AppleVis Blog

Fleksy is getting better on an almost daily basis as its betas reach testers. It's pushed my bluetooth keyboard to the sidelines and while it would be better if we could bring it up in each and every application instantly instead of typing in a separate application (if Apple had allowed it), that might not be quite far-off. Syntellia has made Fleksy's SDK available to developers, meaning they can integrate it into their products. Also, the first few developers that apply for the SDK will get it free of charge. So imagine being able to utilize it in typing-heavy applications such as IM apps or note-takers.

We are pleased and excited to announce that David Woodbridge has agreed to join the AppleVis Editorial Team.

As you might have read, we recently posted that we were looking for an experienced Mac user to join our Team and to help develop the Mac-specific areas of the website.

iOS 6 announcements
note: I did miss a few things because the audio was a bit difficult, so anyone who has the remaining info is welcome to post it.
Siri can now launch apps.
Also, more support for other languages and countries.
There are also more local search type options, including those outside the US.
Facebook integration.
Facebook and Twitter are now options in the Notification Center, and App Store gets Facebook integration so you can tell apps that your friends like.
Also, do not disturb mode, which allows you to make the phone go completely silent for a given period of time you specify.
Facetime added to cellular networks, though this feature was available in some beta releases of 5, so not necissarily new.

No big announcements yet other than the fact that so far 30 billion apps have been downloaded and that the Store has 400 million accounts but, guys, this is really terrific! WWDC attendees are now watching a video in which a blind person who lives near a jungle can find his way there using his iPhone. A developer is also talking about how his app can help the visually impaired. Yet again, this is Apple's difference with the rest of the big companies out there. Accessibility has a special place in a high-profile all-purpose event like this!

Now that sounds a bit geographical, doesn't it? As Apple's World Wide developers Conference (WWDC) is on the horizon, Apple's App Store is down. It's to be held later today in San Francisco and many analysts believe iOS 6 will be unveiled there along with some hardware-related pieces of news and, perhaps, a couple of surprises. No one knows the very exact features of iOS 6 other than what some tend to call Google-free 3D maps and better photo-sharing. So, as you see, guessing its accessibility features is even more laborious.

We are pleased and excited to announce that two members of the AppleVis community have very kindly offered to donate a $20 iTunes Gift Card each month for us to giveaway to one lucky user of the site.

This wonderful gesture is in recognition of what we are trying to achieve here at AppleVis, and to help us make this an even more valuable resource to the community.

To be in with a chance of winning the Gift Card, you simply need to post any of the following to the site during the month:

We are pleased to announce that the latest iOS app to be inducted into our App Hall of Fame is Digit-Eyes Audio Scanner and Labeler.

For some time it was looking like this would be an extremely close vote, with several apps appearing to be in contention. However, Digit-Eyes ultimately won out as the firm choice of AppleVis users, gaining more than double the number of votes of its nearest challenger.

Anybody calling Amtrak's Customer Service in recent months is likely to have encountered a recorded message in which they were encouraged to use the company's iOS app.

According to this message, the app enables you to check the status and times of trains and buy tickets, meaning that there is no need to wait in a queue for your call to be answered. Or at least that is the case if you are sighted. Anybody who relies on VoiceOver will soon find themselves back in the queue, as these features of the app are not accessible.