A whirled of the map
Schmap, which has already established a web presence with interactive maps and guides, has developed an iPhone-savvy version of its site. What we really like is that it takes advantage of the iPhone’s built-in gyro sensors; hold your phone one way to see just the local points of interest, then just tilt it 90 degrees to see these points plotted on a map. Easy for anyone, and likely to be especially welcome by those whose fine motor impairments make them prefer not to fumble with links whenever possible; we’d love to see this implemented for other types of applications.
I don’t see what you’re saying
One of the problems for some would-be speech output users is that most speech output strategies require tricky or intense use of the keyboard, mouse, or both; this can be a particular problem for seniors. Some German researchers have come up with a pretty cool solution involving use of facial recognition technology: just close your eyes, and Microsoft Word reads back the “current” sentence (presumably the one where the cursor is located). Ein guter Start; we’d love to see additional features, such as the ability to blink slowly to have the speech output move to and read the next line.
ACM Digital Library: Spoken words: activating text-to-speech through eye closure (summary)
Adventures in the skin trade
Firmo is a prototype system that uses a weak AC field to transform your skin into a signal transmission system for use with appliances, point-of-sale systems, and so on. Could be great for those with limited dexterity–or even no dexterity; we assume noses and toes would transmit just as well as fingers.
It’s design of the times
What’s better than a mainstream product with accessibility features? Why, a whole Microsoft competition full of promising designs, of course. We particularly like the electronic music stand that allows score pages to be turned via touch screen or foot pedal, the bracelet that wirelessly uploads information, and the neck-worn PC that automatically captures exciting events on tape (audio or video?) whenever the user’s heart rate increases–all of which could be useful to people with various levels of dexterity disabilities. Also submitted was the previously-noted ZEN PC with its tactile interface.
Gizmodo: Next-Gen PC concepts include laser screens, tactile interfaces, glossiness
She deafened me with science
Toshiba is introducing Dolby Volume, which automatically adjusts TV volume that’s too loud–or, presumably, too soft–to a level of the user’s preference. Also works with stereo equipment, for the listening pleasure of the ever-growing Bjork/Metallica fan base.
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.
A nice gesture
Samsung–one of the most frequent company names to show up on these pages–has patented a gesture-based interface for cell phones. Could be useful to people with some types of hand/arm disabilities; depending on its reliance on movement precision and its ability to be combined with audio output, could it be an improvement over touch screens for blind users?
Engadget: Samsung skips the touchscreen, patents gesture-based phone interface