UbiDuo-- the next fad!

UbiDuo is great but because I can hear, I really don't need it most of the time. However, due to my hearing/speech impairement, if a person can't understand me what I'm saying or I can understand what a person are saying to me, I could just grab a UbiDuo and start typing; thus, makes it clearer for me and others to understand me and that I can understand what others are saying to me.
 
I know the inventor/Owner of the Scomm company. I also know the sales team pretty well. We live practically in the same town.

Anyways...about the Ub thing...it looks like a good thing, but 2,000 dollars? I'm sorry to say...it is just a fad thing for right now. Yes..it may be great for companies who are so tight and scroogy on their monies and wish to shell out the 2 g's and hope to hell the UB thing last forever. One thing to think about...a friend of mine at work (deaf) made a realy good comment.

Scenario 1. - What if the boss calls you into the office...and they are STEAMING MAD at something you did...and they start typing angrily...but how does that typing come back to you in personality form? Like if the boss was mad at a hearing person..hearing person would know boss's tone of voice and pitch of voice and immediately know the boss means business? How could that make the deaf person "know what the boss means" through typing? Having an interpreter clarifies everything, the interpreter exactly relays tone of voice, pitch of voice in such clear picture that we can understand.

Scenario 2 - An employee or a deaf person wishes to talk to their boss/customer/friend/relatives. Lets say this deaf person doesnt have the BEST level of written english, but has more of an ASL written language. This deaf person starts typing in their own words to the boss/friend/customer. Obviously the other recieving person will start to think that the deaf person isnt "all that bright". How will this affect the deaf person? That takes away their integrity of a person.

Scenario 3 - Deaf person invites a lotta folks over who are deaf/hearing. The deaf UB user wishes to tell a joke. So every one gathers around and watches the recieving end while the deaf person tells/types the joke. Question - where is the facial expressions? The body language? When the punchline comes..all the other folks on the recieving end will probably go "haha thats funny" without laughing really good if it was a truly helluva joke?

Im not criticizing the UB thing...Im just looking at the weakness and keeping deaf/hard of hearing people's integrity intact. With an interpreter, deaf/hard of hearing gain so much more independence...freedom to express themselves freely and have their integrity intact.

I sure wouldnt want to be carrying around a suitcase or a laptop bag everywhere I go "in case I need it".

My 2 cents.
 
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scenarios...

It's $1875.00. As for the value of ensuring good loyalty and customer relationships from deaf/hh people, the price tag on the UbiDuo would pay itself several thousand times over in the business world catering to deaf/hh customers and clients. You need to think BIGGER!!

Case in point, the UbiDuo was used by the management at the JV Marriot Hotel in Palm Springs, CA for 5 days during the NAD convention. Literally hundreds of deaf/hh people were using the UbiDuo to interact with the hearing managers at the front desk and concierge desk. The managers were extremely thankful that they had this UbiDuo. They've thanked Jason Curry so many times for letting them use the UbiDuo which has helped made it easier for them to communicate with their deaf/hh customers. It allowed them to be more professional with their customers. It sped up the communication process with more typed words than you would a pen and paper. Ahough older deaf people had the tendency to avoid this new technology. That's understandable. However, when you win customers, you win their loyalty and respect. And that is what happened with the UbiDuo during the NAD convention. Can you put a price tag on that one? I can.

Priceless.

Scenario 1. - If the boss is STEAMING mad. You don't need an interpreter to know that. What's more, if the boss wants to talk to you immediately, will an interpreter be ready to come down to your office at a moments notice and bill your boss for a few hundred dollars for the emergency trip? The UbiDuo is effective in communicating since it's face to face and you'll get your cues from each other's body language, face and the choice of words used. It's no different from talking on the phone using the voice and hearing the tonality differences and not see the body language. It can be done.

