It has been said that technology has made the world smaller, but
for the blind or those with poor vision, iDevices are opening up a whole new
world. This AppList highlights some of the most innovative and entertaining
apps available to the vision impaired. Now, with the aid of an iPhone, the
blind can virtually see color, light, paper money and much more. Be on the
lookout for our new AppList: Entertainment Apps For The Visually Impaired. Did
we miss any? Feel free to send suggestions to Stella@AppAdvice.com
Ariadne GPS by
Giovanni Ciaffoni - $4.99
In a world that relies on visual clues to navigate, exploring a
city or taking a solo walk is no longer a challenge for the visually impaired.
Ariadne GPS is a new app that brilliantly meets the needs of the blind in an
easy to use interface. Talking maps allow you to explore the world around you
by moving your finger around the map. While exploring, crossing a street is
signaled by vibration. It has a favorites feature and can be used to announce
stops on the bus or train. Rotating maps keep you centered, with territory
behind the user on the bottom of the screen and what is ahead on the top
portion. Available in multiple languages, Ariadne GPS works anywhere Google
Maps are available. This is a must-have application for the visually impaired.
LookTel Money Reader by IPPLEX - $9.99
The United States Treasury was careful to mint each coin with a
unique size and edge. This way the value of each coin can be determined just by
touch. Unfortunately, with paper money this is not the case. Before the iPhone,
the visually impaired would have to rely on a sighted person to tell them the
denomination of each paper bill, then they would employ a special fold or other
tactile technique to remember. This is no longer necessary thanks to an amazing
application called LookTel Money Reader. Using just the camera on the iPhone,
LookTel flawlessly announces the denomination of paper money. The developer is
also working on other cutting-edge applications that will expand the technology
to reading labels and more.
Color ID Free by GreenGar Studios - FREE
Are there clouds in the sky? Is the iPod done charging? What
color are the pants I just tried on? Does this tie match? Is the tomato ripe
yet? Is this lip liner or eye liner? Is the sour cream moldy? Color ID Free is
here to answer all these questions and more. Just point the iPhone camera at
any item and it will announce the color for you. Brilliantly simple and easy to
use, this application will open a new world to those who cannot see. It is
amazingly accurate and can even find very subtle differences in color. It
offers a setting for basic colors, such as "pale yellow green" or more
advanced colors such as "fresh apricot." For our tests we found the
basic setting to be far more useful.
Light Detector by EveryWare Technologies - $0.99
This is a very handy app that simply emits a sound which
intensifies as a light source is found and approached. Light Detector will help
find any lights left on or locate windows and exits. Basic but functional, this
application does what is says and does it well.
Taxi Magic by RideCharge, Inc. - FREE
Did you ever wish you could order a taxi without having to deal
with calling a dispatcher? Would you love to know the current location of the
taxi as it approaches? With Taxi Magic you can book a taxi right on your iPhone
with ease for free. All it takes is a few taps of the screen and your taxi will
be dispatched. Taxi Magic can also track your taxi expenses for you.
Additionally, for a processing fee of $1.50, you can pay your taxi fare in
advance with a credit card! Taxi Magic works in over 4000 cities and is a
must-have for those who rely on taxi service.
Voice Brief - text to speech voice assistant for news email and
more by Dong Baik - $1.99
Voice Brief is a great utility for anyone, but for the vision
impaired it is particularly useful. With the touch of a button Voice Brief
reads your email, Twitter feed, weather, stock prices, RSS and Facebook feeds.
This time saving app is fully configurable and works flawlessly. The voices are
natural and clear. Are you interested but hesitant to spend the $3.99 on
VoiceBrief? Then we have great news! There is a free lite version so give it a
try at no risk.
