Site Updates
Hello, my name is Andrew and this is my small website which can be used as a reference site for people with visual impairment and their volunteers, who are trying to get to grips with today's high street I.T. products, such as Smart Phones, Tablets and Computers. I have been involved in electronics and computing throughout my working life. I am now at the stage where I feel I might know some of the answers to some of your I.T. questions, so feel free to give me a try.
Winter 2019: New page has been added focusing on HTML development;
this page is for anyone wanting to start HTML coding, or for anyone wanting to know how
web pages are constructed. On your first visit to the "VIP HTML Primer Page", I suggest
you navigate to the Audio Help Section; where there is a drop down list providing access
to some basic topics. Choose the 'Introduction' topic (which is the default option) and
then make sure you activate the 'Select Audio Button'; to make this the current
topic. Then you can choose the 'Play' or 'Pause' buttons which follow the Select button
as required, to listen to the selected help content.
Access this feature via the menu button (top right), or visit the following link: VIP HTML Primer
Summer 2020: New, 'more child friendly' page has been added focusing on HTML development.
Access this feature via the menu button (top right), or visit the following link: Child Friendly HTML Primer
Winter 2020: a new page has been added taking visitors to the game of Blonge
which supports speech feedback and can be driven by keyboard, mouse and touch screen,
enabling VIP’s to better join in a quiz based game with all.
Access this feature via the menu button (top right), or visit the following link: BLONGE
Jan 2021: New Music App 'DoReMi Play'has been added to this site,
which may prove helpful to anyone wanting to learn a simple instrument,
like the recorder, and at the same time, learn to read and write basic music scores.
The 'DoReMi Play' App enables you to compose basic tunes and play them back to yourself, perhaps providing
a bit of fun to help pass a few hours, especially during this 'Covid-19 lock down' period.
Access this feature via the menu button (top right), or visit the following link: DoReMi Play Soprano Recorder
Feb 2021: Addition to 'DoReMi Play' Music App to include Alto Recorder.
Access this feature via the menu button (top right), or visit the following link: DoReMi Play: Alto Recorder
Mar 2021:Addition to 'DoReMi Play' Music App to include full range of
Tin Whistles / Irish Flutes.
Access this feature via the menu button (top right), or visit the following link: DoReMi Play: Tin Whistles
The DoReMi App now provides utilities for transposing any music written in its own format 'TuneText',
as well as the option to convert 'TuneText' files to Midi format with pre-selection from a list of
128 instruments. Select the green Utilities button on any 'DoReMi Play' page.
Feb 2022: Addition of new Webpage in support of Spring Board into Music, run at the Nuneaton Community Centre
Nuneaton, starting Feb 24th 2022 @ 12:00.
Access this feature via the main menu button (top right), or via the following link:: Spring Board into Music
For more info please contact me Andrew H overseer@simplyinformed.uk
Ideally the 'DoReMi Play' App's should be used by those with knowledge of reading music
and playing the recorder, or similar a instrument, so as to help visually impaired people (including those without
any sight issues), to be able to master the above instruments and play simple tunes.
For more info please feel free to contact me Andrew H overseer@simplyinformed.uk
Mar 2022: Addition of resource page for musical keyboard training.
Access this feature via the main menu button (top right), or visit the following link: Keyboard Training: Resources
June 2022: Addition of the 'Peek Screen' VIP utility, visit page then touch screen to locate finger position on screen.
Access this featured via the main menu button (top right), or visit the following link: Peek Screen Utility
Jan 2023: Addition of the 'DoReMi Play Interactive Tunes' list.
Access this feature by activating the following link: DoReMi Play: Interactive Tunes
Feb 2023: Addition of Game Tracker App and Generate Random Valiables App.
Together these App's provide a way of playing any Question based game as a gorup.
Access these two Apps these links
Register to Game
Generate Game Values
Mar 2023: Redesigned Site Menu, to include dropdowns.
July 2023: New Alexa Skill for anyone wanting to learn to play the
Irish Whistle (Tin Whistle).
Conversely load the Alexa App onto your Smart Device (Apple, Android, or Windows), then issue Alexa commands via your smart device.
To get the Alexa App go to the Apple App store, or the Google Play Store, and search for 'Amazon Alexa', or in any WEB Browser, search for 'Alexa app download', then download the App.
Once you have downloaded the Alexa App, activate the following link: Tune Time, then enable the 'Tune Time' Skill. You should now be able to open the 'Tune Time' Skill on your device, and use it as if you were talking to your Alexa Smart Speaker.
