Category: Geeks r Us
Hi:
Just wondering if anyone knows anything about this and what you've heard? I saw a couple things on Blind Cool Tech about it, and was intrigued by it. I know it has a 30 gb hard drive, and a docking station with either a qwerty or braille keyboard. It has wifi and bluetooth built in. Inttroductory pricing is $1395 and $250 for the docking station.
Lou
No, never heard of it. Do you know who makes it?
I believe the company is called levelstar and if you would like to learn about it there will be a presentation on www.accessibleworld.org in the tech talk room starting at 8: pM eastern time. Here is the blub regarding this presentation.
FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION Topic: LevelStar Icon, A New Linux-based Blind-accessible PDA Presenter: Joshua Miele, Ph.D., Research Associate, Smith-Kettlewell
Eye Research Institute's Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center, San Francisco, California This week's Tek Talk online training sponsored by Accessible
World.org will feature an informal review by Research Associate, Dr. Joshua Miele of the LevelStar Icon -- a new Linux-based blind-accessible PDA. He will
describe the unit, its capabilities, and his impressions of its potential as a platform for third-party software development. Following his presentation,
he will be available to answer questions and > participate in general discussion about the product and the state-of-the-art of accessible PDAs. Dr. Miele
is currently conducting research in the areas of tactile maps and auditory displays. His research interests also include wayfinding technologies and techniques,
audio description of video content, adaptive tools and techniques for teaching math and science, and issues related to DAISY authoring and distribution.
Date: Monday, January 29, 2007 Time: 5:00 p.m. Pacific, 6:00 p.m. Mountain, 7:00 p.m. Central, 8:00 p.m. Eastern and Tuesday 01:00 GMT. Where: Tek Talk
Online Conference Room Approximately 30 minutes prior to the event, go to and select "Enter the Tek Talk Room". Then, when the sign-in screen appears,
enter your real name and press Enter.
Ooops! I meant blurb.
Sounds good, I may try to make that one. I've never participated in an online dicussion. Do you have to have a microphone just to listen?
By the way Willy the word is blurb <grin>.
Bob
I don't think you need a microphone. I get e-mails from this group at work promoting their converences, and I think they say you don't need one. I'm going to be out tomorrow night, but I'm hoping to be in before sign-on time. Thanks, Willie.
Lou
Yes, the company is called LevelStar. They have their own web site:
www.levelstar.com
I actually know the entire Mulcahy family, who owns and operates LevelStar. Marc and I grew up in the same city, had the same Braille and Mobility teachers. Back in 1989, when I first obtained a Braille 'N Speak, Marc was the one who taught me to use it, because he was already writing programs for the thing. (Remember the original HangMan game for the BNS.)
These guys have some awesome ideas. I got my hands on this thing at NFB Convention while it was still in prototype. The only criticism I have is they keep making promises, and not fulfilling them. For example, at CSUN last year, they said they hoped to have the Icon and docking stations ready for sale and shipping by the summer shows. At Convention, they said they planned to have units ready for sale and shipping by September. As of December, they stil weren't ready. Maybe things have changed, I have not spoken with Marc, nor looked at Levelstar.com in awhile.
Either way, I think it's well worth looking into. Even if the maker wasn't a friend, I was really impressed with the prototypes I saw at Convention.
There's a third pocast on blind cool tech that also shows off the device. Its really impressive from what I saw.
Accessibleworld.org posts arkives of the conferences so they can be listened too. Bob, thanks for the blurb!!!!Smile!!!!!
You know, I'm a big laptop proponent. I don't particularly care for most of the blindness stuff, so for a notetaker to come along that actually impresses me to make me want to play with or own one, it has to be pretty good. the Icon does all of that for me.
It is somewhat attractive, but a faster processor would be nice.
I think if it weren't Linux-based, and also had gps capability I'd consider it seeing as how it's more portible than most notetakers on the market. However, I think I'll just stick with my pacmate for now, and when I get my creditcard bill payed off eventually get the Maistro software to go with my Trekker and see what that's like as well.
actually, you don't really know that it's linux based. The interface is quite nice.
I first heard about this notetaker a few days ago at www.abledata.com, while I was looking around in there. It sounds pretty cool, especially the price, for having all the features mentioned there. It might have changed a little since then, I don't know, but the information there was posted since last monhth. Probably not. But yeah, I liked what I read, and will definitely look into it some more by going to the links y'all gave above. *smile*
I think that the fact that it is Linux based is a real boon for the product. Things that run in command line form should already be available to it. I don't know, I could be wrong about that, but it seems likely, and given time these guys may be able to inegrate GPS or other support. Personally I am waiting with baited breath for a refreshable braille option. The day that happens... I may have to start saving my pennies. Anyhow, very promising piece of tech.
this device sounds interesting. I might go check out the website.
Well, I understand they're promising GPS and use as a cellphone in about a year. Based on Sister Dawn's post, I wouldn't get too excited about that newer functionality just yet. I'm still excited about the product.