VM Alert - Video
Motion Detector by Adam
Uccello - $1.99
Are you tired of your fellow employees startling you by
approaching quietly? Need a gentle warning that you are no longer alone? VM
Alert is a fantastic app that detects motion and warns you with either a mellow
tone or an alarm. It can also snap a photo when it detects motion. If you are
traveling and alone this app can give you peace of mind. We have an ancient
yellow labrador retriever who tends to sneak up to the window behind me as I
work and bellow out a heart-stopping bark. I found VM Alert to be 100% accurate
at warning me of his approach. I also used it to alert me when my teenager
arrived home in the evening.
HeyTell by Voxilate -
FREE
Remember walkie-talkies? HeyTell is the ultimate cross between
walkie-talkies and texting. It connects to people in your contacts list and
sends an email or text asking them if they want to communicate with you. Once
they accept, all that you need to do is press a button and speak. Once you
release the button your voice message is sent. The interface is clean and works
perfectly with VoiceOver. HeyTell is a great way to send a quick message and
communicate with one another on the run.
List Recorder by
Sixth Mode Solutions - $0.99
This feature-rich application allows users to record and organize
lists using audio or text. List Recorder is designed to integrate with
VoiceOver as well as Braille displays. Replay, sort, delete or email recordings
with ease using custom gestures such as tilt and tap. The recording quality is
excellent and the app has options such as a level meter, optional stereo and
your choice of recording formats. The light version, which limits the user to
10 seconds per recording, is a great way to test List Recorder. If you like it,
you have the option of buying the full version for $7.99 as an in-app purchase.
oMoby by IQ Engines - FREE
oMoby searches the Internet using photos taken with your iPhone
camera and works well with VoiceOver. We tested it by using a photo of our
laptop mouse. It correctly identified it as a Logitech mouse. We were then
presented with options to shop or search for more information. oMoby allows use
of images from the iPhone photo library and supports some code scanning. We
found it to be slower than using Google Search verbally, however oMoby could be
very useful because of its unique image recognition. Lastly, oMoby is free, so
you have nothing to lose by trying it.
VizWiz by ROCHCI -
FREE
Wish you had someone handy to tell you what something was or to
clarify something any time of the day or night? VizWiz is an amazing
application that is extremely effective. Simply take a picture of any object
and record your question. Then select whom you wish to send it to. Your choices
are Web Worker, IQ Engine, email or Twitter. Web worker is a human volunteer
who will review and answer your question. In testing we took a photo of a
bottle of foundation makeup. We then asked "Is there any sunscreen in this
foundation?" In less than 30 seconds we received an accurate answer from a
Web Worker "Yes, the foundation has 15 SPF sunscreen. Another choice for
response is IQ Engine, a character reader. The response from the IQ Engine was
to recite the product UPC code. While the IQ Engine was not accurate, we do see
where it could be handy for getting serial numbers or other numerical data.
Email allows you to send your question to someone you know from your contacts
and Twitter will tweet your question to your followers. We were impressed by
VizWiz, and did we mention it is free?
Evernote by Evernote -
FREE
Evernote has been around nearly since the beginning of the
AppStore. This powerhouse application stores voice notes, photographs and text
so that they can be accessed from multiple devices. Photographs are scanned for
text which can then be searched. Evernote has VoiceOver support.
Yellow Pages by
Avantar LLC - FREE
Yellow Pages is a free app that allows you to search via voice
for a business or person nearby. Once located, the number and information can
either be added to your contacts or called directly. It works in the United
States. It also has a ratings feature for businesses and offers movie times for
theaters.
Urbanspoon by
Urbanspoon - FREE
Use the GPS on your iPhone to find a great restaurant nearby.
Urbanspoon allows searching by type of food, ratings or distance, or you can
simply shake your iDevice to find a random eatery. Add reviews for others to
see when you go out. Urbanspoon takes the guesswork out of choosing a restaurant
and has full VoiceOver support.
Dragon Dictation by
Nuance Communications - FREE
If you are not fortunate enough to own an iPhone 4S with Siri,
Dragon Dictation is vital. Do not have time to use your iPhone keyboard with
VoiceOver? Simply speak, adding punctuation as needed verbally, and Dragon
Dictation will type it up in an instant and copy it to your clipboard. This app
has a small learning curve and is truly essential. Best of all it is offered
for free!
