#iACast 28 – The Future is NOW

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DirectTV Now

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This podcast was recorded on December 1, 2016, and it is hosted by Michael Doise. Accompanying Michael on this episode is Jason Earls, and Jessica Smith.

This episode covers the following topics:

  1. Black Friday/Cyber Monday DealsIn this segment, we discuss our holiday spending and deals we found interesting.
  2. W1-Enabled HeadphonesIn this segment, we discuss Beats and Apple’s AirPods.
  3. Directv NowAll three of us subscribed to AT&T’s new Directv Now service. Listen to us compare its accessibility and ease-of-use to other services, and hear our opinion on the service as a whole.
  4. Why Unlimited Data isn’t Always GoodIf you can stream Directv Now as much a you want as an AT&T cellular subscriber, why isn’t that good for consumers? What about consumers with other networks? What about other services that want to compete with Directv Now? Hear us discuss these issues and more.
  5. iAccessibility NewsCheck out iAccessibility.net for all the details on app betas, our training program, and more.

We sincerely hope you enjoy the content covered in this episode of our podcast! We have more content in the editing process, and we can’t wait to share it all with you soon! Thank you for listening!

iAccessibility’s top devices of 2016

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iAccessibility Logo

Many of our staff members wrote articles about their favorite device of 2016. In this post we are going to give you a link to each of them.

  • Michael Doise’s post about AirPods.
    The first post was from Michael Doise. He talked about Apples brand new
    AirPods.
  • My Favorite Device Of 2016 Bose QC35’s
    Rich posted the next post, talking about some cool new headphones from Bose.
  • My Pick For Best Tech of 2016? Beats Solo 3
    Next up, Jason wrote a post about the Beats Solo 3 headphones. The first thing Jason focuses on right off the bat is the battery life of the Beats Solo 3’s. Check out the article for more information.
  • Jessica’s Favorite Device of 2016!
    Jessica wrote this really interesting post about the Ring Video Doorbell Pro If you’re looking for a security camera for your home or apartment, you might be interested in this post.
  • Ashley’s fav device of 2016
    I, Ashley, wrote about the Amazon Echo Dot. I received my Dot at the end of 2016 so I had a short time to explore the Dots capabilities before I published my post. I suggested some great Alexa skills in my post.
  • Carlos’s Favorite Device of 2016
    Carlos wrote about the Smart Battery Case from Apple that originally came out for the iPhone 6s in 2015, but was then updated in 2016 to work with the iPhone 7
  • Matt’s favorite Device of 2016 iPhone SE
    Matt decided that the iPhone SE was his favorite device for 2016. Read his article to find out more and why he picked this phone as his favorite.

Witch of these devices is your top pick? Let us know in the comments.

Carlos’s favorite device of 2016

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Apple Smart Battery Case for iPhone

I’ve always been interested in battery cases for the iPhone, I’ve even owned one of them. But until recently I owned a 6s plus. I only got one for the battery life and didn’t really care for how big it felt in my hands. So, I downgraded in physical size and upgraded in battery life by getting an iPhone 7 smart battery case.

Here’s why I think that for me, the iPhone 7 smart battery case is my best device of 2016 choice.

  1. It obviously doubles or mite even triple the battery life of the iPhone itself. I can go from 7 in the morning to about 10 at night and my iPhone still isn’t dead.
  2. You can set it and forget it. Install your iPhone and then you’re done. No need to flick a switch or press a button, it’ll just work.
  3. One thing the other cases do when you use them is activate all the backup and other services your iPhone uses when its charging draining the battery of the case even more than its supposed to. To me, it’s supposed to keep your iPhone battery topped off and not use any other services until you plug it into a charger.
  4. I like the design. A lot of people complain about the hump being there, I don’t mind that at all, it makes it easier to grip the phone.
  5. You can use one lightning cable to charge both. Need I say more on that one?

Those are my reasons why to me; the iPhone 7 smart battery case is the best device of 2016.

What do you think? Leave your comments below. I’d love to read them.

Take care all.

#Top10 Posts of 2016!

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iAccessibility Logo

iAccessibility saw tremendous growth in 2016, when compared to previous years. For this, we would like to thank you all for reading our articles, sharing our posts, listening to our podcasts, and following us on social media. To celebrate, we would like to share with you the posts that received the most traffic in 2016! That’s right, here are your favorite articles.

