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Screen reading companies aren't the only assistive technology vendors needing to update their products to support Windows 10. Index Braille has released version 8.10 of their embosser drivers which includes Windows 10 support among other improvements. The drivers work for current generation V4 and previous generation V3 embossers, providing Windows 10 support for embossers more than 10 years old. The list of features from the Index website is included below.

Ian Humphreys of Spoonbill Software has added two game titles to his large roster of free games. This time, it's two variations on the game of Dominos, where you can play against the computer. As before, the games can be requested by sending an EMail to games@spoonbillsoftware.com.au. The announcement with more info is below.

Upgrading to Windows 10 has been a hot topic of late. We spent an entire podcast talking about its features and much more. AI Squared, makers of the Window-Eyes screen reader, has published a two-part series on how to upgrade to Windows 10 using speech hosted by Marc Solomon. Naturally, the videos use Window-Eyes but much of the information applies to users of other software. Part 1 focuses on the initial installation steps while part 2 is a more in-depth look at the rest of the process. Here's part 1 and part 2

The release candidate for the 3rd major update for NVDA in 2015 has been released. This release includes initial Windows 10 support, experimental support for the new Microsoft Edge web browser in Windows 10, improvements to allow for easier navigation in web apps and other sites, and a smattering of bug fixes. The complete change log is below.

A blind Paralympic athlete was recently prominently featured in a promotional video for the Uber ridesharing service. Matt Simpson is a member of the United States goalball team, which just took silver at the Parapan Am Games in Toronto, thanks, in part, to a thrilling overtime win over Canada last Friday.

The accompanying YouTube video shows Matt on the court and how Uber has enabled a more independent lifestyle where life isn't scheduled ahead of time for him.

PhD students from the Enhancing Ability Lab at Cornell University are looking for participants for a research study regarding using smart glasses while shopping for groceries. Participants must have some usable vision and will be compensated. We've included the announcement from the researchers below.

On the sad ccasion of the death of Jim Kitchen last week, Bryan Smart has released a mega pack which includes all of his Windows games in a single installer. It runs on modern versions of Windows including Windows 10.

In Bryan's words, "Jim was an extraordinary person that dedicated the later years of his life to creating free games for the blind community. Over the years, his games were released by the comically fictitious Kitchen’s Inc. As Jim’s game collection grew, the joke became that he had programmed everything except the kitchen sink. With his passing, I present to you The Kitchen’s Sink, containing all 37 of his SAPI-speech- based Windows games and apps, in one fun-packed place!" Follow the link to download the games.

The American Printing House for the Blind recently announced they have paused hardware development of the Braille Plus 18 notetaker. This is the second generation in the Braille Plus line of products, currently running Android version 2.3.

Jim Kitchen, one of the most prolific developers of free audio games for DOS and Windows, has died. He was 58. For nearly as long as there has been accessible Windows computers, Jim Kitchen through his Kitchens Inc. website has provided a daunting supply of free games to pass the time or otherwise entertain. Among his most popular were his rendition of golf, which included an editor to create custom golf courses, and Monopoly, his take on the classic board game.

From Las Vegas titles to sports games, many timeless classics received the Jim Kitchen treatment. Kitchen has been creating and posting games since 1995, when the first DOS titles were released. From the random commercials in baseball to the sporadic Homer Simpsons quotes in many of his titles, his games always came with a bit of character. These were programs that were simple to learn, and a great way to teach computers or just kill a Sunday afternoon. We've linked to the complete obituary and you can post your comments and memories below.

I've been a happy owner of the Bose SoundLink Mini, a powerful Bluetooth speaker that's small in stature. So when I learned that its successor, the SoundLink Mini II, included text-to-speech and a speakerphone, I figured it would be worth the upgrade. And for the most point, I'm not disappointed in my decision.

