Welcome to the April 2024 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, your monthly digest of the latest and most notable content on the AppleVis website. This edition features a curated selection of community-submitted updates, including new app entries, updates, news, and podcasts.
New and Noteworthy App Entries
Agent Of Adventure (iOS/iPadOS, Free With In-App Purchases)
This game is an abandoned RPG game that develops the city using rewards earned by adventurers.
Hire adventurers at the tavern and start your adventure once you have the equipment for the hired adventurers. In the adventure you will encounter various traps, caves and monsters. While left unattended, adventurers come back over those difficulties. Adventurers come home with "money", "experience value" and "items".
Let's develop the town and guild with the money you got! You can build various shops in the city.
- If you build a weapon shop or armor shop, you will have plenty of equipment to bring to your adventure.
- If you build a tool shop and bring items that are useful for your adventure, your adventure will be stable.
- If you build a temple, you may be able to revive a dead adventurer.
- If you build a school, better adventurers will grow up.
- If you develop a tavern, many adventurers will gather.
- If you develop the guild, you will be able to raise the level of adventurers.
Let the adventurers learn various skills using the āexperience valueā you have obtained! In this game, the adventurer does not grow and HP (life point) is not changed from 15 to 100, and the natural ability is hardly changed. Instead, learning various jobs makes you dying. -Fighters are good at fighting, and fighting with swords is good.
Current Version: 4.17 (December 9, 2020)
Agent Of Adventure's AppleVis App Directory entry
Agent Of Adventure's App Store page
Anytime Podcast Player (iOS/iPadOS, Free)
Anytime Podcast Player is a free and open-source podcast player that's designed to be simple and easy to use. Anytime is Podcasting 2.0 ready and will support more features as the app is developed.
Discover podcasts:
- Search from over 2 million free podcasts.
- Discover something new in the podcast charts.
- Follow your favourite podcasts so you never miss an episode.
- Stream episodes or download for offline playback later.
Features:
- View episode chapters and skip to the part of an episode you're interested in*
- Directly support the show via funding links*
- Listen at faster or slower speeds.
- Queue episodes with option to rearrange order.
- Download episodes for offline listening.
- Pause a streamed or downloaded episode and pickup where you left off later on.
Current Version: 1.3.7 (March 13, 2024)
Anytime Podcast Player's AppleVis App Directory entry
Anytime Podcast Player's App Store page
Ax Roguelike (iOS/iPadOS, US$3.99)
Ax Roguelike is a deck-building roguelike game.
Deck-building: Over 900 skills can be learned. Depending on the construction, various effects will interact in a complex manner and create synergies.
Battle: Progress is based on turn-based command selection. Players can connect up to three skills and activate them consecutively.
Base: At the base, you can prepare in advance before heading to the stage. If it is difficult to conquer, expand the functions of your base and prepare your initial equipment before trying again.
Strengthening: During the capture, various training is possible in the village. Strengthening weapons, strengthening will, modifying skills, modifying equipment, etc.
Current Version: 2.11 (April 16, 2024)
Ax Roguelike's AppleVis App Directory entry
Lucky Mayor (iOS/iPadOS, US$3.99)
In this roguelike mayor simulation game, you will become the leader of a city, taking on the role of mayor. Your task is to recruit citizens, promote business prosperity, and build a comprehensive industrial chain to meet the diverse needs of the population. Through wise planning and decision-making, transform your city into a thriving supercity that citizens take pride in, and become their admired leader!
Current Version: 1.5.4 (April 26, 2024)
Lucky Mayor's AppleVis App Directory entry
Tape It: Pro Audio Recorder (iOS/iPadOS, Free With In-App Purchases)
The professional songwriting app that helps musicians record, organize & share song ideas. We are frustrated musicians that always wanted a straightforward app that gets how we artists workā so we created Tape It. And thousands of professional musicians love it!
Never lose song memos, never spend time with songwriting headaches again; Focus on what really matters for your music, record many ideas, donāt think too much and unmess your songwriting!
20+ FREE FEATURES ā NO ADS, NO BULLS**T
- Group recordings into mixtapes:
- Collaborate in your mixtapes:
- Start recording straight from your iPhone lock screen:
- Add photos to your recordings:
- Airdrop files into your DAW:
- Sync between devices & never lose anything with Tape Itās EU-encrypted cloud:
- Add notes to your recordings:
- Listen to recordings as you would listen to Spotify:
- Add markers while and after recording:
- Listen to long recordings more easily:
- Detect instruments automatically and see smart waveforms:
- Mark favorite recordings:
Current Version: 3.11.2 (April 26, 2024)
Tape It: Pro Audio Recorder's AppleVis App Directory entry
Tape It: Pro Audio Recorder's App Store page
All recent app entries posted to AppleVis can be found at:
iOS/iPadOS
Mac
Apple Watch
Apple TV
Notable App Updates
Envision AI (iOS/iPadOS, Free)
Envision is the fastest, most reliable and award-winning OCR app that speaks out the visual world, helping people who are blind or have low vision lead more independent lives.
