Talks 5 and the touch screen Nokia N97 Mini.

Mar 25, 2010 |

Hello,

I just thought some would be interested in a few observations with Talks 5 and a touch screen phone compared to the iPhone and even the same phone running Mobile Speak version 4.

I’m using a N97Mini.

Firstly, Mobile speak did nothing but get on my nerves for the past few days. I don’t think as much work went into the S60 commands as went into the Windows mobile side of the application. It’s great that it’s cross platform but because the manual tries to be a one tool fits all facility, it is very hard to figure out what works on S60 and what works on Windows mobile. Also, this layered command approach is great with Jaws and Window eyes etc however Mobile speak uses layered commands for everything. It gets very confusing after awhile. Finally, Mobile speak does not do what it says it will on the N97. I have verified these observations with other mobile speak users. For example. Triple tapping on the screen should exit a layered command, double tapping should execute the item that has focus unless your in a layered command. These did not work at all. I could go on and on about the problems I had with Mobile speak but I won’t. I’ll finish this part of the mail by saying, don’t touch it. Don’t even think of touching it if your using aS60 fifth generation touchscreen phone. It will most certainly drive you crazy.

With Talks, all the commands just worked! I had a bit of bother installing it but I didn’t read the manual so the steps for installing this latest version could have changed slightly. I love that I can use the screen in the same way i used hte iPhone when it suits me. But if I want to get access to information like battery status, signel strength etc I know that I can use talks commands to get that without messing around looking for tiny indicator graphics at the top of the screen.

I also love the one handed mode that has been created. Using the iPhone with one hand was doable but it really wasn’t easy at all. Especially when walking. Talks takes over the volume key in places where it has no purpis. Arrow down moves you down in a list. Arrow up moves you up. Holding the down arrow for less than a half a second will select the item your on and holding the up arrow will give you a short list with the soft keys. It’s really very easy to look through contacts, the last numbers / missed call lists etc when walking.

Of course, the N97 comes with a qwerty keyboard. So, you can use the talks key along with the keys on the keyboard as well. This version of Talks really tries to cater for accessibility in every environment.

The only thing I’d say is that mobile speak used the camera button as it’s modifier. I think talks can be configured to use this but it would make more sense to have that set by default in my opinion. I don’t like having the menu key as the talks modifier.

After using the iPhone for a while and comparing it to this, I find that Talks has really built on what Apple did with voice over for the iPhone. They’ve thought it out a lot and played with a lot of consepts. There’s just so many ways of accessing this phone that no matter what your doing you’ll find a solution that will give you the speech feedback you need.

I personally like touch screens because after a while you know where everything is. Their designed for rapid one touch access to icons that are visible. If you can remember where they are a screen reader user can have the same quick access.

The only thing I’m finding just slightly off putting is that the menu shows four items across. This is just a tad off putting because on the iPhone, everything was either in the middle or the left and right. Now that there are two columns in the middle of this phone it’s not as easy to memorise the layout.

Of course some would disagree.

If you see the N97 mini, don’t dismiss it just because it’s a touch screen phone. I’m loving it.

Site improvements

Mar 24, 2010 |

I’m always open to suggestions.

So, when someone told me they’d rather the navigation on the left instead of the top, I did it right away.

When someone else said that the log in form was in the way of seeing the important parts of the site, I got it out of the way too.

Today, I thought it might be a good idea to change things around a little bit again. There’s now a new section on the left for Social networking. There you will simply find pages for DigitalDarragh on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and Linked in.

There are a lot of different social networking sites out there and most include links back to this page. To increase the interconnectivity between all these different mediums, I will apply a number of different enhancements to this website over the next few months so that the DigitalDarragh name is connected instead of having bits of everything all over the place.

If you have anything you would like to suggest, Contact me via the post box.

A word to employers. Interviews and stupid interviewers.

Mar 16, 2010 |

Now, in this post, I’m not going to pull any punches. If you’re sighted, and you get easily offended then this one is really not for you.

I was an interview some time back. Just the run of the mill kind of interview. You’ve all had them. I was kind of just going to see what kind of questions they’d ask because it was a job I’d like to strive to in the future so it was a nice learning experience. I have no plans to leave the job I’m in at the moment. I enjoy it too much.

So, let me start from the beginning.

I arrived at the interview and with some searching; I found the office that was used by the company. Now, when a person who is blind goes to an interview, they’ve a few more things to keep in mind compared to someone who can see. That’s not a bad thing of course, I enjoy the challenge. When I go to an interview, I rather walk or use public transport. I rather not use taxis as it’s important for the perspective employer to see that although I can’t see, I’m still very independent and capable. There’s nothing worse for destroying the image of independence than someone guiding you up to the door of the office you are visiting. Of course, I’ve had to get taxis to a few interviews because the companies were too far away to get to without taking too much time out of my normal working day but for those instances, I’m not taking the taxi because I can’t see, I’m taking it because it’s more efficient.

