The Triple-click Home team is back with another podcast full of talk about iOS, Yosemite and more. Jamie Pauls takes the host’s chair this time around, and Lisa Salinger drops by to talk about using Widgets in iOS 8. All that plus your feedback can be heard on Episode 34. Stories covered this month include:

Top of the News

Thoughts on Apple’s 2014 iPad and Mac event

Editorial: A friendlier Apple Inc now invites media through its Infinite Loop front door

OS X Yosemite Review

Features and Bugs of OS X 10.10 Yosemite

Apple’s iOS 8.1 hits Monday with Apple Pay, iCloud photo library

Accessibility Fixes And Improvements in iOS 8.1

A subscription free version of Sendero’s Seeing Eye GPS app for iOS is now available for $299

The new version of @KNFBReader is out.

Woz: Hello iPhone 6, goodbye Android

Exploding the Phone: The Untold Story of the Teenagers and Outlaws Who Hacked Ma Bell

Feature Writer Alena Roberts – The Life and Times of Joe Engressia, aka JoyBubbles

Macs top over one quarter of US back-to-school PC sales

Apple says only 9 customers have complained about bent iPhones

This new “Apple SIM” could legitimately disrupt the wireless industry

Team Picks

Buddy recommends Zinio and The Magazine.

John has been playing with the KNFB Reader.

Alena will recommend Fleksy when it gets fixed.

Jamie recommends the iOS game “Lost Cities”.

How One Boy With Autism Became B.F.F.’s With Apple’s Siri

If Siri Was a Waitress

Closing Credits

The Triple-click Home team would love to hear from you. Here is how you can get in touch with them:

Follow Alena Roberts on Twitter

Follow Buddy Brannan on Twitter

Follow John Panarese on Twitter

Follow Triple-click Home on Twitter

Thanks for listening!

Welcome to a jam packed episode of the Triple-click Home Podcast. John Panarese was unable to join the team this time around for exciting and mysterious reasons of which we cannot yet speak, so Jamie joined Alena and Buddy for this week’s show. From the top of the news to the unveiling of a new reference book for Voiceover users of the Mac, there is a lot to love about this month’s offering. Add in a dash of lively discussion surrounding your feedback, and we have quite a show for you this time around. Enough with the introductions. Let’s jump right to the …

Top of the News

NFB Adopts Resolution Urging Apple to Require All iOS Apps to Be Accessible

KNFBReader iOS App Announced for $99

Expensive Apps For iPhone and iPad

New update to iBlink Radio

Apple announces iTunes U update with iPad Course Creation, Student Discussions & more

Apple iMac 21.5-Inch (2014) Review & Rating

Top 10 keyboard shortcuts every new Mac owner needs to know!

Apple TV adds ABC News, AOL On, PBS Kids, Willow TV, and redesigned Flickr app

How to use Apple TV: The ultimate guide

New privacy enhancements coming to iOS 8 in the fall

Another rumor claims September 19 iPhone 6 launch, no 16GB version

How Disney Could Help Apple Create a Killer iWatch

Apple’s software ju-jitsu

Interview

This month, Jamie interviews Janet Ingber about her new book Learning to Use the Mac with Voiceover. This is an extremely valuable resource for anyone who is new to the Mac as well as those who simply want a good reference book at their fingertips, and who doesn’t need that from time to time. Our thanks to Janet for sharing her time with us this month.

Also check out iOS Access for All: Your comprehensive guide to accessibility for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. by Shelly Brisbin

You can also listen to Lisa Salinger’s interview with Shelly on SeroTalk Podcast 203.

AudioSpeed Racing now available for Mac and PC

Weather Radio by WDT

AFB Launches an App for AFB CareerConnect and It’s FREE!

Announcing the launch of Spoken 21; an accessible blackjack game

The Drive: An app designed to lead the blind safely

5 Years of VoiceOver: Look How Far We’ve Come

Team Picks

This time around, Jamie recommends weather radio, discussed earlier in the podcast. There appears to be a dirth of new apps in the Brannan household, but not to worry as Alena comes to the rescue with the following recommendations

Exploring Braille

Blindfold Racer
And finally, Math Robot.

Closing credits

The Triple-click Home team would love to hear from you. Here is how you can get in touch with them:

Follow Alena Roberts on Twitter

Follow Buddy Brannan on Twitter

Follow John Panarese on Twitter

Follow Jamie Pauls on Twitter

Follow Triple-click Home on Twitter

Thanks for listening!

To help remake accessibility training as we know it, visit http://www.a11y.tv/ to view training subscription options and make your contribution to EZFire’s A11YTV funding campaign.

Welcome to the post-April-Fools, pre-WWDC edition of the Triple-click Home Podcast. This month, Jamie Pauls takes the host’s chair and Lisa Salinger fills in for an ailing Buddy Brannan. Their discussion of the top news stories of the month includes many twists and turns this time around, so sit back and enjoy the ride.

Top of the News

Everything to know about iOS 8 and OS X 10.10 (Roundup + New Details)

Lisa recommends the book Cell by Robin Cook

Audioboo / This is got to be the weirdest android voice I have ever heard!

By the numbers: a breakdown of Apple’s Q2 2014 earnings call

Apple v. Samsung jury foreman says the “consumer is the loser”

Nobody knows why Apple would buy Beats, but plenty of people are guessing

Dr. Dre & Jimmy Iovine expected to become Apple executives as part of Beats acquisition

What if Apple bought Beats not for headphones, but wearables?

Lisa reviews the FitBit in our 2013 holiday special

Walgreens & Walmart testing iBeacons, Motorola Solutions launches iBeacon marketing platform

Spotlight: Spring Cleaning

Spring is in the air! It’s the time of year when we throw open the windows and throw out everything we’ve collected over the past year and decide we no longer need. Why not do the same with the apps on our i-devices?

Spring Cleaning iOS: Simple and Essential Maintenance Tips for iPhone & iPad

Community Focus

Journey towards accessibility: We are home!

TestFlight » Fleksy on iOS Beta Recruitment

Sendero Group and RNIB Partner to Release Full-Featured GPS App for UK Users

My Initial Thoughts on the RNIB Navigator App

Accessibility options for iPhone and iPad — Everything you need to know! | iMore

Making DAW Software Accessible for Blind Audio Engineers and Musicians

Solo-Dx Comes to Accessibility Hound

Introducing Perkinput for iOS; the Newest Text Entry Alternative to the Keyboard for Braille Users

App Review: Talking Tuner

Jamie Pauls demonstrates a neat little app for tuning his guitar. He invites listeners to suggest similar apps that they find useful.

Mailbag

From Greg:

Hello all,

You guys have really out done yourselves this year. I nearly fell off my couch when I started listening to That Android Show and Triple Click Home. These are really some of the best shows you guys and gals have done. Keep up the good work.

Thanks,

Greg Wocher(Your friendly neighborhood BlindMan)

From Tony:

What a great job on episode28, lots of voices, snappy pace, and what made the episode for me were the drop INS. The app demonstrations are a great addition, and the app developer interview was so relevant. My hope is that this is the trend.

All the best,

Tony

Another from Tony:

Would you please consider discussing what closing an app really means? For instance, why is it that when I close Pandora, TuneIn, Hourly News, and other audio apps, once closed through the App Switcher, if I do a double finger double tap, audio resumes. Are the apps closed or just resting? Are they eating up battery life? Why bother closing them? If they have a stop button, isn’t that as effective as closing them? Doesn’t seem so. The only way I find to really put them to sleep is by turning off my phone. What’s up with that?

Thanks,

Tony

From Jenine:

Very nice guest hosts of TCH this time and love the app demos from Steve and Ana. Those are a fun addition and I grabbed Google Search which I wasn’t using and learned more about Google Maps which I was using but not lately.

OK, so do you guys have any un-fun hosts at Serotalk?

Jenine Stanley

Wrapping Up

Why your iOS device may be a better cable box than the Apple TV

Apple Store employees switching from iPod touch to iPhone 5s for EasyPay POS system

My Life Without A Smartphone

Contacting the Team

The Triple-click Home team would love to hear from you. Here is how you can get in touch with them:

Follow Alena Roberts on Twitter

Follow Buddy Brannan on Twitter

Follow John Panarese on Twitter

Follow Triple-click Home on Twitter

Thanks for listening!

Welcome to the first Triple-click Home podcast of 2014. This month, Jamie Pauls joins Alena and Buddy to discuss the Apple news stories of the past month. John was unable to be a part of the Triple-click Home team this time around, but we trust that he will join us again next month. In addition to our plentiful crop of news stories, Jamie kicks off our new spotlight segment by talking with Shannon Reese whose daughter Eilish has Down Syndrome. Jamie and Shannon discuss the use of the iPad in Eilish’s education. Apps discussed in this interview include those from The Conover Company as well as a brief discussion of the augmentative alternative communication app Proloquo2Go Of course, our podcast wouldn’t be complete without your feedback, and we include that as well. Without further ado, let’s jump right to the …

Top of the News

Google Buys Nest for $3.2 Billion in Cash

CES 2014: Smart thermostat EverSense shows off ‘Aura’ iBeacons to intelligently adjust room temperature

CES 2014: iPhone/iPad Bluetooth accessories for the home & body dominate the show

Mac Sales Rose in 4th Quarter. Or Fell.

