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Apps

Turn Your Amazon Echo into An Intercom

What can you do with several Amazon Echo devices? You could shout to the closest one for the latest weather forecast or to play your favorite song. Instead of shouting though, why not use them as an intercom? According to CNET, Amazon has recently released a new feature called Drop In. As you probably may know, The Echo is able to make and receive calls and messages to other echo devices. Instead of waiting for the other party to answer, Drop In works exactly the way it sounds. Once you initiate the connection, you can freely begin to talk and hear the person on the other end. read more

VIP: Let’s Go To the Movies!

Join Jessica, Tomi, and Rachel for another exciting VIP as they explore this week’s latest in technology. This week, it’s all about movies, and the devices you watch them on. Check out these exciting stories. read more

Workplace Accommodation Case Management App Is Bridging the Gap

IBM and West Virginia’s University’s Center for Disability Inclusion have developed a Mobile workplace accommodation case management app. The Mobile Accommodation Solution is designed to help employers create a more inclusive workplace environment for employees with disabilities. As of March 2017, only 20.4% of people with disabilities were employed, while 68.7% of people without a disability were employed. There are many reasons for this disparity, but one of the reasons is that employer’s do not know what accommodations are necessary for a person with a disability, and they also don’t know how to request those accommodation’s. Employees also often don’t know how to request accommodations. The app provides an accessible environment on iOS or Android for employers and employees to fill out the appropriate forms and get them to the correct people to handle the requests. The MAS app will also leverage the deep knowledge and tools of the Job Accommodation Network, a leading source of free and expert guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues. Even if an employer has met the accommodation needs of an employee, things change over time. An employee who has never needed workplace accommodations, or a different employee who has had accommodation need met, may later find that they need additional or different workplace accommodations. This app intends to tackle those issues as well.
The iOS version of the app is expected later this year, and the Android version will be available in 2018.
Source.

Introduction to TWBlue

There are many twitter clients that are available for Windows, but very few are designed to work with screen readers. In this podcast, Leonid demonstrates the interface, as well as several useful features on TWBlue, a free, open source twitter client. read more

VIP: Let Me See You Work It!

This week, the team is quite active! Join Rachel, Jessica, and Joel, as they discuss topics from a 9-month National Fitness Challenge, to the Ecobee4 Thermostat, to the Amazon Echo stepping into the communication market. read more

Setting Up Audio Description on the Amazon Prime Video App

In this podcast, Rachel demonstrates how to enable audio description for the movies and TV shows that have this feature in the Amazon Prime Video app. One must have an Amazon Prime membership which entitles a viewer to some free content. Other movies and TV shows that have audio description, can be purchased for a small fee. If you want to know which content has description:
Look no further!
Enjoy!

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