Amazing Technology

I’ve often said that although new technology is amazing, new applications for old or current technology is REALLY amazing. As an example, my friend David showed me this one. You can store phone numbers in your phone so that you can speed dial people. More importantly, you can put ANY numbers in your speed dial memory. David stores his prescription refills there. When he needs a Rx refill, he speed dials the pharmacy. When they ask for his refill number he presses the appropriate speed dial number. It saves him from having to squint to read incredibly small print on his Rx bottles. You can also assign a speed dial button to your bank account number or credit card. Be careful not to share that information with anyone though. This is hugely helpful to folks with disabilities.

Let’s look at new uses for other technology. First, a bit of information and history. Apple recently announced that the 100 millionth iPod® has been sold, making the iPod the fastest selling music player in history. The first iPod was sold in November 2001. It has been endorsed by many GRAMMY Award-winning singers and musicians. The iPod has also sparked an unprecedented aftermarket of over 4,000 accessories made specifically for the iPod that range from fashionable cases to speaker systems. More than 70 percent of 2007-model US automobiles currently offer iPod connectivity. Apple® also announced it has teamed up with Air France, Continental, Delta, Emirates, KLM and United to deliver the first seamless integration between iPod® and in-flight entertainment systems. These six airlines offer their passengers iPod seat connections which power and charge their iPods during flight and allow the video content on their iPods to be viewed on the seat back displays. This alone is impressive but Apple didn’t stop there. The iTunes store for iPods features the world’s largest catalog with over five million songs, 350 television shows and over 400 movies. The iTunes Store has sold over 2.5 billion songs, 50 million TV shows and over 1.3 million movies.

Based on the above information, you would think every person would own one. What we really want to know though is, how helpful is it to persons with disabilities? Keep in mind we may have to think outside the box on this one. For example, nearly everyone and his brother is doing pod casts these days. I doubt that was ever envisioned when the iPod was first put on the market. As another example, while the rest of us were listening to mp3s on our iPods, UCLA's Dr. Osman Ratib, who has a background in medical imaging, wanted to find a way to sidestep the $100,000 workstations needed to view high-resolution images that require 3D rendering. With help from programmer and fellow radiologist Dr. Antoine Rosset, he created Osirix, an open-source application, to enable radiologists to teleconference with the images on Mac desktop systems. In addition to using the iPod for storing image sets, Ratib adapted the software to be compatible with the iPod Photo, giving medical staff an elegant way to show images to other personnel. Speaking of thinking outside the box, in 2004 Duke University gave all incoming freshman iPods. Instructors were encouraged to integrate the iPod in their courses to improve digital education. In 2nd year of the program 71 courses at the university used iPods. Language courses made use of the iPod but surprisingly, so did the engineering department. They used it to study digital signal concepts. They were also used as signal generators for Computational Engineering. Students analyzed waveforms and altered frequencies, compression, sample rate, and other parameters of their favorite songs. I contacted Duke’s Center for Instructional Technology, and spoke to someone about the Duke Digital Initiative, but wasn’t able to learn all the uses for the iPod.
We also know that the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art rents iPods to patrons to enlighten them about the exhibits. More than mere tours, SFMOMA Artcasts paint vivid audio portraits of artists and their works. Add to that Games, Podcasts, Audio books, Movies, and TV shows, it seems there is nothing for which the iPod can’t be used.

One iPod owner recently regaled that PalmPod is a very well-done application that enables you to export data from your Palm Desktop to your iPod — including your calendar, to-do items, contacts and memos. The application is donation-ware (free), installed flawlessly, and works every time. You can easily navigate the data once it's in the iPod, and synching it again with update info is a breeze — just pop the iPod in your dock and hit the iPod logo to start PalmPod from within the Palm Desktop. An iPod can be a serious business tool as well as bring you the joy of music.

Now then, let’s talk about how it may be used by people with disabilities. When I was a student in college, I could have used this handy little device (with recording attachment accessory) to record lectures. I don’t know how exactly but I think you can import that file to your computer to make a typed copy using transcription software. I could have dictated papers into the iPod for the same end result. I could have used it in language class but still it should do more than a glorified tape recorder. Perhaps I’ve been blinded by the many attributes that make this device elegant and almost perfect – as you would expect of all Apple products. So many people were buying them, the engineering was flawless, the utility unquestionable. Wait a minute – I questioned it! How useful is the iPod to people with disabilities? If you know, please tell me, I REALLY want to know!

About the author

Gene Rodgers Photo Gene Rodgers has been a quadriplegic since age 17. Since then he has earned several college degrees, worked in several states, earned a Switzer Fellowship, and now works as a private contractor.

Do you have a question about employment and disability? Send your question to grodgers@austin.rr.com and put “DLRP JOBS” in the subject line.