Category Archives: hardware

Computer Control – with your tongue

Want to control your electronics with your tongue? This company is making that happen MouthPad resembles a plastic retainer and encases a trackpad, pressure sensor, battery, charging coil, and Bluetooth chip. Here’s what users can do with it. https://vimeo.com/818500537?mc_cid=bd55d47983&mc_eid=6e54f7497e via: https://www.zdnet.com/article/want-to-control-your-electronics-with-your-tongue-this-company-is-making-that-happen/

Planck EZ: A Powerful, Backlit, Open-Source, 40% Mechanical Keyboard | Planck EZ

RGB Backlight? Check. Powerful open-source firmware? Check. Graphical configurator? Check. This keyboard has it all — 47 keys is all you are going to need. This compact keyboard impressed me as a possible good condidate for me or others who use a mouthstick or others who have a limited field of movement. Would love toContinueContinue reading “Planck EZ: A Powerful, Backlit, Open-Source, 40% Mechanical Keyboard | Planck EZ”

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on Accessibility and AI

For over 30 years I’ve believed and said people living with disability stand to benefit the most from technology as a tool. So good to see Accessibility being thought, talked about and more inportantly actioned at high levels in companies. Marques talking with Satya Clip from a video by Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) on Youtube. TranscriptContinueContinue reading “Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on Accessibility and AI”

Assistive Technologies I Test With

Based on a Q&A question on how I (a non-accessibility professional) test accessibility July 19, 2018 After a recent talk on Accessibility, I was asked during the Q&A about what Assistive Technologies (AT) I test with while I’m developing. Such a good question! I hadn’t ever thought about what I actually test with and asContinueContinue reading “Assistive Technologies I Test With”

‘Chat gadget’ to help deaf people with speak-to-text conversation device

… Jari Hazelebach created his SpeakSee system of colour-coded microphones to look like sleek iPhone accessories, which clip onto clothing and transcribe words via wifi into text on a tablet or smartphone screen via an app. … The first hard-of-hearing Londoner to try the £300 device said it could help make business meetings and conversationsContinueContinue reading “‘Chat gadget’ to help deaf people with speak-to-text conversation device”

Microsoft Hololens AR used to help blind people navigate

Headset maps the environment and directs wearers with spatially-accurate audio commands  Researchers have discovered how the Microsoft HoloLens can be used to help blind people navigate their way through complex buildings. The augmented reality headset’s primary use is to supplement what a sighted wearer can already see with a virtual interface, adding digital objects to real walls in aContinueContinue reading “Microsoft Hololens AR used to help blind people navigate”

Ford’s ‘Feel The View’ prototype aims to help visually impaired people ‘see’ outside cars

… Developed in collaboration with visual impairment specialist Aedo and GTB Roma in Italy, Feel The View is a unique device that uses a range of hardware to relay vibrations on a car’s windows. These vibrations effectively relay Braille-like feedback of the scenery outside the car, hence enabling the visually challenged individuals to ‘see’. ThisContinueContinue reading “Ford’s ‘Feel The View’ prototype aims to help visually impaired people ‘see’ outside cars”

Control an iPhone with nothing but your eyes

Using your thumbs is so last year. There’s a new way to interact with your iPhone, and all it takes is your eyes. … While attending Apple’s WWDC as a scholarship student, Matt Moss had a chance to play around with the iOS 12 developer beta. In the process, he came to a neat realization: ARKit 2.0 opened up some unexpected possibilities.ContinueContinue reading “Control an iPhone with nothing but your eyes”

10 Apple accessibility solutions everyone should know

… The great thing about the accessibility tools inside Apple products is that they make those products better for everyone. Here are some accessibility solutions every Apple user needs to know. You are the great Dictation Macs, iPads, iPhones — even the Apple Watch — all support dictation. You can use this to dictate messages, emails, notes,ContinueContinue reading “10 Apple accessibility solutions everyone should know”

Tipo : Braille Smartphone Keypad 

After working with a user group of visually impaired on earlier version’s of braille keyboards, it was highlighted that there is no comprehensive way of typing into a smartphone. Current software solutions are too slow, do not give good tactile feedback or just are a pain to type with. Even though there are many softContinueContinue reading “Tipo : Braille Smartphone Keypad “

