SeroTalk Podcast 173: Voice Assistant Uprising

Hi SeroTalk Podcast Team (whoever you may be this week), My name is Kelsey and I live in England. As a listener to your show for almost a year now (wow!), this is my first time contributing to the show. Whilst sitting on the train earlier last week, a rather interesting thought came to me. Android, as we all know, is skinned by hardware and software developers. For example, HTC phones and Nexus devices, besides their hardware, look completely different. Of course, many blind people know this due to the frustration of inaccessible UIs. Well, I was thinking, do you think creators of Windows 8 tablets may start to introduce this? With the Surfaces (Surfi?) being the equivalent of a Google Nexus with Android and then other manufacturers (Acer, Del etc) skinning Windows to make it unique. With MicroSoft’s cooperation, there is a strong possibility that Windows may start heading this way. How do you think this would effect accessibility? Do you think it would begin to fragment the same way TalkBack does on several Android phones and tablets? Moving a little further into this fantasy Android meets the all-mighty Windows, could the desktop, for want of a better word, die? Could the Windows 8 start screen take over and the desktop vanish? Personally, I believe that laptop/desktop computers should have the desktop and the new start screen however the tablet version of Windows 8 Pro and Windows RT should just have an all-inclusive start screen and scrap the desktop.
This would likely start a we hate MicroSoft uprising in the mainstream community because, as we know, the start screen has not been adopted with the open arms that MicroSoft were obviously hoping for. As a user of Windows 8 for over a year now (I got it the day it came out), I have fallen in love with the new UI and think this is a great plan for the future of desktop computing. Yes, a few tweaks here and there are required for an optimal experience but for those people who are not ready for a fully touch-based experience just yet, Windows 8 is still a lovely operating system. Really, I believe that tablet computing is the future of consumer business and over here, laptops and desktops alike are not yet becoming extinct but they’re not as popular as they were say three or four years back. Many people do have a love hate relationship with Windows 8 and I understand that fully. I’m sure in 2015 – 2016 everyone will find something else to moan about, we’ll all be used to the start screen, MicroSoft will change it again based on the complaints of 2012 – 2013 and we’ll all moan once more! I love your show and hope you keep up the good work for years to come where you can talk about new technologies as it comes along. Thanks, Kelsey

P S: Jo, I can’t wait for the next Apple event (potentially scheduled for October apparently). I’m sure you’re as excited as I am!

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High Contrast Episode 15: It’s All About the Photons!

jpauls — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 17:00:03 +0000

Listen to High Contrast Episode 15: Its All About The Photons!

Did you know that this little company in Cupertino made this little device and operating system that people like to talk about? Okay, yeah, talk they do and this month the High C crew also throws their .2 updated thoughts in on the new hardware and the latest from Apple from the low vision side of things. And this was pre release iOS7. Expect even more remarks next month!

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App Review: Dungeon Story

Joe isn’t one to fall in line with trends, he’s not just visually impaired he’s style impaired too, but this Connect 3 fad finally got to him. No, not Bejewled or Candy Crush, the RPG aspects of this addicting app called “Dungeon Story” sucked him right in and kept him playing… for hours. Its free, but there are some nice In App upgrades for real money, and its great for those who like white text on black backgrounds. Draw with your finger and dispatch monsters, collect gold and cast spells. Take your loot and buy armor, swords and prepare for the multiple dungeons that stand before you in this iOS app.

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SeroTalk Podcast 173: Voice Assistant Uprising

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High Contrast Episode 15: It’s All About the Photons!