stopping a taxi or bus with iPhone

By Ahmed Hamdy, 12 February, 2014

Forum
iOS and iPadOS
I've been thinking about the revolutionary use of iPhone's camera to make accessible apps but why We don't make an app to help the visually impaired to know which cars are running front of them, or choose a taxi or bus to get on? please I need your opinion about that important topic, and I wanna to hear from app developers about their opinion and how We can develop such a very important that gives the blind more privacy thanks Ahmed

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Comments

By KE7ZUM on Saturday, February 8, 2014 - 12:25

No need for an app really. All you need to do is write down the bus numbers or ask the driver if you got the info from the dispatcher why his cab number is and if they do not tell you don't get in the car and don't get on the wrong bus. I've been traveling like this for years and it's helped me a lot.

By Ahmed Hamdy on Saturday, February 8, 2014 - 12:25

I'm talking about our daily life, if I'm alone in the street and wanna get on a taxi or bus and I don't like to ask someone, such an app help me gain more privacy. in addition, if the app helps me know colors or brand s of car It would be great

By Chessie the Ra… on Saturday, February 8, 2014 - 12:25

I am not a developer, but I theoretically could benefit from such an app if it was ever developed. But I wouldn't want it, because it would make the process ten times harder than it needs to be. As great as it would be to have an app that could identify taxis and busses, I think it is unrealistic. It would require precise positioning of the device's camera and the perfect picture to be taken to identify such things as bus numbers, etc. The development process would also probably be very time-consuming--to say the least--and the app would likely have a lot of issues with accuracy. It would introduce a whole new layer of complexity to the task at hand, and there are just too many variables to try to account for--at least as I see it. While I know you mentioned feeling uncomfortable, I still think the best solution is to advocate for yourself and ask for the assistance you need. In my experience, people are usually happy to help. Trying to get an app to do these kinds of things would, in my opinion, not be a worthwhile use of development resources and would ultimately leave you high and dry if your phone was malfunctioning, etc.

By Siobhan on Saturday, February 8, 2014 - 12:25

In reply to by Chessie the Ra…

If there was a "Like" button, I would've clicked it. Believe me I don't like asking for help, but sometimes you need too. You either need to get the gemstones to do it, or you can feel insecure. I'm also agreeing that the models alone, as they years keep going by and the cars thance, think about if your phone didn't see the newest 2032 Senada. You mean well I'm sure, just pracicality is lost here i'm sorry.

By Unregistered User (not verified) on Saturday, February 8, 2014 - 12:25

What you're talking about is almost here. With today's technology, it's not exactly doable yet However, with GPS type III coming out starting this year (satellites are starting to go out into space, and will be launching more and more between now and 2019), it will become extremely possible to know exactly which types of buses are coming your direction and where cabs are exactly. As technology progresses, we are going to get phones which will be able to look around for us and tell us what there is in real time. This will make locating buildings, buses, taxis, different models of cars, items in the supermarket, etc as easy as taking out your phone, pointing it and retrieving the information you're looking for (as stated, all in real time). Basically, it will be a real-time scanner which will be always on. Also, as phones become smarter, a.k.a. more artificially intelligent, you will have what will be essentially be an assistant that can facilitate all the things you have written about. It's really not that far off and definitely not impossible. Realistically, it might be possible, although extremely difficult, to develop any type of application that can do what you're proposing at the moment. However, if you can be just a little bit more patient, I guarantee you that what you are looking for will be coming out within the next five to ten years. It is also more than likely that within that timeframe, you might not need a bus or taxi As there will be self driving cars. This is not a pipe dream, but rather a reality that is inevitable and again, will be coming much sooner than you think That does not mean you should not be seeking out possibilities right now. To the contrary, I am sure what you're talking about is being worked on by various developers and it might just be a matter of finding them. If anything, writing about this can be a great thing because it can help make people more aware of what we want, not only for blind people, but for everybody. Please don't let yourself be frustrated by people who say that it's not possible the world is constantly changing and fortunately, we as blind people are becoming more and more equal others around us with technology putting everybody on equal footing. Not that many people thought the iPhone would ever be capable of doing what it is currently capable of doing. And honestly, with time, what it will be able to do in the next 5 to 10 years will astound us. Just be patient and keep fighting for the things you think you should have.

