Thoughts and Resources for iOS 7

Posted on September 18, 2013 by John

I’m sure it’s pretty well known at this point that iOS 7 is here. It was released at 10 AM Pacific time today, though there, at the moment, some reports of trouble downloading it. Undoubtedly, the servers are being hammered by people trying to upgrade their devices.

Before I get into my own thoughts, I have found that there are a lot of good reviews out there, which, I feel, will provide a great deal of information to folks interested in knowing what is in the update as far as accessibility and VoiceOver goes. So, I am going to first present some links to resources I think are great resources.

First, we have the review Josh of the Maccessibility network posted earlier today. I think this is quite comprehensive. Please
go here to read the Maccessibility review of iOS 7.

Next, Scott Davert of Applevis posted
this great review
that I highly recommend.

We also have a blog post from Luis Perez on iOS 7 as well that can be found
here.

Another person who does great demonstrations and reviews is Ricardo Walker, and he has information worth listening to as well. You can listen to his
iOS 7 walkthrough here.

Last, but certainly not least, Jonathan Mosen’s book on iOS 7 is now available. This is a great resource for both the beginner and experienced user. Details about the book can be found
here.

As for my thoughts, I am not going to basically write about what is already out there. However, here are some of my own observations: Continue reading →

Posted in Accessibility, General, iOS Devices, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Updates | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

September 10 Apple Event

Posted on September 11, 2013 by John

By now, I’m sure most folks know that Apple held another special event on Tuesday and there was a great deal of buzz in regard to what they would announce.

We will, for the first time, be treated to two iPhone models at the same time, the iPhone 5C and the iPhone 5S. It is interesting that they are doing this, particularly as the iPhone 5 will be discontinued, but the 4S will be available for free with a contract with one of the cell phone providers currently supporting the iPhone.

Basically, the 5C will be a $99 starting model for 16 GB of storage. It will have the same A6 processor as the iPhone 5, though it will be made of a special plastic, instead of the aluminum of the iPhone 5. It will also be available in blue, green, yellow, pink and white with preordering beginning on Friday, the 13th and its release on September 20.

The iPhone 5S features an A7 chip, which is twice as fast as the A6. The 5S will also be the first smart phone to have a 64-bit processor, which is basically like a desktop computer in power. The camera is much improved and several new features for taking photographs will be included.

I find the Touch ID fingerprint identity sensor as one of the most appealing features to the iPhone 5S. The home button will be the sensor and you can unlock the phone using your fingerprint, instead of a pass code. Moreover, you can place any finger on the home button and it can placed in any direction, and the sensor will still register the contact to identify you as the user. You will be able to use this technology for iTunes purchases as well.

Lastly, iOS 7 will be coming on September 7. There is a ton of material already out there touting all of the features that will be available, such as the Control Center, new voices for SIRI and a completely redesigned look.

I have specific links to detailed information on the iPhone 5C, the iPhone 5S and iOS 7 in the
News section
of the site.

If you want to hear the Apple keynote that describes the products and iOS 7 in great detail, you can go
here.

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Another Announcement from a good friend

Posted on September 9, 2013 by John

I wanted to post the following from Brian Fischler and his Laugh for Sight organization. They are, once again, having benefit in the fall, and have some rather big name comedians who will be there. Please read the information below.

Greetings all,

I wanted to let you know that tickets for this year’s All Star Laugh For Sight NYC Benefit on Monday, October 28, 2013 at Gotham Comedy Club will go on sale Monday, September 9, 2013. We are thrilled to announce that Legends of Comedy Jerry Seinfeld and Robert Klein are confirmed for this year’s benefit. WFAN’s Craig Carton from Boomer & Carton in the Mornings will be this year’s Celebrity Host, and joined by Veteran Comedian Hiram Kasten, Nash and me, and we will be announcing two or three more All Star Comedians in the coming weeks.

The Silent Auction/Cocktail Hour Presented by Diageo and Patron will begin at 7pm and be Hosted by Mark “Why Am I Still Stuck in the Downstairs” Farrell. The Comedy Show will begin at 830PM. Tickets are $75 plus a two drink minimum for General Admission and $150 for VIP Preferred Seating and an Open Bar. Tickets can be purchased through Gotham Comedy Clubs website at www.gothamcomedyclub.com, and clicking on the Calendar and 10/28/13 or by calling 212-367-9000. Additionally, Corporate Tables for this once in a lifetime event can be purchased by contacting info@laughforsight.com. For the latest updates please visit
www.laughforsight.com,
and follow us on Twitter @LaughForSight.

Even if you can’t make it to this year’s benefit you can still help out by posting this ad for this year’s benefit on your social networks. We appreciate your help in raising money and awareness about retinal degenerative eye diseases.

Best Regards,
Brian Fischler
Founder/President
www.laughforsight.com
Twitter @LaughForSight

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Getting Started Pages

Posted on August 25, 2013 by John

I have spent parts of this weekend putting up two new pages to the site. These are the

Getting Started with the Mac and VoiceOver

and

Getting Started with iOS Devices and VoiceOver
pages.

I am specifically seeking help from the community for suggestions on what else should be added to these pages. They are works in progress and, in particular, the iOS page still needs specific podcast suggestions.

If anyone has documentation or podcast suggestions for these pages, please let me know. Hopefully, these pages will truly help people in the future and I’d appreciate spreading the word about them.