Note: This list is in reverse order, with the most popular post appearing last on the list.

  1. Product Review: Apple AirPods, written by Jessica Smith
  2. Zooming in on the Touch Bar, written by Jessica Smith
  3. This iPhone 7 Plus Feels so Accessible, written by Jessica Smith
  4. VoiceOver at the Bar, written by Michael Doise and Jessica Smith
  5. Organizing Apps in iOS 10 With VoiceOver, written by Rich Cavallaro
  6. A Guide to iMessage in iOS 10, written by Jessica Smith
  7. The Magic Tap isn’t so Magical, written by Michael Doise
  8. New VoiceOver Features in iOS 10, written by Jessica Smith
  9. These Mail Changes in iOS 10 will Make You Happy, written by Ashley Coleman
  10. The iOS 10 Feature No One is Talking About, written by Jessica Smith

There you have it – the most popular posts, as chosen by you, our readers! What do you think? Is this list accurate, or do you have a favorite that did not appear on this list? Let us know! And once again, thank you all for your support! We look forward to bringing you more content throughout 2017 and beyond!

Jessica’s Favorite Device of 2016!

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Ring Video Doorbell Pro

So many great products were released in 2016 – it’s hard to pick just one favorite! I love my iPhone 7 Plus, Apple Watch (Series 2), Amazon Echo Dot, and Apple AirPods. However, given my love of home automation and security, there is one clear winner!

If you’ve followed me on social media for at least a year, you will know that in December, 2015, I received a gift of a Ring Video Doorbell. I gushed about this product, and honestly, I still recommend that model for anyone interested in an easy, wire-free setup, that will prevent most home invasions and thefts.

This post is not about the Ring Video Doorbell, as that product was not released in 2016. Instead, I am writing about its successor, the Ring Pro. I will continue to reference both models, as I feel you cannot go wrong with either device, if you are in the market for a video doorbell.

The Ring Pro was released in April, 2016, and I upgraded to it from my original Ring Video Doorbell in August, 2016. These two products are very similar in functionality, with some key differences.

  • Both products are Video Doorbells. They can both integrate with existing doorbells, but the Ring Pro must be hardwired, whereas the Ring video Doorbell can be used with an existing doorbell, or on its own. They also have different power requirements, so if you are purchasing a Ring Pro, make sure your current setup can support it.
  • Both record video, have 2-way audio, and have night vision. The difference is in video quality. The Ring Video Doorbell records 720p video, whereas the Ring Pro records and streams in 1080p! Note: Because the Ring Video Doorbell does not require external power, you can use it on its own, and if you do so, Live View will not be available. This means you will need a Ring or Motion alert to start streaming video.
  • The Ring Video Doorbell comes in different finishes based on your decor, whereas the Ring Pro comes packaged with different colored faceplates. This means, it will fit in, even if you move or sell the device, whereas you may wish to purchase an entirely new Ring Video Doorbell if you move. Added Bonus: The Ring Pro is smaller, so it will replace old doorbell buttons much more nicely.
  • They both work with additional services, but because the Ring Pro is hardwired, it will support Apple HomeKit, eventually. Note: This extra power requirement means that there is some additional setup for the Ring Pro. I had quite a bit more trouble getting started with the Ring Pro, but it works great now that setup is complete.
  • They both receive Ring and Motion alerts. However, the motion alerts for Ring Pro are much more customizable. This is great for eliminating unnecessary alerts, but it is not great for users, like myself, who are visually impaired. Setting up motion alerts is much easier with the original Ring Video Doorbell. In fact, you can complete the entire setup process with VoiceOver, the screenreader on the iPhone.

As a legally blind woman, who was living alone at the time, I was originally interested in the Ring Video Doorbell after some unusual activity occurred at my home. After using both versions of this device for a year, I can say that I was right for choosing Ring. I have felt much more secure, and anytime I receive strange motion alerts, it is very easy to share the video with someone who has better vision than I do. I also am more likely to answer the door, which results in missing fewer important messages, such as when a neighbor returned my dog to me after he escaped from the backyard. In everyday usage, once the device is setup, there is no difference in using the Ring Video Doorbell and the Ring Pro – my sole reason for upgrading was HomeKit support, which has been delayed. I can’t wait for it to be released, because it will make quickly accessing a live feed after receiving an alert much easier. It will also enable me to setup triggers to turn on my Hue lights, without using IFTTT.

