[Njtechdiv] Fw: [AppleVis Newsletter] AppleVis Unlimited: What's New and Noteworthy for October 2018

[Jane Degenshein]

    Hope to see you this afternoon at the tech seminar friends

From: The AppleVis Editorial Team
Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2018 4:34 AM
To: Subscriber
Subject: [AppleVis Newsletter] AppleVis Unlimited: What's New and Noteworthy 
for October 2018

Welcome to the October 2018 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 the latest news and 
podcasts. 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 Doggy (iOS, Free With In-App Purchases)
  Blindfold Doggy is a fully accessible dog ownership simulation game, for 
both sighted and visually impaired people, designed for rapid audio play. 
The object of the game is care for your dog: the better you care for your 
dog, the more points you'll score.

  After learning the sounds your dog makes when he needs something, you must 
take care of your dog: feed him, walk him, give him water, brush him and 
play with him.

  For example, to walk your dog, put on his collar and leash, open the door 
and start walking: swipe down with one finger. Each down swipe takes you one 
step further from home. Each up swipe takes you one step closer to home. 
When you leave the house for a walk, the front door automatically closes 
behind you. To go back inside, walk back to the door and open it. Make sure 
you close the door, or your dog may run away.

  Once you've mastered taking care of one dog, try taking care of two. It's 
much harder!

  Then try the adventure game - go shopping for new toys and food, and take 
your dog to the veterinarian for routine checkups.

  The game comes with limited play before you run out of food. To get 
unlimited play, or other options, use the in-app upgrades.

Current Version: 1.5.5 (October 26, 2018)

Read Blindfold Doggy's AppleVis App Directory entry for more information

Visit Blindfold Doggy's App Store page

Dwell - Audio Bible App (iOS, Free With In-App Purchases)
  Fall in love with listening to the Bible.

  Listening has been our focus from the beginning. Our app offers 4 brand 
new recordings of the Bible, each showcasing a unique and inspiring voice. 
We’ve also made the Bible easily explorable. Quickly access Scripture 
through popular Passages, Stories, Themed Playlists, even Listening Plans. 
Or listen the more traditional way, book by book.

  What makes Dwell so unique is that you can switch voices and background 
music on the fly without losing your place in the audio. Plus, every book, 
story, playlist, and plan is accompanied by beautiful artwork. Download 
Dwell and enjoy a world-class​ listening experience of the most important 
book in history: the Bible.

  Listen free with occasional in-house ads, or get Dwell Premium.

  Dwell Free: Features

    a.. Access to 1 voice for listening to Scripture
    b.. Hear occasional ads
  Dwell Premium: Features

    a.. Unlocks all 4 unique and inspiring voices for Scripture listening
    b.. Interruption-free listening
Current Version: 1.2.2 (October 17, 2018)

Read Dwell - Audio Bible App's AppleVis App Directory entry for more 
information

Visit Dwell - Audio Bible App's App Store page

Out Of Tune - Live Music Game (iOS, Free)
  Out Of Tune is a live music game where you compete to win a cash prize. 
All you need to do is correctly guess 10 songs. The game is played every 
weekday at 8p ET / 5p PT and 11p ET / 8p PT.

Current Version: 1.0.14 (October 28, 2018)

Read Out Of Tune - Live Music Game's AppleVis App Directory entry for more 
information

Visit Out Of Tune - Live Music Game's App Store page

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

iOS
Mac
Apple Watch
Apple TV

Notable App Updates
BreakR (iOS, Free)
  BreakR is a FREE voice-messaging platform for people on the move.

  Turn your phone into walkie-talkie and use voice activation to be able to 
listen to the incoming messages and reply without having to hold any 
buttons.

  Stay in touch with your friends when you are driving, running or skiing 
without compromising your safety.

    a.. Speak to your friends in REAL TIME with walkie-talkie mode, or 
prepare a perfect message before sending, by recording a voice memo and 
applying our funny VOICE CHANGER filters
    b.. If you can’t talk, type your message and it will be read to the 
recipient with our TEXT TO SPEECH feature.
    c.. Never miss a message with our 24 hour message history
    d.. MUTE the conversation at any time to listen to your messages later.
    e.. Chat one-on-one or in a GROUP.
  BreakR is accessible and has many blind and visually impaired users.

