphone system is designed for use with Andrea’s patented beam forming and digital noise reduction audio software, providing “The Freedom of Voice”. SuperBeam also provides a new audio

Update: The giveaway is now closed, and the winner is darktweak! We appreciate everyone who entered, and we’d like to remind you to keep an eye out for many more great Gear Diary giveaways! =)

It’s time to start thinking about the supplies you are going to send your kids back to school with, and we are here to help! We’ve gathered together a collection of goodies that any student would like, and while there are plenty of practical items, we didn’t forget the gear that helps makes time off from studying even better. Whether you are on a limited budget or the sky is the limit, there is something here for everyone … including an… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Along with 12 other site owners, I was invited to attend the Intel “Upgrade Your Life” experience in Santa Clara, California on July 13th. I went into this event with no itinerary and no idea of what we were going to see, but I figured it had to be more than “just” processor chips. Sure enough, I was in for an eye-opening day …

After a greeting by Intel’s Social Media guru Alison Wesley and an ice-breaking game of ‘guess the tweet’ game, we were on to the first speaker …

Suzanne Fallender – Director, Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy and Communications – “Green is the New Black”

Suzanne Fallender has more than 15 years of experience

Nuance’s Dragon Dictation is one of my “must have” apps for iOS devices. Their Dragon Search app is also a mainstay on my iPhone. Actually it WAS  a mainstay… until now. For the past few weeks it has lost its place on my home screen. In its place has been a Beta version of Nuance’s new Dragon Go! app. Dragon Go! is the next step in the evolution of mobile search and it is coming to the US App Store today.

With the new app:

…people simply speak a query, and the app automatically determines and then delivers the best content destinations via the newly optimized Dragon CarouselTM. Gone are the days of endless

As a guy pushing 50, I have to say that I appreciate the fact that the Boomers are right ahead of me, since the very size of their generational group forces the consumer market to make adjustments for the fact that a huge percentage of their buying audience is, well, getting up there in years.  (And following right behind, I get to reap the benefits.)  For example, when I was growing up, one of the big advances in helping old folks park their mondo-sized Caddys were “curb feelers”, those springy things that scraped against the curb before your tires could.

But this is the 21st century, and now we have cars with rear and side-facing cameras… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

One of the greatest things about eBook readers is how accessibility is in their nature. When I worked at Borders, people were always seeking large-print titles, but relatively speaking we carried far fewer large prints than regular titles. With an eBook reader like the Kindle, any book is a large print thanks to adjustable font sizes!

However, a Kindle can be tough to hold if you have any dexterity or coordination problems. It’s thin, the page turn buttons require some force to activate, and while it doesn’t weigh much it can still be a strain over a long period of time.

That’s what makes Origin Instruments new devices so great. They’re not cheap, and they’re not designed… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Recently I reviewed the Amplicom TCL200 alarm clock, designed to assist hearing and visually impaired individuals by vibrating and talking to wake you/tell you the time.

Now, thanks the generosity of the folks at Amplicom, we’re giving away one of these amazing alarm clocks to one lucky reader! All you need to do to enter is leave a comment below and tell us why this clock would help you or a loved one. Pretty simple!

You have until Monday, February 6th, so get your entries in now!

Here’s the fine print:

You MUST leave a comment explaining why the clock would help you (or someone you love). A comment that just says

I love new technology when it hits the automotive market, but sometimes I just cannot help wonder if someone else did not think of this first. Two releases I spotted this morning jumped out at me, and I was overcome by a strong sense of déjà vu.
First, Ford Motor Company:

Ford is aggressively accelerating its commitment to wirelessly connected intelligent vehicles – known as vehicle-to-vehicle communications – becoming the first automaker to build prototype vehicles for demonstrations across the U.S., doubling its intelligent vehicle investment in 2011 and dedicating even more scientists to developing this technology.

“Ford believes intelligent vehicles that talk to each other through advanced Wi-Fi are the next frontier of collision

Every morning it’s the same routine. You’re sound asleep, and then your iPhone/Droid/alarm clock/dog starts going off and announcing WAKE UP TIME! Basically, something blares in or around your head and you start moving. What if you were hearing impaired, though? How do you make sure the alarm wakes you up? That’s where the Amplicom alarm clock comes in.

Amplicom makes a number of accessibility devices, and they sent me the TCL200 to test. This is an alarm clock that offers a number of hearing and visually impaired aids, including a vibrating pad (for the hearing impaired), a speaker that announces the date and time (for the visually impaired), and even the ability to hook the clock… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

A while we were at CES last week I had a chance to meet with a number of the people who I email and speak with regularly from Nuance. Nuance is the leading company developing voice to text technology; they’re the company that has given us of Dragon NaturallySpeaking, Dragon Dictation for iOS devices and Dragon for Mac (the application I’m using to write this post).

There were a few bits of important news that came out from Nuance over the course of the week.

Nuance T9 Trace + Android = Happy Samsung Galaxy Tab User

If you sit in front of a computer all day you know how uncomfortable keyboards can get. Your wrists hurt, your elbows hurt, your hands cramp up…so you go for a “natural” keyboard, or you invest in one of those smooshy gel things, but it doesn’t ever quite get better. Smartfish thinks they have a solution!

Rather than change your wrists (tough without very uncomfortable surgery that probably isn’t covered by your HMO), Smartfish thinks the answer is to change your keyboard! Their “Engage” keyboard actually adjusts as you work on it, learning how long you keep your hands in one spot and subtly moving apart/together so your hands and wrists change position. It looks very cool… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

(image courtesy Digit-eyes)

Smartphones really can change people’s lives. I’ve written before about the resources available if you are visually impaired and use a smartphone, but this is a constantly evolving experience. One of the newest resources is an app called “Digit-Eyes”.

Essentially this app lets you scan your food and create large scannable labels for it. Then you can use your iPhone to scan the special label and have your phone “read” to you what the item is. An app like this can make you a great deal more independent and really give someone a boost in cooking and shopping for themselves!

If you don’t have a smartphone, or if you need… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...