Hey there!  I'm Alix Shadonnay at the business desk, and it's time to wrap up this week with some words of wisdom to keep your chin up.

I know!  So many of you are just so tired of being told that those lucrative opportunities can be found out there.  You're just so tired of looking, and you've looked everywhere.  You want to become your own boss, you're so tired of those headaches of dealing with the traffic jams, the bad attitudes at work, and so much grumbling and groaning in the workplace.  You're at a stage now that you just don't know what next to do or how to go about improving your lives.  Maybe I can help a bit.

I just read a survey that reveals that the home based business economy is just going guns these days.  Maybe you're not aware of it but it's very true and it's all because more and more persons are taking the big plunge to redefine their workplace.  Instead of being at the office for so many hours per week, they are doing it from home and doing it in many creative and innovative ways.  This rend started a few years ago and within the last year it has really started to take off.  Persons from all walks of life are joining the band wagon.  From career professionals to retirees, college graduates to single parents, moms to housewives, plus many more.  They are going into business for themselves.  Small business to entrepreneurships. 

What types of businesses are they pursuing?  Here's a small sample.  Ghost writers to transcribers to translators.  Answering services to tech support.  Import export to cleaning businesses.  Real estate agencies to party planners.  Culinary specialists to fitness instructors. 

Are you getting the picture as yet?  Give it some serious thought and if you need to motivate yourself then you can visit www.untappedwealth.com for some free and useful info.  This website has some very interesting and exciting info for you that will knock your socks off.

 

It's time now for book talk!  Our Amazon picks of the week.

 

Whoops! I'm In Business: A Crash Course In Business Basics

by Richard Stim and Lisa Guerin

A great book for those of you on the verge of going into business for yourselves.  This book shows you how to look before you leap.  Think before you act.

 

Profit from Your Idea: How to Make Smart Licensing Deals (License Your Invention)

by Richard Stim

I've chosen a second book by this author because again, he shows you how to think before you act.  It's also a book with some great ideas for a very unique type of business.

 

Untapped Wealth discovered

By Jeff N Marquis and Kerry J Harrison

 

In the mode of looking before you leap, and thinking before you act, these authors have important messages for you.  Please take the time to read this book before taking that all-important step to entrepreneurship or going into business for yourself.

At the business desk, I'm Alix Shadonnay wishing you a very pleasant weekend.

Good morning!  I'm Kerry J Harrison at the business desk and it's time for our weekly feature on important news for women.

First, I'd like to thank the many persons who have taken the time to email us with their feedback.  We truly appreciate your feedback and we continue to work on ways to inspire women to greater heights.  It is so easy for society to bash the hopes and dreams of women.  However, this is changing and changing for the better.  More and more women are going into business for themselves.  They are taking the bull by the horns and shaking off that old familiar comment that women are not able to be as good as men.  Absolute nonsense and I'll let someone else tell you more.

Here now is one of our favorite associates Donna Jodhan.  Donna is definitely a model for anyone to follow.  Not only is she a woman but she is also a very successful business woman, author, and terrific friend of us all.

 

Hi!  Thank you Kerry for those nice words and as part of our efforts, I'd like to lend my voice to the push towards inspiring women to greater heights.  I know that it's not easy for a woman to be successful at any given time but if I've done it then you should be able to as well.  Being blind and being a woman all at the same time is not easy but there are ways to combat these challenges and this week I'd like to share an article with you that will hopefully inspire you to sweep your reservations and concerns away and replace it with tons of confidence and vigor.  Here now is the article.

 

Sofia Echo, Bulgaria
Monday, September 17, 2007

 

Chances instead of charity in Bulgaria

 

By Boriana Parvanova

 

Habitat for Humanity Sofia
 
This is a story of two sight-impared individuals, their daughters, one renovation and a rare, unbridled enthusiasm for life, despite a series of difficult choices and challenges.

 

I first met the Yanevi family when they applied to the home renovation programme of my organisation, Habitat for Humanity Bulgaria, or Podslon za Chovechestvoto Foundation, which provides support to improve the living conditions of financially challenged families. Beneficiaries then pay back this interest-free loan in small installments over three to five years.

 

In 2007, Habitat, with an emphasis on energy efficiency, improved homes by altering the woodwork, improving wall insulation and enclosing terraces.

 

This family's story

 

Ivan and Roumyana met when attending one of the very few secondary schools for sight-disabled children in Bulgaria, after, at the age of six, Ivan lost his sight through a sporting accident and an unforgivable medical mistake. In addition to quality education, the school bestowed another dear present - his wife Roumyana. They couldn't wait for graduation and were married at 17. She comes from Koinare and he is from Pernik, but in search of opportunity, their joint destiny blew them into Sofia. When you witness their tenderness it is difficult to believe they've been together for 15 years.

 

When we visited the Sofia borough of Drouzhba for the first home-interview, Roumyana told me about their struggle to receive social housing. It took several years, many administrative offices and a lot of door-knocking to overcome the cumbersome bureaucratic procedure. They were happy to finally be placed, but a change in location was tough - especially for Ivan, who is 100 per cent sight impaired.

 

For him, moving meant a long process of learning a new commute by heart through recognising the curves in the pavement, memorising the sound of a particular traffic light and remembering where to cross the street. For nine months he needed assistance for every home departure. I had never imagined how only a poorly parked car could create unnecessary obstacles for sight-impared individuals.

 

When they moved in two years ago, the apartment was in extremely bad shape, so they began improving it little by little. Just when they were wondering how to finance the next renovation, a friend of theirs told them about Habitat for Humanity.

 

With Habitat's help, they decided to increase energy efficiency by improving the insulation on their terraces. The ugly self-made iron window frames, which let cold air and humidity inside, were removed. Now the balconies have become a shiny living space - with smooth white PVC window frames and colourful wall paper.

 

It would have been hard to repay an ordinary bank loan with Ivan's salary at the Ministry of Education and with Roumyana's student allowance. They felt fortunate to receive Habitat's help.

 

"We might have been able to do it ourselves, but not for a few years. And who knows whether we could have saved enough money for a house renovation," said Roumyana. "Habitat also helped us co-ordinate with a qualified and affordable construction company. They did a great job and were a vast improvement from our previous vendor."

 

Cosy and comfortable in their drawing room, I was curious to learn more about their life. Maybe I was asking too many questions but they didn't mind. Ivan became excited when the conversation turned to one of his favourite topics - the goal ball club. This game is specially designed for sight-impared people and Ivan is proud president of the Sofia chapter. He divides time between his biggest interests - family, sport and history.

 

"Goal ball is the number one for me," says Ivan, immediately adding "of course only after my family".

 

How they became

 

With a dream to become a lawyer, Ivan applied to law school with excellent marks. However, without connections, he was not accepted. Disappointed but determined, he joined the history department, where he eventually earned his PhD in history sciences and is now passionate about this subject. He has more than 500 books, which he scans in order to read.

 

Roumyana graduated with a degree in economics, and is now continuing her education, but along a different path: she is following a dream to study pedagogy for sight-impared people. The rest of her time is devoted to their family, and especially to their two daughters Anita and Viktoria. She seems like a wonderful and affectionate mother, demanding respect, but with a soft touch. A caring housewife, she is thankful for the latest home improvement.

 

The new window frames not only keep out the weather, but also isolate from noise. She jokes that now they hear the neighbours through the walls rather than through the windows.

 

When I visited a second time, I saw that Habitat's renovations were not the only new addition to their home. A furry friend met me at the door: Ivan has a new companion - a seeing-eye dog, Vita. Although a bit perplexed about how to behave with her, he is positive she will help him gain more independance and security on the street.

 

When talking about their life, Roumyana insists that their sight disability has nothing to do with their capacity for success and happiness. "What you want to achieve in life - it's a question of character," she says.

 

Ivan explained his understanding for life this way: "Don't give a person a fish, but teach him how to catch one himself." They don't like asking for charity but would like to be given chances. I was pleased to hear that, because Habitat's principle, to provide a hand up instead of a handout, stems from the same idea.

 

As I was leaving, Roumyana asked me not to describe them as heroes or to exaggerate their story. I didn't exaggerate but I cannot help thinking about them as extra-ordinary people. Not just because they are a sight-impared couple managing to live a normal life, but because of the rare love and optimism that seems to surround them like an aura. Not many families can say the same.

 

Boriana Parvanova is project co-ordinator for Habitat for Humanity Sofia. For more information about the organisation, go to www.habitat-sofia.org.

