Supersense App for Android

To our Android followers here’s another helpful Artificial Intelligence app.

 

Hey friends,

 

We have just released Supersense, a new kind of Android app for the visually impaired and the blind. It is very different from SeeingAI, Envision, and others. Supersense helps you locate an empty chair, a door, a trashcan, and many other useful things. It does all of this offline, without an internet connection. If you have ever had difficulty finding objects around you, you may want to give this app a try.

 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mediate.supersense

 

I have previously shared the beta version of our app with you. It was called Mediate Vision, some of you may have tested that one. We heard some encouraging words from our testers so far.

 

– “Excellent app and excellent concept indeed! I’ve fallen in love with the app!”

– “I have tested it out a few times and I love it. I was able to independently find my house dumpster for the first time!

– “Many thanks for your app. I use it to find stairs on our house block or in front of the mall.”

 

You can try it for free and then there is a monthly subscription. We will soon add yearly and lifetime subscription options.

 

The app works on phones with Android 6.0 and above. The iOS version will be released this summer.

 

We are trying to empower people with visual impairments and blindness to navigate and use their environments more independently. I would love to hear your feedback on how this app can make that happen better.

 

Looking forward to hearing from you,

 

– emre

—

 

Emre Sarbak

 

Co-founder | Mediate

Sign up to our newsletter on our website

 

GTT Toronto Summary Notes, CSUN Assistive Tech Conference Summary, March 21, 2019

Summary Notes

 

GTT Toronto Adaptive Technology User Group

March 21, 2019

 

An Initiative of the Canadian Council of the Blind

In Partnership with the CNIB Foundation

 

The most recent meeting of the Get Together with Technology (GTT) Toronto Group was held on Thursday, March 21 at the CNIB Community Hub.

 

*Note: Reading Tip: These summary notes apply HTML headings to help navigate the document. With screen readers, you may press the H key to jump forward or Shift H to jump backward from heading to heading.

 

Theme: 2019 CSUN Assistive Tech Conference Summary

 

GTT Toronto Meeting Summary Notes can be found at this link:

 

Ian White (Facilatator, GTT)

Jason Fayre (Presenter)

 

Jason opened the meeting. He invited questions and input.

 

General Discussion:

A member raised the topic that AIRA is offering 3 months of free service. You’re eligible if you’ve never paid for AIRA before. The deal is on till March 29. You pay your first month at $29 U.S. and your next 3 months are free, 30 minutes per month. You don’t get glasses; you just use your phone. Another member described a device he had with him. Samsung has an in-house accessibility program. They offer a free, downloadable program that works with virtual reality glasses. The member passed the device around. It’s something wearable on your face, that holds your phone, and augments what the camera sees, in various ways. It’s a device for people with low vision. It’s a competitor to Iris Vision and New Eyes. It’s mainly for magnification and enhancement.

Another member raised a problem watching Netflix on his phone, and the controls get minimized Another member said she called Netflix, and they say it’s an iPhone issue. She recommends when the “show controls” button comes up, tap and hold. Netflix has an accessibility team; Twitter might be one way to find them. The first member said he now uses his Apple watch to control it. Someone else recommended that if you want to track down an accessibility person at a particular company, try finding them on LinkedIn.

Someone raised the question of what’s going on with CELA. When will their website be fixed. A member said that downloading and direct-to-player should now be working. They completely redesigned their site, and almost everything about how they operate. Things didn’t go as smoothly as they’d hope. Now, you can access CELA and Bookshare through the same site. It will really facilitate getting more titles from the U.S. soon.

Albert from GTT on the west coast contributed that someone from CELA will be on the national GTT call on May 8 to talk about the changes. The main site to find out about national GTT stuff is www.gttprogram.blog. Many things are posted there. The national calls are always on the second Wednesday of each month, 7:00 P.M. eastern.

A member raised a problem in Jaws 2018 and Windows10, where demands by the computer to install upgrades, were causing Jaws to crash in Outlook. He said the Microsoft accessibility help desk was able to downgrade him to a previous version of something, which helped. Jason added that using Windows10 pretty much requires you to keep your Jaws completely updated. The Office version number is also relevant to the equation. NVDA is getting very good, so if anyone’s frustrated, it’s always an option.

A member raised a problem with Windows8 where turning on the computer seems to load many windows, which he has to close before he can continue. Jason recommended the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk. You can also use Be My Eyes, and call Microsoft through that. This allows you to point your camera at the screen for easier diagnostics.

A member asked about files that say, “empty document,” when you open them. Another member said this is likely because the document is a scanned image, or if the protection on the document is too high. Another member added that, in Adobe, there’s a setting under “reading” that will help to read the entire document verses reading only one page at a time. Try going under the view menu, then accessibility, for more options. PDFs are always challenging. One might work, one might not. Another member added that Jaws now has built in character recognition for PDF documents. Within Jaws 2019, press insert, space bar, O, then D, it will allow you to read some PDF’s. Also, you can do this by navigating to the file name without opening it, open your applications menu, and arrow down to, recognize with Jaws OCR.

Another member raised the question of how to use Outlook to make appointments consulting other peoples’ calendars. Jason replied that it’s possible but not simple, maybe too in-depth for the meeting. Jason volunteered that he has a document he wrote in another context, which explains how to do it. He offered to send it out to the group.

A member asked about how to fax from a printer. Jason answered that you’d have to call the printer company and ask if there’s a way to do it directly from the computer.

A member asked if it’s possible to combine all your calendars into one. Jason answered that if you attach all your calendars to your phone calendar, your phone will show everything. Everything will show in a unified list in the phone calendar ap.

 

CSUN Summary:

Jason then began talking about his experience at CSUN. This is an enormous assistive technology conference that occurs in California each year. It’s put on by the University of Southern California North Ridge. It’s the largest conference of its kind anywhere. It includes any kind of assistive tech, not just blindness-related stuff. Microsoft and Google have a large presence there. Apple attends too, but keeps a low profile.

There’s a large exhibit hall where companies set up tables to display the latest things. The other part of the conference is presentations on specific topics. Apple did have a table this year, but they didn’t present.

This year there wasn’t one defining great thing, or extraordinary trend. There were, however, some interesting new things.

Hymns released a new Q-Braille XL, which is a note taker and display that you can hook up to your phone or PC.

Another interesting element related to the hotel which hosted the conference. This was a new venue for the event. AIRA had set up a free access point for the hotel, so that if you had an AIRA account, you could use it there and not have to pay for your minutes.

The hotel had what you might call a “smart elevator.” This works by having a key pad on the wall at each elevator bank outside the elevator. You type in the floor you want into the keypad, then you’re directed to a specific elevator car. This is a system designed to streamline elevator use in very busy buildings, and it had a feature that allowed you to turn on speech. Jason then played a brief audio recording demonstrating use of the elevator.

It really is obvious when you spend any time in the U.S., how effective the ADA legislation has been in making things more accessible. Jason described getting into a cab for a very long cab ride. Facing him in the back seat, was a little display showing you dynamic details of your trip. When the trip started, a voice says, “to turn on voice accessibility, press the button in the corner.” Then, you’d get a verbal update of your fair and location. This proves that the technology exists.

Another highlight is always the networking. Jason got to meet with representatives from Microsoft and Google.

One exciting piece of tech that was being displayed was a set of Bows glasses called the Bows Frames. Both AIRA and Microsoft are planning to incorporate them into GPS aps. There are highly directional speakers in the arms of the glasses, that sit right behind your ears. Bone conducting headphones can slightly block your hearing and echo location, and this effect is lessened when the sound is coming from behind your ears. Jason connected them via Bluetooth to his phone, then sent them around the room. The sound is directed toward your ears, and he demonstrated how local the sound is, so that someone sitting next to you doesn’t hear a lot of sound bleeding out. Flipping them upside-down turns them off. The true innovation is that they have an inertial measurement unit in them. This means they can track your head movement for GPS and navigational purposes. They go for $200. Like bone-conducting headphones, this is mainstream technology. The Bows store near the hotel hosting the conference was swamped with people wanting them. The sound quality for someone on the other end of the call through the glasses is quite good.

Unless you’re moving, GPS can’t tell which way you’re facing. AIRA plans to integrate with these because the accelerometer lets them know that immediately.

A member raised the topic of looking a bit strange walking down the street apparently talking to yourself, using the glasses. Jason said that it’s getting less and less unusual as more sighted people start using Bluetooth devices. He described the experience of talking to his headset, and being misunderstood by people around him, and having them offer help. He was told that it’s a universal gesture to tap your ear, as a non-verbal sign to others that your engaged in a different conversation.

Albert reported that most announcements at CSUN were tweaks of things we already know about. One of the exceptions this year, a new exciting device, is the Canute, out of Britain. It’s a 9-line, 40-cell braille display. It’s portable but beefy. It shines for anything you’d want to see multiple lines of braille for, such as music or math. They’re hoping to launch by the end of this year, and CNIB is very interested in working with them. The target price is around 1500 pounds, maybe $2600 Canadian. Jason had a prototype with him, and demonstrated it. There’s storage, and you could store many books. The refresh rate is line by line, so you could time it to be at the bottom line by the time the top line is replaced. Braille readers at the conference were very excited about it. They described it as going back to paper braille. This is not a replacement for a note taker, it’s firmly a braille reader. It’s a stand-alone device. They hope to integrate it with Duxbury. This would allow paperless proof reading.

There’s another device in development that is a tactile graphics display, called Graffiti. It will be appropriate for diagrams rather than braille.

Jason described several workshops on the blind Maker movement that interested him.

He spent a lot of time at the conference asking, “When will we get this in Canada?” Amazon and Google both released new things, but not in Canada yet. If there are things you know about that aren’t available in Canada, express to companies that you want them; it might help.

Amazon Prime has all kinds of audio described content, that we can’t get at. Representatives talk a good talk, but are unwilling to commit themselves about times or reasons.

One new thing is a DAISY player from a company out of China. Unfortunately, their representative didn’t speak very good English. Jason got a contact for the U.S. that he’ll follow up on.

Albert, who was at CSUN for the first time, was impressed that it wasn’t just a group of assistive tech companies. All of the big players in technology were there. This wouldn’t have been true 10 years ago. The reason is that mainstream companies are increasingly taking accessibility more seriously over all.

Jason also discussed a company called Native Instruments, that’s very well known in the field of digital music. They’ve recently built accessibility in. One of their music keyboards that you can connect to a PC, has an accessibility mode. When you turn it on, all of its features talk, and so you have easy access to all the functions.

It’s a good idea to get yourself on to the GTT national email list. It’s high traffic, but it’s very diverse and helpful. Google GTT support to find out how to get on it. You can put it in digest mode. There’s also a GTT WhatsAp group.

A member raised a question about Google Docs. A few people said that they’ve used it, and it’s doable, with a stiff learning curve.

 

Upcoming Meetings:

  • Next Meeting: Thursday, April 18, 2019 at 6pm
  • Location: CNIB Community Hub space at 1525 Yonge Street, just 1 block north of St Clair on the east side of Yonge, just south of Heath.
  • Meetings are held on the third Thursday of the month at 6pm.

 

GTT Toronto Adaptive Technology User Group Overview:

  • GTT Toronto is a chapter of the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB).
  • GTT Toronto promotes a self-help learning experience by holding monthly meetings to assist participants with assistive technology.
  • Each meeting consists of a feature technology topic, questions and answers about technology, and one-on-one training where possible.
  • Participants are encouraged to come to each meeting even if they are not interested in the feature topic because questions on any technology are welcome. The more participants the better able we will be equipped with the talent and experience to help each other.
  • There are GTT groups across Canada as well as a national GTT monthly toll free teleconference. You may subscribe to the National GTT blog to get email notices of teleconferences and notes from other GTT chapters. Visit:

http://www.GTTProgram.Blog/

There is a form at the bottom of that web page to enter your email.

 

 

 

CCB Tech Articles, Donna’s Low Tech Tips, Privacy protection, April 8, 2019

April 08, 2019

Privacy protection

 

Hi there!  It’s Donna and thank you for allowing me to come into your inbox.

Today, I’d like to introduce you to my tip on privacy protection.

 

Privacy protection

We are constantly striving to protect ourselves from scams and scammers, but most of all we need to ensure that our privacy, confidentiality, and independence are kept safe from prying eyes and those who thrive on destroying our right to these precious commodities.

