[AI] Calling all ERP and ISO 9001 professionals.
Hi folks, Kindly recall a posting I had made 2 weeks back on the possibility of ERP emerging as a major employment opportunity for functional professionals who face visual impairment in mid-life. Though the topic did not generate any discussion on the list, I did receive expressions of interest from several professionals who are currently either vegetating or facing under-utilisation in unrelated functional areas after losing sight. My attempt today is to poll for visually challenged persons who might be actually working on various ERP platforms (either proprietary ones like SAP, Oracle e-Business, Microsoft Dynamics Nav / Great Plains, Sage, etc or Open Source variants like Adempier, Open ERP, ERP 5, etc). And, when I say working, I don't necessarily mean working as functional / technical consultants alone. Any user dealing with even a single module of the above mentioned ERP platforms may kindly respond. The objective of this exercise is to get an idea about the accessibility of various versions of the mentioned packages, so that we can concentrate on the most accessible version and try to train our visually challenged functional experts on the same. Who knows, we might even be able to set up the first ERP Practice in the world fully staffed by visually challenged professionals. (smile) Similarly, another job opportunity that occurred to me is as consultants / auditors for certifications such as ISO 9001. Here too, domain expertise matters and since most companies are going in for electronic documentation, auditing should not be difficult for blind auditors. Appreciate if someone working as lead consultants / auditors or even as trainers in this field could respond sharing their experiences. Your cooperation solicited for the success of this ambitious project to identify alternative career opportunities for professionals blinded mid-life. Please remember, every idea, nugget of information or suggestion matters. Thanks in advance... Regards RS + 98 472 76 126 Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
Re: [AI] Comparing Apples with Apples
Hi Ajay ! Please note that I have not said blind persons should not venture into the private sector. Having spent long years in both the public and private sector, I am quite aware of the advantages and disadvantages of both. I fully agree with Sameer about the job satisfaction and learning that happens in a good private sector organization. But, I must say it also happens in a public sector environment too - ask anybody who has had the pleasure of working with Mr E Sreedharan of Delhi Metro, Mr Varghese Kurian, founder of Amul and former chairperson of NDDB and umpteen such professionals. A MBA from a prestigious B School does indeed make a difference in one's CV. Of course, as I said in my reply to Ruchir, one may have to contend with risk-averse HR managers and come out with innovative sales pitches to senior execs in the company to get noticed and picked up. So, go ahead and prepare for your B School entrance tests. All said and done, there are lots of other factors one has to look at while deciding one's career path. Whether one is disabled or not, the most crucial question one has to pose to oneself while deciding whether to start working or continue studies is about how secure one's family finances are. If one has several dependents and no other alternative sources of income, one needs a security net first and not jet propulsion to one's career. (smile) Public sector provides the security net definitely. I hope you are suitably confused after my long-winded sermon. (smile) Rgds RS + 098 472 76 126 -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Ajay Minocha Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2012 8:25 AM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] Comparing Apples with Apples Hi friends, as you all know it is my regular routine to follow these mails . I have been reading all your views . one thing I realised that Mr Sameer is the first person who said in favour of private sector . coming to the point I have two options for my career 1 is to appear in cat and other 2 or 3 exams of B schools and the other is to atempt to clear the exam of a PO so I am confused in both these options I cant go for UPSC not because I afraid of a large number of books but for some other reasons and I don't have any interest to become a lecturor . I know that public sector has job security that may be the biggest advantage of it but as Mr sameer said private sector gives a chance to utilise our capabilities and take our lives to an advanced level . So I am asking for your valluable suggestions regarding this confusion because nothing has slipped from my hands till now . I have a time of 3 to 4 months to think about that . please try to help me regards On 1/25/12, Sameer sala...@aim.com wrote: Dear Friends, I agree with the points made by Mr. Sudhir in favour of a job in the public sector but feel that the same points can be said for jobs in the private sector. Also, I have observed during my work experience that the private sector offers better scope for job satisfaction career advancement in comparison with the public sector. The above statement is just my personal opinion members are free to disagree. Regards Mr. Sameer Latey Mumbai, India - Original Message - From: Sudhir R (NeSTIT) sudhi...@nestgroup.net To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2012 11:36 AM Subject: Re: [AI] Comparing Apples with Apples Hi Govind ! You can address me in whichever manner you are comfortable with, dear. I am always available at 098 472 76 126. I agree with Rajesh's views about the public sector under-utilising persons with disabilities, but, frankly, in these tumultuous times, with EMI payments on home, car or personal loans dangling over one's head, it is indeed a comforting thought to know that one's payslip will keep arriving without fail till the age of retirement. (smile) Having said this, I must hasten to add that even PSUs are not actually safe enough, as I myself discovered in 2004. The then NDA govt was following a policy of strategic disinvestment (viz. diluting a majority stake in public sector units) and a moratorium on retrenchment was built into the Share Holders' Agreement that afforded protection of just one more year of service to the unionized workforce (not officers). The companies that were disinvested (like BALCO, Modern Food Industries Ltd) etc promptly restructured their workforce exactly at the end of one year of disinvestment, giving a golden handshake to its disabled employees. I had lengthy telephone consultations with Dr Uma Tule, then CCPD, and legal experts like Dr Bhushan Punani (BPA, Ahmedabad) and they were unanimous in their view that the PWD Act's protection was available only when the government was in control in a unit. The fate of disabled employees in a company after disinvestment was a gray area
Re: [AI] Comparing Apples with Apples
Hi Govind ! You can address me in whichever manner you are comfortable with, dear. I am always available at 098 472 76 126. I agree with Rajesh's views about the public sector under-utilising persons with disabilities, but, frankly, in these tumultuous times, with EMI payments on home, car or personal loans dangling over one's head, it is indeed a comforting thought to know that one's payslip will keep arriving without fail till the age of retirement. (smile) Having said this, I must hasten to add that even PSUs are not actually safe enough, as I myself discovered in 2004. The then NDA govt was following a policy of strategic disinvestment (viz. diluting a majority stake in public sector units) and a moratorium on retrenchment was built into the Share Holders' Agreement that afforded protection of just one more year of service to the unionized workforce (not officers). The companies that were disinvested (like BALCO, Modern Food Industries Ltd) etc promptly restructured their workforce exactly at the end of one year of disinvestment, giving a golden handshake to its disabled employees. I had lengthy telephone consultations with Dr Uma Tule, then CCPD, and legal experts like Dr Bhushan Punani (BPA, Ahmedabad) and they were unanimous in their view that the PWD Act's protection was available only when the government was in control in a unit. The fate of disabled employees in a company after disinvestment was a gray area (and still is, if I am not mistaken) and this was one of the motivating factors for me to opt for voluntary retirement when the Govt put my previous employer on the chopping block. Public sector banks are safer since there seems to be some consensus among political parties that they should not be privatized. However, the safest bet is joining the Government itself. One can find fulfillment in life through other avenues, you know, once financial security is ensured. A lot of so-called equal opportunity employers quietly dumped their disabled resources during the melt-down in 2008. Similar trouble lies ahead with clouds gathering in the economic firmament. All the best for your hunt for a safe harbour... Rgds RS -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Govind Reddy Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2012 10:15 AM To: accessindia Subject: Re: [AI] Comparing Apples with Apples Hi Sudeer If I can address you as, I accept all your views and opinions expressed on the 12th of this month. Private companies may provide you with lot of luxuries to get their work done, but we should always be ready to face cyclones in the form of global economic recession, performance appraisals, quality assurance and so on. I've been working with different private companies including GE global servicing in hyderabad for the past 3 years. I've just started struggling to find a good place in the public sector units. However I'd like to have your phone number if possible. In wait of your reply, -- Govind, Voice trainer with GE Money Services. Phone: 91-9030915271. Email: sgred...@gmail.com Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i n Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
Re: [AI] Query regarding night's dreams of totally/born VI, hearing /speech impaired.
Yes, indeed, Rajesh, there is a gradual deterioration in the quality of images during dreams over the last 11 years of my total sight impairment. As if, the archived visual data is degrading over a period of time. This is surprising, since I was under the impression that the brain continued to store information with data integrity even long after the individual could actually recollect it. I have read about experiments where electrical stimulation of brain areas made the person actually hear a song long after he had ceased to remember it. Your considered views on this interesting subject, please, as an expert in human Psychology. (smile) RS -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Asudani, Rajesh Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2012 11:09 AM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] Query regarding night's dreams of totally/born VI, hearing /speech impaired. I wonder how clearly those who have lost sight late in life can have visual perceptions in dreams? Whether clarity diminishes with passage of time? because they don't have visual sensations now in their waking life? -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Kotian, H P Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2012 10:58 AM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] Query regarding night's dreams of totally/born VI, hearing /speech impaired. Hi Bijal I suppose, dreams are just the manifestation of the world of your awakened conscious state. What ever gives sensory inputs, those would be reflected in the dream state. Continuing with Vetri's comments, sexual experiences in dream would be triggered by biological factors like those of hormones, scent, thoughts etc. Interesting topic. Harish Kotian. -Original Message- From: bijal patel [mailto:bijalpatel...@gmail.com] Sent: 23 January 2012 23:11 To: accessindia Subject: [AI] Query regarding night's dreams of totally/born VI, hearing /speech impaired. Dear friends, It's just my curiosity to know about dreams during night of totally and born blind as well as hearing/speech impaired person. How are the dreams of such persons who never see colours in life? Is there a dream of multi-coloured world? And what about dreams of h i/ and s i, who never hear voice? So please, explain. Friends, this query is based only for scientific level. Thanks. Bijal Patel. Notice: This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, any dissemination, use, review, distribution, printing or copying of the information contained in this e-mail message and/or attachments to it are strictly prohibited. If you have received this email by error, please notify us by return e-mail or telephone and immediately and permanently delete the message and any attachments. The recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The Reserve Bank of India accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email. Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i n Notice: This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, any dissemination, use, review, distribution, printing or copying of the information contained in this e-mail message and/or attachments to it are strictly prohibited. If you have received this email by error, please notify us by return e-mail or telephone and immediately and permanently delete the message and any attachments. The recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The Reserve Bank of India accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email. Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i n Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home
Re: [AI] Query regarding night's dreams of totally/born VI, hearing /speech impaired.
Did you lose your eye sight instantaneously (as in an accident like Harish) or over a very brief period of time (like Payal ) ? In such cases, the images stored in your brain must be crystal clear till the n- 1'st moment. In my case, I lost my vision over a 10 year deteriorating period Perhaps, my brain stored progressively degraded images. Does this explain the difference between the two sets of contradictory reports ? (smile) -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Sandeep Singh Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2012 12:33 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] Query regarding night's dreams of totally/born VI, hearing /speech impaired. Hi, My experience is totally different. I still see the images and colours and evrything else as vividly as I used to. I can even see the faces of people exactly as I remember them and also as Harish wrote of those I have never seen. Best regards, Sandeep At 11:54 AM 24-01-12, you wrote: Yes, indeed, Rajesh, there is a gradual deterioration in the quality of images during dreams over the last 11 years of my total sight impairment. As if, the archived visual data is degrading over a period of time. This is surprising, since I was under the impression that the brain continued to store information with data integrity even long after the individual could actually recollect it. I have read about experiments where electrical stimulation of brain areas made the person actually hear a song long after he had ceased to remember it. Your considered views on this interesting subject, please, as an expert in human Psychology. (smile) RS -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Asudani, Rajesh Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2012 11:09 AM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] Query regarding night's dreams of totally/born VI, hearing /speech impaired. I wonder how clearly those who have lost sight late in life can have visual perceptions in dreams? Whether clarity diminishes with passage of time? because they don't have visual sensations now in their waking life? -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Kotian, H P Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2012 10:58 AM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] Query regarding night's dreams of totally/born VI, hearing /speech impaired. Hi Bijal I suppose, dreams are just the manifestation of the world of your awakened conscious state. What ever gives sensory inputs, those would be reflected in the dream state. Continuing with Vetri's comments, sexual experiences in dream would be triggered by biological factors like those of hormones, scent, thoughts etc. Interesting topic. Harish Kotian. -Original Message- From: bijal patel [mailto:bijalpatel...@gmail.com] Sent: 23 January 2012 23:11 To: accessindia Subject: [AI] Query regarding night's dreams of totally/born VI, hearing /speech impaired. Dear friends, It's just my curiosity to know about dreams during night of totally and born blind as well as hearing/speech impaired person. How are the dreams of such persons who never see colours in life? Is there a dream of multi-coloured world? And what about dreams of h i/ and s i, who never hear voice? So please, explain. Friends, this query is based only for scientific level. Thanks. Bijal Patel. Notice: This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, any dissemination, use, review, distribution, printing or copying of the information contained in this e-mail message and/or attachments to it are strictly prohibited. If you have received this email by error, please notify us by return e-mail or telephone and immediately and permanently delete the message and any attachments. The recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The Reserve Bank of India accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email. Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org. i n Notice: This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, any dissemination, use, review, distribution, printing or copying of the information contained in this e-mail message and/or attachments to it
[AI] About the fire drill
Dear Phen, Any organisation's fire drill is supposed to have a chain of command for the emergency. This involves designation of floor and team co-ordinators whose responsibility it is to ensure that persons on that floor / team are safely taken out. Mock drills are held without prior notice precisely to drill this practice into the head of every employee. We have mock drills in our company also and I have always been escorted out first. Of course, our building is only 3 floors and I am sitting on the ground floor and that makes things easy. We have 2 hearing challenged resources who sit on the higher floors and I have noticed that they too get priority treatment in such situation. Which means it all boils down to proper sensitization and team building. Hope this helps. Rgds RS -Original Message- From: keralavis...@googlegroups.com [mailto:keralavis...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Phen Varghese Sent: Friday, January 20, 2012 1:36 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Cc: rcgs...@googlegroups.com; l...@voicevision.in; keralavis...@googlegroups.com Subject: (Keralavision) About the fire drill Dear all, How are you? I wanted to ask a question. That is when you are working in your office and when the fire drills while you are eating your food then What will you do? What are the steps that we can take? For example/ In my office the Cafeteria is on the 9th floor. I have to get out of the building. What can I do? You may say to use the steps but if the steps wont have railing then What will you do? And if the sighted person starts running and if he doesn't take you then what will you do? I just want some good sudjestions from the members of the list and I am expecting a lot of sudjestions. So hope you all can type your own experiences or something that you know. With regards, Phen Varghese Skype ID:phen.varghese -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Keralavision group. To post to this group, send email to keralavis...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to keralavision+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/keralavision?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Keralavision group. To post to this group, send email to keralavis...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to keralavision+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/keralavision?hl=en. Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Wanted - ideas for accessible gadgets.
Good morning, folks. Good to be writing to the list after a long break. It was great meeting with those of you who were at the AI convention at Thiruvananthapuram in November. A friend of mine who is a hands-on designer of industrial electronics products has shown an interest in developing / customizing everyday gadgets for use by visually challenged folks like us. This is as much out of his ddesire to help our community as also from his keen interest in taking challenging assignments related to research development of innovative solutions through electronic embedded systems. An idea that I mooted to him immediately was developing a Universal Remote control with speech support that can be sellf-learning to use with gadgets like TVs, DVDs, electric switches, air-conditioners etc. Another idea which struck me was developing a Pen Friend like device that can be priced much lesser for the Indian market place. I would love to get more ideas from all of you for sharing with my friend. At the moment, this is a purely personal project for him with no concrete business plan to roll out the product commercially, but, I am sure all product innovations take the same route. So, please chip in with your ideas, on or off the list. Since I am a technophobic myself, it would be good if you could pen your ideas in plain English than in jargons. (smile) My contact info is given at the end of this mail. Here's wishing you a dashing New Year in 2012... Thanks RS E :sudhi...@nestgroup.net M : + 91 98 472 76 126 Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
Re: [AI] SUSPECT: Re: question regarding charging netbook on inverter
Dear Austin, Charging a battery from the square wave electrical output of an inverter will definitely be bad for both the battery charger and the battery of your laptop. The harmonics will heat up electronic components and lead to shorter device life. To keep your laptop and its battery and battery charger safe, you might have to use expensive harmonics filters. Better way is to charge from the grid or invest in a sine wave UPS. Rgds RS -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of austin pinto Sent: Friday, September 30, 2011 12:43 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: SUSPECT: Re: [AI] question regarding charging netbook on inverter i know it should work but what i ment was is there any risk in doing it and what about my second question what should i use to protect my netbook from fluchuations On 9/29/11, Sudhir R (NeSTIT) sudhi...@nestgroup.net wrote: Dear Austin, I have a feeling that your figures and units are a lil mixed up. (Battery is usually rated in VA, for example.) Whatever it is, it is advisable not to use your laptop's battery charger with the output from your Inverter. It is, of course, a different matter altogether if the device is an online UPS with sine wave output, in which case the voltage regulation is quite good. Hope this helps. Rgds RS -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of austin pinto Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2011 4:26 PM To: accessindia; bs...@yahoogroups.com; Voice Vision.; access uk Subject: [AI] question regarding charging netbook on inverter hi all 1st of all this going to be a electric question so if its off topic then please excuse me i have a inverter at home with it a 150v batary and my netbook has a charger that gives 20v out put its 20ams and requires 230v input i wanted to know can i charge my netbook on a inverter the inverter is not sign wave and what should i use to protect my netbook from power fluctuations please help thanks -- austin pinto email austinpinto.xavi...@gmail.com alternat email austin.pi...@hotmail.com facebook www.facebook.com/austinpinto.xaviers orkut www.orkut.com/austinpinto.xaviers twitter www.twitter.com/austinmpinto join me on google + surch for +austin Register for AccessIndia convention 2011(November 12-13) at: http://www.accessindia.org.in/harish/convention.htm Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i n Register for AccessIndia convention 2011(November 12-13) at: http://www.accessindia.org.in/harish/convention.htm Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i n -- austin pinto email austinpinto.xavi...@gmail.com alternat email austin.pi...@hotmail.com facebook www.facebook.com/austinpinto.xaviers orkut www.orkut.com/austinpinto.xaviers twitter www.twitter.com/austinmpinto join me on google + surch for +austin Register for AccessIndia convention 2011(November 12-13) at: http://www.accessindia.org.in/harish/convention.htm Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i n Register for AccessIndia convention 2011(November 12-13) at: http://www.accessindia.org.in/harish/convention.htm Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
Re: [AI] SUSPECT: Re: question regarding charging netbook oninverter
Hi Milind ! Thanks for putting in the theory in simple words. Vaguely remember learning all this in my own stint in an Engineering college, may be a few centuries back. (smile) Good that a practicing electronics engineer could help me brush up the basics again... Cheers RS -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Milind Joshi Sent: Friday, September 30, 2011 3:43 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] SUSPECT: Re: question regarding charging netbook oninverter Dear Austin, Some more inputs on types of UPS systems. Broadly we can classify ups in two types, one True On-Line Double Conversion UPS and other Off-Line UPS system. The term Inverter became popular for Off-Line UPS system used in domestic application. The output of a off-Line UPS can be Quasi Sine Wave (Trapezoidal) or Pure Sine Wave. Nowadays, the Inverters with Sine Wave Output are available. So in my opinion, the same can be used. Anyway, Hi to all group members, I am Milind Joshi, father of a 12 year old girl, Nupur - VC. I have been associated with various organisations working for VC. Being an engineer by profession and had entire career in Power Electronics, I couldn't resist from putting in my comment. So. . . . Good to see such interaction on various topics. Enjoying... Nupur will certainly join the group . Bye. Milind Joshi. On Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 3:10 PM, Sudhir R (NeSTIT) sudhi...@nestgroup.netwrote: Dear Austin, Charging a battery from the square wave electrical output of an inverter will definitely be bad for both the battery charger and the battery of your laptop. The harmonics will heat up electronic components and lead to shorter device life. To keep your laptop and its battery and battery charger safe, you might have to use expensive harmonics filters. Better way is to charge from the grid or invest in a sine wave UPS. Rgds RS -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of austin pinto Sent: Friday, September 30, 2011 12:43 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: SUSPECT: Re: [AI] question regarding charging netbook on inverter i know it should work but what i ment was is there any risk in doing it and what about my second question what should i use to protect my netbook from fluchuations On 9/29/11, Sudhir R (NeSTIT) sudhi...@nestgroup.net wrote: Dear Austin, I have a feeling that your figures and units are a lil mixed up. (Battery is usually rated in VA, for example.) Whatever it is, it is advisable not to use your laptop's battery charger with the output from your Inverter. It is, of course, a different matter altogether if the device is an online UPS with sine wave output, in which case the voltage regulation is quite good. Hope this helps. Rgds RS -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of austin pinto Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2011 4:26 PM To: accessindia; bs...@yahoogroups.com; Voice Vision.; access uk Subject: [AI] question regarding charging netbook on inverter hi all 1st of all this going to be a electric question so if its off topic then please excuse me i have a inverter at home with it a 150v batary and my netbook has a charger that gives 20v out put its 20ams and requires 230v input i wanted to know can i charge my netbook on a inverter the inverter is not sign wave and what should i use to protect my netbook from power fluctuations please help thanks -- austin pinto email austinpinto.xavi...@gmail.com alternat email austin.pi...@hotmail.com facebook www.facebook.com/austinpinto.xaviers orkut www.orkut.com/austinpinto.xaviers twitter www.twitter.com/austinmpinto join me on google + surch for +austin Register for AccessIndia convention 2011(November 12-13) at: http://www.accessindia.org.in/harish/convention.htm Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i n Register for AccessIndia convention 2011(November 12-13) at: http://www.accessindia.org.in/harish/convention.htm Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman
Re: [AI] Innovated ideas on new employment
Reflexologist Masseur (Ayurvedic massage) Tea/ Wine Taster -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of B Jyothi Sent: Friday, September 30, 2011 4:50 PM To: accessindia Subject: [AI] Innovated ideas on new employment HELLO ACCESS INDIANS: I'm here again with the same question, One of my friend's company is looking to do new project. It should be newly innovated ideas in witch we can independently work on it like technical writing, translation, medical transcriptionist, telephone operator/receptionist, etc. So please give me some ideas other than what those mentioned above. Looking for your different ideas. Thank you -- *Learn from Yesterday, Live for Today, Hope for Tomorrow Do Take care* Jyothi B. Register for AccessIndia convention 2011(November 12-13) at: http://www.accessindia.org.in/harish/convention.htm Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i n Register for AccessIndia convention 2011(November 12-13) at: http://www.accessindia.org.in/harish/convention.htm Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
Re: [AI] question regarding charging netbook on inverter
Dear Austin, I have a feeling that your figures and units are a lil mixed up. (Battery is usually rated in VA, for example.) Whatever it is, it is advisable not to use your laptop's battery charger with the output from your Inverter. It is, of course, a different matter altogether if the device is an online UPS with sine wave output, in which case the voltage regulation is quite good. Hope this helps. Rgds RS -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of austin pinto Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2011 4:26 PM To: accessindia; bs...@yahoogroups.com; Voice Vision.; access uk Subject: [AI] question regarding charging netbook on inverter hi all 1st of all this going to be a electric question so if its off topic then please excuse me i have a inverter at home with it a 150v batary and my netbook has a charger that gives 20v out put its 20ams and requires 230v input i wanted to know can i charge my netbook on a inverter the inverter is not sign wave and what should i use to protect my netbook from power fluctuations please help thanks -- austin pinto email austinpinto.xavi...@gmail.com alternat email austin.pi...@hotmail.com facebook www.facebook.com/austinpinto.xaviers orkut www.orkut.com/austinpinto.xaviers twitter www.twitter.com/austinmpinto join me on google + surch for +austin Register for AccessIndia convention 2011(November 12-13) at: http://www.accessindia.org.in/harish/convention.htm Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i n Register for AccessIndia convention 2011(November 12-13) at: http://www.accessindia.org.in/harish/convention.htm Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Unable to read email content on Nokia E 5
Hi folks, I have configured my new Nokia E 5 handset, equipped with Talks 5.2, to synchronise with the MS Exchange Server that handles our office email. Now, when I try to check the email, I get a list view which shows the various headers of the emails waiting in my InBox. When I select a particular email, it opens, but, I am unable to read the contents (both the headers and text). There is an option in the menu called Listen, which when activated, sometimes reads out the matter with the Nokia TTS voice which is not intelligible. Most often, even this operation fails. Appreciate if someone can guide me on how to go about reading and processing the emails on my smart phone since that is one of the key utilities I had bought it for originally. Thanks in advance... Rgds R Sudhir M: + 91 98 472 76 126 Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] 3 mistakes women need to avoid commiting.