Awareness! The Headphone App by Essency - $6.99
For the visually impaired using headphones, Awareness! The
Headphone App, is essential. It allows you to listen to your headphones while
also hearing the sounds around you. It uses the microphone to feed in noises as
you listen to music or use another app. Hear a car approaching or a doorbell
ringing! Using Awareness, you will not miss those vital audio clues that keep
your day on track.
Alarmed ~ Reminders +
Timers by Yoctoville - FREE
It is important to be organized when visually impaired.
Unfortunately, many of the organizational apps are not VoiceOver friendly. On
the suggestion of a reader we tested out Alarmed ~ Reminders, Timers, Alarm
Clock. To our delight we found that it is a very user friendly app and is fully
accessible with VoiceOver. What makes it truly awesome to us it that it is
really several important apps in one. It has a robust notes area with reminders
and a "nag me" mode that is brilliant at repeating an alarm until you
shut it off. It has a multi-feature timer, alarm clock with snooze option and a
sleep alarm. All give a choice of a lot of sounds- many of which are fun and
off-beat. It also has a flashlight, if you triple tap on the open clock control
panel VoiceOver will say, "the flashlight is on." The app is offered
for free because the developer feels that people should be able to try out an
app before you buy it. Through an in-app purchase you can unlock advanced
features. For $1.99 you will get more alarm sounds as well as the ability to
set interval timers for doing repetitive chores, switching laundry or to just
get up and exercise. This app has a very well deserved 5 star rating.
WhatsApp Messenger by WhatsApp Inc. - $0.99
Would you love to have an accessible, easy texting app that
automatically adds your contacts from your address book? What if it had no data
limits and used your regular phone number so you would not have to remember
passwords or logins? Meet WhatsApp Messenger, a free and easy way to chat with
your friends as much as you want. It even allows group chats and saves any
messages you get while not on your phone or off the application so you never
miss a text.
WeatherBug by Earth Networks, Inc. - FREE
Need to know the local weather forecast? How about a warning for
severe weather so you will not be caught unprepared? WeatherBug offers
up-to-date weather reports and a forecast for the next 24 hours or the next
week. If you are a weather buff, it will even tell you the barometric pressure,
dew point and humidity.
AutoRingtone Pro Talking Caller ID Ringtones by No Tie, LLC
- $0.99
Wouldn't it be helpful to really personalize ring tones for each
of your contacts and have the ring announce the caller? AutoRingtone Pro Text
To Speech CallerID Ringtones allows you to do just that! It is fully accessible
via VoiceOver and the navigation and instructions are clear. You can even
choose from different voices and control the speed that the voice speaks.
Feeddler RSS Reader Pro by C.B. Liu - $4.99
Feeddler RSS Reader Pro is the ultimate RSS reader. It caches
articles for off line reading and allows you to star, unstar, mark all as read
and much more. You can add notes and lets you post to Facebook too. Pretty much
any feature you could hope for in your RSS reader, Feeddler has. It even works
with Evernote. This app came strongly recommended by our low vision readers,
and we could not agree more.
Talking Scientific
Calculator by Adam Croser - $4.99
Talking Scientific Calculator is just that, a talking scientific
calculator. It is easy to operate and very useful. It has different voices to
chose from or even allows you to record your own voice. There is a free version
to play with if you want to test it first. It works with VoiceOver for the
fully blind, or has a high contrast options for those with low vision.
Stitcher Radio by Stitcher, Inc. - FREE
Stitcher Radio allows you to create your own playable station of
all your favorite content. News like CNN, BBC, music and podcasts are organized
to listen to seamlessly like Pandora Radio. Stitcher also helps you find new
and interesting content by showing the other programs users are listening to.
