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Month: January 2010

Public beta release of Mobile Geo 2.0

Another new release from Code Factory, to coincide with the release of Mobile Speak 4:

Caroline Ragot – Marketing Director
marketing
Mobile Geo 2.0
Public Beta Mobile Geo 2.0, Now Available
Compatible with Mobile Speak 4.0 and Running Sendero GPS 6.2
Terrassa (Barcelona), Spain, January 28, 2010
Public beta version 2.0 of Mobile Geo, Code Factory’s award-winning GPS navigation aid for the blind and visually impaired, is now available for download and purchase. Public beta Mobile Geo 2.0 is compatible with the highly anticipated Mobile Speak 4.0 as well as the latest version of the Sendero Group’s GPS technology, SDK 6.2.

This upgrade of Geo is the first part of version 2.0. For us, there were two priorities: first to integrate the new Sendero SDK and updated maps as soon as possible; and, second to launch Mobile Geo 2.0 at the same time as Mobile Speak 4.0 so that none of our users would be left without their inseparable GPS explains Eduard Sánchez, Code Factorys CEO. We decided to launch version 2.0 as a public beta because we are still testing and making improvements. Therefore the public beta means that in the next couple of months we will release several free updates. For example we already can announce that we will include more Top Ten demanded features such as manual route creation, new verbosity settings, new ways to organize and manage favorites, address search by zip/postal codes, and more.

This first part of public beta Mobile Geo 2.0 includes new features which improve the Geo navigation experience, such as:

Advanced address search which allows you to enter any part of the address to search for it faster.
Five times faster route creation when in Turns Only mode.
More accurate distances and estimated time of arrival calculations.
Improved heading averaging when walking in a big city with narrow streets and high buildings.
More information about the current street when using the where am I function, such as pedestrian only, split street, one-way, bridge, tunnel, etc.
Ability to look up alpha numeric address numbers. For example 23A Jones Street where 23A is the address number.
Another great benefit from public beta Mobile Geo 2.0 is the updated 2009 maps and POIs as well as new map bundles. If you are living in one of the countries included in a map bundle, you will receive free maps for all the other countries which are part of the same bundle.

European Map Bundle includes maps from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.
North American Map Bundle includes maps from United States, Canada, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam.
Asian Map Bundle includes maps from Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia.
South African Map Bundle includes maps from South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland.

Since Mobile Geo 1.5, new countries have also been added, such as Lesotho, Luxembourg, Mexico, Poland, Turkey, South Africa, and Swaziland.

Public beta Mobile Geo 2.0 supports the same new devices as Mobile Speak 4.0 for Windows Mobile. Among the newly supported devices you will find the HTC Touch Pro 2, HTC Touch 2, HTC Touch Diamond 2, AT&T Titl 2, AT&T Pure, AT&T HP iPAQ Glisten, HP iPAQ Data Messenger, Sprint Samsung Intrepid, Samsung Omnia Pro B7610, Samsung Omnia Pro B7330, Acer beTouch E101, and Sony Ericsson Xperia x1. To read a full list of supported devices, visit www.codefactory.es/en/phoneslist.asp?id=343

To learn more about Mobile Speak 4.0, visit www.codefactory.es/en/products.asp?id=318

If you are already a user of Mobile Geo and wish to upgrade to public beta Mobile Geo 2.0, contact your distributor to ask more information about the upgrade bundle of Mobile Speak 4.0 and Mobile Geo 2.0. To consult the list of all the official Code Factory distributors, visit www.codefactory.es/en/page.asp?id=351

To read the updated manual of Mobile Geo explaining how to install, upgrade and use the new features, visit www.codefactory.es/en/manuals.asp?id=89#family_1

Known issues with public beta Mobile Geo 2.0 are:

GPS position may stop tracking near highway ramps.
Differences in POI searches depending on Basic or Advanced mode.
Possible misbehaviour with reverse routes.

About Code Factory
Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Terrassa (Barcelona), Spain, Code Factory is the global leader committed to the development of products designed to eliminate barriers to the accessibility of mobile technology for the blind and visually impaired. Today, Code Factory is the leading provider of screen readers, screen magnifiers, and Braille interfaces for the widest range of mainstream mobile devices. Among Code Factory’s customers are well known organizations for the blind such as ONCE, and carriers such as AT&T, Bouygues Telecom, SFR, TIM and Vodafone. Code Factory has also built strong partnerships with mainstream multinational companies like RIM, Nokia, Microsoft, and Hewlett Packard as well as leading assistive technology companies such as HumanWare, Optelec and Sendero Group.

