macOS

The New, Good, and Bad for VoiceOver users in macOS 10.13 High Sierra

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Hello, High Sierra

Today, Apple released the macOS 10.13 “High Sierra” update. As usual, I won’t cover the mainstream features for the most part, concentrating instead on accessibility.

Please remember to check the section about bugs to see if it’s worth upgrading. There’s no harm in holding off a few weeks or months to let Apple address a problem you may find too disruptive to deal with. In particular, users of the “most” punctuation setting should know that this setting has been removed, leaving just “none”, “some”, or “all”.

The Twelve Bugs of Christmas

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Hello AppleVis community. It's been some time since I blogged. Other writing tasks have occupied my time. But the real reason I haven't blogged is because bugs are getting me down.

I could remain silent about the bugs as I've been doing for the past seven months. Or I could post a rant on the forum. But ultimately, I decided to approach the topic with some seasonal levity. So if you can read this blog as constructive criticism and humor, then join me on a merry sleigh ride through the Twelve Bugs of Christmas.

Think Small

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I absolutely love working this way! I am sitting in my living room comfy chair and happily writing my first AppleVis blog. All the computer I need is right here. My iPhone 5S is in my shirt pocket, my Apple ear pods are where they belong, and my Logitech Bluetooth Keys-To-Go keyboard is cool and light on my lap. Except for taking my guide dog outside for another break, I cannot think of a single good reason to get up.

To Mac or Not To Mac?

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To Mac or Not To Mac? That is the question for many of us visually impaired computer users.
 
Having been a long time member of the AppleVis community and a long time commentor, I was very excited when the AppleVis Editorial Team was looking to bring on some new members.

Trimming Mac Tech, a Snappier VoiceOver

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"VoiceOver is On." Accessing Life with Adaptive Technology.

A Picky Old-School Techie.

Many options available on Mac and iOS can be processor intensive causing not only battery drain, but slowing down VoiceOver's response time over all. Choosing the ones that are best suited for my needs and turning off the ones that are not, can help. It can save battery life and give my device less to do, allowing it to pay quicker attention to me. :-)

Unblocking the Wordpress Block Editor

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If you’ve read my previous blogs, you know I enjoy deep dives into non-intuitive user interfaces—Discord, GarageBand, and Google Docs, to name a few. Documenting these beasts comes with some peril. Software is mutable. After I post my detailed description of (fill-in-the-complicated-app-of-your-choice), a new improved version of the software renders my article obsolete.

VoiceOver Turns 10

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On April 29, 2005, Apple Inc. introduced Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger. Included in Mac OS X Tiger's list of features was the VoiceOver screen reader. VoiceOver was not Apple's first foray into assistive technology: Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar introduced Universal Access which provided customizations to the operating system for those with visual, hearing, and physical disabilities. In fact, Mac OS X Universal Access was influenced by similar technologies which were bundled with the classic Mac OS (Mac OS 9 and earlier).

Way Cool to No Way: Apple Rumors for WWDC and Beyond

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How Will Apple Finish Out 2015?

With Apple's annual Worldwide Developer's Conference now just days away, a lot of people are wondering what new shinies we'll see. Will there be a new Apple TV? Yet another update to some Mac or other? A better iPad Mini? What will iOS 9 and OS X 10.11 bring to the table? Will Apple continue its headlong rush into dazzling new features at the expense of quality, or will it slow down and start refining what it has already done?

We Deserve Better from Apple: Why I Can No Longer Recommend a Mac to Fellow Blind Computer Users

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As many of you will know from personal experience, there is a longstanding issue with VoiceOver on Mac where Safari may become unresponsive with VoiceOver repeatedly announcing the message “Safari not responding.” When this issue occurs, the user's Mac may become unusable for up to several minutes at a time. Sometimes it can be resolved by switching away from Safari. Sometimes restarting VoiceOver can resolve the issue.

