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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.

New and Noteworthy App Entries

AMI-tv (iOS, Free)

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:

• VoiceOver once again speaks characters as you type in the Safari address bar.

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 all…

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 is…

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.

Accessibility Improvements in iOS 11.3

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 ‘Lets take a Field Trip’ 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 iPad,…

This morning Unicode posted a proposal from Apple recommending the addition of 13 disability-themed emoji to Unicode’s 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 have…

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 making…

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.

New and Noteworthy App Entries

Accessible flash cards…

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 “Specialized Help”.

In its announcement of this new…

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-party…

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 Valentine’s Day and I thought that I would share my first impressions of Apple’s latest gadget.

Product Description

The HomePod is Apple’s smart speaker which, according to Apple, takes the listening experience to a whole new level. It comes equipped with Apple’s virtual…

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 my…

"VoiceOver is On." Accessing Life with Adaptive Technology.

A Picky Old-School Techie.

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 a…

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.

New and Noteworthy App Entries

Geekbench 4 (iOS, US$0…

Introduction

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 own…

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 major…

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

• Setup and automatically transfer your Apple ID, Apple Music, Siri and Wi-Fi settings to HomePod.

Siri News

• Siri can now read the news, just ask, "Hey Siri, play the news". You can also ask for…

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 and…

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 appear…

What does it mean to make a truly accessible app? How can you go beyond meeting minimum accessibility standards and make something that VoiceOver users will find intuitive and enjoy using? In this post, I want to try to answer those questions from a user's perspective. I will not be covering the code you should use; instead, I am trying to describe what makes an app easy to use for me, as a VoiceOver user, and I encourage members of the community to add their own views in the comments.…