Cool stuff

Posted on October 3, 2012 by John

Since I am often told that I don’t really toot my own horn, I am going to post quickly here to let you guys know I’ll be doing my first podcast with the Maccessibility.net folks. I am honored and privileged to be a part of the knights of the round table. If you would like details on how to listen to what will be a live streaming at noon Eastern and 9 Pacific, please see
here.

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Updates, 9/29/12

Posted on September 29, 2012 by John

Just a quick update. I added the iPhone 5 and iOS 6 user guide in RTF format to the
Documentation section
of the site.

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Updates, 9/26/12

Posted on September 26, 2012 by John

My apologies. Part 2 of my Finder audio demonstration series, Episode 19, is now up on the site and available in iTunes. I forgot to add the link this weekend.

I continue by talking specifically about the default folder structure of the Finder. Additionally, I explore the components of the Finder window and what you will discover as you navigate the interface.
You can find the episode on the site
here.

Posted in Accessibility, General, Mac OS X Lion, OS Mountain Lion, OS X Snow Leopard, Updates | Leave a comment

iOS 6 Is Here

Posted on September 19, 2012 by John

It shouldn’t be real news to everyone at this point that iOS 6, Apple’s 6th version of their operating system for their mobile devices, is now available. If you are running iOS5, you can do an over there air update without the need for iTunes and your computer provided you have the iDevice plugs into power. You can, of course, also do the update via iTunes with your iDevice connected.

I have updated both my iPhone 4S and my new iPad. Just as some information from my experience and from what I have read on a few lists, the update might speed up and slow down as it progresses. Also, it might particularly stall for a bit when it reaches 94 or 96 percent complete for the download. If this occurs, just remain patient and let it finish.

Once the update does finish downloading, your device will reboot and it will take a bit of time for it to restart. Again, don’t get nervous or concerned. It will reboot. Once it does, you will have a couple of configuration screens to go through before you can start using iOS 6.

As some informational links to help you get started, you can
read here
for a very comprehensive description of what is new in iOS 6 for accessibility and VoiceOver from the Maccessibility folks.

Also, there is information on the Applevis site, and they have some podcasts on some of the new features, which can be found
here.

For another podcast as a quick overview of iOS 6, you can also
check this out.

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The Problem Lies Between the Chair and the Phone

Posted on September 15, 2012 by John

I did take the plunge yesterday. Yes, I decided to order or preorder the iPhone 5. I wasn’t due for an upgrade on my AT&T contract, but I weighed my options and I decided to go for it. It wasn’t as easy a decision as one might think, but that was because of the financial considerations. However, the deed is done.

The “story” here, though is my adventure actually preordering the iPhone 5. This is more for the sake of entertainment than anything educational, so if you feel off topic is not of interest, you surely don’t have to read this post.

I had a client to train in the morning and then my following one canceled because of illness. So, there I was just after 10 in the morning with my chance to preorder my phone. I decided to call AT&T directly to place the order in the hopes of somehow haggling or shaking a better deal than paying full price for the device. I knew using the online avenue would have been easier, but I really wanted to talk to a representative and give it a shot as far as working at some sort of better deal. As much as I had promised myself after my iPhone 4S experience that I’d never order another phone from AT&T directly again, I thought it would be my best option to place the preorder this time around. Continue reading →

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Updates, 9/13/12

Posted on September 13, 2012 by John

I just added Episode 18 of the Audio Demonstration Series. This is the first part of a 3 part series I have done on using the Finder. It is not detailed, but it will, hopefully, help folks understand how the Finder works and how to navigate it. It is available in iTunes, or you can
go here to access the demo.

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The iPhone 5 Event, Some Random Thoughts and Opinions

Posted on September 12, 2012 by John

Apple events are always interesting and fascinating to me. I must first say a big thank you to the great people who take part in the Maccessibility Round Table for inviting me to take part in their live streaming of today’s event. I had a lot of fun, and it made the event that much more entertaining and enjoyable for me. Thanks again to Josh and the gang for asking me to be involved.

I’m not going to necessarily cover all of the items from the keynote today as you can find details in several places and I sum things up in the
News section of the site

To me, obviously, though, the introduction of the iPhone 5 was the most highly anticipated part of the presentation. The sad part is, by now, there really wasn’t much left as far a secrets or surprises go, and I have found it amusing how some have lamented about the lack of this or that in regard to what Apple had to say about the new iPhone. It’s all been pretty much discussed in rumors as it was, and there were even leaked pictures of the device floating around. Thus, what could Apple possibly do that would be a surprise to the world?

The a6 processor and the fact that it’s lighter and thinner were some of the aspects of the iPhone 5 that interested me. The addition of the device supporting Dual-band 802.11n wireless connectivity and having LTE were nice additions too. The new 8MP camera, I hope, might lead to improvements in OCR applications for the blind, but the improved graphics with the 4 inch Retina display is more “eye candy” for the sighted consumer than anything that got me excited.

As when the iPhone 4S was released, whether the new model is for you is purely an individual choice. If you are at the point where you can upgrade your existing phone, I’d strongly recommend it. If you have a phone and are locked into a contract, it’s probably not worth the extra purchase. I might end up buying one because of the fact I train people on the iPhone and a large share of my clients are iDevice users, but that is strictly a personal situation. Basically, if you don’t need to upgrade, there probably isn’t anything that compelling about the iPhone 5 that would cause you to unnecessarily make such a purchase. Continue reading →

Posted in Accessibility, General, iOS Devices, iPhone | 2 Comments

Another article of interest

Posted on September 11, 2012 by John

Google has released an application for iOS devices that may be an alternative, as Apple will be dropping their youtube app in iOS 6. However, there are some issues to be aware of. You can read a very useful summary from the Maccessibility folks
here.

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Supported Braille display in OS X Mountain Lion

Posted on September 9, 2012 by John

I thought some might find this Apple support article useful.

See here.

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A quick note about Maccessibility Net

Posted on September 3, 2012 by John

Just in case others haven’t seen this, Maccessibility Net has been redesigned and made even better. If you haven’t taken a look over there, please visit our good friends there. You can read about all the details
here.

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