All News and Views

Starting this month, users will receive a random promo each month on a topic voted on by Aira agents. Read on to find out more about the first promo and how to find out about new monthly promos.

As reported ffirst on Blind Bargains, Hims has announced the BrailleSense 6, a new braille keyboard notetaker with 32 cells.

It's the end of the line for the I.D. Mate bar code scanners. The email message below was sent out to I.D. Mate customers subscribed to an EnVision America list on January 15th.

Humanware has refreshed their lineup of braille displays, with two models which are much more feature-rich. Read on to find out all about the new Brailliant BI 20X and 40X series displays.

In an effort to understand how screen reader users choose different voices, the Microsoft accessibility team has released a survey. The survey asks questions about how and why users choose a voice, if different voices are used for different tasks, your level of experience with a screen reader, and more. This is a very comprehensive survey, with both selective response and short answer components, that thoroughly investigates the preferences of screen reader users.

Take the survey here

Accessible Apps has released Chicken Nugget version 4.71, bringing AI image descriptions, new sounds, keyboard discovery mode, more
Popular Twitter client Chicken Nugget recently received a major update, bringing improved image descriptions, new sounds, and other improvements. Read on for an in-depth look at what's new, and information about how to use the latest features.

The presidential inauguration ceremony and related events will be offered with audio description and other accessibility accommodations. Events start today at approximately 11:30 AM, with streaming links available from this page.

Timecrest a popular iOS game has a long-awaited sequel. Find out more about Ash and get a richer understanding of Alensia in this sequel game 4 years inthe making.

Recently, I have started using Blue Apron, a meal kit service which aims to help people get more experience cooking. Each week, a box of ingredients arrives, and we use the recipes found in the app to create new and exciting meals. Read more about the process below.

Let's Go Shopping started as an event to help shoppers and business owners connect during Covid-19. And, the biggest event yet is scheduled for this week, full of holiday deals.

BBQ In Review is our ongoing series of posts that attempts to capture some of the news that falls outside of our podcasts. Think of it as a raw feed of information which undergoes a miniaturization process for what topics that best suit our podcast format. In the past we have left the stories that did not make the cut part of Joe s endless scroll of tweets. But to save time, sanity and Doomscrolling social media for those who wish to avoid that kind of thing, welcome aboard and enjoy the pile of stuff below. Hopefully the reading of these articles will lessen the feeling of FOMO, Fear Of Missing Out, on all the new hardware coming to stores this holiday season.

Events in 2021 continue to switch to virtual formats due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The American Council of the Blind convention, originally scheduled for Phoenix, now joins this list.

The following was sent out today from convention coordinator Janet Dickelman:

What is Modafinil and what is it used for?

2. What you need to know before you start taking Modafinil.

3. How to take Modafinil

4. Possible side effects

5. Storage of Modafinil

6. Package contents and additional information

What Modafinil is and what it is used for?

Modafinil tablets contain the active substance modafinil, which belongs to a group of medicines known as psychoanaleptics.

Modafinil may be used in adults who suffer from narcolepsy to help them stay awake. Narcolepsy is a condition that causes excessive daytime sleepiness and a tendency to suddenly fall asleep in inappropriate situations (sleep attacks). Modafinil can improve narcolepsy and reduce the likelihood of sleep attacks although there may also be other ways to improve your condition and your doctor will inform you of these.

2. What you need to know before you start taking Modafinil
   Do not take Modafinil :

If you are allergic to modafinil or any of the other ingredients of this medicine.

If you suffer from irregular heartbeat.
If you have moderate or severe, uncontrolled high blood pressure (hypertension).

Warnings and precautions

Consult your doctor or pharmacist before you start taking modafinil if:

If you have or have ever had heart problems or high blood pressure. Your doctor will check you regularly while you are taking modafinil.
If you have ever had depression, depression, depression, severe anxiety, psychosis (loss of contact with reality), agitation, mania (hyperarousal or feeling extremely happy), sleeplessness, hallucinations (seeing, hearing or feeling things that are not there), delusions or bipolar disorder, because modafinil may make your condition worse.
If you have severe kidney or liver problems (since you will need to take a lower dose).
If you have had problems with alcohol or drugs in the past.
If you are currently taking hormonal contraceptives to prevent pregnancy, as this medicine may reduce their effectiveness. Your doctor may advise you to use an alternative method of contraception during treatment and even for two months after stopping treatment with this medicine.

Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine because it contains important information for you.

Keep this leaflet, as you may need to read it again.
If you have any questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
This medicine has been prescribed only for you and you should not give it to other people, even if they have the same symptoms as you, as it may harm them.
If you experience side effects, consult your doctor or pharmacist, even if they are not listed in this leaflet.

Google has rarely repeated themselves when it comes to doing the big reveal for their product or developer presentations. Yet today s 30 minute Launch Night In event was definitely as far as one could go on the opposite side of the energy spectrum of previous Blimp filled performances. And perhaps that was for the best as many of the products were confirmed, thanks to leaks and retailers breaking street dates, rather than announced. An update to the Chromecast line, an original Google Home replacement and two new phones were the stars of the program. While a few services did get a brief mention amongst the various staff driven vignettes.

Below you will find links to Google s own blog with the official details of today s announcements. Additionally, under those links, there is a collection of hands on information about the new products. Plus, a whole lot of Google related news that transpired earlier in the month looms further down the page.

Voting is important, in 2020 perhaps more so than ever. However, the ongoing COVID19 changes mean that this process looks different than it has in years past. Be My Eyes is making accessible voting information available by state in its app. See the text of the Be My Eyes email, and find out about some patriotic items available from the National Braille Press, below.

September seems to have gone a little crazy with hardware events. There was the typical Apple one, a soon to be had Google one, there was the PlayStation 5 And the Microsoft Series X Event. Not to be out done, or it is just multi-billion-dollar peer pressure at work, Amazon held a live event Of their own this week. Revisions to Echo, Fire and Alexa debuted alongside a few new Drones and services. Below are a collection of links summarizing all the recent announcements. Additionally, below that pile of news, you will find a secondary pile that covers more Alexa related information that surfaced prior to the rolling out of new devices.

A new online conference seeks to help educators stay on-trend with assistive technology.

A new software update is available for the BrailleNote Touch Plus. The new update adds the ability to open and read pdf's directly, sign in with google, user guide updates and more.

In our previous BBQ in Review articles we covered news, Interviews and a whole lot of tips to make up for lost time. Yet no true BBQ traditional show would be complete without a Last Word . Or has it happened to be for this post several Last Word entries. It s all here. Cats, food and YouTube clips galore. Enjoy this journey into the oddities of the world wide web that you have come to expect from us at the end of an episode.

Let's Go Shopping, a virtual small business showcase which lets you browse and buy from your couch, is back for round 3. Here's more info.