First, I have to say I am a massive fan of Android devices. I'm a softy for the Linux movement, and Android is a great branch off of Linux. Fast and Stable! I think about it as an assistive device for print disabilities, however, and the picture changes to an underdeveloped void in the Google Play store.
I am a professional in Assistive Technology for a private university. Believe me when I say, everyone here has or prefers a Mac or iPad. I am also Dyslexic, and dream of a phone that seamlessly reads ANY chunk of text to me after a simple command, and not through the cumbersome process of copying, pasting, sharing, and reading... This kind of "read anything" access is usually extended to visually impaired users, who need full screens narrated. Basically, the system as it is proves to be too difficult for a quality assistive device for print disabled users.
What is truly needed is a high quality TTS reader for print disabilities. This sort of reader needs a few things to qualify to be a reader: Words should be highlighted while read, Definitions and Pronunciation features, a library function for students, and high quality voices utilizing INOVA or Acapela TTS systems (or equivalent), and Web Browser reading.
iPad has had apps like this for years. Yes, years. I will NEVER switch to iOS, so I'm trying to work to get some development in the areas that are needed to make this a helpful device to all users.
So far, the best I have seen on the Market are "Go Read" by Bookshare, "FB Reader" and "Voice Reading" are a far, far second.
Monday, November 4, 2013
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Living in an Alternate Reality
When playing as a young boy, many of my favorite activities involved exploration. Finding something new was always exhilarating for me. When I was in early high school, I began to explore in a different way: through online Massive Multiplayer Online games (I played a predecessor of World of Warcraft). While I got to see new virtual, fantasy environments, it wasn't nearly as nourishing as being outside, able to touch what I saw. This enjoyment of finding new things continued on into my teenage years and adulthood.
Seeing the real world can't be replaced by the virtual world yet. Some designers are making games that encourage getting into the world, and exploring.
These games and other apps augment reality with a layer of participation, exploration, or with some sort of goal in mind. The industry term for this type of game is ARG (Alternate Reality Game, or Augmented Reality Game). An ARG which readers may be familiar with is Foursquare. Foursquare is a game where, during your day, you check-in to places you have visited in reality. Each check-in gets you points, depending on how often you go, how long it has been since visiting, and if any friends have visited first. This game is simple, but it can get a hold of you. My lady-partner and I often race to see who can check-in first at restaurants. My phone usually wins; it's dual-core... Perhaps the most rewarding part is that if you have checked-in more days than other visitors, you are crowned Mayor of the location.
ARG's can be much more than this. Thanks mostly to updated mobile phone technology (GPS, compass and faster mobile internet), and games like Foursquare, a new game has appeared in the last few months that promises to change ARG style gaming for years to come. Ingress, described simply, is a game of capture the flag meets Foursquare. Players choose one of two teams and travel to local landmarks where "portals" have sprung up (there are about 50 to 60 portals in Boulder County, Colorado, and more are coming all the time). Teams form a network of portals, in an attempt to capture all portals in an area. Of course, the dynamic and scale of gameplay makes holding a popular portal for very long a near impossible task. Perhaps the most attractive element of the game is that it is played in the real world. I can't just sit down, move my thumbs around and play; Ingress uses GPS to determine where you are, so if you aren't actually at a Portal, you aren't playing the game.
People around the world are playing these games. Alternate Reality could change the way people play. Games where you have to get Mario to the end of the level take very little effort from our bodies, but demands a lot from our attention. It doesn't demand much at all from us as people, which could make it a lower-quality type of play. Our bodies need activity just as much as our minds do. ARGs have the ability to take two basic Body/Mind needs and combine them into a holistic, nourishing activity.
Seeing the real world can't be replaced by the virtual world yet. Some designers are making games that encourage getting into the world, and exploring.
These games and other apps augment reality with a layer of participation, exploration, or with some sort of goal in mind. The industry term for this type of game is ARG (Alternate Reality Game, or Augmented Reality Game). An ARG which readers may be familiar with is Foursquare. Foursquare is a game where, during your day, you check-in to places you have visited in reality. Each check-in gets you points, depending on how often you go, how long it has been since visiting, and if any friends have visited first. This game is simple, but it can get a hold of you. My lady-partner and I often race to see who can check-in first at restaurants. My phone usually wins; it's dual-core... Perhaps the most rewarding part is that if you have checked-in more days than other visitors, you are crowned Mayor of the location.
