[Nfb-seniors] FW: [AppleVis Newsletter] AppleVis Unlimited: What's New and Noteworthy for December 2016

[Robert Leslie Newman]

Hi you all!

 

If you are an iPhone, iPod, IPad, Mac  user, then it would be a great idea for you to check out this month’s AppleVis info newsletter consisting of reviews written on many new and available games, other apps, and news of Apple related products.

 

Respectfully yours,

Robert Leslie Newman

NFBN Senior Division, President

New From: The AppleVis Editorial Team [mailto:newsletter at applevis.com] 
Sent: Sunday, January 01, 2017 3:53 AM
To: Subscriber <Newmanrl at cox.net>
Subject: [AppleVis Newsletter] AppleVis Unlimited: What's New and Noteworthy for December 2016

 

Welcome to the December 2016 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, our monthly newsletter which aims to highlight what's new and noteworthy on the AppleVis website. Below, you'll find a selection of the best content posted to AppleVis - from new app entries, to app updates, to podcasts and blogs. For easier navigation, the major sections of this post are at heading level 3, and each individual item is at heading level 4.


New and Noteworthy App Entries


Blindfold Oppoly (iOS, Free With In-App Purchases)


Blindfold Oppoly is a fully accessible board game inspired by the game Monopoly.

The playing board has 40 spots consisting of land properties, railroads, luck cards and other spots. You spin the dice, and move your token to the spot, where you may buy the property or pay rent.

You can play with up to 3 computer opponents, and you can adjust their playing strategy and skill level. You can play either a full game, or a short game, and you can modify several of the rules of the game for more variety. Some of those features require in-app upgrades.

The game comes with coins for playing a bunch of games; you can purchase more coins with an in-app upgrade.

Current Version: 1.4.6 (December 22, 2016)

Read Blindfold Oppoly's AppleVis iOS App Directory entry for more information <http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/games/blindfold-oppoly> 
Visit Blindfold Oppoly's App Store page <https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/blindfold-oppoly/id1175945148?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo=8&at=11l4LS> 


Blindfold Trivia Match (iOS, Free With In-App Purchases)


Blindfold Trivia Match is a fully accessible trivia game inspired by the TV Game Show "Jeopardy".

The game board is laid out as 6 columns of categories, with each column containing 5 clues. You first pick the clue you want, and guess for the correct answer. If your answer is correct, you win the amount of money for that clue. If your answer is wrong, you lose that amount of money.

Blindfold Trivia Match comes with coins to play for free, and then you can purchase packs of trivia questions to continue playing.

Current Version: 1.4.1 (December 12, 2016)

Read Blindfold Trivia Match’s AppleVis iOS App Directory entry for more information <http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/games/blindfold-trivia-match> 
Visit Blindfold Trivia Match’s page on the App Store <https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/blindfold-trivia-match/id1162281244?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo=8&at=11l4LS> 


Fruitpot: Fantastic Free Fruit Machine (iOS, Free With In-App Purchases)


Forget slot machines, don't waste your money!

FruitPot adds the best features of fruit machines and puzzle games, resulting in the funniest game ever!

FruitPot has all strategy and fun of fruit machine games combined with original challenges and increasing levels of difficulty. With bonus games, prizes, and games of chance you’ll want to play for hours.

*	No real money is involved, play just for fun!
*	Test your skills on the highly entertaining fruit machine with its classic ‘nudge’, ‘hold’ and ‘bet’ buttons.
*	Fill the FruitPot, win the jackpot and watch your fortune grow.
*	Spend the chips you’ve earned on products in the stores.
*	Collect new symbols to add to the reels of the fruit machine, for bigger prizes and more difficult challenges.
*	NEW: Enjoy for free, now also on your Apple Watch!.

Current Version: 1.40 (December 20, 2016)

Read Fruitpot’s AppleVis iOS App Directory entry for more information <http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/games/fruitpot-fantastic-free-fruit-machine> 
Visit Fruitpot’s page on the App Store <https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fruitpot-fantastic-free-fruit/id1035363960?mt=8&uo=8&at=11l4LS> 


Lifeline: Halfway to Infinity (iOS, US$2.99)


Taylor's journey continues! Deep in the isolated vacuum of space, trapped in orbit around a strange black hole, our intrepid astronaut must once again reach out for a lifeline - YOU! Inside the spaceship Veridian, Taylor thought it was time for some hard-earned quiet solitude and a little RR, but a very unexpected guest has other plans…

The story unfolds in real-time, and every decision you make shapes the course of the story. Taylor's life, the fate of humanity, and time itself are in your hands. No pressure!

