Access on Main Street

People who don’t have or use fingers for controlling touchscreens have problems with capacitive models like the iPhone.  You can’t use it with most metal or plastic styli because the touchscreen is expecting a certain amount of capacitive charge found on typical extremities.  But have no fear (except around mealtime) — it seems that sausages work well.  Some may skewer such a solution, thinking it the wurst idea they’ve ever heard.  But let’s be frank — it’s certainly in the ball park.

South Korean iPhone users turn to sausages as a cold weather ‘meat stylus’ — Engadget

There are two observations from a New York Times report on the Las Vegas Market furniture show that have potential implications for people with mobility/dexterity disabilities. One is that the public at large is choosing to do more computing in the bedroom, which may well result in more design options and greater comfort becoming available to computer users who have to work from bed. The other is a promising solution to an often pressing problem: how do you get your partner to stop snoring if you don’t have enough gross motor function to nudge them? The answer is the button on a remote that temporarily inclines their side of the bed, tilting them so the cacophony goes away. If the button can be activated with minimal pressure, it could be a relationship saver.

New York Times: More than a place to rest

We’ve commented before on a few hardware-based strategies for finding lost keys, remotes, etc. “Where Is My Phone,” however, is an iPhone app that lets you find your…iPhone. It responds to your whistle (so it’s hands-free) with either one of its preprogrammed noises or with your sound recording. Since it’s response is user-specific, we’re hoping you can substitute a different sound if you’re whistle-impaired. We also assume it’s TSR, unless you plan in advance to lose your phone. All this for a buck; not bad.

ShinyShiny: Whistle and your phone will respond: the Where is My Phone App

As the hallucinatory haze of Apple’s latest product announcement dissipates, tech analysts have begun looking at what the iPad may offer in new features.  One clear category is the gesture interface, which is dramatically more powerful than on the iPhone.  You can use several fingers at once, including fingers from both hands in orchestrated ways to re-size, rotate, and otherwise control your applications, and the duration of some presses will alter what function you’re performing.  Assuming you have, and can use, all of that digital flesh.  Without carefully designed alternative input, a sophisticated gesture interface may pose a serious barrier to people who are missing fingers, have difficulty controlling them, or who have trouble understanding the gesture scheme.

The iPad’s Interface and Gestures: What’s Actually New Video - apple ipad - Gizmodo

A company called Zyxio has come up with a new breath-controlled emulation system for some mouse functions: blow steadily to scroll, blow hard to click. Obvious applications for some individuals with no hand use, and might be a nice adjunct for any voice recognition user. For mouthstick users, maybe it could be refined so that it also (if it doesn’t already) responds to breath exhaled via nose rather than mouth.

Gadget Lab: To scroll, take a deep breath and blow

The proposed Miniguru keyboard goes our old friend Optimus Maximus one better. Like the Optimus, it allows you to customize the key functions and displays–but it also allows you to specify whether you want the keys to be “clicky,” “tactile,” or “linear.” Not clear whether you could actually do this key adjustment at will (we’d love that) or whether there would simply be different models available. Regardless, this would be great not only for people with various types of dexterity impairments, but also for elders who have been reluctant to use computer keyboards because the touch feels so different from the typewriters they’re used to.

Yanko Design: Looks like a normal keyboard, doesn’t it?

Here’s a new 32 inch LED TV with minimal, easy controls — the remote only has 6 buttons.  The price includes installation and personal support.  It even turns itself off if it thinks you might have drifted off.   This thing is not only perfect for TV, it should point the way for other bright designers looking to simplify their products to snag some seniors and others who appreciate ease of use.

“Senior-Friendly” TV Ears TV turns itself off at naptime, has Jitterbug-style remote — Engadget