Blind Bargains

#CSUN15 Audio: Listen to Your Favorite Internet Content on The Webbox2


In this interview, Werner Han of Solutions Radio joins us to talk about the fully redesigned Webbox2. This is a successor to the Iris Radio, and allows for a variety of content such as Internet radio, podcasts and NLS Bard material to be played through the speaker without the use of a computer. You can learn more and purchase the device by visiting the Webbox2 website.

Find our conference coverage and weekly podcast on our audio page, and discover how to access our content from your mobile devices by visiting our apps page. Blind Bargains audio coverage of CSUN 2015 is generously sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind. Do you like what you hear on our podcasts and conference coverage? You can help us out by taking this very short survey.

Transcript

We strive to provide an accurate transcription, though errors may occur.

Hide transcript
Transcribed by Kayde Rieken

Welcome to BlindBargains.com coverage of CSUN 2015 — the biggest names, provocative interviews, and wall-to-wall exhibit hall coverage — brought to you by the American Foundation for the Blind.

Are you a professional working in the vision loss field? AFB's E-learning center has the tools and resources to support you. Learn about technology, eye conditions, aging, and more — 24/7, wherever you are — through AFB's webinars and online courses. Earn credits and enhance your knowledge by visiting www.afb.org/elearning.

Now, here's J.J. Meddaugh.

J.J. Meddaugh: We are here at CSUN 2015 with Warner Han. He is one of the founders of Solutions Radio. And Solutions Radio is a — of course, a radio appliance; but it has a lot of updates that they're showing at the conference this year, including NLS support and much more. So Warner's here to show us here. Welcome to Blind Bargains.

Warner Han: Thank you. Thank you for having me.

JM: So what — give a quick interview — or overview for those who might be not familiar of what Solutions Radio is, and then we'll talk about some of the new features.

WH: Okay. Solutions Radio is developing a device that you can use without a computer but be connected to the Internet; so you can, with one device — standalone device — you hook up to a — a Wi-Fi or an ethernet cable; and you can listen to a variety of content. Some of you may be familiar with the Iris Radio that we were selling for, I think, two or three years here in the United States. And we recently, now at CSUN, also introduced the Webbox2 that we're already using in the — Europe for, I think, two or three years now.

JM: Okay. So what's the differences between the old Iris and the Webbox2?

WH: I think almost everything.

JM: (Laughs)

WH: It's a complete new fundamental architecture. It's now more Linux-based —

JM: Is that this one right here?

WH: Yes. That's the one that you have in front of you.

JM: So you say — it is kind of like a box. This is definitely a — you call it, what, a desktop radio?

WH: It's a desktop — looks like, a little bit, a radio, an old-fashioned radio. But the architecture is completely new. It's now a Linux-based device and has its own, built-in text-to-speech engine. So we are using A Cappella.

JM: Okay.

WH: And the cool thing is that you — we have much, much more features now to offer than the Iris. Iris was sort of an Internet radio with some audio feedback. This is from scratch of — developed with the blind and visually impaired user in mind and is TTS-based; so gives us much, much more features.

JM: So I'm looking — just to talk about it physically first. There is the big speaker — is that one single speaker on the top, there in the middle?

WH: It's a mono speaker.

JM: Mono speaker?

WH: But we have an RCA out on the back, so you can also receive stereo, if you want.

JM: Okay. And then, in front of that, there is a knob that's a — a round knob that's a clicker — it clicks as you turn it. What does that do, or —

WH: It's a volume rotator —

JM: Okay.

WH: — or you can use it also to dial in different letters or numbers if you would like to put in your name or —

JM: Okay.

WH: — a web key, or whatsoever.

JM: Then, surrounding that, there are three small buttons on the left side and one on the — no, and one on the bottom and then, also, one to the right. So five in total there.

WH: Yeah, five in total. That's — one is the on/off button, of course; two buttons are buttons that go up and down in the list of contents; and the remaining two is the Okay button to confirm your choice, or a Back button to go higher in the menu or go back in the menu.

JM: All right. Power in the back.

WH: Yeah. So on the back of the unit, you have, of course, power, and you have an RCA out; you have a headphone out; you have a slot for an SD card; and two slots for USB. So you could connect an external SD drive or a USB stick for additional storage.

JM: Okay. So you could have — load content on that and then plug it in.

WH: Yes. You can have, for example, a USB or an SD card with your local music or books or magazines. Or you could use the Webbox to download and store books on the SD cards.

JM: Which SD formats are supported — HC or XC or —

WH: Yes. Both.

JM: Okay. So pretty much as big of a card as you can get these days —

WH: Yes.

JM: You could put it in there.

WH: Exactly.

JM: Cool. Can we turn this thing on and — and hear it?

[The unit powers on and begins speaking instructions in a synthesized male voice.]

JM: All right.

[Menu items are read in a synthesized female voice.]

JM: So these are some — some built-in presets?

WH: Yes. I will pause it.

[The device indicates it has been paused and stops listing menu options.]

WH: For the unit that I'm demonstrating here, it's already pre-programmed with, I think, 25 different contents — like ACB, like the NFB, like radio stations. And one of the things that you also heard is messages, and that's one of the things that is new on this device. Every Webbox has its own unique email address; so you can send an email to the Webbox, even with an attachment, like an audio file. It will not only read out loud the email but also will play the audio file. So for example, when I came on the exhibition here, the first thing that I do — send from my BlackBerry an email to my mother, who has one of the devices, so she could listen on the Webbox to the email, and she could hear that I was safely alive.