Many Mac OS Users Not Getting Security Updates

Apple Pushes Developers To iOS 7

Apple Devices Flow Into Corporate World

Apple patent details optical image stabilization for iPhone cameras

T-Mobile’s ‘Get Out of Jail Free Card:’ they’ll pay your early termination fee to switch

Yahoo announces News Digest, a new iOS app that provides only essential news stories

A T Talk

SeroSpectives: This Year in Tech for 2013

SPN Goes to the UN

Update to Sendero GPS

Announcing the AppleVis Golden Apples of 2013

Digit-Eyes 2.0 has a completely NEW and simplified user interface design plus NEW other New features

Opinion

Opinion: What “three revolutionary devices” will the iWatch be?

Apple Knows Exactly What It’s Doing With Its iPhone Business

2014: The year of the iPhone-controlled everything

Mailbag

From Beth:

Hi, I have been researching and have found stuff about using accuators to do Braille instead of pins. Here are a few links.

Displaying Braille for Mobile Use with the Micro-vibration of SMA Wires

haptic posts on CNET

First-ever Braille smartphone could hit stores this year

The “Feel Screen”: The Pros and Cons of a Tactile Interface for the Next iPad (or iPhone?)

Blog comment from Zivan Krisher

During the podcast I think it was Buddy who stated that it is impossible to turn off Zoom while VoiceOver is turned on. This is not true. I’m a low vision IOS user and often use VoiceOver in combination with Zoom. When Zoom is turned on, double tapping 3 fingers becomes the Zoom toggle. and triple tapping 3 fingers becomes the VoiceOver toggle.

Wrapping Up

This Pressure-Sensitive Case May Change How You Use Your iPhone

The strange, shady world of $1,000 iOS apps

The 12 Apps You Should Delete from Your Phone in 2014

Contacting the Team

The Triple-click Home team would love to hear from you. Here is how you can get in touch with them:
Follow Alena Roberts on Twitter
Follow Buddy Brannan on Twitter
Follow John Panarese on Twitter
Follow Triple-click Home on Twitter
Thanks for listening!

It’s hard to believe that we have arrived at the end of another year. This month, the Triple-click Home team takes a look at the top Apple stories of 2013. Also, Lisa Salinger brings us a review of the Dropbox app for iOS.

This Year in Apple News

One year, four departed execs, and a lot to be determined for Apple
So, what is Apple’s next big thing going to be?

Insiders “now confident” Apple will launch lower-priced, lightweight iPhone as early as June

Apple beefs up iCloud, Apple ID security with two-step verification

Jony Ive Leaves His Mark As Skeuomorphism Concept Vanishes From One App

Apple announces WWDC 2013 details, promises new iOS and OSX builds

Tim Cook issues an apology to Apple’s Chinese customers

Apple reveals details of 50 billionth App Store download

SeroTalk Podcast 153 Discusses the Accessibility of the Kindle App

WWDC 2013, A Lot of Announcements | MacForTheBlind

Apple posts OS X Mavericks preview page

Nobody Has Tried The Real iOS 7

Voice Dream Interview by Alena Roberts

An App For All Creatures Great and Small — Zoomed In

Seeing Eye GPS: a Turn-by-Turn GPS application for the iPhone Developed Specifically for the Blind

Apple’s cheaper and not so cheap iPhone explained

Why a Gold iPhone 5S Actually Makes Sense

Apple announces the multicolor iPhone 5C, $99 for 16GB

Apple announces iPhone 5S: What you need to know

Blind Bargains: A Review of the BARD Mobile App

Mailbag

Hello,
This is for the Triple Click Home team.
Perhaps you guys can cover this in the mail bag for the next podcast.
For those of you that are using Mail in standard view, with organize by conversation
enabled, in messages that contain original messages part of a reply, and it says
“see more from sender”. When you activate the link with Control+Option+Space, have
you guys found Voice Over does not do anything when you press the up and down arrow
keys after expanding the rest of the conversation?
Thank you,

Ali Moosa

Hello there!
As always, I was looking forward to the new episode, and, as always, you did not
disappoint me. It was a pleasure to listen to it!
• I have got very little problems with TouchID on my new 5S. Actually, when I first
set it up, I didn|t have much time to listen to all the instructions and saved one
finger print with three different fingers / right thumb and index finger when holding
iPhone in left hand and left thumb when holding iPhone in right hand. this worked
although I saved it as one finger print.
I did delete it in the meantime and saved the three digits in three finger prints.

• A few days ago, you retweeted a review of Open Office – was it a CNet article_
I think it was.
Has anybody tested Open Office for its accessibility recently? I remember that this
wasn’t too good a while back. Have there been improvements? I am in the middle of
writing my PhD and don’t have much time to play around with office suites. It was
time-consuming and therefore annoying enough that I had to convert a few work-in-progress
documents from RTF to docx. Aaargh!
• quite a large number of people are looking forward to getting RTF back in Pages.
Me too! However, is there a risk that the navigability of tables in Pages is going
to go again, at least in RTF format?
• One last question for now to you and your listeners, a question for which I have
not yet got an answer from Apple nor from an Apple accessibility mailing list in
which I am active:
For links in emails and on websites we can adjust in the VoiceOver settings how they
are announced. That’s fine. Nonetheless, when there is a link in an email and I arrow-key
my way into it, VoiceOver says: “web url detected” – with a voice as if she was breathing
through a helium balloon. There must be a separate setting for this as the verbosity
settings in the VoiceOver Utility don’t seem to have an effect on this phenomenon.
any ideas?
That’s it from me. Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season.

Greetings from Ireland,

Markus

Hi, it’s me again!
I want to share this with you, but the other email would have got too long, so I
post it here.
I reported the accessibility issues in the file export menu in Pages to Apple Accessibility
and got the following…personal!…response, not the standard template.
In the meantime we can explain the dialog box to allow you to complete the process.
In the Pages File Menu, if you selected Word, then Word is automatically selected
in the export dialog.
If, at that point, you press Enter, then you will be taken to the Save as Dialog
box to choose where you want to save the exported file. The file will export as a
word doc with the default settings of
a) No password required to open the file and
b) Using the .docx format instead of the older .doc ( Word 1997-2003) compatible
format.
If instead you chose PDF in the Export Menu, then the dialog box will default to
PDF as the exported filed type. Pressing Enter will again then take you to the Save
as dialog box with the pre-determined
settings of Good Image quality and no password required to open the file.
If you choose to move within the dialog box, there are 5 tabbed areas: PDF, Word,
Plain Text, ePub, and Pages ’09. These are the 5 Unknown labels you are hearing.
Each has some further text or options associated with each option:
Under PDF, the text reads;
“To Change PDF layout settings, Choose File > Print.”
The PDF options are;
Image Quality: with a pull down menu for Good, Better, or Best. The default is good.
And a check box for Require password to open. The default is unchecked.
Under Word, the options are;
Require password to open check box
and a disclosure triangle revealing the format options pull down menu of .docx or
.doc
.docx is the default choice.
Under Plain Text there is only the text;
Create a plain text document that includes only body text without formatting.
Under ePub, the options are;
Three text boxes including Title, Author and Primary Category
and a disclosure triangle revealing an additional text box for Language
as well as a check box for Use the first page as the book cover image. The default
is unchecked.
Under Pages ’09;
The only option is the Require password to open check box.
The default is an unchecked check box.

Markus Böttner

Wrapping Up

From iPad Air to Mac Pro: everything you need to know about Apple’s fall event

My Review of the iPhone 5S | MacForTheBlind

Apple promises to bring back missing iWork for Mac features in six months

All The Changes In iOS 7.1 Beta You’ll Actually Notice

Joe Steinkamp interviews the developers of the MovieReading app in SeroTalk Podcast 179

Apple to Usher in New Age of In-Store Shopping With iBeacon Rollout

The Brilliant Hack That Brought Foursquare Back From the Dead

Contacting the Team

The Triple-click Home team would love to hear from you. Here is how you can get in touch with them:
Follow Alena Roberts on Twitter
Follow Buddy Brannan on Twitter
Follow John Panarese on Twitter
Follow Triple-click Home on Twitter
Thanks for listening!

What should you do while you’re waiting for your i-device to update to iOS 7? Should you bite your fingernails? Repeatedly swipe your phone in hopes that Voiceover will give you some sort of a progress indicator? Why not listen to the latest episode of the Triple-click Home podcast? This month, Alena, Buddy, John, Derek and Jamie all weigh in with their thoughts on the iPhone 5c and 5s as well as iOS 7. Also, Alena Roberts interviews Jonathan Mosen about his new book, iOS 7 Without the Eye. Jonathan and Alena don’t just talk about the book, though. They discuss the state of accessibility in all of Apple’s products and even talk a bit about Android. Yes, you read that right–a discussion of Android on an episode of Triple-click Home. So sit back, don’t touch your i-device while it’s updating, and enjoy the podcast.

The music heard in Alena’s interview was provided courtesy of Andre Louis. Be sure to visit his Web site and purchase his music.

