Tech company Apple has explained why forcing apps to close can have a greater impact than leaving them ‘open’ in the background
— Read on www.unilad.com/technology/news/iphone-closing-apps-lose-battery-life-apple-confirms-361587-20231018
8 ways we’re making task’s more accessible
https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/accessibility/making-daily-tasks-accessible/
8 ways we’re making daily tasks more accessible
Oct 17, 2023
5 min read
New accessibility updates come to Maps, Search, Chrome and more.
Today we’re rolling out new accessibility features and updates that make accomplishing daily tasks faster and easier — like taking selfies, getting walking directions or searching the web. We recently launched Lookout image Q&A mode and accessibility updates on Android 14 and Wear OS 4. Now we have even more accessible features across our products that are built with and for people with disabilities.
Easily find and support disabled-own businesses in Maps and Search
LeGrand Coffee House displays the disabled-owned attribute
A new identity attribute for the disability community is now available on Google Maps and Search, giving customers more details about a business and providing merchants an option to self-identify as a member of the community. We worked with members of the disability community, such as Lavant Consulting and our internal Disability Alliance Employee Resource Group throughout this launch, including around naming and icon design. When businesses choose to identify as disabled-owned in their Business Profile, the attribute will appear on their listings in Maps and Search. This update builds on our existing business attributes, including Asian-owned, Black-owned, Latino-owned, LGBTQ+ owned, veteran-owned, and women-owned.
Use screen reader capabilities with Lens in Maps
Lens in Maps (formerly known as Search with Live View) uses AI and augmented reality to help people use their phone’s camera to orient themselves in an unfamiliar neighborhood and discover new places around them like ATMs, restaurants or transit stations. To make this more accessible and useful for people who are blind or low-vision, screen reader capabilities in Lens in Maps will be coming to iOS starting today, and to Android later this year. Just tap the camera icon in the search bar and lift your phone. If your screen reader is enabled, you’ll receive auditory feedback of the places around you with helpful information like the name and category of a place and how far away it is.
Get around more easily with accessible walking routes in Google Maps
With the option to request wheelchair-accessible walking routes rolling out globally on iOS and Android wherever we have data available, you can get stair-free routes when you request walking directions in Maps. Not only is this helpful for people who use wheelchairs, but it’s also useful for people traveling with things like luggage or strollers.
This feature builds on the wheelchair-accessible transit navigation option in Maps that shows you step-free transit routes. If you’ve already selected the wheelchair-accessible option in your transit preferences, we’ll automatically apply this to walking routes as well. If you haven’t, just tap the three dots at the top of the screen when you request walking directions, and toggle “wheelchair-accessible” on under route options to receive stair-free directions.
See wheelchair-accessible information in more places
Earlier this year, we made it easy for everyone to find wheelchair-accessible places on Google Maps for Android and iOS. Now we’re starting to bring that information to business and place pages on Maps for Android Auto and cars with Google built in, helping you travel with more confidence. When you search for a place in Google Maps and click on it, a wheelchair icon will appear if the destination has a step-free entrance, accessible restrooms, parking or seating.
Customize your Assistant Routines with more options
Every day, people use Assistant Routines to get useful information or to automate daily tasks. Now, you’ll be able to customize those routines even more with additional functionality inspired by Action Blocks. You can now select your Routines shortcut style, customize it with your own images and adjust the size of the shortcut on your homescreen. Research has shown that this personalization can be particularly helpful for people with cognitive differences and disabilities and we hope it will bring the helpfulness of Assistant Routines to even more people.
Screenshots showing a home screen configured with custom shortcuts and the different configuration options available.
Search faster in the Chrome address bar
Earlier this year, we introduced a new feature in the Chrome address bar that detects typos and displays suggested websites based on what Chrome thinks you meant. This will help people with dyslexia, language learners or anyone who makes typos get to the content they’re looking for faster. Today, this feature is expanding to Chrome on Android and iOS, so you have the same experience across all your devices.
A more accessible camera for your Pixel
We heard from the low-vision community that people love using their cameras to better see the world around them. With Magnifier, you can use your camera to zoom in on something — as you would using a physical magnifying glass. This camera-based app, which was designed in collaboration with trusted partners at the Royal National Institute of Blind People and National Federation of the Blind, is helpful for seeing things with detail up close — whether reading small text or sewing, viewing street signs at a distance, or even zooming in on a concert mainstage from afar. The app can also improve the legibility of text whether you’re reading a menu or a document with the ability to adjust controls, including color filters, brightness and contrast. Magnifier is available on Google Play for Pixel 5 and up, excluding the Pixel Fold.
