Update, 7/15/2014, 12:22 PM CDT: Added a link to the official unveiling and demonstration of the KNFBReader app.
K-NFB Reading Technology has today announced a wealth of information about the upcoming KNFBReader iOS app.
The KNFBReader iPhone app, which is expected to be available to the public in late August for $99, was demonstrated at the 74th annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), a membership organization of blind people in the United States.
Some of the features of the KNFBReader iPhone app include:
At the end of each month, members of the AppleVis Editorial Team take a look at all the apps that 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 they think is the most noteworthy.
The AppleVis Editorial Team app picks of the month for October 2014 are as follows:
Bookshare have today posted the following information about their forthcoming iOS app:
"Our members talked, and we listened! Announcing the new Read2Go App, the DAISY reader for Bookshare on the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch.
Read2Go is an accessible e-book reader that was developed by Benetech (the parent nonprofit for Bookshare), in partnership with Shinano Kenshi Co. Ltd (best known for its PLEXTALK® brand of digital talking book players).
I'm pleased to announce the launch of a new feature on the AppleVis site, our Campaign of the Month.
Each month we will select an app that currently has accessibility issues, and ask you all to contact its developers and encourage them to improve VoiceOver support.
To make this easy, we've created a handy little form that will do most of the work for you. The form even includes a draft message that you can either use as it is, or edit to your own liking.
It was a Thursday morning, and I was teaching a seminar to first year undergraduate students. I divided the students into three groups, then sent each group into a separate room to spend fifteen minutes discussing the material. Ten minutes later, I was still in the main room. My usual practice was to visit each room in turn, to listen to the students' discussion, answer any questions, and prompt them if everyone was a little too quiet. On this occasion, however, I couldn't find the entrance to the rooms. I'd never had this problem before.
It's been a few weeks since LookTel Recognizer was released, and in that time we've heard of some very positive, creative and downright bizarre ways that the app can be used.
In addition to making it easier to identify objects around the home, Recognizer has been put to good use in such places as shopping malls, restaurants, hotels, camp sites and people's work environments.
The ChatGPT app has found a place in my iPhone's dock. I use it for many things, both serious and fun. Part of me is convinced that it's going to turn into Marvin the Paranoid Android from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. There it is, brain the size of a planet, and I'm constantly asking it to answer very simple or repetitive queries. Yet, it always remains eager to assist with any question.
It's not often that I find the privilege of blogging about an application which is not only feature-rich and revolutionary in its feature set, but takes accessibility to an entirely new level. Of course, if you ask David Goodwin, the awesome guy behind AppleVis, he'll tell you that my inspiration for blogging has subsided recently despite what creative app developers are doing... David, do you hear me?! :)
Version 2.0 of LookTel Money Reader is now available in the iTunes App Store.
LookTel Money Reader instantly recognizes currency and speaks the denomination, enabling people with visual impairments or blindness to quickly and easily identify and count bills. Simply point your iPhone’s camera at a bill and the application will tell you the denomination in real-time.
LookTel have just released a new app that promises fast and accurate recognition of everyday items, such as cans, packages, ID or credit cards and DVDs.
LookTel Recognizer enables you to store images of objects in a library or database. You then simply point your iPhone's camera at an object and the phone will instantly recognize and describe the item. A barcode scanner is also included to provide additional labeling help.
The first contractions started around 2am, early that morning in late January. My wife gently nudged me into a semi-conscious state to share the news that our first child was actively on the way. In my stupor, I thoughtfully suggested that since the contractions would likely take a few hours to pick up steam, we could go back to sleep. I did just that. She did not.
Syntellia have just released a new update to Fleksy, which includes a number of significant changes and new features.
We're particularly pleased to see that you can now try the app for free. Although you will need to pay to unlock the full functionality of the app, you can now at least experience what it is like typing with Fleksy before parting with any money.
Until 3 or 4 years ago, I did most of my financial dealings over the phone or using my bank’s website. Although more recently I have used the app for 99 percent of my dealings involving finances (in fact, I prefer the app more than the website), the app has some problems. Due to the world population going more mobile than ever before, financial institutions as well as other industries are forced to embrace the digital age or get left behind. But what is the result for blind iOS users, and how can things change for the better?
Earlier this year Kwasi Mensah, creator of Stem Stumper, spoke on iOS game design and accessibility at a conference. His talk inspired at least one developer to make their own game accessible, and the result is now in the App Store.
Meanwhile for iOS is an interactive comic, where the choices you make will determine how the story unfolds.
Apple brings augmented reality (AR) to your phone with Measure, the first native AR app in iOS 12.
Apple's Measure app is visually compelling for sighted users, but also reasonably accessible for blind users. This blog describes taking measurements as a blind or low vision user, and enumerates improvements for Apple's consideration to make the app easier to use.
Be My Eyes, the popular iOS and Android app that connects blind and low vision users with sighted volunteers for assistance via live video chat, has today launched an exciting new feature for users needing specialized or technical help.
Following today's update to the Be My Eyes app, users will find a new menu option on the app's main screen titled “Specialized Help”.
Microsoft has just released a OneNote app for the iPhone, and it's free "for a limited time".
As with the Windows Phone 7 app, the iPhone app will let you manage notes and shopping lists (and even add photos taken with the iPhone's camera), and then sync those with Windows Live SkyDrive so you can access them in either the Windows desktop application or its web-based counterpart.
The OneNote app is currently only available to US users. We are still waiting for reports on the app's accessibility.
Microsoft has today announced that as of January 3, 2023, its Soundscape app will not be available for download and that existing installations will cease to work after the end of June 2023.