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.
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Researchers develop 3D printed bracelet to use computers and play video games
Australian researchers are developing a 3D printed bracelet to allow people living with hand-impairment to easily use computers and play video games.
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.
New study reveals blind people remember speech and language better than sighted people
Blind people can remember speech better than sighted people, but a person’s ability to see makes no difference in how they remember sound effects, found a new study by Johns Hopkins University and the University of California, Irvine.
Train stations fitted with new devices to help blind and partially sighted people
Train stations fitted with new devices to help blind and partially sighted people
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.
Edmonton police bomb unit makes beeping eggs for Easter hunt
The sound of about 100 beeping eggs rang out of Emily Murphy Park Saturday afternoon where more than a dozen youths combed the grounds — marked off with police tape — for audible eggs designed just for them.
New sensor technology helps blind and visually impaired pedestrians avoid hazards
A new patented technology from Intelligent Material Solutions, Inc. is designed to help pedestrians who are blind and visually impaired navigate busy sidewalks and avoid sidewalk hazards. The sensor tech uses a cooperative guidance system to determine the pedestrians’ precise geolocation and guide them to public transportation, retail entrances, sidewalk exits and other locations.
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