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NEWS
A Device to Test Infants’ Vision is Now Possible
An advanced device to measure the field of vision of infants has been developed by scientists at L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad. The device, named paediatric perimeter, can be used to test the eyesight of infants between two and 12 months.
James Bond Returns to Battle Blind Super Villain
James Bond heading to Croatia to ‘battle a blind super villain’ as Daniel Craig reportedly signs up to return as 007.
The suave spy may have a one-up on his opponent but will head to the Dalmatian Coast for his latest adventure.
Amazon’s Alexa May Be Your Next Teacher
On July 27, Canvas by Instructure announced that its teaming up with Amazon Alexa to help students, teachers, advisors, and parents ask questions, carry out quick tasks, and get information from Canvas on Alexa-enabled devices. The new feature was announced by InstructureCon and marks an ongoing effort scale up Canvas’s voice-activated applications.
Amazon Echo Can Now Notify You When Your Package Ships
You’re probably aware of Alexa’s ability to let you know when you receive calls and messages on your Amazon Echo. Amazon has recently decided to expand Alexa’s capabilities to notify you when your order has shipped. Before, you were only able to ask your echo for the status of your order.
Apple’s HomePod Comes with VoiceOver.
A recent firmware update to Apple’s HomePod shows that accessibility support has been added to the operating system, and that includes VoiceOver. The device is voice activated, but it does have a touch surface that allows the user to long press Siri and adjust the volume. With VoiceOver included, this touch surface will be accessible to the visually impaired.
For now, the device does not support third parties or extensions, but that could change before the release of the HomePod in December.
Source.
The Sunu Band Helps the Blind Navigate with Sonar and Haptic Feedback.
The Sunu band is a smart watch that is specifically designed to help the blind navigate around people and objects. It sends out ultrasonic waves up to 13FT away, and then provides haptic feedback to make blind people aware of objects and people. The range and feedback are fully customizable by way of an app. The Sunu Band can be paired to your phone by Bluetooth. It also detects openings such as doorways and threshold’s, but it doesn’t seem to be able to detect drop offs.
You can purchase the Sunu Band here for $299.
VIP: Happy 1 Million Birthday!
CBT has gathered everyone from the past and present that was responsible for reaching this incredible milestone.
Talking Laundry Module Makes GE Washers and Dryers Accessible for the Blind.
The Talking Laundry Module is a box that plugs into existing and many new General Electric washers and dryers. The device mounts on the side of the washer or dryer by way of magnets that are on the back of the box. One module can work with both the washer and dryer. When adjusting the dials on your washer and dryer, the device will give spoken feedback that lets you know which cycle you are on. Once you press start on the washer or dryer, the module will let you know how much time remains in the cycle. The module has a volume nob to control the level of the spoken feedback, and it has a button that you can press anytime to find out how much time is remaining in the washer or dryer’s cycle.
GE developed this device in cooperation with the Kentucky School for the Blind and the American Printing House for the Blind. You can purchase it here for $99.
(updated) If you are a legally blind screen reader user in the US, Microsoft seeks your captioning advice for pay
With the recent AI developments around captioning and auto-generated text at Microsoft, its no wonder that the platform is always going through improvement. Through next Friday the 4th of August, Microsoft research is actively collecting data for a 15-minute survey which will help it in understanding the types of captions users wish to hear on images. You may recall that a while ago, a similar survey ran where sample images were asked for bias and quality. If you loved that survey, you will no doubt love this one, too! The best part? There’s a $15 gift card from Amazon as gratuity for taking it. If you are legally blind, above the age of 18 and use any screen reader on a regular basis to read text with, you qualify.
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