[Electronics-Talk] Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, May 6, 2021 - Volume 805

[Top Tech Tidbits]

Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, May 6, 2021 - Volume 805 Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, May 6, 2021 - Volume 805 The Week's News in Adaptive Technology https://toptechtidbits.com/ A Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd. Publication https://mvsltd.com/ About | Top Tech Tidbits. The world's #1 online resource for current news and trends in adaptive technology. Web Version | Read this volume of Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday online at: https://www.toptechtidbits.com/tidbits2021/05062021/. Share | Share this volume of Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday on Facebook: http://bit.ly/sharetidbits805. Spam Filter | You have received this email from Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd. because you are subscribed to receive the Top Tech Tidbtis for Thursday Email Newsletter. To ensure that you continue to receive the Top Tech Tidbtis for Thursday Email Newsletter please be sure to add the following email address to your Address Book, Email Contact List, Trusted Sender's List, and/or Safe Sender's List today: enews at toptechtidbits.com. This Week's Featured Advertisement: Top Tech Tidbits. The World's #1 Adaptive Technology Publication. Become A Future Sponsor By Joining Our Waiting List Today! This issue made possible by sponsorship support from: Dean Martineau @ TopTechTidbits.com, John Panarese @ MacForTheBlind.com, A.T. Guys @ ATGuys.com, Barry Scheur @ GuideLightsAndGadgets.us, American Printing House @ APH.org, LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired Adaptations Online Store @ Adaptations.org, Be My Eyes @ BeMyEyes.com, Dolphin Computer Access @ YourDolphin.com, HumanWare @ HumanWare.com, APH ConnectCenter @ APHConnectCenter.org, Freedom Scientific @ FreedomScientific.com and Commtech USA @ CommtechUSA.net. Dear Rolando, 1) Top 5 Most Clicked Tidbits From Last Week A.) Zoom Makes Changes Across All Platforms: (10.4% of all clicks.) https://www.maketecheasier.com/zoom-makes-significant-changes-one-year-into-pandemic/ B.) 9 Devices and Technologies That Will Soon Be Obsolete: (10.2% of all clicks.) https://www.idropnews.com/news/9-devices-and-tech-that-will-soon-be-obsolete/151060/12/ C.) Top 8 Apps That Are Helping the Blind and Visually Impaired To Navigate Better: (6.9% of all clicks.) https://www.makeuseof.com/apps-for-blind-and-visually-impaired/ D.) Apple Releases iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 Bringing Accessibility Fixes, Support for AirTag, Privacy Enhancements, and More: (6.1% of all clicks.) https://www.applevis.com/blog/apple-releases-ios-145-and-ipados-145-bringing-accessibility-fixes-support-airtag-privacy E.) 6 of the Best Alternatives to Audible: (5.3% of all clicks.) https://www.maketecheasier.com/best-audible-alternatives/ 2) JAWS Tip: Creating a Voice Profile Courtesy of Freedom Scientific: https://www.toptechtidbits.com/31.html 3) A Review of the Brailliant BI 40X Full text review as of April 23rd 2021. Courtesy of Scott Davert: https://www.helenkeller.org/hknc/review-brailliant-bi-40x 4) JAWS with Microsoft Office Tip: Using the Search in Microsoft Office Courtesy of Freedom Scientific: https://www.toptechtidbits.com/30.html 5) A Design Day Project with Vision: Students Create Improved Screen Reader for the Visually Impaired What's next for the screen reader? Could it be a marriage to AI? An annual rite of passage, Design Day is an opportunity for engineering students to prove that they can translate theoretical knowledge learned in classrooms and laboratories into creative, practical solutions to real-world problems. As part of this year's event on Tuesday, May 4th 2021, students from around the Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering will present their work to sponsors and mentors from industry, faculty members, clinicians, fellow students, and other guests through virtual live and recorded poster sessions and demonstrations. One computer science project that attendees will learn about is an artificially intelligent screen reader that reads webpage content out loud to users. But unlike most screen readers currently available, "A Set of Eyes" doesn't work mechanically to just read aloud loud whatever is hardcoded onto a webpage. Instead, it uses computer vision and a flexible user interface to create a more accessible—and natural—experience for users: https://www.cs.jhu.edu/2021/04/29/a-design-day-project-with-vision-students-create-improved-screen-reader-for-the-visually-impaired/ 6) ZoomText Tip: Creating a Voice Profile Courtesy of Freedom Scientific: https://www.toptechtidbits.com/29.html 7) Touching The News by Lighthouse For The Blind And Visually Impaired Sign up to receive tactile graphics files to print at home and surveys to vote on the next week's tactile graphic. TTN graphics are designed to be printed on ViewPlus Columbia or Delta, or similar: APH PixBlaster, IRIE BrailleTrac / BrailleSheet) and capsule paper (or Swell, PIAF, Zychem). The braille font and raised lines are specific to each embosser or tactile printer. Results may vary if printed on a different embosser: https://lighthouse-sf.org/ttn/ 8) AppleVis Unlimited: What's New and Noteworthy for April 2021 A recap of AppleVis important events during April: https://www.applevis.com/blog/applevis-unlimited-whats-new-and-noteworthy-april-2021 9) Resources for Accessible Crosswords This is the landing page of resources and instructions for the "Accessible Crossword Puzzles" session that occurred on Clubhouse on April 29th 2021: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vS79E4ZEn3bo8PPCuB1-C6Ded1cHG-frklh48RyLUydbu7JJfYFALEZeL1TwZ5OCiWFXaOCPv-ZsYEW/pub 10) Parallel #48: The Trouble with Accessibility Overlays This episode of the Parallel Podcast covers a hot topic in web accessibility: https://www.relay.fm/parallel/48 11) How to Answer Calls With Your Voice in iOS 14.5 Courtesy of Lifehacker: https://lifehacker.com/use-siris-ios-14-5-update-to-answer-calls-with-your-voi-1846774139 12) 10 Free Online Classes from Harvard to Learn Something New More classes are available, these are the ones the Mashable author highlighted: https://mashable.com/article/free-harvard-classes-online/ 13) Recent Additions to JAWS Tips and Tricks Page Brian Hartgen continues to add to this page. Some tips require Leasey, a package well worth using with JAWS, but many do not. Additions include Closing Applications Quickly, Adjusting the Volume of Applications, and Storing Internet Favourites: http://www.hartgen.org/tips 14) Global Accessibility Awareness Day May 20th 2021 This annual event keeps gaining content every year. Here is the main page: https://globalaccessibilityawarenessday.org/ 15) NV Access | In-Process April 30th 2021 Learn about NVDA training material, symbol pronunciation, and more: https://www.nvaccess.org/post/in-process-30th-april-2021/ 16) Brailliant BI 40X Version 1.1.1 This update includes localizations and hotkeys: https://support.humanware.com/en-usa/support/brailliant_bi_x_series 17) Build Your Professional Circle and Link Your Life to Success! Accessible LinkedIn This Access Tech Watch-360 podcast on LinkedIn kicks off a three-part series on gaining employment and using social media: https://accesstechwatch360.podbean.com/e/build-your-professional-circle-and-link-your-life-to-success-accessible-linkedin/ 18) When Screen Readers Are Not Enough. Two Interesting Technologies People Without Sight Can Use to Read The Stock Market Screen readers are a great assistive technology that are often used to accomplish tasks using the computer. These programs can process the text on the screen and read it out loud. Screen readers however are ineffective for consuming information in a graph. It may work for simple ones, but for more complex data, it's not enough. It doesn't work well in identifying the categories of data and trends. Two interesting solutions can help visually impaired users navigate the digital world better. Not only for analysing financial charts, but in other use cases as well: https://medium.com/technology-hits/two-interesting-technologies-people-without-sight-can-use-to-read-the-stock-market-208cd5a37d62 19) Amazon Alexa Now Supports RealSam Digital Hub for Blind People Blind and visually impaired people across the UK can now access the RealSam Smart Speaker via their Amazon Alexa device: https://www.accessandmobilityprofessional.com/amazon-alexa-now-supports-realsam-digital-hub-for-blind-people/ 20) New Research Shows Robotic Guide Dog Helps Visually Impaired People Even in Confined Spaces A robotic guide dog on a leash? You bet. Here's why: https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/30909/20210428/robotic-guide-dog-robotics-visually-impaired.htm 21) Hadley Keyboarding Series Workshops Three workshops available including "Keyboard Shortcuts," "Finding Keys Faster," and "Making Your Keyboard Easier To See". Learn shortcuts that eliminate the use of a mouse, ways to label the keys, and how to find your favorite keys with more ease in this series of free Workshops: https://hadley.edu/workshops/keyboarding-series 22) Google Fixes Two Annoying Quirks in Its Voice Assistant If you've interacted with a voice assistant, there's a good chance you've changed the specifics of your command mid-sentence. "Hey Google, set a timer for 20—no, 10 minutes." Until now, Assistant would've likely named your 10-minute timer "20, no." With the latest update, it understands you made a mistake, and that you just want 10 minutes on the clock: https://www.wired.com/story/google-assistant-redesigned-natural-language-understanding-models/ 23) Voice Dream Reader Version 4.13.0 Released, Bringing New Features and UI Changes A new version of Voice Dream Reader has been released, bringing new fonts, Bookshare changes, improved cloud services and more: https://www.blindbargains.com/bargains.php?m=22097 ➜ Press Releases and Other News 1) The Helen Keller National Center Announces the Techology, Research, and Innovation Center The Technology, Research and Innovation Center (TRIC) is a state of the art technology center for those who are DeafBlind located on the campus of The Helen Keller National Center in Sands Point, New York. While the Center is still under construction, they have announced the areas of TRIC that will work to serve the DeafBlind community: https://www.helenkeller.org/hknc/tric 2) Sports and Exercise Tips for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired From The Lighthouse Guild https://www.lighthouseguild.org/newsroom/sports-and-exercise-tips-for-people-who-are-blind-or-visually-impaired/ 3) Internet Radio: Listen to Music for Free From Thousands of Stations Internet-Radio has 21,514 live streaming internet radio stations from around the world, with 196 genres. Genres include Anime, Bollywood, Greek, Hindi, Tejano Dub, Kpop, Polka and more mainstream genres such as Classic Rock, Blues, Jazz, Country, Swing, Big Band, and music from the 50s through the 90s: https://www.techsupportalert.com/content/internet-radio-listen-music-free-thousands-stations.htm 4) Degree Launches Accessible Deodorant To Serve People With Disabilities Degree Deodorant has realized that people who are visually impaired, and people with upper limb mobile disabilities are also people who need to use deodorant. This week Degree Deodorant decided to intentionally serve these two groups of customers by introducing Degree Inclusive, a deodorant with a product design exclusively for people with visual impairment and upper limb mobile disabilities: https://www.forbes.com/sites/soniathompson/2021/04/30/degree-launches-accessible-deodorant-to-serve-people-with-disabilities/?sh=505644bf84de 5) Rosie Lowers Accessibility Barriers to Online Grocery Ordering E-commerce provider Rosie has met specific criteria to ensure people with disabilities can use its online platform. Rosie said it is one of the first grocery e-commerce providers to meet Level AA of the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. The e-commerce provider also said it scored 100/100 in the Accessibility Mode and 98/100 in default mode for Lighthouse, a tool for improving web page quality: https://www.grocerydive.com/news/rosie-lowers-accessibility-barriers-to-online-grocery-ordering/599373/ 6) Freedom Scientific Announces Module 9 of JAWS Training for Teachers and AT Instructors The ninth module of JAWS training for teachers and Assistive Technology (AT) instructors is now available: https://blog.freedomscientific.com/module-9-of-jaws-training-for-teachers-and-at-instructors/ 7) Guide Dogs Make All The Difference for the Visually Impaired Occupaws is an organization headquartered in Madison. They are one of 15 internationally accredited guide dog associations currently operating in the United States. What sets Occupaws apart from other guide dog organizations is they provide the dog to visually impaired people completely free of charge. There is an application and interview process if you'd like to receive an Occupaws guide dog: https://www.nbc15.com/2021/04/28/guide-dogs-make-all-the-difference-for-the-visually-impaired/ 8) Doubling Down on Accessibility: Microsoft's Next Steps to Expand Accessibility in Technology, the Workforce and Workplace https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2021/04/28/doubling-down-on-accessibility-microsofts-next-steps-to-expand-accessibility-in-technology-the-workforce-and-workplace/ 9) Intel and AI Developer Create Backpack That Helps Navigate Persons with Visual Impairment While the backpack is still not commercially available, development continues: https://globalaccessibilitynews.com/2021/04/22/intel-and-ai-developer-create-backpack-that-helps-navigate-persons-with-visual-impairment/ ➜ Featured Podcast Episodes 1) Blind Tech Guys 83 | Walking with NVDA April 28th 2021 | On this episode of the pod, the team sits down with Michael Curran and Quentin Christensen from NVAccess to learn more about them, and discuss the screen reader landscape, and Nimer demonstrates Google Calendar. https://www.blindtechguys.com/83 2) That Real Blind Tech Show 30 | Apple Updates and A Conversation with Academy Award Winner J.K. Simmons April 30th 2021 Brian starts the podcast off flying solo. Stupid people with day jobs. He discusses the new features in iOS 14.5, the new Siri voices which he is not a fan of, the new big privacy update, and gives you a That Real Blind Tech Show demo of some of the new things you can do with Siri and different podcast players: https://thatrealblindtechshow.libsyn.com/episode-29-apple-recap-its-the-best-jerry-the-best 3) Blind Android Users 20 | All About Notifications and Muslim Pro May 3rd 2021 https://blindandroidusers.com 4) Mosen At Large 120 May 4th 2021 Twitter Spaces from the perspective of a blind person using the VoiceOver screen reader: https://mosenatlarge.pinecast.co/episode/b2c9e475/twitter-spaces-from-the-perspective-of-a-blind-person-using-the-voiceover-screen-reader 5) Say My Meme | Star Wars Memes May 5th 2021 | May The Fourth Be With You! This week, Caroline and Will are joined by a special guest host – Caroline's husband, Justin – to unpack the wonderful and incredibly nerdy world of Star Wars memes. I've been waiting a long time for this, my little green friend! https://www.bemyeyes.com/podcasts/star-wars-memes 6) Eyes on Success 2119 | Accessible Cloud Technologies May 5th 2021 Pneuma Solutions offers a suite of accessible cloud services geared to the needs of the visually impaired. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with co-founders Mike Calvo (CEO) and Matt Campbell (CTO) about Sero as well as how Scribe for Meetings and Scribe for Education transform documents to make them accessible in a variety of formats for web events and personal use: https://www.eyesonsuccess.net/show%20notes/show%20notes%202119.htm ➜ Featured Webinars and Training Courses 1) Microsoft 2021 Ability Summit May 5th & 6th 2021 | The Microsoft Ability Summit is a two-day, free digital event experience that brings together people with disabilities, allies, and accessibility professionals to Imagine, Build, Include, and Empower the future of disability inclusion and accessibility. We encourage all to join and spread the word. Registration will open in March. In the meantime, learn more and check out the Ability Summit 2021 announcement video here: https://sway.office.com/Dbr2Uz14PIn31Dq8 2) Zoom Meeting | From The Andrew Heiskell Braille And Talking Book Library | Podcast Discussion -- 99% Invisible -- The Universal Page May 6th 2021 | 2PM PT, 3PM MT, 4PM CT, 5PM ET, 9PM GMT | Join The Heiskell Tech Team and guest patron Andrew Leland for a screening and discussion of 99 Percent Invisible: The Universal Page. In this podcast episode, Andrew explores his changing relationship to print and delves into the various historical and contemporary ways that blind and visually impaired people attain literacy. Join us at 5:00 PM Eastern to hear the podcast as a group, or listen to the podcast on your own and join at 6:00 PM Eastern for the discussion. Podcast link: https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-universal-page/. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Register in advance for this meeting: https://nypl.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUrfumvrjMrHdZE7-kk9tvqrOlpVsa6b7f1 3) TPGi Webinar | How Any Organization Can Start Small but Deliver Big with Accessibility May 6th 2021 | 9AM PT, 10AM MT, 11AM CT, 12PM ET, 4PM GMT | Creating and maintaining an accessible website can be a daunting proposition for many businesses for several reasons: • They aren't aware of the magnitude of how much remediation may be needed for their own website and aren't sure how to start assessing this. • They have limited resources to devote to accessibility-related activities. • They are not interested or unable to pay for expensive accessibility monitoring and testing software that caters to enterprise organizations. Register at: https://www.tpgi.com/webinar-may-6-how-any-organization-can-start-small-but-deliver-big-with-accessibility/ 4) Technology User Group (TUG) Presentation Cooking Blind May 8th 2021 | 7AM PT, 8AM MT, 9AM CT, 10AM ET, 2PM GMT | Many visually impaired food aficionados will share their tips and tricks for food preparation as well as gadgets, recipe resources, and instructional sites to make that perfect dish. All are welcome to come and share their experiences with cooking as well as the lessons they have learned. The presentation will be virtual and may be joined by calling (319) 527-4994 ☎. You do not have to RSVP for this event. The presentation will last about 90 minutes. We look forward to meeting with you and hope that you will join us for other exciting events we have planned for 2021. 