All Cool Blind Tech Shows

In this week’s Cool Picks, The CBT Team bring you their top picks from the assistive tech world. Cool Picks Ring Chime Pro, Indoor Chime and Wi-Fi Extender ONLY for Ring Network Devices Nelson is extending the range of his Ring devices. Now he will never miss any of his many visitors. Instacart James has decided that having his groceries delivered with the help of the Instacart app is easier than dealing with the crowds at the store.

In this week’s VIP, Nelson and James bring you the top stories from Cool Blind Tech along with some really Cool Picks. Top Stories MoviePass Subscribers Can See Unlimited Movies for $9.95 per Month In a move that has angered many movie theatres, MoviePass has offered its customers a Netflix like subscription service to see unlimited movies in theatres for only $9.95 per month. AMC in particular has express that they will attempt to block this program, but there isn’t a lot that they can do, sense MoviePass purchases the tickets at full price from the theatres. Cortana and Alexa Join Forces in the Battle of the Voice Assistants In a stunning move, Microsoft and Amazon announced that Cortana and Alexa will now be able to work with one another. By the end of the year, you will be able to have Cortana open Alexa on your computer or mobile device, and you will be able to have Alexa open Cortana on your Alexa enabled device. ‘Bionic Eye’ Allows Mother to See Her Youngest Child for First Time A Quebec mother of four can partially see again thanks to a “bionic eye” that was implanted in March in the first such operation of its kind in the province. Sandra Cassell was diagnosed in 2001 with retinitis pigmentosa, a form of retinal dystrophy that affects around 3,000 Quebecers. Cool Picks Instacart James has decided that having his groceries delivered with the help of the Instacart app is easier than dealing with the crowds at the store. Ring Chime Pro, Indoor Chime and Wi-Fi Extender ONLY for Ring Network Devices Nelson is extending the range of his Ring devices. Now he will never miss any of his many visitors.

The CBT Team returns with another Fanmail show? Tell us if we should stay with the show title or if all of you can come up with a better name. Keep sending us your emails and messages from social media and we will read or play your feedback on our show. You can contact us via email to cbt@coolblindtech.com or call our new toll free number at 1-855-330-2665 anytime night or day. From Daniel Hawkins: Hello Cool Blind Tech, I enjoy listing to your podcasts and all the news you put on your site. My name is Daniel, and I am a AT trainer for a small CIL in southwestern Illinois. One struggle I have right now is printing Envelopes with addresses on it. As of now, I can go through MS Word to Mailing to Envelopes and put in delivery and return address. However when I print, there is a Manual feed dialogue box come up. My IT Director and I tried working on this. Botton line is that I can alt + c to continue in this inaccessible box. However, half of the time it does not work the way you want too. So, it have suggested to me get a label maker unit and print labels to stick on the envelopes. Do you guys know any accessible but reasonably priced label printer for home us for our consumers? How would you guys do Label printing? Thanks guys! From Dalton Lane: If I were to make a podcast for your team what kind of equipment would I need to use.  Also, could I use voice memos for my recording source? From Graham Langford,: Hi, I, like many other people, probably listen to your Podcasts on a Victor reader stream or on an iPad When you mention an app or a device would you be kind enough to spell out the name of either the Apple device as it is not always that obvious how it is spelled I'm so we can find it easily I trust this makes sense. From Beatriz Loeza,: Dear CBT, I am curious to know how the iOS 11 is treating you if you were brave and jumped into the beta program? I really want to check out the beta but I don't have a working computer so I can't back up and restore if I don't like it. From Lisa Godsey My husband, Michael Godsey, was recently blinded and has really enjoyed listening to your podcasts. Before his accident he was very "techie”, so your sight is perfect! He heard about the T-Fal ActiFry on your podcast, but is wondering how a blind person accesses the recipes to use it? Thanks for your help.

In this week’s Cool Picks, Nelson and James bring you their top gadgets and gizmos and everything in between. Cool Picks Ring Video Doorbell Pro (Wiring Required), Works with Amazon Alexa With the Ring Video Doorbell Pro, Nelson always knows when his deliveries have arrived. Dropbox Plus Now that he has Dropbox Plus, James has more cloud storage than he knows what to do with.

In this week’s VIP, Nelson and James bring you the top stories from Cool Blind Tech. And of course, it wouldn’t be a VIP without their Cool Picks. Top Stories APH and HumanWare team up to create a new intelligent magnifier HumanWare has announced a partnership with The American Printing House to provide a new powerful tool for visually impaired students combining a high-performance digital magnifier with the versatility of an Android tablet, the MATT Connect. This Fashionable Tech Helps Blind and Low-Vision People Navigate UK-based designer Emilios Farrington-Arnas has created a wearable for the blind and low-vision with the emphasis on merging fashion with technology. Maptic uses small feedback units, which can be clipped onto clothing or worn around the wrist, and a visual sensor that can be worn as a necklace. Handsfree Calling Comes to Google Home If you have a Google Home voice activated speaker, you can now make calls in the U.S. and Canada to anyone in your contacts list and local businesses. Just say things like: • Ok Google, call John Smith Cool Picks Dropbox Plus Now that he has Dropbox Plus, James has more cloud storage than he knows what to do with. Ring Video Doorbell Pro (Wiring Required), Works with Amazon Alexa With the Ring Video Doorbell Pro, Nelson always knows when his deliveries have arrived.