By Unregistered User (not verified) on Saturday, February 8, 2014 - 12:25

I was reading an article about three months ago. It detailed a camera which you can side mount onto a pair of glasses or sunglasses. This camera is apparently able to automatically recognize faces which you have programmed. Essentially, once you program it to recognize the face of a friend, family member, etc., it will always automatically detect that person's face from 20 feet away and give you an exact location of where they are and how far they are from you. This camera will also be able to detect and read aloud any text that it sees in real time. For example, as you're walking in the mall, and looking around, it will tell you the names of stores and other text that it sees around you. You will not have to take any pictures as it will be constantly automatically working. You will just have to connect that camera to a pair of headphones or earbuds, and you will hear everything that detects. I cannot remember the name of this product, but I remember that it was supposed to be released sometime this year. Unfortunately, because it is new tech, is not going to be cheap. I remember reading that the cost will be around $3000. But keep in mind that the price of things is always going down as time progresses. I am positive that I could find the article and the name of this product by searching Google. No,w in terms of it being used to identify buses and taxis, the first iteration might not be capable due to the speed in which such vehicles are moving or tend to move. However, that does not mean that the second iteration or third-generation won't have technology that can pick up text and other information at a much quicker pace. Like I said, it's all just a matter of time

By Unregistered User (not verified) on Saturday, February 8, 2014 - 12:25

http://www.industrytap.com/new-camera-sees-for-the-visually-impaired/13489 I was wrong. Apparently, this has already been released. Slightly cheaper at $2500. And seems to have the ability to not only detect faces and other text, but specifically mentions being able to read bus numbers on the buses.

By KE7ZUM on Saturday, February 8, 2014 - 12:25

Plus, we cannot constantly rely on our electronics. If we do and they die we are back to square 1. Even the sighted ask for help and I've like I said have traveled for years around the world and I find no hindrance of asking for help, except whenI speak the language. I agree with all the posters that this is unrealistic and hope it never happens as I like to do things with out the use of apps if at all possible. . Happy tuesday.

By LaBoheme on Saturday, February 8, 2014 - 12:25

sure you can make an app for hailing a cab easily, it needs only two functions: 1) make a loud whistle sound. the only way to whistle loudly is to put a finger in my mouth, sometime i don't want to do that because my fingers aren't particularly clean. 2) simulate a cab light, like the ones you see in front of big apartment complexes. how do you tell private cars from taxies? well, instead of hustling every car drives by, you can just turn on your cab light and wait. i think it's not a difficult app to write. if someone were to make it available, i would buy it.

By Raul on Saturday, February 8, 2014 - 12:25

In some cities buses have a voiceover system that speaks the bus number and the stops. I have never been friend of that cards in which there is a bus number o "Taxi" word written on it, i prefer to ask someone.

By splyt on Saturday, February 8, 2014 - 12:25

I think that scanning buses may be a little bite complex now. You can however install gps on bus and cabs and make then update their position, so you know where they are and when they arrive. This concept is used in software such as 99 taxy or easy taxy, where you call a taxy and you have the driver's phone back and the driver may have your facebook foto, so you can ask him or her to warn you when it arrives * privacy, precision and eficiency are guaranteed. Marlon

By Tree on Saturday, February 8, 2014 - 12:25

I do not think such a scanning app would do us any good or solve any major problems. Besides time and money could go into developing things that would be much more useful, not to mention practical and easy. I mean I love the idea that I can use my phone to see whats in my cabinet with apps like tap tap see, but even a task as simple as that can be frustrating and take a little time.
I think you guys are all missing the point. These applications are meant to serve us in such a way that we will not have to ask in the future. By all means, you can ask whoever you like whenever you like. However, if we can have applications that save us the time and effort of having to find someone who would know the answer to the questions were looking for, why would we not utilize it? Everybody's comments really come off as trying to assert independence. And believe me, I can appreciate that. But not everybody wants to have to ask a person for everything all the time. That's the point of a application like tap tap see. It's built so we don't have to ask people around us all the time. That is why there are money identifiers, color identifiers, etc. part of independence is excepting the tools around us so that we don't have to rely on the people around us. People keep saying what if the technology goes down somehow. Well then, by all means, go ahead and ask whomever you like whatever you like whenever you like I live in one of those cities where the bus announces which bus it is and where it is at all times. I find this incredibly useful because it allows me to not have to ask anybody for any help. essentially it makes me feel more independent. Asking someone should be when you have no choice. Not because you find it easier.

