amazon kindle

Amazon Kindlecontributor : Rithish Saralaya fromMedia&Entertainment Vertical Initiative (MphasiSSoftware Services) What is the Amazon Kindle?Amazon Kindle is an electronic book (e-book) devicelaunched in the United States by Amazon.com inNovember 2007. It uses an electronic paper display,readsthe proprietary Kindle (AZW) format, and downloadscontent over Amazon Whispernet, which uses the SprintEVDO network. This means that the Kindle can beused without the need for a computer. Whispernet isaccessible through Kindle without any fee. On therelease day, the Kindle Store had more than 88,000digital titles available for download. Amazon's firstoffering of the Kindle sold out in five and a halfhours. It retails for $399 from Amazon.com.Further info on the Kindle.• Although it supports unprotected Mobipocket books(.MOBI, .PRC), plain text files, and HTML and Worddocuments, Kindle also uses its own proprietary,DRM-restricted format (AZW). It does not fully supportthe widely accepted PDF format, but Amazon provides"experimental" conversion to the native AZWformat. A user may also convert PDF files to supportedformats using third-party software.• The Kindle Terms of Use forbid transferring eBooksto someone else or using them on a different device.This has been criticized by the Free SoftwareFoundation and free software advocates.• The Kindle allows RSS subscription to select blogsfor a monthly amount, even though one may use theexperimental web browser to navigate to and read blogswithout cost.• Amazon does not sell the Kindle outside the UnitedStates, and Whispernet only works in the U.S. However,U.S. owners traveling abroad have the option ofmanaging their Kindle purchases via PC and can then inturn download items from the PC to their Kindle.Further ReferencesWikipedia :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_KindleAmazon Kindle Store :http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Amazons-Wireless-Reading-Device/dp/B000FI73MAmeet amazon's e-book reader : http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/11/amazon-kindle-meet-amazons-e-book-reader/

tips for powerpoint users

Powerpoint
To select an object from a list use JAWSKey+F8.
To select a hyperlink from a list use JAWSKey+F7.
To follow the selected object's hyperlink if it has one use Control+Shift+Enter.
To speak information about the current slide view or show use Control+Shift+S.
To read the current slide use JAWSKey+DownArrow.
To read the selected text, object or slide use JAWSKey+Shift+DownArrow.
To hear the selected object use JAWSKey+Tab.
To read the selected table row by row use JAWSKey+Shift+R.
To read the selected table column by column use JAWSKey+Shift+C.
To toggle the table reading method use Control+Shift+T.
To hear the selected shape's animation status and description use Control+Shift+A.
To toggle text format announcement while reading slide text use the Verbosity Dialog
To read the speaker's notes use control+shift+n.
To hear the dimensions and location of the selected object use Control+Shift+D.
To speak the status line use JAWSKey+Delete.
To close the Office Assistant use Control+JAWSKey+F4.

tips for jaws users

Notes for excel users




Say a list of some common Excel shortcuts JAWSKey+W
Say the coordinates of the current cell JAWSKey+C
Say a cell's formula Control+F2
Present the cell's formula in a message box Control+F2 twice quickly
Review selected cells JAWSKey+Shift+DownArrow
Set or clear title, total or monitor cell definitions use the Verbosity Dialog JAWSKey+V
Say the row title Alt+Shift+R
Say the column title Alt+Shift+C
Say the row total JAWSKey+Delete
Say the column total JAWSKey+Enter
Set up to 10 monitor cells for the current worksheet JAWSKey+Shift+1 through 0 on the number row
Say any of the ten monitor cells for this sheet Alt+Shift+1 through 0 on the number row
Move to a monitor cell control+shift+m
Return to the last cell which had focus before moving to a monitor Cell control+shift+GraveAccent
Say the contents of the first 4 cells in the column alt key with 1 through 4 on the number row,
Say the contents of the first 4 cells in the row alt+control key with 1 through 4 on the number row
Move to the prior or next worksheet control+page up or control+page down
Move to a particular worksheet Control+Shift+S
List cells with comments visible in the active window Control+Shift+Apostrophe
Say a cell's comment if visible Alt+Shift+Apostrophe
List cells with data visible in the active window Control+Shift+D
List cells with data in the current row Control+Shift+R
List cells with data in the current column Control+Shift+C
List cells at horizontal and vertical PageBreaks Control+Shift+B
Select an object on the worksheet Control+Shift+O
Select a hyperlink on the worksheet JAWSKey+F7
Say the hyperlink address for a cell containing a hyperlink Alt+Shift+H
Describe the border of the active cell alt+Shift+B
Focus on the autoFilter Menu Control+Shift+A
Announce the coordinates of the range of cells visible in the active window Alt+Shift+V
Say the status of gridlines in the active window Alt+Shift+G

tips for MSN messenger users! with the help of Jaws!