Your decisions could change the course of humanity... and possibly time itself!

Current Version: 1.0 (December 14, 2016)

Read Lifeline: Halfway to Infinity's AppleVis iOS App Directory entry for more information <http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/games/lifeline-halfway-infinity> 
Visit Lifeline: Halfway to Infinity's page on the App Store <https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lifeline-halfway-to-infinity/id1139254110?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo=8&at=11l4LS> 


My Baby Sim 2 (iOS, Free With In-App Purchases)


Welcome to the virtual baby’s world!

My Baby Sim 2 is an incredible sequel to the best baby-care simulator of all times – MyBabySim.

Have a longer and more interactive game with new levels of the must-play app for everybody who wants to plunge into the exciting parenting adventure.

Season 2 has brought some significant changes to the gameplay. Now you can grow your baby up to seven months and enjoy all the benefits of a grown up baby’s behavior and development.

Current Version: 1.0 (December 15, 2016)

Read My Baby Sim 2's AppleVis iOS App Directory entry for more information <http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/games/my-baby-sim-2> 
Visit My Baby Sim 2's App Store page <https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/my-baby-sim-2/id1122553960?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo=8&at=11l4LS> 


Personal Capital Budgeting & Investing (iOS, Free)


Personal Capital is the smart way to track and manage your financial life. We combine award-winning online financial tools that provide unprecedented transparency into your finances with personal attention from licensed financial planners. The result is a complete transformation in the way you understand, manage and grow your net worth.

Our unique combination of people and technology makes Personal Capital the smart choice because you can see all of your accounts in one place. Our dashboard provides real-time data that uncovers trends and accurately reflects your cash flow. And as fiduciaries, our advisors are legally bound to act in your best interest so we will never put our personal financial gain above yours. Let Personal Capital help ensure that you’re always moving towards your financial goals – at significantly less cost than traditional financial advisors, and with no hidden fees.

Current Version: 5.8.2 (October 31, 2016)

Read Personal Capital's AppleVis iOS App Directory entry for more information <http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/finance/personal-capital-budgeting-investing> 
Visit Personal Capital's App Store page <https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/personal-capital-money-investing/id504672168?mt=8&uo=8&at=11l4LS> 


Reader - Accessible Graphics for Visually Impaired (iOS, Free With In-App Purchases)


The Reader app makes graphics accessible to users who are blind or have a vision impairment.

This app is the result of a research project and was testing over several years with users who have vision impairments. The goal of the app is to give blind users access to graphics and let them gain a sense of how objects are spatially placed within the graphics.

Within the app you can purchase a subscription to the Raised Pixels online repository of accessible graphics Raised Pixels contains a growing collection of graphics specifically created for vision impaired users. You can browse accessible graphics such as maps, diagrams, infographics. mathematical graphs and more.

The Raised Pixels database of graphics is continuously updated and we do welcome requests from for new graphics from our users.

How does the app work?

1.	Browse our online collection of graphics.
2.	Select the graphic you want to read.
3.	Touch the screen and get both speech and sound feedback based on the graphic objects underneath your fingers.

Current Version: 1.1.2 (June 26, 2016)

Read Reader's AppleVis iOS App Directory entry for more information <http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/utilities/reader-accessible-graphics-visually-impaired> 
Visit Reader's page on the App Store <https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/reader-accessible-graphics/id1018742341?mt=8&uo=8&at=11l4LS> 

All recent app entries posted to AppleVis can be found at:

iOS <http://www.applevis.com/apps/latest?type=ios_app_directory> 
Mac <http://www.applevis.com/apps/latest?type=mac_app_directory> 
Apple Watch <http://www.applevis.com/apps/latest?type=apple_watch_app_directory> 
Apple TV <http://www.applevis.com/apps/latest?type=apple_tv_app_directory> 


Notable App Updates


Capti Voice Narrator (iOS, Free With In-App Purchases)


Listen to everything you want to read on the go and at your leisure!

You can listen to any content from Safari, Chrome, GoogleDrive, Dropbox, Bookshare, or Gutenberg. Whether you are a student, a language learner, a commuter, a busy professional, a retiree, or a person with dyslexia or other print disabilities, Capti will improve your productivity and make your reading more enjoyable. Synchronize your Playlist and switch seamlessly between your devices.

