Why Won't the "F" Keys On My Keyboard Work?

I try to use F1 for help or F11 to make my browser full screen and nothing happens. My adaptive software is going crazy! What can I do?

My guess is that you have a newer Microsoft or Logitech keyboard. These have something called an "F Lock" key located just above the number keypad on the right side of the keyboard. It allows your Function keys to do more than one operation. If you could see the small print you'd notice, the top side of the keys probably say "Print", "Undo", "Save", "Reply", etc. while F11 and such are on the front. You may have an indicator light that comes on when you are in normal "F" mode.

When you boot up your computer the F Lock key is off so the keys use their "enhanced" function. What that means is that every time you boot up you need to hit the F Lock key for your Function keys to act normally. Microsoft offers no way to change this setting.

The Miracle of Braille Music

In 1987 the Music Braille Committee of the World Blind Union decided to update the existing Manual of Braille Music Notation and to try to bring the major library music services together. A conference held in 1990 lead to the formation of a small consortium; FNB (Amsterdam), SBS (Zurich), ONCE (Spain), and the RNIB (UK). Together these four music braille libraries decided to build a central catalogue representing their holdings.

Over a period of six years the consortium defined its cataloguing rules based on AACR and ISBD, using Smeraglia Rules and the Groves New International Dictionary of Music and Musicians as the authority file. The resulting catalogue "the International Braille Music Catalogue" was based on non-standard software.

In 1996 the New International Manual of Braille Music Notation was published. In the following year the CANTATE project produced a system which linked music catalogues and databases of digital scores. It was natural to bring these two standard based systems together. The resulting MIRACLE project, supported by the European Commission Telematics Applications Programme (Phase 4), incorporated the four original partners, together with the Danish Library for the Blind and Regione Toscana Stamperia Braille as associate partners.

The EU-funded project began in January 1999 and formally ended in January 2001. With the encouragement of the European Commission, though without further subsidy, corresponding members have joined the project from Canada, USA, Italy, South Africa, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Finland and Sweden.

The basic idea behind the MIRACLE project is simple. Blind musicians around the world need Braille music. Music is sufficiently international to cross borders. Braille music is very expensive to produce, therefore anything that will reduce the amount of duplication is to be desired. It makes sense then to set up a system in which all music braille libraries can know what the other libraries have in stock and are producing. They should then be able to get the braille from each other at rates that are substantially less than producing the piece all over again. Where pieces are held as digital files it should be possible to send these to each other over the internet.

Now it is possible to browse and search the catalogues of four libraries for the blind (FNB-The Netherlands, RNIB-UK, ONCE-Spain, SBS-Switzerland), and it is also possible to download those files that are digitally available. In this way libraries do not only know what is available in other countries but they can also request files that they then do not have to produce themselves. Braille music is labour intensive and complex to produce and by sharing resources a lot of time and money can be saved.

The creation of a worldwide virtual library of music braille files should make a dramatic difference to the services offered to visually impaired clients needing access to music in alternative formats. The partners are committed to maintaining and developing this practical service.

Further details about the activities of the MIRACLE Group can be obtained from:

FNB
Molenpad 2
1016 GM Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Phone: +31 0486 486 486
Fax: +31 6208459
Email: projects@fnb.nl
Web: http://projects.fnb.nl/miracle/default.htm

Tips On How to Conduct Yourself at an Office Party

Office parties are a strange mix of holiday cheer and office politics. If you're careful, you may be able to avoid most office party faux pas.

1. Plan to go to the party. Even if office parties are not your cup of tea, you're part of the group and need to make an appearance.
   
   
2. Find out before the party what most people are wearing. You don't want to show up in a casual outfit if everyone else is dressed to the nines. Make sure your spouse or date has this information.
   
   
3. Be conservative in your dress if you are a woman. Shockingly short dresses or plunging necklines are not appropriate for this type of business occasion.
   
   
4. Get to the party on time, or shortly after it starts. Even if you only stay a short time, this is better than "popping in" at the end of the evening.
   
   
5. Be sure to acknowledge all of your co-workers, bosses and associates. Introduce your spouse or date, and include the spouses or dates of others in your conversations.
   
   
6. Avoid drinking too much. Over-indulging may be the number one cause of inappropriate remarks and behavior at office parties. Remember, you have to face all these people when you go back to work, so leave a good impression.
   
   
7. Avoid pigging out. Loading up your plate, grabbing handfuls of hors d'oeuvres or shoving down chips and clam dip does not present a flattering image.
   
   
8. Go along with games or other arranged activities.
   
   
9. Save gift-giving for another time unless everyone is exchanging gifts at the party. If you begin handing out gifts to your boss or associate when no one else is exchanging gifts, people will be uncomfortable.
   
   
10. Be sure to thank the host or hostess before you leave the party. If the company paid for the party, thank your boss or the person in the office who arranged the party.

If you know you will be partaking of alcoholic beverages, eat a little something before you go to the party, or have some food when you get there (before you start drinking).

Before you bring your spouse or a date, make sure he or she is invited.

Try to avoid office gossip at the company party. You never know who may be standing within earshot.

If "gag gifts" are to be exchanged, keep the humor tasteful. Remember that spouses and possibly even children may be present, and what you may view as a lighthearted sexual or scatalogical joke could be an embarrassment to others.

Dare to have fun. Don't go crazy, but do wear an outfit that you look stunning in. Who cares if you are the last one on the dance floor, as long as you are the first one at the office on Monday? They already know that you can work hard, now show them that you can play hard, too. Live a little! Put the "party" back into "office party!"

Remember when you attend an office party, Less is More! Don't marinate yourself in cologne! You may not be able to smell it, but rest assured, everyone else can. A little spritz in the air above you (not hosing yourself down) is more then enough.

ButterWizard

The ButterWizard keeps your stick of butter at the optimum temperature for soft, easy spreading.

Previously, folks kept a stick of butter in a butter dish on the kitchen counter. Depending on fluctuations in room temperature, or if it took some heat from the oven, it might get too soft, or too firm.

Powered by its nickel-metal hydride batteries, the ButterWizard never lets your butter get too soft or too firm. When finished at the dinner table, return the ButterWizard to its charging base.

Click this link to learn more about the ButterWizard: http://www.butterwizard.com.

Ring4Freedom

Have you ever been trapped in a conversation with an annoying person and prayed that your phone would ring to give you "an out"?

Well, Ring4Freedom has answered your prayers!

Ring4Freedom is software that will ring your cell or desk phone at your command. Simply press the hotkey and your phone will ring instantly. Download Ring4Freedom now and say "hello" to the person calling you and "gotta roll" to annoying colleagues, boring meetings, and uncomfortable conversations. Click this link to Ring4Freedom: http://www.ring4freedom.com!

How to Winterize The Family Car

You may not drive the family car but you can help prepare it for wenter.

Winter can be rough on cars, so unless you live in a warm or moderate climate, here's a list of things you can do to make sure the family vehicle is ready for the coldest of seasons.

1. Don't put off a 30,000-mile full service, if your car is due.
   
   
2. Flush the cooling system and replace the coolant.
   
   
3. Replace the windshield wiper blades. Consider winter wiper blades, the frames are rubber covered, making it easier to remove snow and ice. The wiping edges are also heavier.
4. Put windshield washer fluid in the windshield washer reservoir (plain water will freeze).
   
   
5. Have the battery serviced (clean the battery terminal ends and add water) and load-tested to check its ability to hold a charge. Most local parts stores can load test your battery/charging system quickly and for FREE!If the battery is more than 4 1/2 years old, replace it.
   
   
6. Use a tire gauge to check the tire pressure. Air contracts with cold, and the tires may become low as the temperature drops.
   
   
7. Make sure there is air in the spare tire and that all the proper tire-changing equipment is in the trunk.
   
   
8. Make sure the tires are in good condition. If you are not sure what this means, ask a mechanic (in a shop that doesn't sell tires) for an opinion.
   
   
9. Check the lights, heater and defroster.
   
   
10. Keep the gas tank as full as possible to prevent moisture from freezing in the gas lines.
    
    
11. Get a brake check if you haven't had one in the last six months.
    
    
12. Put together an emergency winter kit for the trunk of your car: blanket, extra boots and gloves, ice scraper, small snow shovel, radio, flashlight and kitty litter (for traction when stuck in the snow). Sand attracts moisture and will freeze solid, don't depend on it for traction. Put a small coffee can with a roll of toilet paper or paper towels in your trunk. Add matches and votive candles. Add pre-bagged trail mix. Consider a laser pointer for signaling other motorists in an emergency.
13. Keep an extra magnifyer in your glove compartment for reading instructions or dials.
    
    
14. About a month before it gets cold, have your car waxed liberally (or do it yourself). This way, in the winter, less snow will be on your car and it will also protect your paint!

Before starting your car in very cold weather, turn your headlights on for 30 seconds. Turn them off, and then start your car. This will heat your battery, making it more efficient in cold situations.

CardAvenue: Buy, Sale, and Trade Gift Cards and Gift Certificates

Do you still have that gift card that your grandma gave you last year? You know you'll never use it. Why not trade it for something you will use?

CardAvenue is the industry leader for gift card exchange and gift card auctions.

At CardAvenue gift card swap and auction transactions are protected by Cardcowboy balance verification on most cards valued at over $100. For gift cards valued less than $100 all transactions are secured with a $10 deductible.