JM: How would you send email?

WH: Just by a regular client on your laptop or on your tablet or on your iPhone.

JM: Well, no, I mean, from the Webbox address. Can you reply?

WH: No, you — no, you cannot — it's just receiving an email. And later this year, we will find also a solution that you can give feedback, like an acknowledgement that you received and have listened to the email, or even ignore it or delete it, or some additional actions.

JM: Okay. I wasn't —

WH: The current implementation is pure to read out loud the received email. It gives, also, an opportunity for organizations to send their newsletter, for example, to Webbox.

JM: Okay. Sure. So in addition to that, what are some of the formats? It does Internet radio; it does podcasts, I'm assuming, as well, and —

WH: Yes. Podcasts, yeah. You can subscribe to RSS feeds, and you can search in our database of thousands of radio stations and select your favorites and have a bookmark or a shortcut to that — specific favorite stations.

JM: Which database are you using for the —

WH: We have our own database that are feeded by ooTunes, by the regular databases that are used —

JM: Cool.

WH: iBlink, or whatever.

JM: So if it's in ooTunes, then you — then it would be already in there.

WH: Yes.

JM: Okay.

WH: And if it's not, you can add, also, your personal — own URL for a local favorite station, if you have —

JM: Okay. Also mentioned — I'm not sure if you have anything on there to show, but you have NLS BARD support now as well?

WH: Yeah. So that's — that's one of the new things. And we are very pleased with that because now it's possible for the Webbox to connect, without a computer, to the NLS BARD services and download your books and listen to your books on the Webbox. So you don't need a computer; you only need your username and password provided by the NLS BARD account, put it in the Webbox, and you can download the newest list of books. You can select your book, and it'll add to your wish list; and you can download it. It'll be stored on the SD card in the box, and you can listen to it later on.

JM: Okay. Are there other formats or — you mentioned you can actually read webpages somehow with this? Is —

WH: Yes. We have several things. For example, we have a phone book with white — the white and yellow pages. We also have a Wikipedia. So what you can do with the volume rotator — you can dial in an A and B and C; and so you can put in your search; and then, we will search the Wikipedia, and it will display all in audio back on the Webbox. So for example, if you search for my — my last name, you will get all the results of my last name, Han, that is presented in the Wikipedia pages.

JM: Okay. That — that's very interesting. How does it — the — the — connects via Wi-Fi, right? Or is it — is it —

WH: Yeah, both. You could connect it via Wi-Fi or hook it up via an ethernet cable to your router.

JM: Mm-hmm.

WH: And in some applications, we also use an — a USB dongle. For example, if you have Verizon, you can also use a 4G USB dongle to connect to the unit.

JM: Okay. Is this available currently now, or —

WH: Yes. It's sold in the — in the United States. The price is $599, and there's a yearly subscription of $75 a year. And as an — an introduction, the first year is free of charge.

JM: What does the yearly subscription get you? And if you — like, if you ordered —

WH: $75 is meant to maintain and expand the content, like the mail server but also the interfaces with NLS BARD services or with Bookshare or with new services. So that — that gives you sort of a guarantee that the content is updated daily and that you're not buying a device and, after three months, it's out of service because there's no content or no platform anymore. That's the reason why there's a subscription fee.

JM: Does it lock you out if you — if you were to buy it and then just not renew?

WH: Yeah. If — if — yeah. Then you aren't receiving the updates anymore. Then you're not receiving these features anymore. So —

JM: Right.

WH: It will still work and still connect to your old content, but the new features and the newest updates, you won't receive anymore.

JM: All right. Fair enough. If people want to get more information or perhaps buy one of these —

WH: Just go to the web — website. That's Webbox2.com. And you'll find more information and —

JM: Is that W-e-b-b-o-x?

WH: Exactly, yes.

JM: 2.

WH: 2. That's —

JM: The number 2.

WH: That's because it's the second generation — .com. You can also email from the website for more information, and we will love to follow up.

JM: Awesome. Hey, thank you so much for sharing.

WH: Thanks. Thanks for having me.

For more exclusive audio coverage, visit BlindBargains.com or download the Blind Bargains app for your iOS or Android device.

Blind Bargains audio coverage is presented by the AT Guys, online at ATGuys.com.

This has been another Blind Bargains audio podcast. Visit BlindBargains.com for the latest deals, news, and exclusive content. This podcast may not be retransmitted, sold, or reproduced without the express, written permission of AT Guys. Copyright 2015.


Listen to the File


File size: 11.9MB
Length: 10:6

Check out our audio index for more exclusive content
Blind Bargains Audio RSS Feed

This content is the property of Blind Bargains and may not be redistributed without permission. If you wish to link to this content, please do not link to the audio files directly.

Category: Entertainment

No one has commented on this post.

You must be logged in to post comments.

Username or Email:
Password:
Keep me logged in on this computer

Or Forgot username or password?
Register for free

J.J. Meddaugh is an experienced technology writer and computer enthusiast. He is a graduate of Western Michigan University with a major in telecommunications management and a minor in business. When not writing for Blind Bargains, he enjoys travel, playing the keyboard, and meeting new people.


Copyright 2006-2024, A T Guys, LLC.