So, anyway, because I walk to where I’m going, I use Google maps or GPS to work out the route to the place. This is usually fine. However, if the office is in a business park or somewhere that is not covered by Google maps or GPS, things can get a bit hairy. But, again, I love a challenge so it hasn’t put me off yet. The company I was going to this time was in a very small and quiet business park so my normal methods of getting directions didn’t apply. I’d usually find a nearby shop or even a reception area in the business park to get directions. For example, when I was going for interview in east point, I’d ask someone in the local shop because nine times out of ten, they’d know more than most people what was around.

This place was much smaller than east point and there was no one around so getting directions was a tad more difficult. I’d given myself plenty of time though so I eventually found where I was looking for with some determination.

The office was on the top floor of a small building but there was nothing inside the front door. I called the company and informed them that I was down stairs. Although I plainly state that I’m blind on my CV, I got the impression that they still were not aware. That wasn’t an issue though; I just didn’t want to intrude on their office space without making them aware that I was at least in the building. I called and they told me that they’d be down in a moment.

Almost ten minutes passed but there was still no sign of them. I was actually starting to doubt that I was in the right building. A man leaving work for the day passed me so I called him back. He worked for a different company in the building but he was able to tell me that they were on the top floor. I waited another minute and decided to walk up to them.

After reaching their door, I knocked and after hearing an acknowledgement, I walked in. It seemed like a reasonably small room and I could only hear four or five people typing to my right. I apologised for disturbing them but asked for the person I was there to meet. There was some confused silence for a moment and I again wondered if I’d found the right office. After a moment, someone spoke up and confirmed that he’d be with me in a moment. This is where it gets funny though.

As he was saying hello and greeting me, he congratulated and commended me for walking up the 6 flights of stairs to their office.

Now, I ask you, if I can walk the miles from Connolly station to their office, are a few flights of stairs going to be all that difficult?

When you go to an interview and people even doubt your ability to walk up some stairs you know you’re in for a hard one.

I hate poor me posts, and this next part isn’t meant as that kind of thing but an interview is hard enough without having to first prove that you’re a normal person before you even start talking about what you came there to discuss in the first place.

These people were so clueless that I just lost all interest in their company.

People who are blind will argue that it is our place to further the interests of people with disabilities to enhance equality and promote understanding. I have to say screw that! If a perspective employer needs to be assured that you need to walk up stairs when it’s your eyes that don’t work, not your legs is there really any point trying to convince him or her that you can independently work on his or her IT systems?

Just to finish, I said earlier that I plainly state that I’m blind on my CV. I want to expand on that a little. For any of you who are wondering about this, I don’t have it written in size 16 fonts with bold and underlined attributes to highlight it, I write it in a section for personal compandancies. My thinking is that “As I am Blind, I rely on memory for mobility and navigation more than most. This strengthened memory serves me in a number of areas……..” I expand on that of course, but if you want to know more, you will have to read my CV. Being unable to see isn’t the problem. It’s the attitude of a small subset of people to that difference that makes it a minor annoyance on occasion. With the right accessibility I can promise you that not only will I do the same as most people, I’ll aim to excel at it. I’d bet that the majority of people who have a vision impairment would say the same. We’re use to working harder to obtain access to systems and equipment that people who can see take for granted. We’re use to fighting for even the simplest things like getting into public buildings with our guide dogs. We’re use to fighting and working hard for what we need and what we want. In the end, that serves us and for the companies we work for, I believe it serves them too.

Detailed review of John McSherry’s latest CD: Soma.

Mar 12, 2010 |

Let me first say, I really loved this CD. Of course, my comments here are subjective and kind of critical unfortunately. But, non the less, I love John’s playing, and I think this CD is definitly going into my favorites collection.

Track 1. Wow! I love this slow air. It’s just really simple. It shows off the range of the pipes. Everything is also so balanced. I’ll agree with others who have commented on this CD online. It’s a really bold and daring way of starting a CD. But he not only pulls it off but I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts off a fad!

Track 2. Starts off with Hmm. Is that a bazoky? It’s accompanying the pipes. Of course, it goes together really well. But, it’s building up to the big finish for so long I’m left waiting for it. And in the second tune, I get some of it. It’s like a tease! He knows listeners are waiting for it. So, he leaves it just for another second longer just to build up the suspense. I’m loving the harmonies by the whistle in this. It’s really mixed too. A good use of stereo. Fiddle is in my left ear, plucking on the strings is also in my left, the bodhran is kind of centred, chords are in my right along with the pipes and the whistle is kind of in my right.

