Fleksy – Does Fleksy change the way the blind uses the iPhone?

So now that Fleksy has been released for a few weeks now, I would like to look at the app, and see if it measures up to the hype that surrounded it at #NFB12?

How does Fleksy work?

Fleksy is a new keyboarding app for iOS that allows blind or visually impaired users to type on any iPhone or iPod touch. Once the user loads the app, Fleksy loads the speech engine and then brings up a text box and the on scren keyboard. Once loaded, a user can then tap on the screen where they think the character they need would be, and then the the user swipes right to complete the word they just typed. Once the user swipes right the app tries to guess what word they typed and puts it on the screen. swiping down will go to the next suggestion, and swiping left will delete the word. swiping right again will add punctuation.

thoughts

So how well does it work? Fleksy has proven to be a very accurate app. I believe it has up to 90% accuracy The speech is good, and it is very responsive. Several users have said they do not like the price of the app, but for the licensing and technology needed to build this app I can see why this is needed. There are still some things I do not like though. First, I think we should have an iPad version of this. This app will work on the iPad, but the app will still need to be doubled to be used in full screen on the iPad, which lowers accuracy. I urge the makers of Fleksy to please make an iPad app. I would also like to see some saving abilities. Local and iCloud saving would be an excellent thing to add. I would love to see the load times fixed to be a bit quicker, but I do understand why this happens.

Conclusion

Fleksy is a great new app to help the blind and visually impaired type quickly. Even though this is the best audience, I do think that this app could be used in other applications. I think that if the makers wanted a more broad audience, then they would market this app as a fully eyes-free capable app for sighted users who need to keep their eyes on the road or who need to watch where they are going while walking. Even though the app has a lot of new features and is very useful, I think it would be very worth the price if it has some of the features mentioned above. Despite the price, I recommend everyone get this app and support these guys. I also would recomend any iOS developers check out their APIs for their own apps.

Diet Coda

I have always felt that the iPad would be a perfect device for Web Design, but I have not yet found the perfect web editor to accomplish this. I have tried Markup, Gusto and others to accomplish this but none of these completely made a great experience as some editors on the Mac or PC could. On Mac OS X, Panic Software wrote a wonderful piece of software called Coda that has been around for many years. Now, Panic has brought Coda to the iPad and has called it Diet Coda. Diet Coda lets a web developer write code and upload that code directly to a web server. This app also lets a user login to their web server through SSH for server administration needs. So how well does this app work for VoiceOver users?

Diet Coda as good as it is, does not allow for much VoiceOver support. The app is very graphical in nature, but Panic Software did not label all of its buttons to work well with VoiceOver. This is very obvious from the beginning. Once a user sets up a site, It is impossible for a user to pick which site they want to work with, because Diet Coda does not have text labels or accessibility hints to help the user figure out which site they are selecting.

Other than that the app is lacking a few features I think would make this app Stellar. One of these include the ability to have offline site storage like Coda for Mac OS X. I also think that iCloud or Dropbox support would also go a long way to make users happy.

Conclusion

While Diet Coda is a great app, I cannot recommend it for very low vision or blind users, because of the lack of VoiceOver support. Otherwise, this is a very good app except for the essential need for Internet support. If your iPad does not have internet, then this app will be useless to you. This is why I feel this app needs to have offline support. Otherwise the feature set provided by Diet Coda is a great benefit to any on the go web developer.

AppBraille

One limitation of any application that uses custom fonts is that that font cannot be copied or used in any other app on an iOS device. Due to some research, this limitation can be overcome. Now, Braille can be copied between apps on all iOS devices.

Look for the AppBraille technology In all future releases of VisualBraille, VisualBraille Lite, PocketBraille Reference, and PocketBraille Lite. Plus some new AppBraille specific apps that include AppBraille Explorerer, and AppBraille editor.