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Earlier this month, we also rolled out the newest version of Guided Frame, which uses a combination of audio cues, high-contrast animations and haptic (tactile) feedback to make it easier for people who are blind or low-vision to take beautiful selfies. With this update, Guided Frame now recognizes more than just faces, so you can use your front and rear-facing camera to take photos of your pets, dinner or even documents. This update is already available on Pixel 8 and 8 Pro and rolling out to Pixel 6+ later this year.
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We remain committed to building products with and for people with disabilities and hope these new features are helpful for the community. To stay up to date on new accessibility products, please check out our What’s New in Google Accessibility series, and for any help with our products visit our Disability Support team.
Dell vs. HP: Which laptop brand is best for your needs?
Dell and HP are on our list of the best laptop brands for a reason. In recent years, both of these laptop manufacturers have consistently produced some of the most well-designed machines you can buy. So it’s understandable if you’re shopping for a new laptop, and you’re having trouble deciding between these two huge, highly-rated brands. Both have a lot to offer and it can be overwhelming to sift through all of the cool features, price points, and other factors you might want to consider before purchasing a laptop from either of these manufacturers.
And if you do need help picking the right laptop brand for yourself, you’ve come to the right place. In this comparison guide, we’ll show you everything you need to know about the differences between HP’s best laptops and Dell’s best laptops. Specifically, we’ll go over how they differ in design, their respective features, their price ranges, and which brands are best for certain use cases like school, business, video editing, and gaming.
Design
Arif Bacchus / Digital Trends
Laptop brands are defined by their flagships, so for HP in 2023, that’s its Elite Dragonfly Notebook G4 for business users and the Spectre x360 13.5 for consumers. The Dragonfly range of laptops are all exceedingly lightweight (the Elite Dragonfly G4 is just 2.2 pounds) with a solid magnesium alloy build and a display with a mix of thick and thin bezels. But you’ll also get a laptop that packs in a lot of interesting features in an ultra-portable package, such as a webcam cover, a dedicated keyboard button for the microphone, a high-resolution 5MP webcam, comfortably-sized keycaps, and a port selection that includes Thunderbolt 4 and HDMI 2.0.The Spectre x360 line also has its own unique contributions to HP’s laptop design innovations. Looking at the HP Spectre x360 13.5, you’ll notice that the laptop is outfitted with features such as an easy-to-open yet firm dual-zone hinge, a display with a 3:2 aspect ratio, an infrared camera, and an OLED display.
But the Spectre x360 13.5 also shares features with the Dragonfly series, including a fingerprint reader, a spacious keyboard and touchpad, and dedicated buttons and shutter features to turn off microphones and cover webcams. Those 2-in-1 designs are also light and portable, facilitating their use as a tablet when needed.
Dell’s best-known laptops are the XPS line of laptops and its gaming laptop offerings, like its Alienware brand. With the XPS, you can generally expect to see a sleek and streamlined aluminum chassis, ultra-thin bezels on all four sides of its display, a backlit keyboard, a port selection that includes Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a 16:10 aspect ratio display. The XPS 13 Plus adds more advanced features than we’ve seen on XPS laptops before, including an edge-to-edge keyboard, LED function keys, and a hidden haptic touchpad. The XPS 13 9315, on the other hand, is now positioned as a budget laptop to undercut Apple’s MacBook Air. The XPS 13 Plus and XPS 13 9315 are the smallest XPS laptops. If you want to upsize, you’ll get excellent laptops in the XPS 15 and XPS 17.
Dell’s Alienware brand offers specialized, heavy-duty gaming laptops and comes with its own distinctive features to optimize your gaming experience. Features such as Nvidia G-SYNC technology, dual fan design for better cooling, a customizable lighting system called AlienFX, a wide variety of ports (including Thunderbolt 4, a headset jack, and HDMI 2.1), a magnesium alloy chassis, programmable keyboards (for gaming shortcuts), and eye tracking tools.
Use cases
Both brands have laptops that top some of our best-of lists, with Dell outperforming HP in certain categories and HP outshining Dell in others. In this sense, picking the right laptop for yourself really does come down to how you plan to use it.
There are all sorts of ways you might choose to use your new laptop, but let’s take a look at a few of the most common uses for them, namely: for business and work, for school, for content creation (like video editing), or gaming.