Scenario 2 - The UbiDuo is for all deaf people, as well as for those with speech impediments. The UbDuo is not made exclusively for Deaf people to use but it can be used by anyone among the 31 million people in the United States that have a hearing loss. About 10 to 15 million have hearing loss severe enough that verbal communication becomes hard to hear and understand. And those 10 to 15 million deaf/hh people do not know sign language. You need to think a broader picture here. As for integrity, if the boss values the skill of his deaf/hh workers and that English is not the issue then you shouldn't have a problem. The English scenario you presented would be such a small percentage of the deaf/hh people who actually would want to use it. My good friend just last night, he works for the EEOC and has been working with that Federal agency for about seven years. He had to force himself to improve his English grammar and writing skills when it came to writing up discrimination reports for his supervisor. He improved so much over those years that his reports rarely need editing. And he's looking for a promotion to a GS-12 position, too. Besides, the communication using the UbiDuo between two persons is more of a casual communication. You are not writing a report that requires good form and grammar to that person. Just don't type "LOL" so much to your boss. That'll make you look like a bigger dork. :)


Scenario 3 - As if this is critical problem about the UbiDuo, it's not. The punchline when using English is in the words. The context of the joke and the storyline as well. You can still mime/gesture your way as you tell the joke. But the UbiDuo's selling point is not about the ability to pass along joke so everybody can understand. Think BIGGER!

If you want to talk about integrity, talk to the over 200 beta testers who tested the UbiDuo and loved it so much in what it has done for them. It actually opened up a whole different world that gives you an alternative for greater independency. Having an interpreter is not necessarily allowing yourself independency. Rather, you are dependent on another person to paraphrase what you are saying. You are dependent on that interpeter's schedule. You are dependent on hoping to get well qualified interpreter. You are dependent that other business or agencies pay for the interpeter's cost which can go high as $150/hr. You are dependent on that interpreter on showing up on time so you can impress your boss or listen in on a lecture in a college course which can affect your grades.

There are two things that stands out here.
1. True independency.
2. True dependency.


I sure wouldnt want to be carrying around a suitcase or a laptop bag everywhere I go "in case I need it".
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If you're into business catering to your hearing or deaf customers or clients, I sure as hell would. It's called "Improving your business model." That means I've become more efficient in communicating. You become efficient in communicating with your workers as well. It comes down to increasing your loyalty factor. That alone pays much more in return after you have spent $1875 on your UbiDuo.

The UbiDuo is one of the many ways that can help narrow the communication gap. In this case, it's the face to face scenarios. Especially in the business and work world.

You have no idea unless you actually try the UbiDuo like 200 others UbiDuo beta testers who loved it. Many of them didn't want to return it. Many have heard of the UbiDuo and went to the sComm office and beg to use if for his/her interview....and the person got the job by being more "independent."

There are pros and cons about the UbiDuo. No doubt. But when you start looking at the pros, and add them up. You will see that it outweighs by a wide margin against the cons.

Think BIG!
 
It's the intent behind the points you've made is what gets me wondering.
 
Lease/Purchase

kokonut said:
It's $1875.00. As for the value of ensuring good loyalty and customer relationships from deaf/hh people, the price tag on the UbiDuo would pay itself several thousand times over in the business world catering to deaf/hh customers and clients. You need to think BIGGER!!

Case in point, the UbiDuo was used by the management at the JV Marriot Hotel in Palm Springs, CA for 5 days during the NAD convention. Literally hundreds of deaf/hh people were using the UbiDuo to interact with the hearing managers at the front desk and concierge desk. The managers were extremely thankful that they had this UbiDuo. They've thanked Jason Curry so many times for letting them use the UbiDuo which has helped made it easier for them to communicate with their deaf/hh customers. It allowed them to be more professional with their customers. It sped up the communication process with more typed words than you would a pen and paper. Ahough older deaf people had the tendency to avoid this new technology. That's understandable. However, when you win customers, you win their loyalty and respect. And that is what happened with the UbiDuo during the NAD convention. Can you put a price tag on that one? I can.

Priceless.

