Access on Main Street

Hooking up a usable world, one mainstream product at a time.

Primp up the volume!

Posted by Jim Tobias 8 March 2010

No one buys a laptop or netbook for audio quality, but lots of people use their portable devices for audio-intensive apps like playing music, watching movies, and talking on VoIP.  Now people with mild to moderate hearing loss can improve their audio with a USB device.  The X-Tube DTS looks like an old electronic tube, and glows blue when operating.   Beyond the classy optics are some impressive acoustics: simulated surround sound, better frequency response, and on-screen sliders for bass enhancement and “voice clarification”.  As always, your mileage may vary, but the review at the link below is pretty positive, except for suggesting that you use better headphones than the bundled ones.  Only $45 dollars once it arrives.

[Review] X-TUBE USB DTS… The Quick Review « Akihabara News

One ringy dingy

Posted by Jane Berliss-Vincent 4 March 2010

We understand the ringtones that soothe a savage breast, and the ones that let teenagers hear sounds that old men of 25 would miss. But the Japanese Ringing Tone Library has come up with a tone that is supposed to…clear your sinuses?! Reluctantly, we guess it might be useful for people who can’t blow their nose in traditional ways, but we’re also interested in what else is up the JRTL’s sleeves. “Ringtone makes your skin beautiful” is one announced project; we’re hoping for something like “ringtone stops your back from itching.”

Asiajin: Anti-Pollen-Allegy Nostril Cleansing Ringtone

Isn’t it ironic, don’t you think?

Posted by Jane Berliss-Vincent 4 March 2010

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

Like a Virgin?

Posted by Jane Berliss-Vincent 3 March 2010

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

We’re speechless

Posted by Jane Berliss-Vincent 3 March 2010

Researchers in Germany have come up with a pretty cool piece of technology: measure the facial muscle movement as someone is silently mouthing words, translate that into the equivalent sounds, and send the results via phone or other device. We have a lot of questions–first off, how does it measure tongue movement to distinguish between, say, “pat” and “bat”?–but we still see the potential of this as an augmentative communication method.

Ubergizmo: Lip reading technology unveiled

Human writes

Posted by Jane Berliss-Vincent 3 March 2010

A few months ago, we had an interesting discussion about ways to force users to take typing breaks to avoid repetitive strain injuries. Here’s a solution to the opposite problem: Write or Die, which checks to see if you’re meeting your writing goals. If you’re taking breaks too often or for too long, it performs the punishment you’ve selected, from changing the text color to even deleting what you’ve written. Could we get Don’t Write or Die, which would have the same punishments if you don’t take a break?

OhGizmo: Write or Die makes you write or…else

Body surfing

Posted by Jane Berliss-Vincent 2 March 2010

What if there were a surface with varying acoustic qualities, so that it could be combined with a set of projected keyboards and menus–tap on a different part of the surface, and the projector would know which keyboard/menu to bring up? Researchers from Carnegie Mellon and Microsoft realized there is such a surface, readily available: the human arm and hand. Their prototype, Skinput, consists of an acoustic detector and a pico projector built into an armband. They already know that it will work for arms in motion, but we’re curious to know if it’ll work for a range of arms–short, long, atrophied, bariatric, juvenile, elderly, and so on. If it does, it could be a great accommodation for people with limited range of motion.

New Scientist: Body acoustics can turn your arm into a touchscreen

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