The day has arrived! iOS 5 will be released today for supported iPHone, iPod, and iPad devices. You can find out about the most compelling accessibility enhancements, especially those in VoiceOver in "A Look at Accessibility and VoiceOver in iOS5". We hope this review will be useful and informative.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Review – A Look at Accessibility and VoiceOver in iOS 5
Review – A Look at Accessibility and VoiceOver in iOS 5:
Accessibility Features in the new iOS 5
Access granted
While we think of iOS devices as extremely easy-to-use, there are plenty of people for whom a touchscreen is less than ideal—especially those folks with disabilities. Apple has made an attempt to improve its devices’ accessibility with each subsequent software release; with iOS 5, the company has made far-reaching enhancements to accessibility across the board.
VoiceOver, first introduced in iOS 3, helps visually-impaired users navigate their iOS device by providing feedback via a synthesized voice and letting them use simplified gestures to interact with the touchscreen without having to see what’s on it. It gets a few improvements in iOS 5, including the addition of a compact voice option that (to my ears, anyway) sounded much better and more human when activated.
There are more options for the Rotor interface as well, including Volume, Hints, Search Fields, and more. In addition, iOS 5 now supports the expanded Eight-dot Braille configuration on Braille displays, and there’s an option for how VoiceOver should navigate images (options include always, with descriptions, and never).
In addition, users can now enable a text-to-speech option by enabling the Speak Selection option under Accessibility. When you select text in any app, a Speak button will then appear over it—tap that, and a computer-generated voice will read the selected text; during the speech, the Speak button will turn into a Pause button.
For the hearing impaired, iOS 5 now offers a Hearing Aid Mode that can improve compatibility with assistive devices, though it also warns it may reduce 2G cellular coverage. Plus, in addition to the Mono Audio capability that’s been around for a while, you can now adjust the balance of audio, even shifting it entirely to either the left or right channels. You can also have incoming calls automatically routed to the iPhone’s headset and speaker (or to the default audio output) and, on the iPhone 4, you can also choose to have the LED Flash blink when an alert goes off. Unfortunately, that feature did not appear to work in my tests—the sound and vibration went off as expected, but the light did not illuminate. Most of the colleagues I polled said they couldn’t get it to work either; one said that though it didn’t work when he first enabled it, it started functioning correctly later on.
Good Vibrations: iOS now supports custom vibration patterns, which can serve as a sort of Caller ID for users with visual impairment.
There’s also a nifty new feature that may even appeal to those who aren’t hearing impaired: custom vibration patterns. In the same way that you can assign a custom ringtone or other alert sound, you can now select a distinct pattern of vibrations. Apple provides a handful—the standard Alert, Heartbeat, Rapid, SOS, and Symphony (Beethoven’s Fifth, if you must know)—but you can also create your own in a nifty interface where you tap out the pattern and record it. You can also assign custom vibration patterns to individual contacts, so you’ll know when your significant other is calling without even taking your phone out of your pocket.
VIP Access: Users with motor impairments can take advantage of iOS's new AssistiveTouch technology to perform complex gestures and actions.
iOS 5 also includes accessibility features for a whole new class of users, those with motor impairment. The new AssistiveTouch feature adds a button that can be docked to one of the screen’s corners or along the sides (though not the bottom or top of the screen). Tapping this button summons an overlay menu that gives access to a variety of the device’s features, including a software Home button, screen rotation, screen locking, volume controls, muting, and device shaking. It also lets users simulate multitouch gestures with a single finger so, for example, you can mimic a two-finger tap, where necessary.
You can also record custom gestures and store them in a Favorites pane in case there are apps that require certain types of multitouch gesture. By default, the Favorites pane includes iOS’s pinch gesture, allowing disabled users to perform it with a single finger.
All in all, the improvements in iOS 5 help make Apple’s devices some of the most accessible to date. But it’s not without limitations. One major shortcoming is any sort of speech-to-text capability, a feature the company recently demonstrated running exclusively on its new iPhone 4S. Given the capability of third-party dictation apps like Dragon Dictation, it’s hard to imagine that the iPhone 4, at least, couldn’t handle systemwide speech-to-text functionality. Providing a system-level dictation feature to more than just users of the latest and greatest device would have been a great help for those users who have trouble typing on their current iOS devices.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Boogie Board Rip goes on pre-order, no more tearing through notepads
Boogie Board Rip goes on pre-order, no more tearing through notepads:
The Boogie Board Rip is now available to pre-order for all your digital sketching needs. The latest stylus-friendly writing tablet from Improv Electronics adds the ability to save notes and sketches, then port them across to your computer as PDFs. Its reflex LCD only uses power when it's wiping the screen, meaning it should squeeze out a week of typical use between charges. You can reserve yours now from the maker in the US and Canada, but at $130, it's pricier than previous storage-free Boogie Boards. Europeans longing for a digital sketch pad can lay a claim to one next week, with the scribbling slate set to ship on November 1st.
