In this week’s VIP, Nelson and James discuss the top stories from assistive tech and give you some Cool Picks to think about. News Flash: Apple Support Now Has A Dedicated YouTube Channel! Virgin Atlantic Launches In-Flight Entertainment For Blind Travelers Top Stories The New iPhone X Unboxing And First Impressions Smart TV App Helps The Color Blind See Better Developer Making The First Bitcoin Wallet For The Blind Cool Picks Talking Tuner for iOS HotPaw Talking Tuner is a hands-off, sound-activated, talking musical instrument tuner. It talks to tell you if your instrument is in tune or not, so you don't even have to look at it or touch the display. Talking Tuner uses speech synthesis, and works with or without VoiceOver being enabled. Essential PH-1, A Premium Phone Without The Premium Price The Essential Phone’ has a stunning edge-to-edge Full Display and is a large-screen device that fits comfortably in the palm of your hand.

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VIP: Get a Good Dongle

In this week’s VIP, Nelson and James are joined by Carlos Alvarez. They discuss the top stories from Cool Blind Tech and give you some Cool Picks to think about. Top Stories Airport Announces New Service For Blind and Low Vision Passengers Reviewing the Windows 10 Fall Creators update, Microsofts revision to a vision: Part 1 Reviewing the Windows 10 Fall Creators update, Microsofts revision to a vision: Part 2 LG Electronics Releasing Voice-Command Washers to Visually Impaired This Year Cool Picks Google Home Mini Mini is powered by the Google Assistant. So whenever you need help, it’s by your side. Get personalized help with your schedule, reminders, calls, news and more, whenever Google Home Mini recognizes your voice. Mini works with Chromecast, so you can stream shows, movies and music on your TV or speakers. LastPass remembers all your passwords, so you don't have to. Once you save a password in LastPass, you'll always have it when you need it; logging in is fast and easy. WiFi Guard - Protect your network from intruders Laggy Wi-Fi? Maybe your neighbor has hacked your password and quietly use it. With WiFi Guard app you will be able to prevent unauthorized access to your network. This application scans your Wi-Fi and detects all connected devices.

VIP: How To Unbutton the Google Assistant Button

In this week’s VIP, Nelson and James are back talking about the top stories from the world of assistive tech and give you their Cool Picks. News Flash Say Goodbye to Groove Music and Hello to Spotify Be My Eyes is Now Available for Android You Can Now Change Your Google Assistant in to a Male Amazon Echo Can Now Call Canada, US and Mexico for Free More Accessibility Features Come To Forza Motorsport 7 Pornhub Gives Blind and Visually Impaired Users More Accessibility Top Stories Google’s Pixel Event In 6 Minutes Google announced the new Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL; a camera called Google Clips; Google Home Mini and Max; a Pixelbook and a new Google Daydream. Sonos Smart Speaker Unveils with Multiple Personal Assistants and AirPlay 2 Support The Sonos system has been accessible for blind and low vision users for the past few years and now they have unveiled a new ‘Sonos One’ smart speaker that is capable of supporting multiple voice services. New Tactile Reading System Claims to be Easier to Learn Than Braille According to the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), just 1% of the blind population is born without sight; the vast majority of the estimated 10 million Americans who are blind or visually impaired lost their vision later in life. In 1987, Andrew Chepaitis’s grandmother became part of that statistic: She started to lose her vision due to macular degeneration. It was this experience that would lead Chepaitis, 13 years later, to found ELIA Life Technology, a company that wants to mass-produce an easy-to-learn tactile reading system based on the Roman alphabet. Cool Picks Introducing Google Pixel Buds Google Pixel Buds are designed for high-quality audio and fit comfortably in your ear. The all-new Pixel 2. When you purchase a Pixel 2, you'll get a promo code for a Mini.

