I could not resist sharing the following article, by Jennifer L. DeLeo, in which she lists 10 of the strangest patents on record. 

Enjoy,

Mark 

Although granted patents are deemed useful, many of them don’t seem that useful at all, including a sensor that detects whether you’ve hit a pedestrian and a clock that tells time in dog years.

10 WACKY TECH PATENTS
by Jennifer L. DeLeo

Buzz up!on Yahoo!
A patent for an invention is the grant of a property right to the inventor, issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Anyone who comes up with a new idea, or an improvement of an existing entity, should have that idea patented. You are, after all, competing with hundreds of thousands of likeminded individuals who just may invent the same thing you have.

Since 1963, the United States Patent and Trademark Office has granted more than 2.5 million utility (technology) patents in the U.S., which are issued for “the invention of a new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or a new and useful improvement thereof.” An issued patent generally prohibits others from making, using, or selling the invention for a period of up to twenty years from the date of patent application filing.

Although granted patents are deemed useful, most of the ones we encountered through Google Patent Search don’t seem that useful at all, including a sensor that detects whether you’ve hit a pedestrian and a clock that tells time in dog years. Here are ten of the strangest tech patents to ever have been issued.

1.
Invention: Conductivity sensing device for diapers
Patent number: 4205672
Filing date: Nov 28, 1977
Issue date: Jun 3, 1980
Inventor: Karel Dvorak
Instead of relying on your sense of smell to indicate whether your baby’s diapers need changing, this invention consists of a device that senses dampness in a diaper for you. The diaper will have a plastic waterproof outer layer and an inner layer of urine-absorbent material, while the sensing device will comprise of a pair of electric “connected jaw members” that clamp on the edge of a disposable diaper and detect a change of conductivity within the diapers.

2.
Invention: Automatic bed maker
Patent number: 4441222
Filing date: Jul 30, 1981
Issue date: Apr 10, 1984
Inventor: Peter J. Tascarella
Most people can’t be bothered with making their bed everyday. But if Peter Tascarella has anything to do with it, the dreaded process will be done automatically. His electronically operated bed cover is secured to the frame of a bed with rods, and mechanical arms and rollers are used to make a bed and smooth bed cover wrinkles automatically.

3.
Invention: Jet powered surfboard
Patent number: D289031
Filing date: Jul 23, 1984
Issue date: Mar 31, 1987
Inventor: Egon Monostory
Surfing made easy thanks to jet power? Not much information is given about this unusual surfboard, other than the fact that it’s supposed to be jet powered.

4.
Invention: Clock for keeping time at a rate other than human time
Patent number: 5023850
Filing date: Jul 9, 1990
Issue date: Jun 11, 1991
Inventors: Rodney H. Metts, Barry D. Thomas
Humans wear watches or own clocks to keep track of the time, but for an animal, time moves at a much different rate. The inventors explain that “animal time” can be determined “by dividing the average lifetime of a particular animal into the average lifetime of a human being.” For example, a dog lives about 11 years while a human lives about 77 years; the ratio is seven. As a result, their invention is a novelty clock or watch that would show the standard 12-hour display with the hands revolving seven times faster for dog time than human time. Even further, the date would be displayed on the timepiece known as “Dog Day.”

5.
Invention: Voice communication concerning a local entity
Patent number: 7113911
Filing date: Nov 21, 2001
Issue date: Sep 26, 2006
Inventors: Stephen John Hinde, Paul St John Brittan, Marianne Hickey, Lawrence Wilcock, Guillaume Belrose, Andrew Thomas
An entity without the ability to communicate, say, a plant, is given the chance to speak. This invention allows for such entities to interact and communicate through the use of a beacon device that is transmitted over a short-range communication link, such as an infrared, radio-based, or sound-based system. The transmitted data is then “picked up by equipment carried by a nearby person and used to contact the voice service over a wireless network. The person then interacts with the voice service, the latter acting as a voice proxy for the local entity,” according to the patent document. The said process gives the impression that you are conversing with the plant.

