Archive for the ‘Access’ Category

Wireless door access TI watch

Monday, February 1st, 2010

Wireless door access using the TI hackable watch What seems "novelty" can often be essential in a different context. This type device could be great for access. The TI Chronos development kit will allow many great projects that cleverly exploit the resources of the Chronos watch. This video shows a hack that wirelessly ...

Mac Tutorial Video Subtitles

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Closed Caption symbol"][/caption] The goal of the Mac Video Tutorials Subtitle Project is to caption the Apple video tutorials that help users learn to use the Mac. To make this great resource available to non-English speaking users, and to those with hearing impairments or language processing problems. A great use ...

A True Hands Free Bluetooth Headset

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

Meet Darrell Earlier in the year I was contacted by Darrell. Darrell may not realise it, but he is a Lifekludger. Darrell has a son. His son lives with a disability. His son's disability prevented him from using a mobile phone. [caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="earpiece"][/caption]Unable to press a button to activate 'hands ...

Pressure Sensitive Multitouch pads to come

Monday, August 31st, 2009

An article in Technology Review reveals development of pressure sensitive touch pads that could be used on future generation devices. Why is this Lifekludger newsworthy? Because the pads are reported to combine features of both kinds of existing touch pads. To me, this might mean some breaking down of the Touch ...

iDoor – iPhone Controlled Hydraulic Door

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

Excellent life kludge here by student at MIT to automate door opening. I especially like the various options of operation. Key, switch, knock and remote via iPhone, no less. - Access is about providing options. [chris@localhost » iDoor – iPhone Controlled Hydraulic Door] [via Hackaday] Related posts:Wireless door access TI watch RFID controlled phone dialing More on ...

Keyboard Access for Google Maps

Tuesday, April 28th, 2009

Web Axe points to an article where Patrick H. Lauke provides a solution to making Google Maps keyboard accessible by retrofitting keyboard access into google maps. (Obviously JavaScript is still required.) Also, Google Maps provides a text-only option, which is nice for those using assistive devices, mobile devices, low or ...

RFID controlled phone dialing

Sunday, April 5th, 2009

More and more uses are surfacing for RFID chips and I can foresee many practical applications for alternative access to a myriad of life related activities. Hackaday reports on a phone prototype which uses RFID tags to dial. It is common for our motor skills and eyesight to deteriorate as we get ...

Puff activated kick pedal mod for Guitar Hero

Wednesday, March 4th, 2009

[caption id="attachment_332" align="alignnone" width="290" caption="{puff switch for gh}"][/caption]Ben Heck has modded the kick pedal on the drums of guitar hero so it can be operated by puff of the mouth by someone who uses a wheelchair.   Ben shows exactly how he went about the awesome mod over on his blog in ...

Clarifi iPhone Case with Macro Lens for Low Vision?

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009

Great idea for people with low vision to read small print. Which is an interesting point. Just what 'Universal Access' (to use Mac OSX parlance) does the iPhone have? Anyone? [ThinkGeek :: Clarifi iPhone Case with Macro Lens] Related posts:Tactile silicone case could offer iPhone use by the blind NuTouch iPod case – ‘touch ...

Revisiting touch on the OLPC XO laptop and hardware access design

Sunday, November 16th, 2008

"Accessibility is about accommodating characteristics a person cannot change by providing options" -- Joe Clarke, 2001 * An outline * some ideas in olpc first look was promising * accessibility and usability are hardware issues too * accessibility should venture out of the online space into hardware design Last year I had a first look ...

USB Autheticated Deadbolt Servo

Monday, October 27th, 2008

Neat project demonstrating potential use of a USB drive access to a door. [wp_youtube]JKTXRlaXLDQ[/wp_youtube] YouTube - Makers Local 256 USB Autheticated Deadbolt Servo: Couldn't seem to get into the website mentioned. [via Hack a Day] Related posts:Robot arm makes my brain ping Wireless door access TI watch iDoor – iPhone Controlled Hydraulic Door

The Touch Barrier – Stylus enquiries continue

Friday, October 10th, 2008

I received an email from a reader, Scott Sands, around the touch barrier issues I've been writing about here and here on the blog. Scott graciously agreed for me to put his email here for my response so all might benefit from the issues discussed. Scott outlines how he uses his ...