Envision is developed for and together with the blind and low vision community. The app is simple, gets things done and brings the best assistive experience to blind and low vision users.
Simply use your phone camera to scan any piece of text, your surroundings, objects, people or products and everything will be read out to you thanks to Envisionās smart artificial intelligence (AI) and Optical Character Recognition (OCR).
Current Version: 3.4.0 (April 16, 2024)
Changes in Version 3.4.0
- Revamped Describe Scene: Now, not only can you select between a short or long description after capturing an image, but you can also opt to directly engage with our new, exciting featureāāAsk Envision about Imagesā. This allows you to ask questions about the image immediately, enhancing your interaction.
- Adjustable Timer in Describe Scene: Set a 3-second timer to suit your paceātake it slow or skip the wait.
- Upgraded Envision It: Access the familiar āEnvision Itā feature through the share sheet, and now with āAsk Envisionā, start inquiring about images right away.
- Envision in Shortcuts: On iOS and iPadOS seamlessly integrate Envision with Appleās Shortcuts app to create customized shortcuts that fit your needs.
Envision AI's AppleVis App Directory entry
PiccyBot (iOS/iPadOS, Free With In-App Purchases)
Use PiccyBot to convert photos into spoken descriptions, pose questions in the text field, and zoom in for specific details. PiccyBot answers any image-related query with a clear calm voice.
Key Features:
- Photo to Voice: Instantly convert your photos into vivid spoken descriptions with a single tap.
- Voice-Activated Queries: Use your microphone to ask anything about your picture.
Enhanced Interactivity with PiccyBot:
- Ask Anything, Anytime: Pose questions about your pictures in the new text field and receive insightful answers.
- Zoom and Inquire: Delve into specific details by zooming into parts of the image and asking questions about particular aspects.
Unlock Premium Benefits:
- Experience PiccyBot without interruptions. Enjoy an ads-free environment.
- Enhance your image interpretation with personalised voice choices, adjustable voice duration, dynamic search engines, and seamless sharing of audio and detailed image descriptions.
Current Version: 1.11 (April 24, 2024)
Changes in April
- Select any language for speech output
- Improved layout of options
- Single click process: Use the volume button in camera mode to quickly take a photo and speak it out.
- History: Quickly access past searches below the text field.
- Capture Button Sound: A useful sound cue when capturing photos.
- Improved Search Cancellation: Cancel searches smoothly with enhanced functionality.
- Duration selection adjusted: Default 40%, adjustable between 10% upto 100%.
- Several minor bug fixes and performance improvements.
- Improved localization
- Fixed mic crash on iOS 17
- Added option to turn processing sound off
PiccyBot's AppleVis App Directory entry
Seeing AI (iOS/iPadOS, Free)
Seeing AI is a free app that narrates the world around you. Designed with and for the blind and low vision community, this ongoing research project harnesses the power of AI to open up the visual world by describing nearby people, text and objects.
Seeing AI provides tools to assist with a variety of daily tasks:
- Short Text - Speaks text as soon as it appears in front of the camera.
- Documents - Provides audio guidance to capture a printed page, and recognizes the text, along with its original formatting.
- Products - Scans barcodes, using audio beeps to guide you; hear the name, and package information when available.
- People - Saves peopleās faces so you can recognize them, and get an estimate of their age, gender, and expression.
- Currency - Recognizes currency notes.
- Scenes - Hear an overall description of the scene captured. Explore the photo by moving your finger over the screen to hear the location of different objects.
- World - An Audio Augmented Reality experience to explore an unfamiliar environment, including hearing objects announced around you with Spatial Audio (requires a device with a LiDAR, and iOS 14+).
- Indoor Navigation - Available on the World Channel, enables you to create routes through a building, like "entrance to classroom", and navigate by following the sound (requires a device with an A9 or later processor, and iOS 14+).
- Colors - Identifies colors.
- Handwriting - Reads handwritten text like in greeting cards (available in a subset of languages).
- Light - Generates an audible tone corresponding to the brightness in the surroundings.
- Images in other apps - Just tap āShareā and āRecognize with Seeing AIā to describe images from Mail, Photos, Twitter, and more.
- Browse Photos - Hear descriptions of photos saved on your device.
Current Version: 5.3 (April 5, 2024)
Changes in Version 5.3
- Find My Things - This new feature, available via the World channel on devices running iOS 14+, enables you to teach Seeing AI to recognize your personal objects. Most AI systems focus on large datasets of generic objects, so we built this system that provides an audio-first experience to teach new objects yourself. You can then follow the audio cues to locate your things.
