[Blindtlk] MusicDock: an accessible alternative to the SiriusXMapp for iOS (fun)
Chris Nusbaum
dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com
Mon Oct 1 00:35:37 UTC 2012
Hi Jasmine,
To post to the list, the email address is accessible-ios at googlegroups.com.
HTH,
Chris
-----Original Message-----
From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Jasmine Kotsay
Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2012 12:55 PM
To: Blind Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] MusicDock: an accessible alternative to the
SiriusXMapp for iOS (fun)
Hi,
Thanks! I have one more question. Now that I've joined the group, what
address do I send my questions to?
----- Original Message -----
From: christopher nusbaum <dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com
To: Blind Talk Mailing List <blindtlk at nfbnet.org Date sent: Sun, 30 Sep 2012
11:55:38 -0400
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] MusicDock: an accessible alternative to the
SiriusXMapp for iOS (fun)
Send an email to accessible-iOS+subscribe at googlegroups.com.
Chris Nusbaum
Sent from my iPod
On Sep 30, 2012, at 1:28 AM, Jasmine Kotsay <jasmine.kotsay at gmail.com>
wrote:
Hi,
How do you get on the Accessible IOS device list?
----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris Nusbaum" <dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com
To: <accessible-ios at googlegroups.com>,"'National Association of Blind
Students mailing list'"<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>, <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>,
<dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com Date sent: Fri, 28 Sep 2012 21:17:58 -0400
Subject: [Blindtlk] MusicDock: an accessible alternative to the Sirius
XMapp for iOS (fun)
Hi everyone,
Those of us who are on the Accessible iOS list and the NFB NABS list have
recently been talking about apps that we find to be especially useful, fun,
interesting and (most importantly) accessible. So, I thought I would add to
the discussion by describing one of my favorite iOS apps, which I think is
largely not known in the community of blind iOS users. As some of you know,
I have been a subscriber to Sirius XM Satelite Radio for about 3 years now,
and have always wanted a way to listen to my favorite channels when I'm away
from home and my Sirius receiver. Although I still haven't found an
accessible way to do this on the PC, I have found a way to do it on my iPod
Touch! The app is called MusicDock, and it is an accessible alternative to
the Sirius XM app for iOS, which (at least in the US) is inaccessible with
VoiceOver.
The app can be downloaded for free in the app store and is very easy to set
up. Once you have downloaded and installed the app, a log-in screen will
appear the first time you open the app. On this screen, you are required to
type in the username and password for your Sirius XM account.
Please note
here that you must have a current Sirius XM subscription with Internet
radio enabled in order for MusicDock to work. Otherwise, you can't access
the streams of the channels and MusicDock will not let you log into and use
it.
Once you have entered your Sirius XM username and password, a one-finger
flick right will bring you to a login button. Double tap on this button and
(assuming your username and password are valid) you will be logged into the
app and can now listen to all Sirius XM channels on your iOS device.
It is also very easy to find and listen to a channel using MusicDock. When
you first log into the app, if you scroll down the screen you will hear a
list of categories; pop, rock, country, news/talk, sports, etc.
These are
the categories that Sirius XM channels are grouped into. Double tapping on
one of these categories will bring up a list of channels that are in that
category. Scroll down the screen by either touching or flicking to the
right to find the channel you want to listen to, then double tap on the
name of the channel to tell MusicDock to load the stream. Within seconds,
the stream will load and you will hear what is on the channel you selectet.
For those
of you who use the TuneIn Radio app to listen to terrestrial
(local) radio
stations, finding a channel with MusicDock is very similar to finding a
station on TuneIn.
If you don't want to list your channels by category, there are other
options as well. Like a lot of iOS apps, MusicDock has 5 tabs at the
bottom of the screen where you can change what you are viewing or which
part of the app you are in. Here are the 5 tabs in order from left to
right, with descriptions of what each one does in parentheses: categories
tab (lists channels by category; double tapping on a category will bring up
a list of
channels,) channels tab (brings up a list of all the channels; double tap
on the name of a channel to listen to it,) favorites tab (shows your
favorites, or presets; double tap as always on a channel to listen to it,)
play tab (shows channels you have recently played,) and settings tab (shows
your settings for MusicDock; you can change these if you'd like, but I have
mine at the defaults and it's working very well for me.) Below the play
tab, there is a button that VoiceOver will read as "tab bar play (or stop
if you are currently listening to a channel) button. Double tapping on
this button will play or pause the selected channel. A two-finger double
tap will also work for this.
I mentioned the favorites tab earlier. Another nice feature
of MusicDock is the "favorites" feature, which allows you to put all the
channels you listen to the most in one easy-to-get-to list, like setting
presets on a radio. To add a channel to your favorites, scroll down the
screen while you are listening to the channel you want to add until you come
to what VoiceOver will read as the "favorite off" button. If you double tap
on this button, the button label will change and VoiceOver will say
"favorite selected button." Once you have done this, all you have to do to
access a channel you've added to your favorites is to double tap on the
favorites tab at the bottom of the screen, scroll until you find the channel
you want, and double tap to listen to it.
I hope this description and tutorial help some of you who
might be interested. MusicDock is certainly one of my favorite apps and one
that I use regularly. If you have any questions about this app, please let
me know. I hope you enjoy MusicDock if you choose to download it. Happy
listening!
Chris Nusbaum
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