VIP: The Naked Truth About Pixels

In this week’s VIP, Nelson and James are joined by Jeff Thompson from Blind Abilities and Randy Rusnak from ACB Radio. They discuss the top stories from Apple’s Keynote Event and give you some Cool Picks and tips. Top Stories Accessibility Changes Coming On The iPhone X The new iPhone X has an edge-to-edge screen and no Home Button, but will be using the Sleep/Wake button on the upper right hand side instead for functions such as the triple click feature for accessibility users and initiating Siri commands. Although we have yet to get our hands on the device to test accessibility features for VoiceOver users, Sighted users can wake the iPhone X by tapping on the screen. Users can then access the home screen by swiping up from the bottom of the phone. Switching between apps also requires swiping up from the bottom of the displays. Additionally, users can switch between apps by swiping from the bottom left of the phone. Unlocking the phone is done with the company new Face ID technology. The phone will remain locked until the iPhone X is able to see the user and positively identify their face using the phone’s TrueDepth camera system. We reached out to Apple on how VoiceOver users will be accommodated on the iPhone x and this is what they told us: "The iPhone X has been designed with a number of accessibility features to support its use. An Overview Of the Apple Event Apple announced this fall’s additions to their hardware lineup. They unveiled the Series 3 Apple Watch, a 4K version of the Apple TV, the iPhone 8 and 8+, along with a special iPhone X addition. Cool Picks All-New Element 43-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV - Fire TV Edition LG HBS-910 Tone Infinim Bluetooth Stereo Headset - Black Bank of America Mobile Banking Monster Blaster Boombox Wireless Speaker

VIP: Picking Apple Watches from Jeff’s Tree

In this week’s VIP, Nelson and James are joined by Rob Minault from the AT Banter podcast. They discuss the top stories from Cool Blind Tech and give you some Cool Picks to think about. News Flash Google launches disability answer desk. Apple and Microsoft already have dedicated staff who are made available to help customers with accessibility related questions. Now Google will do the same in a limited capacity. The disability support team is available Monday through Friday, from 8:00AM to 5:00PM PST by email only. The team will respond to your questions within 72 hours. Top Stories 68 Top Scoring Companies That Are The Best PLACES to Work for Disability Inclusion US Business Leadership Network (USBLN) and American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) have released the 2017 Disability Equality Index (DEI) the third year measured by the Index. 110 companies participated in the 2017 DEI, with results indicating where companies are excelling in their commitment to inclusive environmental, social, and governance policies. Bionic Lens Improves Eyesight Beyond Normal Vision Ocumetics Technology Corporation is developing a replacement for the lens found in the human eye. Called the Bionic Lens, it could radically improve eyesight, prevent cataracts, and provide new ways to see the world. LG’s Robot Lawn Mower Works with Alexa and Google Assistant At the IFA consumer electronics trade show, LG showed off a robot lawn mower that they first announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this year. The robot can be controlled with your voice via the Amazon Alexa or Google voice assistant. You need to setup a perimeter wire around your lawn, so that the mower will know where to stop mowing. But after that, everything is easy. The mower also comes equipped with GPS, so if it is stolen, you will be able to track it down. Cool Picks YouTube Kids by Google, Inc. Nelson has a great recommendation for parents who want their kids to have a safe place to play on the internet. TuneIn Premium For just $9.99 per month, James has found more audio-books, podcasts, news broadcasts, and sporting events than he could ever listen to. Marty's Blindfold Games Rob is blown away by the number of audio-games a blind person can play on the iPhone.

VIP: Hey Google, Get Off My Lawn

In this week’s VIP, Nelson and James bring you the top stories from Cool Blind Tech along with some really Cool Picks. Top Stories MoviePass Subscribers Can See Unlimited Movies for $9.95 per Month In a move that has angered many movie theatres, MoviePass has offered its customers a Netflix like subscription service to see unlimited movies in theatres for only $9.95 per month. AMC in particular has express that they will attempt to block this program, but there isn’t a lot that they can do, sense MoviePass purchases the tickets at full price from the theatres. Cortana and Alexa Join Forces in the Battle of the Voice Assistants In a stunning move, Microsoft and Amazon announced that Cortana and Alexa will now be able to work with one another. By the end of the year, you will be able to have Cortana open Alexa on your computer or mobile device, and you will be able to have Alexa open Cortana on your Alexa enabled device. ‘Bionic Eye’ Allows Mother to See Her Youngest Child for First Time A Quebec mother of four can partially see again thanks to a “bionic eye” that was implanted in March in the first such operation of its kind in the province. Sandra Cassell was diagnosed in 2001 with retinitis pigmentosa, a form of retinal dystrophy that affects around 3,000 Quebecers. Cool Picks Instacart James has decided that having his groceries delivered with the help of the Instacart app is easier than dealing with the crowds at the store. Ring Chime Pro, Indoor Chime and Wi-Fi Extender ONLY for Ring Network Devices Nelson is extending the range of his Ring devices. Now he will never miss any of his many visitors.

