Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
On this episode of the iA UnboxCast, Scott Van Gorp, Michael, Jason, and Philip unbox the iPhone X and go through the setup process.
iphone
What’s New in VoiceOver in iOS 11
On Tuesday, September 19th, Apple released iOS 11, bringing with it some new VoiceOver features and improvements.
Apps
You can now drag and drop apps using VoiceOver To do this, do the following:
- While on the home screen, double tap and hold to enter edit mode.
- Find an app you wish to move.
- Set the VoiceOver rotor to”actions” if it’s not done automatically and flick up or down to “drag app name.”
- Navigate to where you wish to drop the app and choose an option. You can drop an app before the app that the VoiceOver cursor is focused on, after it, or create a folder containing the focused app and the one you’re dragging. If you wish to drag more than one app, you can choose the final option. This is to “Add To Drag Session.” You can use this method do drag files from one app to another minus the double tap and hold.
Verbosity
VoiceOver includes several new verbosity settings you can now change. They are located by tapping Settings>General>Accessibility>VoiceOver>Verbosity.
These options include:
- Speak hints. This setting is on by default. Double tapping this setting will turn them off.
- Punctuation. After double tapping this option, you can choose to set it to all, some, or none.
- Speak detect text. This determines whether automatically detected text in the focused item is spoken. For example: If you are on an app with an unlabeled button, VoiceOver will announce something like “Button. Possible text: View menu.”
- Capital letters: This option will change what VoiceOver does when encountering a capital letter. You can choose from speak cap, play sound, change pitch, and do nothing.
- Deleting text: You can choose from speak, play sound, change pitch, and do nothing.
- Embedded links: You can choose from speak, Play sound, change pitch, or do nothing.
- There is a table output heading with options related to the reading of tables.
- You can toggle reading of table headers and row and column numbers.
- As in iOS 10, you can turn the emoji suffix on or off, depending on whether or not you want VoiceOver to speak the word “Emoji” when one is encountered.
You no longer need to three-finger tap on a message to hear the preview.
When reading a message, you have VoiceOver actions to reply, archive, flag, mark as read/unread, and to activate.
If you use threaded messaging, you have a rotor option, “Expand/Collapse Thread”. When expanded, you can manage all of the messages inside a thread on an individual basis.
Smart Actions Rotor
VoiceOver in iOS 11 now has a new feature that allows for the user to continue to use the last used actions rotor item. This is useful for deleting large amounts of messages. This feature also appears in the App Switcher
What have we missed?
Know something that is not on this list? Please let us know by emailing us at feedback@iaccessibility.net or tweet us at @iaccessibility1
#iACast 56 – Apple iPhone Event 2017
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
As predicted, Apple released all new hardware at their September 2017 event Just as predictably, iACast hosts Jason, Michael, Aleeha and Meaghan talk about the latest hardware announcements on this episode of the iA Cast. Here are the highlights of what was talked about.
- Apple pays tribute to Steve jobs with pictures of Apple Park and of the Steve Jobs Theater
- Apple talks retail and changes to retail in the near future.
- Apple Watch Series 3 – With cellular
- Apple TV – 4K
- iPhone 8 – Apple
- iPhone X – Apple
- R2-D2™ App-Enabled Droid™ – Sphero Store
Known iOS 11 Bugs
Each year, Apple releases a new version of iOS with new features which change the operating system in ways that can cause bugs for users. While we all wish this did not happen it is inevitable, and it is good to know what works and what does not work, so in this article, you will find what we have found to be known bugs in iOS 11.
- iPad multitasking with split view apps is broken currently with VoiceOver. Workaround can be found at https://iaccessibility.net/guide-getting-around-ipad-multitasking-bug-ios11/
- Zoom will not rotate between portrait and landscape properly all the time. This occurs when the device is rotated to landscape and back to portrait. Sometimes, the device will rotate back to portrait but the zoom window will stay in a landscape state.
- A VoiceOver bug has been found that causes drag and drop of icons to not work correctly in the Dock and on the Home screen This causes the entire device to hang for an unpredictable amount of time, and is not always seen to happen. Only known fix is to reset your device’s settings.
- A VoiceOver bug has been found that causes Messages on iOS to say, “null” when a conversation is deleted. This does not display visually but does show with VoiceOver. @mcourcel on Twitter reports that closing Messages after deleting a conversation fixes the null conversation.
- A bug has been found that causes iOS to relaunch Springboard when a user activates the App Switcher or opens an app from the App Switcher while VoiceOver is running. This does not happen if VoiceOver is not running. and does not always happen when switching apps.
What bugs have you found? Let us know and we will post them here. To send us your bugs, email us at feedback@iaccessibility.net or tweet us at @iaccessibility1 on Twitter.
#iACast 55 – 2017 iPhone Pre-Show
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
In this episode, Jason, Michael, Aleeha, Jade, and Anne discuss what we possibly can expect from Apple’s event on Tuesday. We have posted this episode before Wednesday as a special to prime everyone for the upcoming event.
#iACast 31 – Celebrating 10 Years of iPhone
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
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!
Carlos’s favorite device of 2016
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Low Power Mode Explained
Have you ever wanted or needed to squeeze more power out of your phone’s battery? Low Power Mode might be the setting you are looking for. Low power mode reduces the amount of power your phone is using until it has at least 80% battery. When low power mode is enabled, it may take some time for some features to work while others will not work at all.
Low Power Mode affects:
- Hey Siri
- Email fetch
- Automatic downloads
- Some visual effects
- Background App Refresh
- location services in apps
How to enable low power mode:
- Open settings
- Tap battery
- Toggle the switch next to Low Power Mode to On
Note: When Low Power Mode is on, the battery percentage icon on your status bar will be yellow.