The Boogie Board Rip is now available to pre-order for all your digital sketching needs. The latest stylus-friendly writing tablet from Improv Electronics adds the ability to save notes and sketches, then port them across to your computer as PDFs. Its reflex LCD only uses power when it's wiping the screen, meaning it should squeeze out a week of typical use between charges. You can reserve yours now from the maker in the US and Canada, but at $130, it's pricier than previous storage-free Boogie Boards. Europeans longing for a digital sketch pad can lay a claim to one next week, with the scribbling slate set to ship on November 1st.
Continue reading Boogie Board Rip goes on pre-order, no more tearing through notepads
Boogie Board Rip goes on pre-order, no more tearing through notepads originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 20:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Cyberdyne HAL robotic arm hands-on (video)
Cyberdyne HAL robotic arm hands-on (video):
If the name Cyberdyne doesn't immediately ring a bell, its HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb) robotic suit sure will. Here at CEATEC, we bumped into these folks who kindly offered to strap us onto their latest prototype arm -- a slightly smaller variant of the one installed on Cyberdyne's current suit. Most of the HAL's main part was strapped to the outer side of our upper arm with velcro, while our wrist was tied to the much smaller extendable piece; both parts were hinged together with a power unit. Additionally, a sensory pad was applied onto our forearm's medial cutaneous nerve (around the elbow area) to pick up our muscular nerve signal -- similarly, Cyberdyne's lower-body exosuit requires two sensors on each leg.
Our HAL was energized as soon as we tensed our arm muscles, so lifting up the tray of four 1.5kg water bottles was a piece of cake consistently throughout the demo -- we even managed it with just our pinky (see video above)! And as soon as Cyberdyne's lovely assistant Fumi turned the dial down, our superhuman powers were instantly taken away. We weren't given any dates or specs for this piece of kit, but if all goes well, we may well see a brand new full-body suit at CES 2012 in January, so stay tuned. Oh, and can someone please get Cyberdyne some WD-40?
Zach Honig contributed to this report.
If the name Cyberdyne doesn't immediately ring a bell, its HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb) robotic suit sure will. Here at CEATEC, we bumped into these folks who kindly offered to strap us onto their latest prototype arm -- a slightly smaller variant of the one installed on Cyberdyne's current suit. Most of the HAL's main part was strapped to the outer side of our upper arm with velcro, while our wrist was tied to the much smaller extendable piece; both parts were hinged together with a power unit. Additionally, a sensory pad was applied onto our forearm's medial cutaneous nerve (around the elbow area) to pick up our muscular nerve signal -- similarly, Cyberdyne's lower-body exosuit requires two sensors on each leg.
Our HAL was energized as soon as we tensed our arm muscles, so lifting up the tray of four 1.5kg water bottles was a piece of cake consistently throughout the demo -- we even managed it with just our pinky (see video above)! And as soon as Cyberdyne's lovely assistant Fumi turned the dial down, our superhuman powers were instantly taken away. We weren't given any dates or specs for this piece of kit, but if all goes well, we may well see a brand new full-body suit at CES 2012 in January, so stay tuned. Oh, and can someone please get Cyberdyne some WD-40?
Zach Honig contributed to this report.
Cyberdyne HAL robotic arm hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 10:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Wacom intros new Bamboo line of tablets, carpal tunneled wrists tremble with excitement
Wacom intros new Bamboo line of tablets, carpal tunneled wrists tremble with excitement:
Members of the creative class, your input options have arrived. Wacom, maker of the tablet you've spent countless deadline-driven, bleary-eyed nights slaving over, has outed a trio of updates to its Bamboo line -- each targeted to a particular user profile. At the low-end of this newly introduced range, home office / business users can opt-in for the company's pen-only Bamboo Connect, which'll set you back about $80 for the base goods. But the real enhancements to a graphic designer's best friend comes via the wireless-capable (courtesy of a separate $40 RF dongle) Capture and Create models -- available for $100 and $200, respectively -- that add multi-touch functionality for "gesture-based input such as scrolling [and] zooming." While the latter entry is essentially a luxe, double-sized (and double-priced) version of the Capture, all of the tabs come bundled with a specific suite of PC and Mac-friendly software, and a pressure-sensitive, eraser-tipped pen. You can snag these latest Wacom family members right now, or if your wallet needs more convincing, feel free to peruse the PR after the break.
