vBookz PDF – free iPhone app for reading PDFs with text to speech.

vBookz PDF Voice Reader

vBookz PDF Voice Reader

“I’ve just tried a different vBookz app [from the one that offers free Audiobooks  – 30,000+ classics read aloud with text to speech]!   Its called vBookz PDF Voice Reader.  It is a free PDF TTS app and will read directly from a PDF, so you see the page as it should be, not just plain text.  It uses a moving box, rather than highlighting – the box surrounds the word currently being read.  The screen shot shows how the reading speed is controlled and page control.”

The company provide a quick overview of the vBookz PDF Voice Reader app on YouTube.

Neil – Psychology

Successful cataloguing on a memory stick (USB pen drive) with alphabetic folders

alphabet folders“…the library staff help and give me guidance – don’t sit in silence and suffer! Probably when you find something you just save it, then it takes so long to find it again. I made, on my memory stick, a reader library and I put all my texts in folders in alpahbetical order so I do not have to go through the whole search process again which is more eye strain. I  just make up folders with certain headings and then you can go straight there – It is handy that each one has a date so that I can see ones from the previous year.”  Microsoft File organization tips: 9 ideas for managing files and folders. 

Amber – Nursing

Microsoft Windows Magnifier for viewing Blackboard

windows magnifier

Docked Windows magnifier at 500%

…”you can generally get hold of Windows magnifier if they haven’t locked down computers too much. But there is still a limit. It’s a work-around, but it works OK for me….   Knowing separate web addresses for sites, so I don’t have to use SUSSED [the university portal]., I mean things like “Blackboard is (said the web address), webmail is webmail……(gave web address) – we don’t want the extra frames.”

Hannah – Occupational Therapist

Miranda IM – one interface for all social networking that is also free and accessible!

Miranda IM

Miranda IM

“When it comes to social networks and communication online, I have several accounts but I am able to access them all using Miranda IM – Miranda IM offers one interface that can link with for instance Skype or Windows Live and Facebook”

It is a Windows only free download, works with a screen reader and has a simple interface. The program can also work directly from a pen drive.

Sam – Live and Studio Sound