Apple’s overhauled iOS 7 is coming September 18 to an iDevice near you

New Default Ringtones for iOS 7

Apple announces the multicolor iPhone 5C, $99 for 16GB

Apple announces iPhone 5S: What you need to know

iPhone 5S sports new M7 processor to handle motion apps

Apple iPhone 5S camera promises bigger pixels, slow-mo, better image processing

iPhone 5S comes with Touch ID fingerprint scanner

Apple TV Software Update to Arrive Alongside iOS 7 on September 18

Apple TV update adds channels for Vevo, Disney, Weather & Smithsonian

Apple launches iTunes Radio on September 18

Apple’s iWork suite (plus iMovie and iPhoto) free with new iOS devices

For archives of Apple’s live presentations, visit Apple’s Events page

You must buy a new iPhone to use Apple’s now-confirmed trade-in program

Walmart will credit you up to $300 for your old smartphone

PayPal Beacon: Finally an Easier Way to Pay in Stores Than Swiping a Credit Card

Apple patent turns the iPhone into an intelligent universal media, ‘smart home’ remote control

Mailbag

This month, Laura writes us to say:

Hello, musicians:
Has anybody figured out how to use the iPad version of Garage Band with Voice Over?
I would really like to learn.
Thanks.
Laura Mulraney

The team has some great answers to this question so be sure to listen.

Regarding last month’s exploding phone article, regular contributor Jenine Stanley writes:

Funny that you should mention this book. As I download it to read, I asked my dear spouse if I’d see his name in it.

He worked for AT&T for over 35 years and was on the team that chased down some of the phone freaks during their heyday.

He was also on a team of inside hackers who got to try to break things for a living within The Phone Company.

He tells me that the recent revelations regarding NSA are nothing new at all. And that’s all he can tell me as he’s still under certain orders never to talk about what his team did.

He will tell you though that his time on those projects was a geek’s dream.

Jenine Stanley

Triple-click Home Team App Picks

Here is a link to the Apple II e emulator discussed on the podcast

New Podcast: Codename Cygnus for iOS: Play the Hero in your own Secret Agent Drama

Audioboo / Here’s an all too common sound, hopefully redone in a cool way: Tritone

Contacting the Team

The Triple-click Home team would love to hear from you. Here is how you can get in touch with them:
Follow Alena Roberts on Twitter
Follow Buddy Brannan on Twitter
Follow John Panarese on Twitter
Follow Derek Lane on Twitter

Follow Jamie Pauls on Twitter

Follow Triple-click Home on Twitter

Thanks for listening!

Welcome to the 21st episode of our podcast. We celebrate our 21st birthday with champagne, chocolate, and your feedback. Every party needs cake, and cake needs icing. The icing on our cake this month is an interview with Harri Pasanen, developer of MBraille, the extremely popular Braille keyboard entry app for iOS. Along with our partying, we actually discuss the most interesting news stories of the past month. Grab your favorite beverage, pull up a comfortable chair and let’s get started!

Apple’s cheaper and not so cheap iPhone explained

Why a Gold iPhone 5S Actually Makes Sense

Report: iOS 7 may come to iPhones and iPod touches first, iPads later

7 Facts About The iPhone You Probably Didn’t Know Were True

Your iPhone uses more energy than a refrigerator

Does an iPhone really burn more coal than a refrigerator?

Top 5 secret Siri tips: How to add, find, delete, and do everything faster!

Apple’s Mac sales down in July, to slide 5 percent this quarter

Apple Retail Stores making a play to sell Macs to Windows based business customers

Seemingly benign “Jekyll” app passes Apple review, then becomes “evil”

Apple bans app that wants you to throw your phone in the air

Apple updates App Store review guidelines

Announcing the Newest Inductees into the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame

Announcing the release to the Apple Store of the first update to The Seeing Eye GPS app for the iPhone, version 1.1.

Downcast for OS X: Download, Play and Synchronize your Favorite Podcasts

Apple shares soar after billionaire investor Carl Icahn calls company ‘extremely undervalued’

Apple’s Tim Cook Talking To Investors…

Apple Acquires Video Discovery Service Matcha.tv

Judge says she won’t suspend ruling in Apple e-books case

Apple e-book price-fixing damages trial set for next May

Steve Jobs movie slammed by critics — and Woz

Steve Jobs: Genius, or Just Obsessive?

Recommended Apps

This month, the Triple-click Home Team mentions apps they are still enjoying from last month. Feel free to visit our previous show notes for those recommendations. One new app mentioned by Alena Roberts is the game Wizard’s Choice.

Contacting the Team

The Triple-click Home team would love to hear from you. Here is how you can get in touch with them: Follow Alena Roberts on Twitter Follow Buddy Brannan on Twitter Follow John Panarese on Twitter Follow Triple-click Home on Twitter Thanks for listening!

Since Buddy Brannan was unable to join us for this month’s episode of Triple-click Home, Jamie Pauls joins Alena Roberts and John Panarese to discuss the top news stories of the month. The team has some app recommendations to share along the way, and Alena rounds out the show with an interview with the developer of the Voice Dream app for reading books and many other types of documents on your iOS device.

Apple Took Three Days to Tell Developers About a Site Hack

Researcher claims he told Apple of Developer Center vulnerability but didn’t maliciously steal data

iOS 7 preview: Siri gets a new look, access to settings, more services, still no predictive results

Nobody Has Tried The Real iOS 7

With Its Acquisition Of Locationary, Apple Zeros In On Maps, Big Data And Competing With Google

With all of our talk of travel, John recommends All Access: Talking Menus.

Apple acquires navigation service Hopstop

HopStop for Windows Phone Scrapped Following Apple Deal

States Combat Cell Phone Use On The Road But Deaths Persist

How Will Apple Handle Verizon’s iPhone Shortfall?

Comparing T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon’s Upgrade Plans

Here’s all the evidence that Apple is making an actual TV—and the remote will likely be your hand

iPad mini 2 with Retina display won’t be released this year?

Recharging iPhone blamed for another serious shock in China

You Won’t Need a PIN When You Pay for Everything with Your Face

Apple should lead the move to DRM-free ebooks

How to request a refund for an iTunes or App Store purchase

App Updates: Fleksy Version 1.8 links favorites with contacts, improves responsiveness and accuracy, and adds themes There is also a new update to MBraile

Seeing Eye GPS: a Turn-by-Turn GPS application for the iPhone Developed Specifically for the Blind

Listen to Joe Steinkamp’s interview with the developers of the iOS game Solara on SeroTalk Podcast 162

Alena has been playing with the crossword game Word Shuffle.

Contacting the Team

The Triple-click Home team would love to hear from you. Here is how you can get in touch with them: Follow Alena Roberts on Twitter Follow Buddy Brannan on Twitter Follow John Panarese on Twitter Follow Triple-click Home on Twitter Thanks for listening!

This month, Joshua Loya joins the Triple-click Home team to talk about all things related to Apples WWDC Keynote. Stories discussed in this podcast include:

What Apple revealed at WWDC 2013

Apple’s WWDC 2013 keynote video now live

WWDC 2013, A Lot of Announcements | MacForTheBlind

David Woodbridge Technology Blog: Talking Tech for June 11 – Apple WWDC 2013 Keynote – my notes

Which Macs, iPads and iPhones will get Apple’s new goodies?

Apple posts OS X Mavericks preview page

iOS 7 tells Apple users to ‘get excited’ again, says analyst

Apple’s new products won’t cheer investors, says analyst

Hands-on with the new Apple iOS 7

Fleksy keyboard page seems to indicate that Apple will allow third party software keyboards in iOS 7?

iOS App Store will update apps automatically, offer location and age categories

Passbook for iOS 7 to support scanning QR codes

The iPhone finally gets call-blocking in iOS 7

Lawmakers are cautiously optimistic about iOS 7’s ‘Activation Lock’ feature

Apple announces ad based iTunes Radio, ad free for iTunes Match subscribers

Apple’s latest creation is a woman named Mieko Haire

For Apple, an inflection point

Contacting the Team

The Triple-click Home team would love to hear from you. Here is how you can get in touch with them: Follow Alena Roberts on Twitter Follow Buddy Brannan on Twitter Follow John Panarese on Twitter Follow Triple-click Home on Twitter Thanks for listening!

Do you enjoy our SPN Podcasts? You can help us out a whole lot by taking this very short survey.