Scenario 1. - If the boss is STEAMING mad. You don't need an interpreter to know that. What's more, if the boss wants to talk to you immediately, will an interpreter be ready to come down to your office at a moments notice and bill your boss for a few hundred dollars for the emergency trip? The UbiDuo is effective in communicating since it's face to face and you'll get your cues from each other's body language, face and the choice of words used. It's no different from talking on the phone using the voice and hearing the tonality differences and not see the body language. It can be done.

Scenario 2 - The UbiDuo is for all deaf people, as well as for those with speech impediments. The UbDuo is not made exclusively for Deaf people to use but it can be used by anyone among the 31 million people in the United States that have a hearing loss. About 10 to 15 million have hearing loss severe enough that verbal communication becomes hard to hear and understand. And those 10 to 15 million deaf/hh people do not know sign language. You need to think a broader picture here. As for integrity, if the boss values the skill of his deaf/hh workers and that English is not the issue then you shouldn't have a problem. The English scenario you presented would be such a small percentage of the deaf/hh people who actually would want to use it. My good friend just last night, he works for the EEOC and has been working with that Federal agency for about seven years. He had to force himself to improve his English grammar and writing skills when it came to writing up discrimination reports for his supervisor. He improved so much over those years that his reports rarely need editing. And he's looking for a promotion to a GS-12 position, too. Besides, the communication using the UbiDuo between two persons is more of a casual communication. You are not writing a report that requires good form and grammar to that person. Just don't type "LOL" so much to your boss. That'll make you look like a bigger dork. :)


Scenario 3 - As if this is critical problem about the UbiDuo, it's not. The punchline when using English is in the words. The context of the joke and the storyline as well. You can still mime/gesture your way as you tell the joke. But the UbiDuo's selling point is not about the ability to pass along joke so everybody can understand. Think BIGGER!

If you want to talk about integrity, talk to the over 200 beta testers who tested the UbiDuo and loved it so much in what it has done for them. It actually opened up a whole different world that gives you an alternative for greater independency. Having an interpreter is not necessarily allowing yourself independency. Rather, you are dependent on another person to paraphrase what you are saying. You are dependent on that interpeter's schedule. You are dependent on hoping to get well qualified interpreter. You are dependent that other business or agencies pay for the interpeter's cost which can go high as $150/hr. You are dependent on that interpreter on showing up on time so you can impress your boss or listen in on a lecture in a college course which can affect your grades.

There are two things that stands out here.
1. True independency.
2. True dependency.



If you're into business catering to your hearing or deaf customers or clients, I sure as hell would. It's called "Improving your business model." That means I've become more efficient in communicating. You become efficient in communicating with your workers as well. It comes down to increasing your loyalty factor. That alone pays much more in return after you have spent $1875 on your UbiDuo.

The UbiDuo is one of the many ways that can help narrow the communication gap. In this case, it's the face to face scenarios. Especially in the business and work world.

You have no idea unless you actually try the UbiDuo like 200 others UbiDuo beta testers who loved it. Many of them didn't want to return it. Many have heard of the UbiDuo and went to the sComm office and beg to use if for his/her interview....and the person got the job by being more "independent."

There are pros and cons about the UbiDuo. No doubt. But when you start looking at the pros, and add them up. You will see that it outweighs by a wide margin against the cons.

Think BIG!
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I have share this ideas with Jason. Rent/leasing to personal use while business/commercial purchase this unit.

I think its fair between commerical and the personal use.

My 2 cents
 
PDWinfree said:
I have share this ideas with Jason. Rent/leasing to personal use while business/commercial purchase this unit.

I think its fair between commerical and the personal use.

My 2 cents
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They are way ahead of you on that idea already.
 
gnarlydorkette said:
I am surprised nobody wrote about it... and I am usually behind in the Deaf news!