Current Version: 1.8 (October 27, 2018)

Changes in Version 1.8
  Accessibility improvements and bug fixes

Read BreakR's AppleVis App Directory entry for more information

Visit BreakR's App Store page

Dolphin EasyReader (iOS, Free with In-App Purchases)
  EasyReader is a FREE accessible reading app for readers with dyslexia, low 
vision or blindness. Browse & download from the World's largest collection 
of talking book and newspaper libraries. Open your own DAISY, Epub or text 
books. Or copy text from anywhere on your phone & hear EasyReader read it 
back to you. Experience perfectly synchronized text & audio. Or for text 
only titles, EasyReader can add a human sounding voice of your choice. Boost 
comfort or contrast - choose colours, text size and highlights to suit your 
visual needs.

  Make your books' text as big as your eyes require. Unlike other mainstream 
reading apps, there's no restriction with EasyReader. Zoom in with a 
standard 2 finger pinch or make fine adjustments with the simple sliders. 
There's never any blurry text or fuzzy fonts - your books' words are always 
crystal clear and always easy on the eye.

  Navigate your books or newspapers by skipping directly to specific pages 
or headings. Search your book for words or phrases. Add text bookmarks or 
record your own audio bookmarks and return to them with ease.

  EasyReader is fully optimized for use with iOS VoiceOver and iOS supported 
Braille displays.

Current Version: 2.3 (October 24, 2018)

Changes in Version 2.3
    a.. Sign in to EasyReader faster with your Google account.

    b.. New support for 'Reading Lists' available via Bookshare and RNIB 
Bookshare. Teachers can create & assign a reading list to their students via 
the Bookshare websites. The students can now browse and read the assigned 
reading list with their EasyReader app.

    c.. Titles from Bookshare and RNIB Bookshare now download as EPUB3, so 
images in the book are now included.
    d.. New 2 & 5 minute navigation modes – perfect for skipping forward & 
backwards in audio books.
    e.. Several improvements for VoiceOver users.
Read Dolphin EasyReader's AppleVis App Directory entry for more information

Visit Dolphin EasyReader's App Store page

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

    a.. call contacts or telephone numbers
    b.. send email
    c.. do facebook status updates
    d.. add calendar entries
    e.. fire away internet search engine queries
    f.. the text typed is automatically put to clipboard when you switch 
apps.
    g.. interact with other 3rd party applications
    h.. check spelling
    i.. save and open text files
    j.. sync to dropbox
    k.. use MBraille as third party keyboard
  The keyboard is also available as a separate in-app purchase.

Current Version: 4.4 (October 17, 2018)

Changes in Version 4.4
  UEB fixes, Drafts 5 support, iOS 12 tested.

Read MBraille's AppleVis App Directory entry for more information

Visit MBraille's App Store page

Recent News and Views
All About the New Macs and iPads from Apple's October 30th Event
By mehgcap | October 30, 2018

  Only a few weeks ago, Apple held a media event where it announced the 
latest iPhones and Apple Watches. Where, people wondered, were the iPad and 
Mac upgrades? The answer: right here.

  At today's event, Apple introduced the latest iPad Pro, Apple Pencil, 
MacBook Air, and Mac Mini. Yes, the poor Mini was finally updated. The 
company also released iOS 12.1, with a range of features and fixes.

Read More: “All About the New Macs and iPads from Apple's October 30th 
 Event”

Apple Releases macOS 10.14.1, watchOS 5.1, and tvOS 12.1
By AppleVis | October 30, 2018

  Today has seen another round of software updates from Apple. In addition 
to iOS 12.1, Apple has released macOS 10.14.1, watchOS 5.1, and tvOS 12.1.

  The macOS 10.14.1 update includes support for the Group FaceTime feature, 
which lets you chat with up to 32 people at the same time. Group FaceTime is 
also now available on iOS following the release of iOS 12.1; and on Apple 
Watch with watchOS 5.1.

  Additionally, macOS 10.14.1 and watchOS 5.1 introduce more than 70 new 
emoji. These new emoji are also available on iOS 12.1, and include:

    characters with red hair, gray hair and curly hair, a new emoji for bald 
people, more emotive smiley faces and additional emoji representing animals, 
sports and food.

Read More: “Apple Releases macOS 10.14.1, watchOS 5.1, and tvOS 12.1”

Apple Releases iOS 12.1 with Group FaceTime, New Emoji, and Some Fixes for 
VoiceOver and Braille Users
By AppleVis | October 30, 2018

  Apple has today released iOS 12.1 to the public, following its Brooklyn 
event that saw the launch of new iPad Pro models and refreshes to its range 
of Mac computers.

