The first person every week who guesses the location of where Dr. Z correctly will receive a $5 Starbucks or Target gift card. We will post the name of the winner every week on this site. There was a correct guess for Episode #33. The place was the Kaaba near Mecca in Saudi Arabia. For this episode, you need to identify the landmark, the city and the country.
Author Archives: pbravin
“I live on a farm–can I use my videophone where there’s no direct internet connection”?-Report from Birmingham
This is Dr. Z reporting from Birmingham, Alabama…
Dr. Z was at the ZVRS booth at DeafNation in Birmingham and he enjoyed meeting thousands of deaf people talking about numbering and other things such as the Z4 with the answering machine feature (My Mail).
The question came up both in Birmingham and in Omaha last week as to whether they could have access to a videophone if they lived on a farm or a rural area where there was no direct (wired) internet connection. For the most part, there’s not much that could be done, but Dr. Z can suggest the following (but this is no guarantee!)
Your chances can improve with the Z4–but you need to test and check it out and Dr. Z is hopeful you can be successful. Dr. Z assumes no responsibility for any costs you may have incurred.
The first order of business would be to get a MiFi wireless router (from either Verizon or Sprint). The cost is usually around $100 and can be less with rebates and whether its on sale. The other alternative is to get an Overdrive 3G/4G from Sprint. Again the cost is around $100 with some possible rebates and sale prices. Both require a 2-year commitment of $55-60 a month. Both work only if there is a 3G connection in your area and it is not typical in rural areas. Bring this home and test the equipment with your computer which has the Z4 installed and be sure it is enabled in wireless mode. If this does not work,you will need to return the router to the place where you purchased it. Most have a 15 to 30 day return guarantee. Check the return policy before you buy the unit!
The Z4 has a flexible set of settings in the configuration menu (it is symbolized by an icon with gears.) Click on this and you will see several tabs. Click on the “Network” tab and you will see a dropdown menu of different speed settings such as “LAN 384….Dial up 56K and others.” Try the highest setting to see if it works–if not, keep going down to 256K download and 128K upload.
The last resort is to try a dial-up setting with a regular phone (you may need a modem if your computer does not have one.) This will work very crudely and you will get a jerky picture and you will need to sign very slowly. A plaid shirt and any additional movement, such as another person in the room would degrade (make worse) the video quality.
The Z4 is versatile and Dr. Z hopes it helps people on farms and rural settings.
This is the power of the Z4–independence and functional equivalence!!! The Z4 rocks!!!
Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.
Ask Dr. Z-I still have a 800/866 number. Is this necessary?
Dr. Z gets this question all the time at town hall meetings and other events.
It is not necessary for point to point calls (deaf/hard of hearing to deaf/hard of hearing). This is what gives the FCC indigestion. All point to point calls using videophones are free. You should give your deaf and hard of hearing friends who use videophones a local number, not a 800/866 number.
For hearing people and others who live in the same local area as you, it is not necessary to use 800/866 numbers. Most local numbers are “free”, built in the monthly bill. Give them your local numbers. That will make them realize you live in the area.
The only case where you could give out 800/866 numbers is when you have hearing people calling you from out of town. This is really the only reason for 800/866 numbers. Also if you own a business, many customers like to call on 800/866 numbers.
Also, 800/866 are the same as 877 and 888 numbers.
Remember:
point-to-point–800/866 numbers are not necessary–a local number is best.
hearing callers in the same local area–800/866 numbers are not necessary–a local number is best.
hearing callers out of area or if you own a business–800/866 numbers can be useful
Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Got Milk? Got a Mac? Know What? The Z4 Runs and Hums on a Mac!!
It used to be a PC-Centric world and things are shifting towards the Mac. More and more people are shifting to the Mac for their computing and browsing needs.
ZVRS recognized this and went ahead and developed software that makes the Mac an ideal videophone. All new Macs (the MacBook and the iMac) have a built-in webcam. All you need is to get a phone number from The Z, download the Z4 and off you go!!! You will have a complete videophone right there!!!
