Contributed by John J. Herzog
One of the Android apps that blind and visually impaired users especially enjoy is WalkyTalky by the Eyes-Free Project. When the app is on, users hear street addresses as they walk past buildings and houses. If the phone has a good internal GPS receiver, this app makes independent travel much easier, but if the device has a buggy internal receiver, as is the case with the Samsung Epic, feedback is nonexistent or obviously inaccurate.
For users who are not hearing spoken feedback or reliable information from WalkyTalky and other navigation apps, I highly recommend the use of an external Bluetooth receiver with an app called Bluetooth GPS Provider by mobile-j.de. This combination of hardware and software greatly increases the accuracy of the GPS and even, as in my case, the amount of auditory feedback delivered.
Bluetooth GPS receivers are available through eBay and electronics stores like Radio Shack and Best Buy. I have the Holux m 1000. Other members of the Eyes-Free users list recommend the i-Blue 737 and the Qstarz 818, which have a newer chip set and reportedly get you within 10 feet of a location. Whichever device you choose, be sure to read the manufacturer's documentation for instructions on operation and maintenance.
To use the external receiver with your phone, do the following:
1. Install Bluetooth GPS Provider by mobile-j.de from the Android Market. Note that the first time you run the app, you may not hear any speech. I had to press the back button to open the main screen.
2. Pair your Bluetooth receiver with your phone through Settings/Wireless and Network.
3. Start the Bluetooth GPS Provider application. The main screen presents three options: Start, Stop, and Choose Receiver.
4. Click on Choose Receiver In Provider, then scroll to and click on the Bluetooth device you paired with your phone.
5. Click the Start button in Provider. If you get a message about allowing mock locations, do that. The app opened the appropriate option in my phone's settings so I was able to check the item. If you have to allow mock locations manually, go into Settings/Applications/Development.
6. Hit Home on the phone. Don't hit Back, or you quit Provider and turn off any feedback.
7. Launch WalkyTalky from the home screen. I heard the address of the house I was near almost as soon as I turned it on.
8. Enable internal GPS if prompted. WalkyTalky may nag you to turn on internal GPS. If you leave the Destination field blank, this does not happen, so you can just use WalkyTalky with your Bluetooth GPS and Provider; however, if you enter a destination, WalkyTalky prompts you to turn on your internal GPS for route information. Don't worry, the external receiver is the one that actually provides the data to your phone. The prompt for turning on internal GPS is a glitch in WalkyTalky.
9. Quit WalkyTalky when you're done.
10. Turn off Bluetooth GPS Provider.
11. Go into the Bluetooth GPS application and hit the Stop button. This prevents Talkback from repeating that there is a bluetooth gps problem when you turn off your receiver.
That's all there is to it. If you're having trouble using WalkyTalky and other GPS apps, it may be that the GPS receiver in your phone is the problem. That is the case for me, and though keeping and charging an external device is yet another thing to remember, using a Bluetooth receiver with a simple Market app is easy and preferable to inaccurate or missing voice guidance.
Showing posts with label Apps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Apps. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
How do I work around the accessibility issues in Touchwiz with Android 2.2?
Contributed by John J. Herzog
Unfortunately, the upgrade to Android 2.2 has broken many accessible applications and features of the Samsung Epic. This is largely due to the Touchwiz user interface (UI), which is responsible for modifying key apps. After using my phone for a couple of days, I have found issues with Messaging, Call Log, Contacts, Caller ID, music player, GPS, my user defined home screen, and the My Apps area of the Market. Other apps may be affected as well. In this post, I explain the accessibility drawbacks in each of these key apps and describe workarounds to help you get a useable phone.
Messaging on the Epic with 2.2
Problem:
In the stock text messaging app, it is hard to send a message to a person when there is no pre-existing conversation. When you open the app, you are placed in an edit box, and Talkback says, "to," to indicate that this is where you enter a phone number or contact name. While you can still write in this box, you can no longer type the first few letters of a contact's name, then scroll down the list of available matches with the arrow keys. If you try, you get an error stating that you have entered an incorrect address, and that the recipients will not get your message. For me, a person with over fifty contacts in his phone, this bug is a showstopper.
solution:
Download an app called Go SMS by Go Dev Team. It is available from the Android Market and is free to use.
Go SMS is almost identical to the stock messaging app. There is an unlabeled button at the top of the screen; clicking on it allows you to compose a new message. The typing boxes have labels and work normally.
When you launch go sms, focus is in the box where you specify who the message will go to. In this case, you can type the first few letters and use your arrows to scroll through a list of matches. Just hit enter when you find the contact you want, and the text is filled into the message box.
After you finish filling in the recipient, hit the down arrow to get into the message body and type your text. This behaves appropriately as well. Then to send the message, hit the right arrow from here to move to an unlabeled button, which sends the message as it does in the stock messaging app.
Other areas of Go SMS also behave similarly to the stock messaging app. For instance, when you launch Go SMS and use your arrows, you can browse through your conversations with friends. Clicking on a conversation allows you to either send a message to that person or reread all of the prior messages in the thread. There are no unusual quirks here.
Note: If you open the Go SMS from a status bar notification, the New Text Message alert does not clear automatically. To clear it, you must either go into the stock messenger or clear the notification manually from the status bar.
Call log on the Epic with 2.2
Problem:
The stock call log is largely inaccessible. Whenever you click on the call log, you are presented with a list of items that does not speak to you. You can hear a click every time you move, but you do not get any information about who called you, what time the call took place, and so on.
But if you hit enter on any of the items that do not speak, Talkback announces the number for that call log entry, and you are placed in a list of all calls made between you and the number in question. This is inconvenient for two reasons. First, you have to click on each item that does not speak to find out which call it refers to. Seconde, if you make many calls to a particular number, many of the items that do not speak take you back to the same list, so you have to move up and down the list of all calls ever made between you and that number, instead of having a quick overview of individual calls that you can read in sequence.
Solution:
Download an app called Go Contacts by Go Dev Team. It is available from the Android Market and is free to use. The application contains two components, which are both useful to have: Go Dialer and Go Contacts.
When you launch go dialer, you are placed in a list of calls. As you move down the list, Talkback announces each phone number. By pressing the menu key, you get to determine what types of calls are shown to you. For instance, I can click on the option that shows Missed Calls only. There are three other options: Incoming Calls, Outgoing Calls, and All Calls.
One drawback of this application is that it arranges your calls alphabetically. In other words, if you have a missed call from Bob Smith, it appears in the list before your missed call from Doug Jones. This is true even if Doug was the most recent missed call. This is really annoying but I cannot seem to find a way around it for the time being.
When you find a call you want to work with, you can short-press or long-press on the entry in the list. If you short-press enter, the phone dials the number so you can return the call. If you long press enter, you get several options. One is to delete this call from the call log. I choose this often so as not to forget who I called back and who I didn't. Other options are to add this caller to contacts or to create a new contact for the caller. All of these options are accessible and present no problems for Talkback.
While Go Dialer is helpful, you may run into a few accessibility snags. When first opening the app, be sure not to hit the up-arrow. This takes you out of your call log, and into a dialing area of the app. It contains the keys on the number pad, and you can move from button to button using the arrow keys. However, from this dialing screen, you cannot get back into your list of calls. To return to the call log, up-arrow to the top of the screen, and click on the Dial item, which is actually a tab, and should bring you back into your call log. If this fails, go back up to Dial, right-arrow once, then left-arrow again. If all else fails, just exit the app and restart it.
Note: If you open the Go Dialer call log from a status bar notification, the Missed Call alert does not clear automatically. To clear it, you must either go into the stock messenger or clear the notification manually from the status bar.
Contacts on the Epic with 2.2.
Problem:
It is not possible to add a new contact from the stock call log. The stock call log includes an option for adding an entry to contacts by hitting the menu key and choosing add to contacts. This places you in a list of your existing contacts. The next logical step is to arrow to a New Contact button, click it, and start an entry with the phone number from the call log. However, this is the step that is inaccessible as there is no New Contact button that can be reached with the arrow keys. Navigating above the contact list takes you to a search box, where you type the name of a contact you are looking for, and moving to the bottom of the list doesn't produce anything either. So your only real option is to add the number to an existing contact.
