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When one looks for a videophone, they should select one that fits their needs. But many deaf people are provided with a free videophone that does not necessarily meet their needs, and thus changes their behavior like using a remote control when they communicate via a videophone. This doesn’t make good sense.
Look at the hearing people around us–they have cell phones, they have wireless phones in their house–they select the phones that best meet their daily habits.
Dr. Z has a Z-150 at his home office next to his laptop. With this set up Dr. Z is not giving up his television, or needs to buy a television in order to communicate via a videophone. But why a laptop next to a self-contained videophone like the Z-150? When he calls his cable company using his Z-150, in discussing with the cable company, he can look up his account on his laptop to retrieve some information. This is a natural way of using a videophone on a desk.
Many deaf people in their homes have their videophones attached to a television. That means they didn’t get a videophone for free, because they had to pay for the television attached to their videophone. They should think of looking at other providers such as ZVRS which have videophones that are comparably priced to televisions and fit a wide range of their needs so they do not have to change their behavior to fit the videophone. With the Z product line of 3 videophones and the Z4 software, the deaf person finds a videophone that fits their behavior.
How many hearing people use a remote control to talk over a cell phone? This is not the natural way. They use keypads—like the Z products.
Freedom of choice!
Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.
The FCC is a public agency. Like all public agencies, they have a wide range of things to deal with. Their website-www.fcc.gov is a very comprehensive website. But to try to navigate through their website to get to the heart of VRS information requires some patience and effort.
Dr. Z had an idea–he put together 5 links that will make it easy for you to go to the right places in the FCC website and will give you most of the information related to VRS. The links are on this web page, to your left–”FCC Information on TRS/VRS.” The links below cover the following areas:
Having been around for some time (I admit to having white hair), I have found that a simple dictum goes a long way and I will take this opportunity to outline this in view of recent developments in the VRS industry and the FCC. This is a small deviation from my usual postings, but in the blogosphere, anyone has their right to express their thoughts–this is one of the wonders of the internet!
Let me explain this dictum—when a situation comes up, it’s usually better (except in cases of emergency), to pause before we react. If we react before we pause, we often regret the consequences of our reaction. If we pause before we react and then outline our reaction, even if the outcome may not be what we want, we can tell ourselves, we did think this through and people have reasons for their decisions or whatever the case may be, and take the consequences of the situation in stride.
The recent declarations by the FCC require us to pause, read into it, discuss this among ourselves, and with the FCC. Having done all this, we can then develop a course of action and work through the system to resolve any differences. Dr. Z is sometimes guilty of reacting before pausing, but he reminds himself to “count to 100 before taking the leap.” We should use whatever processes are in place to resolve any differences.
This is only the beginning of what we may see “a sea of change” in the regulatory arena when it comes to VRS. Remember, VRS is an industry still in its infancy and this is a mid-course correction which usually happens like when a butterfly comes out of its cocoon. At first, it flies carefully and unsure of its direction before going in its targeted direction. But going towards its targeted direction, the butterfly does not fly in a straight line–it flies up and down, left and right–this is exactly where we are in the VRS industry. In due time, we all will then settle and have the service we all cherish and deserve.
Let’s count to 100 before we take the leap. We all care about VRS as a service and it is here to stay.
Especially with software based applications such as the Z4, people have come to us asking which webcam they should use for their laptop or desktop.
What is a webcam? A webcam is a “webcamera.” It is a camera used to communicate via video (like a dedicated videophone).
First things first—you always pay for what you get.
Second–Most laptops and netbooks today have built-in webcams-which means you do not have to buy a separate webcam.
Third-If you have a desktop, you need to buy a webcam from any of the providers usually at Best Buy or WalMart–the top 3 major providers of webcams are Creative, Microsoft and Logitech. They come in all forms and shapes and in different price ranges. Usually the recommendation is not to buy a cheap webcam, a mid priced-$35 and up would be Dr. Z’s recommendation. Most webcams can be returned (check your store’s return policy) if you feel the quality is not what you expect. The higher priced webcams tend to have better quality.
If you have a MacBook (Mac laptop) or an iMac, they all come with built in webcams which provide really good quality. If you have a desktop Mac (Mac Pro), you can add an Apple Cinema Display which also has a built-in webcam. The Apple webcams are called iSight. Some of the older Apple models do not have a built-in webcam so check first.
For the PC world, you have to check first as to whether the display (or monitor) has a built-in webcam. If it doesn’t, you would have to buy a webcam off the shelf. Most of the newer models with built-in webcams offer good quality for video communication.