Business
Mark Coppock / Digital Trends
With HP, you have four great business laptop options, including the HP Elite Dragonfly, HP ZBook Studio, and the HP Envy x360. With Dell, the XPS range is a fantastic alternative, but there isn’t the same breadth of choice.The HP Elite Dragonfly has been listed as the “best business laptop” in our Best Laptops list, a distinction that it currently doesn’t hold. Nevertheless, it’s perfect for remote workers and those who travel frequently for business. This laptop features a sleek, lightweight design, a high-res display, a privacy screen to help keep what you’re working on away from prying eyes, a quiet keyboard, a stylus, and an office-ready port selection that includes USB-A, HDMI, USB-C 3.1, and Thunderbolt 4.
If you need a beast of a workstation that can power through tasks like video editing and 3D modeling, then look no further than the HP ZBook Studio . If you still want the robustness of a Windows PC but still prefer the lightweight and easier-to-use Chrome OS, HP’s premier Chromebook offering, the Dragonfly Pro Chromebook, might be your best bet. And rounding out our HP business laptop picks is the HP Envy x360, which is best for those who need a 2-in-1 business laptop at a budget-friendly price. With a 13th-gen processor and 16GB of RAM, you’re not exactly sacrificing power and speed for a cheaper business laptop. You’re actually getting the best of both worlds.
If you’re still keen on getting a Dell for your work setup, there are some excellent choices in the Latitude lineup. These machines span a range from 14- and 15.6-inch clamshell laptops to convertible 2-in-1s, all of which are packed full of the features business users need. If you want a more mainstream choice, then we do have one recommendation: the Dell XPS 13 Plus. It’s not a true “business laptop,” but it is a fantastic all-purpose laptop that’s perfect for those who need portability above all else. Plus, because it’s designed for general use, it can easily be the laptop that enhances your productivity and helps you relax when the work day is done. (Especially when you have a display that features Dolby Vision.)
School
HP
Like business, school laptops can be varied, depending on the type of work you want to do on them. Both HP and Dell have excellent laptops for all sorts of ages and abilities.For college students, our favorite Dell laptop is the G15 Gaming Laptop. It’s an affordable and powerful machine that can handle homework without a problem while keeping a student entertained during downtime. For around $1,000, the college student in your life will get a laptop with a 45-watt 12th generation Intel Core processor, plenty of RAM and storage, up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti GPU, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity, and a wide variety of ports. The Dell Inspiron 14 is another option, and while it isn’t the most powerful laptop, it does have everything you need for school assignments, browsing the internet, and streaming your favorite shows and movies.
For high school students, HP has a great option with its Chromebook 14. It’s an exceedingly affordable, lightweight, and easy-to-use laptop thanks to the simplicity of Chrome OS. If your high school student doesn’t require any non-Chrome OS and non-Android apps to complete their assignments, access their online classes, or collaborate with their peers, then the HP Chromebook 14 is a solid option. For just $300, your high schooler will get a laptop with a 14-inch non-touch HD display, an Intel Celeron N4000 processor, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of eMMC storage, an HP Wide Vision HD webcam, and Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5 connectivity.
Video Editing
Mark Coppock/Digital Trends / Digital Trends
Video editing is an intensive task, so the Dell XPS 17 is our top pick overall because it pairs a huge display with high-end hardware. This laptop has a jumbo-sized display at 17 inches and features 45-watt 13th-generation Intel Core processors, 16GB of RAM (it can be upgraded up to 64GB), a roomy 512GB of SSD storage (which can also be upgraded to 8TB), and up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 video card. It also sports a fingerprint reader, four Thunderbolt 4 ports, a full-size SD card reader, and Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity.When we reviewed the XPS 17, we were particularly impressed with its “incredible” performance, its “nearly perfect screen,” and its “spacious and responsive touchpad.” We even went so far as to say that the XPS 17 competes with Apple’s MacBook Pro.
If you still need a powerful laptop for video editing but would rather stick with HP, a comparable pick would be the HP Envy 15. The Envy 15 is great for those who need strong performance at a lower price point. When reviewing the HP Envy 16, our review unit was configured with a 13th-generation Intel Core i9 processor, 1TBGB of SSD storage, 16GB of RAM, a WQXGA IPS display, and an RTX 4060. Overall, this laptop received a glowing review from us as we praised its performance, its build quality, and its excellent keyboard and touchpad. The main drawbacks we saw were that it was on the heavy side and that its battery life was below average.
