Redbox to Make Some Kiosks Accessible to the Blind

Redbox to Make Some Kiosks Accessible to the Blind

Glow Serly    Agustus 09, 2014    Comment   

Popular video rental service Redbox agreed in a settlement to make 4,000 of their 35,900 kiosks located in California accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired. The service, which is commonly found in supermarkets and other public areas, is inaccessible to blind or visually impaired users. As part of the agreement, Redbox agreed to add headphone jacks, text-to-speech output, and tactile keyboards to kiosks. The roll-out of accessible video rental boxes will be gradual and is planed to take longer than two years. In the interim, Redbox has also agreed to provide phone support to help blind customers navigate the rental process. It is not clear if Redbox plans to add more DVDs with audio descriptions to benefit its new larger customer base of visually impaired users, but such a plan would seem to make sense. The settlement deal will inevitably increase Redbox's potential customer base by providing access to more people with disabilities. Unfortunately, the settlement seems to only cover a small fraction of Redbox kiosk in California. Hopefully, other kiosk companies will make their services accessible as well.

Use If This Then That (IFTTT) to Automate Simple Tasks

Use If This Then That (IFTTT) to Automate Simple Tasks

Glow Serly    Desember 29, 2013    Comment   

If This Then That (IFTTT) is a simple app for iPhone and Android that allows you to automate simple tasks. If you want to email every picture you take to your grandparents or tweet about every breaking news story IFTTT can do it for you automatically. The IFTTT app integrates with many other apps and services which allows it to help with a variety of  tasks. IFTTT can integrate with reminders, contacts, photos, messages, Twitter, Google Drive, Facebook, Blogger, Evernote, and many more services.

To start using the app you can choose from hundreds of pre-made recipes or make your own. A recipe could say " If I post a new post on Blogger, tweet its title and a link, "or  "when I arrive at school,text my mom" The app constantly checks your recipes and completes the action at the correct time. It reduces the need to do many monotonous tasks. It also bridges the gap between different web based services allowing you to spend more time using the services and less time managing your digital life.

IFTTT also integrates with certain connected home systems. Using IFTTT in concert with the WeMo connected home platform you can have your lights turn on automatically when you get close to home or turn off the TV when you are far from home.

Some of these recipes can be helpful for people with executive functioning difficulties. For example, the app can automatically check the weather, and if it is going to rain remind you to wear a jacket. The possibilities are almost endless because of the customization the app offers. The app can also complete actions based on your location. You can set up the app to call, email, or text message someone when you arrive or leave a certain location. This could be helpful for parents who need to makes sure their kid has arrived to school safely in the morning. For example, you could set your childs iPhone to email you everytime they arrive or leave school.

IFTTT has an iOS app and website both are free of charge. Click read more below to view screen shots of the IFTTT app in action.

Google Search App Updated With Advanced Voice Search Similar to Siri

Google Search App Updated With Advanced Voice Search Similar to Siri

Glow Serly    Oktober 30, 2012    Comment   

Google just updated its iOS search app to include advanced voice search. The new feature is similar to Apple's Siri. Click here to download the free app. With the Google Search app you can ask questions by voice and get spoken feedback. The Google app is very quick and the voice recognition is accurate. It is almost indential to the voice search included in Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. It is able to answer a broad range of questions and always has Google search results to fall back on. The Google app cannot read text messages, call people, set reminders, dictate notes, set alarms or be used from the lock screen like Apple's Siri. The Google app is still great for asking questions and getting good answers. Also for people without Siri the Google app is a great alternative. 

Watch the video above to see Google voice search in action. Click read more below to view screenshots of the Google Search app in action.