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PocketBraille for Android Now Live!

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PocketBraille icon with letters P and B in Braille.

PocketBraille for iOS has provided teachers and students the ability to learn Braille characters in a quick and easy reference style application for several years.

iAccessibility is proud to announce that PocketBraille is now live on Android in the Google Play Store for $1.99, and we even have a lite version so you can see if you like the app.

We are also in the process of adding grade 2 contractions to both apps so please stay tuned for that update as it will open new doors for teachers and students learning Braille.

Google Play Badge

 

Product Comparison: OrCam VS Seeing A.I.

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The OrCam camera on some glasses.

We at iAccessibility, from time to time,  like to compare two products  to see which one is more practical, and which one works best. Today, we decided to take a look at Seeing AI and OrCam, as both of these products have similar features, but different form factors. Lets start with going over each product and what it can accomplish.

OrCam MyEye

The OrCam MyEye is a fantastic product that is basically a camera  mounted on standard glasses. It lets the user look at things like text, products, faces, and colors, and the MyEye will attempt to convert what is seen into spoken output.

OCR

The MyEye contains two forms of OCR. The OrCam user can press a button, which will read text aloud to the user. The user can also point at text with their index finger to have OrCam read specific areas on a page.

Products

The MyEye has the ability to scan product bar codes. This will allow the device to identify labeled products, from foods to personal care items and more.

Colors

One of the more interesting features of the MyEye device is the fact that it can detect colors. The user can point at a surface without text to find out what the color is. The spectrum of color that the device can identify is quite extensive compared to Seeing AI.

Faces

The OrCam MyEye lets a user take a picture of a person’s face. Once this is done, the MyEye can determine which faces are in the room. This feature does require the person to record the name of the displayed face beforehand.

Summary

The MyEye from OrCam is a great device for accurate OCR. It is a stand alone device, and works really well. The downside:  The price comes in at over $3000 for the MyEye, and $2000 for the MyReader, which only supports OCR features.

Seeing AI from Microsoft

Seeing AI is an app in the iOS app store that lets users complete many of the same tasks as the OrCam MyEye, but with a few differences.

Short Text OCR

Seeing AI has a fascinating mode called short text, which will let the user read anything visible in the camera’s view. This also means that the app will reset speech if the text is moved to much out of the viewfinder, causing some frustration for users. However, this mode is extremely speedy and accurate, allowing a user to go through a large volume of small documents, like mail, rapidly.

Document OCR

The document channel lets the user scan traditional, longer, documents into Seeing AI for reading or saving. One must simply hold the page near the camera to scan a document. Seeing AI will help you align the document before it scans a page. It will ask the user to hold still once they have aligned the page properly, and it will take the picture. Some users have found, though, that the document recognition is not as good as the short text mode or other apps.

Product

Like the OrCam MyEye, the Seeing AI app lets users scan bar codes. The difference here is that Seeing AI pulls its product data from an online resource. The app provides tone feedback to allow the user to bring the barcode into focus before scanning. The picture is automatically taken at the proper time.

Facial Recognition

Seeing AI will let the user detect a person’s face after pictures have been taken and recorded in the app of that person. Seeing AI will also tell you information about the person, and of how many people are in the viewfinder. The downside to this feature is that the information provided, such as age and gender, is not always accurate, but Microsoft is still making improvements to the app.

Scene (Beta)

One of the most interesting features of Seeing AI is the scene channel of the app, which lets the user know what is in the immediate environment. Keep in mind when you use this channel, that it may not be the most accurate, since it is in beta.

Currency Reader (Beta)

Seeing AI will let the user read various currencies. Simply put the currency under the camera, and Seeing AI will automatically recognize it.

Color (Beta)

Seeing AI now comes with a color detection mode. It basically only recognizes primary colors at this point, but is effective

Handwriting (Beta)

Seeing Ai has an amazing new feature called Handwriting. This channel lets the user scan handwritten text and Seeing AI will read it out loud. This has been the best handwriting scanning I have personally seen in an app.

Light detection

Seeing AI’s last channel is the ability to detect the amount of light that is in a room. Users will hear a lower pitch tone for low light, and a higher tone for bright light.

