CSUN 2017 hashtag changed from #CSUN17 to #CSUNATC2107
Blind Bargains app updated for iOS
Blind Bargains Android app announced
We will have one more episode this week and then we will have new content fresh from the CSUN 2017 conference
We are looking for new ways to bring you into the conversation, and we encourage people to join us for the podcast recording on TeamTalk at teamtalk.iaccessibility.net. We only ask that you mute while we record the podcast.
We hope that you have enjoyed this episode. Please email us at feedback@iaccessibility.net for suggestions or to leave comments or feedbac.
Amazon just announced that the Amazon Tap would be updated soon to support a new feature known as hands free mode. This will allow the device to work more like the traditional Echo or Echo Dot where you can just say, “Alexa” to activate the Alexa voice system, so all you would have to do is ask it questions as if you were using an Echo or Echo Dot. Here is how to turn this feature on.
Enable Hands Free mode on Amazon Tap.
To Enable Hands free mode, you will need to have the updated device software on your Tap. At the time of this post I do not see this software update, but here are the steps if you were to have this software update which rolls out over the air as long as the device is on Wi-Fi.
Open the Alexa app on your mobile device
Find the menu button at the top left
Find Settings in the menu
Find and select your Tap in the list of devices. It should have the name similar to Your Name’s Tap
find the setting for Hands free mode and activate it
While using Hands free mode you should still get 8 hours of battery from your Tap. You can also press the power button on the back to put the device to sleep so it keeps charged longer.
Conclusion
Many have said that the Tap was a useless device because it did not have hands free use with the Alexa platform. With this software update, Amazon has gone a long way to make this device more useful in making it a battery powered alternative to the Echo Dot and to the bigger Echo device.
I personally plan to use this device now while I travel and at convention season this summer.
Last year we released the Braille Challenge skill to the Alexa Skills Store. Join Michael as he demonstrates the use of this skill in this episode of the iA DemoCast.
Welcome to the very first iA DemoCast! In this episode, Matt Dierckens will walk you through updating software on macOS Sierra, using Apple’s built-in screen reader, VoiceOver. We hope you find this demonstration useful; if you have topics you would like to see covered on the DemoCast, please let us know! As always, thank you for listening!
We weren’t there, but we were all excited to see what new tech would be unveiled at CES 2017. From the useful to the ridiculous, we were reading all about it. Check out this episode of the #iACast to see what products we found the most interesting.
Computing and Media
Many computers were shown off at CES – from the cheap, to high-end gaming laptops – but we only picked one as being truly worth mentioning, as it is nothing like the rest. We also put televisions, and smartphones in this category. Check out our favorites below.
Razer Project ValerieThis prototype was the most interesting one we saw covered at CES; apparently others agree, as it was stolen at the show. What makes it different? Well, it’s a 17 inch gaming laptop, that manages to fit 3 17 inch displays into one laptop! Cool, right?Razer Project Valerie is a gaming laptop with three screens
LG W7 ultrathin OLEDIs it wall art, or is it a television? Actually, it’s both. This gorgeous OLED TV is so thin, just 0.15 inches when mounted,, it’s actually flexible. In fact, HDMI and other inputs, as well as power and sound are managed with the included sound bar, that connects to the TV with a thin ribbon cable. This thing is incredible, and it should be, since it starts at $8,000!LG’s amazing W7 ultrathin OLED is wall art that happens to be a TV
Sony Xperia ProjectorYou know what the problem is with smartphones? They are designed to be viewed by one person at a time. I mean, sure you could send the video to a TV, but what if there isn’t a TV nearby? This projector solves that problem, by allowing you to project a 23 inch touch screen onto any flat surface. You can even use it as a traditional projector, with view-only support up to 80 inches. It’s really cool, and useful.Sony Xperia Projector turns any table, counter or wall into an Android smartphone, minus the whole calling thing
Home Security
The goal of a smart home is to simplify your life, by automating tasks you do frequently, and allowing access to devices even when you are away. A good smart home, however, should also improve security. So, that’s what this section is all about! Smart gadgets have a high starting cost, but unlike traditional security systems, maintaining them is much cheaper. Check out our security favorites below!