The Z4 will locate the webcam automatically. If you have 2 webcams, you will need to select one using the Z4 configuration button under “video.”
The advantage of a laptop or netbook is its portability–you can carry it anywhere and use wifi or mifi to be able to communicate from wherever you want.
Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.
We all have address books, calendars, checkbooks and all kids of important information that we carry around or save on our computers or videophones.
We often forget or neglect to do one important thing–backing up all of this in case something breaks or crashes.
What Dr. Z does for himself–he keeps everything online–on the web (or the “cloud” for all his key information, protected by passwords, of course.
Why does Dr. Z do this? He has been in the technology field for over 40 years and has been witness to many stories of disasters, lost information all those years.
Some videophones such as the VP-200 keep your information on the videophone–in cases where the videophone crashes or whatever–while waiting for the vendor to replace the videophone–where is the contact list–where is the address book? It is temporarily in a “black hole” while waiting for it to be replaced. And you won’t have access to it while waiting for it to be repaired or replaced.
Is there a solutiuon?
Of course–”My Contacts” offered by ZVRS on their website-www.zvrs.com
“My Contacts”, after you set up your profile, allows you to keep your contact list and phone numbers in a safe place. It is always on the web, so it won’t be lost. When you visit your friends and you need a phone number–just go to the web and pull up “My Contacts.”
When you have one of the Z-Phones (Z-150, Z-340, Z-Ojo and Z4), the contacts are automatically loaded down to the Z-Phones.
Peace of mind, guaranteed!
Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.
Now that a great thing is out of the bag! Dr. Z sometimes tries his best to be impartial, but sometimes, one needs to cross the line of impartiality to tell the world about something he has been with the past few months and couldn’t resist holding it back.
Dr. Z has been a beta tester for the Z4 product the past few months-he has used the Z4 when he traveled all over giving his talks on numbering–used it in countless airports and hotels (while it was a beta product!)
Dr. Z has been in the technology field for over 40 years–he has white hair, attesting to his age in technology. He knows the difference between a good product and a great one and the Z4 product is one that falls into the “great” category of a product. Doctors often prescribe medicine or treatments for their patients. Dr. Z is prescribing all video communication users (VRS and point to point) to use the Z4 product. For starters, it works on a PC or a Mac. You can build your contact list on the web or on the Z4, and it will be saved either way and will always be there. If you want to show a web site while you are in communication mode, the Z4 makes it easy to show this page. If you want to see the face of a hearing person who has a webcam while doing a VRS call, the Z4 can show three video shots, yourself, the interpreter and the hearing person you are talking to. Finally, it can record your video conversations–you can save it and send the conversation as an attachment to an email. This is scratching the surface with more to come…
The secret to the completeness of this product is that it was designed by deaf people for use by deaf and hard of hearing people. When a shoemaker makes shoes for himself, the shoes fit perfectly. The same is true of the Z4.
Over the holidays, my wife and I were delayed in Las Vegas. We needed to reach her deaf mother to let her know of the delay. At that time, her Blackberry was down–remember the great Blackberry outage at that time? Dr. Z immediately thought of his Mac in his backpack and pulled it out and with the Z4, and no plugs, no cords (the Mac had a good wifi connection at the airport) and she was able to connect with her mother to let her know of her delay. It is that spontaneous event that makes the Z4 a great product.
You can download the Z4 at www.zvrs.com. Try it, you’ll like it, believe me.
Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.
My deaf friend has a 866 number and I have been calling him on that number. Is this the right way to do so?
This is another question which has come up as a result of Dr. Z’s travels across the country a few months ago. People wonder why there is a need to make point to point calls using a 866 number.
There is NO reason to use a 866 number for point to point calls. All point to point calls are considered “free” as they use the resources of the internet. A local number assigned to your videophone will connect as well as a 866 (or a 800) number, so deaf people should give their deaf friends their local number not the 866 number.
The only reason why a 866 (or a 800) number is needed is for VRS situations so a hearing person would not need to make a toll (long distance) call to the deaf person using the relay service. This is basically the only reason and 800/866 numbers usually are used for deaf people who own a business or have another reason to have toll free numbers like children calling from college without the need to make a long distance call.
Bear in mind the FCC is currently reviewing their current policy on 800/866 numbers so it may be a good idea to give your local number to your deaf friends and your hearing friends and relatives who live close by. Even your doctor or dentist who live in the same town do not need a 800/866 number to call you–they can very well use your local number. Hearing people use 800/866 numbers for the same reason on their cell phones–to make toll free calls. You can still use 800/866 numbers for hearing people out of town to reach you if you feel it is wise, and again–it is not necessary for deaf friends and relatives of yours to call you on a 800/866 number when a local number will do. In some cases, if you put a 800/866 number on a credit application or the like, it can get rejected. Most applications expect a local number, not a 800/866 number.