 

Habitat for Humanity Sofia or Podslon za Chovechestvoto Foundation, founded in 2001, is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to alleviate housing problems of economically disadvantaged families through volunteer-powered construction and renovation. By providing interest-free loans, Habitat Sofia provides a hand up instead of a hand-out. Since 2001, more than 20 families have benefited from its programmes, among them single mothers, sight-impared people and pensioners. In 2005, Habitat Sofia completed its first project, an eight-family home in the Slatina borough. Since then, it has focused on renovation and repair. It is now developing new projects to help us achieve a greater scope of influence.

 

At an international level, Habitat for Humanity Sofia is part of Habitat for Humanity International, an organisation that, through the help of former presidents, celebrities, professional athletes and community volunteers, has provided hundreds of thousands of homes to needy people all over the world.

 

Habitat for Humanity Sofia operates its programmes with the help of donations and grants. If you wish to donate:

 

Podslon za Chovechestvoto Foundation, Unicredit Bulbank Sofia, Hemus
SWIFT code:
BIC UNCRB GSF,
USD BG20 UNCR 9660 1166 85 2702
BGN BG78 UNCR 9660 1066 85 2709

 

http://www.sofiaecho.com/article/chances-instead-of-charity-in-bulgaria/id_24862/catid_29
 

To learn more about Donna Jodhan's company please take a moment to read about it.

 

They call themselves a "One Stop Writing Shop" and well they should.  There are not too many companies around at present that are able to do this and do it so well.  The experts call them unique!  They offer complete services that can help you do research, write, translate and transcribe your info into multi languages.  For absolutely free they can help you to keep abreast of important trends and news items if you're either too busy to search for them or you don't know where to find them.  They can help you to increase your revenues, reduce your costs, and expand your customer bases.  They can offer you a free online monthly magazine filled with info designed to help you keep abreast of market trends and consumer habits and articles that will point you in the right direction when it comes to finding opportunities that are explosive, lucrative, but above all safe.
To learn more visit them at www.sterlingcreations.ca.

 

At the business desk, I'm Kerry J Harrison wishing you a pleasant evening and weekend.

Good day everyone!  I'm Jeff N Marquis at the business desk and on this very pleasant evening I'd like to break the news to those millions of transcribers who have been waiting for a break for such a long time.

The time has come for you to be happy, and jumping for joy.  This is your day!  Your time has come.  Time for you to start celebrating.

A recent trend for transcribers has been growing very rapidly and it all has to do with the push for more and more info to be transcribed from audio files to e files.  In addition, if you're blessed with being able to speak more than one language, then you're definitely it!  Yes, this is a very potent and tangent trend.  One for transcribers to take careful note of.

What's happening here is that more and more companies of all sizes, more and more global governments, and more and more sectors of our economy, are pushing for info to be transcribed from audio files to e files.  This is all because more and more persons are demanding to have info produced in a format that is easier to read.  They want the ability to read info sitting at their computer screens, and they are finding that it's more convenient to do so.

Indeed, many more persons have the ability to read e files than audio files.  In addition, it is more acceptable, easier, and more flexible.  Then we have a greater push towards the transcription of hard copy files to e files.  It is now an established fact that too much paper takes up too much storage and we all know how easy it is to store e files. 

Against this background we have an additional demand for multi lingual transcribers.  Those people who can transcribe as well as speak more than one language.  It's a definite asset and if you can do both then much more power to you.  With the bulging demand for more and more info to be made available online and across the Internet, more and more of those countries whose first language is not English are desperately seeking multi lingual transcribers to transcribe their info from printed format and audio files to e format.

So, a very healthy picture for those of you listening in.

 

Now it's time for our weekly news round-up for translators.

 

 Meet some of the folks who make this area special
Annapolis Capital - Annapolis,MD,USA
The women got two translators, one from Annapolis and one from Philadelphia, who will be contributing to the success of the project. ...
For more detail check out:
http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/09_16-61/CAN

 

Nashua weighs refugees' impact
Nashua Telegraph - Nashua,NH,USA
"Now we have languages for which we have no immediate access to translators," he said. David Scannell, community relations coordinator for the Manchester ...
For more detail check out:
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/static/popup_circ.htm

 

Translators 2008 - From success to recognition
With three concurrent tracks, the program will provide information and opportunities for discussion on many linguistic and professional aspects, including case studies from a wide range of applications. Anyone interested in delivering a ...
ICE Upcoming Events - http://www.iti.org.uk/ice/
For more detail check out:
http://www.iti.org.uk/ice/pages/viewDetails.asp?id=402

 

Hampden teachers explore China, come back with lessons for students
Bangor Daily News - Bangor,ME,USA
17, traveling with 19 fellow schoolteachers and translators through Chinese cities and villages. Most of the educators were from Massachusetts, ...
For more detail check out:
http://bangordailynews.com/news/t/news.aspx?articleid=154323&zoneid=500

 

Israeli Study: Give Combat Role to Women
ABC News - USA
Many remain in traditional jobs, such as health care, but they have also served as translators and mechanics, commanded police companies and support ...
For more detail check out:
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=3611729

 

Milwaukee director goes to India for 'Pool'
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (subscription) - Milwaukee,WI,USA
We had a script in English and (cast and crew members) were translators for us, and they'd take the scenes we had written . . . and sort of work them into ...
For more detail check out:
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=663703

 

Cultural program comes to county
Potomac News - Woodbridge,VA,USA
Four translators, including an NVCC professor and student, facilitated discussion between the Chinese educators and the local teachers and school officials. ...
For more detail check out:
http://www.potomacnews.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WPN%2FMGArticle%2FWPN_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173352820099&path=

 

International World Changers leave lasting impression in Ecuador
Raleigh Biblical Recorder - Raleigh,NC,USA
Volunteers with IWC - an International Mission Board (IMB) program that connects high school and college students with overseas missions opportunities ...
For more detail check out:
http://www.biblicalrecorder.org/content/news/2007/09_21_2007/ne21092007international.shtml

 

French Officer Writes his Mother on an Impending Raid
By David L. Boyle(Juan Cole)
[British Translators' Notes] (1)This is put gently enough of a place which we know every man in the army regarded with horror,--but "poor Charles" dined too often with the General to speak out, especially after being just put on the ...
Napoleon's Egypt - http://napoleonsegypt.blogspot.com/
For more detail check out:
http://napoleonsegypt.blogspot.com/2007/09/french-officer-writes-his-mother-on.html
Found in Translation
By Marco van Hout
I grew up traveling overseas and have had many opportunities to listen to translators. I've also had the chance to learn a few languages well enough to do a little translating of my own, so I know how hard it can actually be. ...
Design - Emotion - http://www.design-emotion.com
For more detail check out:
http://www.design-emotion.com/2007/09/21/found-in-translation/

 

I'd like to leave you with some info that you can use to help you become more global present.  In a world where global trade is growing at tsunami rates, you'll need all the help that you can get in order to attract those millions of global consumers.

 

Are you looking for skilled and experienced translators/writers/researchers to help you craft your articles, blogs, business letters, emails, faxes, newsletters, and proposals in multi languages? 
Are you seeking skilled and experienced language coaches to help you learn the English language more quickly and efficiently?
Then you need to visit the folks at www.translationpeople.com.  Here you'll find a team that guarantees quick turn around, professional work, and total confidentiality.  Prices are extremely affordable and services are offered in English, Spanish, French, Cantonese, and Mandarin.
Check out the free useful information page while you're there and for absolutely free you can also tap into the latest trends and headlines.
 

At the business desk, I'm Jeff N Marquis wishing you a pleasant evening.

 

Hello there!  I'm Matt Chadwick at the business desk and it's that time of the week for our very important feature.  Important news for important consumers.  After reading our news we invite you to read about how you can learn more about these growing groups of consumers.  Please enjoy the articles that we have especially selected for your reading.

 

Table of contents
 
September 26 2007

 

1 iPhones and the Disability Divide
2 Seeing a world with sound
3 Code Factory brings Mobile Speak solution to Windows? Mobile 6-based HP iPAQ
4 Sens Time By Touch Clock For The Blind Is Sexy And Round.
5 Lovells wins payout for visually impaired Ryanair passengers
6 Sony Makes TV Compatible for the Blind
7 More Canadians working later in life
8 Artificial cornea is both strong and clear

 

 

 

iPhones and the Disability Divide

 

By Edward J. Heaton

 

August 2007 Column

 

In all the hype about Apple's new and revolutionary iPhone, it seems that
one segment of the population has been ignored.  As usual, it's persons with
disabilities.