Conclusion

The OrCam MyEye is an amazing portable device that works on its own without the need for a smartphone. While the services offered are great, I find the $3000 price tag to be a bit steep compared to the free price tag of Seeing AI. I would also have to say that OrCam provides a standard user experience while Seeing AI can vary based on which device the user is using. With that said, Seeing AI does offer more services with the light detection, handwriting, currency and scene channels. If you are looking for a stand alone device, and money is not an issue, then OrCam is right for you, but I think most users will find that Seeing Ai provides similar functionalities built right into the device they carry with them every day. I personally just wish that Seeing AI would make its way to Android.

Vero: The surprisingly Accessible Social Network

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Vero App Icon

As social media continues to evolve, several applications have promised to be the new Facebook or Instagram, and  one application in particular has gone above and beyond to provide an accessible and user-friendly experience for everyone.

How does it work

Vero promises to be an app like Instagram. The user can post about books, movies and TV, Links, Photos, and more. It is interesting to note that the app does not support plan text posts, so it makes the user be more creative with regards to what they post. My first post was about the current book that I am reading.

You will also find that people can follow you, but there are no ads or algorithms, so what you see is what you get and in the order you were meant to receive it.

Advantages

As I said earlier, Vero doesn’t have any ads and it doesn’t have any algorithms. Users that sign up now will get a free lifetime membership, so if and when Vero adds paid subscriptions, you will remain a free member.

Accessibility on the Vero app is amazing, and it appears that VoiceOver works throughout the app. VoiceOver users can read alt text on photos and book recommendations.

Conclusion

While Vero may not be the replacement for Facebook and Instagram that everyone wants, it does provide an alternative for those who want a small social network between friends and followers.

Forecast for Mac, A Podcast Organizer

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Forecast screenshot

Podcasting has become one of the most popular ways of conveying information; however, podcasts can become quite large in size and length. To help with this issue, Marco Arment came up with the app Forecast for macOS to add organizational features to podcast files. Here’s how it works.

Forecast Features

Forecast lets the user add organizational makers or chapters to a podcast file. This literally takes an audio file and adds chapter makers, which make the file compatible with podcast apps.  A chapter can contain a title, description, hyperlink, and a photo that a podcast player can view. Forecast will also convert your file to mp3 once your chapters are added.

Forecast Accessibility

Forecast, while in beta, has some clear accessibility issues. We have noticed that the app’s text fields are not labeled for VoiceOver, and VoiceOver does not read column titles as you move through the table. It has also been brought to our attention that the text fields in the table are not accessible when you add a chapter. One must know that the first text field is the chapter start time, the second text box is the duration, and  the checkbox is for including the chapter in the chapter list.  The table also includes text boxes for chapter title, description, hyperlink, and image.

Conclusion

Forecast is a valuable asset for podcasters because it allows podcasters to add chapters to their files so viewers can pick areas of interest to listen to. While this app is accessible to VoiceOver users, it definitely has issues that make it less accessible and appealing than other apps.

To download Forecast, head to the Forecast website

Managing Your Busy Life: Accessible Task Management Apps

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Task management apps Reminders iOS icon

We get it. Managing all that you have to do in your busy life can be a difficult task. That’s why I have gathered four task management apps for analysis here on the iAccessibility Report. I’ll be analyzing Apple’s Reminders app, Things 3, WunderList, and Trello. All are very powerful apps, with very unique feature sets. Let’s dive right in.

Apple’s Reminders App

This one needs little introduction. It’s been a part of the iOS experience for many years and it’s the one that many users turn to for access to all their tasks in one spot. On the up side, this app allows the user to use Siri to add reminders to any list, set time sensitive reminders, and even set location based reminders, such as “remind me to call the doctor when I get home.” Time sensitive reminders appear on the screen when they are due, and managing the notifications on the Apple Watch is easy. The app is available on all Apple devices, but there is no availability for Windows or Android. Also, when checking off items, the app does not appear to work in a way that is helpful. The boxes are checked, but the items do not immediately disappear from the list. As someone who gets overwhelmed by large lists of things to do, I don’t want extra items hanging around once I’ve taken care of them. A workaround for this is to simply swipe up and delete the item, but it will not show up in the completed list.