Good morning, folks. Forwarding the latest blog I posted on the FaceBook yesterday. It deals with 3 mistakes Indian women make in their life and is being forwarded with the Moderator's kind permission. Been blogging in FB regularly on a variety of topics. Would indeed be glad to touch base with AI members on this platform too. You can find me listed as Sudhir R Shenoy (sudhir.ko...@gmail.com). And, do let me have your frank views, please. Rgds RS + 91 98 472 76 126 PS: Cockroach, Sant Roach Das etc are names I have ascribed to myself throughout the blogs. :-) -- Three Mistakes of a Bharatiya Nari's Life... Cockroach's observations on critical handicaps Indian women need to overcome at once. Indian womanhood has been deified in the Hindu mythology as personification of patience, determination, strength, courage and marital fidelity, the examples being Sita, Savithri, Draupadi and Kannagi. History too abounds with tales of how Chatrapathi Shivaji's mother inculcated the values of patriotism and valour in her young son and how Rani Lakshmi Bai led the battle against our colonial invaders. The Indra Nuis (Pepsi), Chanda Kochhars (ICICI Bank) and Kiran Majumdar Shaws (BioCon) of the modern corporate India are also inspiring icons for youngsters of both genders. This post, however, is not about the 1 % of the Indian womanhood that breaks the glass ceiling of gender stereotyping and stratification who may achieve and enjoy true autonomy of some sorts. It has been my unhappy observation, culled from life experiences of my numerous female friends and societal trends, that the average Bharathiya Nari makes one, two, or, in the worst case scenario, a combination of all the three cardinal mistakes illustrated below, in her life, irrespective of whether she is the traditional docile, doe-eyed, door-mat type or the hep, urban, educated and economically independent and confident type. * Dependence on males for physical safety Truly reminiscent of the oft-quoted-but-out-of-context Manu Smriti, which held forth that the woman has to be in the care of her father, brother, husband or son at the various stages of her life, the 21st century Indian woman still largely leads a male-dependent life, as far as her physical safety is concerned. While this arrangement was, may be, suited for a time and space where the woman remained safely hearth-bound, the modern woman has necessarily to venture out into the big, bad world for survival and success. Implying, unfortunately, that she needs to countenance constant harassment, ranging from the emotionally degrading eve-teasing, to physically traumatic threats like stalking, molestation and rape. Whether it was poor Soumya (who attempted to resist bag-snatching in the deserted Ladies' compartment of a local train in Kerala and got brutally raped and murdered by the disabled assailant), Sonu Sinha (national volley ball player who was thrown out of a running train by three gangsters who tried to snatch her gold chain and has now become a cripple) or the numerous call-centre agents who routinely get assaulted in the metros of India, the situation is uniformly alarming for the Indian woman who is not trained to be independent when it comes to her safety. (It is a moot point that even the Indian men are equally vulnerable, but, the patriarchal nature of the society somehow gives them a safe passage.) The wide adoption of Internet, the ubiquitous camera phones and morphing technologies have increased the vulnerability of Indian women. Their privacy and modesty is now under threat from invisible enemies such as concealed cameras, hacked email ids and mobile phone-based tracking and stalking. Very few of the actual cases of Net-based slander or blackmail actually get reported to the CyberPolice, as the first instinct of the victim is to limit the damage to her (and her family's) reputation. But, the dark underbelly of the whole issue about safety of Indian women is domestic violence. It has always been there, be it in the form of dowry harassment, incestual advances or drunken abuse. This hardly shows outside homes as we are very good at maintaining the facade of domestic harmony and closed-knit families. Which implies, the Indian woman can no longer rely even on the dominant males in her life, as laid down by Manu, for her basic safety. The only way the Indian female can ensure her safety today is by acquiring skills and confidence at both the individual and collective levels. On the one hand, she needs to have basic self-defence training and carry around simple, but effective weapons like Pepper Sprays and Stun Guns (Tasers). She needs to know the basic precautions to take while using public rest-rooms, changing rooms in malls etc and how to check for bugging devices. She needs to keep a list of emergency numbers, like those of Police Control Rooms, CyberPolice cells, AntiHarassment Cell at the office
[AI] The Inspiring Story of a blind media graduate.
Rediff.com, Jan 31, 2011 -- Abhishek Mande http://mypage.rediff.com/profile/getprofile/Abhishek%20Mande/14915767 Meet Garima Goyal, who had to give up her dreams because of an irreversible and degenerating eye condition, went on to become one of India's first visually challenged media graduates. The day before her first history test in the tenth grade, Garima Goyal's mother walked into her room and said: You have the same problem as bhaiyya. For a regular 15-year-old, this might have sounded like bickering about the mess in the room, her grades or some such mundane problem. Garima's brother, Ashish, however was no regular teenager. After that morning, she wouldn't remain one either. It had been a few years since her brother was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, an irreversible and degenerating eye condition. Ashish Goyal was going blind. And now, so was Garima. Meet Ashish Goyal, world's first blind trader http://www.rediff.com/business/slide-show/slide-show-1-meet-ashish-goya l-worlds-first-blind-trader/20101203.htm A little over 10 years since the day, the two siblings have lost most of their vision. Ashish has gone on to become the first blind person to graduate from Wharton and is the first blind trader at J P Morgan's London operations. Garima is one of the first visually challenged media graduates from the Maharashtra State Board of Technical Education. She's completed her course in social communications media from Sophia College -- a major portion of this course involves a strong visual element. She has around 20 per cent of her sight remaining. This means even when I am sitting at arm's length and waving my hands at her, she doesn't know a thing. All she can see is a vague outline of my head and senses some movement of people behind me. Garima doesn't wear dark glasses. Instead, she sports a pair of spectacles with a very thick lens that helps with whatever little is left of her vision. Most of what Garima can see is largely dependent on lighting. Mostly though, the 25-year-old has to make do with a cane. It isn't a regular red-and-white cane -- it's black and metallic, stylish, with a wheel at the bottom and much longer than the regular walking sticks most of us are used to seeing. She uses the wheel to draw semi-circles as she walks to gauge the ground ahead. Often, the stick itself has raised curiosity amongst strangers around her. They want to know what it is and when she tells them, they want to know if she is blind. You don't look blind, is something Garima hears very often. To be honest, at first, she didn't seem like a visually challenged person to me either. Part of it, perhaps, has to do with the fact that Garima is so comfortable with her impediment, she's learnt to overcome it superbly. A larger part, I suspect, has to do with a different kind of blindness -- ours. We're simply conditioned to believe that all blind people must carry a red-and-white cane and wear a pair of thick, ugly dark glasses. Garima, though doesn't care or at least won't give the impression she does. Image: Garima Goyal -- The first thought that crossed Garima Goyal's mind the morning she was told she was losing her vision, was, 'I won't be able to paint anymore!' Garima was hoping to become a portrait painter. It was all I wanted to do, she says, more matter-of-factly than with regret. She'd started drawing when she was four and had taken to watercolours when kids her age were struggling with crayons. All through her school life, she'd painted away. But, just before she was to make the crucial career choice, came the news. Ashish's condition was discovered a number of years ago. Visits to the family ophthalmologist were frequent during their childhood, since both the kids had glasses from a very young age. After one such visit, the doctor asked them to wait outside as he spoke with their parents. On their way back home, they insisted on knowing what the doctor had to say. Their mother avoided the topic for a few days, then finally broke the news to Garima and her other siblings. It seemed surreal, and with a sense of deja vu, the Goyals braced to accept a second tragedy in the family. Garima doesn't speak much about this phase. She says her dad too never spoke about it. In fact, memories of that day seem to haunt her -- even though she shared what happened, she didn't want any mention of it in the article. Dad Ashok Goyal, who is in his late fifties, is a property developer and has been responsible for constructing Goyal Shopping Centre -- one of the foremost shopping centres in Mumbai's suburbs. Their mother, Jyoti, was a college lecturer who quit her job to take charge of the household. Image: Jyoti Goyal, the mother who stood as a rock behind her children -- Garima's brother Ashish's journey http://www.rediff.com/getahead/slide-show/slide-show-1-achievers-ashish -goyal-inspiring-story-of-a-blind-indian-mba/20101217.htm -- one of
[AI] Any accessible Reference management software ?
Good morning, folks. A visually challenged friend doing post-doctoral research in biotechnology urgently needs our assistance in identifying software for publishing and managing bibliographies that is accessible to Jaws. She used to rely on a software called EnndNote (a product from Reuters' stable) before losing her sight and finds this software unresponsive to Jaws now. Please note that she herself is just learning to use Jaws and hence is seriously handicapped while trying to perform the tasks expected of her at her new job in Calicut University. Appreciate if research veterans from amongst you, who may have used similar software or even developed scripts for EndNote could share your experience and expertise. She has also expressed a desire to network with research students in related fields to compare notes and share resources. Her contact info can be shared with those who are interested. Thanks and regards RS + 91 98 472 76 126
Re: [AI] Income Tax on Transport Allowance.
Dear Prof Vaswani, Your feedback is interesting and timely. Can you please educate me on how to claim this higher exemption from the employer ? Do you have any circulars pertaining to this ? And, more importantly, is this exemption only for PWDs working in the Government sector ? Appreciate if you could throw some light on this quickly as my Payroll team has just announced the last date for submitting all IT-related documents. Thanks and rgds RS + 98 472 76 126 -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of manohar vaswani Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2011 4:02 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] Income Tax on Transport Allowance. dear mr. biswas the income tax exemption on TRA. is not restricted to orthopedic handicapped persons. I am totally blind and receive 1600 tr A and the full amount is exempted thanks and regards manohar vaswani, assistant professor department of english, shivaji university, kolhapur On 1/12/11, Amiyo Biswas amiyo.bis...@gmail.com wrote: Hello, My colleague showed me Swamy's handbook where it is specified that Transport Allowance up to Rs.800 per month will be exempted from income tax for all employees whereas it will be double, i.e. Rs.1,600 for orthopaedically handicapped employees. Since it's a huge book, I could not make a xerox copy. I could neither find the same order on the internet. I believe, the order should not restrict the facility to orthopaedically handicapped persons only. Any idea? Best regards, Amiyo Biswas Cell: 91-9433464329
Re: [AI] Income Tax on Transport Allowance.
Thanks, Prof. Folks, your expert comments, please. I am getting a Travelling Allowance larger than Rs 1.6 k and wish to know if higher exemption is available to all of us under the IT Act. If yes, can somebody give me the relevant clause number or artefact itself ? Thanks in advance... RS + 98 472 76 126 -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of manohar vaswani Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2011 4:20 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] Income Tax on Transport Allowance. dear mr. sudhir TR A is not a part of income so it is exempted from tax. I am a state govt employee so have no circular in english or in hindi it may be available in marathi. I think the exemption is admisible for all employees irrespective of employer. you may find the circular on website of income tax department. thanks and regards manohar vaswani On 1/13/11, Sudhir R (NeSTIT) sudhi...@nestgroup.net wrote: Dear Prof Vaswani, Your feedback is interesting and timely. Can you please educate me on how to claim this higher exemption from the employer ? Do you have any circulars pertaining to this ? And, more importantly, is this exemption only for PWDs working in the Government sector ? Appreciate if you could throw some light on this quickly as my Payroll team has just announced the last date for submitting all IT-related documents. Thanks and rgds RS + 98 472 76 126 -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of manohar vaswani Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2011 4:02 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] Income Tax on Transport Allowance. dear mr. biswas the income tax exemption on TRA. is not restricted to orthopedic handicapped persons. I am totally blind and receive 1600 tr A and the full amount is exempted thanks and regards manohar vaswani, assistant professor department of english, shivaji university, kolhapur On 1/12/11, Amiyo Biswas amiyo.bis...@gmail.com wrote: Hello, My colleague showed me Swamy's handbook where it is specified that Transport Allowance up to Rs.800 per month will be exempted from income tax for all employees whereas it will be double, i.e. Rs.1,600 for orthopaedically handicapped employees. Since it's a huge book, I could not make a xerox copy. I could neither find the same order on the internet. I believe, the order should not restrict the facility to orthopaedically handicapped persons only. Any idea? Best regards, Amiyo Biswas Cell: 91-9433464329
[AI] Battery performance of Angel eBook Reader.
Good morning, folks... I have been using Angel since mid-April this year and I have been noticing a gradual reduction of battery performance over the last 3 months. The charge does not seem to hold for more than 1 hour after a full charging of 5 hours, as recommended. Please note that the gadget is mainly used for playing .mp3 files (not music though). Appreciate if other users of Angel could share their experiences in this regard. I want to compare notes before taking up with the concerned dealer. Thanks RS + 98 472 76 126 Voice your thoughts in the blog to discuss the Rights of persons with disability bill at: http://www.accessindia.org.in/harish/blog.htm To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Receiving 2 copies of each message.
Folks, I checked my Access India folder after a long gap today and found that I am receiving 2 copies of every message for the past several days. Have anybody else encountered this issue ? Appreciate if Moderator could look into this if this is indeed a common experience. Otherwise, please let me know what needs to be checked at my end. I am receiving the group mails in my corporate email id, which is configured on MS Exchange server and I check it using MS Outlook 2003 with automatic routing configured to a personal folder. Thanks and rgds RS + 98 472 76 126 Voice your thoughts in the blog to discuss the Rights of persons with disability bill at: http://www.accessindia.org.in/harish/blog.htm To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Free alternatives to paid software...
Dunno about their accessibility, though... http://www.techtree.com/India/Features/Free_Alternatives_to_Paid_Softwar e/551-111080-899-1.html -- While there are many ways of doing one particular job, we at times are so obsessed with a particular tool that we fail to look at other alternatives that might help us to do the same job differently. This is why we'd like to introduce you to Free alternatives to the most popular way of doing things, in this case software that you need, but not necessarily the way you want it. To simplify the process and streamline the myriad software out there, we have listed freeware in seven broad categories. Before we get into the software listings, please note that all software is related to Windows operating system, unless mentioned otherwise. Also, note that all prices are mentioned in Indian Rupees; actual street prices may vary. Office Software As plain as the title sounds, the software is a lot more than that. It enables one to write, imagine, graphically present ideas, etc. What You Think You Want: Microsoft Office Microsoft Office - Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 8,000 depending on the edition, with Home Student being the cheapest, minus Microsoft Outlook. Microsoft Office has always been the de facto standard in Office application. After all Microsoft are the pioneers of this commercial software. What You Need: Open Office This is a fantastic open-source office software suite for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases and more. It is available in several languages and works on all Windows versions, and most Linux packages. It stores data in international open standard format and can also read and write files from other common office software packages. It is created by Sun with support for several plugins that enhance functionality. IBM Lotus Symphony Another excellent office suite based on Open Office technology is created by IBM. The suite though isn't as wide in functionality as Open Office's native Suite is. Lotus Symphony is basically three applications Lotus Symphony Documents, Lotus Symphony Spreadsheets, Lotus Symphony Presentations with extensible support through plugins. Neo Office Strictly for Mac users, Neo Office is made by users for users with plenty of positivity and helpful donations. NeoOffice features word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation programs for Mac OS X. Neo Office is built on top of Open Office.org's office suite with code enhancements for the Mac specifically. -- Photo Editing/Management In today's age where almost every mobile phone has a camera stuffed into it, photo editing and photo management has become not an option but a necessity. What You Think You Want: Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Elements is the premier unrivalled software when it comes to photo manipulation and editing. Though Elements is a cut down version of Photoshop and costs a fraction compared with Photoshop, it still costs around Rs. 5000. It's great for amateur photographers, but certainly not to just edit occasional vacation photos. What You Need: Paint.net Fantastic free software meant as a replacement for Microsoft Paint included for free in Windows. This software started off as an undergraduate program, mentored by Microsoft itself. The program is as close as any freeware can be to Adobe Photoshop with excellent support for layers, unlimited undo, special effects and an active growing community with several plugins. The program requires Microsoft's dotNET architecture installed. GIMP The venerable GIMP is an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is the first free photo manipulation program for photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. Created as a response to expensive commercial software, GIMP has some very powerful tools that better Photoshop's tools. So much so that GIMP offered the magical Content Aware Fill ages back that Photoshop CS 5 is now released with, called the Resynth plugin. See the comparison here. Picasa If it is photo management that you need, don't give Picasa a miss. It has the easiest and the most intuitive interface any photo management program/photo re-touching program can have, plus it is wonderfully linked with Google's very own Picasa online photo sharing service where you can automatically upload your photos through Picasa. Simplicity is bliss! IrfanView Though not the most intuitive and best looking freeware out there, it's a great photo management software nonetheless. Sure Picasa has the looks and the cool functionality but IrfanView features a lot of heavyweight functions that Picasa doesn't even come close to having. -- Email Clients Though not an essential tool for most, some business users swear by it. Email clients let one view emails offline and setup multiple email accounts all from one place. What You Think You Want: Microsoft Outlook, the de
[AI] In the market for an e Book reader ?
Rediff.com March 2, 2010 Navin Kumar The e-book reader market is starting to take off and may soon go the way of music: instead of having closets full of books, we may soon carry our entire libraries around with us on slim portable readers. While there are still many hiccups along the way, the industry is definitely on the up-tick. So if you're in the market and looking for the best money can buy, here's a look at some of the best e-book readers around. Before we begin though, here's a small introduction of the tech terms you need to know: e-Ink In order to understand the technology behind modern e-book readers, one must understand e-Ink, a kind of electronic paper manufactured by the E Ink Corporation, set up in 1997. Every transparent micro-capsule on the surface of the e-reader can be either black or white; there is no colour. The pigments are changed by applying an electric charge. Once a particular change has happened, no further electricity is required to maintain it, it only consumes energy when you change pages. e-Ink is the basis of most e-book readers. Most readers have no backlights and are readable in sunlight and artificial light but not in the dark just like real books. The e-Ink results in lower battery strain, lower eye strain, no limitations on viewing angles and better visibility in daylight. Digital Rights Management (DRM) Most companies selling e-book readers also sell e-books online. One downloads them onto one's PC or wirelessly onto one's reader and reads from there. The problem is that many of these downloads from the company store come with DRM restrictions. In some cases, the format is unreadable outside a particular reader. In many cases one isn't allowed to copy the book beyond a fixed number of times. This can be a pain. Many books are available illegally, in many cases for download online in the form of PDF files from torrent trackers. While these are useful as one gets otherwise expensive e-books for free, these books are of lower quality and readability than the ones available at company stores. -- Available at infibeam.com, the Pi is India's first e-book reader. It uses e-Ink technology and the company claims that it has a battery life of 10,000 refreshes. It can also support most Indian languages. Infibeam.com has over one lakh books available for sale at its online store, at competitive prices (ie you pay roughly the same for the e-book as you would for the paperback at a bookstore). It has a 6 display, a resolution of 600x800 pixels and 8-level greyscale. The device weighs 180gms, is 9.5mm thick, has enough internal memory for 500 books (512 MB) but supports a 4GB SD card, which enables 3,000 books to be carried. It also supports mp3 -- so you can carry your music around in it and comes with built-in Sudoku. It supports PDF, EPUB, HTML, TXT, MOBI and DOC text files and JPG, BMP and PNG image files. While it has no backlight or glare (a problem that has been reported with some touch-screen e-book readers) it also has no direct qwerty keyboard for making notes, etc that many foreign readers have. Inputs have to be through a keyboard that is activated and controlled on the screen through the square button. It costs Rs 9,999 and the company delivers it for free anywhere in India (delivery within three days in major metros according to the company). It comes with a one year warranty. -- Amazon now ships the Kindle -- probably the world's most popular e-book reader -- to India, although it doesn't say how much shipping and taxes will cost (although it will certainly cost a bomb). The 6 version of Kindle costs $259 (approx Rs 11,900) and the 9.7 version (Kindle DX) costs $489 (approx Rs 22,500). Both have wireless connectivity which the Pi lacks. However, the use of the this connectivity is questionable in the Indian context, where there is no 3G connection anyway besides the GPRS/EDGE which your cell phone uses. The main benefit of this is Kindle's ability to receive electronic versions of various newspapers and flip through articles which requires a subscription. The Amazon library is without a doubt far more extensive than the infibeam library. Furthermore, it has a direct qwerty keyboard, allows you to make notations and look up meanings from a built-in dictionary. The Kindle is better technology that the Pi but one has to weigh the benefits with the price. -- Apple's new tablet computer is expected to revolutionise e-books. Their store is called iBooks and publishers include Penguin, HarperCollins, Simon Schuster, Macmillan, and Hachette. The introduction of this store is expected to start a price war in e-book prices, bringing down the prices of e-books, which many people feel ought be less than the price of their paperback counterparts. The iPad library will probably have a much better user interface than Kindle or
[AI] Feedback solicited - Angel eBook Reader.
Hi folks ! Just came across a low-priced gadget called Angel which seems to offer most features of Victor Reader Stream and such other devices that are priced at least 3 times over. Angel offers text reading, voice recording, music and daisy / audio book playing, radio etc. Would like to get user feedback from people who might have tried this out, especially regarding : * Quality of TTS used - is text clearly understandable as with say, Eloquence TTS of Jaws ? *Ease of navigation *Quality of audio (for music listening). *Ruggedness *After sales support, etc. Appreciate if experienced users could comment, especially with respect to more established models like Victor, Plextalk etc. Thanks and rgds RS To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Help now just a key away
Help now just a key away SECURITY ON MOBILES. Thomas K. Thomas New Delhi, Dec. 8 The next time you are in trouble help could be just a button away. A Delhi-based security alarm systems company has developed an application that allows mobile users to send an SoS message by the press of a single key. The application will automatically send out alert messages to five predetermined numbers with the exact location of the user through GPS (Global Positioning System). The application is being launched by Indianeye Alarm Systems, which has partnered with an Israeli-based technology company. Speaking to Business Line, Mr Harry Dhaul, Director, Indianeye Alarm Systems, said, Since everyone these days has a mobile phone what better way than to bring an application that provides security to the people through just a single touch on their phone. The service can be accessed by anyone who has a symbian-based mobile phone. The user will have to download the application onto the handset. GPRS connectivity is not required since it is based on the SMS platform. The service was launched here on Tuesday on a pilot basis. The service will be made available in other cities soon on a subscription basis; the rate is yet to be decided. This can be very useful, especially for women who have to put up with eve-teasing and more serious offences with no help around. With this application, an SoS alert will be sent to their parents or any contacts that they choose instantly, Mr Dhaul said. To back up the SMS-based alert system, the company will also set up a contact centre wherein those who have been alerted by any user can call in and find more details. Similar applications have been launched in other countries, including the UK and Japa To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] An entrepreneur with accessibility solutions...
http://getahead.rediff.com/slide-show/2009/nov/19/slide-show-1-achiever- shilpi-kapoor.htm Interesting interview with Shilpi Kapoor of BarrierBreak Technologies, Mumbai who has forged a sustainable business model out of accessibility and assistive technologies. To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Online do's and don'ts...
Forwarding a lil' chat published in rediff.com. Definitely, an attempt to market Norton solutions, but, it is informative as well and contains URLs of some good security-related web resources... November 10, 2009 Do you know how to decide which blocked downloads to download? Which is the best anti-virus solution that can protect your computer from malicious attacks? Do anti-virus suites slow down your computer? What is the best way of protecting your online identity? How to guard against phishing or identity thefts? David Hall of Symantec answered these and other queries related to protecing you and your computer on the Internet in a chat with readers on November 6. For those of you who missed the chat, here's the unedited transcript: csacs asked, hello how to detect malware? David Hall from Symantec answers, at 2009-11-06 15:27:53The best way to detect malicious software that could be running on a machine is to install a security suite and run a full system scan. ols asked, which is best anti virus? along with anti-virus should one also use trojan remover. What basic things should be taken care with a website? David Hall from Symantec answers, With today's threat landscape antivirus alone is not enough to be able to protect you against all the weapons that Cybercriminals have in their arsenal. I would suggest a full Internet Security solution like Norton Internet Security 2010 as it offers both antivirus and protection from threats and scams that are now delivered from the web most commonly. Good security suites will keep you protected against trojans, rootkits, worms and now the new drive by downloads that are so common that we see 100,000 websites a day attacking consumers. kannan asked, there is nothing as best antivirus. if it is for home use, there are plenty of free antivirus software available on the net. Any AV software that gives you regular updates, should be fine David Hall from Symantec answers, You have a good point that there are many free antivirus programs out there these days. With Norton products we are now releasing 10's of thousands of signatures a day to keep up with the latest threats. We are now streaming updates out every 5 to 15 mins to keep PC's protected.There is now so many threats per day that we have needed to release a new style of protection based around the concept of reputation which is able to block the latest threats before traditional signatures are available. aj asked, how to decide which blocked downloads to download ? David Hall from Symantec answers, Ifyou are unsure of the safety of a site that you are downloading from it is always best to check it our with a site reputation service like safeweb.norton.com to see if it is clean or it has been hosting threats before. If you are running a Secuurity product that uses a new styled reputation engine you can also query that once you have downloaded it to know if it is safe to install. It's always wise to double check before you double click. kannan asked, u have plethora of security issues. so having a good antivirus doesn't necessarily guarantee you protection. there are basic precaution that you have to take when you are on the net. It has been found that some so called security software are actually a 'trojan' which creates the security hole David Hall from Symantec answers, One scam that is on the rise is called scareware which pretends to be legitimate security software but actually is a misleading application that falsely scares you into thinking you have threats on your machine. We have seen about 250 unique versions of these in the last 12 months alone. A quick search on your favourite search engine will quikly determine if other users are complaining that the application is scareware. kannan asked, if you are using a wireless network for internet, ensure your neighbours are not allowed to use your connectivity. introduce basic WEP security David Hall from Symantec answers, Thats good advice, it only takes a couple of mins to set it up and it stops any freeloaders hopping onto your connection. kannan asked, there is nothing as fully secure. it is a race. you have to continuously update your guard. Similar to human security - this gets much more complex in the technology industry due to anonymity. If I tell you, to keep only the software that you use - then for students, exploring is lost. So - don't mix business pleasure. keep them separate. David Hall from Symantec answers, You are correct that there is no magic silver bullet technology that will solve every problem that the Malware writers use today. That's why it is best to use layers of security to block all the different threats. Firewalls, Anti Phishing, Antivirus and Web Reputation all layer on top of each other to keep the bad things off of your PC. Don't underestimate the power of education, if you understand how the bad guys are attacking you are less likely to fall
[AI] Net Books usability accessibility.
