<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto">This is a new blog and podcast. <div></div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://lifeafterblindness.com/">http://lifeafterblindness.com/</a></div><div><br></div><div>Here is whats in episode #1:</div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: inherit;"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: inherit;">This week on episode #1 of the Life After Blindness Podcast, Tim speaks with Shaun Preece from the </span><a href="http://www.insightradio.co.uk/tech-talk-radio-show.html" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: inherit; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">RNIB Tech Talk</a><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: inherit;">and</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: inherit;"> </span><a href="http://audio.pizza/" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: inherit; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">Audio Pizza</a><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: inherit;">Podcasts and Holly Anderson from the</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: inherit;"> </span><a href="http://maccessibility.net/" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: inherit; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">Maccessibility Roundtable</a><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: inherit;">Podcast.</span></div><div><div id="primary" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px -99px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; float: left; width: 375px;"><div id="content" role="main" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 28.5px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;"><article id="post-209" class="post-209 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-podcasts tag-aipoly tag-aira tag-amazon-echo tag-apple tag-blindness tag-blitab tag-iphone tag-maccessibility tag-rnib tag-skateboarding tag-visually-impaired" style="border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; padding: 0px 0px 1.625em; position: relative;"><div class="entry-content" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 1.625em 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tim opens the podcast by asking Shaun and Holly about a recent inspirational article from the <a href="http://www.freep.com/story/news/health/2017/01/16/blind-metro-detroit-skateboarder-lands-both-feet/96014852/" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">Detroit Free Press</a>. The article profiles blind skateboarder <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/NickMullinsTV" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">Nick Mullins</a> who lost his sight after almost losing his life to MRSA.<br>The conversation then turns to CES 2016. This year’s Consumer Electronics Show seems to feature more accessible products than ever before!<br>Tim begins the CES discussion by asking Holly and Shaun to describe the <a href="http://blitab.com/" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">BLITAB®</a> and discuss whether they feel it could be a useful and functional replacement for the iPad.<br>From <a href="http://BLITAB.com">BLITAB.com</a>:<br>“”BLITAB® is the World’s first tactile tablet for blind and visually impaired people. BLITAB® is a next curve Braille device for Braille reading and writing that displays one whole page Braille text at once, without any mechanical elements.”</span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Next, Holly talks about using an app that was featured at CES called <a href="http://aipoly.com/" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">Aipoly Vision</a>. This app can identify text, colors, common household objects, currency and more. Tim, Shaun and Holly discuss the accuracy of Aipoly Vision and whether it’s worth the $4.99 a month subscription fee for expanded functionality.<br>Later in the podcast, Tim demonstrates Aipoly Vision in action.</span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Another big development in accessible tech at CES this year was a new service called <a href="https://aira.io/" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">AIRA – Visual interpreter for the blind</a>.<br>From the AIRA website:<br>“Aira develops transformative remote assistive technology that connects the blind with a network of certified agents via wearable smart glasses and an augmented reality dashboard that allows agents to see what the blind person sees in real time. Agents, serving as visual interpreters for the blind, help users accomplish a wide range of daily tasks and activities – from navigating busy streets to recognizing faces and literally traveling the world.”<br>Tim, Holly and Shaun give examples of AIRA in action and debate the possible subscription options for this service.<br>Rounding out the CES discussion is the implementation of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Echo-Bluetooth-Speaker-with-WiFi-Alexa/dp/B00X4WHP5E" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">Amazon Echo</a> technology into so many new products. Shaun and Holly talk to Tim about the future of Echo and what it could mean to the blind and visually impaired.<br>Tim then demonstrates the Aipoly Vision app. You can download it <a href="https://appsto.re/fr/L9IU_.i" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">here</a> for free.</span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In January, Apple celebrated the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. After the anniversary, Tim wrote a <a href="http://lifeafterblindness.com/196-2/" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">blog post</a> about what the iPhone has meant to those who are blind or visually impaired.</span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The podcast finishes with Tim, Shaun and Holly discussing this article. They each talk about what the iPhone has meant to them and how it has affected their lives.<br>You can hear more from Shaun Preece by subscribing to the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/tech-talk/id1151878596?mt=2" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">RNIB Tech Talk</a> or <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/audio-pizza-more-than-just/id1170942901?mt=2" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">Audio Pizza</a> Podcasts.<br>You can hear more from Holly Anderson by subscribing to the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/maccessibility/id279093812?mt=2" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">Maccessibility Roundtable</a> Podcast or by following her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/dhsholly?lang=en" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">@DHSHolly</a></span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Please subscribe to the Life After Blindness Podcast on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/life-after-blindness/id639167847?mt=2" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">iTunes</a> and follow us on <a href="http://lifeafterblindness.com/facebook" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://lifeafterblindness.com/twitter" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">Twitter</a>.<br>Join us again next week for a one-on-one spotlight interview with Holly Anderson. Then be sure to listen in two weeks when we are joined by Mel Scott and Lisa Salinger from <a href="https://www.blindalive.com/" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">Blind Alive</a> and <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-free-fitness-podcast/id913604630?mt=2" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">Eyes Free Fitness</a>.<br>Thank you very much for listening to episode #1 of the podcast! As we journey together, we will find that there can truly be a life after blindness.</span></p><div class="addtoany_share_save_container addtoany_content_bottom" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 16px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; clear: both;"><br></div></div><footer class="entry-meta" style="clear: both; line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="comments-link" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></footer></article><br></div></div></div><div><br></div></body></html>