Gaming
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
Our current list of the Best Gaming Laptops includes the HP Victus 16, a solid 1080p gaming machine for less than $1,500. The machine offers fast components and a solid build quality, making it a good budget gaming choice.The Dell G15 gaming laptop may not be the best gaming laptop you can buy (that honor goes to the Lenovo Legion Pro 5), but it’s a solid entry-level option for beginner gamers and gamers on a budget. What it lacks in style, it makes up for in value. The Dell G15 gaming laptop has an Intel Core processor, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and up to an RTX 4060 GPU, with a starting price of $730.
If you have a bigger budget to work with, Dell’s Alienware x14 R2 is worth a look. It features an Intel Core i7-13620H CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, a 14-inch WQXGA display running at up to 165Hz, and an RTX 4060 graphics card. It’s a relatively portable gaming laptop in every sense of the word, including its actual weight: a little over 4 pounds. Think of it as a highly mobile replacement for a desktop setup.
Editors’ Recommendations
Tinnitus and hearing loss: What’s the connection?
Up to 15 percent of adults experience tinnitus, which causes ringing in the ears. The sound may seem to come from inside your head, or from a distance, in one ear or both. It may be steady or pulsating, but only you can hear it.
Some people can tune out the distraction using habituation techniques or meditation, but tinnitus can become bothersome for about 2 percent of the population. Some people experience tinnitus occasionally, some nonstop. It can ebb and flow, and even spike.
Scientists aren’t sure what happens in our brain that causes these phantom sounds. But we do know that the problem is often linked to hearing loss and exposure to noise. In addition, different health disorders can produce tinnitus as a symptom, according to the American Tinnitus Association. Another common trigger? Meniere’s disease, a disorder of the inner ear that causes dizziness, tinnitus and hearing loss.
Tinnitus and hearing loss
About 90 percent of people with tinnitus also have hearing loss, though many people may not even realize they have both conditions. Tinnitus usually follows the pattern of your loss. If you have high-frequency hearing loss, your tinnitus is often a high-pitched ringing or hissing. If you have hearing loss in one ear, you’ll usually only have tinnitus in that ear, and it will often go away if you get a hearing device in that ear.
Over-compensating for loss of noise
Why would a loss of sound perception cause phantom sounds? Let’s review how hearing works: A sound wave enters your ear and arrives at the middle and inner ear, the location of the cochlea, a fluid-filled area with hair cells. The hair cells turn the vibration in the fluid into electrical signals that reach the brain through your auditory nerve.
Infections, injury, noise or aging can damage the hair cells and cause hearing loss. When your brain gets less information from the cochlea, your auditory system may compensate by becoming more sensitive—the technical term is “raising the gain”—much like when you turn up the volume on a radio when the signal is low or nearly gone. This may be why some people with tinnitus are especially sensitive to loud noise.
If you have tinnitus, you may also have hearing loss–even if you haven’t realized it.
Protect your hearing to prevent tinnitus
The bottom line: Loud noise is dangerous, and can even damage your hearing while you sleep. Wear earplugs, earmuff-style noise blockers or even a custom-fitted device if you must spend time amid loud noise.
Lifestyle changes and smart choices about noise exposure can go a long way to prevent hearing loss.
Get a hearing test—and possibly hearing aids
A hearing test is important if you’re experiencing
tinnitus.
If you have tinnitus, you may also have hearing loss–even if you haven’t realized it. Get your hearing checked by finding a hearing specialist or audiologist that specializes in tinnitus near you. Please note that not all hearing clinics treat tinnitus, so you may need to browse several clinic pages to find the right provider.How hearing aids help
Why is this important? Many people who have both hearing loss and tinnitus report that hearing aids for tinnitus are very helpful.
Noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus
Loud noises can damage hair cells in the cochlea and also the nerve that carries information to the brain, known as noise-induced hearing loss. Musicians are disproportionately affected by tinnitus, even though they often keep the problem hidden. More on musicians and tinnitus.
Sometimes the sounds will appear after noise exposure when you’re young, go away, and return later in life as you age and a hidden vulnerability appears.
Both hearing loss and tinnitus are common among veterans
Tinnitus is more common after the age of 60 but can happen at any age. It is a common complaint among U.S. veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, sometimes traced to a traumatic brain injury, but also to battlefield and workplace noise.
