Bose Frames helped me make a friend

I must first start off with I’m typing this on a new product. I’m using a Microsoft Surface Go. I know I praised the all mighty iPad before, but I’ve been playing with this thing for about a week, and I love it. I sold my pro on Ebay Friday. Microsoft has done a great job with making Windows accessible out of the box. I’m experiencing nostalgia with the Surface. I remember being in college lugging a heavy computer around that got hot on my legs while using it, and to feel this device and see it’s smaller than my iPad pro was is amazing. Apple really does need to figure out easier ways to share files and give you a file explorer. I feel like to simply get a file off of the device it would take one 10 minutes to figure out what programs the two of them had to get said file from one person to another. Apple folks are really sensitive though. A friend of mine says the processor sucks on the Surface go, and sure it isn’t a Cadillac, but this horse manure Apple feeds you each year is tiring. Is the new chip in the Pad impressive? Maybe. It’s running a mobile operating system enough said. The Surface is full Windows no comparison. When your pad can run MAC OS we can talk.

Is windows perfect hell no as a tablet d the Surface has a lot to be desired, but I like the fact it let’s me use Word and play some audio games the IOS devices don’t have. It is sad though as a blind person I’m playing 20-year-old games. Not because I want too, but not many new games are being made to play that are worth it.

I got these Bose Frames to play with and test. It’s crazy, but they have helped me make some friends. I’m a chatty fellow normally, but people often avoid me it feels like. For example, I have a bus driver I see every morning. He weirdly grabs my hand to show me where the ticket box is even though I do this task every day, but whatever I just hope he washes. Anyhow I always greet him good morning. He normally grunts at me. On the day I first had the frames on he said nice glasses! I said thank you and I’m going for a more vintage blind guy look. He laughs and says you have jokes. Something if he had spoken to me in the last 3 months he’d know already. Anyway, he continues to talk to me the entire trip to work. I pulled the bell for my stop, and he continued to talk as I exited. The glasses were cool, because I was able to check my GPS without him knowing. I also used them while sitting at church while Abby was practicing. I had them on watching You on Netflix, and 2 or 3 people walked by and had a brief conversation with me not knowing I had sunglasses that were playing music. I really did enjoy them, but they have a few flaws. The first is to turn them off you have to take them off and turn them upside down. Okay fine, but with only a 3-hour battery life you should give me a power button option. Also, my ears hurt or felt fatigue after using them. I did get in to a discussion with a friend of mine who is a doctor. He told me when giving lectures he wears his lab coat, because over the years he’s learned most don’t know how to identify when he isn’t. He said most folks are just used to seeing a blind person with sunglasses and when they don’t encounter what they have pictured it makes them nervous.

I mentioned earlier I sold my iPad well I got in to a conversation with the buyer where I mentioned I was blind. They wrote back saying that they were sorry that I was blind. I always feel weird when someone mentions this. Why are you sorry? You don’t even know one thing about me rather than somehow picturing the best they’re automatically sorry. For example just because your sighted doesn’t mean your living a wonderful life. Should I start asking about your financial situation or job? I just find it strange your first thought is to say your sorry.

I’m debating leaving Facebook soon. I keep going back and forth on it. On one hand I enjoy seeing new things about people. On the other hand I can’t stand the political shit. No matter who your for I miss the old Facebook where it seemed like I was being political. Lol seriously I learned your not going to change anyone’s mind, and rather than be upset or irritated I could just do away with it. I deleted the app from my phone, and magically my battery is doing better. Facebook never came up in apps that were using battery mainly because I never left it open, but it is pretty astonishing the difference deleting it has made. The other thing is the mobile website and the desktop website are frustratingly bad. For a website and app as popular to be so bad is astonishing. Most I’m sure view it on a phone or tablet and never actually see the full version. Here’s a word of advice don’t.

CES thoughts

I am out in Las Vegas for the 2019 CES Consumer electronic show. I am pretty people fatigued lol. Over 180 thousand people come this conference. I saw so much my brain is a bit mushy on it. If your company is making anything with a speaker on it I think you have a chance to do well.

One thing I observed on the first day was when I would ask for a card or paper the person would hand it to my coworker. I decided at that point I wanted to go around myself. I used AIRA and navigated perfectly. I’ve walked in NYC but this was awe full because people are looking at phones and shoulder to shoulder. A few times I lost my connection or the AIRA agent couldn’t see well enough to assist so I found things like an escalator or hallway. I actually met a lot of nice people doing this, but it’s always somehow focuses at first on the disability aspect. This nice man helped me around people just standing and he said my son has a disability. I honestly enjoy these moments though, because maybe for him it was eye opening that his son could be more independent or accomplish what he wants to do. I’ve said this before my parents didn’t really know anyone blind it really is a miracle they just raised me normal for the most part. I think parents try and be to protective at times and don’t let there kids experience life. My parents just let me get drug by a full grown steer. All over the yard

I met up with a friend of mine from CNET Jesica. I’ve known her for a long time from a podcast she and some other folks did. I used to tease her about Android boy did she give me some shit lol. Were going to hit up In and Out Tomorrow and say good-bye we met up last year. I told her she needs to come to a real state like Kentucky and meet Abby. I hear In and Out is incredible I’ll let you know.