5) All Virtual All Free 2021 National Coding Symposium May 11th 2021 to May 14th 2021 | Designed for you to attend all, or just what you can, this Zoom event targets middle and high-school students, parents, teachers and adaptive technology instructors. Co-hosted by American Printing House (APH) and California School for the Blind (CSB), professionals in the field of coding will share their experiences and answer student questions. Hear from inspirational speakers and panelists in presentations and question and answer sessions to learn more about careers related to coding. Teachers of students with visual impairments and assistive technology specialists can learn about ways to integrate accessible coding activities into their lesson plans. Parents can learn how to support their children with interests in this field. Emphasis is on accessibility of the coding process. Recordings will be posted to the APH YouTube Channel afterwards. All student participants who register and participate in the 2021 National Coding Symposium will be eligible to receive a free one-year subscription to JAWS, ZoomText or Fusion from Vispero. In addition, all students are invited to submit a short essay (500 word or less) and complete a simple form to be eligible to receive a credit of up to $3000 towards the purchase of technology from Vispero, Humanware, or APH and a $200 Amazon gift card. Details and registration information here: https://aphconnectcenter.org/coding/ 6) Video Accessibility with 3Play Media | Part 2 of 3 | Audio Description May 11th 2021 | 11AM PT, 12PM MT, 1PM CT, 2PM ET, 6PM GMT | This webinar will cover the basics of how to add audio description to online video, legal requirements for audio description, video player compatibility, examples and demos, how to create audio description, and benefits of audio description outside of accessibility: https://go.3playmedia.com/wbnr-05-11-2021-ad 7) Video Accessibility with 3Play Media | Part 2 of 3 | Live Captioning May 18th 2021 | 11AM PT, 12PM MT, 1PM CT, 2PM ET, 6PM GMT | In this webinar you will learn the basics of live captioning and how 3Play Media can help make your videos fully accessible, searchable, and more engaging for all viewers: https://go.3playmedia.com/wbnr-05-18-2021-live 8) Zoom Webinar by World-Renowned Apple Trainer and Consultant John Panarese and Apple Certified Support Professional (ACSP) Donna Jodhan May 22nd 2021 | 10AM PT, 11AM MT, 12PM CT, 1PM ET, 5PM GMT | Share your thoughts and suggestions as to how Apple can further enhance and improve its products to meet the requirements of blind and vision impaired persons. Share your dreams and visions as to how we can foster more collaboration with Apple. To register, please send an email to the following address no later than 12:00 Noon EST on Friday May 21st 2021: john at macfortheblind.com ✉ 9) Zoom Webinar | Florida Vision Technology | Florida Assistive Technology Presentation June 7th 2021 | 7AM PT, 8AM MT, 9AM CT, 10AM ET, 2PM GMT | Join Florida Vision Technology for a virtual presentation of the latest and greatest in Assistive Technology including the brand new Envision Glasses and other wearables Check out our most updated catalog of products: https://floridareading.com/downloads. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Register in advance for this webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_cDgpkD0BS4SivMVTMhsGug 10) National Federation of the Blind 2021 National Convention July 6th 2021 through July 10th 2021 | Register for free to attend the largest gathering of blind people and take advantage of the opportunity to network with thousands of blind role models, connect with leaders in the field of blindness, attend presentations on a variety of empowering topics, and learn about the latest in technology and innovation. Learn more and register here: https://www.nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention ➜ Surveys 1) Microsoft Screen Reader Experience Survey Close Date: May 14th 2021 | Microsoft is inviting users of screen readers to participate in a survey to collect information regarding which screen reader they use, how they use it, and their confidence level. Your responses will not be associated with any of your personal information. The survey should take around 15 minutes: https://microsoft.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bej7uHpmb9mN5Lo 2) Vispero Video Magnifier Survey Close Date: May 31st 2021 | Do you use our low vision hardware products? If so, we need your help! We want to make changes that ensure a hassle-free experience for you when using our products. Please take our three-minute survey to tell us what is most important to you. In appreciation of your feedback, you will be entered to win one of five Amazon gift cards. The grand prize is a $100 gift card, and the other four gift cards are $25 each. Take the Vispero Video Magnifier Survey today. The survey ends May 31. You must be 18 years of age or older to win the gift card. Vispero employees are not eligible to win. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VCKDB9P ➜ Directories 1) Top Tech Tidbits Blind And Visually Impaired Listserv Directory https://www.toptechtidbits.com/blind-and-visually-impaired-technology-listserv-directory.html 2) Top Tech Tidbits Blind And Visually Impaired Podcast Directory https://www.toptechtidbits.com/blind-and-visually-impaired-technology-podcast-directory.html ➜ Buy, Sell or Trade 1) FOR SALE: One Eye Scan Reading Machine Listing Date: 4/29/2021 | Price: $900.00 USD | Condition: Gently Used. | Description: Scan text and hear it read back to you. Offers storage capability of up to 20 pages in memory. Includes: Reader with Eye-Scan software installed, Flatbed Scanner, Custom Oversized Tactile Eye-Scan Keypad and internal speakers. | Contact: lauraofte52 at gmail.com ✉ or (510) 851-3716 ☎ | 2) FOR SALE: One HIMS QBraille XL 40 Smart Display Listing Date: 4/22/2021 | Price: $2,500.00 USD | Condition: New. | Description: A 40 cell display that has all the control keys found on PC/Mac. You can read/type in braille with the Perkins but not have to learn specific screen reader commands. USB/bluetooth, and it can take standalone notes, has a calendar etc. Reasonable offers OK. | Contact: therealvictormarques at gmail.com ✉ or (269) 358-8853 ☎ | 3) FOR