 

The most revolutionary feature of the iPhone is supposed to be its user
interface, which consists of a touch screen.  A touch screen interface does
not allow persons with limited mobility in their hands, or persons who are
blind, to use the iPhone.  Early sales estimates say that in the first
weekend of sales (June 29 to July 2), up to 750,000 units were sold.  The
effect of the iPhone is not just limited to Apple products.  According to
Fortune Magazine's David Kirkpatrick, "every other handheld device maker no
doubt will immediately start trying to imitate [the iPhone's touch screen
interface]."

 

If this is true, then PWDs will really be in a hole.  The debate on whether
iPhones should or should not be accessible has already started on Apple user
websites. There are two schools of thought.  The first is that if you are
blind, why would you buy an iPhone?  The second is that one cannot determine
who wants to use the technology.

 

The iPhone was introduced in January by Steve Jobs.  In the six months since
then, I have seen no disabled organization, such as the National Association
of the Blind, or any ADA-related group come up with a position on whether or
not the iPhone should be handicapped accessible.  Given the other serious
issues facing the disability community, I can certainly understand the
oversight.  However, given the early and probably ongoing success of the
iPhone, I think this will become an issue as more companies attempt to
either license or come up with their own version of the Apple technology.

 

According to "Disability and the Digital Divide", a report released in 2006
by RTC Rural, "[t]he most current data (October 2003) show Internet use by
fewer than 30% of those with disabilities over age 15 while more than 60% of
those with no disability used the Internet at
some location."   If people with disabilities are already using the
Internet half as much as people without disabilities, the iPhone will only
continue to swing the pendulum in the wrong direction.

 

What needs to be done?  Organizations, such as National Organization on
Disability, and the American Association of Persons with Disabilities, need
to push for accessibility standards for all devices that will use the iPhone
technology.  Currently, in America, there are approximately 30,000 ATMs that
are accessible to people with low vision by the use of a headphone jack.
Perhaps a similar arrangement can be developed for the iPhone.  This needs
to be done because of the other feature of the iPhone: that it acts as a
true mobile computer that allows consumers to surf the Web as if they were
at home on their own computer.  The digital divide is already wide enough.
We need to ensure that it doesn't become the digital chasm.

 

 

 

Seeing a world with sound
 
 
By Siham Al Najami, Staff Reporter
Gulf News - Dubai,United Arab Emirates
Friday, August 03, 2007.
 
 
Dubai: Imagine a world with no colour, a personal world with no boundaries,
a world without any visual inputs.
 
One such world belongs to Dana Nashwati, a 20- year-old who lost her sight
at the age of 13 after a severe bout of flu, which affected the nerves
around her eyes. She can still see a blur of colours and shapes in her
dreams, although it is now gradually turning into only shades and sounds.
 
She can still visualise things by learning to identify the characteristics
of an object. "I still use colours to identify people I haven't seen before
losing my eyesight. I visualise individuals by giving them a colour by the
sound of their voice," said Nashwati.
 
She tries to help visually-impaired people to learn how to match colours to
sounds. She is surrounded by her friends from the Blind Association, who
occasionally escape busy schedules to enjoy a day with nature and good
company.
 
Among the group is Khalfan Bin Daher, who was demonstrating his knowledge of
guessing people's age and skin colour by feeling their hands. In a few
minutes he was able to correctly guess the age of the person next to him. "I
don't know how people look like, but through the sense of touch I can find
out about the person's age and skin colour," said the 18-year-old.
 
"I can see light when it directly hits my eyes. That's the only thing I can
'see', but I would love to learn how to match colours. I would like to know
if red goes well with blue," he said.
 
He explained that he sees things the way his imagination visualises it. "My
dreams are usually shapeless and colourless. But then reality will always be
defined by perception," he said.
 
Composing music
 
Ahmad Al Jafli, 20, enjoys listening and composing music. The media
communications student and radio presenter said he can recognise the mood of
a person by carefully listening to every unconscious movement and sound.
 
"People can control their expressions, but they are usually unconscious of
certain movements due to discomfort, happiness," he said.
 
Nashwati points out that people are increasingly taught to be
visually-driven. "This undermines the significance of their other senses,"
she said.
 
Mona and Sharifa Al Hashemi, they visualise objects by the sound they make.
"I identify objects by listening to the sound they create. I dream with
sounds," said Mona.
 
All the group members were born visually impaired except for Nashwati.
"Losing your eyesight is obviously difficult, but your visual impairment is
not always a restriction. The visual element can be deceptive at times. I
learned to understand matters and people better because I take the time to
listen to their views ... you learn the art of listening," she said.
 
The groups of friends feel the country needs more awareness about the needs
and wants of visually impaired people. Most shopping malls and buildings are
not accessible for the visually impaired, they said.
 
"We still have to depend on someone to get from one place to another. We all
want our independence. We always try to challenge ourselves ... but we need
the resources and means," Bin Daher said.
 
? Al Nisr Publishing LLC 2007.
 
http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/Society/10144086.html

 

 

 

 Code Factory brings Mobile Speak solution to Windows? Mobile 6-based HP iPAQ
HP iPAQ 500 series Voice Messenger is compatible with Code Factory's world-class screen reading
software for visually impaired.
Terrassa (Barcelona), August 1st, 2007
Code Factory today announced that Mobile Speak for Windows Mobile Smartphones is now available on
the HP iPAQ 500 series Voice Messenger. As a world class screen reader for Windows Mobile
Smartphones, Mobile Speak offers multilingual text-to-speech and Braille access to blind and
visually impaired business users of the HP iPAQ 500 series Voice Messenger, providing them full
access to the applications and functions of the device.
 
"For the past two years, we have worked with HP to provide the best access solution for visually
impaired users of HP iPAQ products," said Code Factory CEO, Eduard S?nchez. "We are very pleased to
support HP in its first Windows Mobile 6-powered Smartphone. We are sure this will become a popular
device among our customers."
 
Mobile Speak for Windows Mobile Smartphones further enriches the user experience by allowing
customers to:
Install any of more than twenty languages with highly intelligible TTS voices from award-winning
providers such as Acapela, Fonix and Loquendo.
Connect with any of more than fifteen Bluetooth-enabled Braille devices that are currently supported
for input and output in many Braille languages and grades.
Access documents in Word, Excel and PowerPoint formats.
Manage personal data using Outlook Mobile applications including Contacts, Messaging, Calendar, and
Tasks.
Surf the web using Internet Explorer.
Review call logs, hear the caller ID, and continue to have speech feedback when accessing other
functions while on a call.
Listen to sound files and audio streams using Windows Media Player.
Use other built-in applications such as the calculator, Voice Recorder and Windows Live Messenger.
Configure phone settings, profiles, speed dials and voice tags.
Synchronize or backup your data to your PC through ActiveSync.
Access 3rd-party applications like AvantGo, Audible Player and Audible Air, SlovoEd Multilingual
Dictionaries and many more.
Use Bluetooth-enabled headsets and QWERTY keyboards.
Read the date and time, signal strength, battery level, number of unread SMS and missed calls, and
other status details that are visually represented.
Change TTS-specific pronunciations through user dictionary files.
Configure more than 30 verbosity options and use intuitive commands to adjust speech settings on the
fly.
"The HP iPAQ 500 Series was designed with convenient hands-free operation through innovative
features such as its Voice Command and email Voice Reply. By supporting Mobile Speak compatibility,
HP is helping to provide products, services and information that are accessible to everyone,
including those with visual limitations," explained Michael Takemura, HP Accessibility program
director. "We believe that Mobile Speak for Windows Mobile Smartphones provides a comprehensive
speech and Braille solution that makes this the most accessible Smartphone for people with visual
impairment."
 
To learn more about Mobile Speak for Windows Mobile Smartphones, click here. You can also evaluate
the software free of charge by downloading it from here and activating a 30-day trial license. To
view the list of distributors and resellers, click here.
About Code Factory
Code Factory is a software company committed to the development of products designed to remove
barriers to the accessibility of mobile technology for the blind and visually impaired. Noted for
innovation and responsiveness, Code Factory is the leading provider of screen readers, screen
magnifiers, and Braille interfaces for the widest range of mainstream mobile devices including
Symbian-based and Windows Mobile-powered Smartphones as well as Pocket PC phones and PDAs. Further,
Code Factory is the only accessible software provider to support close to two hundred different
phone models working on the GSM, CDMA and WCDMA networks. To learn more about Code Factory and its
mission of bringing complete accessibility to mobile devices, visit http://www.codefactory.es.
 
