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2018 iA Team Devices

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iA Logo for 2018

2018 Team Picks

It is that time again, the time when the iA Team gets together to tell you about our favorite devices we have bought this year. Each team member will post their favorite and tell you why it is their choice. It’s time to sit back, relax, and take a look at the best devices 2018 had to offer, at least in our opinion. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Michael: HomePod

This year, my favorite device has to be the HomePod. It is by far the best sounding smart speaker out there, and, while Siri isn’t very smart, the speaker is able to produce the best sound around. The thing that has made the HomePod even better is the addition of Shortcuts. It is nice to be able to check on our server statistics by just saying Server Statistics to Siri. The disadvantages are that the device is expensive at $350, and that Siri is not the smartest of assistants.

Jason: Sennheiser Ambeo Smart Headset

This headset, designed in partnership with Apogee, will take your recording game to the next level. With its ability to capture binaural or 3D audio, coupled with its ease of use, I would be hard pressed to find a better pick for 2018, and that’s not even everything it can do.

If you listen to music or other audio, you can enable active noise cancelation. The headset uses the microphones on each earpiece to perform the cancelation. Plus, you can use them to hear your environment in realtime. The headset sounds great for pretty much everything you can throw at it, and if you play back binaural recordings with it, you might feel as though you’ve been transported to the location where the recording took place.

The Ambeo is meant to be used with iOS devices, and the cable terminates with a lightning connecter. This makes it possible for the headset to perform all of these functions without the use of batteries. There is a microphone on the right cable for taking calls and talking to Siri, but I find it’s better to use another headset for calls because everyone tells me I’m hard to hear when I use it. You can set the volume level of your environment using a rocker at the bottom of the controller. You can play/pause and perform call functions by using the volume and multi-function buttons above the rocker. The top of the controller has a slider switch that can be set up to perform a wide array of functions if you install the Smart Headset app. You can also choose different EQ presets and update the headset’s firmware, and that’s just a couple of things the app lets you adjust.

You can purchase the Ambeo Smart Headset for around $300.00 US from retailers such as Amazon and the Apple store.

A USB C version of the Ambeo has been announced, but is not yet available at the time of this writing.

I’ve been enjoying mine sense the day I got it, and encourage anyone who owns an iOS device and wants a great sounding headset that can make 3D audio recordings to give the Ambeos a look.

Matt: Amazon Echo Dot 3rd Generation

Late this year, Amazon released another echo dot, which is a bit bigger, not only in size, but in sound as well. The new generation echo dot has fabric around the edges, instead of plastic like the previous generation.
It also has a 75% increase in volume and very decent sound for under $50.
The 3rd generation echo dot is $49.99 in the U.S. and $79 in Canada.
About a year or so ago I bought (and then sold) the second generation echo dot, but its sound quality was definitely not as good as this particular speaker. At volume 5, the second generation dot was very quiet, and at volume 10 it was maybe the level of volume 5 or so of the new dot. When I had the second generation dot, I constantly had it connected to a bluetooth speaker, because it didn’t have a good sound. I have not connected this new Echo to my Bose SoundLink Mini II. The audio isn’t as good as, say, the Sonos1 or Homepod, but it gets the job done.
This is my favorite echo device that I’ve owned. It’s small, compact, has great sound, and Alexa works incredibly well and seems to understand me about 50% more so than she did before. For the price, you can’t go wrong!

Scott: Widex Evoke Hearing Aids

My pick for 2018 is the Widex Evoke hearing aids. The latest technology from Widex features MFI connectivity allowing users to connect iDevices via Bluetooth. The advanced chips in these aids allow them to learn from the environment the user is listening to and adapt on the fly. The Evoke app for iPhone allows for even finer adjustments and is usable for the most part with voiceover, and the company seems to be responsive to user feedback and feature suggestions.

While the company does have a device to stream TV audio to these hearing aids, I wish they had the ability to connect to other Bluetooth devices as well. I also wish they came with rechargeable batteries like other hearing aid manufacturers have. For the money, roughly $8,800.00 for a pair, it’s still a good investment in some of the latest hearing aid technology on the market today, and it’s a big step of from previous hearing aids I’ve had from Widex. I would recommend people check them out as a viable option in hearing care.

Meaghan: iPhone XS

My pick for 2018 is Apple’s iPhone XS that was released in October. It is the same size as the older plus phones and it works very well. I can get about 14 to 17 hours of use before needing to charge up the battery. I like it for its speed and ability to keep up with what I am doing on a day to day basis, tasks my 7 was a bit slower with.

I also like face ID and the edge to edge display. Not that the display matters to me being totally blind, but you really don’t realize how much more text can fit on a page until you use one. The speakers are also a lot better than the 7. It kind of sounds like my 6th generation iPad.

It is one of the most superior phones out there and if you can afford it, I suggest getting it.