Registration is free and you can setup your gift cards wish list in minutes. After setting up your wish list you can make all of your unwanted gift certificates available for trade on CardAvenue.com.

Why trade your gift cards instead of just auctioning them?

You can trade gift cards at equal face value on CardAvenue.com. If you know you are going to spend the value of your card at one of your favorite retailers, you can probably get more store credit on a gift card than you can cash in an auction. Gift card auctions are also available, because after all, cash is the most universal tender without an expiration date.

Gift cards and gift certificates are expected to appear on half of all holiday wish lists this year according to a survey on gift cards by the National Retail Federation. The term gift certificate is now commonly used interchangeably with gift card. The distinction between the two was originally in the added ability to refill for re-use, and even reissue modern gift cards - features previously absent from traditional gift certificates. Be sure to read the specifics of each card listing before bidding or trading so you understand the redemption requirements and rules. The term gift card and gift certificate are used interchangeably throughout CardAvenue service descriptions.

Click this link to visit CardAvenue.com.

A Website of Word Oddities and Trivia

This website is maintained by Jeff Miller, a teacher at Gulf High School in New Port Richey, Florida and gives great information about words.

Imagine having tons of words to use in your next game of Scrabble. You can learn really long words, words that have uncommon double letters; triple letters; and even quadruple letters, Palindromes, and much more!

Click this link to view nineteen pages of Word Oddities and Trivia: http://members.aol.com/gulfhigh2/words.html.

Braille Bullets?

Message: I am Brailling a formal document, with a list that I would ordinarily put bullets in front of. Is there some kind of symbol in Braille that serves the same purpose, or do I simply make the list? Also, with MS Word, people often put headings in bold font. Is the italics Braille symbol the best way to do this, or is there some other symbol? Thanks for any ideas.

If you're doing a "formal" document, here are the quotes from Braille Formats (See http://www.brl.org)

The rules say you probably don't need the bullets in the list. Rule 7 Section 2a3 of Braille Formats says:

"3) Bullets, hollow dots, check marks, and other signs printed before each listed item solely for visual effect must be ignored in braille".

As for bold headings, Rule 3, Section 12 says the following:

"Special typefaces ignored. Ignore special typefaces for the following. Chapter titles and other headings except paragraph headings".

Many braille readers find excessive emphasis a pain to read. However if you really want the bullets there, use dots 3 6, 3 6 followed by a space.

Audio News To Go

OdiogoT - short for "Audio News To Go" is a Windows application that extracts blog posts or articles from news sites (such as The New York Times, CNN, and The Wall Street Journal) and converts them to light audio files in seconds. The files can then easily be uploaded to any MP3 player. This gives users anytime, anywhere access to their favorite printed news content.

Many articles and blog posts available on the Web today can be read through third-party websites such as Google and Yahoo! thanks to the standard distribution format, RSS. Odiogo converts the content on any website containing RSS feeds into small audio files using cutting-edge text-to-speech technology. Unlike many of its predecessors, this new breed of artificial intelligence technology observes punctuation and more natural speech patterns to provide a better quality listening experience.

OdiogoT comes with 200 preinstalled news feeds including The New York Times, CNN, Time, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, BBC, and Rolling Stone. Users can also easily add feeds beyond Odiogo's list; any website that provides an RSS feed can be podcasted via OdiogoT. Every page of text converts, on average, into a 2 MB audio file, allowing approximately 256 articles to be stored on a 512 MB MP3 player.

OdiogoT requires a PC running Windows XP or 2000 with at least 128 MB memory and 5 GB hard drive space. Having installed the software, users simply select their desired news feeds (e.g. San Francisco Chronicle Business section; BBC Health section etc) using the "Feeds" button, click "Refresh" to start downloading the latest articles from the selected feeds and convert them into MP3 files, and, lastly, drag and drop the MP3 files produced by Odiogo into Apple iTunes or any other MP3 program.

OdiogoT can be purchased securely online at www.odiogo.com, by mail, or over the phone at 1-415-412-7270. Purchase includes email support as well as a 15-day money-back guarantee.

No More Error Reports

Every time I have a problem with this one program, a little window pops up and asks me to report the error to Microsoft. Sometimes this window can get in the way, preventing JAWS from properly reading the screen. There is a way to stop this window from popping up, read on for the answer.

To get rid of that pesky window, right-click the My Computer icon on your desktop and choose Properties.

In the System Properties window that appears, go to the Advanced tab and click Error Reporting.

You have a few options. You could Disable error reporting. This will make any crashing program's window simply close itself. Poof! No explanation of what happened.

You could also click But Notify Me When Critical Errors Occur, but it might be even safer (and less confusing down the road) if you select Enable Error Reporting and Choose Programs to exclude only your commonly crashing program.

Click OK until you're back to your desktop, and that error reporting window shouldn't bother you when using that particularly touchy program any longer!

The ABCs of My Programs

Remember when your computer was new and all the programs were listed in alphabetical order? Don't you wish there was a way to alphabetize all the programs under Start/Programs?

There is a way, and it's easier than you think.

1. Click the Start button, then Programs. Highlight any program group (i.e. menu item) that's listed there.
   
2. Now, just right-click, or use the Applications key and select Sort by name from the resulting menu.
   

That's it. Remember that you can still cut and paste program groups around if you want to manually specify which ones sit at the top of the list.

The Fred's Head Companion Newsletter

So, you really like the Fred's Head database? Are you one of those folks who click on the link to see the most recent entries? Do you find yourself visiting the Fred's Head Companion page everyday to see what's new? Would you like a way to get the new articles in your email? Thanks to the Fred's Head Companion newsletter you can!

In order to sign up for the Fred's Head Companion Newsletter, you must do the following:

1. Visit the Fred's Head Companion page at http://www.FredsHeadCompanion.blogspot.com, or click the "Our Blog! Read the Fred's Head Companion" link from the Fred's Head start page.
   
   
2. Under the heading "Receive Posts by Email" look for the box labeled "Subscribe to the Fred's Head Companion feed ". If you are using a screen reader, you can press the letter "e" twice and you should be taken directly to the edit box.
   
   
3. Enter your email address in the box.

That's it. You should receive a confirmation email and the newsletter will be delivered daily to your In Box. Fred's Head Companion articles are also available through an RSS feed, as well as a podcast. You can find more details on these features by visiting the Companion page.

Find Medical Information in The Merck Manuals

Basically this site has all of the Merck Manuals available online for free, which means a lot of medical information you can use to make informed decisions. You can access two reference books for patients and caregivers, The Merck Manual Second Home Edition and The Merck Manual of Health and Aging.

The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, The Merck Manual of Geriatrics, and the Merck Manual of Veterinarians are also available on this site, but they contain more technical information for healthcare professionals. They might be useful to look up more about a specific condition or test if you already know the basics from the "for-patients" books.

The Merck Manual Second Home Edition covers topics such as Accidents, Children's Health Issues, Fundamentals, Special Subjects, and Women's Health Issues, only to name a handful. Special Subjects included sections about alternative medicine, diseases of unknown cause, surgery, and medical decision making.

The Merck Manual of Health and Aging organizes 66 chapters into 4 sections: fundamentals of aging, caring for yourself and others, medical conditions, and even social, legal, and ethical issues. This section discusses how you can properly care for yourself, your children, and your family. The manual discusses how the body ages and what kind of care you need to give it.

These useful manuals put a lot of information at our fingertips. I looked up some symptoms I am having, and the manual provided me with direct questions to ask my doctor. I can go to my doctor's office better informed and have an idea of what to expect. If I don't understand something after my appointment, I can look up any tests or medical terms later.

Now, does this give you the information you need to run out and treat your neighbor's problems? No, these are online for research purposes, and to help you be better informed. They are not designed to be a replacement for your family doctor.

Click this link to view the Merck Manuals: http://www.merck.com/pubs

Bowling Breakthrough

Tenpin bowling is a social activity that most people enjoy quite regularly nowadays.

The first time I tried it was in my teen years when my brothers took me to Hollywood Bowls in Brizlington in Bristol. This was quite a memorable experience because they kept trying to position me in the right place to throw the bowl straight down the middle and it never reached the pins!

I had a few failed turns before a member of staff came along to tell us that I could use the barriers to help the bowl reach the pins. The barriers would automatically come into place for my turn and then go down for everyone else's turns. This was news to us and I was surprised to see an improvement in my game as small as it was.

Although I have always been bowling with my friends and family ever since, I was never really a good player. That is until I joined the team of visually impaired bowlers in the summer of 2005.

It still makes me laugh to remember how much everyone else on that team joked about my bowling technique, or lack of it as the case was! I even became known as "the barrier queen" for a while and I'm sure they miss that now because they still refer to it every now and then.

After a lot of advice and coaching from just about everyone, I slowly began to improve my bowling technique which was seen as a miracle to most!

I got told everything from how to stand with my right leg behind my left one, to try standing sideways to throw across my legs, to practice my swing and test my aim before throwing, and so on.

The majority of my success is credited to a friend's mum who goes bowling with us every Tuesday. My gratitude is endless because I would never have improved if she hadn't put so much time and effort into helping me get it right. She even shared games with me to get us a better score while teaching me how to perform better at the same time. She rescued me from all the shame and embarrassment of being the worst player while everyone else was so great and I will forever be thankful for that!

