开云体育

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Rea Lists
Sent: 01 December 2022 11:01
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [dap-uk] Its BBC Sounds or Nothing? In Touch November29

I would agree with some of what is said, below, but I do take issue with some of it.


Firstly, it may well be that if everything has to be accessed via the
BBC Sounds Gateway then a one-time login would at least solve the issue
of having automatic access to Sounds for radio and I dare say podcasts
if podcasts are to be behind that wall too. The nudging or pushing of
people to use Sounds is of course making itself felt with access to the
latest podcasts being restricted to BBC Sounds. For a publically funded
service like the BBC free to everyone in the UK this is a questionable
restriction.


Going back to radio station acess, what I and many are arguing for is an
easy one or two button preset access to stations we listen to a lot. I
regularly listen to five or six national BBC stations and local radio -
and not just the area I live in. So, I want speedy convenient access to
these as I have now, without a good deal of swiping and tapping or
grovelling around a screen to get to the many stations I want to listen
to. A Many people still do value this sort of feature on ordinary
radios and in the blind community you can go right back to the old Bush
push button presets on the radios that used to be issued to people all
those years ago.


It would not be beyond the enginuity and skills of BBC designers to
build such a feature into Sounds with an on-screen preset pad numbered
and giving names of stations you have chosen as presets. This could be
built on by access tech manufacturers with the addition of a press
button interface linked via bluetooth or whatever. Yes, as unpelitable
as hardware interfaces may be to the skillful and well adjusted smart
phone user these are valued, literally, by a high proportion of blind
users and those who have problems of dexterity and co-ordination in
using touch screens.


I have to say with some hesitation and reluctance, that the attitude
which says "I can do it, so should you" just does not cut it with me and
many everyday users. Planely there are many who, for whatever reason,
still find smart phones a faff and a painfully clunky way of accessing
radio stations, unless that is, some sort of adaptation is available and
Synapptic, which is not perfect, does provide this with in their case a
voice drivven interface which is easy to use. Yes the A Lady does that,
and I have one, although for reasons I will not burden the list with
right now, I still cannot link it to BBC Sounds when it comes to
validating my BBC Sounds account.I access commercial offerings with my
smart speaker though when it comes to playing say, Mushroom FM Amazon
wants me to sign up to a subscription service. No thanks.


So, I still argue for an easy to use press button preset interface and
there is nothing wrong in wanting this. Its a convenience and time
saver - at a cost I am willing to bear. Its rather like some drivers
like automatic cars instead of manipulating with gear stick and
clutch.So we have a market for these things. I am sure any specialist
dealer isn't going to say to us, Well you do not need this, so I am not
going to sell it!


Ray.







On 30/11/2022 12:40 pm, Steve Nutt wrote:

To be honest, if Google and Amazon can make Actions or Skills, respectively, for BBC sounds, then I don't think specialist hardware players are needed.

Having said that, this won't only affect specialist players, since some regular hi-fi speakers also directly access BBC streams such as Bluesound. However, Sonos have got over it, again, by creating a link to BBC sounds. This is only a one time log in to the account, so it really wouldn't be that difficult.

Not quite a fuss about nothing, but not the end of the world either, in my view.

All the best

Steve

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Rea Lists
Sent: 30 November 2022 12:35
To: [email protected]
Subject: [dap-uk] Its BBC Sounds or Nothing? In Touch November29

A modified post with additions posted earlier to Vi-gen Access group.

Subject sums up mytakeaway on last night's In touch and the demise of the Shoutcast radio feeds.


Should not have been surprised that tno one from BBC Sounds made
themselves available for the programme.


This is probably in line with the true Riethian autocratic traditions of
the BBC - or is it just the two fingered salute? In any case the Beeb
in Rieth's day had some commitment to "public service" which sadly seem
lacking in the BBC Sounds project.


So, here's a thought from me on how adaptive tech vendors might be
helped to give us one button pre-set access to streamed radio. Given
part of the licence fee is now going to pay for rollout of faster
broadband,then should not an amount be made available to develop players
and interfaces to meet the needs of so many blind people who are not
stratospherically tech savvy? So, an on-screen set of buttons for
statons similar to the Humanware interface? Hardware interfaces and
players that allow easy access to pre-set stations and banks of presets
as I use on my VR players?


Engineering this sort of thing is routine enough for software and
hardware engineers and designers - if you pay them enough. So I propose
a grant from the BBC and public broadcasting to finance the up-front
investment needed to make this happen. Perhaps the folks at BBc Sounds
wil communicate with the access tech industry too on this one, unlike
their unwillingness to communicate with us - other than via press
release type statements

I interviewed Humanware at a local meeting recently but the guys lips
were sealed when it came to what might be in store for the latest
version of their talking book and radio player, but we are promised
something early next year.

To end with, I wonder how people here would feel about yet another
keypad interface to work alongside iPhones and Android devices? This
could be something like the Humanware interface, but linking to a phone
or tablet. this might have potential as well for playing talking books
either downloaded or online, and Wireless for Blind might also be
persuaded to join in what with the demise of the Sonata player, but
sometimes I think WFBFis in a ghetto like bunker not unlike BBC Sounds.

Ray.

Ray.