Solution:
Download an app called Go Contacts by Go Dev Team. It is available from the Android Market and is free to use. The application contains two components, which are both useful to have: Go Dialer and Go Contacts.
I usually access Go Contacts through Go Dialer because these apps work together. In Go Dialer, I arrow through the items in the call log. Calls associated with contacts are listed alphabetically, with other calls at the top of the list. When I find the phone number I want to add to contacts, I long press the enter key on it. I get a menu of options, including one for adding a new contact. I click on this option, and then edit the contact info as I did in the stock Contact app of 2.1. All the fields are labeled and behave appropriately with Talkback.
caller ID on the Epic in 2.2
Problem:
The option to have caller ID spoken is no longer available. Samsung has removed it. I consider this one of the most annoying accessibility regressions of the Epic. Previously, I could have the Epic announce the name of the caller in place of the ring tone itself.
Solution:
Download an app called Call Announcer by Codean software. It's available from the Android Market in both free and licensed versions; I'm using the free version.
After Call Announcer is installed, I simply go into the app, and check the setting Enable Callback Announcer. This lets the app speak the name of the caller over the ringtone. A quieter ringtone works better; otherwise, the voice may be drowned out by the tone itself. I use the system default which is called Luminescence. Note that, if you put the ringtone to silent, the free version of Call Announcer does not speak the caller ID information.
Music Player on the Epic with 2.2
Problem
In the stock music player, you can scroll through a list of sound files and click on individual items, but you cannot control playback once the music starts. When playback begins, focus moves to a screen with unlabeled buttons. You can find out what some of them do by clicking on them, but this method of trial and error isn't completely helpful since some buttons take you out of the screen and none seems to stop the current song from playing. I was able to stop playback only by using the task manager to kill the app. Also, in the window that is shown while a song is played, the seek control does not respond to the left and right arrow keys, so you cannot rewind or fast-forward within a song.
Solution
Download an app called Android Music by JRTStudio. It is available from the Android Market and is free to use. According to the app description, it is identical to the stock Gingerbread music player.
The app opens on a song list. Arrowing up and down moves focus through the items in that list. Arrowing left and right moves focus to the Artist, Album, Song, and Play List tabs, from which you can also arrow up and down. Clicking on a title plays the song, and all the buttons on the play screen are labeled.
Internal GPS on the Epic with 2.2.
Problem:
The internal receiver continues to have problems getting a fix on satellites. For example, when using Walkytalky with the Epic's internal GPS, Walkytalky does not announce the addresses you are passing by, and it does not alert you to upcoming turns, as the GPS accuracy can be off by 3 to 4 meters and usually more.
Solution:
Use an external GPS receiver with an app called Bluetooth GPS Provider by mobile-j.de. It is yet another replacement app available from the Android Market and is free to use.
By default, android phones do not let you connect with bluetooth gps receivers. Here is a brief overview of the steps needed to run bluetooth gps provider with the Epic. For more detailed information, refer to the post on using GPS receivers with Android phones:
1. Install Bluetooth GPS Provider from the market.
2. Do not start the app yet.
3. Go into Settings, Applications, then Development. Check the Allow Mock Locations box, and press Back several times to exit Settings.
4. Click on Bluetooth GPS Provider to start the app. Be sure that your receiver is on, and select it from within the app. In the future, you can just open Bluetooth GPS Provider, and click Start. Once the Start button has been pressed, do not click the Back button; if you do, you close the application. Instead, hit the home button to move to your home screen, then to Walkytalky, leaving Bluetooth GPS Provider running in the background. Walkytalky now gives you appropriate information as you use it.
5. Turn off Bluetooth GPS Provider when finished. Go into the Bluetooth GPS application and hit the Stop button. This will prevent Talkback from repeating that there is a bluetooth gps problem when you turn off your receiver.
User Defined Home Screen on the Epic with 2.2
Problem:
You can set the eyes-Free Shell as your default, but the phone keeps going back to TW Launcher, which is part of Touchwiz. This, however, doesn't happen with Mobile Accessibility. I follow the steps to set Eyes Free Shell as the default home screen, but when I restart the phone or when I long-press Back, TW Launcher opens, and pressing the Home button doesn't open the Eyes Free Shell. I have to go through the process of setting the Eyes Free Shell as my default again.
Solution:
Download an app called HomeSmack by TeslaCoil Software. It is available from the Android Market and is free to use.
Unfortunately, there is no fix beyond telling the phone you want the Eyes-Free Shell to be the default home screen. What HomeSmack does is offer an easy way to change the default home screen, letting me reestablish which one I want to use without my having to dig through the settings. Nevertheless, my Epic insists on defaulting to TW, and nothing I do changes that.
My Apps Area of the Market on the Epic with 2.2
Problem
It's not possible to access the My Apps area in Market, using the keyboard. When you open the Market app and press Menu, My Apps is one of the available options. Pressing the physical enter key on this option returns focus to the list of apps on the Market main screen; it does not open the My Apps list. Since the Epic doesn't also have a selector, there is no alternative hardware key to activate My Apps, and the soft d-pad of the Talkback keyboard isn't available because My Apps appears on a menu screen.
Solution
There is no alternative app for this problem. The solution is to guess where the option is on the screen and tap it with your finger.
The menu options (Search, My Apps, Settings, and Help) appear across the bottom of the screen. Whenever the physical keyboard is open, the phone is in landscape orientation, so these options are on the screen above the number row.
To find My apps, touch the number 5 or 6 on the physical keyboard; then slide your finger directly on to the screen from there. I'm not at 100 percent, but I find it most of the time.
conclusion:
The Samsung Epic with 2.1 was a fine choice for a screen reader user. Since its upgrade to froyo (2.2), I no longer recommend it to a blind user. Many of the critical apps do not work well with Talkback or Spiel. Messaging, managing your call log, adding contacts, checking caller ID, listening to music, using GPS, maintaining the user defined home screen, and accessing My Apps in Android Market are all near impossible without replacement apps from the market. Furthermore, if you use alternative applications to read texts and respond to missed calls, the system notifications alerting you of these events do not clear automatically. If you really must have an Epic, be sure you are a user who is comfortable using the android market to find and install apps; otherwise, I recommend either Mobile Accessibility from Code Factory or a different phone altogether.
Unfortunately, the upgrade to Android 2.2 has broken many accessible applications and features of the Samsung Epic. This is largely due to the Touchwiz user interface (UI), which is responsible for modifying key apps. After using my phone for a couple of days, I have found issues with Messaging, Call Log, Contacts, Caller ID, music player, GPS, my user defined home screen, and the My Apps area of the Market. Other apps may be affected as well. In this post, I explain the accessibility drawbacks in each of these key apps and describe workarounds to help you get a useable phone.
Messaging on the Epic with 2.2
Problem:In the stock text messaging app, it is hard to send a message to a person when there is no pre-existing conversation. When you open the app, you are placed in an edit box, and Talkback says, "to," to indicate that this is where you enter a phone number or contact name. While you can still write in this box, you can no longer type the first few letters of a contact's name, then scroll down the list of available matches with the arrow keys. If you try, you get an error stating that you have entered an incorrect address, and that the recipients will not get your message. For me, a person with over fifty contacts in his phone, this bug is a showstopper.
solution:
Download an app called Go SMS by Go Dev Team. It is available from the Android Market and is free to use.
Go SMS is almost identical to the stock messaging app. There is an unlabeled button at the top of the screen; clicking on it allows you to compose a new message. The typing boxes have labels and work normally.
When you launch go sms, focus is in the box where you specify who the message will go to. In this case, you can type the first few letters and use your arrows to scroll through a list of matches. Just hit enter when you find the contact you want, and the text is filled into the message box.
