All Cool Blind Tech Shows

In this podcast, Justin proceeds to do a general overview of the Apple Watch including design, VoiceOver jesters that are new to it, and some of his favourite features. The Apple Watch was released to the public on April 24 and is available for order on Apple's online store, along with accessories and more. It includes the popular VoiceOver screen reader that is found on all of Apple's newer devices, as well as accessibility features for people with hearing impairments and low vision.

In this episode Quentin gives a demonstration of the currant version of Microsoft’s Windows 10. He looks at the differences in TTS and other features in Windows 10 as compared to previous versions of Windows. It is advised when installation of any beta or technical preview software be installed on a secondary testing device as it may result in corruption or loss of data.

In this podcast Leonid demonstrates a simple way to flash a stock Android rom on to a Google Nexus device. The factory images can be downloaded here. The following tools were used to flash the image: Download the 7-zip utility to extract the compressed image here. The ADB and Fastboot tools are used to flash the image on the Nexus device. Download the Minimal ADB and Fastboot installer here. Please be sure to back up any important data before proceeding!

Brandon Cross gives a short introduction to Podcast Addict which is a podcast aggregator app for the Android operating system. He gives a brief overview of how easy it is to add a podcast via search engine. If you enjoyed this podcast and think this app might be something you will like, you can download it from the Google PlayStore. More from developer With Podcast Addict, manage all your audio & video Podcasts as well as your YouTube channels and RSS News feeds from your Android device. Subscribe to your favorite podcasts using the embedded networks (5by5, ABC, AfterBuzz TV, BBC, CNN, Carolla Digital, ESPN, FrogPants, LibriVox, Nerdist, NPR, Revision3, Smodcast, Ted Talks, Twit and Cool Blind Tech…). You can also import your podcasts subscriptions from an iTunes or Google Reader OPML file, or use the embedded search engine to browse Podcasts Addict (200K podcasts) or iTunes databases (250K podcasts). Finally you can also copy and paste your podcasts RSS feeds in order to subscribe. The app displays a small ad banner at the bottom of the screen. If you want to support Podcast Addict and/or disable the ad banner, you can buy Podcast Addict - Donate app Features: • Android Wear notifications & controls (Android 4.3+ only) • chromecast support • minimal permission requirement • manage Audio & Video podcasts, iTunes podcasts, Soundcloud url, Youtube Channels & RSS News feeds • standalone player (MP3, local files, streaming) • support both download & streaming • automatic update • automatic download • advanced automatic deletion features (trash...) • advanced Custom Settings per Podcast • automatic podcasts Flattr • podcast & episode search engine (use both Podcast Addict database & iTunes database) • audio & video player with resume, shuffle, loop, ... • variable playback speed, volume boost and skip silence (available for Android 4.1+) • audio & video playlist • customizable widgets • full app backup / restore • themes • lock screen widgets (Android 4.0+ only) • sleep timer • both list & grid mode display (podcasts & episodes) • authenticated feeds • virtual podcasts (handle a folder content as a podcast) • trending, new, TOP 250 most successful podcasts • Browse podcasts by category • OPML import (iTunes, Google Reader...) • OPML export • Full screen reading mode for RSS news feed • Podcasts suggestions • comments download feature • episode & podcast sharing • episode search engine • pebble support (player notifications) • support for Nova Launcher TeslaUnread plugin • support for Tasker, AutomateIT, ...

On this edition of Spotlight, Cory Martin meets with Mr. Brian Hartgen, owner of Hartgen Consultancy and a well-known leader in the Assistive Technology field who has brought amazing advancements to the way people with multiple disabilities use their computers. With Brian’s bridging product, J-Say, it is possible for a person to completely control their computer by voice alone, using both JAWS for Windows from Freedom Scientific and Nuance Dragon Naturally Speaking. While J-Say has been improved over a number of years, Hartgen Consultancy brings a number of new products to the table, such as J-Dictate, a product which is focused on the professional or student who wishes to still use the Keyboard but receive audible feedback from JAWS, or transcribe notes in to text. In addition, Brian’s product Leasey makes it possible for beginners and power users alike to interact with their computers in a simplified and meaningful way with a straight-forward command structure and several tools to improve the computing experience. Brian discusses his beginnings, he tells us how he got started in the assistive technology field and how J-Say came to exist. Finally, Brian tells us about some of the new advancements to his Leasey product including all new support for complex iTunes tasks and the Spotify music streaming service. If you would like, click this link to visit Hartgen.org or if you wish to hear Brian demonstrate his various products, you may listen to his Laircast podcast with comprehensive demos.