Do I think you should get a Ring Video Doorbell or a Ring Pro? Many of my family members now have Ring doorbells, thanks to me, so yes, I believe this is a great device for all users, including visually impaired and blind people. As long as you subscribe to the Cloud Video Recording plan, you’ll have access to all videos for 6 months! This is definitely worth $30.00 a year for the peace of mind it affords. The Ring Video Doorbell is $200 and the Ring Pro is $250, so neither option is cheap. However, they are much cheaper than traditional alarm systems, which only alert you after the invasion occurs – Ring is much more proactive. They also have a stand-alone outdoor camera, and a Floodlight Cam. So, there should be an option, or combination of products that works for you and your home’s setup!

Check out Ring’s complete product lineup, including the Ring Video Doorbell and Ring Pro, at ring.com!

What was your favorite device of 2016? Let us know – we love hearing from you!

Ashley’s fav device of 2016

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Echo Dot Second Generation White

2016 was a great year for technology. One of the things I am excited about is the Amazon Echo Dot. I received the Dot at the end of the year and have come to love the Dot as soon as I started explore some of its capabilities.

Design

The Amazon Echo Dot is a smaller version of the Amazon Echo. The Dot is its own speaker. It can hear you from a good distance away with the seven microphones places in the Dot. You can use the Dot as a Bluetooth speaker for your phone or tablet. You can also connect powerful speakers to the Dot via Bluetooth or the 3.5 MM jack.

Skills

With the Dot, you have access to many skills. To find skills that you are interested in, check out the skills section of the Alexa app.

Some of my favorite skills in no particular order are:

  • Ocean Sounds: This skill will play ocean sounds for a limited period of time. There are two similar skills that are a big favorite, thunder sounds and rain sounds.
  • Bed Time Story: Ask Alexa to open Bed Time story and tell her your name and be put to sleep, or not!
  • Dominos: Yes, go ahead and order up some pizza. Dominos has a skill for Alexa.

I hope with this short post you have learned a little about the Amazon Echo Dot . The Dot is a great buy if you want a portable device that is able to control devices in your home; for example, lights, switches and more.

My Pick For Best Tech of 2016? Beats Solo 3

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Beats Solo 3 White

When Apple announced the iPhone 7 at it’s keynote last year, they also announced several knew headphones as well. The AirPods that are much loved by the iAccessibility staff that have them, the Powerbeats 3, the BeatsX wireless earphones (not yet available as of this writing,) and the Beats Solo 3 headphones, which I will be focusing on. For more on paring a bluetooth device with W1 chip, we have a great article that does a wonderful job explaining the set up process, and how to connect them to multiple devices.

Battery Life

The Beats Solo 3s will last you up to forty hours on a single charge. I haven’t heard of that kind of battery life from any other bluetooth headphone. Beyond that, these headphones have what Apple calls “Fast Fuel.” This means that with just a five minute charge, the headphones can deliver up to three hours of use.

Can You Hear Me Now?

Okay, so this isn’t a cellphone commercial, but discovering just how far they would reach compared to a pare of headphones without the W1 chip almost felt like one. On my iPhone 6s Plus, I was able, with my phone charging up stairs, talk to a friend of mine outside, and even past the point my other headphones would disconnect. While I haven’t measured that distance, I probably could have walked all the way to the street, but didn’t fancy getting hit by a car.

Sound

Others have said that these headphones aren’t “audiophile grade headphones,” while others say they sound great. To me, they do sound really good for the most part. Music can sound a bit thin through them, depending on what you’re listening to. Wideband audio calls such as HD voice, FaceTime and Skype calls can sound a bit… I can only describe it as metallic, but it’s not something that is a big problem for me. Remember that sound is subjective, so something that might sound thin or metallic to me, might sound fine to you.

Conclusion

While I’ve not been one-hundred percent positive about these headphones, the things I’ve mentioned aren’t showstoppers to me. I think that the battery life and range improvements made possible by the W1 chip definitely give them a place in our best tech of 2016 series.

