Web 2.0 Wednesday! Prezi

This week we will look at another web based presentation tool.

Prezi - http://prezi.com

What is it? It is a little tough to explain but Tech Crunch described it best this way:

"It’s an entirely Flash-based app that lets you break away from the slide-by-slide approach of most presentations. Instead, it allows you to create non-linear presentations where you can zoom in and out of a visual map containing words, links, images, videos, etc."

Want to read the whole article? Click here.

Check out this demonstration to get a better understanding of this tool.

Delivering your idea on Prezi

Pretty cool tool! Check it out and you may find a better way to share your information while breaking free of PowerPoint!

As always, we love to hear from you. Leave a comment below.

Switch Adapted Music Players

Portable music players are everywhere today. I know that we can't go for any ride in the car anymore without my kids plugging in their iPODS! While these devices offer us the ability to listen to what we want - for children with disabilities these devices may be impossible to control.

RJ Cooper & Associates, Inc. has addressed this issue by offering an array of accommodations for portable music players. Check out a couple of these examples below:

Switch Adapted mp3 player:



This device consists of a USB mp3 player that has been modified to accept several single switches to enable the person to control the functions of the device independently.

But...what if you already own an iPOD and want to control it with switches? Check out the Big Button iPOD remote.



This device will enable you to control the functions of your iPOD wirelessly!

Do you know of another solution for access to portable music players? Leave a comment below and share your resources.

Web 2.0 Wednesday! Author Point Lite

Have you created a PowerPoint presentation but need to share it with students or co-workers? Afraid everyone doesn't have PowerPoint on their computer?

No worries - try Author Point Lite from authorGEN Technologies.

This free download allows you to upload your PowerPoint presentations and convert them to Flash. Once converted, the file can be embedded into a blog, website, etc.

The Flash file retains all your timing, narration,etc.

Check out this example from the company website

Now anyone can view your presentation over the Internet, regardless of the software on their home computer.

But what if you want to create video files to play on an iPOD? Simply upload the file (5 minutes of video or under) to their website and the company will convert it for free to an mp4 format.

Do you have another website you use to convert PowerPoint files? Let us know by leaving a comment.

Stretches to Prevent Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI)

Many consumers I have worked with have a Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI), causing pain in their shoulders, forearms, wrists, palms, and/or fingers. Often, this injury has been caused by overuse of a computer, in addition to poor positioning while using the computer. Along with suggestions for how to improve their computer set-up to become more ergonomic, I always try to educate my consumers on things they can do to help prevent/minimize RSI.

I recently found a great resource online that allows you to obtain a (free) one page PDF document of some stretching exercises. This resources comes from a book, "Stretching in the Office", by Bob Anderson.

Check out the website here.

Print it out, tape it on the wall next to your monitor, and remember to treat your body well while spending long hours on the computer (and as is with anything related to exercise, check with your doctor!)

Computer Macros

We recently received a question via our website (www.assistivetechnologycenter.org) regarding computer macros.

Hello -

I work at Matheny's Hillsborough Adult Learning Center as a technical instructor and am in the process of trying to find/implement ways for our students to be able to more quickly/independently use the computer (for example, getting into email). I have been researching macros and was wondering if anyone there could recommend a software for macros. It looks like there are so many out there. We downloaded one free version (iMacro iOpus) but the user interface does not seem very friendly (user needs to select the macro from a list of macros and hit play to execute it). We'd have approval to purchase some software for macros but with so many out there it's hard to narrow down what would work best for our population. Any information you might be able to provide would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Sue A.

Sue mentioned a software program called iOpus, which allows you to set up a macro to simplify multiple step computer processes. Other free software titles that perform similar functions to iOpus are Phrase Express and Auto Hot Key. These free tools allow you to program a series of events on the computer into a simple, easy to remember macro. If someone is simply trying to complete a series of mouse clicks, try Ghost Mouse. This free program records mouse clicks and allows the person to easily replicate the string of actions.

While all the solutions described above are software based, don't forget about possible computer hardware solutions. X-Keys sells a variety of keypads with programmable keys, anywhere from 16 keys to 58 keys! The picture below highlights the X-Keys Key Stick, which has 16 programmable keys and could be placed directly on the keyboard above the Function Keys.



Hope this helps, Sue. Keep us updated on your successes.

Have you used a similar tool to address this need? Leave a comment and tell us about it.

Web 2.0 Wednesday! WallWisher

Do you write sticky note reminders to yourself all day? What happens to those notes? Do they get lost? Go through the laundry?

What if you want to share these notes with someone else? You don't give up your sticky, do you?

Try this website - Wall Wisher. www.wallwisher.com



This is an on line Notice Board. You can share your space with anyone and collaborate on any task. Simply click in the open space and start typing. It's that easy!

Any posted messages can be moved, re-arranged, etc.

Not only can you post text - you can also post audio, video and web pages.

In training sessions, I have used the "parking lot" idea and asked people to post questions onto a wall (using REAL sticky notes) and then we have answered the questions when there is time.

Now, with this tool - participants could post these questions / comments directly to this board and we can review them either in person or remotely.

Start a board today and try it! Used it before? Tell us about it by leaving a comment below.

Apple iPAD - Accessible e-reader?

Apple's iPAD is coming soon. So what does that mean for the e-book market? Of course, if you have been listening to the media stories - the iPAD will be much more than an e-book reader. Over 150,00 Apps, large color touch screen and more.

But will this device make e-books more mainstream?



As we get closer to the launch date (April 3rd), more details are emerging that may hint at the power of this device for people with disabilities. Most notably, the iPAD will read aloud to users - using the Voice Over feature that has been a part of the Mac Accessibility features for years.

What is the difference between voice over and the text to speech ability of the Kindle? Well, first the Kindle's speech output is limited to simply reading the book. And have you heard the text to speech on the Kindle?? The voice quality is not up to the level of other text to speech tools. Also, publishers have the right to disable this speech feature for their books. (Will the same hold true for the iPAD - we'll have to wait and see)

Voice Over is more of an actual screen reader. This will provide auditory support throughout the device - not just in the e-book. This has the potential to provide a much better reading experience for audio users.

Want to learn more about Voice Over in Mac OS X? Check the Apple Voice Over web page here.

Want to learn about Voice Over for the iPhone? Check the iPhone Voice Over web page here.

According to the website, the other accessibility features of the iPAD will be:

• Support for playback of closed-captioned content

• VoiceOver screen reader
• Full-screen zoom magnification
• White on black display
• Mono audio

We will post more details about the iPAD as they come in.