By Bernard Maldonado

Solona is proud to announce that the Tactile Screen Protectors are now available for the Apple iPhone 4.  This new release has been tested on iPhone 4 devices by Voice Over users.  The layover fits perfectly and is a great accessory in conjunction with Voice Over.  The tactile effect provides just enough touch screen location reinforcement without being overwhelming.

All the great features that were present in the 3G and 3GS models carry over:  blanks over F and J, a dedicated dot for ’send text message’ and the ‘5′ key on the phone keypad.  There are also dots for URL functionality, and key functions within applications such as: mail, Twitter, Yelp, Skype, Safari, and so many other programs.

If you don’t need all the keys on the QWERTY keyboard, the iPhone 4 Classic Abbreviated Portrait is a great option.  It features F and J dots along with the shift, more, backspace, plus ten additional task dots – five on the bottom and five in the upper region.

This new cover features an extra wide earpiece hole.  The extra space is designed to accomodate the camera that is on the front of the phone.  It’s actually quite close to the earpiece – just to the left.  That is why the earpiece hole is wide and off-center – to accomodate the camera.

Thanks to everyone who has been sending emails and comments about how much they like the Tactile Screen Protectors.  A lot of people have been sending messages about the availability of the iPhone 4 covers, as well.  It just took a little time for the vendors to make product available and to test the new dimensions.

The entire project is so much fun, and it’s good to know people find the products useful for their iDevices.

The cost is the same:  $6 for either the Classic Portrait or the Classic Abbreviated Portrait.  There are several shipping options to accomodate what someone may want.  As always, I am commited to providing a product at a price that is commensurate with other products that are available in the marketplace.

If you own an iPhone 4 or an earlier version, consider getting a Tactile Screen Protector from Solona.  It might make touch screen navigation better!

Follow this link for the information page.

Follow this link for the Tactile Screen Protector Order Page

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Bernard Maldonado

By Bernard Maldonado

Do you own and iPhone?  Have you heard of the OtterBox case for the iPhone?  Do you wonder how you could get tactile dots for the touch screen built into the OtterBox hardware?

Now you can have the best of both worlds:  a world-class case with three layers of protection for your investment plus the tactile touch screen with a tactile screen protector from Solona.

Solona is happy to offer you a great combo at a great price.  When you purchase an OtterBox case from Solona, you also receive a tactile screen protector for no additional cost.

For $45, you get an OtterBox brand case plus one Solona Tactile Screen Protector.

This is a great offer.  Do you already own an OtterBox and wonder how you can get the tactile dots?  Contact me directly:  mysolona@gmail.com and I will tell you how you can make any tactile screen protector from Solona work with your existing OtterBox case.

Visit the payment page and get your OtterBox and tactile screen protector combo today.

Black is the color offered for the Solona OtterBox combo.

By Bernard Maldonado

After much testing and feedback, I’m very pleased to announce numerous upgrades to the Classic Portrait Solona Screen Protector for iPhone 3G/3GS.

The first version of the Classic Portrait iPhone provided tactile enhancements for the QWERTY keyboard plus control buttons.

The new release, available now, has a void over the F and J keys.  This is a simple, yet major update since the absence of the F and J dots provides immediate location notification.  Every other key except F and J has a dot.  Users will notice an immediate improvement in the keyboard. 

Next, the Classic Portrait offers strategically placed dots in places that apply to common tasks within many apps.  Here is a list of apps and command represented with a tactile dot:

-iPod (now playing button, back button, control buttons at bottom)
 
-Safari (URL address box, cancel button, clear address button, control buttons at bottom)
 
-Mail app (edit/cancel, account/back button, control buttons at bottom)
 
-Phone (5 key, control buttons at bottom).  The 5 key provides you with rapid keypad navigation when making calls.
 
-Text messaging (cancel, add recipient, send button)
 
-Notes (back button, new note, done)
 
-Calendar (new entry, done, time control buttons at bottom)
 
-Yelp App (list button, filter button, control buttons at bottom, monocle, search box)
 
-Twitter App (new tweet button, close, send, control buttons at bottom, timeline button, previous/next button)

As you can see, there are many tactile dots for commonly used apps.  The good thing is that all these app functions are represented by only six dots (aside from the QWERTY keys.  Six dots on the screen provides you with countless gesture functions for many apps.

The good thing is that the six additional dots are spaced out enough so that they do not appear to be one group of dots.  You will be able to navigate among the keyboard and additional dots easily for faster gestures and tasks.