By the way, the Z4 also runs on a PC, so you have a choice–if you have a Mac, download the Z4–if you have a PC (laptop, desktop of netbook), download the Z4! The Z4 runs exactly the same way on a Mac or a PC.
This is the power of the Z4–independence and functional equivalence!!! The Z4 rocks!!!
Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.
Do you have a laptop or a desktop computer?-Report from Omaha
This is Dr. Z reporting from Omaha…
Dr. Z was at the ZVRS booth at DeafNation in Omaha and he enjoyed meeting thousands of deaf people talking about numbering and other things such as the Z4 with the answering machine feature (My Mail).
What was interesting was that when people passed by our booth, they didn’t realize what the Z4 could do until I asked them “Do you have a laptop or a desktop computer?” When they responded “of course”–the next thing Dr. Z asked was “did you know that you can make your laptop or desktop computer into a videophone?” The look was one of a bit of puzzlement until Dr. Z demonstrated the Z4 on a desktop, and on a Mac laptop and on a netbook (all with a webcam)…their jaws dropped…and the rest was history. Those who saw it for the first time immediately signed up for a local number and they went home happy knowing their computers at home would be more useful and they could free their TV for viewing.
This is the power of the Z4–independence and functional equivalence!!! The Z4 rocks!!!
Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.
We are Functionally Equivalent with the Z4!!! and ZVRS is Proud of Making this Possible!
The term “functionally equivalent” means any function that hearing people use when communicating on their phones is also available to deaf and hard of hearing people when they use the relay service. The Z4 is as close to being functionally equivalent–more than any videophone out there.
Comparing a cell phone used by hearing people with a Z4 provided by The Z™ reveals that the Z4 is as close to a cell phone as it possibly can be–in some ways it does more than a cell phone; in other ways it does less (because of the some voice functions that come with a cell phone that does not apply to a videophone designed for deaf and hard of hearing people.)
Let’s look at the basic functions of the Z4….
-point to point video or video through a video interpreter
-one line VCO
-phone directory (for both point-to-point and relay calls) (any calls for hearing people automatically connects you to an interpreter)
-call history–keeps track of incoming calls, outgoing calls, dialed calls and missed calls
-multi party calls–can handle 3 party calls (yourself with 2 other parties)
-recording calls–can record all or part of any video conversation (to be saved or played again later)
-answering machine (you can record your own greeting message; any messages received by either deaf/hard of hearing people or hearing people (through an interpreter) will be forwarded to your pager/email and saved in your ZVRS profile on the web (this way, you never lose a message) (this is our “My Mail” feature.)
Dr. Z challenges any other provider to come up with this list for their videophones.
Having said all this, this gets us close to true functional equivalency and ZVRS is indeed proud to provide this to you!
Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.
“Forget the cool factor of any device – it’s “which one fits” you that’s most important.”
This quote came from a geek..after so many years in the computer business, Dr. Z has found this to be very true.
We all should use a device that fits us like a “glove.” The closest device that fits most of us is the Z4. It is portable when used with a laptop or a netbook. It can travel with you, it can be used at a McDonald’s or Starbucks. It even has an answering machine–it can record your conversations when you want it to. What more can you ask for? It has EVERYTHING! And you can download it for free!
If it doesn’t meet your needs, ZVRS has other devices for you that would “fit” you–we are the only video relay provider that has multiple devices such as the Z-150, Z-340, Z-Ojo and the Z4. We want to meet your needs.
We should not get a device that partially meets our needs and change our behavior to fit the device. We should have a device that meets your needs and the closest to perfection is the Z4!
Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.
Editorial #33-FCC Extends 800/866 Numbering Waiver for Another 4 Months
Today the FCC issued an order extending for 4 months the waiver regarding treatment of toll-free numbers in the Internet-based Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) numbering directory (iTRS).
