Category Archives: Ask Dr. Z

HTC EVO! Not just the software…

Wow–Z4 Mobile is now working on the HTC EVO!!!

But there are other things to think about:

–interpreter quality

–answering machine for both point-to-point and relay calls

–address book that works on all devices–you update one address book on one device–it updates other address books

–and MORE!!

Which software has all of the above? Z4 Mobile–try it, you will like it–go to this link to download the Z4 Mobile App

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.

Editorial #78-Is the Sorenson ntouch Interoperable?

Dr. Z cares so much about communication access—that everyone can call others with nothing blocking their way…can you imagine a Verizon cell phone not being able to call an ATT cell phone–this does not happen out there today–all the cell phones out there can call one another.

Sorenson’s ntouch which was recently announced can only call Sorenson VP-200, ntouch Mobile and ntouch PC–but it cannot call other videophones. Also, other non-Sorenson videophones cannot call Sorenson’s ntouch. Also, ntouch users cannot call other VRS providers, only Sorenson VRS–just like Sorenson’s VP-100 when it first came out. What is this all about? Limiting a deaf and hard of hearing person’s access in 2011, on the 20th anniversary of ADA? At the same time, in the ntouch FAQ section (as of today), the following text appears–

This needs to be corrected–the deaf and hard of hearing consumers today need to be fully informed and Dr. Z is on the side of consumers who want full and unimpeded access when they make videophone calls. The FCC cares about interoperability and Dr. Z urges the FCC to look into this matter.

This is separate from the fact that Dr. Z is associated with ZVRS and that all of ZVRS products do not block or impede any calls–Dr. Z is speaking from his heart as a deaf and hard of hearing consumer.

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.

Know What? Z4 Mobile on the HTC EVO!

ZVRS is adding another device to its growing list of supported phones!

The next phone? The HTC EVO!

ZVRS finally found a way to make this happen and we’re glad to be able to make this available. You can download right away–you do not need to wait for an installer to come to your house to install it for you. You can call any videophone–VP-200, Z-150, Z-340, Z-Ojo and P3! Not like the other provider who restricts you to call just the VP-200!

Click on the link to watch the video–and wait until Tuesday, March 1, 2011 to download and you will experience FREEDOM!!

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.

Editorial #77-FCC Waives 800 Number Treatment for Up to 6 Months

Earlier this month, the FCC waived the treatment of 800 numbers for another 6 months while it reviews the numbering rulemaking process. The new rules would be issued in the near future. The new rules could restrict the use of 800/866 numbers or extend its restriction for another period of time. That remains to be seen.

Some providers continue to use 866 numbers which could be removed from the iTRS data base if the FCC decides to do so. If that happens, those VP’s with 866 numbers would not be able to receive calls from certain phones. The FCC is encouraging those with 866 numbers to switch over to their assigned local (non-866) numbers. The only advantage of having 866 numbers is for hearing people to call deaf and hard of hearing people toll free. That advantage is not worth much today because many cell phones have no distance calling charges as they come with free minutes.

Dr. Z is encouraging those with 866 numbers to switch over to local numbers which they already have and give the local numbers to their hearing providers (doctors, dentists, etc.) as well as hearing family members.

The text of the FCC waiver can be found at this link.

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.

Editorial #76-I Have a Blackberry or a Sidekick and My 2-Year Contract is Almost Over–What Should I Do?

The answer? Get a Z Mobile Phone!

You have a choice–you won’t be limited to one outdated/outmoded model…you can choose from the following:

-Apple iPhone 4 (AT&T and Verizon)
-Apple iPod Touch (Best Buy, Walmart, etc.)
-Samsung Epic (Sprint)
-Samsung Tab (AT&T, Sprint, Verizon)
-MyTouch 4G (T-Mobile)

If you have a Sidekick (T-Mobile) or a Blackberry (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint or T-Mobile) that is almost at the end of your 2-year commitment, you can go to your phone company and check out what your upgrade options are–most of the new phones will come at a lower price if you upgrade as compared when you buy them new. Plus, you get all the great features that come with a Z Mobile Phone–they all come with the Z4 Mobile App, which allows you to make relay calls with ZVRS, make point to point calls with a VP-200 or other Z phones with no number restriction, have a complete answering machine on your phone, have missed calls sent to your mobile phone and more to come.

What are you waiting for?–go out and check!!! You will be pleased with ZVRS and Z4 Mobile.

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.

Did You Know? A Full Blown Answering Machine on Your Mobile Phone with Z4 Mobile!

You got an iPhone, iPodTouch, Epic, Tab, MyTouch and you look at your hearing friends and see that people can leave voicemail on his/her phone and you wish you had it–the answer is YES! Videomail! All the mobile phones that have Z4 Mobile downloaded on them have a full-blown answering machine feature in which any deaf or hard of hearing person calling you can leave a message on your mobile phone if you couldn’t answer the call. Hearing people who call through ZVRS can also leave a message on your Z4 Mobile. You can retrieve the message with the dialpad that comes on your Z4 Mobile and off you go!

