(A somewhat musical review of the capabilities of the Nokia N70 as a digital companion for blind and visually impaired users)
By Rob Melchers - 07 Aug 2006
I wish to make a confession. I was wrong in my statement, that telephones are for making telephone calls. I should have known better. In 2003 I wrote 'Compuphone or Teleputer', and in this article predicted, that the PDA would have a hard time in beating the mobile telephone to the title 'Easiest Portable Computing Platform with Extended Communication Features and Limited Computing Capabilities' (EPCPECFLCC). The truth is, that only since a few months I am 'the proud owner of' a smartphone, a device that serves as an accurate PIM (no, that's not a name, it means Personal Information Manager) among other things. I had a wife who would check and attend to the bills as they came in from the pub, but the attentive reader has noticed the passed tense in this remark, so I rely on a PIM now, in stead of an Emily as a Personal Information Manager.
The PIM and I (Rodgers and Hammerstein?) get along fine, needless to say that the PIM has it's shortcomings, compared to an Emily. More about that in my memoirs. But recently additions to my smartphone have made it more than just a PIM. Emily, who still speaks to me on occasions, pointed out the 'Loadstone GPS project to me, a navigational program that runs on the Symbian operating system. Until then, I had kept a Nokia 3310 in a drawer, with quick dial keys that had the most important persons under them to notify in case of disaster. However, it's not a phone that allows for the installation of Symbian or JAVA based programs, so after extensive inquiries The Nokia N70 was purchased.
I'm a mobile misfit, a whitestick wanderer. Attempts to learn my way around haven't been very successful. I'm the kind of guy that ends up in the forest while on his way to the pub. Until recently I could rely on the local police corps, in case I got lost again. I would give them a call on the 3310, tell them of the situation and they would send a helicopter to track me down. I did become quite adequate in finding suitable landingspots. But budget cuts in the helicopter department have led to a situation where I can no longer rely on that service. So anything that boosts my mobility skills and costs under a thousand bucks is welcome.
Loadstone GPS is a navigational solution for blind and visually impaired persons (VIP's), like the 'WayFinder' and 'Trekker', the difference being, that Loadstone GPS relies on user defined 'points', where the before mentioned programs use maps. Another significant difference is the price. Loadstone GPS is a free, so called 'Open Source' program. It runs on the Symbian platform and since programs like 'Talks' and 'MobileSpeak' have given a voice to Symbian equipped phones it seems to be the ideal solution for VIP's on a low budget. The N70 is known among VIP's as a blind friendly phone with the additional comfort of support for multiple Bluetooth connections. Since Loadstone GPS requires a connection with a GPS receiver and preferably is used with a Bluetooth headset, the N70 seems to be the right choice.
The new generation of GPS receivers are based on the SiRF3 chipset, that guarantees high sensibility. Would you be lucky to track three or four satellites when hiking in an area with high buildings around you and loose connectivity regularly using the old SiRF2 chipset , with the SiRF3 it becomes hard to hide for the GPS constellation. Receivers by RoyalTec, Globalsat, Adapt and Holux are tiny GPS units that sell for prices around US$ 100, rely on the latest technology and have Static Navigation (SN) turned off for pedestrian use.
I chose the Adapt AD750, and paid US$ 120 (including VAT and delivery). This GPS receiver is slightly bigger than a matchbox and insists upon staying in touch with at least four satellites even in my living room. The battery is good for a solid 10 hours of navigational connectivity and the unit weighs 18 grams.
The other program I installed on the N70 is 'The vOICe for Mobile Phones', developed by Peter Meijer, a Dutch scientist. The vOICe presents the user with a 'soundscape' of the environment and works seamlessly with the built in video camera of the Nokia N70. Although the vOICe requires a steep learning curve, the program comes with a color detector that works out of the box and being able to tell whether it's light or dark isn't too difficult to learn. Moreover, having the vOICe on a mobile phone gradually introduces the user to the more advanced features of the vOICe. The price shouldn't be a problem, just like the Loadstone GPS program it's free.
With Talks or MobileSpeak, Loadstone GPS and the vOICe installed on the N70 a VIP gets a talking addressbook, a calendar and 'to do' list. The unit connects to the internet and allows for browsing the web and send and receive e-mails. An MP3 player and FM radio are included. The 'Quick Office' application that comes with the N70 allows for reading MS Word documents, Excel spreadsheets and even PowerPoint presentations. It functions as a highly portable navigational unit and color detector. And I nearly forgot, you can make phone calls. All that remains to be desired is a decent keyboard.
The 'Think Outside Stowaway Bluetooth Keyboard' measures the size of a cigar case in folded position, but once opened presents the user with a full sized QWERTY keyboard. The keys have the same size as those on a regular 101 keyboard and the action is superb. Connecting to the N70 is a breeze, as the phone has a built in 'Wireless Keyboard' manager. The keyboard weighs 160 grams and all that a user needs to learn are the triple functions of the keys. Although the combination with Talks reduces the functionality in the case of navigation on the phone, being able to type not using the phone's keypad will be worth the price of US140 to many users. Sending out an SMS (Sting?)and answering an e-mail have never been easier.
I live in a village near the city of Amsterdam. I'm surrounded by parks and lanes. Narrow bridges cross small brooks and birds of all sorts inhabit this greenery. As a member of the Village Green Preservation Society (The Kinks?) I absolutely enjoy this environment, but paths, lanes and greens all sound and feel the same to me and my cane. Thanks to the N70 and Loadstone GPS my reluctance to go for a walk has changed to a genuine desire to explore my surroundings. Routes now are marked with points of navigation and with regular intervals I am informed about my position. '15 meters (45 feet) to supermarket at 12 o'clock' tells me, that I'm on the right track. Adding points is a matter of pushing a key on the phone and supplying a label for that point. I use the alphabet to store new points and once home these letters are replaced with more descriptive names, using the Stowaway keyboard. Collections of points almost automatically form routes, which can be given a name and stored in the phone's memory for later use.
The N70 has a 30 MB built in memory and comes with an additional 60 MB MMC card. Included in the package is a USB connection cable, the charger and the Nokia PC Suite, that allows for PIM synchronization and makes it easy to install applications on the phone. Backing up the phones internal memory as well as the content on the MMC card are possible and simple file manipulation can be performed with the suite. However, installing a program like 'FExplorer' is advisable. The Loadstone GPS program is still under development and relies on FExplorer for certain file related functions.
Making a 'hands free' telephone call can be handy when you need to take notes on a computer keyboard, But 'Bluetooth hands free' really allows for freedom of movement while on the phone. As long as the distance between the phone and the Bluetooth headset doesn't exceed 10 meters (30 feet) connection is guaranteed. You can do the dishes ore even visit the toilet, although in the latter case the sensitivity of the built in microphone could be somewhat embarrassing. Anyway, for the amount of less than $1000 it's possible to assemble a mobile platform that weighs under 500 grams, has almost laptop functionality and serves as a navigational aid and color and light detector. Adding the 'bat cane', a cane that warns the user for nearby obstacles by means of a vibrating handle, and becoming more proficient in the use of the vOICe, should keep me going safely for the next five years.
Compiled and edited by:
RM.
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