For more information, feel free to contact Code Factory S.L.:
Code Factory, S.L., Rambla d'Egara 148 2-2, 08221 Terrassa (Barcelona)
Tel. +34 93 733 70 66, info@codefactory.es, www.codefactory.es
Code Factory, S.L. - 2007

 

Gizmodo.com - Budapest,Hungary
SUN AUG 5 2007.
 
Swatch develops some awesome concepts and this is no exception. Designed by
 Arnaud Lapierre, it is a high fashion clock for the blind called Sens Time
by Touch. Though there are many solutions for time keeping for the visually
impaired, this concept goes a long way to push for style and functionality.
 
The clock has a Braille twelve-hour marker on its outermost surface and this
serves as the main calibration point for time keeping. The device consists
in total of three concentric circles; the two closest to the exterior are
ceramic and the furthest inset is clear plastic. The time is revealed by
hedistance the twelve-hour marker is from the second ceramic ring, the
plastic ring is used to set the alarm using the same principal.
 
We love the fact that the design is elegant and not butt ugly-like most time
keeping gadgets for the blind tend to be. In fact, we like the presentation
of it so much we would love to have one of these up on our desk, because if
there is anything we love more than warm, sweet, syrup filled macaroons,
it's enigmatic, ceramic timepieces.
 
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/touch-me/sens-time-by-touch-clock-for-the-blind-is-sexy-and-round-286138.php

 

 

 

Lovells wins payout for visually impaired Ryanair passengers
 
 
Author:  Source: The Lawyer
The Lawyer - London,UK
13-Aug-2007.
 
 
Lovells has won compensation from budget airline Ryanair in a pro bono
appointment on behalf of some visually impaired passengers. The passengers
were refused carriage on the grounds that their flight had already met its
quota of 'mobility-impaired' passengers.
 
The group was travelling to Italy for a walking holiday and had already
boarded the aircraft and taken their seats when on-board staff ordered them
to disembark.
 
The group alleged that Ryanair ground staff then informed them that they had
disembarked voluntarily, meaning that they would not qualify for assistance
or compensation under the European Commission Denied Boarding Regulations.
 
Although the airline did arrange for the group to be booked onto later
flights as a "favour", four of them were forced to sleep on the floor of
Stansted Airport awaiting an early flight the following day, with no offer
of food or accommodation.
 
The six passengers were represented by Lovells litigation associate Richard
Brown, who said: "It struck me that the group had been treated particularly
unfairly so I was keen to help them get a settlement."
 
Ryanair's insistence that the group had not been 'denied boarding' under the
meaning of the Commission's Denied Boarding Regulations surrounded its claim
that the quota of four mobility-impaired passengers per flight was necessary
for safety reasons.
 
The complainants argued that they were not mobility impaired simply because
they were visually impaired, as all of them had sighted guides. Consequently
they should have been paid compensation and, where appropriate, offered
accommodation under the regulations.
 
Ryanair claimed that it was within its rights under its terms and conditions
to refuse carriage, although the airline has subsequently changed its policy
towards the carriage of visually impaired passengers.
 
A settlement was reached before proceedings were issued.
 
 
The Lawyer Group is a division of Centaur Media PLC 2007
TheLawyer.com was built by Sift Group Ltd.
 
 
http://www.thelawyer.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=127863&d=122&h=24&f=46

 

Sony Makes TV Compatible for the Blind
 
 
By JWhite
Associated Content - Denver,CO,USA
 
 
We are all familiar with subtitles, those little captions on TV that
narrates what characters are doing and saying, but what people don't know is
that a similar technology is available for the bBlind. Audio Description is
like subtitles that provides additional soundtrack for blind or visually
impaired people. During a break in a program's dialogue, a voice explains
visual plot points that can help visually impaired people to follow and
understand the plot more fully.
 
Sony is now providing for this technology in all of their Bravia
televisions. Audio description used to be only accessible through the use of
a separate set-top box or a satellite receiver. However, audio description
must also be supported by the broadcaster distributing the TV program. Most
TV manufacturers provide support for Integrated Digital Television (IDTV)
but only few provide audio description access.
 
In Europe, a variety of programs offers audio description but it is only the
United Kingdom that has a law that makes it a requirement for main
broadcasters to provide for audio description. Currently, BBC channels are
required to have 8% of their programs audio described.
 
According to Sony, one of the challenges facing audio description is low
awareness before visually impaired viewers can claim to enjoy the same kind
of service that subtitles provide for the deaf.
 
In 2006, an Ofcom research study said that only 22% of the visually impaired
respondents who have heard of audio description claims to have used it while
63% of those least visually impaired people have never heard of it.
 
Sony is now calling on the Television industry to join its campaign to
provide products and services for the visually impaired people. With Sony's
introduction of the audio description technology in its Bravia series, the
company hopes to put an end to broadcasters and legislator's argument that
there is limited need for channels to feature audio description because of
the lack of products with the technology to play it. Sony is now on a
Europe-wide PR campaign to raise awareness amongst consumers, media,
legislators and manufacturers.
 
A lot of people welcomed Sony's initiative to make blind and partially
sighted people enjoy television. Andreas Ditter, Vice President of Sony's TV
Operations in Europe said, "With the opportunities presented by digital
broadcast channels today, Sony believes that the ability to enjoy a great
televisual experience should not be the preserve of those that can see, but
should also be accessible to blind and partially sighted people."
 
2007 ? Associated Content.
 
SOURCE:
 
Sony press release, Sony Introduces Television For The Blind. URL:
(http://www.sony-europe.com/view/ShowPressRelease.action?section=en_EU_Press&pressrelease=1182234932989&site=odw_en_EU)
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/345877/sony_makes_tv_compatible_for_the_blind.html

 

Increasing number of Canadians working later in life, survey finds; Changing
attitude to aging big reason older people stay in workforce
 
Shannon Proudfoot
Ottawa Citizen , Aug. 25, 2007
 
Canadians are working later in life and that may cushion a potential labour
shortage when baby boomers start to retire, a report shows.
 
An estimated 2.1 million people age 55 to 64 were employed or looking for
jobs in 2006 -- double the number who were working 30 years before,
according to a study released yesterday by Statistics Canada. Most of their
jobs were in the service sector and the vast majority worked full time.
 
Older workers made up 12 per cent of the Canadian labour force last year,
while they comprised 10 per cent in 1976. That reflects an aging population
and the fact that more people are working later.
 
"It's not only more older people -- it's not the same older person as it was
before," says David Cravit, 62, senior vice-president of marketing for the
50Plus Group, the largest Internet portal for baby boomers and seniors in
the country. ''I look and act and think 15 years younger than my
chronological age. I'm not here to be sitting in a rocking chair playing
cribbage for five years waiting for the axe to fall."
 
Three-quarters (76 per cent) of men age 55 to 59 either had a job or were
looking for one last year, as were 62 per cent of women. In the 60 to 64
group, 53 per cent of men were still in the work force and a record-high 37
per cent of women were in the same situation. The data came from the Labour
Force Survey.
 
Baby boomers' strong attachment to work, increased education -- especially
among women -- and the near-elimination of mandatory retirement at 65 are
expected to keep more older workers on the job in the future.
 
"Employment is an important form of validation for this generation. Remember
that the 60-year-olds of today were the yuppies of the 1970s," says Mr.
Cravit.
 
The financial responsibilities of caring for aging parents or grown children
who haven't flown the nest may also be pushing the "sandwich generation" to
work longer, he adds.
 
Others may work to finance luxuries their pensions don't cover, Mr. Cravit
says, citing his favourite example of a Calgary man in his 80s who works
part time at a Tim Hortons outlet so he can spend three months in Mexico
each year.
 
Although his employer recently scrapped mandatory retirement, 60-year-old
University of British Columbia professor David Sanderson plans to leave the
workforce in five years.
 
That will give him and his wife the financial means and the time to enjoy
their retirement years, he says, even though he's not ready for it quite
yet.
 
"I love my job, but I like doing things with my wife, travelling, restoring
cars, running, those kinds of things," Mr. Sanderson says.
 
David Patchell-Evans, founder of GoodLife Fitness Clubs, is about to turn 54
and doesn't foresee himself retiring in the next decade.
 
He has a good role-model in his 87-year-old mother, who still works for the
company full time, attending every meeting and scrutinizing the balance
sheets.
 
"Most people still want to get young, we don't want to get old," he says.
"And old is a very relative thing. I'm convinced it's not a state of age,
it's a state of attitude."

 

TECHNOLOGY: FEATURE.                                             p28
NS070825
 
#34  Artificial cornea is both strong and clear; Ten million
 
         people worldwide suffer from corneal blindness, but
 
         until now there has not been an artificial implant with
 
         just the right combination of properties
 

 

Aria Pearson
 
AN ARTIFICIAL cornea has been created that is as strong and clear
 
as the real thing. It could allow millions of people with damaged
 corneas to see.
 
