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!