Note: Tinnitus that pulses like a heartbeat could indicate a serious health issue and should be investigated by a doctor.
https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/53029-Tinnitus-and-hearing-loss
The Idea Place – Saturday, September 30, 2023 at 1:05 PM
Be My AI in the Clouds
Be My AI in the Clouds
Although it has been close to 40 years now, there was a time when I had enough vision to see the sky and the color and shape of clouds. I’ve been intrigued by trying Be My AI on pictures of the sky because I guess I still have memory of the different colors and shapes clouds can take.
Here is the result of one such exploration. Assuming the descriptions are accurate, the level of detail you can get is fascinating.
The accuracy of how to complete tasks, such as saving the full text chat and picture do need improvement. The current instructions from within the overall Be My Eyes app simply do not work.
Note: I recognize a blog post focusing on an image without that image is a bit empty. Unfortunately, a phone change and some editing seems to have lost the original picture.
Be My AI: The picture you’ve shared is of a beautiful sky. The sky is a light blue color and there are fluffy white clouds scattered throughout. The clouds vary in size and shape, some are wispy while others are more dense. The sunlight is subtly shining through the clouds, giving the sky a serene and peaceful appearance.
Kelly: Give me as much detail as you can about the shapes, sizes and colors of the clouds.
Be My AI: Certainly! In the picture, the clouds are predominantly white with varying shades of gray due to the shadows. There are several clusters of clouds. On the top left, there is a cluster of clouds that are wispy and spread out, resembling cotton candy. They are medium in size and have a slightly irregular shape.
Towards the center, there is a small patch of clouds that are more dense and compact. They are smaller in size compared to the ones on the top left.
On the right side, there is a larger cluster of clouds that are denser and have a more defined shape. They are fluffy and have a slight billowing appearance, similar to a heap of cotton balls. The sunlight is shining from behind these clouds, giving them a soft glow around the edges.
The background sky is a light blue color which provides a beautiful contrast to the white clouds. The overall scene is very calming and picturesque.
Kelly: I’d like to know more about the precise shapes of the clouds.
Be My AI: Certainly! The clouds in the picture have various shapes that are not very distinct but I’ll describe them as precisely as I can:
On the top left, the clouds are wispy and spread out. They somewhat resemble elongated swirls or stretched cotton. They don’t have a defined shape but are more like irregular patches.
In the center, the small patch of clouds is more like a shapeless mass. It’s dense and compact, but doesn’t have a distinct shape. It’s more like a random assortment of small cloud puffs clustered together.
On the right side, the larger cluster of clouds has a slightly more defined shape. One of the clouds in this cluster somewhat resembles a sideways heart or a pair of wings. The others around it are more irregular but collectively they form a billowing mass.
The shapes are not very distinct and resemble abstract forms. They are natural cloud formations, so they don’t have precise geometrical shapes.Kelly: What percentage of the sky is blue and what percentage is covered by clouds?
Be My AI: In the picture, approximately 70% of the sky is blue, while around 30% is covered by clouds. The clouds are scattered throughout the sky in clusters, with the majority of the sky remaining clear and blue.
Kelly: Tell me about everything in the picture again giving me percentages for each cluster of cloud as far as how much of the picture they represent. Also, give me more details about the sunlight.
Be My AI: Certainly! In the picture:
The top left cluster of clouds, which are wispy and spread out, covers about 10% of the picture.
The small patch of clouds in the center covers approximately 5% of the picture. They are dense and compact.
The larger cluster of clouds on the right side covers about 15% of the picture. These clouds are fluffy and have a slight billowing appearance.
The remaining 70% of the picture is the clear light blue sky.Regarding the sunlight, it appears to be diffused through the clouds, especially through the larger cluster on the right. The sunlight is not directly visible, but you can see its effect as it creates a soft glow around the edges of the clouds on the right side. This gives the clouds a slightly silver lining. The light is subtle and adds a serene and peaceful atmosphere to the sky. The overall lighting in the picture is bright but not harsh.
Kelly: Tell me more about the coloring of the clouds. For example, are all the clouds colored the same or are they different shades of white? B as descriptive as possible.
Be My AI: The clouds in the picture have varying shades of white and gray.
The wispy clouds in the top left are a lighter shade of white, almost blending with the blue sky. They have a very faint gray tint in some areas, likely due to shadows.
The small patch of clouds in the center is a bit denser, and they are a pure white color. They appear to be slightly brighter compared to the wispy clouds on the top left.