  In addition to some new features and enhancements, iOS 12.1 also brings a 
few improvements for blind and low vision users.

Red More: “Apple Releases iOS 12.1 with Group FaceTime, New Emoji, and Some 
Fixes for VoiceOver and Braille Users”

Getting It Done with a Shortcut in iOS 12
By Paul Martz | October 27, 2018

  I bet my spouse is starting to wonder why I'm sending her so many text 
messages. I'm testing my new shortcut, of course. No, I didn't create a 
shortcut to annoy my spouse. She likes to track our spending, and my new 
shortcut tells her what I've been purchasing.

  This blog gets you started with a drop-dead simple shortcut, and then 
describes the shortcuts I created to help track my spending. But first—

  What is a Shortcut?
  The Shortcuts app, formerly called Workflows, lets you specify one or more 
actions, called shortcuts, that you launch with SIRI or by selecting a 
desktop icon. If you've used Automator on MacOS, Shortcuts will be familiar 
to you.

  For information on the Shortcuts app, take a look at Thomas Domville's 
podcast series, How to Use SIRI Shortcuts in iOS

    a.. Part 1 - The Basics
    b.. Part 2 - The Gallery
    c.. Part 3 - The Library
  Also, see Apple's Shortcuts User Guide.

  Shortcuts and SIRI Shortcuts are two different things. A shortcut is a set 
of actions created with the Shortcuts app. A SIRI Shortcut performs some 
task using SIRI. This blog discusses how to create shortcuts with the 
Shortcut app, and then how to launch it with a SIRI Shortcut. Confused? 
Sorry. I didn't decide on the naming scheme.

Read More: “Getting It Done with a Shortcut in iOS 12”

Introducing Club AppleVis; Offering Members and Friends of our Community a 
Means of Directly Supporting the Work of AppleVis
By AppleVis | October 18, 2018

  We are thrilled to announce the launch of Club AppleVis. Club AppleVis 
offers members and friends of our community a means of directly contributing 
towards the financial costs of operating AppleVis—thus ensuring that we can 
continue to deliver the information, help, and support that so many people 
have come to value and rely on over the past 8 years.

  In part, the launch of Club AppleVis is a response to Apple's decision to 
remove apps from its affiliate program from October 1, 2018. For the 
unfamiliar, this affiliate program enabled online content publishers to use 
a referral link when linking to apps in the App Store. If people followed 
one of these links, a small percentage of any resulting sale was paid by 
Apple to the originating website as a commission.

  We used referral links on AppleVis; not because we have wages to pay (all 
of those involved with running AppleVis do so on a voluntary basis and 
receive no financial recompense for their time), but because there are 
financial costs from maintaining and developing AppleVis for the community. 
The small amount of revenue generated by these links helped to cover those 
costs.

  We want to stress that the changes to Apple's affiliate program should not 
bring into question the continued existence of AppleVis. However, as we 
receive no external funding or sponsorship, the reality is that these 
changes will make it harder to cover the operational costs. This is why we 
are asking the community to please consider helping by becoming a member of 
Club AppleVis.

  The biggest reward from being a Club AppleVis member is that you will be 
directly helping to make AppleVis possible. However, as a “thank you”, we 
offer a number of perks to Club AppleVis members:

    a.. Each year, we offer one Club AppleVis member the opportunity to take 
part in one of our roundtable podcasts. More details will be announced on 
how this will work further down the road.
    b.. Club AppleVis members have access to an RSS feed containing all of 
the episodes in our podcast archive, enabling them to browse and play these 
in their podcatcher of choice. Note that our main podcast feed includes only 
the 100 most recent episodes, with the remainder accessible via the website.
    c.. With the support of the developers and companies we have come to 
know through running AppleVis, we will occasionally offer discounts or 
giveaways to Club AppleVis members.
    d.. Club AppleVis members also have a badge added to their AppleVis user 
account that recognizes their membership of Club AppleVis and links to the 
Club AppleVis page. If you do not want this badge added to your account, 
please just let us know.
  It is possible that we may offer additional perks to Club AppleVis members 
as ideas and opportunities present themselves. However, what we will not be 
doing is making some content only available to Club AppleVis members, as we 
believe this would be against the spirit of AppleVis and everything our 
community strives to offer.

  If you are an app developer or behind a product or service that would be 
of interest and value to Club AppleVis members, please consider partnering 
with us to offer a discount or giveaway. Use our contact form to reach out 
and let us know what you have in mind.

