Category Archives: Zinfo

Which VRS Provider Should You Choose and Why?

When making a VRS call, you want to be sure the call is handled smoothly and in a professional manner, and at the same time you remain in full control of the call.

First, you want the interpreter to acknowledge getting the phone number you want to call with a SMILE!

Second, the interpreter will respect your request to announce (to explain that the caller is a deaf hard of hearing person and that he/she is using sign language to communicate) or not to announce the call

Third, the interpreter is able to follow your signing and will ask you to clarify if he/she doesn’t understand you

Fourth, if the bank or credit card company asks for your credit card number, you just need to press the numbers on the keypad without having to spell it out to the interpreter

Fifth, after completing a call, you want to call someone, you can ask the interpreter to look at your contacts list and you can ask them to “call Mom” or whoever is on the list, without having to look up the number yourself.

Finally, after concluding the call session, the interpreter signs off with a smile!

Who has all those benefits? ZVRS has them all! Try us, you will like us! How? Call to make a relay call at 888-888-1116 and you will love us!

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

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

Dr. Z on Having Fun with Your iPad–“Evernote”

One of the useful apps Dr. Z uses on his iPad is an app called “Evernote”. It is FREE and you can download it from the Apple app store.

After you download it, you can use it to save everything you need — PDF documents, clips from websites, bookmarks, etc.

When you need something, just go to Evernote and search for it–it will find the information you need.

For example, if you save a PDF file with “Costco” in it; and you do a search on Evernote, it will locate that PDF file.

Evernote is available on a PC, Mac, web, iPhone/iPad and Android and you can get the same info after entering your userid/password from any of these devices–so you are never away from the information you saved!

Here’s a video you can watch and it is captioned! (video link)

Dr. Z will continue this series with different apps.

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

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

Dr. Z on How He Selects Apps for his iPad

Dr. Z has a LOT of apps on his iPad.

But he uses about 20 of them most of the time–the rest he checks and evaluates for his “patients” who come to him for advice all over the country. Most of the apps he uses are free.

The basic criteria he uses is that the app must have “backup” capability in the “cloud”. This means, if he loses his iPad or the iPad crashes, he can access the same information from his computer through the web. What good would it be if you cannot access the information if you lose it. Also, he protects his iPad with a passcode that he sets up using the “Settings” icon. Some apps have another password to protect other people from accessing the app. So there are 2 levels of protection–never use the same code for the passcode and the password! And remember those codes!

The top apps he uses are:

1) Evernote – which allows you to clip anything off the web and save it. It makes it very easy for you to search anything you clip off the web.

2) Toodledo – which is a task and todo manager. Dr. Z is by nature a not very organized person – Toodledo keeps him on track as much as possible (not 100%). The app is good only if he checks it. It also sends him reminders for some tasks, such as taking medicine.

3) Pocket – which saves articles on the web for reading later. You can read such articles offline when on the plane or the like.

4) Appzilla – which has about 50 mini apps for different things that you never thought of.

5) Skitch – which allows you to draw things and send them on, with or without pictures you take.

More to come–have fun!

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

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

Dr. Z on Having Fun with Your iPad–“Skitch”

One of the fun apps Dr. Z uses on his iPad is an app called “Skitch”.  It is free and you can download it from the Apple app store.

After you download it, you can use it to create drawings or use a drawing on any picture you take.

The video shows how you can make a note on the picture you just took.  It is fun.

Dr. Z will continue this series with different apps.

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

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

What Does Dr. Z’s iPad Look Like?

Dr. Z has been using his iPad for close to a year.  His iPad is a 16gb iPad2 model.  He has about 75 apps loaded on the iPad but uses mostly about 20 most of the time.

In the next few weeks, Dr. Z will explain each of the most popular apps he uses on his iPad.