Posted in Accessibility, General, iOS applications, iOS Devices, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Mac Applications, Mac Book Pro, Mac Mini, Mac OS X Lion, Macintosh, OS Mountain Lion, OS X Mavericks, OS X Snow Leopard | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Updates, 8/24/13

Posted on August 24, 2013 by John

I have added some more links to the
Demonstrations page
of the site. These are additional podcast links courtesy of Scott Davert of Applevis. My thanks to Scott for sharing these with us.

On a similar note, I’d like to compile a page devoted to getting started with the Mac with VoiceOver. A lot of questions are asked on mailing lists about resources for new users. I’d like to create a page that specifically addresses this topic. Any suggestions or contributions would be appreciated and welcomed. Please feel free to email me or comment here.

I have started the page
here.
However, it is and will probably continue to be a work in progress as time passes.

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Some Updates, 8/11/13

Posted on August 11, 2013 by John

Hopefully, everyone is having a good summer/winter thus far. It has been a busy one for me, and, thus, the lack of regular updates here.

First, with the kind permission of Scott Davert, I am placing a link here to a podcast he did for Applevis on
connecting a Braille display to an iDevice.
I am going to add some of Scott’s other podcasts to the Demonstrations section of the page as time goes on.

Folks, I can’t say enough good things about the Applevis people and community. If you are looking for podcasts on just about anything Mac or iOS related,
that
is the place to go.

Also speaking of Applevis, Greg Kelchner also recently did a podcast on a subject I have seen come up on many of the blind Mac users lists. This is in regard to Safari bugs and suggestions on ways to work around them. Please go
here
to hear it. Continue reading →

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Another Review Courtesy of Scott Granados

Posted on July 20, 2013 by John

Here is another useful review Scott Granados kindly has given me permission to post here.

FOr anyone interested here’s a review of the plantronics voyager pro legend which is the continuation of the very successful voyager pro line.

For previous voyager pro users, the headset is very similar in shape to the previous pro HD or pro models. The major difference is the boom now is perfectly tube shaped and thinner, no bulge on the end like the previous models. Also, where the power button was is now a switch, volume is a small slide type switch above the power and the voice command / function button is now on the boom on the under side in an indented area that’s modeled to fit a finger so you can feel where the control is easily. The actual case / hook behind the ear is unchanged and the power cable is now a magnetic type instead of a micro USB. This cable is also used for updating firmware and headset functions.

Overall, the improvements in this model include 4 microphones now instead of 1 or two, a proximity censor to measure when the headset is against your head, newer digital signal processing, about an hour more battery life on standby, and many more voice commands including you n ow say answer or ignore to answer the phone, you don’t press any keys.
In terms of differences in audio, the audio sounds more sharp with a bit better performance on the high end. Noice cancelation is very very good with the headset performing well in a loud switching center on a long duration conference call. Mute is also easily available on the headset set now with the voice command key working as mute during a call. No need to fiddle for mute on the phone’ screen. You can answer the call just by putting the headset on your ear or by saying answer if you’re already wearing the headset. It also seems you can disable the voice commands if you want to use SiRi. I have not done this yet and find the built in function to be very usable.
Cost is $99 with deals to be found on Amazon. Bestbuy for once has the headset at $99 instead of the suggested $129 so you can save money even in a physical store.
In general, I really really like this headset, my favorite in a long time. I’d give the headset 4.75 out of 5 stars with the only downside being it’s not the most comfortable with glasses. If you have the oakley straight style side jackets on your glasses though you’ll be in good shape. The legend is a definite buy.

Thanks
Scott

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New iDevice Game for the Blind

Posted on June 29, 2013 by John

From the developer of the ColorVisor iOS app, an audio based game for both blind and sighted was recently released. The game is called, MouseKick, and is 0.99 in the App store.

There is a Youtube demonstration one can access
here.

For information for MouseKick in the App Store,
go here.

The game, according to the developer, is fully VoiceOver compatible. There are different sounds for the mice and there is a training mode to get the user accustom to the game sounds and play.

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Apple Updates Their Accessibility Pages on Their Website

Posted on June 21, 2013 by John

For those who might be interested, Apple has revamped their accessibility pages on their website. There is a lot of information and great links to additional resources. They are also open to suggestions and comments as well. You can check out the changes
by going here.

Posted in Accessibility, General, iOS Devices, OS Mountain Lion | Leave a comment

WWDC 2013, A Lot of Announcements

Posted on June 10, 2013 by John

Since I was working with a client, I wasn’t able to hear the keynote address at Apple’s World Wide Developer’s conference. However, I did catch bits of it and have read plenty of information about it. I summarize the major announcements on the
News page of the site

There will be a new Mac OS coming in the fall that is being called, Maverick. No, not Sea Lion, as was a joking remark made during the keynote that someone I know took seriously. Also, iOS 7 will be launched in the fall as well, and the entire interface has been redesigned. So, us Apple junkies will have some major toys to play with later in the year. This doesn’t even include the new Mac Book Air, Mac Pro and Airport equipment upgrades.

No, folks, there was no accessibility news announced during the keynote address. I have no idea why so many people on the blindness lists seem to think that we are going to hear about VoiceOver improvements or accessibility in general. I can only recall it happening once for the Mac and for iOS over the years. Otherwise, as much as some folks hate to hear this, we really don’t get any kind of billing at these events. For whatever accessibility news, we will have to wait and see. I will surely post anything major I know is credible and that does not violate any NDAs.

Posted in General, iOS Devices | 1 Comment