- Ask questions about photos (English only) - You can now ask Seeing AI questions about photos on the Scene channel, in Browse Photos, or those shared from another app. For example, after hearing the rich description, you may wish to hear more about a specific aspect of the image.
- Rich image descriptions, when you tap "More Info", have been improved to include even more details. Additionally, the names of people you have taught Seeing AI to identify are now included. And, this is now available in all 19 languages in which Seeing AI is localized.
- Handwriting recognition is now also available in Japanese and Korean.
- Document orientation - After scanning a document, you can find out which way round it is - useful when organizing multiple pages for stapling, for example. Tap "More", then "Page Info".
- Plus, various bug fixes under the hood.
Seeing AI's AppleVis App Directory entry
VoiceVista (iOS/iPadOS, Free)
VoiceVista is a critical application for the blind and low vision users' community. It is built upon Microsoft's discontinued and open-source project Soundscape (https://aka.ms/ossblog) and is licensed under the MIT License (https://github.com/microsoft/soundscape/blob/main/LICENSE.txt).
The app leverages advanced iOS audio technology and precise location services to empower individuals in developing a heightened sense of their environment. It offers reassurance in unfamiliar settings, assisting users in forming mental maps and confidently navigating their desired routes.
Current Version: 1.4.4 (April 27, 2024)
Changes in April
- List intersections nearby/ahead for additional actions
- Put the app to sleep on iPhone from Apple Watch
- Select the nearest waypoint to start a route
- Option to disable callouts for unnamed roads
- Ability to add current location to router waypoints
- Ability to add searched places to router waypoints
- Filter markers when adding them to route waypoints
- Separate data management from troubleshooting
- Command to reset iCloud storage
- Decouple routes from markers, eliminating the need to create markers and then add them to the route
- Backup and restore all markers and routes
VoiceVista's AppleVis App Directory entry
Wikipedia (iOS/iPadOS, Free)
Explore your world, find a quick fact, or dive down a Wikipedia rabbit hole with the official Wikipedia app for iOS. With more than 40 million articles across nearly 300 languages, your favorite free online encyclopedia is at your fingertips.
Current Version: 7.4.10 (April 9, 2024)
Changes in Version 7.4.10
- We improved the Voice Over support for Diff view.
- Thanks to volunteer developer support PDFs can be reviewed in full-screen view without errors and published article descriptions will include edit summaries.
Wikipedia's AppleVis App Directory entry
Recent News and Views
A Guide to Securing Your Online Accounts with iCloud Keychain on iOS and iPadOS
By Tyler | April 8, 2024
If youāre like most people, you likely have many online accounts with usernames and passwords. In this guide, I will describe how iCloud Keychain, the password manager built into iOS, iPadOS, and other Apple platforms, can help you create, use, and manage strong credentials for your online accounts.
While iCloud Keychain is also available on macOS, as well as Chromium-based browsers on other operating systems, this guide will focus primarily on how to use it with iOS and iPadOS, in an effort to limit information overload. However, once you become familiar with iCloud Keychain on iOS and iPadOS, youāll likely find that it works similarly on other platforms.
With the proliferation and ubiquity of online accounts accessed with usernames and passwords, you may find the process of coming up with and remembering unique ones for each account fatiguing. In an effort to make passwords easier to create and remember, it may be tempting to base them on common words in the dictionary, musical artists, sports teams, birthdays, pets, and references to other things of significance in your life, and use the same or similar passwords for different accounts.
However, while passwords created with such techniques may be easy to create and remember, they can be easily guessed by password cracking bots that are designed to quickly try numerous common or previously exposed passwords on websites until a desired account is accessed. Furthermore, using the same password across multiple accounts makes you additionally vulnerable, as if the password for one account is compromised, threat actors could then successfully try that password for another account of yours, further exposing your identity.
Read more: āA Guide to Securing Your Online Accounts with iCloud Keychain on iOS and iPadOSā
The Humanware NLS eReader: a free braille device available only to patrons in the US
By Scott Davert | April 10, 2024
The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS), Library of Congress, has been known for distributing materials to eligible patrons for many years in specialized formats. Not only is NLS known for their distribution of content, but it is also known for loaning equipment needed to consume the materials it makes available. While NLS has offered the downloading of both audio and braille content for years, they have not offered a way for patrons to consume the digital braille content until recently. Braille content in particular, though available, required the user to own a braille device to read the material. NLS is now distributing 2 different models of braille displays to its patrons who request them. The model the patron receives will depend on which device their state library loans out. One way to get more general information about the NLS eReader program is to read this article from the APH Connect Center.
The state where I live is one of those which distributes the NLS Humanware eReader. I recently signed up to receive one, particularly since the braille display I typically use had to be sent back after 3 years of use for cleaning and a new battery. While the feature set does not encompass what I have available on my device, it has a lot to offer and was free of charge. With some modifications to my workflow, Iām finding that the Humanware NLS eReader works quite well as a back-up. Though Iām aware of the NLS eReader being distributed by Zoomax in other states, the state I live in only provides the Humanware device.
