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#iACast 27 – Backdoor

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Hello, and welcome to another delayed edition of our podcast! We are hopeful that our schedule will be a little more regular soon, so we hope you all are sticking with us. In this episode, which was recorded on November 16, 2016, we cover the following topics:

  • A Backdoor to ChinaHow would you feel if you found out that your text messages, location data, and private information were being sent to China for analysis? Unfortunately, if you own a cheaper android phone, or if you are an international customer, this could be a reality for you. The worst part is you may never know if your phone is affected, and the software that does this was put there on purpose by the manufacturer. Whoa!Your User Data is Secretly Sent to China Through a Backdoor on Some US Android Phones
  • Microsoft Joins Linux FoundationThis surprised a few members of our team. Apparently, Microsoft is reversing course on its opinion of Linux. This is especially interesting, because some of Microsoft’s choices still contradict the choice to join the Linux Foundation. We think it will be interesting to see what the future holds in this regard.Microsoft – Yes, Microsoft – Joins the Linux Foundation
  • Visual Studio Invades the MacNow developers can develop cross-platform applications using Visual Studio on macOS. Although our group finds Xcode to be the best IDE for developing Mac and iOS apps, we believe choice is always good. Hopefully this will allow more developers more flexibility in how and which operating system they use while developing apps.Announcing the new Visual Studio for Mac
  • MacBook Pro with Touch Bar ReviewsIt’s all pretty mixed! Some think the Touch Bar is useful, while others think a touch screen would make more sense. We believe the usefulness of the Touch Bar depends on how you use your computer, and which apps support it. We think it will become more useful over time as mor uses are found for it, and the price will decrease as well. You should definitely feel free to check out reviews online, and if you have a store nearby, check out these new machines in an Apple Store.The Reviews are in — Here’s What People are Saying About Apple’s Latest Laptop
  • First Impressions of Apple’s AirPodsWhat will it be like to use the long-awaited Airpods? What is latency like? Will they work well with VoiceOver? Well, most of us have yet to find out any of this first-hand, since the AirPods have not been released! However, lucky members of the media have been testing AirPods, and we have read a little information from one of our favorite websites, iMore. Here’s the link!AirPods First Impressions
  • We’re All About the TV AppListen to us discuss what it’s like to use theupcoming TV app on the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. We think this is a great addition to our TV-watching experience. We find it frustrating that some services, like Netflix, refuse to participate. However, it’s a great start, and we can’t wait to see how it improves in the near future.3 Ways Apple’s New TV App Will Change the Viewing Experience on Apple TV
  • Prevention is Always Better Than Reaction: Twitter is Finally Getting the PictureFinally, Twitter is introducing new features to help users prevent abuse. Muting keywords, usernames, and conversations is now a little easier. We think this is a good step in the right direction, but that Twitter should be doing more to help users have a more positive experience on the social network.Twitter is Adding New Filtering Tools in an Effort to Curb Abuse
  • Is the Google Home worth Ditching the Echo?On our website, you will find Rich’s impressions of the new Google Home smart speaker. He immediately returned his. Would you have done the same? Do you think it replaces the Amazon Echo? Overall, we think it sounds neat, but it is very much a first-generation product. We think it could still be an option for users who are in the Google ecosystem, but if the Echo meets your needs, we recommend sticking with Alexa.Google Home First impressions
  • VO Starter – Public Beta!We welcome anyone who wants to join us in testing version 3.0 of the VO Starter application for iOS. It is a great resource for blind an low vision users who are new to iOS, and you could help us help them learn to use VoiceOver.VO Starter 3.0 Public Beta

Thank you all for checking out our podcast! Please share it with others, and tweet using the hashtag #IACast. Please visit us online at iaccessibility.net, and check out all we have to offer!

#iACast 26 – Dial It Up

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Image of Surface Dial on top of a touch screen displaying the time.