I am now able to play a good game on most weeks and usually score between 100 and 115 which is a huge step up from the 50 or so that I use to score with great difficulty in the recent past!

I know that to most people this story might sound trivial, but I believe that it is important for visually impaired people to do the things they enjoy doing regardless of how visual they may be. It is too easy to give up trying when there are so many barriers holding us back, but the feeling that one experiences after achieving high can only be properly understood when it is directly experienced firsthand. Experience has shown me that it is this exact feeling of achievement that keeps me going on to face and conquer other potential drawbacks.

For me personally, breaking down one barrier despite its size gives me hope and determination with regards to future barriers that I know I will have to deal with throughout my life as a visually impaired individual.

Bowling rails are available for purchase from:

American Blind Bowling Association
315 N. Main St.
Houston, PA 15342
Phone/Fax: 724-745-5986

Contributor: Anela Naz

Get Sticky with Sticky Keys

I love using keyboard shortcuts. It's quick and makes me look like I'm a pro or something. However, I realize that many of you like to keep one hand on the mouse, so those three key combos are out. How about a way to type one key at a time rather than all at once?

This feature is called "Sticky Keys" and gives you a delay between key strokes when doing a keyboard shortcut. Let's say you want to copy something-rather than hold down Ctrl + C you can type Ctrl then C. Ready to get sticky? Here's what to do...

Head over to the Control Panel (Click Start / Settings / Control Panel ) and select "Accessibility Options".

On the "Keyboard" Tab, place a check in the checkbox next to "Use Sticky Keys".

Click OK to close the Accessibility Options window.

Now you can do combos a key at a time. Yeah!

Saving Unfinished Email Messages

How can I "hold" an unfinished email to send later? I use Outlook Express.

Whether it's a telemarketer or a "Clunk!" and suspicious giggling from the next room, life's interruptions don't mean you have to start writing your message again from scratch. From the composing email window, select File, then Save. A window will appear to tell you that it has been saved to your draft folder. When you come back to your computer, open the drafts folder and take up writing that message where you stopped!

Saving Unfinished Email Messages

How can I "hold" an unfinished email to send later? I use Outlook Express.

Whether it's a telemarketer or a "Clunk!" and suspicious giggling from the next room, life's interruptions don't mean you have to start writing your message again from scratch. From the composing email window, select File, then Save. A window will appear to tell you that it has been saved to your draft folder. When you come back to your computer, open the drafts folder and take up writing that message where you stopped!

Cyber Security Bulletins for Your Computer

There are several records in this database on how to keep your computer free of viruses, spam, and phishers. Now I have a site where you can keep up-to-date on all the latest computer threats.

Cyber Security Bulletins, from the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team, provide weekly summaries of security issues and new vulnerabilities. They also provide patches, workarounds, and other actions to help mitigate risk. The site offers the bulletins in weekly emails, or through their RSS feed. Click this link to see the latest Cyber Security Bulletins: http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/bulletins/index.html.

Pricelessware Software for Your Computer

I don't know about you but I love free stuff, especially free computer stuff. I found a site that contains a list of free computer software, and it's just waiting for you to download it.

The Pricelessware list is a compilation of software collected through a yearly vote by the participants of the "alt.comp.freeware" newsgroup. It is a list of what people have voted as "the best of the best in Freeware".

The software listed on the site is commonly referred to as "Pricelessware", a term given with great respect and thanks to the authors of these programs for giving us such wonderful quality freeware. I can't guarantee that everything will be screen reader friendly, but you never know what you'll find until you take a look.

Click this link to get some free computer software: http://www.pricelessware.org/thelist/.

A Tutorial for Microsoft's ActiveSync

You just received your new portible notetaker? I think congratulations are in order here! You will absolutely love the freedom your new device will bring, but you may find the Microsoft ActiveSync program a bit confusing.

I'm not sure how many of you are new to Windows Mobile devices, but a company called Aximsite has a tutorial for people new to ActiveSync.

This tutorial may help people understand how to set up ActiveSync, and to understand some of its limitations (i.e., limit of two computer partners, limit of one e-mail partner, and the lack of subfolder support for calendar, contacts and tasks). This is certainly an easy-to-follow guide to get yourself started. Click this link to view the ActiveSync tutorial from Aximsite: http://www.aximsite.com/articles/link.php?id=247.

Disk Cleanup: Open Up Some Space On Your Hard Drive!

Feel like giving your computer some elbow room to get work done a little faster? Don't want to remove any programs or files to do it?

Similar to the Scan Disk tool, Disk Cleanup is the Windows XP tool to speed up your computer by removing temporary files that might be cluttering up your disk space. Unlike Scan Disk, Disk Cleanup doesn't require rebooting your computer, and it gives you more control over what it throws away.

Before running Disk Cleanup, close all your running windows.

From the Start menu, choose All Programs, then Accessories, then System Tools, and (finally!) Disk Cleanup. Select the drive you want to clean, which is usually the C: drive. For a few moments or minutes, Disk Cleanup will survey the mess with its hands on its hips, shaking its head. Sorry, I couldn't help sharing my mental image. I mean to say, Disk Cleanup will assess your disk for a short time and open a window that tells you how much space you can make available by deleting different files.

I recommend unchecking "Downloaded Program Files". This folder can contain useful add-ins that you might miss in multiple programs. "Setup Log Files" is also best left undeleted in most cases.

If you scroll, or arrow down within the same window, you'll see "Temporary Files". Sometimes ScanDisk will incorrectly show that deleting "Temporary Files" will gain you zero Kb because it only counts files that are less than one to two weeks old. Leave "Catalog Files for the Content Indexer" unchecked. Then click "OK".

Another window will appear. Under the "More Options" tab, you'll see three options with "Clean Up" buttons. Look at the third one. If your system regularly saves System Restore Points, you can delete all but the most recent restore point to reclaim some more space. Click that "Clean Up" button, then "OK".

When you're done, you might want to defragment your cleaned-up disk to make the most of your new space.

Untangling the Wireless World

Gerald Weichbrodt - American Foundation For The Blind

These are certainly the days of portability. Cell phones, laptop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and MP3 players are all battery-powered devices that we can carry around with us to provide productivity and entertainment on the go. Many of these devices are able to communicate with other equipment, frequently without the need for wires. Wireless connectivity is all the rage, but the variety of wireless technologies can easily overwhelm you. Just what is Bluetooth good for? Do I need an infrared port on my PDA? How can I connect to the Internet without wires? The answers to all these questions can help you to select a portable computer, cell phone, or other device, but it can be difficult to sort out the pieces of the connectivity puzzle. This article removes some of the mystery from the strange-sounding names in the connectivity game. I begin by discussing infrared, a technology that has been in existence since the advent of modern television remote controls and has proved surprisingly useful in moving data between pieces of computer equipment. Then I explain Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Wimax, all of which use high-frequency radio waves to get the networking job done. Finally, I tell you a little about how to put the different technologies to use. Hang onto your keyboard. Here we go!

Infrared: The "Light" That Talks

Infrared wireless technology has been with us for many years. It is what permits your television remote control to turn your television on and off and to change channels. Infrared radiation is similar to visible light, but its wavelengths are too long for the human eye to see. The fact that infrared radiation is similar in wavelength to visible light means that it behaves much like visible light. Infrared tends to be "line of sight," which means that it does not transmit around corners well and does not pass through walls. This fact limits infrared's uses, but it also means that infrared signals are hard for someone at a distance to intercept.

Typically, a device that is capable of infrared communication will have a small lens that is located somewhere on its outer surface, in a place where it is fairly easy to aim the infrared port at other infrared-capable devices. Infrared ports usually have both a transmitter and a receiver, so that two gadgets can "talk" and "listen" at the same time.

So what is infrared used for in the world of today's portable devices? Well, actually, there are a surprising number of situations in which line-of-sight connections between devices can get the job done. Laptop computers and PDAs can transmit files back and forth just by having their infrared ports pointed roughly at each other (and having the right commands given to the two devices to start the data transfer). E-mail and address books can be synchronized between a portable computer and your desktop. Electronic "business cards" can be exchanged between computers without the need for cables. There are also microphones, headsets, modems, and printers that can be connected using infrared links. Where the distances are relatively short and direct, infrared is a solid, reliable, and secure option for a variety of communications.

Bluetooth: The Networker from the North

Bluetooth was the nickname of a Viking king of the early 900s. King Bluetooth is famous for having unified the people of the Danish region of Europe. Bluetooth is now also the name of a short-range wireless technology that is intended to "unify" (or, at least, connect) electronic devices into little networks that cooperate automatically.

Bluetooth is amazing for its flexibility and ease of use. Put a Bluetooth headset near a Bluetooth cell phone, and the two will strike up a conversation, allowing the headset to act as the mouth- and earpiece for the cell phone--all with no wires and low transmitter power, as little as a milliwatt. Put a Bluetooth computer near a Bluetooth printer, and the two will recognize each other and know how to handle printing your latest novel. Bluetooth devices cooperate by forming little networks of from two to eight devices, with one network member acting as the main controller or "master." This master invites other Bluetooth devices in the area to join the network as "slaves." Again, all this happens automatically, with minimal setup on the user's part. Clearly, Bluetooth permits equipment to connect for a wide variety of purposes. As the newer and faster Bluetooth version 2.0 standard becomes widespread, it is likely that more audio components and household appliances will be able to work together wirelessly over Bluetooth.