Corneal blindness can be caused by disease, injury or infection of
the eye's clear surface. It can be cured with a transplant from a
human donor, but donors are scarce. The World Health Organization
estimates that 10 million people worldwide are blind because of
defective corneas, yet only 100,000 receive transplants each year.
 
Artificial corneas made from flexible hydrogels - polymers that
 absorb water - are now available, but they are not permeable
enough to support epithelial cells on their surface. These cells
guard against bacteria and stop natural corneas becoming cloudy,
by preventing proteins from sticking to them. Adding more water
to the hydrogels allows glucose to diffuse through them and
nourish epithelial cells on the surface, but it also weakens
them. So there is a push to develop a synthetic cornea that is
both strong and permeable. "The long-term goal is an
off-the-shelf cornea that looks and acts like donor tissue," says
 
Heather Sheardown of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.

 

Now Curtis Frank and colleagues at Stanford University in
California have done just that. They took polyacrylic acid, the
water-absorbing polymer found in diapers, and cross-linked it
with polyethylene glycol, which also absorbs water. The
 cross-links mean that the resulting material is 20 times stronger
than either of the starting polymers on their own, and about the
same strength as a human cornea. Crucially it also has the same
water content as a real cornea, which greatly increases its
ability to transport nutrients to the epithelial cells.
 
After forming the material, which was presented at the American
Chemical Society meeting in Boston on 20 August, into a
6-millimetre-wide disc , the researchers implanted it in rabbits.
They found that glucose from the eye diffused through the
material and fed the epithelial cells growing on the surface,
which had been modified with collagen to promote cell growth.
 
Sheardown is also developing a cornea made from two intertwined
 polymers. But it does not transport glucose as readily as Frank's
and she has not yet tested it on animals.
 
Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information, UK, a division of Reed Elsevier
 Inc.Al
 
To learn more about special needs consumer please read on.

 

They call themselves a "One Stop Writing Shop" and well they should.  There are not too many companies around at present that are able to do this and do it so well.  The experts call them unique!  They offer complete services that can help you do research, write, translate and transcribe your info into multi languages.  For absolutely free they can help you to keep abreast of important trends and news items if you're either too busy to search for them or you don't know where to find them.  They can help you to increase your revenues, reduce your costs, and expand your customer bases.  They can offer you a free online monthly magazine filled with info designed to help you keep abreast of market trends and consumer habits and articles that will point you in the right direction when it comes to finding opportunities that are explosive, lucrative, but above all safe.
To learn more visit them at www.sterlingcreations.ca.

 

At the business desk, i'm Matt Chadwick wishing you a pleasant afternoon.

Greetings everyone!  I'm Jayna Sheffield at the business desk and I'd like to continue this week by providing you with some very important tips on the importance of keywords.

First, the use of keywords is extremely important when it comes to ensuring that your articles, blogs, newsletters, online magazines, and websites get the full attention that you're seeking.

Second, the correct use of keywords can make the difference in the success/failure of your website.  Use inappropriate keywords and you could end up with a website that does not attract many visitors.  You need to understand how to use these keywords when attracting search engines to your website.

Third, if you fail to incorporate the right type of keyword in your articles, blogs, newsletters, or online magazines, you could end up working your heart out for naught. 

The use of keywords are very, very important.  You need to find the right keywords that will attract both search engines as well as visitors.  There's an art to this and you need to find it.  You need to do your research and develop ways to learn how to make it all work for you.

I'm going to leave you with some very useful urls.  Please check them out.

 

-          https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

 

-          http://www.goodkeywords.com/ 

 

If you'd like to learn more about the art of writing good articles, websites, blogs, online magazines, plus much more, then please check out the info below.

 

 

 

 

 Looking for ideas and opportunities to crack the over 50s market?  The baby boomer market?  The seniors market?  Other niche markets?
Are you seeking opportunities in markets that are explosive, lucrative, but above all safe?
Are you having difficulty keeping abreast of important trends and news items because you're either too busy or don't know where to look?
Then you need to visit www.sterlingcreations.ca and there you'll find a suite of services that can help you to get where you want to go.
From writing to research, and translation to transcription.  There is even a free monthly online magazine that is crammed with very vital and valuable information.  You can even keep abreast of breaking trends and headlines for absolutely free.
Check it out at your convenience.

 

At the business desk, I'm Jayna Sheffield bidding you a happy rest of the day.

Hi everyone!  I'm Heather DeMarco at the business desk and I'd like to kick off the week by telling you about a very fast growing trend presently sweeping across America these days.  It has been coined as the small town business idea trend and you can read more about this trend plus many others by visiting www.untappedwealth.com/business-strategies.html.

This trend started off in 2003 and it started slowly.  However, it has been going gang busters for the past three years and is expected to keep on growing in strength for at least the next decade.

So what's causing this trend to grow like this?  There are several reasons and many stakeholders involved.  We need to keep in mind that many of our large corporations have their roots in small town businesses.  Many corporations started as small town businesses and have grown into giants.  This is one of the reasons for this trend's growth.  Many small town businesses owners are hoping that they can pattern their success after those corporate giants that started as small town businesses.  In addition, the American government is really hoping that the small town business idea trend can encourage and motivate interest and excitement among those who are seeking lucrative and lasting opportunities.

The small town business idea is also growing because of many entrepreneurs who are using the idea to create and develop business to suite the needs and demands of their own small towns.  They are using the small town business idea to develop models that can be used by larger towns and cities.  They are using the concept of cutting off a slice of the large picture, a manageable slice, and using it to create and develop safe and solid business models. 

There's another stakeholder in all of this and this is the large corporation.  Many large corporations are anxious for others to develop smaller models that they can then use to test drive.  In short, they are looking to small business owners and entrepreneurs to develop models that they can then take and use to their advantage.

A win-win situation you say?  Most definitely.  America wins because new ways are being discovered to develop fresh new business ideas through the small town business idea trend.  Large corporations win because they are getting fresh new blood to do the development.  Small towns and small cities win because they get to take first crack at successful new ideas.

 

I think that you should consider this trend and if you're seeking more imaginative encouragement then please read on.

 

How would you like to keep abreast of breaking headlines, latest trends, and up to the minute news and do it all for free?  How would you like to save yourself some precious time and energy by going to a website that offers you daily updates by some very hardworking experts and all of this at no cost to you?  Would you like to learn how to keep your assets safe and protected from the fast fingers of those unscrupulous scammers, identity thieves, and cyber pirates?
The experts at www.untappedwealth.com can show you how to obtain all of this plus much more and they are offering all of this for free because they are bound and determined to help you stay away from those get rich quick schemes, those scams with broken promises and smoking mirrors, and those pitfalls that could land you in endless trouble.  Their fingers are strategically placed on what's going on minute by minute around the world and they bring it to you as it happens.  Take advantage of their knowledge and experience and do it at no cost. 

 

At the business desk, i'm Heather DeMarco wishing you a pleasant day.

Hi everyone!  I'm Heather DeMarco at the business desk and I'd like to end the week with a call to those young and budding entrepreneurs.

If you're a teen, or even in your early to mid 20s, with a healthy interest and aspiration to become an entrepreneur or small business owner, then America is looking for you.  If you're sure that you want to become your own business person but you don't quite know how, then America is holding out its helping hand to you.  If you really want to become your own boss but don't quite have the money to get a start on things, then America is standing by  to show you how.

There is a widening gap between demand and supply these days when it comes to those who are willing and ready to produce and those who simply don't want to any more.  Let me explain.  More and more baby boomers are retiring early because they are simply burned out.  They are anxious to retire early and leave the workplace.  They've had enough and now they want to go away and enjoy the fruits of their labor.  Because of this, there is a growing need for others to take their place and this is happening in all sectors of our economy.

For the purpose of this blog, I'm going to shine the light on the small business arena and the growing need for our youngsters to step up to the plate and take the reins of leadership.  America is seeking bright and upcoming youngsters to become the business leaders of the future and where better to start than with a small business?  One that is your very own, one where you get to learn how to manage things, and one where you get to learn how to make those typical mistakes and correct them under the supervision of the real experts.  Our American government is extremely concerned about the future of our small business economy and to this end they are willing and ready to start training youngsters who are interested, and willing and ready to become the leaders of the future.

