All posts in category Blindness

Technology Quadrant: My Experience with the Orbit Reader 40

Hello to all of you beautiful nerds and welcome back from traveling the vast nerd universe! I am back with a new tech post!

My Experience with the Orbit Reader 40

I think it’s time to tell my story with this product because I feel that I need to spread the word that the Orbit Reader 40 is not my favorite device. I am still kicking myself for buying this product and man I would love to roast this thing. But first!

Disclaimer

This post is based on experiences with the device that is being talked about in this post. Please respect the lead writer’s thoughts and opinions on this particular device.

How Did I Know About Orbit and Their Products?

Well, first, I knew about the Orbit Reader 20 when I started working in 2018. It was a cute little device and I wanted to learn more about it. I even saw people use it, even with their phones and it works very well. I was interested in getting one of these but was steered away from it at first since I wanted to get a Braillenote Touch Plus of course and did have my Polaris. Then American Printing House for the Blind introduced the Chameleon and Mantis a year ago and Orbit did announce the new 20+ and the 40.

Purchasing the Orbit Reader 40

After getting my Spring refund from my time at UMass, I was on a purchasing quest and did pick up the Chameleon since that caught my eye more and the Orbit Reader 40 since I liked to go big with Braille displays. After purchasing, I didn’t know that Orbit had it as more of a pre-order and that I had to wait for it. My Chameleon did come on time though and I was having fun with it. I was mad that my Orbit was taking over a month though and seeing that it was a pre-order was a bit of a red flag. I am also noticing this with other devices they are releasing, like the Orbit B Speak if I remembered correctly  coming out soon. I did eventually receive the Orbit 40 and it didn’t turn on when I pressed the power button and that was another red flag. I did contact tech support and they told me I had to reset it. I did that and it was working. I was a little weary of it since it did refresh every time when it was in idle mode which did creep some of our buddies visiting, one time they thought they were hearing the zombie roaches from Resident Evil. Not kidding!

Trying the Bluetooth

One thing I like about Braille displays is the ability to connect via bluetooth and use it with devices such as laptops and other mobile devices so I can read what my screen reader is saying. With the Orbit Reader 40 it was not working with the Bluetooth at all. I tried it with my laptop and nothing, I even tried it with USB and it was not working either and even tried it with my phone. So, another contact with tech support and they were even perplexed and had to send it back for a repair. Once it returned, it did work as a display with my phone and ChromeBook only. I already used the Chameleon and now my Mantis with my laptop and JAWS so I decided to save those for that and NVDA. The QBraille can be bluetoothed to my laptop beautifully as well with no problem. I don’t get how or why this one didn’t want to respond with JAWS or NVDA, even a co-worker was confused that it worked with his PC not mine.

The Repair That Was the Nail in the Coffin Plus One More Thing

I had to send it for another repair again recently and after this they did something that caused me to no longer be a customer anymore since you have to do something awful to make me no longer come around and it was this! So, I had to update the software since I noticed something weird where my Orbit Reader did not want to take a charge. I contacted tech support and told them the issue and they choked it up to a software update. Doing updates on this thing is not like what you get with the other displays where you get it via wi-fi and have to plug it to A/C power to re-charge it like the Braille Sense 6, QBraille, Chameleon, Mantis, and BrailleNote Touch Plus, this one you have to download the updates via their website, you also have to do it with the QBraille but that is a lot easier since it relies on a SD card to be loaded. Here you have to connect it and hope it detects it through your computer or on the SD doing a key combination. I notice my hands do tremble after a few seconds due to limitations on motor skills but this was something that caused me to lose faith in being a customer. My unit did update but it didn’t turn on again. I did send it again for a repair and I did have to pay for it and they did fix it and sent it back and it still didn’t turn on. I was glad for Tobi moving in because he took a look at it and concluded that the motherboard may be fried. I did contact Orbit and told them that it was still not turning on and explained we went through the Troubleshooting steps and had to send it again and they said it was fixed again and called me on my birthday to tell me what the problem was since they never stated in the email and that was the motherboard was fried! That was not the real nail though, the real nail was when I tried looking at the manual on my SD card since they needed that for any more software related issues and I found the manual for the Orbit 20+ instead! You read that right folks, my SD card was switched out without my knowledge and had to contact Orbit again to get it back. They tried telling me I can just download the manual and re-download the books I had on there but it was not just books I didn’t want to tell them, it also included stuff from my Braille Sense Polaris. At least the other companies would tell me to take out my SD card after backing up every file I may have saved if it was a repair needed but not here. I still need to send their SD card back since work and school has been keeping me busy, they haven’t contacted me back as of yet.

Will I Purchase Again?

After hearing that they were going to come out with multi-linear displays, I was going to give them another chance but after the crap I had to go through, I am no longer buying an Orbit display from these guys. I feel like it’s not worth the money to send it back for a repair if it’s not performing to standard and that is what I’m looking for in a Braille device, as in it’s supposed to do what the features are claimed to do when advertised on the website. If you guys want a display with forty cells, I Would say either the Mantis or QBraille are your better devices, especially if you still have a Mac with a touch bar like I have which I use my QBraille for physical function keys. I use my Mantis with my Surface Go since the Surface series keyboards are not the greatest. And so far it has done well with what I have to do for class during a week, heck I even brought my Mantis home during the hurricane this week. If you’re wanting something smaller, I would say wait for later this October to get it back, APH Chameleon is amazing for what it does, yes the Brailliant may have NLS Bard but you can still read Bookshare books in Braille on the Chameleon and I find the key response better, especially with the grade switch when I need to enter a password or two with computer braille. Sorry but in the end, Orbit is no longer getting any of my money after this device. Another thing too is that I don’t want to bother with their tech support since I felt as though I got a run around with the software updates when things inside the units can happen. Even Tobi can explain it in a video when it comes to tech since he has built computers for friends already. When I told him he was right about the motherboard after getting home from Jacksonville on my birthday he was like, “Told you it was the motherboard!” People thought H. I. M S. had poor tech support, at least they give you better solutions than just sending in for a repair because I had better calls with them and we got the thing fixed. Also, sending these devices is not cheap by any means, as sending the Orbit back is over $30 if you don’t have a box on hand, which I didn’t at first. When I had to send the Braille Sense back, I did have a box for that and it fit the thing which ironically was my box from APH when I got my Mantis.

In the end guys, I would say not to buy the Orbit Reader 40, yes it is cheaper than the Mantis but my experience is something that should not be overlooked. I like the idea of having a bigger display to read books on but I can still do that with my QBraille by extracting my books on my computer and transfer them to the SD like with this one and can just download from Bookshare on my Mantis, I would say save up or if you are working with your local Vocational Rehabilitation services and have not gotten a display or need a new one to be a replacement then you could look at the ones I mentioned above. I bet you’re wondering about the multi-linear displays, I’d rather go with the Canute since that has been improved in their tech over time. I think what Orbit needs to do is just modernize their units with bluetooth and WiFi capabilities that work and not have this weird download and have it be detected by the unit since a lot of the technology nowadays rely on those components in the first place. Also, have the tech support study the components and be able to be prepared for how to fix it without having the unit sent back all the time, as in pass on the knowledge better to the customers too. And, test the units before releasing out right because when mine came to me where it didn’t turn on out right of the box, that was not good from the start. I have to end this here because my next post will be the spotlight on RangerStop Orlando 2022!

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by moonleopard85 on October 2, 2022  •  Permalink
Posted in Accessibility, Blindness, Reviews, Technology

Posted by moonleopard85 on October 2, 2022

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2022/10/02/technology-quadrant-my-experience-with-the-orbit-reader-40/

Book Quadrant: Dream Anime Cast for Midnight Breed Series

Hello to all of the beautiful nerds and welcome back from traveling the vast nerd universe! I am back with another post!

Midnight Breed Series Cast

So, this is a what if post if the Midnight Breed Series were to be an anime. As I read the books, I have heard certain voices that fit each character in the main books of course! I will go by each couple in each book, especially with Edge of Dawn even though two of the characters, or shall I say three had appeared as kids, I will explain when that takes place. Let’s see who I picked! I have to put up with this first!

Disclaimer

This cast posting is based on thoughts of the lead writer of this blog. Please respect her choices and opinions! You have been warned!

Lucaine and Gabrielle

First up is the first two we meet in Kiss of Midnight, Lucaine and Gabrielle. This was a good start to the series since we get some of the history behind the Breed and we got to see why Boston being the starting point of the setting. I do have a heart for this since I was born in Boston and would love to visit again, especially for Anime Boston. Who would I choose for the cast?

Lucaine: Patrick Sietz or Chris Sabat

Gabrielle: Kelly Manison

Why? With Lucaine, since he was the leader of the Breed, he needs a leader sounding voice and while reading the book, I heard Chris Sabat at first since he has done lead voices in the past, while other times I heard Patrick Sietz since he would be a great back up if Chris was not available. Patrick and Chris can be good at serious tones and the idea of being a badass leader toting titanium rounds with some swords seems pretty fun. Kelly Manison for Gabrielle kind of fits the idea since she would be the leader’s arm candy, especially after the time skip. Gabrielle becomes stronger as the time in the books goes on and her being more of a lead when she has Darien proves her character. I feel with Kelly since she would not be able to know what the Breed is at first since she thinks Lucaine is a regular cop after witnessing  a rogue attack at a nightclub..  She does become more motherly during the series and accepts new Breed Mates appearing. I think these two will be voiced by some of the greatest!

Dante and Tess

Next up is the couple in Kiss of Crimson! I did love this one since it started off as a Halloween night of fun but turned to horror, haha! I do love Halloween myself and getting to see how the tale starts with this holiday and how Dante and Tess get to meet on one night, which does get a bit messy even with the relationship as it goes!

Dante: Illich Guardiola

Tess: Lauren Landa

It was hard to think about who would fit for Dante since the book mentioned he had a slight accent due to how he came from Italy. I thought of Illich Guardiola because he has a slight accent in a lot of his roles, such as Krad in DNAngel for example. I could also imagine him doing one of the lines from Lethal Weapon towards the end would be entertaining. Not kidding, they do quote from that movie in this one! While Lauren Danda for Tess I think her voice for Sailor Neptune would fit since she can do a more mature voice, since she did make her sound as if she was in college than high school, and I see that voice for Tess. Tess is supposed to be nurturing due to being a bet herself and seeing that with Harvard, the puppy Dante brings to her,, with fixing what ailments it was going through and then taking care of it afterwards. These two have pretty interesting choices but would work off each other as the series goes.

Teagan and Elise

Next up is the couple from book three, which I have an interesting pairing for this one!

Teagan: Reuben Langdon

Elise: Christine Auten

I sometimes heard Reuben as Teagan since the image of Teagan was almost like Dante from Devil May Cry. He had white hair, blue eyes, and tanned skin due to his mother I guess, which I know Dante is pale but matches enough to the character. Teagan is a bit of a rogue-like character and has been there for Lucaine since they are around the same age and he has been when the Breed first started. Yes, Reuben has to be serious at most of the role but he can hit it pretty well. Christine as Elise, since she has played motherly characters like Kelly has, I feel she fits Elise since Elise has had experience with having a teenage son in the previous book.. Even in the start of the third book, she is a bit stubborn but shows her wisdom as the book continues and helps with the findings of the Ancient after infiltrating a package that had Breed symbols. I liked how well she worked out and the romance between her and Teagan fit with each other. I think the anime would show how the characters interact with these two actors.

Rio and Dylan

Next up is the couple of the fourth book, Rio and Dylan. I did enjoy this one since it started a mystery that did help the Breed and showed how one Breed Mate can be stronger and make one who has been scarred stronger. Who do I pick for these two?

Rio: Lex Lang

Dylan: Luci Christian

Lex has been an awesome voice actor for many years and I think he would be right for Rio. Not sure if he could do a slight Spanish accent, we get to see his past and how he became a part of the Breed.. While Luci as Dylan, on the other hand, she can use an older voice to be Dylan, I could see her Uraka voice to be Dylan since she is supposed to be out of college and having her first writing job. I do like her Breed Mate powers where she can talk to ghosts of the dead Breed Mates which helps with solving some of the mystery they have to face and knowing who Dragos would be and what he’s doing with Breed Mates in the first place. .

Nikolai and Rinata

Next up is Nikolai and Rinata from Veil of Midnight. These two are powerful within the Breed since Rinata knows how to defend herself and is a helpful back up for Niko and the rest. Who do I pick to play this powerful couple?