 

Signing cheques

When you go to sign a cheque, there are some banks that provide raised line cheques but the problem here is that even if you can use these raised lines to help guide you, a vision impaired person has no way of telling whether or not the pen is writing.  That is, whether or not the pen has ink enough to write.

Here, you need a trusted person to help you complete your cheques but if you do not have access to someone you trust; it is probably best to visit your banking institution and seek assistance of a staff member.

 

That’s it from me for this week!

If you would like to become a member of  my CCB Mysteries chapter you can do so for the price of $10 annually and in return you will receive unlimited access to any of the following libraries.

Recipes – A collection of hard to find recipes

Audio mysteries for all ages – Comfort listening any time of the day

Home and garden – A collection of great articles for around the home and garden

Or you can subscribe to all 3 for the price of $30 annually.

Visit http://www.donnajodhan.com/subscription-libraries.html

 

To contact me, send me an email at info@sterlingcreations.ca and I’d be happy to respond.

Have yourselves a great day and see you next week.

Donna

 

 

 

Re-post: Orbit Reader 20 Removed from APH Catalog

Orbit Reader 20 Removed from APH Catalog
Author: APH Blogger
Date Written: Apr 3, 2019 at 5:00 PM
Date Saved: 4/5/19, 12:44 PM
Source: http://www.fredshead.info/2019/04/orbit-reader-20-removed-from-aph-catalog.html

Photo of the Orbit Reader 20 on a white background.
After months of ongoing negotiations between the Transforming Braille Group (of which APH is a member) and Orbit Research (the manufacturer of the Orbit Reader 20), American Printing House has removed the Orbit Reader 20 from its catalog and shopping site. This comes after discussions have stalled regarding the terms of distribution to TBG partners. The global nonprofits that make up the TBG collaborate as a group to purchase Orbit Reader 20s as part of an effort to keep costs low.
“Working with the TBG, APH has negotiated in good faith for many months, balancing the needs of our customers and organization, our interest in driving a low-cost braille market, and our valuable partnerships with TBG members,” says APH President Craig Meador. “Despite our best efforts, we have not found alignment on the issues at hand. APH must now move forward, and focus our energies on our mission to support students with braille literacy and adults in their independence.”
The Orbit Reader 20 started with a question: “how do we make refreshable braille more affordable?” To that end leaders in the field of blindness from around the world, including APH, gathered to create the Transforming Braille Group. Creating low cost refreshable braille is a difficult task, and there were a lot of setbacks throughout the process. Thankfully the effort had an impact.
“APH was proud to be the company that stood up to be the first to bring this ground-breaking technology to market,” says Meador, “It was all worth it to be an innovator, and show that we could bring prices down. That part worked. We now have competition in the low-cost braille market that wasn’t happening five years ago. Sometimes you have to take a risk – that’s what we did.”
The drop in prices created more access by showing what can be possible. For example, the National Library Service has announced they plan to offer free refreshable braille devices to their readers in the coming years.
APH will continue its efforts to support low cost braille. “Braille cells cost a lot of money to manufacture, and the demand isn’t high enough to drive that price down – we’ll keep trying. Although it’s not an easy journey, we believe everyone who needs braille should have access to it.”
APH and the TBG are continuing to negotiate with Orbit Research in hopes that a resolution can be found. In the meantime, APH is looking at other possible low-cost refreshable braille options to include in its catalog. They will complement new premium refreshable braille devices built for students and educational use now and soon available from APH through a partnership with HumanWare.
Orbit Research is expected to honor the warranty and continue repairs for already purchased Orbit Readers. Any requests for repairs should continue to come through APH. Supporting documentation, like the Orbit User Guide and user videos, will remain available to customers who have purchased an Orbit Reader from APH.

Repost: Google Inbox was the Gmail we desperately needed — but now it’s dead

Google Inbox was the Gmail we desperately needed — but now it’s dead
Author: Jackson Ryan
Date Written: Apr 2, 2019 at 10:10 PM
Date Saved: 4/3/19, 8:46 AM
Source: https://www.cnet.com/news/google-inbox-was-the-gmail-we-desperately-needed-but-now-its-dead/#ftag=CAD0610abe0f
Google Inbox, the much-loved, experimental email client that launched in 2014, is officially dead. And I am officially heartbroken.
I knew this was going to happen. We all did. It still hurts.
Google announced that Inbox’s time was up on Sept. 12, 2018, writing in a blog post the company was shutting it down and “planning to focus solely on Gmail.” Over the past two weeks, incessant warnings have popped up on the desktop and across my phone screen whenever I opened the app.
“This app will be going away in 5 days” it would tell me like a passive-aggressive Doomsday Clock. Each time, it would ask me to switch to Gmail and I’d wave it away with a push: “Not now.”
But it’s all over. This morning, I got this message:

Screenshot by Jackson Ryan/CNET via Google
Gmail was unleashed on the world 15 years ago on April 1 and is now used by around 1.5 billion people every day. It allowed the search engine provider to reach lofty new heights, giving it the confidence to take over the world. When it rolled into town in 2004, it slowly began swallowing up every email client in its path.
AOL Mail? More like LOL Mail. Hotmail? More like… cold mail. Yahoo? Bye.
Slowly we all became engulfed by the email version of The Blob. Email became monotonous, slinking into the shadows, filling up with spam and social media blasts. It gradually became normal. It became boring.
Then in 2014, Google announced Inbox and email was Great Again. It Marie Kondo’d my online life before I even knew who Marie Kondo was. When Sarah Mitroff reviewed Inbox in October 2014, she laid all manner of compliments on the app: “Visually appealing”, “equal parts colorful, clean and cheerful” and “fresh”. Gmail felt like a harsh, sterile hospital next to Inbox’s bright, buoyant Happy-Time-Fun-Land.
Now Inbox is dead, Google has said it will be bringing some of the service’s most popular features over to Gmail. As I’ve finally been forced to switch over, there’s a hole in my heart. Gmail still lacks many of the features that made Inbox so powerful — and so beloved.
There’s work to do to make email Great Again, Again. What can Gmail do to ease the pain?
(, but let’s pretend we can answer that question anyway.)
Bundle of joy
When you read about Inbox’s premature demise, you will no doubt read plenty about “bundles”. Inbox’s clever bundling system was the best thing to ever happen to me, a nearly 30-year-old unmarried man with zero children in a stable, loving relationship.
Inbox had that galaxy-brain energy. The real BDE. Supported by Google’s powerful algorithms, Inbox was able to sort your life out for you. It saw what was dropping in your Inbox and automatically filed it away in its own category via the voodoo magic of machine learning.
It was powerful for bundling all your receipts, purchases, holidays and business trips, placing all that information in easy-to-navigate, simple-to-find locations. I never even had to think about manually labeling or filing emails with Inbox — it just worked, from Day One. And it continued to work until it was dead.
Finding details about a trip home took seconds in Inbox, a one-click process that returned my booking, accommodation, the car I’d hired and any tours I’d booked while I was away. In Gmail, I have to sift through a torrent of banking statements, receipts, a regretful order I made for Thai food when I was sloshed three nights ago and a random PR email about their genius April Fools’ Day stunt.
There have been rumblings that Google will also be bringing bundles across to Gmail, though a timeline for that update is currently unknown so, thanks, big G — my life is now a living hell.
This is how you remind me
Besides bundles, Inbox quickly became the place where I started my day because it centralized my to-do list.
Email is, essentially, just a place where tasks get filed and Inbox’s “Reminders” feature was critical to this. In the same way you would compose an email, you could set yourself a reminder that would jump to the top of your Inbox. At the end of a busy day, I’d whip a few little reminders in for the following morning.
And sure, I can do this with Gmail’s “Tasks” integration but this opens an entirely new window on the side of my desktop. That’s a game of hide-and-seek that I don’t want to play. Because reminders were able to be pinned or snoozed, they were unobtrusive, nesting neatly within the inbox like a digital post-it note.
I don’t know why Gmail doesn’t have reminders. I can’t tell you why. They exist in other G suite services, like Calendar and Keep, but not in Gmail.
Inbox is like the Carly Rae Jepsen of email. It swept in and took the world by surprise with its spark and smarts and brightness and now, every waking moment without it is torture. Gmail, in contrast, is the Nickelback of modern email clients. It’s the homogenized radio-rock version of email.
In fact, maybe it’s worse. Maybe it’s Smash Mouth.
G’mourning
Attention spans are being obliterated by the internet and my apartment is a disorganized mess.
I mean, it’s tidy — but there’s no rhyme or reason to how I file away important tax documents, receipts or mementos. Invoking the holy name of Kondo, I tried to improve my systems a month ago. That amounted to buying more boxes and storing more things in those boxes.
I couldn’t organize myself in the real world, but with the power of machine learning and AI, Google Inbox made sure I could do it when I was inside the internet.
And I wasn’t alone.
Search for Google Inbox on Twitter and you’ll find tales of woe and misery. You’ll find users decrying the switch to Gmail. You’ll find them celebrating the life of an email service as if it were their own flesh and blood. Like the untimely deaths at Game of Thrones’ Red Wedding, we’re all watching on in horror at the injustice.
No one is celebrating. Everybody’s mourning.
New world order
But it’s all over.
Inbox was so good because it was so easy. It was . It was . It bundled emails together long before Gmail was doing anything of the sort. It felt like it was made for me and only me. I didn’t have to spend mornings sifting through mountains of internet text. I could get what I needed and get on with life.
It was also a calming, soft blue rather than an alarming, CHECK-YOUR-EMAIL-NOW red. That’s a fact that gets lost in this funeral. Even the logo is an open letter with a positive, life-affirming tick, rather than the closed, menacing red “M” made famous in Gmail.
I could go on and on, but I digress.
Google has slowly integrated some of Inbox’s best features into Gmail. Snoozing emails, smart replies and nudges to remind you to follow up on your to-do list were all pioneered in Inbox. On Gmail’s 15th birthday, it even brought in a host of new features, like enabling emails to be scheduled and sent at a later time and improving its Smart Compose feature, which offers suggestions to make writing email a lot faster.
I’m holding on as long as possible. The mobile version of Inbox is now six feet under, taking its place in the Google Graveyard next to Reader, Hangouts, Google Plus and Allo, but the desktop version of Inbox lives on (at least, for now). Inbox clones are popping up, aiming to make the transition period easier, but its fate is sealed.
I can do without Hangouts or Plus. Somehow, I even survived after the transition away from Reader.
But this one really stings.

Resources: With AirPower canceled, here are the best alternative Qi wireless iPhone charging pads by Mike Wuerthele, Apple Insider

With AirPower canceled, here are the best alternative Qi wireless iPhone charging pads

Author: Mike Wuerthele

Date Written: Mar 29, 2019 at 6:36 AM

Date Saved: 4/1/19, 12:55 PM

Source: https://appleinsider.com/articles/19/03/29/now-that-apples-airpower-is-canceled-here-are-the-best-qi-wireless-charging-pads

Like50K

 

–

A

+

The AirPower is gone. But, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t Qi charging options for your iPhone or AirPods Wireless Charging Case. Here are some of the options that we like the most.

 

Nomad Base Station

Introduced with the iPhone X in 2017, wireless charging is a great way to recharge an iPhone, without needing to connect a Lightning cable. Instead, the iPhone is placed on top of the charger, positioned in line with an embedded charging coil which transfers power to the iPhone’s battery.

Generally speaking, wireless charging is not the fastest way to apply charge to your device, as current iPhone wireless charging is limited to 7.5 Watts in the iPhone X and iPhone 8, following an upgrade from the 5 Watt limit at launch. By contrast, a wired connection can take advantage of Apple’s other wall chargers offering far higher power transfers.

While wired charging is faster, wireless charging offers more convenience, in that all you have to do to start the charging progress is to place the iPhone down on a surface. This also makes using an iPhone as a clock far easier, as there’s no fumbling to plug the cable in before falling asleep, nor to unplug it when waking up or needing to answer an important early morning call.

Obviously, we’d have preferred the AirPower. Now that it’s gone, we have suggestions.

Nomad Base Station

Looking for something to charge multiple devices? Consider the Nomad Base Station. This premium charger is made of leather and aluminum with both USB-A and USB-C outputs. It can charge two phones simultaneously at 7.5W. If you want more details, check out our full review.