Hi folks ! Appreciate if you could share your experiences using Netbooks. What I am specifically interested in knowing are : 1. Usability of the small keyboard. Does the smaller size tax us too heavily in terms of strain to the fingers, especially if used for long durations ? 2. While using Jaws, what keyboard layout needs to be configured to give the best results ? (viz. laptop, classic laptop etc) 3. Does the lesser processing power of the Atom processor adversely impact performance while running Windows 7, Jaws and MS Office applications simultaneously ? 4. Any particular functionalities one needs to factor in while making a buy decision. Glad if you could give some specific model recommendations, with prices, too. Thanks and rgds RS + 98 472 76 126 To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] World White Cane DayCelebration
Hi folks ! Good morning and greetings on the World Whitecane Day. Whitecane has long been symbolic of the visually challenged all over the world and on this day, efforts are made to sensitise the society about the existence and aspirations of this silent minority that lives on the margins of the society. RCG-SRVC Foundation, which has been running a Resource Centre at Info Park, Kakkanad, Kochi for the last 18 months for training visually challenged youngsters in employability skills like mobility, computers and communications, is organizing an event at the Vismaya Building, Info Park today afternoon. Detailed schedule of the event follows. Kindly do participate and show your solidarity with your sightless brethren, if time permits. Thanks and have a great today ! Love RS -- -- 15th October Programme Event 1: 2:00 to 3:45 p.m - Work Shop for the visually challenged 3:50 to 4:10 p.m - Entry process at Infopark Gate, lining up school children and other invitees for the walk, distribution of eyeshades and general instructions. Event 2: 4:15 p.m - Administration of Oath by Ms. Ranjini Haridas, followed by distribution of White Canes and Flag-off by Sri. Dilip, Cine Actor 4:30 - 4:45 p.m - The blind walk - 150m 4:50 - 5:00 p.m - Tea break, receiving guests and class room visit by guests 5:00 p.m : Entertainment programme by visually challenged students Event 3: 5:30 p.m : Formal function starts with prayer song by student 5:33 p.m : Welcome address by Rotary Club President, Dr.Thomas Paul 5:38 p.m : Presentation on the Centre activities by Mr.M.C.Roy, Project Director, RCG-SRVC 5:45 p.m : Presidential address and launch of website by Hon. Justice Sri. Kurian Joseph 5:50 p.m : Inauguration of the function and official launch of Resource Centre by Chief Guest Sri. Jairam, Cine Actor by lighting the lamp 5:55 p.m : Inaugural address by Sri.Jairam 6:00 p.m : Distribution of Certificates and Valedictory address by Sri. Madhav Chandran, Asst.Governor, Rotary Club 6:10 p.m : Honouring achievers by Sri.Venugopal C Govind, Past District Governor, Rotary Club, followed by short message 6:14 p.m : Honouring employers by Prof.V.J.Pappu, President SRVC, followed by short message 6:18 p.m : Honouring resource persons by Sri.C.J.Mathew, Development Commissioner CSEZ, followed by short message 6:22 p.m : Honouring volunteers by Sri. Suresh Joseph, GM, DP World, followed by short message (Introduction of all the awardees to be done by Mr.Sunil J Mathew, Project Coordinator, RCG-SRVC) 6:26 p.m : Vote of Thanks by Dr.John, President RCG-SRVC 6:30 p.m : National Anthem by students To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Nokia launches netbooks...
Rediff.com September 27, 2009 Nokia BookletNokia the world's largest handset maker has made its foray in the laptop/computing space. The move does not come as a surprise. Many tech pundits had predicted this, considering the highly competitive mobile handset market. The Finnish company recently announced its first netbook, called the Nokia Booklet 3G. Like all netbooks, the Nokia Booklet 3G is essentially a laptop PC and has impressive features. Nokia says the Booklet will run Windows and claims to have an impressive battery life of 12 hours. Sources in the mobile/laptop computing world project Booklet to have a neat modern design and a modern metallic appearance case. Speaking about the company's foray, Nokia's executive vice president for Devices, Kai Oistamo wrote on the Nokia blog, 'A growing number of people want the computing power of a PC with the full benefits of mobility. We are in the business of connecting people and the Nokia Booklet 3G is a natural evolution for us. Nokia has a long and rich heritage in mobility and with the outstanding battery life, premium design and all day, always on connectivity, we will create something quite compelling. In doing so we will make the personal computer more social, more helpful and more personal.' The Nokia Booklet's key product USP is that unlike almost all other netbooks, it has an internal mobile broadband card with a SIM slot. Other netbooks rely on external USB mobile broadband modems for internet access. Embedding of this internal wireless modem makes the Booklet 3G a sci-fi update to Nokia's traditional phone handset product range. Since Nokia's phone handset manufacturer rivals -- such as Apple, LG and Samsung -- have been selling netbooks for some time now, Nokia is in danger of losing market and customer share by these brands. Nokia will use the Booklet to support its telecom service provider's customers and discourage them from taking netbooks. Powered by the efficient Intel Atom processor, the Nokia Booklet promises to deliver a broad range of connectivity options -- including 3G/ HSPA and Wi-Fi -- gives consumers high-speed access to the internet, including Nokia's broad suite of Ovi services. Nokia also now faces new and different competitors for the Booklet that are strong in the laptop PC space such as Dell, HP and Sony that are weak or non-existent players in the mobile phones market. How Nokia will differentiate its product stand on mobiles and handheld computing is a question that many are asking. The answer to which will only come with time. Amit Nayak is CEO of Taiwan based Geek IT Stores. He can be reached at ammeetna...@geekitstores.in. Amit Nayak To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] A Govt employee facing termination...
Folks, I wish to bring to your urgent attention the case of a Govt employee from Kerala's Health Dept, who went blind recently, facing termination and not knowing how to proceed. He lost his vision recently and is facing harassment from his colleagues at the Primary Health Centre that he works in, including not being permitted to sign on the roster. He used to take his wife along to the office for assisting him, but, even this has not been permitted. The DMO has been telling him to present himself before a Medical Board to prove his physical fitness and take voluntary retirement if and when his disability is proved. He has given representations to the Commissioner for PWD at Thiruvananthapuram, but, there has been no response. When the DMO was shown the relevant clauses of the PwD Act, he was told that the protection available to a person acquiring a disability while in service will not be applicable to his cadre (I understand he works as an assistant at the PHC). . Now, he has been asked to present himself before the Medical Board next Tuesday. On earlier occasions, he has avoided this by taking sick leave. This time, he is in a dilemma as the pressure is mounting on him to accept his disability and quit. It may be noted that he has not yet gotten himself a disability certificate and hence theoretically not yet a disabled person as per his official records. Pls share your views on the courses of action available to him, including for the immediate term. The moot question is, can he present himself before the Medical Board and let himself be declared disabled (or as they would term it, physically unfit for work) ? Is it time for him to challenge the departmental harassment in Court ? Or, should he wait for response from the CPWD, considering he gave his representation only a month back ? Looking forward to your advice at the earliest... Thanks and rgds RS + 98 472 76 126 To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Using skin-derived stem cells to treat hereditary vision defects
The Hyderabad-based LV Prasad Eye Institute has successfully converted skin cells of mice into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) that behave like embryonic stem cells. The Institute is trying to do the same with human skin cells. The goal is to use skin cells of patients with retinal problems and reprogramme them into iPS cells. These cells will then be directed to become one of the types of retinal cells. A normal gene, which will be synthesised and delivered into the iPS cells using a viral vector, is expected to cure the patient. After establishing a procedure to restore vision in people whose cornea has been damaged by physical or chemical injury by harvesting limbal stem cells from the healthy eye and transplanting them to the eye that has been damaged, the Hyderabad-based LV Prasad Eye Institute has moved to the next stage. The Institute has successfully converted skin cells of mice into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) that behave like embryonic stem cells. The work on standardising the procedure of reprogramming skin cells into iPS cells started 6-7 months ago. It took 3-4 months to establish the protocol for converting skin cells into iPS cells. We were able to produce iPS cells 2-3 months ago, said. Dr. D. Balasubramanian, Research Director of the Institute. They are now in the process of characterising the iPS cells in order to do the same with human skin cells. The protocol [of converting human skin cells to iPS cells] is the same, but human cells [when compared to mouse cells] behave differently, he said. The real test is when we try doing it using human cells. The central idea behind the work on iPS cells is to find a way to treat people with hereditary (genetic) diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa. When the technique of producing human iPS cells is perfected, the skin cells of patients with retinal problems such as retinitis pigmentosa will be reprogrammed into iPS cells. The iPS cells will then be directed to become one of the types of retinal cells. Since the iPS cells will still have the defective gene, a normal gene will be synthesised and delivered into the iPS cells using a viral vector. The delivered normal gene is expected to cure the patient. The presence of defective genes [in addition to the normal gene] will not be a problem. We want to see if the normal gene overrides the effect of the defective gene, he said. There is hope that this procedure should work as research in 2007 at MIT, Cambridge, showed that a mouse suffering from sickle cell anaemia could be cured. In this case, the researchers first converted the skin cells of the mouse into iPS cells and then directed the iPS cells to become red blood cells. A normal gene was introduced into the iPS cells and these cells were then transplanted into the mouse. The mouse no longer suffered from anaemia. The LV Prasad Eye Institute is working on introducing the normal gene through two routes. The first will use a viral vector, mostly a weak attenuated adeno virus that cannot cause any disease. The second alternative is the non-viral introduction. The efficiency of gene delivery into the host cell is much higher when a viral vector is used, he said. But we would prefer a non-viral vehicle. Having produced iPS cells using mice, work is on to deliver a normal gene into the iPS cells. We should be able to convert human skin cells into iPS cells and introduce the cells with the normal gene in a year's time, he said. A patient with retinitis pigmentosa has already been chosen for the human study to treat the disease through cell therapy. The biggest advantage of using iPS cells is that skin cells from the patient suffering from a disease are used for the cell therapy. Therefore, the question of rejection due to tissue mismatch does not arise. The iPS cells have another advantage. As adult cells from the skin are used, the technique sidesteps the ethical problems that embryonic stem cell research faces. The technique of producing induced pluripotent stem cells by reprogramming adult skin cells was first done in 2006 by Dr. Shinya Yamanaka at Kyoto University. Two Chinese teams in Beijing recently succeeded in producing mouse pups using iPS cells. Pups created by one of the teams were able to sire over 200 second-generation pups. More than 100 third-generation pups were also produced. Source: The Hindu To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Comparison of portable daisy book readers.
Hi folks ! I came across a comprehensive comparison of features between 4 portable models of daisy book readers, viz. BookSense and BookSense XT from G W Micro, Flextalk PTP 1 from Flextalk and the Victor Reader Stream from Humanware. May be, the comparison is not 100% objective, since it is a marketing document from G W Micro, but, definitely the BookSense pair appears to have superior features compared to the other two. Kiran Kaja had also pointed out this in his mail. No price comparison is available. Any idea who is the authorized dealer for GW Micro products in India ? Also, appreciate if BookSense users on the list could share their experiences. Thanks and rgds RS +98 472 76 126 To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Comparison of portable daisy book readers.
OOOPS ! Forgot to paste the URL... http://www.gwmicro.com/BookSense/Comparison_Chart/ From: Sudhir R (NeSTIT) Sent: Friday, August 07, 2009 12:35 PM To: 'accessindia@accessindia.org.in' Subject: Comparison of portable daisy book readers. Hi folks ! I came across a comprehensive comparison of features between 4 portable models of daisy book readers, viz. BookSense and BookSense XT from G W Micro, Flextalk PTP 1 from Flextalk and the Victor Reader Stream from Humanware. May be, the comparison is not 100% objective, since it is a marketing document from G W Micro, but, definitely the BookSense pair appears to have superior features compared to the other two. Kiran Kaja had also pointed out this in his mail. No price comparison is available. Any idea who is the authorized dealer for GW Micro products in India ? Also, appreciate if BookSense users on the list could share their experiences. Thanks and rgds RS +98 472 76 126 To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Victor Reader Stream users, please...
Good morning, folks ! Would like to get some feedback from users of Victor Reader Stream who have been using this device to read text, audio and daisy books. Appreciate if you could share your experiences with me either on or off the list at sudhi...@nestgroup.net. Thanks in advance... Rgds RS + 98 472 76 126 Kochi To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Reading audio books.
Hi folks ! I have not attempted reading audio books so far, mainly because I don't have an accessible media device that has functionalities like letting me bookmark multiple audio books. However, I contacted Accessible Electronics, USA (thanks to the very informative mail posted by Mukesh Jain) and discovered that their Sandisk Sansa series has the sort of features I have been dreaming about. However, before deciding on whether to invest on a Victor Reader Stream or an accessible media reader, I need to seek some clarifications from experienced members of Access India. 1. What software do you use to convert text documents into audio formats (mainly mp3) ? Is the pronounciation / voice of the resultant file pleasant and comprehensible ? 2. While encountering non-English words, how can we make out what the words are or its spelling ? 3. Will daisy books be supported by portable media devices such as those from Sandisk ? Which are the file formats one encounters in daisy books ? (I know mp3 is the simplest, but, which are the more complex formats ?) Looking forward to your valuable guidance... Thanks and rgds RS + 98 472 76 126 Kochi To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
Re: [AI] Urgent: suggestion for a digital voice recorder
Does these devices have multifunctional switches - ie switches that can be pressed for short and long durations for various options, pressed at different corners for activating various functions, etc ? I remember buying a pendrive with built-in mp3 player and then struggling with a single round button that was very temperamental and had some 5 functions . And, is it also possible to auto-resume mp3 files in these devices ? This is very important if one wishes to read audio books and wishes to start at the last read portion. Rgds RS -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of mukesh jain Sent: Thursday, July 09, 2009 11:46 AM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] Urgent: suggestion for a digital voice recorder hullo sir, i am using transcend tsonic 840 and it is very accessible. once you get acquainted with various buttons on the device and it's functions wich are described in the pdf manual that comes in the cd along with this device. hope it helps. thanks, with regards, mukesh jain. On 7/9/09, dinesh thole dineshth...@gmail.com wrote: Hai, Transcend is not voice enabled. But it is very user friendly for us. I am using it every day. Warm regards Dinesh thole - Original Message - From: shikher goyal shikag...@gmail.com To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Sent: Thursday, July 09, 2009 5:30 AM Subject: Re: [AI] Urgent: suggestion for a digital voice recorder i want to know how is trandscend accessible? is transcend t sonic is voice enabled? and secondly, does olympus works also as mp3 player or only recorder? may i know from subramani Sir, the model of olympus which he was talking in his mail, costing 3000. with regards shikhar On 7/8/09, Subramani L lsubram...@deccanherald.co.in wrote: Yes to the first question. You can save any docs both in word and pdf or text. I have not tried anything other than these but surely this device can be a good storage device for documents or files of any type. As for the second question, I am not sure since I have not tries it myself. As for audio format, it plays mp3 and wma but it is not playing ogg. Subramani -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Sudhir R (NeSTIT) Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2009 4:54 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] Urgent: suggestion for a digital voice recorder Glad if you could also clarify the following : a) Can this device be used as a pendrive for carrying docs ? b) Does this recorder plug in through a USB cable that needs to be managed through a proprietary software (Like Nokia PC Suite) and if yes, how accessible is this software ? c) Does this device use proprietary audio formats for recording ? Can these files be easily played back on standard media players or converted into universal formats like mp3, wav, etc ? Thanks and rgds RS -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Subramani L Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2009 3:49 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] Urgent: suggestion for a digital voice recorder I use Olympus which costs in the Rs 3000 range. Honestly, it doesn't require accessibility since it has only three buttons --one to record/pause, one to stop and one to play. Since the user can connect it to the PC, loading audio files or deleting files is not a big problem. I quite like the sound output, whioch is very clear and is truly digital and stereotype. If for example I talk from the right side of the recorder you would hear my voice in the right side while playing it. Subramani -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Asudani, Rajesh Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2009 12:07 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: [AI] Urgent: suggestion for a digital voice recorder Friends Would be grateful if anyone could suggest me a digital voice recorder with good sensitivity and (rational, if not accessible in the full sense), buttons. I remember someone having suggested a piece in the range of three thousand or so. Would appreciate if company name and any personal experiences could be shared. I require it on an urgent basis for a friend of mine who wishes to record lectures, or voice notes at least. Thanks and regards Rajesh Asudani Assistant General Manager (PPS), Reserve Bank of India Nagpur 09420397185 O: 0712 2806676 Res: 0712 2591349 Doth God exact day-labour, light denied? John Milton Notice: This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you
[AI] Victor Reader Stream.
Dear Mukesh, I am forwarding the relevant webpage from the site www.humanware.com http://www.humanware.com/ containing features of Victor Reader Stream, portable compact model. I understand the US price is $ 350 and the Indian price seems to be around Rs 22 k. I am also exploring various options with regard to devices that enable reading of audio and text books, while being portable and accessible. The options I have considered are : a) Victor Reader Stream or other accessible daisy book readers or mp3 players. (Does your mp3 player offer the vital feature of auto resume that is absolutely essential while reading multiple audio books simultaneously ?) b)A Symbian OS 3rd edition smartphone (like N 73, E 71, N 82 etc) with Talks 4, which, I understand, contains a built-in daisy book reader. c) Buying a Netbook that combines all functionalities, excluding that of the phone, in one device. (Down side is its size, low battery use time etc.) Considering that I have already a smartphone )Nokia 6681) with an original licence of Talks 3 and also that I don't have a desktop/laptop of my own, Option a or c seem to be better. Victor Reader Stream seems to be an ideal solution if the price were lower, especially since it has a built-in TTS to read text files too. I understand NAB, Delhi was contemplating releasing a Daisy Book Player which is accessible at much lower prices. Dunno what is the status of that project. Will be glad to get your recommendations, suggestions etc. Thanks and rgds RS +98 472 76 126 Small in size, Big on features! The only DAISY player that offers you so much in such a small package Download your favourite books and MP3s on your Stream and leave home with your library in the palm of your hand. This versatile, powerful DAISY-MP3 and NISO player lets you read and navigate through complex books, such as reference manuals and school books, as well as novels and magazines. You can also use its built in text to speech to read books in text format such as Bookshare. And that's not all... there are many more functions, including an integrated microphone to record voice notes. No other DAISY player offers you so much in such a small package... and at such an affordable price. Packed with DAISY functions This little player packs a mighty punch, offering high performance and advanced navigation. Victor Reader Stream gives you access to a book with equivalent speed, flexibility and accuracy of reading a printed book. Full control is at your fingertips. Your books and music go everywhere with you Since it is ultra-compact and sleek, you can take it everywhere. No need to bring CDs with you... it stores everything in its SD memory card. Only the size of a deck of cards, it fits in the palm of your hand and can easily be carried in a pocket or clipped on your belt in its attractive case. Hours of uninterrupted reading Since you will not want to stop using it, Stream comes with rechargeable batteries providing up to 15 hours of uninterrupted listening time. So long trips become the perfect time to catch up on reading. Main Features: * State-of-the-art DAISY, MP3, ans NISO player * Removable SD card for storing books, e-text files, music, and voice recordings and audio bookmarks * Ability to play NLS download books and NLS book cartridges (for eligible members) * Portable (4.6x2.6x0.9 inches) lightweight (6 ounces) * Built-in human sounding text-to-speech (Nuance Vocalizer ) * Voice recording capability via built-in microphone or external microphone * Playback through stereo headphones or secondary small speaker * USB port to transfer books and music from your PC * User replaceable Rechargeable battery providing 15 hours playtime * Built-in battery charger (four hours for full recharge) * Includes switchable external power adapter for use in multiple countries * Stylish look with high contrast keys and buttons * Attractive carrying case with belt clip Advanced DAISY Book Features * Four-arrow keys for navigation by chapter, section, page, and bookmarks * GOTO features to jump to a specific page, heading, book or bookmark * Browse bookmark list * Allows navigation of multiple books, MP3 folders, and voice notes * Text-to-speech allows access to electronic text * Three types of bookmarking saved separately for multiple books * Simple bookmark to mark a reading position * Audio bookmark with recorded voice note * Highlight bookmark to mark start and end of a passage * Ability to play or not to play skippable elements Extensive usability features: * Variable speed playback * Accelerated fast forward/rewind with audible feedback * Time Jump feature * Auto Sleep shutoff with multiple time settings * Key lock feature * Book information key * Where Am I key for information on reading position * Built-in user guide and Key Describer * Configuration menu for setting time jump interval, DAISY skippable
Re: [AI] Urgent: suggestion for a digital voice recorder
Any idea if this device can be voice-enabled with the Rockbox software ? Rgds RS -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of dinesh thole Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2009 1:36 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] Urgent: suggestion for a digital voice recorder Hello sir, I am using transcend t sonic 850 device. This is a very good device with the following features. 1. digital voice recording for long hours. 2. Continues MP3 and video playback upto 22 howers 3. fm radio with 20 stations preset. 4. view text documents. 5 ability to record radio directly. Can be used as a pen drive also. Easy USB connectivity. 6. very user friendly. I am using this everyday to record class lectures. I purchased the 8gb model for 3300. It is available in 4gb also. Please let me know if you need any other information about this. Warm regards. Dinesh thole. Email: dineshth...@gmail.com Mobile: 9922942801. Skype id: dinesh.thole - Original Message - From: Asudani, Rajesh rajeshasud...@rbi.org.in To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2009 12:06 PM Subject: [AI] Urgent: suggestion for a digital voice recorder Friends Would be grateful if anyone could suggest me a digital voice recorder with good sensitivity and (rational, if not accessible in the full sense), buttons. I remember someone having suggested a piece in the range of three thousand or so. Would appreciate if company name and any personal experiences could be shared. I require it on an urgent basis for a friend of mine who wishes to record lectures, or voice notes at least. Thanks and regards Rajesh Asudani Assistant General Manager (PPS), Reserve Bank of India Nagpur 09420397185 O: 0712 2806676 Res: 0712 2591349 Doth God exact day-labour, light denied? John Milton Notice: This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, any dissemination, use, review, distribution, printing or copying of the information contained in this e-mail message and/or attachments to it are strictly prohibited. If you have received this email by error, please notify us by return e-mail or telephone and immediately and permanently delete the message and any attachments. The recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The Bank accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email. To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i n To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i n To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Smart phone with business functionalities...
Hi folks ! Came across these good reviews of E 71 from Nokia that is Talks 4 compatible and offers enterprise functionalities such as synchronization with MS Exchange for push email, encryption, QWERTY keyboard, wifi, 3g compatibility, GPS etc. Only deficiency I noticed in this model is that the camera has a resolution of 3.15 MPs which is insufficient if one needed to use it with the KNFB reader. http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/reviews/item/Nokia_E71.php www.gsmarena.com Sighted friends tell me the device looks good and seems to have an accessible keyboard with protruding keys. Multimedia features also look reasonably OK for a business phone with stereo audio streaming over A2DP. Price around Rs 19000, same as N 82. Would like to know if any of the list members are using this with Talks 4. Please share your experiences, and, shortfalls in this device, if any. Rgds R S + 98 472 76 126 To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
Re: [AI] Urgent: suggestion for a digital voice recorder
Glad if you could also clarify the following : a) Can this device be used as a pendrive for carrying docs ? b) Does this recorder plug in through a USB cable that needs to be managed through a proprietary software (Like Nokia PC Suite) and if yes, how accessible is this software ? c) Does this device use proprietary audio formats for recording ? Can these files be easily played back on standard media players or converted into universal formats like mp3, wav, etc ? Thanks and rgds RS -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Subramani L Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2009 3:49 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] Urgent: suggestion for a digital voice recorder I use Olympus which costs in the Rs 3000 range. Honestly, it doesn't require accessibility since it has only three buttons --one to record/pause, one to stop and one to play. Since the user can connect it to the PC, loading audio files or deleting files is not a big problem. I quite like the sound output, whioch is very clear and is truly digital and stereotype. If for example I talk from the right side of the recorder you would hear my voice in the right side while playing it. Subramani -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Asudani, Rajesh Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2009 12:07 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: [AI] Urgent: suggestion for a digital voice recorder Friends Would be grateful if anyone could suggest me a digital voice recorder with good sensitivity and (rational, if not accessible in the full sense), buttons. I remember someone having suggested a piece in the range of three thousand or so. Would appreciate if company name and any personal experiences could be shared. I require it on an urgent basis for a friend of mine who wishes to record lectures, or voice notes at least. Thanks and regards Rajesh Asudani Assistant General Manager (PPS), Reserve Bank of India Nagpur 09420397185 O: 0712 2806676 Res: 0712 2591349 Doth God exact day-labour, light denied? John Milton Notice: This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, any dissemination, use, review, distribution, printing or copying of the information contained in this e-mail message and/or attachments to it are strictly prohibited. If you have received this email by error, please notify us by return e-mail or telephone and immediately and permanently delete the message and any attachments. The recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The Bank accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email. To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i n Email secured by TPML Raksha Checkpoint To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i n To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Excise duty exemption on automobiles.
Hi folks ! Is this excise duty exemption available for the visually challenged too ? If so, what are the formalities ? Does one have to trek all the way to Delhi to meet dear Pranab da ? (smile) And, can one get a reimbursement for a vehicle already purchased ? Glad if experienced members could share info. Thanks and rgds RS + 98 472 76 126 -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Renuka Warrier Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2009 9:33 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: [AI] How can I believe that you are Manmohan Singh? The Hindu News Update Service News Update Service Wednesday, July 8, 2009 : 1930 Hrs How can I believe that you are Manmohan Singh? Bangalore (PTI) Noted paralympic athlete Malathi Holla said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh initially doubted her certificates when she sought excise duty exemption to buy a car in 1994 but granted it immediately after she convinced him about the authenticity of her documents. Mr. Singh, who was then the Finance Minister, first asked her How can I believe that these are yours? when she displayed her 150 certificates, Holla, winner of the Arjuna and Padma Shri awards, said in her authorised biography released here on Wednesday. An infuriated Malathi, now 51, shot back. How can I believe, Sir, that you are Manmohan Singh? He (Singh) was taken aback. 'What do you mean?' Mr. Singh demanded, according to the biography. Sir, just to cheat you, I needn't have travelled over 46 hours with all my problems. I could have sent you the certificates by post, isn't it? These are all my original certificates. If you wanted to, you could have verified with the Sports Department at Shastri Bhavan. I said all this very politely, but I was extremely hurt, she said. Mr. Singh had then apologised at once and asked when she was going back and she would have all the exemption before she reached Bangalore. When I reached Bangalore, the relevant letter was indeed on my table! the biography said. Malathi said in her biography when she went to Delhi she wasn't very well-known. The wheelchair-bound Malathi said she was happy -- not because she got that exemption but that all her hard work had borne fruit. Now every differently-abled person who buys a car gets the exemption. This incident gave me confidence and boosted my morale. If your approach is just and transparent you can win the world, no matter who you are dealing with. Malathi has 300 medals in her kitty and has represented the country in paralympics, Asian Games, World Masters, Commonwealth Games and Open Championships. The biography is authored by Anantha Krishnan M, the Head of Corporate Communications, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i n To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Yet another RP treatment centre ?
