Many years ago, my son's Boy Scout troop lost its collective mind. The boys decided it would be great fun to go rappelling. This involves stepping backwards off of a high cliff or tall building and then walking down the outside surface. Even though safety ropes are involved, I was concerned. Gravity is unrelenting.
Still, my son was really excited. I reluctantly tagged along with him to the base of the thirty-three-foot wooden tower. One of the other dads, trying to be thoughtful,ā¦
Are you sending a decent message to the blind community? Are you sending 'any' messages to the blind community? If you are a web or app developer, a blogger or a YouTuber, if you use Facebook or any messaging app or email, I am here to tell you that you 'are' sending a message with everything you create. The question one should ask is, "Am I sending an intentional message?" Those of us who use a screen reader or Braille display get the message literally loudā¦
This time last year, those potentially in the market for a new iPhone were probably caught up in the hand-wringing that followed Apple's decision to drop the headphone jack from the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.
12 months on, and most of us would probably look back and wonder what all of the fuss was about.
Of course, this should come as no surprise, as Apple hasā¦
Welcome to the October 2017 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, our monthly series which aims to highlight what's new and noteworthy on the AppleVis website. Below, you'll find a selection of the best content posted to AppleVis - from new app entries, to app updates, to the latest news and podcasts. For easier navigation, the major sections of this post are at heading level 3, and each individual item is at heading level 4.
Apple has today released iOS 11.1, which brings a number of fixes; enhancements; and changes for blind and low vision users.
Every writer knows the feeling: youāve just sat down at the keyboard, ready to write your next masterpiece. Suddenly, your mind goes blank. What seemed like the perfect idea late last night now seems impossible to put into words. Or perhaps you have no ideas at all and you wonder how youāve ever managed to write anything. Unfortunately, your iOS device canāt write your articles, essays, stories or blog posts for you, but combined with aā¦
If youāre like me, thereās no way you can resist reading an article with a title like 5 TECH STANDARDS APPLE MURDERED AND 5 MORE ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK.
I found the five murder victims quite noteworthy. Some seem obvious, like the demise of the floppy disk and CD-ROM. Back in the ā90s, PC manufacturers were a lot like lemmings that wouldāve followed each other over the floppy disk cliff were it not for Appleās bold leadershipā¦
As the power and versatility of iOS devices sinks in, many users invariably ask veteran iPhone and iPad enthusiasts about Bluetooth keyboards. As someone who's dabbled with Bluetooth keyboards since the addition of external keyboard support hit iOS, I've handled my fair share of these accessories in both my role as an assistive technology instructor and just a tech enthusiast on the internet. Just like with apps and web resources, it's almost impossible to work with or even hear about everyā¦
Apple has today released iOS 11.0.3, which addresses problems with audio and haptic feedback on some devices and unresponsive displays in specific circumstances.
According to Apple's release notes via MacRumors, iOS 11.0.3 includes the following fixes:
- Fixes an issue where audio and haptic feedback would not work on some iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus devices.
- ā¦
Customizing the Mac for Halloween used to be a lot easier. One could install a system-wide 'Theme' that included desktop and icon graphics, a custom screen-saver and even sets of interface sounds. Having the Trash growl at you when emptied, animated ghastly faces for desktop icons, spooky creaks and moans emanating from one's computer were all a common thing around Halloween.
Since Apple gave us a sandbox to occupy while we play with our apps, these custom system-wide themes can noā¦
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!
I was curious to see exactly how much money the iPhone could save me, so I went window shopping. I looked forā¦
Apple has today released iOS 11.0.2, which brings a handful of bug fixes; one of which addresses a bug that caused some iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus users to hear a crackling or static noise coming from the earpiece during phone calls and FaceTime calls. .
According to Apple's release notes via MacRumors, iOS 11ā¦
My spouse uses Yahoo mail. (Shudder! I know.) Recently she complained that thereās no way to open an attachment when viewing her Yahoo mail in Google Chrome on her Windows 7 laptop. Sheās right - Chrome forces you to download an attachment to a temporary location before you can open or print it.
I mention this because there are so many mail client options available to us, but few are satisfactory. I use the native iOS Mail app on my iPad and iPhone, the native OS X Mail app on myā¦
Welcome to the September 2017 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, our monthly series which aims to highlight what's new and noteworthy on the AppleVis website. Below, you'll find a selection of the best content posted to AppleVis - from new app entries, to app updates, to the latest news and podcasts. For easier navigation, the major sections of this post are at heading level 3, and each individual item is at heading level 4.
Just a week after the launch of iOS 11, Apple has today released iOS 11.0.1.
Apple's release notes for iOS 11.0.1 simply state that the update āincludes bug fixes and improvements for your iPhone or iPad.ā
At the time of posting, it is unknown as to whether any of these fixes addressā¦
Today, Apple released the macOS 10.13 āHigh Sierraā update. As usual, I wonāt cover the mainstream features for the most part, concentrating instead on accessibility.
Please remember to check the section about bugs to see if itās worth upgrading. Thereās no harm in holding off a few weeks or months to let Apple address a problem you may find too disruptive to deal with. In particular, users of the āmostā punctuation setting should know that this settingā¦
My collection of about 200 late-ā70s and early-ā80s punk, rock, and pop albums is near and dear to my heart, but I couldnāt justify their shelf space when I know they could all fit on my phone. The only thing holding me back from ripping my collection was the overwhelming nature of recording, labeling, and cleaning up well over 100 hours of audio. While I procrastinated, I looked at turntables, read articles, and talked to musician friends about digital recording. Many of them recommendedā¦
'Hope' is the thing with feathersā
That perches in the soulā
And sings the tune without the wordsā
And never stopsāat allā
And sweetestāin the Galeāis heardā
And sore must be the stormā
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warmā
I've heard it in the chillest landā
And on the strangest Seaā
Yet, never, in Extremity,
It asked a crumbāof Me.
Emily Dickinson
********************
It used to happen each and everyā¦
The day has finally arrived. iOS 11 is here. But should you install it now, or would it be better to wait for the next update? To help you decide, I've tested some of the main new features and changes in this release.
One of the main new accessibility features in iOS 11 is easier editing in braille. As I do not own a braille display, I have not been able to test this. If you are a braille user, please readā¦