6.
Invention: Emoticon keyboard
Patent number: 6629793
Filing date: Apr 26, 2002
Issue date: Oct 7, 2003
Inventor: Steve Miller
We can create emoticons (such as smileys) with keyboards by combining various keys to form a big grin, a sad face, and so on. But what if you had a keyboard system with a different key for every emoticon? This invention includes a keyboard with keys representing emoticons and abbreviations; a keyboard processor that produces enhanced scan codes in order to create the emoticons on your screen; a keyboard driver for interfacing with the keyboard; and an application that receives the emoticons or abbreviations determined by the keyboard driver.

7.
Invention: Method and device for recognition of a collision with a pedestrian
Patent number: 6784792
Filing date: Jul 1, 2002
Issue date: Aug 31, 2004
Inventors: Bernhard Mattes, Gottfried Flik
For drivers who are involved in an accident in which something (or someone) is struck, sensors mounted on the bumper and hood of your vehicle are smart enough to detect if what you hit was a pedestrian. The sensors rely on two criterions: the pressures or deformations measured are compared with the typical impact of a pedestrian; the changes in velocity and/or acceleration of the vehicle caused by the impact are determined, and then compared with the changes in velocity and/or acceleration with the impact of a pedestrian.

8.
Invention: Showerhead with removable electronic media device
Patent number: 6823536
Filing date: Oct 23, 2002
Issue date: Nov 30, 2004
Inventor: Rudolph Chi Wai Yip
The inventor describe the need for a waterproof audio device in the bathroom that doesn’t have to be mounted to the shower wall, is small and compact, and can be easily removed from the shower if need be. This invention is an electronic media device that is integrated with a showerhead; therefore, it is easily mountable and removable in a shower or bath. The audio part of the device is completely separate from the showerhead (allowing no water to affect it) and includes a memory unit for storing audio data.

9.
Invention: Device for radiation shielding wireless transmit/receive electronic equipment such as cellular telephones from close proximity direct line-of-sight electromagnetic fields
Patent number: 6947764
Filing date: Nov 13, 2002
Issue date: Sep 20, 2005
Inventors: Juan C. Carillo, Jr., James S. Carillo
Everyone is concerned with the amount of radiation given off by our cell phones. This device is meant to shield or block us from those electromagnetic fields. It includes a wearable garment—such as a baseball cap—an electronic carrying pouch, a fan, and eyeglass or screens, and is placed between the user and the cell phone to act as a shield.

10.
Invention: Novelty bar of soap having low cost electro-mechanical vibrating assembly
Patent number: 6802819
Filing date: Jul 18, 2003
Issue date: Oct 12, 2004
Inventor: Chu-Yuan Liao
Chu-Yuan Liao took soap to an entirely different level. This invention places electro-mechanical parts inside a bar of soap to make it vibrate. Powered by two alkaline batteries, the electric parts are contained inside a waterproof housing in the center of the soap, which is something that was never done before. Note: Vibrating Soap actually exists!

Click Here to view original article.

With the imminent purchase of a Mac Book close at hand, I decided to order a Braille copy of the VoiceOver Getting Started Manual. 

For those of you who may not know, VoiceOver is a software screen reading solution for the blind and low vision to access the Apple operating system.

Don’t worry Microsoft, in no way does this mean I am going to leave my beloved Windows for such a thing is simply not possible.  (Smile) 

However, since I now use the iPhone 3GS it seems only natural to take yet another step on the Apple Brick Road.

On the Apple Accessibility page, it states that should one wish to obtain this manual, simply call the Apple Care telephone number, make the request, pay approximately $30, and the item will be shipped, free of charge, to anywhere in the world. 

Until now, it wasn’t really quite that simple but, today, I am delighted to say that it is, in fact, just that simple courtesy of the gracious help of Apple’s Mr. Tim Luth.

So, should you wish to purchase a Braille copy of the VoiceOver Getting Started Manual, you may either call Apple Care at:
(800)  275-2273 and inform the Apple representative that you wish to order part number:  607-2470 or (and this is what I suggest), simply email Tim at:
luth@apple.com with your contact telephone number, along with an appropriately related Subject line, and he will walk you through the process.