Hi folks ! Have you ever come across a chap called Dr Gangadharan, at Anil's Eye Clinic, Kanhangad, Kerala in the context of Retinitis Pigmentosa treatment ? I am not sure which branch of alternative medicine he practices and am yet to come across anyone who has been treated by this guy. Glad if list members, especially from Kerala, could share information and experience about this person. Thanks in advance... Rgds RS +98 472 76 126 To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Paging civil services aspirants...
Hi folks ! An ambitious youngster from Kerala who has just completed his 12th and is planning to crack the civil services nut, wishes to network with others who may already be on the runway. He is new to computers and has still not joined the email circuit and hence I request persons who might be able to help him with guidance, mentoring, resources and experience sharing to contact me at sudhi...@nestgroup.net or + 98 472 76 126. Appreciate your kind hearts... Rgds RS Kochi, Kerala To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Important info about the Swine Flu pandemic
All you need to know about the Swine Flu... Rediff.com May 05, 2009 Seeing the speed with which swine flu is going global makes one wonder whether technology and a better-connected world have made life easier or more complicated for us. Health organisations are on high alert and nations are doing the best they can to prevent a full-blown pandemic and keep the virus from affecting their populations. So what exactly is the swine flu? It's a form of influenza that is caused by strains of virus found in pigs and which can be transferred to humans. The particular strain in question at the moment, the A H1N1 virus emerged from a remote and rural region of Mexico, where it was probably hibernating thus far in the bowels of a pig. Many similar and more lethal viruses similarly play out their appearing and disappearing acts in remote regions of the Congo Basin and South East Asia. In the past, when these critters reared their heads and caused an outbreak, their spread and disappearance were localised as they showed up in isolated pockets. History tells us that during the 1918 Spanish flu, communities which isolated themselves and didn't intermingle had lower death rates than families which did not observe the ban within their local community. But this pesky microbe is resilient and fast-moving and with globalisation, isolated hotspots are not so isolated anymore. Before we knew it, swine influenza was in our midst and made an easy jump from a pig host to human beings. The swine flu is rapidly crossing international borders. Humans directly in contact with infected pigs can contract the disease and then spread it to other human beings when they cough, sneeze, talk, travel or hug. Unfortunately, none of us are immune to this bug. Specially susceptible are babies, toddlers, the elderly, the ailing, pregnant women, respiratory disease sufferers and those with compromised immunity like AIDS or cancer patients. So, how do you know whether you have the plain old flu,or the fearsome swine flu? Well, a layperson really can't tell one from the other, but a very specific blood test can let you know whether the A H1N1 has decided to have your body play host to it. Symptoms List of 6 items * Lethargy * High fever (102 degrees+) accompanied by chills, aches and pains * Sore throat * Stuffy nose * Nausea and/ or diarrhoea * Fatigue list end Prevention There is hope for you to create a simple shield of protection against the flu by: List of 8 items * Washing your hands frequently and thoroughly for at least 15-20 seconds with soap or alcohol-based hand sanitisers, especially after visiting public places, especially hotel restrooms, theatres etc. * Avoid visiting very crowded public places. * Avoid touching the mouth, nose or eyes, which are primary modes of transmission. * Cough or sneeze into a tissue -- dispose it off and wash your hands immediately * Avoid close contact with sick people, as far as possible. * If you get sick, stay at home. * Keep yourself well hydrated. Choose from a range of fluids -- plain water, fresh juices, coconut water or simply a fresh lime will flush out the toxins. Have plenty of hot soups if you have nasal congestion. Stay clear of caffeinated and aerated drinks. * Eat a nutritious diet and build up your immune system. And in case you're wondering whether you can get swine flu by eating hot dogs or Moo Shoo Pork, the answer is no -- you can't catch it by eating pork products, cooked or processed! But make sure that the meat you do comsume is cooked well and ensure that it reaches an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees Celsius. list end Diet to strengthen your immunity levels List of 6 items * Consume plenty of lean proteins -- they help the body synthesise antibodies. * Vitamin C-rich fresh fruit and vegetables naturally boost your infection-fighting capacity. * Vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage contain glutathione, an antioxidant which boosts the body's defense system. * Avoid fatty foods -- they are difficult to digest and may aggravate gastric symptoms. * Have plenty of clear broths, chicken soups and jello. * Go easy on sugary foods, which bring down the body's defense capacity. list end Meanwhile, you can check the nutritional adequacy of your diet using this tool -- http://nutritionvista.com/Tools/Self-Assessment/Default.aspx -- to see if you are getting the necessary nutrients that will help boost your immunity. If diagnosed early, swine flu is easy to treat, so there is no need to panic. The virus is sensitive to the medicines Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or Zanamivir (Relenza), which help to prevent and treat the disease. Unfortunately, the previously recommended vaccines are ineffective against the new strain. A new vaccine is being developed and will be available only mid-2009. Till then, adequate precautions are your biggest weapon against the tiny menace! Poonam
[AI] Let's congratulate Shashi...
Hi folks ! Glad indeed to inform you that our otherwise shy and invisible friend, Shashikala, has been awarded the Big Dipper Award at the Annual Day celebrations of Aditi Technologies, Bangalore, two days back by the company's CEO. She has been conferred this honour for her excellent performance and superlative commitment during a particularly difficult period for the company. Shashikala, who completes 3 years in Aditi this month, is a product of Mitra Jyothi and Enable India and is the only person from her functional group - HR - to get this award. Her commendable achievement has to be seen in the background of massive, though non-quantified and unreported, lay-offs across the IT industry, and the impact it could have had on the careers of our visually challenged friends. Congrats, Shashi, you have made all of us proud... Please send your appreciative messages / best wishes to shashika...@aditi.com. Thanks and rgds RS R Sudhir +98 472 76 126 CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This communication may contain privileged or other confidential information. If you have received it in error, please advise the sender by reply email and immediately delete the message and any attachments without copying or disclosing the contents. To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Accessibility of digital certificates associated software.
Hi folks ! I may have to use digital certificate to electronically sign proposals submitted by my company through e-procurement portals. In this connection, I would like to know from people who may be already using this whether : a) The software for hashing digital documents and affixing digital signatures is accessible with Jaws ? b) B) The software for verifying digital signatures in documents received is accessible to Jaws? c) Which vendor supplies the most accessible digital certificates and associated (hashing and verifying) software in India ? Pls share your experience with this new-fangled contraption that is fast becoming a necessity for e-commerce transactions. Thanks and rgds RS M: 098 472 76 126 d) To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
Re: [AI] Regarding the career opportunities
Hi Deepak ! Marketing is indeed a good career opportunity for an Engineer-MBA like you, though, I would suggest that you switch to technology products, services and solutions rather than financial products like Insurance. Of course, it all depends on your aptitude also. I understand Hari Raghavan, who is also a visually challenged management graduate is on the business development side at IBM. Content development is also a good option, if you have the flair for writing and communication. Alternatively, you could get into software coding, testing or system administration functions too. Quite a few of Access Indians are doing well in these careers. Have you considered the employability enhancement training programmes recently announced by NAB, Enable India, Mitra Jyothi etc ? These institutes have a good track-record of placing eligible candidates with reputed IT ITES companies. You could also contact Anubhuti Mittal, a HR consultant based at New Delhi who has helped many PWDs launch their careers. Finally, in this recessionary situation when private players are cutting staff strengths, one should also seriously look at PSUs and banks. Lots of them are on a recruitment spree, thanks to the elections. Here, we are eligible for reservations too. Hope this helps. Wish you all the best and do write if you need more inputs. Rgds RS 98 472 76 126 sudhi...@nestgroup.net -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Deepak Singla Sent: Monday, March 30, 2009 11:28 AM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] Regarding the career opportunities Dear Sudhir Thanks for your reply. I did my BTech (production engg.) in 2001 and MBA (major-marketing, minor-finance) in the year 2004. I also have work experience, with Max New York Life Insurance, of six months. After leaving the company I started working as a freelance content writer from my home. I continued with the writing work for around four years and then joined NIVH as a computer trainee. At present, I am in /NIVH Dehradun. I am basically from the North Indian state of Punjab. Thanks once again and looking forward to recieve your reply. Deepak On 3/30/09, Sudhir R (NeSTIT) sudhi...@nestgroup.net wrote: Hi Deepak ! Good if you could provide additional info like your age, subject of specialization, work experience, if any, location etc. I too am an engineer by training, and though I could not work in core areas of technology like design, operations maintenance, construction etc due to a deteriorating vision, I have been able to survive in marketing for more than 20 years now. Another AI member, Prasanna Kumar, who has a M Tech in Electronics Engineering and worked in design before going blind, still designs intricate circuitry with his sharp brain and runs a small scale industry in Kochi. He also gives project guidance to students of engineering colleges, polytechnics etc. Looking forward to your inputs... Rgds RS 098 472 76 126 -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Deepak Singla Sent: Monday, March 30, 2009 9:43 AM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: [AI] Regarding the career opportunities Dear Friends I am Deepak Kumar Singla, a BTech and MBA qualified but a visually impaired person. I need your suggestions in finding a good job. What should I do in this regard? Looking forward to hear from you soon. regards Deepak To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i n To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i n To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i n To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
Re: [AI] Regarding the career opportunities
Hi Deepak ! Good if you could provide additional info like your age, subject of specialization, work experience, if any, location etc. I too am an engineer by training, and though I could not work in core areas of technology like design, operations maintenance, construction etc due to a deteriorating vision, I have been able to survive in marketing for more than 20 years now. Another AI member, Prasanna Kumar, who has a M Tech in Electronics Engineering and worked in design before going blind, still designs intricate circuitry with his sharp brain and runs a small scale industry in Kochi. He also gives project guidance to students of engineering colleges, polytechnics etc. Looking forward to your inputs... Rgds RS 098 472 76 126 -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Deepak Singla Sent: Monday, March 30, 2009 9:43 AM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: [AI] Regarding the career opportunities Dear Friends I am Deepak Kumar Singla, a BTech and MBA qualified but a visually impaired person. I need your suggestions in finding a good job. What should I do in this regard? Looking forward to hear from you soon. regards Deepak To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i n To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Dealing with diagrams and images.
Hi folks ! Greetings on the auspicious occasion of Yugadi... My job involves dealing with technical documents containing lots of diagrams (visio), images (screenshots) etc. When I scroll down the page containing these items, sometimes Jaws reads P Brush field, picture field or nothing at all. I have 2 questions in this regard : a) Can I recognize the item, ie whether it is a visio drawing or a screenshot, in some way without requesting for sighted help as I do now ? b) Can I cut / copy these items and paste them / resize them in some way without taking sighted help ? Guidance, please. Thanks and rgds RS +98 472 76 126 To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Internet speeds on wireless datacards...
Rediff.com March 19, 2009 09:26 IST Your wireless internet connection has just got faster, with CDMA operators launching services that offer speeds of up to 3.1 mbps. On a comparative basis, this is faster by over 20 times than the existing wireless broadband connections, and 10 times faster than average broadband connections in the country. At present, broadband is defined as always-on connectivity with 256 kbps speed on Ethernet connections (wired), while the maximum speed available over wireless is around 144 kbps. However, the upload and download speeds do not match the advertised speeds, which can be misleading for users. Users in India, for instance, only get around 30-40 kbps connectivity on a 256 mbps connection and a meagre 9-10 kbps on a 144 kbps connection during peak times, according to Internet Service Providers Association of India President Rajesh Chharia. Tata Teleservices [ Get Quote] has launched Photon+, a plug and play device that offers data speeds of up to 3.1 mbps. It claims that this is 20 times faster than existing wireless mobile technologies. It has also unveiled another product -- Power Launcher -- an Ethernet-based broadband product that offers speeds up to 100 mbps. There is an explosion of internet usage in the country, with an increase in usage of bandwidth... the number of individual internet users far exceeded that of corporate users and the launch of these services will enable faster and trouble-free internet access, Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Ltd Managing Director Mukund Govind Rajan said. According to the recent Telecom Regulatory Authority of India data, the total number of internet connections in the country stand at around 13 million, of which broadband connections are 5.65 million. Another CDMA player, Reliance Communications [ Get Quote] has also rolled out a high-speed broadband service, Reliance Netconnect Broadband Plus. This has a downlink speed of up to 3.1 mbps and a separate uplink speed of up to 1.8 mbps, which the company claims is much higher than any other offering in the country. This is the inflection point for the Indian internet industry and would enable broadband access to millions of online Indians, RCom President Mahesh Prasad said, attributing the poor penetration to the limitations of wireline internet like last mile connectivity and time taken for network deployment. But are these tall claims? According to Chharia, Their claims are right as 3.1 Mbps connections can be offered. However, will these companies provide both access and international bandwidth at these speeds? If both access and bandwidth are provided at these speeds, it's a great leap for the industry. The Cellular Operators' Association of India is not amused. The body of GSM operators has sought the department of telecommunications's intervention to stop these services, which it claims are 3G EVDO services. It is 'legally untenable' to permit select players to get a preferential headstart to offer 3G services, it wrote in a letter to the DoT. Powered by To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Receive emails on your phone through GooseBerry
Cell phones Receive emails on your phone through GooseBerry Helps you receive your emails on the SMS Inbox on your cell phone with out Internet or GPRS connection in real time Usha Prasad Wednesday, February 18, 2009 Email This Print This Comments RSS BANGALORE, INDIA: In this technology-driven era, we depend heavily on emails and cell phones to stay connected. For many, who are in regular touch with friends, colleagues and business contacts through emails, it may not be possible to be on the computer at all times. And, not all of them can afford to have smart phones with GPRS services or a Blackberry. Now, you can get your emails even when you are away from the computer. Gurgaon-based Khushii IT Solutions has recently launched a service called GooseBerry (http://www.gooseberry.in/), an email notification system, that helps you receive your emails on the SMS Inbox of your cell phone in real time (Compression algorithm applied optimize content delivery over SMS ). The service works across both GSM and CDMA networks. GooseBerry has made it possible to be connected with your emails 24X7, without Internet or GPRS connection. You can receive and reply to your emails using the SMS and can limit the number of SMS alerts you receive by using Allowed list and Blocked list, says Sachin Gupta, principal consultant at Khushii IT Solutions. GooseBerry will allow only those emails that contain the specified keywords with in the email ID, subject tag or body tag of an email specified by the user in the Allowed list. Giving more details on how GooseBerry works, Gupta says, Presently, we are able to compress the mail size by 30 percent to ensure that you get only a snapshot of the email on your phone in one SMS. Each SMS received will have up to 160 characters in length. However, to receive the full email, you can send SMS requests to us by typing 'next' and receive the complete mail in parts. While there is no upper limit on the number of SMS sent to the receiver from our end, the reply from the user's side is limited to only one SMS. In order to stay in touch with their emails, people spend heavily on costly devices and data plans for GPRS connectivity. When we surveyed quite a number of BlackBerry and GPRS users, a majority of them were not satisfied with the respective services as it was expensive and also found difficulty in getting the mails due to slow bandwidth. This is when we thought of offering a similar solution on SMS, explains Gupta. GPRS is a PULL-based solution, which means you will always need to check yourself if there is a new email, while GooseBerry will push the email to you. GooseBerry will work anywhere your phone works in India while GPRS-based phones will work only where you have GPRS network available, he adds. GooseBerry service is offered through a compression technique, where we remove spaces in the mail, use abbreviations and SMS lingos. We also use scientific methods of finding which are the important parts of an email to be sent, he added. All that one needs to do to get this service is register with Gooseberry by giving the phone number and email credentials. Other than the subscription fee, GooseBerry does not charge for sending SMS alerts to your phone. However, you will be charged your service provider for sending the reply to your email on your phone , says Gupta. With GooseBerry, one can achieve the same service with as low as Rs. 95 per month. You can also go in for multiple packs depending on the usage and email traffic expected. Gooseberry supports 37 email servers as of Jan 2009, including corporate emails, gmail, Yahoo, ibibo etc. Every day support for more email servers is being added as users from various companies are requesting for the same. Why is the service named GooseBerry? We wanted a name that is very Indian, and also be identified with the existing technology. Hence, we decided on GooseBerry, says Gupta. Advantages of GooseBerry *The service runs on any mobile on the planet without needing to install anything *You don't need to have a special hardware ie., Blackberry or mobile with GPRS/3G capability *The cost of this service is a fraction of the rental cost of Blackberry or data plan (GPRS) which you would have *You can create filters so that you don't get unwanted emails on your device *There are no extra charges on roaming as well (saves quite a bit of money) . With every one going into cost saving mode, this might be the solution companies are looking for. To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
Re: [AI] Bank interest for the disabled people
it isn't actually doing anything. Sorry for being so cynical; one of the diseases of being a journalist is that you observe things and end up becoming a cynic despite your hardest attempts not to be one. Subramani -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Sudhir R (NeSTIT) Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 4:12 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] Bank intrest for the disabled people 1. When we talk about the disabled, let us also think of those who are not visually challenged and those who cannot use assistive technologies to work productively. 2. Even those who have access to assistive technologies seldom get an opportunity to work or earn a living. 3. Lots of people become disabled in the middle age, due to accidents or disease, and are not able to get proper rehab inputs and usually retire early. Let us not forget that not every person has a pensionable job. 4. And, there are the cases where disabled persons live off inheritances or endowments made in their names. In a country which can afford to spend thousands of crores on poorly-targetted welfare schemes (Remember Rajiv Gandhi admitting that just 15 paisa of every welfare Rupee reaches the targeted needy. His son has revised the figure to 5 paisa after e-governance has been introduced. (smile)), I don't think we need to feel too guilty about asking for a 0.5% additional interest for bank deposits of the disabled. After all, it will be a well-targetted scheme, benefiting only those who are disabled and their families. And, it is going to cost just a fraction of the Rs 60,000 crores written off in farms loans waiver recently. As I said, it may be fashionable to claim we are equal to the able-bodied in all respects and have to be treated equally, but, let us admit that both assumptions are far from reality. Rgds RS -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of niranjanraj urs Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 2:48 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] Bank intrest for the disabled people Congradulations Subramanian for being brave to say what you think as right. There is no end if one section of society goes on asking for concessions for itself. One has also to care for the paying capacity of the system at large. The concession under the Income tax law for PH is based on the premise that the handicap limits the earning capacity of the individual. as such, one cannot draw anology between IT concession and concession in the form of higher interest to PH persons. If I am correct, banks do give concessions in interest on loans advanced under self employment schemes, for which there certainly exist a rationale. I therefore urge my friends on the list to please think of ways and means for reaching out assistive technologies to not so well to do friends among us, of making software developers to come up with screen reading tools in vernacular languages and reaching out these softwares at affordable prices etc. Niranjan On 2/10/09, Subramani L lsubram...@deccanherald.co.in wrote: Whenever we think of more 'incentives', the question we confront is: if we can demand equality and special treatment of some sort at the same time? Though some of us work and pursue careers of our choice, the same can't be said about others, so in the first place where is the question of having large savings for those who don't have high income or don't work in sunrise industries? Secondly, on the contrary, those who pursue careers that fetch them good income: how can we ask for special interests if we work on equal terms with others? These are questions I often get when I think of the subject, but I am not successful in find answers. Subramani -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of mukeshbhai Sent: Monday, February 09, 2009 10:35 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] Bank intrest for the disabled people Yes, This is really new and good topic to be discussed. I agree with you Prafulbhai. Handicapped must have such benefits Thanks and Regards, Dr. Mukesh Patel Principal Physiotherapy College for The Blind, Ahmedabad. E Mail: ptmuk...@gmail.com - Original Message - From: Praful Vyas prafulnv...@gmail.com To: accessindia accessindia@accessindia.org.in Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 6:27 PM Subject: [AI] Bank intrest for the disabled people Dear Friends, Herewith, I put a new topic for discussion before my learned Accessindian friends. All banks are given half percent more interest on all type of fixed deposits to the senior citizens than other. I believe that this benefit should also be given to the persons with disabilities. Please give your views. Yours Sincerely, Praful Vyas, Hon
Re: [AI] Bank intrest for the disabled people
1. When we talk about the disabled, let us also think of those who are not visually challenged and those who cannot use assistive technologies to work productively. 2. Even those who have access to assistive technologies seldom get an opportunity to work or earn a living. 3. Lots of people become disabled in the middle age, due to accidents or disease, and are not able to get proper rehab inputs and usually retire early. Let us not forget that not every person has a pensionable job. 4. And, there are the cases where disabled persons live off inheritances or endowments made in their names. In a country which can afford to spend thousands of crores on poorly-targetted welfare schemes (Remember Rajiv Gandhi admitting that just 15 paisa of every welfare Rupee reaches the targeted needy. His son has revised the figure to 5 paisa after e-governance has been introduced. (smile)), I don't think we need to feel too guilty about asking for a 0.5% additional interest for bank deposits of the disabled. After all, it will be a well-targetted scheme, benefiting only those who are disabled and their families. And, it is going to cost just a fraction of the Rs 60,000 crores written off in farms loans waiver recently. As I said, it may be fashionable to claim we are equal to the able-bodied in all respects and have to be treated equally, but, let us admit that both assumptions are far from reality. Rgds RS -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of niranjanraj urs Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 2:48 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] Bank intrest for the disabled people Congradulations Subramanian for being brave to say what you think as right. There is no end if one section of society goes on asking for concessions for itself. One has also to care for the paying capacity of the system at large. The concession under the Income tax law for PH is based on the premise that the handicap limits the earning capacity of the individual. as such, one cannot draw anology between IT concession and concession in the form of higher interest to PH persons. If I am correct, banks do give concessions in interest on loans advanced under self employment schemes, for which there certainly exist a rationale. I therefore urge my friends on the list to please think of ways and means for reaching out assistive technologies to not so well to do friends among us, of making software developers to come up with screen reading tools in vernacular languages and reaching out these softwares at affordable prices etc. Niranjan On 2/10/09, Subramani L lsubram...@deccanherald.co.in wrote: Whenever we think of more 'incentives', the question we confront is: if we can demand equality and special treatment of some sort at the same time? Though some of us work and pursue careers of our choice, the same can't be said about others, so in the first place where is the question of having large savings for those who don't have high income or don't work in sunrise industries? Secondly, on the contrary, those who pursue careers that fetch them good income: how can we ask for special interests if we work on equal terms with others? These are questions I often get when I think of the subject, but I am not successful in find answers. Subramani -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of mukeshbhai Sent: Monday, February 09, 2009 10:35 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] Bank intrest for the disabled people Yes, This is really new and good topic to be discussed. I agree with you Prafulbhai. Handicapped must have such benefits Thanks and Regards, Dr. Mukesh Patel Principal Physiotherapy College for The Blind, Ahmedabad. E Mail: ptmuk...@gmail.com - Original Message - From: Praful Vyas prafulnv...@gmail.com To: accessindia accessindia@accessindia.org.in Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 6:27 PM Subject: [AI] Bank intrest for the disabled people Dear Friends, Herewith, I put a new topic for discussion before my learned Accessindian friends. All banks are given half percent more interest on all type of fixed deposits to the senior citizens than other. I believe that this benefit should also be given to the persons with disabilities. Please give your views. Yours Sincerely, Praful Vyas, Hon. Secretary, Andhjan Kalyan Trust, Behind Jain Derasar, Station Plot, Dhoraji-360410. Dist. Rajkot, Gujarat, India. E-mail: aktr...@sancharnet.in prafulnv...@gmail.com Website: http://www.aktrust.org Phone: 91-2824-223502, Fax: 91-2824-223502, Mobile: +919428261878. Please visit the Give India site to see our Profile and support us- http://www.giveindia.org/m-116-andhjan-kalyan-trust.aspx And also visit at www.carencureindia.org/aktrust.asp All Donation Enjoy 50%
[AI] The story behind the $10 'laptop'
Rediff.com The story behind the $10 'laptop' Leslie D'Monte | BS | February 09, 2009 | 13:09 IST It was a claim that anyone with a reasonable amount of computing knowledge would have debunked under normal circumstances - a laptop for $10 or under Rs 500. You don't even get a decent memory stick for that price, or even the cheapest of mobiles! But then, the announcement was made by no less a person than Rameshwar Pal Agrawal, secretary, Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Human Resource Development. Also, the government has been talking of low-cost computing devices for quite some time now - the prices of which would be much lower than former Media Lab's director Nicholas Negroponte's $188 XO laptops which are part of the One Laptop Per Child global project. So, despite the disbelief and the 'Oh Yeah(s)?' on the Net, observers both in India and abroad keenly awaited the launch of the prototype in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. After all, nobody would want to risk pooh poohing a low-cost computing device which could effectively and eventually bridge the 'digital divide'. However, when the contraption was finally launched, it fell extremely short on expectations - some called it nothing short of a joke, even 'hoax'. Was the criticism justified? Probably not, if one understands the context. A lot of work was put in by students of the Vellore Institute of Technology, scientists in Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, the IIT-Madras and the involvement of PSUs like Semiconductor Complex Ltd. The end product came with 2GB storage memory, Wi-Fi connectivity, ethernet port(s) and USB connectivity. But it did not have a screen. So if you wanted to display the data stored on it, you would need to attach a compatible output device using the USB ports. And the computing device called 'Sakshat' turned out to be 10 inches long and five inches wide and cost around $30. So it was still less than Rs 1,500. Besides, the idea was noble. The Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Human Resource Development has earmarked around Rs 4,600 crore (Rs 46 billion) to promote the use of Information and Communication Technology in teaching and learning processes. Approximately 20,000 institutions of higher learning are expected to benefit from this. To achieve this objective, the government said it would support the development of low-cost and low-power consuming devices through field trials - one of these was 'Sakshat'. But, then, why call it a laptop? This is probably the main reason for so much confusion. IDC India Lead Analyst (P C Research) Sumanta Mukherjee, says: Should it be possible to provide a notebook at a customer price of Rs 500, the final impact on the PC market will depend on the functionality. While affordability is a key driver to enhancing PC penetration, it certainly is not the only one - relevance of the product, cheap and reliable broadband in deep interiors will also make a difference. The success of a computing model, according to Diptarup Chakraborti, principal research analyst, Gartner India, revolves around a friendly operating system and application-ready device. If these requirements are not fulfilled, users graduate to higher models very fast, he explains. Perhaps, he suggests, the nomenclature for such devices (referring to the Rs 500 laptop) should be changed. There's much merit in this line of thinking. When one pictures a 'laptop', it creates expectations of a minimum configuration and form factor. History is a good teacher (anyone remembers the Simputer which did not take-off in India?). Muddled thinking should not result in diluting a noble cause. The idea of an affordable laptop has existed in some form or the other since the 1960s, and Prof Seymour Papert of MIT's Media Lab developed the idea in 1985, in The School of the Future. Perhaps, the first real answer to the challenge of low-cost computing for kids was the XO (which runs open-source Linux) from Negroponte, founder of the OLPC project. The original target cost was $100, but this escalated (including shipping costs) due to design upgrades (more memory and a faster microprocessor) and also because the initial production volumes would not enjoy economies of scale. The OLPC project was supported by companies that are arch rivals - Intel (which later pulled out) and AMD, besides Microsoft, Linux and Google; so perhaps the project was bound to run into rough weather. Negroponte, it is alleged, asked the chipmaker to stop selling its Classmate PC while it was part of the OLPC. Intel reasoned it ought to support multiple platforms (not the XO alone). Also, there were differences over how the education market should be approached. The Intel approach is to use school teachers and sell to schools rather than the government. Negroponte, on the other hand, is said to be favouring bypassing teachers, which is not a favoured approach in emerging economies. This is one of the reasons why the OLPC project
Re: [AI] Bank intrest for the disabled people
Hi folks ! Time and again, we often tend to think of only a one size should fit all kind of solutions to all problems concerning the disabled in India. The thinking elite among the Indian disabled, represented by Access India, are torn between our demand for equality on the one hand and the very real need for special benefits on the other. This often leads to very funny situations, where we have no problem discussing discrimination shown by airlines against traveling blind passengers, but, when someone broaches the topic of the bus conductor not intervening to get the seat reserved for the disabled in city buses occupied by the able-bodied vacated, we somehow feel it is asking for a special benefit and hence goes against the grain of inclusivity. Then there was even a case when someone advocated the disabled in India does not even require reservations in employment, just because a few of us have found exciting jobs in the sunrise sectors of private industry. Level playing field does not mean a perfectly horizontal surface. Compensations need to be built into the scheme of things to factor for disadvantages, whether in the form of additional time to write exams, exemptions from certain type of duties (like election duty for disabled govt staff), concessions in ticket fare for travel in buses or trains, etc etc. Granted that a lot of disabled who enjoy these benefits may have no need for such special treatment and granted that a lot of them may not even be availing of such benefits. (For example, considering that only a very small proportion of the Indian disabled go in for higher education or employment, can someone argue that these benefits are elitist and hence not warranted ?) If senior citizens who have made millions working abroad or doing business can be given higher interest rates by banks, why not the disabled ? Savings need not be from income from employment alone, you know. We are living in an insensitive society that is not going to be truly inclusive in the near future. If developed nations can subsidise their disabled with allowances and grants, why not ask for a measly higher interest for the Indian disabled ? The Indian society is not about to give us a standing ovation for turning down special benefits. Let us not ourselves oppose such efforts just because we think it is not fashionable. Rgds RS 098 472 76 126 -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Subramani L Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 12:07 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] Bank intrest for the disabled people Whenever we think of more 'incentives', the question we confront is: if we can demand equality and special treatment of some sort at the same time? Though some of us work and pursue careers of our choice, the same can't be said about others, so in the first place where is the question of having large savings for those who don't have high income or don't work in sunrise industries? Secondly, on the contrary, those who pursue careers that fetch them good income: how can we ask for special interests if we work on equal terms with others? These are questions I often get when I think of the subject, but I am not successful in find answers. Subramani -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of mukeshbhai Sent: Monday, February 09, 2009 10:35 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] Bank intrest for the disabled people Yes, This is really new and good topic to be discussed. I agree with you Prafulbhai. Handicapped must have such benefits Thanks and Regards, Dr. Mukesh Patel Principal Physiotherapy College for The Blind, Ahmedabad. E Mail: ptmuk...@gmail.com - Original Message - From: Praful Vyas prafulnv...@gmail.com To: accessindia accessindia@accessindia.org.in Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 6:27 PM Subject: [AI] Bank intrest for the disabled people Dear Friends, Herewith, I put a new topic for discussion before my learned Accessindian friends. All banks are given half percent more interest on all type of fixed deposits to the senior citizens than other. I believe that this benefit should also be given to the persons with disabilities. Please give your views. Yours Sincerely, Praful Vyas, Hon. Secretary, Andhjan Kalyan Trust, Behind Jain Derasar, Station Plot, Dhoraji-360410. Dist. Rajkot, Gujarat, India. E-mail: aktr...@sancharnet.in prafulnv...@gmail.com Website: http://www.aktrust.org Phone: 91-2824-223502, Fax: 91-2824-223502, Mobile: +919428261878. Please visit the Give India site to see our Profile and support us- http://www.giveindia.org/m-116-andhjan-kalyan-trust.aspx And also visit at www.carencureindia.org/aktrust.asp All Donation Enjoy 50% Exemption Under Section 80 G 5 of the Income Tax Act 1961 To unsubscribe send
[AI] What a letdown, my dear countrymen !!
