The new service, called Sonos Voice Control, is focused on controlling media content and the company’s devices, rather than serving up information in the style of Amazon’s Alexa or Apple’s Siri. Still, it marks an ambitious expansion for a company best known for sound bars and other audio accessories.
Android
City launches app for residents with mobility issues to book accessible rides
City of Winnipeg launches app for residents with mobility issues to book accessible cab rides.
Amazon launches audio streaming for hearing aids
Amazon announced on its Fire TV blog that its Fire TV Cube (2nd gen) now supports Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids, commonly known as ASHA. This makes Amazon Fire TV Cube “the first-ever streaming media player to support ASHA and allow customers to directly connect compatible Bluetooth hearing aids,” according to the company. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) reports that 15% (37.5 million) of Americans over the age of 18 report some hearing loss and nearly 29 million US adults could benefit from using hearing aids.
Google testing technology for athletes with blindness exercise unassisted
Athletes living with blindness regularly put their trust in sighted counterparts to guide their every footstep as they run across pathways they cannot see. But Google is developing technology that could one day allow these runners to exercise independently.
Spacefelt releases labeling solution for the visually impaired
Vision loss can have a significant impact on one’s ability to perform even the basic tasks. Simple activities such as picking the right condiments from the kitchen cabinet, identifying medicines, reading the numbers on a credit card, or picking matching clothes, at most times, require the assistance of a sighted person. The startup, Grailmaker Innovations has developed Spacefelt, a tagging and labelling app for persons with visual impairment. Using it, the user can tag, label and identify objects around them independently.
Microsoft mobile app is making bus stops more accessible
A team at Schepens Eye Research Institute of Mass Eye and Ear, led by Associate Professor Gang Luo, has been focusing on vision assistive technology for over a decade, running research studies on technology development, intervention, evaluation, and human factors in mobility for people who are blind or low vision. While transit agencies have a mandate to improve accessibility to public transportation as part of the Americans with Disability Act, opportunities exist to improve existing technologies and further remove barriers. Developing a cost-effective tool was paramount for the team in their aim to make bus stops more accessible and easily identifiable to all.
Twitter introducing CC button for captions on videos for iOS and Android
Twitter said on Friday it is testing a new “CC” button to turn captions on and off on videos with captions available. The feature is rolling out to some users on iOS and will be coming “soon” to Android, the company says.
DeafTawk empowers the hearing impaired overcome everyday challenges
In 2019, Wamiq Hassan, a computer engineer, and two of his friends Ali Shabbar and Abdul Qadeer, who are both visually impaired, co-founded the DeafTawk app to empower Pakistan’s deaf community.
Zoo Atlanta Launches AI Animal Assistant Guide for visitors
Zoo Atlanta has introduced the new AI-powered Animal Assistant to help visitors find and learn about its animals. The Animal Assistant was built by conversational AI developer Satisfi Labs, which plans to expand the platform to other zoos and aquariums around the country.
Orbit Research Introduces The Orbit Speak Notetaker at CSUN
Orbit Research announced the launch of the Orbit Speak braille notetaker at the 37th Annual CSUN Conference on Technology for People with Disabilities in Anaheim, California, USA. The Orbit Speak is equipped with features of a modern braille notetaker with a braille keyboard and synthesized speech output in a compact, pocket-sized device.
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