At the end of each month the AppleVis Editorial Team take a look at all of the apps which have been posted to the site during that month - either for the first time or where there has been a significant update - and decide which of these we think is the most noteworthy.
As is always the case, we found ourselves with a diverse and varied shortlist of apps this month, and the 3 that came out as our top choices perfectly illustrate how the App Store can meet just about every need and taste - be it apps specifically for the vision-impaired, tools to help you in your daily life or games to keep you entertained.
Our pick for June is MBraille, the latest Braille input app for iOS. Considering the number of similar apps which we've seen appear over the past year, it's great to see one come along that offers something new. And, in this case, it has some Braille users claiming it to be the best of the bunch. For a first release, it certainly shows tremendous potential, and we're thrilled that the developer has agreed to join us on a forthcoming podcast to talk about the app and what he has planned for the future. We also hope to be posting a demonstration of the app some time later this week.
An app that came extremely close to being our pick for June was the new weather app from the BBC. Other than one minor quirk which can sometimes stop you from swiping through all of the hourly forecasts and the day tabs along the bottom of the screen, this app is extremely accessible. Considering what we've seen in other BBC apps and their record of engaging with our community, we are confident that this one problem area will be resolved in a future update. In the meantime, there is a workaround if you find that swiping doesn't work consistently - when a swipe refuses to take you any further, try experimenting with a one-fingered tap and hold, and then sliding your finger left whilst still holding it to the screen. This serves to 'drag' the remaining items onto the screen making it possible to find them with your fingers or swipe to them. And, this really isn't as bad as I've made it sound… honest!
The final app that we thought worthy of a mention is Solara, an iOS game that has gained a substantial following in the community, something that's been helped by the way that the developer has engaged with blind players and made a number of changes to make the game an even more satisfying experience. As for trying to explain the basic premise of the game and its gameplay … well, I'm going to point you towards its entry in our App Directory, as I'm still trying to figure it out for myself!
As always, we would love to hear of any apps that you think we have overlooked, so do please post a comment below to share your own personal picks or your thoughts on our choices.
Comments
BBC Weather feedback welcome