Technology E-newsletterAutumn 2017Issue 2

Welcome

Welcome to the second edition of Tech News.

This quarterly newsletter has been created to highlight new developments in the world of assistive and mainstream technology, and to share stories about the many people throughout the world who use this technology every day.

Were living in an ever-changing world, where we are engaging, more than ever with all sorts of technology, from the time we wake up to the time we go to sleep. It is important to know how we can make this technology work for us and, especially for those of us with sight loss, to make sure that it can maximise our independence.

I hope you enjoy this edition of Tech News, and please do get in touch with us. Your feedback and participation will significantly enhance this publication.

Stuart Lawler

Rehabilitation Centre manager and Technology Specialist Team Lead

In this edition Latest News New Product Releases Technology Podcasts Emerging Assistive Technologies Recent and Upcoming Technology Events Sharon Shortcuts Technology Tutorials App of the Month

Latest News

#hashtag10: Hashtag Celebrates its 10th Birthday this Month

The hashtag was first used in its modern sense 10 years ago on Twitter this very month, when an early adopter wondered if it could be used to categorise group messages.

Former Uber and Google engineer Chris Messina tweeted on August 23 2007 to ask the wider Twitter universe if using the pound symbol at the start of a key phrase could be a logical way to organise conversation and categorise tweets.

Interaction and conversation has changed since the emergence of social media, but the evolution of the hashtag into a facet of everyday speech has been one of the key components of that rise.

The conversations a single hashtag has provoked have made headline news around the world, changed political landscapes and shaped lives in many cases amazing power for a single character of the digital age.

Samsung launches Bixby voice assistant in Ireland and the UK

Samsungs smart assistant Bixby is now fully functional in Ireland and the UK.

The virtual assistant, which debuted on the Galaxy S8 and S8+ devices earlier this year, can handle queries and commands issued through text as well as offer shortcuts to different phone features when prompted.

Now, users in Ireland and the UK can also use their voice to interact with Bixby for the first time, a feature previously only available to those in the US and South Korea.

Similar to other smart assistants including Apples Siri, Google Assistant and Amazons Alexa, Bixby understands and responds to voice commands on scheduling, news updates and weather reports, as well as launching apps on a users smartphone.

The software is prompted by saying Hi, Bixby.

Bixby can also be used for images taking a photo of an object can also be used to search the internet for results related to that item.

New Product Releases

Explore 8 Handheld video magnifier

The explor 8 from Humanware is the latest addition to the brands explor line of handheld video magnifiers, including the explor 3 and explor 5.

The product features an eight-inch touchscreen and is designed for active people who prefer a large screen but still want a portable device they can carry with them.

The device comes with a durable reading stand and customisable features like an automatic toggle to switch easily between desktop and distance viewing. The explor 8 is HDMI compatible and can be connected quickly and simply to any large-screen TV.

Connect 12 electronic magnifier (new generation)

The Connect 12 is a highly portable digital magnifier and 12-inch tablet that features an open Android platform with access to more than a million apps and native synchronisation to Google's suite of tools.

The products is perfect for low-vision users looking to enlarge print and images and comes with an optional wireless camera for distant viewing (up to 40x magnification in full HD with integrated capture function).This makes it a particularly useful solution for a classroom environment.

The new simple interface gives you all the tools you need in one place allowing you to choose what you want to do: enlarge a printed document, read a book, newspaper or magazine, adjust for your visual comfort, sign or fill a form and more.

The Connect 12 presents perfect Diamond-Edge text with extreme capture and processing speed in three efficient reading modes: page, column and line. It also offers speech output on documents and menus.enlarge a printed document, read a book, newspaper or magazine, adjust for your visual comfort, sign or fill a form and more.The newly redesigned Connect 12 combines a high-performance digital magnifier with the versatility of a tablet, plus unmatched ease of use and integrated access to newspapers or magazines from online libraries. This ideal solution for active seniors, students and professionals, allows free and open access to more than a million apps.

The newly redesigned Connect 12 combines a high-performance digital magnifier with the versatility of a tablet, plus unmatched ease of use and integrated access to newspapers or magazines from online libraries.The newly redesigned Connect 12 combines a high-performance digital magnifier with the versatility of a tablet, plus unmatched ease of use and integrated access to newspapers or magazines from online libraries. This ideal solution for active seniors, students and professionals, allows free and open access to more than a million apps.The newly redesigned Connect 12 combines a high-performance digital magnifier with the versatility of a tablet, plus unmatched ease of use and integrated access to newspapers or magazines from online libraries. This ideal solution for active seniors, students and professionals, allows free and open access to more than a million apps.The newly redesigned Connect 12 combines a high-performance digital magnifier with the versatility of a tablet, plus unmatched ease of use and integrated access to newspapers or magazines from online libraries. This ideal solution for active seniors, students and professionals, allows free and open access to more than a million apps.