By KE7ZUM on Saturday, February 8, 2014 - 12:25

I think though the skill should be taught and implemented. Also, as someone pointed out, the camera for the phones is not all that good and the numbers on the taxi and busses need to be placed in the same location all the time. I don't think they are especially now that the service uber is now playing an important part of drivers and giving you rides as well. so in this case I don't think an app would be feasible or practical, not yet. good luck.

By Chessie the Ra… on Saturday, February 8, 2014 - 12:25

Vash, With all due respect, what's wrong with asking someone for assistance if you need it...especially if doing so is the easiest way to get something done? Blind and sighted people alike have to ask for help. It is something I struggled with for a long time, not wanting to call attention to myself. But I've found, as I do more independent travel, that part of being independent is recognizing when I do need assistance and asking for what I need.

By Ahmed Hamdy on Saturday, February 8, 2014 - 12:25

I appreciate all your comments and view points, my point is just how to be more independent and I don't believe that It requires such money, concerning asking people, It depends on the person, personally I don't like asking people about everything. in addition, I live in Egypt and unfortunately there are no buses voiceover system nor certain places for taxis. my idea is so simple; primarily We can make an app that can identify whether this vehicle is car, taxi, or bus

By Tree on Saturday, February 8, 2014 - 12:25

Would an app that lets one know where busses and taxis are be useful for some? Yes it would. But hear is my main problem with such an app. An app that would rely on one taking pictures seems to assume that to perform the desired task one must do so in the same way a sighted person does. In other words it seems to be coming from the perspective of a sighted person. The issue is not that we can't see the vehicles the issue is that we do not know where they are. To try and solve this issue with an app that is based on visual means is not a good idea for several reasons. What you should instead concentrate on is things such as GPS systems that could be in busses and taxis that would tell you where they are. This is a very practical much more useful means to solve the problem not to mention that it would help everyone, not just blind people. From what I understand the busses at my university already have such a system, I never ride them so I can't be sure. Why would you want to try and randomly wave your phone around to hope to catch a glimpse of what cars are around you when you could pull out your phone and see the exact location of every buss in the whole city, how far away they are, which one is the closest and when that buss will arrive. This kind of thing is only a matter of time because its something sighted people want to. For us to spend time and money for the kind of app your describing that would only give us access to what sighted people have now. If we had what I am describing it would give us access that sighted people can only dream of. Someone mentioned some crazy camera gizmo thing that reads the sines of stores so you can know which ones are around you. Well once again that is a very silly solution to a problem, that seems to assume that sight is the only way to fix things. There is an app right now that we all know of called blind square that will tell you which stores are around you. and you don't have to take a picture of anything. Just like the GPS app I described when talking about busses blind square offers more access then that camera thing ever could because I can use blind square to see what is across town. not just right in front of me. and as far as malls and inside places things like Ibeacon will solve those issues. And thats because Ibeacon offers a service that can help everyone, not just blind people. So once again I can understand that the problem you are talking about is a real one. If you want to hale a cab and don't want to ask for assistance it can be tricky. but the way you are suggesting to fix the problem just doesn't make a lot of since. In the comment above mine you say you just want an app that would distinguish between taxis busses and cars. Well I can't help with taxis but as far as busses thats easy. Maybe its different in Israel but at least hear in the states busses almost always have their motor in the back. This means its pretty easy to distinguish between them and most other vehicles just by the way they sound.

