All Cool Blind Tech Shows

In this episode we geek out with Cool Blind Tech’s own Greg Lopez as he introduces us to the basics of sideloading applications on Android devices, including why installing apps from outside the Google Play store isn’t enabled by default and how to enable this before beginning the sideloading process. If you’d like to know more about sideloading, click here to read what Android Central says about the subject.

In this podcast, Cory Martin gives an overview of the Expedia app for iOS. He demonstrates how to locate flights, search for hotels and filter based on various preferences.

At the time of this podcast, the iOS app from Expedia is extremely easy and accessible to use and highly recommended if you have the travel bug. Click here to download Expedia from the App store in Canada or Click here to download from iTunes in the US.

Expedia is available in both the United States and Canada as well as The UK among others. Expedia is one of the largest and most popular online travel companies in the world and incorporates approximately a dozen of the world’s most notable travel brands.

VR, or virtual reality, is still in its infant stages of development. Most use head-strapped gear, such as a headset, which track the movement of your body as you walk around.

A lot of VR’s benefits are visual, or so most would believe. Dolby, however, thinks otherwise. While they are well known for high-end audio systems, they are making an entry into this new market through a multitude of Android apps in partnership with Jaunt Inc. These previews are meant to simulate virtual reality environments, offering an immersive experience even for those who are blind.

Join us in this podcast as we explore two of these apps. To download them yourself or any of the other trailers, visit the Google Play developer page for Jaunt Inc.

Please note that in order to use them with talkback, you must first suspend speech after starting your desired app. Once this is done, you can tap near the top / center half of the screen in landscape mode to find the start button. Don’t worry, going back to your home screen is difficult, unless you tap near the bottom. Hold the phone with the home button facing to the right.

In this episode, James Oates demonstrates the iOS app “Say Play”. This application allows you to dictate a song or video title, and then the app will find and play it.

Here is the description from the developer:

Play any song in the world by just saying its name.

Say Play uses a powerful voice search and plays your desired song immediately.

It’s easy:

1. Just say a name of a song

2. Say Play will find your song and play it

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“Say Play iOS app makes music streaming as easy as speaking the name of the track” – 9to5mac

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Supported languages:

• English

• Spanish

• German

• Arabic

• Hebrew

• French

• Italian

• Russian

• Czech

• Dutch

• Norwegian

• Portuguese

• Romanian

• Swedish

• Polish

Dr. Howard Kaplan, the developer of the iOS app, Spotlight Text, sits down with the team at Cool Blind Tech to discuss his amazing eBook reading app for people with low vision problems.

Dr. Kaplan tells us the story of why he became a Retina surgeon, and how his concern for his patients led to him becoming an accessibility advocate. Many of his patients are dealing with Macular Degeneration, Retinitis Pigmentosis, or complications resulting from Diabetes. After the launch of Kindle eBook reader, Dr. Kaplan was disturbed to find that most of his patients could not read digital material, and there was no good reason for this to be the case. After fruitlessly trying to get the content providers to make their material accessible, he began the process of trying to do it himself. Spotlight Text works in conjunction with Bookshare, a company that provides more than 250,000 eBooks to persons with vision problems.

Here is a description of the app from the App Store:

Spotlight Text is the first eBook reader crafted specifically for individuals with vision loss. How to get started, instructions, and watch a video demonstration here.

 

“We Read to Know That We Are Not Alone.” - C.S. Lewis

 

- Access Bookshare's 250,000+ collection of books (including best sellers and new releases).

- Designed for maximum legibility

- Multiple reading modes including one designed specifically for individuals with RP Constricted Field

- Autoplay mode with customizable speeds

- Increase or decrease font size to your desire

- Simple and easy to navigate user interface

- Unlimited Screen Size with Apple TV or Direct HDMI Contact

 

Visit https://www.SpotlightText.com to learn more about the application and for help signing up for Bookshare.

 

Focus Reading Technology is dedicated to the belief that through superior product design incorporating cutting edge user interface technology and access to e-content, visual and print disabilities can be addressed and overcome, and the joy of reading restored.

 

In this latest episode, Cory Martin takes a look at the latest NVDA 2015.1 and gives an explanation of NVDA Object navigation and how one can use it in a variety of ways.

Cory shows using object navigation on the web, to manipulate dialogue boxes, to maneuver between different windows, copying text from on-screen and to check out object navigation in Microsoft Word. He also gives a hint of what is possible with touch screens or a traditional mouse/touchpad.

Lastly, Cory gives a brief overview of the new reading mode in Microsoft Word which uses the web-based browse mode to navigate Word documents.

If you’ve struggled with understanding how to use object navigation in NVDA before, hopefully this podcast will help clear up some of that mystery.

In this episode, James Oates talks about Amazon Prime Music, which is one of several benefits provided to Amazon Prime members. In addition to free two day shipping, streaming instant video, and the Kindle lending library, Amazon Prime members can also stream free music. James demonstrates this benefit on an iPhone 5, using the Amazon Music app provided in the app store.

Greg Lopez introduces Speakerphone Ex, a speakerphone automation tool for Android. You can get either the free version here or the pro version for around $1.50 US here.

Here at Cool Blind Tech it’s not just about technology, but also about people and today we had a unique opportunity to speak to a visually impaired entrepreneur, Brent Harbolt from The Harbolt Company, a store which focuses on unique and cool mainstream gadgets we can all use as blind or visually impaired individuals.

We speak with Brent about his beginnings and how he started his store, we hear about some of the challenges that Brent has faced as a blind person starting his own business and how he has met and overcome these difficulties. Brent tells us about his business and how his passion for customer service and interaction with people has formed the vision and mission for his store. Brent describes his methods for locating items he sells and how he has fun with his business.

Brent also is offering our listeners a discount at his store, so give the podcast a listen to hear how this rather unique business got started and for an exclusive coupon code for Cool Blind Tech listeners should you find a gadget you just must have.

If you wish to visit The Harbolt Company, you may follow this link: www.harboltcompany.com

You may also visit The Harbolt Company Contact Page by Clicking Here should you wish to speak with Brent directly.

We have shown you that Levtec Winstaller works with the latest Windows 10 Technical Preview Build 9926 from Microsoft, however that demonstration used the Winstaller driver to deploy the Windows image.

Winstaller does support loading NVDA with the actual Windows setup. With this option enabled in the Winstaller image, a visually impaired person can use the same setup program that a sighted person would utilize. If you would prefer to use the setup program provided by Microsoft, such as if you were doing an install over a previous installation of Windows or repairing a copy of Windows that was not booting, this might interest you.

This is a quick demonstration of what the Windows setup program looks like and how it works.

Please remember that we are demonstrating what would be considered to be an advanced topic and you should not attempt this yourself unless you have an understanding of what you are doing. This has the ability to erase data and therefore if you intend to deploy and install Windows in this way, please remember to keep backups of your data and prepare yourself to restore your computer to a previous state if necessary. Cool Blind Tech is not responsible for damage resulting out of the use of the information provided here.