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I have a problem. As we begin thinking about serious tech in general and iPhones in particular, even to share starter information with you is difficult to do without assuming that you already have a computer or iPhone, or at least have access to one or the other.   Remember in earlier episodes of Blind How when I talked about the three ways to get on with doing whatever you want to do? They are: get someone to do it for you, get someone to help you do it, and do it yourself. This is one of those get someone to help you times. But first, here's a tip for making notes and remembering things like phone numbers and recipes. You need a little hand held recorder. It doesn't matter what kind, so long as you can record stuff on it and then play it back. The key is that you can record things yourself or have someone else read while you record. You can then listen when you want to listen and at your preferred speed.   To get started with your iPhone, do two things. First, get someone to get it up and working for you. Once it is working, press the home button near the bottom three times very quickly, or if there is no big round button toward the bottom on the front of the phone, press the button toward the top on the right side three times very quickly. Also press the top button on the left side a few times to be sure the volume is turned up.   You should hear the phone talking to you. Put your finger lightly on the screen and move it around. You should hear things being read aloud.   Next, have your helper go to Applevis.com and search for "A Beginner's Guide to Using iOS with VoiceOver." Ask him or her to read the article onto your recorder. Tip: Ask the person reading to say "new heading" whenever there is a new heading. That will make it easier for you to listen.   Here's where that hour a day for twenty-four days I mentioned in an earlier episode of Blind How comes in. Start by listening to the complete article, and then go back to the start and go through it, heading by heading. You will get confused, frustrated and tempted to just quit. But don't forget, you committed to a day – one hour at a time. By the third or fourth day, you will start having more success than frustration, but you will persist for the full 24-hours, won't you? Of course you will. Learning to use your iPhone is far from easy, but is totally doable. In fact, it is a lot easier than several other things you have already taught yourself to do.   Another tip: When you get frustrated, and you will, stop, lay down the iPhone, walk around some, think about something else, and then come back to practicing iPhone stuff. You do need to learn how to use the iPhone, but you don't need to learn everything before lunch. I've been an iPhone user for ten years or so and still have things to learn and still find new things that I didn't even know it could do. It's a computer, and like other computers, it can be very stubborn when it comes to giving up its secrets.   In the next few episodes of Blind How, I'm going to suggest some apps you can consider having on your iPhone and why you might want them, but before I do that, there is an alternative that you may want to look into. It's a tech device that can do a few of the things you will want to do on your iPhone. It can read books, magazines and other things that you have or can get in a digital format, including Talking Books. It has wi-fi that lets you download some materials directly from the Internet, a very good recorder, can play music and podcasts, and is very easy to learn and use without seeing. You likely would need no help from someone who can see to become a proficient user.   It is the Victor Reader Stream From Humanware (1 800 722-3393). As of when I am posting this episode of Blind How, the US price is $425. The additional good news is that there is an excellent audio tutorial for it from MysticAccess.com or call (716) 543-3323. The price is $59 as I post this episode of Blind How.