VIP: We are Taking You to the Movies

In this week’s VIP, Nelson and James bring you the top stories from Cool Blind Tech. And of course, it wouldn’t be a VIP without their Cool Picks. Top Stories APH and HumanWare team up to create a new intelligent magnifier HumanWare has announced a partnership with The American Printing House to provide a new powerful tool for visually impaired students combining a high-performance digital magnifier with the versatility of an Android tablet, the MATT Connect. This Fashionable Tech Helps Blind and Low-Vision People Navigate UK-based designer Emilios Farrington-Arnas has created a wearable for the blind and low-vision with the emphasis on merging fashion with technology. Maptic uses small feedback units, which can be clipped onto clothing or worn around the wrist, and a visual sensor that can be worn as a necklace. Handsfree Calling Comes to Google Home If you have a Google Home voice activated speaker, you can now make calls in the U.S. and Canada to anyone in your contacts list and local businesses. Just say things like: • Ok Google, call John Smith Cool Picks Dropbox Plus Now that he has Dropbox Plus, James has more cloud storage than he knows what to do with. Ring Video Doorbell Pro (Wiring Required), Works with Amazon Alexa With the Ring Video Doorbell Pro, Nelson always knows when his deliveries have arrived.

VIP: It’s Better to Look Good Than to Feel Good

Join the CBT Team as they enter into the exciting world of Braille technology. Both mainstream and assistive technologies have experienced revolutionary developments over the last year, and it's no surprise that Braille displays and note takers have also experienced these changes. Luxury Braille Displays, will they make it? Our team compare the VarioUltra by Baum, The Elbraille by Vision Freedom Optelec, and the Braille Sense Polaris by Hims. How about for those who don't want to break the bank? Our team discuss the lower cost Orbit Reader, and the future of the Orbit Graphiti. A special segment for those who are deaf blind and use an Amazon Fire; how they can enjoy Closed Captioned programming on Hulu Cool Picks:

VIP: The Braille Bananza!

In this week’s VIP, Nelson and James are joined by Christopher McMillan. Listen in as they discuss the top stories on Cool Blind Tech, and as always, they will bring you some great Cool Picks. Top Stories ACB Radio Offers a Live Audio-Described Broadcast of the Upcoming Solar Eclipse On August 21, much of the United States will experience total darkness in the middle of the day as a full Solar eclipse of the Sun sweeps across the country. A Solar eclipse is always an exciting event, and people who are blind want to be able to experience it as well. Just released! BlindSight, a Free Android App That Implements Advanced AI Features Neuro X Labs have just released BlindSight, a free Android app that implements advanced AI features, narrating the scenes fed to it by the phone camera. It requires no internet connection, collects no user data and the app is only 50MB. The app is in its early stages but Neuro X Labs are looking for feedback. The American Foundation for the Blind’s CareerConnect Program Helps Job Seekers Who are Blind One of the biggest and most important obstacles that blind people face is meaningful employment. The American Foundation for the Blind recognizes this problem, and has established a CareerConnect page on their website that helps blind people overcome some of the difficulties that they encounter when seeking employment. Cool Picks Ring Floodlight Camera Motion-Activated HD Security Cam Two-Way Talk and Siren Alarm Watch your step! Nelson is keeping an eye on you with this incredible home security camera system. AudioShare - audio document manager James is having a blast recording everything on his iPhone with AudioShare for iOS. Unboxing and Setting up the Aira Glasses for the Visually Impaired Christopher has his eyes on these glasses from Aira after listening to an unboxing podcast from Cool Blind Tech.