After you finish filling in the recipient, hit the down arrow to get into the message body and type your text. This behaves appropriately as well. Then to send the message, hit the right arrow from here to move to an unlabeled button, which sends the message as it does in the stock messaging app.
Other areas of Go SMS also behave similarly to the stock messaging app. For instance, when you launch Go SMS and use your arrows, you can browse through your conversations with friends. Clicking on a conversation allows you to either send a message to that person or reread all of the prior messages in the thread. There are no unusual quirks here.
Note: If you open the Go SMS from a status bar notification, the New Text Message alert does not clear automatically. To clear it, you must either go into the stock messenger or clear the notification manually from the status bar.
Call log on the Epic with 2.2
Problem:The stock call log is largely inaccessible. Whenever you click on the call log, you are presented with a list of items that does not speak to you. You can hear a click every time you move, but you do not get any information about who called you, what time the call took place, and so on.
But if you hit enter on any of the items that do not speak, Talkback announces the number for that call log entry, and you are placed in a list of all calls made between you and the number in question. This is inconvenient for two reasons. First, you have to click on each item that does not speak to find out which call it refers to. Seconde, if you make many calls to a particular number, many of the items that do not speak take you back to the same list, so you have to move up and down the list of all calls ever made between you and that number, instead of having a quick overview of individual calls that you can read in sequence.
Solution:
Download an app called Go Contacts by Go Dev Team. It is available from the Android Market and is free to use. The application contains two components, which are both useful to have: Go Dialer and Go Contacts.
When you launch go dialer, you are placed in a list of calls. As you move down the list, Talkback announces each phone number. By pressing the menu key, you get to determine what types of calls are shown to you. For instance, I can click on the option that shows Missed Calls only. There are three other options: Incoming Calls, Outgoing Calls, and All Calls.
One drawback of this application is that it arranges your calls alphabetically. In other words, if you have a missed call from Bob Smith, it appears in the list before your missed call from Doug Jones. This is true even if Doug was the most recent missed call. This is really annoying but I cannot seem to find a way around it for the time being.
When you find a call you want to work with, you can short-press or long-press on the entry in the list. If you short-press enter, the phone dials the number so you can return the call. If you long press enter, you get several options. One is to delete this call from the call log. I choose this often so as not to forget who I called back and who I didn't. Other options are to add this caller to contacts or to create a new contact for the caller. All of these options are accessible and present no problems for Talkback.
While Go Dialer is helpful, you may run into a few accessibility snags. When first opening the app, be sure not to hit the up-arrow. This takes you out of your call log, and into a dialing area of the app. It contains the keys on the number pad, and you can move from button to button using the arrow keys. However, from this dialing screen, you cannot get back into your list of calls. To return to the call log, up-arrow to the top of the screen, and click on the Dial item, which is actually a tab, and should bring you back into your call log. If this fails, go back up to Dial, right-arrow once, then left-arrow again. If all else fails, just exit the app and restart it.
Note: If you open the Go Dialer call log from a status bar notification, the Missed Call alert does not clear automatically. To clear it, you must either go into the stock messenger or clear the notification manually from the status bar.
Contacts on the Epic with 2.2.
Problem:It is not possible to add a new contact from the stock call log. The stock call log includes an option for adding an entry to contacts by hitting the menu key and choosing add to contacts. This places you in a list of your existing contacts. The next logical step is to arrow to a New Contact button, click it, and start an entry with the phone number from the call log. However, this is the step that is inaccessible as there is no New Contact button that can be reached with the arrow keys. Navigating above the contact list takes you to a search box, where you type the name of a contact you are looking for, and moving to the bottom of the list doesn't produce anything either. So your only real option is to add the number to an existing contact.
Solution:
Download an app called Go Contacts by Go Dev Team. It is available from the Android Market and is free to use. The application contains two components, which are both useful to have: Go Dialer and Go Contacts.
I usually access Go Contacts through Go Dialer because these apps work together. In Go Dialer, I arrow through the items in the call log. Calls associated with contacts are listed alphabetically, with other calls at the top of the list. When I find the phone number I want to add to contacts, I long press the enter key on it. I get a menu of options, including one for adding a new contact. I click on this option, and then edit the contact info as I did in the stock Contact app of 2.1. All the fields are labeled and behave appropriately with Talkback.
caller ID on the Epic in 2.2
Problem:The option to have caller ID spoken is no longer available. Samsung has removed it. I consider this one of the most annoying accessibility regressions of the Epic. Previously, I could have the Epic announce the name of the caller in place of the ring tone itself.
Solution:
Download an app called Call Announcer by Codean software. It's available from the Android Market in both free and licensed versions; I'm using the free version.
After Call Announcer is installed, I simply go into the app, and check the setting Enable Callback Announcer. This lets the app speak the name of the caller over the ringtone. A quieter ringtone works better; otherwise, the voice may be drowned out by the tone itself. I use the system default which is called Luminescence. Note that, if you put the ringtone to silent, the free version of Call Announcer does not speak the caller ID information.
Music Player on the Epic with 2.2
ProblemIn the stock music player, you can scroll through a list of sound files and click on individual items, but you cannot control playback once the music starts. When playback begins, focus moves to a screen with unlabeled buttons. You can find out what some of them do by clicking on them, but this method of trial and error isn't completely helpful since some buttons take you out of the screen and none seems to stop the current song from playing. I was able to stop playback only by using the task manager to kill the app. Also, in the window that is shown while a song is played, the seek control does not respond to the left and right arrow keys, so you cannot rewind or fast-forward within a song.
Solution
Download an app called Android Music by JRTStudio. It is available from the Android Market and is free to use. According to the app description, it is identical to the stock Gingerbread music player.
The app opens on a song list. Arrowing up and down moves focus through the items in that list. Arrowing left and right moves focus to the Artist, Album, Song, and Play List tabs, from which you can also arrow up and down. Clicking on a title plays the song, and all the buttons on the play screen are labeled.
Internal GPS on the Epic with 2.2.
Problem:The internal receiver continues to have problems getting a fix on satellites. For example, when using Walkytalky with the Epic's internal GPS, Walkytalky does not announce the addresses you are passing by, and it does not alert you to upcoming turns, as the GPS accuracy can be off by 3 to 4 meters and usually more.
Solution:
Use an external GPS receiver with an app called Bluetooth GPS Provider by mobile-j.de. It is yet another replacement app available from the Android Market and is free to use.
By default, android phones do not let you connect with bluetooth gps receivers. Here is a brief overview of the steps needed to run bluetooth gps provider with the Epic. For more detailed information, refer to the post on using GPS receivers with Android phones:
1. Install Bluetooth GPS Provider from the market.
2. Do not start the app yet.
3. Go into Settings, Applications, then Development. Check the Allow Mock Locations box, and press Back several times to exit Settings.
4. Click on Bluetooth GPS Provider to start the app. Be sure that your receiver is on, and select it from within the app. In the future, you can just open Bluetooth GPS Provider, and click Start. Once the Start button has been pressed, do not click the Back button; if you do, you close the application. Instead, hit the home button to move to your home screen, then to Walkytalky, leaving Bluetooth GPS Provider running in the background. Walkytalky now gives you appropriate information as you use it.
5. Turn off Bluetooth GPS Provider when finished. Go into the Bluetooth GPS application and hit the Stop button. This will prevent Talkback from repeating that there is a bluetooth gps problem when you turn off your receiver.
User Defined Home Screen on the Epic with 2.2
Problem:You can set the eyes-Free Shell as your default, but the phone keeps going back to TW Launcher, which is part of Touchwiz. This, however, doesn't happen with Mobile Accessibility. I follow the steps to set Eyes Free Shell as the default home screen, but when I restart the phone or when I long-press Back, TW Launcher opens, and pressing the Home button doesn't open the Eyes Free Shell. I have to go through the process of setting the Eyes Free Shell as my default again.
Solution:
Download an app called HomeSmack by TeslaCoil Software. It is available from the Android Market and is free to use.
