Tag: get together with technology

bemyeyes

Be My Eyes a very interesting new app for IOS

Posted by Kim Kilpatrick

 

There has been a lot of talk about a new app which helps identify things for you through sighted volunteers.

I tried it out the other day and talked to some lovely people from Portugal who told me about the box of tea I was holding.

They were very excited to do it.

At first, they told me to zoom out and I wasn’t quite sure what that meant.

Here are a few links for podcasts and information on the app.

http://bemyeyes.org/

Here are four podcasts describing use of the app to solve everyday problems:

1B) http://blindaccessjournal.com/2015/01/who-will-be-your-eyeballs-today-exploring-remote-sighted-assistance-with-be-my-eyes-for-ios/

1C) http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/be-my-eyes-virtual-sighted-assistance-push-button

1D) https://audioboom.com/boos/2802188-a-review-of-the-be-my-eyes-app

1E) https://audioboom.com/boos/2814945-more-fun-with-bemyeyes

1F) And finally, here is a podcast interview with the creator of the non-profit:
http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/applevis-extra-26-hans-wiberg-creator-be-my-eyes

Thanks to the top tech tidbits folks for these links.

The app is free.

Try it out.

 

New app just released called voicedream writer.

Posted by Kim Kilpatrick

When looking through my app updates, I noticed that one of my favourite apps: voicedream reader had an update.

They said they have released a new app called voicedream writer.

It is a paid app like voicedream reader.

It allows you to write and edit.

It is new but has anyone tried it?

Maybe we will try to get a promo code to try it or maybe I’ll just buy it because I love voicedream reader so much.

If anyone has tried it, please let me know at 

gttprogram@gmail.com

Voicedream reader could be a topic for a future national conference call if people would like that.

Useful video tutorials for those using zoomtext.

Useful Video Tutorial for those Using Zoomtext

Posted by Kim Kilpatrick

GTT Coordinator

Thanks to our great GTT supporter and contributor Leona Emberson, here are some useful tutorials for those who use the screen magnification software zoomtext.

http://www.aisquared.com/support/more/tutorial

Getting in touch with Kim. Change of e-mail address.

Posted by Kim Kilpatrick

GTT Coordinator

I want to apologize to anyone who has been trying to get in touch with me using the 

gttprogram@rogers.com

e-mail address.

I don’t seem to be getting all messages from that account.

If I do get them, they are delayed by hours.

I tried customer support and had a very bad experience.

So, I am using a gmail account instead.

Please can you change the e-mail address for GTT to 

gttprogram@gmail.com

Could you try sending a message there so I know you got it?

I will also be sending individual messages and I am sorry for cluttering people’s inboxes.

If I haven’t replied to you and you have sent me a message, please re-send to 

gttprogram@gmail.com

Thank you very much.

Kim

Useful guide for those who use Siri on their I devices.

Posted by Kim Kilpatrick

 

I read this user guide this morning and did not know that you could dictate so much punctuation using siri and the dictate feature on your I device.

Thanks to the person who sent this to me as well.

For voiceover users, you use siri by pressing and holding the home button until you hear a beep.

I actually find it easier to use the dictate function as it lets you dictate at your leisure.

For voiceover users, any time you are in an edit field of any kind, (that could be in a text message, e-mail, note, Facebook or twitter post, ETC) do a two finger double tap and dictation is started.

Speak and when you are done, repeat the two finger double tap anywhere on your screen and dictation stops.

Remember, that the two finger double tap is an extremely useful gesture.

It starts and stops just about anything.

 

Music, Podcasts, dictation, answers or ends a call etc.

Here is the link to the dictation guide.

This web site also contains a very useful guide all about siri.

Enjoy and happy 2015.

http://www.siriuserguide.com/siri-dictation-guide/

To get in touch with me at any time, e-mail

gttprogram@rogers.com

Or call me at 

(613) 567-0311

Or 

1-877-304-0968 Toll-free


GTT Ottawa Meeting Notes December 15 2014.

We once again had a very lively and entertaining GTT meeting in Ottawa on December 15.