Current Version: 2.5 (December 11, 2016)


Changes in Version 2.5


With this major update, you can now:

*	Add photos and images to Playlist (OCR is available to organizations only)
*	Export your annotations from the tracks
*	Change speech rate directly in Playlist
*	Navigate text by bookmarks and time intervals
*	Hear earcons when Capti cannot navigate

Read Capti Voice Narrator's AppleVis iOS App Directory entry for more information <http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/productivity/capti-voice-narrator> 
Visit Capti Voice Narrator's page on the App Store <https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/capti-web-player/id437052502?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo=8&at=11l4LS> 


Digit-Eyes (iOS, US$9.99)


Best. Barcode. Reader. Ever! Scan UPC / EAN codes and hear the names of over 37 million products! Make your own QR code labels on the Digit-Eyes website and print them on inexpensive address labels. These barcoded labels may contain text that VoiceOver reads aloud or they can be used to record audio on your iPhone or iPad that is played back whenever the bar code is scanned.

Blind? Dyslexic? Having problems reading? Digit-Eyes is for you! With Digit-Eyes, you can

*	Record your own labels. Visit the Digit-Eyes web site to print specially coded quick-response (QR) digital code labels, apply one to your calendar or a box of leftovers, scan, and record a message. To listen to the recording, just rescan the label. This is how Nancy keeps track of her appointments; how Jeanette labels her canning and how Randy keeps the fridge clean.
*	Make text-based labels. Visit the Digit-Eyes web site to type up to 250 characters per label, print the specially coded quick-response (QR) barcodes on address labels on your local printer and apply them to your file folders or CDs. To listen to the text, scan it with the Digit-Eyes application on any iPhone or iPad. This is how Will’s secretary labels his folders and how Ana snoops through her friends’ CD collection.
*	Buy pre-printed washable labels. Sew them into your clothing and record whatever you want to about the garment: color, fabric care or what it should be worn with. Even when the labels have been washed, bleached, sent through the dryer or dry-cleaned, you’ll still be able to scan them with the Digit-Eyes app on your iPhone or iPad and hear what you recorded about the garment. This is how Davey makes sure he is wearing matching clothing and how Elizabeth can easily sort the laundry.
*	Use the manufacturer's product code to find out what the item is. Digit-Eyes includes a feature that enables you to identify many groceries, CDs, and other consumer goods by scanning the UPC and EAN codes on the products. Just point the camera of your iPhone, Pad or iPod Touch 5g at a package label, scan the code, and wait for Digit-Eyes to call our database and tell you what the item is. This is how Deborah picks out her yarn, how Kevin finds the beef stew, and how both get ready to record their audio labels.
*	Read standard inventory tags in code 39 or code 128 format. This is how Michael knows which printer is which at work and how Ben does the shelf stocking in his store.
*	Print labels directly from your iPhone on your Bluetooth-connected printer;
*	Create and read QR vCard format business card information and add the content to your contacts. This is how Digital Miracles gets information from customers at conferences and how we share our own contact information;
*	Create lists of code that you've scanned; edit them, type additional information and share them with others. This is how Robbie notes what items are getting used up and tells Gary what to buy at the store;
*	Use Digit-Eyes with any blue-tooth connected laser scanner, integrated as a single unit. This is how John is able to work at a grocery store reading the shelf tags to find where to stock the product.

Current Version: 2.3 (November 30, 2016)


Changes in Version 2.3


Support for iOS 10

Read Digit-Eyes’ AppleVis iOS App Directory entry for more information <http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/lifestyle/digit-eyes> 
Visit Digit-Eyes’ page on the App Store <https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/digit-eyes-audio-scanner-labeler/id376424490?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo=8&at=11l4LS> 


MBraille (iOS, Free With In-App Purchases)


MBraille brings you a mobile braille keyboard.

With the free features you can type, edit and send tweets and text messages using contracted or uncontracted English braille.*

With the full version you can also use braille to

*	call contacts or telephone numbers
*	send email
*	do facebook status updates
*	add calendar entries
*	fire away internet search engine queries
*	the text typed is automatically put to clipboard when you switch apps.
*	interact with other 3rd party applications
*	check spelling
*	save and open text files
*	sync to dropbox
*	use MBraille as third party keyboard

An experienced blind MBraille user can easily surpass the sighted typists using the built in virtual keyboard.

