Buy a Feature in Sendero GPS 4 for the BrailleNote

This was just posted by Mike May on the GPS Talk Users mailing list.

A sign up form will be available on Sendero in the next week.

Buy a Feature

Also known as innovation through understanding, this program is an opportunity for Sendero GPS users to influence the features, which will be included in versions 4.0. There are far more features than we have time to include in a new release. This Buy A Feature program involves users in the difficult process of evaluating trade offs and prioritizing features important to them individually and perhaps more globally. Here is how it works.

At the LAX Marriott Suite 1718, CSUN, Thursday, March 22, 9-11 AM, the first Sendero Buy a Feature meeting will be held in conjunction with the Sendero on-line chat. Space is limited to 10 on the chat site and 10 people in person. In an effort to have a cross section of beginner and advanced users, Sendero will determine the selection of participants. Please indicate Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced skill when you sign up. Each participant who contributes the entire time, will receive a $25 Sendero gift certificate.

Each participant will be allocated an equal number of points. Each potential feature will be valued according to our estimate of how much time and effort it will take to implement. The total number of points will represent the amount of development time available before version 4.0 is released for final testing. The points allocated to each participant will be a function of the total available points divided by the number of participants.

A list of annotated features will be distributed. Participants will have the opportunity to hear a description of each feature including discussion among the group and then given an opportunity to spend their feature points for their favorite features. Participants may lobby others to invest in his or her favorite feature.

After all the features have been discussed, participants will review their notes to prioritize their favorite features. Each priority list will be given to Sendero. A discussion will then ensue as features are purchased. Once a feature is purchased, participants can move on to the purchase of other features until all their points are spent.

Sendero Group development will give serious consideration to the priorities determined from these sessions. Which features end up being included in Sendero GPS version 4.0 will be a function of the real amount of time and complexity associated with implementing all features. The Buy A Feature event will certainly help determine which features are included in Sendero GPS Version 4.0.

Yell Robot Yell

My mate Steve is in a band. They gig around London and are rather successful with an album in the works and a myspace page. I’m not sure about the track they’ve selected for the front page but anyway check them out on the above link.

Trains Still Safe Form of Travel?

I use this line every month. My heart really goes out to the people aboard this particular train.

"The terrible pictures of the Virgin Train strewn across the Cumbrian countryside
are a major blow for the railways after a long accident-free period.
The last major incident was at Ufton Nervet in Berkshire in November 2004 when a
suicidal motorist deliberately parked his car across the track.
It was struck by a high speed train, killing six people including the driver.
The last accident in which passengers died as a result of industry error was much
longer ago in May 2002.
Then seven people lost their lives when a train was derailed by faulty points at
Potters Bar.
The following five-year accident-free period was unprecedented in the railways' 175-year
history and did much to allay fears about safety.
Previously they had been heightened after a series of disasters in the late 1990s
and early 2000s.
Today, the greatest area of concern for the industry will be that the probable cause
of this crash is, again, something to do with the track.
Popular trains
Given the lack of damage to the front locomotive and the apparent focus of police
investigation on the track, it is unlikely that the train hit an object, as had been
suggested by some of the passengers.
Crucially for Virgin, there does not seem to have been a fault with the innovative
and highly popular Pendolino trains introduced on the West Coast Main Line over the
past three years."

Threshold the Band

The UK prog metal outfit Threshold are not a new band but it has taken me until now to discover them. Though the lyrical content can sometimes be a little preachy featuring on topics such as globalisation ETC they sound like a heavier version of Images and Words Dream Theater with lush vocals and more hooks than a hooky thing. I’ve just invested in some of the back catalogue and am really impressed. Anyhow, check out the linked page above for some samples and a full track from the new cd on the front page. Smashing stuff for metal fans and the more melodic centric rock fan. They are also the only UK prog metal band as far as I know.

Dream Theater go Myspace

I don't like myspace. Its not too screenreader friendly but everyones doing it now so why not DT.

E-Access Blog

Yet another AT blog but focusing on government policy as well as assistive technology.

Passion that Nibbles the Botty.

Nearly put me off my sandwiches. bet it was none to nice when they came out. I thought curry was bad too.