SALE: One Buy, Sell or Trade Classified Ad (Just like this one.) Price: $5.00 USD | Description: List your new, gently-used or refurbished item in FOUR (4) consecutive issues of Top Tech Tidbits for just $5.00 USD. | Buy an Ad: Fill out this short 10-step form ✔ to secure your Buy, Sell or Trade Classified Advertisement today. | Learn more at: https://www.toptechtidbits.com/buy-sell-trade.html 🌐 | Top Tech Tidbits Sponsor Classified Ads: Sponsor: LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired Adaptations Online Store ➜ This Week's Classified Ad: LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired Adaptations Online Store Featured Products Revolution Cane Tip: Standard Roller Tip: $14.50 | Locator Dots: Small Pack of 6 (Clear or Orange): $2.00 | NFB Metal Cane Tip: $3.00 | TMAP - On Demand Tactile Street | Map (set of two maps): $25.00 | Ambutech Aluminum Folding Cane: $35.00 | NFB Chris Park Telescoping Cane: $45.00 | BoldWriter 20 Pen (Individual or 6-pack): $2.00 | Bump Dots: Mixed (50 count): $7.00 | Braille Apple Catalina VoiceOver Guide OSX 10.15 (3 volumes) - Latest Manual: $52.00 | SpeedDots iPhone Tactile Screen Protector, Phone Layout: $12.00 | NFB Chris Park 7-Piece Folding Cane: $50.00 | Visit https://adaptations.org/ to learn more today! Sponsor Since: October 1, 2020 Website: https://adaptations.org/ 🌐 Toll Free: (888) 400-8933 ☎ Local: (415) 694-7301 ☎ About: Founded in 1902, San Francisco's LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired promotes the independence, equality and self-reliance of people who are blind or have low vision. Adaptations is your online go-to for tools, technology, and accessible solutions for blind and visually impaired people. Sponsor: American Printing House (APH) ➜ This Week's Classified Ad: Where does your imagination take you? Embark on an audio adventure with APH and Audiojack - an app for iOS and Android devices, comprised only of sound designs that tell a story for your imagination! Perfect for all ages, Audiojack's sound-based movies promote fun and creativity in educational, medical, and therapeutic settings. Choose from a variety of categories and activities to suit your needs. Learn more at: https://www.aph.org/product/audiojack/ Sponsor Since: July 2nd 2020 Website: https://www.aph.org/ 🌐 Toll Free and Customer Support: (800) 223-1839 ☎ Phone: (512) 895-2405 ☎ Fax: (512) 899-2284 ░ YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/WENRlCNDsxQ 🎥 Free Apps & Actions from APH: https://www.aph.org/free-apps-from-aph/ 📱 About: Since 1858, the American Printing House for the Blind has operated in Louisville, Kentucky as the world's largest nonprofit organization, creating accessible learning experiences through educational, workplace, and independent living products and services for people who are blind and visually impaired. APH believes that the future belongs to everyone. By offering innovative products and services, APH opens up a door of opportunities for lifelong independence and success. Sponsor: Barry Scheur ➜ This Week's Classified Ad: A Month of Excitement. New Products For You: 1) A Telescopic cane you can trust! Will stay open AND NOT COLLAPSE, extends from 11 to 59 inches. Corrugated light aluminum tubing; 2 nylon roller tips: $50. 2) Our first rugged leather "gadbag". For phone, stream, wallet, and more, 5x7x4. Will even work hands-free with AIRA, $35. 3) Our accurate non-contact talking infrared thermometer, $50, also cuff and wrist talking BP models; demos at: https://www.guidelightsandgadgets.us/. 4) Our new loaded Evo 10 Daisy Player with Internet and FM Radio, Podcatcher, audio editor, Ivona voices, and lots more; $230 with Mystic Access tutorial. Tutorial. Call us at: (617) 969-7500 ☎;. Email us at: bscheur at scheur.com ✉ Director, http://www.GuideLightsAndGadgets.us Sponsor Since: June 25th 2020 Website: http://www.guidelightsandgadgets.us/ 🌐 For Gadgets and Leather Contact Barry at: Phone: (617) 969-7500 ☎ Email: guidelights.and.gadgets at gmail.com ✉ For All Things Dog Contact Kae at: Phone: (781) 286-1696 ☎ Email: guidelightdogs at gmail.com ✉ About: Our Scope of Products: We specialize in 3 lines of products, all intended to assist in access to adaptive electronics, enhance experiences for guide dog teams, and offer practical solutions for organization and travel with a variety of leather bags, pouches, and backpacks. Then there are the random products that are included, just for fun! We enjoy working with our customers 1-on-1 to their money is well spent and not wasted on something they may not use. In thinking about our customers and whether we will carry a product our guiding motto is that it must be: practical, affordable, simple, tested, and accessible (the pasta principle) and it seems to work very well. What We Do: We bring our business either via zoom, phone, or to your conference or convention, to give each customer a chance for questions and where possible, "hands on" evaluation of the merchandise. Kae and I test and use each product as blind users before we put it in our catalog. In the case of products for guide and service dogs, our own three guides, Thor, Debra and Melody, are engaged in the process of evaluating the usefulness, durability, and/or fun of the product. We want each of our products to be useful, accessible, afforable, and, whenever possible, fun! Our inventory is constantly changing, so a visit to us is never the same experience twice! Sponsor: A. T. Guys ➜ This Week's Classified Ad: Plugable USB-C 7-in-1 Hub If you're like me, you probably have more things to plug into your computer than available ports. That's why we've now added the Plugable USB-C 7-in-1 Hub. Plug it into your laptop and you will get 3 USB ports, SD and Micro SD card slots, a USBC charging port, and an HDMI video port. It's available now for just $29.95: https://www.atguys.