Current Version: 3.4 (December 13, 2016)


Changes in Version 3.4


*	New ability to add reminders with a dot command
*	Fixes to Dropbox support
*	Fixes to MBraille Keyboard

Read MBraille's AppleVis iOS App Directory entry for more information <http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/productivity/mbraille> 
Visit MBraille's App Store page <https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mbraille/id639199558?ign-mpt=uo=8&at=11l4LS> 


Nearby Explorer (iOS, US$79.99)


Nearby Explorer is a full featured GPS app designed for use by people who are blind. Instead of just providing directions, it describes the environment in ways comparable to reading signage or observing road characteristics.

It uses onboard maps, so a data connection is not required, but if you have one, Nearby Explorer supplements the on board map data with crowd collected locations from Foursquare or Google Places. It includes complete maps for the United States and Canada which contain millions of points of interest. The onboard maps are over 4GB in size, so be sure the device you plan to use has enough available space before purchasing.

Nearby Explorer works with any device running iOS version 9 or later, but if the device does not contain its own GPS receiver, like most iPads and iPods, you must use an external GPS receiver. All iPhones contain GPS receivers.

Nearby Explorer works by letting you select from several different location related options about what to announce as you move. These include both typical items like street name and address and specialized options like approaching streets, intersection configurations, and nearby places and the distance and direction to them. (All announcements are optional.) All of this information is shown on the home screen and is available at any time, but typical use is to adjust the level of announcements, then lock the screen and put the device away. This keeps both hands free and let's your preferred voice speak the characteristics of the environment as you move.

You may also use the devices position and orientation to obtain additional targeted details such as pointing the end of the device to scan for businesses, even in a moving vehicle, or tilting it vertically to function as a compass, including a listing of streets in the indicated direction. This all works with the device locked, so one need not fuss with the touch screen while moving. You may even mark a point, then use the position of the device to get haptic feedback about that point's location.

Nearby Explorer includes a transit feature that provides detailed mass transit schedules for over 60 metropolitan areas in the U. S. and Canada. It treats transit stops just like favorites and points of interest by announcing their name and relative position as you move, but in addition, transit stops add next vehicle stop time, direction of travel, and route name to the announcements. You can use the transit schedules to look up times or even follow a route.

You may virtually move to any area in the U.S. or Canada and explore the road network, search, or use the transit maps for that area.

Current Version: 1.03.00 (December 21, 2016)


Changes in Version 1.03.00


*	Adds the Shake To Repeat feature. Shake the phone when at the Home screen, even when locked, to repeat the last nearby information. This feature may be turned off in Settings.
*	Adds the Transit Feed Manager to settings to allow one to delete unwanted transit feeds, and to disable automatic transit feed updating at startup.
*	Adds the Frequent Updates option to the context menu for Approaching Streets. When Frequent Updates are turned off, at most two announcements are given; one after passing through the previous intersection, and another when very close to the next intersection.
*	Reduces the number of Guidance messages given when driving.
*	Clears the search results in the Search View when typing in the search field.
*	Adds the route type, Driving or Pedestrian, to the top of the Directions view.
*	Places the Streets, Search, Favorites, and Transit buttons under the navigation pad when using Virtual Navigation.
*	When saving a favorite on an unknown street, the favorite no longer contains the address, "0 Unknown."
*	When on an unknown street, the street number is now blank instead of 0.
*	Fixes the occasional running together of messages spoken by self voicing.
*	When in Canada, we now use "Province" as the title for the "State" field.
*	Fixes a rare crash that could happen when traveling in an area where search results have been saved as favorites.

Read Nearby Explorer's AppleVis iOS App Directory entry for more information <http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/travel/nearby-explorer> 
Visit Nearby Explorer's App Store page <https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nearby-explorer/id1095698497?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo=8&at=11l4LS> 


NOAA Weather International (iOS, Free With In-App Purchases)


Retrieve real-time 7-day hyperlocal point weather forecasts and current weather conditions for worldwide locations from NOAA NWS and forecast.io (creators of DarkSky) based on your current location or any location in the world.

Not only are NOAA forecasts the most accurate, they provide unique point forecasts for every square mile which take into consideration all the variables affecting the weather at that point, such as altitude. This is especially useful in locations with highly dynamic weather patterns and is a great tool for being outdoors.