Niko: Neil Christie Newbonniel

Rinata: Mary Elizabeth McGlynn

Ever since reading Veil of Midnight, I always thought Mary Elizabeth McGlynn as Rinata would be the best choice. Her voice always filled my mind whenever she went through the different parts with Niko, which made me think of Neil as this version but the good version of his character from Resident Evil 3. I know it sounds weird to have this guy be another Nikolai but he can do a really good Russian accent!

Rikon and Claire

Next up is the couple from the sixth book! Let’s see who I pick!

Rikon: John Burgmeier

Claire: Elizabeth Maxwell

I think this was an interesting pick for me since I did hear a slight German accent with John’s Shigure voice for Rikon since he is supposed to be a bit of a playboy in the series at first. He does get more serious when Dragos’ goons attack his Dark Haven at the end of Veil of Midnight and the sixth book is where he grows. Claire, on the other hand, was a little hard since she has been married since the 1970s and thinking about it Elizabeth Maxwell would be the right choice for her.

Caid and Elex

My most favorite in the entire series and here are my picks for both of them!

Caid: Johnny Yong Bosh

Alex: Laura Bailey

Caid does have a twin brother and I would also have Johnny do his voice but slightly deeper since he’s supposed to be slightly older than Caid. While with Laura as Alex, while reading the books again not too long ago, I did hear her as Alex this time around. She would fit as the character since she would be a bit more petite and with the Tohru voice.

Brock and Jenna

Next up is the couple that is different where one is Breed while the other is human turning slightly Breed.

Brock: Khary Payton

Jenna: Veronica Taylor

Oh yeah! I picked Cyborg to be Brock since he can play serious and playful at the same time and Brock does that, especially around Caid. I figured he would fit with the Breed member since he has to take care of Jenna and does feel a little bit injured after losing Corrine, who will be next. Jenna is someone that I see Veronica Taylor play due to how she can play a strong character like Sailor Pluto in Sailor Moon. She also changes into someone who is important to the Breed due to what the Ancient did to her and we get to see her maturity during the time skip, which I feel would be a good role for her.

Hunter and Corrine

Now onto the second to last book in the first part of the series where we see the first of the Hunters and someone who someone thought was dead but wasn’t.

Hunter: Robbie Daymond

Corrine: Michelle Ruff

I was going to save Robbie Daymond for one of the other vampires but Hunter would be a great choice since he is one of the fish out of water among the Breed due to being one of Dragos’ killer machines. He was saved all thanks to Mira in Veil of Midnight and figured he could use his Tuxedo Mask sounding voice for Hunter. While Michelle Ruff would fit Corrine the most since Corrine is someone who has been scarred due to being kept in a cell for giving birth to hunters herself. I thought with Michelle Ruff being a choice since she can be strong sounding for areas where Corrine would use her Breed Mate powers and then just go back to more of her softer side around Hunter and her son, Nathan within the story itself. 

Chase and Tavia

Now to the last couple in the first ten books!

Chase: Newt Pittman

Tavia: Monica Rial

It was hard with Chase since he may be a full grown Breed male but I am imagining Newt Pittman’s Gray voice coming out of his mouth, especially when he was starting to go down the road of Blood Lust towards the last two books. He does find love eventually in Tavia after losing Elise to Teagan earlier in the series. While Tavia, on the other hand, didn’t know who or what she was due to how the lies she was given hid her true identity as being a Breed female underneath. Monica Rial would be a good choice for her voice since she has played older women in anime such as Jo in Burst Angel and also was in Rahxephon. Would be interesting how her Breed sounds would sound like, may have to use a lioness sound?

Well, that is it for this dream cast. I will be splitting this into two because it would be too long if I added the time skip books for the rest of the series. I will get the rest up in the meantime. I am starting a new semester this coming week and will find a time to do the second part of this casting post. So, I would stay tuned if I were you, I am still waiting on my Ipsy Glam Bag at the moment. Until next time!

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by moonleopard85 on August 22, 2022  •  Permalink
Posted in anime, Blindness

Posted by moonleopard85 on August 22, 2022

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2022/08/22/book-quadrant-dream-anime-cast-for-midnight-breed-series/

The Tech Quadrant: Braille Sense 6 vs. Braille Note Touch Plus: WHich Notetaker is the Better One?

Hello to all of you beautiful nerds and welcome back from traveling the vast nerd universe! It’s time for a device battle!

Braille Sense 6 vs. the Braille Note Touch Plus: Which is the Better Notetaker?

So, it’s time to put the Braille Sense 6 and the BrailleNote Touch Plus up to each other and see how well they fare against each other. I have both of these devices and was able to use them over time, especially upgrading my Polaris to the 6 when I was offered it by the vendor I went through with a funding source I went through for my Braille Note Touch Plus. They are good note takers for the same price range, however there are features I would like to talk about between both devices that may work for some and may work for others if anyone wants to purchase one of these as their notetaker. Let me start with this!

Disclaimer

This post is based on thoughts, opinions, and experiences from the writer of this blog. She has used these devices and seen how they work and how fast they are, how well they type, and so much more. Please respect her thoughts!

Weight

First off, we’re starting with how much these devices weigh. One thing about these devices is well you can carry them place to place and weight can be a factor for what you choose.The Braille Sense 6 is 1.58 on its own while it’s 2.36 pounds with the case on.  The BrailleNote Touch Plus is 2 Pounds. Not by much when it comes to weight, the BrailleNote Touch Plus is three pounds lighter despite having the Android tablet underneath the Perkins keyboard, however I feel as though the BS6 kept the same weight from its Polaris and don’t feel much carrying it around to its Humanware counterpart despite not having the tablet built into it. If you would rather go without the tablet underneath, then the BS6 would be perfect since I had the Polaris before, going from one convention room to the next without the extra weight made it easier but if the tablet won’t hurt then go with the BNTP. I would say either one would be a great choice since both of them are almost the same weight and do have cases to protect them.

Keyboard

Both keyboards on both devices are in the Perkins Brailler style. H. I M. S. did have the QWERTY style with the QWERTY Plus and the U2 QWERTY which I admit I had the QWERTY Plus when I was at school and earlier press days with Nerd Shique Universe. The layouts are different from each other due to how they were built. The BNTP has the usual six keys for the Braille Cell, the Enter and Delete, and the Space Bar, then you have your cursor keys underneath. WHile the BS6 has your usual Brailler keys but have the F1, F2, F3, and F4 keys alongside an Alt key and a CTRL key to use on the Android platform. The learning curve for both is a little different if you have used devices from both companies like I’m doing now and have been doing for the past year due to how the shortcut structure is different. Yes, first letter navigation is available for both, except the chords are different when it comes to navigating to areas on both devices. One example is doing a copy on the BNTP is delete key with the letter Y. With the BS6 is the letter C with the Enter key. I would say if you’re familiar with a certain way of typing with one device then stick with the brand of devices you’re familiar with, unless you want to switch over for a newer experience depending on which layout seems to be easier. If you have any device demonstrated for you, ask for a demonstration of key commands on both devices.

Typing

With typing on either device, I found that each device can cause a bit of noise depending on your typing speed. I type fifty words per minute and can see how the noise on each device can be cumbersome. To me the BTNP’s keys are noisier than the BS6 since HIMS has been building their devices with keys that are softer while pressing them and have noticed it with the BS6 and the Q Braille as well. While the NNTP, on the other hand, the keys not only click pretty loudly but also have the clocks while inputting Braille. You can turn these clicks off pretty easily in the settings, except the keys themselves can be noisy no matter what you do. I think Humanware should have softer keys in the next notetaker if they decide to make another one in the next few years since HIMS has developed the BS6 but the BS6 has them beat in the typing department due to how quiet they are with input and having not too loud of a typing noise makes it easier, especially if listening to someone on a phone call. I give it to BS6.

Touch Features

One feature that made the Braille Sense Polaris and the BNTP comparable was being able to have the touch features. The BS Polaris had a touch strip in between the display and the cursor routing keys while the BNTP had a built-in touch screen underneath the keyboard. WHat made them unique was that you could touch Braille on the tablet under the BNTP as a quieter option while the BS Polaris only did touch gestures like if you used it as a tablet. Unfortunately, when the BS6 was created they took out the touch gesture ability due to lack of popularity, which there was no tutorial when Humanware does tutorials on how to do Touch Braille on their device. It would have been nice if the touch gestures were kept on the newer Braille Sense since the Android system is faster and the reaction time could have a better speed increase, which was an issue with the Polaris, which I will touch upon next. So, if you want the idea of doing the touch features then the BNTP would be the best device and it wins this category due to keeping the features or shall I say having them in the first place.

Speed

Both devices have pretty good speed when it comes to reaction time. When the Polaris was around, it had Lollipop as its system and it was very laggy and almost lethargic while using it, when the BS6 arrived I was happy that the reaction times were as fast as the BNTP when it comes to opening apps, being able to with saving files, and even downloading books from Bookshare. I have to say both get speed!

Android Systems

Both devices run on tw Both devices run on two different Android versions but they seem to work the same to me. The BNTP runs on Oreo or Android 8 while the BS6 runs on Android 10. Even though 10 is newer, Oreo still runs as smoothly despite how old it is. I did write to Humanware but not sure when will they update the Android version to a later version but hoping they could do it soon since we are already in Android 11 and if they want a leg up, they should either go to 11 or stay in competition may do 10 instead like HIMS has with the BS6. There is one drawback though is that there are times where either device can’t install certain apps due to the version they run, such as One Step Reader is the new version of KNFB Reader is not optimized for BNTP while the BS6 can due to how newer it is. I can’t fault the BNTP for this since I can still use KNFB Reader and it’s useful but would be nicer to have a newer Android version. Humanware, if you’re reading this, we need a newer Android version and now!

Apps

Speaking of apps, there are apps that each device does come with when you first receive them. The BNTP comes with KNFB Reader, which is normally $100 and Easy Reader + and of course your normal Google apps due to having the Android system. While the BS6 comes with Bookshare Download, a Podcasts app, Document Reader, Online DAISY, Google Search, Wiki Search, Assistant And your usual Google apps as well. Of course you can still download apps on Playstore but you have to see which ones are compatible with your device once you check them. One thing though is that not all apps can be available, one example is Kindle is not available for the BS6 but for the BNTP, which I find weird, while Audible is available for both. I do like the other apps you can read with on the BS6 but I do like the idea that I can still use Kindle on the BNTP but it’s not accessible there. It’s basically what you like to use on either device and how much you want to use the apps and install ones that can be used, either device is pretty powerful in this department and being able to stream anime, movies with audio description, and listening to music makes possibilities endless.

Bluetooth

Final category is bluetooth connectivity. One of the features of both is being able to use these devices as Braille Displays through bluetooth. You can connect to your computer with USB but what catches most users’ ears is the bluetooth capabilities. I admit I have trouble using the BNTP with devices besides my IPhone since it’s easier to connect with that. I even tried it with my ChromeBook and it couldn’t connect since laptops that run WIndows have an easier time with the Q Braille due to the bluetooth being easier to connect. The BS6, I have an easier time connecting with any device due to not having a code to pair with, which is the problem with the BNTP. It would be better if the BNTP didn’t require a code like the BS6 and other Braille displays because bluetooth has become more streamlined over the years and easy to pair with. I even had an easier time with my Apple devices since I can use my BNTP with those devices , even my Mac even though I have to unpair it due to using the Q Braille with it for the Function Keys. I have a Macbook with a Touch Bar, that’s why. I did try pairing the BS6 with the Chrome Book but it still has the BNTP with it, I have to try it out again at a later date. I do have to say the bluetooth on the BS6 is easier with other devices that have good bluetooth connections. I think the BS6 wins this category due to how much easier it is to connect even with a computer.

Winner: It’s a Tie!

It’s hard to say who wins what despite how they advance each other in some of the categories but both devices are still powerful for what they are. Not all devices are created equal and after using them both, they are equal in speed, the BS6 has a quieter keyboard over the BNTP, the BNTP still has touch features and I do love the idea of the tablet size for Touch Braille which you need a big screen for that, and of course you have a learning curb in using the keyboard shortcut structure which I’m still learning with the BNTP myself after using Braille Sense devices over the years. 

What Should I Get If IAm New to Note Takers?

My advice is to look at both! It doesn’t hurt to go to demonstrations or have someone come to you and demo both devices to show off their features. One thing I could also suggest is ask around before choosing, as in see who has gotten either device and prefer which one over the other since they do work differently. Also, look into Assistive Technology groups that may have members that use the devices as well since they may have different ideas of the both of them from what I brought here. And, of course, think about the features you think you would use more whether it’s at school or work since these devices could be used in either environment, if you can’t pick one, there are lower cost options to think about that work equally as well, especially in the bluetooth department.