My Favorite Device Of 2016 Bose QC35’s

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Bose QC35 Headphones

My Favorite Device Of 2016

As we start 2017, we are at the start of a year where I know we will see new developments in all types of technologies. From smart phones to tablets to audio and more. But in this post, I want to look back at 2016. We saw lots of cool devices introduced including new watches, phones and even a low-cost Braille display being announced. If however I had to choose one device that I use every day that I bought in 2016, it would have to be my Bose Quiet Comfort (QC) 35’s active noise canceling Bluetooth headphones.

First Impressions

The first time I tried these on at a Best Buy I was very impressed. From the build quality to the sound, I was like “wow.” Even with active noise canceling turned off, in wired mode, the headphones had great bass and highs. I also liked in Bluetooth mode, you had controls on the side for play/pause, using Siri, volume and the ability to skip tracks.

ANC-Active Noise Canceling

When turning on the ANC, it was just me and music. This is great for when you are in planes or cars and have a lot of engine noise in the background and you want all of that to just disappear. In my opinion, Bose truly has the best ANC technology.

Unboxing

When I did get a pair of these in October 2016, taking them out of the box, Bose includes everything you need. You get the headphones, a micro USB cable for charging, a detachable cable to use them in wired mode and a very sturdy case to put them in when transporting them.

How to Operate the Headphones

All the controls are on the right earcup. You have a micro USB port to charge the battery. You have three physical buttons on the side. They are volume down, a multifunction button, which acts as play/pause and skipping tracks, as well as using Siri and a third button, which is volume up. A single tap of the multifunction button will pause the music. A double tap will skip forward, while a triple tap will go back to the previous track. You can also hold down these buttons to rewind and fast forward within a track. Hold the button in until you hear a beep to engage Siri.

On the top of the right earcup is a slide switch. A sound indicates when the headphones are turned on while another sound indicates when the headphones are turned off. The headphones also feature text to speech. It can pair with two devices at a time. When using them in Bluetooth mode,

And you turn them on, you get the battery level announced as well as what device or devices it is going to auto connect to.

The Case

The case has a pocket for holding all cables. The earcups of the qc35’s which are made out of a very soft comfortable material, , fold down into the case and lie flat.

ANC

As stated above, I love this feature. I fly a lot as well as travel in cars. I love being able to not have to hear the sounds of engines in the background and just focus on the music. These headphones I feel really have to be worn and listened to to get the full appreciation of there sound.

Cons

Two cons I would have to say at this point because afterall no product is perfect, is that I wish you could use the headphones with ANC turned offf sometimes. For there are times where your working and don’t want to have ANC turned on while using them in Bluetooth mode. The only way around this is to use a wire mode and turn power off. I hope Bose can address this in the future. Battery life is 20 hours using Bluetooth and ANC and 40 hours using ANC with a wire. I charge these at least once a week over the past few months. It is also worth noting that when the battery dies, you can use these in wired mode with no Bluetooth or ANC.

Calling

You can make calls from the headset. You can hold down the multifunction button to engage Siri and make calls. In my tests, callers said I sounded clear to them.

Price

The headphones cost $350-pricy but worth every $. With great sound, great ANC and battery life, your getting great value and performance for the price.

For more information, check out the Bose website at

www.bose.com

Best Device of 2016 – Michael Doise

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Apple AirPods in charging case

The year of 2016 has given us several new and exciting devices, and our authors here at iAccessibility will be writing about what they feel is their favorites, but I will start everything off with my favorite, which is…

The Apple AirPods!!!

When Apple released their new phone in September, they promised the release in October for their wireless earbuds, but they had to delay the launch due to issues with the device. In December, Apple released the AirPods, and they did not disappoint in what they promised.

I managed to pick up the AirPods from Best Buy while they were available online, and they were delivered two days later. Until this point, I have typically used EarPods and other bluetooth headphones like the Aftershokz Trekz and for a short time, the Beats PowerBeats3, but I have since retired and returned each of these as the AirPods have changed the way I listen to audio on a daily basis. I even use the AirPods on the Mac to record podcasts. I use the AirPods for output and my regular mic for audio input

Conclusion

While the AirPods may not be perfect and for everyone, they are my favorite device for 2016, and I recommend them to all that want a wireless audio solution that is clear and that allows for listening to audio while traveling in a noisy city where you have to know where you are going.