*	View forecast & current conditions for your current location.
*	View forecast & current conditions for any location in the world by map.
*	Save favorite locations to quickly retrieve forecasts for them.
*	Hourly forecast
*	Animated radar, cloud cover & wind imagery over Google Maps
*	Map measuring tool to measure distance and elevation
*	Hazardous weather alerts
*	Notification Center widget
*	Optimized for iPad

Current Version: 1.5.4 (December 27, 2016)


Summary of Changes in December 2016 Updates


VoiceOver users will find that accessibility of NOAA Weather International has been improved. The developer has made the hourly forecast screen much more accessible, and they have also added useful hints and removed extraneous VoiceOver elements throughout the app.

Read NOAA Weather International's AppleVis iOS App Directory entry for more information <http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/weather/noaa-weather-international> 
Visit NOAA Weather International's App Store page <https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/noaa-weather-international/id1055810226?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo=8&at=11l4LS> 


Seeing Eye GPS (iOS, Free to Download; Paid Subscription Required to Use)


The Seeing Eye, the pioneer in guide dogs, and Sendero Group, the pioneers of accessible GPS, have teamed up to create The Seeing Eye GPS™. Almost 20 years of user feedback and feature requests are behind the design of all Sendero GPS products. The accessible features in The Seeing Eye GPS™ are only the beginning of what is yet to come as users help in evolving this first fully accessible GPS product for the iPhone. The Seeing Eye GPS™ is a fully accessible turn-by-turn GPS iPhone app with all the normal navigation features plus features unique to blind users.

Unique to The Seeing Eye GPS™

*	Instead of multiple layers of menus, the three important navigation elements are on the lower portion of every screen: Route, POIs and Location.
*	At intersections, the cross street and its orientation are announced
*	Intersections are described (e.g. four-way) with the clock face orientation of the streets.
*	There are two choices for POI data (Google Places and Foursquare).
*	Directions are configured appropriately for Pedestrian and Vehicle routes, including heads-up announcements for approaching turns, turn now, continue straight and upcoming turns.
*	If one wanders off the route, it's automatically recalculated and updated turn information is announced.
*	Point your phone in a given direction to hear what is nearby with the LookAround Wand.
*	Nearby Points of interest and intersections are automatically announced.
*	Ability to run in the background or with the screen locked for iOS 7. If you are running an older version of iOS 6 only the sound effects will play and the phone will vibrate at turns and at your destination but no speech output. Note: Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.

Current Version: 2.5 (December 19, 2016)


Changes in Version 2.5


*	Fixed bugs introduced with iOS 10, including background mode functionality.
*	Ability to receive position from Blindsquare and create a route.
*	Ability to create route to addresses in your Contacts database.
*	Simplified the process of adding a User POI with the following changes:
*	Added a Record User POI gesture, one-finger double tap and hold on the location screen to go directly to the Add User POI screen.
*	Automatically default to the ‘User’ category so that users do not have to do the extra step of selecting a category if they are not going to share user POIs.
*	Create a free-text field for tags so that the user can type their own tags and add further information about the user POI.
*	Added a shortcut gesture, perform a one finger double tap and hold on the POI tab, to go directly to nearest POI screen (only available in VoiceOver is on).
*	Revamp nearest POI search to be more consistent and relative to user’s immediate location.
*	Increased the number of POI's in announced in the LookAround wand.
*	Added a Submenu screen on the location screen to announce less essential information such as altitude, GPS accuracy and speed.
*	Added an accuracy filter for Side of Street indication in routes. Now if the POI has a questionable location, such as in the middle of the street, the app will not announce the side of the street.
*	User Interface improvements include:
*	Streamlined User Interface to reduce duplicate announcements.
*	Fixed the voice over cursor issue.
*	Fixed low vision contrast issues, border color to all buttons.
*	Removed irrelevant POI categories, “points_of_interest” and “street_address.”
*	Added all 4 route types on poi description screen.

Read Seeing Eye GPS' AppleVis iOS App Directory entry for more information <http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/navigation/seeing-eye-gps> 
Visit Seeing Eye GPS' App Store page <https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/seeing-eye-gps/id668624446?ign-mpt=uo=8&at=11l4LS> 


Twitterrific 5 for Twitter (iOS, Free With In-App Purchases)


Twitterrific is the award-winning, elegant Twitter client that’s easy to understand and a delight to use. Tweeting has never been simpler or so much fun!

