On October 16, 2014, Apple released OS X Yosemite for Macintosh computers. This new operating system has many new features and some bugs. Some of the most highlighted features include the ability to make and receive phone calls on the Mac, iCloud Drive (similar to Dropbox but with cheaper pricing plans), and Handoff, where you can work on a document on an iOS device and then work on the same document on a Mac.
This article assumes that you know how to use a Mac. The VoiceOver key combination Control + Option will be written as VO. If you are having difficulty with Yosemite, remember that Apple has tech support staff members who have been trained to assist VoiceOver users. The special phone number to reach trained tech support is 877-204-3930. If you have accessibility issues you can e-mail Apple at accessibility@apple.com.
iCloud Account
iCloud has two new features in Yosemite: iCloud Drive and Family Sharing. Both can be set up and accessed through the iCloud tab in System Preferences. If you haven't set up an iCloud account, you might want to consider doing so, especially with Yosemite's new features.
iCloud Drive
iCloud Drive lets you back up your Contacts, Reminders, Documents, Photos, and more to the Cloud. There are several different pricing plans available. iCloud Drive can also be set up and managed through your iOS device. Before saving content to the Cloud, consider which information you are comfortable saving there.
Family Sharing
Family Sharing lets up to six family members share iTunes, iBooks, and Apps. Although they do not have to be on the same Apple ID, only one designated credit card can be used for payment. This feature can also be set up from your iOS device.
Handoff
As part of Yosemite, Apple introduced Continuity, which allows the user to move between iOS devices and the Mac. Handoff lets you start work on a Mac or an iOS device and then continue it on another. For example, you can start an e-mail on your iPad and finish it on your Mac. In order to use Handoff, your Mac must have Bluetooth 4.0 (also called Bluetooth low energy or Bluetooth LE) and your iOS device needs to be an iPhone 4s or later or an iPad 3 or later. The Mac must be using Yosemite and the iOS device needs to be using iOS 8.1 or later.
Setting Up Handoff
The Mac and iOS device need to be on the same Wi-Fi network in order to use Handoff.
In System Preferences on your Mac do the following:
- Check the iCloud tab and make sure that you are signed into your iCloud account.
- Go to the Bluetooth tab and make sure that Bluetooth is enabled.
- In the General tab, check the box that allows Handoff between iOS devices and your Mac.
On your iOS device do the following under Settings:
- Turn on Bluetooth.
- Make sure you are logged into the same iCloud account as that on your Mac.
- Under General/Handoff & Suggested Apps, activate the Handoff switch.
Using Handoff
With Handoff, if you start an e-mail on your iPhone and want to continue it on your Mac, have the e-mail open on your iPhone and bring the iPhone near the Mac. I found it worked best if they were in the same room. On your Mac, Command-Tab through the open apps and you'll hear "handoff" and the name of the iOS device you are using. The e-mail will be there on the screen. If you start the e-mail on the Mac and want to finish it on the iPhone, have the e-mail open. Go to the iPhone's locked screen. In the lower left corner there will be the name of whichever app is being used for Handoff. In this case, it will say Mail. Double tap on the app name and the e-mail you've been working on will now be open on your iPhone. Another option is to go to the App Switcher on the iPhone. Flick left and after VoiceOver says "Home," you will hear the name of the application using handoff. Double tap on it and the document will open.
Making and Receiving Calls on Your Mac
Continuity makes it possible to use the Mac as a speakerphone for both receiving and making phone calls.
Setting Up Calls
Both the iPhone or iPad and the Mac must be signed into the same Apple ID and iCloud accounts. Bluetooth must be enabled on both devices and the iPhone and Mac must be in Bluetooth range and on the same Wi-Fi network.
On the Mac, open FaceTime and go to Preferences/Settings and make sure the iPhone Cellular Calls option is checked. On the iPhone/iPad, go to Settings/FaceTime and make sure the iPhone Cellular Calls option is checked. The Mac's internal microphone is selected by default. If you have a separate microphone for the Mac the sound quality will probably be better. If you don't have a microphone, the internal microphone does work well.
Making a Call
Initiate a call by opening FaceTime and check the "Audio" radio button. Move right to locate the search box and enter the name, e-mail, or phone number of the person you want to call. Go right once more to the results table. Locate the correct result and press the spacebar. A menu will appear. The first option refers to the iPhone and can be ignored. Go to the second option, which will be the number of the person you want to call. Press the Enter key. Once you are done with your call, go right to the "End" button.
Receiving a Call
The iPhone will start ringing a few seconds before the Mac makes its incoming call sound. If the caller has a custom ringtone, it will not be heard on the Mac. A FaceTime window will automatically open and by default you'll be placed on the "Accept" button. Activate the button and start talking.
Command Dictation
Starting with OS X Mavericks, it was possible to dictate text without an Internet connection. In addition to having the computer type what you speak, with Yosemite you can also issue many voice commands through a new feature called Command Dictation. This is in addition to the regular dictation option.