Is the BrailleNote Touch the Notetaker of the Future?

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BrailleNote Touch with Google on the screen.

The English Braille code allows for people to read and communicate at the same speed as someone who reads and writes in print. Braille Notetakers allow Braille literate users to complete tasks with speech and Braille. Humanware, a company that makes a few of these Braille notetakers has released a new product called the BrailleNote Touch, which is the latest model of notetaker in their line. I have had the chance to work with one of these notetakers, and here is what I have found. By the end of this review, you can decide if this device is right for your situation, or if you should look elsewhere for Braille support with technology.

What is the BrailleNote Touch

The BrailleNote Touch is a Braille notetaker made by Humanware. It allows the user to write documents, store contacts, read emails and much more.

Device Details

Software

Unlike the previous versions of the Notetaker, the BrailleNote Touch runs Android version 4.4 Kitkat, with the full suite of Google apps to allow for Google Play support. This allows for the use of the Google Play store to install apps third party Android apps. Humanware built their suite of apps known as KeySoft on top of the Android operating system to allow for the use of their proprietary apps like KeyWord, KeyMail, and KeyList. KeySoft also offers a new input method called TouchBraille that allows for users to touch the screen with their fingers to type in text fields and other areas. These finger combinations are in the format of Braille characters, and the user can quickly enter text with this method.

Hardware

The BrailleNote Touch appears to look like other Braille Notetakers, but it has several differences. The BrailleNote Touch has three new physical buttons on the front to make the device comply with Google Android Standards. These buttons are Back, Home, and Recent Apps. While these buttons are different, you will also find familiar buttons, like the previous and next thumb buttons, and the buttons used to scroll the Braille display to the right and to the left. On the left side, you will find the Lock button and the volume up and down buttons. There is also a Micro USB charge port on that side as well. On the right, you will find the headphone jack to plug in headphones or speakers. If you are new to the BrailleNote Touch, you will notice that the device has a lip on the left side that is part of the Braille keyboard. If you lift this you will find a touch screen, where you can use TouchBraille to enter text. This screen belongs to the same technologies that Android manufacturers use to make tablets. This is because the BrailleNote Touch is essentially a tablet with a Braille display attached. You can remove the actual BrailleNote Touch from its case by holding both switches at the bottom of the device and by lifting the device out of the case. This process can also be done on the device to remove the battery.

Using the BrailleNote Touch

As mentioned earlier, the BrailleNote Touch uses Humanware’s proprietary software Keysoft which is built on top of Android 4.4. When you boot the BrailleNote Touch for the first time, you will see setup/tutorial. You will be asked to set items like the time and date, the WI-FI, Braille translation tables and much more. Simply use the previous and next thumb buttons to move between items, and you can select by using dot 8 (Enter), or a cursor routing key.

Once you get to the Main Menu, you can navigate with first letter navigation, or by using the previous and next buttons. Once you find the option you would like you can press a cursor routing button, or use the enter key. If the app you are looking for is not listed then you will need to find the all applications option and select it. All previously mentioned navigation commands work in this menu as well. I have found that you can quickly move through KeySoft Menus, but you can quickly get ahead of the speech if you are a fast user, so it may be a good idea to speed up the speech on the BrailleNote Touch as it requires the current item that is being read to finish before it can move on to the next.

A common task that someone might do with this device is word processing with KeyWord. You can find this in the main menu of KeySoft. In KeyWord, you will find commands like Create and Open. One difference in this device is that you save your documents before you give them a name, so once you create your document, you will need to type out what you would like and then save the document. I personally think that each task in creating opening and saving documents has a lot of steps but they do seem to be very similar to these programs in previous versions of the notetaker.

Using Email with KeyMail

Email is a huge part of a person’s daily life, and the BrailleNote Touch allows for several different account types for email, and you are even able to set up multiple email accounts on the same device. Once you have your email set up, you can find options for new message, read messages and more in the KeyMail menu. You will also see an option for Change Account here if you have multiple email accounts. It is very important that you know which email account you are set to so you don’t send email from another user’s account. While the setup process for email is easy, there can be other problems that can arise. While I was using the device, I attempted to set up two email accounts using Exchange. I determined that I needed to update the security on the device, but the machine would crash KeyMail when I would try to change between accounts. Once I had the machine encrypted, which took two attempts and a system wipe, I was able to change between email addresses seamlessly.

