Editor's Page
Product Evaluations and Guides
HumanWare Prodigi Connect 12 Unites Magnification and Mobile Computing
by Shelly Brisbin
Professionals and students, for whom portability and connectedness are as important as powerful magnification, are embracing a new breed of magnifiers that also function as computing devices. This is especially true in the mid-range of the marketplace, where you'll find HumanWare's Prodigi Connect 12. The device exemplifies the ways access technology companies can provide both important accessibility features and modern computing.
Freedom Scientific's Apple iOS Training Bundle: Let's Have a Listen
by Bill Holton
The Freedom Scientific Apple iOS Training Bundle is a good starting point for learning VoiceOver. Rehab agencies, Lighthouses for the Blind, and other educational organizations will also benefit from owning a copy or two to loan to their students to reinforce hands-on training sessions.
Learning to Use the Amazon Echo with the Mystic Access Audio Tutorial
by Bill Holton
Amazon Fire users do not currently have a built-in personal assistant, such as Siri or Google Now, and for those users the Echo does add some much-needed functionality. Many people also still prefer to use a feature phone, and the Echo would make an extremely useful addition to their accessibility technology. I can also see a strong use case for seniors who are newly blind and others with limited screen reader experience.
Independent Navigation
Project BLAID: Toyota's Contribution to Indoor Navigation for the Blind
by Jamie Pauls
As with most projects, the work being done on Project BLAID will provide a springboard for new projects. What yet-to-be-released technology will make the difficulties associated with indoor navigation a distant memory? In the short term, perhaps developers of technologies such as Apple's iBeacons can work with Toyota and others to bring the needs of the visually impaired to the forefront.
Software Update Information
Apple Software Roundup: Updates to Apple Product Operating Systems
by Janet Ingber
The latest updates for iOS, Mac, Apple TV and Apple Watch are definitely worth installing. Each has convenient new features. Updates contain internal fixes that the user may not even notice.
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