Govt's much-awaited $10 laptop turns out be a joke 5 Feb 2009, 0054 hrs IST, Neelima Rao, TNN TIRUPATI: The hype surrounding the $10 laptop ``prototype'' with two GB RAM turned out to be a joke when the department of Human Resources Development announced - during its inauguration in the temple town of Tirupati - that it wasn't a laptop at all but a computing device. While the world eagerly waited for the launch of the $10 laptop - designed by students of Vellore Institute of Technology, scientists in Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, IIT-Madras, UGC and MHRD - it wasn't a patch on the $100 laptop made by MIT. The MHRD officials said the price was working out to be $20 but with mass production it was bound to come down to $10 (Rs 500) and thus become affordable for every student in India. But netizens were disappointed when the ``laptop'' turned out to be nothing more than a computing device along with a hard disk with e-books, e-journals and relevant educative material through the state-art-of-the-art ``Sakshat'' portal. As the device appeared smaller than the normal laptop with 10-inch length and five-inch width, buzz got around that it was a ``Nano-top'' and not a laptop. But MHRD official brought the curtains down on all the hungama, saying it was just a computing device with 2GB memory. Joint Secretary, MHRD, N K Sinha said that the device still needs to be fine tuned. But he had no answer to the million dollar question: where was the $10 laptop? The talk of the ``invention'' had raised expectations of bridging the technological divide between rural and urban India. Talking to TOI, a Professor from Sri Venkateswara University said (on the condition of anonymity), ``How can just a computing device bridge the digital divide and make access to computer literacy affordable to the masses? Where will poor students get computers to jack this gizmo with? Will MHRD provide computers and internet connectivity in rural and remote areas? There is no clarity among the officials themselves,'' he said. A research scholar from Mahila University said, ``How many students in Tirupati have access to computers? Then, MHRD hasn't given details of the size of the screen, storage, processor, etc. MHRD should first think about the feasibility of such projects before they are launched. The entire world was watching. This act of MHRD has shamed the nation,'' she said. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-4078115,prtpage-1.cm s To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Sreedhareeyam Retinitis Pigmentosa
Folks, More feedback on Sreedhareeyam and their cure for RP - this time from a medical doctor who has taken treatment at this institution herself for macular degeneration. She is a member of AI, but, unable to send messages to the group. Can dear Moderator take a look into this prob too ? Rgds RS From: Jalaja [mailto:jalajakumar...@gmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2009 11:30 AM To: Sudhir R (NeSTIT) Subject: Re: Letter from Obama to his Daughters I am writing this for A I please forward this sub a ray of hope for R P patients I am a M B B S doctor now working in Kerala state ,suffering from macular degeneration since 11 yrs. As many of you are knowing that as far as human nervous system is concerned once it get damaged cannot be returned, the retinal cells come in this grp. Majority of retinal diseases are gradually progressive in nature one exception is retinal detachment and in this condition in early stage if the retina is freezed the sight will remain. The progress of degenarative conditions vary from individual to individual. I know some cases in which even upto the age of 65 the vision is not affected and detected only in routine checkups About sreedhareeyam to say honestly I'd taken treatment 5 times but I cannot find any improvement now a days even without trt. my vision is remaining stationary Of course taking treatment will boost the confidence in some persons and the positive outcome mentioned by them are merely due to this, in other words many hesitate to say the the actual picture after treatment I am not aganst treatment and in my personal opinion this place is good for a holiday trip if you have enough money without any expense . One plus point is also there we can establish good friendships from there in the course of treatment All these are only my personal views if anybody is against please forgive me with regards Dr. Jalaja kumari M B B S Assisstant surgeon Kerala state health services mobile; 9 4 9 6 2 4 9 1 9 1 To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Sreedhareeyam Retinitis Pigmentosa.
Hi folks ! Been following the thread on Sreedhareeyam and thought I should share my experiences and observations, being a RP patient myself and one who has been associated with this institution since its inception. a) Sreedhareeyam has good treatments for eye disorders like hyper-myopia, astigmatism, etc. I have seen radical improvements in patients who are able to reduce the power of their eye glasses after a few bouts of in-patient treatments. But, here I should also mention that the eye exercises prescribed by the Arvind Institute for Perfect Sight, Thiruvananthapuram are equally good in bringing down refractive disorders. They hold camps for 2 weeks where they teach simple eye exercises designed to strengthen eye muscles and thus correct the curvature of the eye lens. Exercises include palming, following a ball as it bounces from one hand to the ground and catching it with the other hand, staring at the sun with eyes closed, staring at darkness and a lighted candle alternately etc. This hardly costs anything and can be continued in the privacy of one's home after the initial non-residential training. b) Retinitis Pigmentosa is a family of diseases with varying manifestations in different patients. I have seen patients for whom only the lateral vision is getting affected and they have no problem reading or recognizing people since their central vision acuity is maintained, though the field of vision narrows down progressively. But, for a lot of people including me, RP is also accompanied by macular degeneration and optic atrophy and here there is very little that one can do. c) ) Sreedhareeyam's cure for RP is a bit hyped, if one is polite about it. Usually, RP is also associated with high refraction problems like myopia, astigmatism etc and these are addressed to a large extent, especially in younger patients, but, this is not due to improvements in retinual attenuation or pigmentation, the root causes of RP. What usually happens is that one is influenced by the positive vibes existing in their campus between the patients that makes one feel good. Usually, patients who reach Sreedhareeyam are facing vision loss and are undergoing the associated trauma of depression, self-hatred, rejection from mainstream society or self-withdrawal. In Sreedhareeyam, we come across people of our own kind and it consoles us tremendously. Then, there are the unconfirmed stories of how some guy or gal has been cured by the treatment which instills hopes in us. Sadly, as a lot of ex-patients have vouched for in AI, these hopes turn into disillusionments quite fast. d) My friend, Dr Reshmi Pramod, an Ayurvedic doctor herself and now visually challenged, tells me that Susrutha (Acharya of Ayurveda) himself says diseases of the Retina cannot be cured. I request Reshmi to comment further on this, especially since she herself was a patient of Sreedhareeyam for multiple bouts. e)The treatments at Sreedhareeyam has become very costly over the years. In 1999, when they started off, it was a very small, intimate affair where there was excellent interaction between the limited patients, therapists and the doctors and their family members. Progressively, as it grew from the small Illam (traditional Kerala House) to the complex of modern buildings and cottages, it has lost its intimate character and is today a commercial entity, mainly into medical tourism, targeting rich NRIs and foreigners. f) In conclusion, if one has the luxury of time and money, one can keep on experimenting with Sreedhareeyam and similar institutions in Kerala (who also claim cures for RP). I feel bad for middle class / low income group parents of blind / low vision kids who trek religiously to this place every 3/6/12 months and spend time and money trying to cure blindness or reverse deterioration. Wherever possible, our self-help group in Kerala reaches out to such patients and reach them the redeeming message of assistive technologies and urge them to continue their studies / professions using computers. Prasanna Kumar, Reshmi, Renuka and countless others from Kerala have been able to use computers instead of running after miracle cures and are productively engaged today. I myself often rue the 10 years I wasted in pursuing treatments of all genres (homeo, naturopathy, suddha, unani, ayurveda at Sreedhareeyam and at other places) and wish I had learnt Java and Oracle instead with all that time, money and residual vision. (smile) At least, that would have contributed better to my new career (started after losing sight and then having to quit a public sector company through a voluntary retirement) as a marketing manager in a software company ! g) I Do not wish to discourage anybody from trying Sreedhareeyam, but, please note that all that glitters is not gold. (smile) Thanks and rgds RS Kochi sudhi...@nestgroup.net 098 472 76 126 h)
Re: [AI] pdf image files
Hi Rajesh ! I too deal with lots of scanned docs, usually image PDFs. Usually, I first convert them to .tiff files using MS Paint or MS Picture Manager and then apply MS Document Imaging to convert them to text. If the images are clear, the text doc is usually error-free. Rgds RS -Original Message- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Asudani, Rajesh Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2009 2:40 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: [AI] pdf image files Sorry for bringing up the topic once again, but there seems to be no efficient way of reading pdf image files apart from finereader 8 or later which have to be purchased. Does microsoft document imaging read them? I was not successful to do so. If there is any other way, please apprise me of the same, or else I will have to take printouts of the said documents and scann them all over again. However, you will agree this is not an efficient way of dealing with such nuissance like pdf image files, as if pdf itself were a lesser hurdle, now everything is coming in pdf image!!! Any efficient way, please. Rajesh Notice: This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, any dissemination, use, review, distribution, printing or copying of the information contained in this e-mail message and/or attachments to it are strictly prohibited. If you have received this email by error, please notify us by return e-mail or telephone and immediately and permanently delete the message and any attachments. The recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The Bank accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email. To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i n To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] IBM plans to make WWW talk...
rediff.com January 07, 2009 03:22 IST 'You will talk to the Web... and the Web will talk back,' predicts IBM in its latest list of innovations that have the potential to change the way people work, live and play over the next five years. The IT giant, however, wants this web to work on cellphones rather than a personal computer (PC), since mobile devices dramatically outnumber PCs -- over 335 million cellphones versus below 30 million PCs in India alone. Moreover, IBM's Institute for Business Value predicts the number of mobile web users worldwide will reach one billion by 2011. The concept is gathering steam with a project named Spoken Web that is being led by IBM's India Research Laboratory (IRL) team, and also being incubated in IBM's eight global labs in six countries. In fact, the corporation recently completed a pilot in Andhra Pradesh to implement the concept. The project was very successful. It started out with around 100 villagers but many hundreds joined later after seeing the response, Guruduth Banavar, director, IBM India Research Laboratory (IRL), told Business Standard. The reason for this enthusiasm, he said, is simple. Most people do not have a PC. Even smartphones are far and few. Besides, most people, especially the semi-literate kind, are not comfortable using a visual interface. But what most of the Indian population can do is talk. So the spoken web project makes immense sense. he added. The spoken web works like the World Wide Web. Just as the web is a collection of websites, the spoken web is a network of voice sites or interconnected voice applications. These voice sites are accessed through a telephone over an audio channel. Callers can create their own voice sites or access those of others. The calls are routed through a telecom operator. A semi-literate plumber, for instance, can create his voice site by calling a dedicated phone number. The IBM solution guides the plumber (in his local language) through a voice-driven interface, prompting for inputs whenever necessary. The plumber provides basic information about himself, such as his service description, working hours, etc. He does not understand how the system enables this, but selects the option through a voice-prompted yes. He then gets a message stating his phone has been enabled with a voice site. Local citizens in the area who encounter a plumbing problem simply use the telephone directory or an online yellow pages service to locate plumbers in the vicinity. If the plumber is busy, the call gets routed to the voice site, which presents a voice prompt, stating that the plumber is busy currently and provides the caller with an option of scheduling an appointment. A fisherman, on the other hand, can create his own voice site that has information and pricing of fish available with him. He can further link his voice site to a payment gateway voicesite to enable transactions. Villagers can call his voice site and order fish and make payments, while the fisherman is busy fishing in nearby waters. To manage these transfers, IBM has developed a new protocol, Hyperspeech Transfer Protocol (HSTP), which is similar to the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) that the web uses to help people move from one website to another. IBM's IRL team is also working on a simple audio browser to make surfing voice sites possible, and creating a true internet. The browser can also be implemented on the device itself, but that would require speech recognition support on the device. The possibilities are endless, notes Banavar. Fishermen need weather information before heading out to sea; farmers need to look up commodity prices; plumbers can schedule appointments, set up transfers to partners, use advertisements; and grocery shops can display catalogues, offer order placement and display personalised targeted advertisements or reminders. Such locally-relevant information is not available for a majority of the world's population. Computer access, he adds, is not enough because there is a need to know what to look for, how to access it and how to use it. Powered by To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Inspiring... times of india article
LIVING LIFE TO THE FULL TIMES NEWS NETWORK Hyderabad: She might have missed the sight of Aamir Khan's eight-pack abs in 'Ghajini' but still enjoyed every bit of the movie. Her recent trip to a village might be sans any colour or shape but she can recount every minute of the journey. She loves the rain and enjoys the sound of music. Life could not be better for her than this. After living with visual impairment for almost 17 years now, Payal Kapoor has perhaps learnt how to live life, despite all odds. A successful professional as a Relationship Manager with the Residency Hotel, Payal juggles domestic chores (cooking and cleaning) and ~professional commitments with ease. Her visual impairment is a non issue'' as she deftly makes client calls, introduces the hotel to them and encourages them to patronise it. On World Braille Day, Payal shares the story of how she lost her sight at the prime of her youth at 22. But she narrates it hearteningly in the same vein in which she discusses the long drives she takes with her husband to the city outskirts or reads a book on the computer. That Payal was not born blind but lost her sight at a much later age makes her dogged determination to strike back more significant. Payal lost not only her complete vision but also her sense of taste, smell and touch at 22. She still cannot hear from the left ear, a result of the cerebral attack that she suffered then and an infection that damaged her optic nerve. A student of hotel management and then a front desk employee at Krishna Oberoi (Taj Krishna now), Payal says she stayed in denial for six years (after being declared visually impaired). After visiting every church, temple, dargah and baba in the country, I realised that there was no cure to what had happened and I had to live with it. Enough is enough I said and decided to move on,'' says the 39-yearold without any lump in her voice. A rehabilitation programme along with words of encouragement from family and friends brought some hope and she soon became a counsellor and rehabilitator herself in no time. She says she had realised the power of technology and how it could bring back normalcy into any blind person's life. She even started visiting government hostels and schools for the blind to teach them spoken English and other day-to-day skills. I thought it was my moral responsibility,'' says Payal who is also the chief functionary of Maitree, a group that works for the uplift of the visually challenged. Advanced technology, love and support of dear ones has helped Payal deal with her disability. NO LOOKING BACK: Payal Kapoor who lost her sight 17 years ago Times of India 4th Jan 2008 To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Can we use a scribe to write the MAT ?
Hi folks ! A young friend planning to take the MAT conducted by the All India Management Association reports that she is finding it difficult to get a suitable response from the authorities for her requests to be sanctioned a scribe. Initially, the form that one needs to fill up while registering for the test had no provision to include this request. So, she sent many mails to the contact email id given on the Prospectus making her request, but, has not received any response so far. Unfortunately, the prospectus does not contain any telephone numbers where she could get help. She is growing tense as the exam is scheduled for this Sunday, Dec 7, 2008. Would appreciate if anyone, particularly those who have already written MAT, could guide us on what to do. Pl share your experiences, any contact ids or telephone numbers of administrators etc which would help us resolve this issue in the next two days. An early reply would be highly appreciated. Thanks and rgds RS 098 472 76 126 To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Microsoft introduces Windows 7, dumps Vista....
JOHN MARKOFF Published: October 28, 2008 LOS ANGELES - Microsoft introduced what it said would be a slimmer and more responsive version of its Windows operating system on Tuesday, while unceremoniously dropping the brand name Vista for the new product. Related Microsoft Plans 'Cloud' Operating System (October 28, 2008) Times Topics: Microsoft Corporation The new version will instead be branded Windows 7, because it is the seventh of a long line of operating systems for PCs developed by the company since the 1980s. The company did not say when it would sell Windows 7 to the public. The company also said that it was planning to introduce a Web-based version of its Office programs, which is aimed at heading off a new wave of competitors like Google Docs and Zoho, which have deployed word processors, spreadsheets and presentation programs that run on a Web browser. The company was vague, however, about how it would price the programs and acknowledged that it would face skeptical Wall Street analysts who think the strategy would cannibalize the company's profitable Office franchise. After almost two years, Windows Vista is still getting a lackluster reception from consumers and facing a relentless marketing barrage from Apple. The problem was highlighted last week when Microsoft reported its financial results for the most recent quarter. Its Windows unit reported just a 2 percent rise in revenue against a 4 percent decline in operating income. The computer industry viewed the setback as a shift of historic proportions. The company acknowledged last week that the mix of Windows sales in both mature and emerging markets had tipped more toward low-cost PCs, which come with lower-margin versions of Windows and often not Vista. Sales of Office software rose 23 percent, bringing in more revenue than the operating system. On Tuesday morning, the company demonstrated Windows 7 before a group of more than 6,000 programmers attending the company's Professional Developers' Conference being held here through Thursday. We've done a lot of work around how you manage the windows, how you launch programs and how you manage the windows of the programs that you've launched, said Steven Sinofsky, the Microsoft technologist who has led the development of the new version of Windows. It's all about personalization and putting you in control of the PC, and that's a big initiative that we've had. Mr. Sinofsky took the stage and issued an apology of sorts for the problems and frustrations associated with Windows Vista. He said the company had listened to and was responding to the feedback. We got feedback from reviews, from the press, a few bloggers here and there, oh, and some commercials, he said, with a nod to a lengthy Apple advertising campaign that has mercilessly poked fun at Microsoft's woes. He also said that he had not taken particular offense at Apple's ad campaign teasing the giant software developer. However, the laptop did have an I'm a PC sticker on its cover, a reference to a recent series of ads Microsoft ran that were widely viewed as a somewhat belated response to Apple. As an engineering team we have to do what engineers do, when you build a product, when you build a service, you step back and say what have we learned from this, what can we do better, what went well, how do we build on our experience, he added. He then demonstrated a pre-beta version of Windows, acknowledging that some features were still missing. The presentation focused generally on the more polished control features of Windows 7 including how on-screen notifications are handled, an issue that was an irritant for early Vista users who complained about the nannylike behavior of the software. Other new features in this very early version included an enhanced and more flexible task-bar, more powerful search features, and an easier-to-use home network and file sharing. There was also a hint that Microsoft plans to revise Windows 7 to take advantage of the coming wave of multicore microprocessors from Intel and Advanced Micro Devices. Mr. Sinofsky said the company would give more details on the ability of the new program to handle up to 256 processors. Mr. Sinofsky, who previously led the development of the company's Office application, showed Windows 7 running on a low-priced Lenovo notebook computer equipped with just one gigabyte of memory and a relatively low-power Intel Atom microprocessor. This suggests that the new version of the program will require far fewer resources than its predecessor, although Mr. Sinofsky declined to make specific performance promises. Microsoft also said that it planned to offer versions of a number of its Office applications via a Web browser instead of as an application on a PC, via the Microsoft Office Live Web service, and to businesses through a hosted subscription. More Articles in Technology » A version of this article appeared in print on October 29, 2008, on
[AI] Training centres in Nepal ?
Hi folks ! Good morning and greetings on the World Whitecane Day ! Any idea whether computer training centers are available in Nepal for the visually challenged ? If yes, can someone please on the contact info to me ? Thanks and rgds RS M: + 98 472 76 126 To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Navigating non-uniform tables.
Hi folks ! Sorry to be asking elementary questions bright and early this morning, but, just how does one navigate through non-uniform tables smoothly ? I am still using Jaws 7 and have to deal with lots of non-uniform tables in Word documents and the navigation using control, alt and cursor keys often is erratic and the screen reader often does not read contents. I take sighted help on such frustrating occasions, but, guess there must be smart ways of handling non-uniform tables that I have not come across. Guidance, please... Thanks and rgds RS + 98 472 76 126 To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Securing wireless connections...