"The 38-year-old woman, from Galati, went to hospital with stomach pains claiming
she had swallowed a foreign object but without saying what it was.
Doctors were surprised when the x-ray showed false teeth in her stomach.
Eventually she admitted she gulped down the denture while experimenting a 'special
type of passionate kiss' with her boyfriend.
After spending two days in hospital, the foreign object left the woman's body the
natural way."

Windows Mobile 6 preview

Strong Suffolk Vintege Ale

I have made my views on Greene Kings monopolisation of pubs and shutting down of breweries in the UK well known on these pages but they brew for me one lovely bottled beer. A mix of old ale which is 12% in strength and a younger 5^% beer. The oldest beer in the bottle is around 2 years old with maturation in huge oak tons and the strength works out at 6% once the two ales are married and bottled. I have one bottle left so had it last night.

Nose: kind of rusty but sweet, wood with bread and a bit of lemony fruit.

Palette: powerful liquorish and cherry bitter oak and some hop cutting through the sweetness thin on the tongue despite the strength and flavour.

Finnish: drying, bitter but sweet nice.

Comment: a good widely available beer in these parts and the best from GK. It’s a shame its not bottle conditioned as it’s a little short of bulk despite the strength and flavour AAH, WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN.

Top of the Puds

Not surprising. Everyone likes a pud don’t they? Memories of my granddads Yorkshires as a kid and at home with my parents the first time Clare came to stay with a huge pud swimming in onion gravy. I think that’s when Clare realised she had a crush on me!!

“The Yorkshire pudding has been named the nation's favourite regional food.
It beats the Cornish pasty and the Melton Mowbray pork pie to come first in its category
at the Good Housekeeping food awards.
Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce was named the favourite store cupboard ingredient.
All entries were nominated by Good Housekeeping magazine readers.
Winners were picked by a judging panel which included editor Louise Chunn, M&S chief
executive Stuart Rose, restaurateur Prue Leith, Fergus Henderson of London's St John
restaurant, and television's Aggie MacKenzie.”

A Unique Travel Experience for the Visually Impaired with Traveleyes and TrekkeR

Finally the info is on the Humanware.ca web pages. I met up with Amar Latif, from Traveleyes in leeds just before the release of Trekker 3 and he was intrigued by the technology and the opportunities it would open up for him as an independent traveler. It was a pleasure to drink coffee and talk with him and help bring our two respective companies and ideas together with our Humanware technology enhancing his ability to travel internationally.


http://(www.traveleyes.co.uk)

All Egged Up

I shall be taking Hancock’s advice on Monday and going to work on an egg. It was warming and nutritious on Thursday and as we all know, ‘vitality is egg shaped’

Just watch some of the above linked protein filled 1950s commercials featuring the oft misunderstood Tony Hancock to find out more and take a trip back in TV time. Also check out http://www.tonyhancock.org.uk Incidentally Clare is the web mistress of that page.

Something in the Way He Moves

I was unsure about posting this link but I do believe it brings up some interesting points and is rather sad. If disability and sex cuppled apall you then please don’t follow it.

“Larry wants to find love, but as a 33-year-old with learning disabilities, he's finding
many obstacles before him. He has one foot in the disabled world and one foot in
the so-called normal world—and doing the splits between both has left him stretched
and alone. He was born with cerebral palsy (CP), a condition caused by damage to
the brain, which results in poor muscle control and coordination. Although CP can
occur independent of learning disabilities, in Larry's case it did not. He's what
people who work in the land of developmental disabilities would call high-functioning.”

Fuller's Vintage Ale 1999

I’ve featured the 2002 vintage of this ale on my bloglast year. This 1999 version was purchased from the Dove Inn for only 3 quid a few weeks ago and is 8.5 in strength. This version of the beer is brewed with Champion Fuggles
hops and Champion Optic malt.

Nose: port sherry and toffee with the fuller’s strawberry jam yeast coming through.

Pallet: extremely thick in the mouth with big flavours of liquorish and butterscotch. Almost whiskylike in some ways. Stewed fruits and immense. Like a good red wine.

Finnish: lingering almost like a good port or medira.

Comment: one of the finest ales I’ve tasted. The bottle maturation worked and proves that beer has as much to offer as wines and spirits, something to linger over and a bargain for what I paid. As clare put it, it’s the same aje as Jaid!!