You Talk Too Much

The downside of Bluetooth, ironically, is also its greatest strength: its readiness to strike up a conversation with any other Bluetooth device in the area. Go to a crowded place with your Bluetooth-equipped cell phone, and you may find that someone else's headset is suddenly connected to your phone. Of course, you, too, could find your own Bluetooth equipment unexpectedly connecting to someone else's equipment as well. This is radio, after all, and radio signals do not always do what you expect.

Wi-Fi: Networking Without Wires

Wi-Fi stands for "wireless fidelity." Wi-Fi is a set of high-frequency radio standards for networking computer equipment over distances of up to a few hundred feet. Wi-Fi has some similarities to Bluetooth in that it also uses high-frequency radio signals to connect devices. However, Wi-Fi is used more specifically to create local area networks (LANs), such as are used in offices, or to permit home computers to share files, printers, or Internet connections. Where network cables or telephone lines have traditionally been used to connect a computer to a LAN or the Internet, Wi-Fi offers a more flexible option. Wi-Fi has become so popular as a way to get on the Internet that many businesses and communities have set up Wi-Fi connection points, known as "hot spots," as a service to their customers and visitors. The term Wi-Fi was coined by an organization called the Wi-Fi Alliance, which certifies Wi-Fi products for their compliance with its standards. As Wi-Fi standards have evolved, several variations or "flavors" of Wi-Fi have developed. This is an important point because it affects whether a Wi-Fi device will be able to work on any particular Wi-Fi network.

Security Is Vital!

Many people use Wi-Fi to form their home computers into small networks. It is important to ensure the privacy of such a network by using one of the available privacy techniques, such as wired equivalent privacy (WEP) or Wi-Fi protected access (WPA). WEP is widely available, but it is significantly more vulnerable to eavesdropping than is the newer WPA. As you can imagine, the more you use your wireless connection, the more prone it is to eavesdropping. A newer refined encryption standard, known as IEEE 802.11i or WPA2, was ratified as a draft standard in June 2004. It uses improved encryption compared to WPA and was designed specifically to address the weaknesses of WEP. At this writing, however, it is difficult to find products that feature support for WPA2, so WPA seems to be the security standard of choice at present.

Wimax: Wireless Broadband in the Works

Wimax is a coalition of players in the wireless networking business. Like the Wi-Fi Alliance, this group has worked to advance standards in wireless networking, but in the case of Wimax, the intent is to develop standards for access to broadband networks over longer distances--up to 30 miles. Wimax is considered to be a particularly attractive option for providing Internet access to rural areas, where cable and other wired options may be hard to come by. However, Wimax products are only beginning to appear, and it remains to be seen just what role Wimax will play in the overall wireless networking game.

Making the Connection

I have described a number of types of wireless connectivity. Now I will discuss how a person may take advantage of these different networking options.

Infrared ports have been available on computers, especially laptops and, more recently, PDAs, for several years. They are usually built into a device and use a lens on the surface of the case to talk to other devices. Other infrared-compliant appliances generally have the infrared built in, and the devices generally need to point roughly toward one another to communicate. You should be able to tell if a piece of equipment includes an infrared port by reading the system's specifications. Infrared is used a lot to share files and contact information between computers. For example, businesspeople in a conference room will often pass documents to one another via their infrared ports. Infrared can offer a quick connection to a printer as well. An interesting application of infrared is the program being developed for the Freedom Scientific PAC Mate PDA that will allow it to act as a television remote control, taking us full circle to where infrared began, in a way.

Bluetooth is truly the no-muss, no-fuss option for connecting equipment that has a reason to work together. You could think of Bluetooth as being, for portable devices, what plug-and-play was supposed to be for the personal computer. Bluetooth-capable equipment, such as telephones and headsets, typically have the Bluetooth capability built in and included in the specifications. Add-on Bluetooth cards may or may not be needed to add Bluetooth to a computer. HumanWare's BrailleNote PK has Bluetooth capability built in, while Freedom Scientific's PAC Mate can have Bluetooth added by using a CompactFlash plug-in card.

If you want to build a network of computers without stringing wires, then Wi-Fi is the obvious choice. Wi-Fi is usually an optional add-on for computers. Several companies sell plug-in Wi-Fi cards. For home networking purposes, a device, such as a wireless router, is generally needed to connect to the Internet and to give the computer something to connect to. As I mentioned earlier, it is important to pay attention to what types of Wi-Fi are supported by a card or router. Read equipment specifications carefully to ensure that the devices that you want to communicate with each other are capable of the needed type of connection and wireless security protocol. This way, your connection will work effectively and will be protected from anyone in the vicinity who may want to listen in on your network.

Wimax is still a while off as an option for most of us, and it remains to be seen just how effective it will be as a long-distance networking option. Your best bet is probably to keep up with the news and the electronics catalogs and web sites to see what role Wimax will play in the years ahead.

Wireless connectivity is popular both in freeing us from our desks and in reducing the unsightly clutter of crisscrossing bundles of wires. As with older wireless media, such as radios and cell phones, we need to ensure that the connections we set up are effective and that we are avoiding unwanted eavesdropping and interference. One thing is sure: Wireless options will only increase in the years ahead.

For More Information

Here are some web sites with good information on wireless networking:

• <www.whatis.com> contains definitions and background articles for all the wireless technologies discussed in this article.
• <www.wi-fiplanet.com> contains business information and articles on Wi-Fi and Wimax.
• <www.networkworld.com> contains late-breaking news and articles on networking technologies and concepts.
• <www.wikipedia.org>, a user-edited, free-of-charge encyclopedia, contains remarkably in-depth articles on the different networking standards.

Contributor: American Foundation for the Blind

Create A TinyURL

Have you ever found a cool product on the web and wanted to share it with a friend? Were you discouraged to find that the URL was extremely long? Imagine trying to share a web address like:

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?searchtype=address&country=US&add tohistory=&searchtab=home&address=&city=irvine&state=ca&zipcode=?

You have to be careful when sharing long URLs, they can wrap around to a new line and not work properly in some email programs. Imagine trying to share that URL over the phone!

There is a website that can help you "shrink" those long URLs down to size. TinyURL automatically squishes any long URL into a permanent, smaller URL that you can easily share with others.

The whole process is simple:

1. Copy any long URL to your clipboard.
   
   
2. Point your web browser to http://tinyurl.com.
   
   
3. Paste that long URL into the box on the TinyURL web site.
   
   
4. Click on the "Make TinyURL" button.
   
   
5. Copy the resulting shortened URL and share it with others.

For example, using TinyURL I can turn that really long MapQuest URL into something MUCH shorter: http://tinyurl.com/dw5kx.

Better still, TinyURL also has a free "bookmarklet" that lets you add a TinyURL button to your browser that cuts that five step process down to one step: Anytime you are on a page whose URL you'd like to smush, just click on the TinyURL button in your web browser. No cutting and pasting. TinyURL automatically smushes that long URL. This feature may be somewhat difficult for screen readers because the button appears on the tool bar of your browser.

I probably use TinyURL half a dozen times a day. It has helped me share long links with friends and co-workers.

There are other sites that will assist you in shrinking down URLs, check out the following sites:

http://microurl.com
http://makeashorterlink.com

SnipURL

SnipURL provides the same service as TinyURL. Using SnipURL is easy as pie. All you have to do is dump the address into the box and select the Snip URL button. That's it!

If you want to take advantage of all of SnipURL's features, you are going to need to create a user account, which takes two seconds to fill out with no sensitive information being traded. Once you see the features it has to offer, you'll understand why this account will be so valuable..

So if you're somebody that is always working with links, this may be a service you want to check out. It could make your life a little easier anyway.

Click this link to visit SnipURL.com.

Removing The Windows Login Prompt

I am the only user name on my computer. How can I skip the user login step?

For security reasons, it can be a good idea to leave this be. However, if saving time is important to you, try the following:

Go to "Start" and choose "Run". In the dialog box, type "control userpasswords2" (without the quotes) and click "OK"

Under the "Users" tab, uncheck the box "Users must enter a user name..." and click "Apply".

You'll be asked for your Administrative password. If you have one, type it in and confirm. If you don't, just click "OK". The windows may disappear automatically, or click "OK" to close them.

The next time you boot up your computer, you shouldn't have to log in.

What does "IP" stand for?

Outside the computer world, IP sometimes stands for Intellectual Property.

In computer lingo, IP stands for "Internet Protocol". You'll often see it paired with TCP, "Transmission Control Protocol." Together, TCP/IP allow two different computers to talk back and forth over the internet.

Every computer and server (email servers, IP hosts) has an IP address.The IP address acts like a return postal address stamped on packets of data that your computer sends through the internet.

IP addresses are made of four numbers separated by periods, for example, 69.44.18.176. This stamp on data sent through the net tells receiving computers what country, service provider, host, and computer sent the info.

Some routers and software can make you anonymous over the internet by masking your IP address. In addition, less scrupulous computer masters can take control of a remote computer and thus have that computer's IP (return address) stamped on their evil doings.

Want to find out your IP address? Check out http://www.showip.org.

Cleaning Up An Egg

Oh yeah, you just love this! You are making up a recipe and getting the eggs out of the refrigerator, and you drop one!

