Author Archives: dnw

Answers for Society’s Most Uncomfortable Questions

5 Helpful Answers To Society’s Most Uncomfortable Questions | Cracked.com. [parts saved here for posterity] You’re not a person. This is going to sound like some real Rust Cohle shit, but bear with me because deep down you already know all of this. For instance, you already know that you are, to a certain degree, a productContinueContinue reading “Answers for Society’s Most Uncomfortable Questions”

Maker uses 3D printing to create eye-tracking wheelchair

  UK-based maker Patrick Joyce, who has degenerative condition motor neuron disease (also known as MND or ALS), has created an eye-tracking wheelchair controller that allows a user who has lost all motor functions except for eye movement to be able to control their wheelchair and an onboard computer. With Joyce, fellow Maker David Hopkinson, helpedContinueContinue reading “Maker uses 3D printing to create eye-tracking wheelchair”

Reader writes: Lead needed for Second Hand adaptive bike

A recent email I received from Shellie: I have been researching adaptive bikes for my 7 year old grandson. Many are so expensive and out of our price range. Do you ever find people interested in selling a used bike? So, if anyone knows anyone or any resources Shellie can tap into to find aContinueContinue reading “Reader writes: Lead needed for Second Hand adaptive bike”

Robot-building twins enable themselves through 3D printing technology

  The ABC runs a article on two brothers with advanced muscular dystrophy in Melbourne who are using 3D printing tools to build things they need. The brilliant thing about 3D printing is that you don’t need your own. You can design your own things and send the file to others who have a 3DContinueContinue reading “Robot-building twins enable themselves through 3D printing technology”

Open source, 3D Printed, thought controlled prosthetic hand

3D Printed, thought controlled prosthetic hand for less than $1000. – Opensourced   http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1   via Meet Easton LaChappelle, The Teen Building A Cheaper, Better Prosthetic Arm.

Speech Recognition – Coming of Age!

Google recently added Voice Typing to Google Docs which really has taken speech recognition to the next level. By simply plugging in a microphone to a desktop computer students can start to use speech recognition immediately. I have found that the speech recognition that’s built into Google Docs to be very accurate and allows studentsContinueContinue reading “Speech Recognition – Coming of Age!”

Special Stylus solutions by shapedad on Etsy

Shapedad is an outlet on Etsy that provides custom solutions for stylus’ for touch screens in many formats. Shapedad says: “It all started when the wife of a quad (quadriplegic) patient ordered a regular Stylus Socks stylus from our Etsy shop.” Some examples below:                       ContinueContinue reading “Special Stylus solutions by shapedad on Etsy”

Measure with Measure-It! Adhesive Tape

Ever tried holding a conventional, metal tape measure horizontal by yourself? This is a low-tack tape that will allow you to do all of your home decorating, renovation, and craft projects. The low-tack backing makes it easy to re-position or re-use. via source: http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20141224/measure-home-projects-accurately-measureit-adhesive-tape/

What is an accessible website? | Lee Jordan

What is an accessible website? Often when we try to define what an accessible website is, we default to the position that it’s a website that can be used by a visually impaired person via a screen reader. If your website makes sense and can be navigated when it’s read out by a screen readerContinueContinue reading “What is an accessible website? | Lee Jordan”

Chieko Asakawa: How new technology helps blind people explore the world | TED Talk | TED.com

  How can technology help improve our quality of life? How can we navigate the world without using the sense of vision? Inventor and IBM Fellow Chieko Asakawa, who’s been blind since the age of fourteen, is working on answering these questions. In a charming demo, she shows off some new technology that’s helping blindContinueContinue reading “Chieko Asakawa: How new technology helps blind people explore the world | TED Talk | TED.com”

Eye phone: How a app could help restore sight to millions

Around 39 million people in the world are affected by blindness — 80% of which could be avoided if people had timely access to diagnosis and proper treatment. Ted blog reports on Peek — an app and adapter that turn a smartphone into a comprehensive, easy-to-use, accurate eye-exam tool. Peek makes eye tests affordable and easy to administer, bypassing the need for expensive,ContinueContinue reading “Eye phone: How a app could help restore sight to millions”