Our topic was entertainment.

We first enjoyed pizza and thanks to Heather and Wayne for the drinks and Mary for the lovely shortbread.

We welcomed Louise Gillis (CCB National President) to our meeting.

 

We talked about the rapid growth of GTt in other parts of Canada and how exciting that is.

We reviewed the past GTT conference calls that were held nationally and upcoming calls.

If anyone has topic ideas for conference calls, please let Kim know at

gttprogram@rogers.com

(613) 567-0311

1-877-304-0968

We updated people on local programs coming in the new year.

These are yoga, dance, radio workshops, and more.

Find posts about them on the GTT blog at

https://gttprogram.wordpress.com

 

An app for Iphone for CNIB library is coming soon.

This will allow you to download books directly to your phone from your direct to player bookshelf.

An android app is expected soon too.

We found out about Itunes University.

It is called Itunes U as well.

There are hundreds of courses you can access for free.

They also have some paid courses.

When you sign up, you can listen to audio recordings of lectures and also download power point notes.

The courses are very accessible.

There is an app for itunes U.

You can also access it on itunes itself.

Someone is looking for Beginner’s spanish courses to download.

Some people found them on audible.com

If anyone knows how to find pimsleur language courses, they are supposed to be excellent.

There are also podcasts that are 15 minutes long for learning languages.

The one that has been tried is called “coffee break french”

We discussed apps including songza, acuradio, tune in radio, ootunes, and more for accessing music.

Someone reminded us that there is a special phone number at OC Transpo to call if you are blind and want very specific directions.

The people answering that phone are wonderful and provide directions in great detail.

The number is (613) 842-3627

Lorne showed off apple tv which is totally accessible with voiceover.

It has a small box and a tactile remote.

Several people in the room use it to stream music and podcasts from their devices, to watch movies from netflix and other services.

You cannot watch traditional TV channels with it.

There is also an accessible app to control apple TV from your I device.

One member called apple and they plan to have more audio described programming available through Itunes.

We had a discussion about how to get more audio described programming in movie theatres and on TV.

Here is a link to a list of accessible movies with DVS.

http://acb.org/adp/dvdsalpha.html#b

 

Someone also mentioned finding the DVS audio tracks at 

blindytv.net

Serotek also has audio tracks of described movies.

AMI has an accessible player on their web site at 

http://www.ami.ca

You can only watch what is on live.

They also have a youtube channel with small local clips and stories.

Someone suggested we lobby for public libraries to have at least one copy of each movie they lend that is audio described.

Some movie theatres have descriptive video but we need more of these.

We also discussed live description at theatres and other events.

This is not too common although the Stratford Festival has some of this.

We will talk to the local theatre companies to try to get some live described theatre here.

The pick up and drop off movie service Red Box has some DVS movies.

How do we find all of the DVS titles available on the CNIB Library site?

Someone demonstrated the KNFB reader app for the iphone.

This allows you to take pictures and read print with your phone.

The app costs $100 but those who have it think it is well worth the price.

One person was able to scan and read a description from a pop can.

Jaws 16 has much improved voices in languages other than english.

We were told of two apps in Germany that allow you to go into a movie theatre and bring up the DVS track on your I device.

Our next meeting is on January 19.

We will have presentations about facebook and twitter.

This may lead to workshops in how to set up your accounts.

We are also going to talk about any accessible income tax software that is available.

Thank you to everyone who participates so enthusiastically in GTT.

Have a wonderful holiday season.

Tactile vision Graphics has accessible holiday cards and more for all!

At our Ottawa GTT meeting on December 15, (Minutes to come)

The husband and wife team from Tactile Vision Graphics, brought some holiday cards to show and sell.

They are members and supporters of GTT and have a very unique company.

See their message below.

Say “Season’s greetings” in tactile and Braille!