This is always such a pain to clean up! The yolk and white just seem to spread everywhere!

You can make the clean up a bit easier by grabbing your salt shaker.

No smarty, you are not going to eat the egg!

Just pour a couple of tablespoons of salt onto the broken egg and start wiping up. The salt will change the consistency of the egg, making your job a little easier.

Just be careful to keep track of your messy egg when you go to get the salt.

APH News: December 2005

APH News

Your monthly link to the latest information on the products, services, and training opportunities of the American Printing House for the Blind.

December 2005 — Happy Holidays!

Exciting New APH Products Announced!

Read on to learn about these new products - now available!

• Braille Transcribers' Kit: Countries and Continents
• Card packs for Tactile Connections
• CVI Perspectives Video

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Message from the President

As 2005 comes to a close, we at APH have a lot for which to be thankful. Most significantly, the role Federal legislation has designated for us to play in the education of our country's blind students. That role includes a link to our country's 58,000 legally blind pre-college students; a direct connection to our Ex Officio Trustees, the key personnel in the education of those students; and the need to bring together dedicated employees to address that role.

Administering a program that began 147 years ago is a true honor for those of us with that role at APH. However, major responsibilities come with the honor. One of those responsibilities, maintaining a workforce to handle the wide variety of production and product-related functions, became a major focus this week. On Monday, November 27, 109 of the 137 Teamsters Union members at APH voted 58-51 to strike and began picketing the next day. Most of those employees, members of the Teamsters Union, are not currently available to assist in fulfilling APH's commitment to its customers.

Despite the strike, we maintain our steadfast commitment to providing quality products for blind students and are operating in a "business as usual" mode. More than 200 APH employees, non union employees and the union employees who chose to continue working, are hard at work and extremely willing to fill any roles required to keep products flowing from APH.

As you prepare for the holidays and the special gatherings of the time, we are planning APH's Holiday Luncheon with the possibility that approximately 35% of our employees will not be with us for this festive event or the holiday season. We realize that APH's greatest resource is its employees and we look forward to the return of those who chose to strike.

Sincerely Yours,
Tuck Tinsley

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Washington State Conference for Families of Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers

Tacoma, Washington was the destination for families of blind and visually impaired infants, toddlers, and preschoolers November 4 and 5. More than 150 families and teachers of the visually impaired were treated to a day of learning about the new APH Sensory Learning Kit (SLK) as Millie Smith shared her knowledge and insight. Field Rep Sandi Baker exhibited a display of APH products for young children, and provided a session talking about those materials with the families (and their children). The SLK, Everyday Activities Calendar, and the Rolling Into Place interactive story book were big hits with the families, and the Let's See and Light Box materials were favorites with the children! The Washington Instructional Materials Center later reported that orders were up on the APH products discussed at the conference!

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APH Prison Braille Forum Attracts Participants From 15 States

The 5th annual Prison Braille Forum was held in Louisville in October just prior to Annual Meeting, and 42 professionals attended from 15 states. There are currently about 30 braille production programs in correctional facilities across the country. These program share unique issues, and gather once a year to discuss braille production status, security concerns, and educational and training needs.

Two distinguished professionals gave presentations to the group. Bob Schmitz, Supervisor of the Folsom Project for the Visually Impaired (FPVI) in Folsom Prison in California spoke about the braille production facility there. FPVI is a non-profit corporation that produces thousands of pages of braille each year for the California Department of Education. Lucia Hasty, a tactile graphics expert who has worked with several prison programs, gave a presentation on training inmates to produce quality tactile graphics utilizing the methods and materials that are unique to a prison environment.

KCI (Kentucky Correctional Industries) Braille Services, a prison braille program that APH started and continues to work with, recently celebrated 5 years in business. There are currently 10 NLS literary braille certified transcribers in the program, and one in-training. One transcriber is certified by the National Braille Association (NBA) in Braille Textbook Formatting. The women produce thousands of pages of braille each year, primarily textbooks for students. The program is a partnership between APH, Kentucky Correctional Industries, and the Kentucky Correctional Institution for Women.

For more information about prison braille programs, contact Nancy Lacewell, APH Director of Government and Community Affairs (800-223-1839 ext.339).

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Louis Contributing Agencies Update!

Attention Louis Users:
Within the next few weeks, you will be receiving a letter that shows the contact information we have for your agency. When the letter arrives, please take a moment to review the information and make sure everything is correct. Also, please check to see if you have additional details you can provide us, such as an email address.

Please make a note of any changes or additions and mail, fax, or email them to us as per the instructions contained within the letter. We value your support of Louis and want to be certain we are providing your current, correct contact information to those who locate your books in Louis and want to get in touch with you.

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Large Print Textbook and Test Manager Named

We are pleased to welcome Ann Martin to the Accessible Textbook and Accessible Tests Departments. Ann comes to us from the Contract Administration Department where she managed special projects for nearly five years.

Ann has an extensive background in database construction and management, programming and supervision. Her expertise in software development will be extremely beneficial to both textbooks and tests departments.

Her new duties will include tracking large print textbook orders, managing databases for both departments, overseeing ATIC large print staff, researching improved methods of delivery of textbooks and tests as well as a variety of other duties.

Ann can be contacted at amartin@aph.org or at 800/223-1839 to answer your large print textbook questions.

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The 2006 Nomination Process for the Hall of Fame: Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field

The Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field is now accepting nominations for 2006 induction consideration.

If you are interested in learning more about the process and/or submitting a qualified nominee to join the 36 inductees, please visit the following link: www.aph.org/hall_fame/nom_letter.html

Remember to submit supporting letters (up to three) separately if you electronically nominate.

The nomination process will close Friday, March 17. 2005 nominees will remain active.

For more information on the Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field, visit: www.aph.org/hall_fame/index.html

"The Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field is dedicated to preserving, honoring, and promoting the tradition of excellence manifested by the specific individuals inducted into the Hall of Fame and through the history of outstanding services provided to people who are blind or visually impaired."

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Accommodations in the Test-Taking Environment

An accommodation is a planned adjustment to the typical process that enables an individual or group to more fully and equally participate in an assessment. The five major categories of accommodations include presentation, response, setting, scheduling, and special tools. The need for accommodations is the decision of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team and must be recorded on each student's IEP. Accommodations used in testing should generally "match" those used by the student for classroom instruction. Students with visual impairments have several options for accessing test materials. Braille, tactile graphics, large print, magnified print, audio and verbal presentations are accommodations that enable students with visual impairments to access the testing environment. Production of a test in alternate media is a unique process that usually necessitates the review and limited editing of test directions and test items, or substitution of test items of equal weight, value, and difficulty, so that the final items are understandable when presented in a format different from the original medium. Some students may use a combination of media to complete a single test. For example, students having test items verbally presented and test-takers using an audio version of a test as an accommodation should also be allowed to use hard copy (braille with tactile graphics, large print, or standard print with a magnification device). If a multimedia presentation is used, the various media must be coordinated to ensure consistency in presentation, accuracy and accessibility of information provided in each medium. This article is based on excerpts from Typical Accommodations for Testing Students with Visual Impairments by Dr. Carol Allman.

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Attention APH Ex Officio Trustees!
It's Beta Testing Time on the New Web-Based Student Registration System!

As announced at the 2005 Annual Meeting of Ex Officio Trustees, APH is implementing a new secure Web-based student registration data entry system to improve the census registration process. Beta testing on the new SRS interface is about to begin! Selected trustees have been notified and the first round of Beta testing will begin on Wednesday, December 8, 2005. Further information will be forthcoming, so be sure to stay tuned to APH!

Also, please remember that the new interface has been designed for:

• Windows© 2000 or newer operating system
• 800 x 600 screen resolution
• Internet Explorer© 6
• Broadband or network connections

Finally, if you are beginning the information collection process for the upcoming January 2nd, 2006 census, please note that none of the categories have changed and new instructions should be on the APH Web site very soon.

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Enjoy the APH Callahan Museum During the Holidays:
Design Your Own Card or Just Drop By for a Visit

The winter holiday season can be a delight to the senses: the smell of evergreen trees, candles, and popcorn balls; the crackle of wrapping paper in your hands; the taste of traditional family treats; the sounds of familiar hymns and holiday tunes. Why should your holiday cards be any different? Join the staff of the Callahan Museum in a tactile holiday card-making workshop. Families can explore the use of use of different materials that evoke the spirit of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, and add a message in braille.

Tactile card workshops will be held in the Callahan Museum on Saturday, December 3 and Saturday, December 10 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Come and go as you like, and feel free to bring any special materials from home. For more information, call Mike Hudson at 800/223-1839, ext 365, or email mhudson@aph.org

And while you're planning your holiday schedule, why not plan a visit to the Callahan? Nowhere else in Louisville can you write your name in braille, play an accessible computer game, or see the Book of Psalms from Helen Keller's Bible. So, whether you're looking for a unique Louisville experience for out-of-town guests, or a place to take the children when they're on winter vacation, make the Callahan your destination. Museum hours are Monday - Friday, from 8:30 to 4:30 and Saturday from 10:00- 3:00.

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Dr Jan van Dijk Attends Annual Meeting

There was standing room only when Dr Jan van Dijk, from the Netherlands, led an 'informal discussion' about communication, literacy, and behavioral concerns for students who are deafblind at a pre-Annual Meeting session on Thursday, Oct 13, at the Marriott Downtown Louisville.

