[access-uk] Re: Solutionsradio (another cassette replacement)
- From: "Wendy Sharpe" <w.sharpe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 10 Nov 2007 16:37:37 -0000
Ray
I have just been exploring the Solutions Radio site and then listened to the
Soundings feature.
It all sounds very interesting, but it occurs to me that there is rather a
lot of expense involved. If a talking newspaper, for example, wanted to
give this to all its members, at £300 a unit this would come out very dear.
Any member who did not already have a broadband connection would need to set
one up, and it seems to me that you can only do that if you have a computer.
Many people might not fancy shelling out more cash for a broadband
connection. The radio can use a dial-up connection, but we all know how
slow that can be, and when it comes to streaming audio you often get lots of
pauses in transmission.
The Soundings feature showed the radio set up with lots of choices, which is
great, but many of them would need to be paid for, such as talking
newspapers from TNAUK.
When you consider how cheaply you can still buy a cassette recorder and
tapes, or a CD player and CD's, I think this option might be rather
financially daunting. I hate to pour cold water over any development which
could improve the quality of life for many people, and I may be missing
something here, but the cost would seem to me to prohibit widespread use of
this device. On the other hand, people in Holland seem to have gone for it
in a big way.
Wendy
-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Ray's Home
Sent: 07 November 2007 15:16
To: VI-Genaccess@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; Access-Uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Solutionsradio (another cassette replacement)
Funny that nearly everyone missed this at Sight Village earlier this
year.
It is a completely accessible internet 'radio' but without the
computer! So, it'll receive streaming audio from stations and
services you select via a nice menu system that breaks things down
into genres and individual services. Bit pricy at around £3.00, but
RNIB and TNs are said to be interested. (It would pay RnIB to
distribute this sort of device at a subsidy, I think, as it obviously
avoids costs of posting out stuff. (No, not just referring to actual
postage costs.)
Seems Americans are interested too, and I believe it has been bought
by an Alaskan organisation.
there is book marking and some fast forward and rewind capability.
Only two things I'd say thus far.
1. No connectivity mentioned to the outside world.
2. No in-built recording facility, though easy enough to go back and
just stream again.
This does seem a much better solution to cassette replacement for TNs
and the like. (People could still send in contributions via whatever
means they want.)
More info.
http://www.solutionsradio.nl/index.php?newlang=english
Soundings magazine download feature:
http://www.soundings.org/select/soundings-webbox.mp3
Cheers,
From Ray
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