D-Link OmnaThere are many indoor home security cameras on the market, and even some others that integrate with Apple’s HomeKit platform. However, what makes this camera special is that it does not require a cloud recording subscription. Instead, you can store files locally on an SD card – this cuts down on monthly subscription costs. Note: You can store files in the cloud if you choose. The camera also records 1080p video, can see up to 16 feet in the dark, and has a 180 degree field of view.D-Link Omna opens Siri’s eyes at CES 2017
Ring Floodlight CamNow, this is just a great idea! Ring already has cameras you can mount outdoors, with 2-way audio and HD video recording. The Floodlight Cam, however, takes this to the next level by replacing your current floodlights with smarter ones. Just like with the other cameras offered by Ring, you can see and speak to anyone who is on your property, but you can also control integrated floodlighting and sound an alarm to alert your neighbors to suspicious activity. Want one yet? We do!Introducing the New Ring Floodlight Cam
ShadeCraft SunflowerIt’s more than just an umbrella! The Sunflower uses solar energy to track the sun’s movement, and keep you protected and comfortable. It has integrated wifi, and LTE. So, you can take it to the beach and use it as a wifi hotspot for your other devices. You can then charge those devices with the USB port on the umbrella, enjoy your music with the integrated speakers, and control the umbrella and your smart home with voice commands. Wait, how is this a security device? As if all those features weren’t enough, the Sunflower also has lighting and cameras. You can keep an eye on your property, or watch the kids while they play in the pool! Does thing have a kitchen sink, too? Just saying! Wow!ShadeCraft Sunflower solar patio umbrella follows the sun at CES 2017
AuraLook mom, no cameras! If you aren’t comfortable with wifi-enabled cameras, potentially recording your every move, and vulnerable to hacking, Aura has you covered. Instead of using traditional motion sensors and cameras, the Aura is a security system that uses radio waves to detect movement, even through walls. You’ll get fewer, if any, false alerts, and the system will automatically turn off when an authorized user arrives home. Pretty neat, right?Aura Protects Your Entire Home Without Using Cameras
Other Devices
There were many devices covered at CES that were just… weird. One example of this is a bluetooth-enabled toaster, which you can control from your smartphone. Why? Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should! Another example is a hair brush that monitors how well you brush your hair. Again, why? A third example is a connected shower, which you can set while still in bed, or wherever you might be… This may be useful for some, but at this point we don’t see the usefulness of it. Maybe it’s good for lazy people? Hmmm.
This category is for devices, which we found interesting, but which did not fit into the categories above. Some are on the verge of fitting into the category of weird things introduced at CES, but others are useful. Check them out below.
Simplehuman’s new trash cansSeveral smart trash cans were unveiled at CES – some track what you’re throwing away, others make use of your leftovers. However, we found these trash cans most interesting, because they are the most affordable, and there are versions available without internet connectivity. You can purchase versions with included wifi, which will order new trash bags for you, but there are versions with simple voice commands and motion sensing. It upgrades the trash can without making your trash can, of all things, too intrusive.Simplehuman’s new trash cans have voice commands and Wi-Fi
Incipio CommandKit smart power stripAt $100, this is an expensive power strip, but it integrates with both HomeKit and Amazon Alexa! With 4 outlets, which you can control individually, this product is a great choice for those with multiple products to control. As an added bonus, you can also monitor energy usage. Nice touch!Incipio CommandKit smart power strip works with both HomeKit and Amazon Echo
Flying Selfie CamIf you didn’t like selfie sticks, you probably won’t be a fan of this flying selfie cam. It can follow its user, and it will return to its position if bumped. It’s definitely on the weird side, but it would be cool to at least see one in action.The flying selfie camera that follows you everywhere (and won’t get pushed around)
And that’s our coverage of CES 2017! We’re sure we missed some awesome products, since we were simply following media coverage. What do you think of the products listed here? Do you think anything shouldn’t have been listed? What about things we didn’t cover. Do you have a favorite CES product not on this list? Let us know!
As always, thank you for listening to the #iACast! Please subscribe for more episodes, and check us out online at iAccessibility.net!
I recently have been looking for good time tracking apps for iOS and Android to keep track of my project hours. I went to the App Store business section in iOS and found the app Hours which promised to do just that. As a visual user I found the app to be appealing and would do what I wanted, but I fired up VoiceOver, and received a completely different experience.
How does Hours work
Hours lets the user create a new project, with basic text fields. Once you create your project you can track how much time you work on that project. One nice thing about this app is that it lets you track multiple projects at the same time so you can record your hours for multiple projects.
Accessibility Issues
Once I downloaded this app I was happy to see a mainly text interface, but my happiness stopped there. Once I enabled VoiceOver I only received, “Button” on any graphical button. To make matters worse, the buttons would not work while VoiceOver was on, which makes the app unusable to VoiceOver users. Beyond this presenting a problem to VoiceOver users, sighted users with partial to low vision will have a difficult time using this app because the buttons to me at least, do not tell me anything by just looking at the pictures, so I would need to use VoiceOver to gain perspective on what I am doing, so this makes this app fairly useless to low vision users as well.
