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Update 13 January: 9To5Mac reports that some users - presumably those with an excessive number of refunds on file with Apple - are now receiving a notification when they attempt to make purchases. They are being prompted to agree with the dialog before they can proceed with the purchase. By doing so, they…

We are pleased to announce the results of the third annual AppleVis Golden Apple Awards.

The AppleVis Golden Apple Awards were launched in 2012 as a way for the community to recognize the best apps, products, and developers of a given year.

To be shortlisted for the Golden Apple Awards, apps must be completely accessible to blind and low vision users; they must be exceptionally good at their intended purpose; and they must have a developer who has continually demonstrated a…

We are pleased and excited to announce that voting for the AppleVis Golden Apple Awards of 2014 is now open.

This is our community’s opportunity to acknowledge the tremendous work by developers over the past 12 months in creating great and accessible iOS and OS X applications.

The shortlist for each Award has been compiled from the nominations that were submitted by members of our community.

Voting will close at 23:59 PDT on 24 December 2014. You are not required to…

Apple today released iOS 8.1.2 as an over-the-air software update.

This update reportedly includes a number of bug fixes, including a fix for a problem regarding ringtones purchased through the iTunes Store. Apple advises users who have lost ringtones to restore them by visiting https://itunes.com/restore-tones from their iOS devices.

iOS 8.1.2 was not seeded to developers before being released to the public, so we do not know at…

At the end of each month, members of the AppleVis Editorial Team review all of the apps that have been posted to the site during that month--either for the first time, or where there has been a significant update--and decide which of these they think is the most noteworthy.

The AppleVis Editorial Team app picks of the month for November 2014 are as follows:

1. Dropbox

Updated to version 3.5.2 (now at version 3.6); November, 2014.

"Dropbox lets you bring all…

Intro

As most of you know by now, iOS8 brought with it a huge feature: the ability to type in braille anywhere you can type on an on-screen keyboard. From your passcode, to passwords, to emails, to Spotlight searches, and everywhere else, a single twist of the rotor is all it takes to start typing braille. You can even use it on your Home Screen, to locate and open any app…

In her latest song, "Shake it Off," the country/pop artist Taylor Swift wrote, "...the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate." While I am sure that Ms. Swift was not referring to some peoples’ recent comments about Apple's commitment to accessibility when she wrote the song, the basic idea behind that particular phrase still applies.

When Apple’s iOS 8 operating system was released in September, it included…

Apple has today released OS X Yosemite 10.10.1, bringing with it a series of bug fixes and improvements—including a fix for WiFi reliability issues.

According to the OS X 10.10.1 release notes, via 9 to 5 Mac, this first Yosemite update includes the following changes:

"The OS X Yosemite v10.10.1 Update improves the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac…

iOS 8.1.1 is now available for download, and - just as with iOS 8.1 - it includes a number of bug fixes for blind and low vision users.

Here are the changes that we have found in our initial testing. Please do let us know in the comments of any further fixes or new bugs that you find in this release.

1. The screen now correctly scrolls to follow the movement of VoiceOver focus. This has been a significant problem since the initial release of iOS 8, and means that VoiceOver…

I got my iPhone 5 in December of 2012, almost two years ago as of the time of this writing. Last year, the iPhone 5S came out, and it was really cool, but not worth paying an early upgrade fee on top of the price of the phone. Now, the iPhone 6/6 Plus is out, and way cooler than the 5S, and my upgrade is coming due… But I'm not making the switch. Why, you ask? Good question!

The iPhone 6 (and 6 Plus, but you know what I mean) offers a lot over the 5, from a larger screen, to the…

At the end of each month, members of the AppleVis Editorial Team take a look at all the apps that have been posted to the site during that month--either for the first time, or where there has been a significant update--and decide which of these they think is the most noteworthy.

The AppleVis Editorial Team app picks of the month for October 2014 are as follows:

1. KNFBReader

Updated to version 1.…

Dear Apple:

For years, I have used your products. I took the path that many people take: an iPod Touch, which slowly drew me into the joy of a simple, powerful, and overall great operating system; to a Mac, which slowly replaced my Windows computer thanks to OS X's lack of crashes and errors, syncing with iOS apps, ease of downloading apps from the App Store, and other features; to the iPhone, because it's a more powerful iPod that can get online anywhere and make phone calls, so…

Apple Releases iOS 8.1 With a Number Of Fixes And Improvements For Blind And Low Vision Users

Following a short beta testing period, Apple today released iOS 8.1 to the public - the first major update to iOS 8 since its release last month. Along with the introduction of a number of new features, iOS 8.1 appears to include a number of accessibility-…

Intro

Today (October 16, 2014) was Apple's third major announcement of the year, after WWDC in June and the iPhone/Apple Watch event last month. This time, the focus was on the Mac and the iPad, with some exciting new products announced, not to mention the release for the long-awaited OS X 10.10 Yosemite, iWork updates for the Mac, and the scheduled release of iOS8.1 on Monday, October 20.

If you'd rather watch the video, you can now do so. Here's Apple's…

10.10.2 Update

The latest update to Yosemite, 10.10.2, is now live. It claims to fix wifi bugs and other assorted problems, including VoiceOver. With the exception of the two bugs encountered when typing in edit fields on webpages and the inability to play audio iMessages, I have to say that I've found nothing new or fixed in terms of VoiceOver, as much as I hate to write that. See the list of bugs at the bottom of this post. There is a note next to some of…

Barely a month after announcing new iPhones, Apple Pay and the Apple Watch, Apple CEO Tim Cook will be back on stage tomorrow to announce more new products … just in time to grab a share of your money this Holiday season.

However, unlike the September event, this will be much more low-key. To be staged on Apple’s Cupertino campus and with a much shorter…

At the end of each month, members of the AppleVis Editorial Team take a look at all the apps that have been posted to the site during that month-either for the first time, or where there has been a significant update-and decide which of these they think is the most noteworthy.

The AppleVis Editorial Team app picks of the month for September 2014 are as follows:

1.…

Update, 9/27/2014: Some users are reporting some accessibility improvements in iOS 8.0.2. Check out the comments section for all the details!

Apple has just released iOS 8.0.2, an update which brings several bug fixes and feature improvements. iOS 8.0.2 comes on the heels of iOS 8.0.1, an update which broke cellular service and Touch ID for some…

Update 2: Apple has just pulled the iOS 8.0.1 update, and it is no longer available for download. (Via Mac Rumors.

Update 1: It appears that the loss-of-cellular-service and Touch ID issues with iOS 8.0.1 are limited to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, according to Mac Rumors.

Just over a week after releasing iOS 8,…

Intro

The iPhone6 is Apple's first foray into the arena of larger phones. It has a 4.7-inch (measured diagonally) screen, compared to the four-inch screen on the iPhone 5, 5C, and 5S, and the 3.5-inch screen on the iPhone 4 and 4S.

I am still using my iPhone5 for now, but I did get a chance to feel a 6 (not the Plus) when my mother's came in the mail today. In case anyone is unable to get to a store to examine the new phones, I thought I'd provide my best attempt at a…