Top of the News

Apple reveals details of 50 billionth App Store download

Apple faces questions over alleged tax evasion

A popular Office for Mac version reaches the end of the support line

Microsoft improves Skype on the Mac

Apple tightens App Store rules, now rejecting more app discovery services

iMacs get new cheaper, smaller flash storage options

Hardware Review

This month, Brian Kevelighan reviews the Aftershokz Bluez Bluetooth bone conduction headphones. He isn’t the only one who is in love with them. The Triple-click Home team share their opinion of these headphones as well.

iOS News

Google announces Hangouts messaging service coming to iOS, Android, and desktop today

T-Mobile: No iPhone discount lasts forever

Siri update prompts users to be brief

Low-cost iPhone rumor reignited by Apple supplier’s hiring spree

Apple Having Trouble Signing New Carriers Because of iPhone Subsidy and Minimum Purchase Requirements

Mailbag

Hi folks,
Thanks again for another very informative & witty podcast.
You all could form the Blind Tech Comedy club.
I have to tell you of my mac transition.
My Mother passed away 2 years ago, June 30. I wanted a diversion & a new computer. I got tired of all of the SMA upgrades. Therefore, it left me with the concept of learning to use the Mac OS. NOt only was I learning a new OS, I was learning a new screen reader. Originally, I paid the $99 for the one on one instruction through the apple store. I found the noise & lack of knowledge by the in store trainers discouraging until I met a lady who introduced me to macvisionaries. Between macvisionaries & Iblink radio, I have gotten more information than I could have ever paid for.
As you were talking about your first experience with a screen reader, I have to relay my own experience. I started with DOS 5.0 & found a shareware program called BPop. It was not a fully functional screen magnifier. It would allow me to engage it after I had typed something in order to proofread it. If I had made a mistake, I had to count spaces & lines in order to correct it.
Living in Florida at the time, I was in a close proximity to what was then Henter Joyce in St. Petersburg Florida. I actually met Ted Henter. I found within my budget through considerable cutbacks at the time the $295 to purchase Magic 1.27. It magnified my DOS screen & brought Windows 3.1 in 2x mode. I also received training through the state of Florida on the Vert screen reader along with word perfect 5.1.
Fast forwarding to today, I still have my windows computer yet pull out my mac for everything.
I am by no means an expert, yet am proficient enough to do what I need to do & am very satisfied with my decision to learn the Mac OS.
Like Jamie, I too, am a manual reader. I try to absorb what my given appliance or piece of electronics will do like a sponge. All of the resources you listed are very much appreciated. Your work does not go for naught. I also have a suggestion. Is it possible to take topics from the mac visionaries list with the most responses & expound on the subject matter? Some of them are very lengthy, yet very informational. I don’t read everything primarily, because I don’t have the time to read email all day. However, I find their listers very helpful & interactive.
The applevis site is also a good resource, however, I find some on that site who whine if something isn’t handed to them. Thank you also for your interview with the gentleman dealing with the Earl app. I am not necessarily one who believes everything needs to be free, however, I am tentative to subscribe to their service without knowing how viable they will be. I see their monthly price point to be very affordable, yet my Kansas City paper is not part of their content due to their web subscription policy. I do use newsline & am glad to see a for profit company give them direct competition while making it safe for those who spend a lot of time commuting.
It sounds as if they are following the model of Flexy, using the blind community as a means to test their app & service, yet eventually marketing to everyone.
We have come an extremely long ways from the specialized equipment costing several thousand dollars to main stream technology accessible to everyone.
Thank all of you for your tireless efforts & your dedication to making the world we live in technologically easier to live with.
Sincerely,

Pamela J Francis

Wrapping Up

Feature Writer Alena Roberts – Kindle Books are Finally Made Accessible to People with Print Disabilities

Extensive run through of the now accessible iOS Kindle app with VoiceOver

iOS App Voice Dream Reader now half price at $4.99 for limited time.

Prizmo – Scanning, OCR, and Speech

Looktel Money Reader Gains New Currencies

Bill Gates: Steve Jobs was better at design than I was

Contacting the Team

The Triple-click Home team would love to hear from you. Here is how you can get in touch with them:
Follow Alena Roberts on Twitter
Follow Buddy Brannan on Twitter
Follow John Panarese on Twitter
Follow Triple-click Home on Twitter
Thanks for listening!

Special Feature: Switching to the Mac

Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual, Mountain Lion Edition by David Pogue OS X Mountain Lion: The Missing Manual Take Control of Using Mountain Lion by Matt Neuburg VoiceOver Getting Started for OS X Technology podcasts from Vision Australia Apple and Other Accessible technology by David Woodbridge The Tech Doctor Podcast MacForTheBlind AppleVis MacVisionaries

Mailbag

Markus from Ireland writes:

> Hi there,

> In this episode you talked about positioning and navigation solutions. With Sendero GPS LookAround, Ariadne GPS, iMove, BlindSquare, to name but a few which spring to my mind, we have quite a lot of choice. I think it would be a good idea to share our experiences and put together an overview about the specific features of each app. In other words: What can one app do which others can’t?

> I would like to contribute my little overview which is based on my experiences with Sendero GPS, Ariadne GPS, iMove and BlindSquare.

> I have used these apps, have been a beta tester for two of them and have also used them parallel in the same location, just to see what happens.

> iMove makes it very easy and quick to save a location as a favorite by recording an audio label. Nevertheless, I am not entirely convinced whether I like this. I am just as hesitant to stop in a place and speak a description into my phone as I am to shout in public in order to find someone who should be there somewhere.

> I would rather save a point as a favorite, type an acronym into the description field and edit the place later. Another downside to the recording is that it can be difficult to notice the announcement. There will be background noise from traffic etc. during the recording, which will be similar to the noise around me when approaching the place. I find a TTS voice easier to distinguish from my environment than my own recording.

> I also have to say that the POI which the app gets from Google are far away from sufficient. Otherwise iMove does a decent job for a free app.

> I like Ariadne GPS because it tells me my speed and the altitude, whereas iMove only displays the speed. Otherwise, I have to say, that for me Ariadne has been replaced by BlindSquare.

> BlindSquare is not cheap, thanks to the Acapella licence which the developer has to pay for the TTS, but I think the app is worth every single cent of its price. I got a bit of O & M training recently to learn a new route in the town I moved to a few months ago. this gave me and the trainer a good chance to put BlindSquare to a test. Still at home, I picked a random shop on our town’s Main Street and saved it as a favorite. One has the option to manually insert an alert distance to be reminded when approaching the place. These places are FourSquare places; however, if the FourSquare place is not all that accurate, one can save an own favorite, and this is very accurate. When walking, one can decide whether to listen to the usual POI within the set radius – “Public Library, 65 yards at 1 o’clock.”, or track a particular place. This way I just saved a favorite at a particular destination. On the way there I didn’t have to save any places, turn-offs and crossroads because BlindSquare announces when one is approaching a crossroads and tells the streets which are crossing there. If one is not sure about the current position, , shaking the phone does the trick.

> In areas where I have at least a rough idea which POI to expect and what to listen for, BlindSquare is a brilliant app which I would not want to miss anymore. It does not offer turn-by-turn navigation at the moment but we’ll see what is going to happen in the future.

> In unfamiliar places I still like using Garmin’s Navigon Mobile Navigator. This, of course, is pretty expensive but lets you download maps for offline use and offers turn-by-turn navigation for various types of vehicles and pedestrians.

> I am looking forward to hearing about the experiences of you and your listeners.

And again Markus writes:

> Hi There!

> I really enjoyed listening to episode 16, as I always enjoy listening to TripleClickHome.

> You talked about switching from Windows to Mac OS and especially you, John, reminded people to always be aware that they are not using a Windows computer and a windows screenreader anymore. I lost my sight nearly 14 years ago and have worked with JAWS and NVDA since. After two and a half years with iPhones and iPods, I bought a MacBook air this January. What a piece of hardware and technology! I just love it!

> I don’t know whether it helped that I have used a Bluetooth keyboard with my iPhone for a while but the only confusion I encountered during the early period of my Mac life was that the left Ctrl and the FN keys are exactly the other way around as they are on my Toshiba notebook. However, for some research tasks I still need to switch on my Windows notebook, and whenever I do this I have to pause sometimes and think about keyboard shortcuts.

> I am amazed that nearly 14 years of experience with Windows cause hardly any transfer effect on the use of the Mac and VoiceOver. By contrast, three months of every-day use of the Mac still have a big influence on the use of Windows key strokes. NVDA has been confused quite a bit recently – “FN, left windows and space bar? What the hell is that in aide of!?”

> What are your experiences?

Jenine Stanley says:

> Hey Gang,

> Thanks for review of IMove. As someone who works at a guide dog school and who used to teach Trekker Products to our grads, I get asked about apps all the time. I haven’t tried I-Move yet though I did download it.

> Here’s really all I want to know about any GPS app proported to be “for the blind”.

> Does it give intersection descriptions when walking? Does it identify intersection by name in vehicles, say vehicles traveling over X mph? Or can it be set to do so if traveling slower or not wanting the full description?

> The other features are great and useful but I want to turn it on, have it do these things, sometimes in the background, and just work.

> Not being a Humanware fan girl at all, I still recommend the Trekker Breeze for most people asking me as it’s easy, works out of the box and gives them generally what they need, street identification. Yes, I warn them about Humanware’s update policy and that the POI’s aren’t going to stay accurate because the maps don’t get updated in a reasonable time frame. You also don’t have off-line browsing capability, which for me is huge in any GPS app so OK, that would be another good feature to know about, but I’m not so big on things like the Look Around Wand. Nice, helpful, but I could live with say a light version of the Seeing Eye GPS app that just did the intersection description and identification bits, say.

And again Jenine says:

Great interview with Stan Cox from the Apple Store. It just amazes me the complete arrogance and stupidity of humanity that people would actually walk away or better yet, complain, because he was sent to help them. Incredible. Good for Stan for not letting it get to him in the long run and good for his coworkers for sticking up for him and getting it.