Conclusion
While it is a great concept, Hours is not the app for blind and low vision users. Its lack of labeled and usable buttons with VoiceOver makes this app be unaccessible, and I urge the developer to take a look at the accessibilityHint and accessibilityLabel attributes to make these buttons accessible. It is also on Apple because they are featuring these apps which not all users can use.
Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are my own, and do not necessarily reflect those of iAccessibility.
As I’m sure most VoiceOver users know, there is an “Actions” item in the VoiceOver rotor in iOS. This is a very handy item as it allows for tasks to be accomplished faster without the need to tap through app menus, or perform a passthrough (double tap and hold on an item). An easy example of this would be deleting messages in the Messages app. Simply find a message, set the rotor to “Actions” if it’s not automatically set for you, flick up or down to “Delete,” and double tap. Your message is then deleted. It really does help speed things up.
So what am I complaining about? From time to time, I’ve been in the really neat position of being able to help a sighted person with there iPhone. It’s not neat because I get bragging rights or anything, just that with VoiceOver, I can use the same device and mostly, use it in the same way a sighted person can, all be it with some changed gestures, obviously. But getting back to the topic at hand, let’s say a sighted person asked me how to delete messages from there iPhone. I wouldn’t tell them to turn on VoiceOver, learn the basic gestures so they can navigate the screen, then use actions to delete there message, I’d tell them how to do it without VoiceOver enabled, and that’s where I’ve run into a bit of a problem. You see, as I was writing this article, I realized I had forgotten exactly how one would go about deleting messages from an iPhone without VoiceOver enabled. Because of VoiceOver actions, I no longer had to remember things like that. I could just flick up or down, choose what I wanted and double tap on it. While that’s really great, it doesn’t help me remember how to use an app normally, and that’s a problem.
To make matters worse, you have apps that detect that VoiceOver is enabled, and only allow you to use VoiceOver actions to perform certain tasks. Twitterrific is one such app. I wish we could either unselect “Actions” in the rotor, or add an item to quickly turn actions on or off like you can with Hints, Sounds, and Audio ducking. VoiceOver would behave as it did before they were introduced. I would also want to be able to perform a swipe without having to do a passthrough. I feel that this could be accomplished by allowing the three finger gestures to perform swipes when appropriate. This already happens in the app switcher. A sighted person swipes up on the app they wish to close, and of course a VoiceOver user can do a three finger swipe up which will perform the same action. Again, you can use VoiceOver actions to close apps and switch to them, but I find using the three finger swipe to close an app and double tapping on an app to switch to it is much faster for me.
So what do you think? Do you agree? Am I crazy? Follow us around the web and tell us what you think. We love hearing from you.
Ever wanted to know if something gets posted on the web about you or an interest that you follow? Google has a service called Google alerts to help with that.
How does it work
Google Alerts is a service that lets you sign up for email alerts for many popular topics. They also have a search box that lets you add custom alerts, so you can add your name or any other topic to email alerts.
When you opt in for alerts, you will receive an alert whenever Google finds that a page was added to their index with your keyword.
Find the search box and type the custom alert you would like to add. An example would be your name.
You can also select the Show Options button to make more precise changes like how often you receive alerts and how you receive the alert. You can select your Google email address or you can make an RSS feed to put on your website or in an app.
Once you are done, select Add Alert
You will need a Google account to use this feature but Google Alerts is a great feature from Google if you are a new business or a person wanting to get the news for research.
Mobile phones are everywhere and are used for many different tasks. Reading email, searching for recipes, chatting with friends from all around the world, and oh yes, actually making phone calls!
When Apple announced their new iPhone SE at their event I was overjoyed. There was going to be another phone on the market that was the same screen size as the 5S. Those of us who weren’t comfortable upgrading to a larger sized phone are still able to enjoy apple’s iOS operating system, have a faster processor, and the most important part for me, being able to afford a larger capacity phone for a decent price.
I had never been able to purchase an iPhone on release day. All of my phones have been purchased under carrier contract and not unlocked from Apple.
When I started on my iPhone journey, I had the iPhone 4, which by that time was a year old. then I had the iPhone 5 in 2014 and the iPhone 5s in that same year after apple was kind enough to give it to me after they were unable to get a replacement battery for my 5.
