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 September 2014 are as follows:

When MultiTap Text was released a few days ago on the App Store, I found the description quite intriguing and thought it can easily supplant a physical keyboard in most -- if not all -- circumstances:

Introduction

This month we are encouraging you all to contact Starbucks and ask that they make their iOS app accessible to their many blind and low-vision customers.

This month we are encouraging everybody to contact the developers of Words With Friends, and ask that they make this very popular game accessible to all.

A new GPS app has just been released in the iTunes App Store that offers some innovative features for blind and low vision users of Apple iDevices.

Ariadne GPS enables you to know your position at any time and to monitor it whilst walking. You can configure the app to update you with information as you are walking, such as telling you street numbers or the current street name.

There is also the option to save specific locations and be alerted when you approach one of them, Alerts can be a sound, vibration or a voice.

An updated version of the Chess-wise app has just been released that offers significantly improved accessibility for VoiceOver users.

The developer of this app has worked closely with a number of blind iDevice users, and early reports from the VIPhone mailing list indicate that this new version of the chess game is very accessible.

A new app has recently been released that could make life easier for blind people in the Toronto area.

Next Streetcar provides real-time arrival times for TTC (Toronto Transit) streetcars based on the user’s location. The app will automatically locate the user on launch or allow for manual selection of all routes and stops. Furthermore, you can add stops to your personal favourites for easy access at any time.

Update, 7/5/2014, 4:02 PM CDT: Members of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) have just passed Resolution 2014-12 at their annual national convention. The resolution calls upon Apple to work with the NFB to develop standards and policies to ensure the accessibility of all iOS apps. The full text of the resolution, as well as our original blog post, is below.

The sun was warm and bright that Friday morning in Southern California. From our fourth grade classroom, my friends and I were already anticipating lunch and recess. An adult walked in, whispered to our teacher, and we immediately lined up and were on our way out the door. As we walked, we saw children pouring out of every classroom, all heading in the same direction. Something was odd. Everyone squeezed into the school auditorium and quickly found seats. I took my place on the right side, in one of the first rows. Up front, on a heavy institutional wooden chair, sat an old Philco radio.

Apple has announced the winners of its 2024 Apple Design Awards, which honor excellence in innovation, ingenuity, and technical achievement in app and game design across seven categories: delight and fun, inclusivity, innovation, interaction, social impact, visuals and graphics, and a new spatial computing category. The winners were chosen from 42 finalists.

I have a love-hate relationship with Siri.

When I tell Siri to set my alarm just before I go to bed, I appreciate the convenience of being able to simply tell my phone something and it get done. I’m the type of person who might possibly sleep through my first alarm, so I set several as an extra precaution. When I wake up and am sure I’m out of bed, I tell Siri, “Turn off all of my alarms,” and go on with my day. The same goes for setting my monthly hair cut appointments; almost always, it just works.

I was a late adopter of the iPhone technology. I thought I didn't need ANOTHER gadget to keep track of. It wasn't until I heard some friends discussing their iPhones that I realized that an iPhone could replace many of the gadgets I used. Not only did the iPhone cut down on the number of gadgets I needed to carry, but it saved me money too!

The March vote for induction into our iOS App Hall of Fame was a landmark for being the first ever where every single nominee received multiple votes. It also saw the clearest winner, with ooTunes Radio gaining significantly more votes than all the other nominees.

Groupon is one of the world's leading providers of daily deals - offering discounts of up to 90% on all the things that you love, such as fun and exciting experiences, restaurants, theaters, spas, shops and more.

Unfortunately, the latest update to its iOS app has introduced some significant issues for VoiceOver users, making browsing of deals frustrating and time consuming.

I've just added a new page to this site that lists iOS apps developed specifically for the blind or people with low vision.

With the benefit of hindsight, this seems like something that we should have done some time ago, but they do say better late than never ... right? <smile>

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 July 2014 are as follows:

We are pleased to announce that the latest iOS app to be inducted into our App Hall of Fame is Pandora Radio.

Pandora Radio is free personalized radio that only plays music you’ll love. Just start with the name of one of your favorite artists, songs or classical composers and Pandora will create a custom "station" that plays similar music.