Unfortunately, there is no fix beyond telling the phone you want the Eyes-Free Shell to be the default home screen. What HomeSmack does is offer an easy way to change the default home screen, letting me reestablish which one I want to use without my having to dig through the settings. Nevertheless, my Epic insists on defaulting to TW, and nothing I do changes that.
My Apps Area of the Market on the Epic with 2.2
ProblemIt's not possible to access the My Apps area in Market, using the keyboard. When you open the Market app and press Menu, My Apps is one of the available options. Pressing the physical enter key on this option returns focus to the list of apps on the Market main screen; it does not open the My Apps list. Since the Epic doesn't also have a selector, there is no alternative hardware key to activate My Apps, and the soft d-pad of the Talkback keyboard isn't available because My Apps appears on a menu screen.
Solution
There is no alternative app for this problem. The solution is to guess where the option is on the screen and tap it with your finger.
The menu options (Search, My Apps, Settings, and Help) appear across the bottom of the screen. Whenever the physical keyboard is open, the phone is in landscape orientation, so these options are on the screen above the number row.
To find My apps, touch the number 5 or 6 on the physical keyboard; then slide your finger directly on to the screen from there. I'm not at 100 percent, but I find it most of the time.
conclusion:
The Samsung Epic with 2.1 was a fine choice for a screen reader user. Since its upgrade to froyo (2.2), I no longer recommend it to a blind user. Many of the critical apps do not work well with Talkback or Spiel. Messaging, managing your call log, adding contacts, checking caller ID, listening to music, using GPS, maintaining the user defined home screen, and accessing My Apps in Android Market are all near impossible without replacement apps from the market. Furthermore, if you use alternative applications to read texts and respond to missed calls, the system notifications alerting you of these events do not clear automatically. If you really must have an Epic, be sure you are a user who is comfortable using the android market to find and install apps; otherwise, I recommend either Mobile Accessibility from Code Factory or a different phone altogether.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
How do I listen to Kindle books on my Android Phone?
Contributed by Fenton Smith
I explain here how blind people can remove the DRM from Kindle books for use on Android and other devices. These instructions are permitted only for personal use so that people with disabilities can have the same level of access to ebooks as is already available to the sighted.
Certain legal ramifications should be kept in mind. While the Department of Justice has said that it will take no action against those who break DRM to make file content accessible to people with disabilities, the DOJ has also said that it will take legal action if people sell, give away or loan such files outside their immediate households. Also, carelessness with respect to the rights of authors and publishers may cause the DOJ to rethink its stand and Amazon to plug this hole in its DRM.
Given all of this, I recommend against doing the work for other blind people, even if they buy the original source from Amazon. Instead, I suggest pointing them to tutorials like this one, which describe the tools and procedure for setting up an environment that allows them to make their purchases accessible for themselves.
Gathering the Tools
A number of tools are needed to support this process or help set up the environment. All are listed at the end of this article along with links to sources, and all are free.
The first item is the EBook DRM removal Kit.
This is a Torrent file. I used BitTorrent for the download. The file contains zip and rar files. Both can be unpacked by 7zip.
The file is a set of instructions, Python scripts and related executables for removing the DRM from Kindle and other file types. The basic DRM removal doesn't require a python interpreter, but the scripts for topaz file handling do require python 2.6 or 2.7.
The second item is the Kindle for PC with accessibility plugin from Amazon. The K4PC gives you access to the files you purchase and brings them to your PC. The files will appear in your “My Kindle Content” directory, which is created during installation, and they will have an .azw (Amazon.com wrapper) extension.
Note that this version of Kindle for PC requires that you have a screen reader installed. The Amazon page describing this version of K4PC includes a list of shortcuts for the accessible Kindle Application and a list of screen readers known to work with it. If you are using a screen reader that is not listed, download the program, install it, and check to find out if it works anyway. If it doesn’t, contact Amazon to tell them which one you are using and request that they add it to the list of compatible screen readers.
The third item is Calibre, a set of tools for translating ebooks from one format to another.
Note that the torrent does contain the installation executable for Kindle for PC, but that version is not accessible. Instead, use the special version directly from Amazon.
Removing the DRM from the File
The DRM remover package documents several methods for using the programs and scripts it contains. The one I chose is this:
1. Create a special SKindle directory on the hard drive, where the My Kindle Content directory is also located. This is usually the system drive c:. I created the SKindle directory on my c:\ drive, but you can put it anywhere else on the drive.
2. Create two sub directories in the SKindle directory. Their names are Input and Output.
3. Into the SKindle directory, copy LZSkindle4PCv1_1.exe and skindle.exe, each of which is found in different subdirectories of the Torrent.
4. copy the .azw file from your “My Kindle Content” directory into the input directory in SKindle and execute LZSkindle4PCv1_1.exe. This is the step that actually removes the DRM from the Kindle book.
Three outcomes are possible:
• No conversion is done since the file is an unencrypted mobi file. The file remains in the input directory.
• The file is converted, the version without DRM appearing in the output subdirectory.
• The file version without DRM appears in the output file with a changed extension.
The goal is the first or second option. The third is a problem as it represents the case of a topaz ebook. The set of scripts do include python scripts for dealing with topaz books, but the results are said to be unsatisfactory. Since most Amazon books are mobi, I'll leave the handling of topaz books until I need to attempt to read one.
Note: While the DRM removal tools were running, I noticed that K4PC uses both the user account name on the PC and the serial number of the disk drive as part of the encryption. That means these scripts will work only if you log onto your computer using the same user account (login name)that was used when the book was downloaded from Amazon and that the SKindle directory must be on the same physical drive as the “My Kindle Content” directory.
Converting the Kindle File to Epub
Now that you have a mobi book with no encryption in either the input or the output subdirectory, you need to convert it into an ePub for use on your Android or other reading device. Use Calibre to do this. The steps are as follows:
1. Create a directory named Calibre in the root directory of the drive that contains the SKindle and “My Kindle Content” directories.
2. Copy the .azw file with the DRM removed into the Calibre directory.
3. Use the notepad or your favorite text editor to create the following batch file:
Note that these are separate commands and should appear on different lines of the batch file. Also note that the assumption here is that the “My Kindle Content” directory will be on the C drive. This is the normal case, but advanced users can move it to another drive, in which case, the drive letter in the following needs to be changed.
cd c:\calibre\
ebook-convert "[book name].azw" .epub
Exit
4. Save this file as Calibre.bat in the Calibre directory.
5. If you need to edit the batch file, either open Notepad directly and use the file menu to open, or right click on the batch file name in Windows Explorer and select Edit from the context menu.
6. Execute the file by left clicking on the batch file name in Windows Explorer.
Notes:
• In this tutorial, when a modified command line is specified, the idea is that you modify the line in the batch file. Running the command line outside its’ normal context does not produce the desired result.
• The phrase “[book name]” and the brackets around it should be replaced with the base name (the file name without the extension)of the Kindle book you want to process. In other words, before running the batch file, you need to substitute "[book name]" with the actual name of the book so the line reads something like this:
ebook-convert "Dracula.azw" .epub
Dividing the Book into Chapters
While Calibre normally correctly identifies chapter headings, there may be instances in which it fails to do so or in which the book has no identifiable chapter headings. If this is the case, you can do a little extra work to add them yourself, converting the file to .rtf and using Word to insert chapter breaks:
1. Use the notepad to open the Calibre.bat file and change the output file type in the second line from epub to .rtf so that it reads:
ebook-convert "[book name].azw" .rtf
2. Save the modified batch file.
3. Execute Calibre.bat by doing a left click on the file name in the Windows Explorer.
4. Open the resulting document in word and either mark chapters or insert headings every 10 to 15 pages.
a. To find existing chapters, use Find (ctrl+f) to locate the word "chapter" or some other word or character that seems unique to chapter headings in the book.
b. To insert arbitrary chapter breaks, Use Edit/GoTo (or ctrl+g) and enter a page number about 10 to 15 pages ahead of your current position, do a skim of the area where you land to find a suitable point for a chapter break, and insert text like "Chapter ##."
c. Once the existing chapter has been found or an arbitrary break has been inserted, highlight the title text and press alt+ctrl+1 to make it a heading at level 1 . Then repeat the process throughout the book. Note that pressing alt+ctrl+1 to alt+ctrl+6 turns highlighted text into a heading at levels 1 through 6.