MSN Messenger Hotkeys:Use JAWSKey+V to toggle JAWS verbosity items, as well as those specific to MSN Messenger.
The MSN Messenger-specific verbosity items are:*Typing sounder: Generates clicking noise when someone is typing an incoming message.*Typing announcement: Announces the message that the current contact is writing you a message.*Automatically speak incoming messages: Speak message threads as they come into the History window.*Announce contacts signing in: Notify you when a contact signs in.*Online status in Contact list: suppresses [Online] status in Contact list.*Speak contact's name with message.: Announces Contact's name with message thread.
These settings are saved and automatically loaded whenever you launch MSN Messenger.

tips for MS,word users with the help of Jaws

Notes for learners
Say the current field Control+JAWSKey+NumPad5
Say the line and column of the caret JAWSKey+Delete
Toggle the writing mode from Insert to Overtype Alt+Control+I
Say the first cell in the current column Alt+1
Say the first cell in the current row Alt+7
Close the office assistant Control+JAWSKey+F4
Say the version of MS Word being used Control+JAWSKey+V
Move the focus to the first form field Control+JAWSKey+Home
Select a field JAWSKey+F5
toggle context detection and set table title reading parameters JAWSKey+V
Select a table control+JAWSKey+t
List words marked as misspelled Alt+Shift+L
List grammatical errors Control+Shift+G
List document revisions JAWSKey+Shift+R
Describe the border around the active cell, table, paragraph or section Alt+Shift+B
Convert all drawing layer objects to text layer objects Alt+Control+Shift+C
List inline objects such as clipart Control+Shift+O
Say the column or row title for the current cell JAWSKey+Alt+Shift+C
Say the current table column or row
Announce the detected language Alt+Control+Shift+A
List reviewers' comments Control+Shift+apostrophe
Announce the comment referenced at the cursor location Alt+Shift+Apostrophe
Announce the footnote or endnote referenced at the cursor location Alt+Shift+e
Switch between open panes and the main document text F6
List hyperlinks in the current document JAWSKey+F7
List ms word short cut keys JAWSKey+W

For Office XP:
List smart tags in this document JAWSKey+Alt+Shift+S
Show Smart Tag Actions menu JAWSKey+Control+Alt+S

net useing tips for jaws users

Notes for learners
Notes for learners
Go Back a page, ALT+LEFT ARROW.
Read the Address bar, INSERT+A.
Next link, TAB.
Prior link, SHIFT+TAB.
Open a link, ENTER.
Display a list of links, JAWSKey+F7.
Display and manage PlaceMarkers, control+shift+k
Display a list of form fields, JAWSKey+f5.
Display a list of headings, JAWSKey+f6.
Display a list of frames, JAWSKey+F9.
To move through a web page:
Next Anchor, A.
Next Button, B.
Next ComboBox, C.
Next different element, D.
Next Edit, E.
Next Form Field, F.
Next Graphic, G.
Next Heading, H.
Next List Item, I.
Jump to a specific line with J,
And return to the starting point before the jump with Shift+J.
Next Place Marker, K.
Next List, L.
Next Frame, M.
Skip past links, N.
Next Object, O.
Next Paragraph, P.
Next Block Quote, Q.
Next RadioButton, R.
Next Same Element, S.
Next Table, T.
Next unvisited link, U.
Next visited link, V.
Next Checkbox, X.
Next Division, Z.
Step past element, > (greater than).
Step prior to element, < (less than).
Add SHIFT to these commands to move to the prior item.
Add Control+JAWSKey to the applicable quick keys to bring up a list of that element,
For example, Control+JAWSKey+z will bring up a list of the divisions on the page.
To move and read in tables:
Next row, WINDOWS KEY+DOWN ARROW.
Prior row, WINDOWS KEY+UP ARROW.
Read Row, WINDOWS KEY+COMMA.
Read Column, WINDOWS KEY+PERIOD.
Next cell in a row, ALT+CTRL+RIGHT ARROW.
Prior cell in a row, ALT+CTRL+LEFT ARROW.
Cell below in a column, ALT+CTRL+DOWN ARROW.
Cell above in a column, ALT+CTRL+Up ARROW.
Jump to cell,Control+ j.

