When I heard people on a podcast recently bash the new Apple HomePod second generation, I decided a rebuttal was needed. They thought that the new HomePod was a step backward because it used an Apple watch processor instead of an iPhone processor, and only had wifi N instead of wifi 6 or 6E. … Continue reading How using Apple watch processors which only have wifi N in HomePods is not a step backwards.
Category: Efficiency
How the abacus, though low tech, became and still remains a very useful tool for those who are blind doing math
The abacus has had a rich history lasting over two thousand years. Ancient merchants needed a way to count things and make calculations. The Asian abaci are the most well known today, both Chinese and Japanese models still exist. The Japanese model has one row of beads with a separation bar and then four more … Continue reading How the abacus, though low tech, became and still remains a very useful tool for those who are blind doing math
Challenges and frustrations I experience being totally blind, dealing with statuses of devices with LEDs
Because most devices are designed by sighted people, for other sighted people, lights are used to tell the person statuses like on/off etc. For those who can see, it's super easy, quick and efficient. For those who are totally blind, it's only frustrating at best. The device most frustrating for blind users are the … Continue reading Challenges and frustrations I experience being totally blind, dealing with statuses of devices with LEDs
Ways in which cameras help the blind
What I get out of a camera as a blind personI've been politely asked, "how do you read messages or email on a computer?" a less common question is "How did you take that picture?" In the old daysWhen I was a kid, I remember being annoyed because I would have to stand nice for … Continue reading Ways in which cameras help the blind
An inexpensive way to move some air from an air conditioner to another room with little circulation normally
The living-room and bedroom in my apartment have very little circulation between them, a floor plan would look like North and South Dakota on a map with a small doorway in the east end, and the air conditioner (wall unit) on the west end. I don't need air conditioning very often but occasionally at night … Continue reading An inexpensive way to move some air from an air conditioner to another room with little circulation normally
How setting up iOS devices with a wired USB keyboard is way more efficient for me
When I bought my first iPhone, an iPhone 3GS the first text message I tried to send got a response from a friend saying they couldn't read it because of so many mistakes in it. It took me 3 weeks before I could type anything mostly legible. I have never liked or been fast at … Continue reading How setting up iOS devices with a wired USB keyboard is way more efficient for me
How some features in Apple’s AirPods Max are a huge game changer and seamlessly fit into the workflows of VoiceOver users
Many articles have been written about how the AirPods max sound, good or bad, this post isn't at all about that. Some times there is a feature in a product that flies under most of our radars. For most of us, this feature is either never used or never thought about. For some though, it … Continue reading How some features in Apple’s AirPods Max are a huge game changer and seamlessly fit into the workflows of VoiceOver users
How micro automations attached to VoiceOver’s commanders save me lots of time and key presses
In the majority of cases, , technology exists to speed up a task one finds themselves doing often, thus improving one's life. Many of us now use computers, which do many things faster than we possibly could ever do by ourselves. Recently I wrote about adding keyboard shortcuts to macOS apps. In the podcast Automators … Continue reading How micro automations attached to VoiceOver’s commanders save me lots of time and key presses
Live Text, new in iOS 15 is amazing, but it took us 45 years of technical advancements to get there.
Live text is awesome, it just took us a long time, 45 years, to get there. Like many kids, my parents read a lot to me when I was young; but because I am totally blind, they probably read to me way later into my life than most. Even when I was in college, Mom … Continue reading Live Text, new in iOS 15 is amazing, but it took us 45 years of technical advancements to get there.
Why we should try to use a hammer less, an introduction to automation, how to make custom keyboard shortcuts in macOS
Neal Stephenson, in his essay, , "In The Beginning Was The Command Line" talks about how different interfaces have different strengths, and also weaknesses, a very entertaining and also instructive read. It's only about 100 pages, so I strongly recommend it. In 1966, . Abraham Maslow (who was a key founder of humanistic psychology) said, … Continue reading Why we should try to use a hammer less, an introduction to automation, how to make custom keyboard shortcuts in macOS
Accessibility Insights 