An introduction to IP addresses and NAT, network address translation

Posted September 7, 2021We probably all have physically mailed something, we needed the recipient's address. Wisconsin North America is probably not enough to get it there. When I studied at Edgewood college, the college had a mail room where mail was sorted and put in the mailboxes of employees and students. People who worked in … Continue reading An introduction to IP addresses and NAT, network address translation →

A conceptual introduction for sighted readers on how VoiceOver works

On January 9th, 2007, Steve Jobs first announced the iPhone. Many people including my friend Dr. Nathan Klapoetke were very excited about it and couldn't wait to buy one. That day, Nathan was reinstalling windows for me as there was no real practical way to do that yet with a screen reader. While Nathan ranted … Continue reading A conceptual introduction for sighted readers on how VoiceOver works →

My explanations about the different physical designs of headphone models

When someone goes to read about or buy a new pair of headphones, they may be somewhat confused about how companies seem to interchange, or at least not explain their fancy terms of design, but just throw them around with abandon.. Hopefully, this might help. There are basically three kinds of headphones that are worn … Continue reading My explanations about the different physical designs of headphone models →

How headphones have been very useful to me for many years, and what I’m hoping for from headphones in the future

For Christmas just after my fifth birthday, I got a radio. This radio was a bit unique, in that it was round and had a telephone rotary dial on the front, though it didn't move. Shortly after that my youngest sister Andrea gave me an earplug and showed me how to plug it into the … Continue reading How headphones have been very useful to me for many years, and what I’m hoping for from headphones in the future →

My thoughts on how with some software, cameras could be much more useful for blind people

There are articles all over the Internet about how you can use security cameras, and which are the best ones to buy. I have also heard how people use cameras to keep track of their pets while away from home. I even have a friend who uses a web cam to make sure his 3d … Continue reading My thoughts on how with some software, cameras could be much more useful for blind people →

My thoughts on how productivity is way more portable than in the past, but how annoyingly some non-visual features only appear on products with larger screens

Posted on December 13, 2019 Johan Sebastian Bach probably wished he'd had a better way to work on his "Musikalisches Opfer", "A Musical Offering" when he traveled back home to Leipzig from visiting King Frederick the great of Prussia near Berlin in 1747. Ok, he probably instead really wished for something faster and more comfortable than a … Continue reading My thoughts on how productivity is way more portable than in the past, but how annoyingly some non-visual features only appear on products with larger screens →

My journey to the cool Amazon “Show and Tell” feature discovering along the way that the Echos Show 5 and 8 won’t ever be able to support it.

Posted Tuesday, December 3, 2019One of the bigger challenges for a blind person is quickly identifying things that aren't physically unique or labeled in braille. This is one of the frustrations technology has helped in a big way. The first device that made a significant breakthrough in this area, was the I.D. Mate. A talking … Continue reading My journey to the cool Amazon “Show and Tell” feature discovering along the way that the Echos Show 5 and 8 won’t ever be able to support it. →

Another post I wrote with additional thoughts about Apple’s Face ID

Posted on October 1, 2018 Two weeks ago, I wrote about how I strongly dislike Apple's Face ID; and although some in the blind community have agreed with my thoughts, there are also some who do not. They say "oh Face ID is just fine and it's accessible," etc. Accessible for sure, but not efficient; … Continue reading Another post I wrote with additional thoughts about Apple’s Face ID →

How for me, bone conduction headphones by Aftershokz is one of those technologies that is not just nice to have but a huge game changer for blind people

Posted on July 17 2018Shortly after Christmas when i. Was 5, my sister Andrea introduced me to headphones with one of those single ear plugs from the 1970s, and showed me how I could plug it into my radio and listen to it. After a few minutes of private listening I couldn't understand at all … Continue reading How for me, bone conduction headphones by Aftershokz is one of those technologies that is not just nice to have but a huge game changer for blind people →

My thoughts on how both technology and new workflows improved my life in 2016

People can look around and see new things they bought over the last year, but if they think a little deeper they might realize how some of their workflows also changed. Yes I bought a few new gadgets in 2016, but some of that was to support changes in my thinking and planning for better … Continue reading My thoughts on how both technology and new workflows improved my life in 2016 →