COOL BLIND TECH

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Canada

TELUS Tech for Good program expands to help Canadians with disabilities get connected

TELUS has announced the national expansion of their Tech for Good program in partnership with March of Dimes Canada.

What is the Tech for Good program?

First launched in Alberta and British Columbia in 2018, this national expansion will support more Canadians with disabilities who require professional assistance to independently use or control their mobile device. The program offers customized recommendations, training, and support on mobile devices and, based on individual need, the assistive technology required for persons with disabilities to use their mobile device. Tech for Good enables equitable access to mobile devices, empowering people with disabilities to live, work, and play in our digital world. read more

KFC Makes It Easier To Order Fried Chicken With Google Assistant

Looking for some finger licking good fried chicken? You can just ask Google to place an order, right now only available in Canada.

Canadian locations of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) will be launching a pilot with Google – to offer seamless online food ordering through Search, Maps and Assistant.

Google users in Canada who search for their local KFC location on Google Search or Maps will now see an “Order Online” button. Users will then be able to place an order for delivery or pickup and pay for their order using Google Pay without having to leave the Google platform. read more

Microsoft Soundscape Now Available in Canada

An iOS app that uses 3D audio cues to help the blind and vision-impaired navigate the world around them, made its debut last spring in the U.S. and now, the Soundscape app from Microsoft has been launched in Canada as a free download both in English and French.

“With 3D audio, the sounds are perceived as coming from the point of interest, so the user can build a mental image of what’s around from the acoustic environment, the soundscape of sounds in the environment and those from the Soundscape app,” explains Microsoft in its press release. read more

Activist Improving Accessibility Across Canada

Accessibility activist Rick Hansen has a new poster to show you. One with adjustable text at an eye level so people in wheelchairs can read it, text in multiple languages, a braille pad and even a recording of someone reading it.

A hand-painted wall mural is currently up on Ossington Street in Toronto’s west end (at 143 Ossington), and an interactive and backlit poster, aptly named ‘Poster for Everyone,’ was on display at Nathan Phillips Square, where people of differing abilities interacted with it. read more

Internet Service Providers Add Low-Cost High-Speed Internet Programs to Low-Income Families

The Canadian Government has a program where Internet Service Providers can participate and offer low-cost, high-speed Internet to low-income families called Connecting Families, with Telus and Rogers participating in the national program.

Telus says it has expanded their Internet for Good program to more families through the Connecting Families initiate with the federal government. The Telus Internet for Good program currently provides Internet 25 and 300 GB data for $9.95 per month, to low-income and single-parent families in BC and Alberta. read more

Apple’s HomePod Has Launched in Canada, France, and Germany

With the launch Siri will provide news briefs from a handful of sources in Canada, including CBC, Global TV, CTV, and CNN.

To start, say “Hey Siri” and then say “read me the news” or “what’s the news today?”

Apple previously announced that HomePod sales will begin in Canada, Germany, and France on Monday, June 18. The speaker is available to order in white and space gray through Apple’s online store, retail stores, and the Apple Store app on iPhone and iPad, and at select authorized resellers, including Best Buy. read more

Microsoft Hosting Workshops During Ability Week

Microsoft has announced that it will be hosting ‘Ability Week,’ a week full of workshops focused on accessibility in technology, from May 29 to June 2. Workshops range from ‘Deaf and Hard of Hearing Day: Minecraft Coding workshop’ to ‘Mobility Day, Build the Robotic Finger workshop.’ The programs will be held at Microsoft stores across Canada, U.S. and Puerto Rico. Users can check out if there are any events happening near them here.

The events range from an hour to three hours depending on the task, and are open to anyone to join all the way from kindergarten kids to teachers and parents. Users can RSVP for these events on the Microsoft Store page. read more

AT&T and Aira Announce Global Expansion to Canada, Australia and UK

World’s fastest growing assistive technology platform announces global expansion in recognition of Global Accessibility Awareness Day.

Photo courtesy of AT&T Inc.
Photo courtesy of AT&T Inc.

AT&T and Aira extend their agreement as Aira made AT&T its global data provider as it begins to take the service to Canada, Australia and the U.K.

This comes at a meaningful time, marking the 7th Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). The purpose of GAAD is to get everyone talking, thinking, and learning about digital access and inclusion for people with disabilities. What better way to do that than with technology that empowers blind and low vision individuals. read more

Google Launching Job Search Feature in Canada

Google is wading into Canada’s employment market with a new search feature and a $1 million investment into a forthcoming jobs platform.

The technology giant announced Thursday that it had rolled out new search capabilities for Canadian users, allowing job seekers to browse postings that can be filtered by commute distance, job title and time commitment within the Google search engine.

Google also revealed its philanthropic arm will be financially backing Toronto’s MaRS innovation hub as it develops an employment platform that will launch next year and aims to help workers navigate the changing job market. read more

Now Available! Amazon Fire 7 and Fire HD 8 Tablets in Canada

Amazon has announced that its Fire 7 and Fire HD 8 Tablets are now available in Canada through Amazon.ca. The tablets were previously only available in the U.S. At a cost of $59.99 CAD, the Fire 7 Tablet features a 7-inch, up to eight hours of mixed use battery life and 8 GB of storage (with support for up to 256 GB of expandable storage). A 16GB model is available for $79.99. The Fire HD 8 Tablet, meanwhile, retails for $99.99 and sports an 8-inch HD display, a quad-core processor, up to 12 hours of battery life and 16 GB of storage (with support for up to 256 GB of expandable storage). A 32GB model is available for $129.99. Both tablets feature a Quad-core 1.3 GHz processor, front- and rear-facing cameras and support free, unlimited cloud storage from Amazon for all photos taken on Fire devices. read more

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