By KE7ZUM on Saturday, February 8, 2014 - 12:25

In reply to by Ahmed Hamdy

Again I don't think such an app can be reliable. 1. a lot of viecals can look like cars busses and taxies. 2. the camera on the iPhone is not that good yet. 3. if an app were to exist it would probably run in to about 2 or 300 dollars to buy and a few thousand to code. I don't think that this is a good idea personally. Tc all.
Low tech solutions Call the cab company. Print a sign with bus or taxi on both sides. I laminated mine with clear shelving paper. There isn't always someone around to ask for help.

By KE7ZUM on Saturday, February 8, 2014 - 12:25

That might not work as it is not protected from wind and a cit rain. Also not all cab companies might not want to do that, and you can make that and put it on your car, full people and con them. gain not advisable.

By Unregistered User (not verified) on Saturday, February 8, 2014 - 12:25

In reply to by Chessie the Ra…

I am not saying that asking for help is a bad thing or wrong. All I mean is that relying on others when we don't have to can take away some of our independence. Frankly, I want as many tools to be developed so that there will be no need to ask anyone. For example, in the past, I constantly required people's help in learning where a train would be at a train station. I could not read the track list and so had to rely on others to tell me where to go. However, an app called Rail Bandit was released 3 years ago. This application not only tells me the exact schedule for any train I am looking for, but also the exact track it will depart from. This has changed my life in that now, I am always aware of where to go and what time to be there by; all without the need to ask anyone. That does not mean I don't occasionally still need help. Rarely, the app gets the track wrong and I need help. I then find someone and ask them and go on my way. But 95% of the time, I don't need to and that feels very good. As blind people, I feel that we need to have the skills of mobility, an eagerness to learn, and the courage to ask for help when we do need it. But that does not mean that we should always rely on other people if and when we get the tools to do it ourselves. As I posted earlier, there are things currently out and things that are being developed. I freely admit that not all of the current solutions are affordable or even 100% accurate. But with time, the price will drop and the accuracy improved. With a little eagerness for these things, discussion, and advocacy, there will be nothing that can limit us because we will be totally equal with or without sight. A movie called "Her" recently came out. This was a movie detailing the relationship between a human being and an artificial intelligence. In one scene, the AI had the human close his eyes and was directing him step for step. The human was walking completely blind and was being told step forward, step left, take a half step, step up, turn to your right and walk five feet. Yes, it is fiction, but at the same time, it is a glimpse of where we are going to be in 10years...or 20 years. The reason for this is because the technology to make such things a reality are being worked on right now.

By Tree on Saturday, February 8, 2014 - 12:25

Well however we feel about this idea we can all agree that we want independence. Technology allows us to do things nobody could do twenty years ago. Before the internet blind people would have given anything to be able to access public libraries and now I have more books at my finger tips then any sighted person would have without the web. Although I will never have some her like robot telling me where to go. Just saying.
Hello Ahmed. I hope I've gotten your name right. I have a question: have you been using your IOS device long? Maybe you don't know of an app that will help you out more? I mean if you don't have a taxi app, maybe there is one you just don't know it exists? Like I have uber, taxi magic and i htink there are others. Anyway just a thought. I do agree, robots telling us where to do, is crazy. :) I'll be fine thanks doing what i do to get where i need to be.

Robots telling us what to do... Robots telling us what to do... So...A gps is ok (telling us what to do...turn right...turn left...) when it helps us navigate but an advancement that will improve that navigation is not? A stranger (person) you do not know, who ultimately may or may not care about where you end up is better than something that will eventually come out and be completely dedicated to you and your needs? Its ok to ask Siri or Google what we want, but not ok to have (eventually) an intelligence help us? I am amazed. You honestly believe you are the ones determining what apps like Magic Taxi and Uber are providing you? All you do is provide a zip code; and even that is automated. Essentially all you do is tap on a screen (because Apple made it possible) and have the audacity to state independence from what others are providing you to begin with? None of your ways are the only way to do anything. And just because you are used to doing things a certain way, that does not give you the right to think it will work for everyone. The whole point of this website is to provide different ideas and opinions. What do you think everything is going towards? Do you think there's a little gremlin in side your phones, turning knobs and pushing buttons? If the IPhone is not a tool that can evolve and improve our independence, then why have one? Why Not just get rid of it and use people all the time? Better yet, why not use God. God is always listening and loves us all (not being sarcastic). Honestly, Why is the IPhone ok for some things and not others? Why is anything ok for some things and not for others? Isn't the point to find out what is possible now and what might be possible in the future?