Since he does not have 3G capability on his iPad, Dr. Z uses Sprint mifi to get wifi access when he is not near a wifi hotspot.  Dr. Z learned recently that T-Mobile has a nice portable wifi hotspot that costs as little as $10 a month if you do not have 3G capability on your iPad. Bear in mind $10 buys you 100mb of memory which is easily used up if you use video.  So you should use video on your iPad only in a wifi environment.  If your iPad has 3G capabiliuty, AT and T and Verizon offer 3G packages but each carries a monthly charge if you use it.

Remember if you want to use video on your iPad, its usually best in a wifi environment because its bandwidth (pipe) is much larger.

Look for more reviews of iPad apps in the next few weeks from Dr. Z!

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

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

What Does Z4 Look Like on an iPad?

This is what Z4 looks like on an iPad!

The left is the phone book. The center is the dial pad.

To dial, there are 2 ways–you can dial using the phone book by touching on the name of the person you want to dial. Another screen will appear with the phone number in the box. Touch the box where the phone number is and then it will dial the call.

The other way is to use the keypad to dial the number and then click the green box to dial out.

That’s all!!!

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Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

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

Have You Tried ZVRS on the iPad? Try Z4, You Will Love IT!

Dr. Z has traveled a lot in recent weeks.

He has started to fall in love with the iPad!

Using ZVRS’ Z4 on the iPad amounts to a perfect videophone.

It works beautifully–go to this link to download Z4.  If you do not have a profile, you need to create a profile and you will get a new phone number immediately. And then download Z4 from the Apple App Store.

When you launch Z4 on your iPad, you will see a keypad.  Just press the phone number on the keypad and off you go!  To make a VRS call, just dial 888-888-1116 on the keypad and a smiling ZVRS interpreter will be ready to facilitate the call for you.

Remember, you need a good wifi connection to do a video call. Do a Speedtest before you make a call outside your home.

Try Z4, You will love IT!

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

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

Want the Best Interpreters for VRS-Try 888-888-1116 To Find Out!

People have all kinds of videophones.

If you have a VP-200 or nTouch VP, you can still call ZVRS!

If you have a P3, you can still call ZVRS!

How?

Try dialing 888-888-1116 when you want to make a VRS call–you will meet a ZVRS interpreter!

You will see…and love the difference.

Come on–try us, you will like ZVRS!

Remember-888-888-1116 is the way to go.

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

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

Protect Your Social Security Number or Account Number with ZVRS “DTMF”

One of the coolest features offered by ZVRS is our “DTMF” feature.

What is it?

This takes advantage of touch tone dialing. You do not have to spell out your credit card or your social security number to the video interpreter. You also do not have to tell the video interpreter to press “1″ for “English”, or “2″ for “Account Information”. Those days are over when you use ZVRS. With all of ZVRS phones and software, you just press your social security number or your account number on the Z-Phone (Z-20, Z-340, Z-Ojo, Z-150, Z4 and Z4 Mobile)keys—the interpreter will not see if and it passes thru to the other party you are calling. That is INDEPENDENCE, SECURITY and SAFETY for you!!

“DTMF” works only when you’re connected to the automated system or computerized system. It will not work when you’re connected to a LIVE person on the other end.

DTMF for engineers stands for Dual Tone Multi Frequency

Happy “Pressing”!

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

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

Got iPhone, IPod and IPad or your Laptop! ZVRS is here for you!

With an iPhone, IPod, IPad or your laptop, you are no longer cut off from the rest of the world when you are out of your house.

ZVRS will be with you once you are out of your house.

Z4 Mobile is on your Apple device. You can use Z4 Mobile to make calls from your Apple device!

Z One Stop has information on the deaf and hard of hearing community. You can get it on your Apple device. It works with the Z4 Mobile to make video calls.

Z4 for your laptop enables your laptop with a webcam to make video calls.

How’s that for independence! Click on the following links for more information and download the software/app for your device!

Z4 Mobile (link)
Z OneStop (link)
Z4 (link)

Your contact list (address book) works on all devices–you don’t have to re-enter them for each device. Just add/change your address book once–it updates all devices automatically!

Enjoy!!

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

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