Thanks also to Stan for pointing out that a job seeker needs to have answers as to how to do things.

Pam Francis emails us to say:

> It’s that time of year again, tax time. So, with W2 within reach, I sat down at the computer which was booted to windows 7 and opened internet explorer 9 and went to www.turbotax.com. I signed in and with Rita beside me, went through the entering of my personal information to start my E-filing. After several screens of entry, that thing happened. It’s that thing that happens in Windows and Internet Explorer, that evil thing that Windows users have come to know well and accept with the promise from Microsoft that it will get better in the next version. It goes like this.

> Internet Explorer has stopped responding. Windows will check online for a solution to this problem. Windows will restart the program. (Or, something like that.) Then, my home page appeared.

> After muttering a few therapeutic expletives, I knew I had a possible solution. I shut the computer down and booted to Mac OS and opened Safari. I went back into TurboTax.com and entered all the data again. And, after several more screens of do you have any more taxable income such as investments, foreign bank accounts, etc. was able to E-file my taxes. And, when I clicked the “save to my computer” link, I didn’t get that stupid question that says, “What do you want to do with this file”? with the open or save buttons. I closed Safari after signing out and went to my downloads and there, in a .PDF format that VoiceOver could read to me, was a copy of my tax return that I could have, hold, love and cherish, print or whatever I wanted to do with it. I soon received an email from TurboTax stating that my return has been excepted by the internal revenue service.

> Got to love my Mac.

> Sent from my MacBook Pro.

Wayne writes:

> Hello Serotek,

> Well, actually, I am really mailingTriple Click Home.

> Hi buddy and the gang,

> I wanted to check out your thoughts on a couple of features of the Apple Maps app. Interestingly, I haven’t heard very much frompodcasters in demonstrating the Apple maps app since its release.

> I know the Maps app has issues with missing data in some areas. However, I don’t think that this is as greater problem as has been presented through seemingly distorted media representation.

> Anyway, I was prompted to drop you a line following the iMove app recommendation in the last podcast by Buddy One of the benefits iMove offered is the announcement of POI’s such as businesses.

> Apple Mapsalso offers this facility by switching on @Tracking@to Heading. This announces approaching street intersections / names. It also announces POI’s that are being passed such as businesses including funnily enough the name of my neighbours business a couple of doors down – retied now, but offering electrical supplies such as washers etc.

> Also, the Apple Maps zoom feature allows the user to zoom in and out even to country view and then to use the rotor to access points of interest in that area.

> I was able to zoom out and jump across to India and China; zoom in and take a look at the POI’s in that area. using the rotor.

> Obviously, there are important improvements to improve data re: POI’s but the usability of Apple Maps as a mobility aid seems to have been overlooked by many podcasters in terms of demonstration.

> I often use Apple Maps when travelling on a bus on long journeys or unfamiliar areas to orientate me to street names and POI’s in that area. It works well. I suppose data usage is a consideration but most journeys would be manageable.

> I do also have Navigon; Blind Squre; Ariadne GPS; Where To; Ableroad and others. Mostly, I will download apps to support developers efforts in supporting us as a community but also to give me an additional resource.. We can use as many resources as possible in enabling as much independence as possible.

> I did download IMove some time ago but didn’t really seem to get anything more than Apple Maps and other apps gave me. Might re-install iMove though and give it another go.

> I am a long cane user with extensive field loss and poor contrast sensitivity. Good tools for adventuring are really helpful so the more the merrier!

> Thanks for a great podcast – all the best to you all.

> Wayne

> PS: Sorry to waffle – apparently, I’m known for it!

Wrapping Up

The Old Hat Guide to iPhone Accessibility by Fedora Outlier LLC Review: CamFind for iPhone lets you search for anything with your camera If you use assistive technology & Facebook, please visit our accessibility page and comment Why does Apple want to launch an iRadio service? No, Facebook Home won’t be coming to the iPhone. Here’s why Prosthetic hands controlled by iPhone app help a father hold his daughter’s hand again

Contacting the Team

The Triple-click Home team would love to hear from you. Here is how you can get in touch with them: Follow Alena Roberts on Twitter Follow Buddy Brannan on Twitter Follow John Panarese on Twitter Follow Triple-click Home on Twitter Thanks for listening!

Do you enjoy our SPN Podcasts? You can help us out a whole lot by taking this very short survey.

Aftershokz

Looking for headphones with a safer open ear design so you can still talk with others around you or hear your environment? Aftershokz Headphones utilize Bone Conduction audio that lets you listen to your favorite tunes, or SeroTalk network podcasts, yet still be able to hear your nearby surroundings. You can get 40% off if you use the promotional code SPN40 at the checkout area on the Aftershokz website just for being a listener of this very podcast!

To learn more about these amazing headphones, and to read about the new Bluez with wireless options, visit Aftershokz.com. You can also catch SPN’s own Mike Calvo, from last year, reviewing a pair of the Aftershocks that he uses in his daily work.

Listen to Triple-click Home Episode 16: Don’t Take Attachments from Strangers

Welcome to the latest episode of Triple-click Home. This month, Alena takes the host’s chair with support from Buddy and John. Along with the top stories of the month, Buddy brings you an interview with Apple specialist Stan Cox. Finally, the Triple-click home team suggests some apps you might want to take a look at.

In the News

Apple Acquires Indoor Location Company WifiSLAM

What, exactly, WiFiSLAM is, and why Apple acquired it

Eric Schmidt hints Google Now for iOS stuck in App Store approval process

New Trojan Hits Mac Users As They Surf The Web

Apple beefs up iCloud, Apple ID security with two-step verification

How To Set Up Apple’s New Two-Step Verification

Apple Releases Patch For Evasi0n Jailbreak (After It’s Used 18 Million Times)

Apple rolls out OS X 10.8.3 with support for Windows 8 in Boot Camp

Hands on: Podcasts 1.2 is the one Apple should have shipped

Jony Ive Leaves His Mark As Skeuomorphism Concept Vanishes From One App

John Browett and Apple retail: “rejected for fit rather than competency”

Why did Apple hire Adobe CTO Kevin Lynch?

Samsung confirms it’s trying to beat Apple to market with a smart watch

Apple applies for patent to bring wireless charging to the Smart Cover

Facebook updates flagship iOS app with cover photos, group messaging improvements

iPhone iOs 6 Updates (IOS6-UPDATE)

Series: Mac, PC, or Both: Choices for Blind and Visually Impaired Computer UsersPart I

Sendero Announces Features, Preview for Seeing Eye GPS for iOS

Free Sight Compass App Helps you Navigate Hotels, Bathrooms, and More

exclusive look at the BARD iOS app

Open that iPad before you buy it

Renewable energy now powers 75 percent of Apple’s facilities

Mailbag

Blog comment from jan brown

Hello Tripple Click Home.
I love reading about my phone but was disappointed that you were not thrilled as I was by the new App Braille Touch. I have trouble writing with Flexy and find Braille Touch so exciting. I can text away and bore more people more easily.

Email from Chelsea Cook

Hi Happy Apple People,

Love the way you guys have developed the Triple Click Home podcast. I had a quick question about backing up my Mac. The idea of bootable backups intrigues me, and the two most talked-about programs for accomplishing this are super duper and Carbon Copy Cloner. I used CCC for awhile, but missed the donation window and am trying to decide between the two. What do you guys use, and what are your recommendations?

Chelsea

Email from Jenine Stanley

Excellent interview with the developer of TapTap See.

I downloaded the product in its first version and haven’t really played much with it. The one thing I want to try though when traveling is to see if it can recognize individual buttons on a soda machine. Granted, there are some standard layouts but it would be nice to learn about a machine, especially if I’m spending time in a location and using the machine a lot.

I’ll be interested to hear if anyone has tried this and will let you all know if it works when I travel next week.

Jenine Stanley

Triple-click Home Team’s apps of the month

This month, Buddy continues the GPS theme by recommending iMove.

For reading books and other documents, John recommends Voice Dream Reader.

When you are ready for a break from work, Alena recommends two games: Clever Clues and WordCord.

Contacting the Team

The Triple-click Home team would love to hear from you. Here is how you can get in touch with them:

Follow Alena Roberts on Twitter

Follow Buddy Brannan on Twitter

Follow John Panarese on Twitter

Follow Triple-click Home on Twitter

Thanks for listening!

Listen to Triple-click Home Episode 16: Don’t Take Attachments from Strangers

Welcome to the latest episode of Triple-click Home. This month, Alena takes the host’s chair with support from Buddy and John. Along with the top stories of the month, Buddy brings you an interview with Apple specialist Stan Cox. Finally, the Triple-click home team suggests some apps you might want to take a look at.

In the News

Apple Acquires Indoor Location Company WifiSLAM

What, exactly, WiFiSLAM is, and why Apple acquired it

Eric Schmidt hints Google Now for iOS stuck in App Store approval process

New Trojan Hits Mac Users As They Surf The Web

Apple beefs up iCloud, Apple ID security with two-step verification

How To Set Up Apple’s New Two-Step Verification

Apple Releases Patch For Evasi0n Jailbreak (After It’s Used 18 Million Times)

Apple rolls out OS X 10.8.3 with support for Windows 8 in Boot Camp

Hands on: Podcasts 1.2 is the one Apple should have shipped

Jony Ive Leaves His Mark As Skeuomorphism Concept Vanishes From One App

John Browett and Apple retail: “rejected for fit rather than competency”

Why did Apple hire Adobe CTO Kevin Lynch?