Things 3

This next app happens to be one of my favorites. Things 3 offers a great deal of functionality, but the interface is quite simple. It has Siri integration, although the language you need to use is definitely a bit clunky. The user can create multiple projects, which are categories for different lists. Checking off items is very easy: simply double tap on the checkbox and the item moves to your logbook, where all completed tasks go once removed from their lists. The app also has the ability to import tasks from the reminders app to assist in easy transition. The app is $10 for the iPhone version, $20 for the iPad version, and $40 for the Mac version, making it a definite expensive solution. Also, the Mac app does not appear to be accessible at all, but I have been talking with the developers, who are working on a solution for this issue. The iOS apps also have some problems, but are not unusable.

Trello

Here’s a very interesting approach to task management. Trello is a free app for many different platforms, including Windows and Android, that allows you to create and share boards: groups of cards, which are like tasks, with whomever you want who has the app, making it ideal for cross-platform collaboration for work, school, or any other project. It does not rely on checkboxes, but rather uses drag and drop to organize cards, which I find a little clunky but which others may find handy. I’m a checklist kind of girl when it comes to these things, so Trello isn’t my favorite, but it’s here and it’s very accessible on all platforms.

WunderList

The final app in this throwdown is Wunderlist: To-Do List & Tasks. It appears to be very accessible on all platforms, has the ability to have multiple lists, has collaboration features like Trello, and makes things disappear with a satisfying little sound when you check them off. I have found free apps for iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac. I am very happy with this app, as it combines the simplicity of Things with the sharing features and low price of Trello. It appears to be the best of both worlds.

Conclusion

There’s an app out there for everyone, and I hope this article helps you if you’re looking for something to make your life just a little easier. Did I miss your favorite? Let me know in the comments or mention us on Twitter with your thoughts.

 

What is a Computer? iPad Pro Hardware

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Logitech Slim Combo Case for iPad Pro

During its latest iPad Pro ad, Apple asked the question, “What is a computer?” This is the second article written by iAccessibility that aims to answer this question. Our goal is to understand if the iPad Pro can replace the modern PC, and what kinds of accessories or apps one would need to accomplish this. Today, we will be looking at the iPad Pro’s hardware.

Form Factor

At the time of this writing, The iPad Pro comes in two variants: a 10.5 inch and a 12.9 inch. The 10.9 inch model is best suited for portability, whereas the 12.9 inch is best used in a sit-down environment, like at a desk. Both devices have a retina display, as well as 4 speakers that provide an  amazing sound experience. The 12.9 inch iPad Pro does have a better sound profile, but the 10.5 inch is still an amazing device for listening to audio. The 12.9 inch also contains more battery, but it does take longer to charge than its smaller counterpart.

The Processor

The 2017 iPad Pro models have an A10X hexa-core processor which has the power to out-perform some MacBook Pro models doing similar activities. This processor is not limited, as iPhone models are, by size or cooling, and can run for extended amounts of time at high speed.

Storage

The iPad Pro can be configured to have up to 512 Gigabytes of storage built in, which is the same as many MacBook Pro models. My MacBook Pro has a built-in 512 Gigabyte drive, but I went with the 256 Gigabyte iPad Pro.

Ports

The iPad Pro only has a lightning port and a headphone jack, which makes it very limited with regard to what devices can be used with it. It is worth noting, though, that the iPad Pro can support a USB 3 connection dongle so that you can plug in hard drives, microphones and other PC based equipment. You will need access to external power for this to work.

Wireless

The iPad Pro comes with your standard WI-FI and Bluetooth connectivity to connect to all modern routers and bluetooth devices. It also lets you connect to the Apple Pencil for on-screen writing.

iPad Pro Accessories

The iPad Pro allows you to connect a keyboard to the tablet through the smart connector, adding keyboard support without the need for Bluetooth. We will discuss keyboard cases in a future article, but it is worth noting that the Pro is more like a PC with this accessory. The Apple Pencil, while expensive, lets users have better control over drawing and graphics design on their tablets than most other devices like it. I personally think that the Apple Pencil is more accurate than the Surface Pen, or any similar stylus.