Jeff: Freestyle Libre Continuous Glucose Monitoring System

One of the most difficult issues for managing diabetes as a blind person is testing glucose levels and testing accurately. Many blind individuals such as myself find testing using finger sticks to be very problematic. Many times blood may smear or not make its way into the strip for an accurate test. This is why this year is truly an amazing year for those who are diabetic and who are blind. We finally have a way of testing that no longer requires finger sticks and is fully accessible! The Freestyle Libre monitoring system along with its accompanying Libre Link iOS app will provide a painless and delightful experience for managing diabetes. The Freestyle Libre system consists of a sensor that is injected into the back of the upper arm. This process is accessible and easy to accomplish with the provided applicator device. Sensors come in two types, a 10-day sensor and a 14-day sensor. I would encourage you to obtain the 14-day sensors as they last longer and setup time is one hour versus 12 hours for the 10-day sensors. The Libre Link app is accessible and will guide you through the process of activating the sensor. Once activated you can test as often as you would like. I feel strongly that this is one of the greatest inventions in the health industry for the blind and is truly life changing. Yes, we can do more for accessible meters and we shouldn’t stop advocating for this but this new combination for testing is something that will truly impact individuals lives in managing their diabetes.

Chelsea: AirPods

Until I discovered AirPods, I thought that all headphones/earbuds had to have a chord to be of any auditory value. This is why, before AirPods, I had not really taken the plunge and purchased any other Bluetooth headsets. On a spring day in April, I did just that.

The airPods connect to the iPhone via Bluetooth and are truly a game changer. While they are not the highest quality, they work for recording podcast and performing other tasks. I especially think they are a great fit for a Voiceover user because they can be used individually which maximizes battery life and minimizes the need to charge them constantly. As a teacher of blind students, I am always on the go and am in need of my phone. With AirPods, I can use my phone with audio and be discrete while doing so. The high value device is only $160.00 and has been well worth every penny.

Lauren: Disney’s Handheld Device

One of the most impactful pieces of technology that I have interacted with is Disney’s Handheld Device, which provides closed captioning, enhanced audio, or audio description.  Depending on the user’s need, guest services cast members can configure the device to best meet the needs of the user in question.  Upon acquiring the device, the user must put down a $25 deposit, which is fully refundable, provided that you return the equipment at the end of the day.

As a blind User, I relied on the audio description features.  I used this device in EPCOT.  It vibrated each time I went into a different country in the World Showcase and as I traveled through the various sections of Future World. On entering each area, I could use the device to learn what restaurants, rides, shopping, and entertainment opportunities were available to me.  The device also described the location of restrooms.  Probably one of the most fascinating features of the device is the audio description.  The device provided a description of each area of EPCOT, and I was truly amazed to know how much effort was put forth to replicate the hallmarks of different countries, and features specific to EPCOT itself.  The device also provided descriptions of the cue lines for the attractions with audio description, great entertainment for those long lines.

While the device made my experience that much more memorable, I do feel that there should be audio descriptions for more attractions, and that the descriptions should be more detailed.  I felt like I was still missing out on some of the visuals accompanying the rides.  For example, the device does not tell the listener that the characters are animatronic and almost human.  I think it is important for blind guests to know this information because anamitronics are staples in Disney’s parks and movies.

Aleeha – Apple Watch Series 4

Apple released the latest iteration of its smart watch, the Apple Watch series 4, in the last part of 2018. This watch brought many new features and better functionality to the device, including enhanced sensors for detecting heart abnormalities, drastically faster performance, and a slightly bigger display (40 and 44 MM models.) I upgraded from the Series 2 and immediately noticed a drastic performance boost. VoiceOver runs so smoothly on the watch that it’s almost like using it on the phone. The new haptic feedback of the Digital Crown allows a more tactile experience, even while using VoiceOver. I am very happy with this purchase, and think this is a template for even better watches to come.

Twitterrific Keystrokes for iOS and Mac

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Twitterrific app icon

Iconfactory has created one of the best applications for using Twitter for iOS and macOS, and they have also created an amazing set of keystrokes for users who like to navigate applications with the keyboard. Below is a link to Iconfactory’s list of keystrokes that you can use to navigate the Twitterrific application.

Twitterrific Keystrokes for iOS and macOS

iAccessibility 1.4 for iOS

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iAccessibility Logo

iAccessibility is proud to announce that version 1.4 of our app has been released to the app store. This version includes new shortcuts to start and stop playback of our live stream, and a shortcut to listen to our ten latest episodes. You must first perform these actions in the app for Siri to find them, but you can then use the settings app to add a phrase with Siri to activate these features while your phone is unlocked. We have also made bug fixes to the app, and we will have more to come shortly.