What a wonderful way for parents to invest in the futures of their youngsters by embracing opportunities that will help them to become smart, bright, and business savvy citizens.  What an excellent way for youngsters to start their careers by becoming a part of this growing trend towards becoming their own bosses, becoming the experts and leaders of the future, and becoming America's new generation of super heroes.  If you'd like to read more about a very important trend towards teens becoming their own bosses, then please visit www.untappedwealth.com/business-strategies.html and check out the link on teen business idea. 

 

It's time now for book talk!  Our Amazon picks of the week.

 

Deduct it!  Lower your small business taxes

By Stephen Fishman

We recommend this book because many small businesses are constantly struggling to keep their taxes at a minimum and in many cases they often find it a killer challenge to do so.  The author has some very interesting theories and strategies to offer.  We highly recommend this book.

 

The complete Guide to Service Learning: Proven, Practical Ways to Engage Students in Civic Service Learning: From Classroom To Community To Career

by Marie Watkins and Linda Braun

This book is a wonderful reference and good reading material for both kids and parents.  Too often, there is a gap between the classroom and the community and before you know it, our youngsters are out there not knowing how to cope.  Excellent reading.

 

Untapped Wealth discovered

By Jeff N Marquis and Kerry J Harrison

We like this book because the authors have managed to engross their readers in some very interesting and logical strategies.  If you're contemplating making a jump from the workplace to your own small business, then this book should be read before you take that big step. 

 

If you're seeking ways to avoid some common pitfalls when it comes to managing your own business, then you should pay attention to the info listed below.

 

Are you tired of looking over your shoulder because you're so scared of being scammed out of your hard earned savings, your house, and your other assets?
Are you looking for ways to avoid those scams with their broken promises and get rich quick schemes?  Are you worried that one day soon someone is going to try and scam you out of your worldly possessions?  Do you know what you should be doing in order to combat those seedy scammers, identity thieves, and shady investors?
Now you can take advantage of some very potent info and daily updates plus more in order to help you stay healthy and sleep well at night.  All of this info is free for the taking and it will save you thousands of research hours, protect your savings and worldly possessions, and help you to make decisions that are safe, logical, and sound.  The experts at www.untappedwealth.com are offering you all of this at absolutely no cost because their philosophy is that if they help you then you will help others and we will become a safer and better country.  Check them out!  You have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain!

 

At the business desk, I'm Heather DeMarco wishing you a pleasant weekend.

Hey there!  I'm Alix Shadonnay at the business desk and it's time for our new weekly feature focusing on women.

Today I'd like to center the attention on inspiring women to greater heights.  Too many women tend to give up so easily because of the mountainous challenges facing them each day. 

Women as a whole have to face so many biases, so many negative attitudes, and so many challenges that it's no wonder that too many of them give up before they even start.  Society has not really been fair to women because the general opinion still exists that women just can't cut it when it comes to being able to compete with men.  Our associate Jodhan, has a message for you this week and I'd like to hand things over to her.

 

Hello, I'm Donna Jodhan and today I'd like to share an article with you that I found just hours ago.  I truly believe that this article will inspire other women to reach for greater heights.  As a blind woman who has been successful at running my own business for the past 13 years, I want to be a conduit of change and so I'd like for you to take a look at the article below.

 

Savannah Now, GA, USA
Thursday, September 06, 2007
 
Blind couple's answering service has got your number

 

By Robin WRIGHT Gunn
 
Thursday, September 6, 2007 at 12:30 am
 
Ever called a Savannah physician after office hours? Chances are good that Donna or Robert Culver took the message and forwarded it to the doctor.
 
The Culvers' business, Chatham Answering Service, has provided off-hours telephone answering for 19 years for hundreds of physicians, real estate agents and other businesses
 
Yet few of the thousands of patients, clients or office staff who interact with the Culvers are aware that their message-takers are slightly different from most answering services.
 
Both Donna and Robert are legally blind.
 
"My staff didn't know they were blind in the beginning," said Dr. Michael Zoller, a physician with Ear, Nose and Throat Associates who's been a client of Chatham Answering Service for more than 15 years. "The first time they came in with the (leader) dog they were shocked."
 
The couple met in the 1960s as students at the Georgia Academy for the Blind in Macon and married after Robert graduated from the University of Georgia in 1976. They raised their two sons and have two grandsons.
 
Lifelong activists for people with blindness, the couple is active at Washington Avenue Christian Church, where Robert is associate minister and Donna plays the organ.
 
"I was born totally blind," said Robert, 55. "I received (my) sight back after four cataract surgeries" before age 6. "I'm legally blind, but I am losing it again."
 
Donna, 54, lost most of her sight at age 3 days when she was given oxygen after being born four months premature. She lost all her sight in 1987.
 
Donna founded Chatham Answering Service in 1988.
 
"I had two line telephones. They had different rings to them so I knew who I was answering for," she says. "I had a Braille typewriter; it looks similar to a typewriter. That was all I had other than notebooks.
 
"I was pretty fortunate. When the lights went out ... I could work in the dark."
 
After almost three years of Donna working solo, with Robert helping out on nights and weekends, the couple decided it was time for Robert to leave his career as a horticulturist with Oelschig Nursery Inc. to help manage the growth of the answering service.
 
"I said, 'It's time to cry uncle.' I'm trying to raise two boys at the same time. I cannot keep a house, raise two children, run the business and not have Robert here, too," Donna said.
 
Chatham Answering Service operates out of the Culvers' eastside home, assisting 158 doctors and about 30 other businesses. Currently, the company employs six people in addition to the Culvers.
 
Their first employee was a close friend who was also blind.
 
"We try to hire blind people first," said Donna. "Then if we can't, we hire most of our people from Savannah State and Armstrong. We want to help them pay their way through school."
 
Over the years, they've had between 17 and 20 employees, of which four were blind.
 
"Technology has driven us nuts," Robert said. "We have had to learn and learn and learn again. Text messaging, alpha messaging, e-mail. We had to learn all of that stuff. But the sighted people did too, didn't they?
 
"We have talk software on both cell phones. Can you imagine? Blind people with camera phones!"
 
Voice activation, sound indicators and Braille computers are technological enhancements that aid the Culvers in their work and home life. Without warning, buzzers and bells sound off in different spots in their home and in the office behind their house.
 
"Everything ring-dings and sings around here," said Donna.
 
As the answering business has transitioned from relying on land lines to using pagers, then radios and then to cell phones, each technology revolution brings adjustments in how the Culvers interact with clients.
 
"One doctor may want to be paged; one wants to be called at home; the next wants to be called on the cell phone. It makes it more complex," said Robert.
 
For Zoller, what sets the Culvers apart is their personal service and commitment to their clients.
 
"Their business has become enormous because they are so popular," he said.
 
"If they can't reach you, they have numbers to call you at the gym or at a friend's. It's not just the mechanics of calling the doctor on the beeper
 
"They know a lot of my patients from 15 or 20 years and that makes a big difference, too.
 
"Nowadays everything is so cold and distant. So many times (the service) is a hook-up so it goes out of town. I like the local person who really knows the community."
 
Robert and Donna Culver met in the 1960s as students at the Georgia Academy for the Blind in Macon, and married after Robert graduated from University of Georgia in 1976.
 
http://new.savannahnow.com/node/355120

If you'd like to learn more about Donna's company then please read on.

 

They call themselves a "One Stop Writing Shop" and well they should.  There are not too many companies around at present that are able to do this and do it so well.  The experts call them unique!  They offer complete services that can help you do research, write, translate and transcribe your info into multi languages.  For absolutely free they can help you to keep abreast of important trends and news items if you're either too busy to search for them or you don't know where to find them.  They can help you to increase your revenues, reduce your costs, and expand your customer bases.  They can offer you a free online monthly magazine filled with info designed to help you keep abreast of market trends and consumer habits and articles that will point you in the right direction when it comes to finding opportunities that are explosive, lucrative, but above all safe.
To learn more visit them at www.sterlingcreations.ca. 

 

At the business desk, I'm Alix Shadonnay wishing you a pleasant weekend. 

Good afternoon!  I'm Kerry J Harrison at the business desk and it's time for our new weekly feature featuring news for translators.

This feature is still very new and already we've been receiving positive feedback.  Thank you!

The potential for translators is very real.  Opportunities abound and with the increasing growth of global trade, and now the push towards dealing with global warming, the demand for translators is only going to grow at phenomenal rates.  Please do not under estimate the demand for translators.  It is real and it is only going to get better.

Translators/writers are in great demand these days.  Translators who can help investors, lawyers, real estate agents, plus more, are also in demand.  If you can translate and write at the same time then you're definitely it.  If you love the fast pace of financial markets, and dealing with people, then you're the future.

 

Now for our translator news round-up of the week.