A special thanks to Tim for allowing me to publish his email address.

Mark

“If I’ve got to work, then I’d rather work on the Braille Road.” 
Mark Marcus:  August, 2009.

The following link will take you to the HTML version of the iPhone 3GS User Manual.
Click Here To Continue…

Mark

I have compiled, edited, and formatted the documentation on how to use the iPhone 3G S clock so that it may be more easily read by those using screen readers, screen magnifiers, and refreshable Braille devices. 

In the days to come, as time permits, I will publish other chapters of the iPhone 3G S Users Guide in like manner; so stay tuned.

Mark

Choose from the following document formats:

C10-iPhoneClock (MS Word 2003)

C10-iPhoneClock (Plain Text)

C10-iPhoneClock (USA Braille: 7 Pages)

C10-iPhoneClock (HTML/Online)

I have compiled, edited, and formatted the documentation on how to setup email accounts on the iPhone 3G S so that it may be more easily read by those using screen readers, screen magnifiers, and refreshable Braille devices. 

In the days to come, as time permits, I will publish other chapters of the iPhone 3G S Users Guide in like manner; so stay tuned.

Mark

Choose from the following document formats:

C9-iPhoneMail (MS Word 2003)

C9-iPhoneMail (Plain Text)

C9-iPhoneMail (USA Braille: 7 Pages)

C9-iPhoneMail (HTML/Online)

I have compiled, edited, and formatted the How To Use Messages on the iPhone 3G S User Guide so that it may be more easily read by those using screen readers, screen magnifiers, and refreshable Braille devices. 

In the days to come, as time permits, I will publish other chapters of the iPhone 3G S Users Guide in like manner; so stay tuned.

Mark

Choose from the following document formats:

C8-iPhoneMessages (MS Word 2003)

C8-iPhoneMessages (Plain Text)

C8-iPhoneMessages (USA Braille: 11 Pages)

C8-iPhoneMessages (HTML/Online)

I have compiled, edited, and formatted the How To Use The Calendar section of the iPhone 3G S User Guide so that it may be more easily read by those using screen readers, screen magnifiers, and refreshable Braille devices. 

In the days to come, as time permits, I will publish other chapters of the iPhone 3G S Users Guide in like manner; so stay tuned.

Mark

Choose from the following document formats:

C7-iPhoneCalendar (MS Word 2003)

C7-iPhoneCalendar (Plain Text)

C7-iPhoneCalendar (USA Braille: 12 Pages)

C7-iPhoneCalendar (HTML/Online)

I have compiled, edited, and formatted the Working With Contacts section of the iPhone 3G S User Guide so that it may be more easily read by those using screen readers, screen magnifiers, and refreshable Braille devices. 

In the days to come, as time permits, I will publish other chapters of the iPhone 3G S Users Guide in like manner; so stay tuned.

Mark

Choose from the following document formats:

C6-iPhoneWorkingWithContacts (MS Word 2003)

C6-iPhoneWorkingWithContacts (Plain Text)

C6-iPhoneWorkingWithContacts (USA Braille: 8 Pages)

C6-iPhoneWorkingWithContacts (HTML/Online)

I have compiled, edited, and formatted the Using The Phone section of the iPhone 3G S User Guide so that it may be more easily read by those using screen readers, screen magnifiers, and refreshable Braille devices. 

In the days to come, as time permits, I will publish other chapters of the iPhone 3G S Users Guide in like manner; so stay tuned.

Mark

Choose from the following document formats:

C5-iPhoneUsingThePhone (MS Word 2003)

C5-iPhoneUsingThePhone (Plain Text)

C5-iPhoneUsingThePhone (USA Braille: 32 Pages)

C5-iPhoneUsingThePhone (HTML/Online)

I have compiled, edited, and formatted the Getting Started section of the iPhone 3G S User Guide so that it may be more easily read by those using screen readers, screen magnifiers, and refreshable Braille devices. 

In the days to come, as time permits, I will publish other chapters of the iPhone 3G S Users Guide in like manner; so stay tuned.

