Ada and Babbage finally build the Engine

Jan 28

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This beautiful drawing is from The Guardian Website

Have you heard of Ada Lovelace (1815-1852) she was born Augusta Ada Byron, the only legitimate child of Annabella Milbanke and the poet Lord Byron. Ada had an unusual upbringing for an aristocratic girl in the mid-1800s. At her mother’s insistence, tutors taught her mathematics and science.

Around the age of 17, Ada met Charles Babbage, (1791-1871). He was a fellow mathematician and computer pioneer. He designed the first automatic computing engine, but failed to build it.

However at her initiative, Ada suggested to Babbage that she would write a plan for how the engine might calculate Bernoulli numbers. This plan is now regarded as the first “computer program.” A few years ago (1979) a software language was developed by the U.S. Department of Defense and named “Ada” in her honor.

A recently published graphic novel resurrected Lovelace and Babbage and gets them to finish what they started. The animator/author actually has them building the machine. The author Sydney Padua, is a London-based computer animator. The novel is entitled “Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage”. This graphic book is for sale on Amazon or you can borrow it from many local libraries.

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Unusual and/or Special Needs Technology

Jan 18

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thumb_154_BIGtrack-1I will look into technology designed to help seniors with hearing, sight and mobility impairments. I have very little knowledge in this field. After browsing the Internet for quite sometime, I found  an online Canadian company with a range of products . If  you look at the section showing the most popular products, you may find something of interest to you.

Go to https://www.specialneedscomputers.ca, they have a very large inventory.

On all topics covering special needs I would appreciate your advice. In other words if you have information that could be useful to some of my readers simply send me your observations and comments along with any corroborating links to websites covering the topic. I will post only information that I have verified and authenticated.

 

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Cellphones or Smartphones …

Jan 16

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Cellphones from the 70’s and the 80’s

In the 70’s disco was big and so was the cellphone. It was more of a car phone, to heavy to carry around, used primarily in the business world. It provided people with a means to call and be called anytime without being connected to any line. In the 80’s they got smaller and eventually evolved adding more features like text messaging. Today, they actually have many similarities to smartphones, however the greatest exceptions is that you cannot download applications.

 

Comparing the two is not that easy as there is no clear line between a smartphone and an ordinary cellphone with extra features. Taking a close look at a smartphone will show you that they have more things in common with computers than they do to cellphones. A compact or full keyboard often comes as standard in smartphones as it is necessary for quickly typing messages and emails.

In my blog, I will look at various cellphones with features as well as smartphones and their applications. In many cases a featured cellphone could be all you need. Spending up to a thousand dollars on a full featured smartphone is not always a good investment.

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eReaders and the future

Jan 5

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Is the eReader going the way of the dodo ?
In 1998 the Softbook and Gemstar’s Rocket eBook Reader was one of the first eReader’s to appear in the market. One of the next eReader’s was in 2004 with the release of the Sony Librié. Since then several manufacturers have produced various devices. However as tablet gained in popularity several brands of eReaders  are no longer on the market.

kobo 5The Kobo eReader is an exception. Early on, they expanded their reach beyond Canada and the United States. They also diversified the delivery system by providing software that is used on a lot of devices. In other words you can subscribe to the Kobo online ebook store and download ebooks to your eReader or any other device of your choice. Kobo is a Canadian Company with a great marketing strategy and hopefully it will be around for a longtime.

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Tablets, Light and Practicle

Dec 12

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Apple launched the first iPad in 2010 and Samsung launched the very first Samsung device in 2011.The Samsung device has an Android operating system. Within 5 years Android tablets have gained close to 70% of the market worldwide. What is interesting about tablets is that they are actually giant smartphones minus the phone. Yes the smartphone just got a little bigger and voila the tablet was born. The good news is mastering one means mastering the other.

tablets 1When it comes to using a tablet it is very practical if you are going to do a little of this and a little of that. Don’t buy a tablet if you are writing a 300 page autobiography. However browsing the internet, listening to a good audio book, playing games, emailing, taking pictures, in other words any activity that is simple to do is just fine on a tablet.

Several software developers have produced products for seniors. Many use the Android operating system. In other words they simply put their software over the existing screen to make the screen easier to navigate and perform tasks. There is also a few that offer services on the internet. You go into their website get an account and your tablet gets a new face in other words a new interface that is easier to use.

My blog will take you on a voyage of discovery, in the next few months, as I bring to you the different options presently on the market.

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Computers, the Nitty-Gritty

Nov 4

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In this blog category we will look at desktops and laptops. There are many types and not all are suitable for seniors. The first question to ask yourself is what are the activities you would like to do. Of course the assumption is that you have information on what most seniors enjoy doing. However not all of us have access to this knowledge. This means that one of the first blogs will be about current online activities enjoyed by seniors.

desktop and latop 2There is also the practical side of everyday use, should you choose a desktop or a laptop ? Will you take a little snooze in the afternoon with your laptop, oops !, on the floor. Who wants to keep buying computers. Do you have a vision or hearing impairment ? What devices are most suitable in this case. I will write about All of these issues.

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Software for Savvy Seniors

In 2011, Bard college completed an in-depth interface evaluation on software for use by seniors. This study used  three of the most popular software products, they are as follows: Eldy, Pointerware and BigScreenLive. For access to details on the study, click here.

The following is a quote on page 42, from the Bard College study, it says the following: “Concerning user confidence, PointerWare had the highest before and after study change of the three programs, suggesting people became the most confident upon using the program”.

Presently you can get access to both Eldy and Pointerware at their respective Websites. Both software products are available in French and in English.

eldy picture of screen

Eldy is software developed by a group of volunteers primarily in Italy and in Europe. As mentioned above, it is not as easy to use as the Pointerware software, participants in the study found the navigation more difficult. However, it is free of charge.

Pointerware has been developed by two engineers in Toronto (Rupsingh & Beath).  They developed their software with the feedback of senior users.  It is being used by facilities for seniors across Canada as well as other countries and in private homes. You can buy the software or simply get a monthly subscription at reasonable rates.pointerware screen

You can use Pointerware free of charge for one month. If you like Pointerware you can buy the software via my Website with a –% discount. If you decide to try one or both of the software products outlined in this blog, I would like feedback on your experience. You can send me an email or simply post a comment on my blog. (If you buy the Pointerware software with the link on my blog I receive a percentage of each sale).

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