The larger cluster of clouds on the right side has the most variation in color. The edges of these clouds are bright white, likely because they are closer to the sunlight. As you move towards the center of this cluster, the clouds have shadows which give them a grayish tint. The gray is not very dark but adds depth to the clouds, making them appear more three-dimensional.
The variation in shades of white and gray in the clouds adds texture and depth to the picture, making it more visually interesting.Kelly: Now do the same for the blue sky are there any differences you can detect in the blue?
Be My AI: In the picture, the blue sky appears to be fairly uniform in color, which is a light blue. However, there are subtle variations:
Towards the top of the picture, the blue is slightly darker. It’s still a light blue, but with a hint more depth compared to the rest of the sky.
As you move towards the center and bottom of the picture, the blue lightens a bit. This is likely due to the sunlight diffusing through the clouds and reflecting on the sky, giving it a slightly paler shade of blue.
Near the clouds, especially the larger cluster on the right, the blue has a very slight grayish tint. This is likely because of the shadows from the clouds.
The variations are subtle and the sky predominantly appears as a calm and light blue. The slight changes in shade contribute to the serene atmosphere of the picture.Kelly: Reviewing everything you have indicated about the picture, can you identify at least two things that you haven’t told me about?
Be My AI: Upon reviewing the description I provided earlier, it seems that I have covered the main elements of the picture which are the clouds, the sky, and the sunlight. The picture primarily focuses on the sky and clouds, and there doesn’t appear to be any other distinct elements or objects in the image. If you have any specific questions or if there’s something else you would like to know about the picture, please let me know and I’ll do my best to assist you. If you need further assistance, you can also press the “Call a volunteer” button for guidance.
Kelly: Is the quality of the picture suitable for sharing?
Be My AI: Yes, the quality of the picture is suitable for sharing. It’s clear and has good resolution. The colors are vibrant and the clouds are well-defined against the blue sky. It’s a beautiful and serene image that captures the natural beauty of the sky and clouds, and it would likely be appreciated by others if shared.
Kelly: How can I save the picture that started this conversation?
Be My AI: To save the picture that started this conversation on your device, you can follow these steps:
If you are on a smartphone, tap and hold on the picture until a menu pops up. Select “Save Image” or “Download Image” from the menu.
If you are on a computer, right-click on the picture. A menu will appear, and you can select “Save Image As…” Choose the location on your computer where you want to save it and click “Save”.
Please note that the steps might vary slightly depending on the device and browser you are using. If you need further assistance or if these steps don’t work for you, I would suggest pressing the “Call a volunteer” button for guidance.Kelly: How do I do this with voiceover? There is no image I can tap on.
Be My AI: Using VoiceOver on an iPhone, you can save the image by following these steps:
Swipe right or left to navigate through the elements on the screen until VoiceOver reads out the description or label of the image.
Once you are on the image, double-tap and hold until you hear a sound indicating that additional options are available.
Swipe up or down to navigate through the options and VoiceOver will read them aloud.
When you hear “Save Image” or “Share Image”, double-tap the screen to select that option.
If you are using a different device or if you find these steps challenging, I would recommend pressing the “Call a volunteer” button for further assistance.Kelly: Can I copy this entire chat instead of individual items? If so, how?
Be My AI: Yes, you can copy the entire chat. Here’s how you can do it on different devices:
On a Computer:
Click anywhere inside the chat window.
Press “Ctrl + A” on Windows or “Command + A” on Mac to select all the text in the chat.
Press “Ctrl + C” on Windows or “Command + C” on Mac to copy the selected text.
On a Smartphone:Tap and hold on any part of the chat until a magnifier appears.
Release your finger and you should see options to “Select” or “Select All”.
Choose “Select All” to highlight the entire chat.
Tap “Copy” to copy the text.
Once you have copied the chat, you can paste it into a text document, note, or any other application by using “Ctrl + V” on Windows, “Command + V” on Mac, or by tapping and holding in the text field on your smartphone and selecting “Paste”.If you are using VoiceOver on iPhone:
Navigate to the first message in the chat.
Use the rotor action by twisting two fingers on the screen until you hear “Select”.
Swipe down with one finger to select the first message
Kelly: Those instructions do not work for voiceover on the iPhone. There is no select in the rotor.Be My AI: I apologize for the confusion. To copy the entire chat using VoiceOver on an iPhone, please follow these steps:
Navigate to the first message in the chat by swiping right or left.