On March 31 I sold my iPhone 5s, unlocked from my phone carrier and went to the store and got an iPhone SE 64GB (I could not deal with a 16 gb phone) as that has been the storage capacity I had since the iPhone 4.
The iPhone SE has an excellent 12.2 megapixel camera for use with apps like TapTapSee and KNFBReader. It may look like the iPhone 5 and 5S externally, but it has the internals of the iPhone 6s, apart from the Touch ID censor which is the first generation model found in the 5S. It also lacks the 3D Touch function found in the newer model phones. To be honest, I was just happy to purchase a new phone, 64 gigs, on release day and certain little bells and whistles didn’t bother me.
I have been very satisfied with the iPhone SE! I definitely will not be upgrading to a new phone any time soon. This is my favourite device of 2016.
In this episode of the #iACast, which was recorded on January 11, 2017, join Michael, Daniel, Ashley, Jason, and Matt as they discuss the impact Apple’s iPhone has had on the world, and on their lives.
A Note about Capacitive Touch Screens
There was some confusion about how capacitive touch screens work. Touch input on the iPhone has nothing to do with body heat; instead, capacitive touch screens can work with anything that holds an electrical charge, including human skin. When you touch your iPhone’s screen, an electrical circuit is completed, and then the coordinates of that touch are translated by the iPhone. For more information, check out this helpful article: Okay, but how do touch screens actually work?
Jessica’s iPhone Story
In this episode, everyone explained how they found out about the iPhone, and their journey as it relates to smartphones. Since I, Jessica, was not on the podcast, the group asked me to detail my experiences in the show notes.
When I first heard about the iPhone, I thought people were silly for running out and paying a bunch of money for a slab of glass. I couldn’t understand how anyone would want to use a touch screen phone, much less someone, like myself, who is low vision. I figured it would register a bunch of accidental touches, and that I would struggle to see the interface. I only knew one person with the first iPhone, and I had a brief experience with it when she showed me some pictures. As I swiped through the pictures, pinching to zoom in and out as needed, I briefly considered it as an option. However, that thought quickly vanished when I remembered how expensive the phone was, and that it was not available on Verizon. So, I continued for nearly 4 years on my quest to find a cell phone that would meet my needs as a low vision user. I constantly looked on Verizon’s website for new phones, and watched phone reviews on YouTube, looking for what might be my dream phone. I had flip phones, and messaging phones, and I even owned a couple of Windows Mobile smartphones. They all fell short. In 2009, when I heard the iPhone had a screen reader, I was blown away. I still couldn’t see how anyone who was low vision or blind would want to use it, but I was intrigued. I hunted down some podcasts, and listened to some demonstrations of people using VoiceOver. It seemed neat, but typing seemed slow and time consuming. Nevertheless, I purchased a 3rd Generation iPod Touch in November of 2009. I was slow to catch on, but by the end of 2010, I carried it with me everywhere. Then, it happened – Verizon got the iPhone in 2011, and I immediately upgraded to the iPhone 4. I’ve had an iPhone ever sense, and it has, without a doubt, changed my life. Thanks to zoom and VoiceOver, I can easily use my phone for anything and everything a fully-sighted person can do. I text, take pictures, send and receive email, use social media, and so much more. It is amazing! It has also made the world around me more accessible. I use it as a magnifier, to read my mail and cooking instructions, and I even use it to set my thermostat. I can use it to see things that are far away from me, and if I need some help seeing something, family members and friends are a FaceTime call away! The iPhone is a game changer for those of us with disabilities, and for the world as a whole.
iPhone Announcement
Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone at Mac World on January 9, 2007. He said it was a phone, an iPod, and an internet communication device. Check out that announcement below.
As always, thank you for checking out #iACast! We hope you’ve enjoyed this episode! Please share it with friends, and come back to iAccessibility.net for more of your accessible technology needs!
In this UnboxCast, you’ll accompany Michael as he unboxes his new speakers, the Logitech Z623. Ashley, Jessica, and Daniel are also present, and are able to give some additional insight into why someone may still want these speakers, even though there are much newer products on the market. This podcast was recorded on January 4, 2017; we hope you enjoy it!
Join Michael, Jessica, Rich, and Daniel as they discuss Apple’s AirPods, and hear Daniel and Michael unbox theirs live on the podcast! Get the scoop on what it’s like to setup and use these new wireless headphones. Are their any issues? Are the AirPods worth the hype? You’ll find out in this episode, which was recorded on December 22, 2016. Enjoy!