You can grab it now from Nomad for $99.95.

Nomad also has a Base Station that will charge the Apple Watch too. The Nomad Base Station is an excellent charging solution. On top is a leather-covered charging pad with a trio of coils beneath. This allows two devices to be charged at once, or a single iPhone horizontally. The Apple Watch charging puck is fully integrated so you don’t need to supply your own, works with any band, and supports Nightstand Mode.

 

An error occurred.

Try watching this video on www.youtube.com, or enable JavaScript if it is disabled in your browser.

The body is made of metal which gives it a solid feel compared to the plastic alternatives.

Nomad also makes available a Base Station without the Apple Watch charger and dual USB outputs instead, and an optional walnut finish.

Zens Charging Pad and Watch Charger Station If you’re lucky enough to have three Apple devices, the Zens Charging Pad and Watch Charger Station can handle them all simultaneously — though with 20-watt maximum output, it can only fast-charge two. That’s still probably more than sufficient if you sit this in your office or bedroom.

The Station is MFi-certified by Apple, and made of aluminum for better durability and aesthetics. Some other touches include anti-slip material, auto power-off, and wide coils that avoid fumbling around for precise placement.

Amazon is selling the product for $99.99.

Belkin BoostUp Charging Dock

Belkin has always made reliable Apple accessories and they’ve done so again with their BoostUp Charging Dock. It can handle both your iPhone and your Apple Watch with an additional USB-A output on the back.

The body is mostly made of metal with a soft-touch silicone surface on top to rest your watch and phone. The USB-A port on the back can be used to power up and iPad, another iPhone, a battery pack, or your headphones.

This too has the Apple Watch charging puck entirely integrated so no need to supply your own.

You can grab it for $149 from Belkin in black or white.

Kanex GoPower

The Kanex GoPower Watch Stand with Wireless Charging Base is an Apple-certified Apple Watch charging puck positioned above a round wireless charging pad for your iPhone or other Qi-enabled devices. We’ve covered our fair share of multi-chargers thus far, but Kanex is the most compact we’ve seen yet. It has an overall small footprint with the ability to power up three devices simultaneously.

A USB-A output on the back lets you charge devices of your choice, while the Qi charger can be used for a phone or a wireless set of AirPods.

It is available just under $80 from Amazon.

Anker PowerWave 7.5 Fast Wireless Charging Pad For those wanting a simple charging mat, the Anker PowerWave 7.5 Fast Wireless Charging Pad is a good option, providing up to 10W charging for some devices. Supplied with a Quick Charge 3.0 wall charger and a 6-foot Micro USB cable, it offers over-charge protection and foreign object detection, in case something is incorrectly placed on top of the mat.

Amazon is selling the Anker PowerWave 7.5 Fast Wireless Charging Pad for $45.99. For more info on the charger, see our detailed review.

 

An error occurred.

Try watching this video on www.youtube.com, or enable JavaScript if it is disabled in your browser.

RAVPower

 

An error occurred.

Try watching this video on www.youtube.com, or enable JavaScript if it is disabled in your browser.

RAVPower is another of our favorite brands, creating great batteries and chargers at affordable prices. We reviewed their new line of iPhone compatible chargers when they launched and have recommended them ever since.

They’ve options to choose from including a charging stand and the common charging pad. Even a portable battery if that is more to your liking.

They start off at $16.99 on Amazon, though our favorite HyperAir charging puck will run you $29.99.

Monoprice Wireless Charger

Want a cheap and simple charger? Monoprice’s Wireless Charger is Qi compliant and has a clean appearance, resembling a thin white puck measuring 3.3 inches in diameter, 0.4 inches thick, and weighing in at 1.8 ounces. It only outputs power at 5V DC 1A, meaning it won’t offer any fast charging capabilities, but it does include a blue “breathing” indicator light when it is charging a device, switching to a solid red when fully charged.

Monoprice is currently pricing it at $7.99. The low cost makes it a viable option for adding wireless charging points in multiple locations around the home, or even to add one in the office.

Aukey Graphite Wireless Charger

Winner of the Red Dot Design Award in 2018, the Aukey Graphite Wireless Charger offers a stylish matte black pad and a lighter trim, with the plate measuring 3.41 inches square and 0.46 inches thick. Able to work with Qi-compatible smartphones in cases, the charger includes a plethora of safety features, including temperature control, power input monitoring, foreign object detection, and overcharging.

Supplied with a 3.3-foot USB 2.0 A to USB-C cable, the charger is available for $15.99.

Grovemade

Grovemade has a history of using natural materials to make beautiful products. It is seen clearly in their wooden iPhone cases, as well as their Qi wireless chargers.

The topmost surface is made of cork which gives your phone a gentle surface to rest on. Stainless steel makes up the bottom, giving the pad added heft.

Nylon wraps the extra long USB cable for bonus durability. If the cable is too long, it can be wrapped up on the underside which is useful for keeping your desk tidy, or for taking with you for a weekend getaway.

You can get a Grovemade pad in one of three colors starting at $79.

Belkin BoostUp

Belkin has always put out top-notch products and all their BoostUp chargers exemplify this. There’s a charging pad as well as a stand to give you options.

The newer Bold line of pads and stands are a bit pricier at $59.99 and $69.99 respectively, but they are a bit more powerful and compact.

Grab any of them direct from Belkin.

MobilePal Gen-3 Qi Wireless Charging Power Bank If you want wireless charging on the move, the MobilePal Gen-3 10,000mAh Qi Wireless Charging Power Bank is portable power that offers more than the usual power bank features. Like others on the market, it includes two USB ports for wired charging, including one with QuickCharge 3.0 support, while on one side is a Qi wireless charging spot that delivers at up to 5 Watts. This can even enable for up to three devices to be recharged simultaneously.

Including a power button, microUSB input for charging, a battery indicator, and a flashlight function, this power bank is available for $39.99.

RAVPower Qi Wireless Charging Pad

The RAVPower Qi Wireless Charging Pad stands the iPhone X upright on a non-slip rubberized base, with a single discrete LED informing users of the charging status. This unit uses two wireless charging coils, which allows for the iPhone to be oriented vertically or horizontally, allowing users to position it in relation to the apps they are using, while still charging the battery.

Offering a maximum output of 10W for compatible Qi devices, the RAVPower Qi Wireless Charging Pad is $16.99 on Amazon.

Samsung Fast Charge Wireless Charger Stand Yes, Samsung, stole Apple’s ideas, boo. The fact stands that Samsung’s charger is one of the better options on the market, and visually appealing to boot. It supports fast charging, and uses a multi-colored LED to indicate status. It’s also designed so you can use your iPhone while charging is in progress — a definite plus for work environments.

The Fast Charge Wireless Charger Stand is available in black, blue, and white colors at Amazon, beginning at $39.49.

Yootech Wireless Charger

Another budget option, the Yootech nevertheless promises to fast-charge compatible Apple devices, and comes in four trim colors: black, blue, red, and neon green. There’s not much else to distinguish it beyond price, though the lights do turn off if you’re worried about being kept awake at night.

You can find the product at Amazon for $12.99.

 

 

Resources: Google Photos Will Now Automatically Detect Your Documents by Paul Monckton, Forbes.com

Google Photos Will Now Automatically Detect Your Documents

Author: Paul Monckton

Date Written: Mar 30, 2019 at 8:00 AM

Date Saved: 3/30/19, 11:01 PM

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/paulmonckton/2019/03/30/google-photos-will-now-automatically-detect-your-documents/

Smartphone cameras are useful for a lot more than selfies and landscapes; they also make very handy portable document scanners. Now Google Photos has launched a new feature designed specifically to make your documents look more presentable and legible.

 

Google’s new Crop and Adjust feature takes care of photographed documents and receipts Documents, unlike people or places, are designed to be read rather than admired and this usually requires an entirely different approach when it comes to processing them and making them look their best. This often involves using functions such as rotating, cropping, sharpening and perhaps converting them to black and white for maximum readability.

The new “Crop and Adjust” feature in Google Photos will detect any photographed documents and suggest suitable edits such as those listed above which can then be implemented automatically in a single tap.

The result is a correctly-rotated document with the background removed and any text made as clear as possible.

Google Photos users will find the Crop and Adjust rolling out soon on iOS and Android.

If you find this function useful, then it’s worth checking out the ‘Scan’ function built into the Google Drive app. The app provides a similar set of automatic enhancements to the new Google Photos function, with the added facility of saving your documents directly to your Google Drive as a PDF rather than a jpeg. Android users can also place a Google Scan widget for one-touch access to the document scanning function.

 

 

Resources: Breaking barriers: accessibility at home a costly process, by Blair Crawford, Ottawa Citizen

Breaking barriers: accessibility at home a costly process

Author: Blair Crawford

Date Written: Mar 29, 2019 at 5:00 PM

Date Saved: 3/30/19, 9:34 PM

Source: https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/ottawa-firm-specializes-in-accessibilty-renovations

 

Jennifer and Eli Glanz with daughter Emilia in the master bathroom they had modified to accommodate Jenifer’s wheelchair.

It’s just a few centimetres high, but the sill of the sliding glass door that leads to the back deck of her Barrhaven home is a mountain to Jennifer Glanz.

“It’s little, but I can’t get over it,” said Glanz, who has multiple sclerosis and uses a wheelchair. Glanz and her husband, Eli, have already installed a $4,000 electric lift in their garage so that Jennifer can get out of the house, and recently completed a renovation to make their bathroom barrier free.

They moved with their daughter Emelia, 3 1/2, to a bungalow a few years ago when Jennifer’s deteriorating condition made it impossible for her to manage the stairs in their former two-storey home. The small ramp over the door sill is the next item on their reno list for summer — “if we ever get a summer,” Jennifer jokes.

“It’s the next project. And a ramp down to the grass. Emilia will be playing on the grass this summer and it would be nice to be there with her.”

Whether it’s a senior who wants to age in place in her own home, a person battling a debilitating illness, or someone injured in a sudden, catastrophic tragedy like the Westboro OC Transpo bus crash, those facing disability find that barriers abound in the home. In fact, 22 per cent Canadians live with some sort of physical disability, according to Statistics Canada.

Story continues below

“The older you get, the more likely you are to have a disability,” says Patrick Curran, national executive director of Independent Living Canada, a national non-profit agency that advocates for those living with disabilities and promotes independent living.

“And if you live long enough, you will have a disability.”

Many of the modifications needed to make a home accessible are obvious: a wheelchair ramp to the front door, for example. Others aren’t so apparent.

“One item that’s a really big, especially for someone with head injuries, is lighting,” said Sean MacGinnis, co-founder BuildAble, an Ottawa company that specializes in building and renovating homes for accessibility. “You want lighting that won’t put a strain on your eyes. Or if it’s for someone who has a visual impairment, better lighting will eliminate shadows and help them see any changes in elevation in their home.”

MacGinnis founded BuildAble five years ago with partner Kyla Cullain, a registered nurse. The company works closely with their clients’ medical teams — their family doctor or occupational therapist, for example — to develop an appropriate construction plan, he said.

“We started the company out focusing on people who are aging in place, but we’ve found the majority of our clients are people who have had a medical crisis, MS or a stroke or something like that … and we do have a lot of people who’ve been in vehicle accidents too. They’re in mid-life and they want to stay in their homes or they have family that they don’t want to move.”

For Eli and Jennifer Glanz, that meant redoing their bathroom to make it accessible. BuildAble installed a barrier free bathroom that Jennifer can roll up to and swing herself into a spare wheelchair that stays in the shower. The tile floor slopes gently to a drain and a waterproof barrier under the entire bathroom floor means spills or floods cause no damage.

The old sink and vanity was replaced with a “floating sink” that lets Jennifer wheel up to it like a desk. Three heavy-duty handrails give support and stability at the toilet.

“For the longest time we had a standard tub and shower that you see in most showers. Jennifer can’t transfer herself into a standard tub, even if there’s a shower seat. It would be me physically lifting her up and into the tub. That was hard for both of us,” Eli said.

“She keeps reminding me, I only have one back.”

“It brought more independence to me,” Jennifer said. “Before, I would have to have him home and helping me have a shower. Now I don’t. He doesn’t know how many times I shower.”

It cost $15,000 to renovate the bathroom, about 80 per cent of which was paid for with grants from March of Dimes. The family had to cover the cost of the garage lift on their own.

Another clever addition are offset hinges that allow doors to swing completely out of the way, adding a crucial extra five centimetres width to the doorway for Jennifer’s chair to pass.

The simplest and most common modification to a home is to add grab bars and handrails, MacGinnis said, including railings on both sides of a staircase. In the kitchen, countertops and cabinets can be made to lower to wheelchair level, while full-extension drawers are easier to access without awkward reaching.

One of BuildAble’s biggest jobs was to add a full elevator to a home for a man with Parkinson’s Disease, he said.

The cost can vary widely. The cost of home modifications are often included in the insurance payout for accident victims or — as in the case of an Ottawa Public servant who is suing the city for $6.3 million for injuries in the Westboro bus crash — part of the lawsuit claim. Others are helped with the cost through grants from the March of Dimes and other charities or through tax breaks.

“There’s a lot of low-cost things we can do that have a high impact,” MacGinnis said. A grab bar might cost $100. A second staircase railing $1,000. A wooden ramp to the door can range from $500 to $5,000, while a more aesthetically pleasing ramp of interlocking brick could cost $15,000 to $20,000.

A barrier-free bathroom costs between $12,000 and $15,000 while a full reno to make a kitchen full accessible can run up to $30,000, he said.

In Ontario, someone who has suffered catastrophic injuries in a car crash is eligible for $1 million in under the province’s the province’s Statutory Accident Benefit Schedule. But for non-catastrophic injuries, that benefit is capped at $65,000 and will only last five years, said lawyer Najma Rashid, a partner in Howard Yegendorf & Associates.

“Just because someone’s injuries aren’t catastrophic, doesn’t mean they’re not serious,” Rashid said. “Many people with serious injuries might be stuck with that $65,000 and it’s only available for five years so they have to make a judgment call as to whether they’re going to use part of the money for changes to their home or for ongoing treatment needs.”

Additional costs could become part of a lawsuit claim, she said. Lawyers would work with their clients medical team or hire an occupational therapist or consultant to determine what renovations are needed and their cost.

“And if they do claim it in a lawsuit, they have to wait for that lawsuit to be over. Or self fund it and look for a reimbursement, but most people don’t have the money to pay for it themselves.”

Those looking for more information on improving accessibility will be able to find it Independent Living Canada’s AccessABLE Technology Expo on May 30 at the Ottawa Conference and Events Centre on Coventry Road. The one-day expo will bring together 20 exhibitors with a broad range of products for disabilities such as visual or hearing loss, cognitive impairment and mental health issues. Admission is free, Curran said.

“We’re doing this to build awareness for Independent Living Canada,” Curran said. “But we also want to give to hope to people who have disabilities — to show them that there are people out there doing research and introducing new products that will be of interest to them.”

For more information, visit ilcanada.ca

Twitter.com/getBAC

Trending Videos

 

 

 

Resources: Bonjour, Alexa! How Amazon’s virtual assistant learned to speak Canadian French, by Morgan Lowrie, The Star

Bonjour, Alexa! How Amazon’s virtual assistant learned to speak Canadian French

Author: Morgan Lowrie

Date Written: Mar 30, 2019 at 5:00 PM

Date Saved: 3/31/19, 9:40 PM

Source: https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2019/03/31/bonjour-alexa-how-amazons-virtual-assistant-learned-to-speak-canadian-french.html

MONTREAL—Last September, Hans Laroche embarked on an unusual teaching assignment. He and a few thousand fellow Quebecers were enlisted to help Amazon’s virtual assistant Alexa learn the finer points of Canadian French, from the distinctive accent to so-called “joual” expressions and the linguistic mishmash known as “Franglais.”

With Amazon’s official release of its French Canadian language option for Alexa on March 21, the results are now available for all to hear.

 

With Amazon’s official release of its French Canadian language option for Alexa on March 21, the results are now available for all to hear.

Because Alexa’s algorithm requires a great deal of data, Laroche says he and his fellow testers were given a free Echo device and asked to interact with it on a regular basis by asking it questions, getting it to perform household tasks or using it to play music, audiobooks or news. Every week or two, they were asked to provide feedback to developers, who worked to further refine the algorithm and its language capabilities.

Laroche, who runs a Facebook page for Quebec Alexa enthusiasts from his home near Victoriaville, Que., said he was impressed with how well the device picked up on his requests.

“It was pretty surprising the things Alexa can understand, especially in Canadian French,” he said. “The French language from France has been available for a while, but it’s not the same as the language Quebecers use.”

Read more:

Amazon and Google are harvesting data in your home by demanding smart-home gadget makers to share it As an example, he said Quebecers tend to use English verbs such as “check” or “cancel” rather than their French counterparts, “verifier” or “annuler.”

“If Alexa is in (European) French and I ask it to ‘cancel le timer,’ it won’t understand,” he said. “But if I’m in Canadian French and I say it, it will understand what I’m saying.”

Laroche noted that Amazon still has some catching up to do, since competitors such as Google Assistant already have French Canadian language support.

Nicolas Maynard, the man in charge of Alexa in Canada, said teaching the virtual assistant to understand French was a difficult challenge, due to the complexity of the language and the prevalence of homonyms, contractions, and a vocabulary that differs widely by region.

Adapting it to a French-Canadian audience meant ensuring it would understand commands delivered using local colloquialisms and pronunciations, he said in a phone interview from Seattle.

Maynard said that while French speakers in France use as many, or possibly more, English words than their North American linguistic counterparts, the inflection is very different.

“The pronunciation of English words in Quebec is much closer to the English pronunciation than in France,” said Maynard.

“If you ask a French person to say the name of an American song, you’ll clearly hear the French accent. But if you ask a Canadian (francophone), you’ll get a pronunciation that is very close to English.”

But while Alexa may understand local slang, its own voice was given an accent designed to be as neutral as possible while still being that of a Quebecer.

“I think it’s more or less a Montreal accent, but you’ll tell me,” Maynard said.

He said it was also important to ensure the voice service is equipped with general knowledge from each region by being able to answer basic questions about politics and culture.

As a result, Alexa can recite the poem “Le vaisseau d’or” by celebrated Quebec writer Emile Nelligan, and has a repertoire of jokes to tell on demand.

Laroche said he has noted a lot of improvement in this department since he first began interacting with the device.

“If you ask who is Montreal’s mayor, who is the prime minister of Canada, it knows the answer, which was not the case in the beginning,” he said.

He says the voice assistant is still not perfect, however, and there are still many times when it answers a question with “Je ne sais pas” (I don’t know.) But he’s still pleased to have a product that will start his coffee maker in the morning and turn on the equipment in his home gym when he announces he’s ready for a workout.

Guillaume Dufour, the founder of enthusiast group Alexa Quebec, was also an early user of the experimental “beta” version.

He was impressed with Alexa’s ability to understand mixed-language commands, such as when he asks it in French to play an English-language song. He said the virtual assistant understands his normal accent perfectly, although he sometimes has to repeat himself when he tries out the stronger accent of his native Charlevoix region.

“We can see that Amazon’s language recognition training was excellent,” said Dufour, an IT expert and programmer who also creates “skills” for the devices.

And he would know, having amassed an impressive collection of voice-activated assistants including four Echo devices, a Google Home, Apple HomePod and a Harman Kardon Invoke.

Dufour said he has noticed only one true “glitch” — the device sometimes delivers the weather report in a jumble of English and French — but he has found that some of Alexa’s jokes are told “in a slightly jerky intonation that does not quite follow the rhythm of the French language.”

As for Maynard, he said Alexa’s education is far from complete.

He won’t say how many Quebecers are currently using Echo or other Alexa devices, but he says the virtual assistant’s artificial intelligence-driven algorithm will continue to absorb new data and refine its capabilities the more it is used.

“I see the launch as just the beginning of my job,” he said.

 

CCB Tech Articles, Donna’s Low Tech Tips, Apps round up, April 1, 2019

April 01 2019

Apps round up

 

Hi there!  It’s Donna and thank you for allowing me to come into your inbox.

Today, I’d like to introduce you to my apps roundup.

Enjoy!

 

  1. Cash Reader Tool for Blind (iOS, Free With In-App Purchases)

Cash Reader identifies banknote denomination for the largest number of currencies.

Point your camera to the money in hand and hear, see or feel its value.

All banknotes supported by Cash Reader are listed below alphabetically by region.

European Union:

Euro, British pound, Bulgarian lev, Croation kuna, Czech Crown, Danish krone, Hungarian

Forint, Polish zloty, Romanian leu, Swedish krona

Europe:

Bosnian mark, Icelandic crown, Norwegian krone, Russian Ruble, Swiss franc, Turkish

Lira, Ukrainian hryvnia

North America:

Canadian dollar, United States dollar

Middle East:

Jordanian Dinar, Kuwaiti Dinar, Saudi riyal

Asia:

Chinese yuan, Japanese yen

Oceania:

Australlian dollar

Africa:

Tunisian Dinar

App is localised to these languages:

English, German, French, Czech, Slovak, Arabic, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Bulgarian,

Swedish, Turkish.

Current Version: 1.20 (December 28, 2018)

 

Read Cash Reader Tool for Blind’s AppleVis App Directory entry for more information

https://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/utilities/backpack-studio

Visit Cash Reader Tool for Blind’s App Store page

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/backpack-studio/id1438882186?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D8

 

  1. MusicHarbor (iOS, Free)

Keeping up with the latest releases from your favorite artists has never been so easy.

With MusicHarbor you can follow artists closely and be the first to know about new

albums, singles and EP’s.

Apple Music Integration: You can import artists from your Apple Music library, or add

them manually.

Stay organized: MusicHarbor brings the feed concept to music releases. See all albums

from artists you follow on a single centralized timeline, chronologically ordered. Also,

you can filter by types like album, EP, single or remix.

Be notified: Receive notification when a new album is available and be the first to know!

 

Current Version: 1.6.0 (December 17, 2018)

Read MusicHarbor’s AppleVis App Directory entry for more information

https://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/music/musicharbor

Visit MusicHarbor’s App Store page

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/musicharbor/id1440405750?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D8

 

That’s it from me for this week.

If you would like to become a member of  my CCB Mysteries chapter you can do so for the price of $10 annually and in return you will receive unlimited access to either of the following libraries.

Recipes –

http://www.donnajodhan.com/library-recipes.html

Audio mysteries for all ages –

http://www.donnajodhan.com/library-audio-mysteries.html

Or you can subscribe to both for the price of $20 annually.

Now you  can subscribe to “‘Let’s Talk Tips”‘ which is my monthly resource for the most

current and reliable

informational tips available in the areas of Technology, Nutrition, Media,

Business, and Advocacy.

http://bit.ly/ADJSubscribe

 

To contact me, send me an email at info@sterlingcreations.ca and I’d be happy to respond.

Have yourselves a great day and see you next week.

Donna

 

 

CCB Tech Articles, Donna’s Low Tech Tips, Pen Friend, March 25, 2019

March 25 2019

Meet the Pen Friend

 

Hi there!  It’s Donna and thank you for allowing me to come into your inbox.

Let’s meet this product.

 

Meet the Pen Friend

 

If you have not already been introduced to this nifty little gadget then here is your opportunity.  Meet this very affordable and very useful little gadget.  It was developed by the RNIB of Britain.

 

Yes, it is shaped like a large pen and has a very nice speaker that enables you to hear what you are doing.  The Pen Friend enables you to label things using specially adapted tiny labels.  The instructions can be accessed on the card that it comes with; a really nifty way to produce instructions.  This is how it works.

 

  1. When you turn on your Pen Friend you hear some very delightful sounds and then you know that Pen Friend is ready to go to work.
  2. Place Pen Friend on one of those special labels that comes with your Pen Friend then press the record button.
  3. Give a short audio description of what you want the label to describe.
  4. Press a button to end the recording.
  5. Now you are ready to complete the task by taking your label and placing it on wherever you want it to be. Can, tin, box, file folder, whatever.
  6. You can go back to what you have just labeled and using your Pen Friend you can tell what you have just done.
  7. Turn on Pen Friend and voila! With the press of a button Pen Friend will tell you what your label says; what you have just recorded in your own voice.

 

This is indeed a neat little gadget and is extremely affordable.  You can find this gadget at such places as http://www.maxiaids.com and http://www.independentlivingaids.com.  So go out there and make friends with the Pen Friend.

 

That’s it from me for this week.

If you would like to become a member of  my CCB Mysteries chapter you can do so for the price of $10 annually and in return you will receive unlimited access to either of the following libraries.

Recipes –

http://www.donnajodhan.com/library-recipes.html

Audio mysteries for all ages –

http://www.donnajodhan.com/library-audio-mysteries.html

Or you can subscribe to both for the price of $20 annually.

Now you  can subscribe to “‘Let’s Talk Tips”‘ which is my monthly resource for the most current and reliable

informational tips available in the areas of Technology, Nutrition, Media,

Business, and Advocacy.

http://bit.ly/ADJSubscribe

 

To contact me, send me an email at info@sterlingcreations.ca and I’d be happy to respond.

Have yourselves a great day and see you next week.

Donna

 

Google Home tips and tricks – Here are the best features of this Amazon Echo rival
Author: Joseph Carey
Date Written: Mar 23, 2019 at 5:00 PM
Date Saved: 3/24/19, 11:11 PM
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/science-technology/1104352/Google-Home-tips-and-tricks-revealed-Amazon-Echo-rival

All models of the Google Home are incredibly capable thanks to their vast array of features
Google Home is available in three models; the standard Google Home, the Google Home Mini and Google Home Max.
Back in October, the Mountain View firm also debuted its first smart display, dubbed the Google Home Hub.
The Home Hub has the same Assistant functionality as the other Home speakers but adds a screen that can display contextual information.
All models of the Google Home are incredibly capable thanks to their vast array of features.
Here is Express.co.uk’s compiled list of the best you can take advantage of right now.
• Google Home DEAL – Google wants to tempt you away from an Amazon Echo
• Sony Xperia news may disappoint fans ahead of Xperia 1 release
Interpreter mode
At CES in January Google announced an “interpreter mode” for its Home line of devices.
Once enabled, the feature will translate any speech from one language into another.
If the tool is harnesses on Google Home speakers, audio will provide the translation.
However, if a smart display such as the Google Home Hub is used, the translation will also appear on the product’s screen.
Discussing the feature, Google said: “Speaking a different language no longer has to be a barrier to having a good conversation.
“With Interpreter Mode, a new feature rolling out over the next few weeks on Google Home devices and Smart Displays, you can ask the Google Assistant to help you have a conversation in dozens of languages.
“Just say ‘Hey Google, be my French interpreter’ to start Interpreter Mode and get real-time spoken and (on Smart Displays) written translation to aid the conversation.
“We see this technology expanding to more places—it could help you check in at a foreign hotel or help you understand the bus schedule.”
The Google Home can remember for you
Google Home’s reminder functionality is incredibly useful and can be harnessed in more ways than you might think.
For instance, if you are someone who frequently forgets where things are placed, the smart speaker can help.
If an owner places their phone in their living room drawer, they can say “okay Google, my phone is in the living room drawer”.
That means if the user then forgets where they placed their phone they can say “okay Google, where’s my phone?” and it will respond with the last noted location.
Continued conversations
One of the most tedious parts about using the Google Home is the fact the user previously had to repeat phrases such as “okay Google” in order to continue a conversation with the Assistant or ask it added questions.
However, a new feature dubbed Continued Conversations recently arrived for UK owners and allows the user to ask follow-up questions instantly.
Essentially, once the feature has been enabled the Google Assistant will continue listening after it has answered a question in case the user wants further clarification on the matter or to discuss something else entirely.
Continued Conversations can be turned on using the Google Home app.

Dedicated feature to find your phone
For those that want a little help finding their phone, the Google Home is able to make your device ring to make it easier to recover.
To harness the tool, users will need to make sure they have signed in on the same Google account on both their Google Home device and smartphone.
It is worth noting your handset will need to be connected to either a mobile network or Wi-Fi in order for the feature to work.
Word definitions
Google Home is able to provide owners with word definitions, meaning there is no need to pull out your phone or a dictionary.
Additionally, the smart speaker also has a feature that will give users a new word every day in an attempt to bolster their vocabulary.
Google Home games
Google Home is able to provide users with entertainment in the form of games and jokes.
If users load the Google Home app they are able to see a full list of the games on offer.
These range from quizzes to trivia.
Assistant apps
Google Home can gain increased functionality thanks to a cavalcade of Assistant apps that are available for users to download.
Owners are able to see a full list of programmes on offer by going to assistant.google.com/explore or via the Google Home app.
If fans are using the latter, they can find them by summoning the side menu present.
After it has emerged, press explore and a search bar will appear where apps can be located.
Assistant apps range from games to those concerned with providing added smart home control.

Press Release: The Canadian Council of the Blind Applauds the Federal Government’s Support of Canadians with Sight Loss in the Federal Budget 2019

CCB 75th Anniversary Logo 1Figure 122CCB 75th Anniversary Logo 3A square 75th Anniversary logo containing the word anniversary in English and French along with the numbers 1944 – 2019 across the bottom, and the words Canadian Council of the Blind across the top.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Federal Budget 2019:

The Canadian Council of the Blind Applauds the Federal Government’s Support of Canadians with Sight Loss

 

The Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB) is emboldened by the announcement of several measures in the 2019 Federal Budget that will greatly benefit Canada’s sight loss community.

 

A 2012 Canadian Survey on Disability, undertaken by Statistics Canada for Canadians 15 years of age and over, showed that 756,300 Canadians had “seeing disabilities.” In their more recent 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability, this number increased by over 100% (1,519,840 Canadians with a “seeing disability”). These numbers reflect the scope of the problem – now exasperated by an ever-aging population – which is why the measures announced in Budget 2019 are so important.

 

First, to address the challenges faced by Canadians with vision loss and print disabilities, we are pleased to see that Budget 2019 proposes to provide the Centre for Equitable Library Access with an investment of $3.0 million in 2019–20 to produce new accessible reading materials that will be available through public libraries across Canada. While this is a one-year allotment (hopefully to increase in the future), it is a good start for an initiative that is greatly appreciated by the sight loss and print disabilities community.

 

Second, the CCB supports and commends the government’s Budget proposal to invest $22.8 million over five years, starting in 2019–20, to provide Canada’s independent book publishing industry a much-needed assist in increasing their production of accessible books for persons with print disabilities. We will be waiting, with great anticipation, for materials provided to persons with print disabilities to exceed the 10% of books currently made available in accessible format.

 

Third, in support of independence of persons with disabilities, Budget 2019 also proposes to invest $0.5 million in 2019–20 towards finding ways to improve the accessibility of electronic payment terminals to enable persons with disabilities to conduct daily activities, such as paying for their groceries, without relying on others. Providing this type of accessibility with swift action on implementation will receive strong support from peoples with disabilities.

 

Fourth, the CCB is also pleased to see the mention of drug costs – which also affects many in our community. The budget included a section on pharmacare, with several announcements, including the introduction of the Canadian Drug Agency to improve prices and lower the cost of prescription drugs for Canadians by up to $3 billion per year in the long-term.

 

And finally, most notably to the CCB, the government is committed to improving employment opportunities for persons with sight loss. To this end, Budget 2019 proposes to provide $1.0 million in the next fiscal year to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind to connect persons with vision loss to small- and medium-sized employers. The CCB sees this as a top priority. With chronic unemployment in the sight loss community (according to our recent survey), the CCB looks forward to reviewing the plans, confirming what will be covered, and getting a handle on where people will find work. The CCB is looking forward to working with the government and stakeholders, in this first of many steps required, to put Canadians with vision loss on an equal footing with their fellow Canadians.

 

Employment is a top concern for the low-vision community in Canada. For this reason, the CCB has recently completed a national “Survey on Accessibility and Assistive Technology” to help Canadians with vision loss participate in the workforce. Over 450 members of Canada’s vision loss community participated in the survey. The CCB looks forward to sharing the results of this survey with its federal government partners in this initiative.

 

The CCB would like to extend its deepest gratitude to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement, Carla Qualtrough, a true champion for Canadians with disabilities. The CCB offers its full support to Minister Qualtrough and looks forward to working to implement her broad vision for improving the lives of Canadians with sight loss and ensuring that this Budget 2019, when passed, contains these all-important measures.

 

 

Louise Gillis

National President

Canadian Council of the Blind

 

For more information, contact Becky Goodwin at CCB National: bgoodwin@ccbnational.net or 613-567-0311.

GTT Edmonton Summary Notes, Students Using iPad in Education, March 11, 2019

Summary Notes

GTT Edmonton Meeting March 11, 2019

 

The most recent meeting of the Get Together with Technology (GTT) Edmonton Chapter was held March 11 at 7pm at Ascension Lutheran Church 8405 83 Street in Edmonton.

24 people attended.

Reading Tip: These summary notes apply HTML headings to help navigate the document. With screen readers, you may press the H key to jump forward or Shift H to jump backward from heading to heading.

 

March Topic – Students Using iPad in Education

 

Lorne Webber demonstrated using the iPad as a blind person using the built-in VoiceOver screen reader and Brieann Baldock demonstrated using the iPad as a low vision

Student using the built-in Zoom magnification.

A summary of their presentations follows.

 

VoiceOver Screen reader Basics

By Lorne Webber, lorne.webber@gmail.com

 

Turning VoiceOver On

  • If setting up the device for the first time: on the Setup screen, click the home button or side button 3 times.
  • If device is already set up: Tap Settings, then General, then Accessibility, then VoiceOver, then tap to turn on/off.
  • or, ask Siri to “Turn VoiceOver On/Off”.

 

Accessibility Shortcut (triple click shortcut)

  • To turn VoiceOver on and off easier in the future, Setup Voiceover as your Accessibility Shortcut (triple click home or side button):
  • Settings, then General, then Accessibility, then Accessibility Shortcut at the very Bottom, Select VoiceOver from your list of choices.

 

Basic Gestures:

 

Explore by Touch, vs. item to item

  • Previous item (going to the left, or up), = one finger swipe from right to left.
  • Next item (going to the right, or down), = one finger swipe from left to right.
  • Tap once on an item to hear VoiceOver speak it out loud, double tap on it to activate it.
  • VoiceOver Help, (Practicing Gestures), four finger double tap, again to stop.
  • List of gestures from AppleVis: https://bit.ly/2UsGVY9

VoiceOver Rotor

(Navigation commands, and customizing/controlling VoiceOver from anywhere)

  • Two finger twisting motion, (like twisting a dial or bottle cap) clockwise or counterclockwise.
  • Actions usually involve swiping up or swiping down with one finger, and perhaps double tapping once the correct item has been reached.

 

VoiceOver Settings:

  • Tap Settings, then General, then Accessibility, then VoiceOver,
  • Here is where you can change VoiceOver settings, Rotor items, Voices, Voice Speed, Braille settings, custom pronunciations, etc.

 

Miscellaneous

  • Using VoiceOver with a bluetooth Keyboard

(almost all commands make you hold down Modifier keys, (control + Option)

 

Screen Curtain

: dims screen for privacy and saves battery power.

  • Triple tap with 3 fingers, same to turn it off

 

Braille Screen Input (BSI) for typing in braille directly on the screen

  • Alternative to using the built in keyboard

Have to enable in VoiceOver settings, Rotor settings.

 

general resources:

  • An incredible web community for blind or low vision use of iOS devices and MAC computers is Applevis.
  • Vision Accessibility – iPad – Apple

https://www.apple.com/ca/accessibility/ipad/vision/

  • Perkins School

http://www.perkinselearning.org/technology/curriculum/introduction-ipad-accessibility

  • iFocus Instructional Videos – Apple Accessibility

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRe7-7jGsk642SHgh-LOtOg

 

Tips and Tricks on Zoom and Speech on iOS

By Brieann Baldock, a U of A low vision student studying Education

 

Zoom

How do you access Zoom?

To turn on Zoom on an iPad and iPhone, you want to go to settings>General> Accessibility>Zoom and then turn it on.

 

Once you are in the zoom setting it explains to you how to activate zoom and work it. There are various settings such as Zoom region, (Full Screen Zoom or Window zoom). The full screen zoom will zoom in the whole screen and you have to drag your three fingers across the screen to navigate.

 

  • You can also customize the maximum zoom level up to 15.0x.
  • You can also customize the zoom filter which will change the color and contrast of the screen for contrast.
  • The zoom app works in all apps if you need it.
  • There are also ways to enlarge your font throughout your system where dynamic type is available, if you go to General> Accessibility>Larger Text, you will see a scale where you can adjust your preferred readings size/font.

 

Tips and Tricks on Speech on iOS

 

  • Go into settings> General> Speech> Speech selection on.
  • To activate speech on a screen swipe down with two fingers from the top of the screen to hear the content of the screen.
  • You can also change the voices, and speed of the voices

 

Next Meeting (Monday April 8, 2019 at 7pm)

  • Wendy Edey will show how a blind person can use their iPhone to find and play described video movies and TV shows on the Netflix
  • As always, for help with technology bring your devices and/or questions to the meeting.

 

Meeting Location and Logistics

  • Ascension Lutheran Church 8405 – 83 Street NW, Edmonton.
  • We meet in the basement hall. There is elevator access.
  • Enter the church from the back door. There is parking at the back.
  • Meetings are every second Monday of the month at 7pm.
  • If you have someone helping you your assistant is welcome to remain for the meeting.

 

GTT Edmonton Overview

  • GTT Edmonton is a chapter of the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB).
  • GTT Edmonton promotes a self-help learning experience by holding monthly meetings to assist participants with assistive technology.
  • Each meeting consists of a feature technology topic, questions and answers about technology, and one-on-one training where possible.
  • Participants are encouraged to come to each meeting even if they are not interested in the feature topic because questions on any technology are welcome. The more participants the more talent and experience we will have to help each other.
  • There are GTT groups across Canada as well as a national GTT monthly toll free teleconference. You may subscribe to the National GTT blog to get email notices of teleconferences and notes from other GTT chapters. Visit:

http://www.gttprogram.wordpress.com/

To subscribe, activate the “Follow “link at the bottom of that web page to enter your email.

 

National GTT Email Support List

CCB sponsors a GTT email support list to provide help and support with technology for blind and low vision Canadians.  To subscribe to the email list, send an empty email to:

GTTsupport+subscribe@groups.io

[End of Document]

 

 

CCB Tech Articles, Donna’s Low Tech Tips, scam alert, March 18, 2019

March 18 2019

A scam alert

 

Hi there!  It’s Donna and thank you for allowing me to come into your inbox.

Today, I’d like to introduce you to my scam alert.

 

A scam alert

Email seeking a company rep

 

This is usually a scam for you have not been chosen.  In short, Your email was randomly chosen by some unknown person out there aka a hacker.  Additionally, I can bet you anything that the company mentioned in the email probably does not even exist.

 

You are asked to provide your name and email address if interested and most emails would also include the salary or renumeration being offered along with how easy it is going to be for you to make some easy money.    Yes, this sort of email is very inviting and tempting for you to respond to.

 

What happens if you yield to temptation?

Very simple!  If you respond to this email and provide the info being sought then chances are that your email address will shortly be hacked and this will only be the start of more trouble for you and your computer system.

Just ignore this and delete immediately.

 

That’s it from me for this week.

If you would like to become a member of  my CCB Mysteries chapter you can do so for the price of $10 annually and in return you will receive unlimited access to either of the following libraries.

Recipes –

http://www.donnajodhan.com/library-recipes.html

Audio mysteries for all ages –

http://www.donnajodhan.com/library-audio-mysteries.html

Or you can subscribe to both for the price of $20 annually.

Now you  can subscribe to “‘Let’s Talk Tips”‘ which is my monthly resource for the most current and reliable

informational tips available in the areas of Technology, Nutrition, Media,

Business, and Advocacy.

http://bit.ly/ADJSubscribe

 

To contact me, send me an email at info@sterlingcreations.ca and I’d be happy to respond.

Have yourselves a great day and see you next week.

Donna

 

Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2019-67

Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2019-67

Date Written: Mar 10, 2019 at 8:00 PM

Date Saved: 2019-03-11, 8:35 PM

Source: https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2019/2019-67.htm

Call for comments on an amendment proposed by Bell Media Inc., Corus Entertainment Inc. and Rogers Media Inc. to their condition of licence that requires prime time programming to be broadcast with described video

The Commission calls for comments on an application by Bell Media Inc., Corus Entertainment Inc. and Rogers Media Inc., on behalf of their licensees (the Licensees), requesting that the Commission amend their condition of licence that requires prime time programming (7 p.m. to 11 p.m.) to be broadcast with described video effective 1 September 2019.

Specifically, the Licensees requested an exception to that condition of licence to be allowed to air non-Canadian programs received less than 72 hours prior to broadcast without described video. For such programming, repeat airings with described video would be scheduled in prime time at a time greater than 72 hours from delivery.

The deadline for the receipt of interventions is 25 April 2019. Only parties that file interventions may file a reply to matters raised during the intervention phase. The deadline to file replies is 13 May 2019.

Introduction

  1. The Commission is committed to improving the accessibility of the broadcasting system for persons with disabilities. This objective of Canada’s broadcasting policy is prescribed in section 3(1)(p) of the Broadcasting Act, which states that programming accessible by disabled persons should be provided within the Canadian broadcasting system as resources become available for the purpose.
  2. Television plays an important role in shaping Canadian society. It is a primary source of news, entertainment and sports programming, and plays a critical role in making Canadians aware of the wide range of ideas and perspectives that make up the rich fabric of our society. As a result, it is important that all Canadians have access to what television has to offer.
  3. Described video is a narrated description of a program’s main visual elements, such as setting, costumes and body language. It helps to make television programming accessible for people with visual disabilities by allowing them to better understand what is occurring on the screen. Described video thus enables accessibility of broadcast information, entertainment, ideas and perspectives that all Canadians enjoy.
  4. Recognizing the importance of described video, the Commission has incrementally increased the availability of programming with described video in the Canadian broadcasting system since 2001 to ensure the continual availability of a greater diversity of described video content.
  5. In Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2015-104, the Commission stated that it would implement a tiered approach to the provision of described video. This approach would ramp up described video requirements over time in accordance with the size and resources of broadcasters. Specifically, by 1 September 2019, broadcasters currently subject to described video requirements, as well as those that belong to vertically integrated entities, will be required to provide described video for their prime time programming (7 p.m. to 11 p.m.) that falls under the identified program categories1 seven days per week.
  6. In Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2016-436, the Commission established standard conditions of licence to that effect that would be imposed during the subsequent television licence renewals. However, the Commission also noted in that regulatory policy that requirements relating to the provision of described video for undertakings for which more substantial levels are appropriate would be discussed with those undertakings at licence renewals and imposed on a case-by-case basis. Accordingly, when the Commission renewed the broadcasting licences for the English- and French-language stations and services belonging to large ownership groups in 2017, it imposed the described video requirement as a standard condition of licence, which reads as follows: The licensee shall, by 1 September 2019, provide described video for all English- and French-language programming that is broadcast during prime time (i.e., from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.) and that is drawn from program categories 2(b) Long-form documentary, 7 Drama and comedy, 9 Variety, 11(a) General entertainment and human interest and 11(b) Reality television, and/or is programming targeting preschool children (0-5 years of age) and children (6-12 years of age).

Experience of Canadians

  1. Users of described video have consistently expressed to the Commission the value of traditional and conventional television programming. Canadians who are blind or partially sighted have stated that television continues to be their primary source of media and that described video programming directly contributes to a higher quality of life.
  2. In past proceedings, Canadians who are blind or partially sighted have requested that the Commission increase described video programming specifically during prime time hours, arguing that such programming aired solely at daytime and/or nighttime hours neither meets their viewing needs nor provides for an equitable level of programming available to other viewers. They stated that while they often pay the same price for programming as other television subscribers, they can access only a fraction of the programming.

Application requesting an exception to described video requirements

  1. On 28 November 2018, Bell Media Inc. (Bell), Corus Entertainment Inc. (Corus) and Rogers Media Inc. (Rogers), on behalf of their licensees (the Licensees), filed a Part 1 application requesting that the Commission amend their condition of licence that requires prime time programming (7 p.m. to 11 p.m.) to be broadcast with described video effective 1 September 2019.
  2. Specifically, the Licensees requested an exception to that condition of licence to be allowed to air non-Canadian programs received less than 72 hours prior to broadcast without described video. For such programming, repeat airings with described video would be scheduled in prime time at a time greater than 72 hours from delivery.
  3. The Licensees argued that the exception is necessary because a significant amount of U.S. content arrives without embedded described video very close to the time of broadcast and that there is insufficient time to produce or outsource described video in these circumstances. They added that live described video is not a viable option.
  4. Without being granted this amendment, the Licensees stated that they would be unable to meet the prime time described video requirements by 1 September 2019. They also proposed that broadcasters be required to keep a log detailing the receipt date of all U.S. programs received without described video and broadcast in prime time, and provided a template for that purpose.
  5. The application includes letters from described video production houses and various U.S.-based production/distribution studios that specify timeframes for delivery to Canada for first-run television series. The application and supporting letters can be found on the Commission’s website.

Call for comments

  1. The Commission calls for comments on the Licensees’ proposal to amend the condition of licence on described video,2 as follows (changes are in bold): 
The licensee shall, by 1 September 2019, provide described video for all English- and French-language programming that is broadcast during prime time (i.e., from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.) and that is drawn from program categories 2(b) Long-form documentary, 7 Drama and comedy, 9 Variety, 11(a) General entertainment and human interest and 11(b) Reality television, and/or is programming targeting preschool children (0-5 years of age) and children (6-12 years of age) with the exception of non-Canadian programs that are received less than 72 hours prior to air. Such programs will be broadcast with described video for repeat airings scheduled in prime time greater than 72 hours from delivery.
  2. Further, the Commission is seeking comments regarding issues raised by the application, such as:

◦           the specific first-run prime time programs that are at issue in this application;

◦           the impact on viewers;

◦           the manner in which viewers could find accurate information concerning the scheduling of repeat airings of the programming at issue;

◦           the reason(s) why a significant amount of non-Canadian programming arrives without embedded described video;

◦           the commercial arrangements that the Licensees have with their suppliers of non-Canadian programming to procure first-run prime time programming with embedded described video;

◦           alternative approaches that would allow the Licensees to meet their described video requirements; and

◦           measures the Commission should take, if any, to be satisfied that the Licensees would be compliant with the proposed exception, should the Commission grant it.

  1. 
Though the specific questions are set out in the appendix to this notice, interventions may address any issue relevant to the proposed amendment.

Disposal of application

  1. The Commission considers that the requests made by the Licensees would be better addressed through this notice of consultation. Bell, Corus and Rogers are therefore made parties to this proceeding, and their 28 November 2018 application and supporting letters referenced above are made part of the record of this proceeding.
  2. Consequently, the application is closed, and the matters raised therein will be dealt with according to the procedure set out in this notice.

Procedure

  1. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Rules of Practice and Procedure (the Rules of Procedure) apply to the present proceeding. The Rules of Procedure set out, among other things, the rules for content, format, filing and service of interventions, answers, replies and requests for information; the procedure for filing confidential information and requesting its disclosure; and the conduct of public hearings. Accordingly, the procedure set out below must be read in conjunction with the Rules of Procedure and related documents, which can be found on the Commission’s website under “Statutes and Regulations.” The guidelines set out in Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin 2010-959 provide information to help interested persons and parties understand the Rules of Procedure so that they can more effectively participate in Commission proceedings.
  2. The Commission invites interventions that address the issues and questions set out in the appendix to this notice. The Commission will accept interventions that it receives on or before 25 April 2019. Only parties that file interventions may file a reply to matters raised during the intervention phase. The deadline for the filing of replies is 13 May 2019. The Commission may request information, in the form of interrogatories, from any party to the proceeding.
  3. The Commission encourages interested persons and parties to monitor the record of the proceeding, available on the Commission’s website, for additional information that they may find useful when preparing their submissions.
  4. Submissions longer than five pages should include a summary. Each paragraph of all submissions should be numbered, and the line ***End of document*** should follow the last paragraph. This will help the Commission verify that the document has not been damaged during electronic transmission.
  5. Pursuant to Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin 2015-242, the Commission expects incorporated entities and associations, and encourages all Canadians, to file submissions for Commission proceedings in accessible formats (for example, text-based file formats that allow text to be enlarged or modified, or read by screen readers). To provide assistance in this regard, the Commission has posted on its website guidelines for preparing documents in accessible formats.
  6. Submissions must be filed by sending them to the Secretary General of the Commission using only one of the following means: 
by completing the
[Intervention/comment/answer form]
or
by mail to
CRTC, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N2
or
by fax at
819-994-0218
  7. Parties who send documents electronically must ensure that they will be able to prove, upon Commission request, that filing, or where required, service of a particular document was completed. Accordingly, parties must keep proof of the sending and receipt of each document for 180 days after the date on which the document is filed or served. The Commission advises parties who file or serve documents by electronic means to exercise caution when using email for the service of documents, as it may be difficult to establish that service has occurred.
  8. In accordance with the Rules of Procedure, a document must be received by the Commission and all relevant parties by 5 p.m. Vancouver time (8 p.m. Ottawa time) on the date it is due. Parties are responsible for ensuring the timely delivery of their submissions and will not be notified if their submissions are received after the deadline. Late submissions, including those due to postal delays, will not be considered by the Commission and will not be made part of the public record.
  9. The Commission will not formally acknowledge submissions. It will, however, fully consider all submissions, which will form part of the public record of the proceeding, provided that the procedure for filing set out above has been followed.