Directory).
The link to the waiver is as follows: Text of Toll-Free Waiver
Several months ago, everyone ran into problems when the FCC dictated that toll-free (800/866) numbers would not be tied to the national data base. Since many had 866 numbers issued by Sorenson which did not work for non-Sorenson calls in November when the FCC dictated that they should not be tied to the national data base.. The FCC then ordered the numbers restored and encouraged more education and awareness to consumers to emphasize the use of local numbers. At that time, the FCC ordered a 4-month extension to waive the treatment of the use of 800 numbers tied to the national data base. That first 4-month waiver was set to expire in early April. Today, the FCC ordered another 4-month extension and encouraged more education and awareness on using local numbers instead of 800 numbers.
Dr. Z is of the opinion that while the education and awareness efforts are still taking place, he is still seeing quite a number of 866 numbers being used by many people, especially Sorenson VP-200 users. He is asking all videophone users, to start to transition from 866 numbers to local numbers. This will insure full interoperability down the road while the FCC figures a way to treat 800/866 numbers.
Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Dr. Z Adds Classes for Z4 Users with ‘Questions and Answers About the Z4’
Dr. Z is adding 2 new classes for everyone out there to learn more about the Z4 since recent classes indicate people have questions and when they get answered they use the Z4 better!
Signing up for class is simple! Just go to www.drzvrs.com/school and click on the class you want to enroll. You will receive a confirmation and the day before the class, you will receive some materials. At the time of the class, Dr. Z will call you to have you join the class.
Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.
Let’s Answer with the Z4 (with Dr. Z’s Help)!!! — ZVRS Answering Machine (My Mail) Feature #2
For this week, Dr. Z is putting up tips about the fantastic feature that everyone is talking about–the Z4 and its answering machine (My Mail)!
The new answering machine (My Mail) that is part of the Z4 and all the Z-phones (Z-150, Z-340 and Z-Ojo) has so many cool features and by giving it to you piece by piece will allow you to appreciate the power of the Z4! Some of these features may be documented, some may be hidden and some may not be documented–but don’t let this bother you–as a software pioneer himself, Dr. Z has found it best to not “read the stuff”, but play with the stuff–the actual experience is usually the best way to learn.
Most of the other VRS providers have the answering machine feature, but it is usually just for VRS calls OR for point to point calls. The Z4 (and all Z-phones) feature handles BOTH VRS and point-to-point calls. We call this the My Mail feature. Messages are forwarded to your pager or smartphone. Messages can be picked up on the Z4 or checked on the web.
The second thing to do is to customize (or create) a video message for point-to-point calls. To do that, call the SAME number on the videophone assigned to the Z4 (or the Z-150, Z-340 and Z-Ojo). You will get as screen asking you to customize. At this point, you only need to enter the number assigned to what it is asking for, like “2” for “Customize Settings.” Then “1” for “Customize Greeting.” At that point, it will record the message of you telling the caller you are not available and to leave a message. That message will be saved and will be played whenever a caller calls you and you are not available (like a missed call.)
The next time a call comes in wehen you are not available, the message you recorded will be played and then a new message will come up on the caller’s screen asking them to leave a message. The My Mail feature will record the caller’s message which usually is something like “Sorry to have missed you, please call me at .,…” That message is then sent to the Zvrs website (in your profile), to the email (or pager) address you specified in the profile and to the Z-Phone. You can pick up your message in any of these places.
Try it! This gets you close to full functional equivalence. All the hearing folks out there have voicemail and we now have our own videomail which works even better.
To sign up for a class on “My Mail”, go to this link: https://www.drzvrs.com/school/
To download the User’s Guide for “My Mail”, go to this link: https://www.zvrs.com/uploads/Image/QuickStartGuides/MyMail_UserGuide.pdf
Cool. isn’t it? Dr. Z will cover features about My Mail (answering machine) this week on this website..
Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.