Cambridge Capers and Crawl

The plan was to arrive in at Cambridge for 1 in the afternoon of last Saturday but owing to the merriment of the evening before we actually got in just after 3. The wet whether hit us as we walked out the door in Ipswich and boarded the bus to the Train station. Unfortunately we just missed a Cambridge train so went to Keo’s delicatessen on the platform and purchased sandwiches organic fruit juices, homemade Scotch eggs and other delicacies. I selected homemade chicken curry and bhajis surprisingly and then washed it down with a bottle of Bishops Tipple a strong hoppy brew from Wadworth’s purchased from the Wine Buffer’s store next door. This repast was taken on Platform two of Ipswich Railway station after which we got on the train and for an hour said little but listened to music and \slept.

We walked with the aid of our 4 legged friends and the GPS to the Live and Let Live, Cambridge Camera pub of the year but it was shut until later that evening so we taxied to Paul and Tinas house to drink tea eat nearly out of date mince pies and dry out. Paul then took us on a mammoth crawl through Cambridge at which we walked around 4 miles and took in many good pubs the best of these was for me the St Radegund. This small boozer features beers from the local Milton brewery and the easy drinking sackcloth bitter was a delight.

We then hit the Champion of the Tems at which the landlord would I’m sure have asked me to leave if Paul were not around. I made my views known on Greene King ales and this didn’t go down too well.

The next stop was the Live and Let Live which was ok but not as good as I’d expected, and then on to the Kingston Arms, a large airy pub followed by the charming Cambridge Blue who’s beers were all in tiptop form.

The curry bug then hit and just after 11 we hit the Curry queen for a slap-up binge of spicy nosh. The owners were reluctant to let us in with the dogs but with some tact I tipped the balance in our favour and we will be welcome back any time along with the dogs. Well, they would welcome us back for £90 going in the till I guess.

The party was to continue back home with Clare hitting the whisky and me going for organic ale and ahem, some of Clare’s whisky. Paul put on a good show and we listened to Lemon Jelly and the snores of Steve.

Bacon was the first thing assailing my nostrils at half 1 on Sunday afternoon and the cooked breakfast Tina provided was sensational with bacon, snorkers, eggs, tomatoes, beans, toast and tea but the snorkers a speciality.

Not wanting to waist our time in Cambridge we went to King’s College Chapel for evensong. Now I’m not at all religious or a god botherer but the quire and building are world renown and provide the setting for the BBC carol service broadcast on radio each year. The chapel dates from the 1460s and is grand in scale with dimensions that put many cathedrals to shame. Basically funded by king Henry VI and the next few after him the structure is ornate and the windows world famous. For me it was a privilege to be able to touch the 550 year old organ casing and here the magnificent instrument and angelic quire. The acoustics of this place have to be listened to in order that one can take in the utter brilliance of the sound.

After the service we went to the Eagle pub and I endured more Greene King ale. Interestingly One of the back rooms has graffiti scrawled by WWII fliers in the soot of candles onto the ceiling. Watson and Crick discoverers of
DNA allegedly pronounced the 'eureka' here over a pint. If only the pub were that interesting these days. A wetherspoon like place with prices not to match and a Greene King monster pub.

We had planned to watch a jazz combo back in the St Radegund but owing to Tina’s beautiful roast lamb and much cheese, beer, wine and Gin plus good conversation and malt we gave it a miss and had a lovely night in.

So it was back to work on Monday and a big thanks to Steve Paul Tina and Clare.

Introducing NonVisual Desktop Access

This looks a rather interesting project. I’m going to download and take a look. I guess it won’t be as fully featured as the free Thunder product but its open-source and fre.

“NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA) is a free and open-source screen reader for the Windows
Operating System, enabling blind and vision impaired people to use their computers
for no more cost than the computer and Operating System itself. Started in April
2006, it has grown to become quite usable as a day-to-day screen reader, enabling
the user to do most tasks they would need to. It is not as stable or as bug-free
as some of the commercial screen readers, but since December 2006 the creator of
NVDA has been able to use NVDA full-time as his primary screen reader, finally giving
up his original commercial product.”