 

Bookmarks Part III
By Amit Kumar(Amit Kumar)
Moneycontrol India > News > Woman, internet is your handy employment exchange > > Financial Planning > transcription, online media, indian publishing, job sites, BPOs, content, website, online instructors, translators, data processing, ...
Nirvana Musing - http://nirvanamusing.blogspot.com/
For more detail check out:
http://nirvanamusing.blogspot.com/2007/09/bookmarks-part-iii.html

 

WHAT IS FREELANCE TRANSLATING?
By Melissa G.(Melissa G.)
It won't be unusual to discover your writing skills can be just as in demand as those that power your incredible translation abilities. Always keep your eyes peeled for opportunities to combine the skill-sets of a writer and translator, ...
Creative Freelancing - http://creativefreelancing.blogspot.com/
For more detail check out:
http://creativefreelancing.blogspot.com/2007/09/what-is-freelance-translating.html

 

BEYOND GROUND ZERO: THE NEW INTELLIGENCE INFRASTRUCTURE
San Francisco Chronicle - CA, USA
It would have been a lot easier in 2001, if the National Security Agency and the FBI had had enough Arabic and Urdu translators. They had very few, ...
For more detail check out:
http://www.sfgate.com/templates/types/popunder/orbitz/orbitz.html

 

Yuma Glance 9-12-07
Yuma Sun - Yuma,AZ,USA
The Earned Income Tax Credit Coalition is seeking volunteers to serve as tax preparers, greeters, instructors or translators for the various Volunteer ...
For more detail check out:
http://www.yumasun.com/news/tax_36463___article_news.html/set_volunteers.html

 

Homeschooling comes of age In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the ...
By jonjayray(jonjayray)
The other day I heard a consumer programme complaining, in righteous PC tones, that not enough banks in Wales offer Polish language leaflets and onsite translators. It made the reasonable point that this would be good business for the ...
EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL - http://edwatch.blogspot.com/
For more detail check out:
http://edwatch.blogspot.com/2007/09/homeschooling-comes-of-age-in-late.html

 

Translators leverage language skills
Taiwan Journal - Taiwan
"A lack of job opportunities has forced some talented T&I graduates to go overseas or to China to find a brighter future," he said. Translation would seem ...
For more detail check out:
http://taiwanjournal.nat.gov.tw/ct.asp?CtNode=122&xItem=24665

If you'd like to expand your horizons as a translator, or if you're seeking to expand your global presence, then please read the info below.

 

Are you looking for skilled and experienced translators/writers/researchers to help you craft your articles, blogs, business letters, emails, faxes, newsletters, and proposals in multi languages? 
Are you seeking skilled and experienced language coaches to help you learn the English language more quickly and efficiently?
Then you need to visit the folks at www.translationpeople.com.  Here you'll find a team that guarantees quick turn around, professional work, and total confidentiality.  Prices are extremely affordable and services are offered in English, Spanish, French, Cantonese, and Mandarin.
Check out the free useful information page while you're there and for absolutely free you can also tap into the latest trends and headlines.
 

At the business desk, I'm Kerry J Harrison wishing you a pleasant day.

Good day everyone!  I'm Jeff N Marquis at the business desk and it's time for our weekly feature.

We would like to thank the flood of emailers who have taken the time to send us their positive feedback and we hope that you find this week's articles interesting.

Have a great day.

 

Table of contents
 
September 19 2007
 
1  Net becoming more accessible to vision-impaired
2  Start wearing sunglasses early, and they may help to preserve your sight in later life.
3  AT&T Launching New Services to Support Customers With Special Needs
4  Sony Introduces Television For The Blind
5  New product announcement
6  Blind have ally in device that turns text into words
7  Rebel doctors prescribe ?10 cancer drug to fight blindness.
8  Fish eye cure for the blind
9  Zebrafish study may point way to blindness cure

 

'Net becoming more accessible to vision-impaired.
 
 
By Jeffrey Pieters
Post-Bulletin - Rochester,MN,USA
7/24/2007.
 
 
Dale Davis, a Rochester Community and Technical College student pursuing a degree in information technology, began losing his sight from retinitis pigmentosa about 15 years ago, but the effects became serious in only about the last 10 years.
 
He remembers what it was like to surf the Web sighted and says JAWS, special reading software whose title stands for "Job Access With Speech," while nice, cannot compare.
 
"Nothing's ever as positive or as competent as our vision," he said. "You do have to find a roundabout way to take a Web page, to understand just how it works. Trying to find exactly what you're looking for is sometimes hard with vision impairment."
 
For one thing, the software can't skim information, he said. One has to listen to the computer's reading voice from start to finish.
 
Still, there are things a blind computer user can learn to make them the equal to -- if not superior of -- the sighted mouse-clicker, says Ken Trebelhorn, a Rochester-based technology instructor specializing in blind issues. His home business is called Low Vision Technologies of Minnesota.
 
"I could guarantee you that you could whip out an e-mail faster than you could before," he said. "Because it's all on the keyboard. Everything is done on the keyboard. There's no need to pick up the mouse and try to figure out where to point the thing."
 
Composing an e-mail, though, is a fairly standardized task. Navigating the Web, where every page can be designed differently, is something altogether different.
 
There is, however, a set of national standards for Web design, said Adam Starkey, the city's Webmaster. Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act prescribe accessibility standards for Web design, and Rochester keeps its pages in compliance with those, Starkey said. They're specially checked twice a year, he said.
 
None of it is a legal requirement -- at least not yet -- but "we just figured it's probably the best practice to make sure we are compliant," Starkey said.
 
Prior to joining the Rochester staff 2 1/2 years ago, Starkey was a professional Web designer in the Twin Cities. He doesn't recall accessibility issues being a common subject for discussion then.
 
"It's certainly becoming more of an (industry) issue," he said. "It's just a best practice for any government site. ... A lot of the larger (commercial sites) try to be compliant."
 
Starkey noted that Target.com was the subject of a class-action suit, filed by blind users alleging discrimination over accessibility to Target's Web site.
 
"It can lead to lawsuits if your site isn't (accessible)," he said.
 
So, how many Web sites are acceptably accessible?
 
"I would say somewhere between 70 and 80 percent," Davis said. "Most of them are pretty good."
 
 
http://news.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=31&a=301571

 

Start wearing sunglasses early, and they may help to preserve your sight in later life.
 
 
By Jeremy Laurance
Independent - London,England,UK
24 July 2007.
 
 
For decades, doctors have warned about the dangers of going out in the sun. Slap on a hat, slip on a shirt and slop on the suncream to protect your skin from harmful rays and avoid getting cancer, they say.
 
But what about the eyes? If sunlight burns skin, what does it do to the cornea, lens and retina? Most people wear sunglasses for comfort or to look cool. But perhaps there is a more pressing reason - to save our sight.
 
Should the advice be; wear shades or risk going blind? One of the world's best-known scientists, James Watson, a Nobel prizewinner and the discoverer of the DNA double helix, seems to think that is exactly what the risk is.
 
At the opening of the Wellcome Medical Museum in London last month, he was extolling the benefits of genetic research. In May, he became the first person to be presented with his entire DNA sequence on a disc, potentially allowing him to identify genetic defects that could put him at risk of disease.
 
Asked if there were any downsides to such research - something he is notably reluctant to admit - he had his answer ready. Analysis of his genome might have revealed a vulnerability to, say, macular degeneration, which is the most common cause of blindness.
 
"I could have seen the [gene] sequence when I was in my fifties and worn dark glasses for the rest of my life. But I am now 79, and I don't have macular degeneration. So it would have been unnecessary - based on incomplete information," he said.
 
It was a deliberately frivolous point, intended to suggest that the worst the new genetics could foist upon us was the inconvenience of wearing dark glasses. But the assumption that lay behind it was that dark glasses can protect eyes from premature ageing, in the same way that suncream can protect the skin. They may even, Watson implied, prevent vulnerable people from losing their sight.
 
The facts about blindness are chilling. By the age of 80, more than half of Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery. A cataract occurs when the lens in the eye becomes cloudy, blurring the vision. Treatment is by surgery, to replace the lens with an artificial one made from plastic.
 
Age-related macular degeneration affects about 500,000 people in the UK. It occurs when cells in the centre of the retina at the back of the eye become damaged. Symptoms are the loss of central vision and visual distortion. Both conditions are most common in the elderly - and as we live longer, the numbers affected are growing. The eyes, in common with other organs, need protection if they are to last. Some eye specialists say that protecting the eyes of children is the most effective way to prolong 20-20 vision into old age.
 
