Hearing aids and phones was RE: Nokia 6620

[Aman Singer]

Hi, Shane.
	Try one of the devices from
	http://www.tecear.com 
	The T-link is a wired unit which will work with any hearing aid with
a telecoil. It plugs into a 2.5 MM jack. The Arton Bluetooth neck loop,
which is the one I use, should work with any bluetooth capable phone. I've
used it with an HTC Wizard (predecessor to the 8525), and three smartphones
including 1 Symbian and 2 WM phones. All have worked nicely.
	The Beetle Bluetooth headset, also sold on that site, I tried and
returned. Too much cabling and too many parts that can be damaged. Sound
quality is better, a good deal louder at all events, but too staticky for my
needs. The Maxit loop I've never even seen, though it does have a detachable
rechargeable battery.
	Finally, keep in mind that I've basically stopped using my Artone
loop because I'm now using a CDMA phone. I can just switch my aids to
telecoil and hear very clearly indeed. It's extraordinary. I hate the
proprietary lock-in I find in CDMA, but that seems to be changing and the
audio quality, without using a loop, t-link, or something else, is simply
phenomenal. 
	Finally, if you just don't hear the phone well and don't use hearing
aids, try some of the "noise free" products from Tecear. They're supposed to
be excellent in terms of boosting volume and eliminating background. Note
that the reason I mention Tecear all the time is that they seem to be quick
shippers, their prices include shipping to the US and Canada, they do have a
return policy which they honour, and they seem to have a good selection of
products. Also, they're quite cheap. Basically, I have been satisfied with
their service.
	HTH.
	Aman
 

-----Original Message-----
From: blindphones-bounces at mosenexplosion.com
[mailto:blindphones-bounces at mosenexplosion.com] On Behalf Of Shane Jackson
Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2008 7:16 PM
To: The Accessible Phones Discussion List
Subject: Re: Nokia 6620

Wow, thanks so much for this info, Jonathan.  Looks like I'll be doing  
some serious research.  I do hope I can find something for the 8525,  
as the volume is quite low to my ears.  Wish me luck!!!  Again, thanks.
On Apr 2, 2008, at 6:13 PM, Jonathan Mosen wrote:

> Hi Shane, absolutely! Bluetooth hearing devices for phones are right  
> on
> topic here. The one I use thanks to a Government grant is called  
> Smartlink.
> It's an FM system so it has two microphones, as well as a line  
> input. It
> also appears as a Bluetooth headset. If you also use Phonak hearing  
> aids,
> you can change programs, volume etc, using this device.
>
> But there are cheaper solutions. Nokia does something called the  
> Loopset,
> which is just a hearing loop that connects to the phone. There are  
> probably
> similar products for Windows Mobile phones.
>
> Actually some people do use their PAC mate as a phone, with a CF  
> card that
> acts as a phone with a microphone headset. I've not tried this myself
> though.
>
> Jonathan
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindphones-bounces at mosenexplosion.com
> [mailto:blindphones-bounces at mosenexplosion.com] On Behalf Of Shane  
> Jackson
> Sent: Thursday, 3 April 2008 12:02 p.m.
> To: The Accessible Phones Discussion List
> Subject: Re: Nokia 6620
>
> Jonathan,
>
> I'm not Aman, but I do use my AT&T 8525/HTC TyTn to do streaming  
> audio, and
> it works fine for the most part.  Also, I do experience far
> more crashes with my WM phone than I ever did with the Symbian phone.
> You're definitely dead on there, and that's lamentable, but I hope  
> something
> can be done about that in the very near future.  Again, for me, it's  
> all
> about how it works with my Braille display.  I have the power of Word,
> Excel, and Outlook at my fingertips with Braille, literally, and it's
> wonderful.  I understand that Pacmate allows these same advantages,  
> but the
> price tag is much too high for me to
> justify.  Hmmm, I wonder if they could put a phone on that Pacmate!
> Wouldn't that be cool.  Oh, and if you or Aman could give me more  
> info on
> bluetooth hearing devices, that would be awesome, if you would  
> consider that
> on topic.  If not, I'd be happy to receive any replies off-list.   
> Thanks.
> On Apr 2, 2008, at 5:56 PM, Jonathan Mosen wrote:
>
>> Hi Aman, thanks as always for your very reasoned and objective
>> response.
>>
>> The phone in question that would not output the speech to the
>> Smartlink was the HTC S630. I bought this one because it offered 3G  
>> in
>> New Zealand, and had very good specs.
>>
>> I can confirm that, at least in my experience, there is no Nokia  
>> phone
>> that charges from the USB port when you are synchronising or have the
>> device connected for any purpose. However, it's possible to charge a
>> Nokia by running a cable from the power socket to the USB port, which
>> served my needs OK.
>>
>> You mentioned that you are willing to put up with poorer battery life
>> because of the increased capability of WM phones. I would be
>> interested to hear what you perceive the increased capability to be?
>> The only annoyance I have with the N82 is that it won't stream  
>> Windows
>> Media streams, but Orb as a transcoder can get around that one.
>>
>> Thank you for your view that the Windows Mobile devices crash a lot
>> more, I think there can be little doubt of this. For me personally,
>> this is the clincher. I don't want to be waiting for a call, only to
>> find that I missed it because of a crash.
>>
>> Jonathan
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindphones-bounces at mosenexplosion.com
>> [mailto:blindphones-bounces at mosenexplosion.com] On Behalf Of Aman
>> Singer
>> Sent: Thursday, 3 April 2008 11:46 a.m.
>> To: 'The Accessible Phones Discussion List'
>> Subject: RE: Nokia 6620
>>
>> Hi, Jonathan.
>> 	It's precisely as you say, this is one of those OS debates, but
> allow
>> me, if I may, to stick my nose into this one. After all, even an OS
>> debate can, at times, be interesting.
>> 	I'm particularly interested because I use a smartlink myself and
> find
>> it works perfectly with all the Windows Mobile phones I've used it
>> with. These are the T-Mobile dash, HTC s720, HTC wizard, and HP HW
>> 6955. I'm not sure which phone you used this unit with, I do remember
>> your posts about it but don't remember the model in question, but I
>> have, as I said, used it on four WM phones without trouble. I have
>> also used it, for demo purposes, on several Symbian phones without
>> difficulty and generally have found that it is a very well-behaved
>> Bluetooth device and that most phones support it quite nicely.
>> 	I'd also mention, for anyone who doesn't want to buy the smartlink,
>> which is, IMHO, quite expensive, that there are two or three  
>> Bluetooth
>> neck loops/silhouettes for hearing aids. I've only tried one, the
>> Artone Bluetooth loop, needing, as I did, my Smartlink for other  
>> uses,
>> but that too has worked well with all phones.
>> 	Finally, I find that, though the battery life on WM devices is
>> sometimes slightly less than that on Symbian phones, this isn't
>> significant given the increased capability of the WM phones and their
>> ability to charge from a USB port, which the Symbian phones I've used
>> don't seem to have.
>> Finally, I have found that the WM phones most certainly crash more
>> than the Symbian phones do. I should say, though, that I don't say
>> that Symbian is in any way bad. It's a matter of preference, IMHO,
>> what is to be used.
>> Having
>> used both, I appreciate a good many things about each device type.
>> 	Aman
>> 	
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindphones-bounces at mosenexplosion.com
>> [mailto:blindphones-bounces at mosenexplosion.com] On Behalf Of Jonathan
>> Mosen
>> Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2008 4:53 PM
>> To: 'The Accessible Phones Discussion List'
>> Subject: RE: Nokia 6620
>>
>> Hi Isaac, well now, you'll get a variety of opinions on that  
>> question.
>> My opinion is worth what you paid for it, but here you go.
>>
>> I really like my Windows Mobile-based PAC Mate for writing documents
>> and running a whole bunch of cool programmes, but I have never
>> particularly liked Windows Mobile-based phones. It would take a lot  
>> to
>> convince me ever to buy one again. They don't sound as good to me,  
>> and
>> they lock up too much.
>> Others will have a different view. It's just another operating system
>> debate and you'll have proponents of either. I will say though that
>> the main reason why I got rid of my last Windows Mobile phone was  
>> that
>> I couldn't get speech to go through my Phonak Smartlink, which is
>> Bluetooth capable. That, and the lock ups and the absolutely abysmal
>> battery life.
>>
>> For me, you can't go past Symbian on phones for stability, sound
>> quality, and awesome hardware.
>>
>> Jonathan
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindphones-bounces at mosenexplosion.com
>> [mailto:blindphones-bounces at mosenexplosion.com] On Behalf Of isaac
>> obie
>> Sent: Thursday, 3 April 2008 9:46 a.m.
>> To: The Accessible Phones Discussion List
>> Subject: Re: Nokia 6620
>>
>> Jonathan,
>> Excellent points. Not only do I hear the music when the phone boots  
>> p,
>> but I can feel it as well. It's just that this is my first real
>> experience with a phone. I've seen them, touched them, but not really
>> done anything with them.
>>
>> I wish it would pla some music when shutting down as well. More  
>> than a
>> one second jingle. But the loop setting is a great idea. I never
>> thought of that. that setting sometimes let me know people have left
>> the monitor on on the computer. Do you think I might do better with
>> the I-Mate sp5m phone?
>> thanks.
>> Isaac
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Jonathan Mosen" <jmosen at mosen.org>
>> To: "'The Accessible Phones Discussion List'"
>> <blindphones at mosenexplosion.com>
>> Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2008 11:59 AM
>> Subject: RE: Nokia 6620
>>
>>
>>> Hi Isaac, the phone will take a few seconds to boot up. The 6620  
>>> is a
>>> smart phone, so it is in fact a computer.
>>>
>>> It's been a while since I've seen one but I would estimate you'd  
>>> have
>>> to wait a good 15 seconds at least. The phone should then play the
>>> Nokia start-up sound which you may or may not be able to hear. One
>>> trick I find quite useful, given that you wear hearing aids, is to
>>> put your hearing aids onto the loop setting. If the phone is on, you
>>> should definitely be able to detect some electromagnetic activity
>>> from the phone to tell you that it's on.
>>>
>>> Jonathan
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: blindphones-bounces at mosenexplosion.com
>>> [mailto:blindphones-bounces at mosenexplosion.com] On Behalf Of isaac
>>> obie
>>> Sent: Thursday, 3 April 2008 3:52 a.m.
>>> To: blindphones
>>> Subject: Nokia 6620
>>>
>>> Hi all:
>>> Why does it take so long for the phone to come on once you press the
>>> button?
>>> It acts like a windows 98 computer, slow as molasses climbing a hill
>>> in the middle of winter. I can't tell if it's on or off at times.
>>> that
>>> button seems to be worn out. You have to press it so hard for so
>>> long.
>>> I don't think I am going to like this phone much. Are they all
>>> stubborn like this?
>>> Thanks
>>> Isaac
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>>
>>
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>
> Shane Jackson
> Vestavia Hills, Alabama, USA.
> Email:  jack728 at gmail.com
> Skype ID:  cadal728
>
>
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Shane Jackson
Vestavia Hills, Alabama, USA.
Email:  jack728 at gmail.com
Skype ID:  cadal728


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