Happy Beerday to the Dove

The birthday party of the Dove went with a bang. Clare Steve and I fought wind and pelting precipitation through the streets of old Ipswich town to attend this most prestigious of events with all three dogs. On entering at around half 7 the bar was nearly full but we obtained a table lest Steve and I were to partake of too much falling down water. I stuck to the Mighty Oak Mild most of the evening but took a quick detour over the hills to Thwaits land for a quick pint of the bitter which was lovely and probably better than anything I’ve ever tasted in Preston from that particular brewery.

Carl and one of the pianists from Jewel’s Holland’s band were doing a set of jazz standards in the back bar, so I went with Jaid to watch a little of the good performance.

Just after 12 we were all moved back against the walls as a troop of the regulars danced through the pub in Egyptian costume and rather good they were according to Clare who appeared to get her own little show at one point. History was made after this when Adi proposed to his partner in crime for more years than they care to think about Karen. What a fantastic moment and its good to know that Jaid will be going to live with people who aren’t living in sin!!

We all got home around 1 and after scrimmaging for food and ale went to bed for Cambridge loomed on Saturday.

Systematic Chaos a new DT Album this Year!

Roadrunner Records is proud to announce the signing of progressive metal pioneers
Dream Theater
. A new studio album,
Systematic Chaos is due in June. Dream Theater
will hit the road in support of the album for a world tour, including major festival
appearances in Europe.
Since their first studio release in 1989, this US based five-piece has notched up
record and DVD sales in excess of six million and headlined to audiences of 20,000.
Having undertaken seven world tours across 42 different countries, Dream Theater
has established a live reputation that has swept them to arena-status around the
globe. They have appeared alongside acts such as
Deep Purple, Iron Maiden and Yes.
Recognized by peers and public alike for their advanced musical expertise, the band
(Mike Portnoy, drums;
John Petrucci, guitar; John Myung, bass; James LaBrie, vocals; Jordan Rudess
, keyboards) has long held the ability to combine complex arrangements with unadulterated
songwriting skills, the material often underpinned by riffs as heavy as anything
in the
Metallica repertoire.
“This album's got all of the elements we've become known for,” reveals Portnoy.
“The focus on musicianship, the skull-crushing riffs, the big progressive epics and
the heart-wrenching melodies. We've got one of the strongest and most devoted fan
bases in the world, and they should certainly be happy with the new material. By
working closely with the label we hope to turn a great many new heads, too.”
“Dream Theater and Roadrunner Records have led parallel careers on the cutting edge
of metal for many years,”
say A&R men, Derek Oliver & Dante Bonutto,
“We're thrilled to be working with a genuine market-leader, and when you add everything
the guys bring to the table to the independent spirit and work ethic of the label,
the results can only be exciting in the extreme!”
Prior to teaming up with Roadrunner, Dream Theater was signed to a seven-album deal
with
Warner Music Group
worldwide. The deal commenced with the critically acclaimed and commercially successful
Images And Words (1992), a Gold-certified US release, and concluded, in equal style,
with Octavarium
(2005), a Top 40 Billboard outing. In August of last year the band issued
Score
, a live album/DVD (recorded at Radio City Music Hall in New York), which went straight
to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard DVD charts, knocking
Pink Floyd from the top!
By the following month, the five were holed up at Avatar Studios in New York, working
on the new album with veteran engineer/ mixer
Paul Northfield (Rush, Queensrÿche, Porcupine Tree)
. As usual, Portnoy and Petrucci chose to co-produce the project, which features
seven compositions (one a 25-minute epic), and word on the grapevine is that the
Dream Theater/Roadrunner alliance looks all set to kick off with a classic.
Systematic Chaos
, Dream Theater's ninth studio release, arrives at a time when the band is casting
a longer-than-ever shadow across the rock and metal landscape. Their influence is
being acknowledged by an increasing number of contemporary, cutting-edge acts such
as
Stone Sour, Trivium, Shadows Fall, Opeth
as their fan base continues to grow.
Touring plans will be announced shortly. Please visit
www.roadrunnerrecords.com
or
www.dreamtheater.net
for up to the minute information.