For more information, feel free to contact Code Factory S.L.:

Code Factory, S.L., Rambla d’Egara 148 2-2, 08221 Terrassa (Barcelona)
HelpDesk, www.codefactory.es
Copyright Code Factory, S.L. – 2010

Happy travels!

LL

Comments closed

Mobile Speak 4 now available!

Caroline Ragot – Marketing Director
marketing
Mobile Speak 4
Mobile Speak 4, Now Available!
Cross Platform, Touch, Multi Voice and Ready for the Next Generation
Terrassa (Barcelona), Spain, January 27, 2010
Today, Code Factory introduced Mobile Speak 4, a revolutionary screen reader for anyone who wishes to enhance his/her use of a mobile phone. Are you ready to experience the most advanced screen reader ever released for mobile phones? Mobile Speak 4 is Cross Platform: you can move your license between Symbian and Windows Mobile phones. Mobile Speak 4 is Touch: you can use touch screen phones such as the Nokia N97, the HTC Touch Pro 2 and many others, with traditional keyboard shortcuts as well as touchscreen gestures and commands. Mobile Speak 4 is Multi Voice: you get three high quality voices from Acapela or Loquendo for the price of one. Mobile Speak 4 is Ready for the Next Generation: you wont be left behind with old technology, since Mobile Speak 4 supports the latest devices running on the latest operating systems, Windows Mobile 6.5 and Symbian S60 5th Edition.

The mobile phone market is changing rapidly. Mobile Speak 4 is Code Factorys answer to the future of accessibility. Mobile Speak 4 is everything our users have been waiting for, it will take you to another level of experience, and I can tell you, you will never look back. explains Eduard Sánchez, Code Factory’s CEO. Mobile Speak 4 is one year of hard work. Mobile Speak 4 is fifteen dedicated people working full time for you. Mobile Speak 4 sets new and higher standards for accessibility. Mobile Speak 4 is revolutionary.

On Symbian, Mobile Speak 4 also brings support for Quickword to edit and read documents by character, word, sentence or paragraph, as well as for Fring to make voip calls and chat on instant messaging. On Windows Mobile, Mobile Speak 4 brings new Internet Explorer support which will allow you to navigate by headings, links, forms, etc. as well as search for text, and even add bookmarks to web pages. More features can also be expected; such as a backlight option to save battery power, the possibility to stop Mobile Speak while reading, a privacy mode to use the phone with a locked static background image, and more.

Among the new supported phones are: the Nokia N97, Nokia N97 mini, Nokia 5230, Nokia 5530, Nokia 5730, Nokia 5800, Nokia 6710 Navigator, Nokia 6720, Nokia 6730, Nokia 6790, Nokia E52, Nokia E72, Nokia N86, HTC Touch Pro 2, HTC Touch 2, HTC Touch Diamond 2, AT&T Titl 2, AT&T Pure, AT&T HP iPAQ Glisten, HP iPAQ Data Messenger, Sprint Samsung Intrepid, Samsung Omnia Pro B7610, Samsung Omnia Pro B7330, Acer beTouch E101, and Sony Ericsson Xperia x1. To consult the full list of supported devices, visit www.codefactory.es/en/phoneslist.asp?id=342

Download Mobile Speak 4 at www.codefactory.es/en/downloads.asp?id=347 and try it for 30 days for free. Everyone can try it, new users as well as existing users who have already used a version, whether full or trial, of a past version of Mobile Speak. To learn more visit www.codefactory.es/en/page.asp?id=402

If you are already a user of Mobile Speak and wish to upgrade to Mobile Speak 4, contact your distributor to purchase an upgrade license. In addition to all the improvements and new features of Mobile Speak 4, if you purchase an upgrade to Mobile Speak 4, you will also get Mobile Magnifier, Mobile DAISY Player, Color Recognizer and the Games for free! To consult the complete list of Code Factorys official distributors, visit www.codefactory.es/en/page.asp?id=351

To learn how to install Mobile Speak 4 for the first time, follow the instructions at www.codefactory.es/descargas/family_4/MS4_Manual_WM.html#_Toc252273670 for Windows Mobile, and www.codefactory.es/descargas/family_4/MS4_Manual_Symbian.html#_Toc252274141 for Symbian.