For The Early Adopter In All Of Us, Here's A Whole bunch Of Information On Windows 10

Microsoft launched the next version of Windows on July 29th.
And the likelihood of you not hearing about this in the media, on the web or from that family member who calls you up at the most inopportune time to ask that tech question is virtually nill. MS hopes to have rolled out the new desktop operating system to one billion, that is billion with a big letter B, devices during the initial phase of the "Upgrade Your Life" blitz. The reviews for the new OS have been mostly positive and you might be wondering if you should take a dive with all the insane people who like loading new software on Day 1. To that end, and on Blind Bargains Qast 25, we offer a plethora of links to help you make that decision on whether to stay or to jump on, or off!, the electronic bandwagon. We even broke them out into sections in case you wanted to just read about Cortana or see what some of the Assistive Technology companies have on tap.

The following was submitted by Scott Davert.
It's been 3 years since Apple has released a new iPod touch, and it's an update I've been hoping for and mostly given up on seeing. There were rumors of a new iPod to be announced last year which proved to be untrue. At which point, many thought the iPod 5 was the final model. While I understand the need for iPads, and certainly the value they bring to some users, I really didn't see the point in having a larger touch screen for myself. It's less portable and I'm totally blind, so really the only advantage would be more text on each page of the screen when reading books that used to require page turning with braille displays. However, with iOS 8, this is no longer an issue, as VoiceOver now has the option to automatically turn pages when using a braille display. Although I had an iPod 5 for quite some time to offset the use of my iPhone, it was starting to get a little sluggish with iOS 8.0, particularly with regard to braille keyboard input, requests submitted through Siri, and the carrying out of functions such as OCR using the KNFB Reader. With some dismay, I had almost accepted that I may have to use an iPad Mini, when Apple announced the new iPod 6.

Jet.com is a different kind of online shopping experience that aims to change the mindset of how people shop online while giving some great deals to its customers. As a user during the beta test period for the store, I've been able to put the site through its paces and so far, there's a lot to like.

Whether it's locating the nearest pharmacy to the workplace or exploring a route from the living room couch, blind navigation enthusiasts have a myriad of GPS solutions available at their fingertips. Sendero Group is known for their GPS solutions for the iOS mobile platform and BrailleNote products from HumanWare. Sendero PC Maps, which has been around for a few years, receives periodic updates and enhancements, making it a viable solution for those seeking accessible and fully functional virtual navigation software for the Windows desktop environment.

A major update has been posted for the Duxbury Braille Translator for Windows. Version 11.3 includes improvements to UEB support including a way to convert older braille files to UEB. It also integrates with the TactileView graphics software. There's a whole host of changes, and we've included the info below.

It's often difficult to gain accurate information about blind users and their screen reader preferences. Companies rarely release sales numbers, and the industry's size makes it difficult to use standardized metrics. To this end, WebAIM has embarked on the sixth of their regular screen reader surveys, this one available through Friday, July 24. The one-page survey will take about 10 minutes to complete and asks basic questions about screen reader use and preferences. Follow the link on this post to take the survey.

Apple is making a rare public appearance at a blindness-related event. Sarah Herrlinger,Senior Product Manager for Accessibility at Apple will host a 75 minute session at this year's American Council of the Blind convention in Dallas on Tuesday, July 7. The session is free for convention attendees. We've included the session description below. Note that no meeting location was included with this announcement.

Accessible Apps has released a major release to QRead, its Windows-based file and book reader. The latest release includes direct Bookshare.org integration, support for tables using an embedded browser, improved support for modern Microsoft Office documents, Goodreads integration, and several bug fixes. The changelog is below. It's a free update for existing users. Read more at the QRead page on the Accessible Apps website.

Say Shopping, an app which allows you to order products online using your voice, is now available from the iTunes App store. We previously discussed the app with SayApps founder Chris Maury on Blind Bargains Qast 20 where you can hear an audio demo. Currently, the app interfaces with Target.com, with the possibility of other stores in the future.

Hartgen Consultancy is lining up some big discounts for convention season. Starting July 5, the Leasey add-on for Jaws along with other products including J-Dictate will be available for half off. You do not need to attend any of the conventions to receive this deal. Check the link on this post to learn more about these products. Deals end July 15.