Conclusion

While the iPad Pro doesn’t come standard with a keyboard and mouse, it does have the necessary hardware and accessories to make it into a PC replacement with the addition of a smart keyboard and Apple Pencil. The speakers deliver beyond stellar sound, and the retina display is enough for any user to get the best viewing experience any laptop or pc could offer.

Going off hardware alone, the iPad Pro is a computer replacement.

What’s a Computer? An Introduction

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iPad Pro 10.5 with smart keyboard

Apple made a bold statement in an ad recently, during which a young girl asks her family: “What is a computer?” This question is really Apple making a statement about the iPad Pro, saying that it can be a computer replacement, and that the modern PC or computer form factor is irrelevant. After talking amongst ourselves and thinking about this ad, iAccessibility is here to try and answer this question: can the iPad, specifically the Pro models, make the modern computer irrelevant? Can it really take the place of our much-loved PC’s and Mac’s, either in the personal or workplace setting? We will reveal our answer over a series of upcoming articles, in which we will discuss varied areas of personal and professional productivity, from word processing to audio editing and everything in between. Can the iPad Pro live up to Apple’s powerful claims?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQB2NjhJHvY

IAccessibility Staff Pick Our Best Devices of 2017

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Each year, the iAccessibility Management Team looks back at what devices they liked best and we put each person’s favorite down in a blog post. It is now time for our 2017 picks. Do you agree with us? Let us know on Twitter or in the comments section. You can also email your pics for 2017 to feedback@iaccessibility.net

Michael – All-New Amazon Element 50 Inch 4K HDTV

Amazon Element TV

The Amazon Element TV is a 4K HDTV with Amazon FireOS built in. It offers Amazon Alexa voice support, and allows low vision and blind users to use VoiceView, Amazon’s built in screen reader that works on the FireTV line of devices and the Amazon Fire tablets.

Jason: Logitech Slim Combo Keyboard Case for iPad Pro

Logitech Slim Combo Case for iPad ProMy pick for best device of 2017 would have to be the Logitech Slim Combo Case  for the 10.5 inch iPad Pro. While I’m not a big fan of the plastic material the case is made of, it’s really light, and typing on the keyboard is a really nice experience. The F and J keys have easy to locate markings on them to help with orientation. In fact, the markings are a bit too prominent for my taste, but it’s something I’m more than willing to live with.

The keyboard has some dedicated function keys for things such as adjusting the display brightness, searching in Spotlight, and controlling media playback. Because the keyboard connects via the Smart connecter, there is no Bluetooth connection to deal with, and no batteries to charge. It’s there when you need it, and you can remove it when you don’t.

The case itself snaps over the back of the iPad, leaving the side with the lightning connecter and speakers exposed. There are covers for the sleep/wake and volume buttons.

It also features a kickstand that angles the iPad in a similar fashion to a laptop screen, so it’s not laying flat on a table or your lap when in use. Both the kickstand and keyboard attach magnetically to the case, and, in the case of the keyboard, will lock the screen just like a Smart Cover does. The front of the case also has a holder for the Apple Pencil, unlike most others in its class.

I know of no other case for the 10.5 inch iPad Pro that has the same level of convenience and functionality that this case offers, and I recommend it to anyone who wants a keyboard and is getting an iPad Pro.

Aleeha: 10.5 inch iPad Pro

iPad Pro 10.5 with smart keyboardFollowing up on Jason’s comments, I have to say that the 10.5-inch iPad Pro is my pick for this year. Yes, the iPad has been a great device since day one, but the iPad Pro takes it to the next level, especially when combined with a case, like the one Jason mentions above. This lightweight, powerful tablet has become my travel companion, and, in several cases, is taking the place of my MacBook. It has an A10X chip, serious RAM, a beautiful display, a powerful camera, and, favorite in my book, four gorgeous speakers that make the sound from this device extremely pleasant to listen to. I think the 10.5 inch screen size is perfect for me: I can hold it easily and the screen real estate is not too much. With the new features in iOS 11 that allow a user to place two apps on the screen at once, which are completely accessible for blind users, this device is a real workhorse.