Due to this major upgrade to the Classic Portrait, which is certainly the most popular of all the Solona Screen Protectors, I am extending a special upgrade offer for anyone who already purchased a screen protector before May 23, 2010.

If you already purchased a Solona Screen Protector, are interested in obtaining this new Classic iPhone Portrait configuration, you will only be charged $4 all inclusive for one New Classic Portrait iPhone Screen Protector.  No extra shipping charge.  That is a savings of $5.  Please use the ‘notes’ field and make reference that you already purchased a unit previously.  Be sure to pick “Classic Portrait Upgrade’ on the product page and pick ’Classic Portrait Upgrade Special Shipping” which has a cost of 0.  Both domestic and international customers can take advantage of this limited time offer.

Please limit your order to 1 unit when taking advantage of this special upgrade for returning customers.

If you are new customer, we will happily provide you with this new Classic Portrait configuration for the standard price of $6 per unit plus shipping as described on the shipping page.

Visit the Secure Payment page to get your tactile screen protector today.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me prior to purchase.  As always, Solona offers a full refund if you are not satisfied with your purchase.

By Bernard Maldonado

After a successful launch of the Enhanced Tactile Screen Protector for the Apple iPhone a couple of weeks ago, I’m happy to announce several additions and benefits to the product line.

The entire product line has been revamped, expanded, and improved.

There are more options to choose from, the prices are better, and now you can get tactile screen protectors for the iPhone, iPod Touch and the all new Apple iPad.

First of all, the price is better.  Rather than $19 for two Tactile Screen Protectors, the price is $6 for one iPhone or iPod Touch Tactile Screen Protector.  That way, you can mix and match if you want multiple kinds at a better price.  iPad Screen Protectors are a higher price.

Next, drop shipping from Europe is now available!  Rather than paying $15 extra for shipping, residents of European Union member countries can receive their package at the same shipping rate as a domestic U. S.-based order.  This is the result of a shipping alliance with TalkNav/Ehosting.com, which is based in Manchester, UK.  Many thanks to Neil Barnfather for working with Solona to make this possible.

Payments are still made via the Secure Solona Payment Page.  The product is shipped from Manchester, UK, however.  Furthermore, any customer service matters are still handled directly with Solona.

NOW there are 14 tactile configurations available for Apple iPhones, iPod Touches and the iPad:

1.  iPad Keyboard Braille (Landscape only):   Standard six-cell Braille letters on your iPad in landscape mode for fast and accurate typing.  The size of the iPad keyboard in landscape affords this possibility.

2. iPad Keyboard Single Dot (Landscape):  All letters and control keys on the QWERTY keyboard are represented with one dot for quick reference.

3. iPad Keyboard Single Dot (Portrait):  All letters and control keys on the QWERTY keyboard are represented with one dot for quick reference.

4. iPhone 3G Abbreviated Keyboard (Portrait):  ‘F’ and ‘J’ plus all control keys. A very neat and clean tactile presentation. Preferred by experienced iPhone handlers.  Offers rapid touch screen orientation.

5. iPhone 3G Classic (Portrait):  All letters and control keys. URL box and search box. A good choice for beginner iPhone users to get used to the touch keyboard.

6. iPhone 3G Grid:  Just as the name implies. Nine evenly spaced dots: top left, middle, right. Middle left, middle, right. Bottom left, middle, right. Gives you quick screen location reference, pure and simple. No specific program association.  This is the same both in portrait or landscape.

7. iPhone 3G iTunes Only (Portrait):  Playlist, artists, videos, songs, more buttons. Back button, now playing button, previous song, play/pause, next song, song progress button (bar). A great choice for people who need quick tactile references for iTunes tasks.

8. iPhone 3G Keyboard Only (Portrait):  All letters and control keys. Perfect for texting, emailing, and tweeting. Similar to the ‘Classic’, minus the URL and search.

9. iPhone 3G Phone Only (Portrait):  0 through 9 keys, plus asterisk, hash, ‘add contact’, call, backspace, as well as: favorites, recents, contacts, keypad, voicemail buttons. Provides easy and fast phone dialing tactile reference.

10. iPod Touch 2G Abbreviated Keyboard (Portrait):  ‘F’ and ‘J’ plus all control keys. A very neat and clean tactile presentation. Preferred by experienced iPhone handlers. Offers rapid touch screen orientation.

11. iPod Touch 2G Classic (Portrait):  All letters and control keys. URL box and search box. A good choice for beginner iPod Touch users to get used to the touch keyboard.