Changing settings on the BrailleNote Touch is just as easy as changing settings on an Android device. This is because the settings for the BrailleNote are basically the Android Settings app. If you need assistance making changes to your settings that you do not understand, you can turn accessibility off by pressing the Home button three times and that will exit KeySoft. At this point, you can lift the keyboard cover, and the other person with you can use the device as if it was any Android Tablet. Once they are done, you can simply press the Home button 3 times, and it will activate KeySoft again. I personally found that this makes changing settings easy as they are all in a central place on the device.

TouchBraille

TouchBraille is a new and revolutionary Braille typing feature that comes on the BrailleNote Touch. While in a document or text field, you can type Braille as if you were using a Braille keyboard. To calibrate TouchBraille, place all 10 fingers on the screen at the same time. It helps if you put them in the pattern of entering Braille. A good guide to use is to line your fingers up with the Braille Keyboard that is included, and then just move your hands to the screen. If done correctly, the BrailleNote Touch will make a quick vibration to let you know it is calibrated. If the process did not work, then it will make a longer vibration. Once calibrated, you can quickly type on the screen using your fingers. I have found that TouchBraille is very fast and allows for quick input if and only if you are good at using your fingers with a touch screen. This ode requires that you be able to press Braille symbols with both hands, which means some fingers will be up and some will be down on the screen, so good finger dexterity is required.

KeySOft Version 2

KeySoft, the main software system for the BrailleNote Touch has just been updated to version 2.0 with all new features. You can now use KNFB Reader to read printed documents and these documents can also be saved as plain text for editing at a later time. You will also see a new option for Braille Terminal, which lets you use your BrailleNote Touch as a Braille display for a Mac, PC or SmartPhone.

Conclusion

While the BrailleNote Touch does add many new features to the successful line of BrailleNote devices from Humanware, it does have its own limitations. There is a noticeable speed problem when entering edit fields and when navigating menus. This mainly effects fast users, but beginners will not notice this issue for the most part. The BrailleNote Touch is really a good device for those who are in school, or for those who are used to using Braille as their primary method for taking notes and for communication. If you are familiar with a PC or if you use a smartphone effectively, then this item will only slow you down as completing simple tasks do take longer with more prompts that must be read before you can move on to the next item if you are using speech. Braille does appear to work a bit faster, but you will still notice speed issues with this version of the BrailleNote Touch. Another item to consider when deciding to get a new device is the price. The cheapest BrailleNote Touch starts at $3,995 for the 18 cell display model, and $5,495 for the 32 cell, so purchasing one of these devices is quite an investment.

Product Review: Apple AirPods

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Apple AirPods in charging case

When preorders went live for Apple’s iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, I acted fast! I knew I wouldn’t miss the headphone jack, because removing it would pave the way for more advancements in technology. With this in mind, it is no surprise that I was also among the first to order Apple’s new AirPods! I received them on Monday, December 19 – 2 days before the original estimate! I excitedly unboxed them, and paired them. Now that I have had some time to test functionality, here is my impressions and review.

What’s in the box?

  • The AirPods in their Charging Case
  • Documentation
  • Lightning Cable

Note: The box is shrink wrapped, unlike some newer products from Apple. Also, the box has a tactile image of the AirPods, which is something I always enjoy.

Setup

As many other reviews point out, pairing the AirPods with an iPhone or iPad is quick, painless, and somewhat magical. Simply open the lid of the case while it’s near your device, and an interface similar to Control Center will appear, asking you to connect. Once paired, you can see the battery level of the case and the AirPods themselves. Now, not only are your AirPods paired with the device you’re using, but they are also paired with all other devices connected to your iCloud account. The only omission, at least for now, is the Apple TV. The reasoning for this is that the Apple TV is generally a shared device, so the AirPods must be paired like traditional bluetooth devices. Hopefully this will change soon!

Pairing with traditional bluetooth devices is made possible with a pairing button located on the back of the AirPods case. This button also allows you to reset the AirPods, if you need to start the pairing process over like I did.

