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Apple To Preview Updated OS X and iOS at WWDC Likely With New Accessibility Features

Posted by Unknown Wednesday, April 24, 2013 0 comments

Today Apple announced that they will hold their annual WWDC (World Wide Developer Conference) on June 10th at the Moscone West in San Francisco. WWDC 2013 is expected to showcase iOS 7 and OS X 10.9. iOS is Apple's operating system for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch and OS X is Apple's operating system for Mac computers. This year's WWDC keynote will give users a preview of the new features coming to their Apple devices in the coming months.

Last year at WWDC Apple previewed iOS 6 with new accessibility features including Guided Access, Speak Selection with highlighting, Assistive Touch improvements, and much more. Apple devoted a portion of their WWDC 2012 keynote to iOS accessibility. These features were added to the already robust accessibility features for iOS. If Apple sticks to the pattern as they have in years past iOS 7 will also include new and improved accessibility features. OS X 10.9 is rumored to include Siri integration among other features. WWDC will follow Google I/O by a little more than a month.

To learn more about iOS 6 and OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion.

Apple To Hold Special Event on September 12

Posted by Unknown Tuesday, September 4, 2012 0 comments

Number 12 casting a shadow of the number 5

Apple announced today that it will be holding a special event on September 12. Apple is rumored to announce a new iPhone, iOS 6 release data and possibly more. iOS 6 will include many accessibility enhancements including Guided Access. The new iPhone may include a better camera, faster processor and larger screen.

Come back on September 12 to hear all the new from Apple and how it effects the world of assistive technology.

Create iOS Keyboard Shortcuts

Posted by Unknown Saturday, August 25, 2012 0 comments

Keyboard shortcuts are a tool for improving typing speed on your iOS device. To create a keyboard shortcut go to Setting > General > Keyboard > Shortcuts. To add a new short cut click the plus button in the top right. You can create a short cut to write "see you" when you type the letters "cu." You could also create a short cut for your email so you can enter your email quickly with just a few key strokes. Watch the above video to learn more.

iOS 6, iPhone 5 and iPad Mini Expected In Coming Weeks

Posted by Unknown Thursday, August 23, 2012 0 comments

Apple is widely rumored to be preparing to release a new iPhone, an all new smaller iPad Mini and iOS 6 with numerous accessibility improvements.

iOS 6: iOS 6 has been previewed by Apple at WWDC and will be released this fall. iOS 6 includes over 200 new features including new accessibility features such as Guided Access and word highlights with speak selection. iOS is the operating system that runs on the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Guided Access will allow teachers and parents to lock the child into a single app and control what features of the app the child could use.

iPhone 5: Unlike iOS 6 the iPhone 5 has not been confirmed by Apple. But according to leaks and past history it is likely that the iPhone will be coming out it mid September. The iPhone 5 is likely to have a larger screen, a better camera and a faster processor.

iPad Mini: Like the iPhone 5 the iPad Mini has not be confirmed by Apple. The iPad Mini is rumored to have smaller screen than the current iPad. The smaller size will allow Apple to lower the price compared to the iPad. If the rumors are correct the iPad Mini will be perfect for schools.

Watch Apple Announce iOS 6 Accessibility Features at WWDC

Posted by Unknown Friday, June 15, 2012 0 comments

Watch the video above to learn more about the new accessibility features coming to iOS 6. The video will automatically start playing at the point were Guided Access is being announced. Click here to learn more about iOS 6 accessibility.

Reminder: WWDC Kicks Off Monday, June 11

Posted by Unknown Monday, June 4, 2012 0 comments

On Monday, June 11 Apple will kick off its WWDC conference with a Keynote at 10 A.M. Pacific. Apple is rumored to cover OS X Mountain Lion, iOS 6 and possibly Siri for iPad and new Mac computers. Nothing is official until word comes directly from Apple. Last year at WWDC Apple unveiled iOS 5 with many new accessibility features including Speak Selection and Assistive Touch. Stay tuned to the Assistive Technology Blog to hear all about the announcement and how it affects people with disabilities. Let us know in the comments what features or products you would like to see announced.

Click read more below to view more images.

Apple to Introduce New Software with Accessibility Features Built-In

Posted by Unknown Friday, May 4, 2012 0 comments

WWDC 2012 June 11-15 in San Francisco. It's the week we've all be waiting for.

Apple recently announced that they will hold their World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC). At the conference apple is expected to announce iOS 6 the operating system for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Last year at WWDC Apple announced iOS 5 which included features such as AssistiveTouch, reader, speak selection, custom vibrations, reminders, Siri and more. If Apple continues its habit of making its mobile devices accessible to a wide variety of users, iOS 6 should have a lot in store.

What accessibility features are you hoping for in iOS 6? Let us know in the comments.