12. iPod Touch 2G Grid:  Just as the name implies. Nine evenly spaced dots: top left, middle, right. Middle left, middle, right. Bottom left, middle, right. Gives you quick screen location reference, pure and simple. No specific program association.

13. iPod Touch 2G iTunes Only (Portrait):  Playlist, artists, videos, songs, more buttons (along bottom). Back button, now playing button, previous song, play/pause, next song, song progress button (bar). A great choice for people who need quick tactile references for iTunes tasks.

14. iPod Touch 2G Keyboard Only (Portrait):  All letters and control keys on the iPod Touch keyboard. Perfect for texting, emailing, and tweeting. Similar to the ‘Classic’, minus the URL and search.

As you can see, there is a configuration for any function.   Both beginners or advanced users will find a Solona Tactile Screen Protector that fits their needs.  Even though screen protectors are not designed for interchanging, there are enough variations for you to pick the one (or ones) that best suit your needs for handheld device usage.

For more information, please visit the Solona Tactile Screen Protector Page.

Check out the page and the new configurations!

Bernard Maldonado

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By Bernard Maldonado

For over one year, Solona has worked hard to provide the highest quality of Captcha Solving for screen reader users.  Now, I am happy to announce the first adaptive product offered by Solona.

iPhone owners keep reading!

Do you find your fingers dancing around the touch screen of your iPhone?  Have you ever wondered how to make touch screen navigation a little easier on your Apple device?

Solona is proud to introduce a new screen protector that transforms your iPhone touch screen into a tactile keyboard.

Whether you prefer landscape mode or portrait mode, the new Solona Enhanced Screen Protector will function properly and provide you with a tactile map of the keyboard.

Each screen protector is carefully embossed with the tactile effect so that your touch screen navigation is fast and accurate.

Here’s how it works.  Each letter key is elevated with one distinct dot.  Each function key is elevated with two distinct dots.  That way, you can easily distinguish between letters and function keys.  This slight enhancement provides your iPhone with an additional layer of accessibility.

If you are interested in receiving an Enhanced Screen Protector, please read the Screen Protector Page for more information and instructions to order your’s today.  You may elect to send your own for us to process .  We will enhance them free of charge and return them to you via USPS.  The other option is to purchase a set of two Tactile Screen Protectors directly from Solona.

For a fixed price of $19, Solona will provide you with two Power Support brand Crystal Screen Protectors for your iPhone that have been enhanced with the tactile keyboard effect.

iPhones are magnificent devices.  Apple is to be commended for incorporating native accessibility into both families of products.

Most people use screen protectors in an effort to reduce the threat of screen damage and to extend the life and accuracy of the touch screen functionality.

If you are already using screen protectors, then you understand how they work.  Imagine your current screen protector, yet with elevated dots strategically positioned on each key to provide you with a roadmap of your iPhone keyboard.

If you have never used a screen protector for your iPhone, I recommend that you do some independent research.  Discover how other people use them.  Read about how to install them.  Get an idea for how they help extend the life of your iPhone touch screen.

If you would like to enhance your iPhone touch screen with an Enhanced Screen Protector by Solona, please visit the Solona Screen Protector Page. 

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By Bernard Maldonado

Many thanks to Curtis Chong, President of the National Federation of the Blind in Computer Science, for extending an invitation come and deliver a presentation about Solona and Captcha during the 2010 Annual NFB Convention in my hometown of Dallas, Texas.

This will be a wonderful opportunity to share the story of Solona:  how it started, where it is, and where it is going.  We will also discuss Captchas and the impact they have on web surfing.

I am especially looking forward to meeting people and listening to comments, suggestions, ideas, and experiences with Captchas and Solona.  Conferences and conventions are a great place for this kind of interaction.

The 60 minute presentation on July 5, 2010 will consist of a prepared discussion, followed by plenty of time for questions and answers.

As the convention gets closer, be sure to check out the published convention schedules and notices for more information.

I will be sure to publish more as the date gets closer as well.

Thanks again to Curtis Chong for the invitation.  It is an honor to be invited to speak and share information about the Solona project with the Division of Computer Science attendees.

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By Bernard Maldonado

A Solona user recently asked what was reCAPTCHA.  So I thought this would be a good opportunity to provide a general explanation of what it is.  Additional links are provided at the end of the article for further reading.

reCAPTCHA is a brand of CAPTCHA.  The project was initiated by a team at Carnegie Mellon University.  Recently, reCAPTCHA was acquired by Google.  It is definitely one of the better-known Captcha tools, and is well-represented among websites that use Captcha protection devices.  Their slogan is “Stop spam.  Read books.”

reCAPTCHA can be installed on a website simply by registering on the reCAPTCHAwebsite, and following the instructions to install the tool.  There is no charge to use reCAPTCHA.