ARG's can be much more than this. Thanks mostly to updated mobile phone technology (GPS, compass and faster mobile internet), and games like Foursquare, a new game has appeared in the last few months that promises to change ARG style gaming for years to come. Ingress, described simply, is a game of capture the flag meets Foursquare. Players choose one of two teams and travel to local landmarks where "portals" have sprung up (there are about 50 to 60 portals in Boulder County, Colorado, and more are coming all the time). Teams form a network of portals, in an attempt to capture all portals in an area. Of course, the dynamic and scale of gameplay makes holding a popular portal for very long a near impossible task. Perhaps the most attractive element of the game is that it is played in the real world. I can't just sit down, move my thumbs around and play; Ingress uses GPS to determine where you are, so if you aren't actually at a Portal, you aren't playing the game.
People around the world are playing these games. Alternate Reality could change the way people play. Games where you have to get Mario to the end of the level take very little effort from our bodies, but demands a lot from our attention. It doesn't demand much at all from us as people, which could make it a lower-quality type of play. Our bodies need activity just as much as our minds do. ARGs have the ability to take two basic Body/Mind needs and combine them into a holistic, nourishing activity.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Distraction Described, Play Encouraged: Book Recommendations
In learning and researching for articles, I have been reading many books on the subject of distraction, technology, and video games. My speculation is that if you are reading this, you may also be interested in these topics. I would like to recommend two books which can reveal the depth of distraction and expansion this big, big Internet can cultivate so effortlessly.
One of the first books I picked up is from journalist Nicholas Carr, titled The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains. It is an in-depth exploration of the history, neurobiology, psychology and development of distraction. It will turn your opinion of your phone upside down, you will question the need for every notification, e-mail, and tweet you send...
Here is a brief passage from the chapter, "The Juggler's Brain:"
My next recommendation is all about games. Everyone loves games, and author, Jane McGonigal, can tell you why. McGonigal is a game-designer with a unique specialty and perspective on games which she explains in Reality is Broken: Why Games Make us Better and How They Can Change the World. Games do not have to be demonized, they should be praised for the positive emotion, social connections, and even personal growth they can bring to the player. For a quick intro to her work, her TEDtalk is well worth your while.
Another interesting "at-home-experiment" for you lovely readers would be her game, Superbetter, which is designed to help people identify and improve parts of themselves in areas of nutrition, mindfulness, fitness, optimism, quitting habits, and many other topics. As a game, it is challenging, because you are not playing to improve an avatar, you play with the added challenge of improving yourself. This could fall into the realm of a new phenomenon of "alternate reality games" which are games that are designed to be played in the real world, oftentimes they are played for positive, community-oriented outcomes. I will save some of the other "In Real Life" games for later posts.
Happy reading, and please post any questions or comments. Also, if you enjoyed this article, consider subscribing, or share any article with anyone who may find it interesting. It could really help me get some momentum to readership on ALOL. Thanks!
One of the first books I picked up is from journalist Nicholas Carr, titled The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains. It is an in-depth exploration of the history, neurobiology, psychology and development of distraction. It will turn your opinion of your phone upside down, you will question the need for every notification, e-mail, and tweet you send...
Here is a brief passage from the chapter, "The Juggler's Brain:"
"It's important to emphasize that the Net's ability to monitor events and automatically send out messages and notifications is one of its great strengths as a communication technology. We rely on that capability to personalize the workings of the system, to program the vast database to respond to our particular needs, interests, and desires. We want to be interrupted because each interruption brings us a valuable piece of information. To turn off these alerts is to risk feeling out of touch, or even socially isolated... We crave the new even when we know that "the new is more often trivial than essential""The essence of the book is in this passage. I especially enjoy the chapter titled "The Church of Google," where Carr brings readers on a tour of the development of Google, from the original site to the wide selection of free services, and the formation of Google Books. I think that section is especially poignant given Google's recent projects in both Google Glass and Google TV (which includes new fiber-optic internet project in Kansas City which puts major firms like Comcast and Verizon's internet to shame). With these, Google will probably take over the entertainment and mobile computing industries... Probably.
My next recommendation is all about games. Everyone loves games, and author, Jane McGonigal, can tell you why. McGonigal is a game-designer with a unique specialty and perspective on games which she explains in Reality is Broken: Why Games Make us Better and How They Can Change the World. Games do not have to be demonized, they should be praised for the positive emotion, social connections, and even personal growth they can bring to the player. For a quick intro to her work, her TEDtalk is well worth your while.