5. Use the caliber batch file to convert the modified rtf file back into an epub after all chapter breaks have been marked or inserted.
a. Open the caliber.bat file with the notepad or right click the file name in the Windows Explorer and select “edit.”
b. Alter the second line to read:
ebook-convert "[book name].rtf" .epub
c. Save the batch file and exit notepad.
6. Left click on the caliber.bat file in Windows Explorer to run the batch file, resulting in a conversion of the file from rtf format to an epub book.
Moving the Converted File to the Phone
Now that the DRM has been removed and the book is an ordinary ePub file, the only step left is to copy it to the phone's SD card. The usual procedure is to connect the phone to the PC with the USB cable provided, mount the SD card/turn on USB Mass Storage Mode, and copy the files from the computer to the SD card. If a reader is already installed on the phone, a directory named Books is on the root of the SD card. That is the directory where ePub files are to be copied. Once the ebook is in that folder, you are ready to enjoy your book with an accessible reader like Moon Reader+ Pro.
Trying an Alternate Method
Notice that Calibre was used for three different processes, altering the associated batch file for each specific process. Another approach is to create three batch files, one for each purpose. That is, the batch files would have names like “Amazon-epub.bat,” “amazon-rtf.bat,” and “rtf-epub.bat.”
Another simplification is to always use the same file name for every book processed. Thus, you would always use the file name “book” with the appropriate extension in each of the batch files. The following outlines such a process:
• Copy the desired book from “My Kindle Content” to SKindle/input.
• Run LZSkindle4PCv1 to remove the DRM.
• Copy the file from either SKindle\output or SKindle\Input, depending on the case, into c:\calibre.
• Change the file name to “book.azw” in the c:\calibre directory. You can edit file names in the Windows Explorer by hitting the F2 key while the file name is selected and then type a new name.
• Use the base name “book” in all subsequent processing.
• When the epub is finished, change its name from “book.epub” to reflect the content (e.g., “Margaret Mitchell, Gone With the Wind.epub”).
This modified approach lets you perform the needed processing on many books without needing to modify the batch scripts for each book.
To summarize, blind and visually impaired users can legally remove DRM from Kindle files to access the content as long as they do so for their own personal use. The actual file conversion process is easy and straight forward. The hard part is finding information on removing the DRM. It's available on the web for people without disabilities, but it's scarcer when the tool set to complete the process needs to be accessible too. It took me a good deal of research to find a tool set that works for blind people. I am sharing what I've found with other Android users to keep them from reinventing the wheel.
Now that I can access them, I'm looking forward to Kindle books. My first choice for reading material is still Bookshare, but due to the time it takes me to download from BARD (an hour or more at my download speed), my second choice will probably be Amazon via my Android.
Tool sources
The following are referred to in this tutorial. Hyperlinks have been included in the text for your convenience, but URLs are listed here in case you wish to keep them in your records.
BitTorrent
Source: www.bittorrent.com/btusers/download
7zip
Source: www.7-zip.org/
DRM remover
Source: www.demonoid.me/files/details/2483622/004261412868/
Python
Source: www.python.org/getit/
Calibre
Source: calibre-ebook.com/download
Kindle for PC with Accessibility Plugin
Source: www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000632481
Accessible Kindle for PC shortcuts list
Source: www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_pcaccess_accessshortcuts?nodeId=200608290&pop-up=1
I explain here how blind people can remove the DRM from Kindle books for use on Android and other devices. These instructions are permitted only for personal use so that people with disabilities can have the same level of access to ebooks as is already available to the sighted.
Certain legal ramifications should be kept in mind. While the Department of Justice has said that it will take no action against those who break DRM to make file content accessible to people with disabilities, the DOJ has also said that it will take legal action if people sell, give away or loan such files outside their immediate households. Also, carelessness with respect to the rights of authors and publishers may cause the DOJ to rethink its stand and Amazon to plug this hole in its DRM.
Given all of this, I recommend against doing the work for other blind people, even if they buy the original source from Amazon. Instead, I suggest pointing them to tutorials like this one, which describe the tools and procedure for setting up an environment that allows them to make their purchases accessible for themselves.
Gathering the Tools
A number of tools are needed to support this process or help set up the environment. All are listed at the end of this article along with links to sources, and all are free.The first item is the EBook DRM removal Kit.
This is a Torrent file. I used BitTorrent for the download. The file contains zip and rar files. Both can be unpacked by 7zip.
The file is a set of instructions, Python scripts and related executables for removing the DRM from Kindle and other file types. The basic DRM removal doesn't require a python interpreter, but the scripts for topaz file handling do require python 2.6 or 2.7.
The second item is the Kindle for PC with accessibility plugin from Amazon. The K4PC gives you access to the files you purchase and brings them to your PC. The files will appear in your “My Kindle Content” directory, which is created during installation, and they will have an .azw (Amazon.com wrapper) extension.
Note that this version of Kindle for PC requires that you have a screen reader installed. The Amazon page describing this version of K4PC includes a list of shortcuts for the accessible Kindle Application and a list of screen readers known to work with it. If you are using a screen reader that is not listed, download the program, install it, and check to find out if it works anyway. If it doesn’t, contact Amazon to tell them which one you are using and request that they add it to the list of compatible screen readers.
The third item is Calibre, a set of tools for translating ebooks from one format to another.
Note that the torrent does contain the installation executable for Kindle for PC, but that version is not accessible. Instead, use the special version directly from Amazon.
Removing the DRM from the File
The DRM remover package documents several methods for using the programs and scripts it contains. The one I chose is this:1. Create a special SKindle directory on the hard drive, where the My Kindle Content directory is also located. This is usually the system drive c:. I created the SKindle directory on my c:\ drive, but you can put it anywhere else on the drive.
2. Create two sub directories in the SKindle directory. Their names are Input and Output.
3. Into the SKindle directory, copy LZSkindle4PCv1_1.exe and skindle.exe, each of which is found in different subdirectories of the Torrent.
4. copy the .azw file from your “My Kindle Content” directory into the input directory in SKindle and execute LZSkindle4PCv1_1.exe. This is the step that actually removes the DRM from the Kindle book.
Three outcomes are possible:
• No conversion is done since the file is an unencrypted mobi file. The file remains in the input directory.
• The file is converted, the version without DRM appearing in the output subdirectory.
• The file version without DRM appears in the output file with a changed extension.
The goal is the first or second option. The third is a problem as it represents the case of a topaz ebook. The set of scripts do include python scripts for dealing with topaz books, but the results are said to be unsatisfactory. Since most Amazon books are mobi, I'll leave the handling of topaz books until I need to attempt to read one.
Note: While the DRM removal tools were running, I noticed that K4PC uses both the user account name on the PC and the serial number of the disk drive as part of the encryption. That means these scripts will work only if you log onto your computer using the same user account (login name)that was used when the book was downloaded from Amazon and that the SKindle directory must be on the same physical drive as the “My Kindle Content” directory.
Converting the Kindle File to Epub
Now that you have a mobi book with no encryption in either the input or the output subdirectory, you need to convert it into an ePub for use on your Android or other reading device. Use Calibre to do this. The steps are as follows:1. Create a directory named Calibre in the root directory of the drive that contains the SKindle and “My Kindle Content” directories.
2. Copy the .azw file with the DRM removed into the Calibre directory.
3. Use the notepad or your favorite text editor to create the following batch file:
Note that these are separate commands and should appear on different lines of the batch file. Also note that the assumption here is that the “My Kindle Content” directory will be on the C drive. This is the normal case, but advanced users can move it to another drive, in which case, the drive letter in the following needs to be changed.
cd c:\calibre\
ebook-convert "[book name].azw" .epub
Exit
4. Save this file as Calibre.bat in the Calibre directory.
5. If you need to edit the batch file, either open Notepad directly and use the file menu to open, or right click on the batch file name in Windows Explorer and select Edit from the context menu.