The answering machine (My Mail) that is part of Z4 Mobile, 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 or click “My Mail” in the directory on the videophone assigned to the Z4 Mobile, 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 when 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 by clicking on “My Mail” in the address book (My Contacts.)

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.

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.

Who Can You Call with Your iPhone, iPod Touch, MyTouch and Epic?-(Smartphone Update #8)

This is an update of a post Dr. Z put up last November. How things have changed! There is new information regarding the iPhone 4, the iPod Touch as well as the T-Mobile MyTouch. It tells you which mobile phones can communicate with other phones. This is only for the 4 phones that ZVRS supports with the Z4 Mobile app.

Apple iPhone 4 (3G or WiFi) or iPod Touch (WiFi only)

  • iPhone 4 (using FaceTime or Z4 Mobile)
  • iPod Touch (using FaceTime or Z4 Mobile)
  • Apple Mac (using FaceTime or Z4 Mobile)
  • Samsung Epic (using Z4 Mobile)
  • any videophone or mobile videophone (Z150, Z340, ZOjo, VP200, P3, HTC Evo) (using downloaded Z4 Mobile app)
  • ZVRS interpreter for relay calls (using downloaded ZVRS app or Z4 Mobile)

Samsung Epic (3G or WiFi) or T-Mobile MyTouch 4G (3G, 4G or WiFi)

  • Apple iPhone 4 (using Z4 Mobile)
  • Apple iPod Touch (using Z4 Mobile)
  • Apple Mac (using Z4 software downloaded to a Mac)
  • any PC with a webcam (using Z4 software downloaded to a PC and downloaded Z4 Mobile to an Epic)
  • any videophone or mobile videophone (Z150, Z340, ZOjo, VP200, P3, HTC Evo) (using downloaded Z4 Mobile app)
  • ZVRS interpreter for relay calls (using downloaded Z4 Mobile app)

We have reached the ultimate–you can now call any videophone or mobile videophone point to point using the Z4 Mobile App for both the Apple or Android platforms. This is also true for ZVRS relay calls. You can use the same address book (My Contacts) that you have on your Z-phone with any Z-phone. You will not need to re-enter any contact information (name/phone number)!

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.

Editorial #75-VRS Industry–Slamming and Number Ownership–What Does this Mean?

Dr. Z has received emails on some disturbing situations that have occurred in recent weeks in the VRS industry and as a deaf person he is concerned about such practices as they prey on vulnerable persons in our community. Slamming is a practice that the FCC does not condone and the FCC has fined some phone companies in the past who have violated FCC regulations on slamming. In our community, those situations that have come to Dr. Z’s attention are close to what is “slamming”–using a assumed signed letter of authorization as a way to say one wants to transfer their number when the deaf person in fact didn’t sign one. While this is not “slamming” per se, it leads to this situation and Dr. Z is upset about this.

In addition, some VRS carriers have asked deaf people to port their numbers back because the companies “own” the number. The fact of the matter is the consumer decides where the number should be assigned to whatever phone he/she wants it assigned.

It is Dr. Z’s sincere hope that this is a wake-up call to the industry.

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.

ZVRS for FaceTime–What Does It Do?

ZVRS has launched a new feature–ZVRS for FaceTime—it enables Mac users who use FaceTime for video communication to use FaceTime to call a ZVRS video interpreter. It uses the ZVRS address book (My Contacts) to select the hearing person you are calling.

Why FaceTime? and not iChat?

FaceTime has great video quality because it uses FaceTime to make the VRS call…far superior to iChat.

This is using the Apple’s future HD video product – FaceTime.

FaceTime automatically adjusts seamlessly to changes in bandwidth and maintains the video quality.

No waiting– just click the number (My Contacts) and then the interpreter is there…with iChat you have to talk to the AIM bot and then wait for an interpreter to call you.

Here’s the link to a video on ZVRS for FaceTime.

Get a Z-life…this means you get connected anywhere, anyplace with any device you want!

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.

Editorial #71-What is Get a Z-Life?

Get a Z-Life! What does this really mean?

We in the videophone community have become so used to walking to our videophones, sitting down, using a remote control to make a call…this is by today’s standards a very ancient way of making calls. Look at our hearing counterparts–they don’t walk a mile to make their calls–they take their phone out of their pocket and make a connection right where they are—this is exactly what ZVRS wants to do for us deaf and hard of hearing people–to make connections from wherever they are–the answer is mobile!

ZVRS is making a big push into mobile–this is because it is the most convenient way of connecting us all–not just for point to point, but for video relay calls as well!

If you think the folks at ZVRS are sitting back with what is already on the market–the answer is no! Dr. Z has taken a peek at the labs at ZVRS where our engineers are hard at work in making connecting easy for us all…look for more developments in the weeks to come! Dr. Z is excited like a child in a candy store!

Get a Z-life…this means you get connected anywhere, anyplace with any device you want!

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.