Upon arrival, the box contained the eReader, USB-A to USB-C cable, USB to AC charging brick with a braille NLS label on it, the User Guide in hard copy braille, lanyard, and a cable allowing the connection of NLS cartridges to the eReader to load content which had been received by postal mail. Having an embossed copy of the User Gide has been very helpful as a reference. This is particularly beneficial for those who prefer not to operate two pieces of technology simultaneously but are not yet familiar enough with the eReader to begin using it.
The Humanware NLS eReader is a twenty-cell braille display featuring an ergonomic Perkins-style keyboard, 16 gigabytes of internal memory, and the ability to connect to external media through the USB-A port and SD card reader. This meant that when I needed to move data from my primary device to this one, I was able to put the SD card in the eReader and have all of my files available. It is also capable of connecting up to 5 Bluetooth devices and 1 USB device for use with a screen reader. The eReader also offers Wi-Fi support so that a patron can download braille content from the NLS, NFB Newsline and Bookshare. The device also has the ability to keep track of the time and date. It measures 7.2 inches long by 3.3 inches wide by 0.8 inches thick and weighs 0.88 pounds. It is important to note that this is a āreaderā and not a device intended for taking notes and performing other writing functions. Also worth noting, though, is that the NLS eReader can connect to screen readers such as VoiceOver, JAWS and NVDA, permitting the user to write with the Perkins-style keyboard.
Those familiar with the Brailliant BI20X or Chameleon 20 are already acquainted with the physical appearance of the Humanware NLS eReader. Positioning the device so the spacebars are closest to you, the lay-out is as follows: On the front edge from left to right are five buttons. First is the Up Thumb Key followed by the Left Thumb Key, which is about twice as long as the Up Thumb Key. In the middle is a circular shaped button known as the Select Key. To the right of the Select Key is the Right Thumb Key, followed by the Down Thumb Key. The Right Thumb Key is larger than the Down Thumb Key. The two larger thumb keys on the front of the device are what pan the display back and forth. The Up and Down Thumb Keys are used for navigational purposes that depend on the application in use and how they are configured. An easy way to remember which key performs which function is that each of the rectangular buttons has a line on that part of the button. For example, there is a raised line on the full top edge of the Up Arrow and one along the right edge for the Right Arrow.
On the left side you will find 4 items. Moving from front to back, you will encounter holes for a lanyard strap to be attached. Behind this, the user will find a USB-A port used for inserting a thumb drive. Continuing to explore the left side, the item behind the USB-A port is the Power button. Pressing and holding it for several seconds will toggle the power, and a quick press when the device is on will either wake it up or put it to sleep. Behind the Power button is a USBC port for charging or connecting the eReader to a computer.
Another hole is located on the right side of the device and is the closest thing to the user on that side. Behind this, the user will find 2 volume buttons and a 3.5MM headphone jack which is covered. These volume buttons and 3.5 MM headphone jack are things that are used on the Brailliant and Chameleon but are not utilized with the eReader program.
On the top surface, the keys located closest to you are two spacebars. Behind these, you will find the twenty braille cells with a corresponding Cursor Routing Key behind each cell. Behind the Cursor Routing Keys, is a standard eight-dot Perkins-style braille keyboard. Along the back side of the display, you will find an SD card reader. The under-side of the Humanware NLS eReader has a braille serial number and 4 rubber feet to hold it in place. Itās important to note that though the Humanware eReader is in the body of a Brailliant, the software is not the same, nor are some of the keyboard shortcuts. For example, space with m on the Chameleon and Brailliant is used to go to the relevant context menu. On the Humanware NLS eReader, the user would press space with h to launch this menu and would press space with M to go back to the eReaderās main menu.
This Month in Podcasts
Review of the RAY-BAN META SMART GLASSES
In this episode, Mark Sarch provides a comprehensive review, shares his insights, and demonstrates the features of the RAY-BAN META SMART GLASSES. He takes us from the initial unboxing through the exploration of their unique functions, detailing how theyāre integrated into the glasses, and concludes with a live demonstration using the smart assistant
Listen to āReview of the RAY-BAN META SMART GLASSESā
Podcasts by Thomas Domville
Hot AppleVis Content
Here are some of the most talked-about posts from the past month:
- Applause have backed down: Purchased Voice Dream features will stay
- Introducing Envision Assistant Beta
- I'm done with Safari on MacOS
- Introducing Tape It: a high quality audio recorder
- Introducing Azmar Quest, an Old School and Turn Based RPG
- Introducing Anytime podcast app and seeking VoiceOver feedback
- VOLlama v0.1.1, an open-source, accessible chat client for OLlama
- Wewalk 2nd generation smart cane introduced
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