[Electronics-talk] FYI, ATTENTION ANDROID CELL PHONE USERS.....

Christopher Chaltain chaltain at gmail.com
Tue Apr 17 17:33:19 UTC 2012


The URL to the web site for Code Factory's mailing lists is:
http://codefactory.es/en/list.asp?id=357

On 17/04/12 12:17, fred olver wrote:
> Jenny, I looked at Beverley's message and only found an email address for 
> code factory sales. I'm betting, though, if you go to their website it would 
> be listed there. Here is the email I found at the bottom of her message.
> 
> sales at codefactory.es
> 
> Their web address is:
> 
> http://codefactory.es/en/
> 
> Fred Olver
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Jennifer Perdue" <jlperdue3 at gmail.com>
> To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances" 
> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2012 11:06 AM
> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] FYI, ATTENTION ANDROID CELL PHONE USERS.....
> 
> 
> Hi,
> 
> Could you send me a link with the code factory android list please?
> 
> Also, do all Android phones just have qwerty keypads on them or can you find 
> ones with standard number pads?
> 
> Thanks for your help.
> 
> Jenny
> On Apr 17, 2012, at 10:08 AM, Beverly Hunter wrote:
> 
>> Product Evaluations
>> An Evaluation of Code Factory's Mobile Accessibility for Android
>> J.J. Meddaugh
>>
>> Just a few short months ago, the accessibility of Android phones was shaky 
>> at best. While Google and others had developed some methods for basic 
>> access to the Android operating system, these options were really only 
>> suitable for advanced users who didn't mind tinkering to make everything 
>> work. In addition, some common features, such as Android's built-in Web 
>> browser and calendar, remained completely inaccessible to a blind or 
>> visually impaired user.
>>
>> Perhaps one of the biggest recent advancements for Android accessibility 
>> is the introduction of Mobile Accessibility for Android from Code Factory, 
>> the producers of the popular Mobile Speak software for Symbian and 
>> Windows-based cell phones.
>>
>> Mobile Accessibility provides a two-pronged accessibility solution: a 
>> homegrown suite of applications, and a screen reader for the phone. This 
>> review looks at version 1.2 of Mobile Accessibility, and evaluates how the 
>> software performs a variety of tasks. (In the interest of full disclosure 
>> I'll mention that I was a beta tester for this product.)
>>
>> Compatible Phones
>> Mobile Accessibility works with any phone running version 2.1 or later of 
>> Google's Android operating system; phones running Android 2.2 will have 
>> access to Google's speech recognition services. Most new Android phones 
>> available from the major U.S. wireless carriers run at least version 2.1, 
>> but it's a good idea to double check before buying the software. For 
>> reasons I'll explain below, it's essential to have a phone that includes 
>> either a D-pad (an optical button that allows you to arrow around the 
>> screen) or some other form of arrow keys. A physical QWERTY keyboard is 
>> also highly recommended for optimal use. Unfortunately, these two 
>> requirements greatly limit the number of functional phone choices, though 
>> there is at least one compatible option from each of the four major 
>> carriers. It's probably best to visit a cellular phone store to try out 
>> the various options hands-on, as some models include more tactile features 
>> than others.
>>
>> Installation and Initial Set Up
>> Like most Android applications, Mobile Accessibility is installed through 
>> the Android Market, available from virtually any Android phone. The app 
>> can be installed using the phone itself or by visiting the Android Market 
>> website. Unfortunately, it's still generally not possible to enable the 
>> phone's accessibility features without sighted assistance. In my case, I 
>> talked a store employee through the necessary steps to enable speech, but 
>> this remains one of the biggest disadvantages of Android versus the 
>> iPhone. Once this initial hurdle is overcome, sighted assistance should 
>> not be needed again.
>>
>> Getting Help
>> Code Factory offers several methods for obtaining help with using Mobile 
>> Accessibility. The software manual is available on its website, and 
>> through a direct link in the software. Code Factory also offers a mailing 
>> list where questions and suggestions can be posted.
>>
>> The Suite
>> Mobile Accessibility essentially replaces your phone's default screen with 
>> a launch pad for a suite of 10 homegrown and completely accessible apps, 
>> including a phone dialer, contacts manager, alarms, Web browser, mail 
>> client, calendar, and a simple GPS app. Other applications on the phone 
>> can be launched from the program as well.