by Arun Mehta

Empowering the blind
Technology can empower the blind to compete shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the world. Software developed for the blind can also potentially revolutionisethe use of technology across all sections of society
By Arun Mehta
The highlight of the December 2005 workshop on “ICT and Special Needs” organised by Pakistan Software Houses Association (PASHA) in Karachi, was a keynotepresentation by Shazia Hasan, a teacher at the Ida Rieu School for the deaf and blind, Karachi who showed how easily the blind can operate computers andwhat a difference it makes in their lives.
Before the invention of the digital computer, the written word was almost entirely inaccessible to the blind. Very little text has been available in theform of Braille and for everything else, they had to depend on someone reading out the text to them. Once it became possible to record and replay humanvoice, audio books provided some relief. But referring to these audio cassettes as books is over-ambitious as one cannot turn the pages, nor use the indexto locate any specific information.
The personal computer has dramatically narrowed the gap between the blind and the sighted. Text to speech software provided audio access to electronictext, but suffered from the same limitations as the audio book. It needed special software and a screen reader to make the computer genuinely accessibleto the blind.
To understand how a screen reader works, imagine sitting next to a blind person who is operating a computer keyboard. As windows open on the screen, youkeep telling them what is happening and what decisions they need to take. As they type or move the cursor, you keep prompting them. Your task, effectively,is automated by a screen reader.
Why is all this important for the sighted, beyond whatever social obligations they might feel for those less fortunate? There are several relevant applicationsof this technology. When you drive, for instance, you are effectively blind from the point of view of the on-board screen in the car, as one cannot belooking at it at all times. That is why, for instance, navigation software relies on voice replays. Therefore, in theory, the sighted could only use thecomputer when the car is stationary. Speech enabled software, which has been used in car navigation systems for quite sometime now, provides them withthe freedom to make calls, change music tracks or activate navigation without looking at or touching the screen.
Furthermore, roughly half the developing world is illiterate and lacks access to the written word. Software developed for the blind allows this sectionof society to use the computer and access the internet as well, which is an act of profound political importance.
So far, as illiteracy and poverty run rampant across most of the under-developed countries of the world, governments that constantly ignore the demandsof the people are less fearful of the consequences, as the people are unable to prevail upon them with considerable impact. Problems such as terrorism,retaliation based on ignorance and economic disparity that afflict the world today have taught us the importance of bringing the disempowered into themainstream. But how do we achieve that in a short period of time? In South Asia, where nearly a billion people are illiterate, we simply lack the resources,such as trained educators and established schools. The only way we can address this gigantic issue, is via distance learning, for which the illiteratemust be able to access computers. This can be made possible by incorporating software developed for the blind. The term “print disabled” aptly combinesthe blind and the illiterate into a common category – people who cannot read the printed word, but can understand the spoken.
The blind have been at the forefront of developing standards for making access to information easier. Since so-called audio books are inadequate, the blindhave consequently evolved the Daisy standard (Digitally Accessible Information System). In this system, text is synchronised with speech. If the user wishesto scroll or search, the computer uses the text to find the appropriate position and then plays the corresponding audio. The advantages of this systemclearly extend well beyond the needs of the blind.
Podcasting, for instance, is becoming increasingly popular, as the rest of us are discovering the need for scrolling and searching audio content. It wouldtherefore be extremely useful if the Daisy standard were to be used for features such as podcasting.
However, an even bigger advantage of Daisy could well be found in audio and video editing. In a typical situation, when someone conducts an interviews,they may end up with for instance, half an hour of recorded material, which needs to be edited down to approximately five minutes. It takes hours for aprofessional editor to do this, but by utilising Daisy, this could be done far more efficiently. The software could automatically detect pauses in thespeech, slice the audio at those places and play back the audio one slice at a time. A typist, who could even be blind, might hear the audio slice andtype in the corresponding text. The software would then synchronise the audio slice with the corresponding text and produce a Daisy book. For any of thetext that was thrown out or rearranged in the file, the computer would discard or rearrange the corresponding audio as well.
There would also be significant advantages if the blind were to adopt open-source software. The screen readers on proprietary software platforms use OpticalCharacter Recognition (OCR) techniques to decipher what other programs write on the screen, in order to be able to communicate this to a blind user. Thisfails when the software uses a very small font size. In the case of open source software, it would be much easier to simply make appropriate additionsto the code, so that when it communicates with the user via the screen, it does so using audio as well. When application software is written for the blindon a proprietary platform, one practically has to start from scratch. Alternatively, in the world of open source, there are plenty of existing startingpoints.
There are intriguing synergies possible between technology and persons of different kinds of disabilities. Imagine a blind person at a street corner, whowants to know where she is. She might click a snapshot in the direction she imagines the road signs to be and the phone automatically transmits the pictureto someone at a call center, possibly wheelchair bound, who then communicates with the blind person via the same phone telling her what the picture shows.This task can be automated as well.
Robotics offer another interesting possibility. A small robot could easily be built and instructed to follow a sighted person once for example, to thebathroom or dining hall and could then be used as a guide for blind people who could tell it where they wanted to go, with the robot producing a beep asit walked in the specified direction.
As we study the problem, we quickly realise that we have hardly scratched the surface with regard to providing the disabled with information technologyrelated products and services. Ideally, the best people to experiment with this technology would, of course, be the disabled themselves. They could betterconceptualise the required software and equipment as well as perform feasibility tests. The need, therefore, is for an IT training institute with a focuson persons with disabilities. The disabled need to take empowerment to a new level, one in which they take charge of technological development for theirown needs. And the products and services produced as a result will undoubtedly be of tremendous benefit to them as well as other sections of society acrossthe world.
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