This iPhone 7 Plus Feels so Accessible
Like many other Apple fans, I recently upgraded to an iPhone 7 Plus! I was excited about all the new features, like the better camera, better performance, new home button, and stereo speakers. However, once I started setting it up, I found some wonderful new accessibility surprises.
Note:, These are not necessarily designed as accessibility features, but any feature which makes the hardware or software easier for people to use is a form of accessibility.
Let’s start with the new home button. As you may have heard, it is a capacitive home button on the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. This means, there is no mechanical switch underneath. Instead, it measures force, and uses haptic feedback to simulate a button press.
Great, but how is this an accessibility feature?
One example of how the new home button improves accessibility is in that it cannot be pressed if the phone is off. That’s right. It doesn’t move at all! This is a new way for people who cannot see the screen to check if their phone has powered off or not.
Although I have usable vision, I have found this useful when updating my phone. It helps to know if the phone is off or just sitting on a dark screen.
Another great thing about the new home button is it does not require as much force to press it. This means anyone who has difficulty pressing hardware buttons can remove the home button from their assistive touch menu.
Lastly, an accessibility feature provided by the new home button is that it can be accessed by developers. I am not yet sure what this will look like, but it has the potential to be very useful for everyone.
The second new feature that opens up new possibilities when it comes to accessibility is the System Haptics toggle in Sounds and Haptics.
This means you will literally be able to feel when you perform certain actions. These include, but are not limited to:
- Pull down Notification Center.
- Access Control Center.
- Toggle a switch on or off.
- Move through a table index.
- Reorder items in a list.
- Swipe to delete mail.
- Interact with a picker.
- Zoom in or out of a photo
- Tap and hold to react to an iMessage.
- Send or receive a message with effects.
I encountered haptic feedback while setting up my new iPhone, and it really was a wonderful experience.
Being a low vision user, sometimes, my aim is off and I don’t tap the toggle switches exactly, and nothing happens. Now I will know immediately if I missed or hit my target. This is also great for users whose hands shake as they will have immediate feedback when an action is performed correctly.
It’s also a joy to feel the selection change in a picker or to feel the other elements you are moving over when reordering a list. It is very helpful to me, and I believe others will find it a wonderful experience as well.
Personally, I feel this is the very beginning of what is to come, and this makes me very excited! I cannot wait to see the changes to System Haptics as the feature matures and Apple does more with it.
Note: Some haptic feedback does not occur when VoiceOver is enabled. We hope this issue is resolved soon.
What do you think? Do you have an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus? What is your favorite new feature! Let us know!
#iACast 11 – What’s With the Hump?
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
Episode Notes
On this episode of iA Cast recorded on December 21, 2015, I discuss the following topics.
- Changes to iAccessibility’s home page and why there have not been podcast episodes.
- The iPhone 6s battery case and why people #lovethehump or #hatethehump.
- Problems with Apple Music and previous libraries.
#iACast 10 – The Apple Waiting Game
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
This week on the iA Cast, we discuss the following topics.
- Michael’s confusion about the iPhone reservation process
- The New Apple TV, and how it works
- Release date of iOS 9 and Mac OS X El Capitan
- Discussion of BlindSquare and AroundMe apps
- Discussion of state of Android accessibility
- Apple TV will support MFI game controllers Apple TV to support MFi-based game controllers … – iMore
- Destiny The Taken King comes out on September 15
- World of Warcraft has new accessibility features for color blind and low vision users
- Prime Time shows to return to network television this month you will be able to ask Siri to play that episode on the new Apple TV
- Check out Blind Bargains
- Check out AppleVis
Upcoming Events
- iOS 9 release, September 16
- iPhone 6s and 6s Plus launch, September 25
- Photography Non-visually, September 26
Is the new Smart Battery Case worth a hump?
Late last year, Apple released the new Smart Battery Case for the iPhone 6s. This battery was created for the iPhone 6s only as the 6s Plus contains 1/3 more battery power than the smaller phone. So is this case worth spending $100 for better battery life, and is it worth the hump on its back?
Smart Battery Case Dimensions and Characteristics
The iPhone 6s Smart Battery Case comes in at a size similar with the 6s, but adds a small amount of space at the bottom that contains its own lightning port, and puts the speaker on the front along with the microphone. The headphone jack is still on the bottom as well.
The case also contains a hump on the back that contains the battery pack. This is a change compared to the Mophi cases as the Mophi cases make the back of the phone the same thickness throughout the design where there is no hump on the phone or case. The hump really doesn’t add much of a difference how you hold the phone, in fact, the hump on the back adds extra grip for the iPhone which can help some hold their phones better.
The color of the Smart Battery Case comes in either charcoal or White, which limits you to how your phone would look, so if you have the space grey phone then I would go with the charcoal, but it is up to you to customize your phone as you like it.
Performance
The Smart Battery Case promises 18 hours of web browsing and 20 hours of video watching, which is nearly doubled the amount that is offered on the built in battery on the 6s. The way this case works is that you use the battery on the case first and then your phone will then use its battery. You can even see your case’s battery in Notification Center under the batteries notification widget. When you plug your phone in to charge your phone will charge first, and then the case will finish charging.
Conclusion
While the iPhone 6s Plus has more battery built in, it is still a big phone, and not everyone needs a big phone. If a smaller phone is for you then this case adds a new way to keep your phone charged and is officially from Apple. If you do have the 6s then I highly recommend this case if you don’t already have a way to keep your phone charged as the 6s does burn through battery life fairly quickly.