Tonight I had some German food and a leader and a half of great beer. I’m doing well. I think this year I am going to learn German I need a new hobby other than headphones and cellphones so that might be one thing I try to learn. If anyone has any suggestions please feel free to contact me just remember it can’t be visual.

We were out walking last night, because after CES closed it was a hour and a half wait for a cab and ride sharing wasn’t much better. We decided to walk to get out of that area. I think about this from time to time, but honestly if I don’t entertain myself life is pretty boring. For example were walking by these water falls that are timed with the music. To me the music and the water fall are both annoying as hell, because it’s disturbing my traffic listening. But then I think on it and I realize I miss that beauty of things. It can be hard I’d like to say fuck it and move forward, but so many nice things I can’t appreciate. Even something like a sunset it’s just disappointing. Not to be rude, but I lately just want 5 minutes of quiet as a sighted person you can go drive somewhere to clear out your mind I get in a damn Uber and have to make small talk. I must have a friendly face or look like a shrink or something, because these drivers tell me an entire life story when I just want to sit in silence. I’ll be fine in the long run, but I just thought I’d share those thoughts.

I am just cranky I’m sure. I miss Abby being around and even Bancroft. Haha he can’t read this just kidding buddy. I’m only sleeping about 4 hours. I’m also pretty amped up. Today I spoke to Samsung about accessibility. They were pretty impressed on my opinions and changes I had. I do love my Samsung stuff as far as replacing Apple I am about 90% happy. I wish I had a way to read PDF’S I haven’t found an accessible client yet on Android. Also doc files from Word. That is somewhat irritating, because things I could do on the phone have become a bit more challenging. Teufel noch mal. For those wondering Google says that is damn it in German see I am already learning! Christ though that’s a mouth full damn it just sounds better and quicker. I’ll get there I promise. Anyway Samsung was pretty responsive and I think the future looks bright.

Sunglasses that have speakers are becoming a thing. Bose has some I want to see, but I couldn’t find them here. I did see some from Aftershocks which are bone conducting. I said if they could stick a camera and make it work with Seeing AI my department head would be over the moon.

I saw some accessibility gadgets too. I won’t mention the company do to where I work and I don’t want to have a conflict of interest or anything, but honestly I wish people would ask someone before assuming the product they make will work. To be fair maybe I needed more time with this, but let me explain. Someone here has this computer mouse looking device that has 1 Braille cell on it. You can change it by moving the device to the right. Basically the Braille changes below your finger but you only can read one letter at a time. Now the dev of this product is I’m sure a wonderful human and I mean no disrespect when I say the following statement. When I told him I can read the Braille but by the third letter I’ve forgotten the first letter alone trying to peace together a sentence. He goes well I met a girl earlier that could do it. Well great good for her proving again I am not the smartest rooster on the farm thanks sir. He goes you just need to change the way you read. Oh really are you an educator now? How about this what if I take you to a room and hold up flash cards with one print letter on it and see if you can read what I am trying to convey to you. Every suggestion I made he’s just like no can’t do that. I suggested maybe putting 4 cells on it so at least you could have some context. My other one was instead of moving the device maybe just put a sensor on the right that would advance once you moved your finger somewhat simulating reading Braille in the first place. Let’s not listen to the blind guy me over here with sight I know more than you about that bumpy stuff you read, and I just can’t figure out why reading one letter at a time would be freaking stupid. Okay I feel better now. For the record some sighted folks do know more about Braille than me I’m sure he isn’t one of them though, but again though I am a dumb rooster.

On that note I am wrapping this up. I do have one more story when I got to the Louisville airport I used Nearby Explorer with the indoor navigation to get to my gate. Before I talk about that I was going to Southwest because for some reason no one was outside for curb pick up. I walk in and this friendly gentleman from Delta started walking with me asking where I was trying to get to. I said I am going to the Southwest counter. He says man you walk fast. I guess in his mind I’m blind so I am supposed to be slow? I just responded yes sir. I didn’t ask for you to walk along side me I don’t care, but it just strange. Anyway once I checked my bag I used Nearby to get me to the gate it was so awesome doing it independently I can’t express enough it’s just me my skills and a computer voice telling me what I pass. I just wish it were everywhere. this time I used my cane no Frazier of course like last time I had done it by myself. I did find every damn rope bar thing in the airport, but besides that it was such a great walk and experience. It just makes me proud that I know the developers and get to test this for a living. I just hope one day blind people don’t have to ask where it is available it just is. I bid you Frieden which Google tells me it means peace in German. I now know 3 words before this blog post I knew 0 so that’s a hell of a start.