[access-uk] Re: Solutionsradio (another cassette replacement)
- From: "Ray's Home" <rays-home@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 11 Nov 2007 11:04:51 -0000
This was my thinking, re. SolutionsRadio as a possible 'universal'
means of accessing information and entertainment for the VI community.
Bear in mind that TNAUK are said to be interested, as well as RNIB.
Ordinary people, the majority using this list, have no idea what the
Agenda of RNIB and the big providers in our world might have in mind,
but a bulk purchase, running into many thousands, as with talking book
machines, could see a very considerable saving to RNIB if it decided
to provide such a thing as the SolutionsRadio to VI users. That
wouldn't prevent them from offering it as a sale item too.
If they could push this thing out along with a near automatic
customized broadband connection aimed at the users of the box, with as
near automatic connection as possible, then you could see the
SolutionsRadio being um, VIable?
More speculation suggests to me that, AS for the lack of portability,
well, an upgrade aught to be in sight (all puns unintended) to make
this a wireless device, with a neat device plugging into the phone
socket for WiFi connectivity.
This brings me to a second possible extension, and more speculation.
What if the SolutionsRadio could record to a USB stick? If it could,
then the NewsBridge system could become both an interim and integral
part of the system. Stuff could be saved to a USB stick for more
portable playing on a NewsBridge player, or even a truly portable
player too. NewsBridge might in any case be an interim link between
what we have now, and what we must have in the future; a digital
medium to replace the obsolete systems we have currently.
As always we're left gasping at the add-on cost of access as I know
one or two internet radios are available now as mass-market devices
costing fifty-sixty pounds. If a fully accessible ready made device
isn't going to come to market, then people like SolutionsRadio will
fill the gap. Still, as I've said on Vi-gen, there will be a 'can't
pay, won't pay' refusnik movement that will ensure take up via some
corporate approach, such as only big players like RNIB can bring off,
and most likely ccok-up too!
From Ray
I can be contacted off-list at:
mailto:ray-48@xxxxxxxx
-----Original Message-----
George Bell
Hi Wendy,
The prices you are seeing are based on a one of situation.
Be assured that if an organisation started talking numbers
of units, the price per unit would drop considerably.
Likewise, a deal can or could be reached with an ISP to
provide an organisation with multiple connections for its
members at wholesale prices.
George.
-----Original Message-----
Wendy Sharpe
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
I can be contacted off-list at:
mailto:ray-48@xxxxxxxx
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