Dear AccessWorld Editor,

This message is in reference to Scott Davert's January 2019 article, A New Kind Of Braille Watch: A Review Of The Dot Watch 2.

I've been pondering an Apple Watch for a while to keep up with my activity level but the Dot sounded neat as well. Do you know if the Dot monitors any activity or simply does what's listed in the article?

Thanks

Nancy Irwin

Response from AccessWorld author, Scott Davert

Hello Nancy and thank you for your message.

Sadly, the Dot Watch will not track any kind of fitness activity.

Certainly, an Apple Watch would be fantastic for this, as long as you can understand the speech of VoiceOver. Though you can mainly control the Watch through the iOS app, there are a few functions that are not as usable without direct access to the watch itself.

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

This message is in reference to Deborah Kendrick's January 2019 article, The Bradley Timepiece: Is It Beautiful, Functional, and Inclusive?

Not sure if the Bradley folks came out with a second version of this watch, but the version I was gifted failed three times and ultimately led to the dealer returning my money and a 4th Bradley watch. It now rests comfortably in my dresser drawer as I'm afraid to break it again. Even though one of the earlier reviews states it's waterproof, in no way is this the case. The manufacturer even cautions owners from engaging in any form of vigorous activity while wearing the watch, which is what I discovered for myself with watches 2 and 3. I think the weakness relates to the plate behind the front facing ball. It has to be thin enough for the magnetic arm behind the plate to cause the ball to track in the raceway, but not so thin that a magnetic connection between the arm and the ball is made impossible. If you bump the front of the watch, the ball will damage the plate and cause the arm to fail and the "minute" ball to stop tracking. It can happen simply by bumping your watch on the frame of a doorway while carrying groceries into the house. Yup, innovative and attention grabbing, but inherently flawed.

Lawrence

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

This message is in reference to Scott Davert's January 2019 article, A New Kind Of Braille Watch: A Review Of The Dot Watch 2.

This is an excellent article. Are there distributors here in the US? I know that Independent Living Aids is supposed to have the watch. I called them yesterday and the customer service person said they didn't have the second-generation watch and didn't know when or if they would get it.

Dan

Response from AccessWorld Author, Scott Davert

Though there are re-sellers, it is likely best to stick to the company directly. I have no idea who is selling the current generation in the US, only that Dot Incorporated guarantees anywhere in the world within 4 business days on receipt of payment.

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

This message is in response to Janet Ingber's February 2019 article, New Operating Systems for the Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV.

I read this article with great interest as I am a Mac OS and iOS user.

FaceTime was mentioned and the ability to connect multiple participants in a FaceTime session, so I'm wondering if the author has actually managed to conduct a FaceTime session with multiple participants from either Mac OS or IOS?

It would appear to me that some aspects of setting up multiple participants in a FaceTime session with both iOS and OS operating systems isn't as accessible as it could be.

Any further comments would be very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Dane

Response from AccessWorld author, Janet Ingber

Hello Dane,

Setting up a FaceTime call with multiple participants is accessible. There are two ways to do it.

Using the FaceTime App

  1. Open the FaceTime app and select the Add button in the upper right corner.
  2. Select the edit box for entering names with a one-finger double tap.
  3. Type names the same way you would in a group text message.
  4. After all the names are entered, flick right. There will be options for an audio call or a FaceTime call.
  5. Select FaceTime.

Using the Messages App

  1. In Messages, start a group conversation with everyone you want to call. Create the group and send a message.
  2. Near the top of the screen, locate where it says the number of people in the conversation and double tap.
  3. Flick right to find buttons for audio or FaceTime.

Personally, I like the first method better unless I'm already in a conversation.

When doing a multiple-participant FaceTime call, participants need an iPhone 6S or higher. The feature can be used on all phones running iOS 12.1, but older phones will only receive audio.

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