Category Archives: Ask Dr. Z

Cool Features on iPhone and IPad that are Often Overlooked-Part 1

Dr. Z, when he is talking with friends, family or someone who is interested in ZVRS notices that many people do not make good use of features on the iPhone and the iPad. So, he is going to take time to make those overlooked features useful!

1-Flashlight

Many of you download a flashlight app. It is not necessary as it comes built in on your iPhone and iPad. Where can you find it? It is on the screen that comes up when you swipe from the bottom (below the screen). There ‘s a flashlight icon on the left when the Control Center screen comes up.

2-Wifi

Turning wifi off and on is an important battery saver. You can do it quickly when you swipe from the bottom like what you do with the Flashight above. When you are out of wifi range, it is often a good idea to turn wifi off, because your device will keep looking for a wifi hotspot and that will drain your battery.

3-Calculator

It’s right in the Control Center! On the bottom, near the Flashlight icon!

More to come!

So easy so simple!

By the way, if you need video communication (VP or VRS), why not try Z5, you will like it! Click here to get it! (See if you qualify to get a FREE tablet with a stand!)

Dr. Z is proud to be part of the team that understands and listens to the needs of the deaf and hard of hearing community!

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z (Philip W. Bravin) is associated with CSDVRS, currently its Vice-President of Business Development

Using a Lipstick with the iPhone or a Hand Warmer with the iPad? What’s UP?

Dr. Z in planning for an out of country trip did some research for a battery to charge his iPhone and iPad.

He came across 2 different kinds of batteries on Amazon.

One looks like a lipstick.

The other looks like a hand warmer.

Dr. Z in planning for an out of country trip did some research for a battery to charge his iPhone and iPad.

He came across 2 different kinds of batteries on Amazon.

One looks like a lipstick.

anker
The other looks like a hand warmer.

Lipstick? It is really a battery that is rechargeable. You recharge it with the same plug adapter that you use with your iPhone. When that lipstick is recharged, it can recharge your iPhone up to 4 times. It is very useful when you are traveling or in a plane where there are no outlets nearby.

Handwarmer? It is a bigger batter that is rechargeable. The iPad requires more power so you need a bigger battery. You recharge it with the same plug adapter that you use with your iPad. And it recharges your iPad quickly in about 3 hours.

So Dr. Z can enjoy his travels without spending too much time looking for outlets. It’s important because he plans to use his iPhone as a primary camera.

The following are links on Amazon:

lipstick charger (link)

handwarmer charger (link)

A smile will come — less running around for a electrical outlet to charge your device!!

So easy so simple!

By the way, if you need video communication (VP or VRS), why not try Z5, you will like it! Click here to get it! (See if you qualify to get a FREE tablet with a stand!)

Dr. Z is proud to be part of the team that understands and listens to the needs of the deaf and hard of hearing community!

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z (Philip W. Bravin) is associated with CSDVRS, currently its Vice-President of Business Development

Text-to-911–It’s Almost Here!! Thanks to the FCC!

We have the FCC to thank!

We have video relay, IP-Relay and all the communication technologies that make our life easier, better and most importantly, safer.

Yes, we sometimes grumble at some of the rules they throw at us, but without them, we wouldn’t have the nice and life-saving things we need. And rules are a fact of life, like the speed limits on the road.

Let’s not forget the NAD, TDI, NorCal and all the national and local organizations which help push the FCC when inertia takes place.

The FCC has made text-to-911 a priority. The new chairman, Tom Wheeler, has gone on record making this an important priority. Here’s a news article on this. (link) The picture you see on this post is of the new chairman, Tom Wheeler. Let’s not forget the good work of the Disability Rights Office (Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau) in the FCC and the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau.

What is it?

Simple, you just text to the 911 number and someone will be there to communicate and send help. It’s much quicker than using IP-Relay or video relay. In emergency situations, time is of the essence–the quicker you get help the less serious an emergency situation can become.

It is NOT yet fully deployed in the US. But, very soon it will be. Some states have it, some fully deployed, some are running trials. In Canada, they are ahead of us, but we will catch up soon.