Brookstone iConvert Scanner for iPad 2 and the new iPad

With the iPad 2 and the New iPad, many hardware and gadget vendors have decided to build all new accessories to enhance the use of our favorite tablet. One device that I have recently purchased is the new iConvert Scanner from Brookstone. This device lets a user connect their iPad to a document feed scanner device available only at Brookstone. With this device, a user may scan documents and photos straight to the iPad.

How does it work?

The iConvert scanner is a device that plugs in to AC/DC power with an included power cord. Once the device is plugged in, the user places the iPad in the stand on top of the device, and then holds down the scanner’s power button for 3 seconds. Once this is complete, the scanner is primed and ready to accept documents. To use this device, go to the iTunes App Store from your iPad, and look up the iConvert app from Brookstone, which is free of charge. Download this app and then start it from your home screen. Once you have started the app, look around the screen using VoiceOver. There are several settings in here but the main thing we want to find is the scanner status and the scan button. The scanner status will tell us if the scanner is connected and working, and the scan button will let the user scan a document. Before you double or split tap the scan button take your document, and set the margins on the scanner to fit the size of your paper. Then, take your paper, and gently start feeding it in to the scanner. If the scanner is on, the feeder will grab your paper and move it in to the scanner proper alignment. Now, we can press the scan button on the iPad. While this process is going, sit back and wait. This should not take longer than 3 to 5 seconds, Once done, find the save button on the screen. This button will be in the same place as the scan button. Once you tap the save button, your scanned document will be saved to the camera roll for further use. The saved image is at 300dpi, so you will have a clean and crisp version of your document.

Conclusion

Even with a price tag of $140.00 the iPad scanner is a great and crisp scanning solution for mobile devices. Eventually, I would love to see Brookstone come out with a bluetooth version of this that will work for the iPhone and iPad, but this is pretty nice as it is. In my next post, I will really give the argument why this is really handy for the blind, and yet, it does have to do with OCR.

AT resource app for iOS.

This post is for all iOS developers, review sites and general iOS Assistive Technology experts. I would like to create an app that contains a list of all Assistive Technology resources for iOS. Please let me know if you would like your resource in this app. If you would not like your resource in this app please let me know. This app will be a free app on the iOS app store, and will allow blind and visually impaired users to gain resources to better use their iDevice.

Say hey to HeyTell!

Since the creation of iOS and Android, users desired the ability to use push to talk functionality on their devices. HeyTell has been released to fulfill this requirement.

How does it work?

First, HeyTell asks you who you are by requesting that you pick yourself from your contact list. It is a good idea that you make sure you have your information in your contact list. Once you have identified yourself, then you can start using the app.

You will first need to know someone that uses HeyTell. If you do, find them in your contacts by selecting the select contacts button. Once you find the person’s name, you can double tap and select send via email or sms. Once they accept your friend request you can start talking to that person.

When you want to talk to someone, all you have to do is select that person in the conversations list and double tap and hold on the press to speak button. When you are done just let your finger go off the phone. Your message will be instantly sent, and the person can respond. the same way. You can also see previous messages by tapping the more info button near the person’s name, and there is an option to switch between speakers on the phone. HeyTell also has extras you can purchase to make the app do different things.

If you are not in the app when someone sends you a message, the app will get a push notification and alert you to a new message.

Observations

For one of the first apps of its kind, HeyTell is a very well designed app. The creator had VoiceOver users in mind and has labeled every button. I also understand that it is necessary to sometimes use iAd, but in this app the ad covers part of the conversation window which can make this area quite clutterd. I would also like to see group messaging, and forwarding be implemented, but I am sure these things will come in later. The interface to this app is very clean and basic, and I myself notice some of the techniques they used as I am an iOS developer myself. I think the creators followed the guidelines well, and I wish other iOS developers would do the same.

Conclusion

At a very low price tag of FREE, I think HeyTell is a must have if you prefer push to talk conversations. I have not had the chance to look at the Android version of this app, so if anyone would like to comment please do so. I am also working on an Android accessibility website called drainable.net, so once that is up I would like to get some good reviews of Android accessibility, and I think I will start with HeyTell.

