Update: Now with a dramatic reading, as heard on NosillaCast #606, at about the 30 minute mark. Thanks to Allison for the opportunity to relive high school poetry interp competition. Lots and lots of people have asked if I bought a new MacBook Pro; the one with the dongles and the touch bar. And then, I couldn’t sleep. So I wrote a poem. I Did Not Buy a MacBook Pro When I’m on a podcast…
Category: New Media and Tech
Roku added a spoken interface to its video streaming devices. This is good news for blind and print-disabled folks who like the idea of an inexpensive, easy-to-use, full-featured streamer. In this audio demo, I roll through the Audio Guide interface, and show you where it shines, and where it fails. If you have feedback or questions after listening, please hit me up on Twitter at @shelly. Direct Download Link
iOS Access for All Update Released
Posted in Access and Disability, Announcements, General Store, and New Media and Tech
I’m thrilled to announce that the new edition of my book, iOS Access for All, is ready and waiting for you right here. There you’ll find buy links, the table of contents, and many more words you can read. Get the ePub for $20. I’m really proud of this one, and there’s a bit more new material this time than last. That’s partly due to Apple’s interface changes, and partly because I added depth to several…
Dropped Names Bonk Diversity on its Head
Posted in New Media and Tech, and Podcasting
I listened to a well-known Apple-focused podcast the other day. The show is prat of a tech podcast network, and also part of a somewhat larger circle of people who, broadly speaking, cover the Apple beat. From this episode, I learned that the hosts love their iPads, their iOS apps, and their kind sponsors. I learned that they, like this week’s guest, have many friends who say things about Apple on their own tech podcasts.…
People think I’m an Apple-only geek. I have done little to dispel this notion, by my book and podcast work. But yay, verily, I offer proof that I can cross the platform when need arises. Here’s my AccessWorld roundup of some nifty Android apps that folks with low vision should find useful.
Is Apple TV Truly Accessible to Blind and Visually Impaired Viewers?
Posted in Announcements, and New Media and Tech
I tackled the question of Apple TV accessibility for AccessWorld, the monthly magazine of the American Federation for the Blind.
Hey, I’m Writing for AccessWorld
Posted in Access and Disability, Announcements, and New Media and Tech
I’m very excited to let you know that I’ve signed on as a contributor to the American Foundation for the Blind’s highly-regarded technology magazine, AccessWorld. My beats include tech products for low-vision users, and mobile stuff for both Android and iOS. My first piece is a review of the Revolution 22’, a hybrid consisting of a video magnifier and an Android tablet. It’s so much fun to be doing product reviews again!
Back in the Saddle: Check Out My New Podcast
Posted in Access and Disability, Announcements, New Media and Tech, and Pods and Presos
Lately, I’ve been rediscovering my love of podcasting. For those of you who don’t know, and that includes a surprising number of friends and colleagues, I produced my first podcast in 2004, and continued to make shows on the regular for the better part of the next nine years. I have guested on many podcasts, and was active in the first wave podcasting community; the enthusiasts and semi-pros who congregated at the first few New…
The Face We Show the World
Posted in Access and Disability, and New Media and Tech
This morning, I retweeted a USA Today column by James Alan Fox, a legally blind professor. Because low-vision! Mainstream media outlet! Yay! He writes about the experience of using airports as a visually impaired person. As I read, I ticked off each point he made, recognizing them as my own travel frustrations. I felt much more connected to this guy’s experience than I do to the usual gripes about flight delays and TSA policies. The…
The One iPod Touch Fangirl
Posted in New Media and Tech, and Random Personal Nonsense
This week’s announcement of faster, more colorful versions of the iPod Touch was met with: a) rapture b) sophisticated market analysis c) indifference Actually, the answer is d) scorn. You see, the lowly (that one always hurts) iPod Touch is not perceived as an aperitif for those wishing to sample the iOS menu. Nor is it the logical landing place for someone who prizes small, elegant things. It is also not a cost-effective way to get…