Ian Anderson, an optometrist and the chairman of the Eyecare Trust, a charity devoted to promoting eye health, said: "Your eyes can be damaged by ultraviolet light. There are two types in sunlight - UVA and UVB. UVA sunlight penetrates quite deeply and can damage the lens and the retina. People should be aware that they need to wear dark glasses and do more to protect their eyes."
 
People who have fair skin are at greatest risk. They have less pigment and their eyes are thus most vulnerable to UV light, while dark-skinned people are better protected.
 
But it is a myth that blue-eyed people are more sensitive to light and therefore more vulnerable to eye damage. The iris is almost opaque, although there are differences in the amount of pigment in the retina, Anderson said.
 
Children are worse off because their eyes are young and the lens and vitreous - the fluid behind the lens - are clearer, so the light goes straight through and goes on to hit the retina.
 
"Children need sunglasses, but parents need to be careful that they are not toys with tinted lenses. That causes the iris to open and let more light through. Parents need to be very careful to buy sunglasses with the right CE marking to show that they filter out UV light. It is more important to wear sunglasses when young to protect the eyes."
 
In older people, as the lens of the eye ages, it creates more glare. "It becomes like a frosted window - this is called 'veiling glare'. A lot of older people have incredible problems driving when the sun is low or it is reflecting off wet roads," Anderson says.
 
If sunglasses are necessary to protect the eyes from damage, why are they not the subject of health promotion campaigns? The answer, according to Andrew Lotery, professor of ophthalmology and a specialist in macular degeneration at Southampton University, is that the case for shades is unproven.
 
"It has been a hypothesis for decades [that exposure to sunlight damages the eye]. There have been large-scale epidemiological studies; for example, of fishermen who are exposed to a lot of light reflected off the sea. There is no evidence of an increase in macular degeneration. That link has been looked for, but it has not been found."
 
Some experts say that blue light is more damaging to eyes, but this too has not been proved, Lotery says. "One concern was that when cataracts were removed, the blue light filters present in the natural lens were removed also. Now, all replacement lenses have blue light filters," he says.
 
For certain people with rare eye conditions, such as retinitis pigmentosa (an inherited condition that causes degeneration of the retina), excess light can be damaging. "I advise these patients to avoid sunlight and wear dark glasses," Lotery says.
 
A juvenile form of macular degeneration called Stargardt's disease, which affects one in 10,000 children, is also affected by light. Experiments in mice show that they are protected when raised in the dark. Lotery says: "Most ophthalmologists would recommend sunglasses for this group." But he's sceptical about suggestions that we all need protection: "I don't think, for the general population, that the evidence is there."
 
 
http://news.independent.co.uk/health/article2795845.ece

 

AT&T Launching New Services to Support Customers With Special Needs
 
Published: Jul 22, 2007
 
 
AT&T Inc. has announced plans to launch new wireless software products this
year to increase usability for customers who are blind or visually impaired.
AT&T will partner with Code Factory to offer two new products: Mobile Speak
and Mobile Magnifier, both for Windows Mobile and Symbian Series 60
operating system devices.
 
AT&T consults with leaders from the disability community to develop product
and service offerings designed to meet the needs of customers with vision
loss. "By working closely with organizations that are committed to serving
seniors or people with disabilities, AT&T is able to better understand the
unique needs of its customers." said Carlton Hill, vice president of Product
Management for AT&T's wireless unit. "These new software options will help
make it easier for all individuals to enjoy a digital lifestyle wherever
they go."
 
"Code Factory's mission is to make it possible for visually impaired
consumers to use the most advanced mobile technology," said Eduard S?nchez,
CEO of Code Factory. "AT&T has a long track record of enabling
communications for all of its customers, and we are very pleased to partner
with them to make even more mobile devices accessible to the visually
impaired."
 
Mobile Speak is a powerful, full-fledged screen reader with an easy-to-learn
command structure, intuitive speech feedback in several languages and
Braille support that can be used with or without speech. Unlike other screen
readers for mobile phones, Mobile Speak automatically detects information
that the blind user should know, just as a sighted user would easily find
highlighted items or key areas of the screen at a glance. Supported
applications and functions include:
 
Speed dial, call lists and contacts
Text messaging
Calendar, tasks, notes and calculator
Internet browser
Word, Excel and PowerPoint
Voice Recorder, Media Player, voice speed dial and voice command
Phone/device settings, profiles, alarms and ringtones
Mobile Magnifier is a flexible, full-screen magnification application that
supports low- and high-resolution screens and can be used with or without
speech feedback. Magnification software is compatible with a wide range of
mobile devices. Unique features include:
 
Magnification levels from 1.25x to 16x
Font-smoothing for easier readability
Three different layouts: a full-screen, split and distributed view
Different color schemes, including inverted color
Automatic panning and cursor-tracking
Automatic zoom function that detects areas of interest on the screen
 
"We have found that individuals who have vision loss want to be able to
choose from a range of wireless handsets," said Paul Schroeder, vice
president of Programs and Policy, American Foundation for the Blind. "Just
like people who can see, customers with disabilities want options. We
applaud AT&T for its leadership in investing the effort to understand and
address the needs of individuals with vision loss."
 
Mobile Speak and Mobile Magnifier for Windows Mobile and Symbian Series 60
operating system devices will be available from AT&T in the fall of 2007.
 
Source: AT&T
 
http://www.axistive.com/att-launching-new-services-to-support-customers-with-special-needs.html

 

Sony Introduces Television For The Blind
 
 
Press Release.
broadcastbuyer.tv (press release) - London,UK
Fri, 27th, Jul 2007
 
 
Sony has launched an international campaign to provide television products
and services for blind and partially sighted people, with Sony BRAVIA
leading the way.
 
The entire BRAVIA television range now provides access to Audio Description
(AD) as standard which, in combination with a commitment to raise awareness
of AD, aims to increase the number of programmes, broadcasters and
television manufacturers that offer the service.
 
"We are all used to seeing and using subtitles on TV, but what many people
don't know is that the technology exists to make a similarly useful service
available for the 30 million* or so visually impaired people we have in
Europe," says Andreas Ditter, VP, Sony Europe.
 
Audio Description Built-In
While the majority of consumers have embraced and benefited from the
increase in services, channels and programmes today's digital broadcasters
provide, many visually impaired people are unable to take advantage of these
benefits - and yet the technology exists for them to enjoy TV programming as
much as those that can see.
 
Audio Description (AD) is an additional narrative soundtrack for blind or
partially sighted people.  During gaps in programme dialogue, an additional
voice explains visual plot points, enabling visually impaired people to
follow the storyline more fully.
 
Audio description is available on a variety of television programmes
throughout Europe but, until now, has only been accessible through the
purchase of a separate set-top box or satellite receiver.  Now, all Sony
BRAVIA televisions will include Integrated Digital Television (IDTV) as
standard, and provide access to AD without the need for an additional
decoder.
 
Most television manufacturers now have products that offer IDTV, a built-in
digital tuner that does away with need for a separate set-top box for
converting digital channels.  However, few - if any - have the ability to
offer AD access.  Sony engineers and designers constantly assess and refine
every aspect of BRAVIA TVs to ensure that they are as good as they can
possibly be. One result of this scrutiny is a new, more powerful audiovisual
processor, capable of decoding multiple audio channels and thereby providing
access to AD in addition to other aesthetic benefits.
 
Spreading the Word
To date, the UK is the only country in Europe which makes the provision of
Audio Description a legal requirement for key broadcasters.  In 2005, the
broadcasting watchdog Ofcom stipulated that 76 channels must carry AD.
Current regulations state that all BBC channels, for example, must audio
describe at least 8% of their programmes per week.
 
With the limited availability of programmes offering AD throughout Europe,
it is hardly surprising that awareness and take up of the service is low.
In 2006 a UK survey** found that, although only 22% of visually impaired
respondents who had heard of AD claimed to use it on 'some programmes' when
it is available, nearly two thirds (63%) of those with at least moderate
visual impairment who had not previously heard of it claimed they would be
interested in using it.
 
One argument put forward by both broadcasters and legislators, is that there
is a limited need for channels to feature AD due to a lack of products that
are available with the technology required to play it.   Sony BRAVIA now
changes this, and Sony is now also undertaking a Europe-wide PR campaign to
raise awareness of the issues amongst consumers, media, legislators and
manufacturers, working with organizations for the visually impaired
throughout Europe, such as Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB).
 
Stephen King, RNIB Group Director, Access and Innovation comments:  "I am
delighted that all of the new Sony BRAVIA televisions will give people with
a serious sight problem access to Aud