Parents, teachers, therapists, EOT's, state Deafblind Project staff, and other interested persons came to interact with Dr van Dijk, a leading educator, researcher, and author on topics related to deafblindness. Dr. van Dijk shared information about his experiences with children who are deafblind and about his international research, and he answered questions and responded to comments by those in attendance.

Dr. van Dijk was in attendance at the APH Annual Meeting to conduct two product training sessions on his CD-Rom 'Child-guided Strategies for Assessing Children who are Deafblind or have Multiple Disabilities', an APH product since May 2005. Both of his product training sessions were well-attended as Annual Meeting participants were eager to see this international expert in deafblind education, and to learn about the assessment strategies featured in the CD.

Dr. van Dijk also made a couple of appearances at the Product Showcase to answer questions and to autograph the CD's that were purchased.

This was Dr. van Dijk's first trip to Louisville and Annual Meeting, but hopefully not his last!

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APH Welcomes New Ex Officio Trustee

Please welcome Robert Hill as the new Ex Officio Trustee for the Arizona State Schools for the Blind. Robert replaces Dorinda D. Rife.

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APH Travel Calendar

December

December 1-3, 2005
Getting In Touch with Literacy;
Denver, CO

December 5-6, 2006
Tactile Graphics Training with Braille Jymico;
APH in Louisville, KY

January

January 16-17, 2006
NIMAS Development Committee;
Orlando, FL

January 17-21, 2006
ATIA 2006;
Orlando, FL

January 24-25, 2006
Making Tests Accessible Workshop;
APH in Louisville, KY

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NEW!
APH Bookstore Catalog 2006 Now Available, Includes Gifts!

The newest APH Bookstore Catalog contains a wide selection of fiction and nonfiction books in enlarged print and in braille. In addition, gift items such as computer games and an electronic book reader/MP3 player are offered.

Find the accessible electronic catalog at www.aph.org/catalogs/ or call 1-800-223-1839 for your free print copy.

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NEW!
Braille Transcriber's Kit: Countries and Continents: 1-04102-00 -- $26.00

The Braille Transcriber's Kit: Countries and Continents is a collection of embossed and printed outlines of maps commonly found in history, geography, and social studies textbooks. The following maps are included:

• Africa (political)
• Africa (outline)
• Asia (political)
• Asia and Australia (outline)
• Europe (political)
• Europe (outline)
• Middle East (political)
• North America and Central America (political)
• South America (political)
• World (outline)

The embossed sheets may be used as templates when you create tactile maps. Add to these sheets with spur wheel lines, craft ink, glued-on textures, etc. Add braille labels as needed.

The printed maps may be used as masters for "swell paper" tactile graphics. Photocopy the images onto your capsule paper, add labels, lines, and symbols as needed, and produce the raised image by running the graphic through the heating machine.

Also Available:
Braille Transcriber's Kit: Math: 1-04100-00 -- $16.00
Braille Transcriber's Kit: U.S. Maps: 1-04101-00 -- $14.00

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Now Available Separately!
Tactile Connections Card Packs (15 cards per pack):

Black Cards: 1-08837-02 -- $7.00
Blue Cards: 1-08837-03 -- $7.00
Gray Cards: 1-08837-04 -- $7.00
Green Cards: 1-08837-05 -- $7.00
Red Cards: 1-08837-06 -- $7.00
White Cards: 1-08837-07 -- $7.00
Yellow Cards: 1-08837-08 -- $7.00

Tactile Connections: Symbols for Communication encourages the creation of a graphic form of communication, created when part of an object is mounted on a hand-sized card representing core vocabulary categories (e.g. people, places, actions, objects, etc.). The mounting cards are now available in packs of 15 cards (all one color), allowing you to choose cards that best fit the student's needs. Recommended Ages: 5 and older.

WARNING: Complete Kit contains small parts that could pose a choking hazard. Not intended for children ages 5 and under without adult supervision.

Also available:
Complete Kit: 1-08837-00 -- $ 115.00
Accessories with Caulk: 1-08837-01 -- $ 30.00

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NEW!
CVI Perspectives Video

VHS: 1-30014-00 -- $25.00
DVD: 1-30014-DVD -- $25.00

This video explores cortical visual impairment (CVI) from three perspectives: medical, educational, and personal.

Neonatologist Dr. Alan Lantzy presents a medical perspective on the causes of CVI. APH CVI Project Leader Dr. Christine Roman presents an educational perspective focusing on characteristics and recommended approaches.

In the final segment, seven families talk about their personal experiences from the difficulty of the diagnosis to finding help and hope.

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Need Last-Minute Gifts? Think APH!

APH has many items that would be perfect for holiday gift-giving (or put these on YOUR wish list!):

• Children's Books
  • Dear Santa, Please Come to the 19th Floor (9-15015-00 -- $10.00) print/braille full-color hardcover. No Quota.
  • Looking Out for Sarah (9-14009-00 -- $10.00) print/braille full-color hardcover. No Quota.
  • Very Hungry Caterpillar (9-12015-00 -- $25.00) print/braille full-color hardcover.
  • On the Way to Literacy series tactile children's books.
  • Lots of Dots: Learning My ABC's (1-10000-00 -- $24.00) raised-line coloring book.
  
  
  
• Videos
  • Teen Scene: Portraits of Success (VHS: 1-30011-00 -- $25.00, 1-30011-DVD -- $25.00), four teenagers talk about successful living with low vision.
  • Denver the Guide Dog (VHS: 1-30010-00 -- $15.00)
  
  
  
• Daily Living Products
  • Sherlock Talking Label Identifier (1-07410-00 -- $229.00, extra labels and tags available) record your own message keyed to a uniquely coded adhesive label or plastic tag that you can attach to almost anything. Read the label or tag later with the hand-held digital recorder/scanner.
  • Colorino (English: 1-03955-00 -- $195.00, Spanish: 1-03955-SP) small hand-held unit that detects more than 100 nuances of color and can be used as a light probe. No Quota.
  • LumiTest (1-03956-00 -- $72.00) light probe and contrast indicator increases in pitch as light is approached.
  • "Kelvin" Talking Thermostat (1-03973-00 -- $129.95). No Quota.
  
  
  
• Calculators
  • Talking Calculator (1-03971-00 -- $17.95) also has a large LCD display. No Quota.
  • Orion TI-36 Talking Scientific Calculator (1-07335-01 -- $249.00). No Quota.
  
  
  
• Calendars
  • Braille DateBook (1-07899-06 -- $53.00) rugged binder holds included 4x6 calendar pages, blank pages, and tabs for organizing addresses, assignments, important information, and much more.
  • EZ Track Series of large print binders and accessories help keep daily activities organized.
  • APH InSights Large Print/Braille Art Calendar 2006 (5-18971-06 -- $7.50)
  
  
  
• Recreational Items
  • Rib-It-Balls, three choices of easy grip/sound balls.
  • Mini Rib-It-Ball (1-07512-00 -- $14.00) No Quota.
  • IXL Revolution^TM Sport Ball (1-07511-00 -- $5.00) a longer-sounding bell ball for practicing skills or just for fun! No Quota.
  • Talking GlowDice (1-07500-00 -- $30.00) electronic dice.
  • Tangle Toy Kit (1-08750-00 -- $45.00)
  • Quick Pick Games, several titles.
  
  
  
• Educational Computer Games
  • Armadillo Army^TM (D-03400-00 -- $49.00) navigate successive mazes while avoiding the armadillos.
  • Termite Torpedo^TM (D-03470-00 -- $39.00) rid Woodville of the invading termites by clearing all 12 playing fields.
  • Talking Word Puzzles^TM (D-03440-00 -- $49.99) solve and create your own crossword puzzles.
  
  
• Educational Board Game
  • Web Chase (1-08460-00 -- $149.00): this unique board game helps students develop tactile skills while having fun. WARNING: Choking Hazard-Small Parts. Not intended for children ages 5 and under without adult supervision.
  
  
  
• Software
  • Book Wizard Reader^TM (D-03531-00 -- $49.00, D-03531-ED -- $39.00) PC Software for reading electronic files including Digital Talking Books.
  • Money Talks^TM (D-03560-00 -- $49.00, D-03560-ED -- $39.00) Accessible bank account management software package.
  
  
  
• Electronics
  • Handi-Cassette II Stereo Tape Recorder/Player (1-07085-00 -- $170.00) portable unit for listening to Talking Books or commercial cassettes as well as recording tapes.
  • Book Port^TM (1-07440-00 -- $395.00) portable book-reading device for downloading and reading electronic text files (including audible.com) or digital recorded books (including DAISY Digital Talking books). Plays MP3 files in stereo.
  
  
  
• Clothing
  • APH T-Shirts ($10.00). No Quota.
  • APH Sweat Shirts ($15.00). No Quota.
  
  
  

To order these gifts, call toll-free 1-800-223-1839, Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Eastern time.

APH offers hundreds of educational and daily living products. Please visit www.aph.org/catalogs/ to learn more.

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Did You Know. . .
APH Has Holiday Cards?

APH offers several sets of print/braille holiday cards featuring the artwork of people who are visually impaired or blind. The artwork and messages are not specific to a single holiday, so they can be used for any winter occasion. NOTE: These cards are not available on Federal Quota.