  How to Join Club AppleVis
  To qualify for Club AppleVis membership, you will need to have either:

    1.. An active recurring donation towards AppleVis of at least US$1.99 
per month; or
    2.. Have made a single donation of at least US$25 in the past 12 months.
  If you find value in the work that AppleVis does, and if you have the 
means, we would greatly appreciate it if you would please consider becoming 
a Club AppleVis member. To reiterate, any and all donations received go 
directly towards the various costs associated with operating the AppleVis 
website; our site editors receive no financial compensation for their work 
with AppleVis.

  If you are ready to join Club AppleVis, you can use one of the forms on 
this page to set up either a recurring micro-donation or make a one-off 
donation. These donations are processed securely via PayPal.

  You can also use these forms if you wish to make a donation that's smaller 
than is required for Club AppleVis membership. You will have our sincerest 
thanks, as all donations make a difference and are truly appreciated, 
irrespective of the amount.

  If you already make a recurring micro-donation towards AppleVis or have 
made a one-off donation of $25 or more in the past year, you will 
automatically be made a Club AppleVis member. If you have any questions 
about this, please contact us.

  Thank you for your interest in learning how you can help to cover the 
financial costs of maintaining and developing AppleVis for the community. It 
is only with your help that everything AppleVis strives to offer is 
possible.

Read More: “Introducing Club AppleVis; Offering Members and Friends of our 
Community a Means of Directly Supporting the Work of AppleVis”

Apple Watch Series 4 Review: More Screen and Power Should Make This the 
Apple Watch Blind Users Have Been Waiting For
By David Goodwin | October 11, 2018

  Traditionally, it's any new iPhones which are the highlight of Apple's 
fall product launches. However, for this year's “Gather Round” event, it was 
the Apple Watch Series 4 which was the star of the show for me. It was in my 
opinion the most ground-breaking in terms of product evolution; and, whereas 
I was somewhat underwhelmed by the three new iPhones, the Apple Watch had me 
impressed and perhaps even a little excited.

  That was a somewhat surprising reaction, as I am not an Apple Watch 
devotee. I've previously owned what's now referred to as the Apple Watch 
Series 0. I didn't particularly enjoy the experience; found no compelling 
apps or functionality for my use case; and can honestly say that I had not 
missed an Apple Watch in the two years since I last used one.

  Reflecting on my reaction to the launch event and knowing that there are 
many in our community who rave about their Apple Watch, made me think that 
maybe it was time to give it a second chance.

  After two weeks living with a 44mm Series 4, I am happy to report that I 
have not been disappointed by that decision. Not only have I found that the 
Apple Watch now has something to offer me, but I have enjoyed the experience 
of using it. Of course, it helps that Apple Watch Series 4 is quite a 
different beast to the model I last used - the design has been refined; the 
performance much improved; the health and fitness tracking capabilities 
expanded; and features and apps have become more mature and focused.

  With the iPhone XS Max I have also been using for the past two weeks, I 
have struggled to find any significant advantages of its large display for 
me as somebody who relies completely on VoiceOver. The same is definitely 
not true for Apple Watch Series 4. The benefits of its extra screen real 
estate - 30% greater than on previous models - were immediate and dramatic. 
Combine this with its more powerful S4 chip and better speakers, and the 
experience of using VoiceOver on the Series 4 doesn't fall too far short of 
VoiceOver on an iPhone.

Read More: “Apple Watch Series 4 Review: More Screen and Power Should Make 
This the Apple Watch Blind Users Have Been Waiting For”

This Month in Podcasts
AppleVis Extra 61: October 2018 Apple Event Round Up
  In this episode, Dave Nason, Alex Hall, Scott Davert and Tyler Steven 
gather to talk about everything announced at Apple's October 30th event in 
New York, where a new MacBook Air, Mac Mini and iPad Pro were revealed.