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=28&products_id=331 Sponsor Since: June 11th 2020 Website: https://www.atguys.com/ 🌐 Phone: (269) 216-4798 ☎ Email: support at atguys.com ✉ Skype: atguys ✆ Twitter: https://twitter.com/atguys (@atguys) ✍ Facebook: https://facebook.com/atguys ✍ About: ATGuys.com. Your access technology experts, home for cool gadgets, accessories, and more. Our products are all tested to work great for blind and visually impaired users but also work just as well for anyone. If there's an item you're looking for, or if you have a question, please don't hesitate to send us a message or call (269) 216-4798 ☎. Sponsor: John Panarese ➜ This Week's Classified Ad: May 22nd 2021: Zoom Webinar by World-Renowned Apple Trainer and Consultant John Panarese and Apple Certified Support Professional (ACSP) Donna Jodhan High profile Apple Trainer and Consultant John Panarese is teaming up with Apple Certified Support Professional Donna Jodhan to offer you a very rare and unique opportunity! Yes! An opportunity for you to say what is on your mind! Coming on May 22nd 2021! Your chance to provide feedback to Apple about their iOS devices and Mac Computers! To register please send an email to john at macfortheblind.com ✉. First come first serve! To learn more about John and his incredible work visit him at: https://macfortheblind.com/ Director, https://www.MacForTheBlind.com Authorized Apple Business Affiliate Apple Certified Support Professional Apple Certified Trainer Assistive Technology Consultant Sponsor Since: June 4th 2020 Website: https://www.macfortheblind.com/ 🌐 Donate Course Time: https://donorbox.org/macfortheblind ❤ Email: john at macfortheblind.com ✉ About: Macfortheblind.com is a place specifically for blind people who are either users or potential users of Macintosh computers or iOS devices, such as the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, iPod Nano, Apple Watch and Apple TV. I am a blind individual who has used the Mac ever since VoiceOver became available in OS 10.4 Tiger, and I own an iMac, Mac Mini, Mac Book Pro laptop computer, an iPhone 6S, an iPad Air, an Apple Watch and an Apple TV 4th Generation. In addition, I am an Authorized Apple Business Affiliate, and as an Apple Certified Support Professional and an Apple Certified Trainer, I offer training and technical support for individuals, agencies and organizations on the mac and all iDevices, as well as offering assistive technology consulting. Sponsor: Dean Martineau ➜ This Week's Classified Ad: Voice Training Would you like to learn to control your computer with your voice, or to create documents using your voice rather than the keyboard? There are several tools to accomplish these objectives. I can provide training in their use. Write to me if interested at: topdot at gmail.com Editor, Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday Email Newsletter Sponsor Since: June 4th 2020 Website: https://www.toptechtidbits.com/ 🌐 About: Dean Martineau is the Founder and a Contributing Editor to the Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday Email Newsletter. Sponsor: Commtech USA ➜ This Week's Classified Ad: Training to Fit Your Needs Do you have a device you just don't understand? Do you want to advance your skills on a certain platform? Let Commtech help you out! From phones to note takers to computers and everything in between, let Commtech give you the skills you need to succeed. For more information, call (833) 345-8324 ☎ EXT 700 or visit our website: https://commtechusa.net/store Sponsor Since: April 22nd 2021 Website: https://commtechusa.net/ 🌐 Phone: (833) 345-8324 ☎ About: Commtech USA, a division of Commtech LLC is a Phoenix based national assistive technology company, with locations in Bakersfield CA. We deliver unmatched information technology and assistive technology consultations, training and support. Founded in 2005 as a government vendor fulfilling a vast range of technology needs of federal and state government clients, Commtech USA has expanded to meet the needs of businesses as well as individuals, with office locations across the nation. No issue is too large or too small for our staff, Commtech USA is the on call technology staff you call when you have tried the rest but need the best! Book an appointment with Commtech. Meet the Commtech USA Staff in this YouTube video. Download The App (iOS): Commtech USA for iOS - From the Apple App Store 📱 Download The App (Android): Commtech USA for Android - From the Google Play Store 📱 Sponsor: Freedom Scientific ➜ This Week's Classified Ad: Freedom Scientific Focus Blue 5th Generation Refreshable Braille Displays Our world-class refreshable Braille displays deliver efficient Braille input and outstanding output for your PC or mobile device. The robust Bluetooth® connectivity provides seamless use with Windows®, Mac®, iPhones®, iPads®, and AndroidTM smartphones and tablets. Ergonomic navigation features allow quick, natural hand movements for greater productivity. When used with JAWS® screen reading software, they support our popular Braille Study Mode, an interactive tool for teaching and learning Braille. Learn more today: https://www.freedomscientific.com/products/blindness/focus-blue-family/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=Top%20Tech%20Tidbit Sponsor Since: April 15th 2021 Website: https://www.freedomscientific.com/ 🌐 Email: info at vispero.com ✉ Phone: (800) 444-4443 ☎ Facebook | Twitter | YouTube (Training) About: Freedom Scientific, a Vispero brand, is a leading worldwide brand of assistive technology products for those with vision impairments. We offer products designed to promote independence, allowing blind and low vision individuals the same access to information as their sighted peers. World-renowned JAWS (Job Access With Speech) screen reading software and ZoomText screen magnification software provide users the independence and ability to seek education and obtain or maintain a career after vision loss. Our expansive product line includes both low vision and blindness technology for all aspects of daily living. The wide range of RUBY, TOPAZ, and ONYX desktop and portable video magnifiers are designed for their ease of use and assist with daily activities. Our impressive line of blindness hardware products include refreshable Braille displays and scanning and reading devices, offering many options tailored to fit individual needs. Sponsor: APH ConnectCenter ➜ This Week's Classified Ad: VisionAware Resources The Reader's Digest Getting Started Guide to Vision Loss APH ConnectCenter has resources to help blind and low vision people thrive. Share the Reader's Digest Getting Started with Vision Loss Guide with people who need to know about living with