Winter Solace: W-HDCD-AD -- $10.00
Features a bridge over a snowy river with the message: "Wishing you a beautiful holiday season." (10 cards, one design)

Sunset on a Ski Slope: W-HDCD-AB -- $6.00
Depicts evergreen trees on a hillside covered with snow. This die-cut and embossed card reads, "May the Joy of Your Holidays Be Evergreen...." (10 cards, one design)

May Your Light Shine: W-HDCD-AA -- $6.00
Depicts a woman reaching toward a shooting star. This die-cut and tactile print/braille greeting card reads, "May Your Light Shine...." (10 cards, one design)

Snow Walker: 1-05201-99 -- $10.00
Portrays a visually impaired snowman with cane. This embossed print/braille card reads "Happy Holidays." (10 cards, one design)

APH News Credits

President:
Dr. Tuck Tinsley
ttinsley@aph.org

Designer:
Malcolm Turner, APH Web Site Coordinator
webmaster@aph.org

Thanks to the following APH staff:

• Cindy Amback, Support Specialist, Field Services
• Sandi Baker, Field Services Representative
• Scott Blome, Director, Communications
• Mike Hudson, Museum Director
• Nancy Lacewell, Director, Government and Community Affairs
• Becki Moody, Support Specialist, Communications
• Julia Myers, Director, Resource Services
• Jane Thompson, Director, Accessible Textbooks (ATIC)
• Debbie Willis, Director, Accessible Tests

Editor:
Bob Brasher, Vice President, Advisory Services and Research
bbrasher@aph.org

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For additional recent APH News, click the following:
November Issue - www.aph.org/advisory/2005adv11.html
October Issue - www.aph.org/advisory/2005adv10.html
September Issue - www.aph.org/advisory/2005adv09.html

Archive of all previous issues - www.aph.org/advisory/advarch.html

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Please share this web link or any items that appear in this publication with anyone who might benefit.

Thank you.

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Maintaining Your Freezer

Most people buy a freezer and stick it in the corner hoping for the best. There are a few hints that will help you get the most out of your freezer.

1. To help maintain an even temperature in your freezer, never freeze more than 3 pounds of food per cubic foot of your freezer. If your freezer is 10 cubic feet, do not freeze more than 30 pounds of product. If you add too much frozen food, you may raise the temperature of the freezer, causing your already frozen foods to defrost.
   
   
2. Try not to overload or underload your freezer. Try to keep it about 2/3 full at all times, this is the optimum space for allowing air circulation and minimal effort for the motor to work to keep the food frozen. If you don't have enough food, fill it with containers of ice, or fill old milk jugs 3/4 full with water and place in the freezer.
   
   
3. Try to defrost your freezer every 2 months or if the ice reaches a depth of more than 1/2 inch.
   
   
4. Label and date all foods stored in the freezer with print and/or braille labels.
   
   
5. Store similar items together. I found some small plastic coated wire baskets that I use to separate different kinds of food.
   
   
6. When you place something in the freezer, check on it in about 24 hours. If the item still is not completely frozen, check your freezer temperature. The dial should read no higher than 0ºf. Usually between -10º to -20º is better.

If you think your freezer isn't keeping things cold enough, place a zip lock bag of ice in the top of your freezer. If the freezer gets too warm the ice cubes will melt.

Continue to check to see if there is any water in the bag. If there is, it means that your freezer did not stay cold enough and your food may not be safe to eat.

Tips On DEFROSTING MEAT

Frozen meat should be defrosted in the refrigerator not on a counter top.

Place the meat in your refrigerator on a platter or in a bowl to catch any juices that may leak from the package.

For a large cut of meat allow 4-7 hours per pound, for a small cut of meat allow 3-5 hours per pound, for Steaks allow 12 - 14 hours.

You can also defrost meat during cooking time; just increase your cooking time to 1 ½ of the original cooking time to the recipe time.

You will want to monitor the cooking process closely to make sure that it is cooking according to your schedule.

Baking Bacon

I have found that making bacon is a cumbersome task. It throws grease all over my kitchen and you have to constantly watch it and turn it until done.

I have found the easiest way to prepare the bacon is to bake it.

1. Take a large baking sheet with edges (jelly roll pan or cake pan) and line with aluminum foil.
   
   
2. Lay your bacon pieces on the foil with the pieces just touching.
   
   
3. Bake in a preheated 400º oven for 15-20 minutes depending on personal preference for crispiness.
   
   
4. Remove from the oven and serve everyone piping hot bacon at the same time.

After breakfast, just pull off the foil from the pan and toss. Clean up is done!

Chilling Drinks for Hot Summers

There is nothing like a tall cool drink on a hot summer day. Unfortunately as it gets hotter out your ice cubes melt making your drinks watery. Try this handy tip to add a bit of spice to your summer drinks.

Get a couple of extra lemons, limes, strawberries or even use some balled melon depending on your drink. When you get the fruit home, wash it thoroughly and cut into medium sized pieces. Place on a flat cooking sheet in your freezer. Once the fruit has been thoroughly frozen, usually a couple of hours, place them into a large zip lock storage bag and freeze. Now when you prepare your favorite refreshment, drop in a couple pieces of fruit for coolness and added flavor.

Wouldn't this be great for those large cups of water?

Circus Web

My wife and I were looking through some picture albums and came across some pictures of the kids at the circus. This got me curious to see if there were any good circus sites on the net. Let me tell you, I sure found what I was looking for.

If you click the "Circuses" button on the side menu it gives you an alphabetical list of Circuses from the United States, as well as a bunch of circus related links. Each link goes to that Circus' homepage, where you can learn tons of nifty stuff about them. A favorite of mine is Circus Flora. Their site is really well put together. Now that's a circus I'd like to see.

"History" is the next button on the menu. If you want to learn about the rich history of the circus click here. A time honored tradition from the time of Rome until the present. How did it start? Find out by reading here.

"Lore" to me is the heart and soul of this site. Here is where you can find out about every aspect of the circus from participating to attending. Well written and thought provoking it doesn't seem like another history lesson.

Let'sgo to the Circus by clicking this link: http://www.circusweb.com!

Computer Media: What are the Differences?

What are all these different drives? Probably the easiest way to explain it would be to define each of them:

1. Hard Drive - A hard drive is a fast, high capacity internal disk drive found in all modern PCs. Unless the computer is older than say, 12 years, it should have a hard drive in it. Any PC running Windows does.

   The reason for having a hard drive is to give you a permanent place to keep your computer's information. They are generally much more reliable than keeping your data on a floppy disk (that's not to say you shouldn't back up your info though), are much faster, and hold tons more.

   Adding a second hard drive is a great way to add more space for files. They are available as both internal or external.

2. Floppy Drive - These little 3.5" disks hold about 1.4 MB of information. It seems like just yesterday that floppy disks ruled the planet, but now with the cheap price of CD-Rs and CD-R drives, the floppy drive is being put to pasture. Most new computers don't even have one.

3. Zip Drive - A zip drive is basically a floppy drive on steroids. The disks work in the same manner as a regular 3.5" floppy disk, except they can store up to 100 MB. A 3.5 floppy can only store 1.4MB.

   In case you're wondering, no, you can't stick a zip disk into your 3.5" floppy drive and expect it to work. In fact, you would have to insert it with the assistance of a hammer. If you wanna use Zip disks, you'll need a Zip drive.

   Oh, and Zip drive should not be confused with Zip files!

4. CD-R- A CD-R is a writeable CD, meaning you can record data to the CD. Works just like a regular CD ROM drive otherwise. Although you can add data to a CD-R, you can't delete data from it. Once it's there, it's there. Most CDs hold 675 meg of info.

5. CD-RW- Same as a CD-R except you can re-write the CD. So, you can remove old files, and add new ones if you like. The only disadvantage to this over the CD-R is the disks are generally more expensive.

6. DVD-R/+R - As DVD recording comes of age and the prices come down, more of us will likely be adding DVD writers to our computers. If adding a DVD writer to your computer, I would suggest getting one that writes to both DVD+R and DVD-R disks.

7. USB Drive- Also known as a thumb drive, key drive, pen drive or flash drive. These handy little things plug right into your USB port and come in many sizes.

8. Card Reader- If you have a memory card reader for you Compact Flash, Smart Media, or other camera card it is technically a drive. These are beginning to appear as standard in some new computers, but you can also get external ones. They really make transferring pictures from the digital camera easier.

9. Digital Audio Player- We go more into detail about these elsewhere, but in this context consider your player an external hard drive.

I hope this helps clear things up.

Light and Fluffy, Dishes?

You just made a casserole for dinner, and now that it has all been eaten you are left with a baked on mess. You have tried almost everything, but your elbow grease is just about all used up. What else is there to do?

From your laundry room, grab a sheet of fabric softener (2 or 3 for larger pans).

Place it in your casserole dish and fill with water.

Let sit for at least 20 minutes.

Now just grab your scrubber and the mess should clean right off.

How to Clean That Dirty Dishwasher

You are always cleaning your dishes in the dishwasher, but when was the last time that you cleaned your dishwasher??

Once every few months, after you have emptied the dishwasher reset your settings for regular wash, no heat dry.

Now place a bowl in the bottom rack with a cup of bleach in it. Run your dishwasher cycle with out any soap in the cup.

Once the cleaning process has completed, open the door and place a cup of Vinegar in the bowl. Set your dishwasher to run a complete cycle.

