Listen to SeroTalk Podcast 116: Just Stupidly Different
On this week’s podcast, Jamie Pauls, Ricky Enger and Joe Steinkamp reunite after a couple weeks of summer convention coverage to talk about the top news of the week. Stories covered in this episode include:
The Cloud
Microsoft moves your Office to the cloud
Amazon Cloud Goes Down Friday Night, Taking Netflix, Instagram And Pinterest With It
AWS Power Outage Raises Questions About Reliability Of Public Cloud
General Tech
@facebook.com addresses are free; hence, we must all want one.
With friend-finders like these, Facebook may find itself sued
RIM bets on quality, not speed, as it fends off death spiral
AT&T’s Next Ridiculous Move Is Going To Outrage iPhone Users
Sony’s latest Walkman lineup sizzles
AT
Serotek’s Accessibility Anywhere package
AccessNote: AFB’s New Note Taker for Your iOS Device
New HumanWare iPhone app will get deaf-blind and sighted people talking
Apple
Massive Apple patent win could kill off Android completely
Apple granted patent for Google Glass-like device
Apple’s App Store flub causes dozens of iOS and Mac apps to crash
Mailbag
1
Greetings,
I want to thank you for your podcast feeds. I am a recently 50 year old and newly blind guy due to a stroke and loss of oxygen to my optic nerve. I was listening to episode 115 and Lisa mentioned “Web analysis for accessibility” can you tell me what it is and how to obtain a review? I am a Government employee and hesitant to raise a red flag when the problem maybe me and not the web developer.
Second comment also to Lisa; On acceptance. Like many in the beginning I searched for a cure but, figured acceptance was better than avoidance and false hope.
Again thanks for your enlightenment into the new world of blindness.
Ray Williams
2
Hi guys,
You were asking in Serotalk 115 about the new Apple Podcast app for iOS. I downloaded it and at first thought it was great. I love that you can subscribe and stream podcasts without having to download them for example, and it’s nice to divorce from the Mac. The interface is quite visual but there is a list view option which is easier with VoiceOver, and the podcast search works much like the app store etc.
However the more I use it, the less I like it. Some controls are confusing, there’s no syncing and it’s very slow and sluggish. For example when I unlock the screen while playing a podcast, hoping to access the controls, it can take some time to become responsive. In fact at one point while listening to Serotalk 115 it took over 30 seconds to become responsive, and then crashed. I nearly threw the iPhone across the room in frustration and relised it was high time I went to the app store and bought Downcast, which so far I love.
It has its good points though and is only version 1.0 and I’m sure it will improve.
One quick point on the importance of Braille which Buddy spoke passionately about. I’m very new to Braille myself but totally agree. I recently wrote an essay for college on Educational Policy, and in doing so I came across a quote in my reading which said something to the effect of:
If you said that sighted children no longer needed to learn to read and write, and could learn everything they need through television and audio, people would rightly call you crazy. Braille is just as crucial for blind children.
Regards,
Dave
Dublin, Ireland
3
Hey, great show as always.
Actually, with regard to the galaxy nexus, Apple may have blocked it from being sold in the United States. Read about that the other day.
The accessibility in Android 4.1, jellybean looks very exciting. I don’t have the galaxy nexus, but have several phones running cyanogen mod, which is an after market rom, hopefully it will be available in a couple months. Don’t know if you’ve seen this, but here is a link to a youtube video demonstrating the new accessibility features, it’s definitely something to look forward to.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3HliaMjL38
4
Hi This is maureen McEntee. I’m sure Twitter could be a social outlet for him, but that’s not what i want to discuss here. I had an uncle whom i was very close to, he had a massive stroke, which left him unable to communicate. so i know what that locked in syndrome is all about. When i would go to the nursing home to see him, he would look at me and cry, because he wanted to say things to me that he couldn’t. If he got mad enough, he could curse someone out, but it was barely understandable. When it came time to decide whether or not to use artificial means to keep him alive, my Aunt said his mind works let him answer, he was able to say no!!!!! in an angry voice, because he just didn’t want to be here anymore. I feel very strongly that we, as human beings should have the right to end our lives when we choose with dignity. When our dogs or cats get old and sick, what do we do? We take them to the vet and have them given a needle and put to sleep, they don’t suffer and they die with dignity and they go peacefully It’s painful for us, but kinder in the long run. I’m sure alot of people don’t agree with me, but this is just my opinion, having lived through the locked in syndrome. with someone i love. and always will.
5
Is there any Web site that can be easily navigated with a screen reader to compare phone talk and data plans? It’s all so confusing to me. I heard your last podcast talking about data plans etc. for the different providers and I am thinking about purchasing an iPhone 4S in September but am overwhelmed by the choices of plans out there. Keep up the good work. Your podcasts are very informative and interesting but still have plenty of humor. Thanks.
Jo Anne Stombaugh
Roundabout
Visually-Impaired Teen Starts Clever Braille Menu Business
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
The comments on the show defending the pricing of Fleksy are right on, but what isn’t said is that such added expenses leaves apps like this and other technologies outside the budgets of many blind and low vision users. In a community that is still largely either unemployed or way under employed, questions about affordability shouldn’t be brushed off so easily. The point isn’t that apps like Fleksy aren’t worth the cost, or that the cost in itself isn’t unreasonable, given the limited market and the investment of the company producing it, but that even $15 can represent a hardship for lots of blind folks.Sure, some of the complaining about the price of AT comes from folks who feel like they are being overcharged, when this isn’t the case; but others are simply lamenting the fact that AT, and potentially really helpful apps like Fleksy cost more than they can spend.