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iA Cast is back, and this episode is to introduce what is to come.
Michael Doise
iOS Bug Tracker
This post will be updated often with new bugs found by iAccessibility authors and by our readers, so please check back often. We will also mark a bug fixed when has been fixed or resolved by Apple.
Zoom Scrolling issue
This bug occurs in iOS 10 for iPhone and iPad when Zoom is enabled. It doesn’t matter if you are zoomed in or not, but when scrolling on the home screen or in scroll views, the system will think you are trying to touch an item and will not scroll. You must stop interacting with the device and try again several times to get the desired result. This has persisted in all betas of iOS 10.
Unlock your Mac with your Apple Watch
One of the neatest features added to WatchOS 3 and MacOS Sierra is the ability to unlock your Mac with your watch. Apple uses several new technologies to do this that use high encryption, and data speed measurements to determine if it is ok to unlock your Mac. The cool thing about this is that it is easy to set up. Here’s how you do it.
Prerequisites
- Your Mac must at least be a 2013 model Mac for this feature to work.
- You must first set up two-factor authentication with your iCloud account. If you haven’t done so, the Mac will walk you through this process.
- You must make sure you are not using your iCloud password to log into your Mac. This will require you to set a different login password for your user account than what is used for your iCloud account.
Setting up Unlock from Apple Watch
- Open System Preferences on the Mac
- Find Security and Privacy
- Find the check box that says, “Allow your Apple Watch to unlock this Mac”
- Follow any instructions given to enable two factor authentication or to set a non-iCloud Password
That’s it! Now, when you go to unlock your Mac, you should just have to wait for your watch to unlock the computer. If for some reason the process does not work, or both devices can’t find each other, you will still need to type your password.
Welcome Jessica Smith
iAccessibility is very fortunate to have found such great talent with everyone who has signed up as an author, and this continues with our latest author Jessica Smith. Jessica, is one of the authors of the BlinkieChicks website, and has done work with several online radio stations. Jessica will be writing posts for the iAccessibility report and believes in the mission of iAccessibility. With that said, please welcome Jessica Smith to the iAccessibility author team.
Magnifier for #iOS10
iOS 10 has added several new accessibility features, but one stays out for low vision users. This feature is called Magnifier, and I have enjoyed it since developer beta 1 of iOS 10.
The magnifier feature lets a low vision user enlarge their surroundings with the device’s cameras. You can enable flash, lock focus, and even set traditional magnifier filters that you would expect on a handheld magnifier like yellow on blue, or white on black.
To enable this feature:
- Go to the Settings app.
- Go to General
- Go to Accessibility
- Find Magnifier
- Use the toggle switch to turn on or off Magnifier
To enable magnifier, simply press the home button 3 times. If you have other accessibility shortcuts set then it will be the last option in the menu.
Magnifier is a great new feature for iOS 10 and I am excited to hear what everyone has to say about it.
Welcome Jason Earls
We now have a new author on the iAccessibility Report team. Please welcome Jason Earls to the team! Jason comes with extensive knowledge of technology and sound editing and production, so please welcome Jason Earls to the team.
Welcome Rich Cavallaro
iAccessibility now has a new author to write for our site. Please welcome Rich Cavallaro to the team of writers.
Quick Tip: Bypass iOS Wi-Fi requirement
There are some occasions where you might want to download something on your iOS device but you are told that you must have a Wi-Fi connection. Here is how you can get around this obstacle. Just remember though that this will take up your data plan but if you are wanting to try this then you probably realize this. Here is what you will need to do this.
Requirements
- You need an iPhone that has the personal Hotspot feature enabled
- A Mac running a newer version of OS X or Mac OS.
- A Lightning Cable
Instructions
To use your iPhone to download items that require Wi-Fi, do the following.
- make sure Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are turned off.
- Connect your Phone to your Mac using a lightning cable.
- Turn Personal Hotspot on and select USB Only
- In yourMac’s menu bar, turn Wi-Fi off.
- You may need to go to Network settings under System Preferences and enable iPhone USB.
- Go to System Preferences and then to Sharing.
- Select the iPhone USB in Source, and Wi-Fi under, “to computers with.”
- Find the checkbook under the sharing table and check share Internet connection to start the connection.
- You can now connect to your Mac with your iPhone over Wi-Fi and it will think it is getting Internet from your Mac.
This is a great process for using your phone with your Mac to download any content that would require a Wi-Fi connection. You can also do this with a Windows PC if you create an Ad Hoc connection as well.
Could VoiceOver Users Catch Them All in Pokemon Go?
Pokemon Go is the newest craze on both iOS and Android bringing in millions of players to Nintendo’s classic franchise, but could this market be bigger with blind users, and could the game be made accessible for VoiceOver users to play? Surprisingly, the answer is yes to both questions. Here is how.
How Pokemon Go works.