Track 3. All I could think of when I heard this track at the start was, I’ve heard these tunes a lot before. Michael McGoldrick has played them, Lunasa has too. And, I’d assume that considering Lunasa played them he’d steer clear. Just because there are so many similarities between the arrangements. And, after all, he was their piper for years until Niall Valldy stepped in. The tunes are played flawlessly. Again, like track 2, he leaves us waiting for the other instruments to join in. His drones and regulators sound fantastic. I have to also say that the bridge from the second to the third tune is really nice. Also, in the third tune, the chords on the guitar are nice and minimalistic but still carry the rhythm nicely. Oh, you know what I really love about this track though? The whistle continues on at the end with the harmony but it’s written so well that the harmony sounds like it could be a tune all on its own!

Track 4. Well, wow! I’m kind of impressed. That is on an A whistle I heard people say? It couldn’t be! Is it? It sounds too low to be a low A whistle. The air is nice. Not my personal taste, but it’s still very ……. nice.

Track 5. Now, that started with a bang. That’s a bit more like it. I don’t think his whistle playing packs as much as his pipe playing. He’s no doubt a fantastic player but I rather him on the pipes. The tune he’s picked here though is fantastic. I love the choppy rhythm. Oh wow. Is that drums I hear? And the pipes too! Now, this is what I want to hear! It just gives a little more punch to the music and varies the arrangement a little. In saying all that, I still like a tune to be a tune. What the fuck is that at the end of the track? It sounds like a broken record with some drunk dood blowing random notes on a whistle in the background! Sorry, I’m crewel. I know.

Track 6. Now, that sounds happy! The guitar sounds fantastic, the piping is tight, it’s punchy, not too complicated, and it’s intimate! I love tracks like this because it really gives the musician room to breathe and play around a little bit. I’m waiting for the inevitable bang where the other musicians come in but it doesn’t get there when I expect. I love that he’s kept me hanging again. He changes from a jig to a really nice real. The drones are prominent again and the guitar resumes its nice rhythmic seat right beside the melody. The third tune still has a smell of Lunasa from it. The way the fiddle joins him just one bar before the tune starts and the basy tones of the piano. It all sounds really like a Lunasa arrangement. Again, it’s not surprising. There are links and actually, it’s fantastic to see what he does with it.

Track 7. Nice skilled guitar playing. That’s not a guitar though. Sounds a bit like a bazoky. Nice rhythm and the whistle carry it off nicely. Like the bridge between the tunes in this track. It’s very ambient. The second part of the second tune makes me want to grab an instrument right away. Lovely progression and it all sits together really well.

Track 8. Wow. Another slow air? This is unusual. I’m liking it though. This is his CD. It’s his taste. It’s nice to see what he’s picking. Really nice use of reverb on it too. It’s not constant. In saying that, I’ve heard him play live with at first light. He puts a lot of thought into the sound of his slow airs. I should post a link to one of his videos some time. He lets the amplification work for him. It’s impressive.

Track 9. Nice start to it. I love the crans on the whistle. I can see why he picked it. But, I can’t help wondering why he didn’t play this on the pipes? It would have given the tune a bit more body. The second tune delivers on what is now a common theme in this CD. It’s tempo changes, we’ve been joined by the fiddle, and the guitar is relaxed into its fantastic rhythmic playing. We’re getting a little bit of electric guitar here too but it’s really subtle. Great use of stereo. During the third tune, things get a little plainer but the pipes come in. I think I would have personally liked to hear the pipes come in with the regulators in the background. The energy of the tune has dissipated a little bit because of it. Maybe though this was planned as in the fourth tune, we’re getting really cool strong bassy piano playing with strings bruing up a storm. The fiddle and pipes are going mad at it too. So, the energy is well and truly back. I love when the guitar and piano jell so well together.

Track 10. Yep, you’ve guessed it. The whistle takes us in. But wait! It’s different. No guitar. We’ve piano instead. It’s subtle and it’s in the background. In my oh so humble opinion, the stereo on this track is a little over done. The whistle is on my left and the piano is on my right. It’s making me dizzy. There should be a little bit of cross over there to even things out. John McSherry does for tempo changes what Simon Cowel does for key changes. a temp change no longer becomes all that much of a difference when it’s done in almost every track. I suppose, it could be said that the airs bring things back to basics just enough to allow him some room to do this but I wonder, do people agree with me that it’s a little over done. In saying that, I love the tune, I love the whistle harmony. It’s mixed so that it feels like the whistle is floating above the rest of the music. Really nicely done.

And, that’s the end.
That’s all folks.