To link directly to your Alexa and activate this skill, use this link Go To Skill and select either of the two displayed buttons; one under the heading 'Try it now' and the other under the heading 'Try it later'.
Aug 2024:
-
Addition of new tunes to the Playback > Springboard: Tin Whistle Sessions App.
See: Do Re Mi Play
-
Addition of Spoken Audio feedback for musical notes, as well as note fingering for Tin Whistle, TuneText formated Files.
To access this feature from Simply informed main menu select: Music > DoReMi Play (Tin Whistles) then activate the 'Tin Whistle in the Key of D (Lettered)' link.
See: Do Re Mi Play - Tin Whistles Note the page that opens supports playing files saved in the TuneText format.
Choose a TuneText formated file to hear notes of a tune spoken to you, when you select Step or Auto Step buttons.
Sample TuneText files can be found on the main 'SI Springboard into music' webpage: See: Springboard into Music,
Sept 2024: Addition of Story Maker Utility.
This utility enables
the User to compile text stories (including required narrators name, selected from available MS Voices) with embedded Actors names, which then narrates the
story/play using the preselected Actors voice. It enables audible play back of any story/play
written in the required format.
There is also the feature to sample available voices prior to
embedding them in the written story. Voice characteristics can be further altered by importing a settings file, which allows for changes to the narrators voice volume, speed and pitch.
This Utility is limited by the features of the selected MS voice, so pronunciation of some words will not be accurate, any contraction e.g. isn't, won't, I'll will probably not be
pronounced properly, so use the full version of these contractions (is not, will not, I will) instead. Other words like 'read' are better entered as 'red' so they are pronounced correctly.
So this is a utility with limitations but will enable the User to convert his/her story/play into an audible format, if only for fun.
Text Story format must be as follows:
(Microsoft Available name)
Text to be spoken.
(Microsoft Available name)
Text to be spoken.
Sample:
(George)
Hi I'm George.
(Hazel)
Hi I'm Hazel.
(Susan)
Hi I'm Susan.
(GB Female)
So GB Female set to work, and very soon finished off the cake.
(Mark)
So Mark set to work, and very soon finished off the cake.
(Hazel)
So Hazel set to work, and bla bla...
The above format must be strictly adhered to, otherwise the Utility will not work.
There can be multiple text lines between (Actor names). In the first instance you
can compile a story using any name, then prior to using the Utility change (global search/replace)
the initial name with a MS available voice name.
E.g Initial story name (Fred) must be replaced with an available male MS voice, such as George, Mark, David...)
Available MS Voice names can be viewed on the 'Audible Story Maker' webpage.
Currently this Utility will only work properly (be able to access all of the available MS voices) on a Windows platform.
Using it on other platforms will use default voices only, or in some cases a voice provided by the devices operating system.
If in future devices makers agree on a standard set of Voice names then the range of use for this Utility might increase.
Hope you have a bit of fun using or experimenting with this Utility. BFN Andrew H, or Silly Granddad as I'm known to my Grandchildren.
Accessibility Page Control Section
Keyboard control (Chrome/Safari, note add shift for Firefox): Screen Speak - Press ALT + s, Pause Audio - Press Alt + p.
To reset/reload page activate the Reload Page button below.
Search Section
If you are using a laptop, then to search for text on any currently displayed page press Control and F, then enter the required search text in the displayed search box. Any text found in the current page will be highlighted, you can use the up and down symbols displayed within the search box to search forward or backwards for occurrences of your search text.
If you are accessing this site via a smart phone or tablet, you will need to navigate to the 'More options' button, usually towards the top right hand side of your screen, to access your device Search options for the currently displayed page. Note that sometimes instead of the word 'Search' your device might display 'Find in page' as the option to select for searching the current page.
To search for text primarily in other pages of the Simplyinformed Website, enter text in the search box below. To get back from the search results Press ALT and Left Arrow. Please note there may be a few initial links that take you to other sites that match your site search string, these can of course be disregarded if you only want to be taken to content on this site. Please note that the Search box is displayed as a table with one row and three columns, in other there are three cells in the search table layout. Cell one is where you enter your search string and press enter, or move to cell two to activate the Search Button. Move to cell three to find the clear search content button to clear out the text in cell on, ready to enter a new search string. Use the Up and Down arrows to move through search table cells when using NVDA. Once the Narrator has been taken to the search box press the enter key so that the screen reader switches into text input mode.
Copyright © Simply Informed 2010