Mark

Choose from the following document formats:

C4-iPhoneGettingStarted (MS Word 2003)

C4-iPhoneGettingStarted (Plain Text)

C4-iPhoneGettingStarted (USA Braille: 31 Pages)

C4-iPhoneGettingStarted (HTML/Online)

I have compiled, edited, and formatted the instructions on how to use the basic functions of the iPhone 3G S so that it may be more easily read by those using screen readers, screen magnifiers, and refreshable Braille devices. 

In the days to come, as time permits, I will publish other chapters of the iPhone 3G S Users Guide in like manner; so stay tuned.

Mark

Choose from the following document formats:

C3-iPhoneTheBasics (MS Word 2003)

C3-iPhoneTheBasics (Plain Text)

C3-iPhoneTheBasics (USA Braille: 57 Pages)

C3-iPhoneTheBasics (HTML/Online)

I have compiled, edited, and formatted the instructions on how to configure the Settings on the iPhone 3G S so that it may be more easily read by those using screen readers, screen magnifiers, and refreshable Braille devices.  

In the days to come, as time permits, I will publish other chapters of the iPhone 3G S Users Guide in like manner; so stay tuned.

Mark

Choose from the following document formats:

C2-iPhone Settings Menu (MS Word 2003)

C2-iPhone Settings Menu (Plain Text)

C2-iPhone Settings Menu (USA Braille: 70 Pages)

C2-iPhone Settings Menu (HTML/Online)

I have compiled, edited, and formatted the instructions on how to use all of the accessibility features on the iPhone 3G S so that it may be more easily read by those using screen readers, screen magnifiers, and refreshable Braille devices. 

In the days to come, as time permits, I will publish other chapters of the iPhone 3G S Users Guide in like manner; so stay tuned.

Mark

Choose from the following document formats:

C1-iPhone Accessibility Features (MS Word 2003)

C1-iPhone Accessibility Features (Plain Text)

C1-iPhone Accessibility Features (USA Braille: 24 Pages)

C1-iPhone Accessibility Features (HTML/Online)

In my previous post on the accessibility features of the iPhone 3G S, instead of linking to the current User Guide/How To section of the Apple Support site, I inadvertently linked to the iPhone archived documentation section. 

I apologize for any confusion this may have caused.

Click Here to go to the current online user instructions for the iPhone 3G S including its new accessibility features such as VoiceOver for the blind and low vision. 

Please note that, at the time of this post, the online iPhone 3G S User Instructions are organized in a grid format.  That is, the instructions are not listed in a single HTML document. 

The grid is arranged so that the main topics are displayed across the top of the page, like Tabs in a multi-Tab Dialog Box. 

Sub-Topics are listed down the left side of the page. 

Therefore, to learn how to use the VoiceOver feature, select Accessibility from the Main Topic.  Then, on the left side of the page you will see all of the sub-topics associated with accessibility including VoiceOver, Zoom, etc.

Enjoy,

Mark

I am excited and delighted to share the following information with you:

Click Here to read a very detailed description of how accessibility works on the iPhone 3G S.  (Recommended) 

Click Here for current iPhone 3G and iPhone 3G S user instructions including accessibility features.

Click Here for archived versions of iPhone documentation.

Click Here for my previous article on iPhone 3G S accessibility.

Enjoy,

Mark

If ever you wish to repair, delete, or re-index the Windows Media Player 11 Library cache on your Windows computer, do the following: 

1.
Make sure you are logged into Windows with Administrative privileges.

2.
Set Windows Explorer to show hidden Files and Folders.

3.
Browse to
“C:\Documents and Settings\**Username**\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Media Player\”.  Here you will see several files beginning with “CurrentDatabase_***.wmdb” & “LocalMLS_*.wmdb”.  These are the cache files for the Windows Media Player 11 Library.

4.
To repair the Library or have Windows Media Player 11 re-index your media, simply delete all of these files.

That’s all there is to it.

Mark

Reaching for his wireless device, equipped with an onboard GPS software solution, which he used to navigate to his current location, he launches the phone’s frequently misunderstood and often underutilized world-class media management application in order to listen to a new album he purchased only a few moments before walking to the doctor’s office.