By Eileen on Saturday, February 8, 2014 - 12:25

In reply to by Unregistered User (not verified)

Have you tried searching your country's app store for all taxi apps? It's possible an app like Magic Taxi exists for your city. Sometimes the solution for our problem already exists, we just have to figure out the right question. In my pre high technology days there was seldom another pedestrian around to ask for help. I printed a sign with bus on it to flag down buses because the buses would not stop even if I stood at the designated sign.

By Siobhan on Saturday, February 8, 2014 - 12:25

Hello. Clearly you're shooting steam out of your ears. I never once thought the original poster's idea was wrong, simply impractical, and in your viewing of the futuristic nation you're providing, I concur my original statement. You have us probably flying those Jetson's cars and having robot dogs bringing in the newspaper. I'm a pretty good read of character,so yes i'm comfortable asking strangers for help if I need it. I do not have access to the Egypt app store, I'm asking if you have. If you are aware that yes this person is telling the truth and there are no bus or taxi aps, as i gave examples in earlier postings, then absolutely there should be one. But there is still impracticality when it comes to just how you do it. So yes, I took humor int he fact you are designing a fictitious situation where we just point the phone somewhere to do what we need too. GPS is vastly different in that you're in an unknown area and it's guiding you, not telling you what to do. You can choose to "recalculate." or even ignore it altogether. I still stand by my statement. Does that mean I ask a stranger to read a menu that I didn't get a chance to peruse before leaving home? Certainly not. I'm simply going to agree to disagree, this is my last word on the topic. I don't see why you got so angry, but then again, I'm not a god person, so I don't beleieve in that. Have a good day.

By cjackson on Saturday, February 8, 2014 - 12:25

This sounds like an excellent idea. Maybe the app can be blue tooth, and have the bus and cab companies register so when they are aproaching you get a notification. After the notification the app could ask if you want to stop the vehicle or let it keep going.
As stated. What the poster is looking for is somewhat available. You can turn your head and get the information It's accuracy may be questionable and it's price too high. But with time, it'll only get better and cheaper. And what's to stop anyone from ignoring an ai giving directions or requesting a redirect when such a thing is available? Her was meant to serve as a reference taut these fictitious things are being talked about, researched, and made reality. And there are robot dogs and flying cars. The dog has been out for years. And the flying car is in the final stages of testing. Release is held back due to governmental policies and regulations being drafted. Same with jetpacks. Self driving cars are a decade away. My point was meant to provide hope that worries like what the poster was expressing are being worked on and will eventually become issues of the past Also, many have provided different suggestions. The sign stating bus was a great one. The problem is that there are going to be different things in different parts of the world. The poster may not have uber or magic taxi because such infrastructure may not be in place. Maybe it does exist there and maybe it's coming. However the poster is looking for a way not to have to ask others for help at the present time. Many of the things suggested are great ideas. But there might not be any way of completely getting out of asking for help at the moment. He did the right thing by asking because someone might be aware of apps specific to his area and even if he didn't get the a answers he might be looking for, a great deal of knowledge has been shared Others may hav benefitted by learning about things they might not previously been aware of.