Pokemon Go is a game that utilizes Google Maps and augmented reality to allow for players to catch Pokemon by moving around in the real world. The game overlays a virtual world on top of the map where you stop at Pokestops and find Pokemon that pop up when you get near them. Once you find a Pokemon you tap it and throw a small ball called a Pokeball at it to catch it. Once you level up you can join a team and fight and train in gyms to level up or take the gym for your team.
Could Pokemon Go catch accessibility?
With how this game has been created, accessibility is less of a challenge and more of a time investment. There are already apps like Blindsquare that could be utilized for the maps portion of this game, and 3D audio would allow for the person to move the device where the Pokemon was lined up to throw the poke all at it. You can even turn off augmented reality and it lines up the Pokemon in the center of the screen for you. Much of the game from item to stats is already in text form, so VoiceOver would not have a hard time reading that if coded correctly. Gym battles would be easy to do if the person was told where to tap to attack the enemy Pokemon, and VoiceOver read the battle stats as the battle progressed.
Conclusion
While Pokemon Go is a graphics intensive game, it is entirely possible for it to be adapted to work with VoiceOver on iOS, which is quite a feat compared to most games. I doubt that the creators want to spend the time to work on this, but I think it would be totally awesome to play with some of my totally blind friends.
Go #TeamValor!
Welcome Ashley Coleman
I would like to welcome our latest writer to the iAccessibility Report Ashley Coleman. Ashley will be writing about which apps she has tried and if they are accessible or not. I am sure we will also see great articles on many different technology topics so we are happy to have Ashley on board.
Welcome to Trekz Titanium by Aftershockz
The title of this article is essentially what is said when you power on Aftershockz’ newest bluetooth headset the Trekz Titanium. In the past, we have typically blogged about apps and have written about platforms like the Echo, but we really haven’t talked much about headsets until now.
What makes these headphones so special?
All Aftershockz headphones are bone conduction headphones, which means that they sit on your cheekbones to send sound to your inner ear. The headphones vibrate your cheekbone and that sends the audio to your ear. The Trekz Titanium is the smallest and most flexible headset from Aftershockz that will fit most anyone’s head including my big head.
Since your ears are not covered, you can use these headphones to listen to music, audiobooks, or any other audio content while walking outside, ro while doing an activity that requires hearing. This is because of the fact that the headphones do not keep your ears from hearing what they normally hear, and you can still be aware of your surroundings.
Drawbacks
The Trekz Titanium has a 6 hour battery, which does not last long compared to many other headsets. I have not found this to be an issue as they can be charged fully within an hour and a half. Depending on your head and ears, the headset may not be the most comfortable for you, so adjust each side so that it is on your cheekbone instead of your ear. While the audio quality on this headset is good, it is not what you will get from an in ear solution like the LG Tones or the Beats or Bose headphones. I can honestly say that I have heard better and worse on a bluetooth headset.
Conclusion
I have found that the Trekz Titanium was a wonderful purchase that I made at #nfb16 from the folks at A T Guys. The headset can be purchased for $130, which is pretty standard for a bluetooth headset. The Trekz Titanium comes in many different colors, and I totally recommend the blue ones.
All in all this is a worthy headset for users that like to listen to music while moving around their area on foot. It keeps you alert while providing adequate sound quality for what you are listening to.
#NFB16 Resolution 2016-04
The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) just passed resolution 2016-04 Regarding Apple’s Inadequate Testing of Software Releases.
This resolution specifically targeted Apple’s testing of accessibility of VoiceOver between betas. Many spoke up during this event, and I honestly think that there were more against this resolution than for, but the NFB passed this resolution with a delegate roll call. Here is why iAccessibility does not support this resolution.
Bug tracking
While there have been many bugs with VoiceOver and accessibility throughout the last few years of releases from Apple, there have been many other bugs as well. While the NFB states that these VoiceOver bugs keep people from being employed this is not the case. Typically, bugs that people find are fixed in later versions of the OS, and the truth is that if you took time to fix every bug then you would never put anything out for users to use. Would you effectively make it where users would not be employable altogether.
Since VoiceOver is a small portion of the iOS and Mac operating systems, it should be obvious that not everything can be fixed on initial release of an OS.
Fairness
While Apple is not the only company to offer built in accessibility in its operating systems, it is currently the most popular. Despite its popularity, the National Federation of the blind should use this opportunity to target other companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google for their accessibility testing as they too release software with accessibility challenges.
Conclusion
The National Federation of the Blind has been responsible for many good changes to help blind people live the lives they want, but this resolution is not one of those changes. This resolution put a strain on relations between the NFB and its members with companies like Apple because it is saying how Apple should conduct business. Many of the reported bugs do not hamper productivity or cause an undo burden to users. Many of these bugs may be annoying at best but they are not ones that would cause users to not be able to get work done. I am really interested to see what others think about this resolution. Please put what you think in the comments, or on twitter at @iaccessibility1.