Once you are on the first message, use the rotor action by twisting two fingers on the screen until you hear “Edit”.
Swipe down with one finger until you hear “Select All”.
Double-tap to select all the text in the chat.
Once all the text is selected, swipe down again until you hear “Copy”.
Double-tap to copy the text.
Now you can paste the copied text into a note or any other application by navigating to the text field, using the rotor action to find the “Edit” option, and then swiping down until you hear “Paste”, and double-tap to paste.If you find these steps challenging, I would recommend pressing the “Call a volunteer” button for further assistance.
The Hearing Review – Tuesday, September 26, 2023 at 4:51 PM
HeardThat Launches Professional Program for AudiologistsSingular Hearing, a subsidiary of Singular Software and creator of HeardThat, unveiled the launch of its HeardThat Professional Program for the audiologist community. Stemming from conversations with hearing health professionals for additional technology alternatives, this program enables audiologists to offer additional value to patients who have difficulty hearing speech in noise, the company says.
Leveraging AI for Hearing Assistance
HeardThat developers have trained deep learning models on thousands of hours of recordings to learn the difference between speech and noise, the company says. This type of AI requires an incredible amount of power to run, so HeardThat offloads the processing power to smartphones—iPhones and Android.
The app turns a phone into a remote microphone with powerful noise-handling abilities. It works with listening devices patients already own, like earbuds, headphones, Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids, or cochlear implants. This eliminates the need for another hearing-assistive device.
For Those With and Without Hearing Aids
For patients with hearing aids, the HeardThat app boosts the device’s power to better separate speech from noise. For patients that don’t have or need hearing aids, HeardThat provides an easy, discrete way to follow conversations in noisy places like restaurants, through the use of earbuds, headphones or any over-the-counter hearing device.
What’s Included in the License
The HeardThat Professional Program delivers:
A perpetual license for HeardThat to use in the office
An additional free license to provide to a family member
Free units of future HeardThat accessories in development
Technical support from the HeardThat team
“The HeardThat Professional Program strengthens our partnership with the audiologist community and makes our app more available to people who want to experience effortless conversations in noisy places,” says HeardThat founder and CEO Bruce Sharpe. “I’ve seen friends and family members who still have trouble following conversations whether or not they have hearing aids. Together, we can offer new options to change that.”
Further reading: Singular Hearing Announces Update to HeardThat App
Photo: The HeardThat App
Four disabled journalists on how news outlets can support staffers and audience members with disabilities
“The tools that journalists are given [should be] accessible — and designed with people like me in an advisory role.”Hanaa’ TameezAthens
— Despite the fact that an estimated 1.3 billion people around the world experience some form of disability, newsrooms are “woefully unprepared” to serve audience members or employ journalists with disabilities, according to journalists on a panel on Thursday at the IMEDD International Journalism Forum in Athens, Greece.
The panel featured three journalists living with disabilities — BBC special projects digital producer Johny Cassidy, Times Radio [UK]’s multimedia reporter Joanna Crawford, and retired Greek journalist Korina Theodorakaki — and was moderated by Hannah Wise, the Kansas City Star’s assistant managing editor for engagement and experimentation.
“If our goal is to provide information to all audiences and all people in our community, we must make our news products accessible,” Wise said. “We must make our newsrooms accessible and inclusive, and we must represent disabled people in our work.”THIS 👏 #imeddijf23 pic.twitter.com/wqQDT6Bvpy
— Enrique Anarte (@enriqueanarte) September 28, 2023
Journalists and media companies need to be able to talk about disabilities openly to be able to make changes, the panelists said.
“When I first got sick [with Crohn’s disease], it was my editor who took me to the emergency room and stayed with me until my father could come from six hours away,” Wise recounted. “The fact that he was going to be supportive of me and that [the company would do its] homework to understand more about Crohn’s disease and how they could support me, it was huge. I stayed working at the Dallas Morning News far longer than I initially planned because of that safety and security that I felt.”
Journalists with disabilities, their colleagues who don’t have disabilities, and their employers also need to be equipped to change their mindsets and talk about disabilities accurately and with care, both to each other and with their audiences. Theodorakaki, who is living with paraplegia and uses a wheelchair, explained that [in some languages], people use the word “wheelchair” to describe both chairs for people with disabilities and baby strollers.
“Words carry mentalities,” Theodorakaki said. “The way we choose to refer to a person with a disability hides an entire mentality…Precision matters.”
