deafTECH : Too many gadgets, too little time (and money!). . . aaAAAAHHH!!

The T-Mobile MDA IV is NOT the Sidekick 3!

Rumors are swirling through the deaf Sidekick community with an emailed photo of what is said to be the new T-Mobile Sidekick 3. The Sidekick 3 has NOT even been announced by Danger or T-Mobile. There is NOT even a photo of a Sidekick 3 out there.

Yes, the device in the photo is real. It’s not the Sidekick 3. It’s a new wireless device that was just announced by T-Mobile Germany, called the MDA IV. It is a clamshell GSM/GPRS device that runs the Pocket PC/Windows Mobile OS, and has a VGA screen, built in Bluetooth and WiFi, along with TWO cameras (one for video, one for pictures!). It sounds like a nice device that is supposed to be released in Germany sometime this summer. No details regarding pricing are available, but it is safe to assume it would be much more expensive than a Sidekick would be.

Official T-Mobile Germany Press Release (in English)

More details and photos can be found at these sites:

2005 02 08 Editor Wireless Comments (5) Permalink

12/5 DeafDigest TechTip

The holiday season is here, and of course, that means we all need to think of some gifts. Here are several ideas for you to get started!

You may want to consider giving a digital camera – especially for those with younger kids – you can snap all the pictures you want, and print only the best ones! You will be able to get a great 3 megapixel (MP) camera for around $200 these days. Taking pictures with at least a 3 MP camera will allow you to make good prints at any size up to 8″x10″. You should ignore all references to digital zoom, and focus on the camera’s optical zoom. However, you may want to look at cameras that incorporate “image stabilization” which will mean less blurry photos taken at full telephoto length. I strongly recommend you write down your needs (budget, flash, zoom, MP, memory card type, battery type, camera size, etc) and visit Digital Photography Review’s Buying Guide [1] to narrow down your choices and to see what they have to say about the cameras you may be interested in. Some good additions to the camera are a separate memory card reader, a spare battery (if the camera you choose has a special battery), a belt case, etc.

Other gift ideas could include USB flash drives [2], keychain LED lights (useful for signaling your deaf friend from the curb of the airport!) [3], force-feedback joysticks/gamepads for your PC [4], or even an subscription to a tech magazine such as PC World [5], Macworld [6], or Popular Science[7].

Are you looking for the best deals out there on tech (and regular too!) stuff for a particular person? Visit DealNews [8] and/or DealMac [9] to get the scoop! (Many thanks to reader Glenn Lockhart for suggesting the topic for this week’s column!)

Happy Gift Shopping!

[1] http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare.asp
[2] http://www.deaftech.info/2004/10/1024_deafdigest.html
[3] http://www.photonlight.com/
[4] http://tinyurl.com/4bt7r
[5] http://www.pcworld.com/
[6] http://www.macworld.com/
[7] http://www.popsci.com/
[8] http://dealnews.com/
[9] http://dealmac.com/

2004 12 11 Editor TechTips Comments (0) Permalink

Price drop on AT&T’s Ogo

AT&T Wireless (a.k.a. Cingular) [1] is now offering a $80 INSTANT rebate on their Ogo [2], making the price a very cheap $50 (The prior $30 rebate had to be mailed in, and only dropped the price to $100). The Ogo is a wireless device with keyboard that offers access to IM and email from the “big three” providers: AOL, MSN, and Yahoo, starting at $17.99/mo. The Ogo does have its shortcomings [3], but at this price it’s an even better deal – remember that there is no credit check required to purchase the Ogo, and service is month-to-month, no annual contract.

[1] http://www.attwireless.com

[2] http://www.attwireless.com/cell-phone-service/ogo/index.jhtml

[3] http://www.deaftech.info/2004/10/103_deafdigest_.html

2004 12 06 Editor Wireless Comments (1) Permalink

11/28 DeafDigest TechTip

T-Mobile [1] just started selling another phone with keyboard: Motorola’s new A630 wireless phone [2]. It comes with an AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) [3] client, a camera, and Bluetooth. The phone is quite small, and flips open to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard – the overall design will remind people of Motorola’s text pagers. The keyboard seems to be spaced quite nicely, and Motorola has predictive text software that assists with typing. CNET has a mostly positive review of the A630 [4], but it appears that the phone can not be purchased without a voice service plan like the Sidekick. The cheapest T-Mobile plan seems to include 60 anytime and 500 weekend voice minutes for $19.99 plus unlimited data for another $20 for a monthly payment of $39.99. Various dealers such as Deafpager.com [5], as well as Amazon.com, are offering the A630 with good rebates, making the phone cheap or even free in some cases. It’s nice to see another wireless phone with keyboard on the market – it gives us much more choice!

[1] http://www.tmobile.com
[2] http://tinyurl.com/4gq53
[3] http://www.aim.com
[4] http://tinyurl.com/3nbhw
[5] http://www.deafpager.com/models/A630.html

2004 12 04 Editor TechTips Comments (2) Permalink

11/21 DeafDigest TechTip

Thanksgiving is coming this week, and I thought it only appropriate to use this weekend’s column to give thanks for various recent advances in technology that have really benefited the deaf:

1. Videoconferencing/Video Relay Services – this past year has really seen Videoconferencing and Video Relay Services come to the forefront. We should give thanks to Sorenson [1] who has aggressively promoted their videophones and VRS services, making them household terms within the deaf community. They have set the standard for other providers – and other providers such as Sprint and HOVRS have stepped up to the plate with their various VRS offerings within this hot new arena of technology that enables communication for the deaf.