Dan: Samsung Galaxy S8+

Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus Midnight BlackYes folks, I continue my Android loving ways. It was a tough choice actually, but the Galaxy S8+ is my pick for favorite device of 2017. This phone is awesome. Its fit and finish are sleak. The Infinity screen display is amazing. You can hook it up to a docking station and almost use it as a desktop replacement. With an Octocore processor and 64Gb of storage, you can do just about anything you want (Minecraft is awesome on this device by the way.) Speaking of Minecraft, let’s not forget the Samsung Gear VR you can put this device into. Whoa! Now that is cool!

Ok, enough of me oohing and aahing. Here is why I love this phone.

The screen is really amazing. The curvature at the edge is very comfortable. I really like how the edges light up with notifications. Also, watching YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon Video is no problem. I use magnification quite a bit, and everything looks crisp and clear when I magnify the screen.

Battery life is truely a key point of this device. Every day, I stream music probably six to seven hours, have WhatsApp running constantly, watch several YouTube videos, write several texts, make and receive voice calls, and my battery is still at around 15% when I put it on the charger at night. I typically take the phone off the charger around 6:00 a.m. and put it back on the charger around 10:00 p.m. My household has had the S2, S3, S4, S5 Sport, and the S7 and I have never seen this kind of battery life out of any of these older devices. Keep in mind that your mileage may vary depending on your useage.

Expandable memory: Yes, I am one of those that still wants expandable memory. I only have a 64Gb micro SD card in my phone right now, but my music collection is expanding and I am due for an upgrade.

Finger print reader location: Samsung took quite a bit of grief from this one. I personally find it easy to use, based on the way I hold my phone. My index finger naturally falls into place for the fingerprint reader to scan my finger.

General look and feel: This phone just looks and feels cool in my opinion. the overall fit and finish is very nice. I also believe this to be one of the best phones Samsung has made to date, again in my opinion.

Matt – Victor Reader Trek

Victor Reader TrekMy pick for 2017 is not a tablet or a mobile device. It is, however, a very mobile way to access your favorite books, podcasts, and internet radio stations. You can also record notes with the built-in notes feature. The thing that makes this device unique is that you can also use built-in TomTom GPS to guide you while listening. This is all without taking your phone out of your pocket or getting distracted by notifications.

Back in October, HumanWare released a brand new device that puts the famous Victor Reader stream and the Treker Breeze together in one package. The Victor Reader Trek, priced at $699, feels a bit heavier than the second generation stream, has a faster processor, bluetooth capabilities for use with headphones or speakers, 32gb of internal memory, and comes with an 8gb SD card,which can be exchanged for up to a 256gb card, so you should never run out of storage.

I picked this device because, even though I use GPS on my phone, it uses up data, gets constantly interupted by VoiceOver speech and notification sounds that can be distracting. The Trek gets rid of that headache.

One of my favorite features, found only in the Trecker, is the ability for the device to describe to you what type of intersection you are about to cross. This is useful if you’re in a new area and you’re not familiar with it yet. You are able to explore an area before you take your route as well.

I know the device is a bit pricey, but I feel that it is a good fit for those who want a stand-alone book reader, podcast player, note recorder and navigation tool.

What is an Android Launcher?

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Nova Launcher

The title says it all. To those who have never used an Android device, or maybe to those who are familiar with their Android device only somewhat, you may be wondering what a launcher is. Let’s see if we can shed some light on this topic.

A launcher on Android is similar to the desktop you use to interact with your desktop or laptop computer. All interaction you have with your Android device is done through the launcher. That is it!

Here is the part that tends to trip people up. Why are there so  many launchers available in the Play store? The answer is: Choice! So why have so many choices? Everyone has a different idea of how they would like to interact with their device. I, for one, find this to be a nice feature of Android in general. The flexibility and choice you have as a user to create your own experience is extremely important to me. You can spend days, weeks, even months customizing your device to be able to interact with it exactly how you want.

That is it! A launcher is the user interface that allows you to interact with your device. It can be customized to do exactly what you want.

In the coming weeks, I will introduce several launchers and include screenshots where I can. I will go through basic setup and customization steps to show how launchers are the same, but different at the same time.