6. Execute the file by left clicking on the batch file name in Windows Explorer.
Notes:
• In this tutorial, when a modified command line is specified, the idea is that you modify the line in the batch file. Running the command line outside its’ normal context does not produce the desired result.
• The phrase “[book name]” and the brackets around it should be replaced with the base name (the file name without the extension)of the Kindle book you want to process. In other words, before running the batch file, you need to substitute "[book name]" with the actual name of the book so the line reads something like this:
ebook-convert "Dracula.azw" .epub
Dividing the Book into Chapters
While Calibre normally correctly identifies chapter headings, there may be instances in which it fails to do so or in which the book has no identifiable chapter headings. If this is the case, you can do a little extra work to add them yourself, converting the file to .rtf and using Word to insert chapter breaks:1. Use the notepad to open the Calibre.bat file and change the output file type in the second line from epub to .rtf so that it reads:
ebook-convert "[book name].azw" .rtf
2. Save the modified batch file.
3. Execute Calibre.bat by doing a left click on the file name in the Windows Explorer.
4. Open the resulting document in word and either mark chapters or insert headings every 10 to 15 pages.
a. To find existing chapters, use Find (ctrl+f) to locate the word "chapter" or some other word or character that seems unique to chapter headings in the book.
b. To insert arbitrary chapter breaks, Use Edit/GoTo (or ctrl+g) and enter a page number about 10 to 15 pages ahead of your current position, do a skim of the area where you land to find a suitable point for a chapter break, and insert text like "Chapter ##."
c. Once the existing chapter has been found or an arbitrary break has been inserted, highlight the title text and press alt+ctrl+1 to make it a heading at level 1 . Then repeat the process throughout the book. Note that pressing alt+ctrl+1 to alt+ctrl+6 turns highlighted text into a heading at levels 1 through 6.
5. Use the caliber batch file to convert the modified rtf file back into an epub after all chapter breaks have been marked or inserted.
a. Open the caliber.bat file with the notepad or right click the file name in the Windows Explorer and select “edit.”
b. Alter the second line to read:
ebook-convert "[book name].rtf" .epub
c. Save the batch file and exit notepad.
6. Left click on the caliber.bat file in Windows Explorer to run the batch file, resulting in a conversion of the file from rtf format to an epub book.
Moving the Converted File to the Phone
Now that the DRM has been removed and the book is an ordinary ePub file, the only step left is to copy it to the phone's SD card. The usual procedure is to connect the phone to the PC with the USB cable provided, mount the SD card/turn on USB Mass Storage Mode, and copy the files from the computer to the SD card. If a reader is already installed on the phone, a directory named Books is on the root of the SD card. That is the directory where ePub files are to be copied. Once the ebook is in that folder, you are ready to enjoy your book with an accessible reader like Moon Reader+ Pro.Trying an Alternate Method
Notice that Calibre was used for three different processes, altering the associated batch file for each specific process. Another approach is to create three batch files, one for each purpose. That is, the batch files would have names like “Amazon-epub.bat,” “amazon-rtf.bat,” and “rtf-epub.bat.” Another simplification is to always use the same file name for every book processed. Thus, you would always use the file name “book” with the appropriate extension in each of the batch files. The following outlines such a process:
• Copy the desired book from “My Kindle Content” to SKindle/input.
• Run LZSkindle4PCv1 to remove the DRM.
• Copy the file from either SKindle\output or SKindle\Input, depending on the case, into c:\calibre.
• Change the file name to “book.azw” in the c:\calibre directory. You can edit file names in the Windows Explorer by hitting the F2 key while the file name is selected and then type a new name.
• Use the base name “book” in all subsequent processing.
• When the epub is finished, change its name from “book.epub” to reflect the content (e.g., “Margaret Mitchell, Gone With the Wind.epub”).
This modified approach lets you perform the needed processing on many books without needing to modify the batch scripts for each book.
To summarize, blind and visually impaired users can legally remove DRM from Kindle files to access the content as long as they do so for their own personal use. The actual file conversion process is easy and straight forward. The hard part is finding information on removing the DRM. It's available on the web for people without disabilities, but it's scarcer when the tool set to complete the process needs to be accessible too. It took me a good deal of research to find a tool set that works for blind people. I am sharing what I've found with other Android users to keep them from reinventing the wheel.
Now that I can access them, I'm looking forward to Kindle books. My first choice for reading material is still Bookshare, but due to the time it takes me to download from BARD (an hour or more at my download speed), my second choice will probably be Amazon via my Android.
Tool sources
The following are referred to in this tutorial. Hyperlinks have been included in the text for your convenience, but URLs are listed here in case you wish to keep them in your records.BitTorrent
Source: www.bittorrent.com/btusers/download
7zip
Source: www.7-zip.org/
DRM remover
Source: www.demonoid.me/files/details/2483622/004261412868/
Python
Source: www.python.org/getit/
Calibre
Source: calibre-ebook.com/download
Kindle for PC with Accessibility Plugin
Source: www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000632481
Accessible Kindle for PC shortcuts list
Source: www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_pcaccess_accessshortcuts?nodeId=200608290&pop-up=1
Monday, March 7, 2011
How do I tether my computer using PDAnet?
Contributed by John Herzog
PDAnet by June Fabrics Software is an application that enables you to tether your android phone to your computer. This is convenient when you need an internet connection as you are out and about. No rooting of the phone is required, and the app is both entirely accessible with Talkback and compatible with android 2.1 and 2.2.
I discuss using PDAnet with Windows. The Mac version does not appear to be accessible and I explain why later in this article.
Installing PDAnet
PDAnet involves some setup both on your phone and on the laptop or netbook you will be using.
First, install the app on your phone. To do this, use your handset to open the android market. In the search box, type "pdanet" without capitals or spaces. Scroll to PDAnet by June Fabrics software and install it as you would any other application.
Next, on your computer, go to the June Fabrics Software website and download PDAnet for your PC. There are two components to this program, and both are included in the installer. One of them enables your computer to surf the net, and the other is the PDAnet SMS agent. It is possible to send text messages from your computer when your phone is connected, but I cannot comment on whether the SMS agent is accessible or not because I have not used it.
Once setup has finished downloading, run it as you would any other windows program. The various screens, such as the license agreement, are pretty straight forward. There are, however, a couple of things to keep in mind as PDAnet is being installed onto the Windows machine:
1. Setup is going to ask you for your phone manufacturer. Make sure you choose the right one from the list, as all phones rely on different drivers. Installing the wrong one may leave you unable to use PDAnet, or may freeze the computer. If you have an older phone, you may have to find the USB drivers on the carrier or manufacturer website.
2. Setup may hang on the installing-USB-driver screen. If this happens, hit alt tab to check for additional screens. In my case, there was a security warning from Windows 7, saying that the driver was unsigned and therefore untrusted. I had to click Install Anyway for the setup process to continue. I also had to click a similar screen later in the setup process.
As installation progresses, the computer presents a screen with instructions for completing the USB driver setup. It tells you to unplug the phone from the computer if it is connected. It also instructs you to go into your phones settings and turn on USB Debugging mode. On the phone, this setting is found in Settings/Applications. Press the selector on USB Debugging and then again on ok when the phone warns that this option really shouldn't be turned on if you're not a developer. Plug the phone into your computer. After a while, the USB driver finishes installation, and PDAnet is ready to use.
I use NVDA as my screen reader. I knew setup was finished when it placed me in a read only field. I wasn't able to read anything in it, but an alt+F4 got me past that screen.
Using PDAnet:
Now that PDAnet is installed, fire it up and test the internet out. This is simple to do.
1. Connect the phone to the computer with the USB cable.
2. Make sure PDAnet is running on the computer, but don't click the connect icon in the system tray yet.
3. Launch the app on the phone. To do this, choose applications from the Eyes Free Shell, MA, or another home screen. hit p, and if necessary scroll to PDAnet. Open it by pressing the selector.