Seasonal Products and Our Holiday Hours
 

Tactile Greeting Cards

Fifty different holiday cards in coloured Braille and full colour, featuring snowflakes, doves, Christmas trees, angels, mangers, stars, Father Christmas, holly, scrolls, baubles, children piled into a Christmas tree shape, holiday cards for parents and grandparents, … what does a snowman feel like in profile rather than drawn fully facing the camera? Name it, we’ve probably got it! Call us to put together a box for you. (866)465-0755 or http://tactilevisiongraphics.com/our-shop/ and search for greeting cards.
 

Tactile and Colourful Stickers!

What about a fun little gift you can tuck into a basket, slip under the corner of a placemat or attach to another present? Each package includes 30 stickers. We have twenty different kinds including Christmas trees, hearts, stars, maple leaves, shamrocks, music notesFor the vision teachers and independent living skills instructors among us, we also carry stickers with directional arrows to identify appliances, light switches, dials and wherever else they work! (866)465-0755 or http://tactilevisiongraphics.com/our-shop/ and search for stickers.
 

Christmas Magic and Winter Fun!

Alright, so we’re into it, at least here in Canada’s national capital region. Deep winter has descended by the shovelful! So one way of dealing with it might be to entertain ourselves with seasonal drawings. Why not consider a tactile colouring book for the little artist in your family? Picture your child sprawled out in front of the fire, (or television) with a colouring book and crayons. Would you ever have imagined such a gloriously nostalgic moment if your child is blind? We can make it happen with our tactile colouring books. Call us (866)465-0755 or purchase from our website http://tactilevisiongraphics.com/our-shop/
 

Holiday Hours

We’ll be filling orders till Dec 24 and we’ll do our best to accommodate however we can. We’ll be closed from 25-29 December, enjoying time with family.
From our house to yours, happy holidays and Merry christmas. We wish you peace and good health for the New year!
With best wishes,
Emmanuel and Rebecca
Copyright © 2014 Tactile Vision Graphics, All rights reserved.

National Conference Call Tonight.

Just a reminder that our conference call tonight will feature a brand new digital talking book player.

This product is made by Hims and is just coming on the market.

Join us and Steve from Aroga as he features this new product and tells us all about it.

There are still spaces.

The call in info is below.

If you have not already done so, please let Kim know if you will be participating.

You can e-mail her at 

gttprogram@rogers.com

Call in time: 8 Pm Eastern, 5 PM Pacific.

Call in number:

1-866-351-5099

As soon as the voice answers, press pound 135.

Subscribing to the GTT blog.

Hello everyone, 
It is a very good thing that our GTT email list has grown and grown. 
It is also an excellent thing that we have started regular day time GTT meetings and conference call meetings. 
It is also wonderful that GTT groups are springing up across Canada. 
The only down side of this is that the email list is growing too big and many emails are going into spam folders. 
It is also taking me an increasingly longer time to send emails. 
So, I have set up a GTT blog at wordpress. 
When you follow the blog, you will get the text of each blog entry sent directly to your email address. 
This is a much more efficient way of delivering GTT information. 
It will also allow you to send me information to be posted to the blog. 
Subscribing is easy. 
But, if you are nervous and wish me to subscribe you, please send me an email at 
gttprogram@rogers.com 
Here are the steps to subscribe. 
Go to 
https://gttprogram.wordpress.com 
Find the button that says follow. 

It is located near the bottom of the page.

If you are a screen reader user, make a links list and press F for follow.

Find the edit box for putting an email address in. 
You will then get an email with a link to click confirming your subscription. 
Click on it and you are done. 
You will receive every GTT post in your mail in the body of an email message. 
If you prefer, you can use the above link to check the blog periodically for new posts without subscribing. 
Thank you so much for doing this. 
It makes things much easier for me and for us all in the long run. 
TAKE care. 
Kim 

Kim Kilpatrick
Coordinator GTT Program
gttprogram@rogers.com 
twitter @gttprogram

The link for the Blaze EZ sold in Canada by Aroga technologies.

One of our upcoming conference calls for GTT will be on December 17 at 8 Pm Eastern.

Steve from Aroga technologies will be discussing one of the new digital talking book players (The Blaze EZ)

Here is the web site information on this device where you can also find audio tutorials.

http://www.aroga.com/blaze-ez-daisy-player/