In a very interesting development for the blind and low vision community, the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) has announced that Sarah Herrlinger, Apple's Director Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives, has been elected to the AFB's National Board.
In the AFB's press release, Kirk Adams, AFB President and CEO, isā¦
Welcome to the March 2018 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 macOS High Sierra 10.13.4, bringing new features and bug fixes.
Our testing of macOS 10.13.4 suggests that there is at least one fix for VoiceOver users in this release:
We are currently unaware of any other accessibility-related changes, regressions or improvements in macOS 10.13.4. However, as we always stress, it is impossible for us to test allā¦
Along with the release of iOS 11.3, today has also seen the releases of watchOS 4.3, tvOS 11.3 and the first software update for HomePod.
According to MacRumors, the watchOS 4.3 release:
... introduces support for Nightstand mode when the Apple Watch isā¦
Apple has today released iOS 11.3 to the public. In addition to some new features and enhancements, this release also brings a number of improvements for blind and low vision users.
In iOS 11.3, Apple has made continued progress towards addressing the accessibility bugs in iOS 11. Based on our testing, we believe the following issues have been resolved in iOS 11.3:
Apple today held an education-focused āLets take a Field Tripā event in Chicago, during which it announced a new iPad and a range of new and updated tools for schools, teachers and students.
The main feature of the new 9.7-inch iPad is the fact that it's compatible with Apple Pencil, something that's previously only been available on the iPad Pro range, and is intended to enable students to ditch their notepad in favor of an iPad.
In an early hands-on review of the new iPadā¦
This morning Unicode posted a proposal from Apple recommending the addition of 13 disability-themed emoji to Unicodeās global character standard. New emoji proposed include a guide dog, woman with white cane, man with white cane and ear with hearing aid.
The proposed emojis broadly cover four main categories - Blind and Low Vision, Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Physical Motor, and Hidden Disabilities - and haveā¦
Apple's commitment to accessibility has made life easier for large numbers of visually impaired and other disabled people. Gone are the days of buying a Nokia phone and having to send it away and wait weeks for Talks to be installed. We have devices that we can use immediately after buying, without installing an expensive screen reader. Our devices include accessibility settings to accommodate several different disabilities. Many app developers have admirably taken on the challenge of makingā¦
Welcome to the February 2018 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.
Be My Eyes, the popular iOS and Android app that connects blind and low vision users with sighted volunteers for assistance via live video chat, has today launched an exciting new feature for users needing specialized or technical help.
Following today's update to the Be My Eyes app, users will find a new menu option on the app's main screen titled āSpecialized Helpā.
In its announcement of this newā¦
Apple has today released software updates for iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS.
According to Apple's release notes via Mac Rumors, iOS 11.2.6 includes the following bug fixes:
iOS 11.2.6 includes bug fixes for your iPhone or iPad. This update:
Fixes an issue where using certain character sequences could cause apps to crash
Fixes an issue where some third-partyā¦
On February 9, 2018, Apple finally released the highly anticipated HomePod to the general public. I was lucky enough to receive one as a gift from Cupid for Valentineās Day and I thought that I would share my first impressions of Appleās latest gadget.
The HomePod is Appleās smart speaker which, according to Apple, takes the listening experience to a whole new level. It comes equipped with Appleās virtualā¦
Without a doubt, one of the biggest areas of growth in technology currently is in home automation, or smart home technology. Over the recent Christmas holiday I decided to take my own first tentative steps into this world.
Up to this point, to some extent, I have been skeptical about smart home technology, asking myself for example "Isn't it actually easier to flip a light-switch on the wall as I enter the room than to invoke a smart assistant such as Siri, or to take myā¦
Many options available on Mac and iOS can be processor intensive causing not only battery drain, but slowing down VoiceOver's response time over all. Choosing the ones that are best suited for my needs and turning off the ones that are not, can help. It can save battery life and give my device less to do, allowing it to pay quicker attention to me. :-)
Okay I admit it, I am aā¦
Welcome to the January 2018 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's iOS operating system doesn't suffer from a paucity of ebook readers. In fact, the situation is so exemplary that one might ask for advice when it comes to selecting between the $14.99 Voice Dream Reader and the free but feature-rich Dolphin EasyReader. And I haven't yet mentioned Apple's very ownā¦
Along with the release of iOS 11.2.5, today has also seen the releases of macOS High Sierra 10.13.3, watchOS 4.2.2 and tvOS 11.2.5.
According to MacRumors, today's macOS release focuses on security and under the hood improvements:
No majorā¦
Apple has today released iOS 11.2.5 to the public.
According to Apple's release notes, via MacRumors, this update includes the following changes.
HomePod support
Siri News
Apple has today announced that its HomePod speaker will Launch in the United States, UK and Australia on February 9, with orders beginning Friday, January 26 via Apple's online store or the Apple Store app.
HomePod will also be available from select resellers in each country, such as Best Buy in the United States, John Lewis and Argos in the UK, and Harvey Norman andā¦
Apple has today released iOS 11.2.2 and macOS 10.13.2 Supplemental Update, bringing a software fix for the 'Spectre' vulnerability reported last week.
According to Mac Rumors, both iOS 11.2.2 and macOS 10.13.2 Supplemental Update contain software fixes for the 'Spectre' vulnerability.
As iOS 11.2.2 and macOS 10.13.2 Supplemental Update appearā¦