7 iPad Apps to Help Students With Dyslexia – Mashable

Dyslexia is a language-based disorder that makes reading, recognizing words, spelling and decoding especially difficult…. Mashable round up a list of seven apps that students, parents and teachers may find useful covering a range of abilities and ages. via source: http://mashable.com/2014/07/28/apps-for-dyslexia/

Proper Use of Buttons and Links

After years of arguing for proper use of form elements and link elements, others are finally doing the same. More recently, this includes the articles The Anchor Button: Bad for Accessibility, Bad for Usability by Matt Long and Reinventing the hyperlink (with much humor!) by Heydon Pickering. (curated by Lifekludger from Proper Use of Buttons and Links) Complete articleContinueContinue reading “Proper Use of Buttons and Links”

W3C Web Accessibility Initiative: 2014 in review

As the end of another busy year approaches, it’s worth looking back at the year that was and the significant contributions WAI has made. With celebrations relating to the 25th anniversary of the WWW and the 20th anniversary of the W3C, there has been much opportunity for reflection, and there have been some more localisedContinueContinue reading “W3C Web Accessibility Initiative: 2014 in review”

PDF accessibility: new guidance issued

The Australian government has issued updated guidance on the accessibility of the portable document format (PDF) for people with disabilities. (curated by Lifekludger from PDF accessibility: new guidance issued) Complete article at source: http://www.accessiq.org/news/news/2014/12/pdf-accessibility-new-guidance-issued

A convoluted plethora of barely connected cloud silos

Recently on Facebook JP was lamenting the confused state of managing our data in the cloud when multiple identities and platforms are involved. JP Rangaswami New Windsor, United Kingdom · iCloud is terrible. Going back to Microsoft is unthinkable. Having lived through trying to use personal and corporate gmail accounts in parallel, Google is ruled outContinueContinue reading “A convoluted plethora of barely connected cloud silos”

In search of the Ubiquitous Mouthstick

Mick (email on request) sent me this very pertinent email the other day about the un-ubiquitous nature of mouthsticks. Lads is it just me or do we all use any given mouth-stick for a broad variety of tasks? I ask because I find that many of the solutions offered for a specific issue -in thisContinueContinue reading “In search of the Ubiquitous Mouthstick”

Listener’s Poker

Over on his blog, my mate Kent has started a game of listeners poker. He explains it like this: [It’s like]  Liar’s Poker, but with sound.  Somebody pick something good, and others try to top it.  We’re talking playing, and musicianship.  Not just some studio-created and network-marketed nonsense.  Music.  Reeeeeel music. Well, I’m game. AndContinueContinue reading “Listener’s Poker”

Faraday Stylus’ new capacities program

Just came across the iFaraday stylus via a blog post on ATMac. All their stylus’ look good and I’m impressed with their “new capacities” program which states Our goal is to enable anyone who wants to use a capacitive touch screen device.  We have three working designs that enable folks to use a capacitive touchContinueContinue reading “Faraday Stylus’ new capacities program”

App for deaf people to ‘hear’ group conversations

Smart, very smart use of technology to enhance lives. Researchers have developed the first mobile app to make group conversations possible between deaf people and their hearing peers. The Transcense app “listens” and interprets conversations, providing real-time captioning on mobile devices.   http://youtu.be/vvoglCTd6x8 Indiegogo campaign : https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/transcense-group-conversations-made-accessible Transcence website : http://www.transcense.com/ via [New app letsContinueContinue reading “App for deaf people to ‘hear’ group conversations”

Firechat Enables the Crowd to Become the Internet –Bypassing Central Powers | Web Strategy by Jeremiah Owyang | Digital Business

Keep an eye on this. Mesh networking should be more of a player as proliferation of mobile devices increases. Especially in high density populations. Firechat Enables the Crowd to Become the Internet –Bypassing Central Powers | Web Strategy by Jeremiah Owyang | Digital Business.