That completes this post! If you have either device, drop a comment below or if you’re wanting either one, drop down a comment, I would like to hear what you all think on either side! Next will be my Ipsy bags!

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by moonleopard85 on April 18, 2022  •  Permalink
Posted in Accessibility, Blindness, Braille, Reviews
Tagged ,

Posted by moonleopard85 on April 18, 2022

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2022/04/18/the-tech-quadrant-braille-sense-6-vs-braille-note-touch-plus-which-notetaker-is-the-better-one/

Controversy Quadrant: Why Blind People Should Not Be in MLMs!

Hello to all of you beautiful nerds and welcome back from traveling the vast nerd universe. Man, I am kind of regretting this post but I feel like it’s time to do it since as a blind person myself, I need to give the info!

Why Blind People Should Not Be In MLMs!

Yes, the title says it right and that is why I’m doing it. Ever since being at a few state conventions last year, I have learned that people with visual impairments have joined MLMs to “sell” and “run a business.” I am using those terms very lightly because I watch anti-MLM videos myself and against it myself, especially after getting items that did not turn out great when it comes to beauty. Plus, hearing other people’s experiences, especially with Paparazzi, I am appalled at what I heard and I wanted to point out why it’s a bad idea to join one as a visually impaired person and before I start, here is my disclaimer.

Disclaimer

This post is based on observations, opinions, and facts from what the writer of this blog has come up with. Please don’t come after her and shove any of the principles that have been brought to you, if you are in a MLM, because she won’t hear it. If you don’t like what you are about to read, like what her favorite band Sleeping With Sirens sang in one song, if you can’t hang then there’s the door baby!

You Are the Customer!

I am starting with this bit because it feels like some people do not get it and I hear it in every video. You are basically buying the product you are supposed to sell into the public. Some people who are in this so-called industry say there is no product but they say you need a starter kit and inventory and that costs a lot of money! I know some will say it only costs $100 except I heard stories where people spend way more than that and closer to thousands. Here is the thing though, with Social Security alone, it won’t cover the cost all the time since you also have to keep buying every week to an entire month to replenish your inventory. Let’s see what the average someone can get each month with Social Security. When it comes to SSDI, you can get around $800 to $1008 a month and that is not much. This is talking about people who aren’t hired by the way by a job, which is hard to look for which is understandable. I went through that for three years and my check from work goes into bills straight away. Again, if you look at someone who would live on their own and some of the bills may include rent, food, if they have a guide dog or pets, vet bills, if they have a cane only, they would by the tips and the canes from either vendors or the places that make them, transportation tokens like I do, phone since some would either have an IPhone or an Android phone with a carrier, and heck electricity and sometimes cable, still it can’t be feasible to be in an MLM if you have to spend so much on your kit and inventory. Yes, credit cards are great except those would be considered as part of your expenses since those have to be paid off and same with loans if that is looked at too. Again, you are the customer in these things and it’s not good to buy something like this.

These ARE Pyramid Schemes!!!

You will hear this every time from every hon all over and that it is not a pyramid scheme which is a pyramid scheme. When you buy your starter kit, you basically report to an upline. As in, you are one of their members at the bottom of the pyramid. You are supposed to report to your upline in order to get so-called tips, advice, and so on which I will touch upon next and one of the things they expect you to do is of course recruit other people which makes you become the next upline and so on with other people in the levels below. As the pyramid grows, you’re not only making a small amount for yourself but also making money for your upline. Basically, you’re a brick in the pyramid and normally making money shouldn’t be like this. Some of these hons claim if you are buying stuff like a latte from Starbucks you are not being paid for it. You know why? You’re sponsored by them and you are giving Starbucks business that day or everyday buying your coffee so they can stay afloat and in order to stay afloat they have customers. They also compare it to a pyramid with this idea. Here is the thing though, if you are going to work for Starbucks, you are not paying to be an employee of the business in order to get a paycheck, as in you are not a brick in Starbucks’ “pyramid” because you are not making money for the upline, your manager basically gives you your entire check that you made not only for your time but also your tips as a barista. So, MLMs are a pyramid, stay away!

You Don’t Learn Anything While Being in MLMs!

I am all about learning and continuing learning as well. I do teach day to day as my job so I can pass the information along. While being in an MLM, they don’t really teach you anything in the Zoom calls, at the conventions, and other events that take place. When I watch the videos showing some of these calls by teams in one of these schemes, I feel like I want to leave if I was in there because I feel like I am not learning about how to sell something while getting my degree, I am learning a lot more than what they spew in these calls. In most sales jobs, they give training in how to sell the product or how a product works, such as Sephora for example. They put their employees through classes for the products and suggest that their crews be able to research the brands and the products coming into the store. Without the knowledge of these products then why work for Sephora? Heck, I have to study every year to get my certification for JAWS for the newest version that comes out every October. 

What You Learn Is a False Claim!

jBesides not learning anything, some of the claims being brought up are false, especially the wellness MLMs. One good example, which I saw with Savannah Marie, she snuck into a Dotera Zoom Call where doctors who are part of this MLM were giving health claims that felt very odd to me because yes, essential oils are nice and you are supposed to take your vitamins to keep yourself from Covid but it doesn’t cure it. Let that sink in for a moment because when I watched that, I was face palming for most of it because I’ve been sick in December and don’t use essential oils but I do take Vitamin D alongside NyQuil and lozenges. Basically, I take care of myself better with the over the counter stuff. One claim that still gets me is that you can ingest these oils which the net says not to because they can cause damage. I believe that part since aromatherapy does exist and if I was going to use essential oils, I would use it externally not internally and if I take something new that is prescribed, I follow the doctor advice since they of course studied for this stuff. If you think some of the claims are too good to be true, research it. The internet exists and it will give you the information out there!

The Products Are Not As Good in Quality!

You may have heard how the purchasing of products is important, especially for Personal Volume, some of the products are not all it’s cracked up to be. Remember how I mentioned in one post that I have tried items from Avon and Mary Kay. I wished I hadn’t since I felt that some of the items were not great. I felt the two pan shadow items were tiny and hard to put my brush into each half of the compact when most brands like Maybelline, NYX, Colour Pop, even E. L. F. make their shadow compacts big enough for a brush to fit, also a finger tip since some people like that. Heck, I can fit my entire finger into a Mac Paint Pot! Anyways, to me that the quality of these products  don’t match the pricing they think that should be and help the consultant to make a profit. Most people prefer to get a good quality product for the price, especially the size of it. Remember the Mary Kay lip gloss I got? THat was $18 and it was the size of a NYX Butter Gloss and it was really sticky. Mac sells their Lip Glasses for around the same price and you get more in the size. If I wanted to get a Butter Gloss then I could have gone into the Ulta app and purchased one or more for the same price as that Mary Kay Gloss and use a coupon to drop a discount on top. Another example when it comes to poor quality is of course Lula Roe! IF anyone has been in this one or has heard of it, they are a clothing MLM that was known for their leggings. The leggings were cute and great for what you purchased but as time went on and more consultants joined the quality went down where not only people had rips and holes in them but they were sent moldy and wet leggings, because they were stored outside in the climate and caused sun bleaching with some clothes too due to lack of space at the warehouse. This caused customers to leave and also consultants to leave the business of selling for this company and I can understand from a consumer outlook. If I was going to buy leggings, I expect good quality leggings that will last me for a while. One good place I suggest is Amazon. I buy a three pack of leggings for $20 and they are well made and I can wear a cute tunic top with them to work or wear them with a skirt on a cold day. So, I would say don’t buy an MLM product, better to go to Ulta for makeup and hair products. WHich brings me to my next point!

MLM Products Do More Harm Than Good!

Remember the medical claims that are brought up? Well, most products that get shelled out from MLMs do cause more harm than good. As in, the quality can cause adverse effects. Some good examples! Monat’s shampoo and conditioners caused people to have scalp sores, hair to fall out, and bald spots a few years ago. Another example is that Beach Body’s shakes cause people to have stomach problems over time. And now Paparazzi are causing consultants to become sick due to their jewelry now containing lead and nickel and causing their skin to turn green or black due to how much they wore it. Even Caroline, Tracy, and Geri got their leftover inventory tested and found not only those metals but also Cadmium and other harmful ingredients in their jewelry and I believe it since this is bad for a normal person to consume. Even Black Oxygen Organics was known for some bad effects and that caused them to end their company due to how Fvoic Acid caused health problems that they thought was normal. When Savannah Marie talked about some effects people had gone through and she was delivered a lawsuit. I feel that with some MLMs you can’t talk about the harmful effects and if you do they have to throw a lawsuit or say things, “Do not tell your doctor.” I remembered someone I watched on YouTube. She works as a nurse and she talked about how the shakes from Beach Body caused issues for her and she tried to ask her upline about asking her doctor about the shakes and was told not to.  Here is the thing though, people with visual impairments also have allergies to things and it’s hard to see what effects they would get on their skin or scalp. I did admit I felt a slight tingle on my skin all thanks to that charcoal mask from Mary Kay when I did a patch test because as someone who has  sensitive skin, it’s important to have a patch test on skin to see if the skin reacts and it did react. I did wipe it off even though she ignored me when I requested the wet wipe. If someone were to go through the Monat issues or have a skin reaction with the essential oils, they won’t be able to see any rashes unless they use Aira or Seeing A. I. to read labels or Be My Eyes which I am grateful for.

Toxic Positivity Does Not Equal Empowerment

Even though we look for positive outlooks in our lives, being in an MLM is not one of them.  I love the idea of being positive but seeing how they do it in some of the Zoom calls, even during that makeup panel that sucked during one of the State Conventions, I felt like the sugar and sweet was going to overpower me and I needed to leave. One thing is that this toxic positivity is a cult mentality which causes the person in the MLM believe they’re truly the only ones who can do this business and that you have time freedom and can be with your families except in reality you’re on your phone twenty-four hours a day, you are rarely with your family and recruiting people. Even though the uplines try to make it sound so positive in the calls, seeing most of them in the anti-MLM videos showed a different side of them making it seem like the consultants are not doing enough to make the money especially for their own pockets. To me that does not sound like empowerment. To me, empowerment comes from within and how you empower others in either teaching them or how much they smile towards what they take from you. Also, empowerment can also come from people who are really supportive as in people that you know and love that are willing to see you succeed than fail. I love how Roberta Blevvins put it best on her podcast about how MLMs want to see you fail rather than succeed and looking at the videos, I saw it too. The up lines are really relying on that quick buck they make from their downlines and if they get left in the dust then upline blames them for it and to me that is not really empowering someone. If that were me and I hear that, I am out the next day because it’s not my fault when people are able to see through the cold call or message about the product or recruitment. I would say just stay with your loved ones and ditch the cult mentality of MLMs.

Blind People Can’t Drive the Car!

I know this one sounds weird but if you rank high enough you get a bonus for a car that you have to stick the company logo on except blind people can’t drive! As in, we don’t have licenses so that means we can’t get that pink cadillac to co-sign on. Oh yeah, you don’t really sign for it due to the amount of credit being used as you guy the products, like I said way above, you are really the customer. I remembered one former anti-MLM person talked about in one video, she went to get a new car and asked if anyone from MLMs came for their cars and the salesmen said they don’t really buy it, they have to have someone with them to co-sign. And the scary thought is that the consultant has the responsibility to either keep their rank or have to pay the taxes later to keep the car. The car to me is a waste because it’s already chosen for you and if you can afford a chauffeur then good luck.