Rising Ripoff

Epsom was a mixed bag with the only rotten apple in the barrel the Rising Sun and its pricing policy. Now nearly 3 quid for a pint of Special or Bombardier is a piss take and I’ll not be darkening the doors purely for ale anytime soon. The food is exceptional though and guess that’s what they want to turn it in to, a gastro pub by pricing out the locals. I found the atmosphere and beers far better in the Barley Mo a fullers house which is really nice now its been done up a bit. The new food menu was good and the Winter Ale and 1845 on cask were both lovely pints and the 1845? Only £2.65 for a strong limited edition beer. It was interesting seeing Epsom again but I don’t hold the same affection for the place as that for Preston.

I stayed over with Steve B for two nights and met lots of old friends which was good. So good in fact that he’s coming to the Dove’s birthday bash with Clare and I tonight and then on to Cambridge this weekend to have a few with Paul and Tina.

I stayed in Goldthorpe last night with my parents as work was in Leeds yesterday and Stockton today. I also took in Tunbridge Wells and Derby this week and met some really nice people. I even enjoyed the training all 3 days of it. I’ll really be glad to get home tonight

Newspaper Article Featuring Jaid and I

Some nice inaccuracy but hayho, not bad really. I guess it gets a point across and it’s a shame they didn’t mention Humanware. I don’t make the journey every day, and sometimes I have to be at the station to get the 20 past 5 train. This all started with one e-mail to the paper. I’ll get the pictures if anyone wants to take a look at them. Just comment ok?


BTW I’m not sure about the quote at the end. Learned to survive without them? Can’t remember saying that.


“DILEMMA: Martin Roberts with his guide dog,
Jade, at Ellenbrook Green. Picture: JERRY TURNER
Martin: I could be forced to move

FOR one visually impaired Ipswich resident losing the
buses is not simply an inconvenience it could mean he has to move house.

Roberts does not have the option of driving on his daily journey to the station to catch a train to Northampton because his limited sight means he cannot drive. Instead, the 29-year-old, of Ellenbrook Road, would have to make the two-mile journey
on foot aided by guide dog Jade. He fears the axe of service
number seven and reduction to service number 13 may lead to
him being forced to move into the town centre.

Mr Roberts said: “I have to get to the station for 6.20am everyday and if the early morning 13 services are cut I will have to walk. “I would be happy to do it in
a couple of months but walking through the estate on an icy morning is not something that appeals to me.

“I work for a technology company and have to bring a lot of the equipment home with me. “I would not fancy waiting at a bus stop for a lengthy period
with all of that equipment either as it would make me rather vulnerable.”

Mr Roberts said he would be happy to pay more council tax
if it meant the Ipswich transport system could be saved. He said: “Once these services are gone they are never coming back.
“You are not going to find in a couple of years’ time that
they will re-introduce them because people will have learnt to survive without them and
the money will already have been saved.””

Beery Weekend

Work took me to Norwich on Friday last so when all was done I took advantage of the situation to check out one or two of the best ale houses in norfolks principle city that is blessed with some outstanding pubs.

First was the Duke of Wellington which was like a gentler version of the Dragon in Worcester but with more ales and even some of the lovely German beers I used to drink in the Riser. This place was just so friendly and it owns the Woolf Brewery but doesn’t overly push its ales instead letting two or three sit along side an impressive range of cask offerings from other brewers. This place is well worth checking out and was my favourite of the two pubs Clare and I visited. Many of the regulars enjoy going to the Dove in Ipswich so a clientele of good taste. You’re not going to be out of pocket after a night in the Duke either. This wouldn’t matter a jot but when added to the general ambiance of the pub really takes it over the top. Beware bearded CAMRA types!

The Fat Cat Norwich is a sister to that found in Ipswich but to me at least was more welcoming and the beers from the Fat Cat Brewery located in the CiderShed pub within the city were smashing, especially the 5.6% Marmalade. Staff were also attentive. A special mention goes out to possibly the best pork pies in Norfolk. They had around 20 beers on cask plus were willing to give tasters and advise even though it was starting to fill up. What a pub but pipped for me by the above.

Taxis are a rip-off in Norwich but we will be heading back to check out more recommended hostelries in the near future.

We then headed back home and found our way to the Ipswich Fat Cat for comparison at which were two of the beers from the new St Jude brewery. The Ipswich Bright was frankly terrible but the slightly stronger Coachman’s Whip was lovely but still not earth shattering. I think they have some work to do but wish them well. I’ve noticed a dip in the cat over the last few months but it appeared to be picking up again last weekend.