The answer is simple–when you buy something at the store, you pick the product that meets your needs and expectations.
When it comes to VRS, there are several things one needs to look at before deciding which company meets his or her needs.
First of all is quality of the interpreters–what is the quality of the interpreters interpreting the call. Do they understand you with out asking you to repeat? Are they certified? Do they try to relate to you or have a “flat” face? It is usually very important to be able to relate to the interpreter to make calls productive.
Second of all is the quality and range of the videophone equipment–does the videophone have a clear connection? Does it connect without going through a black screen? Do you have several videophones to choose from? Do any of the videophones meet your needs, rather than being stuck with one, that you have to change your behavior in making calls? You should dictate the need, and select the videophone that matches your need.
Third of all is customer service–if you need questions answered, is there someone at the videophone or VRS company in customer service available to answer your questions? Is there a representative from the VRS company available to answer your questions and support you with your concerns?
If you feel your VRS provider is not meeting your needs, you can always change providers through something called porting. Porting allows you to move your number from your old videophone to a new videophone and VRS provider that best meets your needs. For more information on porting, you can click this link
Remember–you are the customer–you decide what is best for your needs, not the videophone or VRS company deciding for you..
My husband and I are deaf and we have three deaf and hard of hearing kids. A lot of people are surprised to learn that we have four videophones in our home. We really only need two, but here, I’m going to give you a peek inside my Z Life and you’ll see how we use all four.
Every morning, once the kids and the hubby are out the door, my day begins with ZVRS. I work as a Sales Manager for Illinois and Zvrs Manager for National VCO. My main videophone is the Z-150 made by Tandberg. You can read about how the Z-150 Changed My Life — I used to hate the phone and now I call people all day long. When a hearing person calls me, I slip my headset on, press a button and answer with, “Hello! This is Karen!” When a deaf or hard of hearing friend calls me, I sit back and chat directly with them.
The Z-340 is parked in my kitchen. It is connected via wifi and it is the family phone. I can do dishes and chat at the same time. The Z-340 can be moved from room to room, even in the middle of a call. I have brought my Z-340 outside into the backyard to share my newly-planted flowers with a friend. When we have parties, the Z-340 is a big hit. We have connected with other parties in other states at the same time. We once connected with my husband’s college roommate for two hours during a party– passing the Z-340 around so that everyone could have a chance to talk. We can also hook the Z-340 up to the big screen TV so that everyone can view the conversation at once.
The Z-OJO is my main videophone for new customers to call me and they can leave messages. Soon, all the Z videophones will have an answering machine for point-to-point calls. Having two videophones in my office does come in handy though, there are times I run them both at the same time, getting information on one call and talking to someone else on another.
When I travel, I use the Z4 on my laptop and it is available for Mac users as well. I can connect with two Z4 users at the same time and have a three-way chat. I can connect with a co-worker on one, then switch to Zvrs to make a call and gather information while my co-worker is still connected to me. I can run a presentation while talking to a new customer and we can both view it. Best of all, when I’m the road and someone is calling my Z videophones at home, I receive a Z-Alert to my pager that tells me about the call and includes a phone number. I then use the Z4 to call that person back. I have all “My Contacts” loaded to all of my Z videophones, so I’m never without a number!
You, too, can have a Z Life!
For more information or to learn more about VCO Plus, contact Karen Putz at kputz@zvrs.com
Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Disclosure: Karen Putz is the sales manager for ZVRS covering the state of Illinois and handles National VCO Marketing. Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.
On January 28th, the NAD, TDI and other national organizations petitioned the FCC to reconsider the limitation they imposed on certain types of VRS calls such as conference calls and calls to pager company providers.
The result has been a lot of letters to the FCC from the deaf and hard of hearing community supporting the petition filed with the FCC. This is unprecedented as Dr. Z has been following the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System for quite some time and there has not been much traffic on this until the response to this petition. This shows how the community feels about not being functionally equivalent and that our rights have been taken away. If you feel your rights are being infringed, then you should tell the FCC why you support the NAD petition and why you feel you should not be limited as to the type of VRS calls you make.
Week of 2/28/10-Episode #31 (VLOG) (NEW) March 1, 2010 | 6:39 pmThe first person every week who guesses the location of where Dr. Z correctly will receive a $5 Starbucks or Target gift card. We will post the name of the winner every week on this site. There was a correct guess for Episode #30. The place was Petra in [...] link
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