Rediff.com October 10, 2008 The whole aspect of security of wireless networks has become very important ever since terror e-mails were sent to media by alleged terrorists. Terrorists used unsecured wireless networks to hack into an individual's Wi-Fi network and sent e-mails just before bombs went off in Ahmedabad [ Images] and New Delhi [ Images] . It is in this environment protecting your unsecured Wi-Fi network becomes very important lest somebody misuses the same. Here are 10 simple ways in which you can secure your wireless network. 1. Change default administrator usernames and passwords Most routers or access points come enabled with a default set of username / password combinations. These combinations are well documented and available online for hackers to use. If a hacker can access your device's administrative pages they can modify the configuration and control all aspects of your device. These username / password combinations can be changed from the administrative panel and should be set to something difficult to guess. Keep a password which is difficult to guess and not easy to crack. A good password is 8 characters long, not easily guessable, contains mixture of uppercase and lowercase letters as well as numbers and preferably contains special characters like $,*,%,!. 2. Turn on encryption All wireless devices support some form of encryption. Encryption technology scrambles messages sent over the air and ensures that they cannot be intercepted by hackers. Several encryption technologies exist for wireless communication today. WPA is the strongest commonly available encryption technology for home devices. While WEP can also be used cracking WEP is just a matter of few minutes. We would advice corporates to go for WPA with EAP Authentication, TKIP / RC4 Encryption or WPA 2 with EAP Authentication, AES-CCMP encryption for better security 3. Change the default SSID Access points and routers all use a network name called the SSID. Manufacturers normally ship their products with the same SSID set for all routers. For example, the SSID for Netgear devices is normally 'NETGEAR'. The default SSID can be changed from the administrative panel and should be set to something unique. 4. Enable MAC Address filtering Each wireless device possesses a unique identifier called the physical address or MAC address. Access points and routers keep track of the MAC addresses for all devices that connect to them. Wireless routers offer the option to key in the MAC addresses of your home equipment so as to restrict the network to only allow connections from those devices. It ensures that rogue users cannot connect to the wireless router without using advanced MAC spoofing techniques. 5. Disable SSID Broadcast The wireless access point or router typically broadcasts the network name (SSID) over the air at regular intervals. This feature was designed for businesses and mobile hotspots where wireless clients may roam in and out of range. For the home user, this roaming feature is unnecessary, and it increases the likelihood someone will try to log in to your home network. Fortunately, most wireless access points allow the SSID Broadcast feature to be disabled by the network administrator. Your SSID name can be manually entered into your devices to prevent the need for SSID Broadcasts to be enabled. 6. Do not auto-connect to open wireless networks Connecting to an open wireless network such as a free wireless hotspot or your neighbour's router exposes your computer to security risks and attacks. Although not normally enabled, most computers have a setting available allowing these connections to happen automatically without notifying the user. This setting should not be enabled except in temporary situations. 7. Assign static IP addresses to devices Most home wireless devices use dynamic IP addresses. DHCP technology is indeed easy to set up. Unfortunately, this convenience also works to the advantage of network attackers, who can easily obtain valid IP addresses from your network's DHCP pool. Turn off DHCP on the router or access point, set a fixed IP address range instead and then configure each connected device to match. Using a private IP address range (like 10.0.0.x) prevents computers from being reached directly from the Internet. 8. Enable firewalls on each computer and router Modern network routers contain built-in firewall capability, but the option also exists to disable them. Ensure that your router's firewall is turned on. For extra protection, consider installing and running personal firewall software on each computer connected to the router. 9. Position the router or access point safely Wireless signals normally reach to the exterior of a home. A small amount of signal leakage outdoors is not a problem, but the further this signal reaches, the easier it is for others to detect and exploit. Wireless signals often reach
[AI] Excellent slideshow on computer and info security.
http://specials.rediff.com/money/2008/sep/01slide1.htm Join Access India convention: For updates on it visit: http://accessindia.org.in/harish/convention.htm Registration is now open! To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Braille printing for visiting cards ?
Hi folks ! Where can one get visiting cards printed in braille ? Kindly let me have contact info of such service providers, the closer to Kerala the better. Thanks and rgds RS +98 472 76 126 Join Access India convention: For updates on it visit: http://accessindia.org.in/harish/convention.htm Registration is now open! To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Low Cost Netbooks now available...
Hi folks ! Pasting below an interesting article by Kiruba Shankar in rediff.com. The question is, how accessible are these new contraptions - especially from the keyboard ergonomics point of view ? Rgds RS -- July 17, 2008 09:33 IST Quite a few years ago, I met this CEO who had this unbelievably small laptop. After ogling at it for a while, I enquired its price. With a tinge of pride, he said its an Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC) and he paid 1.5 lakhs for it. I gulped and looked at it with even more awe. Ever since, I had a mental note that the smaller the laptop gets, the more expensive it becomes. That myth got shattered to smithereens when I recently got to look at the ASUS EeePC, a tiny laptop that would smugly sit on your outstretched palm. It weighed less than 1 kg. What really hit me hard was its price. A mere Rs.15,500. It completely changed my perception of small laptops. The guy at the counter pulled out six pieces with different colors, light green, baby pink, red, navy blue, pearl white and black. My immediate reaction was to pick a green one for my wife and a pink one for my 6-year-old daughter. The minute I realised this impulse buying thought, I knew these small laptops, called 'Netbooks' are going to revolutionize the laptop industry. Netbooks are simple, inexpensive, compact mobile devices that can be used for surfing the Internet, emailing, working on basic office applications, listening to music and even making Skype video phone calls. In my opinion, these Netbooks are perfect for traveling businesses folks. Let's face it, we businessmen use our expensive, bulky laptops as a giant word processing surfing machines. Besises they give us shoulder aches from lugging them around. Really, most of our laptops are over-powered for our use. It's like using a fire-engine to extinguish cigarettes. These Netbooks' relative high functionality at low cost is good value for money, especially for small businessmen. What's more, they are as good looking as those expensive Rs 1 lakh UMPCs. In other words, they'd still impress folks on the other side of the boardroom table. It's no wonder that these Netbooks are selling like hot cakes. At the recently concluded Computex exhibition in Taiwan, the Netbooks were all the rage and they hogged the biggest headlines. Many major computer manufacturers like ASUS, Acer, HP, Dell have come up with their own range of low-cost Netbooks that pack a punch. They feature shock proof Solid State Drives, Super Hybrid Engine Technology, WiFi, Integrated Webcam and the likes. Now, why should you bother? Take storage for example. These netbooks use SSDs which are not only sturdier than traditional hard drives but produces less heat, much quieter and sucks less power which means more battery life. These new breed of Netbooks will definitely cannibalize the traditional laptop market. This is already rattling the industry and everyone is falling over themselves in reducing prices to stay alive in this cut-throat market. The cost of the Netbooks currently range from Rs.15,000 to Rs.23,000 and will come down further. One of the main reasons for such low prices is because of low cost chips from Intel, Via, AMD and Nvidia. The growth of these Netbooks are staggering and in a price conscious market like India, the sales will be massive. The recommended Netbooks are the ASUS EeePC 900, Acer Aspire One and the MSI Wind. The author is CEO of Business Blogging and Founder Director of F5ive Technologies. Powered by Join Access India convention: For updates on it visit: http://accessindia.org.in/harish/convention.htm Registration is now open! To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] On-line English skill tests.
Free TOEFL sample test online July 10, 2008 There's good news for students preparing to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). ETS, the creator of TOEFL, has launched a free service whereby test takers can now download sample questions taken from the actual test from the website http://www.ets.org/toefl at no extra cost. The facility also allows test takers to answer the questions and check their answers online. The TOEFL iBT is the international test that measures students' grasp of the English language and qualifies them for admissons to foriegn universities (over 6,000 universities in 110 countries use TOEFL scores as a basis for admission). The new facility will enable students to download sample questions from all four English language skill areas -- listening, reading, speaking and writing. The information is located under the Test Preparation and Test Content tabs of the website ( www.ets.org/toefl), and is in addition to the free TOEFL iBT Sampler that is available when a test taker registers for the test. Speaking about the development, Philip Tabbiner, Senior Vice President of ETS Global, said, The test measures an integrated set of English skills and the free practice site offers real-life examples of conversations, lectures, reading passages, speaking and writing questions and spoken and written responses. Join Access India convention: For updates on it visit: http://accessindia.org.in/harish/convention.htm Registration is now open! To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Running Jaws on a LAN.
Hi techies ! Is it possible to run Jaws from a server in a LAN / Intranet environment with multiple users using it simultaneously for working on different applications ? Suppose 5 users log on to the server separately, will the server need five different sound cards to run Jaws ? I am envisaging a situation where the users access Jaws on the server, but, run the applications (say Word, Internet Explorer etc) on their local machines. Alternatively, can we connect five different sets of monitors and keyboards to a single powerful machine on which multiple licences of Jaws and applications are hosted and accessed by multiple users simultaneously ? In this scenario, one powerful server class machine with a large enough hard disk, RAM, sound card channels etc will be time-shared by the five users using their dumb terminals. Sorry if these questions look dumb, but, someone is just trying to cut spending on hardware and software while trying to set up a low-cost computer training centre. (smile) Pl share your experiences on other ways to cut costs too. Thanks and rgds RS M: 98 472 76 126 Join Access India convention: For updates on it visit: http://accessindia.org.in/harish/convention.htm Registration is now open! To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
Re: [AI] intro
Welcome back to the list, Shashi. Did you, deliberately or otherwise, forget to mention you are a gold medallist in your academic career ? (smile) RS -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of shashikala h Sent: Wednesday, July 02, 2008 12:50 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: [AI] intro Dear list, This is Shashikala from Bangalore and am glad to be enrolled as a member of Access India. I am a post graduate in History from Bangalore University, and a former student of Mitra Jyothi and Enable India. I work as a HR executive for a Software company in Bangalore, and am happy to be a part of this list which shares knowledge on technology and a variety of subjects concerning the visually challenged. Looking forward to a great learning experience with the list... Regards, Shashi. To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Beware, your emails can be held against you...
Tara Weiss, Forbes / rediff.com June 28, 2008 Two Bear Stearns executives learned a hard lesson this week: If you're going to say something inappropriate, don't write it in an e-mail. An online exchange between fund managers Matthew Tannin and Ralph Cioffi questioned the performance of certain funds in which they were investing clients' money. But their public comments told a different story, and now those e-mails are the smoking gun in the civil and criminal cases against them. If convicted of conspiracy and securities fraud, the two could face jail time and heavy fines. Video: Who's reading your e-mail? Slideshow: How to keep data safe on the web Will employees ever learn that anything they write in an e-mail can and will be used against them? This stuff is obtainable, and it's difficult to deny once it's printed out, says Josh Bowers, a labor lawyer in Washington, D.C. Of course, we're not encouraging you to behave illegally offline, either. But the risk of getting caught online is high. Employees send hundreds of e-mails daily from their work computer, and experts say they too often broach subjects that should be avoided. The most common? Sex. Many employees write e-mails or forward jokes with sexual overtones. On the one hand, forwarded jokes are usually meant to be harmless. The danger comes, however, if a complaint against the sender is filed that may have nothing to do with the inappropriate e-mails. For example, a manager who is unhappy with her employee's ability to meet deadlines might ask IT to monitor his e-mail transactions. It's only then that the sexual e-mails come to light, which provide reason enough to fire an employee or even prompt legal action. In depth: The dangers of being too social Slideshow: Most annoying office habits Those e-mails can be used to show a pattern of harassment, says Matthew Blit, a labor lawyer with Levine Blit in New York City. Discrimination is another dangerous topic. Blit recalls a case in which a female employee filed a lawsuit against her employer, claiming it didn't protect her from sexual and racial discrimination. As part of the discovery process, the employer examined her outbox, and what they found seriously hurt her case. She forwarded dozens of jokes containing sexual and racial content to her brother and mother from her work computer. The attorney said, 'You're complaining you were discriminated against, but here you are sending them out yourself. Isn't that correct?' Blit says. Slideshows: Tips for workplace etiquette The dark side of the Internet It's an important message: Nothing written from your work computer--even if it was sent from a personal e-mail address--is private. Most employee handbooks include an electronic communications policy stating that any correspondence sent from an employer-owned computer belongs to the company. Before starting a job, most companies require new employees to sign the handbook and return it to human resources to prove that they've read and agree with it. And technology allows employers (and prosecutors) to retain messages sent years ago. Some employers periodically scan employees' e-mail for certain key words, like profanities, or other vocabulary that could denote violence or harassment. Labour lawyer Patrick Boyd encourages all employees to implement what he dubs the grandmother test. If a topic is too embarrassing to share with your grandmother, don't send it. It's a tough guideline to follow, since our work and personal lives are so intertwined. We receive e-mails from family members while at the office and respond offhandedly between assignments. A lax attitude toward e-mail seeps into our interoffice communication, too. That's dangerous, Boyd says. When you communicate something, even though you did it after giving the topic 30 seconds of thought, it can be used in a court of law years later. E-mail is perceived as casual, and it should not be. Even a confidential exchange between an attorney and a client isn't protected if an e-mail is sent from a client's work computer to her lawyer. The Bear Stearns executives are just the latest in a long line of employees who've drawn negative attention--and legal trouble--for inappropriate e-mails. Take Frank Quattrone, the investment banker from Credit Suisse First Boston who sent an e-mail to his staff with the subject line: Time to clean up those files. The note referred to the firm's practice of discarding certain files and memos. Quattrone's conviction was later overturned. In 2002, Merrill Lynch paid $100 million to settle a lawsuit because its analysts were making certain statements about stocks in public but whispering others behind closed doors. The private comments didn't stay that way after analyst Henry Blodget's e-mails were uncovered. He had given stocks buy ratings, but his correspondence showed he actually thought they were a piece of junk. More recently, the head of mortgage lender
[AI] Any computer training facilities at Vijayawada ?
Hi friends ! A visually challenged person from Vijayawada is searching for the nearest training centre to learn computer skills. Though he is 29 and doing a graduation program through distance education, his official academic qualifications are still 10th pass. Obliged if someone can let me know if such centres are available at Vijayawada or neighbouring towns. Thanks and rgds RS M: 98 472 76 126 To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Beware of on-line fraud...
rediff.com May 08, 2008 Have you ever been a victim of online frauds? How did it happen to you? Did you lose any money? Did you inform your bank? What steps did your bank take to help you? Did the incident make you wiser? What steps do you take now to protect your online identity and confidential details like banking passwords? This is what we asked Get Ahead readers. And here's an interesting experience that reader Ramesh Vishwanathan, 35, a software engineer from India had in Australia. My horrible experience with internet banking fraud relates to a foreign bank. I am a software engineer working for a leading IT company in India. I was sent to Australia for a year. Like many Indian software engineers, I had a dream of saving Rs 10-12 lakh a year, return to India, and buy a house. As per the company rules I had to open a salary account in ANZ Bank, Australia. After 6 months, I managed to save 10,000 Australian dollars and decided to buy a laptop. This is where my troubles began. I visited the Dell Australia site (from my official computer), where I customised my laptop and went to the payment page. I had to choose from various payment options, which were credit card, online fund transfer, cheque etc. Since I didn't have an Australian credit card and wasn't sure about how long the cheque might take to be processed, I decided to use the online fund transfer facility. I had to enter my name and address and other details. As soon as I clicked enter, I was supposed to be navigated to a page where I would receive the Dell Australia's bank account details. Instead, I was surprised to see a credit card authorisation page, where my address was already present in the credit card number field. This is where I committed the biggest mistake. I clicked the 'back' button. I went back to the online fund transfer page, entered my details once again and pressed enter. Then I received Dell Australia's bank account details. I opened my bank website (on the same window, another mistake), logged in and completed my fund transfer. Dell Australia received my payment, I received my laptop within 10 days and I thought all was well. List of 1 items * Dear bank customers... Beware of such e-mails list end After a week, I received a call from a lady in Bangalore, on behalf of ANZ, asking me whether I have made any donation to a guy in the Netherlands. I was shocked. The lady said that she was at ANZ's clearing centre and asked me to immediately open my bank account page. I found that there were 3 international fund transfers of 5,000, 2,000 and 1,000 Australian dollars made to an account in the Netherlands. She told me that since the account holder was an Indian name and the balance was only 10,000 Australian dollars, she felt that the person was probably an Indian software guy who would not really make such a 'donation'. I thanked her for her presence of mind and asked her to immediately cancel the transactions. She told me that she could stop two of them, but one transaction of 2,000 Australian dollars had already gone through and she would not be able to stop it. She advised me to contact the local ANZ branch and take further action. I had to rush to the branch, lodge a complaint, then file a case with the local police station and undergo enough mental torture. After three months of tension, ANZ Bank finally returned the stolen money to my account. Had the clearing agent in Bangalore not stopped two of those transactions, I would have been left without any money in my account. List of 1 items * Don't be a victim of online frauds list end What had really happened was that the person stealing the account details was tracking the Dell site and capturing the internet banking login details. Unfortunately, unlike many Indian bank [ Get Quote] sites, there was no provision of verifying online payee details. I have not used ANZ banking site for a long time now. I don't know if they have improved the security of the site. I have learnt my lesson and decided that I would: ~ Use online fund transfer facility only if the site offers payee verification facility. Otherwise, request the bank to disable the facility ~ Use internet banking only on personal laptop at home ~ Close ALL other windows and chat sessions while opening internet banking and always open a fresh browser window to login to the bank site ~ NEVER use the back button when a payment is involved ~ Have a latest version of anti virus and spyware software, even if it means purchasing a licensed version for Rs 2,000 a year. Avoid buying pirated version of anti-virus software for Rs 300 from local vendors, as they will not have online version updation facility I hope sharing my experience will be useful to everyone using internet banking facility. Disclaimer: This is a reader-driven feature. The views expressed by the
[AI] Tips for safe online shopping...
rediff.com Shekar Kirani April 29, 2008 Shopping online has many benefits, such as speed and convenience, to name just two. If you follow these five tips, however, you can add a third: safety. Safety is critical, considering there was an estimated $2 billion of online commercial loss in 2006 due to safety concerns. ~ Look for visual cues Prominent misspellings and frequent grammatical errors are signs that a website could be fraudulent. You can also look for simple visual cues that show that the site is authenticated and protected. Such cues include a trust mark such as the VeriSign Secured? Seal, or a green address bar in high-security browsers such as Internet Explorer 7 and soon, Firefox 3 and Opera. Colour-coded address bars are a feature of Extended Validation Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates, which provide added information about a website's authenticity. Other visual cues include a padlock icon in either the lower or upper right-hand corner of the screen and https:// in the browser; both of these indicate the site is secured. ~ Check out two-factor authentication A growing number of sites are accepting a second form of user authentication that comes from physical devices such as a token, credit-card form factor, a USB drive, or even your cell phone. According to Fran Rosch, vice president of VeriSign Identity Protection (VIP) Services, Each device provides users with a dynamic one-time password that must be entered into a login page in addition to their user name and password. The extra layer of security prevents potential fraudsters from accessing personal accounts that are accessed by a simple user name and password. ~ Compare the checkout experience to those of well-known sites and look for anomalies Most well-run websites such as Amazon or eBay send order confirmation and shipping confirmation emails and allow you to print out confirmations of your orders. Beware of simple forms that offer no confirmation that you entered or ordered anything. ~ Know your vendor Read their ratings and reviews from other customers and take red flags seriously. Also make sure you have some way of contacting them -- look for a phone number or mailing address. Finally, try to find out where the company is based in their About us section. ~ Pay attention to the order form The site should not ask for more than your name, shipping address, billing address, credit card type and number, or expiration date. Online stores have no business asking for social security numbers or bank routing numbers. Finally, demand that the sites you do business with provide you with proper security measures to protect their most valuable asset -- you, the customer. Online fraud is a growing problem. Fortunately, you can look for cues provided by trust marks or Extended Validation SSL, for example, which shows that the site you are visiting is authentic. The author is Vice President, VeriSign, India. To learn more, visit www.VeriSign.co.uk. To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Paging for Access Indians from Pudussery...
Hi ! A visually challenged friend from Pudussery (Pondy) is looking for help in getting started on computers and Jaws. She is working full-time and also faces mobility issues and hence not really in a position to attend formal computer courses in NGOs based in Chennai, Bangalore etc. Access India members from Pondy who are willing to help out, please contact me off the list. Alternatively, if there are rehab institutions offering courses in computers and Jaws in Pondy itself, please let me have their contact info. Thanks and rgds RS M: 098 472 76 126 [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] New wellness portal launched on Yugadi...
Hi folks ! Mighty glad to inform all of you that Dr Reshmi Pramod has hosted her website, www.jeevaniyam.com, today to coincide with the auspicious occasion of Yugadi. Dr Reshmi, who restarted her practice of Ayurveda at Kochi about 18 months ago after losing her eye-sight four years back, intends to use her new web initiative to provide holistic solutions to suffering humanity around the globe leveraging on the latest delivery platforms provided by the WWW and mobile internet devices. She has brought together a panel of experts in Ayurveda, Pranayama, Yoga, counselling, rehabilitation and spiritual mentoring to rejuvenate and regenerate people like us who are zapped by our high-pressure jobs, sedentary lifestyles, fast food culture, lifestyle diseases, mental stress, existential sorrow and spiritual disconnectedness. She expects to upgrade the current site with its static content into a full-fledged interactive one, offering online yoga classes, therapy training etc, shortly. Meanwhile, she needs your support in terms of honest feedback about the site, references to friends and family for site promotion etc. Let us congratulate her (send your mails to [EMAIL PROTECTED]) and wish her all the best in doing another Sabir Bhatia (Hotmail) or Mark Zuckerberg (FaceBook) with her latest web offering... Wishing Dr Reshmi and all of you a very Happy and prosperous New Year this Yugadi... Love RS M: 98 472 76 126 To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Malware now takes the HTTP route...
rediff.com April 01, 2008 08:56 IST The amount of new malware has never been higher, says F-Secure, a global provider of anti-virus and intrusion prevention solutions. F-Secure said on Monday that its labs are receiving an average of 25,000 malware samples every day, seven days a week. 'If this trend continues, the total number of viruses and Trojans will pass the one million mark by the end of 2008. While there are more viruses being created than ever before, people often actually report seeing less of them,' F-Secure said. One reason behind this illusion is that malware authors are once again changing their tactics in how to infect our computers. A year or two ago, most malware was spread via e-mail attachments, which resulted in mass outbreaks like Bagle, Mydoom and Warezov. Nowadays sending .EXE attachments in e-mail doesn't work so well for the criminals because almost every company and organisation is filtering out such risky attachments from their e-mail traffic. The criminals' new preferred way of spreading malware is by drive-by downloads on the Web. These attacks often still start with an e-mail spam run but the attachment in the e-mail has been replaced by a web link, which takes you to the malicious web site. So instead of getting infected over SMTP, you get infected over HTTP. Drive-by downloads Infection by a drive-by download can happen automatically just by visiting a Web site, unless you have a fully patched operating system, browser and browser plug-ins. Unfortunately, most people have some vulnerabilities in their systems. Infection can also take place when you are fooled into manually clicking on a download and running a program from the web page that contains the malware. There are several methods criminals use to gather traffic to these Web sites. A common approach is to launch an e-mail spam campaign containing messages that tempt people to click on a link. Messages like 'There is a video of you on YouTube,' or 'You have received a greeting card,' or 'Thank you for your order' have been popular baits. Another method used by criminals is to create many web pages with thousands of different keywords which are indexed by Google, and then simply wait for people to visit these sites. So when you do a search for something innocuous like 'knitting mittens' (as a random example), and click on a search result that looks just like all the others, you are actually getting your computer infected. Typically, an infection by an automatic exploit happens without you realizing it or seeing anything strange on the computer screen. The third method of distributing malware involves the criminals hacking into existing high profile, high traffic web sites. Unlike the joke defacements that some hackers played on the front pages of prominent web sites in the past, today's criminal hackers don't change the front page at all. They simply insert a line of javascript on the front page which uses an exploit to infect your machine when you go there. Everything works and looks as normal. This has happened to the Web sites of some popular magazines which can have a million users every single day. People trust sites that are part of their daily routine, and they couldn't suspect that anything bad could happen when they go there. Another vector for drive-by downloads is infiltrated ad networks. 'We are seeing more and more advertising displayed on high-profile Web sites. By infiltrating the ad networks, the criminals don't have to hack a site but their exploit code will still be shown to millions of users, often without the knowledge of the webmaster of those sites. Examples of where this has happened include TV4.se, Expedia, NHL, and MLB,' F-Secure said. It is important to be aware of this shift from SMTP to HTTP infections, which can be exploited by the criminals in many ways. Companies often measure their risk of getting infected by looking at the amount of stopped attachments at their e-mail gateway. Those numbers are definitely going down, but the actual risk of getting infected probably is not, the anti-virus firm said. Individuals and companies should therefore be scanning their Web traffic for malware -- as well as filtering their FTP traffic. In parallel to the switch from SMTP to HTTP as a way of spreading malware, we are now also seeing more and more malicious e-mails that link to malware via FTP links. To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Regenerating Retinas proving successful ?
Eyes have self-healing powers According to a new study it has been discovered that it might be possible to turn on the eye's own resources to regenerate damaged retinas. Read on to know more... According to a new study, it has been found that it might be possible to turn on the eye's own resources to regenerate damaged retinas, without the need for transplanting outside retinal tissue or stem cells. Researchers have discovered a chemical in the eye that triggers the dormant capacity of certain non-neuronal cells to transform into progenitor cells, a stem-like cell, that can generate new retinal cells. If the next step works in animal disease models, then clinical testing would be a possibility soon, offering hopes for millions of victims of degenerative eye diseases. Scientists have long been aware of Müller cells (existing in the eye), presuming that they were responsible for keeping retinal tissue protected and clear of debris. In recent years, however, researchers have reported that these cells sometimes exhibit progenitor cell behaviour and re-enter the cell cycle (dividing and differentiating into other type of cells). Progenitor cells are similar to stem cells but are more mature and are more limited in the number of cells types they can become. But until this study, scientists have not understood what triggers the transformation. In their study, Dong Feng Chen of Harvard Medical School and her team observed that when the naturally occurring chemicals known as glutamate and aminoadipate (derivative of glutamate) were injected into the eye, Müller cells began to divide and proliferate. Not certain if these chemicals directly signalled the transformation, they tested them in the lab and in mice. They added each chemical separately to cultures of pure Müller cells and injected each into the space below the retina in healthy mice. In both cases, the cells became progenitor cells and then changed into retinal cells. And with aminoadipate, the newly minted retinal cells migrated to where they might be needed in the retina and turned into desirable cell types. Specifically, they showed that by injecting the chemical below the retina, the cells give rise to new photoreceptors - the type of cells that are lost in retinitis pigmentosa or macular degeneration leading to blindness. The discovery has been published in the March issue of Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. Source: Indo-Asian News Service To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] How to avoid email threats
How to avoid email threats Checking your email has become a dangerous business. The number and types of email borne threats that can cause harm to your computer or your privacy are growing. Sometimes the actual danger imposed by these threats can be over hyped, but you still need to know what could constitute a dangerous email message and how to respond to the threat. Virus attacks When emails are sent as plain text, it becomes impossible to contract a computer virus just by reading email. That's because something -- a programme, worm, or other active threat -- actually has to run on your computer in order to infect it. Increasingly today, we all send and receive emails in HTML format, this makes users more vulnerable to contracting a potentially destructive computer virus that plain text emails. As when an email is sent in an HTML format (the same format used to create Web pages, on which various types of programmes can be run automatically) the possibility of receiving a virus on reading an email message does exist. There are, however, ways to safeguard against this. The first is to keep your email security programme updated, downloading and applying the latest security patches and fixes. Second is to set up your email programme to allow messages to be read only in plain text format. Most email programmes provide this option. In Microsoft's Outlook programme, for instance, you would open the Tools menu, and select Options. Then, from the Options dialog box, click E-mail Options, and select the check box labelled Read all standard mail in plain text. Dangerous links Remember, though, that most email viruses are contracted when you perform some action, such as opening an infected attachment or clicking a link that takes you to a site that downloads a virus on to your computer. So the golden rule of reading email is this: if it looks suspicious, don't open anything attached to it or click any links in it. These days, in fact, it makes sense not to click links in email messages at all. Instead, if you think a legitimate source has sent you a message, open a web browser separately and visit the website. Email 'bomb' at work An email bomb refers to the large number of email messages sent to an account with the primary aim of bringing the account down. When an email server is flooded with email messages, it is unable to receive other email messages and effectively becomes useless. An account that receives an email bomb will also experience an interruption in the transfer and processing of legitimate mail, as well. Email bombs are particularly dangerous as even if an email server is brought down to stave off the problem, the email bombardment will continue where it left off when the server is restarted. Another type of bombing occurs when a user signs someone for multiple newsletter services and other automatic email generation services that can bring a person's inbox to its knees. The only way to recover from an email bomb is probably to contact your Internet service provider for help. It may be necessary for you to disable or change your email address, at least temporarily. Spammers on the move You think those spam mails only clutter your inbox, there's more they can do. This includes installing spytools or other malware on your comp. Sender of spam and potentially harmful emails use a number of tactics to get your email address. If you have posted your email address anywhere on the Internet, it can be harvested by programmes designed to scour the Internet and retrieve freely available email addresses. To prevent this from happening, never post your email address anywhere on the Internet -- including message boards and personal websites -- in an unaltered form. If you must post your address somewhere online, write it in a form that is understandable by humans but not by a machine, such as yourname -- at-- hotmail.com. Also, take advantage of the multiple email accounts you can have. Email Spyware Another significant email threat is email spyware. Most often transmitted as part of another related software programme, email spyware compromises personal information, distributing it to unauthorised parties. While some spyware programmes are distributed through email by association with Trojan horses, others are sent directly as a worm or virus. An example of an email spyware is 'Ssppyy programme' which gathers sensitive information from infected computers and transmits it to an e-mail address. Ssy arrives as an electronic greeting card, and, once opened, the e-mail spyware installs itself surreptitiously on the user's computer. Can kill privacy Emails can also threaten your privacy. Remember, they can be forwarded to any number of people and can be used against you. If you do not want to risk the
Re: [AI] How can we do aerobic exercise ?