2. Internet-based Relay Services – Internet-based Relay Service providers really started thinking outside the box – that is, the traditional web based interface. Everyone has some form of this interface. Many thanks to MCI [2] for having the vision to change the landscape of internet-based relay service by enabling various internet-based services to work with relay such as AOL Instant Messenger. You used to have Java and Microsoft’s Internet Explorer web browser or a specialized software application like NexTalk just to use Internet Relay. Nowadays you only need an AIM client to send and receive relay calls! Other providers such as Sprint and Hamilton are following suit with Sidekick and AIM-based solutions of their own. Things can only get better for the users – us!

3. Market shift from specialized pagers to consumer mobile phones – The RIM 850/950 pager has been replaced by the T-Mobile Sidekick [3] within the deaf community as the wireless device of choice. We should be thankful that T-Mobile saw the opportunity for a consumer-level device that would be made available everywhere for cheap. The deaf community used to have to pay premiums just to use what were considered business-level pagers/services that had to be bought from specialized dealers. Now you can go to the local T-Mobile store to get a Sidekick, and you can even browse their in-store displays that have multiple wireless devices with keyboards! No need to make do with the only affordable device on the market anymore. This fall there will be at least 20 different wireless devices with keyboards available!

These are just three of the technology innovations for the deaf that really have stood out over the past year, that I am thankful for. I am eager to see what the coming year will bring for us!

[1] http://www.sorensonvrs.com
[2] http://www.ip-relay.com
[3] http://www.t-mobile.com

2004 11 27 Editor TechTips Comments (1) Permalink

11/14 DeafDigest TechTip

Many solutions have come forth for accessing relay from your wireless pager – but the majority have all been about making calls to relay from the pager – and those that did help you get calls – just were too complicated to explain to hearing people. It just wasn’t as simple as memorizing a phone number and dialing that number to reach you. Well, you will no longer be frustrated by this “imbalance” in wireless relay offerings after you hear about this new advance in relay technology!

At last weekend’s Deaf Expo West [1], MCI announced a new addition to their IP-Relay [2] family that will allow a hearing person to contact a deaf person using a personalized phone number. The days of having to explain relay, or explain how to use the special phone number along with a username, or so forth are over. Using the new My IP Relay Number [3] service from MCI, deaf AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) [4] users can receive relay calls via AIM. When you register [5] for a free My IP Relay Number, you will get assigned a free phone number that corresponds to the city and state that you specify when you register. You will be able to give out this personal phone number to hearing people and receive calls from them via AIM. MCI plans to roll out the capability to leave messages via email in “early December 2004.” [6] This free service will make it truly possible for deaf people to easily send and receive calls from hearing people wirelessly via their Sidekick or other AIM enabled device! Pah!

[1] http://www.deafexpo.com/west/
[2] http://www.ip-relay.com/
[3] http://www.ip-relay.com/number_info.htm
[4] http://www.aim.com/
[5] http://www.ip-relay.com/myiprelaynumber/ronRegister.jsp
[6] http://www.ip-relay.com/myiprelay_faq.htm

2004 11 20 Editor TechTips Comments (1) Permalink

11/7 DeafDigest TechTip

Last month, I mentioned [1] the new Ogo by AT&T Wireless [2]. After using it for a while, I came across some good tips that may not be obvious to most users. One such tip is in regards to manually checking email. The Ogo is not a “push” device, meaning that email is not immediately received on the device. The Ogo allows you to choose the time intervals between email checks – but what if you are waiting for an important email or need to see if your spouse got your message and has sent you a response, etc? You don’t need to worry. You can easily force the Ogo to check your email immediately by pressing the Ogo button, then going to the navigation pad and pressing the down key on the outside of the navigation pad. When you see “Send/Receive” selected on the Ogo screen, press enter. Wait a few moments to see if the Ogo vibrates, letting you know that you have a new message!

[1] http://www.deaftech.info/2004/10/103_deafdigest_.html
[2] http://tinyurl.com/586af

2004 11 13 Editor TechTips Comments (0) Permalink

eWeek: Installing a campus-wide wireless network at Gallaudet

In the November 8 issue of _eWeek_, a weekly magazine focused on enterprise IT published by tech industry media giant Ziff-Davis, an article written by Carmen Nobel features Gallaudet University. “Graduating to wireless” devotes a page and half to a discussion of Gallaudet’s shift from unofficial wireless access points across campus to a campus-wide managed wireless network offering WiFi access to “students, faculty and guests as they [travel] among the [32 buildings on campus]” in the fall of 2003. The article describes Gallaudet’s choice of WLAN vendor, Airespace, and the challenges in choosing a vendor, the campus-wide deployment, and dealing with various other setup issues. The article ends by implying that instead of VoIP (voice over IP) deployment over wireless, Gallaudet may end up doing video over their wireless network in the future.

(The online article, unfortunately, does not have the same illustration that the print article does, showing a shot of Gallaudet’s Chapel Hall with the caption, “The airwaves over Gallaudet’s Chapel Hall and entire campus are busy with wireless data.”)

2004 11 12 Editor Wireless Comments (0) Permalink

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