Push 4.0 for iOS.

Several weeks ago, Christina posted an article on the benefits of push notifications through the free app called Boxcar. As stated, Boxcar lets you push all messages from your twitter, Facebook, RSS feeds, and even growl notifications. Push 4 is another app that is on the app store that states the same functionality, but does it work as well for the blind?

About Push 4

Push is another app that lets you push alerts to your phone through the use of push notifications, which is probably the app is called Push. Push supports the pushing of Twitter, Facebook, Email, and RSS Feeds. Push 4 also supports many different APIs for developers to make their apps compatible with Push. Push 4 also supports many different sounds just as Boxcar does. These sounds are different of course.

How does Push work?

When you start the app for the first time, you must first create an online account at the Push 4 website. This is at http://www.4push.com. Once you have created your account, you can use your selected email and password to log in to the app. Once you log in, you can select the services you wish to use. The login process uses standard controls that are compatible with VoiceOver.

Once you log in, you must add your desired services. To do this, tap the button in the lower left of the screen. This button is not VoiceOver compliant. VoiceOver will say, “P2″ instead of settings or whatever the developer intended it to say. On the main screen, you can also see the latest notifications you have received in a table, and you can select the any service by tapping the inboxes button. This screen also contains the compose button which allows the user to write their own notifications on the fly. I am not sure why a user would need this, but it is there.

To add a service, you must first tap the, “P2″ button then select the service you would like to add. Once you have done this, you must use the button at the top to sign in to the desired service. Once this is complete, you may finish filling in the desired settings, like the sound, the type of notification and so on. This all appears to be VoiceOver compliant. Push does also offer a help section here if you have trouble.

Conclusion

While this is a great app, it is still lacking when compared to its rival Boxcar. Boxcar has more services, a more polished interface, and even a better price! Boxcar is a free app, except for the fact that ads are shown on the screen at some points. There is an in-app purchase to remove this however. Push 4 costs $1.99, and then has a $9.99 in app purchase to unlock full notification bandwidth which I am not fully sure what this is. As a user who has tried both these apps, I strongly recommend Boxcar. Nice try Push, but not nice enough for the functionality and price. It is also hard to use Push with VoiceOver due to the settings button which is integral to this apps use.

Favorite Apps of 2010

Hey Everyone.

I figured I would share with everyone which apps I used the most in 2010, and would like to hear what apps you have used this year.

1. ZumoCast

ZumoCast has proven an invaluable app for my daily use. I can access all of my files from home, and listen to media while on the go. I usually use this app on the iPad instead of the iPhone though.

2. The Weather Channel.

I use this app every day to find out how the weather will be as I head off to work. I really like the organization of this app, except  I do not like some of the VoiceOver labels.

3. Unibus (iBus-Mobile)

Even though this app went down for a while, it is still the best app for finding out the next bus times for a particular stop.

4. AOL Radio

AOL Radio is an awesome streaming music app from CBS. It may not be the most stable app, but the channels are good and it is free. They even have channels that you can’t find anywhere else, like the video game sound track channel.

5. VLC Media Player

VLC Media Player is one of my favorite media players for the PC and Mac. Now it is for iOS. VLC for iOS allows you to play just as many video formats as you can on your own computer. This is a good app for iPad users, and is also good in conjunction with ZumoCast.

6. Audible

The Audible app is a good way to download your Audible books straight to your iDevice. You can even get achievements for listening to books!

7. iWork for iOS

iWork for iPad is a fully featured Office Suite. It is still good for on the go use, but can do any desktop based work if a bluetooth keyboard is present.

8. IM+ for iOS

IM+ is the best instant message app for VoiceOver users. with IM+ you can chat with people from almost any network. You also only have to have one app instead of a special VoiceOver only app like Fring.

