Blog

In this Tech Doctor episode, Robert and Allison talk with, Michael Manesh, the developer of
Instabrowser.
This iOS app very well may replace Safari as your favorite browser.

Michael designed Instabrowser to load pages extremely fast and to render text in a clean and simple format. It works much like the read it later Instapaper app but operates on webpages in realtime. The table of contents button instantly creates a list of the relevant articles on the page and one can immediately jump to the desired article.

It didn’t occur to Michael that VoiceOver users could benefit from Instabrowser. When I contacted him, however, he had Instabrowser working extremely well with VoiceOver just within a few days. Michael describes the process of making the app accessible and encourages all developers to make their apps work with VoiceOver.

Allison grabs her iPhone and demonstrates just how well Instabrowser works. You get to hear just how fast and efficient it is to locate and read articles with this browser.

One of the ways that Instabrowser achieves such speed and efficiency is that it doesn’t load java script. This means that some pages don’t work well with the mobilizer version of Instabrowser, in such cases, simply tap a toggle button and the webpage is fully loaded just as if you were working in Safari.

Instabrowser is an excellent alternative to Safari and the work that Michael has done to make it fully VoiceOver accessible is greatly appreciated. To learn more about Instabrowser,
Click Here.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

In this podcast, Robert and Allison speak with the prolific podcaster, Blogger, software support specialist and overall Apple enthusiast Kelly Guimont. This time, however, Kelly is here to tell us about a fabulous project called “App Camp For Girls.”

In this week long day camp, junior high school girls learn all about developing and marketing iOS apps. Their teachers are women who are employed in the technology industry. The girls learn by developing their own app that actually runs on an iPod Touch. At the end of the week, they pitch the app to a group of women investors. The girls learn teamwork by working together in groups of four. This is a wonderful opportunity to show girls what they can do.

To learn more about this project visit
App Camp For Girls

To read stories of successful app developers, visit the sister site
App Stories

Thanks Kelly for telling us about this amazing project.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Allison and Robert spend this podcast describing their experiences with the new iOS app from the Sendero Group called
Seeing Eye GPS

Robert and Allison discuss the user interface, provide detailed descriptions of their experiences both walking and driving with the app. They discuss onboard versus server based maps, the appropriateness of a subscription based model and describe the importance of having a blind person take on the role and responsibility of becoming the navigator for a sighted driver.

We think this app is excellent and encourage every iPhone user to give it careful consideration.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

In this Tech Doctor Podcast, Robert and Allison speak with the developer of a feature-rich highly responsive iOS app called
“MBraille.”

Harri Pasanen has 30 years of software development experience His knowledge and expertise has enabled him to develop a very sophisticated and powerful touch screen braille app in only six months. It is clear that Harri does his homework and he knows how to write code that really works well.

Some of MBraille’s advanced features include: grade two translation, intuitive editing and review capabilities, and command line dot commands which allow one to text, tweet, email, Facebook and search google from within the app. This means that writing text and getting it out to the world has never been easier in a touch screen braille app.

Robert and Allison are very excited about MBraille and can’t wait to see what Harri does next to enhance this software even further.

In addition to Mbraille, Harri has written an accessible game, an accessible timer and an accessible calculator. These apps are available in the iOS app store. You can get more information about them and all of Harri’s work by going to his
Website

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Robert and Allison begin this podcast by demonstrating how one can use the Mac running VoiceOver and Safari to play audio and video from a webpage. Websites that use an embedded HTML5 audio or video player are fully accessible with VoiceOver. We highlight some basic VoiceOver concepts and commands along the way. In addition, we show you how to download a currently playing podcast.

Next–with the developer’s permission–we demonstrate an app for the Mac that is at the time of this recording in beta and not yet available. The app is “Downcast.” It is the Mac counterpart to the fabulous
Downcast
podcast listening app that is currently available for iOS.

Even at this stage of development, we are able to demonstrate excellent VoiceOver accessibility. We are very excited about being able to share podcast listening between our Mac and iOS devices.

We do not know when the app will be available but are certain that it will be worth the wait. Thanks Seth and George for giving us permission to sneak preview Downcast for the Mac. We are so excited.

Finally, Robert and Allison encourage everyone to get some experience with the Mac to determine whether or not it is the right computer for you. While we love the Mac, you need to try it long enough to really see how it feels to you. We encourage you to visit a friend who has a Mac or take some time to work with one in an Apple Store.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

In this Tech Doctor podcast, Allison and Robert share their excitement about all that was announced at the 2013 WWDC keynote event.

Robert And Allison discuss some of the new features that will be available in OSX Mavericks when it is released this fall.

They describe the new hardware that was announced. This includes a refresh of the MacBook Air laptops, new airport extreme and a totally redesigned Mac Pro.

Finally, they turn their attention to what will be coming in iOS 7. This is a redesign of iOS that is both different and familiar at the same time.