Download app: iAccessibility for iOS

iACast Topics

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iAccessibility Logo

The iAccessibility Community is an essential part of our mission to Make Success Accessible, and to that end, we have decided to post all of our potential topics on the iAccessibility website, and on our subredit at https://reddit.com/r/iaccessibility. What we would like you to do is to like or upvote the topics you would like to see most on our podcasts. This will start now for next week’s recording of episode 101 of the iACast.

We also encourage our community members to create an account at iaccessibility.net and post your own topics. Our moderator team will review the submission and then add the topic to our website if the post passes moderation, so head to iaccessibility.net and create an account.

You can let us know what you are interested in hearing about by using our hashtag of #iACast on Twitter, or by emailing feedback@iaccessibility.net, and we hope that you become part of our wonderful community

The Power of Advocacy: How one Email can Change an Entire Semester

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Packback Logo

As a college student, inaccessible websites, applications, and materials that put barriers in the way of my equal education have been a staple in my college years. The inaccessibility that I have experienced has ranged from useable with great difficulty to not useable at all. If I am lucky, the website has a few unlabeled elements that I can get through; however, there have been many occasions where I have had to ask for assistance in order to complete my school work.

This semester, I’m using an online discussion forum called PackBack. As I worked my way through the requirements of my course, I noticed that I had a problem. Each post a user publishes on PackBack is assigned a number of curiosity points, which are meant to help assess the creativity and originality of students’ posts. This assists the professor with grading participation, and helps to reduce the number of posts that are unrelated to the topic at hand.

When I published my first post, I encountered a significant problem. Although I tried several different combinations of screen readers and web browsers, I could not see how many curiosity points I had received. My professor requires that each student reach a minimum of 150 curiosity points for the week in order for their posts to count toward their grade. How on Earth was I going to fix this? I was missing out on a key part of the assignment, and the only answer I had was to ask someone with useable vision to look at my posts.  I did not feel that this was an acceptable method for me to complete my work.

I began to dig around the site, looking for accessibility statements or documentation, and did not find anything.

As I searched for the website’s contact form, I grumbled and groaned at not only writing yet another email concerning the lack of accessibility of a website that was imperative to the success of my education, but also whether or not my need for accessibility would have any validity in the eyes of the website administrators.  I calmly told them what was going on, and waited.

Imagine my surprise when I opened my inbox today. I had a very friendly and genuine email from the company’s CPO, who works directly with the accessibility team. She informed me that she appreciated my report, and she would be sending this information to engineering for a fix.  I was told that improvements should arrive within two weeks. Additionally, her response also included the curiosity points I had received on my first three contributions, and I was invited to ask if I needed them again. I was also asked how else Packback could be a better experience for those using screen readers.

I think there is a mark on my chin from hitting the apartment floor. Never before had I received such a swift response that seems to indicate that someone truly cares about accessibility. It just goes to show that, no matter how burned out we are from advocating, no matter how much we feel that our request will fall on deaf ears, we still must try.

Patriot ViewPoint – VR Glasses For Low Vision Users

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Michael wearing the Patriot ViewPoint Glasses

Over the past several years, assistive technology manufacturers have produced eyewear which has promised legally blind individuals the ability to see more than they ever have; however, each device is designed to work with different subsets of users. I have personally tried the Jordy, eSight, NuEyes, and Patriot ViewPoint Glasses. While attending the 2018 National Federation of The Blind convention, I had the opportunity to use the patriot glasses, and was impressed with the product.

About The Patriot ViewPoint

The Patriot ViewPoint takes an old idea of using camera technologies in a glasses-based form to the next level by adapting current technologies into an amazing product that uses a Samsung Gear VR headset and a Samsung Galaxy phone to magnify what is viewed using the camera.  the ViewPoint has been configured with the most up-to-date technology, which offers large eye lenses for the wearer to see through and the Samsung camera in the phone provides the ability to zoom in on objects up close and far away without loss of detail.

The Patriot really does not change any of the controls of the Gear VR, but adapts them to the use case of the software included. The wearer can perform the following tasks with the glasses:

  • Zoom in and out using the touch sensitive panel on the right side
  • Adjust brightness by flicking up or down on the touch panel
  • Read text using optical character recognition
  • Change color contrast to best meet your needs

Drawbacks

The Patriot ViewPoint offers some amazing features and some of the best hardware out there, but it also has its drawbacks.

  • The glasses do not have a sleep mode, so they must be rebooted every time they need to be used.
  •  Since they use a Samsung Gear VR headset, the glasses are heavy. This could be problematic if one wanted to use them for an extended period of time.
  • The ViewPoint does not have an object locator mode. This would allow for the user to zoom out and find an object then zoom back in to see what the object is.
  • It does take some time to zoom. You must flick on the touch sensitive area for each zoom level.
  • The ViewPoint is a bit pricy; however, it is more affordable than most devices in this family of products.

Conclusion

Everyone knows that I love new technology, but I must say that the Patriot ViewPoint has changed my life. I would guess that it has changed the lives of many other low vision users out there. By reading this article, you might surmise that the drawbacks are severe; however, it is worth noting that this technology can change over time with software changes and advances in new technology. I personally put these glasses on at the convention, and I could not believe what I could see. I could see what people were doing in the court yard while being three stories up, the intricate details of the hotel bed’s headboard and much much more.

If you are looking for a solution like this then I would really recommend the Patriot ViewPoint over any other device. It has changed my life, and I think it will change yours. I would also like to thank Mr. John Palmer of Patriot Vision Industries for creating such an amazing product, and helping those of us who can use this product to see what we have never seen before.

Patriot Vision Industries, LLC

What’s a Computer? iPad Software

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iPad Pro 2020 Front and Back showing screen and cameras

Last year, we started a series of articles discussing if the iPad Pro could replace a more traditional PC solution, and this article continues that series. This time we will be looking at the iPad’s software, comparing the functionality of its suite of applications to the expected norms of those found on a PC.

Productivity Software

Every day, millions use computers for work, school, and hobbies, each with their own needs to be met. Several software packages are used to accomplish these tasks such as Office suites, email clients, and to-do apps. Microsoft Office and Apple’s iWork are two of the most comprehensive packages, including features like a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation program, and much more.

Productivity software is one area where the iPad Pro shines. It does have the Microsoft Office suite and adequate email programs, but unfortunately, you will not be working on Microsoft Access databases, or other advanced Office related activities. However, you can use Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint or Pages, Numbers and Keynote in iWork to complete projects. You will also find email programs with organizational features to make your life easier as well. Google has also added its Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps to iOS, so there are even more alternatives to expand the iPad’s usefulness and integration for cross-platform collaboration.

Creativity Applications

Creativity tasks have become very popular with the powerful computers we have today, but can the same tasks be completed on an iPad? PCs and Macs have amazing software programs for creative professionals. Reaper, SoundForge, Audacity, and Logic are powerful tools for sound engineers, while video and photo designers have access to iMovie, Photoshop, and Pixelmator. The iPad Pro has a desktop class processor and GPU that allows creative professionals to make amazing music, and great visual creations while on the go. In fact, the iPad Pro will process 4k video faster than many high performance PCs and Mac, so in this case, the iPad does stand up to PC performance. The iPad Pro also has support for the Apple Pencil, allowing the user to create art on one’s device, then process it through an image editing solution. It also supports annotating documents and creating  drawings, whereas a PC user would need a device such as a Wacom for similar results.

Developer Applications

In an ever-increasingly connected world with computers being a mainstay in everybody’s lives, coding has become more prevalent. so Can users code the same solutions on the iPad Pro as they would on a PC or Mac? In short, no. The iPad Pro does not have the facilities for full software development. There are applications to write code, however, the iPad cannot compile apps for iOS or Android using currently available tools at the time of this writing. It seems that Apple may be moving the iPad Pro into the PC space, but it can’t fully be on the same playing field unless it offers the ability to build applications.

Currently the iPad Pro and other iPads have Swift Playgrounds, which lets you play games, and write code, but these code creations can only run on the iPad they are saved on, and can’t run independently. Swift Playgrounds is a start, but you can’t reach the command line or other areas that are important, if not essential, to programmers.

Web developers are in luck though. The iPad Pro has several apps that allow web developers to create websites, and there are now ways that you can test your website on the iPad with help from apps like Pythonista, where you can use Python to create small web servers.

File Management

iPadOS 13 introduces many changes to the Files application that brings it more in line with Finder on macOS. You can now view files in grid view, list view, and even detail view where you can see the file information before you open the document in question. The ability to connect to an external hard drive and a network server has been something the iPad operating system has needed for a long time, and you can finally accomplish this using the Files app. There are a few limitations here, but great strides have been made to update the iPad into a more useful storage device.

Conclusion

The iPad Pro still has some room to grow, but it is much closer to a computer replacement with iPadOS 13. We now have the ability to use automations and shortcuts, along with pro level applications to create productive solutions. We just need to see apps like Logic, Final Cut, and Xcode, and the iPad will be a proper computer replacement.

A New Chapter for iAccessibility

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iAccessibility Logo

iAccessibility is proud to announce that we have filled out and turned in paperwork to form an LLC. We have received the results, and we are now officially iAccessibility LLC from this day forward.

We are very excited about this news, and we can’t wait to bring you all new products and services in our new capacity as iAccessibility LLC.

In the coming months, we will be converting all services in iTunes to our new name, and we will continue supporting all of our products and services that we currently offer.

As always, please send us feedback at feedback@iaccessibility.net if you have any questions for us.

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