MLMs Are Not ADA Compliant

Final point is that these MLMs don’t accommodate people who are disabled or have disabled loved ones. Tracy from Blue Grass BLing told her story while being in Paparazzi where she and others went on a cruise where a man who was using a scooter was told he couldn’t go on land with his scooter. His wife and Tracy were willing to take the scooter apart and carry the parts until they got on land but the man was told no. This caused an uproar and I wouldn’t blame Tracy for sending letters with everyone else standing up for this man. A lady even told her story to Tracy how her walker was taken since she had MS and ended up falling during the Paparazzi convention last August and the staff took a while to find her walker when she wanted to go to the bathroom. I want to hear her experience on Tea Time because if you have a tool you need in order to get around it is important to us. I remembered at one State Convention that a woman was in Paparazzi and when I heard Tracy tell her story, I would be horrified if they tried to take her cane or guide dog away because the cane lets us navigate around while guide dogs are someone’s eyes. If they did the same to this lady and she had to go to the bathroom or gets knocked over without a support, or gets pushed aside for new inventory, then who would help her? I heard horror stories about the Paparazzi. one former consultant in a scooter was pushed away when they were opening up for people to buy inventory. Then another person who was in a wheelchair was supposed to go onstage and was told she is not allowed because of the wheelchair. Even a deaf person got blocked by the heads of Paparazzi, I believe it was Trent and his wife, I forget, because they were tagged for help. I am not sure how other MLMs really treat people who are blind or have other disabilities like being deaf, having Cerebral Palsy, and others but I feel that the Americans for Disabilities Act should not be ignored since they rely on things like canes, wheelchairs, and other assistance to get around. I am not sure how accessible the websites are either since some people need to use their screen reader and magnification software to purchase items on the phone and the internet.

How to Keep Myself Out of MLM?

I bet this is going through your mind when it comes to MLMs and of course someone can have the impulse to join without researching. The first thing is of course researching into the company even with a cold message from a hon. Facebook or Instagram would show where they would be if it’s not private and you can find horror stories and the income statements behind this by doing a Google Search pretty easily. If you encounter a hon and they try to recruit you, ask the questions as in what company are you in? Is the website accessible? How much do you really make? Keep on asking even if they dodge these questions since it is important to gain knowledge than lose it or not have it at all. If you are in an MLM and you feel that you don’t like it, leave of course! There are recovery groups out there, even Tracy, Geri, and Caroline from Cracked the Crown and Bluegrass Bling created a recovery group for former Paparazzi consultants where they give advice on getting back together or creating your own boutique. Plus, there are ways of getting jobs as a visually impaired person that is not an MLM and I am an example of that. Also, you can find ways of starting your own business without hearing MLMs let you do that, again Google will give you the resources to lead to that start up.

And that concludes my post. I know this was out of the ordinary but had to get it out since my subscriptions are coming in which the first this month will be Glossy Box! Stay tuned!

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by moonleopard85 on February 13, 2022  •  Permalink
Posted in Blindness

Posted by moonleopard85 on February 13, 2022

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2022/02/13/controversy-quadrant-why-blind-people-should-not-be-in-mlms/

Blind Tech Quadrant: Sunu Band Review

Hello to all of you beautiful nerds and welcome back from traveling the vast nerd universe. I am back with a new tech review!

 

Sunu Band

 

Disclaimer: This review is based on thoughts and experiences from the lead writer of this blog. Please respect her thoughts on the device that is being talked about in this post.

 

I bet you’re wondering what the heck is this thing. Well, it’s a watch that uses sonar to detect obstacles with vibrations. I heard about this device through A. T. I. A. and was there during 2019 with my job to see what new adaptive tech is being made. This was next to the Tap Strap, which I did get the second generation recently and will review that later on and was able to test it.

 

As you guys know my cane was broken a month before this show and I was still wary about people at conventions by watching out where I am going if I can. When I tested this out, I even had one of the guys on the team walk up to me and it vibrated and thought I wished I had this device during Holiday Matsuri so my cane wouldn’t have been broken. I didn’t purchase it until this past year since they had a showcase discount and it has been working out well for me. I was hoping to put it to the real test this year with the convention season but due to the pandemic all of the conventions we were hoping to cover for the blog were all pushed back to next year but it doesn’t mean I can’t review this item for you all since I have been talking about it on our podcast, Nerdy Shique Transmissions.

 

Set Up: When you first purchase your Sunu Band you would have to download the Sunu Band App through either the App Store or Google Play. At first, I had a hard time finding the app but had to type in the full name into the search and got it. It will prompt you through the sync where you have to have the app and the band near each other to work. Once it’s synced, first is to calibrate it to be able to have proper measurements in detecting the obstacles. Which that is next!

 

Obstacle Detection: Anything in the world can be counted as an obstacle whether it’s a table, a chair, a wet floor sign and so much more, even a person can be one if they don’t move. I’ve seen it at the anime conventions I go to, heck I still remember at Holiday Matsuri where a group of girls were sitting in the middle of the ramp leading towards the elevator banks since we were heading back to our room. With the obstacle detection you can set up the distance between you and the object in front of you or someone coming near you whether in meters or feet, which I set mine to meters since I can’t see the obstacle until I get close to it. This does help me in detecting the obstacle and able to step aside or stop and put my cane in pencil grip mode in front of me.

 

Apps: Besides Obstacle Detection, which is an app, there are other apps with this device such as your Alarms App for any time you need it to wake you up or alert you if you need to be somewhere, your Compass App for knowing direction, and my favorite one is the Place Finder App. This allows you to be able to find a place in certain categories if you need to know where it is or if you’re getting close to it. One example is that I did take an Uber to a bagel shop and it was in a plaza shopping center and put this app to the test and had to raise my hand parallel to the horizon and told me what was in the plaza, as in any stores around it or restaurants if I wanted. One weak app would have to be the TapHaptics App where you can tap the side of your thigh twice for the vibrations to pause and be able to re-activate them by doing the same gesture again. If I am not in my professional clothes or a skirt that has stretch material and tried doing this app it has a hard time noticing you doing it. I prefer just pressing the Home Button that is on the button near the sonar dot and it will tell me the time, which does help since I don’t purchase Braille or talking watches anymore since I can hear the time through the app.

 

Is It Worth It? Yes! Reason being is that as either a total blind person or someone who has some light perception this device can be a big help especially in public where there will be a lot of items in the way and it’s hard to dodge. Yes, we do have a cane or a guide dog to help us know that there is something there but the message of cane to tap can be delayed in  a bit and that sometimes happens even when I sometimes have sighted guide. You can buy this for $300 or wait for an assistive technology show like A. T. I. A. or other shows across the country where you could get this for a discount. Also, with the app you have to make sure to put in the full name because there are some other apps that can get confused if you just type in Sunu and you have to make sure the company name is Sunu as well. What is also worth it to me is being able to have this on if I leave my cane in my office and walk between my classroom and office without it. I can use it to have the vibration detect a chair if I am carrying one of my devices or looking for my phone.

 

Rating: 4.5 Shooting Star Paw Prints Out of 5! I am knocking off five points due to how sometimes it can be a little hard getting some of the features to work like the Haptics App and of course the Compass App but if you know how to level your arm with the horizon then you could get it to work. I still prefer the Obstacle Detection the most due to how many obstacles can be placed in the way of my path, heck even a crowded store like Ulta or Hot Topic, even Bath & Body Works are perfect examples since they have a ton of displays to show their products. Back in the day before my mobility skills improved and this device I would run into those tables or accidentally knock over a hand soap or lotion sample. When I wore this band before the pandemic at Bath & Body, I was able to have it vibrate on the way out since my left eye has issues detecting anything on my left. Still a good device and now recharging mine so I can use it tomorrow when my dad visits.

 

That is, it for this post! I hope I will get to test this device at a convention and once I do I will definitely include it in my convention reviews because of how many things can get in the way such as artist tables, an R2 D2 can be controlled in some areas as an example, and so many more things. For now, I will be using this for normal day use when I do get out when I can. Once I post those reviews you will know over Twitter! What is next up on Nerdy SHique Universe? My Ipsy Glam Bag of course!

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by moonleopard85 on August 15, 2020  •  Permalink
Posted in Accessibility, Blindness, Personal Experience, Reviews, Technology

Posted by moonleopard85 on August 15, 2020

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2020/08/15/blind-tech-quadrant-sunu-band-review/

The Book Quadrant: Relating to Molly Berk’s Book

Hello to all of you beautiful nerds and welcome back from traveling the vast nerd universe. I am back with a new post!

Thoughts on It’s Not What It Looks Like by. Molly Berk

Disclaimer: This post is based on thoughts and opinions of the lead writer of this blog. Please respect her thoughts and how she relates to the material being presented. Thank you!

So, I am holding off the post on adaptive controllers since I had questions but am doing this one instead. Recently, at the beginning of May I bought myself a Kindle. I was asked by a co-worker if I knew about accessibility with the Kindle readers since the closest thing I had at the time was the Amazon Fire Tablet. Even though the accessibility is pretty good on that but after getting the Kindle it was slightly different. I am knowing you’re wondering how so? Well, you don’t get Voice View right away you need a Bluetooth device in order to have it to work whether through an earphone set or a speaker it will work with those. I would rather use headphones because some of the stuff I read is 21+ due to most of the material on NetGalley is not safe for the little ears or maybe family or spouse doesn’t want to know what stuff you’re reading so I like the privacy of doing it with headphones. Anyways, one thing I decided to try was of course Audible due to how everyone on my YouTube subscription feed raves about it and wanted to read one book in particular for a while now and that is It’s Not What It Looks Like by Molly Berk.

As you know that I have Retinitis Pigmentosa myself and I can relate to her minus the guide dog bit since I am not a dog person. I’m glad that at work it can be a choice if it’s something the person who has pretty good mobility like I do wants or doesn’t want. I will go into detail with that with why I didn’t want one since Molly touches upon that. As a YouTuber and makeup lover and I do love buying my nerd shirts and music tees from Hot Topic, conventions, House of Blues shows from my favorite bands and so on I am just me like her. I do have to say that this book was a good read and it’s something I recommend and I will touch on some points and have experienced some of these like she has. Let’s get to it shall we?

