Maavis

Running the "Maavis - user login" short cut results in a blank screen apart from the 'Choose your item' message.i.e. I don't see Bert. Do I need to do anything else?

Switching off the start tune (in the utility) doesn't work.

If I set up as a scan user - no matter the choice of type of scan - nothing seems to happen (i.e. no highlighting of items on screen) of course I don't have switches connected. Pointer still works - which I guess is expected.

I've set up a Maavis google group for discussion and linked it to and from this site. You are both managers of the group.

Do you have something in mind for the 0.1.2 and 1.0 releases?
I don't think they make any sense now so I'd like to have a triage of tickets and the first step is to get all those you'd like for the schools into the @schools1.0 and 1.2 milestones. Those we must have for start of next term go in 1.0 and rest in 1.2. I'll then go through and we can discuss moving those that make it too much or can wait to 1.2. I'll also create some other milestones for us to test it between us.

So could we go through and make sure all tickets for required features are in @Schools? milestones

Also what is the schedule for each of the schools - surely not all working on 4nd. Adding Milestones would help. Thanks

The simplified www.youtube.com/XL player has some nice features. Still too complex for our users but useful for ideas

As expected Google are going for the OS. Need to keep an eye on it for Maavis
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/introducing-google-chrome-os.html

2 files of issues and ideas arising form Seven hills

Peter at conference found these

http://pointerware.com - some similar ideas
http://www.iese.fraunhofer.de/research/ami/ami.jsp - interested in Maavis

I've created a Switch access for school use Milestone. I'll create new tickets from the comments in the Milestone but would appreciated you moving tickets to it from the other (defunct) milestones.

Early release but very promising, especially if we can simplify for our needs. Perhaps it has video
http://wave.google.com/

JetpackExampleName looks very interesting for making Firefox customisation easier. Has potential to make it easier to create custom Maavis pages using familiar web tech rather than XUL. Includes a dev env (editor and debugger)

[[EIS reports on eInclusion for older people ]]

Might be usable in Maavis, certainly a free solution but some similar questions about UI as Skype. It's a browser plugin so will be in webpage which is better than skype and may be be open. Need to see if works at higher resolution for full screen

http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=100173&hl=en-GB

Assistive technologies in communications: report on needs, new technologies and ongoing research
via Empowering Technologies on 23/03/09

The full Ofcom report can be downloaded http://www.ofcom.org.uk/research/usability/research/i2.pdf (PDF format) but their Research and Market Data webpage states:
"The study focussed on three key areas:

• The current provision of assistive technologies in the field of communications, with a view to the identification of unmet needs
• The identification of recent technological developments that may enable new services (eg speech recognition, touch screens, smart materials)
• The identification of existing assistive technology developments, including those funded by the European 7th Framework Programme and relevant charities such as RNID & RNIB.

The main output of this study was a prioritised list of areas where Ofcom involvement could provide the stimulus for industry to develop new assistive products or services.

The study makes two key recommendations:

• That Ofcom commissions a small-scale technical development project aimed at making voice over IP (VOIP) telephony services more accessible for hearing impaired users. This project would bring together an existing speech to text software package and an open source voice over internet protocol application to provide a speech to text demonstration platform. The use of VoIP would enable a functional system to be created by a small-scale development and could potentially produce a platform that would be of benefit to hearing-impaired users. The performance of the platform would be evaluated against draft ETSI requirements for captioned telephony services, and against user needs, through trials with deaf and hearing impaired users.
• That Ofcom explores how the development of personalised Web 3.0 entertainment services, including WebTV and radio services, might be used in the future to enable the provision of personalised user interfaces adapted to different users' needs."

from GOME 2.6 release notes

The Empathy instant messaging application, which uses the Telepathy communications framework, has taken another step forward with features including file transfer where supported by Telepathy (currently Jabber and link-local XMPP), chat room invite support, sound themes and notifications, and an improved VoIP experience.

VoIP using the free Theora and Speex codecs is now possible over Jingle to clients that support them.

http://www.atdementia.org.uk/

Hi John,

I work for the Rix Centre and we're currently developing an open-source
eFolio system for TechDis which targets FE users with complex needs...

You can see some working prototypes for the logins I developed here:

http://iamtesting.org/accessible_login/info.php

(note these are huge as they include embedded audio - the intention is that
they will run via thumbsticks in the main, when online the audio for errors
etc will stream)

The idea in addition to accessibility considerations is to provide a
platform for learners to progress through these different methods as the
concepts and skills are developed.