Wait, it wasn’t a seamless experience?

Well, it would have been, had I not been on a phone call at the time of initial pairing. Sound quality seemed strange to me, and I could not get the AirPods to show up on other devices. Initially, I went to Settings > Bluetooth, and forgot “Yessie’s AirPods,” but the next time I tried to pair them, the panel said, “Not your AirPods.” I could have connected anyway, but I wanted to have the experience Apple intended. So, I reset the AirPods.

To complete a reset, open the case (with the AirPods inside) and hold down the pairing button for 15 seconds. Then, the interface I mentioned above should appear. From there, it’s smooth sailing.

Look and Feel

Apple is going wireless, and the AirPods show it off beautifully. If you are used to traditional Apple headphones, these will be an easy adjustment for you, as the AirPods are simply a pair of EarPods with the cables cut off. They look and feel almost exactly the same. Even if the EarPods fall out of your ears, these may not. As it turns out, one major reason EarPods fall out of people’s ears is because of the cables. Who knew? Personally, I never had issues with EarPods staying in my ears, and this remains true for the AirPods. I did, however, have a scary moment where one fell out of my ear while doing house work. I would advise extra caution around trash receptacles or anything with a drain, especially for us low vision and blind folks.

Connectivity

The AirPods link together using Apple’s new W1 chip, and maintain two simultaneous bluetooth connections to your device. They remain perfectly in sync, which is really magical. The AirPods are said to have bluetooth 4 with some “special sauce,” but all that matters is that it seems to work really well. They have improved range compared to other bluetooth devices, and they have less audio imperfections. This is great, because for them to be worthwhile, these need to rival the usefulness of traditional or lightning headphones. In my testing, I would compare the range of the AirPods to that of my wireless, not bluetooth, headset with a USB receiver. I am very impressed, and I have not experienced any disconnections, like with traditional bluetooth audio devices.

Functionality

The AirPods can be charged from 0% to 100% in just 30 minutes, and each AirPod can last 5 hours on a single charge, or 2 hours of talk time. The case provides 24 hours of charge, which means these should easily get you through any long commute, or multiple short commutes with no need for lightning cables. When the case does need to be charged, you can easily do so with the included lightning cable, or one of the many others you undoubtedly have lying around. If you ever find yourself in a hurry, a quick 15-minute charge in the case provides the AirPods with 3 hours of listening time, or 1 hour of talk time. You can quickly check the charge of the AirPods, as well as the case with the same interface that pops up when you open the lid. When both AirPods are in the case, they’re listed as “AirPods: X%.” When one is removed, however, they show up as their separate left and right channels respectively. Additionally, you can check the level of your AirPods while you’re using them in the Batteries Widget on your iPhone. It will even tell you if you are using the left or right AirPod, which is a nice touch.

The AirPods can be used independently as a mono headphone, or together as a stereo pair. Switching between mono and stereo audio works really well in my testing. Just take one out of the case, and put it in your ear. You’ll hear it connect, and you can immediately start playing audio. As soon as you remove the second AirPod from the case, it will begin playing audio and you can put it in your ear for a great stereo sound. Removing either one will pause the audio, and you can press play again to continue playing in mono, or put the other headphone in your ear to continue listening in stereo. I love this feature, as it makes it very easy to quickly hold a conversation with someone without the distraction of audio playing in your headphones. Note: You can change any of these behaviors in Bluetooth settings, and even rename the AirPods.

Seamless Switching

On a recent podcast, I mentioned how I love my Plantronics Voyager Edge for its ability to maintain a simultaneous connection to both my iPhone and Apple Watch, and to switch between them as needed. The AirPods are advertised to do the same, without the need to manually pair to each device. However, in my testing, this has been far from consistent.

The AirPods refused to appear as an audio option on my Apple Watch until I restarted. Once I did, the watch connected to them and VoiceOver’s audio came through the AirPods instead of the watch. However, once I switched back to my phone, and tried switching back to the watch, I was unable to get audio to go through the AirPods again. Attempts to connect through Control Center on the watch often failed, which is a huge disappointment.