With a few simple finger movements and hardly noticeable hand gestures, the sweet soothing sounds of 70’s classic soul swirl softly through his spirit spreading a satisfied smile across his Swiss milk chocolate colored countenance.

Listening to his music, through his Bluetooth stereo hands free headset, he decides to send a quick text message to the popular social networking site, Twitter, so as to update those who may be interested in his current activity.  While continuing to listen to his music, he launches the wireless devices’ onboard messaging client and enters a text message that reads, “I’m waiting to see my doctor while enjoying my music and texting, all at the same time.”  After sending it, he enters, “And you know what the best part is?  I do not need to use iTunes or anything Apple.” 

As he taps the “Send” key to submit the text, he thinks back to how easy and convenient it had been to simply dock the phone and have its media contents automatically synchronized with his Desktop computers media library.

Hello Everyone, 

With all due respect to the success and popularity of the iTunes Store, the iPod and of course, the I-Phone, as a visually impaired individual, when it comes to Apple products, I feel like a second class consumer in so far that Apple has clearly not found it profitable enough to make its innately accessible hardware, comfortably accessible to those of us who are either blind or low vision.

Frankly, I refuse to be treated as a second-class consumer and so I choose not to do business with Apple until such time as it begins to provide consistent and reliable accessibility for all, not just those with deep pockets and good vision.

The opening paragraphs of this article shows how anyone, sighted and non sighted, alike can achieve the same, and in many situations, surpass the functionality of Apple wireless mobile products at a fraction of the hardware cost.

Question:  How can this be done? 

Answer:  By using Windows Media Player 11 or later on your PC in conjunction with your Windows Mobile 6.x Smartphone or wireless device. 

The best part is that, unlike iTunes, the Desktop Windows Media Player in combination with Pocket Media Player has none of the seemingly endless synchronization restrictions of iTunes.

For example, currently, I use a Guest Partnership to sync my Samsung Epix SGH-i907 Smartphone to my Desktop PC Windows Media Player Library and I use a Standard Partnership to sync the exact same device with my Notebook Windows Media Player Library.  I can do this as a means of syncing all three devices without fear of accidentally erasing files or I can mix-and-match Playlists, Folders, and Auto-Playlists as I choose. 

Be it good or bad, Apple generally provides one way to do a task.  While I have to admit that limiting an interface so severely provides for a more consistent experience, I prefer to be allowed to discover my own favorite way of accomplishing a goal. 

Having said this, please understand that the remainder of this piece in no way attempts to describe all of the possible scenarios one may use to synchronize a Windows Mobile device to a PC.

In short, when I wish to synchronize either my Samsung Epix SGH-i907 touch-screen Smartphone, my Motorola Q9C, or Samsung Blackjack II non touch-screen Smartphones (all three being Windows Mobile 6.x devices) depending upon the type of Partnership configuration, I dock the phone, launch Windows Media Player on the PC, and synchronization automatically commences.

The following information, by Adam Z Lein, will help you discover the awesome power and flexibility of Microsoft’s Windows Media Player 11 when used with Windows Mobile 6.x devices.

Don’t’ worry; even though I am not an Apple iTunes fan, tomorrow, I will post some helpful Tips & Tricks for those of you who are.  (Smile) 

Enjoy,

Mark
 
INTRODUCTION
Windows Media Player for Windows Mobile has been around for a while. Many people have problems using Windows Media Player since it often has issues with playing certain content, memory leaks, and syncing album art. Here’s a few tips to help make the Windows Mobile Media Player experience a little more friendly

SETTING UP THE SYNC
If you’re on Windows XP with ActiveSync 4.x, do not turn on “Media” syncing. This will launch a wmplayer.exe process every time you connect the device to ActiveSync. In some cases you will get two wmplayer.exe processes and Windows Media Player 11 on your desktop may stop working. Furthermore, ActiveSync will continually launch and check Media Player 11 for changes in the syncing set-up (thus tying up your CPU).

Instead, we will set up the sync from Windows Media Player 11 so that it only automatically syncs when you specifically launch Windows Media Player.

