Despite Apple’s leading efforts in accessibility technology, I have always found iTunes extremely hard to use. Apple’s major focus has been on VoiceOver and screen reader software compatibility. There are many visually impaired computer users out there (and right here) who have not made the switch to a non-visual interface, preferring to rely...
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Back in March of 2006, I contacted the author of an economics book that I was interested in reading. This was part of a personal campaign to encourage authors to produce audio editions of their books, blogged here.  The author graciously responded, offering to bring the subject up with his publisher. I have heard...
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One of my favorite new authors is Joe Abercrombie. A few year ago, he published The First Law trilogy, a dark fantasy series, followed recently by Best Served Cold, a novel set I’m the First Law world. I picked up the first nook in the trilogy a few years ago in paperback and was...
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I have had some trouble focusing recently. Not with concentrating (not more than usual anyway), but with my camera. Being visually impaired, I have to rely on my camera’s autofocus. Using manual focus requires that I can see the viewfinder. I use the viewfinder to compose (mostly), but definitely not to focus. Unfortunately, autofocus...
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The WordPress development team is planning to update WP’s media handling in the next version. Via WordPress › Blog » Vote for 2.9 Media Features, “A large percentage of the requests we get from users are for more/better media features, so we’ve decided to focus 2.9 on building an infrastructure for improved media handling...
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Today, author Joe Abercrombie announced that his new book, Best Served Cold will be released in the US on the Kindle. I have found the Kindle app on my iPod Touch to be very readable on the largest font setting  and with the inverse color scheme (white text on a black background). Despite this,...
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I blog quite a bit about acceptability and one of my favorite topics is the Firefox browser. One of the programmers who helps make Firefox such an accessible way to use the internet is a guy named Ken Saunders. And he is now famous. BusinessWeek featured Ken in a recent article, Mozilla’s Crowdsourcing Mystique...
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Finding accessibility add-ons for Firefox can be tricky. There is no add-on category for accessibility. Different searches yield different add-one. I have blogged about my favorite add-ons, but not everyone reads this blog. So I have put together all the accessibility related add-ons that I use inot one ‘collection‘, a new way to group...
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Getting online is not always easy when you are visually impaired. Font sizes can be too small, images hard to see and colors hard to make out. But there are ways to minimize these problems. I have been tinkering with my web browsers ever since I used my first one many years ago. I...
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I have something to confess. I am one of god’s most pathetic creatures. I am a Boston Red Sox fan. Even though I had to quit little league after getting hit in the face trying to play catch on sidelines, I still love the game. My one season of little league involved a total...
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According to Slashdot,Aussie Government Offers $40M To Build a Bionic Eye. “The Australian Government is keen to replicate the success of the Cochlear Implant (bionic ear) by throwing AU$50M (US$40M) of funding at the development of a bionic eye. Bionic eyes have been trialed with some success in the UK — with recipients...
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The new iPhone update has moved the audio book playback speed controls. In the earlier versions, these controls were hidden away in the Music panel of the Settings App. This was terribly unintuitive as I noted in this post, Variable Speed Playback on the iPhone. Whenever I shared my iPod Touch with my wife,...
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I love new gadgets, virtual as well as physical. So, I can’t help liking Google Labs. Google rolls out experimental features, both fun ones and useful ones, for Gmail through Labs. I have always wanted a simple taks manager that integrated right into my email. Now Google offers Gmail Tasks. While still rough around...
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Spotted on Twtter, Talking lamp-posts will help blind people find their way. IF YOU heard a lamp-post talking, you might think you were going mad. But speaking signs have been springing up to help blind and partially-sighted people. Newcastle is one of the first places in the UK to pilot the RNIB React Talking Sign...
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Apparently, Apple has been listening. I have blogged much over the past six months on the iPhone’s missing accessibility features; more zoom, more color contrast and more voice. Today, Apply announced the next iteration of the iPhone, the 3G S, and it has taken a giant step in the right direction. Apple introduces these features...
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