vision loss. https://visionaware.org/thrive Sponsor Since: March 4th 2021 Website: https://aphconnectcenter.org/ 🌐 Email: connectcenter at aph.org ✉ APH ConnectCenter Information and Referral Line: (800) 232-5463 ☎ Hours: Monday - Friday from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM ET Facebook (CareerConnect) | Facebook (FamilyConnect) | Facebook (VisionAware) | Twitter | YouTube About: The APH ConnectCenter offers curated advice and resources to assist children, parents, adults, and job seekers who are blind or visually impaired, and their associated professionals, leading to greater independence and success in their lives. Sponsor: Humanware ➜ This Week's Classified Ad: BRAILLIANT Renewed! The NEW Brailliant BI X Series is here! The wait is over! A redefined family of Brailliant refreshable Braille displays has arrived! The NEW Brailliant BI X Series will help you stay connected, download books from many participating online libraries and share information easily with your peers. You will enjoy the intuitive, seamless user experience of KeySoft Lite, the HumanWare flagship accessibility suite designed to make you more productive. Including the Brailliant BI 40X and the Brailliant BI 20X, this is the Brailliant idea you need! http://www.humanware.ca/web/en/newsletter/070120211100-BrailliantBIX-Launch-US.htm Sponsor Since: February 4th 2021 Website: http://humanware.com/ 🌐 Phone (Asia): +61 2 9686 2600 ☎ Phone (Australia): +61 2 9686 2600 ☎ Phone (Canada): +1 888 723-7273 ☎ Phone (Europe): +44 1933 415 800 ☎ Phone (International): +44 1933 415 800 ☎ Phone (Ireland): +01 8307033 ☎ Phone (New Zealand): +027 700 1674 ☎ Phone (United Kingdom): +01933 415800 ☎ Phone (United States): +1 800 722-3393 ☎ YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRWVYiggn-w 🎥 About: HumanWare is the global leader in assistive technology for people who are blind or have low vision. HumanWare offers a wide range of innovative products, including the BrailleNote Touch, first Google certified braille tablet, the iOS compatible Brailliant braille displays, Victor Reader®, the world's leading family of digital audiobook players, the unique Prodigi® family of desktop and portable vision and reading systems, and the ultra-portable explore line of electronic handheld magnifier. Sponsor: Dolphin Computer Access ➜ This Week's Classified Ad: SuperNova — It's Magnification and So Much More The SuperNova family of tools meet the needs of anyone with a visual impairment because you can get the version that's right for you-should your needs change, you won't need to change your tool. Plus, they include features you can't find anywhere else; true touchscreen functionality, interactive whiteboard compatibility, bold font and image sharpening, low computer resource requirements and remote access for Citrix and other desktop services! Try a FREE Download for 30 days! https://yourdolphin.com/en-gb/products/individuals/families/supernova Sponsor Since: January 28th 2021 Website: https://yourdolphin.com/ 🌐 Phone (USA & Canada): +1 (866) 797-5921 ☎ Phone (UK, Europe & Asia): +44 01905 754577 ☎ Phone (Nordic & Baltic Contries): +46 0515 82175 ☎ Download a FREE 30-Day Trial of GuideConnect GuideConnect Trial Download a FREE 30-Day Trial of SuperNova SuperNova Trial About: Dolphin Computer Access offers a wide array of solutions for students, people in the workforce, and at home who are blind, visually impaired or have dyslexia. Each product is purposefully designed to help users, with varying levels of technology experience, do everyday things EASILY on computers and tablets. Founded in 1986 and located in Worcester England, Dolphin has grown to become a global market leader worldwide. Sponsor: Be My Eyes ➜ This Week's Classified Ad: Accessible Pharmacy Joins Be My Eyes Accessible Pharmacy, the new, home delivery pharmacy with a blind founder, is bringing its full range of support and services to Be My Eyes. Users of the Be My Eyes app can now call Accessible Pharmacy directly to get support with medication, medical devices, and even home delivery COVID testing. With a fully trained and discreet pharmacy staff on call from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM Pacific, Accessible Pharmacy is the new way for blind and low vision consumers to get an easy, frictionless pharmacy experience. Call today — and you'll never have to take an Uber to the drugstore again. https://www.bemyeyes.com/blog/accessible-pharmacy-joins-be-my-eyes. Lead Contact: Will Butler, VP of Community Sponsor Since: November 5th 2020 Website: https://www.bemyeyes.com/ 🌐 Download The App (iOS): Be My Eyes for iOS - From the Apple App Store 📱 Download The App (Android): Be My Eyes for Android - From the Google Play Store 📱 About: Be My Eyes is a free mobile app that allows anyone who needs video support to get assistance from a dynamic range of volunteers and company customer support professionals from around the world. With more than 4 million volunteers and dozens of companies offering on-demand visual interpretation and support, Be My Eyes is a free, unlimited way to bridge gaps and get access to whatever information you need — 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in any language. Download the app today from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Your Name Here 0 of 12 Sponsorship Packages currently available. Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday is a leading, not-for-profit Adaptive Technology publication that reaches over 6,500 Adaptive Technology professionals, educators and enthusiasts each week. Top Tech Tidbits offers a total of 12 Sponsorship Packages which are used to support the ongoing distribution of the publication. There are currently  0  of these  12  packages available. If you would like to show your support for Tidbits by becoming a Top Tech Tidbits Sponsor we encourage you to join our waiting list by sending an email to: sponsorships at toptechtidbits.com ✉. Once you have joined our waiting list we will notify you the next time a current sponsor decides not to renew. You will then be given 72 hours to secure your sponsorship before it is offered to the next sponsor on the list. When available you can secure one of these packages for just $325.00 USD for the next 3 months, or save $100.00 USD and join us for the year. All Sponsorship Packages are offered on a first-come, first serve basis. Please help us to support the ongoing distribution of this publication. Consider showing your support for the world's #1 online resource for current news and trends in adaptive technology while enjoying these incredible benefits. Learn more today at: https://www.toptechtidbits.com/sponsorship-information.html Top Tech Tidbits Supporters: We couldn't do it without you! Thank for your support! Tidbits Supporters donate an amount of their choosing on an annual basis in order to assist with the ongoing distribution of the Top Tech Tidbits publication. If you would like to become a Tidbits Supporter by making a small annual donation to assist with the ongoing distribution of the Top Tech Tidbits publication, we offer the following options with our sincerest thanks, and most heartfelt gratitude for your ongoing support. In tandem with Our Sponsors, these are the people that make the ongoing distribution of Tidbits possible: Platinum Supporters: Become a Tidbits Supporter today. 1.) Gary Lee Platinum Supporter since June 25, 2020 2.) Anonymous Donation Platinum Supporter since July 9, 2020 3.) Pshon Barrett Platinum Supporter since January 28, 2021 Gold Supporters: Become a Tidbits Supporter today. 1.) Howard Goldstein Gold Supporter since June 4, 2020 2.) David Goldstein Gold Supporter since June 12, 2020 3.) Katherine Crohan Gold Supporter since January 14, 2021 Silver Supporters: Become a Tidbits Supporter today. 1.) Your name here. Help support Tidbits today. Bronze Supporters: Become a Tidbits Supporter today. 1.) Steven Wettlaufer Bronze Supporter since July 16, 2020 2.) Shaun Everiss Bronze Supporter since September 10, 2020 Top Tech Tidbits Subscription Information: ABOUT: Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday is a leading not-for-profit Adaptive Technology publication that reaches 6,500+ Adaptive Technology professionals, educators and enthusiasts each week. Sign up here. Review the archive here. Adaptive Technology refers to items that are specifically designed for people with disabilities. Adaptive Technology is a subset of Assistive Technology. Adaptive Technology often refers specifically to electronic and information technology access. The Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday Email Newsletter is a Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd. Publication. Publisher: Aaron Di Blasi. Contributing Editors: Dean Martineau, Jenna Lang, John Hanlin. Top Tech Tidbits is a sponsor and reader supported publication. RELEASE SCHEDULE: The Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday Email Newsletter is sent out every Thursday morning at 4:00 AM EST. SUBSCRIBE: Do you, a friend, or colleague wish to receive the Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday Email Newsletter? If so, please use or pass along our CAPTCHA-free sign-up link, which is: https://toptechtidbits.com/subscribe. You can also subscribe to receive the Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday Email Newsletter on the Top Tech Tidbits Website at: https://www.toptechtidbits.com or by (SMS) texting "TOPTECHTIDBITS" to 22828. Any of these methods will provide you with an accessibly friendly and secure medium through which you can subscribe to our mailing list. Just enter your email address, click send, and begin receiving the Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday Email Newsletter. It's that easy. SPONSOR: If you would like to become 1 of only 12 Tidbits Sponsors whose annual support makes the distribution of Top Tech Tidbits possible, we offer you the following benefits, with our sincerest thanks, and most heartfelt gratitude for your ongoing support: https://www.toptechtidbits.com/sponsorship-information.html. SUPPORT: If you would like to become a Tidbits Supporter by making a small annual donation to assist with the ongoing distribution of the Top Tech Tidbits publication, we offer the following options, with our sincerest thanks, and most heartfelt gratitude for your ongoing support: https://www.toptechtidbits.com/donate.html. WEBSITE: Visit the Top Tech Tidbits website online at https://www.toptechtidbits.com. FACEBOOK: Are you on Facebook? Stop by and "Like" Top Tech Tidbits to begin receiving current news and trends in Adaptive Technology as part of your Facebook News Feed: https://toptechtidbits.com/facebook. TWITTER: Are you on Twitter? Follow Top Tech Tidbits to begin receiving current news and trends in Adaptive Technology as part of your Twitter News Feed: https://toptechtidbits.com/twitter. LINKEDIN: Are you on LinkedIn? Follow Top Tech Tidbits to begin receiving current news and trends in Adaptive Technology as part of your LinkedIn News Feed: https://toptechtidbits.com/linkedin. YOUTUBE: Are you on YouTube? Follow Top Tech Tidbits to begin receiving current news and trends in Adaptive Technology as part of your YouTube Video Feed: https://toptechtidbits.com/youtube. RSS: Do you prefer RSS? Follow Top Tech Tidbits via RSS today to begin receiving current news and trends in Adaptive Technology using your choice of news aggregator: https://feeds.feedblitz.com/toptechtidbits. QUESTIONS: Tidbits are intentionally concise. As a result we know that some readers may not always understand all of the items listed because little explanation is given. If a particular Tidbit brings up a question in your mind, feel free to ask, and we will try to answer as time and knowledge permit. ARCHIVE Visit the Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday Email Newsletter Archive at: https://www.toptechtidbits.com/archive.html where you can grab back issues. CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS: Any information for future issues of Top Tech Tidbits may be directed to our Editors at: editor at toptechtidbits.com. Information provided by: Top Tech Tidbits A Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd. Publication https://www.toptechtidbits.com/  🌐 1420 Golden Gate Blvd. Mayfield Heights, Ohio 44124   (440) 442-9011 ☎ Top Tech Tidbits | 1420 Golden Gate Blvd, Mayfield Heights, OH 44124 Unsubscribe electronics-talk at nfbnet.org Update Profile | Our Privacy Policy | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by enews at toptechtidbits.com