1.
First unplug your Windows Mobile Device from the USB port. Then launch Windows Media Player 11. Create a new playlist for which you’ll use to manage the music that you would like to sync. I name mine according to the size of my storage card.

2.
Make sure on the Windows Mobile device that Windows Media Player is not currently running. End this task from the Memory control panel or task manager. Windows Media Player has problems syncing Album art when it is running on the Windows Mobile device.
3.
Plug the Windows Mobile device into your computer while Windows Media Player 11 is running and it will ask you if you want to set up an automatic sync partnership. Cancel this option for now, but give your storage card a name. If you do not cancel this option, Windows Media Player will attempt to sync your entire media library to the device using all of it’s default settings. You do not want this!

4.
From the Sync Tab menu choose “More Options.” The resulting dialog will list the Media Player compatible devices connected to your computer.

5.
Select the Storage Card, and click “Properties”

6.
Make sure the file conversion option is turned on, and select your own custom quality levels. I set my music quality to the smallest file size to save room on the storage card. Click OK to close these dialogs.

7.
Now from the Sync Tab menu, select your storage card and choose “Set Up Sync” from the sub-menu.

8.
Turn on the “Sync this device automatically” option.

9.
Remove all of the playlists listed under “Playlists to sync” except for the playlists that you want to sync with the device. You can also choose some automatic playlists from the “Available playlists” menu if you want to sync playlists that change as your listening preference changes. You can even add TV show playlists if you’re on Media Center which will sync the latest TV shows of your preference as they are recorded.

10.
Click Finish. Media Player 11 will now start converting and copying the selected media to your device. The Playlists themselves will also transfer so that you can listen to the music in the order that you specified. The media library on your mobile device will also be updated to include all the media that was synced. You do not need to use the “Update library” command.

Once you’ve got it set up, this method is by far the easiest way to manage music on your Windows Mobile device. Since you’ve got only specific playlists automatically syncing, all you have to do is edit those playlists when you want to change the music. So say I’ve got a few new MP3s that I like, all I have to do is add them to my “Mobile 6Gb” playlist and they’ll automatically get converted to space-saving WMA formats and copied to my 6Gb MicroSD card the next time I plug in my Windows Mobile device. If I get sick of certain songs, all I have to do is remove them from the playlist that’s synced and Windows Media Player will remove them from the device automatically. There’s no need to go digging through the File Explorer.

TIPS

1.
Do not use the “Update Library” function in Windows Media Player on your Windows Mobile Device. This will add all sorts of audio files and sound effects to your media library from both your main device and storage card. If you have a GPS navigation program that uses WAV files, you’ll see what a mess this becomes.

2.
By letting Windows Media Player convert files to WMA/WMV, you know that the Mobile Media Player will be able to handle the file formats. This way there’s no guessing involved as to whether your MP3′s bitrate encoding is going to play.

3.
Mobile Windows Media Player, when launched, defaults to showing the “My Device” library. You probably want it to open the “Storage Card” library by default. You can remove the “My Device” library listing option completely by deleting the following file: “Mobile Device\Application Data\Microsoft\Media Player\XMEMediaLibrary.mlb.”  This way, only the files in your Storage Card library will show up in Windows Media Player Mobile.

4.
If you notice a significant slow-down or persistent memory leaks when using Windows Media Player Mobile, you may have a corrupt library. On the storage card, delete the following file “\Storage Card\MSMETADATA\XMEMediaLibrary.mlb”. You may have to tap & hold in the File Manager window on a blank area and choose “Show All Files” in order to see this folder. Once you delete that file, you will have to set up the sync again in Windows Media Player 11 on the desktop using the steps listed above.

5.
Your storage card’s partnership identification information is stored in the hidden “WMPInfo.xml” file in the storage card’s root directory. If you want to start over in creating a new library and sync partnership, you can delete that file.

6.
The following folder contains the digital rights management information for your storage card: “\Storage Card\WMDRM.” If you have problems playing protected content, you may want to delete the contents of that folder and re-sync.

7.
If Windows Media Player 11 does not recognize your device while connected, open the Windows Task Manager (Right click task bar and choose Task Manager). Then look at the processes tab for two wmplayer.exe processes.  End both of these tasks and relaunch Windows Media Player 11.