>>
>> Mobile Accessibility uses Nuance Vocalizer as its speech engine. 
>> Currently, there are only two voice options—male voices for U.S. and U.K. 
>> English—and you must choose your desired voice upon purchase; there is no 
>> way to switch between voices. Code Factory has stated that versions of the 
>> software for other languages are planned for the near future. Overall, the 
>> speech was very responsive when pressing keys or navigating among menus. 
>> The pitch, speed, volume, punctuation level, and other voice settings can 
>> be adjusted from within the app.
>>
>> The suite provides access to the majority of day-to-day mobile device 
>> functions and is designed so the same gestures and commands work across 
>> all apps.
>>
>> Navigation
>> You navigate using the phone's touchscreen or by using the d-pad or arrow 
>> keys, and you explore the current screen by simply sliding a finger around 
>> it; Mobile Accessibility announces the item under your finger as you move. 
>> Tap the screen twice to select an item. A variety of gestures (specific 
>> movements by a finger or fingers) on the touchscreen can be used to 
>> navigate around the screen, and for tasks such as moving between menus and 
>> lists, jumping to the top or bottom of a list, or selecting items. A 
>> triple-tap gesture (tapping the screen three times in rapid succession), 
>> opens a special pop-up menu of commands. These include options pertinent 
>> to the current screen as well as global commands like adjusting settings 
>> or viewing system notifications. This is also where you can check the 
>> phone's status, including battery and signal strength and the current date 
>> and time. If you ever get stuck, the Home button can be pressed to return 
>> to the Mobile Accessibility main screen.
>>
>> Making and Receiving Calls
>> With all of the advancements in smartphones in recent years, we often 
>> forget about the original purpose for the phone: to make calls. The Mobile 
>> Accessibility phone dialer allows you to input numbers by using either the 
>> touchscreen or a physical keyboard. If the touchscreen is used, you simply 
>> slide to the desired digit and then lift up your finger to select. Slide 
>> to the "Dial" button and then double tap to place the call. Alternatively, 
>> the phone's list of contacts can be browsed in order to find a person to 
>> call. While on a call, the phone's touchscreen can't be accessed, so it's 
>> recommended that you buy an Android phone with a hardware keyboard in 
>> order to work around this limitation.
>>
>> When receiving calls, you can double tap anywhere on the screen to hear 
>> the name or number of the person who is calling. Then, slide your finger 
>> from the bottom of the screen to the top to answer the call, or do the 
>> reverse to ignore it. Mobile Accessibility also presents an accessible log 
>> of recently received, missed, and placed calls.
>>
>> The Contacts Manager includes a basic array of options for creating, 
>> editing, and viewing contacts. Android contacts also sync with your Google 
>> account, so you can enter contacts through the phone or Google's website. 
>> Navigation between contacts is straightforward, and a physical keyboard 
>> can be used to type a few letters of a name you are looking for to quickly 
>> retrieve contact information.
>>
>> Web and E-mail
>> One of the places where Mobile Accessibility for Android shines is its 
>> built-in Web browser. The app presents webpages using a virtual buffer, 
>> similar to the technique employed by Windows-based screen readers. You use 
>> a variety of commands to navigate pages and it's possible to move forward 
>> and backward through a webpage by headings, links, tables, or other common 
>> elements. Forms can be filled in by selecting the appropriate fields and 
>> choosing Enter to type in the required information. Overall, the Mobile 
>> Accessibility browser experience is polished, and most of the sites 
>> visited for this evaluation were navigable. There was some difficulty when 
>> handling downloadable content such as MP3 files or streaming video; 
>> hopefully, this will be addressed in a future update.
>>
>> Mobile Accessibility also includes a built-in e-mail client that allows 
>> you to browse through your inbox, send mail, and navigate folders. While 
>> this works well for those using a Google-hosted e-mail account such as 
>> Gmail, it is currently incompatible with other mail providers. For those 
>> affected by this limitation, an accessible and free third-party 
>> alternative e-mail client called K-9 Mail is available from the Android 
>> Market.