Samsung confirms it’s trying to beat Apple to market with a smart watch

Apple applies for patent to bring wireless charging to the Smart Cover

Facebook updates flagship iOS app with cover photos, group messaging improvements

iPhone iOs 6 Updates (IOS6-UPDATE)

Series: Mac, PC, or Both: Choices for Blind and Visually Impaired Computer UsersPart I

Sendero Announces Features, Preview for Seeing Eye GPS for iOS

Free Sight Compass App Helps you Navigate Hotels, Bathrooms, and More

exclusive look at the BARD iOS app

Open that iPad before you buy it

Renewable energy now powers 75 percent of Apple’s facilities

Mailbag

Blog comment from jan brown

Hello Tripple Click Home.
I love reading about my phone but was disappointed that you were not thrilled as I was by the new App Braille Touch. I have trouble writing with Flexy and find Braille Touch so exciting. I can text away and bore more people more easily.

Email from Chelsea Cook

Hi Happy Apple People,

Love the way you guys have developed the Triple Click Home podcast. I had a quick question about backing up my Mac. The idea of bootable backups intrigues me, and the two most talked-about programs for accomplishing this are super duper and Carbon Copy Cloner. I used CCC for awhile, but missed the donation window and am trying to decide between the two. What do you guys use, and what are your recommendations?

Chelsea

Email from Jenine Stanley

Excellent interview with the developer of TapTap See.

I downloaded the product in its first version and haven’t really played much with it. The one thing I want to try though when traveling is to see if it can recognize individual buttons on a soda machine. Granted, there are some standard layouts but it would be nice to learn about a machine, especially if I’m spending time in a location and using the machine a lot.

I’ll be interested to hear if anyone has tried this and will let you all know if it works when I travel next week.

Jenine Stanley

Triple-click Home Team’s apps of the month

This month, Buddy continues the GPS theme by recommending iMove.

For reading books and other documents, John recommends Voice Dream Reader.

When you are ready for a break from work, Alena recommends two games: Clever Clues and WordCord.

Contacting the Team

The Triple-click Home team would love to hear from you. Here is how you can get in touch with them:

Follow Alena Roberts on Twitter

Follow Buddy Brannan on Twitter

Follow John Panarese on Twitter

Follow Triple-click Home on Twitter

Thanks for listening!

Welcome to our 14^th episode of Triple-click Home. We begin this show with a very important announcement from Pete Bossley. Other obligations require Pete to leave our podcast family for the forseeable future, and we will truly miss him. Never fear, though. He might just show up again sometime. That being said, the show must go on. Alena takes the lead role this month, and Buddy interviews David Ward about his exciting new Braille Sonar Reference app.

The Big Stories

One year, four departed execs, and a lot to be determined for Apple

So, what is Apple’s next big thing going to be?

iPhone and innovation: Is hardware the only place Apple can go to keep up the buzz?

The worst app Apple ever made

Apple App Store hits 40 billion downloads; 20 billion in 2012, alone

three reasons why apple stocks have plummeted

In iPhone vs. Galaxy battle, Apple still way on top

A possible explanation for the iOS New Year’s Do Not Disturb bug

Verizon prepared to follow T-Mobile’s lead if ending phone subsidies proves profitable  

Walmart now offers iPhone 5 on Straight Talk’s no-contract unlimited plans

T-Mobile USA to soon sell iPhones, cut subsidies

Apple needs to get serious about Siri

Siri why aren’t you sassy?

Amazon MP3 store now available to iPhone users

Be sure to check out Amazon’s Instant Video app for streaming movies and TV shows as well.

Facebook Rolls Out Free Voice Calls Through Messenger App For U.S. iPhone Users

Former Windows Chief Sinofsky Caught Using an iPhone

Mailbag

From Jenine Stanley:

Hi Gang,

This is one of those stories that’s just so, well, disgusting, it deserves telling. Can’t wait to hear where this one goes from your perspective either.

I got my I-Phone 4S in December 2011 and the first thing I got for it, even before I got the phone, was an Otterbox Defender case and Speed dots. I took said case to the Apple Store and had the salesman put it on my shiny new phone. Yay!

The case is starting to show some wear with the rubber not staying as tight as it once did but other than that, it’s never been off my phone, until …

I was in Manhattan recently for work and a short vacation with friends. I was heading back to the airport and had to take a car service from Midtown to Islip airport. For those who don’t know, this is about a 45 minute drive on a good day.

I’d been feeling less than my best throughout the vacation and that morning I was really not feeling well at all but thought it might pass as these things do.

As always I had a slight dread not knowing the car service and how they would react to my guide dog.

No problem! Carmel Transportation was great and if you’re ever in NYC, call them. They have a marvelous number 666-6666.

The driver was nice, appropriate about the dog and off we went.

About 20 minutes into the ride, I started to get that feeling, you know, the one that says, Uh-oh, I think I’m going to be sick.

I started to get out one of the ubiquitous plastic bags all guide dog handlers have stuff into every pocket they own. Alas, not fast enough though.

The remains of the delicious pizza I’d had the night before soon covered my lap and dowsed my precious phone!

The phone was plugged into an external battery at the time and the headphones were in.

After apologizing to the driver and trying in vain to clean myself up a tad, I removed the phone from my lap and began to wipe it off. Wow!

Luckily, the driver was great about the whole thing and stopped at a gas station, helped me get my suitcase out so I could change clothes and of course cleaned the back of the car.

In the meantime, my poor guide dog was trying to get as far away from me as he could. Guys don’t handle barfing chicks well you know.

The phone still amazingly enough worked. It was a bit slow on the response but I figured this was because the screen was beyond filthy. I carefully cleaned it with a wet paper towel, then with hand sanitizer.

I wanted to get the case open but couldn’t do that because really you need either good fingernails or a flathead screw driver for  this and I had neither.

Once I got home and showed the phone to my husband, he confirmed how disgusting it looked, which meant that some of the substance had gotten inside the case. OK, no big deal. I finally got the case off and cleaned the phone thoroughly. It works fine now but I do need a new case and speed dots screen because, well, apparently vomit is quite staining. Pizza vomit more so.

To top this off, the last leg of my flight home was cancelled due to weather and I ended up staying overnight in Baltimore. Not horrible as I did get to shower and clean up a bit more but …

You know how once you smell something, you keep on smelling it even if all evidence of it is gone? Well, I swore everything I owned, touched or thought about for the remainder of that trip wreaked of vomit.

The truly funny part though happened on my flight home, finally.

I was sitting there playing 7 Little Words when the man in the seat next to me said, “Oh, we have the same case.”

Now this either sounds like a bad commercial or an even worse pick up line.

I explained that yes, I’d had mine for over a year and despite it, uh, falling into a puddle of vomit in the subway, (revise, revise, revise) it still protected the phone well. And by the way, did he know how to get the case open?

“No, my wife put it on for me.” He said.

Somehow I don’t think Otterbox will be wanting this testimonial for their web site but in case your phone is immersed in vomit, if you get it out quickly, your Defender case will do a nice job of protecting it.

***

Markus writes:

Hi again, guys!

Different topic, different e-mail.

There is a VoiceOver bug which has quietly annoyed me since iOS 6 and I would like to know how the rest of the community thinks about this. I have e-mailed Apple Accessibility but God knows when and if this will be fixed.

When I open a page with an editing field – be it an e-mail, a message, a new Tweet in Tweetlist Pro or Status Report, VoiceOver says: “New message, to…” and then immediately jumps back to the first element on the page.

I then have to go back to the editing field. I find this quite annoying.

How about you?

And here is a suggestion which I have mentioned to Apple Accessibility but, again, no comments on whether this is going to happen or not: A VoiceOver gesture to turn it on and off.

Even for us VoiceOver users there are apps which can be used better when VoiceOver is turned off. Some apps don’t work at all with VoiceOver turned on but are useable for us when it is turned off.

I have the feeling that I use the Home button on my 4s more often than my wife (who can see) uses the button on her 3Gs. Just as well! The 3Gs used to be my phone and the Home button sometimes needs a second press to react.

I would welcome a finger gesture to turn VoiceOver off and on again – parallel to “Triple Click Home”. Oh, we’ve got to keep that, because otherwise you would have to change the name of your podcast! “V-Swipe”

or something like that would sound a bit strange. What do you guys think about this?

And now that I have mentioned apps without VoiceOver, I would like to give you a list of my (personal) favorite apps which I use without VoiceOver.

After all, we all talk a lot about what we expect from our devices but hardly ever mention how we could adapt to make things work – even without VoiceOver.

djay for iPhone by algoriddim

https://itunes.apple.com/de/app/djay-for-iphone/id424492403?l=en&mt=8

A fantastic music player with playlists, crossfade, real-time effects and real-time scratching on the turntable. Apparently, and this is something I have not tried yet, one can split the audio signal and pre-listen to tracks inkl. VoiceOver before sending them through the master volume control. Otherwise VoiceOver has to be turned on again to make changes to the settings, effects, etc.

