All News and Views

HIMS has released a patch for the firmware in its Braille Sense line of notetakers. The new 8.5 patch adds a special Exam Mode for students taking standardized tests and gives the user the ability to connect to both a USB and Bluetooth device simultaneously in the Terminal For Screen reader. The patch also fixes email access with some email providers and enhances the Youtube app.

The bigger story for older Braille Sense owners is that this will be the last firmware update for owners of the Braille Sense PLUS, Braille Sense PLUS QWERTY and Braille Sense OnHand. The Braille Sense Plus was released in 2008, the QWERTY Plus in 2009, and the OnHand in 2011. If you wish to upgrade your Braille Sense using the online method, from the Main menu, press U for Utilities, and yoU again for upgrade firmware. As with all firmware updates, this one is also free.Check the source link for more details, including a link to the official release notes.

The developer behind Chicken Nugget, qRead, and qCast, has officially launched Captcha Be Gone, a way to bypass those pesky visual challenges which ask you to type the letters you see. For an interview with Christopher Toth, and to learn more about the project, you can listen to episode 51 of the BBQ.

Another app has launched which hopes to be able to provide sighted assistance to people who are blind. Bespecular, is an app which allows you to take a picture, and then record a question regarding that picture either through text or by recording a question via audio. The picture and question will then be submitted to sighted volunteers who can assist with your question. It's also possible to take multiple pictures of the same item and to get multiple answers regarding the same question. Sighted volunteers will then respond with an audio answer to the question, and you then have the opportunity to rate the assistance they provided. At this time, there appears to be no way to get answers delivered in textual format, though the company stated on its website that this app is now in a public preview format. A source link is to a podcast with a walk-through of the app for iOS. It states that the app will always have a free version, and that it will be entirely free to use until the end of 2016. Bespecular is a free download in the iOS App Store, and is also a free download on the Google Play store It does require the creation of an account before you are able to use it, but this process doesn't appear to have any issues. Have you used this app yet? Feel free to leave your experiences in the comments section.

If you are attending either the ACB or NFB conventions, the pricing [I wrote about earlier]http://www.blindbargains.com/bargains.php?m=15384) Freedom Scientific is offering deep discounts on many of their products. While this is still the case, it's also true of AI-Squared products. As we know, AI-Squared was acquired by the VFO Group earlier this year. As such, the discount is similar to the group's other software packages. For example, for a new copy of ZoomText Magnifier/Reader, attendees will pay $75. If you want Zoomtext Fusion, you will pay $100. Check the source link for further details and other discount options from AI-Squared.

Canada has ratified the Marrakesh Treaty, becoming the 20th country to do so. This follows the signing of the treaty by Ecuador and Guatemala earlier in the week. Canada's ratification was done Thursday, which also marks the 2 year anniversary of India passing the treaty, which was the first country to do so. The ratification of this treaty will bring many advantages to Canadian citizens with print disabilities.

As I reported earlier this month, the developers of the social media platform VORail were seeking funding for the development of an Android version of the app. Though at the time of this writing, only $1729 of the $10000 goal has been reached, it appears the developers have begun work on the Android version of the app. It is, like its iOS counterpart, free of charge, but is limited to only using the questions and answers tabs of the system. In a statement recorded on VORail announcing its availability on the Google Play Store, Tom Rosenthal said that it was a "placeholder" version only, and that they were looking for feedback from Android users as to what feature to begin building next. Check out the source link to download the Android version.

As part of a business deal earlier this year, HumanWare has officially announced the availability of the new Romeo 60 and Juliet 120. These product lines were brought out of retirement, [as J.J. reported in the spring, Enabling Technologies, now distributed of Humanware sent out a teaser email prior to CSUN hinting that the Juliet may return. It now has, along with the Romeo. According to the press release, the new embossers feature wireless printing over Wi-FI, the ability to produce tactile graphics, and a built-in translator. The Romeo 60, a single sided embosser, sells for $3495. The new Juliet 120, which can produce double sided embossed documents sells for $4495.

The developers of Vorail, a rather popular social networking type app which just uses your voice, are looking to bring this platform to Android by raising money through a Kickstarter Campaign. At present, the app is a free download in the iOS App Store. Using voice only (there is no text, video, pictures etc), the app seeks to generate discussion by allowing users to pose questions which other users can respond with answers if they feel like joining the discussion. The app does not require you to give your phone number or to create a password, as it is associated with your iCloud account. At the time of writing, the campaign has raised $1659 of it's goal of $10,000. There appears to be no indication from the developers as to whether the development of an Android app will take place if the financial goal is not met, though the Kickstarter campaign says it will not be funded if the $10,000 amount is not achieved by July 18. For more information, please see the Kickstarter Campaign which also lists several podcasts interviewing the developers and a podcast demonstrating how the app works.