Being Diagnosed At A Young Age: The first thing I relate to this is that I was diagnosed at age fifteen which was the start of my high school years. Even though I was older than Molly when she was diagnosed but it was still a wall that I hit and just stopped me from getting my driving permit. Here in Florida you would get your permit at fifteen and get your license a year later which is sixteen and I was hoping to get myself a VW Beetle in a nice shade of blue. As you can tell blue is my favorite color due to how my nails was always was painted in every shade of it. Still my favorite shade is Midnight Blue from Sinful. Anyways, when Molly had her vision changes noticed was through her grandpa and how her eyes shook in her head and was taken to a lot of doctors and she found out that she also had Nystagmus which you probably have seen my interview with Apl DeAp since he has that same condition too alongside Steve Saylor the Blind Gamer. Unlike me, doctors thought I was fine when my mom kept on telling that I was always running into walls, tapping for things that fell and reaching around things that are in front of me. One good instance was when we were visiting family in Puerto Rico she tried handing me a glass of water while we were at a hotel and I reached around it not for it. She knew something’s up and doctors ignored her until one specialist at one office near us yelled at his assistant in front of everyone in the waiting area, “What do you mean there’s nothing wrong her!? There is something wrong with her!” After that visit, despite his attitude earlier that morning he did refer us to Miami and that was when I found out I had RP. It was like the floor collapsed underneath me at that second because it was devastating since like Molly I didn’t know anyone in my family that may have had it. My mom thinks it was from my dad’s side since some of my cousins are disabled from other types of disabilities. I didn’t know even when we had some genetic testing where we had blood taken and had to pay for results and it was way out of our usual budget. We will never know.
The Bullying: During the book, Molly talked about hose she was bullied during her time in school and knowing with having been bullied myself and looking back on it is that kids are mean! Even mean towards kids that are disabled. I was surprised that even adults were bribing kids to be with her by helping her out. I know it’s sad to hear that but I remembered how years before being diagnosed I was seen as someone who wasn’t smart, I was special yes and yes I did weird things like talk to my dolls by having conversations with them but most of the time the next door neighbor kids were either out with their families or don’t want to hang with me. They even chased me off by doing extremely mean things. The most I was bullied was middle school, especially in band class since this one guy always stole my music stand and I took his one day and he tried to get it since I knew it was in my space and held onto it with all my life. I think karma got back at him when one this one kid heavier than him punched him in the nose for taking his seat on the bus. I know ouch but it happened. My mom and I got back at him during my Freshmen year when he was still bullying me and calling me, pardon my French, a bitch, we went to his home and told his dad what he was doing and he left me alone after that. There were many more moments but I did like how Molly said when she mentioned that some kids tried to put a tray of ketchup in front of her to see if she steps in it and this was when her mother was picking her up, which by the way I love her mom, she told her mom after being asked if she knows what they are doing to her, “I know what they’re doing but it’s life! I am going somewhere where they are not.” Which I will be talking about that with my own life since looking back on that I did go somewhere else and it is great to hear that when she read it in her book.
Guide Dogs: As I said above is that I am a cane user not a guide dog user. Reason being is that I am not really a dog person. Yes, they are great and nice and dogs sometimes do gravitate towards me but I prefer cats. I do work with guide dog users but understand that it can be hard. Molly talked about how they are expensive, which is true since I knew a user from a blind support group that he mentioned that he has to get his dog groomed and give him an expensive pill and so on, which I think I would stick with a cane and it’s my choice. I do admit I did like Molly’s stories with Gypsy and Gallop and don’t mind meeting Gallop and I understand her frustrations too. I was surprised that so many people are making it harder for her and others to bring their service animals onto airlines and into other places and being asked for paperwork and certificates which there is no certificate, which the tell is the vest but now anyone can buy those things for their animals. I understand emotional support animals, heck a peacock, which also makes the allowances hard. If I had a guide dog myself and going anywhere I would go through the same thing. I even saw the NFB fight one of the airlines against paperwork requirements two years ago due to how people are bringing their pets onto these planes with these vests. Still makes me face palm.
Mental Health: One thing she did point out throughout this book and is a big one and that is mental health. She has gone through depression and anxiety due to her own disability and yes it is painful and glad she got through it in order to be her positive self. I admit here I have had depression and still have anxiety myself but live through it. My depression really came around when I graduated from college and knew that my routine of going to class and seeing my friends and reading my books while I was at it was coming to an end. Also, I was having a bit of a tear down in partying and that kind of made me lonely and that was also when I realized I was an extroverted person. I didn’t go to MegaCon during the last year of college and felt major burn out by the end of my studying. Also didn’t help having family and my counselor at the time judging me. I had to go through therapy to help me get over things, heck when I had one therapist over the phone I had to end it with her because I saw how negative she sounded and felt she wasn’t helping. This was my choice since I felt like I wasn’t having my career choice supported and my ways of getting to it was being supported. She was surprised I wanted to read in Braille to kids and thought it was bad. Imagine the record scratch right here! Even though that didn’t happen but I felt like I would have had some fun like my volunteering in my home school district since the middle school students were great when I worked with them. Now that is done, yes I do have some anxiety but it doesn’t rule my life due to how much I have changed it after I started working and have that routine again and get to do it with adaptive tech which I use every day in my life. Also, getting to live in an apartment and taking on my own responsibilities and being more creative with this website and the channel, so now I just keep myself in check.
Job Searching Being Tough: One last thing I do relate and that is job searching. She had a hard time with it as much as I had except I lived in Orlando where competition was stiff especially at the theme parks! It took me three years before I got the job I have now and here is the thing and knew from first glance is that my blind cane was the reason for being turned down. I know it sounds bad but I can tell since some people wonder how can I do the job being blind and I remembered the final job interview I had since I was told to look for jobs if the one I have now falls through and how I was in the interview I felt a bit of discomfort. It was not from the HR Manager, it was from her assistant. There were times when I tend to have conversations with both but this one she just wrote things down not communicating with me, she just let her boss talk and when I left I thought, I am not getting the call back aren’t I? So, I just waited until I got the call saying I was hired from my job. What I did find that was a bit jerkish was that Molly did have one company contact her and told her the reason she wasn’t hired and that was due to being blind and apparently that was against ADA which is pretty bad and rude. I guess I’m glad to get the job I have now since I wanted to do adaptive technology for the longest time and finding a writing job is not easy. Heck, I even felt I wasn’t good for customer service after doing a basics class on it. I’m happy for Molly being able to have her own business since she did start doing public speaking and being that advocate for us and that’s what we need and of course it shows that we’re not afraid speaking our minds. I was even happy to start the Nerdy SHique Universe YouTube to put our convention stuff on it and even interviews with people since it felt good to have that conversation with them.

Final Thoughts: I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. It felt as though I got to see another person with my eye condition go through their own story and seeing that we go through similar things and different experiences. I love her personality and love how she shows her own ways of doing makeup and getting her hair dyed at salons, since she doesn’t see her hair dyed purple it doesn’t mean she can’t have it. Heck, I admit I had blue hair twice and I sometimes wear wigs for costumes and colored extensions, I even use a straightening iron sometimes. I am also about to get press on nails for my first time. Anyways, listening to her read it gave it a really amazing personal touch since I got to hear her tell it rather than someone else reading it.

Do I recommend? Yes! Yes! Yes! Do I need to say more? This was a great first Audible read for me since it gave me a new book to read and getting to hear her read this was even greater. She did mention in the video while recording it that she had to accommodate to have it fed to her from someone else since it was taking too long to read it on her Braille Display. Yes, reading Braille can be a little slow but speed does improve even mine has improved. I would also say check out her YouTube Channel since it shows what she goes through while living in L. A. and glad I get to see it on YouTube and get to hear her story. And like she said, she has gone somewhere and I have done it too with living on the coast and having a life with my fiancé and of course getting to work a great career. Let’s see how things go from here!

That is it guys for this post! Check out It’s Not What It Looks Like through Kindle or Audible because it is a great read. Also, if you’re a parent going through a child with a visual impairment I would say is read this because it would give you some pointers since Molly’s mom had to go through it too and if you’re struggling with your condition it can give you some help in how to get through it in a way by hearing her own story dealing with the depression. I will be talking about some of this in my next podcast episode since I want to give an auditory account too which I say listen for that sometime this week! I am waiting on answers about the game controllers and the good news is that my Ipsy and GB Plus are on their way! I am just waiting on my tracking for my BoxyCharm to begin. So stay tuned!

By the way guys…forgot to mention is that if you get this book there are some trigger warnings which I didn’t touch upon in this post. I don’t want to give any triggers on here. Fair warning!
It’s Not What It Looks Like by Molly Berk

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by moonleopard85 on May 13, 2020  •  Link  •  Permalink
Posted in Blindness, Books, Personal Experience
Tagged , , ,

Posted by moonleopard85 on May 13, 2020

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2020/05/13/the-book-quadrant-relating-to-molly-berks-book/

The Blindness Quadrant: Making Friends, Sighted or Blind, As A Blind Person

Hello to all of my beautiful nerds and welcome back from traveling the vast nerd universe. I feel like bringing a new topic into the Blindness Quadrant today!

How to Make Friends, Both Sighted and Blind, as a Blind Person!

Disclaimer: This post is based not only based on response and opinion but also a real life experience. Please respect what I’m about to say on this since I have an opinion of what I think should be important!

I may not be the Princess Twilight Sparkle but tis post is based on something that happened to me recently and I wanted to make this post. Being visually impaired may cause some people to be more isolated or even alone and don’t have any friends until they either go to college or a Vocational Rehab Center or even start their job somewhere. There are some tendencies that can happen that can make others feel awkward or not and these tips can go either way and this is what I came up with!

Don’t Mention What You and Your Significant Other Do behind Closed Doors: Okay, this was part of my meet up with this one guy and it made it feel awkward and that is mentioning what he and his girl do behind closed doors. So, let me tell you the first part of the story and that on Facebook two weeks ago I believe I get a friend request from this one guy and accepted it since he was a mutual friend to some of my blind friends I knew from the past and today and then on Messenger he messages me about how he was doing a flag football thing with disabled people and responded with, “Hey that’s awesome!” And left it at that. I’m in my and Gondras’ room watching YouTube since I was kind of exhausted from work since I do wake up early every day for it. I get a call and it was him and answered to be polite and we talked and one of the things he mentioned how he and his girl had threesomes and that caused me to think:

Dude: “Me: I and my girl do this! How about you!?”
Me in Thought: What!?
Me in Response: Okay…what kind of phone you use?

I felt like in Mass Effect but with two responses where one goes in my head and then I say something else and what this guy was talking about made me feel awkward. I understand that there are times where a blind person can be an open book but we can’t always be an open book as in not everyone wants to know what you do behind closed doors! Not everyone is comfortable when it comes to talking about sex and I admit I had the same thoughts as my parents with it when I dated my ex ayes ago and about to be with Gondras and I became more mature as time goes on and just keep the stuff we do to myself and if I did talk about it my friends would be really uncomfortable if we first met. As in, please keep this stuff to yourself because we don’t want to make anyone feel awkward even with friendships.
Keep Sexual Orientation Under Wraps Unless You’re Comfortable to Mention It: A lot of people tend to come out of the closet but others have a hard time doing it and not everyone is too keen on others mentioning it on the first meet up. I don’t even reveal mine to friends I first meet unless I feel comfortable later but first time meeting this guy I did tell him because he revealed as we talked on Messenger his girlfriend’s sexuality and I was like and going with Mass Effect with my responses here:

Paragon: Really? Are you sure you should be telling me this?
Renegade: Why do I need to know this!?
Sarcasm Me: Great, now I feel like the spotlight is on me!

So, my tip is to keep this under wraps unless you’re more comfortable when the friendship continues. I have really great friends that supported me for the longest time especially with my personality and my disability and things like this when I meet someone new I don’t want to scare them off and that was how I felt! I felt scared and uncomfortable with this guy because this was a private thing like the first tip above because we don’t know each other. Just be nice and be on your merry way!
If you’re going TO Invite People, Just invite them To a Place Familiar Not Your Own: What I mean is that don’t invite people to your place right away even if it has awesome items like a hot tub or pool. I know that doesn’t make sense but hear me out. At first it felt like this guy wanted me to hang out for bowling at first and flag football meet ups even in the Messenger chat. I was cool with that but at the same time you know I’m busy with Nerdy Shique Universe whether it’s a video or a blog post and sometimes straightening up some stuff in our apartment, even now with our closet which is my latest project. I tried saying I might hang out and then he mentioned his place! As in wanting me to come over to cook for me and possibly swim in his pool at his complex and so on. I felt the red flags guys because after the first two tips I felt as though they may do something I may feel weird about. This kind of goes hand in hand with the next item but I feel that this was weird and getting too close and claustrophobic for me. When I met any of my friends we tend to hang out at bookstores, malls, and other places even after we first met because it would feel weird if we show up at first at their place. For instance, when we first met Tobi he just used the bus to get home and also we dropped him off at his dad’s place until he felt comfortable to let us visit once we got to know each other. We do have some of those friends that want to hang at their place on the first meet up but most of the time we have to head home from where we hang out at. Which brings me to the next point!
Understand that When Someone Can’t Hang Out Means They Can’t: I know this sounds disappointing but some of us are grownups and understanding that things do come up or someone has to be at work early in the morning the next day and that they can’t hang out or hang out until a certain time. Or if they get sick which does happen! For instance, when I first went through a bad allergy attack years ago, I couldn’t go see Skyfall with Gondras because I was sick! So, I had him take Nerdy Shirts with him instead. So now to fast forward with the story to Saturday night after having dinner at a newer Japanese place since our fave place in Orlando closed down. So, dude messages me again on Messenger and he asked about Sunday with the flag football thing and said that I will be busy and same with Gondras so we can’t make it. He sounded so immature in my head that he was just joking that he may cry or something. Our friends understand that we can’t hang out if we either got sick or if we’re at a convention and so on because we know each other long enough that things can happen or we’re really busy with work. Heck, I can’t answer messages as much at work every day from my own friends until I have a break in between. Heck, with understanding not wanting to hang out, heck I had another friend that I had to end a friendship recently but when I got back to being friends with them years ago he wanted to hang out but this was when I had family over for the summer and couldn’t hang out with him and his girlfriend at the time. This is a different person by the way! Anyways, also this dude tried to invite us to Disney too when we’re going to be in Orlando for RangerStop. I tried explaining that when we do press were busy and I told Gondras about this part since I asked for advice about this dude and we agreed that we only have the money for bills for November and going to RangerStop as in for food, probably some merch to pick up if we can, and of course our hotel room since we’re staying at the same place where the convention is at and plus our feet will be hurting at the end of the night like with every convention. Trust me, when I was at Omni and got back to our room I was out like a lamp! Even though dude tried pleading somewhat I said, “Can’t! Busy that weekend!” Since he and his girlfriend are going to be at Disney for holiday parties starting that weekend. If this was Tobi and Vivi, they would understand more since they know our schedule during conventions is pretty hectic. But nope, this is where the next point is important!
Know Your Boundaries: So, after talking with Gondras I had to put my foot down because I felt like my boundaries weren’t being respected by this dude. I felt like I was about to freak out and not kidding. I was glad I didn’t save his number when he tried calling mine after asking for it since I did have the Unknown Numbers to Voicemail thing on with my phone at the time due to telemarketers. Plus, he also tried asking for my photos since he was able to see some of my features and apparently he liked what he saw and wanted more, I only stuck it to one and that was when I knew I had to put my boundaries in place! Next morning I sent him a message on Messenger telling him that I have my guy and he has his girl and I have my life and he has his and that I felt uncomfortable with things and that we were also not into sports. So, I was taken out of the Messenger Group Chat and apparently he thought we were not on the same page since all he wanted was to hang out. Which I felt with the conversation Friday things were getting too much! My friends know that people do have boundaries and respect those. I remembered being a teen and I always wanted to talk to people on the phone so much I felt I annoyed them and did grow up out of it and now I respect their boundaries. I do ask my friends for advice but of course I only talk to them on and off since we do have our jobs or things we do on a daily basis. I did mention that I’m also busy and can’t always answer messages until break time.
The Mute Button Is Your Friend: If someone can’t take the hint that you want space, the mute button on Messenger, Twitter, and other places can be your friend. I had to block some annoying people myself on Messenger, even one recently that didn’t take the hint that I can’t talk due to taking a shower and need to get to bed. This dude I have talked to that weekend I had to mute him because he didn’t really take a hint of boundaries need to be made. I did mute him after seeing a message asking about my week when I had my allergies catch up to me and had to miss work. I know it was mean of me but I felt as though I would feel uncomfortable if we talked again. Sorry!
If It Gets Too Much, Let Them Go: There are times if the friendship goes downhill or gets too much it means it’s time to let that person go. I will use that one other guy as an example because he did say something really bad and that he wished he was blind like me! As you all know I don’t wish my eye condition on anyone even my own worst enemy! Being blind is not easy and the adjustment period is sometimes hard for some and easy for others. When this guy said that I felt like he doesn’t know what I go through despite having everything as in a fiancé that takes care of me, press opportunities, even a college degree but I worked hard to graduate, there are times where getting press can be hectic, and my fiancé has been with me since I revealed I was going blind and that was a true test. Now GOndras and I have been together for thirteen years and we’re living together. When I let him go as a friend, this guy by the way, it felt well actually because losing a friend is not easy but if they get too toxic then letting them go would be the best option. I have done better letting this guy go and people just find it awful that I had to hear that statement since they know my story even if it’s inspirational. Still, if something bad happens then letting them go is the best option.