A reCAPTCHA Captcha can be found on websites big and small.  Typically, websites use this tool as a protective measure against rogue account registrations.

Some high-profile websites that use reCAPTCHA include:  Twitter, Last.fm, Ning, Ticket Master, Lockerz, and the White House Website Contact form.  It can also be plugged into WordPress and Joomla among other major website platform packages.

The way to tell that the Captcha you are solving is a reCAPTCHA is that the instructions will tell you to “enter the two words that you see.”  The audio alternative instructions are something like “type as many of the words that you hear.”  What you hear always sounds like some line out of an old movie, or old radio show.  That is their signature trait.

The visual Captcha is two words that are taken from scanned books.  By solving the word images, people are contributing to the digitization of books.  It’s amazing how many books can be converted when millions of reCAPTCHAS are solved each day.

To a sighted person, the two words presented look like they were typed on a typewriter and usually are distorted by a big round spot in the middle of each word.  This is a new feature, likely installed to thwart the efforts of automated bot agents that could solve the codes on their own.  The words usually have meaning.  Some reCAPTCHAs include numeric values or currency values.  Although this has diminished over time.  All in all, 99% of reCAPTCHA codes can be solved at first glance.  Some are partial words, or are especially distorted, leading us to ask the user to refresh the Captcha and resubmit.

From Solona’s ‘unique’ perspective, reCAPTCHA is very similar to other Captcha tools.  We are able to accurately solve reCAPTCHA Captchas for our users.  The word images are straight forward and do not present any major challenges.

Recently, Solona introduced a game-like tool for users to practice solving reCAPTCHAS.  The reCAPTCHA Practice Tool provides users with a way to test over and over solving audio alternative Captchas without having to navigate extensive website forms. 

One of my criticisms of reCAPTCHA is that a website developer has the capability to remove the audio alternative Captcha command.  Perhaps this is in the name of aaesthetics.  Regardless, when the audio alternative command is removed, the reCAPTCHA tool is no longer accessible for screen reader users.

Ning is one of the major reCAPTCHA violators.  Their registration page makes use of a modified reCAPTCHA.  The audio alternative is missing, rendering the tool useless for a screen reader user.

In fairness to reCAPTCHA, they do publish a document on their website that stipulates several points about accessibility, including the fact that the audio alternative must be included.  In spite of this notice, a web developer can bypass the tool and remove the audio alternative.

I hope that you now understand what reCAPTCHA is.  For more in-depth information and detail, please visit these websites:

reCAPTCHA article on Wikipedia

reCAPTCHA Official Website

By Bernard Maldonado

Wow!  It’s amazing how fast time goes by.  Is it just me, or do you feel the same way and notice that the weeks and months fly by?

Today is a special day for Solona.  On April 13, 2009, Solona went live.  Today is the first anniversary for Solona.  The content was published.  A few messages went out.  The green light was turned on for the first time.  The project that had consumed so much of my time in the beginning of 2009 finally was a reality on April 13, 2009.  Everything was in place so that a person could register, submit a captcha, retrieve their code, and negotiate the inaccessible Captcha that stood in the way of accomplishing a task.

Before Solona even had a name, when it was just a project called “image interpreter”, we were hard at work to put the package together and make it useful.  I still remember sitting with Michael McCarty and asking him to try out this new page.  Feedback from Michael, and a handful of other people, really made the initial release of Solona better.  Alot of work went into making it screen reader friendly, fast, and efficient.  After all, I didn’t even know what JAWS stood for (seriously).

I can still remember thinking to myself: “Will anybody use this kind of service?”  “How will they find out about it?”  “Do many websites use inaccessible Captchas that need to be solved?”  In spite of those lingering questions, we marched forward to complete the project.

As I reflect on how it all started, and compare how it was then to the current situation, it’s obvious that there is no comparison.  Every aspect of the service has improved during the first 12 months of service:  the steps to solve a Captcha, the introduction of RAIVE, the website design, the reCAPTCHA training tool, the API integration, the number of sighted operators.  The list of improvements goes on and on.

Now that people can use programs such as Qwitter and Send2Solona, solving Captchas has been reduced to basically one key stroke for both Windows and Mac users!  The good news is that the API is being improved and expanded.  The current API programs will reflect those changes, and new programs will be released, as well.