The keynote can be streamed or downloaded as a podcast directly from
Apple’s Web Site
Robert would like to give a special thanks to David Woodbridge who published the notes that he took while watching the keynote at 3:00 A.M. in Australia. The notes were a big help when organizing and preparing this podcast. Be sure to keep up with David by reading his
Blog.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

In this Tech Doctor podcast, Robert and Allison speak with Larry Lewis. We begin with Larry telling us about his background in access technology and how he has gotten to the point where he now owns a company called
Flying Blind, LLC

One important aspect of Larry’s business is helping teachers and parents work with their blind and low-vision children to make the best use of current technology. Larry describes some of the ways that the access technology landscape is changing. He discusses the importance of Apple Accessibility and what it has meant for the direction of his business.

Larry has recently published a new book entitled: “iOS Success: Making the iPad Accessible: A Guide for Teachers and Parents.” The book came about because school systems and parents are providing low-vision and blind children with iPads and need to quickly get up to speed and learn what iOS accessibility is all about.

The book provides parents and teachers with the foundation that they need to quickly begin making use of the accessible iPad. Robert suggests that teachers and parents might want to use Larry’s book in combination with
Take Control of Your iPad
This book covers all important aspects of using the iPad but is not written with accessibility in mind.

Larry’s book is available in multiple formats from
National Braille Press

Finally, we discuss the
AfterShokz Bluez
headphones, the
Bose AE2w
Bluetooth headphones and Tim Cook’s excellent question and answer session at
The All Things Digital Conference

We hope you enjoy this interesting and informative podcast.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

In this Tech Doctor podcast, Allison and Robert speak with access technology specialist Chris Grabowski. Chris has recently launched a new access technology training and consultation business called
Mystic Access

The first product from Mystic Access is a comprehensive Sense Navigation GPS tutorial. Sense Navigation is the GPS software that runs on the Hims Braille Sense family of products.

Prior to starting Mystic Access, Chris worked for many years providing technical support for the Sendero Group which developed the Sense Navigation software for Hims. Chris’s years of experience and thorough understanding of what people need to know to get the most out of the Sense Navigation software is evident in the quality and content of the tutorial. We feel that this tutorial is essential for anyone who owns a Braille Sense and wants to make the most of the Sense Navigation GPS software.

The tutorial is available in mp3 audio format and can be purchased and downloaded from the
Mystic Access home page.

In addition to running the new business, Chris is a fellow podcaster. When you check out the
Mystic Access Podcast
be sure to listen to a recent episode where Chris provides a sample of the SenseNav tutorial. The podcast is available through iTunes or via your favorite podcast listening client. Simply do a search for “Mystic Access.”

In addition to contacting Chris through his website, you can follow
Chris On Twitter

Thanks Chris and best of luck with the new venture.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

In this Tech Doctor episode, Allison and Robert get to know Laura Legendary. Laura is a writer, public speaker, disability advocate and small business owner. Laura tells us the fascinating story of how the idea for her unique jewelry design, manufacturing and marketing business came to be. We explore the challenges and rewards of starting and running a business.

Laura has conquered some of the accessibility challenges by switching from the Motorola Q to the Apple iPhone. We talk, for example, about how the iPhone can be used to accessibly accept and process credit card payments while at a remote location such as a conference or trade show. Laura offered a few creative suggestions on how the iPhone could be improved as well.

Click Here
To learn more about the jewelry that Laura manufactures and sells.

Go
Here
to learn more about Laura’s public speaking and advocacy work.

Keep growing and learn along with Laura by reading her
Blog

Thanks Laura. It was a pleasure getting to know you.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Imagine a world where a totally blind person has access to over 1.8 million books and magazines. Imagining and hoping is exactly what Allison Hartley has done for the last several years. Until a few days before recording this podcast, much of the Amazon Kindle content was inaccessible. The limited content that was accessible was frustrating and to work with and marginally accessible at best.

In this podcast, you will hear Allison and Robert’s surprise and delight when they discovered that on May 1st, Amazon quietly rolled out an update that makes the iOS Kindle app fully VoiceOver compatible.

Allison and Robert discuss the very polished and highly functional UI. Allison demonstrates how she can read and navigate MacWorld magazine. They explain several ways of purchasing kindle content either from an iOS device or a computer. Fortunately, purchasing is easy and fully accessible.

Robert and Allison discuss the reaction of some of the leaders in the blindness community to the release of this app. Robert and Allison express their disappointment with the tone of the NFB
Press Release
concerning the app. We feel that now is the time for celebrating progress rather than making demands. That said, the NFB Technology Center published a comprehensive review on the
NFB Technology Blog
Allison and Robert feel that giving the app only a “c” grade overall was too low, we recommend the reading of this review to learn a lot about this app.

At the time of this podcast, the most complete and informative demonstration of the app has been published by David Woodbridge and is available as an
Applevis Podcast.

Finally, Robert and Allison are delighted by the coverage that the app becoming accessible is receiving in the mainstream press. Allison and Robert are thrilled to have been guests on
The Unofficial Apple Weblog
Sunday evening Talkcast. We discussed the topic of
Accessibility
in general and the accessibility of the Kindle app specifically.

We encourage every iOS user to download this free Kindle app and join the celebration.

Happy Reading you all.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS