Access Stories Related to the British Columbia Guide and Service Dog Act

From the time when the province of British Columbia first introduced Bill 17, which has now become the British Columbia Guide and Service Dog Act, the Canadian Federation of the Blind (along with other rights holders) has warned that some of its provisions would create access problems.  In particular, we warned that the emphasis on stopping members of the public from claiming that their pets are service dogs could lead to increased scrutiny of legitimate guide and service dog handlers.  We feared that the portion of the definition of “guide dog” that defines a guide dog as one that has been certified by the province would lead to a two tier system that would leave those from outside British Columbia unprotected.  We also raised the alarm about the stated intention to use a “graduated enforcement” strategy rather than a stringent implementation of applicable fines in cases of access denial.

This is a request for those of you who live in British Columbia, have visited the province, or know someone who has had difficulty because of the BC guide and service dog law.

We need your stories.  Because the provincial system for handling access issues has been so ineffective, government officials who need to know about problems with the new law aren’t being made aware of them.  If you’ve been asked to present identification before being allowed to access a public place or had service or access refusals, we need to know what happened, when it happened, and the end result.  Even if you were able to negotiate the issues successfully, the fact that you faced issues is extremely significant.  If you are from outside of British Columbia and were denied enforcement because you lack BC certification, we need to know that, too.  Your experience could help educate lawmakers about the unintended consequences of the British Columbia law.

You can write me at president@cfb.ca with your story.  If you have questions, phone me toll-free at (866) 670-0052.

Mary Ellen Gabias, President

Canadian Federation of the Blind

Summary Notes

GTT Chatham-Kent Meeting December 13, 2017

The most recent meeting of the Get Together with Technology (GTT) Chatham-Kent Chapter was held December 13.

Six 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.

Meeting Ideas:

Matt proposed discussing the use of Blind Square and Google Maps for navigation. We can practice them outside at the next meeting.

Dave L. asked that we also discuss Google Home and Amazon Echo if there is time. Harvey has several Google minis and Dave plans to buy one on the way home today.

Theme, GPS Maps for Navigation:

Matt opened Google Maps and demonstrated how it can be used to find locations and get directions by foot, transit (including uber and lift) and driving. It only uses about 30 megs of data a month. Although it will tell you bus times, bus stop locations and cost, it doesn’t tell you when to get off. To solve this, Matt makes sure it announces the stop ahead of when he wants to get off, so he can get ready. In the menu, you can change miles to kms., download maps. You can type in a destination or voice search it. To reverse the destination and start point, say stop start of destination. You can choose the time to depart.

Matt used text search for ‘coffee’. He found all the coffee shops near his home. It stated where the shop was open, what its hours are, directions and the time to get there. It gives bus numbers, how soon a bus should come, the cost and where the bus stop is. None of us could find the location of the Chatham Bus Terminal. There isn’t a phone there. We don’t know if Chatham’s four bus routes in Chatham are on Google Maps. Dave H. Uses Chatham’s bus app. It is not very helpful. Chatham buses do announce stops.

Matt told us that, right now, Apple Maps which is similar has a bug right now when giving walking directions.

Matt demonstrated Blind Square, which is an Apple app. It is the only app that tells you where you are. You can simulate a location to explore what is around it and plan routes using Google Maps or Apple Maps. It is only for the iPhone. It will also give the weather in the place you have searched.  If you hold your phone flat and turn around, you can ‘look around’. You can set filters to only hear street names and my places.

Swarm app also helps you to explore what is around you. Move it and Around Me are other apps.

Smart Speakers on Sale for Christmas:

We discussed Google Home, Google Dot and Amazon’s Echo. They are on sale right now for Christmas.

Echo has skills. You need to pay for Spotify. It does more than Google Home right now. You can ask, “What’s the news?” It doesn’t play audible books yet. It does play Kindle books, podcasts and radio stations. You can also ask Alexa, “Where’s my phone.

Next Meeting:

At the next meeting we will bring Google Home and Google Dot and discuss them. We suggested that Dave L. ask Best Buy staff to demonstrate that Google Dot connects with BlueTooth to his hearing aids before he buys it.

Minutes taken by Susan Vollmar

GTT Chatham-Kent Overview

• GTT Chatham-Kent is a chapter of the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB).
• GTT Chatham-Kent 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.wordpress.com/

There is a form 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]

Hi All.

I have been working with this lady to find some other solutions for entering passwords.

She has asked that I pass along this survey to anyone who is interested in doing it.

It is real this time.  Not like the keyboard one.

Kim

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

From: Daniella Briotto Faustino <DaniellaBriottoFaust@cmail.carleton.ca>

Date: December 19, 2017 at 3:45:57 PM EST

To: GTT Program <gttprogram@gmail.com>

Cc: Nolan Jenikov <nolan.gtt@ccbnational.net>

Subject: Online survey: The use of passwords by people with visual impairment

Hello,

My name is Daniella Briotto Faustino and I am a Master student in the Human Computer Interaction program at Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada). Under the supervision of Professor Audrey Girouard, I am conducting a research for my thesis and looking for participants to answer an online survey about the use of passwords by people with visual impairment. This research has been cleared by the Carleton University Research Ethics Board.

As a token of appreciation, participants will be included in a prize draw of an Amazon gift card, in the value of 50 Canadian dollars.

Survey title: The use of passwords by people with visual impairment

This online survey contains around 30 questions, either multiple choice or text entry. It can be completed all at once or within a week, by accessing the same link. To participate in this survey, participants must be: visually impaired, at least 18 years old, and comfortable with the English language.

Here is the link to access the online survey: https://cuhealth.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4UdAGTWkF32wzpb

If you know others that would be interested in participating, please forward this email to them.

Thank you,

Daniella Briotto Faustino

Master student in Human-Computer Interaction

http://cil.csit.carleton.ca/

http://daniellabriotto.com

_._,_._,_

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FIND US ALL OVER THE WEB & LEARN HOW TO GET YOUR 1 ON 1 COACHING CALLS!!

Good evening everyone!!
Thanks so much for your patience as we continue to roll out our re-brand!!!

I wanted to give you a short and quick shout out to give you all the updated info.
As we look to engage you all in the hopes of helping you no your journey of physical activity, there are many ways you can keep up to date on the content.

FACEBOOK-  search  CCB Health & Fitness
YOUTUBE-  search CCB Health & Fitness
TWITTER-  @ccb_healthfit

EMAIL LIST – Please share.

ccbhealthandfitness+subscribe@groups.io

PODCAST-  search  “The Canadian Council of the Blind” podcast on ITUNES, PODBEAN, STICHER, SOUNDCLOUND (this should be up by Nov.15th)
WORDPRESS-  https://ccbhealthandfitness.wordpress.com  This will be our ONE STOP SHOP for all things regarding program..so bookmark it!  I’m still building it (mostly learning how to build it honestly)

Now, the good stuff!!!….HOW TO BOOK YOUR COACHING CALLS!

The real strength of this program is that you have access too a Registered Kinesiologist (a registered Healthcare professional- that’s me), who can help sit down and chat with you to go over your unique situation, goals, needs, etc.  Then we can create a plan for you…and keep in touch regularly to ensure you are MOTIVATED and on track.

This is all FREE to you, thanks to the Canadian Council of the Blind.

1. EMAIL ME:    ccb.healthandfitness@gmail.com
2. We will set a time that I can call you, at your convenience
3. I will call, we will chat, i’ll ask LOTS of questions, I’ll LISTEN to what you need
4. We will come up with some goals/ a plan
5 We will set a followup call and continue to chat on a regular basis for as long s you feel you need my help.

It’s that easy!!!

So look forward to hearing from you, but in the meantime, feel free to post your own topic or interest on the list and I can certainly chime in with my thoughts!!

All the best,
Ryan Van Praet (R. Kin.)

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As you consider whether or not to participate in Saturday’s American presentation I offer you the questions and meeting summaries from our first two Canadian Tele Town Hall meetings.

Tele Town Hall Meeting Questions and Summary Notes:

First Meeting Questions, October 29^th, 2016:

1. In order to ensure that people who are blind, partially sighted or deaf/blind continue to have a strong voice in Canada, what do you think the national consumer movement should look like in the future?
2. Canada is a small country in population. However, it is geographically quite large.  Would it be better in Canada to ensure that on a national level there is one organization of the blind working on projects and advocacy to help strengthen community activities provincially and locally?
3. National, provincial and local organizations have tried working in coalitions. Are you aware of any activities that these coalitions have done?  Would you support a more formal working relationship between the existing national organizations of the blind?
4. Why do you think the blindness community is so fragmented in its approach to advocacy and community activities?

Summary notes have been written and attached to this communication and are titled: Meeting Notes – #1 Final 2016Oct29.docx

Second Meeting Questions, March 4, 2017:

1. How should service and advocacy organizations be transparent and accountable to the community?
2. How do we engage individuals and organizations in the blindness community concerning our needs and rights in the broader Canadian Society?
3. What specific actions can individuals and organizations take to promote transparency, integrity, accountability and respect?
4. What should be included in Rules of Engagement that will govern ongoing collaboration in the blindness community?

Summary notes have been written and attached to this communication and are titled: Meeting Notes – #2 – Final 2017Mar04.docx

Firefox 57 from an NVDA user’s perspective – Marco’s Accessibility Blog

Marco’s Accessibility Blog

Helping to make accessibility accessible on the web and elsewhere

Article found at:

https://www.marcozehe.de/2017/11/07/firefox-57-nvda-users-perspective/

Firefox 57, also known as Firefox Quantum, will be released on November 14. It will bring some significant changes to the Firefox rendering engine to improve performance and open the door for more new features in the future. Here is what you need to know if you are a user of the NVDA screen reader.

For users of the NVDA screen reader, some of these changes may initially seem like a step backward. To make the accessibility features work with the new architecture, we had to make some significant changes which will initially feel less performant than before. Especially complex pages and web applications such as Facebook or Gmail will feel slower to NVDA users in this Firefox release.

Improvements in the pipeline

Fortunately, NVDA users will only have to put up with these slowdowns for one Firefox release. Firefox 58, which will move to beta the moment Firefox 57 is being released, will already improve performance so significantly that most smaller pages will feel as snappy as before, larger pages will take a lot less time to be loaded into NVDA’s browse mode buffer, and web applications such as Gmail or Facebook will feel more fluid.

And we’re not stopping there. In Firefox Nightly, then on version 59, performance improvements will continue, and more big pages and web applications should return to a normal working speed with NVDA.

I need full speed

If you do require Firefox to perform as fast as before and cannot or do not want to wait until the above mentioned performance improvements arrive on your machine, you have the option to switch to the Extended Support Release (ESR), which is on version 52 and will receive security fixes until long into 2018.

However, we encourage you to stick with us on the current release if you possibly can. Your findings, if you choose to report them to us, will greatly help us improve Firefox further even faster, because even we might not think of all the scenarios that might be day to day sites for you.

I want to stick with you. How can I help?

That’s great! If you encounter any big problems, like pages that take unusually long to load, we want to know about them. We already know that long Wikipedia articles such as the one about World War I  will take about 12 seconds to load on an average Windows 10 machine and a current NVDA release. In Firefox 58 beta, we will have brought this down to less than 8 seconds already, and the goal is to bring that time down even further. So if you really want to help, you can choose to upgrade to our beta channel  and re-test the problem you encountered there. If it is already improved, you can be certain we’re on top of the underlying problem. If not, we definitely want to know  where you found the problem and what steps led to it.

And if you really want to be on the bleeding edge, getting the latest fixes literally hours or days after they landed in our source code, you can choose to update to our Firefox Nightly channel, and get new builds of Firefox twice a day. There, if you encounter problems like long lags, or even crashes, they will be very closely tied to what we were recently working on, and we will be able to resolve the problems quickly, before they even hit the next beta cycle.

In conclusion

We know we’re asking a lot of you since you’ve always had a very fast and efficient browsing experience when you used Firefox in combination with NVDA. And we are truly sorry that we’ll have to temporarily slip here. But rest assured that we’re working hard with the full team to kick Firefox back into gear so that each followup release will bring us back closer to where we were before 57, plus the added benefits Quantum brings for all users.

Find the full article at:

https://www.marcozehe.de/2017/11/07/firefox-57-nvda-users-perspective/

25 hidden iPhone features that are really, truly hidden

By

Zach Epstein

on Jan 22, 2016 at 10:37 AM

iPhone Features

/Article can be found at:

http://bgr.com/2016/01/22/iphone-features-ios-9-hidden-ios/

How many times have you seen posts on tech sites about “hidden iPhone  features” and thought to yourself, these tricks aren’t really hidden at all. We’ve even had a few articles here on BGR with tips that were indeed unknown to most users, but the savvy iOS  device owners out there were undoubtedly familiar with at least a few of them.

Well, in this piece we’re going to tell you about 25 hidden features that are really, truly hidden. As in, you could look through your iPhone from now until the end of time and you wouldn’t find any of these tricks unless you know what you’re looking for.

DON’T MISS:

The math they don’t want you to see: iPhone carrier trade-ins are always a bad idea

In the past, many of the hidden tips we’ve seen on sites and even covered here are simply things that are buried in the Settings app in places people normally wouldn’t look. These are great things to know — plenty of people would make their camera flash blink with incoming messages if they knew that they could, for example — but they’re not really “hidden” or “secret,” per se.

Each of the tips that follow below, however, are completely hidden. There is no indication that these functions exist in iOS, and we guarantee that most users don’t know about them. In fact, we also guarantee that even the savviest iPhone owners among you will find at least one or two things you didn’t already know. In fact, ran this list past a friend who works at Apple and there were a few things that even he didn’t know.

Enjoy.

1. Redial: In the Phone app, press the green call button on the keypad screen to make the last dialed number appear.

2. Clear cache: Make your iPhone run faster by clearing out the cache in several of Apple’s apps using a secret trick. In the App Store, Podcasts, Music, Game Center and Phone apps, tap on any single tab icon at the bottom of the screen 10 times in a row.

3. Make TouchID work faster: Save the same fingerprint multiple times as different entries and TouchID will work much faster. This is especially useful on older phones like the iPhone 6 and iPhone 5s.

4. Spotlight conversions: Remember when we told you how easy conversions are in our post on Google search tricks? It’s even easier for iPhone users — just open Spotlight and type something like “20 euros in GBP,” and it will instantly perform the conversion.

5. Spotlight math: Want to do a quick math problem? No need to open the Calculator app, just pull down to open Spotlight and type it right there.

6. Delete numbers in the Calculator: Speaking of the Calculator, you can delete single digits when you tap the wrong number by swiping left or right on the screen where the numbers appear.

7. Clear RAM to make your phone run faster: Hold down the power button until you see “Slide to power off,” then let go and hold down the home button until the screen goes blank and your home screen reappears.

8. Burst mode: Hold down the camera’s shutter button to shoot in burst mode.

9. Remote shutter: Use the volume up or down button on your headphones to snap a photo in the Camera app.

10. Turn the flashlight off: How many times have you turned your flashlight on and wished that you didn’t have to swipe open the Control Panel again to shut it off? We’ll save you a step: simply swipe up on the camera icon on your lock screen and the flashlight will turn off.

11. 3D Touch while drawing: All of the drawing tools and the eraser are pressure sensitive in the Notes app.

12. Close multiple apps at once: Double-tap the home button to open the app switcher and you can use two, even three fingers to slide multiple apps close with one swipe.

13. Recently closed tabs: Want to reread this article on your phone but you forgot what site you were reading it on in the first place? Simply tap and hold on the + symbol in Safari on the tab carousel view to open a screen that lists all of your recently closed tabs.

14. Desktop version of a site: We all know you can request the desktop version of a mobile site in Safari but it’s easier to do than you think. Just hold down the reload button in the URL bar.

15. Peek at tabs: Not sure you want to open that tab in the Safari tab carousel? A 3D Touch will let you Peek at it first.

16. Peek at bookmarks: Did you know you can use 3D Touch to Peek at bookmarks before you open them?

17. Edit reminders: 3D Touch an item in your Reminders app to edit the time or add a location.

18. View only unread emails: So you don’t practice “inbox zero” like I do  but you only want to see unread emails in your inbox. Tap the Mailboxes link in the top right corner of the Mail app and then tap Edit. Tap the circle next to “Unread” and you’ll have a new folder that contains only your unread emails.

19. Save a draft with one swipe: In the Mail app, tap on the subject line and swipe down to the bottom of the screen to save a draft.

20. Quick Reply: When you get a notification at the top of the screen that you have a new iMessage or SMS, pull the notification downward to reply without leaving the screen you’re on.

21. Hidden level(s): Slide to the left in the Compass app open the level. Then place your phone flat with the screen facing away from the ground to reveal a bubble level.

22. Artist Peek: 3D Touch an artist in the Music app to Peek at their music.

23. Reenable Low Power Mode: When Low Power Mode automatically shuts off as you charge, you’ll get a notification on your lock screen that it has been disabled. Swipe left on that notification to turn it back on.

24. Find an iPhone’s owner: Did you find a lost iPhone in a bar? Simply ask Siri, “whose phone is this?” and it will show you so you can get in touch with him or her and return it.

25. Reachability: This is one of the new iPhones’ best features and there are still SO many people who don’t know about it. Double-touch (don’t tap, touch) on the home button and the entire screen will shift down so you can reach the top without shifting your grip.

5 secret features hiding inside your iPhone

By

Zach Epstein

on Feb 9, 2016 at 9:43 AM

iPhone 6s Tricks And Secrets

This article can be found at:

http://bgr.com/2016/02/09/iphone-6s-tricks-and-secrets-feb-9/

We recently published an article titled “

25 hidden iPhone features that are really, truly hidden

” and it was one of our most popular iPhone posts ever. Why? Because over the years, iOS has grown more and more feature-rich, which means there are more and more features that get lost in the shuffle for many users.

Simply put, there is no way to remember everything the iPhone can do. I have even spoken to people who work at Apple who learn things they didn’t know from the tips and tricks content we publish.

Our last post covered 25 hidden features and some of them are awesome — if you haven’t checked it out already, you really should. As we mentioned though, we’ll continue to post nifty how-to content covering hidden features as we find it because you can never know too much about your smartphone.

MUST READ:

Yup, it looks like the iPhone 7 is going to be huge

We recently came across a nice little collection of tips on Distractify. All of them have been covered at one point or another over the years here on BGR but as we said, it’s impossible to remember all of the features Apple has stuffed into iOS 9. In fact, even though there are only five features on this list, we guarantee that unless you’re a hardcore iOS lover with a killer memory, you will learn something new or be reminded of something you’ve forgotten.

Here we go:

Custom Vibration Alerts: I personally rely on this one so much that I’m not sure how I could live without it. Open the Settings app and go to Sounds >Ringtone/Text Tone/Etc > Vibration. At the bottom of the list, choose Create New Vibration. This will let you tap out a new vibrate pattern that you can then use for all calls or texts, or just for a specific person in your contact list.

Text Shortcuts: Do you type the word Triskaidekaphobia all the time while you’re texting? Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement and tap the plus symbol. Then input Triskaidekaphobia in the Phrase field and something like tdp in the Shortcut field. Now, every time you type “tdp” your iPhone will auto-correct it to “Triskaidekaphobia.”

Head Control: Apple’s iOS platform has the most robust set of accessibility features available. While they’re aimed at users with special needs, many of them are also handy for others. Try this: go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Switch Control. Turn it on, tap Switches, and then add Camera as a new Switch. Once you do that, you’ll be able to configure specific actions that will take place when you move your head to the right or the left while looking at the iPhone’s display.

Hide Unwanted Apple Apps: This is a feature that tons of users wish for. Little do they know… it’s already there. Go to Settings > General > Restrictions and enable them by entering your PIN or passcode. Then slide toggles to off next to any Apple apps that you want to hide from your home screens. Never want to look at that awful News icon again? Done.

Blinking Message Alerts: This is another example of a feature that many people request despite the fact that it’s already there. Open Settings and go to General > Accessibility, then slide the toggle next to LED Flash for Alerts to on. Now your camera flash will blink whenever new messages arrive.

Check out

Distractify’s post

for more details including graphics that walk you through each process. And for even more great hidden features, check out our earlier article:

25 hidden iPhone features that are really, truly hidden.

24 iOS 11 Privacy & Security Settings You Should Check Right Now « iOS & iPhone :: Gadget Hacks

This article can be found at:

https://ios.gadgethacks.com/news/24-ios-11-privacy-security-settings-you-should-check-right-now-0180163/

1.

Face ID (iPhone X Only)

Now, I’m sure there will be a heated argument about this one, but hear me out. Apple claims that the chance of a false positive is literally one in a million with Face ID. Compare that to their claim of one in 50,000 for Touch ID, and Face ID sounds pretty secure.

But this article is about maximizing privacy. Not only is there a chance, however small, that an intruder’s face will let them unlock your phone, there’s a higher chance that your own face can be used against you.

Eliminate that risk altogether by disabling Face ID under Settings -> Face ID & Passcode.

2.

Temporarily Disable Face ID (iPhone X Only) If you must keep Face ID on, you’re not completely out of luck here. Apple has included a quick way to disable Face ID temporarily, in case you know your physical security is about to become compromised.

Check out our guide to find out more about this option, which leaves your phone’s security in the hands of your passcode.

3.

Passcode

The default iPhone passcode is six-digits long, although the four-digit passcode is still very popular since it used to be iPhone’s default. Chances are, your iPhone’s passcode is one of these two options.

While there is nothing inherently wrong with using these passcode limits, they aren’t the most secure. A four-digit passcode has 10,000 possible combinations, which, considering there are 85.8 million iPhone users in the United States alone, means there aren’t enough unique combinations to go around.

Increasing that number to six helps, since a six-digit combination has one million permutations. But now we’re back to the one-in-a-million chance that Face ID gets you.

If you really want to make sure your iPhone is secure, change your passcode to a password. Using a true password with a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters will make your lock screen virtually impenetrable.

But, that’s totally obnoxious. Manually entering a convoluted password into your phone every time you want to use it is not really practical. We’re just letting you know it’s the most secure way to lock your phone.

If you’d rather stick to something easy, make sure to use a six-digit passcode over a four-digit one. Make sure to avoid common passcodes like 123456, or six of the same number.

To change your iPhone’s password, go to Settings -> Touch ID & Passcode -> Change Passcode. Enter your old password when prompted, then tap “Passcode Options” to choose which type of passcode you’d like to make.

4.

Show Parked Location

If you connect your iPhone to your car either through Bluetooth or CarPlay, your iPhone may be recording the location of where you park. To some, that might be a helpful feature. To others, it’s an invasion of privacy.

To disable this feature, go to Settings -> Maps, then disable “Show Parked Locations.”

5.

Significant Locations

You may think you know nothing about Apple’s new “Significant Locations,”

but if you remember Frequent Locations, they’re essentially the same. Apple records a list of your most frequently visited locations, which, on paper adds some convenience to apps that use your location.

However, this may serve as a privacy issue to you. If you’d rather not have Apple recording your most frequent locations, just head to Settings -> Privacy -> Location Services -> System Services -> Significant Locations.

From here, you can also clear the history that your phone may have accumulated over time.

6.

Location-Based Alerts, Apple Ads & Suggestions These next three options have remained the same across the update, however, they’re still important to know and understand. When enabled, these selections track your location to provide targeted notifications, advertisements, and options. Let’s just say, they’re not the most privacy-centric features in iOS 11. Actually, quite the opposite – this is some Minority Report-level stuff.

If you’d rather not be specifically targeted by Apple wherever you go, here’s what to do: Settings -> Privacy -> System Services. From here, you can deactivate “Location-Based Alerts,” “Location-Based Apple Ads,” and “Location-Based Suggestions.”

7.

Share My Location

Share My Location is a setting that allows your phone to send your current whereabouts to a friend who requests it. Usually, you need to mutually agree to this arrangement with another person using the Find My Friends app.

However, there are ways of tracking your iPhone without your permission.

If you’d like to avoid that risk altogether, disable the option by going to Settings -> Privacy -> Location Services -> Share My Location.

Alternatively, you can change the device that shares your location, if you have more than one attached to your Apple ID. You can also check with friends of yours you have approved to view your location.

8.

Analytics

Apple changed the name of “Diagnostics & Usage” to “Analytics.” This area contains settings that share data from your phone to Apple, in an effort to help identify bugs in the system and make iOS better overall. Think of it like a beta test, only for the official iOS 11 release.

While this information helps Apple keep iOS 11 running smoothly, you may feel it’s sharing too much without your knowledge. If you’d like to shut down that line of hidden communication, go to Settings -> Privacy -> Analytics.

From here, you have many options you can disable:

.               To disable all analytics with Apple, simply turn off “Share iPhone &

Watch Analytics.”

.               “Share With App Developers” shares your app data with that app’s

developer. Disable this setting to close that line of communication.

.               “Share iCloud Analytics” shares your iCloud data with Apple to help

them improve on apps and services associated with that information. Sounds like an unnecessary setting to someone concerned about privacy.

.               “Improve Health & Activity” will share your health and activity data

with Apple to improve these services on your iPhone. Personally, the only person I want knowing my daily step-count is myself.

.               “Improve Wheelchair Mode” will send Apple your activity data if you

use a wheelchair. If you don’t use a wheelchair, you especially don’t have a use for this setting, but if you do, turn this off as you did “Improve Health & Activity.”

9.

Limit Ad Tracking

If you prefer your ads to be directly targeted towards you and your interests, you can leave this alone. However, if you care about your privacy, you may not like Apple sharing your data with advertisers.

This setting is one you actually turn on rather than off. Go to Settings -> Privacy -> Advertising, then enabled “Limit Ad Tracking.” Notice how the option is Limit Ad Tracking, not Stop Ad Tracking. Even with this setting enabled, Apple claims that your iPhone connectivity, time setting, type, language, and location can be used to target advertising. If you disabled Location-Based Ads, location targeting will not apply to you, but all others will. Tap “View Ad Information” to learn more.

10.

Raise to Wake

Raise to Wake can be extremely convenient – simply raise your phone from a flat position, and it will wake up for you to use. It feels natural, however, it poses a privacy risk. If your iPhone turns face-up accidentally, those in view of the display may see messages and notifications you did not intend for them to see.

To avoid this scenario, head over to Settings -> Display & Brightness, then disable “Raise to Wake.”

11.

Lock Screen Widgets

Lock screen widgets are great ways to keep up with your messages, notifications, weather updates, whatever you need to know without having to unlock your iPhone. But that’s just it – you don’t need to unlock your iPhone to see this information. Anyone can pick up your iPhone and potentially see what your calendar for the day is, or who’s texting you what.

To stop this privacy-breach in its tracks, you could hit “Edit” at the bottom of the lock screen, then delete all widgets. However, you will lose those widgets when you’ve unlocked your phone as well, not just on the lock screen.

If you want to deactivate the widgets for only the lock screen, jump over to the article below.

12.

Reply with Message

Introduced in iOS 10, your iPhone gives you the option to 3D Touch messages to reply from your lock screen. While fun and useful, the feature is also easily accessed by other people.

If you’re worried about those around you replying to incoming messages on your iPhone, you might want to disable this one. Check out the article below to find out how.

13.

Control Center

iOS 11’s Control Center is a major change from previous designs. We’ve never had the ability to customize our Control Centers, and with that comes more options than ever. Unfortunately, those added apps and features means more privacy risks for your device.

While most content-sensitive apps require a passcode from the lock screen to access, some do not, or, at the very least, give users limited access without having to unlock the iPhone. For example, while you cannot see written notes without unlocking the phone, anyone is able to write a note from the Control Center, if you have Control Center notes activated.

You can disable any apps from the Control Center that you don’t want people having access to, but that means you won’t be able to access them when your phone is unlocked, either. An alternative option is to disable Control Center entirely from the lock menu, by going to Settings -> Touch ID & Passcode and disabling the switch next to “Control Center.” We’ll talk more about Passcode Lock later.

One app that I would highly recommend disabling from Control Center is Wallet. While you do need your Touch ID or passcode to access any credit cards stored in your iPhone, other types of cards, like Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, travel passes, and various other loyalty cards, do not. If you want to prevent others from gaining access to these forms of currency, disable Wallet from Control Center.

You can customize your Control Center items by going to Settings -> Control Center -> Customize.

14.

Ask Websites Not to Track Me (Safari)

Formally known as Do Not Track Me, this setting lets users decide whether or not to allow Safari to share your phone’s IP address with the websites you visit. You will mostly likely not wish to share this information with websites, so to enable this setting, head to Settings -> Safari, then enable the switch next to “Ask Websites Not to Track Me.”

15.

Block All Cookies

Cookies allow websites to save bits of your information, so that when you return, the website can load for you faster. While convenient, cookies certainly aren’t privacy-forward.

In iOS 11, Apple has taken away various options for blocking cookies, in favor for a blanket ban on all. While you may notice a difference in performance on some sites, at least you know you’re securing your privacy.

To disable cookies, go to Settings -> Safari, then turn on the “Block All Cookies” option.

16.

App & Website Passwords

Your iPhone, along with your iCloud account, has a built-in password manager to make entering passwords easier and more secure. These passwords are protected by Touch ID or your iPhone’s passcode, however, if your iPhone is breached, an assailant would have access to all of your passwords.

To manage your saved passwords, visit Settings -> Accounts & Passwords -> App & Website Passwords. Enter your passcode or use Touch ID to view your saved passwords. To delete individual passwords, swipe left on each password, then hit “Delete.” To delete en masse, tap “Edit” in the top-right corner, then select each password you’d like to delete. Finally, tap “Delete” in the top left corner.

17.

AutoFill

Along with storing your passwords, your iPhone can store your personal information for AutoFill. This feature makes it easy to fill out forms online or in apps, as you iPhone can automatically enter information such as your name, address, phone number, credit card number, and more.

Obviously, the downside is your iPhone carries this personal information for a potential thief to find. To protect yourself, head to Settings -> Safari

-> AutoFill. From here, you can investigate what information is already

saved, such as Contact Info and Credit Cards, or disable all by toggling each slider off.

18.

Microphone Access

You’ve probably seen a request for microphone access when opening certain apps for the first time. Many times, this request is totally legitimate, and needed for key features for those apps. However, you never know if an app is using that microphone access for shady reasons.

To manage which apps have access to your iPhone’s microphone, check out Settings -> Privacy -> Microphone. Here, you will find a list of all apps that are approved to use your microphone. Disable any and all by tapping the slider next to each app.

19.

Camera Access

For apps like Snapchat, camera access is essential to function – how else are you going to use those classic filters? However, there might be apps on your iPhone you don’t want using your camera.

In that case, you’d want to disable camera access for those apps. Check out Settings -> Privacy -> Camera. From here, disable the switch next to any apps that you’d rather not have using the cameras on your iPhone.

20.

Location Services

Location services are necessary for apps such as Maps or Waze – your iPhone needs to know your location in order to properly give you directions. Apps like Snapchat can use your location when taking photos to apply interesting and unique filters only available where you currently are. While location services make certain apps fun, other apps may not be so forthcoming.

If you want to disable location services for certain apps, go to. Settings

-> Privacy -> Locations Services. You could always disable “Location

Services” entirely, however, you’d lose access to all location functions.

That’s probably not going to fly for you, so it’d be better to go through each app, making to sure to set the apps you don’t want accessing to your location to “Never.”

21.

Recently Deleted Photos

When you delete a photo, it’s gone for good. Right? Not so much. Apple saves your deleted photos in a folder titled “Recently Deleted” for 30 days before actually deleting said photos. If someone were to gain access to your phone, they’d have access to any photos deleted within 30 days from that time.

You don’t need to be privacy-focused to realize that could be a bad situation. To make sure those deleted photos stay that way, head to the Recently Deleted folder in the Photos app, then delete your photos all over again.

22.

App Store Purchases

Let’s say you decide to buy an app. You leave your iPhone for a moment, but as you do, someone manages to break in and gain access to the App Store.

Because you just purchased an app, the App Store might not require your password before buying another app, so this person can buy as many expensive apps as he or she wishes.

Let’s prevent this. If you use Touch ID, go to Settings -> Touch ID & Passcode. From here, enable Touch ID for iTunes & App Store. Just enter your iTunes password, and you’ll be all set.

If you don’t use Touch ID, tap on your name at the top of the Settings page.

Then, go to iTunes & App Stores -> Password Settings. Set the preference to “Always Require” for maximum security. If you wish, you can also require a password for free downloads as well.

23.

Keep Messages

We love our messages. With iOS 11, we can even back up our messages to the cloud, to make sure we never lose them. However, as a user concerned about privacy, you may not want to keep your messages forever. Unfortunately for you, your iPhone does just that by default.

There’s a bright side, though. You can set your iPhone to automatically delete messages after a certain period of time. Just jump over to Settings

-> Messages -> Keep Messages. Choose either “30 Days” or “1 Year,”

-> whatever

your preference, and your iPhone will make sure your messages never see a day beyond that time.

For more information on permanently deleting texts from your iPhone, check out the guide below.

24.

Allow Access When Locked

Your lock screen, by default, contains a treasure trove of personal information, such as recent notifications, your Wallet, and the Today View, which is a collection of widgets of your most useful apps. Fortunately, many of the apps that contain this info can be specifically disabled from the lock screen by going to Settings -> Touch ID & Passcode.

From here, you can choose which apps you’d like to prevent access to from your lock screen. If you’d rather not have others see your texts, emails, or app alerts, or if you’d prefer people not see information from your apps in the Today View, you can disable those apps and features here.

So, what do you think of our list? Does your iPhone feel more secure? Are there any other settings you’d recommend disabling? Let us know in the comments below!

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Cover image and screenshots by Jake Peterson/Gadget Hacks

Original Article at:

https://ios.gadgethacks.com/news/24-ios-11-privacy-security-settings-you-sho

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Announcing 455 Books from BC Publishers Added to NNELS

It’s Canadian Library Month! To celebrate, and with the help of the Association of Book Publishers of British Columbia (ABPBC), we’ve just released 455 titles in EPUB format. The BC eBook Collection includes 91 titles from Greystone Books, 18 from New Star Books, 233 titles from Orca Books, 61 from Heritage Group (including 9 from Heritage House, 11 from TouchWood Editions, 6 from Brindle and Glass Publishing, and 35 from Rocky Mountain Books), 23 from Tradewind Books, and 27 from UBC Press. Our sincere thanks to these publishers for working with us. New Star and Tradewind even sent us books at a discount or for free, and offered to send us their future publications.

Our goal with this project is to create reading options and choice for readers who need accessible formats. Most public libraries already offer access to digital content but it is often inaccessible to readers with print disabilities due to problems with the lending platform, digital rights management (DRM), or with the formats and technology themselves.

We wanted to purchase books specifically in EPUB format because they are more accessible than other digital book formats, and because we typically have to do less work to convert them to other formats for readers who request them. Furthermore, the absence of DRM means NNELS users are more likely to have a straightforward reading experience.

We first approached the ABPBC in the spring of 2017 to find out if they would be willing to help us work with BC publishers and coordinate purchasing a batch of eBooks. We are so glad they agreed to help!

With the project complete, we asked Heidi Waechtler, Executive Director at the ABPBC, about her experience with working with us:

It was eye-opening for me personally to learn that less than 5% of published works are available in accessible formats. The Association of Book Publishers of British Columbia is proud to have worked with the BC Libraries Cooperative to help make an additional 455 BC-published titles available to NNELS users. We wanted to do our part to ensure that BC books were better represented in the NNELS collection, so that all readers have easy access to books that reflect their local perspectives and experiences. What’s more, many of our publishers are now highly motivated to examine their print and ebook production processes to take readers with print disabilities into account, and to begin exploring audiobook production. As an association, we’ll hope to support our publishers in exploring best practices through professional development workshops.

These BC eBooks are for children, teens, and adults, and include fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. There are books for deepening our understanding of reality, and books for escaping from it. They join collections from Atlantic Canadian publishers, as well as titles from Alberta publishers. Adding these 455 books to NNELS moves us closer to our goal of Canadians with print disabilities borrowing Canadian books from their local public library, just like everyone else.

About EPUB

The EPUB file format is still new to many people, but here are some of its benefits from our perspective as librarians:

• They have potential for rich navigation.For example, EPUB can include navigation lists of tables, figures, illustrations, maps, and so on. It can also support video and audio, so text can be synchronized with an audio file, just like DAISY. This means that books in EPUB format that use EPUB’s accessibility features can be read by people who read with their eyes, ears, or fingertips (Braille).
• They’re flexible. Typically, books in EPUB format work with a variety of electronic reading devices, including DAISY players, computers and laptops, reading apps for iOS and Android devices (including Voice Dream Reader).
• Anyone can use this format. EPUB is a non-proprietary, open standard, which means anyone can create an EPUB book based on the specifications. Furthermore, anyone can design the machines to read this format; no special license is required. Consequently, there are many tools, both open source and proprietary, which can be used to read books in EPUB format. Assistive technology, such as a screenreaders, Text-To-Speech (TTS) and refreshable braille can be supported.
• EPUB 3 is superseding DAISY as the preferred format for accessible publications and documents, and books that include EPUB accessibility elements can be read with modern DAISY programs and players. Older DAISY players can’t play EPUB files, so if someone is looking for a DAISY book, we can still convert the file to DAISY upon user or library request.

About NNELS

NNELS is a repository of content owned and sustained by Canadian public libraries, working with international partners, libraries, readers, and publishers to make copies of books in accessible formats available to readers in Canada who have print disabilities. If you’re new to accessible formats, you may find our tutorials useful and you can contact any public library for more information about accessible formats and services.