Now you have a squeaky clean dishwasher!

Cleaning The Coffee Pot

You are looking at your coffee pot and notice that there is a lovely brown coloring on the glass. Time to clean the coffee pot!

1. When the pot is cold, fill the pot with about a half a cup of water, 2 tablespoons of salt and a cup of ice.
   
   
2. Now holding the pot by the handle, swirl the ice and water in the pot. The ice and salt will scrub the stains from the inside of the pot.
   
   
3. Dump out the water after a few minutes and see if you need to repeat. Once the pot is clean, dry and let warm back up to room temperature.
   
   
4. Now fill the pot with 1/2 water and 1/2 vinegar. Remove the used filter and place a clean filter in the tray.
   
   
5. Pour the water into the hopper as normal and let run through a cycle.
   
   
6. Dump the water from the pot, bring back to room temperature and repeat with plain water.

Your pot should now be squeaky clean and your coffee should taste better!

You can do the cleaning cycle once a month or as needed, it's up to you!

Basic Measurements

Here are some basic measurements that you may have been wondering about:

• 3 teaspoons= 1 tablespoon
  
• 2 tablespoons = 1/8 cup
  
• 4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup
  
• 4 oz = 1/2 cup
  
• 8 oz = 1 cup
  
• 16 oz = 1 pound
  
• 2 cups = 1 pint
  
• 2 cups of Sugar = 1 pound
  
• 1 pound of Butter = 4 sticks or 2 cups

An Easy Way to Clean The Blender

You just finished making up a fresh treat in the blender for the family, and now you need an easy solution for cleaning the blender? Well, you knew exactly where to look!

Cleaning the blender is simple, just place a cup of water into the blender and a squirt of dishwashing soap.

Now just blend away.

Remove from the base and dip your rag into the soapy water and wash the gasket well, then re-assemble and wipe off the outside of your blender.

Rinse well and dry. Ready to go again!

Need to Keep Lots of Food Hot?

You have a large amount of food that you have to prepare, you are having a hard time trying to figure out how to keep it all warm. You might have a bit of trouble finding all of the supplies, but this tip will help you keep it all warm.

Find a box that is large enough to hold all of your food with plenty of room to spare.

Now locate some thick foam insulation boards. You can find these at your local home improvement store.

Cut the pieces to line all sides of your box and a piece for the top.

Now cover the whole inside with aluminum foil.

When you have your box prepared, just drop in all the food and place on the lid and your food will be kept toasty warm for hours.

Selecting The Freshest Carrots

Ok, we have all bought the carrots in the cellophane bags. But how do you really select a fresh carrot? At your grocery store you will have several varieties to choose from.

Try to walk past all the bagged carrots and go to the ones that are waiting to be selected. Take a look at each one.

They should be clean and smooth and very brightly colored.

Try to avoid carrots that have been trimmed or have and green or yellow streaks.

Once you get them home, trim off the tops so that there is only about 1/4 inch or so of green on top. Rinse them well and dry.

Place into a clean tightly sealed plastic bag, do not re-use the one from the store.

Place in the vegetable compartment of your refrigerator, but do not store near apples or pears. Apples and pears let off ethylene gas that can make the carrots taste bitter.

You should be able to keep carrots fresh for about 3 weeks. If you notice them getting soft it means that they have lost too much moisture. You can still use these cut up in small pieces in soups or stews.

How to Clean Windows

Brighten up your outlook by stripping off those layers of grime. Here's how to get your windows squeaky clean and streak free.

1. Prepare a cleaning solution of either a capful of ammonia or four to six drops of liquid dish soap in 2 gallons of water or 1 cup of vinegar in1 quart of water. If using soap, use as little as possible to avoid streaking.
   
   
2. Dip a sponge into the solution, allowing the sponge to absorb just enough water to cover the window without flooding it.
   
   
3. Wash the surface of the window with the sponge, paying special attention to the sides and corners of the window frame, where dirt and grime tend to build up.
   
   
4. Dip a squeegee into a bucket of clean water.
   
   
5. Press the squeegee lightly into the surface of the window, starting at the top and pulling down vertically, stopping a few inches before the bottom of the window.
   
   
6. Wipe off the squeegee with a paper towel.
   
   
7. Press the squeegee down the area of the window directly beside the one you just cleaned, stopping at the same place.
   
   
8. Wipe off the squeegee with a paper towel.
   
   
9. Continue this process until the entire surface of the window except the final few inches at the bottom has been cleaned.
   
   
10. Pull the squeegee horizontally across the bottom section of the window and wipe the squeegee off with a paper towel.
    
    
11. Wipe off the water at the bottom of the window frame - where a great deal of moisture has by now collected - with a paper towel.

For hard-to-reach windows, you can purchase squeegee extension poles at a hardware store that are specifically made for washing windows.

Use large coffee filters instead of paper towels. Gets windows squeaky clean and no lint!

Windshield washer fluid for cars also cleans your home windows with no streaking, no mess, no mixing. Almost effortless!

Use old newspapers with black-and-white print. The colored ads stuff doesn't work. The basic black-and-white newspaper sure puts a shine on the glass and makes it easier to clean in the future.

To remove hard water spots, Lime-Away works great! Just squirt some on the window and use a scrubber sponge to remove water spots.

How to bake a potato

So you want to know the best way to bake a potato? Golden, crispy brown skins and soft, tasty potato-goodness inside? It's quite simple and easy to do, and if you follow along with me I will show you how to do it every step of the way.

Baking potatoes will take you from an hour to about an hour and a half to do in the oven, which is the method I will be showing you here. Microwaves speed it up, but you just don't get crispy skin in the microwave no matter what you do. It's better to bake up a whole bunch of potatoes in the oven and put them in the fridge for later then it is to nuke 'em (In my opinion anyhoo).

First, you need some taters. Russet potatoes are the most popular for baking, either large or small. I like small so I can eat a few. This way I get more tasty, crunchy potato skin in my portion. Mmmmm..

You are also going to need some oil. I prefer Olive or Canola, but any will do. If you're like me, some salt will also be necessary.

Let's get to work! Clean your potatoes with a stiff-bristled brush and cold water. In a pinch the scouring side of a sponge will work, but be careful not to skin your potates!

After you've throughly cleaned the potatoes, look them over and remove any bruises or miscolored spots. I just dig them out with my finger nails.

Using your average fork work your way around each potato stabbing deeply into the surface. 6-12 stabs should do it depending on the size of the potatoes you are using. This allows steam to escape during the cooking process.

Your potatoes have now been cleaned and poked. Dry them off with a paper towel and preheat the oven to 350F

Take a small bowl and add just a splash of your chosen oil, and have a container ready for the taters once they've been oiled.

The objective is to LIGHTLY coat each potato with oil. How you do this is up to you. My method is to lightly dab each potato in the oil and then use my hands to spread the dab around the entire spud.

Now, lightly salt each one and put them aside as you wait for the oven to heat up.

You should now have a container full of cleaned, poked, and oiled potatoes.

Place them in your preheated oven over a baking sheet to catch any drippings.

Cooking time will vary from 1 hour and up depending on the size and quantity of potatoes you cook. For the above batch the magic number was 1:15. The skin should be puffed up, golden-brown and crispy, and the potato should squish easily and be very soft on the inside. Careful, potatoes retain heat for quite a while!

To open a baked potato, take your fork and stab a dotted line half way around a potato, then using your thumb and index finger squeeze at both ends of the line. It will pop right open.

There you have it, easy and delicious baked potatoes! Now that you've learned how to bake a potato, you get to have fun dressing it with your favorite topping and eating it! Yummmm..

Use Outlook Express to Create a Web Page

Don't have a web page editing program? Don't know HTML? No sweat. Anyone can write an email-so why not use Outlook Express to design your web page.

Huh?

That's right. If you can make a rich text email you can save it as a web page. It won't be the fanciest site on the net, but at least you'll have something for people to visit.

Before we get started, you should create a folder called "Web Page" to save the HTML files and pictures in. Any pictures you will be using should be in there first.

Click "Create Mail" just like you do when writing an email. Go to "Format" and make sure it is set to "Rich Text (HTML)".

From here get as creative as you can. Keep in mind the design principals mentioned in previous Fred's Head articles.

You can add a background color by going to "Format", choosing "Background" then "Color". Select one from the list.

Next you can specify the size of your font and select the color. Unfortunately you cannot specify your font-it will open using the viewer's default font (probably Times or Arial). Want the text centered? You can do this too by clicking the "center" text format button on the toolbar.

How about a picture? Just go to "Insert", "Picture" and browse your way to the "Web Page" folder you created on your hard drive and grab the image you want. Folks with some vision can also click the "Insert Picture" button on the toolbar (it looks like a mountain). Highlight and delete all the file information in front of the actual picture file name. When you click "OK" you'll get a box with a red X, but that's fine for now.

Once your page is just the way you want it, you can save it as a web page. Go to File/Save As and change the save as type to "HTML Files". Give the file a name-the first page of a web site should always be called "index.htm". Put it in your "Web Page" folder.

Now the page and pictures need to be put on the internet. Follow the uploading instructions for your server-each one is different or I would explain how here. Make sure that you also upload the picture too.

There you go. Remember, it's not the best way to make a web site, but it works, and talk about accessability? Have fun and be creative.