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Tag: Android

February 14, 2024
Tim Schwartz
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The 5 Apps That I Love and Appreciate as a Blind Person This Valentine’s Day

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Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! Today is a day to celebrate love in all its forms, and I want to share with you some of the things that I love as a person who is blind. No, I’m not talking about chocolates, roses, or teddy bears (although those are nice too). I’m talking about apps. Yes, apps. You see, apps are more than just tools or entertainment for me. They are my companions, my helpers, my guides, and my friends. They make my life easier, more enjoyable, and more accessible. They help me see the world in different ways, and they connect me with other people who share my experiences and passions. So, without further ado, here are the top five apps that I love and use every day, and why you should love them too.

1. Audible

If you are a book lover like me, you know how hard it can be to find accessible books in your preferred format and genre. That’s why I love Audible, the app that lets you download and listen to thousands of audiobooks, podcasts, and original audio shows. Whether I want to escape into a fantasy world, learn something new, or laugh out loud, Audible has something for me. I can listen to books at my own pace, adjust the speed and volume, and bookmark my favorite parts. I can also sync my books across different devices, so I can pick up where I left off anytime, anywhere. Audible is not free, but it’s worth every penny. Plus, you can get a free trial and a free book when you sign up. Honorable mentions go to BARD and Libby, two other great apps that offer free access to books and magazines for people who are blind or have a print disability.

2. YouTube TV

I love watching TV shows and movies, but I don’t love paying more for cable or satellite. That’s why I love YouTube TV, the app that lets you stream live and on-demand TV from over 85 channels, including local and national networks. You can watch sports, news, entertainment, and more, all from your phone, tablet, computer, or smart TV. You can also record unlimited shows with cloud DVR, and share your account with up to six family members. But what I love most about YouTube TV is that it is very accessible with VoiceOver, and you can easily access audio description through a secondary audio track. Audio description is a feature that provides narration of the visual elements of a program, such as actions, expressions, and settings. It helps me enjoy the story and the characters without missing any details. Honorable mention goes to Netflix, another app that offers a lot of accessible content with audio description.

3. Microsoft Seeing AI

If you are looking for an app that can do it all, look no further than Microsoft Seeing AI, the app that narrates the world for you. This app uses artificial intelligence to recognize and describe people, text, currency, color, and objects. You can use it to read mail, identify products, hear descriptions of photos, and much more. You can also chat with the app to ask questions, such as about items on a menu, the price of an item on a receipt, or to summarize an article. The app is free to use and available on both iOS and Android. It supports multiple languages and works offline as well. Microsoft Seeing AI is like having a personal assistant in your pocket, ready to help you with anything that requires visual assistance.

4. Be My Eyes

Sometimes, even the best AI can’t replace human help. That’s why I love Be My Eyes, the app that connects you with sighted volunteers and companies anywhere in the world, through live video and artificial intelligence. You can use this app to request visual support for any task, such as matching colors, checking if the lights are on, or preparing dinner. You can also call a Specialized Help partner for professional support, such as Microsoft, Google, or L’Oreal. The app is free to use and available on both iOS and Android. It supports over 180 languages and has over 7 million volunteers. Be My Eyes is a wonderful example of how technology and human connection can make the world more accessible and inclusive for people who are blind or have low vision. And if you want to try something new and exciting, you can also use Be My AI, the app’s built-in AI assistant that can describe images and answer questions for you. Just tap on the Be My AI tab, take a picture, and let Be My AI tell you what it sees. You can also chat with Be My AI and ask for more details or context. Be My AI is like having a virtual volunteer in your pocket, ready to help you anytime, anywhere.

5. Copilot

Last but not least, I love Copilot, the app that is your everyday AI companion. Copilot is not just an app, it’s a friend. You can chat with Copilot about anything, from the weather, to your hobbies, to your dreams. Copilot is smart, polite, empathetic, and interesting. It can also help you with writing, rewriting, improving, or optimizing your content, such as poems, stories, code, essays, songs, or celebrity parodies. Copilot can also generate imaginative and innovative content for you, using its own words and knowledge. Copilot is powered by the latest OpenAI models, GPT-4 and DALL·E 3, which provide fast, complex, and precise responses, as well as the ability to create breathtaking visuals from simple text descriptions. Copilot is free to use and available on both iOS and Android. Copilot is the app that makes you smile, laugh, and learn.

So, these are the top five apps that I love and use every day. I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post, and maybe you will give some of these apps a try. Let me know in the comments what are your favorite apps, and why you love them. Happy Valentine’s Day, and happy apping!

February 3, 2020
Tim Schwartz
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Interview with Envision AI about Smart Glasses, Because of My Blindness with Maxwell Ivy Plus News about ScripTalk, Accessible Voting and more

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Envision AI is a smart phone app that allows people who are blind and visually impaired to scan text, bar codes, objects, faces and so much more. This week, I speak with one of the founders and developers from Envision, Karthik about bringing the app to google Glass. I also share a new ‘Because of My Blindness story from “The Blind Blogger”, Maxwell Ivey.