If upgrading from a previous version of Mobile Speak, make sure to FIRST UNINSTALL all the Code Factory packages you have installed and then RESTART the device. For more information, follow the instructions at www.codefactory.es/descargas/family_4/MS4_Manual_WM.html#_Toc252273675 for Windows Mobile, and www.codefactory.es/descargas/family_4/MS4_Manual_Symbian.html#_Toc252274144 for Symbian

To read the full instructions to upgrade to Mobile Speak 4 from a previous version of Mobile Speak, visit www.codefactory.es/descargas/family_4/MS4_Manual_WM.html#_Toc252273683 for Windows Mobile, and www.codefactory.es/descargas/family_4/MS4_Manual_Symbian.html#_Toc252274147 for Symbian.

To learn more about Mobile Speak 4 visit www.codefactory.es/en/products.asp?id=318, to hear it in action, listen to some audio demos at www.codefactory.es/en/audio.asp?id=103#family_0

For a comprehensive list of changes from Mobile Speak Pocket and Smartphone v2.1 to Mobile Speak v4.0 for Windows Mobile visit www.codefactory.es/en/products.asp?id=407#newWM

For a comprehensive list of changes from Mobile Speak for Symbian phones v3.82 to Mobile Speak v4.0 for Symbian visit www.codefactory.es/en/products.asp?id=407#newSymbian

About Code Factory
Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Terrassa (Barcelona), Spain, Code Factory is the global leader committed to the development of products designed to eliminate barriers to the accessibility of mobile technology for the blind and visually impaired. Today, Code Factory is the leading provider of screen readers, screen magnifiers, and Braille interfaces for the widest range of mainstream mobile devices. Among Code Factory’s customers are well known organizations for the blind such as ONCE, and carriers such as AT&T, Bouygues Telecom, SFR, TIM and Vodafone. Code Factory has also built strong partnerships with mainstream multinational companies like RIM, Nokia, Microsoft, and Hewlett Packard as well as leading assistive technology companies such as HumanWare, Optelec and Sendero Group.

For more information, feel free to contact Code Factory S.L.:

Code Factory, S.L., Rambla d’Egara 148 2-2, 08221 Terrassa (Barcelona)
HelpDesk, www.codefactory.es
Code Factory, S.L. – 2010

Can’t wait to get my upgrade!

LL

Comments closed

Goodbye and Good Riddance

Time to bid a not so fond adieu to 2009. I don’t think I’ve spoken to a single person who wants to see more of this year. In my twisted view of the world, the pessimist declares, “It can’t get any worse.” The optimist replies, “sure it can!” Even the most upbeat, positive-minded people I know all seem to agree that 2009 cannot be over soon enough.

I am inclined to think that for me, 2009 could not have been worse, so does it make me an optimist or a pessimist to surmise that 2010 could only be better?

For some, “better” is an utterly subjective notion, maybe even a myth.

Still, you might be able to turn that around for someone else, if not for yourself. How many times have you thought “I wish there was something I could do to help…” but did nothing? Perhaps you know of someone in your own circle of friends, family, or neighborhood who needs financial help, but you have been reluctant to step forward. There may be many reasons for your hesitancy. Maybe you don’t want someone you know to feel indebted to you. Maybe you want to help a friend, but don’t want money issues to come between you. Maybe you feel that you cannot give very much, and you would be too embarrassed to offer what you consider to be a pittance. Or, maybe you feel that giving money is a crass way to offer help but cannot think of any other way to contribute. Your reasons are your own, but here is a way to get over your pathos and do the right thing.

One of my favorite charities is a group that enables you to give anonymously to someone you know (or not), yet still reap the reward of their gratitude. When they receive your gift, they leave a recorded message, a message of thanks, letting you know about how your gift benefited them, without ever knowing who you are. You get the warm fuzzy of hearing their thank you without any of the discomfort. It won’t matter how much you give, in what form, the nature of the relationship, the potential backlash from other people, guilt, embarrassment or any other negative karma.

The organization is called Giving Anon at:

givinganon.org/.

Go there now, and make someone’s 2010 a vast improvement over 2009. if anonymous giving is the greatest form of philanthropy, then talk about getting the most bang for your buck.

If you cannot bring yourself to feel optimistic about the future, give someone else a chance. What have you got to lose? After all, it can’t get any worse.

Happy new year…
LL

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