9. Facebook for iOS

Facebook for iOS is an awesome app for social networking. the sections are well designed, and in a design similar to the iOS home screen.

10. Prizmo for iOS

Prizmo has to be one of my favorite apps for iOS. With Prizmo, a user may scan documents by taking pictures of each document, and then convert that document to text, business cards and more. I am also waiting to see how DocuScan for iOS will do from Serotek Corporation when it is released on the App Store.

Conclusion

So those are several of the apps that I like, and use every day. I would love to know what apps everyone else is using on a daily basis, so please leave comments with your favorite choices.

Want to see how well your iPhone/iPad is running? try Activity Monitor.

Activity Monitor

Are you used to being able to see how well your computer is doing? Would you like to have this information on your iPhone and iPad? well then Activity Monitor can give you this ability.

So, what does this actually do?

Every PC or Mac comes with an application to show the user how much used memory, and how much free memory is available. This program will also show you what processes are running, and will let you close these processes if needed. The iPhone version has all of this information, and then some.

Information

The information section shows all related information to the device the program is being run on. This section shows the name of the device, the UDID, which is the unique identification number of the device. You can also see how much used memory and free memory is availabe on your device as well. In addition, you can also see how much used space and free space  are on your device.

Usage

The usage section will show you a more in depth view of your device’s memory usage. This section also shows a graph of all recent CPU (processor) usage. This graph is not VoiceOver accessible however. The next area down is the amount of used and running RAM. Here again is a chart that shows what percentages of your RAM is free, used, or wired memory. All labels and numbers here are readable via VoiceOver. Below this, is the total disk memory on your device. Again, the chart is not accessible, but all labels and numbers are.

Battery

The next section will show you how much battery is left on your device. You may also look at all statistics to see how much talk time is remaining, how long you may surf the net, and many more. All of these are accessible via VoiceOver. There is even a button to sound an alarm when your phone is fully charged.

Processes.

This part of the app will let you view all running processes. Selecting one will make VoiceOver read you the App’s PID number, the app or service name, and the app or service’s priority rating.

Conclusion

If you are an advanced user, who likes to know how well their device is working, then Activity Monitor is the app for you. This app works fairly well with VoiceOver, except for the bits that involve graphics. Priced at $1.99, Activity monitor is an app for any iOS Power user.

SkyFire Web Browser

There has always been a lot of hype about having any flash content on the iPhone. SkyFire Labs has released an app for the iPhone called SkyFire Web Browser. This app may not rpovide full access to flash, but it does provide flash video content to iOS devices.

How does this work?

SkyFire Web Browser is a very simple app. It is just a web browser on the surface, which lets you browse the Internet just as you would in Safari. The big difference is that the app will lookk for pages with flash video embedded in the page. Once a page is found, SkyFire sends the flash video to their servers, and converts the file to iPhone video formats for device compatibility. This process takes up a lot of Internet, and server bandwith. If the server does not send the video back immediately, it is because the SkyFire Labs server is overloaded with people such as yourself wanting flash content.

Will it work for Non-visual users?

I had my doubts of this app’s accessibility after reading a short review on AppleVis, but I decided to turn on VoiceOver on my iPhone 4 to get a second opinion. What I found was that every web page element was just as accessibile as any found in the main Safari browser on the iPhone. Each page element was descriptive and fully spoken. The only issue I had was with the buttons at the bottom of the screen, such as the back and forward buttons. This is because VoiceOver reads a lot of information for each button. An example is the back button. VoiceOver will say Arrow Normal button. This means that it is an arrow that is has a normal status, and that it is a button.

Conclusion

While many who are blind and visually impaired may not see a need for flash video on their iOS devices, I think it is a good idea to have the ability to play whatever video format that you may run in to. SkyFire Web Browser goes for $2.99 in the iTunes App Store, and is built to work on the iPhone. This app is not configured yet to work on the iPad.