The new simple interface gives you all the tools you need in one place allowing you to choose what you want to do: enlarge a printed document, read a book, newspaper or magazine, adjust for your visual comfort, sign or fill a form and more.

ZoomText Fusion 11

On 30th May, Ai Squared and Freedom Scientific announced the release of ZoomText Fusion 11 for Windows, bringing together the two hugely popular accessibility software programs for the visually impaired, ZoomText and JAWS, into a single package.

ZoomText Fusion may be a useful solution for schools, agencies, training centres, or businesses where individuals with vision loss are served. A single installer and one license gives access to both ZoomText and JAWS individually, or together when run as the combined solution.

It is also possible to download a 40 minute trial of ZoomText Fusion 11 for Windows 10, Windows 8.1 and Windows 7.

Technology Podcasts

NCBI's monthly Technology Podcast takes a look at the world of assistive technology for people with sight loss, but with an Irish slant. The podcast features interviews, product demonstrations, tutorials and occasional lifestyle segments with people throughout Ireland and abroad.

In August:

Amie Hynes Fitzpatrick talks about the recently launched ViaOpta suite of apps, from Novartis.

NCBIs Junior MasterChef group brings us a very special report from our offices in Carrick-on-Shannon.

Sharon Lyons is along to show us how to use Gmail with NVDA.

Finally, Amie Hynes Fitzpatrick is back once again to tell us all about OrCam.

Check out NCBIs Technology Podcast Page to listen to these and other podcasts.

Emerging Assistive Technologies

Aira Glasses

Aira, a US-based startup with headquarters in San Diego, has developed a pair of smart glasses that can help blind people with everyday tasks. The glasses, which are based on Google Glass, connect blind customers with a network of certified agents that can see what the blind person would be seeing in real time.

These agents can help customers with daily tasks and activities such as navigating busy streets and grocery shopping by acting as a visual interpreter. The agent also can track the customer's location through Google Maps. Aira noted that this service isn't designed to replace traditional methods such as a guide dog or a white cane, but is instead meant to be used alongside them for specific tasks.

Aira's smart gasses are available now in the US as part of a subscription plan where subscribers can get the glasses and 200 minutes of access per month for $129. Other subscription plans are available dependent on the customers required usage. It is expected that the glasses will be available in Ireland soon.

Check out the Aira Glasses Demonstration Video to see them in action.

Blitab Braille Device

The soon to be released Blitab is set to be the worlds first tactile tablet for blind and visually impaired people.

The Blitab is a multi-line Braille Android tablet with a smart Braille surface that delivers real-time content to the user.

The Blitabs Braille display includes 14 rows, each made up of 23 cells with six dots per cell.

Austria-based startup Blitab Technology claims the "revolutionary" technology could be used to further help open up the digital era to the visually impaired, with plans to develop a braille smartphone. We are creating the first tactile tablet for blind and visually impaired people," Slavi Slavev, chief technology officer and co-founder of Blitab Technology. At heart, its an Android tablet, so it has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and can run all sorts of Android apps. It also supports all the cool accessibility features in iOS, such as VoiceOver.

Co-founder and CEO Kristina Tsvetanova explains Were not excluding VoiceOver; we combine both of these things. We offer both the tactile experience and the VoiceOver experience.

Behind the scenes, the Blitab tablet uses small bubbles to change the state of these bubbles in very little time. The company is thinking about more powerful features. For instance, you could think about drawing a Google Maps view on the top half of the device so that you can feel the map.

The company started working on the Blitab device in 2014, and the team of 10 plans are currently taking pre-orders. The anticipated retail price is $500. For more information please visit https://blitab.com/.

Recent and Upcoming Events

Image above shows Eric Damery from Freedom Scientific demonstrating products on the day

Freedom Scientific Return to NCBI 9th August

On Wednesday August 9th, we were delighted once again to welcome Freedom Scientific, part of the VFO Group to NCBI. This is the third year that Freedom Scientific have visited us, and Eric Damery, Vice President of Software Product Management, gave an engaging presentation on all that is new across the VFO product line.

Over 60 people attended the session, as well as another 40 people who joined our live audio stream. If you missed the session, fear not, as well be carrying extracts on our next Technology Podcast, which will be released in early September.

VFO have been working hard to update existing products and continue to fine-tune compatibility between Zoomtext and JAWS, as well as making access to the Edge web browser in Windows 10 a reality.

The next major release of JAWS (named JAWS 2018) is scheduled to arrive at the end of October. It will also coincide with a new version of Zoomtext (also named Zoomtext 2018) and Fusion, the combined screen reading and magnification offering, enabling people with low vision to get everything that JAWS and Zoomtext has to offer in one package.