Emoji characters have taken off across the world in the last 5 years as an affective way of communicating through images. There are those who will tell their messages in pure Emoji fashion. With over 200 characters to choose from, what’s not to love? An unfortunate limitation of Emojis was their lack of diversity. Different sexual orientations, skin tones, and other cultural aspects were not portrayed well within the tiny images. Apple started proposing changes to this last year, and the results of this now bare fruit in iOS 8.3’s beta releases. For iOS 8.2 and below users, these new symbols will not work as they would in 8.3. An emoji of a family might show up as separate “man’s head, boy’s head, woman’s head, and girl’s head” as opposed to “family with woman, man, and son.” iOS can now essentially stitch multiple symbols together, and of course the representations of skin colour will not show up for earlier users either. iOS 8.3 entered public beta on March 16, which means that it is no longer exclusive to developers or internal testers. Interested users can click this link and join the beta program. Note that the iOS 8.3 beta might not be available right away for some, so you might have to wait. The beta program is not for everyone, however. If you are ok with sometimes having work-arounds, with having little to no support in finding those, and updating your device once or twice a month, then feel free to join. Beta users can submit feedback using a feedback app found on the home screen, allowing a more direct input into the way iOS is created.

For our first show, the Android Crew, Greg Lopez, Tomi Geczy, Brandon Cross and Cory Martin all meet to hash out the latest Android happenings, starting with new hardware announced at Mobile World Congress. The crew starts out with the Samsung Galaxy S6 by discussing the pros and cons of the drastic new design. Here are a few links to some of the items which they discussed: Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge reportedly facing touchscreen issues - SamMobile https://is.gd/Y7hOc1 Here is a link to the new accessibility features for the galaxy S6 https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/eyes-free/bpaJIotS1kE Here is a PDF for the Samsung S6 manual that talks about the accessibility features https://downloadcenter.samsung.com/content/UM/201503/20150303094626458/SM-G920F_UM_EU_Lollipop_Eng_Rev.1.0_150302.pdf The new Loop Pay on the S6 looks possibly better than other NFC-based payment options, offering backward compatibility with existing point-of-sale hardware. Loop Pay on S6: https://www.nfcworld.com/2015/03/01/334371/samsung-unveils-galaxy-s6-with-nfc-and-looppay-mobile-payments/ S6/S6 Edge available via US and Canadian carriers on 4/10/2015, prices still unknown https://mobilesyrup.com/2015/03/10/samsung-galaxy-s6-gold-canada/ Wireless charging and Fast Charge 2.0 technologies are contrasted, speed versus convenience? It is suggested that wireless charging might be detrimental to battery-life. One of the sources of this information came from the Wikipedia article provided here. Wireless charging may generate additional heat: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inductive_charging Finally, it was unanimously decided that the Samsung Galaxy S6 would make an excellent choice for those considering switching to Android from other platforms. The S6 wasn't the only cool phone announced, with HTC and their M9 now boasting a 20 Megapixel camera and 2800 MA battery which might be important for another soon to be announced app: https://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/htc-one-m9-what-we-want-to-see-1266545 At finally long last, Blind Bargains brings us an interview from CSUN where it is suggested that the KNFB Reader app might soon be coming to Android: https://www.blindbargains.com/bargains.php?m=12451 Those monster megapixel cameras on these Android phones might soon be a very important tool for us who are blind or visually impaired. For those of us who might need to conserve the cash, the new Motorola E now has LTE, 4.5 inch screen, 5 MP camera, yet has no flash according to All about Android It is suggested that the phone may have a price-point of $150.00 US. If you're in to unusual, you might enjoy the Alcatel One-Touch Idol-3 Handset with earpiece on front at top and bottom. Check out this article, Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 can take phone calls even when upside down https://www.engadget.com/2015/03/01/alcatel-onetouch-idol-3/ Finally, if you're a fan of the stock droid experience,

In this episode we geek out with Cool Blind Tech’s own Greg Lopez as he introduces us to the basics of sideloading applications on Android devices, including why installing apps from outside the Google Play store isn’t enabled by default and how to enable this before beginning the sideloading process. If you’d like to know more about sideloading, click here to read what Android Central says about the subject.