4. Check the phone to know what to do next.
a. The app may open on a screen with a few options. These include Start USB Tethering and Start Bluetooth DUN. You can connect either via bluetooth or USB to your computer for the tethering functionality. If this screen is the one that opens, select the option you want and hit enter to browse the web with firefox, internet explorer, or chrome.
b. Alternatively, the app may open on a screen showing two buttons. One of them is Stop PDAnet, and the other is unlabeled. I cannot comment on what the unlabeled button does. If this screen opens, you don't need to do anything else on the phone side, but you do have to click connect on the PC. To do this, go into the system tray. Arrow to PDAnet, press the Applications/Context key to pull up a list of options, and press enter on Connect to the Internet. If you are using windows 7, the network wizard asks questions at this point (e.g., type of network--home or public). After you get through the wizard, you should be able to browse the web with firefox, internet explorer, or chrome.
Note: I have not gotten the Bluetooth connection to work myself, so cannot comment on it.
Disconnecting PDAnet:
When you finish using the internet, disconnect your computer from it. I find that if I do not do so, my phone's battery goes down slightly, even though it is plugged into USB.
1. Start with the PC. Go back to your system tray, and find the PDAnet icon. Hit the applications key, and arrow to the Disconnect option, pressing Enter.
2. Next, on your phone, hit the Stop PDAnet button on the applications screen. If the phone has gone to sleep, you will have to unlock the screen first.
3. Finally, use Safely Remove on the PC to properly disconnect the phone.
Pointing out a Few Odds and Ends:
1. USB Debugging may need to be turned on and off if you want to use other features of your phone. I like to watch movies from my storage card, but the option to move files to and from the phone is not available with debugging turned on. To change this, I simply go into Settings/Applications, and uncheck the box that says allow USB tethering. Then I remember to turn this back on before using PDAnet again.
2. Sorry Mac users. PDAnet does not appear to be accessible. The program utilizes icons on the menu bar, similar to Sound Flower. Voiceover does not see the icons on the menu bar, and these must be clicked to connect to the internet. There does not appear to be a workaround, though I will admit that I have not played with the mac application thoroughly.
3. PDAnet is free, but there are limitations. To remove them, you must pay for a license. The most noteworthy limitation is that in the free version, you do not have access to secure web sites. These are addresses that start with https and require a login. The good news is that you get a 14 day trial of the unlocked program. This will help you decide whether you really want it or not. The licensing skeme is pretty liberal. You get a license for your phone, so you can install PDAnet on as many computers as you wish. As long as they are used with the same phone, your unlock code should work on multiple laptops, netbooks, etc.
I hope this information is helpful.
PDAnet by June Fabrics Software is an application that enables you to tether your android phone to your computer. This is convenient when you need an internet connection as you are out and about. No rooting of the phone is required, and the app is both entirely accessible with Talkback and compatible with android 2.1 and 2.2.
I discuss using PDAnet with Windows. The Mac version does not appear to be accessible and I explain why later in this article.
Installing PDAnet
PDAnet involves some setup both on your phone and on the laptop or netbook you will be using. First, install the app on your phone. To do this, use your handset to open the android market. In the search box, type "pdanet" without capitals or spaces. Scroll to PDAnet by June Fabrics software and install it as you would any other application.
Next, on your computer, go to the June Fabrics Software website and download PDAnet for your PC. There are two components to this program, and both are included in the installer. One of them enables your computer to surf the net, and the other is the PDAnet SMS agent. It is possible to send text messages from your computer when your phone is connected, but I cannot comment on whether the SMS agent is accessible or not because I have not used it.
Once setup has finished downloading, run it as you would any other windows program. The various screens, such as the license agreement, are pretty straight forward. There are, however, a couple of things to keep in mind as PDAnet is being installed onto the Windows machine:
1. Setup is going to ask you for your phone manufacturer. Make sure you choose the right one from the list, as all phones rely on different drivers. Installing the wrong one may leave you unable to use PDAnet, or may freeze the computer. If you have an older phone, you may have to find the USB drivers on the carrier or manufacturer website.
2. Setup may hang on the installing-USB-driver screen. If this happens, hit alt tab to check for additional screens. In my case, there was a security warning from Windows 7, saying that the driver was unsigned and therefore untrusted. I had to click Install Anyway for the setup process to continue. I also had to click a similar screen later in the setup process.
As installation progresses, the computer presents a screen with instructions for completing the USB driver setup. It tells you to unplug the phone from the computer if it is connected. It also instructs you to go into your phones settings and turn on USB Debugging mode. On the phone, this setting is found in Settings/Applications. Press the selector on USB Debugging and then again on ok when the phone warns that this option really shouldn't be turned on if you're not a developer. Plug the phone into your computer. After a while, the USB driver finishes installation, and PDAnet is ready to use.
I use NVDA as my screen reader. I knew setup was finished when it placed me in a read only field. I wasn't able to read anything in it, but an alt+F4 got me past that screen.
Using PDAnet:
Now that PDAnet is installed, fire it up and test the internet out. This is simple to do.1. Connect the phone to the computer with the USB cable.
2. Make sure PDAnet is running on the computer, but don't click the connect icon in the system tray yet.
3. Launch the app on the phone. To do this, choose applications from the Eyes Free Shell, MA, or another home screen. hit p, and if necessary scroll to PDAnet. Open it by pressing the selector.
4. Check the phone to know what to do next.
a. The app may open on a screen with a few options. These include Start USB Tethering and Start Bluetooth DUN. You can connect either via bluetooth or USB to your computer for the tethering functionality. If this screen is the one that opens, select the option you want and hit enter to browse the web with firefox, internet explorer, or chrome.
b. Alternatively, the app may open on a screen showing two buttons. One of them is Stop PDAnet, and the other is unlabeled. I cannot comment on what the unlabeled button does. If this screen opens, you don't need to do anything else on the phone side, but you do have to click connect on the PC. To do this, go into the system tray. Arrow to PDAnet, press the Applications/Context key to pull up a list of options, and press enter on Connect to the Internet. If you are using windows 7, the network wizard asks questions at this point (e.g., type of network--home or public). After you get through the wizard, you should be able to browse the web with firefox, internet explorer, or chrome.
Note: I have not gotten the Bluetooth connection to work myself, so cannot comment on it.
Disconnecting PDAnet:
When you finish using the internet, disconnect your computer from it. I find that if I do not do so, my phone's battery goes down slightly, even though it is plugged into USB. 1. Start with the PC. Go back to your system tray, and find the PDAnet icon. Hit the applications key, and arrow to the Disconnect option, pressing Enter.
2. Next, on your phone, hit the Stop PDAnet button on the applications screen. If the phone has gone to sleep, you will have to unlock the screen first.
3. Finally, use Safely Remove on the PC to properly disconnect the phone.
Pointing out a Few Odds and Ends:
1. USB Debugging may need to be turned on and off if you want to use other features of your phone. I like to watch movies from my storage card, but the option to move files to and from the phone is not available with debugging turned on. To change this, I simply go into Settings/Applications, and uncheck the box that says allow USB tethering. Then I remember to turn this back on before using PDAnet again.2. Sorry Mac users. PDAnet does not appear to be accessible. The program utilizes icons on the menu bar, similar to Sound Flower. Voiceover does not see the icons on the menu bar, and these must be clicked to connect to the internet. There does not appear to be a workaround, though I will admit that I have not played with the mac application thoroughly.
3. PDAnet is free, but there are limitations. To remove them, you must pay for a license. The most noteworthy limitation is that in the free version, you do not have access to secure web sites. These are addresses that start with https and require a login. The good news is that you get a 14 day trial of the unlocked program. This will help you decide whether you really want it or not. The licensing skeme is pretty liberal. You get a license for your phone, so you can install PDAnet on as many computers as you wish. As long as they are used with the same phone, your unlock code should work on multiple laptops, netbooks, etc.
I hope this information is helpful.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
What additional apps can help me use my phone eyes-free?