ALBUM ART
In most cases, if you make sure that Media Player is not running on your device before beginning a sync, the album art will be transferred automatically. If your music’s album art does not transfer, and assuming you do have album art associated with the music in Media Player 11 on your desktop, you can copy it over manually:

1.
Right click on the song in Windows Media Player 11′s Library or Now Playing view.

2.
Choose “Open File Location”

3.
Windows Explorer will open, showing the location of the song you selected.

4.
Make sure “Show hidden files and folders” is turned on in Tools>Folder Options>View Tab.

5.
Select the file called “Folder.jpg” and do Ctrl+C to copy it.

6.
Navigate to the folder on your storage card where the same song is located.

7.
Paste “Folder.jpg” into the folder where the song is located on your storage card.

Windows Media Player 11 is less likely to successfully download and apply album art to your songs using “Find Album Info” than Windows Media Player 10 was. Even if the “Find Album Info” does correctly find and display the correct album art, the chance of it actually downloading the art and saving the proper JPGs to the correct folder are hit or miss. If the “Find Album Info” feature does not work, you can always search for the album cover manually in your web browser. Right click the image once you find it and choose “Copy”. Then in the Windows Media Player library, right click the song’s blank album art icon and choose “Paste Album Art”.  Now Windows Media Player will convert your pasted image into the proper JPG images in the folder where the songs are located.

Click Here for original article.

One of the best features of the Internet is that it allows all of us to gain as much knowledge as we desire. 

Want to become more skilled in the latest version of MS Office?  Perhaps you need to learn the basics of programming.  Is becoming a Photoshop Photon your true dream? 

Well, when you are ready to learn, learn it from the best; learn it from Lynda; Lynda.com, that is.

Take the first step on your new path by reading the following information and then, in a little while, I’ll meet you on the other side.

Mark 

lynda.com is an award-winning provider of educational materials, including Hands-On Training™ instructional books, the Online Training Library®, CD- and DVD-based video training, and events for creative designers, instructors, students, and hobbyists.

The lynda.com Online Training Library® and CD-ROM courses include such subjects as Photoshop, Flash, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, Office, digital photography, Web design, digital video, and many others. lynda.com’s all-star team of trainers and teachers provides comprehensive and unbiased movie-based training to an international membership of tens of thousands of subscribers. Considering the speed at which technology evolves, the Online Training Library® is a great solution for keeping your skills current. Library subscriptions begin as low as $25 a month, with no long-term commitment required.

lynda.com also offers volume discounts to groups and organizations.

Lynda.com celebrated ten years online in 2005!

CONTACT INFO:
lynda.com
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Toll free (In the US)
(888)33-LYNDA or (888)335-9632

International callers:
+1-805-477-3900

Fax:
(805)477-5604

Customer service hours:
9:00-5:00 PST (Monday – Friday)

Do you want to know what the hottest keys in Mobile Geo have to offer?  Look no further for you have come to the right place!

Prepare to sizzle as you learn how to heat up Mobile Geo, right here, right now!

Click Here to download the Mobile Geo Hotkey Info Pack which consist of four recently published documents (in Plain Text, MS Word, and US English Braille format) containing all of the Hotkey commands now available in Mobile Geo, including Microsoft Voice Command.

Or

Click Here to view the combined documents online, as a single web page.

Are you ready for this?

Mobile Geo is the first and only world-class GPS navigation software solution for the blind and low vision that is 100% compatible with Microsoft Voice Command, a voice interface solution that allows you to issue commands by merely speaking them into the phone.  So, the next time you find yourself walking up the boulevard or rolling down the street ask Geo and it will tell you where you are, the distance to the next intersection or what turn you should make next.

In this post I provide a tutorial on how to access Mobile Geo with Microsoft Voice Command. 

NOTE:
At the bottom of this post, you will find links to download the tutorial in MS Word, Plain Text, and US English Braille document format.

Enjoy,

Mark

USING MICROSOFT VOICE COMMAND WITH MOBILE GEO
(A Quick Tutorial by Mark Taylor)

INTRODUCTION
Microsoft Voice Command transforms your device into your own virtual personal assistant, letting you use your voice to look up contacts, make phone calls, get calendar information, play and control your music, as well as start programs.

Code Factory lets you do even more by allowing you to use Voice Command to interact with Mobile Geo.

GETTING MICROSOFT VOICE COMMAND
As a general rule, Voice Command is already installed, as a free accessory, on many Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional, Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, and Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard Edition devices.

Those using Windows Mobile 5.0 or Windows Mobile 6.0 Standard Edition devices must purchase Voice Command as a separate application.   To learn how to obtain Microsoft Voice Command for your Windows Mobile device:

Click Here. 

To determine if your device already has Voice Command, from the Start Menu, explore the Settings or Applications Icon Grid or List Box.

On many Windows Mobile devices preinstalled with Voice Command, it is necessary to first enable the application before attempting to use it for the first time.

HOW TO USE MICROSOFT VOICE COMMAND

Although Voice Command can be used from either a wired or Bluetooth headset, this tutorial provides instructions on how to use Voice Command directly from the handset, only.

ON DEVICES WITH VOICE COMMAND PREINSTALLED AS A FREE ACCESSORY:
1.
Locate the “Voice” or “Voice Command” key.  (See device documentation for more details.)

2.
Position your wireless device as though you are going to make a telephone call (recommended).

3.
Engage the [Voice Command] key, as instructed in the device User Guide, until a two-tone signal is heard. 

4.
Upon hearing the signal, release the [Voice Command] key and say a command, speaking normally.

NOTE 1:
It may be necessary to vary the rate and pitch of your voice in order for the command to be recognized by Voice Command.

NOTE 2:
If you are unfamiliar with the types of commands you may issue, then we suggest that you request help from Microsoft Voice Command, itself.  To do this, after receiving the prompt, described above, simply say, “Help.”  Voice command will reply with instructions on how to proceed by suggesting a list of commands.

ON DEVICES UPON WHICH VOICE COMMAND MUST BE MANUALLY INSTALLED:

NOTE 1:
The following presumes that you have successfully purchased, downloaded, and installed Voice Command to your wireless device.

1.
Read the Voice Command Help documentation that accompanied your copy of the product.

2.
On your wireless device, from the Start Menu, open the Voice Command Settings Dialog Box.

3.
Assign a [Voice Command] key, if necessary.

4.
Position your wireless device as though you are going to make a telephone call (recommended).

5.
Engage the [Voice Command] key until a two-tone signal is heard. 

6.
Upon hearing the signal, release the [Voice Command] key and say a command, speaking normally.

NOTE 2:
It may be necessary to vary the rate and pitch of your voice in order for the command to be recognized by Voice Command.

NOTE 3:
If you are unfamiliar with the types of commands you may issue, then we suggest that you request help from Microsoft Voice Command, itself.  To do this, after receiving the prompt, described above, simply say, “Help.”  Voice command will reply with instructions on how to proceed by suggesting a list of commands.

USING MICROSOFT VOICE COMMAND WITH MOBILE GEO

With Mobile Geo v1.5 or later in focus or running in the background of your wireless device, using Microsoft Voice Command, as described above, you may issue the following Mobile Geo commands:

Announce Current Position
Announce Distance and Heading to Destination
Announce Status
Announce Nearest Intersection
Announce Nearest POI
Announce Next Turn
Announce Route Info
Bring MG To Foreground
Enter an Address
Recalculate Route
Reconnect to GPS Receiver
Repeat Last MG Announcement
Set Current Position As
Show Announcement History
Show Intersection Details
Show List of Nearest POIs
Show List of Waypoints
Show Where Am I View
Toggle GPS Mode
Toggle Look Around Announcements
Virtual Explore Backup
Virtual Explore Forward
Virtual Explore Turn Left
Virtual Explore Turn Right

NOTE:
To review or engage the Mobile Geo Command Shortcuts, from the Start Menu select Programs, Mobile Geo Shortcuts.

Good Luck and Enjoy.

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