One of the mentions in Monday's Apple WWDC keynote was the addition of Sling TV, a subscription service that brings over 20 popular channels to your device for $20 per month. With this news came the announcement of a promotion that new subscribers can receive a 32GB Apple TV for $89 when three months of service is paid for in advance ($60). This is a $209 value as the device itself sells for $149. You're basically receiving a free three month trial with a purchase of an Apple TV.

Sling TV offers over 20 channels in its base package that includes ESPN, HGTV, TBS, TNT, and more. You can add up to an additional 65 channels such as HBO, Cinemax and more. If you ve been looking to cut the cord, this is a great way to get started. Use the provided link to take advantage of this offer. Note some users report having accessibility issues with this app as it currently stands.

A video was posted as part of Apples World Wide Developer Conference, which discusses a few new accessibility features in the soon to be released Apple operating systems. A summary of the video is provided below.

NV-Access has released NVDA 2016.2.1, which fixes a bugs in Microsoft Word. It also removes their grammar reporting feature in order to correct the issues. This was done in response to Windows XP users having Word crash on start up. Like NVDA itself, the screen reader is free, though donations are encouraged. If you are using the grammar feature successfully, as this is the only fix in 2016.2.1, it may be worth considering skipping this update.

If you live near Redmond Washington, and use twitter with a screen reader, Microsoft is interested in observing you using Twitter. They will allow you to use your platform of and client of choice, and will then ask you questions related to this activity. Participants will receive a $75 Amazon gift card, and will be reimburse for a taxi ride to their office. They didn't list any limit on the amount they would compensate for the taxi ride, though it's unlikely they would fund your ride if you live in Miami, for example. Follow the source link to get in touch with Microsoft if interested.

The following was posted by AI Squared's Doug Geoffray on the Window-Eyes Talk Email discussion list about the VFO acquisition of AI Squared. We've included the complete message below.

With news that is sure to have ripple effects across the assistive technology landscape, VFO, the company which was formed last November to manage the Freedom Scientific and Optelec brands, has added AI Squared to its portfolio.

Adding the brand, product portfolio and capabilities of Ai Squared to VFO gives us the broadest portfolio in the industry, unmatched global distribution and market leading customer support, said John Blake, CEO and President of VFO and former President of Freedom Scientific. The combined company will offer customers the industry's most recognized screen magnification solutions, ZoomText and MAGic, and screen reading solutions, JAWS, ZoomText Fusion and Window-Eyes, next to the broad portfolio of video magnifiers, scan and read solutions, and refreshable Braille displays.

Amedia Corporation, a Japanese assistive technology company, has released an rebranded and updated version of its OCR app for iOS. Amedia Live Reader offers realtime OCR in a variety of languages and can be used to read both printed documents and objects further away such as street signs, according to the press release.

As I reported in March, the RNIB hosted their region's version of the Onkyo Braille Contest. However, if you were looking to enter the contest and live in North America, for example, you couldn't enter in to the contest at that time.

The National Federation of the Blind released the agenda for their 2016 convention on Wednesday. While it's packed with info, just like each year, there is also another headline here.

Registration is now open for those who are interested in attending the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) conference in Orlando. The 2017 edition will be held from January 19--21 in Orlando. Saturday will be a half day, while Thursday and Friday will be full days. Attendee registration prices start at $100 for a half day Saturday and go up from there. More information can be found on the registration fees page.

If you wish to attend the entire conference, and feel you would be well suited to a presentation, you can earn a discount by contributing to the conference itself. If this is an idea you want to pursue, the call for presentations remains open until June 17. Find out more information by going to the above link. While we won't be able to bring you the warmer weather if you can't attend, Blind Bargains will bring you information from the conference as it happens.

Eone Time continues to release variations on the Bradley, the tactile watch which uses magnetized ball bearings to allow a blind person to identify the current time. The new bradley Element features a 3-dimentional surface at a premium price. According to the description, "The topography of the watch face contours toward each marker in alternating raised and lowered impressions. The redesigned case body is engineered from highly durable, scratch-resistant ceramic and is coated with a PVD plating, adding an extra level of durability." It also features an adjustable, stainless steel mesh strap and an all-black matte finish. The Element will ship in early June for $395. Follow the source link to learn more or to place an order. Thanks to Ka for the tip.

Let's Play videos are a popular trend where gamers will post videos of titles they're playing so others can watch and follow along. Now, a YouTube poster who calls himself Matt has started a new series of Let's Play videos which do the same thing, but with audio descriptions of the action. The Games for Everybody YouTube channel currently features several walkthroughs of his first title, Undertail, a role-playing video game nominated for several awards. Matt both describes the scenes that play out during the game and also reads text that appears.