Sterling Creations

still haven’t found that special gift for someone with a visual impairment, whether blind or low vision, here are some more options. I have used all of the products listed below and recommend them. When ordering a product online, consider expedited shipping if the gifting date is near. All prices in this article are subject to change. Gift Cards Gift cards have become very popular for the holidays. Make sure to give the recipient the value, card number, and PIN if there is one. Popular cards include iTunes, Amazon, and restaurants. * Audible and the Audible Accessible Site http://www.audible.com/access Audible offers thousands of audio books. They are available the same day the print version is released. Books can be played on many devices including a computer, a tablet, or a smartphone. Audible has several gift plans, starting at $45. Members can also use their credits to gift books to other Audible members. * Fitbit Flex http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/s/ref=is_s?k=Fitbit+Flex If the gift recipient likes exercise or wants to get in shape, the Fitbit Flex ($99.95) is a good option. The Flex tracks steps, active minutes, calories burned, and distance walked. You can manually add calories consumed, exercise, and weight. The Flex is worn on the wrist and is roughly the size of a small rectangular wristwatch. The actual electronic device (called a tracker) slides into the flexible wristband and is lightweight. Two wristbands are included in black, one small and one large. Additional wristbands are available at extra cost in various fashion colors to match your outfit. There is a free, accessible iOS app that syncs with the Fitbit. The user can also sync their Fitbit with the Fitbit website. http://www.fitbit.com/in * Jawbone Jambox Wireless Bluetooth Speakers http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/s/ref=a9_sc_1?rh=i:aps,k:jawbone+jambox&keywords =jawbone+jambox&ie=UTF8&qid=1446080721 For the music lover, consider one of the Jambox Wireless Bluetooth Speakers from Jawbone (Big Jambox, $160; Mini Jambox, $86). They have very good sound, especially for their size. All controls are tactile. It is easy to pair any Bluetooth enabled device, such as an iPhone, with these speakers. The top of the speaker has extremely tactile, differently shaped, raised buttons. The side of the speaker has an On/Off button, a button for pairing a device and ports for connecting the speaker to headphones, connecting the speaker with a device using the device’s headphone jack, and USB. The speaker has a built-in rechargeable battery that holds its charge for about 10 hours. * PenFriend2 Voice Labeling System http://www.maxiaids.com/penfriend2-voice-labeling-system The PenFriend2 ($139.95) provides a quick and easy way to identify items. It uses a pen-like device to record a description and special small stick-on labels. Many different sizes and shapes of labels are included and more can be purchased. Simply attach a label to an item, touch the pen to the label, press the record button, and record a description. Read a label by touching the PenFriend to the label. These labels can be used on items that will be stored in the refrigerator and freezer. * L’Occitane en Provence http://usa.loccitane.com/ L’Occitane is a French company that offers skin care, bath and body, and fragrance products for both men and women. They pay extra attention to charitable causes and one of their goals is the “support of visually impaired people worldwide.” Every L’Occitane product has a braille label, even the little soaps. They recently donated $100,000 to the American Foundation for the Blind. The company is environmentally friendly and does additional charitable work. L’Occitane has special holiday gifts including a list of gifts for under $30. They also sell individual items and sets. Their products are available on their website, http://usa.loccitane.com/ beauty.com http://www.beauty.com/ , at Sephora, http://www.sephora.com/ and at L’Occitane boutiques (a boutique locator is available on their website). http://usa.loccitane.com/ *The Gift of Reading Printed Text Reading printed materials is something that sighted people may take for granted. For someone losing that ability or for someone who has never been able to read print, that ability can be a tremendous help. There are two optical character recognition (OCR) programs available that I especially like for reading printed text. These programs use an electronic device to take a picture of text and then convert the photo into text that the device’s screen reader then reads aloud. There are stands available, if needed, for holding a device steady and properly aligned for scanning. Several AccessWorld articles compare various OCR programs and stands. Not all devices are supported by a particular OCR app or stand. Check the links below to determine whether a specific device is supported. All products in this section, with the