Various combinations of accommodations are available within each approach -
eg sometimes inserting the stick will enter all the creds (ie just be an
object of reference), for others it will enter the user name automatically
or it can ultimately form a replacement to the login dialogue for users able
to enter some text but not type a full url (the eFolio is web based)
reliably.

Likewise with the photo click based logins, accuracy of click placement can
be configured to account for users motor skills and whether they are using a
finger or mouse and so on. These approaches are in addition to a normal text
based login, so use of Flash isn't a barrier to other accessibility needs.
Unlike most of these I went for something without rules, so you can click as
many or few times as you like to set the password - users pick a picture
from their efolio collection.

Downside of these ease of use, is that security is less predictable - which
we counter by quite severe brute force detection and keeping the widgets for
symbol login method (very insecure) offline.

Further to these approaches users can login via credentials encoded in a url
- so a bookmark or link within another application (Clicker and such) can
also be used.

We've also tried demos using more involved software/hardware combos (QR
Codes Readers, ReacTIvision, Oyster cards etc) which are really just
different means of sending the encoded credentials.

Just noticed the switch access version is no longer listening for keypresses
on the above demos, not a good advert, but these demos are quite old
now...and it does work really :)

I'm not aware of any equivalents in the approved LPs (although graphical
passwords are very much in vogue with touch devices on the up, so it won't
be long) but these approaches are easy to develop so there's no reason
(other than security concerns I guess) why they couldn't be included - given
the amount of money changing hands in respect of commercial solutions, SENDA
req's etc this should be happening.


Simon

http://www.abilitynet.org.uk/easy/

I've posted before on the Xerte online toolkit which creates highly
accessible content from easy to use templates. JISC TechDis is running a
free day at Nottingham University, run by the lead developer in Nottingham's
elearning team. Xerte creates keyboard accessible learning objects with
built in text to speech, colour changing and even keyboard accessible media
controls. Sophisticated learning objects can be created with minimal
technical skills using a series of templates


Spaces are limited but if you are interested in attending the day please
email helpdesk@techdis.ac.uk with subject line Xerte Training Day.


The event takes place on 29th January from 10.30-4.00 at Nottingham
University. To see a sample of Xerte learning object styles and
interactivities see http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/toolkits/play_560
<http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/toolkits/play_560>



Xerte is attracting interest from specialist colleges, FE and HE sectors.


Alistair


Alistair McNaught
Senior Advisor for Further Education
JISC TechDis service
The Higher Education Academy Building
Innovation Way
York Science Park
YORK
YO10 5BR

Whereas flickr search for beach is better:

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q

Also, might be worth searching on title only, since description throws up
some weird ones, e.g. for beach:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianauer/3065407181/

Comes up !

Etc.

-----Original Message-----
From: maavis@alerts.assembla.com [mailto:maavis@alerts.assembla.com]
Sent: Friday, November 28, 2008 5:16 PM
To: simonjudge@work
Subject: Easyflickr phote access

Easyflickr phote access

Posted by: Steve Lee

Message:

Christian Heilmann's latest in the Easy series would be good for Maavis.
I'll ask but rest of his stuff is Open Source. Should integrate easily into
Maavis

http://icant.co.uk/easy-flickr/

More details http://www.assembla.com/flows/show/bgV0u0Vxar3BOuab7jnrAJ

Space home http://www.assembla.com/spaces/maavis

________________________________

Click here http://www.assembla.com/spaces/new_items/maavis?settingsow
to change or remove your alert setting for this Assembla space.

Copy and share preconfigured workspaces, save work
http://blog.assembla.com/assemblablog/tabid/12618/bid/4255/Copy-and-share-p
reconfigured-workspaces-save-years-of-work.aspx

***********************************************************************
This message may contain confidential and privileged information.
If you are not the intended recipient you should not disclose, copy
or distribute information in this e-mail or take any action in reliance
on its contents. To do so is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful.
Please inform the sender that this message has gone astray before
deleting it. Thank you.

2008 marks the 60th anniversary of the NHS. It's an opportunity to pay
tribute to the NHS staff and volunteers who help shape the service, and
celebrate their achievements.

If you work for the NHS and would like an NHSmail email account, go
to: www.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk/nhsmail
***********************************************************************