Proud Geek

(EDIT 10:30am: Some more information from Viable — see new blog post.)

Better sign up now for a DeafNation Expo near you! Viable VPADs will be sold at the next several DeafNation Expos for just $99, down from the full price of $699.

And Viable has confirmed that these aren’t pre-orders. People will be actually walking out with honest-to-gosh VPADs!

Viable also confirmed that this special offer is limited to one per person. If you want to buy a second VPAD, it’d cost a whopping $699.

I contacted a friend who lives near Pomona, California where the next Expo will take place this Saturday and asked him to get me TWO and ship them to me! But that was before I found out about the one-per-person limit. Dang.

Those of you who are getting VPADs this weekend - I truly envy you.

A friend of mine is thinking of flying out from DC to an upcoming DeafNation Expo just to get one of those VPADs sooner.

And Viable? You’d better stock up. You’re gonna sell out.

Brendan Steuben Steuble, the manager of the VPAD project at Viable, left the following comment with more info on the VPAD on both Amy Cohen Efron and my blog posts announcing the VPAD. Thanks, Brendan, and we look forward to getting even more information on this from you. This new videophone is certainly generating a lot of buzz and excitement!

Hi. I am the manager of the VPAD project for Viable, Inc. We are very excited by the response generated at this year’s CES unveiling. I would like to assure you all that this device is real, exists in quantity, and will be available very very soon: it is not an “idea” or “prototype”.

Of particular note is the ability of the device to provide Video Remote Interpreting, where if it is in the room and on, a deaf and hearing person can speak to each other. Also, it does not need a “public ip” address, and works inside your office, your hotel, your home, or in a wifi hotspot.

It is so easy to setup and use that a child or the most technology afraid person can use it.

Our website will have more details shortly.

My best wishes to you all and my hopes that this device helps bridge the gap between the deaf and hearing communities.

Viable certainly didn’t disappoint us. It unveiled the newest videophone, the VPAD — and it looks like it’s going to be a winner.

Some features that I think we’ll all like:

• WiFi connectivity - that means we can take the VPAD to our local Starbucks, or on out-of-town trips to hotel rooms, or even to many McDonalds (which now provide free WiFi service).
• Touch-screen that’s 10.2″ wide.
• Optional keyboard via USB cable
• Light alerts along the top of the monitor
• Ability to hook the VPAD up to a larger TV, or even another electronic device (like gaming devices) to the VPAD
• A slot for SD memory cards (altho I wonder what this would be for — can we record conversations? Or only use the VPAD to display photos and possibly videos?)

The Viable’s VPAD webpage even has a 3D demo mini-video. Go check it out.

When can I get my grubby paws on one? However, it doesn’t look like there’s a sign-up list as of yet. No distribution date.

And while I’m at it: SnapVRS, I don’t even have an Ojo unit. When do I get one? Sorenson, I have one of the older VP-100’s and have yet to get a VP-200. Hint-hint-hint … :-P

EDIT: Amy Cohen Efron (who scooped me with her blog post earlier today about the unveiling of this VPAD - good going, Amy!) had several excellent questions about the VPAD. Go pay her blog post a visit, and I hope she gets these questions answered soon.

EDIT (1/7/08:): Amy Cohen Efron got a great response from Viable answering her questions and more.

Viable will be unveiling a totally new type of videophone on Saturday, January 5th (TOMORROW!) at the 2008 International CES conference.

Judging from the shape under the fabric (see picture), it looks like some kind of upright tablet / monitor. Looks like it’s much wider than the Ojo. Hmmm. (Speaking of which, SnapVRS, I still haven’t gotten an Ojo unit from you. I want one!) A source in Viable, who shall remain unnamed, confirms that this cloth-covered shape is indeed the new videophone. Wow.

The related news release seems to suggest that this videophone will be wireless (or at least be WiFi-enabled — get your terms straight, folks!) and will be “introducing to our customers to an exciting, new technology standard that blows away every other videophone currently available.”

Waitamin. The photo in the news release is named “clothvpad.png”. That suggests the videophone is being called the vpad. I Googled “vpad,” and I wonder if the vpad will look anything like the VidaBox vPad (although this model deals with home security / piping music throughout the house and does not come with a webcam / videocamera):

Whoops! The same unnamed Viable source confirmed (in an indirectly roundabout way) that while the unit will indeed be called the vpad, it will NOT look like the VidaBox vPad (pictured above). Let the speculation continue, then.

Oh, I can’t wait. Look at me — I’m actually shaking with anticipation.