Setting Up Command Dictation
In System Preferences, go to the Dictation & Speech tab and select Dictation. Make sure the Enhanced Dictation box is checked. If it's your first time using Enhanced Dictation, a small program will download automatically. Next, go to the Accessibility tab and check the Dictation option in the Accessibility Features table. Go right to the "Commands" button and activate it to view a list of commands, including commands for opening an application, closing an application, deleting text, and pressing the Return key. You can even create your own commands.
Press the Function key twice to activate Dictation Commands. Another way to view Command Dictation options is to press the Function key twice and after the chime say, "show commands." There is a bug in Yosemite where after issuing a command, VoiceOver will stop speaking, but the command will be executed. Wait about 15 seconds and VoiceOver should start speaking again.
Safari
A welcome feature of Safari is the ability to use the arrow keys and other navigation keys that are used in apps such as TextEdit and Mail. For example, typing Command + Up Arrow will bring you to the top of a webpage and typing Command + Down Arrow will take you to the bottom of the page. If there are two links on a line, VoiceOver will announce both links rather than saying they are on two separate lines, as some Windows screen readers do.
If Safari gets stuck and arrow keys do not work, enter a VoiceOver command such as VO + Right Arrow and then try the arrow keys again. This should fix the problem. If VoiceOver loses focus during headings navigation, try a VoiceOver navigation command and then go back to the arrow keys. Also, when entering text in an edit box and using capital letters, VoiceOver may say "New Line" even though the Enter key was not pressed. This is a VoiceOver bug and a new line does not appear. If you are stuck in an edit box, use a VO navigation command to get out. The Favorites bar is not present by default. Bring it back by typing Command + Shift + B or by going into Safari's View menu and selecting Show Favorites Bar.
iTunes
iTunes has again been changed with a new OS. Version 12 has a different layout than version 11. Prior to Yosemite, you could have iTunes 11 set up like iTunes 10 by typing Command + Option + S. This command brought up the Sidebar which had iTunes displayed like iTunes 10. Unfortunately, this feature is no longer available. iTunes 12 has some major differences and it may take some time to get used to them.
By using VoiceOver navigation commands, especially VO and the Left and Right Arrow keys, the new layout can be explored. There is now a different sequence of buttons. The player controls at the top of the iTunes window are still the same. After that a Store Account popup appears. Activating this option will bring up a list of options including Wish List and Purchased.
The next item is the search box for searching your iTunes library. After that come four radio buttons: Music, Movies, TV Shows, and More. Next come five radio buttons related to whichever option was chosen in the first set of four radio buttons. For example: selecting the Music radio button will make the following five buttons available: My Music, Playlists, Match, Radio, and iTunes Store. If the My Music option is selected, a popup will open presenting several options for sorting. Explore the entire menu by using the VO keys with arrow keys. Be sure to select the option you want. If necessary, go into the Column Browser through the View menu and select which song attributes you want displayed. Once your selections have been made, move right to view the table. What is displayed will depend on your selections. Depending on your choices you may be able to Tab and Shift + Tab between categories. For example, I can do this between the artists in my library and the songs for a particular artist. Make sure to interact with the music table to move through the songs list.
Syncing your iOS Device With iTunes
If you don't want to make any changes to what is synced to your device then just connect the device to the computer and iTunes will sync automatically. You can also connect the phone, open iTunes, go to the file menu and select Devices and finally choose Sync.
Once your device is connected there will be a button naming the device. It is located after the "More" radio button. Select the device and go right until you hear "Playlists." This is a list of the various categories on your device including Summary, Apps, and Music. After making a choice, go left to the scroll area to manipulate content.
The Object Replacement Character Bug
Programs such as TextEdit, Pages, and Amadeus Pro have a feature in their file menu called "Open Recent." Now, when reviewing the list of recent files in the menu VoiceOver says the words "Object Replacement Character" prior to the file's name. There's a thumbnail image before each file's name and VoiceOver is reading this as "Object Replacement Character." Locating the files with the Finder is one way to get around this extra verbiage.
iBooks
Yosemite fixed many accessibility issues with iBooks. iBooks is now accessible on the Mac. You will need to sign in with your Apple ID and Password.
When attaching a file to an e-mail, VoiceOver will no longer speak the actual name of the attachment. Instead you'll hear something like "Attachment Image." If you want verification that you attached the correct file, bring up the contextual menu and open the attachment. When you receive an e-mail with an attachment the actual file name will be spoken.
Sounds for Volume Change
By default in Yosemite there are no sound effects when the volume is adjusted. To change this, go into System Preferences/Sound/Sound Effects and check the box that says "Play feedback when volume is changed."
Pages
Unfortunately, Pages has lost some accessibility with Yosemite. The button next to each paragraph style in the paragraphs table is no longer accessible. Another issue is that Pages is reading a section break as a page break
Conclusion
Overall, Yosemite's new features and updates make upgrading a good choice. It may take some time to learn all the changes and all the new features so don't try to do everything in a day.
