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-…
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…
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:
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,…
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…
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.
Since the moment Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the larger iPhone 6 Plus last week, I knew I was interested. (I knew I was interested when it was just in the rumor stage, but the phone only became "Official" last week.) But how big would the iPhone 6 Plus really be? Was it seriously as large as I imagined? Could I…
After much anticipation, the KNFBReader app for iOS finally landed in the iTunes App Store today.
Having been the subject of much speculation, blind users will now finally have the opportunity to see if is has been worth both the wait and its $99 asking price.
From looking at the feature list, it is already quite clear that …
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.
Please keep…
It's fall, which means it's time for another iOS update to fall on to your iDevices. That is, if you are using an iPhone 4S or later, iPad 2 or later, or iPod Touch fifth generation or later. This year, Apple introduces a lot of new mainstream features such as the ability to share purchased items with family members on joint accounts with the iTunes and App Store, the further harmonization of iOS and OS X, interactive notifications, wifi calling - just to name a few.…
***Update 17 November 2014: More of these bugs have been fixed in iOS 8.1.1. See our post for more details: Apple Releases iOS 8.1.1 with Fixes for Blind and Low Vision Users***
***Update 20 October 2014: A number of these bugs have been fixed in iOS 8.1. See our post for more details:…
With the public release of iOS 8 now just two days away, we wanted to let you all know that we have lots of information and resources ready to share with you as soon as Apple makes its new version of iOS available for download.
This will include a number of Blog posts and Guides with information on what you will find in iOS 8, along with podcast demonstrations of some new and changed features.
Some of our Editorial Team have been involved in beta testing of iOS 8, so have been…
The big announcements from Apple today gave us what rumors had suggested: the iPhone 6, available in two screen sizes, an Apple Watch, and apple Pay, a way to pay for things using just your iPhone or Apple Watch.
This blog will highlight the major features of Apple's new devices and services, and offer my thoughts on how they might be useful to the blind and visually impaired community. Spoiler alert: holy Apples, will they be useful! You might also enjoy…
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 August 2014 are as follows:
New Release (now updated to Version…
K-NFB Reading Technology, Inc. has today announced that the KNFBReader iPhone app will be launched concurrently with Apple’s iOS 8 in September.
The app, which will allow blind or print-disabled users to quickly and independently scan and read a variety of documents on their iPhone 5 or later, was originally expected to be released by the end of August 2014. According to a media release distributed to AppleVis, the plan to coordinate release of the KNFBReader iPhone app with Apple’s…
We are pleased to announce the results of the public vote for the August 2014 inductee into the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame.
The AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame is one of the ways in which the AppleVis community seeks to recognize the hard work that developers put into making great applications that are fully accessible to blind and low-vision users. These apps can be liberating; empowering; life-changing; provide…
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 July 2014 are as follows:
New…
It is time for the AppleVis community to choose the next inductee into the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame.
The iOS App Hall of Fame first opened in 2011, and is the AppleVis community’s way to recognize the hard work and dedication that developers put in to making great and accessible iOS apps. These apps can be liberating; empowering; life-changing; provide access to information that sighted users take for…