In this podcast, Cory Martin gives an overview of the Expedia app for iOS. He demonstrates how to locate flights, search for hotels and filter based on various preferences. At the time of this podcast, the iOS app from Expedia is extremely easy and accessible to use and highly recommended if you have the travel bug. Click here to download Expedia from the App store in Canada or Click here to download from iTunes in the US. Expedia is available in both the United States and Canada as well as The UK among others. Expedia is one of the largest and most popular online travel companies in the world and incorporates approximately a dozen of the world’s most notable travel brands.

VR, or virtual reality, is still in its infant stages of development. Most use head-strapped gear, such as a headset, which track the movement of your body as you walk around. A lot of VR’s benefits are visual, or so most would believe. Dolby, however, thinks otherwise. While they are well known for high-end audio systems, they are making an entry into this new market through a multitude of Android apps in partnership with Jaunt Inc. These previews are meant to simulate virtual reality environments, offering an immersive experience even for those who are blind. Join us in this podcast as we explore two of these apps. To download them yourself or any of the other trailers, visit the Google Play developer page for Jaunt Inc. Please note that in order to use them with talkback, you must first suspend speech after starting your desired app. Once this is done, you can tap near the top / center half of the screen in landscape mode to find the start button. Don’t worry, going back to your home screen is difficult, unless you tap near the bottom. Hold the phone with the home button facing to the right.

In this episode, James Oates demonstrates the iOS app “Say Play”. This application allows you to dictate a song or video title, and then the app will find and play it. Here is the description from the developer: Play any song in the world by just saying its name. Say Play uses a powerful voice search and plays your desired song immediately. It’s easy: 1. Just say a name of a song 2. Say Play will find your song and play it ****************** “Say Play iOS app makes music streaming as easy as speaking the name of the track” – 9to5mac ****************** Supported languages: • English • Spanish • German • Arabic • Hebrew • French • Italian • Russian • Czech • Dutch • Norwegian • Portuguese • Romanian • Swedish • Polish

Dr. Howard Kaplan, the developer of the iOS app, Spotlight Text, sits down with the team at Cool Blind Tech to discuss his amazing eBook reading app for people with low vision problems. Dr. Kaplan tells us the story of why he became a Retina surgeon, and how his concern for his patients led to him becoming an accessibility advocate. Many of his patients are dealing with Macular Degeneration, Retinitis Pigmentosis, or complications resulting from Diabetes. After the launch of Kindle eBook reader, Dr. Kaplan was disturbed to find that most of his patients could not read digital material, and there was no good reason for this to be the case. After fruitlessly trying to get the content providers to make their material accessible, he began the process of trying to do it himself. Spotlight Text works in conjunction with Bookshare, a company that provides more than 250,000 eBooks to persons with vision problems. Here is a description of the app from the App Store: Spotlight Text is the first eBook reader crafted specifically for individuals with vision loss. How to get started, instructions, and watch a video demonstration here.   “We Read to Know That We Are Not Alone.” - C.S. Lewis   - Access Bookshare's 250,000+ collection of books (including best sellers and new releases). - Designed for maximum legibility - Multiple reading modes including one designed specifically for individuals with RP Constricted Field - Autoplay mode with customizable speeds - Increase or decrease font size to your desire - Simple and easy to navigate user interface - Unlimited Screen Size with Apple TV or Direct HDMI Contact   Visit https://www.SpotlightText.com to learn more about the application and for help signing up for Bookshare.   Focus Reading Technology is dedicated to the belief that through superior product design incorporating cutting edge user interface technology and access to e-content, visual and print disabilities can be addressed and overcome, and the joy of reading restored.  

In this latest episode, Cory Martin takes a look at the latest NVDA 2015.1 and gives an explanation of NVDA Object navigation and how one can use it in a variety of ways. Cory shows using object navigation on the web, to manipulate dialogue boxes, to maneuver between different windows, copying text from on-screen and to check out object navigation in Microsoft Word. He also gives a hint of what is possible with touch screens or a traditional mouse/touchpad. Lastly, Cory gives a brief overview of the new reading mode in Microsoft Word which uses the web-based browse mode to navigate Word documents. If you’ve struggled with understanding how to use object navigation in NVDA before, hopefully this podcast will help clear up some of that mystery.

In this episode, James Oates talks about Amazon Prime Music, which is one of several benefits provided to Amazon Prime members. In addition to free two day shipping, streaming instant video, and the Kindle lending library, Amazon Prime members can also stream free music. James demonstrates this benefit on an iPhone 5, using the Amazon Music app provided in the app store.

Greg Lopez introduces Speakerphone Ex, a speakerphone automation tool for Android. You can get either the free version here or the pro version for around $1.50 US here.