Important notice

  1. All information that parties provide as part of this public process, except information designated confidential, whether sent by postal mail, fax, email or through the Commission’s website at www.crtc.gc.ca, becomes part of a publicly accessible file and will be posted on the Commission’s website. This information includes personal information, such as full names, email addresses, postal/street addresses, telephone and fax numbers, etc.
  2. The personal information that parties provide will be used and may be disclosed for the purpose for which the information was obtained or compiled by the Commission, or for a use consistent with that purpose.
  3. Documents received electronically or otherwise will be put on the Commission’s website in their entirety exactly as received, including any personal information contained therein, in the official language and format in which they are received. Documents not received electronically will be available in PDF format.
  4. The information that parties provide to the Commission as part of this public process is entered into an unsearchable database dedicated to this specific public process. This database is accessible only from the web page of this particular public process. As a result, a general search of the Commission’s website with the help of either its own search engine or a third-party search engine will not provide access to the information that was provided as part of this public process.

Availability of documents

  1. Electronic versions of the interventions and of other documents referred to in this notice, are available on the Commission’s website at www.crtc.gc.ca by visiting the “Have your say!” section, then selecting “our open processes.” Documents can then be accessed by clicking on the links in the “Subject” and “Related Documents” columns associated with this particular notice.
  2. Documents are also available at the following address, upon request, during normal business hours. 
Les Terrasses de la Chaudière
Central Building
1 Promenade du Portage, Room 206
Gatineau, Quebec
J8X 4B1
Tel.: 819-997-2429 
Fax: 819-994-0218
Toll-free telephone: 1-877-249-2782
Toll-free TTY: 1-877-909-2782

Secretary General

  • Rogers Media Inc. – Licence renewals for English-language television stations, services and network, Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2017-151, 15 May 2017
  • Corus Entertainment Inc. – Licence renewals for English-language television stations and services, Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2017-150, 15 May 2017
  • Bell Media Inc. – Licence renewals for English-language television stations and services, Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2017-149, 15 May 2017
  • Standard requirements for television stations, discretionary services, and on-demand services, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2016-436, 2 November 2016
  • Filing submissions for Commission proceedings in accessible formats, Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin CRTC 2015-242, 8 June 2015
  • Let’s Talk TV – Navigating the Road Ahead – Making informed choices about television providers and improving accessibility to television programming, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2015-104, 26 March 2015
  • Guidelines on the CRTC Rules of Practice and Procedure, Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin CRTC 2010-959, 23 December 2010

Appendix to Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2019-67

Questions regarding described video requirements

Questions for Canadian viewers

Q1. In a scenario in which the Commission grants the amendment proposed by the Licensees, what would be the impact on your viewing experience? Include in your answer any steps that the Licensees could take to address these impacts.

Q2. How would granting the proposed amendment affect your ability to find out about when and how the programming at issue will be rebroadcast with described video? Include in your answer any actions that the Licensees could take to address this concern.

Questions for Bell, Corus and Rogers

Q3. This application raises what appears to be a procurement issue that could be resolved through amendments to existing procurement/licensing agreements with suppliers or in future negotiations. As such, the need for an exception as proposed by the Licensees would appear to be temporary in nature. Provide comment on the period of time required for the proposed exception, with supporting rationale.

Q4. Should the Commission agree with the need for an exception, the amended condition of licence, as proposed, would exclude “non-Canadian programs that are received less than 72 hours prior to air.” The proposed wording would, in theory, include non-Canadian programming that contains embedded described video. Provide comment on whether the proposed wording of the condition of licence accurately reflects the exception sought and, if not, propose alternative wording.

Q5. In a scenario in which the Commission grants the proposed amendment:

  1. Describe the approach that your organization would take to schedule the repeat programming at issue during prime time. In your response, specify the proximity of the repeat airing with described video to the first-run airing without described video in hours, days, weeks or months, as applicable for each program.
  2. Describe how you will clearly communicate the repeat airings of the programming with described video to your customers who rely on described video to ensure that they know when and how they can access this programming.
  3. Identify the reporting requirements, if any, that in your view would be appropriate to satisfy the Commission and Canadians that you have met the scheduling and communication commitments that you have detailed in your response to 5a. and b.

Q6. Provide your assessment of the impact of the proposed amendment on the viewing experience of your customers who rely on described video in accessing and enjoying first-run prime time programming. Include in your response input from consultations held with these customers.

 

Get Together with Technology (GTT) at CSUN, March 13 to 15, 2019

Get Together with Technology (GTT) at CSUN

 

Thanks to Markido Inc. of Ottawa, four CCB staff and volunteers will have the great good fortune to attend the 34th CSUN Conference in Anaheim California later this week.  Look for periodic reports on the GTT network from Kim Kilpatrick, Rebecca Jackson, Maryse Glaude- Beaulieu and Albert Ruel.

 

If there’s something you want GTT staff and volunteers to investigate for you at CSUN, send your Tweet to @GTTWest or @GTTProgram, contact us through the GTTProgram.Blog site by commenting on this post, or subscribe to and post your questions to the GTTSupport@Groups.io discussion list.

 

Sam Burns, CEO of Markido Inc. will be promoting their PowerPoint Plug-in, “Engage” during CSUN and you can get a peak at its great support for accessible presentations by activating the below links.  You can download your own free version and see how it will help you get access to all the information in the PowerPoint presentations you receive, and to create your own accessible presentations for circulation.

 

One of the exciting products produced by Markido is Engage.

Engage is a PowerPoint add-in that lets people of any skill-level create visually impressive presentations. Engage comes with thousands of design assets that are easy to incorporate into any presentation using drag and drop functionality. Users can also create and edit infographics and data maps right in PowerPoint.

 

Make your presentations more accessible for people with disabilities.

 

Run our accessibility tests to get an overview of how accessible your presentation is.

 

We provide quick and convenient shortcuts to fix the issues that are found.

 

Visually check and fix the screen reading order of your slides without having to use the selection pane.

 

Add a slide description so users with screen readers can get an overview of what the slide is about before reading the detailed content.

 

Over 100,000 amazing presentations have been created with Engage.

 

Get a free trial version of Engage.

 

We’ll send you a trial product key to activate Engage

 

Microsoft Windows Logo

 

Works with Windows versions of PowerPoint 2007 – 2016.

 

 

CCB Tech Articles, Donna’s Low Tech Tips, Privacy Protection, March 11, 2019

March 11 2019

Privacy protection

 

Hi there!  It’s Donna and thank you for allowing me to come into your inbox.

Today, I’d like to introduce you to my tip on privacy protection.

 

Privacy protection

We are constantly striving to protect ourselves from scams and scammers, but most of all we need to ensure that our privacy, confidentiality, and independence are kept safe from prying eyes and those who thrive on destroying our right to these precious commodities.

 

Completion of medical forms

As of now, the only way to complete medical forms is for you to complete hard copies and for a vision impaired person this is a real challenge.

Why?  Because sighted assistance is needed in order to do so.

Most medical offices do not even have their pre surgery forms or any related documentation in an electronic format and receptionists are simply too busy to read anything to you.

So the choice is down to finding that trusted person to assist you.

 

That’s it from me for this week!

If you would like to become a member of  my CCB Mysteries chapter you can do so for the price of $10 annually and in return you will receive unlimited access to any of the following libraries.

Recipes – A collection of hard to find recipes

Audio mysteries for all ages – Comfort listening any time of the day

Home and garden – A collection of great articles for around the home and garden

Or you can subscribe to all 3 for the price of $30 annually.

Visit http://www.donnajodhan.com/subscription-libraries.html

 

To contact me, send me an email at info@sterlingcreations.ca and I’d be happy to respond.

Have yourselves a great day and see you next week.

Donna

 

March 11 2019

Privacy protection

 

Hi there!  It’s Donna and thank you for allowing me to come into your inbox.

Today, I’d like to introduce you to my tip on privacy protection.

 

Privacy protection

We are constantly striving to protect ourselves from scams and scammers, but most of all we need to ensure that our privacy, confidentiality, and independence are kept safe from prying eyes and those who thrive on destroying our right to these precious commodities.

 

That’s it from me for this week!

If you would like to become a member of  my CCB Mysteries chapter you can do so for the price of $10 annually and in return you will receive unlimited access to any of the following libraries.

Recipes – A collection of hard to find recipes

Audio mysteries for all ages – Comfort listening any time of the day

Home and garden – A collection of great articles for around the home and garden

Or you can subscribe to all 3 for the price of $30 annually.

Visit http://www.donnajodhan.com/subscription-libraries.html

 

To contact me, send me an email at info@sterlingcreations.ca and I’d be happy to respond.

Have yourselves a great day and see you next week.

Donna

 

 

GTT Toronto: Thanks to all for Toronto’s 4th White Cane Week ‘Experience’ Expo, held on February 2, 2019

Hey GTT Toronto!

—-Message from Ian White, President, CCB Toronto Visionaries Chapter, Canadian Council of the Blind—-

Once again, thank you for making our 4th year hosting the WCW ‘Experience’ Expo our best year yet. Following on from the discussion at the Assistive Technology Forum, we have one more very important thing to do.

 

As you know, the employment rate of Canadians who are blind, partially-sighted, and deaf-blind is very low, and the cost of assistive and accessible technology is very high. Given these facts, the CCB is endeavouring to better understand your thoughts, experiences, and goals in these matters so that we may advocate for you more effectively. We want to work with you towards a future with a higher employment rate for those with vision loss as well as increased accessibility and independence.

 

Our goal is to eliminate or minimize the barriers limiting those with vision loss from acquiring the education of their choice and from entering and thriving in today’s workforce. So help us help you and complete the brief survey below!

 

Tell us about your circumstances. Where you are and where do you want to go? We want to help you get there.

 

Click here to complete the survey!

 

Please invest the 8 to 10 minutes it will take to complete the above survey. If you can, do it today  or if not, then no later than Friday March 15, 2019.

Once you’ve submitted your survey, please pass the survey link along to as many others living with vision loss as possible. The more survey respondents we get, the better we’ll be able to understand the present status of Canadians with vision loss and to act accordingly.

Thank you in advance for your participation.

All the best,

 

Ian White

President

CCB’s Toronto Visionaries Chapter

 

Guest Post: let’s talk tips March 4, 2019, a Donna Jodhan Publication

March 04 2019

My let’s talk tips free monthly newsletter

 

Hi there!  It’s Donna and thank you for allowing me to come into your inbox.

Today, I’d like to introduce you to my free monthly newsletter.

Tips on technology, media, business, nutrition, and advocacy.

Enjoy!

 

Let’s Talk Tips For

Tuesday, January 1st 2019 – Volume 4

An Author Donna Jodhan Publication

 

About | Let’s Talk Tips is your monthly resource for the most current and reliable informational tips available in the areas of Technology, Nutrition, Media, Business, and Advocacy. Find out more at: http://bit.ly/ADJLTT

 

Web Version | Read this Volume of the Let’s Talk Tips Newsletter on the web at: http://bit.ly/LETSTALKTIPSV4, or at http://www.donnajodhan.com/lets-talk-tips-newsletter-2018/01012019/index.html.

