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Summer 2024 Edition
A service of the Technology User Group at the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled. Feel free to share this newsletter.
Reports indicate that the incorporation of Apple Intelligence will enhance the
performance of your iPhone, iPad or Mac. With the release of iOS 18, you
can expect improved writing capabilities for texts, emails and documents
through utilities such as Rewrite, Proofread, and Summarize. Additionally,
Siri will become more advanced with the capacity to handle a wide range of
new commands and the ability to connect to Chat GPT. Other notable
features include the option to schedule text messages, record and
summarize voice messages, and prioritize email and notifications. All of
these features will be directly added to your device without relying on cloud
services in order to maintain privacy. The release of iOS 18 is anticipated in
the upcoming fall season.
The Be My Eyes app has added a new tab on its main page called Service
Directory. By choosing this tab, you can instantly connect to hundreds of
businesses and organizations. Shopping, technical support, banking and
dozens of other categories populate this feature. The app will even let you
know if a business is currently closed.
You have probably discovered that your Echo device can play many
services and podcasts. One of these informational services is the news.
Here is a list of some of the broadcasts you can listen to and what you need
to say to Alexa, Echo’s AI assistant, in order to access them.
ABC – “Alexa, play ABC News update.”
Al Jazeera – “Alexa, play Al Jazeera update.”
AP – “Alexa, play AP News update.”
BBC – “Alexa, play BBC News update.”
Bloomberg – “Alexa, play Bloomberg News update.”
CBC – “Alexa, enable CBC skill.”
CBS – “Alexa, play 24-hour CBS News.”
CNN – “Alexa, play CNN News podcast.”
CNN International – “Alexa, play CNN International News.”
(Note: You will need the TuneIn app installed on your phone.)
Fox – “Alexa, play Fox News update.”
Local News – “Alexa, play local news.”
Local News (other areas) – “Alexa, play local news from [follow
with a city name].”
NBC – “Alexa, enable NBC News skill.”
NPR – “Alexa, play NPR News update.”
NY Times – “Alexa, play The Daily podcast.”
Washington Post – “Alexa, play The Washington Post podcast.”
Whether you are reading a book from NLS BARD, Newsline or Bookshare,
you may encounter the error, “No application can open this file.” Rather than
opening a book directly, sometimes your e-Reader will open a folder instead
that contains numerous book files. Different kinds of files are often combined
to form a book. You may come across books with css, xsl, ncx, xml, and smil
files, among others. Pressing Enter on some of these file types will not result
in opening your book, and if you try to access them, you may receive the
error message about being unable to open the file. Don’t be discouraged!
Keep in mind that if you try to access one of these file types and get the
dreaded message, it does not mean that the book is defective. Simply try to
open the book through a different file type. If you select a file ending with brf,
opf, or bopf, you should have success.
- The Be My Eyes app is now available for Window computers. Find it
free from the Microsoft store.
- Dissatisfied with the magnification app on your iDevice? Try the
ReBokeh app, which offers many filtering options and lighting
variations.
- JAWS has added Picture Smart AI to its Fusion line. With this new
feature, JAWS now offers the ability to have the content of images
interpreted and verbalized. The image descriptions aren’t perfect, but
they are getting better all the time.
- HIMS Inc. has changed its name to Selvas BLV and continues to sell
the SensePlayer and other braille and low-vision products. This
rebranding will help prevent customers from confusing the
manufacturer with other similarly named companies.
- Seeing AI is now available for Android devices. Find this useful app in
the Google Play Store.
The most common gestures on an iDevice involve using just one finger.
Swipe right with one finger to have your iDevice announce the next item;
swipe left, and your iDevice will announce the previous item. Swipe up with
one finger to go through “items in a menu”; swipe down with one finger to go
back through “items in a menu.” Single tap on an item with one finger to
move the VoiceOver focus to that item. Double tap with one finger to
activate an app, but be aware that this gesture has no function if performed
on text. A triple tap with one finger on an app will bring up numerous options,
such as “view cart,” “share app,” and “delete app.” You should keep in mind
that swiping in any direction should be a short and quick action, like flicking
dust off the screen. In fact, some people use the term flick to the right or left
rather than swipe as it better describes the speed and lightness of the
gesture.
All Technology User Group (TUG) meetings can be joined via Zoom:
https://marylandlibraries.zoom.us/j/6562037293
Meeting ID: 656 203 7293
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Upcoming TUG Topics:
July 13: iOS Games
August 10: TV Apps & Streaming
September 14: BISM
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