I saw UbiDuo at this year's NAD in Palm Desert and I WISHED I had it when I was in Turkey so I don't have to use the interpreters!!!

http://www.scommonline.com/


The old and tried paper-and-pen method has been digitialized!! You have two mini-laptops where you can type back and forth in live time. It is portable and it even can be used to call TTY-users (and Ubiduo-users as well!) No need to have an internet connection or having an interpreter to voice/sign for you (and the struggle to find an AVAILABLE interpreter just for a five-minute interaction??).

I fell in love with this product because I envision that if I use this, it can give me personal interactions with hearing friends who are slowly learning signs (or my classmates !) rather than using an interpreter which seems to scare off hearing people or twist my words around because they couldn't understand me (and never ask me to clarify!). I don't want to struggle to find the RIGHT interpreter who knows how to do the job... and Usually I just want to ask ONE simple question! Why bother to bring on all the troubles???

It is expensive at the moment but they said (I met the owner's hearing wife) they are hoping that the government grants can help them out to sell it cheap for everybody to use.

Check out the website...! Keep us posted if you can find a cheaper Ubiduo. I def will buy it (so I can use it for doctor appt and many more where I want to have privacy than having an interpreter)

Pane-ubi.jpg
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When it will avabalive in USA??? I hope soon!
 
I'd rather stick with the old fashioned volunteer notetaker and a interpreter because I'm used to that method. That technology is pretty expensive for what it really does. A paper and pen is very cheap and plentiful, so better to stick around with that and leave that technology to scrooges and greeds.
 
BartSimpsx24x said:
When it will avabalive in USA??? I hope soon!
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They will starting producing them this September. After 3 years worth of testing, improving and modifying the UbiDuo, they are nearly done.
 
sequoias said:
I'd rather stick with the old fashioned volunteer notetaker and a interpreter because I'm used to that method. That technology is pretty expensive for what it really does. A paper and pen is very cheap and plentiful, so better to stick around with that and leave that technology to scrooges and greeds.
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i second that ! :) plus i can make more friends with the interpreters. :) they need the jobs for livings... :)
 
sequoias said:
I'd rather stick with the old fashioned volunteer notetaker and a interpreter because I'm used to that method. That technology is pretty expensive for what it really does. A paper and pen is very cheap and plentiful, so better to stick around with that and leave that technology to scrooges and greeds.
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It's a niche technology that helps reduce the communication gap through speed, efficiency, and ease of use by using this face-to-face communication device technology.

All one has to do is look at the Ubiduo from the business side of things to understand how it can literally help millions of deaf people. I've explained the perfect scenario of how one communication device the UbiDuo had helped deaf/hh people attending the NAD convention in Palm Springs, CA at the JV Marriott resort hotel. The UbiDuo helped hundreds to communicate easily and quickly to managers of the front desk and concierge desk for info, tickets, and registration. The UbiDuo gave the managers a very professional way of helping deaf/hh customers. You cannot put a price tag on loyalty when it comes to increased customer satisfaction. From the CEOs' point of view, they would consider such a communication device cheap compared to the high return value it gets with current and potential deaf or hard of hearing customers since 31 million people in the United States have some amount of hearing loss. Nearly 10 to 15 million have hearing loss that makes it hard for them to understand or hear the spoken word. And most of them do not know sign language since about 900,000 are considered to be culturally deaf.

People have their own preferred ways of communicating whether it's for personal use or through business. Some will want to stick with the old methods of communicating, and that's fine. But others will want to use new technology to communicate better and more efficiently.

It is unfair and completely unwarranted to characterize sComm, Inc by implying that they are of "scrooges and greed." Doing so makes the person dishonest if he or she uses CART technology, internet technology (AIM, MSN, Yahoo IM), Video Phones, TTY devices, Sidekicks, Blackberries, or other technologies available today that can help deaf/hh people with greater independency. And by deriding sComm by implying them to be as "scrooges and greed", the person will also have to accuse the rest of the technology companies that have helped, and continues to help, deaf/hh people get their much coveted status of being completely independent without ever having to rely on third persons all the time. Technology is indeed the key for greater access and improved independency for deaf and hard of hearing people.