The Mad For Trad stream is now available.

Mar 12, 2010 |

People have been asking me to put an on demand stream of Mad For Trad up for months now. Sorry I’m only getting around to it now, I had other issues to work out before I could even consider working on this.

So, Here goes: This should be available every week now.

This weeks Mad For Trad featured music from Aselin Debison, Nancie Ker, Moving hearts, Mairin Fahy, Toss the Feathers, Dave Donohoe and Tony Daverin, Robbie Harris, celtic Tenners, davy Spillan, Niall and Cillian Vallely, and others.

We also spoke to Kerrie Doyle and she tells us about Nancie Ker and what drew her to Nancy’s singing.

Click Here to listen to the archive ofMad For Trad from the 6th March 2010.

More carparking spaces in Drogheda train station is a bad idea.

Mar 9, 2010 |

In 2006, 58.15% of people in Drogheda were in employment, 7.67% were unemployed, 8.10% were students, 5.10% were unable to work due to health issues and 10.11% were retired. A large percentage of those in work are commuting to Drogheda as verified by the Drogheda Borough development plan 2005. I highlight this to give some idea of the sheer number of people availing of the services provided by Irish rail.
Figures obtained from: http://www.towns-ireland.com/category/commuting/

In the development plan for Drogheda Borough written in 2005 and updated in September 2009, the need for public transport was referenced a number of times. The need for sustainable and scalable public transport options were defined as a high priority and it seemed from the report that it was recognized that it was the only sustainable method of catering for the acknowledged increasing level of traffic on Drogheda’s roads.
Information obtained from: http://www.louthcoco.ie%2Fdownloads%2FReports%2FDevelopmentPlans%2FDBCDevPlan2011-2015%2FDrogheda%2520Managers%2520Report.pdf&rct=j&q=percentage+of+commuters+drogheda&ei=GeKQS-7tKcSOjAfg_ImCCw&usg=AFQjCNGtsz12JpfSlpo2gnHScdNDj0sm8A Page 25 and 26.

I was therefore shocked to see in an article in the Drogheda independent dated Wednesday 3rd March 2010 reporting that Irish rail had been given planning permission to construct a new car park on the Marsh road to cater for an extra one hundred parking spaces. Surely the existing congestion on the Dublin road, the Marsh road and Poor house lain is proof enough that even the current amount of traffic generated by the train station is not sustainable.
Source of article: http://www.drogheda-independent.ie/news/extra-parking-for-rail-station-2086898.html

In place of constructing more car parking spaces I propose an expansion of the public transport system in Drogheda to include servicing the train station. A bus running regularly to and from the train station would I believe be preferable to most over using a car and would provide a number of benefits to Irish rail and Drogheda Borough council. these benefits also comply with current transport 2021 ambitions for Dublin city including:

• Sustainable: Less congestion on main roads at peak times.
• Greener: more environmentally friendly.
• Scalable: As the demand for trains increases so too can the frequency of the connecting public transport.
• Cost effective: The running cost of feeder busses servicing both the bus and train station will increase the attractiveness of both forms of public transport.

Drogheda would not be the first to use public transport in conjunction with feeder busses to enhance the accessibility of commuter services. Limerick, Cork, Connolly, Huston, and even smaller stations such as Clontarf in Dublin utilize public transport to reduce the dependency for passengers on private transport.

Taking Clontarf in Dublin as the primary example of how such a system works, A feeder bus running every 15 minutes during peak times services both the local business park and the station. IN addition to this, a number of Dublin bus services including the 104 and the 130 regularly service the station and stop in local areas. As a result, the car park in Clontarf station is very small in comparison to that currently used in Drogheda. Furthermore, even during peak times, the Clontarf and the Alphy Byrne roads both accessible from the train station are not hindered by the very high volume of people who avail of this service.

I would hope that instead of compounding the issues that Drogheda experiences every day in relation to road congestion the people responsible for this decision seriously consider my proposal.

Are you ready to go mad?

Mar 5, 2010 |

Go Mad For Trad tomorrow night at 7PM GMT, 2PM Eastern and 11AM Pacific.

Just tune in to http://trad.digitaldarragh.com/madfortrad.m3u for all the Traddy goodness.

We’ll have some great Irish music all the way from Canada. Believe me, you don’t want to miss this girls voice. It’s just fantastic. And you won’t believe me when I tell you the best thing of all. …… You’ll have to wait until Tomorrow, saturday the 6th of March.

Do you have any requests? Get them in! I’ll find anything you can throw at me in the Irish traditional scope.

Add me to messenger at darragh@digytek.com
Skype me by adding digitaldarragh
Or call or text me with your requests at 0877670464.

Hope to see you then.