Another interesting "at-home-experiment" for you lovely readers would be her game, Superbetter, which is designed to help people identify and improve parts of themselves in areas of nutrition, mindfulness, fitness, optimism, quitting habits, and many other topics. As a game, it is challenging, because you are not playing to improve an avatar, you play with the added challenge of improving yourself. This could fall into the realm of a new phenomenon of "alternate reality games" which are games that are designed to be played in the real world, oftentimes they are played for positive, community-oriented outcomes. I will save some of the other "In Real Life" games for later posts.
Happy reading, and please post any questions or comments. Also, if you enjoyed this article, consider subscribing, or share any article with anyone who may find it interesting. It could really help me get some momentum to readership on ALOL. Thanks!
Friday, March 1, 2013
Tonight's the Night!
I can't deny a degree of excitement as I come closer to sundown, which is when I will switch off my electronics and observe the National Day of Unplugging. If you can, starting at sundown, switch off your phones, computers, tablets, televisions, and enjoy the analog world. At sundown tomorrow, go ahead and use the gadgets again.
Remember books? I do, I can't wait to get comfy with one for a few hours. Happy Unplugging.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Takin' a Digital Sabbath - National Day of Unplugging
Today, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about taking a sabbath... A Digital Sabbath.
I know, "Sabbath" can be a loaded term, but it does not have to be religious in practice. During a Digital Sabbath set down all digital devices for a day (or more if you can); you go 24 hours without texting, checking e-mail, Facebook and Twitter, television, video games, and basically anything else that involves a screen. Not. One. Thing. The sole purpose is to slow down and rest.
It would be difficult to find someone who has a mobile phone who does not feel attached to, or fully distracted, by it. These modern conveniences can bring us a great deal of stress. An e-mail notification interrupting your "flow" during a time of focus can be very distracting and stressful. Many people struggle to keep the pervasiveness of the impulse to check the phone at bay. I am certainly one of these people! I can see my phone's light blinking at me as I write, and I (not so) secretly want to check it. Disconnecting can be a profound experience for people living in the modern world.
The digital sabbath is an increasingly popular practice. I have never taken one myself, but it is a popular topic when talking about Internet Addiction in our culture.
In writing this article, I found the National Day of Unplugging. A day I will be observing! On March 1-2, 2013, people around the world will be putting down distracting and stress-causing technologies, gather together, and be with each other instead of being so disconnected. I will be turning everything off Friday at sunset, and it won't be on until Saturday at sunset. I honestly can't wait!
The parent of this project (Sabbath Manifesto) has a few good ideas for how to spend your sabbath, Avoiding technology and commerce, getting outside, and find silence. What a wonderful way to slow down. I think I will be doing some meditation and reading during my day.
I ask you to consider joining me next Friday. When the sun sets, so does your phone's screen (you know what I mean, just turn it off). Everyone could use a little time to rest.
UPADATE: Also please let me know if you plan to take the Pledge at National Day of Unplugging!
I know, "Sabbath" can be a loaded term, but it does not have to be religious in practice. During a Digital Sabbath set down all digital devices for a day (or more if you can); you go 24 hours without texting, checking e-mail, Facebook and Twitter, television, video games, and basically anything else that involves a screen. Not. One. Thing. The sole purpose is to slow down and rest.
It would be difficult to find someone who has a mobile phone who does not feel attached to, or fully distracted, by it. These modern conveniences can bring us a great deal of stress. An e-mail notification interrupting your "flow" during a time of focus can be very distracting and stressful. Many people struggle to keep the pervasiveness of the impulse to check the phone at bay. I am certainly one of these people! I can see my phone's light blinking at me as I write, and I (not so) secretly want to check it. Disconnecting can be a profound experience for people living in the modern world.
The digital sabbath is an increasingly popular practice. I have never taken one myself, but it is a popular topic when talking about Internet Addiction in our culture.
In writing this article, I found the National Day of Unplugging. A day I will be observing! On March 1-2, 2013, people around the world will be putting down distracting and stress-causing technologies, gather together, and be with each other instead of being so disconnected. I will be turning everything off Friday at sunset, and it won't be on until Saturday at sunset. I honestly can't wait!
The parent of this project (Sabbath Manifesto) has a few good ideas for how to spend your sabbath, Avoiding technology and commerce, getting outside, and find silence. What a wonderful way to slow down. I think I will be doing some meditation and reading during my day.
I ask you to consider joining me next Friday. When the sun sets, so does your phone's screen (you know what I mean, just turn it off). Everyone could use a little time to rest.
UPADATE: Also please let me know if you plan to take the Pledge at National Day of Unplugging!