One thing remains the same:  the never-ending goal to provide an easy-to-use interface for negotiating inaccessible images and objects.  This is the foundation for everything that goes into Solona.

None of this would have been possible without help from other people.  I owe so much to Larry for his PHP development and time.  The sighted operators are a vital part of solona.  Amanda, Matt, Corien, Brenda, Ann, Derek – thank you so much for the hours that you poll for Captchas around the clock.  All of your help makes Solona a better service, and allows so many people to browse the web more independently.  I am very thankful for your time, and willingness to help people in real-time.

A big thank you goes to Christopher Toth, hllf, and Theresa Ford for creating the initial API interfaces to Solona. 

Thanks to the Solona Steering Committee for offering feedback and guidance whenever situations arise.  Jeff Bishop, Steve Sawczyn, Serrebi, Cara Quinn.

I’d also like to say thank you to the users – from all over the world.  Thank you for your patience, for your feedback, and for your trust.  Perhaps most of all, thank you for validating that a service such as Solona has a place in the accessibility world.  After all, that is the motivation to continue moving forward.  Thank you for teaching me how to provide a useful web-based service.

The first year recorded a lot of progress for Solona.  The roots and foundation are strong to implement new enhancements and ideas.  The coming years will be just as exciting!  There’s so much more to say, but in the interest of brevity, I’ll cut if off here.

Here’s to year number 1 for Solona.

Cheers!
Bernard Maldonado

By Bernard Maldonado

As an established script writer and project leader, Jeff will work closely with myself and the other Committee members as Solona evolves as an Internet Accessibility Resource. We have been communicating for several months about the possibility of him coming on board as a member. I’m very pleased that he accepted the offer and I am very excited to start working with him.

Jeff Bishop is an application developer at the University of Arizona and has over 21 years of programming experience in application development, database development and advanced web platforms. In addition to having a wide variety of jobs throughout his career, he is an expert in leading adaptive technologies for the blind including Window-Eyes, JAWS for Windows and other AT related platforms and products.

Jeff is married and lives in Tucson, AZ with his wife and two teenage sons.

The Solona Steering Committee is currently staffed by: Steve Sawczyn, Brandon B, Cara Quinn, and Jeff Bishop.  The purpose of the Steering Committee is to keep up with issues that arise and to ensure that Solona is on the right track with things like:  new & existing service evaluations, trend analysis, user support and operations issues that arise from time to time.

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By Bernard Maldonado

Today is a great day for Mac/Voice Over users who use Solona for Captcha solving!

A programmer named Theresa Ford, http://www.cattail.nu, developed an easy-to-use tool for Mac users that streamlines the Captcha solving process.

Theresa’s tool, which can be downloaded at http://www.cattail.nu/mac/solona , is a giant leap forward for Mac users; it greatly reduces the time required to submit a Captcha and retrieve the solution from Solona. By using her tool, a user can perform all the tasks to solve a Captcha without every opening the Solona web page!  Her program stores your username, password, and other variables to reduce the effort and time required to solve a Captcha.

Here’s how her program works: the user captures an image of her desktop with the Captcha to be solved. Then she opens the terminal window and executes the Solona script program. Through a series of prompts, the image is uploaded, the Captcha is solved by a Solona live operator, and the code is automatically retrieved within the script window and copied to the clipboard so it can be easily pasted into the appropriate form field.  Audio feedback alerts the user that her Captcha code solution is ready to be pasted.  In summary, the process is is reduced to capturing the screen image and executing the script.  Users get the same result without having to navigate the Solona web site.

Theresa’s tool is built upon the Solona API, which was established so that individual developers could write programs that allow users to access Solona by means other than the website.  The API provides programmers with ways to access Solona functions such as:  logging in, uploading an image, retrieving a Captcha code, etc.  The API will provide alternative ways for users to access Solona for solving Captchas.

Be sure to check out her white paper that provides all the technical information & instructions you need to properly use her tool. Again, the tool and white paper can be found at: http://cattail.nu/mac/solona .  There are a few parameters to set in the script file, so be sure to follow all of the instructions and test the script with a ‘dummy Captcha’ so that you are comfortable using when when you really need it.

I am so thankful to Theresa for reaching out and taking time to develop this tool for the Mac community.  This is a perfect example of how working together and brining together different resources can make a service better.  Please take a moment to say “thanks” to Theresa Ford. You can also find her on Twitter.