Access on Main Street

Finally, a translation app for the iPhone we can believe in: not for language-to-language, but for indicating the real meaning of items on a food label. Currently checks to make sure everything is either vegetarian or Halal, but could easily be modified to also look for various allergens.

Gizmodo: Vegetarian-friendly iPhone app will tell you if any dead animals are in that sandwich

Environmental control has always been a huge issue for people with mobility disabilities; if you can’t control the TV from afar, for example, you may be stuck watching bad reruns long after your program of interest has ended. Ability to integrate environmental control for multiple devices into a single, easy-to-control unit is always good. If that unit is a widely available and affordable mainstream device such as an iPhone or iPad, so much the better.

Crunchgear: Is this the first home controlled solely by iPads and iPhones?

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

We get periodic calls about auto-turn off technologies that can help elders and others who forget that they’ve left an appliance running. Meet the Roly Poly Iron, which automatically tips itself into a vertical position as soon as it’s no longer being pressed down. The designer claims it’s easier on the hands, too. Another nifty concept (for now) from our buddies at Yanko Design.

Yanko Design: Never singe another garment

On the list of major appliances we wish had voice output, a clothes washer is a minor item.  But who can resist one that speaks in English, Hindi, and Tamil, and has such an amusing name?  It seems to have several other features that blind and cognitively disabled users — not its initial targeted market — will benefit from, including step-by-step instructions and automatic cycle selection based on load size and overall filthiness (not the filthiness of your overalls…).

- Electrolux

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.

Yanko Design: A Pack O’ Heat-Em-Ups

The link below will take you to a nice roundup of applications that can turn Android-based phones into remote controllers and wireless keyboards/mice. Inexpensive, portable, and reduces the number of gadgets that have to be carried around–everything we look for in a better environmental control system for people who have some available dexterity.

Wired: 5 Nifty Apps That Turn Your Android Into A Universal Remote