SoundPrism by Audanika GmbH

https://itunes.apple.com/de/app/soundprism/id386833491?l=en&mt=8

An on-screen synthesizer which is super easy to use. However, VoiceOver has to be turned on again in order to change the instrument; furthermore, the buttons are not labeled properly. But the playing itself works excellent.

Echo Piano by Ting Wang

https://itunes.apple.com/de/app/echo-piano/id378718173?l=en&mt=8

An on-screen-piano. I haven’t had this for very long but it seems to be pretty straight forward.

ThumbJam by Sonosaurus LLC

https://itunes.apple.com/de/app/thumbjam/id338977566?l=en&mt=8

And, of course, the mother of all on-screen-bands! I am happy that the developers seem to know how to spell the word “accessibility”. With an update last year, the app is now useable with VoiceOver turned on. I still prefer when it is turned off though. Downside to this is the immense use of the Home button.

iAmGuitar by savageApps

https://itunes.apple.com/de/app/iamguitar/id407752080?l=en&mt=8

The selection of the guitars is hit and miss; however, the strumming and picking and playing different cords works just fine. A nice little guitar in the shape of my iPhone! I must e-mail the developer and tell them about the inaccessibility of the settings section. Hey, but for playing around and songwriting one doesn’t need to make any changes. I love this app.

CarTunes Music Player by Ryan Oksenhorn

https://itunes.apple.com/de/app/cartunes-music-player/id415408192?l=en&mt=8

This app surprised me a few weeks ago. I found it through App of the Day and was quite interested when I read about – easy control with the swipe of a finger. And this is what it is, a music player which wasn’t developed with blind people in mind at all but which works just wonderful!

Single-finger swipe right – previous track.

Single-finger swipe left – next track.

Tap anywhere on the screen – Play/Stop

Put one finger on the screen and drag it up or down (like moving an app but without the first single tap) – Volume up and Volume down Single-finger swipe up – selection of media. Now we have to turn on VoiceOver to select our music. Once that has been don, we can turn Voiceover off again and listen to our playlist without VoiceOver’s announcements.

Epic! I love it!

That’s all from me for now. All the best,

Markus

***

And another email from Markus reads:

Hi Guys!

First of all I would like to wish you all a happy and successful 2013. I am amazed hoch much effort is put into the SeroTalk network and I specifically enjoy your podcast.

Informative, entertaining, just exactly the way I like podcasts!

In episode 12, Alena said she would love a sort of stand or holder for the iPhone when using OCR apps. I’ve got good news for you!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/limemouse/scanbox-turn-your-smartphone-into-a-portable-scann

I had heard about this project last May but couldn’t order one as they were only presenting the project on KickStarter.com

I think it might be worth getting in touch with those guys.

I know another guy from a German Apple mailing list; he is a retired engineer and designed such a stand as well. Let me know if you would like to get in contact with him.

Keep up the good work! All the Best,

Markus from Galway (pronounced Gallway), Ireland

More Stories and Our Apps of the Month

Book Review: All You Need and Want to Know about iMessaging

New: Draconis Entertainment Releases a New Mini Title for Mac OS X – SilverDollar

Happy birthday, Lisa: Apple’s slow but heavy workhorse turns 30

This month, Alena recommends TapTapSee, an object recognition app that is easy to use and apparently quite accurate.

Buddy is intrigued with, but a bit confused by VoiceVision, an app that is supposed to help identify colors through sound.

Alena is still enjoying the game 7 Little Words as well as Hourly Quiz, which she considers to be another enjoyable game.

John hasn’t had time to play with apps much this month due to some health issues in his family.

Remember to check out AppleVis for lots of great recommendations.

Interview: Braille Sonar Reference App

This month, Buddy Brannan visits with David Ward of At Your Fingertips about his new Braille Sonar Reference app for looking up Braille contractions. This is bound to be a great resource for all and information regarding the Unified English Braille code will be included in the future.

Contacting the Team

The Triple-click Home team would love to hear from you. Here is how you can get in touch with them:

Follow Alena Roberts on Twitter

Follow Buddy Brannan on Twitter

Follow John Panarese on Twitter

Follow Triple-click Home on Twitter

Thanks for listening!

In this podcast, John, Pete and Buddy discuss the top news of the month as well as the biggest stories of the year. Before Alena left for Hawaii, she sat down with Jamie Pauls to give her thoughts on the year’s Apple news. Here are the stories, both past and present, which made our list this month.

Apple needs to learn how the internet works

Apple’s Contract-Free iPhone Could Benefit Every Consumer In America

How T-mobile’s smartphone pricing could change the wireless industry

Tim Cook hates office politics, loves when you email him

Analyst thinks ‘iPhone 5S’ due in June with better camera, NFC, multiple color options

Google releases official Google Maps application for iOS, features turn-by-turn navigation…

iTunes 11 review: Simple is as simple does

Apple January event to focus on publishing, iBooks, report says

Apple to host January 19 ‘education event’ in New York

iPhone turns 5 years old on January 9^th

iPad vs. iPad 2 vs. the new iPad

Who wants an iPad Mini? About one buyer in two

Tim Cook Prefers Settling To Suing and Has a Huge Quarter

iPhone 5 launching with 4-inch screen, new Dock connector?

Apple’s $1 Billion Win Over Samsung: Q&A

Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display  

Why should I, a Windows user, care about Mountain Lion anyway?

Apple selects TomTom as primary iOS 6 maps provider (update: confirmed)

Mailbag

This month’s email is from Jenine Stanley. She writes:

Hi Guys,

Loved the 12th podcast. I have a couple recommendations for you for apps.

In the time killing games department, I am addicted to 7 Little words.

Sorry, don’t know how much this one costs but you get a daily free puzzle Plus one puzzle zone, 50 puzzles, for free when you start the game.

In this game you have 7 clues and set of letters that form the words to answer the clues.

You must put together the combinations of letters by double tapping on them in order.

So, let’s say you have a clue that reads like:

1. First meal of the day

9 letters

Your choices of letters displayed below all of the 7 clues might be something like:

BR EXE SUB EA JUN KFA ING ST

You would then double tap on BR first then EAC and so on until BREAKFAST is displayed.

You can check which groups of letters you’ve chosen, erase the entire group and get hints.

Your first 15 hints are free. Then you can buy unlimited hints for $1.99.

The entire game, save for one or two buttons is accessible and the unlabeled buttons are easy enough to figure out in context and label. All of the game features are  accessible.

You can earn bonus puzzle zones by completing zones you buy. Buy X number and earn 1 free zone.

On the practical side, I love the app Transit Times. It has the Central Ohio transit authority in it so I can stand at any point in the Columbus metro area and learn what buses come near me, what the nearest stop is to me and when the next bus is supposed to be there. It seems to actually work in real time too with the bus company data. I live along a route with multiple buses and often use other routes with multiple buses so this app is really nice.

It’s completely accessible but does take some getting used to. For example, it’s not really designed to give you the automatic next bus kind of data.

You have to go a couple screens in to get that for your real-time location.

It would be nice to have this as an option on the home screen.

It is designed to give you time tables and other scheduling info and is supposed to help you plan routes with multiple buses. I haven’t gotten that part to work quite the way I’d expected yet, but it you want to know when the next bus is scheduled at your stop, this is a great app.

Finally, for the ladies, although this might come too late for the holidays,

31 Products has a wrist purse that can hold your I-Phone and a lot more.

It’s a nice size little purse that can fit in a coat pocket. You can put your phone in the outside pocket if it has a regular case or inside if it has say an Otterbox defender case as mine does. The inside option is good because it has an adjustable zipper so you can attach the headphones if necessary and control your phone that way without taking it out of your purse.

The wallet part has a zipper pouch, places for credit and business cards and another pocket for change and such It also has a front pocket for your bus ID and other cards you need to get quickly.

I want to say I got it for around $30.00 and it’s available from anyone who is a 31 Products dealer, and trust me, there are lots of blind people out there who are.

Keep up the great shows guys!

Wrapping Up

Apple v Android: the winner is… the disabled community

Contacting the Team

The Triple-click Home team would love to hear from you. Here is how you can get in touch with them:

Follow Alena Roberts on Twitter

Follow Buddy Brannan on Twitter

Follow Pete Bossley on Twitter

Follow John Panarese on Twitter

Follow Triple-click Home on Twitter

Thanks for listening!

Welcome back to yet another episode of the Triple-click Home podcast. As you may recall, Alena Roberts was unable to participate in last month’s show, and her absence was greatly missed. She is back this month, and takes a firm hand as this month’s host. It’s a good thing, too, because Apple’s announcement of new iPads, Macs and Macbooks had Buddy Brannan, Pete Bossley, and John Panarese each wanting to weigh in with their opinions. Speaking of John, he spent part of his birthday recording this month’s show. Now, that’s what we call dedication! Jamie Pauls drops by with a quick review of the AccessWorld app for your iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Along with Jamie’s review, here are the stories discussed in this month’s episode:

Apple introduces new 13-inch MacBook Pro with a Retina display

Mac Mini updated in two new flavors, at $599 for i5 dual-core and $999 for i7 quad-core server m

Hands on: Apple updates iMac with gorgeous new display

Apple joins hybrid storage market with Fusion Drive

Google and Amazon can breathe a sigh of relief as Apple skips competing on price withiPad mini

With new iPads, Apple targets education opportunity

TIM COOK: ‘We’re Extremely Sorry’

The Biggest Threat To Apple Right Now

Mapping a Path Out of Steve Job’s Shadow

What is Particle and why did Apple buy it?