By Chessie the Ra… on Saturday, February 8, 2014 - 12:25

Vash, I don't have all the answers. If this level of technification of your life would work for you, that's good, because it ultimately is about how independent you can be with the tools that are available to you. But, just as you reminded us earlier, it would not be accurate to assume that just because this sort of app usage style would work for you that it would also work for everyone else on the site. I know that such an app as originally was being discussed will probably not work for me, and it appears as though I am not alone in this viewpoint. At the end of the day, I have a real issue with the false hope that waiting for future technology can instill. I have heard this for years: "The technology will be here in ten or twenty years." That does not help me right now, and if I sit around waiting for everything I want to be made possible through technology...it will be a really, really long wait. I want my college textbooks in accessible formats automatically. I want a GPS app so accurate that it can tell me the house numbers on residential streets as I pass the houses in realtime. But we're just not there yet, and it is what it is. I personally feel that one should do their best with what they have, and if the resources come along at some point in time, great. If they don't, well, I won't have wasted my time hoping for it.
Now that would be a good idea not just fir the blind, but for the sighted as well. If you are in walmart doing your shopping ou can call the registered taxi service that is with the app and know when it will arrive and you don't have to be out there in the cold. The same can go with the para transit busses as they now a days use computers to log miles, no shows cancelations and so fourth. Blue tooth though posts a problem. it only has a range an of about 30 feet and that's line of site so maybe this would not work at all. for my proposal.

By Unregistered User (not verified) on Saturday, March 8, 2014 - 12:25

In reply to by Chessie the Ra…

Perhaps I am taking what you are saying too literally. But the absence of hope is never a good thing. Hope is what keeps us alive; It keeps us moving forward; It gives us incentive to fight on. Sometimes, hoping for something is what keeps a person from giving up, even if it isn't something they can have yet. I completely understand where you are coming from. Why dwell on something that is not presently available? But my point is only to state that such things are somewhat already here and being worked on. It isn't something only dreamt of, but reality based on people's efforts and work. If we wait for something without fighting for it, then who knows when and if it will come? I meant to provide information so that the poster can have it and do with it as he pleases. I do not wish to continue this debate because it seems to be driving a wedge between myself and others and I do not wish for that. Just because you would rather Abjure something, that does not mean it does not exist and if you do not find it valuable, perhaps someone will at a future date.

By Cherokee Eagle on Saturday, March 8, 2014 - 12:25

I think a couple of the things we need to remember is that the original poster is from a different country from most of the rest of us. However, the other thing we need to remember is that the difference is not only regional, but cultural. I don't know much about his culture, but I do know that different societies have very different opinions of blindness and the functions blind people can and should have in society. These kinds of things can cause issues when getting assistance. That being said, I am in agreement that we should use what we have available if we can, not sit on our duffs waiting, but think we should be a little more sensative when discussing independence, because culture can be a huge factor.

By Eileen on Saturday, March 8, 2014 - 12:25

Just wanted to mention that there is nothing private about haling a taxi or bus. I remember the days when I just wanted to do everything on my own without any help or companionship. In truth there is nothing private when one is standing on a public street. The way one walks, stands, the facial expressions clothing and random food stains one chooses to wear that day are on display for every sighted person to notice or ignore as they choose. And trust me a blind person, no matter how discrete he or she is trying to be will catch everyone's notice. And if you are lucky enough to be one of those blind people that sighted people want to help, then count your blessings. I was complaining about sighted assistance to an instructor of the blind and he advised me that there are some people he has trained that have trouble getting the assistance they need even when they ask for it. Good luck and I do really hope this app you want comes out some day because it will put us one step closer to artificial sight. I'm almost looking forward to getting my visor just like Jordy from Star Treck!
In addition, it is important to note that the original poster comes from a country that is, well, not the safest right now. So, it is possible that asking for assistance could be a vulnerability thing. He state that he wants more privacy. I can get that. Who wants a stranger knowing where he/she is going? I realize that we neeed to ask for help, and do it regularly, but I can see why one might not want to. I like the idea of that camera that can see in real time. Can't wait till it's more affordable.

By KE7ZUM on Saturday, March 8, 2014 - 12:25

Oh are you by chance talking about the brain port? I know several friends who have been in clinical tests and they say it has a long way to go, but yeah. For me to be able to maybe, just maybe, read a printed page of music with that thing would be awesome. I can't sing any of it unless the sensor would be small enough for me to sing with it in my mouth and have good diction

And it would probably do a lot more like tell you in plenty of lite of corse what bus number is on the side etc etc. I would not how ever give up my cane or braille skills as what if the battery goes dead. or what not.