Certainly, a deaf or hh person will have a preferrence in how he or she wants to communicate whether it's using technology or not. That's fine, but to accuse or imply otherwise about a company without any justification as being greedy or "scroogy" is simply going too far.
 
koknut.. very well point taken... :) i dont mean that i did agree with seq's comment about "greedy or scroogy" issue. i know there are more opportunities for deaf ppl need better techies which i think is GREAT...

i just like my old methods. :)
 
deafclimber said:
i just like my old methods. :)
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Yeah I'm the same way. I guess I just dont like to be TIED to anything. Sidekick is the only thing I will be happy with since it's small and very handy. If people absolutely LOVE THE UB thing...more power to them.
 
Dodge Trucker said:
Yeah I'm the same way. I guess I just dont like to be TIED to anything. Sidekick is the only thing I will be happy with since it's small and very handy. If people absolutely LOVE THE UB thing...more power to them.
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Both deaf and hearing people have found the UbiDuo to be an extremely helpful communication device. You don't have to be "tied" to this in order to experience the useful ness of this communication device. Businesses will be wanting this to deal with their deaf/hh customers or clients. You need to understand that this is more geared for business relationships between deaf and hearing people rather than just a personal device but it can be used as a personal device. The return value and increased customer loyalties are the real value for the UbiDuo just as I have indicated in the JV Marriott resort hotel as an example of it's success.
 
deafclimber said:
i second that ! :) plus i can make more friends with the interpreters. :) they need the jobs for livings... :)
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So, you want an interpreter to follow you around 24/7?

Also, about Sequoia's scenario who is worried about typing out bad English on the UbiDuo, if there are no interpreters around you'd still have to write it out in English using a pen and paper. Plus, the interpreter does not always interpret exactly what a deaf person said in sign by voice to a hearing person. Many have told that they tell the interpeter that they didn't say it that way. And intepreter's job is basically paraphrasing what you are saying in ASL and convert that into English that may have a different context to what you've said.

With the UbiDuo, you can make clear on what you want to say exactly as would want it. No paraphrasing at all.
 
Interpreter Stinks! Way for Jason's UBiDO Bravo

:h5: My friend and I went to the hospital and we thought that the interpreter will be there for us, all of sudden we was told that one of the interpreter is sick and one is in the emergency situation, oh brother we should bring the awesome UBI DO, my friend knows and said oh man, she will know that she will talk to the man who is more willing to help to write the best as he could, he is very patient man but my friend who wanted to show him how to operate the UBIDO, I know that the technology that Jason Curry made the technology successfully, I would have them with me forever as I would carry, so I do not need the interpreters at last minute, I would not use my kid as my friend said she will not use her kids also to convey the sign language, the kids do not understand what the adults said like the hard words or language, the kids will over hear it. What can the deaf need to listen every word from the dr's or nurse's mouth by using the UBI DO. This is an amazing technology that Jason had for some deaf....as his best concern for the deaf to be happy and satisfied if the interpreters are not there at last minute we would not hire the interpreters at all, my friend and I rather to use UBI DO at the hospital....we did not think about it til last minute. Bravo to Jason and UBIDO Salute to my one best friend that I trust!
 
Why $2,000 if you can buy two used iBook laptop and hook up thry wireless (LAN) with iChat (under Bonjour mode from Mac OS 10.2+) which would cost total of $1,000? :)
 
VamPyroX said:
I'm not willing to get something that costs $2,000 when I can get by with a 5 cent pen and 2 cent paper. ;)

Secondly, why carry around a big device around when you'll most likely find a paper and pen available where ever you're going. I've gone to Taco Bell and they simply print out a piece of paper from the receipt machine and a pen from under the counter for my deaf friends. I've gone to offices and the secretary has a penholder full of pens and a printer full of paper available.
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write is slow than typing.

You use it for with porn babe to chat before decide to what postition to laid. :D
 
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