Browse Twitter free from the clutter of promoted tweets. Use Muffles to hide tweets containing words, phrases, people and hashtags from the timeline that you don't want to see. Customize fonts, avatar sizes, image thumbnails and more via the theme panel. Quickly respond to tweets, change accounts or view conversation threads with a minimum of effort using gestures. Rich media support including multiple images & Twitter animated GIFs.

Robust VoiceOver support means Twitterrific is fully accessible for users with vision impairments. Extensive keyboard shortcuts make Twitterrific a breeze to use with an external keyboard.

Current Version: 5.16 (December 5, 2016)


Changes in Version 5.16


Center Stage: A whole new way to see your tweets!

Tap the new Center Stage button at the top of any timeline to open a full screen view where you can swipe through all of the tweets that include photos, movies, or animated GIFs.

When you’re in Center Stage, you can tap on the tweet to exit or swipe left/right to navigate through your timeline. You can even Like or Retweet directly from Center Stage! A single tap will get the on-screen controls out of your way and swiping down will close the tweet drawer so there’s nothing between you and the media you’re viewing.

The traditional media experience has also been improved - after tapping on a thumbnail to view it, there is a new button at the bottom of the screen which allows you to enter Center Stage right from there. If you swipe to other tweets, a rewind button appears that’ll take you back to where you started. Handy!

Center Stage isn’t just for your timeline - from a profile screen, you can tap on any of the thumbnails and enter Center Stage where you can see the tweet that the image was attached to as well as swipe through their other recent media tweets without even having to open a timeline.

Center Stage is fully VoiceOver compatible and includes support for physical keyboards.

IMPROVEMENTS

*	Tapping on an animated GIF or video will toggle play/pause
*	Ability to pinch zoom photos, videos, and animated GIFs
*	Improved audio ducking performance when viewing a video
*	Tweets that quote your own tweets are now color-coded as mentions
*	Reduced popup background blur opacity
*	Photo zoom levels no longer reset when higher resolution versions finish loading
*	Visual tweaks to the timeline search bar for a cleaner, less cluttered look
*	Phrase muffle rules now look for a word boundary on both ends of the phrase
*	Muffle phrases can include a prefix and/or suffix of “*” to act as a wildcard match
*	Shared conversation threads & reply chains now sorted from oldest to newest
*	Eliminated several causes of extraneous requests to Twitter’s API
*	Leaving a timeline no longer clears the search field
*	Added a sound effect when un-liking a tweet
*	Removed img.ly support since it is defunct

BUG FIXES

*	Fixed issue auto-refreshing timelines when a push notification arrived
*	Fixed rendering problem when viewing a message thread on iPhone
*	Fixed scroll jumping when a message thread first animates into view
*	Fixed an issue where the background blur flickered when dismissing popups
*	Fixed rendering bugs with photo loading progress bar
*	Fixed an issue displaying single-frame GIFs
*	Other minor bug fixes and performance tweaks

Read Twitterrific’s AppleVis iOS App Directory entry for more information <http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/social-networking/twitterrific-5-twitter> 
Visit Twitterrific’s page on the App Store <https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/twitterrific-5-for-twitter/id580311103?mt=8&at=11l4LS> 


VO Starter (iOS, US$1.99)


VO Starter is the first app to offer blind and visually impaired iOS users training on the built in screen reader, VoiceOver. For more information, visit our web site at www.iaccessibility.net <http://www.iaccessibility.net> 

Current Version: 3.0 (December 18, 2016)


Changes in Version 3.0


VO Starter has been completely redesigned with a new look and feel, and even all new lessons. We can't wait to see what you think about this version of the app, Please rate VO Starter in the iOS App Store and let us know how we are doing. Here is what we have added in more detail.

*	Complete app redesign with new app icon and color
*	New lessons with more to come in future releases.
*	Improved iCloud syncing support for keeping track of lessons.

Read VO Starter's AppleVis iOS App Directory entry for more information <http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/education/vo-starter> 
Visit VO Starter's App Store page <https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/vo-starter/id586844936?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo=8&at=11l4LS> 


Recent News and Views


The AppleVis Community Names the Apps and Developers that were its Golden Apples of 2016


By AppleVis | December 24, 2016

We are pleased to announce the winners of the fifth annual AppleVis Golden Apple Awards.