By Unregistered User (not verified) on Saturday, March 8, 2014 - 12:25

The beauty of technology is that you do not have to get rid of the old way of doing things. Technology is there for the purpose of making things easier. However, it might not always be available. And yes, things happen. I use a Seeing Eye dog. But I live with the idea that he might need to be left home sometimes (he gets sick, it wouldn't be safe for him. etc.). When that occurs, I take out my Cane from the closet and know exactly how to use that, and with comfort. The same can be said about tech out or coming out. Just because we can't see how something could work or will work doesn't mean that it won't work. How many of us expected Voiceover on the IPhone? How many of us looked at it and thought, "I'll stick with what I have because I know it works." I didn't get an IPhone until the IPhone 4 and only begrudgingly because th screen reader software I was using with my Nokia was not getting updated and because Nokia was moving away from Symbian. When I got my IPhone, it took me nearly a week to figure out how to even answer a call. But after I became used to it, I did not want to go back to Symbian or use any other phone. It takes time to get to new tech. And honestly, when it first comes out, its novel and gimicky. But it always ends up changing our lives for the better. You should never give up on the old, but you should never give up on the new either because the new always holds potential.
Honestly, I think there is a difference between people seeing us in the street, watching the things we do and going up to them and asking them about what we personally need. Yes, people see us everywhere, but they usually take a glance, or are busy with their own lives to really consider outside of their world. When we go up to a person, ask them how to get to this place or that, we are essentially inviting them to learn more about us; We are inviting them to possibily ask more about us. That is not a bad thing in any way. But remember, sometimes we want to be in our own worlds too without needing to invite new elements into it all the time. I agree in asking for help when it is needed. But if it can be helped, then why should we have to ask? I think the poster was just trying to figure out a way so that he could help himself and not need it all the time.

Lol. I was using my iPhone and making calls about 24 hours after i got the thing, but I'm extremely quick at picking up most things. and some thing I'm not, for example lilly pond. Yuck!

but yeah I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens with th brain port. I first read about it in discover almost 10years ago and we'll see if this ever gets FDA approved.

Take care.

When I travel on my own in an unfamiliar place I try and listen to my bar rings if I can hear them but yeah I am constenly gathering information about where I am and how to get to this street or that.

I have with me a braille comps that's low tech but boy is it accurate, that and I use the sun if it is out for my travels as I know what direction I'm going based on where the sun happens to be at the time of the day.

All of this takes practice and I'm not 100 percent a good traveler but it can be done.

In Minneapolis where I live city buses talk as an example as the bus approaches I will hear the route number it will also tell me where it’s going and what direction it’s traveling

By Holger Fiallo on Sunday, March 8, 2020 - 12:25

First with busses in Chicago and L what we call train, when you are waiting on the bus stop when it stop in front of you, you can hear name of bus and where it is going. Same with the train. Taxi if they had a radio signal that an app can pick up and tell you there is a taxi close to you so you can do like all sighted people do when they see just say very loud TAXI. Hope they hear you and stop.

Not only that stereotypes that have to do with blindness varies from country to country. Besides as painful as this is Egyptian society needs to learn a lot about blindness this applies to other countries as it stands

By Holger Fiallo on Sunday, March 8, 2020 - 12:25

Most culture do not want to deal with those who have a mental illness or are disable. The old saying works for them. Out of sight, out of mind. What you do not see, you do not feel. Lucky for me that I live in Chicago, we have great public transp and the city is perfect for blind people. A big square where streets go north, south, east and west with some diagonal.

By KE7ZUM on Sunday, March 8, 2020 - 12:25

Agreed. The idea is not stupid at all,all, but it is not practical. I always ask for help even though I hate it and feel like i'm going to vomit every time. But I have no choice. I'll do that raather trhan rely on an iphoen app for this.

Besides I lived in Egypt for two years it’s challenging enough to navigate Egypt as a sighted person it’s impossible to navigate Egypt as a blind person because of design and their are no traffic lights with the exception of one city vehicles don’t care where your situated if drivers find your in their way you will be honked on if you don’t move you get run over so using a smartphone app while your phone is telling you that info you could easily get run over and you wouldn’t notice because you could easily bleed because of that said app you wouldn’t be just putting your own safety at risk but you would endanger the lives of others around you. Besides if such an app existed I wouldn’t want it