Join the CBT Team this week as they bring to you some of their latest Cool Picks. Cool Picks: Swarm Simulator FitStar Ability on the Google Home speaker Littlebook - for Facebook on Apple Watch

Join the CBT Team as they enter into the exciting world of Braille technology. Both mainstream and assistive technologies have experienced revolutionary developments over the last year, and it's no surprise that Braille displays and note takers have also experienced these changes. * Luxury Braille Displays, will they make it? Our team compare the VarioUltra by Baum, The Elbraille by Vision Freedom Optelec, and the Braille Sense Polaris by Hims. * How about for those who don't want to break the bank? Our team discuss the lower cost Orbit Reader, and the future of the Orbit Graphiti. * A special segment for those who are deaf blind and use an Amazon Fire; how they can enjoy Closed Captioned programming on Hulu Cool Picks: *

https://Www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/coolblindtech/Cool_Picks-_August_22_2017.mp3 In this week’s Cool Picks, Nelson and James are joined by Christopher McMillan. Listen in as they discuss their favourite tech on Cool Blind Tech. Cool Picks Ring Floodlight Camera Motion-Activated HD Security Cam Two-Way Talk and Siren Alarm Watch your step! Nelson is keeping an eye on you with this incredible home security camera system. Unboxing and Setting up the Aira Glasses for the Visually Impaired Christopher has his eyes on these glasses from Aira after listening to an unboxing podcast from Cool Blind Tech. AudioShare - audio document manager James is having a blast recording everything on his iPhone with AudioShare for iOS.

In this week’s VIP, Nelson and James are joined by Christopher McMillan. Listen in as they discuss the top stories on Cool Blind Tech, and as always, they will bring you some great Cool Picks. Top Stories ACB Radio Offers a Live Audio-Described Broadcast of the Upcoming Solar Eclipse On August 21, much of the United States will experience total darkness in the middle of the day as a full Solar eclipse of the Sun sweeps across the country. A Solar eclipse is always an exciting event, and people who are blind want to be able to experience it as well. Just released! BlindSight, a Free Android App That Implements Advanced AI Features Neuro X Labs have just released BlindSight, a free Android app that implements advanced AI features, narrating the scenes fed to it by the phone camera. It requires no internet connection, collects no user data and the app is only 50MB. The app is in its early stages but Neuro X Labs are looking for feedback. The American Foundation for the Blind’s CareerConnect Program Helps Job Seekers Who are Blind One of the biggest and most important obstacles that blind people face is meaningful employment. The American Foundation for the Blind recognizes this problem, and has established a CareerConnect page on their website that helps blind people overcome some of the difficulties that they encounter when seeking employment. Cool Picks Ring Floodlight Camera Motion-Activated HD Security Cam Two-Way Talk and Siren Alarm Watch your step! Nelson is keeping an eye on you with this incredible home security camera system. AudioShare - audio document manager James is having a blast recording everything on his iPhone with AudioShare for iOS. Unboxing and Setting up the Aira Glasses for the Visually Impaired Christopher has his eyes on these glasses from Aira after listening to an unboxing podcast from Cool Blind Tech.

In this week’s show, the CBT Team discuss their top Cool Picks on Cool Blind Tech. Cool Picks The Home Depot for iOS With the help of the Home Depot app on iOS, Nelson will hammer in the morning and Hammer in the evening. Ambutech Canes With his new cane from Ambutech, James can get around a lot more quickly, and that is extremely important when Nelson is swinging his hammer.

In this Spotlight Interview, James Oates sits down with James Teh, prior to his departure from NVAccess, to discuss the following subjects: * The history of NVDA * NVDA’s business model * Keeping up with an ever evolving Windows environment * NVDA in a corporate environment * Add-ons for NVDA * Voices available for NVDA * The user guide and tutorials for NVDA * Getting certified as a NVDA expert * Telephone support for NVDA * OSARA extension for Reaper Editor's note: James Teh will still be a Director (of the Board, just not an employee, and thus not an Executive Director.