Well guys that is it for this post. It felt good to get things off my chest and having friends is pretty important and I keep the friends I have closer to me for the longest time. There are boundaries when it comes to making those friends and understanding that you can’t always hang out due to other obligations. I hope some of you take some of these tips to heart and be careful with who you meet because they may end up acting like this dude above that I met recently so please just know some of us do have lives. Next post will be another book review! Stay tuned!

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by moonleopard85 on October 26, 2019  •  Permalink
Posted in Blindness, Personal Experience, Response and Opinion

Posted by moonleopard85 on October 26, 2019

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2019/10/26/the-blindness-quadrant-making-friends-sighted-or-blind-as-a-blind-person/

Adaptive Tech Quadrant: The OrCam: THe Better E-Sight

Hello to all of my beautiful nerds and welcome back from traveling the universe! Time to take a little detour with a new tech gadget!

OrCam: The Better E-Sight!

Disclaimer: This review on this product is based on thoughts, opinions, and observations of the lead writer of this blog. Please respect her thoughts!

Not kidding either. For those who are new in this Nerd Universe, back in January I tried a device called E-Sight. Gondras’ mom saw it on the Rachael Ray show and how someone was able to see again with this device and that it would help with my eye condition. So, I was placed on the waiting list for a while until they contacted me in January. Even though Gondras and I were skeptical, it felt like we were told it would. Guess what? It didn’t and tired seeing about success stories and the website didn’t show any. Even some someone I knew from a support group did try it but didn’t return all of his vision but did see some. So yes, good to know about these things since I had a feeling that it wouldn’t work and it didn’t since I couldn’t see my dad at all and the prisms didn’t refract to do what it needed to do since I learned more about prisms in my Human Eye class.

Now onto the new toy! OrCam on the other hand is a device clipped onto a pair of glasses or you can clip it onto your own pair of glasses but best to do it with plastic frames like the ones you have seen me wear in a few videos. This is a mini camera where you can point and have it take pictures and read out text, read out labels on a bottle or a can and other items, color, and a lot more. It’s Seeing A. I. but on steroids! Also, there is a version where it just reads but I tried the Seeing A. I. version and I used it on my 3DS. Thank you Florida Vision Tech for this demo and coming to demo at the Center for the Visually Impaired.

How Did It Work? A lot better than E-Sight! Yes, it was a little tricky trying to get my finger to point and listen for the shutter since some people were talking. Good thing is that there was a Bluetooth speaker connected since this is also a Bluetooth device which is a major bonus due to how there are Bluetooth devices for anything even earbuds. I tried it out with my 3Ds because I remembered years ago at MegaCon Orlando 2017 that Troy Baker yelled out about finding ways of making gaming accessible and after seeing OrCam for my first time it had my gears turning in my head. When I heard about this demo I wanted to see about how it will read off the dual screens. Even one of my co-workers during lunch said it should. When I had it on, I pointed at the screens and it read out the battery charge at first which it was 10% which didn’t know I had that much left. Then I tried to see about reading the text the Pokémon team I have on my bottom screen and it did. One of my other co-workers was surprise I was playing a Pokémon game after hearing a Pokémon name. I didn’t hear the feedback from OrCam but now I know it does work! It doesn’t work with stylized fonts. Hey, it works!

I did over hear some of the other students and the Florida Vision Tech people helping them and how they used it such as finding French on the creamer bottle which it does read Spanish and French, even the face recognition where if you have someone turn their face to have OrCam catch it and then record their name then whenever you see that person again with it it will recognize them! Could be handy for me when there are a lot of people at different tables at conventions like RangerStop for example? Sometimes I get people mixed up when it’s loud in one space. Anyways, I did ask about object recognition and they said that’s in the works since there were times where people at any vendor tables told me to look around but had to point at my cane as a way of saying, “Hey, can’t see!” At least I don’t have that issue with anyone I have shopped from before.

Do I Want It? Yes! Oh man yes! Even though this is in the thousands, this item will help me out in being able to see and many other people do this as well. No wonder this thing appeared on the Dr. Phil show since it is something we can use. Good thing is that it’s compact and portable and you can wear it on a lanyard if need be. Also, like security systems, appliances, and other smart thermostats, you can control the settings with an app and that is what I may do since I could only do bits of text but setting it to automatic read would be the best for me if I get my paws on this.

If you’re visually impaired and heard of E-Sight and OrCam I would say look into OrCam more because this has more success so far for what has been shown in person and plus it does run on better tech than E-Sight since prisms have to refract at certain angles in order to produce the light necessary when going through the eye. Unlike OrCam it’s just cameras and audio.

Well guys! If you have a vendor in your part of the universe at an American Council for the Blind or National Federation of the Blind Convention in your state or going to the national one in Las Vegas in July check this device out if it’s on display. While me, it looks like Go Fund Me will be happening because this thing can help me out greatly. Stay tuned on Twitter on news whenever it goes up.

That is it guys! I will put the Dr. Phil clip for you guys to see and again thanks Florida Vision Tech! And next Adaptive Tech item is…ugh…The Tap! Until next time!
HH

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by moonleopard85 on June 1, 2019  •  Video  •  Permalink
Posted in Accessibility, Blindness, Personal Experience, Technology

Posted by moonleopard85 on June 1, 2019

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2019/06/01/adaptive-tech-quadrant-the-orcam-the-better-e-sight/

Favorites Quadrant: January & February 2019

Hello to all of my beautiful nerds and welcome back to Nerdy SHique Universe! It is time for my Favorites of January and February 2019!

Favorites: January & February 2019!

Favorite Device: Tap! First is something new to my collection of adaptive devices and it’s known as the Tap. It’s something that was new last year and didn’t get to see it during the NFB National Convention last year and finally got to see it during A. T. I. A. in Orlando which me and the rest of my co-workers along with students went to to check out the new tech companies were making. It is a glove where censors are on your knuckles and you get to tap letters and words and get to learn through their apps. It does get frustrating even with some of the letters but after completing the level becomes more satisfying. It doesn’t cost much either, it’s $199 and you do get a coupon from the website by spinning a wheel or going to an event which I did get when going to A. T. I. A. which gave me $25 off. I will give a full on review and a demo soon so stay tuned!

Favorite Low Tech Device: Braille Color Tags! Another item in the adaptive tech department is something I’ve been using with my work clothes and they are Braille Color Tags and glad I love these. They are tags with letters that represent colors like the letters b, l, l which means light blue in Braille. I was introduced to these through one of the other teachers at work and she gave me a small packet to try out and found them through the Braille Superstore and picked up a bag which I ended up two after they had to send them again when they got returned due to not having my apartment number. I did order them again and now I have a lot of labels to use. These are cheaper on Braille Superstore than Maxi Aids and you do get free shipping. What you can do with these is either sew them on or just pin them with a safety pin, which I use the safety pins and you barely notice them while wearing something. They are also washable. Also, I would suggest saving the webpage with these because it gives you a guide of which tag stands for what so you wouldn’t get confused. I do love with green, blue, purple, and pink they do have an l and a d to distinguish dark and light versions of the color. I will definitely buy more of these.

Beauty Box Wrap Up: Since I am back with Boxy and now about to get Allure Beauty Box, it’s time to talk about the items I got and what I think!

January Ipsy: January’s Ipsy was not bad since I felt like the items were not bad of choice. I did like the Ella & Eden eye shadow in Willow due to how well it blended and went on very smoothly with a brush. I did see how much the single was from this brand and it is a little pricey but what you can do with a higher end brand. I may get Willow again since it’s a nice burgundy shade and can go with my burgundy outfits. The Hempz lip balm is okay due to how drying it feels on my lips. I prefer my Lip Smackers over this item because with my Lip Smackers they go on more smoothly when this was more of a gel over a stick. I was hoping to get it as a stick but seeing that the ingredients included various oils I can see where it was in the tube. I will use it up though. I haven’t used the Color Club nail polish yet but will get to it eventually. I did see a set for sale but not in my kind of shades but hey I will be looking forward to this one. The Illamasqua eyeliner, on the other hand, I love it! It’s a dark brown for it being a nude liner but it does go well with my work makeup. It’s hard to find a nude liner in the stores anymore and I am glad that Ipsy gave this one out in January and hoping to get more products by these guys. And I lost my Balm Alternative Rock blush. I don’t ’now what had happened but it went missing. I did buy the pallet itself and was able to use the blush that way and man it’s much pigmented. I highly recommend The Balm as a brand and I still want to get their Nude Beach pallet.
February Ipsy: This month was a better bag and I got the Doucce Graphic Eyeliner pen. Funny thing is that this was also in the Allure box for February but didn’t subscribe to that until today. Glad I got it in this bag. It glided on pretty well for a marker and I just do pretty thin lines since I don’t want to have too bold of line going into work every day. Glad to get this one! Marc Anthony Strengthening Grow Mask is something I have just tried tonight for my first time. I noticed how my hair is really soft after using this product but need to use it more to get the full benefits. Eyeko Lash Alert mascara was amazing for a small sample. It did separate my lashes and curled them up like no other and I am glad to get a full size one through Ipsy through their Shopper page. I hope they give more mascaras because it took them almost a year to give me one. Please keep them coming! Inra Cosmo Nail Polish in Pulse is an easy to chip formula. I think I am either harsh with my nails or the formula can’t stay on even with top and base coat. By the next day all my nails started chipping which made me mad. I will redo my nails to see if the color will stay this time if I don’t cook or do the dishes or even with the next day. Laqr & Company PH Gloss was okay! I can’t see the difference since I can’t see myself wearing the color in the mirror I do notice how it’s barely on my lips but it does go on pretty well.

All I have to say that these two bags starting the year weren’t that bad for what they have sent me when it came to products. I did use them all even though I did get the pallet where the Balm blush came from. I can’t wait what March brings!

