This may be the shortest post Dr. Z has put up.
This blog has 100 words.
A photo has 1,000 words.
A video has 1,000,000 words.
This is a video of an actual iPhone call to a ZVRS interpreter making a video relay call (link to video.)
ENJOY!!!
Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects..
“Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”
This day has ARRIVED!!!! Communications independence with an iPhone 4!!!
ZVRS at the NAD Convention in Philadelphia announced the ability of an Apple iPhone 4 to make VRS calls using the ZVRS platform. It met with rave reviews from the invited audience who witnessed people making live VRS calls in a wifi environment using an iPhone. It was a historic and beautiful moment for us all to witness!!
It was a sneak preview with a public announcement to take place later this week.
Dr. Z will expand on details of this exciting announcement in the next few weeks. Stay tuned!!
Happy Communications Independence Day from Dr. Z!!
Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.
Dr. Z has crisscrossed the country the past few weeks and he did this last November and December conducting town hall meetings.
This is to give you an insight into how one deals with all kinds of wifi connections and wired connections while traveling on the road.
The Z4 is a blessing–Dr. Z uses it often to make relay calls and calls his wife every day to check on her while he travels. He has never experienced the freedom to communicate he has had in the past and to be able to talk with his wife and see her everyday on the road is a life changing event, indeed.
But–the wired and wifi world is not perfect–here are some patterns for you to consider. First of all, in a perfect world, with a good connection, a video call works beautifully.
The truth of the matter is that wifi or wired connections on the road do not always give you the necessary bandwidth to experience high quality video communication.
Some airports are better than others. Some hotels are better than others. Some hotels within the same chain vary greatly in quality. What Dr. Z has noticed that in many hotels, the internet connection is much worse at night when everyone else in the hotel uses internet and shares the single line that comes into the hotel.
The same is true with the mifi (3G/4G) or Sprint Overdrive. Sometimes a 3G signal works very well, sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes a 4G connection works fantastically, sometimes it doesn’t. Do not blame it on your computer or the z4–blame it on the poor quality of internet connections.
Some McDonald’s or Starbucks have better wifi connections than others. Dr. Z has had better experience with Barnes and Noble–they seem to have the best connections anywhere.
The bottom line is–if you find your connection not too good–move to another place–move closer to the lobby in the hotel, move to another McDonald’s or Starbucks.
Most of the time, the connection is good for browsing on the internet–but when it comes to making a video call–it varies greatly from one place to another.
Dr. Z is confident that over time, we will continue to experience better internet connections. Remember, hearing people do have problems with their cell phones. Some places do not give you a good connection, others do….its the same with a video call.
But Dr. Z loves his Z4 to death–its the best invention since sliced bread (or the wheel.)
Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Since the new answering machine feature for the Z4 is has been popular, Dr. Z is adding 2 new classes for everyone out there to learn more about the answering machine (My Mail) feature for Monday and Tuesday, May 10th and 11th, 2010
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.
Based on feedback from consumers, Dr. Z has decided to embark on yet another tour of the country, conducting town hall meetings all over.
The town hall meetings will cover Z4, My Mail and numbering issues. On the Z4, Dr. Z will give a demonstration of how it works and how it fits into your lifestyle. By adding My Mail, Dr, Z will show how it completes your communication needs and enables you to be functionally equivalent to hearing people.
Finally, since numbering remains a source of confusion, Dr. Z will continue to hammer the point that 800/866 numbers should not be used as primary numbers, but instead to use local numbers.
If you want Dr, Z to be in your area, contact your local ZVRS sales manager.
Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.
Dr. Z has made it easy for you to get a copy of Z4.
Click the following link (which is to the zvrs.com website) to register:
This will get you to the profile page.
If you do not have a profile, register for a free account using the following link:
If you have a profile, enter your userid and password.
After you register, look in your email inbox for an email from ZVRS. This email will give you your new phone number and password for Z4 along with a link to download Z4.
Click on the link provided in the email to download. After you download your copy of Z4, run it and you will get a request to enter your userid and password. Use the phone number and password to login and you will then be ready to use Z4!
Click the following to get a copy of the Z4 Quick Start User’s Guide.
Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.
Since the new answering machine feature for the Z4 is has been popular, Dr. Z is adding 2 new classes for everyone out there to learn more about the answering machine (My Mail) feature for Wednesday, April 21, 2010.
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.
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.
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.
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.