VIP: Those Who CeekTechnology, Shall FindTechnology

In this week’s VIP, Nelson and James discuss the top stories on Cool Blind Tech, and as always, they announce their Cool Picks for the week. Top Stories 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. 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. GlovEye Brings Braille to Your Finger Tip At this year’s Microsoft Imagine Cup, a team from Hungary developed a glove that has a refreshable braille cell built into the index finger of the glove. The GlovEye works with an app on your smart phone. Just point the phone’s camera at some text, and braille will appear on the glove. Cool Picks The Home Depot for iOS With the help of the Home Depot app on iOS, Nelson will hammer in the morning and Hammer in the evening. Ambutech Canes With his new cane from Ambutech, James can get around a lot more quickly, and that is extremely important when Nelson is swinging his hammer.

VIP: If I Had a Hammer

In this week’s VIP, Nelson and James discuss the top stories on Cool Blind Tech. They also delve into the subject of housekeeping. Top Stories 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. 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. 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. Cool Picks Shout Color Catchers James wants to keep your whites whiter and your colors brighter with this handy laundry product. Pocket Juice 2-in-1 Portable Charger 12,000 mAh Charges Phones and Tablets Nelson is on the juice, and he thinks everyone should get this portable charger.

VIP: Keeping it Clean

CBT has gathered everyone from the past and present that was responsible for reaching this incredible milestone. This show is a thank you to all of our supporters who have been there with us these past four years. So from all of us here at CBT to all of you where ever you may be thank you for helping us reach 1 million downloads!

VIP: Happy 1 Million Birthday!

This week Joel, Leo and special guest host from the AT Banter podcast Ryan Fleury get together to discuss the latest happenings in the world of accessible tech. Make sure to check out their site and download this week's VIP for all the fun CBT Banter. Articles This week Include the Following: Artificial Intelligence And Text Recognition Unite In Microsoft’s Latest IPhone App, For Free Everyone is talking about the new app from Microsoft called Seeing AI. Is it a revolutionary game changer for the blind or is it just a toy app? Find out what the guys have to say about the latest accessible app from Microsoft. Hands Free Typing: Dictate Speech Recognition For Microsoft Office Virtual assistants have come a long way in helping both the blind and sighted community with being able to do many tasks without the use of their hands. It seems that Microsoft may be starting a new trend on the PC with their latest Dictation add-on. Listen in to see if Leo, Ryan or Joel are going to start dictating all their emails and documents from now on. U.S. To Fund Advanced Brain-Computer Interfaces This week may seem like we're talking about a new plot for the latest spy-fiction best seller. However, there's no fiction in what a branch of the department of defense is looking to do with your brain. Tune in to see who's first on the show to get wired up with a neural-interface. Fan Feedback: We love it here at Cool Blind Tech when our listeners send us email. This week, CBT responds to questions about the accessible virtual DJ software. The company is called Algoriddim and the software is called DJay Pro for the Mac. Although the software works with several DJ consoles, the one that we recommend is the Pioneer DDJ SB2 which can be bought on Amazon or various musical instrument retail stores. Check out the podcast for more details on this incredible software. Update: During the show we mention that the Windows 10 version of DJay was in beta. It is no longer in beta and can be purchased through the Windows app store or downloaded from algoriddim as a demo. Stay tune to hear about first impressions for the windows version of this app. Cool Picks this Week Include: Old Time Radio Player Ryan tells us about an app he uses on his Android device to listen to some great radio dramas from the golden years of radio. Seeing AI for iOS This app is definitely going to be a Cool Pick for many over the next few weeks. However, Leo chose it first and so he gets to talk about it as his pick of the week. M-Audio Keystation 49 II Joel continues to try out all the cool things he can do with Reaper. The next step is working with midi and so he gets to show off this great midi keyboard that works quite well with Reaper.