For more info, heres the link to the FCC website on text-to-911.

For information on Canada’s text-to-911, here’s the link. Remember what happens in Canada does not always happen in the US, but maybe later.

So easy so simple!

By the way, if you need video communication (VP or VRS), why not try Z5, you will like it! Click here to get it! (See if you qualify to get a FREE tablet with a stand!)

Dr. Z is proud to be part of the team that understands and listens to the needs of the deaf and hard of hearing community!

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z (Philip W. Bravin) is associated with CSDVRS, currently its Vice-President of Business Development

How to Have a Good Battery Life on Your iPhone/iPad? Tips from Dr. Z!

Dr. Z sometimes gets puzzled when the battery on his iPhone or iPad gets drained quickly.

He decided to experiment a bit.

He did some research on the web.

There are a lot of links on battery hints.

The number one cause of battery drain is the brightness screen.

Here is how you do it…

Tap “Settings”

Tap “Wallpapers and Brightness”

Move the slider top the middle from the right side

Your screen will dim a bit, but it is still easy to read.

You really only need a full brightness screen when you are outside in strong su\nlight. All other times, the middle of the slider is fine.

You will have a longer lasting battery!

A good web page on this has some extra tips. (link)

A smile will come — less running around for a electrical outlet to charge your battery!!

So easy so simple!

By the way, if you need video communication (VP or VRS), why not try Z5, you will like it! Click here to get it! (See if you qualify to get a FREE tablet with a stand!)

Dr. Z is proud to be part of the team that understands and listens to the needs of the deaf and hard of hearing community!

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z (Philip W. Bravin) is associated with CSDVRS, currently its Vice-President of Business Development

How to Make a Good VRS Call with a ZVRS Video Interpreter

Dr. Z did a bit of research on his own to make VRS call a breeze and less stressful for him and the video interpreter. Here are some suggestions:

1. Spell letters/names more slowly than you would in a normal conversation. (This small change makes a big difference in clarity.) A good way to do it would be for credit card numbers, not to spell out all numbers at once, but to do it 4 numbers art a time, then pause, then spell the next 4 and so on. For street names or names, spell out slowly. Remember, the interpreters are from all over the country and may not be familiar with city names or locations in your area.

2. Before calling airlines, credit card companies or banks, it is helpful to provide the confirmation, credit card and/or account numbers before the video interpreter places the call. (It’s also a good idea to verify the information once before the call.)

3. Verify that the video interpreter can see your name on their screen. It usually appears there, but if it does not, spell your name before the call is made.

4. For restaurants, best to outline the intent of the call–check with interpreter what you plan to order or what you want to do, such as table reservations. Restaurants are very impatient and tend to rush calls, so discuss with the interpreter before you call the restaurant. It will make the call process much smoother.

Try those suggestions–it will make a world of difference!

So easy, so simple!

By the way, if you need video communication (VP or VRS), why not try Z5, you will like it! Click here to get it! (See if you qualify to get a FREE tablet with a stand!)

Dr. Z is proud to be part of the team that understands and listens to the needs of the deaf and hard of hearing community!

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z (Philip W. Bravin) is associated with CSDVRS, currently its Vice-President of Business Development

Z5 on Your iPad–A Different Way to Use It

What has been happening of late–we have noticed that the iPad’s role has changed in the household. It has become more popular and used for different things such as watching TV, viewing movies and playing games. More people are getting another iPad for their home to be used just for video communication so that when you need to make a call, you won’t need to interrupt someone from watching a movie on an iPad to make a call. Or when a call comes in, you have to stop the movie to get the call.

Solution? Get another iPad, so you can free it for just video communication with the Z5!

How’s that?

Enjoy!

So easy so simple!

By the way, if you need video communication (VP or VRS), why not try Z5, you will like it! Click here to get it! (See if you qualify to get a FREE tablet with a stand!)

Dr. Z is proud to be part of the team that understands and listens to the needs of the deaf and hard of hearing community!

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z (Philip W. Bravin) is associated with CSDVRS, currently its Vice-President of Business Development

Happy New Year from Dr. Z-A Simple Resolution for You All!