Saturday, February 23, 2013
iPad, meet Toddler.
Months ago I came across a video that I love to show people when talking about neurological changes that occur in the brain when we are exposed to a new technology. In this case, it's the Apple iPad, and the person undergoing neurological changes is a 1 year old child.
Friday, February 22, 2013
ALOL: An introduction and informal mission
I can remember the first time I set eyes on the Internet...
My father was in the "Smart Room," which is what my family called the study, and he excitedly called me in to see something new. He was hunched over our IBM PS/1, the first computer in our home, and he was checking the weather. As I stood staring at the animated weather map on the screen my father told me the weather was being sent to our computer from another one miles away. I was only 6 years old, so the weather wasn't the most exciting topic, but the fact that it was another person's machine talking to our lowly PC. THAT was interesting!
By the time I was in Middle School, I was already playing a lot of video games (some online), surfing AOL Instant Messenger, and generally spending a large amount of time in front of a screen. It wasn't long after that I started playing EverQuest, a forerunner to the online game "World of Warcraft." The "large amount of time" I spent online before doubled easily. At this time in my life I was just beginning to struggle with ADHD. I am distractable by nature. I was just looking for some fun, but what I didn't know is that I was setting myself for a lifetime of distraction online.
Flash forward to 2 years ago, I was attending school at Naropa University in Boulder, CO. Naropa is a Buddhist-inspired university, designed to bring a contemplative/mindful approach to our academic and personal lives. I began practicing mindfulness meditation to bring a calm sense of being in my mind. My mind quickly began to notice just how much time I spend staring at a glowing screen, and I saw myself becoming anxious for any notification from my phone. Any blinking light, any ringing chime felt like my mobile device was tugging at a string tied around me.
Some important questions arose for me...
My father was in the "Smart Room," which is what my family called the study, and he excitedly called me in to see something new. He was hunched over our IBM PS/1, the first computer in our home, and he was checking the weather. As I stood staring at the animated weather map on the screen my father told me the weather was being sent to our computer from another one miles away. I was only 6 years old, so the weather wasn't the most exciting topic, but the fact that it was another person's machine talking to our lowly PC. THAT was interesting!
By the time I was in Middle School, I was already playing a lot of video games (some online), surfing AOL Instant Messenger, and generally spending a large amount of time in front of a screen. It wasn't long after that I started playing EverQuest, a forerunner to the online game "World of Warcraft." The "large amount of time" I spent online before doubled easily. At this time in my life I was just beginning to struggle with ADHD. I am distractable by nature. I was just looking for some fun, but what I didn't know is that I was setting myself for a lifetime of distraction online.
Flash forward to 2 years ago, I was attending school at Naropa University in Boulder, CO. Naropa is a Buddhist-inspired university, designed to bring a contemplative/mindful approach to our academic and personal lives. I began practicing mindfulness meditation to bring a calm sense of being in my mind. My mind quickly began to notice just how much time I spend staring at a glowing screen, and I saw myself becoming anxious for any notification from my phone. Any blinking light, any ringing chime felt like my mobile device was tugging at a string tied around me.
Some important questions arose for me...
- Why am I so attracted to computer/mobile screens?
- Why is my phone so endlessly distracting?
- Is there ANYTHING I can do to help myself feel less distracted?
- How do I cut down on time using technology?
- Is there anyone out there feeling the same was as I do about using personal tech?
These questions stayed with me until my final semester at Naropa, where I wrote my bachelor's thesis on how the Internet and connected gadgets have the potential to be very distracting in our lives. I argue in the piece that we have been unconsciously trained to crave the distraction of our personal technology. We have an enormous population of people who use technology near constantly, high schoolers send/recieve an average of 2272 texts per month (I have heard of students going as high as 10,000), and video games have only begun to show their potential in the entertainment industry.
While there are many concerns for the technology, there are also many boons. It has been shown that playing games can foster positive emotions, and even provide social, physical, and emotional support to the player (see Jane McGonigal's 'Reality is Broken').
I saw quickly that there is a distinction we need to make when using tech: Distraction vs. Enhancement. We buy our phone to be connected to one another, to help keep track of our lives, and a general platform for any tool we may need. The thing we often use them for the most, however, is to distract. It is important to know when the tech is enriching your life, and when it is just a session of Angry Birds...
My mission for this blog is to explore the world of the Internet, Technology, Games, and everything in between. The way I wish to set this blog apart from others is by not only engaging in discussion about these issues, but to offer strategies and practices you can use to wrangle your distractable mind!
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