It feels like losing an old friend. Or perhaps losing one's love of life. But American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language was my friend in the world of iOS apps and my love in the world of dictionaries. So going to bed one night with an awesome dictionary which ticks all check boxes in terms of accessibility and getting up the next morning, hearing about the app's takeover by a new developer, re-paying for and downloading it, and finding it an absolute mess in terms of accessibility is nothing but a huge blow to one's morale. And the story doesn't even end there...
iOS
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Today, Apple began selling the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in stores around the world. And, unlike past iPhone releases, consumers now have two devices from which to choose.
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As much as we all love the level of accessibility that is available 'out of the box' with an iDevice, we probably all feel a sense of apprehension when a new update to iOS is released. We click the 'Update' button, silently hoping that accessibility problems from the previous version will have been fixed and that no major new problems will be introduced.
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Introduction
There has been quite a bit of discussion and debate of late around the merits of iOS and Android, and this has coincided with my own journey into using Android. In February this year, after thirteen years using iPhones, I bought a Samsung Galaxy S23. I had long been curious about Android and had dabbled with it over the years, primarily as my work phone. I had never really picked it up and used it as my primary day to day phone though, at least not since I spent a month with a Nexus 4 way back in 2016. This time, I genuinely planned to give it a real go.
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Introduction
In iOS 8, Apple introduced a great new feature: the ability for VoiceOver to announce streets and points of interest (POIs) as you walk. To enable this, open the Maps app, and double tap the "tracking" button (lower left of the screen) until you hear "on with heading". So long as your iPhone or cellular-capable iPad is unlocked and the Maps app is open to that initial map view you begin with, you will hear announcements as you walk or drive around.
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A lot of us Blind folks are interested in radio. Some of the lucky ones are probably doing an air shift in a commercial station as I write this. :) The rest of us, may be doing that one of these days, but for the time being, we get our thrill by broadcasting on the internet.
Today, when we think of hosting a show, we think of needing a desktop, or laptop computer.
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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.
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Apple will publicly release iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 on Monday, September 18, 2023. This post contains a summary of new bugs impacting VoiceOver, Braille support, and low vision features that we have identified during testing of these upcoming releases. We have also included details on previously reported bugs that appear to be fixed in iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 based on our testing.
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Apple has today released iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, introducing new communication features in Phone, Messages, and FaceTime for greater self-expression, while StandBy offers a full-screen Charging view and AirDrop improves contact sharing. The updates also enhance text input, Widgets, Safari, Music, AirPlay and more.
For users of accessibility features, iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 introduce several noteworthy new features and enhancements. The most significant of these updates are:
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Apple has today released iOS 17.3 and iPadOS 17.3 to the public.
The iOS 17.3 release notes simply state that “this update introduces additional security measures with Stolen Device Protection. This release also includes a new Unity wallpaper to honor Black history and culture in celebration of Black History Month, as well as other features, bug fixes, and security updates for your iPhone.”
Stolen Device Protection adds an additional layer of security in the event someone has stolen your iPhone and also obtained the device's passcode.
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Apple released iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 on Monday, September 16, 2024. This post contains a summary of new bugs impacting VoiceOver and braille support that we have identified during testing of these releases. We have also included details on preexisting bugs that our testing suggests have been fixed in iOS 18 and iPadOS 18.
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Rumours about the impending launch of the iPad 2 and the release of iOS 4.3 appear to be converging.
There now appears to be a growing consensus that Apple will launch the iPad 2 on the 13th of February with iOS 4.3 coming one day later.
Macstories quotes a reliable source to support the above statement, adding that iOS 4.3 will be live by 1000 PST. iOS 4.3 will bring improved support for AirPlay, clean up the existing code and introduce iTunes app subscriptions that will support The Daily and other third party APIs.
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Apple have released to developers the second beta of iOS 4.3, as well as a new pre-release copy of Apple TV software designed to support the mobile operating system's new AirPlay feature for third-party programmers.
The first beta of iOS 4.3 introduced a personal hotspot control panel, new multitouch gestures for the iPad, and updated SMS alert settings. Resource files accompanying the release also provided hints at a handful of new iPad and iPhone models, as well as a potential "Find My Friends" social networking feature.
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Apple has seeded the first beta version of iOS 4.3 to developers.
The iOS 4.3 beta is available in versions for iPad, iPhone 4 and 3GS, and third and fourth generation iPod touch, as well as a separate download for the new Apple TV. Consequently, there is some speculation that Apple will no longer be supporting the iPhone 3G and second generation iPod touch with operating system updates. As VoiceOver has never been supported by these older devices, this development (if true) should have no impact on users of the AppleVis website.
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iOS 6 announcements
note: I did miss a few things because the audio was a bit difficult, so anyone who has the remaining info is welcome to post it.
Siri can now launch apps.
Also, more support for other languages and countries.
There are also more local search type options, including those outside the US.
Facebook integration.
Facebook and Twitter are now options in the Notification Center, and App Store gets Facebook integration so you can tell apps that your friends like.
Also, do not disturb mode, which allows you to make the phone go completely silent for a given period of time you spe
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We know some of you have been waiting for quite some time for iOS 6.1 to arrive in your hands. That day has finally arrived!
As with any iOS release, we just can't wait to see what new things it has to offer, but mostly to see what has been fixed! As with any release it may not always fix everything you wish it would do and sometimes create new things that weren't expected!
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The purpose of this post is to try and answer some of the questions that VoiceOver users may have before or after they update to iOS 7.
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Intro
AppleVis already has posts on iOS9: we've seen an overview of the new accessibility features, a podcast covering all that iOS9 brings to the table, a list of bugs in iOS9.0, and more.
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Apple has received much praise since accessibility became an integral element of iOS. Much has certainly been said and written on how this has been a life-changer for so many people, and that it has opened up a world of possibilities.
These are sentiments that it's hard to disagree with.