>>
>> Other Apps
>> The Mobile Accessibility Calendar can sync to Google Calendar and allows 
>> for adding, removing, and viewing events. This is an important addition as 
>> the default calendar included with Android is largely inaccessible for 
>> most users with visual impairment or blindness. The SMS app allows for 
>> sending and receiving text messages while the alarm app allows for setting 
>> one-time or repeating alarms.
>>
>> A basic GPS app called Where Am I offers a simple way to determine your 
>> current location. Once the app is launched, the current address (or 
>> approximation), is spoken. By default, the app will speak every time your 
>> location changes, providing a method for knowing when it is time to get 
>> off the bus, for example.
>>
>> The Screen Reader
>> The second part of Mobile Accessibility for Android is a screen reader for 
>> the phone. The screen reader provides access to hundreds of apps available 
>> on the Android Market, offering advanced users numerous possibilities for 
>> exploration. Due to Google's accessibility implementation, however, the 
>> screen reader is not able to overcome some limitations in accessing the 
>> touchscreen. While this lack of access is unfortunate and certainly needs 
>> to be addressed, many Android applications also allow for navigation and 
>> input using the keyboard or arrow keys, which is largely why we recommend 
>> a phone that includes these features.
>>
>> Mobile Accessibility's screen reader offers a few advantages over free 
>> alternatives such as Talkback or Spiel. First, some may prefer the Nuance 
>> voices over the options available with other screen readers. These voices 
>> only work from within Mobile Accessibility and can't be used with another 
>> screen reader. Mobile Accessibility also includes a virtual keyboard for 
>> entering text using the touchscreen and direct access to Google's speech 
>> recognition service. These features can be utilized from third-party apps 
>> for quickly entering information.
>>
>> Suggestions
>> Though Code Factory should be commended for the number of features 
>> included in this version of Mobile Accessibility for Android, there is 
>> certainly some room for improvement. Third-party applications frequently 
>> launch a Web browser for presenting information and it's not possible to 
>> set the Mobile Accessibility browser as the default for those pages; you 
>> can only use Mobile Accessibility's browser within the app suite itself. 
>> It would also be nice if a user dictionary could be included to correct 
>> mispronounced words, and a way to label unlabeled graphics and buttons in 
>> third-party applications would be helpful. Also as stated above, the 
>> e-mail program would be more useful if it supported a wider array of 
>> e-mail providers.
>>
>> The Bottom Line
>> It's quite evident that Code Factory put a lot of thought into developing 
>> a product for the Android operating system, and many of the innovative 
>> approaches they've taken are useful and well-designed. For those looking 
>> for a simple Android accessibility solution with a consistent interface, 
>> the Mobile Accessibility suite is a good solution.
>>
>> With the use of Mobile Accessibility, it's possible for blind and visually 
>> impaired users to independently use an Android phone, though it's not 
>> possible to set up the phone independently. While Google has certainly 
>> made strides toward improving access to the Android platform, there is 
>> still progress that needs to be made, including a way for screen reader 
>> users to access the touchscreen and review on-screen content. Without 
>> these improvements, features like braille support or a review cursor will 
>> not be possible for Mobile Accessibility or any screen reader.
>>
>> Given the tools available to them, Code Factory has done an admirable job 
>> in this first version of the product, and since they have a history of 
>> frequent free upgrades, it's reasonable to expect that they will continue 
>> to improve on Mobile Accessibility for Android. Future improvements from 
>> both Code Factory and Google would serve to make Android a robust and 
>> complete accessibility solution. While Android does not include the 
>> out-of-the-box accessibility found in the iPhone, it may be worth a look, 
>> especially for users who prefer a physical keyboard or don't want to 
>> switch to a carrier offering the iPhone. In other words, Android's far 
>> from perfect, but with Mobile Accessibility, the proper tools, and a bit 
>> of patience, it's now a viable mobile device platform for users who 
>> require accessibility functionality.
>>
>> Product Information
>> Product: Mobile Accessibility 1.2.
>>
>> Price: 69 Euros, about $99 U.S.; available from the Android Market on your 
>> Android device, or through the Android Market website.
>>
>> Manufacturer: Code Factory S.L.
>>
>> Address: Rambla Egara, 148, 2-2
>> 08221 — Terrassa (Barcelona)
>> SPAIN
>> sales at codefactory.es.
>>
>>
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-- 
Christopher (CJ)
chaltain at gmail.com




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