News

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Another fall is upon us, which means football season has started, temperatures are starting to drop, and that a new version of iOS is coming out. Another seemingly established tradition is that another article discussing the new accessibility features is in order. Just like the past several years, there are many changes to iOS that are mainstream and will be welcome changes. Some of the new features include a revamped Music app; a new Home app; new 3d Touch functionality in Apple apps; and much more.

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Fall is almost here, and in the year of unpredictability, we have something which remains consistent. iOS 14.0 is out the same week it has been in previous years. It will have a significant number of enhancements for users of the iPhone 6s and newer, as well as the iPod 7th generation. Mainstream changes include the ability to put widgets on the Home screen, an App Library, enhancements to Messages, new privacy settings, and many more. A lot of outlets will be covering these features in detail, so I will not be covering them here.

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Just like the last several Autumn seasons, this one comes with another new iOS release. And just like other releases, this release brings a lot of new features and functions to supported iDevices. Major changes include enhancements to Siri, a new Control Center available from anywhere within the OS giving you instant access to several essential controls, a revamped Notifications Center, and much more. Many blogs and Apple themselves will be highlighting these new enhancements to iOS, so I will not discuss them in great detail.
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Introduction

It's fall, which means it's time for another iOS update to fall on to your iDevices. That is, if you are using an iPhone 4S or later, iPad 2 or later, or iPod Touch fifth generation or later. This year, Apple introduces a lot of new mainstream features such as the ability to share purchased items with family members on joint accounts with the iTunes and App Store, the further harmonization of iOS and OS X, interactive notifications, wifi calling - just to name a few.

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Since it's launch was announced last month, I had been keen to spend some hands-on time with Apple's latest MacBook Pro.

I was curious to find out just how much thinner, lighter and faster it would be compared to my current MacBook Pro; and to test the ‘improved’ keyboard and larger trackpad. But, what I most wanted to try was the Touch Bar; the multi-touch enabled display which has replaced the physical function keys on all but one model in the 2016 MacBook Pro range.

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We;ve already posted about the changes and improvements in iOS 7.1 for blind and low vision users, but thought that you would also like to know what else to be looking out for in this latest update.
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Every year at its Worldwide Developers’ Conference (WWDC), Apple celebrates and acknowledges through its Apple Design Awards the mobile and desktop apps which raise the bar in design, technology and innovation.

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Below is a list of the major highlights from today's WWDC keynote, compiled from the twitter feed of AppleVis Editorial Team member Michael Hansen. Other sources include the live blogs from Macworld, 9 to 5 Mac, and Mac Rumors.

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WWDC 2020: New Software and Fresh Chips

As usual in June, Apple has recently concluded the opening presentation of WWDC. This year brought us version 14 of iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS, as well as watchOS 7 and macOS 11. Yes, macOS 11, not 10.16. The final announcement wasn't just about software, though, but hardware: Apple is moving its entire Mac lineup to custom chips it will be designing itself, and it's starting the process this year. Maybe that's why macOS got a whole new number?

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Intro

Today, Apple told us what to expect in the next round of software updates, coming this fall. While the focus was, unsurprisingly, AI, there is more than just that to be excited about. Let's dive into what you can look forward to on your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, and Apple TV later this year. Or next year, in some cases; as has become common in the last few years, Apple announced features it won't be rolling out until well after the software's initial release.

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Apple's highly anticipated annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) kicked off today with the customary keynote presentation. During the event, Apple unveiled the next major updates to all its software platforms and introduced the much-awaited mixed-reality headset and some new Mac models.

Our editorial team member Alex (‘mehgcap’), who typically provides detailed event summaries, regrets being unable to do so this time due to work commitments.

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Now that sounds a bit geographical, doesn't it? As Apple's World Wide developers Conference (WWDC) is on the horizon, Apple's App Store is down. It's to be held later today in San Francisco and many analysts believe iOS 6 will be unveiled there along with some hardware-related pieces of news and, perhaps, a couple of surprises. No one knows the very exact features of iOS 6 other than what some tend to call Google-free 3D maps and better photo-sharing. So, as you see, guessing its accessibility features is even more laborious.

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No big announcements yet other than the fact that so far 30 billion apps have been downloaded and that the Store has 400 million accounts but, guys, this is really terrific! WWDC attendees are now watching a video in which a blind person who lives near a jungle can find his way there using his iPhone. A developer is also talking about how his app can help the visually impaired. Yet again, this is Apple's difference with the rest of the big companies out there. Accessibility has a special place in a high-profile all-purpose event like this!

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Just released in the App Store is Viskey, an alternate iOS keyboard for low vision users from the developers of the highly regarded MBraille.

Viskey brings you an easy to use and accessible keyboard without sacrificing modern features. You can enjoy spelling support, auto-correction and capitalization. Existing text can be reviewed with an unmatched zoom using cursor keys.

Features include:

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We are excited to announce the launch of our Apple Vision Accessibility Report Card and invite you to participate in the survey that will determine the report card ratings.

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We are pleased to announce that voting for the AppleVis Golden Apple Awards of 2018 is now open; read on to find out which apps and developers have been shortlisted and how to cast your vote.

First launched in 2012, the AppleVis Golden Apples is an opportunity for blind and low vision users of Apple products to recognize and acknowledge the hard work and dedication which developers have put into making and maintaining great and accessible applications over the last twelve months.

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We are pleased and excited to announce that voting for the AppleVis Golden Apple Awards of 2015 is now open. Read on to see which apps and developers have been shortlisted and to cast your own votes.

The AppleVis Golden Apple Awards is our community's opportunity to recognize and acknowledge the hard work and dedication which developers have put into making great and accessible iOS and OS X applications over the last twelve months.

To be eligible for consideration for the Golden Apple Awards of 2015, an app must:

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Update 24 December: this vote is now closed. Read our announcement of the results to learn which apps and developers were chosen by the community as its Golden Apples of 2016.

Welcome to the 5th Annual AppleVis Golden Apple Awards; read on to see which apps and developers have been shortlisted and to cast your own votes.

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We are pleased to announce that voting is now open for the AppleVis Golden Apple Awards of 2017; read on to find out which apps and developers have been shortlisted and how to cast your votes.

First launched in 2012, the AppleVis Golden Apples is an opportunity for blind and low vision users of Apple products to recognize and acknowledge the hard work and dedication which developers have put into making and maintaining great and accessible iOS and macOS applications over the last twelve months.

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We are pleased to announce that voting for the 2016 inductees into the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame is now open.

First opened in 2011, the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame is one of the ways in which the AppleVis community seeks to recognize developers of accessible iOS applications. Apps in the Hall of Fame can be liberating; empowering; life-changing; provide access to information that sighted users take for granted; or, in some cases, they can just be good fun!