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.
Category: Efficiency
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
A conceptual introduction for sighted readers on how VoiceOver works
On January 9th, 2007, Steve Jobs first announced the iPhone. Many people including my friend Dr. Nathan Klapoetke were very excited about it and couldn't wait to buy one. That day, Nathan was reinstalling windows for me as there was no real practical way to do that yet with a screen reader. While Nathan ranted … Continue reading A conceptual introduction for sighted readers on how VoiceOver works
How to add, and quickly switch between what language VoiceOver is currently speaking on your iOS device
I remember hearing Deane Blazie once demo a Braille 'n Speak in Spanish, and thinking that was really cool. Later I bought a $100 add on, so my Braille Lite would speak Portuguese, but things then were way different than now. You had to completely reflash the firmware, there was no way to switch languages … Continue reading How to add, and quickly switch between what language VoiceOver is currently speaking on your iOS device
How transparency mode in headphones is important, and should not be discarded as a silly or useless feature.
Posted on July 14, 2021 I've heard people walking, running, or even on bikes blasting their music and in many cases totally unable or willing to hear anything around them. As a blind person, I would be putting my life in danger doing that. When headphones began to come out with transparency mode, or sound … Continue reading How transparency mode in headphones is important, and should not be discarded as a silly or useless feature.
How along with quality sound, Apple’s AirPods Max are the most efficient BlueTooth headset for VoiceOver users
June 15 2021 When Apple released their AirPods Max headset last December, many complained they were way over priced. I can't disagree, even though I did buy a pair with the help of some birthday and Christmas money. Now after 6 months, I have to say I have never regretted buying them. No, they aren't … Continue reading How along with quality sound, Apple’s AirPods Max are the most efficient BlueTooth headset for VoiceOver users
How the Mac app Type2Phone can make any keyboard attached to your Mac a Bluetooth keyboard
Posted on May 20, 2020 I'm typing this post on an old Logitech Ergonomic keyboard from 2003, and occasionally think about replacing it. I hope the keyboard isn't paying attention..... ok, it's still working. I've read about the Ergo Pro keyboard from Matias, which will probably be its replacement, though it's a bit expensive; the … Continue reading How the Mac app Type2Phone can make any keyboard attached to your Mac a Bluetooth keyboard
My thoughts on how productivity is way more portable than in the past, but how annoyingly some non-visual features only appear on products with larger screens
Posted on December 13, 2019 Johan Sebastian Bach probably wished he'd had a better way to work on his "Musikalisches Opfer", "A Musical Offering" when he traveled back home to Leipzig from visiting King Frederick the great of Prussia near Berlin in 1747. Ok, he probably instead really wished for something faster and more comfortable than a … Continue reading My thoughts on how productivity is way more portable than in the past, but how annoyingly some non-visual features only appear on products with larger screens
My journey to the cool Amazon “Show and Tell” feature discovering along the way that the Echos Show 5 and 8 won’t ever be able to support it.
Posted Tuesday, December 3, 2019One of the bigger challenges for a blind person is quickly identifying things that aren't physically unique or labeled in braille. This is one of the frustrations technology has helped in a big way. The first device that made a significant breakthrough in this area, was the I.D. Mate. A talking … Continue reading My journey to the cool Amazon “Show and Tell” feature discovering along the way that the Echos Show 5 and 8 won’t ever be able to support it.
How the Amazon Basics microwave oven has replaced the much more expensive talking microwaves made specifically for the blind
Posted on Friday September 6, 2019 In summer 1981 between my fifth and sixth grade years, my parents and I visited my oldest sister Kathi in Colorado. She had a microwave oven, and her kids who were in grade school could use it to cook or reheat foods. Kathy thought it would be good for … Continue reading How the Amazon Basics microwave oven has replaced the much more expensive talking microwaves made specifically for the blind
Accessibility Insights 