In this week’s VIP, Nelson and James discuss the top stories on Cool Blind Tech, and as always, they announce their Cool Picks for the week. Top Stories Amazon’s Alexa May Be Your Next Teacher On July 27, Canvas by Instructure announced that its teaming up with Amazon Alexa to help students, teachers, advisors, and parents ask questions, carry out quick tasks, and get information from Canvas on Alexa-enabled devices. The new feature was announced by InstructureCon and marks an ongoing effort scale up Canvas’s voice-activated applications. A Device to Test Infants’ Vision is Now Possible An advanced device to measure the field of vision of infants has been developed by scientists at L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad. The device, named paediatric perimeter, can be used to test the eyesight of infants between two and 12 months. GlovEye Brings Braille to Your Finger Tip At this year’s Microsoft Imagine Cup, a team from Hungary developed a glove that has a refreshable braille cell built into the index finger of the glove. The GlovEye works with an app on your smart phone. Just point the phone’s camera at some text, and braille will appear on the glove. Cool Picks The Home Depot for iOS With the help of the Home Depot app on iOS, Nelson will hammer in the morning and Hammer in the evening. Ambutech Canes With his new cane from Ambutech, James can get around a lot more quickly, and that is extremely important when Nelson is swinging his hammer.

In this week’s Cool Picks, Nelson and James discuss their top acquisitions in assistive tech. You can show your support for Cool Blind Tech by giving us a 5 star rating on iTunes. Cool Picks Shout Color Catchers James wants to keep your whites whiter and your colors brighter with this handy laundry product. Pocket Juice 2-in-1 Portable Charger 12,000 mAh Charges Phones and Tablets Nelson is on the Pocket Juice! He is pumped up for you to get this portable charger!

In this week’s VIP, Nelson and James discuss the top stories on Cool Blind Tech. They also delve into the subject of housekeeping. Top Stories Talking Laundry Module Makes GE Washers and Dryers Accessible for the Blind. The Talking Laundry Module is a box that plugs into existing and many new General Electric washers and dryers. The device mounts on the side of the washer or dryer by way of magnets that are on the back of the box. One module can work with both the washer and dryer. The Sunu Band Helps the Blind Navigate with Sonar and Haptic Feedback. The Sunu band is a smart watch that is specifically designed to help the blind navigate around people and objects. It sends out ultrasonic waves up to 13FT away, and then provides haptic feedback to make blind people aware of objects and people. The range and feedback are fully customizable by way of an app. Apple’s HomePod Comes with VoiceOver. A recent firmware update to Apple’s HomePod shows that accessibility support has been added to the operating system, and that includes VoiceOver. The device is voice activated, but it does have a touch surface that allows the user to long press Siri and adjust the volume. With VoiceOver included, this touch surface will be accessible to the visually impaired. Cool Picks Shout Color Catchers James wants to keep your whites whiter and your colors brighter with this handy laundry product. Pocket Juice 2-in-1 Portable Charger 12,000 mAh Charges Phones and Tablets Nelson is on the juice, and he thinks everyone should get this portable charger.

The CBT Team dedicates this show to our listeners because we know that you are responsible for our success. Keep sending us your emails and messages from social media and we will read or play your feedback on our show. You can contact us via email to cbt@coolblindtech.com or call our new toll free number at 1-855-330-2665 anytime night or day. 1. From Dalton Lane: What do you think about the new braille note touch? I have played around with it some but I'm still currently using an apex. My cool pick would probably have to be the braille note touch though. I enjoy exploring the different types of accessible peaces of technology. 2. From Richard Merryfield I'm working on a blind accessible game that is intended to both be fully playable for the blind, as well as offer a sighted player a unique mechanic. The goal is to try to give nearly an equivalent experience for both types of players. We want to use the game as a proof of concept to demonstrate that mainstream commercial games have the potential to have accessibility navigation implemented into their design. If this game is successful, our next step will be to create a generalized API that can be used in a wide variety of VR settings, ranging from video games to potentially even drafting software. You can download our game here. Make sure to enable accessibility mode by going into the config.ini file and changing access=0 to access=1. We are still building out a configuration application for the game. Sorry for the inconvenience. However, once you have accessible mode running you can experience it for yourself. Website 3. From Rebecca Skipper: Hi, What Android device would you recommend for someone who already uses an iPhone and just wants a tablet with a keyboard to learn how to use Android? I have an amazon Kindle Fire HD 6th Generation Tablet, but this is not the traditional Android setup. Should I invest in a Chrome Book or are there other affordable options? Thanks. 4. From Lisa McLaughlin Hi there, I was wondering if you guys could help assist me with my new android phone. It's running android marshmallow. I'm using talk back plus I've downloaded the eloquence text to speech. I would be grateful if you can give me some advice and support regarding navigating around the touchscreen. I have been an Apple iPhone user for many years and I now fancy a change. I did listen to the talk back Tutorialggo but feel to fully understand how to navigate around the touchscreen using the talk back gestures. I would appreciate any help that you can offer, many thanks, Lisa Mclaughlin 5. From Jimmy Musk I am looking to publish my article on your blog. Is there any opportunity. Please let me know the procedure? 6. From Rusty Hilliard: Love the site, and enjoy the podcasts. I am a full-time preacher, and thus in preparing sermons, use a lot of tech. Thanks for the info. Have you guys done a podcast on building websites using Wordpress? Could you guys do a podcast on good Windows based Twitter clients?