Since their launch in 2012, the AppleVis Golden Apple Awards have afforded blind and low vision users an opportunity to recognize and acknowledge the hard work and dedication which developers have put into making great and accessible iOS and Mac applications during the given year.

Read More:  <http://www.applevis.com/blog/advocacy-applevis-gaming-ios-apps-mac-apps-news/applevis-community-names-apps-and-developers> "The AppleVis Community Names the Apps and Developers that were its Golden Apples of 2016"


Blind Santa: Audible Books from me to me


By Morgan | December 20, 2016

The greatest joy this time of year comes from finding ways to share with others. It is more fun when you can do so without recognition. That's easy for me. I have a secret identity. For more than a decade, on a special day each December, I strip down to my thermals, tie a pillow to my stomach and pull on bright baggy pants. I don a fur-trimmed jacket, a wide black belt and heavy black boots. I also tug on a wig of long white hair and then glue on a lengthy, thick and wavy beard. I even slip on totally useless spectacles. One moment, I am just an unassuming blind fellow with EarPods hanging from my head. In a twinkling, I become Saint Nick.

My annual volunteer role as Santa Claus takes me to a local elementary school where I pass out books to many hundreds of young children. Since the real Santa can see everything, including whether someone has been naughty or nice, I've learned to fake it. I never show up with a dog or cane, but rather am accompanied by helpful elves who serve as sighted guides. Santa's little helpers also whisper to me what each child is wearing and any other detail that might help me personalize their experience. On rare occasion, a little one will point out that I am not looking directly at them. I slowly take off my glasses, wipe them on my sleeve, and quietly explain that I have a little "snow blindness." There is always at least one boy that thinks he needs to tug on my beard and a few will try to grab the book out of my gloved hand and run. That never works. Santa is strong. This jolly old gent will only let go of his books when he is good and ready.

Read More: “Blind Santa: Audible Books from me to me” <http://www.applevis.com/blog/opinion/blind-santa-audible-books-me-me> 


Apple Releases iOS 10.2; Bringing Fixes, But Also Some New Bugs for VoiceOver and Focus Braille Display Users


By AppleVis | December 12, 2016

Apple has today released iOS 10.2 to the public.

For blind and low vision users, our limited testing suggests that Apple has made continued progress towards addressing the accessibility bugs present in iOS 10 <http://www.applevis.com/bugs/ios/active> . However, despite this progress, our testing also suggests that a number of accessibility bugs have been introduced in this release—one of which we believe to be potentially critical for those who use the Focus line of braille displays. Thus, if you have not already updated your device to iOS 10.2, we strongly recommend that you read this post and any comments below before doing so.

Read More: “Apple Releases iOS 10.2; Bringing Fixes, But Also Some New Bugs for VoiceOver and Focus Braille Display Users” <http://www.applevis.com/blog/apple-assistive-technology-braille-ios-news/apple-releases-ios-102-bringing-fixes-also-some-new> 


Yo, Human! - An Adventure in the Making: Accessing Life with Adaptive Technology


By Nicholas | December 12, 2016

"The stone walls smell of must and moss, damp-cold seemingly radiating from their surface in the narrow tunnel. Sounds of dripping water can be heard, echoing lightly somewhere in the distance. your torch sputters a bit, not much time left. The huge, nasty smelling thing lurches back away from you, leaving behind more damage than you'd like. Briefly in the distance you see some creature being chased by a huge spotted lion, which seems to be enjoying itself tremendously. Then they are gone into darkness."

‘Hey! You dirty rat.' I think to myself, not liking this situation even a little bit! It took me over an hour to get down this far, now just to be sent packing because of some vermin?

Balancing my iPad Mini in one hand and placing the VO (VoiceOver screen reader) cursor on the Return key of the on-screen keyboard, I two-finger double-tap somewhere on the screen to start Dictation. Bink, the microphone is now listening.

Read More: “Yo, Human! - An Adventure in the Making: Accessing Life with Adaptive Technology” <http://www.applevis.com/blog/assistive-technology-gaming-opinion/yo-human-adventure-making-accessing-life-adaptive> 


This Month in Podcasts


An Overview and Demonstration of the 2016 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar


In this podcast, David Woodbridge <http://www.twitter.com/dwoodbridge>  gives us an overview and demonstration of the 2016 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.

