Control version
Designer David Chacon has come up with a small remote for controlling devices all over the house. Besides the convenience for people with mobility disabilities, we particularly like the large, intuitive iconography–no reading capability required–and the potential for creating custom icons for specific products.
Dvice: Universal remote concept reminds us of the all-in-one gadget dream
Well-defined technology
Portable electronic dictionaries have been around for some time to help kids (and adults), particularly those with learning disabilities. Now Sharp has released their own version imbued with that trickiest of product features–coolness. Besides providing word definitions (in adjustable font sizes? with audio output?), it also functions as an MP3 and video player, and throws in twenty audio books too. So we assume the next time a hit tune includes words like “truttaceous” in its lyrics, it should be trivial for listeners to get a definition on the spot.
Gadgetell: Sharp’s RD-CX310 PMP turns you into walking, talking, rocking dictionary
Watching pictures
Brookstone now has a photo watch that can display up to 60 pictures on a reasonably good-sized screen and has the option of superimposing the time in either analog or digital format. We could see a variety of uses for this as a cognitive aid–what if you brought up the picture of the place you’re going to or the person you’re meeting before you leave the house, so that you’ll remember when you get there? If it had an alarm option that you could tie to a specific picture, that would be even better.
Everything USB.com: Digital photo watch (great grandpa gift?)
More CAPTCHA follies
We’ve posted a good bit about CAPTCHAs, the automated techniques that try to distinguish humans from vile software bots when visiting websites or registering for accounts, such as the blurry letters you have to type into a box. It’s an arms race between CAPTCHA designers and bot designers, with visually impaired users as collateral damage.
The latest design calls for users to click near the geometric center of any image in a composite set of wall-to-wall images drawn from a database. That’s only step one; step two shows you another image, which you must identify from a list of options. They’re gonna have to get really creative to figure out a non-visual approach to this task. And hey, webmaster, is your site’s porn late medieval Italian poetry really worth all this effort?
Ars Technica: Researchers stay step ahead of bots with image-based CAPTCHA
New patent Appleication
Apple has submitted a patent for a chat interface that appears to have capabilities for both videoconferencing and transmission of prerecorded video, both of which will be of interest to individuals with hearing impairments. To sweeten the pot, the patent also appears to have more sophisticated word prediction capabilities, which will benefit users with dexterity and cognitive disabilities.
Quickies at MIT
Quickies combine the best features of Post-It Notes and software. An RFID tag is attached to each Post-It, enabling heretofore unrealized capabilities, via computer, such as tracking where you left a note (great cognitive aid!) and pulling up a list of all notes that contain a specific word. Just a gleam in MIT researchers’ eyes for now.
Android deserves augmented reality
Android, Google’s mobile development platform, has attracted a really useful app. Enkin takes your location, camera input, and other info, and renders a customized meaningful overlay: where your car is in the lot, where the nearest noodle shop is, etc. This kind of personal guidance would be tremendously valuable for those with cognitive disabilities, permitting independent living and travel. Add audio output and you have a wayfinding device for blind users.