Lockitron plans to help you unlock your door with your phone

Exchange/iOS “meeting hijack” history goes back well before iOS 6

Our tests find ‘purple haze’ effect isn’t limited just to the iPhone 5

Apple looking to add character to text-to-speech voices

The iPhone 5, my thoughts and Opinions by John Panarese

Who knew wi-fi could be so fun?

Contacting the Team

The Triple-click Home team would love to hear from you. Here is how you can get in touch with them:

Follow Alena Roberts on Twitter

Follow Buddy Brannan on Twitter

Follow Pete Bossley on Twitter

Follow John Panarese on Twitter

Follow Triple-click Home on Twitter

Thanks for listening!

Welcome to Episode 6 of the Triple-click Home podcast. This month, Alena Roberts, Buddy Brannan and Peter Bossley approach the top news stories of the past month with a generous supply of tongue-in-cheek humor and plenty of opinions to go around. We trust that you will enjoy this month’s show.

Top Stories

DOJ announces three e-book settlements, but Apple to keep fighting

 Foxconn doors swung open to visitor, but few surprises await

iPhone

Fresh iPhone 5 rumors: Modified chip, new body, bigger screen

AT&T’s iPhones: Free at last

No human interaction required: AT&T iPhone unlock can be done via iTunes (Updated)

Verizon to start charging $30 upgrade fees on April 22

Security

Are Macs safer than PCs?

Java updates for Flashback avoid OS X Tiger and Leopard

Six Tips To Make Your Mac Safer

Worried about Mac malware?  Just set up OpenDNS.

Facebook, Dropbox iOS apps contain security hole that could allow identity theft (Updated)

Mac

Updated MacBook Pro to See Significant Performance Boost with Ivy Bridge

iTunes

                        iTunes: Time to right the syncing ship        

iTunes 11 rumored to include under-the-hood changes, iCloud support

Quick Tips

Monday Tech Tip: Labeling buttons on an iOS device

 How to fix 95 percent of iOS app crashes

Apps

Say Zello To The World!                                                            

Zombies, Run!

Flipboard

iPad

Windows-on-iPad service goes legit as Microsoft licensing demands are met

iPad may join Aspirin, Heroin, as generic name, branding experts say

Contacting the Team

We would love to hear from you. Feel free to send an email to:

resources@serotalk.com

You can also Follow Triple-click Home on Twitter. If you wish to follow the personal Twitter Timelines of our hosts:

Follow Alena Roberts on Twitter.

Follow Buddy Brannan on Twitter.

Follow Pete Bossley on Twitter.

Alena, Pete and Buddy return again this month with a lot to talk about and plenty of definite opinions to share all around.

In The News

Apple Mac OS X ‘Mountain Lion’ takes more bites out of iOS

Apple sold more iOS devices in 2011 than it sold Macs in 28 years

Apple responds to iOS contact data sharing: ‘It’s a violation’

Rumor Mill

Apple to announce the iPad 3 on Wednesday, March 7?

Supplier Chatter Points To Smaller 8-inch iPad

iPhone 5 could see June debut at Apple confab, report says

Security and More

Apple’s Android nightmare: Google’s Motorola purchase gets EU OK

Does Apple lull Mac owners into a false sense of security?

AT

Jailbreaking Your iPhone 4S Or iPad 2: Not Nearly As Scary As It Might Sound

iPhone Tactile Screenshot Quick Reference Guide

Why it’s time for the 13-inch MacBook Pro to go away

Georgia Tech’s BrailleTouch is a Braille writer for iPhone

Listen to CSUN coverage on SPN Radio, formerly SAMNet Radio.

Triple Click Quick Tip

Quick Tip: Did iOS 5 Delete Your Apps, Music, and Data? Here’s Help

Education

Everything you need to know about the Apple Education Announcement from Gizmodo

Why iPad Textbooks Are Still Too Expensive for Schools

Braille Under Siege As Blind Turn To SmartPhones

BrailleLiteracy – Braille Comes Unbound From the Book: How Technology can Stop A Literary Crisis

Apps Apps and More Apps

This month, the discussion of apps begins with:

Buddy’s new Aftershokz Wrap-around bone conduction headphones

Listen to Mike and Buddy’s review of these headphones on Serotalk 96.

Next, Alena follows Buddy’s lead from last month and talks about her new iPhone 4s.

Finally, Pete talks about Net Master, an app he uses with his job.

Contacting The Team

Follow Triple Click Home on Twitter.

Follow Alena Roberts on Twitter.

Follow Pete Bossley on Twitter.

Follow Buddy Brannan on Twitter.

Write to the show by sending an email to:

resources@serotalk.com

Welcome back to our show! This is our second episode with Alena and she is sure fired up for the things we want to talk about this month…

In The News

We want to let the dust settle some before we speculate about the January 19^th Apple event, however, we do comment some based upon

this early story that took place prior to the new iBooks 2 debut.

We also found this article on the current landscape of screen reader access to eBooks a good companion piece to the speculation article listed above.

Can you believe it? The iPhone is five years old!

Comcast streams TV to your iPad, are any of these media apps ever going to be accessible? In the case of the Comcast app, um no.

Can’t find an Apple Store near you? Soon you may be able to find one in a Target retail outlet

Announcement! Accessible Firefox on Mac – things are ramping up!

Woz praises Android, blasts iPhone limitations

Some Apple related stories made it into the Blind Bargains Top Ten list for 2012. Check out the SeroSpectives show on This Year in AT to know more.

The Rumor Mill Grinds On

If you follow Apple news, you know that you can’t escape the many rumors about what is next. Here are a few that caught our ear this month.

Will we see the iPad 3 in March?

Will the iPad 3 have a quad core and LTE features?

Is iOS 5.1 in line for a March release as well?

Apple to add Facebook to iOS 5.1 support?

Apps, Apps And More Apps

Congrats to iBlink Radio for being one of the first apps inducted into the Apple Vis “App Hall of Fame”! See the full list of inductees and be sure to vote on future members to this fantastic resource to our community.

As a follow up to our last episode, Navigon updates but not everyone is happy  according to this Apple Vis discussion

Also as another follow up, Sprint has begun to remove Carrier IQ

This is a great article about the App Switcher and closing apps. Clearing the app switcher: False voodoo magic?:

Buddy admits that his new app isn’t an app. It’s hardware, as in he has a brand spaking new iPhone 4s!

Alena is playing with a Universal Remote app but she really just likes Digit for it’s accessible TV listings.

The Aftershock Headphones uses bone conduction technology. Both Pete and Buddy have ordered this cool audio gear and we look forward to a report from them on how they sound.

Mailbag

Macy sent in an iReport asking the 3ch gang about their suggestions for durable iPhone cases. The Otterbox line was unanimously singled out as the place to start her search.

We start the show with some big non Apple related news. First up, we welcome our new host Alena Roberts to the program. Then, we thank all of you for making the show one of the most popular of the new series on the SeroTalk podcast network. The numbers of listeners were through the roof! Thank you for tuning into our show..

In The News

FBI uses Carrier IQ Data  

Want to know more about Carrier  IQ? Check out SeroTalk 87

Why android will be laggier to iOS

Is Apple using patents  to harm open standards?

Are you paying Apple too much for E-Books?

Animated Beatles Yellow Submarine hits iBooks for free

Goodbye textbooks, hello iPad

The iPad is not a PC, and neither are Windows 8 tablets

Broken By Design

In this portion of the show we focus on apps that seem to be broken upon release or who have been broken through an update over time.

Apple’s Newsstand

NAVIGON

Dropbox

As the discussion continued, we then conversed on the topic of “Free versus Paid” apps

oMoby versus

Look Tell

TweetList versus

Twitter in iOS 5

Pete reminds us that TweetList works with Box Car for those who want notifications from support from TweetList

Facebook versus

Facely HD

and Focus For Facebook

Siri versus Dragon Dictate

Games People Play

Keri Regan asked us on Twitter about games to check out for iOS. Here are some we mentioned on the show…

Dimensions: Adventures in the Multiverse  

King of Dragon Pass

Moxie 2 HD

De Steno Games

And Alena recommends the Apple Vis  website to find out more about accessible games and apps.

Mailbag

We had a question come in about Logic Express accessibility, however, the link below may shed some light on the future of that program for the mac.

Logic Pro comes to the Mac App Store, Logic Express Dropped In The Process

Contact Us

Need more news, info or want to follow the hosts of show online?

You can find the official Twitter feed for the show by following us here

You can follow Alena Roberts on Twitter

You can find Peter Bossley on Twitter with this link

And Buddy Brannan can be found here

You can email the show at resources@serotalk.com

And Please subscribe or rate our show on iTunes