Boxy Charm:

January 2019: The Biaggio Leave-In Conditioning spray was a great item. I do like how soft my hair was after spraying this every time I shampoo or dry shampoo to keep my hair going frizzy. It also had a nice smell to it which is a great thing. It was saddening to see it being finished and tossed out because I loved this product for what it was. Next is the Tacha Face Masks and these kept my face moisturized. Ever since I moved to the coast my skin has changed over time and it was even drier due to the cold weather that always came in throughout December and January. These masks helped my skin from going cray and did moisturize it very well and it was good they included two masks instead of one. All thanks to these I did start purchasing sheet masks and so far so good my skin is calming down even if I am using two weeks at a time to keep my skin from going crazy. I have loved the Ofra Everlasting Liquid Lipstick for the longest time and I got it in the shade Havana Nights which is one of Kathleen Lights’ collaborations and she did help with creating this box. It has a new packaging design where it’s a box shape rather than a round tube and loving it better this way since it makes it more unique. I wear this at work sometimes or when I am not at work other times so it is still a favorite! I got a Star Lux eyeliner again but didn’t use it yet since I do have other black eyeliners to get through. Finally, the Tarte Rain Forest of the Sea Vol. 3 pallet! I never have gotten any other pallet from Tarte until this one which came in my Boxy. It is a mini pallet with eight shades and it is pretty good for travel. I did use this in my last Makeup Storytime video and it did blend pretty well. I hope to use this pallet more and glad to get it since it looks like another volume of this line will be out soon and hope to get it in the box.

February 2019: This was an okay box with what I got this month. First is the Touch & Soul No Poreblem Primer. I found this item not being a favorite because I felt like it was too dry for my liking. I love more of a Dewey primer since my skin is so dry and yes it claimed to do that but not enough. I felt like it dried to fast before I put any foundation on top so not a great product for me. I think a person with oily skin should get this primer over someone with dry skin. The Too Faced Better than Sex mascara was not my favorite as a sample but it worked a lot better for me as a full size because it did not flake. I think it’s because the formula in the sample is not the same in full size and I can see that very easily when it flaked more in the sample than the full. I did wear this mascara on Valentine’s Day when I did a look with the Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar pallet and someone at work did compliment on how my eyes looked. Next the Pretty Vulgar Highlighter was a pretty good highlighter and was pretty nice to apply. I am so glad to try this brand out this way because I have heard good things and good to try it through a subscription like this. It is pretty pricey for what you get but glad to get it in a subscription and good to know how well the product works. Next the Clean Bee Face Wash from Pharmacy. I never tried anything from Pharmacy before until this product. I thought it was okay for what it was but if I use any other skin products it causes a bit of a weird sting to it because of how it was working afterwards and did feel a slight warm sensation to my skin. I am not sure if it’s due to the adding on my Clearisil face wash and face pads that are causing this but I do notice it too while using my E. L. F. moisturizer the next morning where it has a slight sting to it. I am glad I will only use this product just once from this box because yes it does work but I don’t like the feeling afterwards. Finally, the Trestique Lip Glaze and Primer in English Rose! I was glad to try the full size of this item since I do have a pretty good lip primer already. This is pretty much the bigger size to the mini version and it does cost more due to the primer at the bottom. I do get the minis since they do work the same. This is a perfect makeup product for work since it’s not too intense.

Well, I preferred January’s box because I preferred the sheet masks more. I felt like I could use the products in that box more since the face items in February’s did give me a weird feeling afterwards especially the face wash. I did see what is coming in March’s box so far and can’t wait to see what I may get if there are more than one variation of the products since one of them you have to do your quiz since it deals with skin tone and I can’t wait to see what that will bring!

Sheet Masks: Yes to Tomatoes Acne Mask! I have been getting sheet masks for a month now and glad that I went through Ulta and bought a few first and did get a set of twelve through Ipsy and now waiting on one with not only sheet masks but also eye gels from Ipsy too. I do have to say I have tried one and that is the Yes to Tomatoes Acne mask. I know it’s weird for me to have one like this but I do have some spots on my cheeks and decided to try this one out first. I was afraid that it would give my skin a bad reaction but it didn’t. Years ago when I tried getting into skin care my mom tried to have me use a tomato scrub but it reacted badly with my skin. Using this was more refreshing and didn’t smell bad either. Next morning my zit patches caused them to come up and be more of a white head. It feels good and it did some wonders, I may have to get more of this mask to get more results.

Not So Favorite Mask: Yes to Coconuts Hydrating Mask! While getting the masks I chose I got another Yes to one and that is the one Yes to Coconuts and was supposed to be a hydrating one. This one gave me a bit of a burning sensation. I am not sure if it was due to the Clearisil face pads but it was kind of a bit burning and didn’t give me anything like a red mark either. It did die down as time goes on during the time I set it for. I don’t think I will get this one anymore since it did have that burning sensation. I hope the others don’t give me that since I have a few from Tony Moley and one from Memevox.

An Okay Moisturizer: E. L. F. Daily Hydrating Moisturizer! With my quest for trying out new moisturizers I have found the E. L. F. I have been using being a little okay for me. I found the packaging interesting where it is a tube with a pump and it is sometimes not able to have it come out as well so I have to pump it out three times to get it out evenly. Plus, I don’t feel like it’s not moisturizing enough after applying. At least next I will be trying something different.

New Eye Primer: MAC Pro Long Wear Paint Pot in Laying Low! Next is a MAC Paint Pot I do love and that is in Laying Low. I understand that people say Soft Ocher and Painterly are the best due to how well shadows lay on top since yellow tones and whites are the best for using eye shadow bases. What I find it interesting is that creamy beige also works out since NYX does have a beige eye base. I decided to try this out since I wanted to rotate the colors to see how it goes and it does work out very well. After putting on my shadows, it does give a smooth base and you do see the shadows very well. I think this made my shadows pop out more even when I did the Valentine’s Day look this year. I would say try it out if you don’t want to go for the other two since beige can Hello to all of my beautiful nerds and welcome back to Nerdy SHique Universe! It is time for my Favorites of January and February 2019!

Favorites: January & February 2019!

Favorite Device: Tap! First is something new to my collection of adaptive devices and it’s known as the Tap. It’s something that was new last year and didn’t get to see it during the NFB National Convention last year and finally got to see it during A. T. I. A. in Orlando which me and the rest of my co-workers along with students went to to check out the new tech companies were making. It is a glove where censors are on your knuckles and you get to tap letters and words and get to learn through their apps. It does get frustrating even with some of the letters but after completing the level becomes more satisfying. It doesn’t cost much either, it’s $199 and you do get a coupon from the website by spinning a wheel or going to an event which I did get when going to A. T. I. A. which gave me $25 off. I will give a full on review and a demo soon so stay tuned!

Favorite Low Tech Device: Braille Color Tags! Another item in the adaptive tech department is something I’ve been using with my work clothes and they are Braille Color Tags and glad I love these. They are tags with letters that represent colors like the letters b, l, l which means light blue in Braille. I was introduced to these through one of the other teachers at work and she gave me a small packet to try out and found them through the Braille Superstore and picked up a bag which I ended up two after they had to send them again when they got returned due to not having my apartment number. I did order them again and now I have a lot of labels to use. These are cheaper on Braille Superstore than Maxi Aids and you do get free shipping. What you can do with these is either sew them on or just pin them with a safety pin, which I use the safety pins and you barely notice them while wearing something. They are also washable. Also, I would suggest saving the webpage with these because it gives you a guide of which tag stands for what so you wouldn’t get confused. I do love with green, blue, purple, and pink they do have an l and a d to distinguish dark and light versions of the color. I will definitely buy more of these.

Beauty Box Wrap Up: Since I am back with Boxy and now about to get Allure Beauty Box, it’s time to talk about the items I got and what I think!

January Ipsy: January’s Ipsy was not bad since I felt like the items were not bad of choice. I did like the Ella & Eden eye shadow in Willow due to how well it blended and went on very smoothly with a brush. I did see how much the single was from this brand and it is a little pricey but what you can do with a higher end brand. I may get Willow again since it’s a nice burgundy shade and can go with my burgundy outfits. The Hempz lip balm is okay due to how drying it feels on my lips. I prefer my Lip Smackers over this item because with my Lip Smackers they go on more smoothly when this was more of a gel over a stick. I was hoping to get it as a stick but seeing that the ingredients included various oils I can see where it was in the tube. I will use it up though. I haven’t used the Color Club nail polish yet but will get to it eventually. I did see a set for sale but not in my kind of shades but hey I will be looking forward to this one. The Illamasqua eyeliner, on the other hand, I love it! It’s a dark brown for it being a nude liner but it does go well with my work makeup. It’s hard to find a nude liner in the stores anymore and I am glad that Ipsy gave this one out in January and hoping to get more products by these guys. And I lost my Balm Alternative Rock blush. I don’t ’now what had happened but it went missing. I did buy the pallet itself and was able to use the blush that way and man it’s much pigmented. I highly recommend The Balm as a brand and I still want to get their Nude Beach pallet.
February Ipsy: This month was a better bag and I got the Doucce Graphic Eyeliner pen. Funny thing is that this was also in the Allure box for February but didn’t subscribe to that until today. Glad I got it in this bag. It glided on pretty well for a marker and I just do pretty thin lines since I don’t want to have too bold of line going into work every day. Glad to get this one! Marc Anthony Strengthening Grow Mask is something I have just tried tonight for my first time. I noticed how my hair is really soft after using this product but need to use it more to get the full benefits. Eyeko Lash Alert mascara was amazing for a small sample. It did separate my lashes and curled them up like no other and I am glad to get a full size one through Ipsy through their Shopper page. I hope they give more mascaras because it took them almost a year to give me one. Please keep them coming! Inra Cosmo Nail Polish in Pulse is an easy to chip formula. I think I am either harsh with my nails or the formula can’t stay on even with top and base coat. By the next day all my nails started chipping which made me mad. I will redo my nails to see if the color will stay this time if I don’t cook or do the dishes or even with the next day. Laqr & Company PH Gloss was okay! I can’t see the difference since I can’t see myself wearing the color in the mirror I do notice how it’s barely on my lips but it does go on pretty well.

All I have to say that these two bags starting the year weren’t that bad for what they have sent me when it came to products. I did use them all even though I did get the pallet where the Balm blush came from. I can’t wait what March brings!

Boxy Charm:

January 2019: The Biaggio Leave-In Conditioning spray was a great item. I do like how soft my hair was after spraying this every time I shampoo or dry shampoo to keep my hair going frizzy. It also had a nice smell to it which is a great thing. It was saddening to see it being finished and tossed out because I loved this product for what it was. Next is the Tacha Face Masks and these kept my face moisturized. Ever since I moved to the coast my skin has changed over time and it was even drier due to the cold weather that always came in throughout December and January. These masks helped my skin from going cray and did moisturize it very well and it was good they included two masks instead of one. All thanks to these I did start purchasing sheet masks and so far so good my skin is calming down even if I am using two weeks at a time to keep my skin from going crazy. I have loved the Ofra Everlasting Liquid Lipstick for the longest time and I got it in the shade Havana Nights which is one of Kathleen Lights’ collaborations and she did help with creating this box. It has a new packaging design where it’s a box shape rather than a round tube and loving it better this way since it makes it more unique. I wear this at work sometimes or when I am not at work other times so it is still a favorite! I got a Star Lux eyeliner again but didn’t use it yet since I do have other black eyeliners to get through. Finally, the Tarte Rain Forest of the Sea Vol. 3 pallet! I never have gotten any other pallet from Tarte until this one which came in my Boxy. It is a mini pallet with eight shades and it is pretty good for travel. I did use this in my last Makeup Storytime video and it did blend pretty well. I hope to use this pallet more and glad to get it since it looks like another volume of this line will be out soon and hope to get it in the box.

February 2019: This was an okay box with what I got this month. First is the Touch & Soul No Poreblem Primer. I found this item not being a favorite because I felt like it was too dry for my liking. I love more of a Dewey primer since my skin is so dry and yes it claimed to do that but not enough. I felt like it dried to fast before I put any foundation on top so not a great product for me. I think a person with oily skin should get this primer over someone with dry skin. The Too Faced Better than Sex mascara was not my favorite as a sample but it worked a lot better for me as a full size because it did not flake. I think it’s because the formula in the sample is not the same in full size and I can see that very easily when it flaked more in the sample than the full. I did wear this mascara on Valentine’s Day when I did a look with the Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar pallet and someone at work did compliment on how my eyes looked. Next the Pretty Vulgar Highlighter was a pretty good highlighter and was pretty nice to apply. I am so glad to try this brand out this way because I have heard good things and good to try it through a subscription like this. It is pretty pricey for what you get but glad to get it in a subscription and good to know how well the product works. Next the Clean Bee Face Wash from Pharmacy. I never tried anything from Pharmacy before until this product. I thought it was okay for what it was but if I use any other skin products it causes a bit of a weird sting to it because of how it was working afterwards and did feel a slight warm sensation to my skin. I am not sure if it’s due to the adding on my Clearisil face wash and face pads that are causing this but I do notice it too while using my E. L. F. moisturizer the next morning where it has a slight sting to it. I am glad I will only use this product just once from this box because yes it does work but I don’t like the feeling afterwards. Finally, the Trestique Lip Glaze and Primer in English Rose! I was glad to try the full size of this item since I do have a pretty good lip primer already. This is pretty much the bigger size to the mini version and it does cost more due to the primer at the bottom. I do get the minis since they do work the same. This is a perfect makeup product for work since it’s not too intense.

