Ageless Passions by Karen Putz

Tag: Z

  • Z, The Next-Best-Thing to Being There

    “Impromptu gatherings are always the best,” said Karen Calvin on Saturday night.  It was nearly two a.m. and the last of our friends were about to head out the door. 

    It started out as one of those weekends where we planned to work on the basement with our friend Mike.  Mike had been coming over with his kids for several weekends and tackling the basement with Joe.  Joe emailed another friend, John Sullivan.  “We need a tall guy to hold up the drywall,” he said.  Tempted with free beer, John said yes.

    Another friend,  Dennis O’Brien volunteered his labor and joined us after installing some Z’s all day.  His wife Laura and son Shawn came over.  Laura texted the Facebook Queen, Lori Krakora, and told her to come on over with her kids.   Lori brought her kids, and three other friends of ours–Todd and Karen Calvin and Mark Riedel.

    The guys put up just two pieces of drywall and called it quits.

    So we spent the night gathered around the kitchen table yakking and laughing.  The kids were off playing somewhere in the house– we didn’t hear a peep from them.  We talked about everything under the sun:  the stinking economy, the difficulty of keeping a business going during hard times, our kids, our future– and our childhoods.

    Connecting with Kent from Colorado
    Connecting with Kent from Colorado

    It was getting late, probably near midnight, when we decided to call our friend Kent from Colorado.  Kent was part of our deaf investment club which disbanded not too long ago.  So Kent joined the party virtually through the Z videophone. 

    “Damn, I wish I was there!” he said.

    “Dude, you are here!” I said.  We passed the Z-340 around and yakked some more.  After Kent hung up, Julie and Jim Chavez called at one a.m.  So we planted the Z in front of us and chatted away with the Chavez’s while munching on potato chips.  There were grease marks all over the Z-340 from being passed around.  Earlier in the day, the Z survived an encounter with spilled milk.  I sat back and watched the conversations around me– marveling how neat it was that friends from far away could join us and be involved.

    I think we’ve got a new slogan for Z:  The next-best-thing to being there.

  • The Newest Trend: A Z-phone Party

    What better way to kick off a new job than to throw a party to show off some new toys? 

    On Saturday, I invited a few people over to see the new Z videophones from CSDVRS:

    In the photo below, Roberta explains her experience with the Z-150 that she uses at work.  With her previous videophone, she had difficulty with phone calls coming in.  The z-150 has firewall transversal technology which works well with complex network systems.

    Dennis O’Brien explained the various features and services that CSDVRS provides and also explained that Yes You Can use CSDVRS with other videophones.  We also covered the new 10-digit numbering system and why this number is important for 911 services.

    By the end of the night, people were saying this:

    If you work for the federal government, here’s some information on how you can obtain a Z videophone for your workplace:

    The Z™ Videophones from CSDVRS Now Available to Federal Employees

    Clearwater, FL [February 3, 2009] – CSDVRS, LLC, is now authorized to distribute its The Z™ 150 videophones to federal employees via the Department of Defense’s Computer/Electronics Accommodations Program (CAP). “This is an exciting step forward for federal employees who require high quality video that supports firewall traversal and encryption ability, such as The Z™ 150 for the purpose of secure visual communication.” said Chris Wagner, CSDVRS Vice President of Marketing. “Federal employees who are deaf or hard of hearing can now request The Z™ to be provided to them at no charge through CAP, which is a remarkable program that CSDVRS is proud to provide videophones for.”
     
    The Z™ 150 uses the same technology as some of the most advanced videoconferencing systems in the world, and was designed specifically for deaf and hard of hearing callers in partnership with world-renowned videoconferencing leader Tandberg. With a built-in 8.4-inch LCD screen and an easy-to-use keypad, federal employees can make calls with the touch of just a few buttons. The space-efficient videophone has a multitude of features, including incoming phone call flasher, call history, video/audio privacy, speakerphone/microphone capability, access to video remote interpreting services, and the ability to work with Internet firewalls commonly found in federal workplaces.
     
    CAP provides free assistive technology and services to people with disabilities, federal managers, supervisors, and information technology professionals. The program also increases access to information and works to remove barriers to employment opportunities by eliminating the costs of assistive technology and accommodation solutions. This is accomplished through partnerships with federal agencies and vendors such as CSDVRS.
     
     “In the federal government, fast and reliable connectivity is paramount,” Sean Belanger, CEO, CSDVRS stated. “CSDVRS works closely with our customers to deliver world-class, dependable video communication solutions, such as the Z-150 videophone that enhance operational efficiency and, ultimately, allow deaf and hard of hearing federal employees to communicate effectively in their workplace.”
     
    Federal employees may request for a Z-150 by visiting www.tricare.mil/cap     <http://www.tricare.mil/cap> or e-mail z150@csdvrs.com for more information. More information about CSDVRS products and services may also be found at www.csdvrs.com.
     
    About CSDVRS
    CSDVRS, a video relay services provider, launched its inaugural service to the nation in 2000. By 2001, CSDVRS became the nation’s only 24/7 provider, and also was the first to offer Spanish VRS, video mail and personal 800 numbers. CSDVRS was developed by and for deaf and hard of hearing individuals based on feedback from the nation’s deaf and hard of hearing community. While other providers have followed our lead, CSDVRS is dedicated to that same spirit of innovation and commitment to excellence that took VRS from a dream to reality, by becoming the nation’s premier VRS provider.

  • Yes, You Can! Win $1,000 with the Z and CSDVRS!


    Hello. Our theme for today is Yes, you can! You may be wondering why. With 10 digit numbers now all across the country some people are wondering what to do about that 10 digit number. If you are a VP 100 or VP 200 user you should call Sorenson and get your local 10 digit phone number. You can still use CSDVRS! All you have to do is dial CSDVRS.TV! Maybe you have heard rumors about losing features if you use our service. That is not the case. You will still keep all your features and can still be able to use our service. When calling CSDVRS you will be connected to the most phenomenal interpreters out there!

    See the captioned video here (I couldn’t embed it for some reason):  Yes You Can!


    Yes, You Can! Sweepstakes

    CSDVRS is giving ONE lucky winner $1,000 CASH to be drawn on Monday, March 23, 2009.
    How do you sign up? It’s easy! All you have to do to enter is fill out an online contest entry form! Once you’ve completed the entry form, your name will automatically be entered into the drawing – and the best part is you only need to fill out the entry form once!
    It’s that easy!

    You can enter the contest by clicking here . Yes, You Can!
    Click here for contest rules and eligibility.
     
     
     
     

     

     

    For more information contact:

    blue ball logo CSDVRS launched its inaugural video relay services (VRS) in 2000. By 2001, CSDVRS was the nation’s only 24-hours-a-day provider, and also the first to offer Spanish VRS, video mail and personal 800 numbers. CSDVRS was developed by and for deaf and hard of hearing individuals. While other providers have followed our lead, CSDVRS is dedicated to the same spirit of innovation and commitment to excellence that took VRS from a dream to reality, and has become the nation’s premier VRS provider.