Screen Sizes | Viewport Sizes and Pixel Densities for Popular Devices

We built screensiz.es to help you quickly find the screen specifications of the most popular devices and monitors currently on the market.The size data comes from Wikipedia, and for a better understanding of Pixel Density, check out this great post by Teehan+Lax.Our “popularity” guesstimates are derived from annualized monthly Google queries (from AdWords traffic estimator),ContinueContinue reading “Screen Sizes | Viewport Sizes and Pixel Densities for Popular Devices”

Can Google Assistant and Voice Search Really Help Those Who Need it the Most ? – State of Digital

There are many voice activated devices to help us in the home and at work, including Google Assistant, Alexa from Amazon, Siri from Apple and Cortana from Microsoft. … Strategy Analytics predicted that in Q4 2017 that smart speakers would reach 12 million units world wide and so 24 million for all of 2017. Google unveiledContinueContinue reading “Can Google Assistant and Voice Search Really Help Those Who Need it the Most ? – State of Digital”

Accessibility on Mac: The ultimate guide

The Mac stays one of essentially the most obtainable platforms lately, with options to serve all wishes. Computers will have to be for everybody, and that comes with the ones with bodily impairments, whether or not or not it’s to their sight, listening to, or motor serve as. Apple strives to create merchandise and instrumentContinueContinue reading “Accessibility on Mac: The ultimate guide”

3D-printed Nintendo Switch peripheral is huge for gaming accessibility

An engineer is helping to make playing Nintendo Switch a lot more accessible for gamers everywhere. Engineer Julio Vazquez created two 3D-printed peripherals for the Nintendo Switch’s Joy-Con controllers, allowing players who only have the use of one hand to play Switch games more easily. Two different models were showed off by the AbleGamers Charity on Twitter,ContinueContinue reading “3D-printed Nintendo Switch peripheral is huge for gaming accessibility”

The Potential of IoT Technologies for People with Disabilities

While being able to dim your lights, lock your doors, and adjust the thermostat using voice commands or a simple interface on your smartphone may seem like convenient novelties to some, for disabled individuals these can be essential to maintaining a safe, healthy, enjoyable home life. For example, a quadriplegic who cannot physically open theirContinueContinue reading “The Potential of IoT Technologies for People with Disabilities”

The ability to control Windows 10 with your eyes is coming soon

Controlling your PC with only your eyes is something that’s set to be possible much sooner than you probably think. According to the Windows blog, the technology will be available in the latest Windows 10 Preview Build (162570). The technology comes from a partnership with Tobii, a Swedish company that specifically develops eye control technology.ContinueContinue reading “The ability to control Windows 10 with your eyes is coming soon”

The 7 Factors that Influence User Experience 

User Experience (UX) is critical to the success or failure of a product in the market but what do we mean by UX? All too often UX is confused with usability which describes to some extent how easy a product is to use and it is true that UX as a discipline began with usabilityContinueContinue reading “The 7 Factors that Influence User Experience “

How major technology companies are improving accessibility for people with disabilities

The year 2016 saw an increase in focus on accessibility features to allow people with disabilities to access technology. The Microsoft Event that saw the launch of the Surface Studio on October 26, and the Apple event a day later on October 27 which saw the launch of the new Macbook Pro laptops, both opened with aContinueContinue reading “How major technology companies are improving accessibility for people with disabilities”

Former Microsoft design director on shaping Hololens, Xbox and Cortana with inclusive design thinking

https://youtu.be/h42RThsvXxs Kat Holmes is the former principal director of Inclusive Design at Microsoft. In this episode, we talk about the definition of inclusive design, take an inside look at her “special ops” design unit, and dive into the best method for deploying human-centered design. Curated by (Lifekludger) Read full article at Source: Former Microsoft design directorContinueContinue reading “Former Microsoft design director on shaping Hololens, Xbox and Cortana with inclusive design thinking”

Emma – a prototype watch, raising hope for Parkinson’s disease

‘My God, it’s better’: Emma can write again thanks to a prototype watch, raising hope for Parkinson’s disease   The Emma Watch and a special Windows 10 tablet that controls it. Engraved on the watch is a name – “emma” – in breezy lettering that, to Lawton’s eyes, looks eerily similar to her own handwriting.ContinueContinue reading “Emma – a prototype watch, raising hope for Parkinson’s disease”

How a Smart Home Empowers People with Disabilities

… While advances in personal technology continue at a rapid pace, at times their designers seem to forget about the population that could perhaps benefit from it the most. Stabelfeldt says just the ability to charge a phone with a wheelchair didn’t even exist until a few years ago. But features like Apple’s “Home” appContinueContinue reading “How a Smart Home Empowers People with Disabilities”