We then walked just under a mile to the Dove Inn and were warmly welcomed. Many brews were sampled by myself and by the time Emma came along I may have over indulged. certainly by the time Clare and I walked to the bus stop to go home I had definitely over-indulged to the point of swaying around and talking shite. Karen and Adi have possibly the best pub in the country with the Dove and this is backed up by the short-listing along with 3 others for the CAMRA pub of the year. They’ve already taken the Publican cask ale pub of the year 2006 so are doing rather well at the moment. It also looks like Jaid will be setting up home with them later this year.

I awoke on Saturday with a rotten head but managed to have pics taken by the local paper then Clare and I went to the Woolpack for some lovely seafood and for me an Adnams.

The afternoon was spent in the Dove with just a couple of beers this time talking to a biker and his missus. We took in a curry that night from Akbars which really hit the spot and thus ended a perfectly enjoyable day.

Sunday is traditionally always a time of dining with family and with this in mind we took Colin and Sue out for a byte to eat in the GreyHound a lovely Adnams pub with really good home cooked food. Apparently the pie was like Clare’s Nana makes so all was well and the Explorer ale citric with American hops.

I spent the afternoon cleaning up my Shuttle SFF PC and am giving it to Emma so she can get some net connectivity. I hope it will help Holly with her schooling and get me Cuz online.

Clare and I also racked a batch of homebrew and dry hopped it in to cask. Its Woodfordes bitter which is renown for its quality if brewed correctly and I think we did a reasonable job but only time will tell. We should know in two to three weeks.

I was training in Sutton yesterday and I’m now travelling to the midlands for more of the same.

Links

http://www.wolfbrewery.com/
http://www.dukeofwellingtonnorwich.co.uk/
http://www.fatcatpub.co.uk
http://www.fatcatipswich.co.uk
http://www.dovestreetinn.co.uk
http://www.greyhound-ipswich.com

Anger over Ipswich Bus Cuts - I'm in the Paper!!

A photographer from The Evening Star came and took pictures of Jaid and I at a bus stop last weekend. I won’t print the email I sent them that triggered the lull in my beery weekend but have asked for an accessible copy of the article that resulted.

I thank Mr Smart for tthe below as the cutbacks would impact Clare and I along with other carless people in the town.

“YOUR coverage of the proposed reduction in Ipswich bus services is a timely reminder
to anyone who thinks that 'all politicians are the same' of the huge difference there
still exists between the parties locally.
In the years when the council was controlled by Labour it was happy to continue to
own Ipswich Buses, rather than sell it off, as it believes that public transport
should be accountable to local people and the company should put the development
of local bus services before the need to make profits. This was very successful and
more people use buses in Ipswich than in similar towns, like Norwich, that do not
have their own bus company.
This is not unlike the company model adopted by the government when it set up 'Network
Rail' to replace the ill-fated (and profit motivated) 'Railtrack' that it inherited
from the Tories.
Having admitted 'Railtrack' was a mistake, the Tories who now run the council with
the Liberal Democrats, seem determined to make the same mistake with Ipswich Buses
and turn it into a money-making enterprise for the Council. Ipswich Buses will continue
to make a modest dividend for the Council but this expectation has to be reasonable.
Just at the time when concern for the environment is at the top of the national agenda
with talk of 'green taxes', the Tory council wants to 'tax' the things that are 'green'.
Ipswich is getting ready to become a university town and re-establish its reputation
as a safe place to visit at night. This is not the time to be reducing late evening
buses (all fitted with CCTV), if anything we should be running more.
The new, clean engine, buses that went into service this week (ordered before the
Council announced its intentions) are a good example of what is possible when the
company is allowed to invest its money back into improving services. Alas these may
be the last new buses we see for some time.
May I conclude my letter by reassuring older readers that this has nothing to do
with the recent change to 'free fares' for pensioners. Almost all the extra money
for this came from the Labour government who support better bus services.
Councillor Philip Smart (Labour)”

Colabritive Satellite Navigation POI Database

This Colabritive Satellite Navigation POI Database looks a good idea. These POI could be used with Trekker after a little formatting.

Thanks to Dave W for bringing this to my attention.
“At the present time, the database contains the locations of
Disabled (Blue Badge) parking bays and Radar Key toilets.
The facility is provided for free and the files created are also provided for free.”