 

Spam Filtering | To ensure that you receive each issue of the Let’s Talk Tips Newsletter please be sure to add the following two email addresses to your Address Book, Email Contact List, Trusted Sender’s List, and/or Safe Sender’s List today: enews@donnajodhan.ccsend.com and enews@donnajodhan.com.

 

Share | Share this Volume of the Let’s Talk Tips Newsletter on Facebook using this link: http://bit.ly/SHARELETSTALKTIPSV4.

 

Subscribe | Subscribe to receive this newsletter at: http://bit.ly/ADJSubscribe.

 

Greetings,

 

Happy New Year! This month in Let’s Talk Tips:

 

***********************

#Technology

***********************

 

1.) Netflix is Testing an Instant Scene-Replay Feature

Did that scene in “Black Panther” or “Stranger Things” wow you so much that you wanted to stop everything and instantly rewatch it? A new feature being tested by Netflix could give viewers the ability to do exactly that.

https://lat.ms/2ReaZbU

 

2.) SMS to RCS. A New Messaging Standard. What it is and why you might want it.

A lot of people have become bored with SMS messaging, and the tech industry is very aware of it. While services such as Apple’s iMessage, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp allow you to add photos, GIFs and videos to your messages, they are not universal solutions.

http://bit.ly/2rYUgex

 

3.) The AI boom is happening all over the world, and it’s accelerating quickly.

The second annual AI Index report pulls together data and expert findings on the field’s progress and acceleration.

http://bit.ly/2GC9W1f

 

4.) The Worst Passwords of 2018. Is yours on this list?

Making it into the Top 25 for bad passwords this year are “donald,” “princess,” and “sunshine.” If you’re guilty of using one of the offending passwords on SplashData’s 100 Top Worst Passwords List of 2018, it’s time to get more creative.

http://bit.ly/2QIFkjt

 

5.) CNET Gives Us The Top Tech Stories of 2018

From Google’s scary Duplex AI to Fortnite mania, this year showed the good, bad and uncomfortable ways that tech is changing our lives.

https://cnet.co/2Reb2EC

 

***********************

#Nutrition

***********************

 

1.) Arjun Kapoor’s Weight Loss Diet Plan & Workout Routine. Before & After Pics

Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor’s incredible weight loss story is indeed an inspiration for many people struggling to get fit. Read on to learn his diet plan and workout routine.

http://bit.ly/2PVVjFl

 

2.) How to Lose Belly Fat and Build Muscle Fast. 5 Workout and Diet Secrets Every Man Should Know

Building muscle is tricky in itself, doing that while losing the unwanted belly fat is perhaps, trickier. Here are some things that you need to incorporate in your workout routines to meet your goals.

http://bit.ly/2QItHJ7

 

3.) What is the Fast Metabolism Diet and How Does it Help with Weight Loss?

Essentially, the Fast Metabolism Diet is a 28-day eating plan that aims to speed up your metabolism by consuming specific foods in a certain time, resulting in weight loss. The diet, developed by a celebrity nutritionist and wellness consultant Haylie Pomroy, claims that eating the certain foods at the right time can ‘trick’ your metabolism into speeding up, helping you lose up to up to 20 pounds (9 kilos) in just 28 days.

http://bit.ly/2CsB7aN

 

4.) Why Relaxing is More Important for Weight Loss Than You Think. And How Often You Need to Chill Out

More and more gyms are investing in relaxation areas and luxury saunas, but you can reap the same benefits at home.

http://bit.ly/2V6sKcn

 

5.) 7 Tips for Exactly How to Eat Before and After a Workout

Nutrition pros break down the guidelines for pre and post workout eating, so you can maximize the benefits of your sweat session.

http://bit.ly/2PUZNfi

 

***********************

#Media

***********************

 

1.) All of Facebook’s Ad Targeting Options in One Infographic

Facebook’s Ad Targeting Options got you dizzy? Well you’re not alone. Check out this awesome infographic for a complete visual represenation of your options, fully categorized and illustrated.

http://bit.ly/2Lwa8y2

 

2.) The Verge Gives Us 22 Predictions for Social Media in 2019

What to expect from Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and more.

http://bit.ly/2EJ2nUQ

 

3.) For the first year ever, Pew Research Study reveals more people now turn to social media for news than actual newspapers.

It’s a sign of the times. Pew also found that other sources of news, including television, radio and news websites still outrank social media. You can take a look at Pew’s data distribution here.

https://cnet.co/2CthNu4

 

4.) Why businesses are relying on Facebook Groups to build engaged audiences.

At the beginning of 2018, Facebook switched up its algorithm in an attempt to “fix” the News Feed by promoting more posts from family and friends and demoting content from businesses, brands and media. The move actively distanced brands from their followers on the platform by limiting exposure to organic content posted by businesses. At first glance, the only solution for brands was to invest more in their Facebook ad campaigns, but some businesses have found an alternative to connect with their audience by building vibrant Facebook Group communities.

https://mklnd.com/2QJB1nS

 

5.) Instagram Strips Out Fake ‘Likes’ Tied to 3rd-Party Apps

Instagram has begun to remove inauthentic engagement with accounts that used third-party apps to grow their follower count and engagement on the platform — a practice that violates the app’s community guidelines and terms of use.

https://mklnd.com/2Cs5mym

 

***********************

#Business

***********************

 

1.) Barriers to Working Longer are Coming Down

Whether by choice or necessity, more adults are working past retirement age.

https://dpo.st/2BEA2uG

 

2.) Long Term Care and Nursing Home Information Systems Market Report

The Long Term Care and Nursing Home Information Systems Market Report provides an overview of the Long Term Care and Nursing Home Information Systems Industry, including industry characteristics, manufacturing technology, industry chain analysis and the latest market trends & dynamics.

http://bit.ly/2LtlaUJ

 

3.) Hunger Among Senior Citizens is Serious Problem

The period of life known as “the golden years” is often more bleak than bright for a lot of senior citizens in the United States. Nearly 5 million seniors citizens currently deal with hunger in the U.S., according to Feeding America, a nonprofit organization that focuses its efforts on hunger relief.

http://bit.ly/2BDkZlg

 

4.) Perennials, Not Millennials, Will Trigger the Next Wave of Talent Retention Efforts

Headlines in recent years have trumpeted workplace changes demanded by millennials, from nap pods to flexible scheduling to student-loan repayment. But there is another fundamental shift in workforce demographics. Older workers — or “perennials,” as this cohort has sometimes been called — are now the fastest-growing population of workers, with twice as many seniors as teenagers currently employed in the US.

http://bit.ly/2rQznln

 

5.) LinkedIn’s 50 Big Ideas for 2019: What to Watch in the Year Ahead

The business leaders, authors, journalists and academics who gave us their 2019 predictions foresee a shaky economy, a troubled world order and continued anxiety — but also a renewed focus on caring for ourselves, for each other and for doing the right thing. Here’s our annual look at the year ahead.

http://bit.ly/2CtFS3C

 

***********************

#Advocacy

***********************

 

1.) Accessibility at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan

Tokyo, Japan is hosting the 2020 Summer Olympics. As usual, the Paralympics will follow. It is expected that forty million people will travel to Japan to watch the Olympics and Paralympics. As a result, Japan is examining accessibility at the 2020 Summer Olympics. While Japan is accessible in some places already, the country will be making improvements between now and 2020.

http://bit.ly/2V1XFWW

 

2.) People With Disabilities Face Significant Barriers in Education System, Commission Finds

Ontario’s education system needs to modernize its approach to supporting disabled students at every age level and do more to eliminate persistent barriers they face in school, the province’s human rights commission said in a statement.

http://bit.ly/2EEjWoc

 

3.) Research Shows 1 in 5 Museums Do Not Provide Online Access Information and are Inadvertently Contributing to a “Disability Engagement Gap”

Museum websites are key tools for providing visitor access information, and the absence of this contributes to the ‘disability engagement gap’; where people with a disability are less likely to be regular or frequent visitors of museums than those who are not disabled.

http://bit.ly/2Sd3D5y

 

4.) Equal Access in Air Travel for the Blind. Raising Expectations from the United States Department of Transportation

Air travel and the treatment of blind passengers by the airlines are not new topics for the NFB and in the Braille Monitor. But recent events have the topics squarely on the NFB Agenda as you will read in this article.

http://bit.ly/2rOYpkU

 

5.) What would a truly disabled-accessible city look like?

Most cities are utterly unfriendly to people with disabilities, but with almost one billion estimated to be urban-dwellers by 2050, a few cities are undergoing a remarkable shift.

http://bit.ly/2PVpNYi

 

***********************

#Subscription Information:

***********************

 

ABOUT:

The Let’s Talk Tips Newsletter is an Author Donna Jodhan Publication. Author Donna Jodhan is a blind author, advocate, blogger, podcast commentator, and accessibility specialist. The Let’s Talk Tips Newsletter is your monthly resource for the most current and reliable informational tips available in the areas of Technology, Nutrition, Media, Business, and Advocacy. The Let’s Talk Tips Newsletter is sent out by email and Facebook on the 1st Monday of every month at 6:00 AM EST.

 

SUBSCRIBE:

If you, a friend, or colleague wish to receive the Lets’s Talk Tips Monthly Newsletter please use or pass along our CAPTCHA-free sign-up link: http://bit.ly/ADJSubscribe. You can also subscribe to receive Lets’s Talk Tips on the Author Donna Jodhan Website (http://www.donnajodhan.com) or by (SMS) texting “DONNAJODHAN” to 42828 today to get started. Either of these methods will provide you with an accessibly friendly and secure medium through which you can subscribe to our mailing list. Just enter your email address, click send, and begin receiving the Lets’s Talk Tips Newsletter today. It’s that easy.

 

UNSUBSCRIBE:

All Author Donna Jodhan Publications utlize industry-standard SafeUnsubscribe technology which allows any reader to instantly unsubscribe from this or any other Author Donna Jodhan Publication at their sole discretion. All Author Donna Jodhan Publications are 100% CAN-SPAM Compliant. To unsubscribe from this or any other Author Donna Jodhan Publication simply locate the link located at the bottom of every email we send you titled “SafeUnsubscribe”.

 

WEBSITE:

Visit the Author Donna Jodhan website online at: http://www.donnajodhan.com.

 

FACEBOOK:

Are you on Facebook? Stop by and “Like” Author Donna Jodhan to begin receiving the Let’s Talk Tips Newsletter as part of your Facebook News Feed today: http://www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan.

 

RSS:

Do you prefer RSS feeds to keep up with the world of news around you? If you do, you can receive the Let’s Talk Tips Newsletter as it is released each month by adding this link to your favorite RSS aggregator: http://www.donna-jodhan.com/lets-talk-tips.xml.

 

DONATE:

If you would like to support Author Donna Jodhan, the CCB Mysteries Chapter, or any of the other many initiatives undertaken by Donna Jodhan and Friends, or the many organizations with which they collaborate, please consider becoming an active support member today. Learn more at: http://www.donnajodhan.com/donate.html.

 

ARCHIVE:

Visit the Let’s Talk Tips Newsletter Archive at: http://www.donnajodhan.com/lets-talk-tips-newsletter.html where you can reference all past issues.

 

CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS:

Each month we aggregate all of the very best tips we can find in the areas of Technology, Nutrition, Media, Business, and Advocacy. If you are a writer, author, blogger or podcaster of informational tips in any of these areas, and you would like for your content to be considered for publication within this newsletter, you may send any information for future issues to our editor, Donna Jodhan, at: LetsTalkTips@DonnaJodhan.com.

 

***********************

 

That’s it from me for this week.

If you would like to become a member of  my CCB Mysteries chapter you can do so for the price of $10 annually and in return you will receive unlimited access to either of the following libraries.

Recipes –

http://www.donnajodhan.com/library-recipes.html

Audio mysteries for all ages –

http://www.donnajodhan.com/library-audio-mysteries.html

Or you can subscribe to both for the price of $20 annually.

Now you  can subscribe to “‘Let’s Talk Tips”‘ which is my monthly resource for the most

current and reliable

informational tips available in the areas of Technology, Nutrition, Media,

Business, and Advocacy.

http://bit.ly/ADJSubscribe

 

To contact me, send me an email at info@sterlingcreations.ca and I’d be happy to respond.

Have yourselves a great day and see you next week.

Donna