Well, I preferred January’s box because I preferred the sheet masks more. I felt like I could use the products in that box more since the face items in February’s did give me a weird feeling afterwards especially the face wash. I did see what is coming in March’s box so far and can’t wait to see what I may get if there are more than one variation of the products since one of them you have to do your quiz since it deals with skin tone and I can’t wait to see what that will bring!

Sheet Masks: Yes to Tomatoes Acne Mask! I have been getting sheet masks for a month now and glad that I went through Ulta and bought a few first and did get a set of twelve through Ipsy and now waiting on one with not only sheet masks but also eye gels from Ipsy too. I do have to say I have tried one and that is the Yes to Tomatoes Acne mask. I know it’s weird for me to have one like this but I do have some spots on my cheeks and decided to try this one out first. I was afraid that it would give my skin a bad reaction but it didn’t. Years ago when I tried getting into skin care my mom tried to have me use a tomato scrub but it reacted badly with my skin. Using this was more refreshing and didn’t smell bad either. Next morning my zit patches caused them to come up and be more of a white head. It feels good and it did some wonders, I may have to get more of this mask to get more results.

Not So Favorite Mask: Yes to Coconuts Hydrating Mask! While getting the masks I chose I got another Yes to one and that is the one Yes to Coconuts and was supposed to be a hydrating one. This one gave me a bit of a burning sensation. I am not sure if it was due to the Clearisil face pads but it was kind of a bit burning and didn’t give me anything like a red mark either. It did die down as time goes on during the time I set it for. I don’t think I will get this one anymore since it did have that burning sensation. I hope the others don’t give me that since I have a few from Tony Moley and one from Memevox.

An Okay Moisturizer: E. L. F. Daily Hydrating Moisturizer! With my quest for trying out new moisturizers I have found the E. L. F. I have been using being a little okay for me. I found the packaging interesting where it is a tube with a pump and it is sometimes not able to have it come out as well so I have to pump it out three times to get it out evenly. Plus, I don’t feel like it’s not moisturizing enough after applying. At least next I will be trying something different.

New Eye Primer: MAC Pro Long Wear Paint Pot in Laying Low! Next is a MAC Paint Pot I do love and that is in Laying Low. I understand that people say Soft Ocher and Painterly are the best due to how well shadows lay on top since yellow tones and whites are the best for using eye shadow bases. What I find it interesting is that creamy beige also works out since NYX does have a beige eye base. I decided to try this out since I wanted to rotate the colors to see how it goes and it does work out very well. After putting on my shadows, it does give a smooth base and you do see the shadows very well. I think this made my shadows pop out more even when I did the Valentine’s Day look this year. I would say try it out if you don’t want to go for the other two since beige can be a good color option.

Well, that is it for this list of Favorites! Next up is my review on RWBY Volume 6! I finally saw the end and I will tell you my thoughts! So stay tuned!
be a good color option.

Well, that is it for this list of Favorites! Next up is my review on RWBY Volume 6! I finally saw the end and I will tell you my thoughts! So stay tuned!

Leave a comment
by moonleopard85 on March 3, 2019  •  Permalink
Posted in beauty, Blindness, Favorites, Technology

Posted by moonleopard85 on March 3, 2019

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2019/03/03/favorites-quadrant-january-february-2019/

Technology: ESight

Hello to all of my beautiful nerds traveling the vast universe! I am back with another Assistive Tech Post!

ESight

I bet you’re wondering, “What is ESight?” Well, it is a pair of glasses that has a camera that is attached to them and what it does it tries to give someone who has lost some sight regain some of it back to be able to see in front of them again. This was developed in Canada a few years back and well Momma Gondras saw it on Rachael Ray and saw someone was able to see with these glasses and they were talking about how it worked for them. I have met people that has tried these glasses out and one person it didn’t work out for them while the other it did. Reason why I am writing about it here is because I tried them today.

How I Got Onto the List? Well, like most places there is a waiting list for this thing due to how long of a list to demo these glasses can be a high demand. I want to tell you a little bit about my past before I got onto this list.

When I got diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, I wanted to find ways of seeing again since I was an artist and well you know makeup has been a new creative outlook for me and still wanted to find ways of seeing again and able to draw again. Not only that drive too since my dream car is still a VW Beetle in blue, either the old Herby model or the newer ones since I am not picky. Anyways, I always saw an eye specialist in Miami and he was helping me with research in getting something to help me see again but as time went on my hopes kind of stalled out since I was getting comfortable with my visual impairment even before getting my job as an Adaptive Tech Instructor. That was when Momma Gondras came in last year and it was during Irma hitting. I told her my plans in being a tech instructor since it is a field that they need more people in and volunteering at the middle school I used to go to was helping me get over some hurdles that I have noticed during my work experience and she was asking me about job related stuff and it was hard for me to answer to tell you truth. Heck, I wanted to go back to school even for my Grad Certificate for Adaptive Tech. After that, I learned that I shouldn’t share my dreams with the future-in-law if they don’t share the same ideas or aspirations as you. Apparently, there were things and said and done which was that Gondras put me on the waiting list for ESight. I was surprised by that because I wasn’t expecting it due to how skeptical we felt about it and will get to that.
Why Were We Skeptical? Now! I and Gondras were skeptical about this device because we didn’t get that much information through the website and that is why I don’t feel like posting the link, best to Google search for yourself. Most websites that talk about tech items do talk about the specs of the item, what it is exactly and so on. For example, I will use Apple for this. For a lot of their products they talk about how big their Mac Books or even their IPads, heck the newer IPhones with the height and width, what the camera is like, Siri of course, and the latest I OS that will be coming with the device and what else can be done with that particular product. With the ESight website, on the other hand, the information is repetitive, not too much to talk about even with pricing, and doesn’t give success stories if it has worked for a lot of people.

What even has me more worrisome is that it lists off different eye conditions that it can help but the issue is that people have different types of an eye condition and the degree of sight can change over time, which I will tell my experience with this device next due to my degree of vision. Plus, an eye condition can take place at any time in life, like me with getting my condition in high school for example and going blind at twenty-three. Not only have that, depending on the amount of sighted loss it can be tough to regain which I will tell you my experience now!

My Experience with These Glasses! Trust me, I was really not looking forward to this demo since I did take the day to do it due to how bad traffic can get between Daytona and Orlando, especially the part of town it was taking place. I felt a bit off with the address first, but let me start with the call though. I was working on my Chrome Book when I got the call and the person was very friendly and told me that he was from ESight and explained things that looking back at the website now was not mentioned there. A little red flag right there! Oh yes, the Red Flag Kitties were there waving their little flags! I had a feeling if I turned them down I wouldn’t be left alone without guilt after waiting on the list since 2017 after Irma. Got to talking more and got some pricing, which looking at the website, another Red Flag Kitty pops up because he mentioned the prices and how low it has gotten and I remembered the fundraising option if it did work. This device was originally $10,000 which is more than the Braille Note Touch and the Braille Sense Polaris on their own own. Even though they dropped the price it would have taken most of my pay and have me eating ramen for the next few months and probably skip more conventions and probably makeup re-stocking. And not only that, there was a home trial but it is a risk to take because if these didn’t work you lose $500. For anyone who wants to try these you are getting some warning while reading this and I care. I even almost had a major spit take with the home trial option.

So, fast forward to today. Getting to Orlando was a breeze even though there was some traffic on Sand Lake which the address that was given was at an office building that felt like in the middle of nowhere. I have gone to similar buildings but they did have names when it came to job interviews but this was kind of weird in a way since I didn’t know where I was going and I remembered that one guy I used to know had his demo at a hotel. I think it would have been better if it was in a place that is well-known like an office inside of a mall or at a doctor’s office, heck even at one of the Lighthouse locations would have been nice since that was mentioned during my demo. Getting into the building was even more of a pain because the elevator in the parking garage was a freight even though we were able to get to the basement level, yes it has one of those, and the stairs were leading to doors either private or there was no exit on the floor I was supposed to be on. I am not kidding, I felt like I was in a bad Escher painting. With my experiences being at my dad’s doctors or other parts of Orlando with parking garages with office buildings at least I could get in and out without a problem. Anyways, so we got in and was seen pretty quickly.

So, it started off telling the salesman about myself, my degree of vision, and he did explain what the glasses were, what the camera does, and that it doesn’t work for everyone, oh right also get to adjust the glasses if need be with a remote that is attached. He also had me try and see one of those eye charts we always get tested on. I admitted I only saw his arm holding it not the card since I can only see in my peripheral which brings up another red flag which I will get to the next point of the story. So, the glasses felt like standard blind man glasses as in sunglasses with a camera attached and there was a strap to hold them on. The strap felt like a tourniquet. I know it’s supposed to be adjustable but I felt my head getting tighter despite the adjustment and. So, he had me try to see my dad with these on and unfortunately I couldn’t. My dad did not appear clearly which they were supposed to. So, this brings up that one Red Flag Kitty which the person on the phone explained that with my RP versus the standard that it can be worked with the camera versus the tunnel vision standard. With the demo it shows that it didn’t! The guy in the room did say reason why it didn’t work on me is due to the lack of natural vision that is left in my peripherals and I can see why.

How I went blind was an interesting tidbit which I will share here. When I was trying to draw something a few days after designing my first costume on paper, I noticed my right eye turning. It was like a hurricane on a weather map and knew that I lost my right eye and then a year or so after my left eye followed and yes I may still have some vision in my peripheral like a flounder but not enough for these glasses. I am taking Anatomy of the Human Eye I and I learned so far that not all eye conditions are the same even with mine. I have met people in the past that are going through RP but different versions even different ways with the same thing as mine. These people working on ESight feel to me, well mostly to my dad, is that they are just there to sell the product. Plus, Gondras did bring up that it feels like a VR set that is not made to fit a certain degree of vision that a person may have and should make the tech help for those different degrees of sight loss and I agree with him. I did tell him that we were right about not working but at least I did try it for free rather than shelling out major cash. Even my dad asked if we had to pay up front. It can happen with some places.

Final Thoughts: Even though the glasses didn’t work one me doesn’t mean it won’t work for anyone but I would say is that think before signing up for a demo because the website is not a good place to check because the pages repeat the same information over and over and once you’re on the phone with someone or there at the demo that is where the true information is given.

I’m sorry but being a bit harsh here, also honest, but when looking for something like this you need more information, actual testimonials to see if it worked, and give the price tag on the website and any information about how to get the funds to pay for it. If it had worked for me, then I would have a Go Fund Me raise the money for one after hearing someone have this device work for them.

Another thing is, please don’t go in with hopes of it working. Technology works in different ways and can either work great or not for someone who tests that new toy. Just know that yes it is a possibility of seeing again but if it doesn’t work out then find a different avenue which I did appreciate the guy giving an alternative for something similar. And now looking at it, I am also thinking that the people who worked on this device should look more into eye diseases because not all of them work the same way, they get diagnosed differently and people have different ways of losing their sight due to that condition like I had. Not only that, get a better website because I feel it needs to show better information about the product and how it works and explain the tech better. Plus, the pricing which is the first question on a lot of people’s minds when going into something like this. Even when I tried confirming on their website, it did have a question, “If this does restore some residual vision, how much will you pay?” And gives you options from highest to lowest so that is why a price guide on the main website can help.

So yeah, if you’re thinking about having a demo, just look out for some things even with the website and if not, I understand!

Well, that is it for this experience. I know it was an interesting experience with the building I went to but I rather try this at a doctor’s office or at a Lighthouse knowing that I am in a safe and familiar environment. Plus, I feel as though that this device should be improved upon even with the website because of how many eye conditions can happen at any moment. Which I need to get back to that Human Eye class because I am learning a lot of stuff as time goes on.

That is it for this post. Sorry for a bit of a mishap but my Boxy Charm was not shipped yet so hoping to see if it will soon because I have seen some people on YouTube get theirs so far. Next up is one of our interviews from Holiday Matsuri! Stay tuned!

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by moonleopard85 on January 9, 2019  •  Permalink
Posted in Blindness, Personal Experience, Reviews, Technology

Posted by moonleopard85 on January 9, 2019

https://nerdyshiqueuniverse.com/2019/01/09/technology-esight/

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