WWDC 2012 Badge with iCal icon on the date Monday June 11th

Print From an iOS Device to Any Printer with the xPrintServer

Posted by Unknown Saturday, April 21, 2012 0 comments

iPads, iPhones and iPod Touch are great for many tasks. One downside is that it is difficult to print documents, pictures, spreadsheets, emails and notes. One solution is the xPrintServer from Lantonix. The xPrintServer allows you to print to up to ten network printers. Just plug in the xPrintServer and you are ready to go. It allows you to print directly from apps to non-AirPrint compatible printers. The xPrintServer is perfect for schools and bussnisses that need to print from iPads or iPhones. The xPrintServer cost $149.99. Click here to learn more.

Smart eBook Interface Makes Navigation a Breeze

Posted by Unknown Friday, April 13, 2012 0 comments

A new concept eBook reader app improves navigation of eBooks on tablets. The app makes eBook navigation more like the navigation of a printed book. This concept is best for sighted users and may not work as well for the blind and people with physical disabilities. The concept app allows the user to flip through multiple pages quickly, find pages more quickly and more. Currently this is only a concept but may soon be coming to the App Store. While iBooks has an easy to use interface, this new concept seems to take it a step further. Click here to learn more about Smart E-Book Interface. Click "read more below" to see more images of the app in action.

Ask Siri How to Spell Unfamiliar Words

Posted by Unknown Thursday, January 26, 2012 0 comments

Siri is a new feature available on the iPhone 4S. I find myself asking others how to spell unfamiliar often. When no one is around I have to find a different word to use. If you are like me Siri can be very helpful. Simply ask Siri "how do you spell..." and Siri will give you the correct spelling in seconds. Siri has many other useful functions such as defining words. To learn more about the iPhone 4S and its accessibility features click here.

Looktel Money Reader App Updated (Giveaway)

Posted by Unknown Tuesday, October 11, 2011 0 comments

Today the Looktel Money Reader was updated to version 2.1. The new update includes bug fixes and makes the app available in Europe. Version 2.0 added support for the Euro, Pound, Australian dollar and Canadian dollar. The Looktel Money Reader can recognize any supported bill when it is in front of the camera The Money Reader will audibly say the denomination of the bill. The Looktel Money Reader is available in the App Store for $9.99. Click here to download the Looktel Money Reader. The Money Reader is can help visually impaired people quick identify the denomination of money anywhere. To learn more about the inaccessibility of paper money click here. To learn more about the Looktel Money Reader click here.

Giveaway

The makers of Looktel provide promotional codes to use as give aways on this blog. Sometime in the next 48 hours one promotional code will be posted on the Assistive Technology Blog. The first reader to redeem the code wins the app. Once one person uses the code it will no longer work. If you do not win the app is availabe by purchase. You can find it by clicking here.

What does iPhone 5 and iOS 5 Mean for Assistive Technology?

Posted by Unknown Saturday, September 24, 2011 0 comments

Mock up of possible iPhone 5 design

Apple's next iPhone is rumored to be announced in a couple of weeks. What will the new iPhone mean for assistive technology? The iPhone is a powerful tool for people with a variety of disabilities. It has built in text-to-speech, support for braille displays and much more. How will Apple's announcement effect you? Read on to find out.

At the event Apple will most likely unveil at least one iPhone with a faster processor, more RAM and a better camera. Apple may surprise us with more features as well, but we'll focus on those three. A faster processor means that apps will run faster enabling apps such as Read2Go and ZoomReader to work better and faster. The faster processor will also open the door to exiciting new assistive technology apps. A better camera will benefit people using OCR apps, magnification apps, money reader apps and much more. The new camera will be able to recognize text more accurately and magnify printed text with higher resolution. The new iPhone will run iOS 5 which includes many new accessibility features.

iOS is the most accessible mobile operating system to date and with iOS 5 it will get even better. iOS 5 will run on the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Apple has said that iOS 5 will available in the fall. iOS 5 will include many new accessibility features to help make the device easier to use. Hearing aid compatibility will be built into the iPhone allowing people to hear the iPhone better. Another new feature allows users to select text and then have it read back to you using a built in text-to-speech voice. Another rumored feature will convert a users voice into text for easier text input. iOS 5 will also be able to use the iPhone flash as an indicator light which will be helpful to deaf users. Custom vibrations will allow users to set their own vibration patterns to quick identify who is calling. Yet another cool feature called assistive touch will help users with low motor still access their iOS device. To learn more about assistive touch click here. There are even more accessibility features coming in iOS 5. iOS 5 will include a feature for every type of user and will be a free upgrade. To learn more about iOS click here, here and here.

Apple's announcement will be many new exciting bring new assitive technology features to users. Click read more below to see a video about iOS 5. Stay tuned for more information about iOS 5 and the new iPhone.

For a captioned version of this video click here.