Apple has today released iOS 8.2 to the public, bringing with it a series of performance and stability improvements and support for the forthcoming Apple Watch.
For blind and low vision users, Apple addressed an issue which caused VoiceOver to crash when exiting certain apps. This would result in the iOS device becoming unresponsive for anything up to 60 seconds.
While iOS 8.2 does not contain as many improvements for blind and low vision users as we have seen in some recent…
It’s nearly time for another Apple event, and this one will formally launch Apple’s entry into the wearable sector with the Apple Watch.
First revealed by Apple last September, we’re likely to get confirmation tomorrow that the Apple Watch will be available for purchase in April.
In addition to giving us details…
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…
Apple has today released iOS 8.1.3 to the public.
According to MacRumors, iOS 8.1.3 fixes include a fix for an issue that prevented some users from entering their Apple ID passwords for Messages and FaceTime, a bug that caused Spotlight to stop displaying app results, and a problem that prevented multitasking gestures from working on the iPad.
iOS 8.1.3 also…
Apple today released OS X 10.10.2 to the public. This second update to OS X Yosemite is believed to include a number of VoiceOver fixes.
We keep a running list of Yosemite bugs on our main Yosemite announcement page. You'll find all the new, fixed, and unaddressed bugs there.
Other notable changes and fixes include the addition of iCloud Drive support in Time Machine, a fix for…
Over the last couple years, I’ve come to a conclusion about life as a blind person: it isn’t the physical lack of sight that’s the biggest difficulty I face; but rather, it is attempting to overcome peoples’ negative stereotypes and misconceptions about what I can—and cannot—do that is the real problem.
When I think of situations where negative stereotypes about blind people come into play, the use of technology isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. I tend to think about…
Yes, the latest rumor to come out of the mill is that Apple is going to introduce a radically re-designed, one-port Macbook Air sometime this year. It will have a 12-inch screen, a keyboard, a trackpad… and a single USB C port, along with the usual 3.5mm headphone jack. That's just one lonely little port for power, printers, external drives or card readers, USB audio peripherals, connecting…
Update 13 January: 9To5Mac reports that some users - presumably those with an excessive number of refunds on file with Apple - are now receiving a notification when they attempt to make purchases. They are being prompted to agree with the dialog before they can proceed with the purchase. By doing so, they…
Apple today released iOS 8.1.2 as an over-the-air software update.
This update reportedly includes a number of bug fixes, including a fix for a problem regarding ringtones purchased through the iTunes Store. Apple advises users who have lost ringtones to restore them by visiting https://itunes.com/restore-tones from their iOS devices.
iOS 8.1.2 was not seeded to developers before being released to the public, so we do not know at…
In her latest song, "Shake it Off," the country/pop artist Taylor Swift wrote, "...the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate." While I am sure that Ms. Swift was not referring to some peoples’ recent comments about Apple's commitment to accessibility when she wrote the song, the basic idea behind that particular phrase still applies.
When Apple’s iOS 8 operating system was released in September, it included…
Apple has today released OS X Yosemite 10.10.1, bringing with it a series of bug fixes and improvements—including a fix for WiFi reliability issues.
According to the OS X 10.10.1 release notes, via 9 to 5 Mac, this first Yosemite update includes the following changes:
"The OS X Yosemite v10.10.1 Update improves the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac…
I got my iPhone 5 in December of 2012, almost two years ago as of the time of this writing. Last year, the iPhone 5S came out, and it was really cool, but not worth paying an early upgrade fee on top of the price of the phone. Now, the iPhone 6/6 Plus is out, and way cooler than the 5S, and my upgrade is coming due… But I'm not making the switch. Why, you ask? Good question!
The iPhone 6 (and 6 Plus, but you know what I mean) offers a lot over the 5, from a larger screen, to the…
For years, I have used your products. I took the path that many people take: an iPod Touch, which slowly drew me into the joy of a simple, powerful, and overall great operating system; to a Mac, which slowly replaced my Windows computer thanks to OS X's lack of crashes and errors, syncing with iOS apps, ease of downloading apps from the App Store, and other features; to the iPhone, because it's a more powerful iPod that can get online anywhere and make phone calls, so…
Following a short beta testing period, Apple today released iOS 8.1 to the public - the first major update to iOS 8 since its release last month. Along with the introduction of a number of new features, iOS 8.1 appears to include a number of accessibility-…
Today (October 16, 2014) was Apple's third major announcement of the year, after WWDC in June and the iPhone/Apple Watch event last month. This time, the focus was on the Mac and the iPad, with some exciting new products announced, not to mention the release for the long-awaited OS X 10.10 Yosemite, iWork updates for the Mac, and the scheduled release of iOS8.1 on Monday, October 20.
If you'd rather watch the video, you can now do so. Here's Apple's…
The latest update to Yosemite, 10.10.2, is now live. It claims to fix wifi bugs and other assorted problems, including VoiceOver. With the exception of the two bugs encountered when typing in edit fields on webpages and the inability to play audio iMessages, I have to say that I've found nothing new or fixed in terms of VoiceOver, as much as I hate to write that. See the list of bugs at the bottom of this post. There is a note next to some of…
Barely a month after announcing new iPhones, Apple Pay and the Apple Watch, Apple CEO Tim Cook will be back on stage tomorrow to announce more new products … just in time to grab a share of your money this Holiday season.
However, unlike the September event, this will be much more low-key. To be staged on Apple’s Cupertino campus and with a much shorter…
Update, 9/27/2014: Some users are reporting some accessibility improvements in iOS 8.0.2. Check out the comments section for all the details!
Apple has just released iOS 8.0.2, an update which brings several bug fixes and feature improvements. iOS 8.0.2 comes on the heels of iOS 8.0.1, an update which broke cellular service and Touch ID for some…
Update 2: Apple has just pulled the iOS 8.0.1 update, and it is no longer available for download. (Via Mac Rumors.
Update 1: It appears that the loss-of-cellular-service and Touch ID issues with iOS 8.0.1 are limited to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, according to Mac Rumors.
Just over a week after releasing iOS 8,…
Today, Apple began selling the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in stores around the world. And, unlike past iPhone releases, consumers now have two devices from which to choose.
Since the moment Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the larger iPhone 6 Plus last week, I knew I was interested. (I knew I was interested when it was just in the rumor stage, but the phone only became "Official" last week.) But how big would the iPhone 6 Plus really be? Was it seriously as large as I imagined? Could I…