Category Archives: Editorials/Guest Blogs

AT&T ATRIX–An Hidden (Android) Gem in Mobile Phones!

What is so special about the AT&T ATRIX from Motorola?

At first, it looks like a typical videophone–but Motorola (who makes the phone) went one step further–the phone has a laptop dock and a HD Multimedia dock. What that means is after you use the phone while you are out of the house, when you get home you attach it (dock it) to a laptop and the laptop accesses all the information on the phone and you use the laptop as a computer–while you are in the house. You can do many things with the laptop and any new information you out on the laptop is also put on the phone (because it is attached via a dock.) Then you can move it to a HD multimedia dock and the dock attaches to a television and it can play whatever you downloaded on your phone to your HDTV! This means your phone can do everything while you are out of the house, and do more when you are back home! Here is the link to the AT&T website about the phone. What a cool phone this is!

AND it is now available for videophone calls with the Z4 Mobile! (link to download Z4 Mobile)

Information on AT&T Motorola ATRIX (link)

Information on AT&T Motorola ATRIX HD Multimedia Dock (link)

Info on AT&T Motorola ATRIX Webtop (link)

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

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

Editorial #79-How Best to Manage VRS Interpreters-A Guest Editorial by Jeff Rosen

ZVRS (CSDVRS) is very mindful how we manage VRS interpreters in a way that we do not affect the surrounding community’s interpreting needs where we have a center. We work through this by having interpreters work remotely from their homes in a secure room. Jeff Rosen, CSDVRS’ General Counsel explains this in an editiorial which was previously submitted to Ed’s Alert along with a link to our response to the FCC on this issue.
————————————————————
As a result of healthy competition and choices, there are many more interpreters engaged in providing VRS in the US. We must view the impact of call centers on the availability of in-person interpreters for the deaf community and also the impact of call centers on the well being of interpreters. Many people in the US (and Canada) are of the view that VRS has made it much more difficult for them to obtain in-person interpreters, that call centers leave such a large footprint on the deaf communities, and many interpreters are forced to leave their homes in areas of low population density to seek work at a call center usually located in urban areas.

CSDVRS recently wrote a letter to the FCC expressing some concerns.
(Link to FCC Letter)

There is no question that relay consumers have a right to absolutely secure and compliant video interpreted calls, we are smart enough to regulate in a way that accomplishes those requirements. We also can regulate how emergency calls must be handled by virtual video interpreters (also known as in-home interpreters). We can also make sure that all VRS providers primarily use call centers, with virtual video interpreters a limited % of the workforce.

What we cannot afford to do is detach regulatory decisions from the real world impact on deaf people and interpreters. There must be careful study, collaboration and to the extent possible, consensus with the affected constituents – consumers and interpreters.

Jeff Rosen
General Counsel
CSDVRS

Dr. Z (and Jeff) 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.

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.

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.

Editorial #74-Freedom in Communication-Z4 Mobile for the iPhone 4/iPod Touch

Everyday, the world gets better for us deaf and hard of hearing folks…

Imagine–a complete videophone in a mobile device!

In addition to just making and receiving calls–one can call point-to-point to any videophone, or to a hearing person through a ZVRS interpreter (not to mention VCO and HolaVRS)

And having an address book (My Contacts) on both your mobile device and the web (and they update each other automatically)

And having a full-blown answering machine (My Mail) that takes messages from your hearing callers as well as your deaf and hard of hearing colleagues

And alerting you with a message when someone calls you (Z Alert), and even delivering an video answering message if people leave you a message to your mobile device (or to your account on the web)

And more…

It is the Z4 Mobile app for the iPhone 4 and iPod Touch–try it, you will like it

To get more information–try these links: (Link 1) (Link 2)

Get a Z-life…this means you get connected anyplace, anytime, anywhere 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 #73-Connecting Everywhere with Choice – Which VRS Provider Does This?

Come to think of it…look at the VRS landscape…

Look at every VRS provider…

Look at ZVRS…

Make a comparision…

ZVRS has enabled video communication on…let’s count…10 devices (iPhone4, iPod Touch, T-Mobile MyTouch, Samsung Epic, Samsung Tab, Z-150, PC, Mac, Z-Ojo and the Z-340)…with much more on the way…

No other VRS provider comes close! This is all about choice…ZVRS gives the deaf and hard of hearing consumer a choice, with quality video communication and interpreters…

The rest is history…

Get a Z-life…this means you get connected everywhere, 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 #72-Working at ZVRS-A Guest Editorial by Karen Putz

Karen Putz–one of ZVRS’ Sales Managers in Illinois is a well-known blogger and writer. Some of her articles are published in the local newspaper. She has written a blog on what it is like to be a part of the ZVRS team. Dr. Z also works at ZVRS, while trying to be unbiased, and he shares the same sentiment as Karen.

The link to the blog is as follows: link to Karen’s blog

You can also enjoy the other entries in her blog.

One needs to walk in the ZVRS headquarters in Clearwater to see how deaf-friendly we are–and this carries over to everything we do!

Dr. Z (and Karen) cares about your communication access.

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