Listen to “An Overview and Demonstration of the 2016 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar” <http://www.applevis.com/sites/default/files/podcasts/AppleVisPodcast1037.mp3> 


Apple AirPods: Unboxing, Description and Review


In this podcast, David Woodbridge <http://www.twitter.com/dwoodbridge>  introduces us to the recently released Apple AirPods. He tells us what we will find in the box; gives us a physical description of the AirPods and their charging case; and then talks us through his experience of using them with an iPhone, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV.

Listen to “Apple AirPods: Unboxing, Description and Review” <http://www.applevis.com/sites/default/files/podcasts/AppleVisPodcast1036.mp3> 


Go into Battle with Blind Gladiator for Mac


In this podcast, Khalfan Bin Dhaher gives us a brief demonstration and walk-through of Blind Gladiator for Mac. The game is also available for iOS and the Windows PC platform Here is a link to the game on the app store. <https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/blind-gladiator/id1148929588?mt=8&at=11l4LS> 

Listen to  <http://www.applevis.com/sites/default/files/podcasts/AppleVisPodcast1035_0.mp3> "Go into Battle with Blind Gladiator Mac


A Demonstration of Blindfold Trivia Match


In this podcast, Joseph Weakland gives us a demonstration of Blindfold Trivia Match, <https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/blindfold-trivia-match/id1162281244?mt=8&at=11l4LS>  yet another entry in the Blindfold Games series.

Listen to “A Demonstration of Blindfold Trivia Match” <http://www.applevis.com/sites/default/files/podcasts/AppleVisPodcast1033_0.mp3> 


Quick Tip: Demonstration of Abiding Radio for iOS


In this quick tip, Lisa Salinger gives us a demonstration of Abiding Radio, <https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/abiding-radio/id879879562?mt=8&at=11l4LS>  an iOS app that provides easy access to various streams of sacred music. Quoting from its app store description, "Abiding Radio airs classic hymns of the faith and the best of today's conservative, sacred, and traditional Christian instrumental music."

Listen to “Quick Tip: Demonstration of Abiding Radio for iOS” <http://www.applevis.com/sites/default/files/podcasts/AppleVisPodcast1032.mp3> 


Quick Tip: Advanced Audio Editing with Ferrite Recording Studio for iOS


In this podcast, Igna Triay demonstrates advanced audio editing in Ferrite Recording Studio <https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ferrite-recording-studio/id1018780185?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo=8>  for iOS.

Listen to “Quick Tip: Advanced Audio Editing with Ferrite Recording Studio for iOS” <http://www.applevis.com/sites/default/files/podcasts/AppleVisPodcast1031.mp3> 


Embark on an Epic, Perilous Rite of Passage with A Blind Legend for Mac


In this podcast, David Woodbridge <http://www.twitter.com/dwoodbridge>  introduces us to A Blind Legend for Mac <http://store.steampowered.com/app/437530/> .

In this game you live the adventures of Edward Blake, the famous blind knight! Guided by your daughter Louise, you must find your way and avoid the many traps that lie in the High Castle Kingdom, while confronting dangerous enemies.

Listen to “Embark on an Epic, Perilous Rite of Passage with A Blind Legend for Mac” <http://www.applevis.com/sites/default/files/podcasts/AppleVisPodcast1030.mp3> 

A complete list of all podcasts posted to the AppleVis website can be found at www.applevis.com/podcasts <http://www.applevis.com/podcasts/> 


Best Wishes for 2017 from The AppleVis Editorial Team


We would like to take this opportunity to wish all members of the AppleVis community a happy New Year.

Thank you for all of the information, support and help that’s been shared on AppleVis over the past year. This has truly been appreciated by all of us on the AppleVis Team.

Our appreciation also goes to the many developers who work hard to ensure that their applications are not only great, but also offer fair and equal access to all users.

We hope that your 2017 brings you joy and much peace.


Helping to Support AppleVis


AppleVis is managed by a small team of unpaid volunteers and receives no external funding or sponsorship. So, if you enjoy and benefit from what we do at AppleVis, please consider helping to make this possible by making a single or regular micro donation at www.applevis.com/donate <http://www.applevis.com/donate>  All donations are truly appreciated and help to cover the financial costs of maintaining and developing AppleVis for the community.

The AppleVis Editorial Team
www.applevis.com <http://www.applevis.com> 

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