December 2002 NGTVoice

NGTB2B Web Site
Tablet PC Technology
Logitech Cordless Microphone
Qpointer Speech Recognition Software

At this time of year we are reminded about what is truly important in life. Family, friends, and country and the trust and support of our valued clients. Everyone at Next Generation Technologies, Inc. would like to say, "Thank you."

NGTB2B Web Site

There are a number of new and exciting changes taking place here in Lynnwood, Washington, and we're very excited about launching our new secure web site that will support direct sales/purchasing of completely configured assistive technology computer systems, assistive software, peripheral devices, etc. Over the last several years we've come to believe that implementing assistive technology solutions is often a matter of controlling as many variables as possible. By creating a complete end to end technology solution we believe will be able to help more people be more successful with assistive technology. The NGTB2B site is intended to serve as a resource for local, state, and federal government agencies, educational institutions, and corporate vocational rehabilitation services. We have a limited web site posted already, and welcome your feedback. At the main page you will be asked to log in. As a new user you can click on the customer data form and request a user profile. Keep in mind that this web site is not intended for the general public. We hope that this new resource will prove to be a benefit and streamlining the selection and purchasing of assistive technology.

Tablet PCs

They've made it! Perhaps one of the most exciting developments in PC technologies in recent years, The Tablet Computer with the Tablet OS, has finally become a reality. Microsoft Corp. has developed an operating system specifically designed for tablet computers. This operating system supports a number of alternate input modalities including handwriting capture/recognition, speech recognition, etc. It is important to know that the Tablet operating system is a SKU, and each hardware manufacturers product is going to be different. Early reviews of this product indicate that the Fujitsu offering (ST4000) is amongst the best (in our opinion). Also, ACER has introduced some excellent entry-level tablet computers.

Logitech Cordless Microphone

We recently came across a new microphone offering from Logitech (the mouse people). This cordless device states that it is useful for talking to the computer, or the telephone. List price is approximately $80.00. With such a low price point I thought we would test this for possible recommendation. The fit and finish is adequate at best. The headset microphone was uncomfortable after about one hour. Worst of all, I found that the signal was prone to interference both on the telephone and on the computer. I think this is one that will need to improve before we'll be able to recommend it.

Qpointer Speech Recognition Software

Earlier this year, Commodio introduced its Qpointer speech recognition software. This $189.00 product some different technical approaches to accomplish speech recognition/command and control in the PC environment. In my limited lab testing I found that the command and control aspect of the system was quite good, and that the "numbers" that isolate your selection could be significantly helpful to individuals with learning disabilities. However, the speech to text portion seemed to be cumbersome, and lacks many of the higher end utilities available in the Dragon NaturallySpeaking product line. From a pricing standpoint, this is comparable to Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred (with a list price of $199.00).

Jaws for Windows

Options/Basics
Tutor Message-custom only
Access Key-menus only
Show Virtual Viewer-unchecked
Utilities/Configuration Manager
Default.jcf/Sec Options/Synthesizer Options
check allow .wav files to play with software synthesizer, then use file/save

Windows XP

My Computer/Properties/Advanced/Performance Settings
set "adjust for best performance"
Display
Themes: WinXP
Background: Bliss/ Position: Stretch
Screen Saver: none
Appearance: Windows Classic/ Windows Standard

Best wishes for a safe and happy holiday season. We look forward to the opportunity to serve you in 2003

Edward Rosenthal and the team at NGT, Inc.

Page Last Updated: Sunday, June 01, 2008

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