Capti Web Player by Charmtech Labs, LLC. $2.99
** Please note that Capti is working on an upgrade to fix bugs that
effect voiceover. The update should be available soon. Please watch the Capti
AppStore Page for information.** Capti Web Player is a web reader that allow
you to create a "playlist" to read later. It works great with
Instapaper.com and eBooks such as those found on Gutenberg.org. It has a built
in browser and it is fully accessible with VoiceOver. Capti extracts main
content from web pages and automatically loads articles that are split into
multiple web pages. You can add a web page to the playlist by press-and-holding
a link to that web page (double-tap and hold with Voice Over).
VisionSim by Evil Genius Technologies - FREE
Having low vision can be frustrating, especially when friends and
family cannot relate. For those suffering from macular degeneration, diabetic
retinopathy, glaucoma or cataracts, there is now an app that will show sighted
people the world through your eyes. VisionSim, developed by the Braille
Institute, turns on the camera of the iPhone with filters the lens with
distortion that mimics the selected eye condition. On the screen for each
filter there is a "learn more" button with information. This app is
well though out and is offered for free.
Chime by
Blacktree - FREE
Do you miss the days of clocks and watches that chimed the current
time? It is easy to lose track of time, so when an AppAdvice reader suggested
Chime for this AppList I eagerly downloaded and set it. It has the option to
chime on the quarter, half or hour and there are different alerts to chose
from. Three are variations on a chirp and two are simulated human voices, one
female and one male. Chime is now always running on my iPhone and works great.
MotionX GPS Drive by
MotionX™ - $0.99
Navigon GPS used to hold this spot on our AppList until the
latest update rendered it inaccessible with VoiceOver. MotionX GPS is not
perfect but it will read turn by turn directions. It performed well while
walking. For $.99 you can test out the app for 30 days. After the trial period
there is an annual fee of $9.99. Additionally, several upgraded voices are
available, each as an in-app purchase.
5-0 Radio Pro Police
Scanner (Extra Feeds) by Smartest Apps LLC - $2.99
If you hear sirens approaching and are curious as to what the
emergency is, you now have an inside tool. Just turn on your iPhone and you can
use 5-0 Radio Pro Police Scanner to listen in on your local emergency bands.
Informative and interesting, 5-0 features live scanner feeds from over 35,000
fire, emergency, air traffic, railroad, police and more. If you want to test it
out there is a free version. This is a must-have app if you live in an area
that has the potential for natural disaster.
RxmindMe Prescription / Medicine Reminder and Pill Tracker by
RxmindMe, LLC - FREE
For those who take medication, Rxmindme Prescription / Medicine
Reminder and Pill Taker is a fantastic reminder app. It sends you alerts you
when it is time to take your medication and also will keep track of how many
pills you have left and when to re-order. It also has a medication database included.
It is VoiceOver friendly.
Glucose Buddy - Diabetes Logbook Manager w/syncing, Blood
Pressure, Weight Tracking
by Azumio Inc. - FREE
One of the unfortunate risks of being diabetic is loss of vision.
Keeping track of blood sugar levels is vital to remaining healthy, and Glucose
Buddy is here to help. This award-winning app allows users to manually enter
their numbers, exercise and food consumption into a log that is uploaded to a
private account at GlucoseBuddy.com. The online web site also has other
features such as an A1C estimator. If you are diabetic with low vision this app
is waiting to help you stay healthy.
TripIt - Travel Organizer by TripIt - FREE
Does traveling overwhelm you? It can be difficult keeping track
of your plans and information. Take the stress out of travel by using Tripit-
Travel Organizer. Simply forward your confirmation email to Tripit.com and
Tripit will create your itinerary right on your iPhone Tripit app. Tripit
recognizes confirmations from over 3000 booking sites for crusises, airlines,
concerts and other entertainment venues. It is integrated with email and
Facebook if you wish to share.
ColorDetect by
sunset software Ltd Liab. Co - $1.99
No comments:
Post a Comment