Having the VFO Group visit NCBI is one of our by now annual highlights, explains Stuart Lawler, Rehabilitation Centre Manager and Technology Specialist Team Lead. It gives our service users a first-hand opportunity to speak directly to one of the biggest players in the Assistive Technology industry and have their questions answered.

For more information on any of the products mentioned here, please get in touch with us.

NCBI Fundamentals in Assistive Technology Course Commencing 16th September

NCBI will be launching its first ever on-line training programme, entitled Fundamentals in Assistive Technology on Saturday 16th September.

The course, an initiative of NCBIs Technology Specialist Team, is designed to give a broad overview of assistive technologies used by people with impaired vision and will run over a three month period. Students will learn how assistive and mainstream technologies can work together to provide access to solutions in environments including education, work and leisure.

It will be primarly delivered online alongside two on-site training days where students will be given a chance to try out much of the technology featured in the course.

NCBI Virtual Technology Club Next Session 28th September

The Virtual Technology Club was established in recognition of the fact that for many people with sight loss who rely on technology to live an independent life, it can be difficult to travel to access training or support, or to meet other users and share knowledge.

Our Virtual Technology Club takes place on line. Participants learn and share from each other in a space where knowledge and experiences can be exchanged freely.

Since it was launched in April of this year, the club has enjoyed participation from technology enthusiasts from all over the country and international sight loss community. Guest speakers regularly appear on the virtual club and new participants are invited to join the conversation at any time.

How does it work?

Were using a piece of software that youll need to install on your computer in order to join the club. Check out our Virtual Technology Club User Guide.

Next Virtual Technology Club Session

The next session will take place on Thursday 28th September at 7pm. All club sessions are available as podcasts at www.ncbi.ie/technology. Please Get in touchfor more information.

Sharon's Shortcuts IT Training without the Mouse

Tech News is delighted to be back with more Sharon's Shortcuts!

Sharon Shortcuts is an online resource managed by Sharon Lyons for anyone who loves to use keyboard shortcuts, whether out of choice or necessity. The site is primarily aimed at helping those who use screen readers, such as NVDA or JAWS.

Shortcut of the Week

Sharons Shortcuts sends out an email every Monday with the Shortcut of the Week. You can cign up to the Sharons Shortcuts club and get the Shortcut of the Week at http://sharons-shortcuts.ie/.

Latest Pocket Podcasts

Sharons Shortcuts also has a section called Pocket Podcasts. This contains the Sharons Shortcuts slots from each monthly NCBI Technology Podcasts, including a list of shortcuts from each episode as a handy reference. Not to be missed!TheSharon'sShortcutsPocket Podcast for August 2017is now available. This month it covers how to access Web-based Gmail with keyboard shortcuts

Contact Sharon on info@sharons-shortcuts.ie or through the Contact page if you are interested in attending a workshop

Technology Tutorials

This month, NCBIs Technical Support Officer Paul Traynor provides step by step instructions on how to attach files to emails to the increasingly popular email client Thunderbird. Technology Tutorial: Attaching files to emails in Thunderbird. NCBI IT Trainer Roisin Mulligan introduces Microsoft Excel and how to use some of its most frequently used features such as carrying out calculations and creating charts.

Technology Tutorial: An Introduction to Microsoft Excel

Finally, accessibility tech guru and close friend of NCBI David Nason is back with a great demonstration video on how to use VoiceOvers Rotor tool to quickly access settings and navigate text on the iPhone:Technology Tutorial: VoiceOver for iOS: The Rotor.

App of the Month

Seeing AI app for iOS

Image above shows someone pointing their iPhone at a woman sitting at a table outside a cafe, to use the Seeing AI apps facial recognition feature.

This month we take a look at the Seeing AI app from Microsoft. Seeing AI is a free app that narrates the world around you and was designed spefically for individuals with no or reduced sight. It is currently available to iOS customers in the US, Canada, India, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Singapore and will be coming to more countries soon.

NCBI IT Trainer Brian Manning recently managed try out the app and spoke to Tech News about his experience using it:

I have been using this app now for over a week and find it brilliantly beneficial as a blind person. I have also demonstrated the app and some of its features to number or service-users who are equally impressed with it and with its capabilities. Its short text feature is excellent, combined with a larger document reader which is quite good and the OCR is excellent.

The barcode is quite good and has a brilliant added feature where you can get more information on a product such as details on cooking instructions and ingredients etc. Its personal identifier is quite good and allied with its ability for facial recognition makes it quite unique. Another thing that has impressed me about this app is its potential to develop other channels such as colour ID currency recognition etc.

It is an excellent app and I would really strongly recommend you give it a try.

Check out this Seeing AI Demonstration Video for more information.

Keep in Touch

If there is something you would like to see featured in the next issue of Tech News please get in touch. We would love to hear from you!Please email technews@ncbi.ie or call on 018307033.