exception of the KNFB Reader, are mainstream products and are not specifically designed for people with visual impairments. KNFB Reader ($99.99) Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sensotec.knfbreader iOS https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/knfbreader/id849732663?mt=8 My favorite OCR program is the KNFB Reader. Although it is expensive, this app does an excellent job of recognizing text; it is easy to use. This app is specifically designed for people who are blind or visually impaired. In the latest version, the device can be placed in a stand and documents can be scanned automatically without having to press the “Take Picture” button between pages. Abbyy TextGrabber + Translator ($4.95) Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.abbyy.mobile.textgrabber.f ull&hl=en iOS https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/textgrabber.ocr/id438475005?mt=8 My second favorite OCR app is Abbyy TextGrabber + Translator. This mainstream app is significantly less expensive than KNFB Reader but it does a very good job. It supports many languages and does an excellent job of translation. * Giraffe Reader ($52) http://www.giraffe-reader.com/ The Giraffe Reader stand is used to hold a phone and works with iPhone 4, 4S, 5, 5C, 6, and 6 Plus. Android users should e-mail Giraffe Reader to determine whether their particular device will work. The Giraffe reader is very easy to assemble and folds up into a small size. Although a bit expensive, it is an excellent product. * StandScan Pro ($34.95) http://standscan.com/ The StandScan Pro works with just about any device that has a back-facing camera. It is held together by tiny magnets and is not difficult to assemble. It folds down to fit into a computer bag. The StandScan Pro comes equipped with LED lighting to insure a good scan. It is powered by battery or electricity. *Conclusion Even if you need a last-minute gift, there are still many options for a person who is blind or visually impaired. When giving a gift, be give sure to give the recipient information on how to use it. For example, if you’re giving someone a Giraffe Reader, offer to help them put it together the first time. Remember to get your gifts as early as possible. Happy Shopping and Happy Holidays.]]>

, June 27, 2013 1 We love driving our cars to work. In 2011, almost 93 per cent of people in the workforce drove to work and most drove by themselves. 2 Virtue has a price. The average commute time if you took public transit was 43 minutes in 2011. If you drove, it was 25 minutes. 3 English dominates Canadian workplaces, with 85 per cent of the population using the language at work, compared to just 25 per cent who say they use French. 4 Chinese languages are the most commonly used languages in the workplace after English and French. 5 We are increasingly delaying retirement. In 2011, 18.7 per cent of the working population was over age 55, up from 11.7 per cent in 2001. 6 We move for work. Half a million workers lived in a different province or territory in 2011 compared to 2006. Top destinations: Northwest Territories and Alberta. 7 Possessing a postsecondary education increases Canadians’ chances of being employed. But there’s no obvious employment benefit to a graduate degree. 8 Are you a doctor, dentist, veterinarian or optometrist? Congratulations: you are most likely to have a job. 9 We love to shop and we work to sell. The top employment category for both men and women is the retail trade. 10 Men continue to dominate the trades, holding 80 per cent of all apprentice certificates. 11 You haven’t come that far, baby. The top labour occupations for women are retail sales, administrative assistant, nurse and cashier. 12 We’re “foodies” not “fixers.” Canadians ages 25 to 34 are far more likely to have trained to be a cook than an auto mechanic. _________________________ From the pages of Donna’s travel diary So long to the Southway hotel This is probably one of the finest hotels that I have ever had the privilege of staying at. Since 2014 I have stayed at this Ottawa Canada Hotel but sadly enough in October 2015 it finally closed its doors to be converted into a retirement home. This hotel really stood out in my mind as one of the most accessible hotels. For not only was its rooms fully accessible, the staff was top notch. Staff at the service desk as well as staff at its restaurant were second to none. They knew how to cater to the needs of a blind guest. They went way above the call of duty, often offering to do much more than what they were supposed to do. They were always so willing to help, assist, and guide me. Their restaurant staff were always so friendly and willing. They were always there to help and it seemed to me that they were always watching over us. Whenever my friend Diane and I had dinner there, they were even more than accommodating to her guide dog. Thank you Southway Hotel for having made a difference in my traveling life and a huge thank you to all of your staff. I’m Donna J. Jodhan enjoying my travels. On your next trip you could enrich your down time with some of my audio mysteries. Take them with you wherever you go! In the car, on the plane, on the bus or train, at the beach, anywhere! Affordable, portable, (computer or i device) and you could either purchase or Subscribe for unlimited access to my library at www.donnajodhan.com/store.html and you can now take advantage of our free downloads here.]]>

PowerShell, or directly from START-RUN.]]>

actively hunting down encryption efforts for years, and exterminating any cryptography which could pose a threat to its ability to read our texts, track our calls, and rifle through our private emails. Read more on their efforts here: NSA seeks to build quantum computer that could crack most types of encryption – The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nsa-seeks-to-build-qu antum-computer-that-could-crack-most-types-of-encryption/2014/01/02/8fff297e -7195-11e3-8def-a33011492df2_story.html In the same set of slides, the world learned also learned that the only reason encryption is breakable right now is because such a small percentage of the population currently employ any sort of extra layer of security to protect their communications. The idea behind using these apps or services is that as more people begin encrypting their messages, we can not only make the job of the NSA a bit more difficult, we can also be sure that no other third-party is able to crack the code of private conversations. Text encryption is perfect for high-level discussion of enterprise products coming to market, exchanging files containing private financial data, or sending personal family information you wouldn’t want getting out in the world. Not only that, but it also carries the unique benefit of ensuring none of the messages you send or receive will be used for advertising or marketing purposes, like you might find in competing products from WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. So, with so many varied benefits to encrypting texts, maybe the question shouldn’t be “why should I encrypt my texts,” but “why wouldn’t I?” iMessage For years, Apple has maintained the gold standard in industry-wide encryption through its iMessage service, which has throughout its history continued to act as a thorn in the side of law enforcement officials and rogue government agencies alike. hty1 Read more here: US DEA upset it can’t break Apple’s iMessage encryption http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/04/04/us-dea-upset-it-cant-break-apples- imessage-encryption# The details of how iMessage’s unique encryption algorithm actually works are a bit too confusing and convoluted to explain in full here, however if you’re interested you can read through the technical descriptions on page 35 of the company’s own security brief from earlier this year. Even without trawling through the details of that PDF, the proof of Apple’s privacy pedigree is in the pudding. Apple was one of the six major tech firms that wrote a stern letter to the United States House of Representatives condemning the actions of the NSA after the Snowden leaks first hit the wires, Read this letter here: http://appleinsider.com/articles/15/03/25/apple-us-tech-giants-call-for-gove rnment-spying-reform-in-open-letter-to-congress and the Cupertino-based smartphone maker has since continued to stand up for the privacy rights of its individual users when threatened with legal action to unlock the iPhones of suspected criminals. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/2014/09/17/2612af58-3ed2-1 1e4-b03f-de718edeb92f_story.html With all that in mind, it’s clear the company is dedicated to keeping people’s text messages where they belong: in their own possession, free from the prying eyes of anyone Signal/TextSecure But what if you’re on Android and want the same feeling of security that iOS users enjoy? With the TextSecure app from OpenWhisper systems, you can encrypt both your calls and your SMS messages from one app, without worrying about a complicated setup process, using separate logins, or even removing your profile from your phone first. hty2 TextSecure’s protective protocol works by transforming what would normally travel as a normal SMS/MMS packet into raw data, and then running that altered binary through OpenWhisper’s open source encryption algorithm to ensure your communications are locked down as tight as possible. screen322x572 Not only that, but OpenWhisper has also developed an app for the iTunes ecosystem called Signal. Signal works in much the same fashion as iMessage, except now you can actually send encrypted data to Android phones either through MMS or SMS instantaneously. Signal will also work with a simple iPhone-to-iPhone transaction, so if you prefer the Signal UI over iMessage for any reason, it’s still a viable and secure alternative. You can download TextSecure from Google Play for free here, https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.thoughtcrime.securesms or the Signal app from the iTunes App Store here. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/signal-private-messenger/id874139669?mt=8 Knox Lastly, if you’re one of the millions who ditched your iPhone for a Samsung Galaxy in the past few years, you’ll have access to the new Knox messaging platform available on compatible Android devices. What makes Knox different from software-side encryption solutions like Signal or iMessage is unlike either of those messengers, Knox texting is protected by a physical cryptography chip installed on the phone itself. By running the Knox platform inside its own, protected hardware sandbox, you can be certain that the calls, emails, or messages coming in or out of the phone are completely separated from any identifying information tied to the phone itself. hthy2 One limitation of Knox is that it works like iMessage, in that you will only be fully encrypted when communicating with another Knox device which is already running the same firmware as you. Even so, if the privacy-conscious OS has passed the vetting process to be good enough for the US Department of Defense, http://www.samsung.com/sg/business/insights/news/samsung-knox-approved-by-de partment-of-defense-for-use-in-us-government you can be sure it’s good enough for you and your friends too. All the most recent iterations of both Galaxy S and Galaxy Note phones are Knox-ready right out of the box, while the full list of compatible phones and phablets can be found here. _____ In an era of eavesdropping smartphones, public Facebook profiles, and massive international spying operations run amok, it could feel like the days of personal privacy could be coming to an end. But there’s still a way to fight back, and the best place to start is by locking up all your communications behind a safe, secure, and secretive wall of encrypted texting apps.]]>

, September 26 2015 Source link to page of article’s orgin: http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/what-rss-all-about.htm-0 RSS is an Internet protocol – a standardized way to publish frequently updated content to the Web. RSS makes it easy for originators to make their content quickly and broadly available. Many devices, including tablets, smartphones and PCs can easily access this content. RSS is short for “Really Simple Syndication”, but don’t worry about that phrase. It’s just a dumb name for a beautiful idea. News articles, blog posts, update notices, sports stories, product and software reviews, etc. are all delivered via RSS. That’s just a few examples of the vast buffet of RSS content available today. RSS can deliver webpages, audio and video. Most RSS content can be accessed anonymously by any interested person (a few sites require passwords). RSS “feeds” are what make RSS content available (there are also Atom feeds, which are much the same). Feeds are generated automatically by the blogs, news sources, online publications, etc., that offer feeds. The feed itself can contain just a title with a link to the full content, an excerpt of the content along with the link, or the full entry. RSS lets publishers distribute their content quickly and automatically. Feed content is available in a standardized format that makes it easy for users to access. RSS feeds give them a quick, easy way to keep up with news and emerging information that’s important to them. To see a live example visit this link to the feed for Gizmo’s Freeware: Top selections . http://feeds.feedburner.com/gizmosbest This particular feed is a hand compiled selection of the most interesting new content on the Gizmo site, but most RSS feeds including our own Hot Finds http://feeds.feedburner.com/GizmosHotFinds and Tech Tips feeds http://feeds.feedburner.com/GizmosTechTips are generated automatically. Why use RSS? You probably have several – or many – favorite blogs and websites that you like to keep up on. Some of them may offer email newsletters while others don’t. You probably don’t like having your inbox cluttered with lots of newsletters though, and it is a chore to visit each blog and website regularly and scan the site just to see if there is something new there. RSS feeds offer a better way to access the new and changing content you want to see. You subscribe to RSS feeds somewhat like you would subscribe to email newsletters, but there are big differences: . Subscribing to RSS feeds and un-subscribing is instantaneous, anonymous, and completely under your own control. . You never submit your email address. In fact, you don’t actually subscribe to feeds. You give your RSS client the web address of the feeds you want to “follow.” It simply polls the feeds at regular intervals and retrieves any new content. . RSS readers aggregate the content from all the RSS feeds you follow, and organize it in one place for quick and easy digestion. . There is little or no spam, and there are no spam filters to fight. . Nobody knows or cares which entries you read. There is no obligation to read or respond to any particular item. . RSS is efficient: You can quickly scan a large number of RSS feeds, reading just the items that hold real interest for you. How does RSS work? RSS is written in the Internet coding language known as XML (eXtensible Markup Language), a widely used standard for information exchange on the Internet. If a website or blog offers an RSS feed, the site software organizes the RSS feed content and makes it available for polling. Your RSS reader polls all the RSS feeds you want to follow for new content. It’s much like downloading email, except that you do not need an account to access the feed (a few feeds do require passwords though). Example: FeedDemon is a widely used RSS feed reader, and my screenshot below indicates what you’d see in FeedDemon if you subscribe to a large number of RSS feeds. Notice that the “Google Alerts – adot loop 303” feed is open there. That feed is from my perpetual Google News search for “adot loop 303” (without the quotes). Notice that there are two unread entries and one expanded entry in the feed. The open one shows an excerpt and a link to the full Pebble Creek HOA announcement. There are five other subscriptions in the “Morning Coffee” folder, and it’s a simple matter to click on them in turn, scan the headlines, and read the items of interest. Each one of the other folders slso contains subscriptions. Clicking a folder itself displays the unread entries for all the subscriptions in the folder. Alternatively, if the folder is open, individual subscriptions can be scanned one at a time. You can see that there are 63 unread entries in the cosmos folder. I’ll probably read a dozen or so of them when I scan that folder. But if I chose, I could just mark the entire folder read and move on. http://www.techsupportalert.com/files/images/pbs/reader.png Where do you find RSS feeds? http://www.techsupportalert.com/files/images/pbs/icons.gifMany big websites offer RSS feeds, particularly news and technical websites. Google publishes feeds as part of many of their services; for example, you can get an RSS feed of new items for any search you’ve make in Google News . http://news.google.com/ Thousands upon thousands of bloggers, podcasters, and vidcasters publish RSS feeds to get their content out to readers, listeners, and viewers. You’ll often find one or more of these icons or badges at a website that offers RSS feeds. You can “subscribe” to as many or as few of them as you want. The large orange icon is the universal RSS indicator (it’s often shown much smaller). Clicking one of the other badges will add a subscription to Google Reader, NewsGator, NetVibes, etc. (if you have an online account for the one you click). Sometimes the only RSS feed indication comes from hidden auto-discovery markers that browsers look for. If there is one, the browser gives an indication that one or more feeds exist. You subscribe to those hidden feeds directly from your browser when its RSS icon lights up. I’ve written a short “How-to” detailing how to set up Firefox to discover feeds as an example. (Note from Dan: When visiting this link, the page could not be displayed. But I will include a link to where the article entitled “how to set up Firefox” is located in case it becomes active later today again.) http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/what-rss-all-about.htm-0 Examples of available feeds: Chicago Tribune http://www.chicagotribune.com/ CNET http://www.chicagotribune.com/ BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/help/rss/default.stm Yahoo! https://www.yahoo.com/?err=404&err_url=http%3a%2f%2fnews.yahoo.com%2fsitemap %2f How do you read RSS feeds? If you only want to subscribe to a few RSS feeds you can read them directly in all major browsers. There are also simple browser add-ons that make it more convenient to manage RSS subscriptions and read the entries. Something like a dozen feeds is the practical limit for simple extensions though. At that point, a separate feed reader, or a more capable browser add-on becomes more practical. There are also several good web-apps for accessing and reading RSS feeds online. Feedly and Inoreader are prime examples. Hundreds if not thousands of feed readers are available – many of them free. Apparently it’s easy to write a feed reader – the RSS protocol is very simple, and many hackers try their hand at it. But there are only a few good, well-maintained readers to choose from. I’ve used or tried many different RSS browser add-ons, web-apps and readers. Most of them have one or two really nice features, but are flawed in other areas. See my conclusions in Best Free RSS Reader-Aggregator , Found at this link: http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-rss-reader-aggregator.htm which describes and lists good RSS readers of all kinds.]]>