ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY BLOG | INVENTIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

True to their word, Mindjet Inc, started shipping today-Mindjet MindManager 7 for Windows and Macintosh users. I participated in a webinar today to take a look at the new features for the Windows version, and was rather impressed with the new features. I think that the biggest factor will be ease of use. While power users will always drill down to find the features they need-new users to MindManager 7 will find the ribbon interface easier to navigate and find what they are looking for without having to go into the menus. From a useability standpoint many more users will be up and running much more quickly. Likewise, I would predict that even novices will be using more advanced features with the introduction of the ribbon interface. With the new Windows version it is now possible to save Styles for Topics and reuse them in your mind map which will make it easier for formatting your maps. I was really impressed with the ability to save Queries which should help individuals filter information out of large mind maps. Similarly, being able to Focus in on a topic will be a great feature for presentations-especially when you have large mind maps. But even better that that is the ability to save Views. This will allow you to filter your map and focus in and have MindManager 7 remember the settings. When you are ready to use the feature just select the name of the View that you saved and MindManager presents the information. Gone are the days of having to do it manually. I'm sure that I will find some other features to talk to you about but from my vantage point this upgrade will make it easier to access the features and make it even a more invaluable tool for planning, presenting, and brainstorming. Here is the link for the Press Release. Look for a review of MindManger 7 for Macintosh coming soon.

I recently tried out Mobivox which is a really interesting free service that lets you dial a local access number and then Mobivox acts as a bridge to your Skype contacts. I was able to dial a local access number and when the Voxgirl Avatar asks who would you like to call you say "who is online," with that the Voxgirl Avatar says connecting to Skype and then proceeds to name all of your contacts who are presently online. When Voxgirl says the contact you want to reach, you simply press the pound key (#) and you are connected. I recently place a call using Mobivox and checked my Verizon account just to check if there was any other fees. The call to the local access number cost me nothing and I was able to speak to my friend Deb in Maine. This is certainly another interesting way to expand your use of your Skype account. Give it a try and let me know what your think. Better yet call me on Skype. You can do that by clicking on my Skype icon on the main page of this blog.

I guess folks can't get enough of mindmapping software. I just found out that Comapping released their mindmapping application that also runs within the browser. Comapping is a full featured mindmapping program with the ability for others to collaborate and edit shared mindmaps. Comapping is available via a subscription and is accessible from any computer connected to the web. Take a look at it and let me know what you think.