Here are a few of the launchers that will be covered (not in any particular order):

Nova Launcher

Apex Launcher

Google Now Launcher

Go Launcher

ADW Launcher

CM Launcher 3D

If you have any launchers you would like to see demonstrated, please send me an email: dan@iaccessibility.net

You may also follow me on twitter: @dan_droid_hart

 

Access Your Movies From All Your Accounts with the Movies Anywhere App for iOS

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Movies Anywhere

Recently, a new app was released, in collaboration with Disney and several other movie studios, called the Movies Anywhere app. It’s available for iOS and Android, and offers some unique functionality for blind movie lovers. You can sign into Amazon, Google, and iTunes to link all your accounts together. For a limited time, if you link your Google Play Movies account with the app, you will get access to five free pre-selected movies. How, though, can a user access audio described content? The answer is this: once all your accounts have been linked, go into iTunes on your Apple device, access your purchased movies, and, voila!, you have access to your purchased movies from all platforms, enabling audio description for those that have it in the iTunes store, even if you bought them elsewhere.  So, essentially, you can use the Movies Anywhere app as a method of collecting all your movies into one place, but don’t use it to watch them if you want audio description. Access them from the iTunes app and you’re all set!

Texie for iOS: Does it Work as Advertised?

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Texie App Icon

This morning, I discovered an app called Texie for iOS. The app claims to be able to perform quick text recognition, kind of like the Short Text mode of Seeing AI. It’s free do download, but, in order to perform scans, you must purchase credits, which start at $0.99 for 100 scans. You get a few extra credits with this purchase (I think I received 10 extra, giving me 110.)

The app is a bit misleading, however. There are no instructions when you start it for the first time, only a blank home screen for VoiceOver users. There are tabs across the bottom: Home, Settings, IAP (the screen where you can purchase credits), and Info.

The home tab allows the user to scan. Although blank to VoiceOver users initially, the app will emit beeps when it thinks it’s recognized text. The trick is to find the button that “text found, click screen to read” button. This cannot be found by flicking left and right, and the user must use explore by touch to locate it. If, however, the user turns VoiceOver off, they can tap anywhere on the screen other than the tab bar at the bottom to recognize the text. Once the text starts to read, there is no good way to stop it other than using a two finger double tap to start other media or going to the home screen.

The settings tab allows the user to replay the last scan, change the mode from single to multipage, or clear the current pages. Unfortunately, there is no way to adjust the speech rate or voice.

The IAP tab allows the user to purchase more scan credits. Finally, the info tab explains a little about the app.

In conclusion, I don’t really believe this app, even with its claim to read well written handwriting, is worth the price with the availability of Seeing AI and KNFB Reader. The OCR is not as good as the other two, and it does not automatically read as Seeing AI does. The accessibility is a little iffy, and it uses online OCR, which just isn’ helpful with a slow data or WiFi connection. The app is fairly new, and my hope is that it will continue to improve and find its place among its competitors.

What’s New in VoiceOver for macOS High Sierra

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Image showing VoiceOver icon. icon is a grey gradient to white with a universal access symbol and a speaker with sound waves going to the right.

On September 25, 2017, Apple released macOS High Sierra to the public. Here are some new enhancements to VoiceOver.

Enhanced Multilingual Support

If VoiceOver detects that a language has been associated with text that it’s reading, it Will automatically switch to another voice and will read the text in that language. You can set the voice VoiceOver uses for different languages in VoiceOver Utility. For example, if you were to add the Spanish language and set a voice for it, VoiceOver will then use that Spanish voice to read text that has been tagged as Spanish for screen readers.

Image Descriptions

VoiceOver can describe images, just like it does in iOS. To do this, press VO (Control plus option or caps lock, depending on how you have the VoiceOver modifier set) + Shift + L when focus is placed on an image.

Improved Grade 2 Braille Experience

VoiceOver provides a more seamless Braille experience when you are working with text and using Grade 2 Braille. For example, your Braille display now shows “the context of what you’re typing,” and when you edit text, it is no longer translated back into Grade 1 Braille.

Improved Web and Email Navigation

VoiceOver  navigation is more consistent and reliable when navigating webpages in Safari. VoiceOver has better support for navigating tables in richly formatted email messages in mail.

Improved PDF Accessibility

VoiceOver has better support for reading tables, lists, and forms in tagged PDF documents.

Let us know if you’ve discovered anything else new.

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