Dennis adds new details from a Sprint press release.  He sent it to me
and obviously intended to share it with the list.  The phone is now
available at retail stores and the full price is $330, which may be
offered for less as this is the only talking cell phone that Sprint
provides.

Kelly


----- Original Message -----
From: "Dennis Bartlett" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "Kelly Pierce" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, December 28, 2003 2:33 PM
Subject: RE: More Info on New Accessible Cell Phone


> Sprint, the US telecom operator, has announced the immediate
availability of
> its latest video phone, manufactured by
> Toshiba,
> through its chain of retail stores.
>
> The VM4050 offers rich imaging capabilities
> The VM4050 offers a built-in video and still camera, which can take and
send
> VGA images or 15-second clips. The 2.2-inch TFT main screen offers 310
x 350
> pixel resolution at 260K (18-bit) colours, while the camera offers 4x
> digital and 2x optical zoom, picture light and a self-timer function.
>
> The 1-inch external STN screen supports 16-bit colour and offers
picture
> caller ID so users can instantly tell who is calling without opening
the
> phone.
>
> Other features include a built-in speakerphone, voice control and voice
> guidance, which means the phone talks to users to inform them of
important
> events.
> PIM functionality is also included along with other basic applications
such
> as a calculator. The handset also contains an embedded GPS system for
> emergency
> location services.
>
> The phone's hardware is dual-band and tri-mode for operation outside of
the
> Sprint PCS network, while supported PCS Vision features include Picture
> Mail,
> Messaging, Games, Ringers, Screen Savers, Web and PCS Business
Connection.
>
> A lithium-ion battery gives the VM4050 a claimed life of 10 days
standby or
> over 3 hours of talk-time, while an extended battery offers an extra
50%
> life.
>
> Sprint are suggesting a retail price of $329.99 USD at its retail
stores.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: VICUG-L: Visually Impaired Computer Users' Group List
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Kelly Pierce
> Sent: Sunday, December 28, 2003 10:14 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: More Info on New Accessible Cell Phone
>
>
> Hello all,
>
> In the last hour, I reached Bonnie O'Day who shared some information
> about the new accessible cell phone.  As many know, Bonnie filed a
> discrimination complaint about cell phone accessibility against cell
> phone producer Audiovox and service provider Verizon Wireless.  last
> week, Audiovox settled the complaint by offering a cell phone that
> provides voice guidance to enable blind users to place and receive
voice
> calls.  The complaint is still pending  against Verizon who has not
> decided to offer the new phone.  Verizon is America's largest wireless
> communications company with 38 million subscribers.  It had $1.8
billion
> in profits in the third quarter of 2003.
>
> The telephone is currently offered by Sprint as the VM4050 by Toshiba.
> It has the following audio features:
>
> *Voice announce of On/off
> *Voice announce of Roaming out of local area
> *Voice identifying battery status by percentage
> *Voice confirmation of outgoing telephone number to be dialed
> *Talking caller ID of incoming calls
> *Voice announcement that voice mails are waiting when phone is turned
on.
>
> Bonnie thanked the American Foundation for the Blind who hired as a
> consultant a highly knowledgeable telecommunications expert that
provided
> invaluable technical assistance in working with the  companies to
develop
> this solution.  It is unclear if this telephone is available at
> storefront Sprint locations or just through catalog orders.  In either
> event, the audio functionality is built right into the phone.  There is
> no special software to install and no blind version either!  The
> mainstream product itself is accessible for basic functionality.
>
> Kelly
>
>
> VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
> To join or leave the list, send a message to
> [log in to unmask]  In the body of the message, simply
type
> "subscribe vicug-l" or "unsubscribe vicug-l" without the quotations.
>  VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
> http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html
>
>
>


VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
To join or leave the list, send a message to
[log in to unmask]  In the body of the message, simply type
"subscribe vicug-l" or "unsubscribe vicug-l" without the quotations.
 VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html