[Electronics-talk] aps for IOS device

Fri Mar 22 18:05:23 UTC 2013

I had the same reaction when I read Kendra'ss message. I will add that
Apple Maps, Google Maps and MapQuest are all accessible and free GPS
apps for the iPhone. Navigon, which is not free, is also very popular
among blind iPhone users.

I think Ashley would get more and better information from an iPhone
list, although there will still be some differences of opinion on things
like the best GPS app. applevis.com probably also has the information
Ashley is looking for.

On 22/03/13 11:13, Baracco, Andrew W wrote:
> Kendra,
> 
> Some of what you say is simply not true.
> 
> There are many blind people who are successfully using their iPhone for OCR, color identification, and scanning bar codes. Apps being used by blind folks for OCR include Say text, Text Detective, and Prizmo. There is an app called Color Visor that does a fair job of color identification, and an app called Digit-Eyes that will read bar code info. Using the iPhone for tasks like OCR presents some of the same issues that are presented by using the KNFB Reader, namely, holding the device at the precise distance and angle required to get a good picture. There is a new product called the Standscan that has been designed to address this problem. It is basically a box with one side open. You place your iPhone or whichever device that you use for this purpose on the top. There is a hole that lines up with the camera lens on the device. The device sits about 12 inches above the bottom of the box. You slide the reading material into the bottom of the box. The Pro model has built in LED lights 
that are powered by either batteries or a AC adapter is included. After placing the device and the reading material in their places, you launch the OCR app and follow its instructions to take the picture. The Standscan Pro costs about $30. I have both an iPhone 5 and a KNFB reader, and find the results of scans to be about equal. 
> As for GPS, at this time there is no accessible solution that gives you all of the capabilities of a product like Sendero for the Braillenote, but this will soon change, as Sendero will soon be releasing a product for the iPhone. But if all you need is information about where you are and what is around you, there is a plethora of free or very inexpensive apps that provide this info.
> 
> Kendra, I am curious as to whether or not your comments come from your own experience, or what someone told you.  In any event, the information you imparted in your post is wrong, and could give someone the wrong idea about the capabilities of the iPhone.
> 
> Andy
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Electronics-talk [mailto:electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kendra Schaber
> Sent: Thursday, March 21, 2013 9:10 PM
> To: Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances
> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] aps for IOS device
> 
> There are no accessable scanning apps for blind people that I know of. The best GPS app is called GPS Drive. There are no good bar coad reading apps that I know of. I also don't know of a good color app. I do know of a good object identafier app called Tap Tap See which if you take a picture, it tells you what you got for a picture. The object of this app is to help you find objects around the house or while you are in a place that doesn't allow you to explore in other ways besides site.
> Kendra
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ashley Bramlett" <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
> To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances" 
> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, March 10, 2013 6:23 PM
> Subject: [Electronics-talk] aps for IOS device
> 
> 
>> Hi all,
>>
>> For those of you using an I device, which free aps do you find helpful?
>> Are there aps for scanning, bar code recognition, and color 
>> identification?
>> How about GPS aps?
>>
>> I’m asking because I intern in a section 508 office and they want to 
>> do an outreach session on accessible aps for disabled people. This 
>> includes blindness and two other disabilities.
>>
>> Thanks.
>> Ashley
>> _______________________________________________
>> Electronics-talk mailing list
>> Electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> Electronics-talk:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org/baltimor
>> e777%40comcast.net
>>
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Electronics-talk mailing list
> Electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Electronics-talk:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org/andrew.baracco%40va.gov
> _______________________________________________
> Electronics-talk mailing list
> Electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Electronics-talk:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org/chaltain%40gmail.com
> 

-- 
Christopher (CJ)
chaltain at Gmail