Dear Harish, Aerobic walking recommended by cardiologists is a really brisk walk, covering about 5 km in 50 minutes. I doubt if we can replicate it indoors without using a TM. As for Yoga, yes, it is an option, but, can one learn it after losing sight ? The various asanas have to be performed very deliberately and with regulated breathing and can trainers communicate all these nuances effectively to us ? And, is Yoga really aerobic the same way that walking, jogging or swimming are ? Sorry for posing more queries. (smile) Rgds RS -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Harish Kotian Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2008 11:42 AM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] How can we do aerobic exercise ? Hi Sudhir I do pace inside my house whenever I am free and listening to music or some lite entertainment. I get some exercise. Yoga is of course accessable and can be performed by one selfwithout taking assistance from anyone. Harish. - Original Message - From: Sudhir R (NeSTIT) [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2008 11:16 AM Subject: [AI] How can we do aerobic exercise ? Hi folks ! With the kind permission of our beloved moderator, I would like to pose a few, non-techy queries to the list. We are advised to do aerobic exercises, viz. exercises like walking, jogging, swimming etc where the heart also exercises along with other parts of the body, to keep our body parameters like BP, blood sugar, cholesterol etc in check. Being visually challenged and mobility-impaired, most of the recommended exercises are out of bounds for me and, may be, most of us. So, how do you people keep in shape ? Do any of you use tread mills ? If so, are they safe for us ? What additional safety features do we have to look for while buying a TM ? What other alternatives are there ? (Recently, I came across a strange new exercising machine that costs just Rs 7500 where one can lie on one's back and keep the feet on its pedals that then move on electric power. Pl see morningwalker.com for more details.) Please share your valuable experiences in remaining healthy with our disability. Being on the wrong side of forty and with a sedentary yet stressful IT job, I look forward to your valuable inputs for keeping my body and soul together. (smile) Happy Holi and thanks... Rgds RS M: 98 472 76 126 To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
Re: [AI] How can we do aerobic exercise ?
Thanks for this update. Any idea whether it is good ? Rgds RS -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Anshul Kapoor Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2008 11:23 AM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] How can we do aerobic exercise ? The home walker or morning walker is available for Rs. 2500/- in Delhi. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Sudhir R (NeSTIT) Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2008 11:16 AM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: [AI] How can we do aerobic exercise ? Hi folks ! With the kind permission of our beloved moderator, I would like to pose a few, non-techy queries to the list. We are advised to do aerobic exercises, viz. exercises like walking, jogging, swimming etc where the heart also exercises along with other parts of the body, to keep our body parameters like BP, blood sugar, cholesterol etc in check. Being visually challenged and mobility-impaired, most of the recommended exercises are out of bounds for me and, may be, most of us. So, how do you people keep in shape ? Do any of you use tread mills ? If so, are they safe for us ? What additional safety features do we have to look for while buying a TM ? What other alternatives are there ? (Recently, I came across a strange new exercising machine that costs just Rs 7500 where one can lie on one's back and keep the feet on its pedals that then move on electric power. Pl see morningwalker.com for more details.) Please share your valuable experiences in remaining healthy with our disability. Being on the wrong side of forty and with a sedentary yet stressful IT job, I look forward to your valuable inputs for keeping my body and soul together. (smile) Happy Holi and thanks... Rgds RS M: 98 472 76 126 To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i n To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] How can we do aerobic exercise ?
Hi folks ! With the kind permission of our beloved moderator, I would like to pose a few, non-techy queries to the list. We are advised to do aerobic exercises, viz. exercises like walking, jogging, swimming etc where the heart also exercises along with other parts of the body, to keep our body parameters like BP, blood sugar, cholesterol etc in check. Being visually challenged and mobility-impaired, most of the recommended exercises are out of bounds for me and, may be, most of us. So, how do you people keep in shape ? Do any of you use tread mills ? If so, are they safe for us ? What additional safety features do we have to look for while buying a TM ? What other alternatives are there ? (Recently, I came across a strange new exercising machine that costs just Rs 7500 where one can lie on one's back and keep the feet on its pedals that then move on electric power. Pl see morningwalker.com for more details.) Please share your valuable experiences in remaining healthy with our disability. Being on the wrong side of forty and with a sedentary yet stressful IT job, I look forward to your valuable inputs for keeping my body and soul together. (smile) Happy Holi and thanks... Rgds RS M: 98 472 76 126 To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] A self-employment opportunity for the rural visually challenged ?
Casting a web over rural India. Rediff.com March 11, 2008 11:55 IST E-kiosks for services like bill payment and job queries are mushrooming all over rural India. Pradipta Mukherjee visits one such centre in a Bengal village. Gorachand Banerjee runs a common service centre in Kapasaria village in Chanditala 2 block, 20 km away from Kolkata. Banerjee, who has studied till class X, is today a village level entrepreneur under the common service centre scheme of the Government of India. He had to pay Rs 30,000 as down payment and another sum of Rs 90,000 to a private company - Srei Infrastructure to gain ownership. Now, it is up to him to make it worth the money by adding more and more services. He has employed two persons whom he pays about Rs 2,000 each to carry out the work of the centre. The work includes collection of electricity and other bills from villagers, and running a course in English and computer training. Each bill fetches him Rs 3 from Srei, while the course gets him Rs 450 and Rs 750 respectively from every student. There are 25 youths in the village who have enrolled so far. Banerji's expenses are the rent and salaries he pays. I have studied till class X and earn between Rs 3000-Rs 5,000 per month at this CSC, says Banerjee. I learnt about this centre from advertisements. It was a good offer that could make me the boss of a CSC, Banerjee added. Kapasaria may well be the look that many villages in India would sport as the common service centre scheme under the National e-Governance Programme of the Union Ministry for Communications and IT reaches its target of 600,000 centres. The ministry is in partnership with states as well as private companies who respond to invitations to bid. About 13 companies, including biggies like Reliance Infocom and Wipro [ Get Quote] , have opened shop under the programme in 20 states after winning bids, says Aruna Sunderrajan, CEO, Community Service Centres under the Department of Information and Technology Ministry. In Bengal Srei Infrastructure Finance Ltd [ Get Quote] is one of the two companies - the other being Reliance Infocom of the Anil Ambani group - that won the bid to set up centres in Bengal villages. While SREI will set up 5,000 Sahaj e-villages along with Wipro, Reliance Communications [ Get Quote] will set up 1,860 centres in North 24 Parganas, West Midnapur, Burdwan and Purulia districts, to benefit 2.6 million households in the state. The number of customers and the number of services offered determines the profitability of each centre. In Kapasaria village in Chanditala 2, the CSC offers services like online payment of phone and electricity bills, classes in English and computer use, besides works as a studio with a camera installed to click passport size pictures. Each CSC is run by a village-level-entrepreneur (VLE), thereby creating employment for as many villagers as more CSCs are set up. At a centre in Begampur village in the same block in the district, Moumita Das, is busy collecting as many telephone and electricity bills she can. Her pay depends on the number of bills she collects. I make payments for them online through the Sahaj website. For instance, for every telephone bill payment I make on behalf of a villager, I get Rs 3. The centre has an email login which we use to log onto the Sahaj website and make payments online, she says. Das has completed her graduation. At Begampur CSC, villagers visit the centre to have photographs taken as the centre has a camera. The centre also serves as the nearest station for Government services like registration of death and birth and delivery of certificates for the same, besides tax payments. We get Rs 5 for every electricity bill payment we make on behalf of a villager through the Sahaj website, says Mallick, an employee at another centre in the block. The CSCs are usually 150 sq ft rooms and are open from 10 am till 6 pm. According to Sabahat Azim, CEO Srei, We are investing Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion) to set up 4,937 CSCs by May 2008. Of these 650 CSCs are already operational in West Bengal. According to Azim, over 47 million people in the villages of West Bengal would benefit through this programme. The programme envisages setting up one CSC for each cluster of six villages falling within each Gram Panchayat and Panchayat Samiti offices. SREI will set up CSCs in 14 districts of Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Uttar Dinajpur and Dakhin Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia and South 24 Parganas, Purba Midnapore, Bankura, Birbhum, Howrah and Hooghly in Public Private Partnership with the State Government and Centre. Initially, each centre would be able to earn close to Rs 3,000 per month after payment of salaries and rent for the building. This could go up to Rs 15,000, depending on the scale of operations and the variety of services, say Srei officials. To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject
[AI] Excel tutorials required urgently.
Friends, I need tutorials on the following topics rather urgently. 1) Creating Databases based on usage a. Structure - Process of building a database, identifying fields etc., b. Formatting c. Data Types 2) Common Functions a. IF b. Sum / Sumif c. SumProduct d. Count / Countif e. Average f.Min - Median - Max g. Time and date addition and subtraction (ESOP Vesting, experience computing, age etc) h. Paste Special etc., i. Usage of filters Etc., 3) Advanced Functions a. Lookups (V H) b. Nested IF c. PMT d. Range manipulation e. Array Manipulation f.Multiple formula etc., g. Mailmerge h. Data validation 4) Graphs; Charts; Pivots Highly obbliged if you could send whatever you have to my mail id, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thanks and rgds RS M: 98 472 76 126 To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Interview with the co-founder of the Ability Foundation.
We want to promote the I Can attitude among people. Rediff.com February 26, 2008 C K Ranganathan, CMD , CavinKare talked to Business Standard about the recently held Employability Fair, the Ability awards and his relationship with the Ability Foundation You are known as the sachet king ever since your company pioneered in marketing goods in sachets. How did you get associated with disability, and what led to the formation of the Ability Foundation? We were always doing stuff for social welfare but were not focussed on disability. The story of the foundation started when I was a tenant of Jaishree Raveendran, the founder of Ability Foundation. She told me one day that she could start a magazine for the disabled if she had Rs 25,000. I immediately handed her a cheque and she was surprised. She said she hadn't asked for money. But I said good things should not be delayed. Then we kept discussing the magazine and we felt that a foundation would be even better. So, the Ability foundation was formed in 1995 and I along with Jaishri and Thankavel became the founder members. So it is not a CSR foundation of CavinKare? No. Both are separate. While I founded the company, I am a founder member of the foundation and I fund it substantially. But the funding is part of our CSR. How much do you finance annually? About Rs 4 crore (Rs 40 million). The Foundation is now known for the Ability awards and the Employment fair it organisers annually. Why did you decide to move the job fair for disabled out of Chennai to Delhi? This is the first step after we started the fair in 2004. We now want the fair in all the metros and then in smaller towns. Why should people from far off places take so much pains to come all the way to Chennai or Delhi for a job? It will mean that the funds would have to go up several times. What kind of jobs are usually offered in this fair? These are all white collar jobs. We want to expand it to include blue collar jobs as well from next year. What is the response? There are about 70 companies taking part in the fair each year. This year the new entrants included Microsoft, Coke, Pepsi, Mahindra Consulting, Maruti [ Get Quote] . How do you identify winners for the Ability awards? We have a team verifying applications across the country the whole year. It is part of our strategy to promote the spirit of 'I Can' as opposed to 'I cannot'. This year for instance, one man with no vision got the award for running a centre for physiotherapy that is now helping hundreds of disabled in Bhopal. It is an example that can inspire even the able-bodied into doing more. The award which started six years ago is like a catalyst for change in attitudes. If it makes one man change his mind about himself, our day is made. You sound more like a social worker than a businessman. How do you find time for all this from your successful business? Many people watch TV in their spare time, Some others travel. For me this work brings happiness. Powered by To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
Re: [AI] IT sector starts shedding its differently abled resources.
Hi folks ! As someone who raised the issue in this list the first and second time, let me make something very clear. a) By no means am I asking for special treatment for the disabled either in the private sector or in the IT field. b) Nobody is disputing the importance of either productivity or performance, either in the private or the government sector. (After all, I have myself put in 16 years in the public sector and 3 more in the private IT sector and know these factors make a difference.) I still believe in the capacity of the IT/ITES sectors being able to provide employment to lot of our visually challenged young friends. But, like all emerging sectors, regulations need to be in place to prevent discrimination and exploitation. We are very happy to see our friends like Manish and Geetha proving themselves in their respective professions and remaining employed and productive in spite of industry shake-outs and down-sizing. We want all those younger resources being placed by NGOs in IT /ITES companies to also have high TINA (There is No Alternative) factors like these role models. For this to happen, a few facts need to be understood by our young friends and other list members at the outset : a) Just because an employer describes itself as an equal opportunity employer and provides impressive statistics of employing disabled resources, a resource who has just been placed with this company should not take his / her job for granted. He / She should work hard to build competencies that ensure job mobility even in the worst scenario. b) A resource should keep his / her options open as to future employment. IT / ITES sectors compensate better and are more glamourous, but, one's decision should be based on an objective assessment of one's own skill-sets, limitations, economic background etc. Let us not discount the importance of job security (read economic independence) for disabled candidates coming from middle class or lower middle class backgrounds. In spite of all discrimination / non-compliance with rules, the Government sector is the only place a disabled resource can get job security, and legal redressal in case of violation of rights accorded by the (discredited yet extant) PWD Act. c) As a group of opinion leaders with good networking and a proven ability to act as a pressure group, Access India can still do a lot to create awareness and influence opinion in industry bodies like the NASSCOM, so that disabled resources get a level playing field (not special treatment or charity) and ensure fair employment practices are followed. Let us have concerted action in this too since this sector can still absorb large quantities of disabled resources. d) Performance appraissal is still a subjective process and a lot still depends on the equation between an employee and his / her immediate boss. The resources who are placed in companies by NGOs are not often trained in handling office relationships though they excel in computer skills and have specific competencies required for the job. Perhaps, senior members of AI should mentor the younger ones in dealing with office scenarios. To sum up, my attempt has only been to bring out the dark underbelly of the IT employment myth as a warning to young, starry-eyed resources. The next time we read about a company, an NGO or a person who is selflessly working for empowering the disabled - whether by furthering education, training or employment - let us keep a pinch of salt ready . (smile) Regards RS M: 098 472 76 126 -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Geetha Shamanna Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2008 2:38 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] IT sector starts shedding its differently abled resources. Hi Manish, I cannot agree more. Performance and productivity still remain the key criteria for retaining a job in the private sector, be it for an employee or a contract worker. Since most messages in this thread expressed the view that disabled contract employees are specially being targeted, I would like to add here that I have been working oncontract for the past four years now. Companies *do* value skill and performance. Rather than implicating the private sector, let us concentrate on being better workers in order to ward off layoffs. Geetha - Original Message - From: Manish Agrawal [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Sent: Friday, February 22, 2008 4:13 PM Subject: Re: [AI] IT sector starts shedding its differently abled resources. Someone on this thread said: snip I have repeatedly said that being handicaps we deserve more than others from the nation. /snip I couldn't disagree more with this statement. We deserve equal or less than what we contribute to the nation and there is no other factor that determines what we deserve. It is a debate at the paradigm level and I
[AI] Fifteen myths about memory
Fifteen myths about memory In a hormonal sense, the brain is best suited for learning in the morning. It shows the highest alertness and the best balance between attention and creativity. The gains in knowledge structure and the speed of processing greatly outweigh all minor advantages of late-night learning. Chennai: Considering that today's academic load on students is far higher than what used to be a few decades ago, in what ways can a professional student enhance his throughput and at the same time enjoy the exercise? On this apparently loaded question about `load,' Prof K. Ganapathy, Neurosurgeon, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, has a different view. He concedes that today's academic load on students is higher than earlier, but he also insists that it is equally true that learning tools and exposure have developed even faster than the quantum of knowledge that needs to be imbibed. Today we are in an era of information overload, notes Prof Ganapathy (www.kganapathy.com), in the course of an e-mail interaction with Business Line. In the 1960s and 1970s we had to spend hundreds of unproductive hours searching for information rather than studying the information. That was the BC (Before Computers) era, he adds, with a touch of humour. I do not think today's student has too much to complain. My three-and-a-half-year-old grandson is already at home with a computer. As Samuel Johnson once remarked, an educated person is one who know where the information is. It is not necessary to store thousands of facts in one's brain, argues Prof Ganapathy. Once we learn how to learn, what to learn and where to learn, confronting the so-called academic load is a matter of effective time management, he reasons. The Internet and the World Wide Web if properly used can certainly enhance a student's throughput and at the same time he can enjoy the exercise. Excerpts from the interview: What are the common myths about memory that can bog down a student's productivity? There are many myths about memory. The first myth is, `It is possible to produce everlasting memories.' The fact, however, is that it is possible to learn things well enough to make it nearly impossible to forget them in lifetime. However, every long-term memory, depending on its strength, has an expected lifetime. Here are more myths. Myth 2: We never forget. Fact: All knowledge is subject to gradual decay. It is only a matter of probability. Strong memories are very unlikely to be forgotten. In the normal course one does not forget one's name. Myth 3: Memory is infinite. Fact: Memories are stored in a finite number of states of finite receptors in finite synapses in a finite volume of the human central nervous system. Even worse, storing information long-term is not easy. Most people will find it hard to store beyond 3,00,000 facts. Myth 4: Mnemonics are a panacea to poor memory. Fact: Mnemonic techniques reduce the difficulty of retaining things in memory. Repetition is still needed, even though it can be less frequent. Myth 5: The more you repeat the better. Fact: The fastest way to building long-lasting memories is to review material in precisely determined moments of time. For long memories with minimum effort, spaced repetition should be used. Myth 6: We cannot improve memory by training. Fact: If considered at a very low synaptic level, this is true. Biologically the synapses of a low-IQ (intelligence quotient) individual are not too different from that of a genius or the mollusc Aplysia or the fruit fly Drosophila. However, there is more to memory and learning than just a single synapse. The main difference between poor students and geniuses is in their skill to represent information for learning. A genius quickly dismembers information and forms simple models that make life easy. Simple models of reality help understand it, process it and remember it. Molecular or synaptic memory need not improve. What needs to improve is their skill to handle knowledge. Consequently, they can remember more and longer. Learning is a self-accelerating and self-amplifying process. Myth 7: Mind maps are always better than pictures. A picture is worth a thousand words. Fact: It depends on the material. Text is compact and easy to reproduce. To memorise your spouse's birthday or the date of India's independence, a picture is not required. On the other hand, a video clipping of an operative procedure is easier to remember and recall than factual data. Myth 8: Learn new things before sleep - for, there is a widespread myth claiming that the best time for learning is right before sleep to ensure that newly-learned knowledge gets quickly consolidated overnight. Fact: The opposite is true. The best time for learning in most healthy individuals is early morning. In a hormonal sense, the brain is best suited for learning in the morning. It shows the highest alertness and the best balance between attention and creativity. The
[AI] I Lend My Eyes - An inspiring story of a grandma
I Lend My Eyes For innumerable blind people, this grandma is a window to the world of books and learning By Padmavathi Subramanian (From the Reader's Digest - India Edition - February 2008) Seated by her bedroom window, 83-year-old Annam Narayan is reading a book. It's a bright afternoon, but she needs a tubelight too. In between sentences, she carefully presses the keys of a strange grey machine that's reminiscent of an antique typewriter. These machines, she smiles, I've used them since 1971. Annam Narayan is no everyday grandmother. And that machine is no ordinary typewriter - it's her trusty old brailler. Annam has used braillers to translate textbooks, short stories and college notes into braille so that the blind can read them too. It's impossible to count how many sheets of braille she's created so far, but Anand Athalekar, honorary secretary of the National Association for the Blind (NAB) estimates that it must be several lakhs. And Annam has done all that without ever taking a fee because, as she puts it, God has blessed me with eyes and limbs so that I can be of help to those whom He sent without them. Annam's world revolved around her husband and her two young sons, until one day, in 1971, she read an appeal in a magazine which sought out a reader for a blind boy. Annam decided to help. The boy was Rajinder Singh Sethi, an MA history student. Annam used to go over to his home for an hour daily and read to him from his books and notes. I found it very interesting, recalls Annam, who never went to college. I was reading great books and biographies and learning new things. As she read to him, Rajinder took down notes in braille using a braille slate and stylus. Braille codes text using a system of six raised dots in different combinations that blind people can read by touch. While helping Rajinder, Annam got an idea. Why not transcribe these books into braille myself? She got a teach-yourself book and, by watching Rajinder too, learnt braille. Later, the NAB gave her a brailler machine. Soon Annam was transcribing whole books into millions of dots. You can traverse the entire world with the six dots, she beams. Then one day, she says, something strange happened. She was reading by her window when a small picture of Satya Sai Baba came blowing in the wind and settled into her open book. It had the saying Hands that help are holier than lips that pray printed on it. Annam took that as a sign: What she was doing must indeed be her calling. Before her marriage in 1941, when Annam lived in her hometown of Palakkad, Kerala, she knew only Tamil, English and Malayalam. When her husband, a Tata official, got his transfers, Annam moved to other cities with him. In Chennai, for instance, she and a few like-minded friends volunteered to help half a dozen blind students write their examinations. Meanwhile, Annam was also learning Hindi, Marathi and Gujarati, again using self-help books, and transcribing text from these languages too into braille. Once you're really interested, you can do anything, she says. Among the countless blind students Annam has helped is Garimella Subramaniam, 45, for whom she read books, did transcription, and worked as a writer for his college examinations. Subramaniam is now a senior assistant editor with The Hindu in Chennai. Mrs. Narayan is remarkable, he says. Her abilities and motivation continue to inspire me. And what became of that first college kid she read to? Sethi, now 61, was until recently vice president of NAB. He now works for other blind people at the Helen Keller Institute, Mumbai. Says Rajendra T. Vyas, NAB's founder and honorary secretary general, It's hard to find social workers who are as meticulous as Mrs. Narayan. Annam Narayan smiles at that. I have the greatest admiration for those who are visually impaired, she says. With a little help, they can stand on their own feet. For us who are sighted and healthy, opportunities to help them are always there. To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
Re: [AI] IT sector starts shedding its differently abled resources.
Dear Harish, I fully agree with you about the need to be vigilant and watch out for opportunities to move on. But, we need to appreciate a few hard facts when it comes to job mobility in India. Indian demographics is fully loaded in favour of the twenty-somethings, since they constitute about 50% of the population and employers prefer to have them on rolls as they can put in longer hours. By forty, these resources become expendable for the company who can get fresh supplies of younger blood. Here-in lies the trap of the contract system. Instead of taking resources on rolls, companies prefer to engage them on (fatter) contracts, dumping them at their whim and pleasure. This scenario of hiring and firing is OK in a mature market like the developed nations, where tough laws guarantee certain rights to such employees and also unemployment doles ensure they can meet their basic needs till another job comes by. In India, this could spell disaster to older, disabled or otherwise disadvantaged resources. My lawyer friends tell me that maintaining resources on long-term contracts is itself an illegal act as per existing Indian law. Let us not exonerate this illegal act of these companies under the garb of right-sizing. What we need is concerted action in creating awareness in regulatory bodies about such mal-practices, legal action or legislation to prevent such happenings and exposing of the sham of disabled-friendliness of such publicity-crazy corporates. Hope the issue is taken up with the same vigour and solidarity as earlier issues like air travel discrimination and examination-related problems. Thanks and rgds RS -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Harish Kotian Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2008 9:21 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] IT sector starts shedding its differently abled resources. Hi Sudhir Yes, this is a run down on facts, but it does not carry us to any solution. There is no government job at all. So, no point on counting it. In such a cenerio, makes more sense being vigilant and keenly look for opportunities and willingness to move on. Another advise would be not to squander money when going is good and run into debts if it could be avoided. Harish - Original Message - From: Sudhir R (NeSTIT) [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2008 12:48 PM Subject: [AI] IT sector starts shedding its differently abled resources. Hi folks ! Hope the list members recollect an issue I had raised about six months back - about the so-called new employers of the differently abled, the IT ITES companies, keeping the disabled resources on long periods of contract, without confirming them. The ensuing discussion had centred on the benefits of the contract system and how it was really progressive. The issue was swept under the carpet unlike other serious issues like discrimination by airlines against the visually challenged, the mistakes in grammar in the list postings, etc. Now that the IT sector has started feeling the heat of the Rupee appreciation and the US economic melt-down, the poor disabled resources have started getting contract termination notices. Funnily, a multinational behemoth which describes itself as an equal opportunity employer and draws lot of media publicity from this is one of the first to initiate action that might impact some of our own list members. There is little that we can do but sit and watch as the most important social security mechanism available to the Indian blind, a steady job, is kicked out from their grasp thanks to biased corporate policies. While appreciating the fact that job mobility is the in-thing in a globalised existence, let us not forget that the disadvantaged in India, like us disabled, do not have an elaborate social security mechanism to fall back on in such circumstances. Finally, when all the hype dies down, the only recourse to the disabled who are not from well-heeled families may still be government jobs and / or traditional sectors like teaching, vocational trades and self-employment. Rgds RS M: 98 472 76 126 To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page
[AI] IT sector starts shedding its differently abled resources.
