Get fresh with us
Among the many things AoMS believes in is fresh produce, so we’re pleased to see the Fresh Code barcode system being proposed. As the fruit or veggie deteriorates, so does the code; if it’s past its edibility date, the barcode won’t work at checkout. Could be a great help to people who can’t thump a melon or effectively interpret the color of a banana, as well as those who don’t remember or never learned that some cauliflower is supposed to be purple.
Ubergizmo: Fresh Code ensures that you’ll get your veggies fresh
Production code, 2010 style
Here’s an interesting use for QR codes: Fandango, the movie ticket service, now has a mobile service that will send a code to your mobile phone. When you get to the theater, a scanner reads the code. No more paper to manipulate or remember, letting everyone get to the popcorn line that much faster. If the scanners are self-service, let’s hope some attention is given to accessibility in terms of height, providing guidance as to where to place the phone, etc. And if it’s a success, we’ll look forward to seeing similar implementations for other types of tickets.
Like a Virgin?
We’re mulling over the news that Virgin America has decided to remove Flash from its site (well, from some of the site, anyway…as noted on the TUAW comments, it’s still on the Route Map page at least) because it won’t run on iPhones. Is this a good thing for accessibility? Would it be better to keep Flash but also follow the guidelines for providing accessible Flash alternatives? And while we’re at it, could Virgin address some of their other issues, such as the inaccessible navigation bar?
TUAW: Virgin America dumps Flash over lack of iPhone support
Applecalypse Now
Not content to ban suggestive iPhone apps from their store, Apple has decided they can also ban apps based on “minimal user functionality.” So the quirky utility that might just solve an access problem–like the air blower–won’t be available via the most central app resource. Not good.
Gizmodo: Apple rejects app for containing minimal user functionality
As it is Twitten
Carmen Gonzales has come up with a summary of pretty convincing arguments about why Twitter has made a huge difference for people with physical disabilities. Some of these involve the potential for generating and receiving information with little effort, but there is also the fact that if everyone is communicating in 140 characters, assistive tech users or slow typists will be able to generate messages of an acceptable length with less effort than, say, typing a full email. There are parallel arguments to be made for cognitive access as well.
Twitup: Twitter remaking the persona of the physically challenged
Stoov jobs
Some folks don’t have the ability to put a pot on the stove…but what if you could put a stove on the pot? Mathieu Baele has envisioned the Stoov, which is a magnetic device that can be charged and attached to your cookware. For big cooking projects, you can attach multiple Stoovs–the charger can handle up to six units at a time. Turn off the unit, and it auto-releases; forget to turn off the unit and there’s probably a significantly lower chance of fire than with traditional cookers.
The Skype’s the limit
Skype announced that they’re working with LG and Panasonic to bring VoIP capabilities to selected TV models…the same day that we got an email from a woman looking for a Skype access strategy for her older parents overseas, who find computers too complex. Nothing like well-timed idea convergence.