Here’s a good way to start the new year!

(Courtesy of tesh.com)

So easy so simple!

By the way, if you need video communication (VP or VRS), why not try Z5, you will like it! Click here to get it! (See if you qualify to get a FREE tablet with a stand!)

Dr. Z is proud to be part of the team that understands and listens to the needs of the deaf and hard of hearing community!

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z (Philip W. Bravin) is associated with CSDVRS, currently its Vice-President of Business Development

Got an iPad or iPhone for the Holidays? Which App to Download?

Some of you may have gotten a new iPad or iPhone for the holidays. Some apps are already built in, but what about some other nice apps out there. Dr. Z found two cool links for suggested apps. Dr. Z makes no promises as to whether they are good or not as he has not tried all of them, but he has some of them.

Here you go:

Suggested Apps-link #1
Suggested Apps-link #2

Enjoy!

So easy so simple!

By the way, if you need video communication (VP or VRS), why not try Z5, you will like it! Click here to get it! (See if you qualify to get a FREE tablet with a stand!)

Dr. Z is proud to be part of the team that understands and listens to the needs of the deaf and hard of hearing community!

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z (Philip W. Bravin) is associated with CSDVRS, currently its Vice-President of Business Development

Editorial #136: Dr. Z’s Letter to Santa Claus

Dear Santa,

I am a deaf gentleman – 68 years old, but I still believe in Santa Claus and love the gifts you give us. I am writing to ask for more gifts on behalf of the deaf and hard of hearing community.

You have been great in the past years, giving us accessibility all the way from interpreters, to TTY’s, to closed captioning, and now to the video relay service.

The video relay service is a bit peculiar. The largest provider tries to portray themselves as Santa Claus, giving away a lot of devices “free” at a cost to the population of the United States who pay for the service from their monthly phone bills. At the same time, they do things to prevent those devices and the service from being fully accessible to everyone. A classic example is if one wants to port from them to any provider, they cannot port the address books (They keep it closed and to themselves.) In addition, if one using another provider were to leave a video message on their units, it will not work. One other example, if one user of their service enables “video block”, other providers trying to call those units will get a black screen, causing them to think something is wrong with their units. The practices of their installers/trainers in past years is something unheard of in American capitalism. (And they are doing this with the benefit of public funds!) The list goes on and on–one only need to read the filings at the FCC from the community on this subject.

I am asking you, Santa Claus, to drop down the FCC’s chimney on Christmas Eve and kneel before the powers that be at the FCC to open up the market, make video communication fully free-flowing and accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing community. That would be the best gift we all would receive. I am sure the FCC folks will set aside some warm milk along with chocolate chip cookies to give you enough energy to distribute gifts to others around the world.

By the way, I could use an Apple App Store gift card so i can download apps to my heart’s content. This is my little shopping list. The big ticket item on my list is my request for a fully accessible and free-flowing video communication.

Please hug Mrs. Claus for me–behind every great man is a great woman–she will help us remind you of my request on behalf of all deaf and hard of hearing Americans.

Thank you for listening.

Phil Bravin (aka Dr. Z)

Disclaimer: Dr. Z (Phil Bravin) is currently the Vice-President of Business Development at CSDVRS, LLC.

Shopping for the Holidays? Go to TheWirecutter.com!

With the holidays coming up, a lot of shopping decisions are being made.

Dr. Z came across an incredibly useful website (not an app.)

This website gives you shopping tips, and in addition, gives you a good review of different products.

To view this on an ipPad or an iPhone or an Android device, use the browser on the device (Safari, etc.) and type “www.wirecutter.com” (link) and off you go!

Happy shopping!

So easy so simple!

By the way, if you need video communication (VP or VRS), why not try Z5, you will like it! Click here to get it! (See if you qualify to get a FREE tablet with a stand!)

Dr. Z is proud to be part of the team that understands and listens to the needs of the deaf and hard of hearing community!

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z (Philip W. Bravin) is associated with CSDVRS, currently its Vice-President of Business Development