Hi folks ! Hope the list members recollect an issue I had raised about six months back - about the so-called new employers of the differently abled, the IT ITES companies, keeping the disabled resources on long periods of contract, without confirming them. The ensuing discussion had centred on the benefits of the contract system and how it was really progressive. The issue was swept under the carpet unlike other serious issues like discrimination by airlines against the visually challenged, the mistakes in grammar in the list postings, etc. Now that the IT sector has started feeling the heat of the Rupee appreciation and the US economic melt-down, the poor disabled resources have started getting contract termination notices. Funnily, a multinational behemoth which describes itself as an equal opportunity employer and draws lot of media publicity from this is one of the first to initiate action that might impact some of our own list members. There is little that we can do but sit and watch as the most important social security mechanism available to the Indian blind, a steady job, is kicked out from their grasp thanks to biased corporate policies. While appreciating the fact that job mobility is the in-thing in a globalised existence, let us not forget that the disadvantaged in India, like us disabled, do not have an elaborate social security mechanism to fall back on in such circumstances. Finally, when all the hype dies down, the only recourse to the disabled who are not from well-heeled families may still be government jobs and / or traditional sectors like teaching, vocational trades and self-employment. Rgds RS M: 98 472 76 126 To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Cheap laptops - things to watch out for
rediff.com January 24, 2008 01:49 IST Personal computer (laptop and desktop) prices may have crashed. The low price tags, however, can be misleading ? especially for first-time buyers. Consider this. All low-cost laptops and desktops come pre-loaded with a Linux OS or a DOS version (obsolete on desktops). The installation of a legal Microsoft operating system (OS) and office suite (for word, excel, etc) will increase the price of the desktop or laptop by 20 to 35 per cent. What's wrong with a free Linux OS and office suite like openoffice.org, one may ask? Linux is free but has no support unless one gets it installed from Red Hat or Novell (that charge for support and maintenance, since the OS is free). This increases the cost. Besides, analysts aver, 95 per cent or more of the current 22 million users in India use Microsoft OS and Office on the desktop. Of this, it is estimated, over 70 per cent of Microsoft OS, and over 90 per cent of Microsoft Office, is pirated. With Microsoft clamping on piracy, getting a legal OS becomes imperative. While the mid- and low-range PC market is growing, how much impact the introduction of low-cost PC/laptops has on the market is too early to predict. While the hardware players have done their bit of reducing cost, it is now up to the other players to come up with solutions that will make consumers adopt the technology, says Piyush Pushkal, Assistant Director, Research, IDC. The cheapest laptop from HCL Infosystems [ Get Quote] ? 'MiLeap', for instance, comes for just Rs 13,990. It sports a flash drive, free Linux OS and a seven-inch screen. The ACi Ethos 7 model (from Allied Computers International, Asia) for Rs 14,999, on the other hand, comes with DOS. The cost of the system increases substantially when you think of a larger screen and additional features. The HCL [ Get Quote] high-end Y series, for instance, would have multiple navigational features such as a touch screen, thumboard, stylus, keyboard and touch buttons, with Windows Vista (Home) as the OS. However, it will cost anywhere between Rs 29,990 and Rs 39,990 ? more than double the price of the basic version. Users would also either have to upgrade the DOS version of the ACi Ethos model with the free Linux OS or Microsoft XP or Vista. This will add Rs 1,500 to Rs 7,000, depending on whether it is a starter, home or student version. Microsoft Office will set a user back by another Rs 8,500 to Rs 15,000. Acer was one of the few early manufacturers to introduce low-cost products. Hardware prices have surely come down but OS prices, when compared to this fall, have not followed the trend, said Harish Kohli, chief sales officer, Acer India. But he does feel that people are much more conscious about upgrades and the pitfalls of buying illegal OS copies. I think the starters edition has made good inroads. Compared to this, Linux usage has been very marginal, he said. Raj Saraf, chairman and MD, Zenith Computers [ Get Quote] , felt that software prices not keeping pace with hardware pricing would lead to piracy. Industry players thought Microsoft, with the largest market share in OS, is aware of the market condition. In countries like India, China and other markets there is a clear message coming out that the cost of software has to come down, said George Paul, associate VP-marketing, HCL Infosystems. The price of a desktop or laptop that runs a legal Microsoft OS (XP or Vista) and Office suite increases 20 to 35 per cent, admitted Doug Hauger, chief operating officer, Microsoft India. The prices, he explains, are not as high as users think they are. We give rebates to our channel partners who pre-load the branded computers. This helps reduce the street price. We are seeing a dramatic increase in the adoption of legal software in branded laptops. A few prominent vendors do propagate Microsoft Starter Edition (a stripped-down version for emerging economies). R Manikandan, Business Group Head IT, LG, said: If you compare products at the launch time, and after the lapse of a year, the price difference will be 8 to 10 per cent. The moment hardware prices drop, the configuration of the product goes up one layer. Powered by To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Laptops to suit everyone's needs and budgets...
rediff.com Laptops to suit your style, and pocket January 21, 2008 If you have been aspiring to own a mobile computer, and have been waiting to upgrade to one to suit your style, you may well be spoilt for choice. The good news though is now, you need not contemplate having to rob a bank like you might have had a few years ago. Here's a selection of five laptops with just the right combination of price, performance and features to suit you. HCL 'MiLeap' goes under Rs 14,000 Now where can you hope to get a laptop with prices starting at Rs 13,990 and weighing under a kilo? HCL's new year launch MiLeap X Series is exactly this: a computer with a 7 inch screen with full functionality you can expect in a PC, including being WiFi ready. An ideal machine for those looking a for a light weight mobility solution, it works very well for students as well as for those living on the wrong side of the digital divide. Corporates can equip their sales and service teams to ensure connectivity on the move. It is ideal to be carried to work, to school, in a park or a gym or even working on cramped seats in the economy section of flights. Available with both flash-based and disk-based storage versions, its sturdy design incorporates features that make it dustproof, shock-proof and durable. For those looking for a more loaded version, they have the option of the MiLeap Y Series. Powered by Intel Ultra Mobile Platform and Microsoft's Vista Home Premium, it comes with a swivel 7 touch screen, 80GB HDD and Bluetooth. Both the models have network ports, are Wi-Fi ready, have the option for a 'Data Card' and are available with GUI enabled user friendly Linux OS. Approximate price: Starts at Rs 13,990 for the MiLeap X Series and Rs 29,990 for the MiLeap Y Series. Zenith Director January 21, 2008 If you want to go for a regular sized screen, but still want to stay within a budget, opt for Zenith's offerings -- three new WiFi enabled laptops priced under Rs 30,000 -- all pre-loaded with Microsoft Windows Vista. The Zenith Director is the most attractively priced of the three at Rs 24,990 and comes with a 15.4 wide screen display. The Zenith Admirale comes with the Intel Graphic Media Accelerator and integrated Bluetooth for easy communication and works on the Intel Centrino technology. It is the Zenith Presidio you may want to pick up if you're looking for a laptop that is easy on your shoulders. Thin and light, weighing a mere 1.75 kg, it has a 12.1 inch XGA display. It is based on Intel Centrino mobile technology and can be upgraded to an Intel Core Duo 2.33 GHz CPU. Approximate price: Zenith Director: Rs 24,990; Zenith Admirale: Rs 28,000; Zenith Presidio: Rs 29,000 Dell XPS M1530 January 21, 2008 If you want your laptop to pack a bigger punch, check out the Dell XPS 1530. A sleek 15.4-inch notebook, it comes with touch-sensitive multimedia buttons, brushed aluminum accents and a choice of two colours -- Tuxedo Black and Alpine White. With a starting weight of just under six pounds and featuring a trim 1-inch profile, standard features include a high definition widescreen 15.4 display, slot-load optical drive, DirectX 10 capable graphics, sophisticated touch sensitive media buttons, webcam and a fingerprint reader. For multimedia enthusiasts, there is the optional Blu-ray disc drive and included noise cancellation earbuds and travel remote that stores away in the ExpressCard card slot. Approximate price: Starts at Rs 53,000 Talk about colour -- five laptops in five colours from Sony, the VGN-CR series, in options of pure white, indigo blue, blazing red, beauty pink and aroma black. A truly personal laptop for those young in their outlook. Basic specifications include WindowVista Home Basic, 14.1 WXGA screen, DVD RW, 1 GB RAM and 80 GB Hard Disk and weighs 2.5 kgs. It is easy to finance too -- 12 equal monthly instalments, with a 2 per cent initial processing fee ensuring you don't need to save up for a year before you can lay your hands on these mean machines. Price: Starts at Rs 54,990 The big launch by Steve Jobs at the Mac World Expo this month, the MacBook Air is as slim as your index finger and literally feels like air in your hands. Powered by the 1.6GHz or 1.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processors in the two model offerings, even the chip was custom-built to fit within the compact dimensions of this machine. Other cool features include an oversize trackpad with multi-touch technology; you can pinch, swipe, or rotate to zoom in on text, advance through a photo album, or adjust an image. This gesture-based input has already been highly successful on the iPod touch. It also includes a built-in iSight camera, smartly integrated so you hardly notice it's there. The iSight camera and iChat software make video chatting easy anywhere there's a wireless network. Then there's the innovative now-you-see-it, now-you-don't port hatch that flips down to reveal (and closes to hide) all
[AI] Recognition failure in Kurzweil.
Hi ! A student friend who is a novice to computers reports a problem with Kurzweil - a page gets scanned, but, recognition fails halfway through. He has experimented with many versions of Kurzweil, including 9 and 10. Operating system is Win XP and the RAM size is 512 MB. What could be going wrong ? Unfortunately, I neither have the expertise nor the access to his PC to tinker around. Would appreciate if I could get a few trouble-shooting tips and configuration steps that I can pass on to him. Thanks and rgds RS M: 098 472 76 126 To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
Re: [AI] A QUERY REGARDING SOUND RECORDER
I have just purchased a digital voice recorder with a 32 MB flash memory that can easily be operated by a visually challenged person. It also doubles up as a pen drive, though you need to use a USB cord to connect to the computer and use their proprietory software interface to make transfers. The file format for the recordings is .tsh and a built-in functionality is available to convert it to .wav. It also comes bundled with a microphone, ear phone and an audio cord to interface with other audio equipment. There is even a contraption to automatically record telephone conversations, just in case you are planning to eavesdrop. (smile) It can record over 1000 minutes of voice in the low quality mode and around 360 m in the high quality mode. Found it to be more useful for visually challenged students than standard pendrive-cum-voice recorder-cum-mp3 players seen in the market which often create accessibility problems by building too many functionalities into the same button. It is a Korean product with the brand name Cenix and different models with varying memory sizes are available. The 32 MB one cost me Rs 2,300. Thought I would share this piece of good news with group members. Rgds RS M: 098 472 76 126 -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Subramani L Sent: Thursday, December 27, 2007 10:37 AM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] A QUERY REGARDING SOUND RECORDER I have a digital recorder and can also use it as a pen-drive to view the files and play the audio files on the computer. But, is there a way to learn the format of the files --for instance, if they are wave or mp3 files? Subramani -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Vikas Kapoor Sent: Wednesday, December 26, 2007 8:04 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] A QUERY REGARDING SOUND RECORDER It does in the sense that first you make a blank wave file by choosing the option of decrease speed and then save it and the next time open the file and start recording! I was able to make a maximum of 64 minutes file with 640MB and beyond that my computer's memory did not support. Regards, Vikas Kapoor, MSN Id:[EMAIL PROTECTED], YahooSkype Id: dl_vikas, Mobile: (+91) 9891098137. - Original Message - From: Harish Kotian [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Sent: Wednesday, December 26, 2007 7:34 PM Subject: Re: [AI] A QUERY REGARDING SOUND RECORDER Hi I don't think you can get a greater recording time. You can I guess increase the playing time.It is as if our former PM starts of with an oratory smile like make it speak fast /slow. Harish. - Original Message - From: Vikas Kapoor [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Sent: Tuesday, December 25, 2007 11:50 PM Subject: Re: [AI] A QUERY REGARDING SOUND RECORDER So now the question arises: what is the maximum duration that we can keep? and also, it doesn't announce anything when we decrease the same, is there any way to confirm that it has really increased the speed? and also let me know what does the increase speed by 100% mean? Vikas Kapoor, MSN Id:[EMAIL PROTECTED], YahooSkype Id: dl_vikas, Mobile: (+91) 9891098137. - Original Message - From: Vetrivel Adhimoolam [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Sent: Tuesday, December 25, 2007 11:30 PM Subject: Re: [AI] A QUERY REGARDING SOUND RECORDER You can go to effect and then decrease speed. each time you decrease the speed, the length of the track gets doubled. - Original Message - From: Vikas Kapoor To: Access India Sent: Tuesday, December 25, 2007 12:39 PM Subject: [AI] A QUERY REGARDING SOUND RECORDER Folks, can anybody tell me how to increase the default one minute recording limit in the windows in-built sound recorder? Regards, Vikas Kapoor, MSN Id:[EMAIL PROTECTED], YahooSkype Id: dl_vikas, Mobile: (+91) 9891098137. To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i n To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i n To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i n To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the
Re: [AI] A QUERY REGARDING SOUND RECORDER
Any idea how much it costs ? And, whether it is available in Bangalore ? The Cenix recorder is the best bet I could find for a boy in the 5th std, who is not braille-literate and computer savvy and is attending school after a three year break after going blind. To contribute to another thread, I have seen visually challenged students who record lectures on their laptops using the Audacity application. This does not limit the duration of the recording and the clarity is also good, though I am not sure what is the original format in which it records. Facility to convert to the wav and mp3 formats is built into this ap. RS -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Subramani L Sent: Thursday, December 27, 2007 11:38 AM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] A QUERY REGARDING SOUND RECORDER The one I have was bought in Japan by my brother. I wouldn't say it is extremely accessible, though most of us who are used to the dictophones and recorders can manage quite well with it. It has 2 GB memory space and can capture five feature films (my brother told me this). The best thing about this, called Olympus (don't know if this is made in Japan), is that it can record in stereophonic --you can exactly hear a person's voice on one side and the other on the other side. THe other thing about this is that it doesn't require any installation of drivers or proprietary software for file transfers, you can more or less use it like any other pen drive, with or without a chord. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Vetrivel Adhimoolam Sent: Thursday, December 27, 2007 11:03 AM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] A QUERY REGARDING SOUND RECORDER I am glad that it is accessible to us, but RS 2300 for a 32 MB recorder is a bit too much. We can actually get cheaper recorders with more storage capacity. Perhaps folks in Delhi can throw light on that. But recording with computers is more crystal and clear. Almost like hearing a live broadcast in an FM radio. Vetri. - Original Message - From: Sudhir R (NeSTIT) To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Sent: Thursday, December 27, 2007 12:15 AM Subject: Re: [AI] A QUERY REGARDING SOUND RECORDER I have just purchased a digital voice recorder with a 32 MB flash memory that can easily be operated by a visually challenged person. It also doubles up as a pen drive, though you need to use a USB cord to connect to the computer and use their proprietory software interface to make transfers. The file format for the recordings is .tsh and a built-in functionality is available to convert it to .wav. It also comes bundled with a microphone, ear phone and an audio cord to interface with other audio equipment. There is even a contraption to automatically record telephone conversations, just in case you are planning to eavesdrop. (smile) It can record over 1000 minutes of voice in the low quality mode and around 360 m in the high quality mode. Found it to be more useful for visually challenged students than standard pendrive-cum-voice recorder-cum-mp3 players seen in the market which often create accessibility problems by building too many functionalities into the same button. It is a Korean product with the brand name Cenix and different models with varying memory sizes are available. The 32 MB one cost me Rs 2,300. Thought I would share this piece of good news with group members. Rgds RS M: 098 472 76 126 -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Subramani L Sent: Thursday, December 27, 2007 10:37 AM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] A QUERY REGARDING SOUND RECORDER I have a digital recorder and can also use it as a pen-drive to view the files and play the audio files on the computer. But, is there a way to learn the format of the files --for instance, if they are wave or mp3 files? Subramani -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Vikas Kapoor Sent: Wednesday, December 26, 2007 8:04 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] A QUERY REGARDING SOUND RECORDER It does in the sense that first you make a blank wave file by choosing the option of decrease speed and then save it and the next time open the file and start recording! I was able to make a maximum of 64 minutes file with 640MB and beyond that my computer's memory did not support. Regards, Vikas Kapoor, MSN Id:[EMAIL PROTECTED], YahooSkype Id: dl_vikas, Mobile: (+91) 9891098137. - Original Message - From: Harish Kotian [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Sent: Wednesday, December 26, 2007 7:34 PM Subject: Re: [AI] A QUERY REGARDING SOUND RECORDER Hi I don't think you can get a greater recording time. You can I guess increase the playing time.It is as if our former PM starts of with an oratory smile
Re: [AI] Visually Impaired duo atains biz goal (and digression)
Hi Shadab, Learning to navigate safely using the white cane is a skill we can acquire only through determination and regular practice. While I am still scared of venturing out into the wide, open world on my own with my cane (which I use to navigate around my office), Ansar, the foot reflexologist whose story I had posted to the group yesterday, picked up the skill quite fast and relies on it to travel around 20 km to the busiest centre of Kochi city. For your info, Ansar lost his sight barely 15 months back while I am quite senior in this field with a track-record of 6 years. (smile) So, take heart and start now. The independence it endows us is with is unmatched. Rgds RS -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Shadab Husain Sent: Wednesday, December 19, 2007 12:41 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: [AI] Visually Impaired duo atains biz goal (and digression) I have never used a white cane, but now I really regret for having done so. Bashfulness barded me to use it, and consequently, now I am paying heavily for it. There is another problem with me: whenever I walk alone on the roads or any unrecognizable place, I digress from the straight path. (Pray, don't take the metaphoric meaning of digressing from the straight path!) I mean, I cannot walk in a straight direction. This thing also happens with me when I hold anything like tea or sort of that. My hand tilts towards left or right direction. Furthermore, whenever I offer my devotions, (namaz), I turn towards right or left directions. I look greedily to Access Indians that they move independently. But now I am in my twenties so how can I learn moving independently? Please tell me. Regards Shadab HUSAIN Love is seldom mutual Unlimited freedom, unlimited storage. Get it now, on http://help.yahoo.com/l/in/yahoo/mail/yahoomail/tools/tools-08.html/ To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
[AI] Ansar makes waves as a foot reflexologist...
www.newindpress.com KOCHI Dec 18, 2007 Paradise regained Tuesday December 18 2007 09:21 IST Sudha Nambudiri Buy/Sell/Rent Property of your Choice in your City. KOCHI: Turning blind one fine morning was a reality, hard to come to terms with for Ansar. But from there, he negotiated a tough terrain and is today bringing relief to others from physical pain! Ansar, the foot reflexologist at Taj Residency at Marine Drive, can massage your ailment away by working on the feet alone! His work requires supple hands and tremendous concentration, but he has picked the gauntlet with confidence. My massage works effectively on those with sciatica problems, stomach pain, stress-related complaints and diabetes, he says. A trained masseur in panchakarma, Swedish massage and yoga, Ansar had been working at ayurvedic centres when life took a cruel turn, making him blind. God must have known that I would be turning blind in my twenties which was why he gave me this gift, says Ansar. Ansar is on call for guests of the hotel and does foot massage in the privacy of their room where the guest can feel relaxed. He has a basket which contains a lotion, a towel and a cream. No medicine is applied. The solution lies in the way the foot is massaged, he tells, showing where the sensitive points of a various parts of the body like sinus regions, sciatia, stomach, kidneys, shoulders etc reach beneath the foot. The massage extends from half-an-hour to an hour. It is very helpful for those who are tired, unable to sleep and suffer from a jet lag or severe exhaustion. He has been there at the hotel for a couple of months now and is already a familiar face among the guests. When he joined the hotel, Ansar walked around on all floors to find his way with the help of another guy. Now all he needs to know is the room number and he reaches there on his own. Many guests who are on business trips ask for my services whenever they come here, he says. Acknowledging his abilities, the Taj management has arranged a poolside facility for Ansar to do foot massages for those who don't stay at the hotel. Even people in the city can call up the hotel and avail my services at the hotel, he says. So how does he manage life? My timings here are from 9 am to 7 pm. I come from my home at Aluva by bus and get down at Menaka stop. There's always someone to help me cross the road and slowly I make it here. Ansar talks of the days when he turned blind. I caught conjunctivitis and my eyes developed an allergy to the medicine that was administered. Initially the eyes turned red but the complications took me to the point of becoming blind. For many days I just sat at home, frustrated and down, wondering how I would go on with life as a blind man. He then got in touch with the Society for Rehabilitation of the Visually Handicapped (SRVC) and asked them to help him out with a job so that he could become independent. It was through SRVC that I got an opening at the Taj group, says Ansar, spreading light all around him with a beaming face. To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
Re: [AI] history of computer education for blind in india
Dear Harish bhai, Your story is indeed inspiring for ordinary mortals like us who keep cribbing these days even with easy and relatively cheap access to sophisticated assistive technology devices. Please continue the narration. As my technology guru who had taught me the basics of internet surfing way back in 2004 on your visit to Kochi, I feel I have a moral responsibility to write your biography if you are game. (smile) Hats off to you, boss... Love RS -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Harish Kotian Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2007 10:31 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] history of computer education for blind in india Hi all I joined the RBI in 81 as a telephone operator when I was in the middle of HSC which is equivalent to 12th std. Telephonist was sort of the only job available to the educated blind then. It was a fun job, but I was feeling intelectually choked as it was a very mechanical type of work. I looked for some alternatives and I fancied for the IAS and I learnt in the west, the blind were also into programming. This fired my imagination and started digging info on it. I got convincedI could make it. The next task was to get myself trained in programming. None of the institutes would admit me. Even those who were then technologically savy pronounced it was impossible for a blind to do programming. To make a long story short, I got admission to one institute the owner of it was my father's friend. I started with COBOL language.I had no access technology at all. I would write my programme in Braille, read it out to the computer operator, who would key it in and tell me the output. It was a very frustrating way to work on as I got into major miscommunication problems. Despite it all, I topped the class. The trend that time was to learn the major languages one after another. I however, took a different path. I gave myself a break and practised the language very intensively and only thereafter moved to the other language. I gained immensely by this approach. Computer time during those days was very precious and scarce, some gentle souls, did give it to me. I later came across a person, who owned a Apple system which had built in speech synthesizer. I was very thrilled to hear it. However I learnt later, it could only be used in games and no screen reader in it. These were all all 8 bit processors and few other systems too came in the market with like capabilities. I had my hands on most of them as and when they hit the market. I came across a person in Canada who was willing to sell a second hand terminal. Those days even that costed a fortune and there was lots of restriction importing anything. I did not buy it although I felt very bitter missing on it. Years later, at Blind Graduates forrum of India we bought the Mimmic speech synthesizer with HAL screen reader. I had access to it. This was the biggest moment and turning point in my life.It was the first time, I could work on the computer absolutely independently. I had the synthesizer but no computer. At National center for software technology NCST an Premier institution offered unlimited access to their systems. My father would bring the synthesizer to the railway station in the evening after my job, Thereafter we would head to NCST and I would spend some hours there. Most of the sundays I would spend there. After being sufficiently proficient with it, I bought my own system. It was a 16 bit PC with 512 KB RAM running at 10 mhz with 2 5 1/4 floppy drives of 360 KB each. No hard disk at all. Years later I bought a 20 MB hard disk. I kept this system going until 96 when I got transfered to Bangalore. Honestly, this system was very fast compared to the resources we drive now. I came across very interesting gears. When we started computer classes at BGFI, we were gifted with an Apple system No access technology of course, It had a built in Basic interpretor it was connected to the Black and White TV as a monitor. I had got a very novel screen reader which did not drive a speech synthesizer. Its output was in Morse code using PC's speaker. The lowest speed it could go to was 10 WPM. This too was fast for me. A friend of mine brought the speed down to 5 WPM using reverse engineering and working on a binary file. My college friend gave me a lap top, it turned out it had only wordprocessing capability and no possibility to run a screen reader. I returned it to her not finding use for it. Arround early 90's I learnt somebody had developed a speech synthesizer at Bangalore, primarily for defense use. When I tested it, I found It to be unsuitable for screen reader. Later, I got yet another information someone else had developed a speech synthesizer. I somehow felt this is the right place and I took a train for Bangalore. I went to Advanced electronics I was greeted by Kashinathan he showed me the
[AI] Laptop commands, please...
Hi folks ! Still struggling with the laptop. Can you pl help me out with commands for reading the status bar, spelling the current word etc ? The hardware and software involved are HP laptop running Win XP and Jaws 8.x. Thanks and rgds RS M: 098 472 76 126 To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