The number and variety of applications any user can have is what makes the smartphone experience unique. The apps listed in this post nicely supplement the ones that are preloaded on the phone. In some cases, they provide alternatives meant to bridge gaps in accessibility. In others, they offer added convenience. In Still others, they cover activities many new users ask about. In all cases, they're a good way to start a personal app library.
For more information on these and many other apps, user reviews, and accessibility ratings, blind and VI users can visit the Android Access site.
All of the applications listed below are free, and all are available from the Android Market:
• Astro by Metago is an accessible file manager. It's not essential, but it's sometimes handy. For best accessibility, navigate to the unlabeled buttons at the top of the screen, then press the selector on Preferences (the second unlabeled button from the right), Toolbar Preferences, and Toolbar Button Style; then check Text.
• Checkmark Calendar by Greenbean Soft is an accessible calendar app with day, week, and month views. Events are scheduled in the stock calendar, which is partially accessible in Android 2.2. and earlier.
• Eyes-Free Shell by Eyes-Free Project is an alternative to the standard home or launch screen. Users access signal strength information, time, battery level, a number of shortcut pages, current GPS location, voicemail, all applications list, and simplified voice search using the touch screen.
• Gesture Search by Google Labs enables users to draw letters on their screens to quickly find one of their apps, browser bookmarks, contacts, phone settings, and songs/albums.
• HeyTell by Voxilate is a push-to-talk application with chat.
• Ideal Web Reader by Apps4Android (on the Market as Ideal Web Access Pack) is the only standalone accessible browser at this time. It uses touch screen gestures to read web pages and interact with links, edit fields, and other elements. It allows for reading in chunks, sentences, words, and characters. Information is typed using the physical keyboard. For the tutorial, open the app and slide a finger across the screen from left to right.
• IM+ by Shape is a chat client that supports AOL, Facebook, Google Talk, ICQ, Jabber, MSN, MySpace,Skype, and Yahoo.
• Intersection Explorer by Eyes-Free Project is an accessible map for tracing routes. The user draws a circle on the touchscreen to identify streets, then follows one of those streets to the next intersection, and so on.
• Keyboard tutor by Eyes-Free Project puts the phone in key describer mode, enabling blind and VI users to explore the physical keys and 4 capacitive buttons on their handsets.
• K9 Mail by Dog walkers is a popular email app, the only one known to be accessible. It offers many of the features (e.g., forward, reply to all, CC and BCC) users are accustomed to in their desktop systems. In addition, users are able to review received messages line by line by pressing the selector in open messages.
• My Lock by MyLock and Lock Now Free by Azrael keep overactive screens still during phone calls, a problem with certain handsets.
• Seesmic by Seesmic and Swift by Sebastian Delmont are accessible Twitter apps.
• Talking Compass by Bill Ray is an accurate talking compass. Check this developer on the Android Market for other GPS related apps, like Look Ahead and Location Blind, which are useful for pedestrian navigation.
• Talking Dialer by Eyes-Free Project is an app that puts a soft keypad on the touch screen so that blind and VI users can make calls without the physical keyboard. It includes a Phone Book feature for calling from Contacts. The physical keyboard is required to respond to menu prompts in automated systems.
• TouchType by Nolan Darilek is an accessible virtual keyboard that also allows users to review text in edit fields by character or line.
• TuneIn Radio by RadioTime is a radio app that enables users to find stations by area or content genre.
• uNote by OhGlaube is an accessible notepad application that allows for the creation of nested notes. For example, pressing the selector on an item called Groceries can open up a list of individual items that can be added as needed or deleted when replaced. This is especially handy since editing with a screen reader is almost impossible at this time.
• UpSoundDown by Lionebra Studio activates speakerphone mode when the handset is set down on a table, turned up side down vertically, or flipped over. This is helpful as the speakerphone option is tricky to access during a call. The other plus is that users can easily interact with the in-call screen, which is also tricky to negotiate. It is important to note that the person at the other end of the call can hear the phone's speech when the user navigates around the screen.
• Vlingo by Vlingo enables users to dictate text into edit fields.
• WalkyTalky by Eyes-Free Project is a walking navigation app that provides both spoken guidance and real-time current location.
These apps are described in more detail in upcoming posts.
For more information on these and many other apps, user reviews, and accessibility ratings, blind and VI users can visit the Android Access site.
All of the applications listed below are free, and all are available from the Android Market:
• Astro by Metago is an accessible file manager. It's not essential, but it's sometimes handy. For best accessibility, navigate to the unlabeled buttons at the top of the screen, then press the selector on Preferences (the second unlabeled button from the right), Toolbar Preferences, and Toolbar Button Style; then check Text.
• Checkmark Calendar by Greenbean Soft is an accessible calendar app with day, week, and month views. Events are scheduled in the stock calendar, which is partially accessible in Android 2.2. and earlier.
• Eyes-Free Shell by Eyes-Free Project is an alternative to the standard home or launch screen. Users access signal strength information, time, battery level, a number of shortcut pages, current GPS location, voicemail, all applications list, and simplified voice search using the touch screen.
• Gesture Search by Google Labs enables users to draw letters on their screens to quickly find one of their apps, browser bookmarks, contacts, phone settings, and songs/albums.
• HeyTell by Voxilate is a push-to-talk application with chat.
• Ideal Web Reader by Apps4Android (on the Market as Ideal Web Access Pack) is the only standalone accessible browser at this time. It uses touch screen gestures to read web pages and interact with links, edit fields, and other elements. It allows for reading in chunks, sentences, words, and characters. Information is typed using the physical keyboard. For the tutorial, open the app and slide a finger across the screen from left to right.
• IM+ by Shape is a chat client that supports AOL, Facebook, Google Talk, ICQ, Jabber, MSN, MySpace,Skype, and Yahoo.
• Intersection Explorer by Eyes-Free Project is an accessible map for tracing routes. The user draws a circle on the touchscreen to identify streets, then follows one of those streets to the next intersection, and so on.
• Keyboard tutor by Eyes-Free Project puts the phone in key describer mode, enabling blind and VI users to explore the physical keys and 4 capacitive buttons on their handsets.
• K9 Mail by Dog walkers is a popular email app, the only one known to be accessible. It offers many of the features (e.g., forward, reply to all, CC and BCC) users are accustomed to in their desktop systems. In addition, users are able to review received messages line by line by pressing the selector in open messages.
• My Lock by MyLock and Lock Now Free by Azrael keep overactive screens still during phone calls, a problem with certain handsets.
• Seesmic by Seesmic and Swift by Sebastian Delmont are accessible Twitter apps.
• Talking Compass by Bill Ray is an accurate talking compass. Check this developer on the Android Market for other GPS related apps, like Look Ahead and Location Blind, which are useful for pedestrian navigation.
• Talking Dialer by Eyes-Free Project is an app that puts a soft keypad on the touch screen so that blind and VI users can make calls without the physical keyboard. It includes a Phone Book feature for calling from Contacts. The physical keyboard is required to respond to menu prompts in automated systems.
• TouchType by Nolan Darilek is an accessible virtual keyboard that also allows users to review text in edit fields by character or line.
• TuneIn Radio by RadioTime is a radio app that enables users to find stations by area or content genre.
• uNote by OhGlaube is an accessible notepad application that allows for the creation of nested notes. For example, pressing the selector on an item called Groceries can open up a list of individual items that can be added as needed or deleted when replaced. This is especially handy since editing with a screen reader is almost impossible at this time.
• UpSoundDown by Lionebra Studio activates speakerphone mode when the handset is set down on a table, turned up side down vertically, or flipped over. This is helpful as the speakerphone option is tricky to access during a call. The other plus is that users can easily interact with the in-call screen, which is also tricky to negotiate. It is important to note that the person at the other end of the call can hear the phone's speech when the user navigates around the screen.
• Vlingo by Vlingo enables users to dictate text into edit fields.
• WalkyTalky by Eyes-Free Project is a walking navigation app that provides both spoken guidance and real-time current location.
These apps are described in more detail in upcoming posts.
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