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Page history last edited by Judi Cumley 12 years, 6 months ago

New (9/9/11)

The "next" digital book. A Ted Talk demonstrating a new type of interactive book using an iPad/iPhone. Very cool technology!

http://www.ted.com/talks/mike_matas.html

 

 

New (5/26/11)

Control Your Computer Using Your iDevice!

You can control your computer desktop from your iPad or other iDevice using one of the free or inexpensive Remote Desktop apps. You need both the app on the device and the free supporting computer download (either Mac or Win). You can open computer software applications from your device and use them with the device acting like a touchscreen. I have opened documents and used the onscreen keyboard to edit the documents. Save them the same as if you were on the computer. You could even run the Interactive WhiteBoard software that is on your computer so that actions on the iPad appear on the whiteboard.Two apps that I know of....

     Wyse PocketCloud RDP/VNC (Remote Desktop)

     Splashtop Remote Desktop for iPad

 

 

iDevices for Visually Impaired Students

Jeremiah Beasley from Wisconsin Center for Blind and Visually Impaired offered this information about Blind users & appropriate apps on iDevices. Read Jeremiah's blog for current information about apps for Blind and Visually Impaired.

 

iBraille!

I have been asked “How are the Braille apps for the iDevices?” and I have to say that they are not that good.  Most of them are designed for sighted users and thus do not work well with Voiceover (the built-in screen reader).  I have also noted that they don’t deal with contracted Braille.  Most all Braille readers read contracted Braille.  This is the literary Braille code.  To have an app that just deals with the alphabet is really more of a novelty then something real useful to a blind user or someone working with a blind user.  

Now that I have you thinking that Braille is not available on the iDevices let me tell you the cool part.  Braille is very much part of Apple’s commitment to accessibility!  The Voiceover screen reader has support for Bluetooth Braille displays.  This allows a blind user to access all of the functions of an iDevice from a Braille display.  You can:

  • Read books in iBooks or inDaisy.  
  • Read your e-mail in the mail app.
  • Lookup your favorite recipes in your favorite cookbook app.
  • Read news stories from many online newspapers.
  • Lookup your bus schedule.
  • Surf the web using Safari.
  • Get info on what is around you in the Aroundme app.
  • Get directions to a destination.
  • Update your Facebook status.
  • Check the weather forecast.

You can read all of this in Braille.  You can also get this information in an auditory format.  You can use the Braille style keyboard to input contracted or un-contracted Braille.  You can send a text message or e-mail using contracted Braille and the person receiving it will get standard text.  You can then read the reply in contracted Braille.

The price of a Braille notetaker is around $7000.  You can buy a Refreshabraille from APH for around $1700.  Teachers of blind students can get the Refreshabraille on quota funds thus saving the $1700.  The iPod Touch can be had for around $200 depending on the model.  The iDevice can do almost everything that the Braille notetaker can and a lot more.  The student is using a device that their sighted peers are using or would really like to use.  It has the COOL factor going for it!

Apple has truly provided out of the box accessibility for blind people.  This technology is still in the beginning stages.  I think it will only get better from here.

 

 

Reading Picture It! pdfs in iBooks on your iPad

Do you know about Picture It! documents? They are books, stories, visual schedules and more that are created with the software Picture It! by Slater Software. Picture It! attaches a rebus symbol to text. Your Picture It! documents have picture supported text. Now you can load Picture It! pdfs that the company has created directly onto your iPad to open in iBooks. The directions are attached. Be certain that you do all of the steps using your iPad. The directions are created for working within the iPad.

 

     Just an FYI, you can do the same process using Boardmaker Symbolate. Create your symbolate "board", save as....or print to pdf, send to ibooks - and it can be read with voiceover.

 

 

 4 Part Video Tutorial on uTube for using an iPad as an interactive whiteboard (be certain to click on "See All" on the uTube page to see all of his series & updates)

 

 

Other Media for the iPad/iTouch

 

 

  • You can also use Zamzar to convert YouTube videos to play on your devices. Copy the URL of the YouTube video. Paste it into the Zamzar window that asks for the URL. Convert to iPod,iPad or MP4. Download the file after you receive the notice in your email. Put the file on your desktop or someplace "easy to find". Go to your iTunes playlist for movies. Go to File>Add to LIbrary (or control O), navigate to the file & click OK. Hook up and sync the device.

 

Add Music to your iPad/iPod Touch

Insert CD into computer

• iTunes will automatically open

Follow the prompts to add CD tracks to iTunes

When finished, click on the device in the L. column of iTunes

Click on the music tab at the top

Resync your device

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