Just got an email from Snap!VRS announcing some upcoming new technology innovations. You may remember Snap!VRS because of its totally-uber-cool Ojo videophones. Looks like Snap! wants to stay on the leading edge of the videophone field — and not just because of its Ojo videophone. Some snippets from its email (and yes, I plagarize shamelessly here):

• Wireless — New flexible options to make VRS calls with Ojo from just about anywhere through the use of Wi-Fi wireless access points and WiMAX technologies.
• Mobility — New Home Plug technology allows Ojo users to place VRS calls virtually anywhere within the home by using the home electrical system.
• Portability — New compact travel Ojo.
• Enhanced Video Mail — New feature that permits VRS providers or anyone calling an Ojo using an older VP to leave a video message which can be retrieved directly from Ojo.
• Home and Office Program —New program to provide an additional Ojo for use by working professionals to accommodate the need to place VRS calls from home or the office.
• Friends and Family Program — Hearing friends and family members of Snap!VRS customers may purchase an interoperable version of Ojo capable of communicating with other VPs that use older technology.
• Use Ojo to Make Videos — Use Ojo to record personal video episodes called Ojosodes (Ojo + episodes = Ojosodes) that can be posted to an online social community.
• and much more.

It was only recently that GoAmerica, i711’s parent company, merged with Verizon. And today it was announced that GoAmerica will be acquiring, uh, merging with Hands On VRS as well.

i711 seems well on its way to becoming a veriable juggernaunt — will we end up with just several VRS providers soon? True, there are still quite a few VRS providers (13 at my last count). But let’s face it — there comes a time when many VRS providers will exit the market or be brought out — and then we’ll be left with just a few (if not just one).

Any guesses which ones we’ll end up with? Two months ago, I would have thought Verizon’s VRS would still be standing on its own, and that i711 would’ve been acquired by someone else. But, instead, i711 gobbled Verizon VRS right up. But my guess: Sorenson versus i711 versus Sprint (unless Sprint gets out of the market too) …

IP-Relay will soon have a new owner.

GoAmerica recently announced that it will be acquiring Verizon’s Telecommunication Relay Services (TRS) division. This division includes Verizon’s TTY relay services, IP-based (via the Internet) relay services, and video relay services.

At $50 million cash and up to an additional $8 million in contingent cash consideration, this acquisition isn’t exactly chump change. Didn’t know GoAmerica has this kind of money! But revenues just for these services was approximately $67 million for 2006 (with no word on expenditures / profit), so this may be a good move.

I’ve been using IP-Relay nearly ever since it was created. So, I’m curious if the change in ownership will enhance the services provided through IP-Relay even more.

Just blogged on DeafDC about registering your personal relay number with DoNotCall.gov.  Go check it out or register your phone number(s)!

Just got an email from IP-Relay touting a new feature on its My IP-Relay service: personalized greetings.

First, some background if you don’t know what the My IP-Relay Number service is. You can sign up and get your own free phone number with the same area code as the state you want it to be located in. You’d have to link it (again via IP-Relay’s webpage) to one or more of your AIM instant messaging accounts, plus one of your VRS numbers. You then give out your My IP-Relay phone number to hearing callers. When they call, there’s no need for the hearing callers to give the relay agent a second phone number for your home or work. Rather, the relay agent will connect the callers directly to you via your AIM account or VRS number. If you’re unavailable, the caller can leave a message which IP-Relay then sends to you via email. Easy to give this number out to pizza delivery services, put onto your resume, etc etc - no need to explain that they need to call one number first, and give the agent the second number. Very handy. (And I should note that at least one other VRS service provider also provides this service as well.)

Now, IP-Relay has improved on the My IP-Relay number service by making it possible for you to set a personalized greeting message. You can now type in your greeting message that you want to be told to hearing callers at the beginning of the call — something like “Hello, this is Proud Geek, I’m unavailable right now but please leave a message” or “Hi, this is the number for Jane Doe, please wait a moment while you are being connected …”

If you already have a My IP-Relay Number, you can modify your user profile. Otherwise, sign up for a new account.

Just got this from someone at CSDVRS:

Hello - this is a great blog!

I just wanted to make sure that you knew that CSDVRS offers a special feature - Personal 800 Numbers.

With other VRS Providers, for a hearing person to call a VP user through VRS, the hearing person must have two “sets” of numbers. First, the number to call the VRS center, and then a second “number” to connect to the VP user (VP Phone Number, IP Address, or Extension Number).

CSDVRS’s Personal 800 Number is unique because each VP user is assigned their own number and the hearing person only needs to know ONE phone number, eliminating the need for a phone number to contact the VRS center.

Personal 800 Numbers are perfect for forms, listing on resumes, and require no instructions and look “familiar” to hearing people.

With Personal 800 Numbers, VRS calls are now truly a 2 way street, instead of deaf people always having to make the VRS call to hearing people.

You can get yours by going to www.csdvrs.com/800 for FREE.

Thanks for your time!

Thanks, Tanya (especially for your praise of my blog)! I just updated the Video Relay Services page with this information.