Members of the creative class, your input options have arrived. Wacom, maker of the tablet you've spent countless deadline-driven, bleary-eyed nights slaving over, has outed a trio of updates to its Bamboo line -- each targeted to a particular user profile. At the low-end of this newly introduced range, home office / business users can opt-in for the company's pen-only Bamboo Connect, which'll set you back about $80 for the base goods. But the real enhancements to a graphic designer's best friend comes via the wireless-capable (courtesy of a separate $40 RF dongle) Capture and Create models -- available for $100 and $200, respectively -- that add multi-touch functionality for "gesture-based input such as scrolling [and] zooming." While the latter entry is essentially a luxe, double-sized (and double-priced) version of the Capture, all of the tabs come bundled with a specific suite of PC and Mac-friendly software, and a pressure-sensitive, eraser-tipped pen. You can snag these latest Wacom family members right now, or if your wallet needs more convincing, feel free to peruse the PR after the break.
Wacom intros new Bamboo line of tablets, carpal tunneled wrists tremble with excitement originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 17:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Penclic Mouse pointing device set to roll out in US and Canada
Penclic Mouse pointing device set to roll out in US and Canada:
The Swedish-designed Penclic Mouse has already been making the rounds in Europe for a little while, but it looks like it's now finally ready to make the jump to North America. While there's still no firm word on pricing or availability, Prestige International has confirmed that it will be bringing the device to both the US and Canada, where it will be available at Best Buy, Walmart and other major retailers. As you can probably surmise, the device itself is quite literally a combination pen / mouse (the two pieces remain attached), which the company says provides a "relaxed working position and advanced precision." As in Europe, the device will be available in both wired and wireless versions, and it's Mac and PC compatible. Check out the gallery below for a closer look.
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The Swedish-designed Penclic Mouse has already been making the rounds in Europe for a little while, but it looks like it's now finally ready to make the jump to North America. While there's still no firm word on pricing or availability, Prestige International has confirmed that it will be bringing the device to both the US and Canada, where it will be available at Best Buy, Walmart and other major retailers. As you can probably surmise, the device itself is quite literally a combination pen / mouse (the two pieces remain attached), which the company says provides a "relaxed working position and advanced precision." As in Europe, the device will be available in both wired and wireless versions, and it's Mac and PC compatible. Check out the gallery below for a closer look.
Continue reading Penclic Mouse pointing device set to roll out in US and Canada
Penclic Mouse pointing device set to roll out in US and Canada originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 18:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Amazon reveals $79 Kindle, ships today!
Amazon reveals $79 Kindle, ships today!:
As if a $199 Kindle Fire wasn't enough, Amazon's also launching a Kindle e-reader that'll dip below triple-digits for the first time. You heard right -- a $79 Kindle. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, the company's Kindle line will "start" at the aforesaid price as of today, a marked decrease from the $114 being charged for its lowest end unit earlier in the week. If anything, that's a huge blow for Barnes & Noble, and we're surmising that a reactionary drop will be coming soon in the Nook family if it hopes to keep pace. We've also learned that this guy has ads built right in -- not a shocker given the price, but notable for those who aren't keen on buying a device that continually serves up commercials to justify the lower up-front tally.
Keep up with the unveiling at our liveblog of the Amazon event.
Update: We've added the first commercial video after the break.Bloomberg Businessweek | Email this | Comments
As if a $199 Kindle Fire wasn't enough, Amazon's also launching a Kindle e-reader that'll dip below triple-digits for the first time. You heard right -- a $79 Kindle. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, the company's Kindle line will "start" at the aforesaid price as of today, a marked decrease from the $114 being charged for its lowest end unit earlier in the week. If anything, that's a huge blow for Barnes & Noble, and we're surmising that a reactionary drop will be coming soon in the Nook family if it hopes to keep pace. We've also learned that this guy has ads built right in -- not a shocker given the price, but notable for those who aren't keen on buying a device that continually serves up commercials to justify the lower up-front tally.
Keep up with the unveiling at our liveblog of the Amazon event.
Update: We've added the first commercial video after the break.
Continue reading Amazon reveals $79 Kindle, ships today!
Amazon reveals $79 Kindle, ships today! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 10:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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