I have always thought highly of the Stream since it came out. I have always been a heavy user of my Stream. But now, with Internet radio, the Stream becomes my almost constant companion. The ability so search with ooTunes is nothing short of brilliant, and the unit is incredibly stable. I disagree strongly with those who say an iPhone user has no need for such a unit. My Stream complements my iPhone, it doesn't replace, nor is it replaced by the iPhone.

Video magnification is essential. Without it I could not read labels and prices while shopping, balance my check book, write checks or notes by hand, read addresses on letters, labels on prescriptions, the mail itself, find places on maps, enjoy pictures, or make sense of all of the clutter on forms. I can make some sense of TV so long as I sit close, but need well lit magnification to get the right channel and sound level. These are life tools.

I find the Brailliant BI Display from Humanware a lovely reading experience. The braille cells are crisp and unlike some other displays they don’t have that plastic squeaky feel when you glide your fingers over them. As well, I love how the display is constructed mostly of aluminium and therefore is quite durable and yet surprisingly lightweight to carry around. Another feature that makes the Brailliant such a joy to use, is the signature thumb keys. Your thumbs just fall on them naturally as you are reading with your fingers on the display, allowing your fingers to stay on the cells while you pan back and forth with your thumbs. I enjoy this feature on my BrailleNote Apex and I’m so glad it’s been incorporated into the Brailliant line as well.

The memory card holds voice notes, speech recordings, my favorite music, over one hundred audio books and much more. Using a computer screen reader and an ear bud to listen to a manuscript, I can record a reading on the VRS in my own voice for playback during conference and critique meetings. Feedback recordings at those meetings enable me to make changes to improve a manuscript without sighted help. This feature rich, powerful product is a blessing to own. I am seldom found without my Victor Reader Stream. It tucks neatly into a shirt pocket, jacket or purse. One never knows when a good book idea might pop up and I want to be ready when it does.

One thing I couldn't live without is my BrailleNote Apex. I can surf the web (with sites such as Google) when I am doing a research project or just to find information much faster than a regular computer.