Additionally, I noticed that with only VoiceOver running, the AirPods would lose connection to my phone when I set it down. I would have to go to Control Center and remind them that they were supposed to be connected. This is also disappointing.

Music Playback

Music playback with the iPhone works really well. It sounds great – slightly better than the EarPods. I can definitely see myself using these quite a bit for listening to music on the go. My only problem? Siri is not a good replacement for actual buttons. I would like volume controls, and a way to skip tracks. Right now, you can only play/pause, and activate Siri by tapping the AirPods. What’s worse is that you have to tap really hard for Siri to activate, and it’s hard to know exactly where to tap. I’m hoping this will get easier with time, but it would be nice if Apple would give us some additional controls for music playback.

VoiceOver Latency?

Admittedly, I am not the best judge of latency, seeing as how I don’t continuously use VoiceOver. However, I will say that when paired with an iPhone, the AirPods are very responsive. I don’t notice much lag at all when typing long messages, or using VoiceOver. Is it as good as wired headphones? I don’t think so, but each person will form their individual opinion about latency. I’ve heard everything from, there’s no latency, to VoiceOver is very sluggish. There are also many factors to keep in mind when testing latency – the device used for testing and the particular use case are two examples of this.

I would also like to point out that MacBooks before 2015 are not setup to support newer standards of bluetooth, so latency is much worse on those machines. Additionally, they do not support wide-band audio, so any calls will have very poor audio quality. This is not the fault of the AirPods.

Conclusion

Apple’s long-awaited AirPods are finally here, bringing with them the wireless future Apple promised! At $159, the price is cheaper than most comparable wireless earbuds, and the functionality is much improved. Of course, this is more true for those of us in the Apple ecosystem, and who interact with Apple devices on a daily basis. If you are an Android user, for example, there are probably better options available for purchase. If you don’t plan to use these with an iPhone, iPod, iPad, or Apple Watch, I would recommend looking elsewhere. I have had a few issues with AirPods when it comes to switching between devices and with losing connection when no audio is being streamed, which is disappointing. However, I feel most of this is caused by long-standing bugs with Bluetooth in iOS, which will hopefully receive more attention now and actually get fixed. As for the AirPods themselves, future updates may include additional functionality – I am hoping for more music controls. With all this said, I believe the AirPods are a great first-generation product. There is room for improvement, but software updates should do the trick! I recommend these to any iOS user who is searching for well-integrated truly wireless earbuds. Embrace the wireless future with me, won’t you?

Is AirPlay from Windows Really Possible?

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AirPlay icon consists of a rectangle like a screen with a triangle at the bottom pointing up.

I have had many opportunities to AirPlay things from my phone or my iPad to one of my friends Apple TV’s. I think it is a great experience to use other speakers to play a song you like or use a bigger screen to play a video on.

I know that many Mac users can AirPlay from their computer, but I never thought it was possible to AirPlay from Windows; however, recently I was visiting with some friends and I was looking through iTunes for a song and decided to listen to some music. I wanted to find out who the artist was and tripped over a button that said, “AirPlay,” and honestly, I wasn’t expecting to find the AirPlay button in iTunes for Windows.

I decided to see what options I would get if I clicked on the AirPlay button and, you have it. My screen reader showed me a list of Apple TV’s I could stream to. Being the person I am, I doubted that it would actually stream to one of the TV’s, and if it did it would still my speech as well, but I was really surprised by what I heard. Yes, the music did play. Yes, it sounded really good coming from the Apple TV, and no, it didn’t steal my speech.

Are you wondering how to AirPlay from your iTunes on Windows? Follow these quick steps, and you’ll be jamming out in no time.

  1. Make sure that the computer and the device you want to use is connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
  2. Open iTunes on your computer and start playing music.
  3. When you tab through the iTunes window, you should see the volume, and the next button to the right is the AirPlay button.
  4. Activate the AirPlay button. You will now see a list of available devices. Keep in mind that your computer will be the first option in the list.
  5. Put your cursor on the device of your choice and press enter. It will take a few seconds for the audio to switch but once it does you will be able to adjust the music from your computer.
  6. To return your music back to your computer, repeat steps 3 4 and 5.

I hope everyone checks out the AirPlay options available to you. I will warn you that if you don’t have any available airplay devices, you may not see the AirPlay button on your screen.

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