  For even more coverage of the announcements, check out Alex's blog post

Listen to “AppleVis Extra 61: October 2018 Apple Event Round Up”

AppleVis Unleashed October 2018: The Newer One
  In this month's edition of AppleVis Unleashed, Thomas Domville, Randy 
Rusnak, and Mike Malarsie discuss recent Apple news and other topics of 
interest. Topics featured in this podcast include:

    a.. Happy 17th Birthday to Apple's Original iPod
    b.. Apple Releasing iOS 12.0.1 With Fixes for Wi-Fi 2.4GHz Bug, 
Lightning Charging Issue [Update: Now Available]
    c.. Apple Will Reportedly 'Give Away Original Content' to Device Owners 
Via TV App
    d.. Apple to Announce Q4 2018 Earnings on November 1
    e.. Apple Invites Media to October 30th Event in New York City
    f.. The iPad mini might not be dead after all
    g.. iPhone XS and XR names may have been inspired by the car industry
    h.. Introducing Club AppleVis; Offering Members and Friends of our 
Community a Means of Directly Supporting the Work of AppleVis
    i.. I made a FULLY accessible Reddit app for iOS. It's free, ad-less, 
and I need beta testers!
    j.. Introducing Subwords; need beta testers to improve VoiceOver support
    k.. The inquisitor audiogame; the Demon, coming soon!
    l.. Tip: How To Request a Copy of Your Apple ID Account Information
  You can contact the Unleashed Team with feedback or questions at 
unleashed at applevis.com.

Listen to “AppleVis Unleashed October 2018: The Newer One”

How to Use Siri Shortcuts Part 3: The Library
  In this third and last podcast in a multi-part series, Thomas Domville 
gives us an introduction to Siri Shortcuts on iOS.

  Shortcuts on the App Store:
  https://itunes.apple.com/app/workflow-powerful-automation/id915249334?ig

  Shortcut: Quiet Time On
  https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/1bf387c592fc431ca42deb9101053611

  Shortcut: Quiet Time Off
  https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/c958ee874c6f4cfe811b5c2408d78ae0

  Shortcut: Weather Forecast For Lee’s Summit
  https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/81b00bc992c24cb999a437f67742f55e

  Shortcut: AppleVis News
  https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/1c5a0c6511ba415b94d5c0703b3ad0e5

  Note: Siri Shortcuts requires iOS 12 or later.

Listen to “How to Use Siri Shortcuts Part 3: The Library”

Demonstrating the Home App on MacOS
  In this podcast, Alex Hall demonstrates the Home app on MacOS. The Home 
App is new in macOS 10.14 Mojave.

Listen to “Demonstrating the Home App on MacOS”

How to Use Siri Shortcuts Part 2: The Gallery
  In this second podcast in a multi-part series, Thomas Domville gives us an 
introduction to Siri Shortcuts on iOS.

  Shortcuts on the App Store:
  https://itunes.apple.com/app/workflow-powerful-automation/id915249334?ign-mpt=uo%3D8%26amp%3Buo%3D8

  Note: Siri Shortcuts requires iOS 12 or later.

Listen to “How to Use Siri Shortcuts Part 2: The Gallery”

Quick Tip: Configuring VoiceOver to Start Automatically When Logging in to 
Your Mac
  In this podcast, Tyler Stephen shows us how to configure VoiceOver to 
automatically start on the macOS login screen.

Listen to “Quick Tip: Configuring VoiceOver to Start Automatically When 
Logging in to Your Mac”

It takes a gamer to raise a community: a walk-through of Knight Commander 
for iOS
  In this podcast, Ida Grace shows us the game Knight Commander. This game 
is a $1.99 purchase in the US App Store and features fully accessible game 
play for VoiceOver users where you can build a village and run it. Is that 
not detailed enough of a description? Tune in to this AppleVis podcast to 
learn more.

Listen to “It takes a gamer to raise a community: a walk-through of Knight 
Commander for iOS”

How to Use Siri Shortcuts in iOS, Part 1: The Basics
  In this first podcast in a multi-part series, Thomas Domville gives us an 
introduction to Siri Shortcuts on iOS.

  How to Find a Siri Shortcut Created by an App Developer:

    1.. Open Your App of Choice.
    2.. Navigate to and open the app's settings.
    3.. Navigate to Siri Shortcuts and double-tap.
    4.. Find the Shortcut you Want to Use and double-tap.
    5.. Navigate to Start Recording and double-tap.
    6.. Navigate to the Done button, at the top-right corner of the screen, 
and double-tap.
  And/Or

    1.. Open Settings.
    2.. Navigate to Siri and Search and double-tap.
    3.. Navigate to All Shortcuts and double-tap.
    4.. Find the Shortcut you Want to Use and double-tap.
    5.. Navigate to Start Recording and double-tap.
    6.. Navigate to the Done button, at the top-right corner of the screen, 
and double-tap.
  Note: Siri Shortcuts requires iOS 12 or later.

Listen to “How to Use Siri Shortcuts in iOS, Part 1: The Basics”

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

The AppleVis Editorial Team
www.applevis.com

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