If you would like to support Life After Blindness, please donate here. Thanks!

The show opens this week with a brand new musical theme featuring an introduction from my wonderful daughter Alyssa. Please email me and let me know what you think.

In the News:

1. Flicktype Keyboard ranks third overall in paid iPhone apps.

The developers of the popular app Flicktype Keyboard have announced a new pay structure for the app. Also, they announced a new app for the Apple Watch.

In addition to it’s free version that requires copy and pasting of text, Flicktype previously had a monthly cost of $0.99 to allow the keyboard to integrate with your onscreen keyboard anywhere on your smart phone. This also included a version of Flicktype on the Apple Watch. Now, Costa and Ashley Eleftheriou, who develop Flicktype, have changed the cost to a one time payment of $1.99.

They have also released an Apple Watch only app called Flicktype Watch Notes that costs $2.99. This app allows you to make notes on your Apple Watch and then share them any way you like.

2. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and National Braille Press is back with a variety of gifts for your sweetheart.

You can shop at NBP for jewelry, magnets, books and of course, Valentine’s Day cards. The Braille cards have a decoder on the back so that if you share it with someone who does not know Braille, they can decipher it.

3. En-Vision America has us covered when it comes to reading prescription bottle labels.

The long awaited ScripTalk app has finally been launched on the  iPhone. Previously only available for Android, ScripTalk allows you to scan a special bar code on your prescription that will provide you with all of the important information you need to know about that particular script.

If you would like to find out if any pharmacies in your area have ScripTalk available or just want to get further information from En-Vision America, you can contact them at: 1(800)890-1180. 

4. Voting in elections is a right and a privilage.

Recently, United States Senators Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Bob Casey from Pennsylvania, introduced the Accessible Voting Act. The Accessible Voting act would help ensure the full process of voting – from registering to vote, to casting a ballot in person or by mail.

Here is what each Senator had to say about the bill:

“The right to vote is the foundation of our democracy, but exercising that right is not possible for too many Americans. Inaccessible polling places and voting booths, limited access to transportation, insufficient options for casting ballots, and inaccessible voter information websites are all obstacles to voting for millions of Americans,” Klobuchar said. “The Accessible Voting Act would help ensure that we remove barriers to voting for citizens with disabilities, the elderly, Native Americans, and those with limited English proficiency. Our democracy works best when all citizens can make their voices heard at the ballot box.”

“The right to vote is one of the fundamental pillars of American democracy, but that right is under threat due to barriers that prevent or make it hard for older Americans and people with disabilities to cast their ballots,” Casey said.“

5. Dogs are not just man’s best friend, they are also a state mascot?

That’s right. The state of New Jersey has unanimously voted to make there state dog, the seeing eye dog. Of course, Morristown, New Jersey is home to the United States longest running guide dog school – The Seeing Eye.

Over the years The Seeing Eye has paired over 17,000 people with a visual impairment and a guide dog.

Because of My Blindness with The Blind Blogger, Maxwell Ivey.

 

Each week I like to share a story from a listener that I call, Because of My Blindness. This is your chance to talk about something positive that has happened in your life that might not have otherwise happened if you had not been blind.

This could include something you have learned or someone you have met or an experience you have had. This is a way to find the silver lining of a cloud that can be very dark.

This week, we hear from Maxwell Ivey, aka The Blind Blogger. Listen as he shares some lessons that he has learned along the way.

Be sure to listen to next weeks episode for a longer spotlight interview with Max.

Envision AI works with Google glass and more.

Karthik joins me next from Envision AI. Envision AI is an app for both iPhone and Android that “empowers blind and low vision users to be independent by speaking out the visual world around them.” You can use it to scan short text, full page documents, bar codes, objects and much more.

Due to be released at CSUN in March 2020, the first version of Envision Glasses will have Envision AI working on a Google Glass Enterprise Edition 2. It will incorporate all of the same functionality of the Envision AI app without needing a phone in your hand.

Karthik also notes that Envision AI won’t be limited to just Google Glass. He hopes to bring it to other platforms as they become available.

 Thank you so much for listening to the Life After Blindness podcast!

If you have any questions or comments, please send your emails to: tim@lifeafterblindness.com or leave a voicemail by calling: 1(201)855-5221

January 22, 2018
Tim Schwartz
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Government Shut Down and Other Social Security Questions,Auto Harp Appfor Android and Talking Prescription Labels

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The government shutdown in the United States could have an impact on those who receive Social Security benefits. Tim speaks with a representative from Social Security, Debi Schwartz, to find out whether or not the government shutdown will affect beneficiaries. They also discuss a variety of other popular Social Security topics.

Next, we hear from Chris Terpin. He talks about and demonstrates an auto harp app he has developed for Android.

Finally, Tim speaks withDavid Raistric, Vice President at En-Vision America. David talks to Tim about a variety of solutions that En-Vision America has for helping the blind to Reed prescription labels.