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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b
style="">OPLIN 4Cast#121: <br>
Screen Readers, Usability Testing, Election Info, AOL<br>
</b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">October 22, 2008<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h1 style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span class="grame"><i><span
style="font-size: 12pt;">4casting technologies that could have an
impact on
public libraries.</span></i></span><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br>
**Now published every 4tnight!</span></i></h1>
<p>1. <b>Screen Readers</b> - The American Foundation for the Blind
estimates
that 10 million people in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region>
are blind or visually impaired and 1.3 million are legally blind. The
increasingly graphic nature of the web has made it more difficult for
people
with visual disabilities.<o:p></o:p></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style=""><a
href="http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=AmUPhEVWu_E" target="_blank"
mce_href="http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=AmUPhEVWu_E">Importance of
HTML Headings for Accessibility</a><o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style=""><a
href="http://www.synapseadaptive.com/aisquared/zoomtext_9/zoomtext_9_home_page.htm"
target="_blank"
mce_href="http://www.synapseadaptive.com/aisquared/zoomtext_9/zoomtext_9_home_page.htm">Things
Just Got a Whole Lot Clearer . . .ZoomText 9.x</a><o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style=""><a
href="http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_jaws.asp"
target="_blank"
mce_href="http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_jaws.asp">JAWS
for Windows</a> <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style=""><a href="http://www.kurzweiledu.com/"
target="_blank" mce_href="http://www.kurzweiledu.com/">Kurzweil 3000
for Windows</a><o:p></o:p></li>
</ul>
<p>2. <b>Usability testing</b> - When building new web sites or
applications,
it's important to observe first-time users as they interact with the
product. With each usability test, you should identify concerns and
collect quantitative data on user performance. You should also
determine
how satisfied the user is and goals to make the product
customer-friendly.<o:p></o:p></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style=""><a
href="http://www.usability.gov/refine/learnusa.html#lab"
target="_blank"
mce_href="http://www.usability.gov/refine/learnusa.html#lab">Usability.gov</a> <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style=""><a href="http://silverbackapp.com/"
target="_blank" mce_href="http://silverbackapp.com/">SilverBack - a
new Mac app that systematizes usability testing</a><o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style=""><a
href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/01/24/usability-and-interface-design-books/"
target="_blank"
mce_href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/01/24/usability-and-interface-design-books/">Usability
and Interface Design Books</a><o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style=""><a
href="http://lsvp.wordpress.com/2008/10/10/usability-testing-slows-down-launch-but-speeds-up-success/"
target="_blank"
mce_href="http://lsvp.wordpress.com/2008/10/10/usability-testing-slows-down-launch-but-speeds-up-success/">Usability
testing slows down launch but speeds up success</a> <o:p></o:p></li>
</ul>
<p>3. <b>Election info, past and present</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style=""><a
href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/google_launches_us_voter_info_site.php"
target="_blank"
mce_href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/google_launches_us_voter_info_site.php">Google
Launches U.S. Voter Info Site</a><o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style=""><a
href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081021-net-yields-new-dirty-political-tricks-means-to-fight-them.html"
target="_blank"
mce_href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081021-net-yields-new-dirty-political-tricks-means-to-fight-them.html">'Net
yields new dirty political tricks, means to fight them </a><o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style=""><a href="http://infodoodads.com/?p=460"
target="_blank" mce_href="http://infodoodads.com/?p=460">Voting
America visualizes the history of US presidential elections</a><o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style=""><a
href="http://waxy.org/2008/10/memeorandum_colors/" target="_blank"
mce_href="http://waxy.org/2008/10/memeorandum_colors/">Memeorandum
Colors: Visualizing Political Bias with Greasemonkey</a><o:p></o:p></li>
</ul>
<p>4. <b>AOL is up to stuff</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style=""><a
href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/aol_quietly_launches_one_of_th.php"
target="_blank"
mce_href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/aol_quietly_launches_one_of_th.php">AOL
Quietly Launches One of the World's Biggest App Platforms</a> <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style=""><a href="http://dev.aol.com/myaol"
target="_blank" mce_href="http://dev.aol.com/myaol">MyAOL Frequently
Asked Questions</a> <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style=""><a
href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/10/21/aol-sheds-yourminis-personalized-startpage/"
target="_blank"
mce_href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/10/21/aol-sheds-yourminis-personalized-startpage/">AOL
Sheds Yourminis Personalized Startpage</a> <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style=""><a
href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/aol_gives_yourminis_users_the.php"
target="_blank"
mce_href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/aol_gives_yourminis_users_the.php">AOL
Gives YourMinis Users the Post-Acquisition Blues, Shutters Service</a>
<o:p></o:p></li>
</ul>
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<pre>--
Bobbi Galvin
OPLIN Customer Relations & Support
P: 1-888-966-7546
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.oplin.org">www.oplin.org</a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></pre>
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