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Welcome to episode 26 of the #IACast! This episode was recorded on November 9, 2016. Listen to this podcast to hear Michael, Jessica, Daniel, and Jason discuss the following topics:

  • Accessible VotingAre you over 18 and a United States citizen? If so, we hope you voted in this year’s election. If you did not, because you were afraid of accessibility issues, we have great news for you! Several of us voted, and we have a lot of information for you about what you can expect when voting.
  • Microsoft Surface Studio and 2016 Apple MacBook Pro First ImpressionsMichael recently made his way to the Microsoft store and the Apple Store – check out what he thought of the Surface Studio, Surface Dial, and the MacBook Pro.
  • Google Home Now AvailableThose of us on the podcast this week have not yet seen the recently released Google Home, but someone on the iAccessibility team has! We cannot wait to bring you more information about the Google Home, but here’s what we’ve heard about the device so far.
  • Slack AccessibilitySlack is a service used to communicate with groups of people, in what are called teams. You may need to use this app if you join an organization, beta test, or even work for some companies. Recently, the iOS app was updated to work much better with VoiceOver. We are really happy about this!

As always, if you enjoyed this podcast, please share it with friends! Also, you can reach us on social media, or email us with feedback! Thank you for listening!

#iACast 25 – Fruit or Flop?

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Apple invite for its Hello Again event.

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We apologize for the delay in uploading the podcast, but we hope you will enjoy hearing our coverage of the recent Microsoft and Apple Events. The Microsoft Event took place on Wednesday, October 26, and the Apple Event took place on Thursday, October 27.

For information about what was released at Microsoft’s Windows 10 Event, check out this link from BGR.

Microsoft Event October 2016: Announcement recap – everything unveiled

For detailed coverage of the Apple event, check out this great page from MacRumors.

Apple Shares Full Video of Today’s MacBook Pro Event [Update: iTunes Version Available]

At iAccessibility, we have some useful posts about using the Touch Bar on the new MacBook Pro as low vision or blind users.

VoiceOver at the Bar

Zooming in on the Touch Bar

As always, thank you for listening! If you enjoy our podcast, please share it with others and rate us in your podcast app. For feedback and suggestions, please email feedback@iaccessibility.net

Zooming in on the Touch Bar

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image of MacBook Pro 2016 from iMore.com

We’ve already talked about how VoiceOver works with the Touch Bar on the new MacBooks, but what about low vision users? How could Apple possibly make items on such a tiny screen usable by the visually impaired? It’s called Touch Bar Zoom, and we’re going to tell you all about it.

What’s Touch Bar Zoom?

Much like Zoom on the Mac, Apple TV, iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch, Touch Bar Zoom magnifies elements, making them easily accessible to everyone. Since the Touch Bar is small, Apple opted to show a zoomed version on screen whenever it’s needed. Once the user has selected an option, the icons disappear from screen.

How to Enable or Disable Touch Bar Zoom

  1. Click the Apple logo in the menu bar.
  2. Click “System Preferences.”
  3. Click “Accessibility.”
  4. Click “Zoom.”
  5. Click the checkbox next to “Enable Touch Bar Zoom.”

To disable Touch Bar Zoom, follow the steps listed above, and deselect the checkbox.

Note: Touch Bar Zoom is not available while VoiceOver is running, due to conflicting gestures.

How to Use Touch Bar Zoom

To show the Touch Bar on screen, hold one finger on the Touch Bar. Note: Simply tapping it will not work.

If the version of the Touch Bar shown on screen is either too small or too large, you can adjust the zoom level. This is done by holding down the command key, and performing the pinch to zoom gesture on the Touch Bar. Just as it does on iOS, bringing the two fingers closer together (pinching) will zoom out, and spreading the fingers apart will zoom in.

How to Select Items

Holding one finger on the Touch Bar will show it on screen. Then, slide your finger to the item you wish to select. The circle surrounding it on screen will change color, and then you can lift your finger. Alternatively, you may split-tap items to select them. To do this, touch and hold an icon you wish to select, then tap the Touch Bar once with another finger.

Conclusion

When the new Macs were just rumors, we were concerned that low vision users would be left out in the cold. However, we really should have known better. Regardless of what accessibility features a user needs, the Touch Bar is completely accessible. We wish Touch Bar Zoom would work with VoiceOver, but we believe this is a great start. We cannot wait to get our hands on the new MacBooks!

Featured image from iMore

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