Cassidy co-chairs BBC Ability, the network’s group for staffers living with disabilities. Day-to-day, he said, newsrooms need to prioritizing digital product accessibility for disabled journalists, starting at the beginning of product development.
“Accessibility considerations [usually come] at the end,” Cassidy said. He added, “We should be building tools that makes it easier for journalists to create accessibility…I’m really excited about what AI could do [for accessibility]. But before we get there, it’s about making sure that the tools that journalists are given are accessible — and designed with people like me in an advisory role.”
So pleased to be invited to talk at the @iMEdD_org International Journalism Forum in Athens to discuss why all newsrooms need to do more to recruit and retain disabled journalists. Loads of progress but still so much work to do. A great panel. pic.twitter.com/bFWR4PW9Yz
— Johny Cassidy (@johnycassidy) September 28, 2023
Crawford, who has dyslexia, dyspraxia, and ADHD, said that as a multimedia reporter, she breaks down complex topics visually, allowing her to serve a broader audience.
“I create videos for social media that get millions of views on multiple occasions,” Crawford said. “It’s appealing to a wide range of people who perhaps struggle with mainstream media formats. I would say that’s one of the biggest reasons why we should invest our resources into bringing more neurodiverse people into newsrooms.”
When one audience member asked if there were media companies that are doing this well, Wise noted that TikTok was one of the first platforms that she saw prioritize accessibility, with, for instance, an auto-caption function.
Cassidy noted that LinkedIn is overhauling its features to include text-to-speech tools and “content isolation” to make busy pages less distracting. If tech companies can do that, Wise suggested, newsrooms should be able to do the same.
The IMEDD International Journalism Forum is hosted by the Greek nonprofit Incubator for Media Education and Development. You can watch the livestream of this year’s conference here.
iOS 17: How to Delete iMessage Apps – MacRumors
In iOS 17, Apple not only added several new Messages features, but it also tweaked the design of the Messages app to give it a cleaner look. Now,…
— Read on www.macrumors.com/how-to/delete-imessage-apps-ios/
Wellness Wednesday: The Importance of Staying Calm and Being Grounded When Experiencing Being Lost, Physically Lost
media
https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/blindabilities/WellnessWednesdaySept2.mp3?dest-id=254899
In this 20th episode of Wellness Wednesday, Beth Gustin, LPC and Robin Ennis, LCSW, CPC, navigate the anxiety and panic that one may experience when out and about and getting lost. How being prepared and using grounding techniques may help one better handle the frustrating experience of losing ones way.
Check out all the Wellness Wednesday episodes.https://blindabilities.com/?cat=532
Show Hosts:
Robin Ennis on the web at http://www.robinennislcsw.com
Beth Gustin, LPC, NCC, EMDRIA Approved Consultant, CAGCS, PLGS
Www.transitioningthroughchange.com
You can message Beth and Robin by calling 612-367-6093 or by email Info@blindabilities.com. They are looking forward to hearing from you!
Apple Watch Series 9’s ‘Double-tap’ takes a popular accessibility feature to the next level
June Wan/ZDNET
Apple’s fall event kicked off earlier this week, and there are plenty of new products and features to break down. As part of the new Apple Watch Series 9 announcement, Apple introduced a new fun-filled yet practical feature: Double-tap.Anyone wearing an Apple Watch Series 9 or the new Apple Watch Ultra 2 will be able to tap their index finger and thumb together to do a variety of things. You can use the double-tap feature to answer calls, snooze your morning alarm, play or pause media, end timers, and more. You can even use it to take a group picture to make sure that you’re included in it.
Also: Everything announced at Apple’s ‘Wonderlust event’
Apple says the handy (pun intended) feature will make interacting with your watch faster, easier, and more convenient, especially when your hands are full or otherwise occupied with carrying groceries, holding a baby, or walking your dog.
But aside from convenience, the double-tap feature is a big win for accessibility. Apple already has AssistiveTouch available on the Apple Watch, but this new feature takes it to the next level since it doesn’t require you to turn on any settings on your iPhone.
Also: You can already use the Apple Watch’s double-tap feature. Here’s how
Apple said the double-tap is made possible by the wearable’s new S9 SiP chip, which Apple says is the “most powerful watch chip.” The company added that the chip is also able to give the Apple Watch Series 9 a big boost in performance and the ability to process Siri requests on the Apple Watch itself.
The double-tap feature will be available next month — perhaps with the debut of WatchOS 10. The Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 are available on September 22.
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