We’re Making it Easier For You To Keep Up-To-Date With The Status Of Accessibility On iOS And OS X

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We are pleased and excited to be opening the doors today on a completely new area on AppleVis, one that we hope will help to keep you up-to-date on the current status of accessibility on iOS and OS X.

As AppleVis has grown and evolved over the past 5 years, we’re aware that it’s become increasingly more difficult to keep track of what accessibility-related problems have been reported and discussed on here.

So, to make this easier, we are pleased to announce the launch of The AppleVis Accessibility Bug Database.

What Accessibility Means To Me

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You say potato and I say potato, and yes, I know VoiceOver read both of those the same way, so you will have to imagine the commonly used expression. Being a VoiceOver user on the iPhone and Mac since 2009, I have become very familiar with the word accessibility and the hash tag #A11Y.

What's New in OS X 10.11 El Capitan for VoiceOver Users

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Today, Apple released OS X 10.11 El Capitan, a free update that will run on any Mac which supports Yosemite. Apple addressed some bugs in this release, as well as including a lot of new features in VoiceOver, and we think you'll really enjoy these updates and improvements. If you find any we missed, especially regarding braille or Zoom--which none of us have the capability to test--please leave a comment and let us know.

Why Not Just Move to Windows? One Perspective

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In 2008, despite my failing eyesight, my Windows laptop with ZoomText empowered me to operate my own software development business. I had partnered with Bob, a Mac user. We both had prior Unix experience. With Windows, Mac, and Unix covered, we were a cross-platform development powerhouse.

Why the Touch Bar May Keep this VoiceOver User Away from a New MacBook Pro

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Since it's launch was announced last month, I had been keen to spend some hands-on time with Apple's latest MacBook Pro.

I was curious to find out just how much thinner, lighter and faster it would be compared to my current MacBook Pro; and to test the ‘improved’ keyboard and larger trackpad. But, what I most wanted to try was the Touch Bar; the multi-touch enabled display which has replaced the physical function keys on all but one model in the 2016 MacBook Pro range.

WWDC 2013 Keynote Highlights

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Below is a list of the major highlights from today's WWDC keynote, compiled from the twitter feed of AppleVis Editorial Team member Michael Hansen. Other sources include the live blogs from Macworld, 9 to 5 Mac, and Mac Rumors.

WWDC 2020: New Software and Fresh Chips

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WWDC 2020: New Software and Fresh Chips

As usual in June, Apple has recently concluded the opening presentation of WWDC. This year brought us version 14 of iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS, as well as watchOS 7 and macOS 11. Yes, macOS 11, not 10.16. The final announcement wasn't just about software, though, but hardware: Apple is moving its entire Mac lineup to custom chips it will be designing itself, and it's starting the process this year. Maybe that's why macOS got a whole new number?

WWDC 2024 Recap: AI, More AI, and Some Not AI

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Intro

Today, Apple told us what to expect in the next round of software updates, coming this fall. While the focus was, unsurprisingly, AI, there is more than just that to be excited about. Let's dive into what you can look forward to on your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, and Apple TV later this year. Or next year, in some cases; as has become common in the last few years, Apple announced features it won't be rolling out until well after the software's initial release.

WWDC 2025 Keynote: The AppleVis Recap

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Welcome to WWDC 2025

As has been the case for many years now, Apple kicked off this year's Worldwide Developers Conference by announcing all the major software changes coming to all your favorite devices later this year. We got a look at everything we can expect in iOS 19, watchOS 12, and... No, wait, that's not right--they changed the name!

WWDC 23 Keynote: Apple Unveils Platform Updates and Introduces Apple Vision Pro Headset and New Macs

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Apple's highly anticipated annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) kicked off today with the customary keynote presentation. During the event, Apple unveiled the next major updates to all its software platforms and introduced the much-awaited mixed-reality headset and some new Mac models.

Our editorial team member Alex (‘mehgcap’), who typically provides detailed event summaries, regrets being unable to do so this time due to work commitments.

WWDC is around the corner and the App Store is down

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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.