VIP: Hands Free Podcasting

This week Joel is joined by Leo and Nelson to discuss the latest happenings in Accessible Tech. The Cool Blind Tech team has some great fun discussing the news and how to keep cool in this summer heat. Make sure to download this latest episode or press play to listen along! Support Actiview! Discussed in this week's show is a great app for iOS that has the potential to change how the blind enjoy the movie-going experience. You can find out more by reading this article or download the app to show your support. Topics This Week Include the Following: The Haptic Wave Is Helping Blind Audio Engineers ‘Feel’ Sound Waves Haptic feedback is all the rage right now in many fields. But, can it help the blind tackle a sound wave problem in the field of audio engineering? Listen in to see what the team thinks about this new prototype. Summer Academy Enhancing Independence For Blind And Low-Vision Students Summer may be a time for many to enjoy the beach, travel to new places or simply relax at the movies. But, for many young adults it's a time to acquire new skills and prepare for the future! Find out how as the team wishes they had these opportunities. Blind Programmer Develops Life-changing Software Think you can change how the blind use the internet with your coding skills? The team admires one such person who did and debate the pros and cons of companies being responsible for accessibility. Cool Picks This Week Include: Alexa can notify you when your Amazon packages are out for delivery Leo is hoping to use his Amazon Echo to inform him of the purchases he plans to make on Prime Day. This new skill will make a sound notification and will respond when you ask "Alexa, what did I miss?" JBL Charge 3 Nelson tells us about the latest acquisition to his audio equipment collection. All three team members give it there seal of approval for sound and features. Windows 10 Creators Edition Joel tries out an old sound card on Windows 10 and is surprised to see that windows recognized it and set it up with no problems. The team encourages everyone to upgrade to the latest version of windows and provides some great reasons on why you should.

VIP: Getting Back to Work

In this informative VIP, James, Jessica, and Nelson bring us some of the top stories from the CBT website. They also give us their Cool Picks for the week, and answer some fan feedback. Top Stories Portable Speaker is the First Speaker That Turns Your iPhone Into a Conference System Rayz Rally is a pocket-sized speaker, together with the Rayz App it makes calling easier & clearer anytime, anywhere. The clarity of a conference system, in a palm sized portable speaker that’s powered by your iPhone or computer. Plug it in and it works. One smart button handles everything you need. It’s that simple. The only portable speaker on the market that offers conference call quality sound. New VR Headset to Help Visually Impaired See With a swipe of your finger this new technology, called Iris Vision, uses Samsung VR headset combined with software uploaded to a Samsung Galaxy phone. People with low vision are able to get up close and personal to the world around them. Users see a bubble appear that they can make bigger or smaller. Then within the bubble, a person can zoom in or zoom back out. The image looks like a giant wide screen TV right in front of the eyes, so it works for so many people with different eye conditions like macular degeneration, glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa, and diabetes related eye diseases. Complete list of Braille Commands for iOS 11: and How to Customize Them. If you have a braille display with a Perkins style keyboard, you can control your iOS device by entering certain key combinations. I will include a list of these braille keyboard commands. While some of them will work with iOS 10 as well, iOS 11 will allow you to assign keyboard commands where none currently exist, and also change existing keyboard commands. How To Find Which Apps Are Not Compatible On IPhone And IPad In IOS 11 The CBT team have told you about some of the exciting new features coming to your iPhone or iPad in iOS 11, but there’s one “feature” that many users are going to be upset about: Some of your apps, possibly including apps you use every day, will stop working. What does this mean for you? It could mean nothing. You may not use any apps that are still 32-bit, meaning the developers have updated their apps to 64-bit, which is Apple’s newest specs. If you’re concerned that an app you love or use often may be affected and you want to make sure you know what you’re getting into before downloading iOS 11, you can check if the apps on your phone are 32-bit. Cool Picks MXL 770 Condenser Microphone As a veteran podcaster, Nelson has always sounded great on the air. Just ask him. He will tell you it is true. But even he can’t believe how good he sounds with this new microphone. Alexa Dungeon Adventure Skill Jessica goes old-school gaming with the latest tech. Listen as she demos a Dungeon and Dragons style game on an Amazon Echo device. Hulu It doesn’t have audio-description yet, but James just can’t stop binge watching all of the greatest shows on Hulu. How else will he be able to keep up with the Kardashians?

VIP: Drawing the Short Straw

Join the top assistive tech pundits in a Panel discussion of the latest trends in assistive tech.

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