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Saturday, 11 February 2017

05:12

INTELLIGENCE FINALLY ENTERED OUR EVERYDAY WORLD

ANDREW NG HANDS me a modest gadget that wraps around my ear and interfaces with a cell phone by means of a little link. It would appear that a return—a cell phone earpiece without a Bluetooth association. Be that as it may, it's truly a look at what's to come. As it were, this minor gadget permits the incognizant in regards to see. 


Ng is the central researcher at Chinese tech monster Baidu, and this is one of the organization's most recent models. It's called DuLight. The gadget contains a small camera that catches whatever is before you—a man's face, a road sign, a bundle of nourishment—and sends the pictures to an application on your cell phone. The application dissects the pictures, figures out what they portray, and creates a sound depiction that is heard through to your earpiece. On the off chance that you can't see, you can in any event get a thought of what's before you. 

Counterfeit consciousness is changing not just the way we utilize our PCs and cell phones however the way we interface with this present reality. 


DuLight is still in the most punctual phases of advancement. It doesn't act and in addition it one day will. Be that as it may, it focuses to a future where machines can see and even comprehend their surroundings and in addition—or far better than—people can. This sort of manmade brainpower is changing not just the way we utilize our PCs and cell phones however the way we collaborate with the world. 

Ng's model depends on an innovation called profound learning. Inside the huge PC server farms that support Baidu's online administrations, the organization runs enormous neural systems—systems of equipment and programming that inexact the web of neurons in the human mind. By breaking down colossal accumulations of advanced pictures, these systems can figure out how to recognize objects, composed words, even human countenances. Nourish enough feline photographs into a neural net, and it can figure out how to recognize a feline. Bolster it enough photographs of a cloud, and it can figure out how to recognize a cloud. 

This same innovation as of now is taking care of an extensive variety of different undertakings inside Baidu and US tech monsters like Google, Facebook, and Microsoft. At Google, neural nets empower you to immediately look for particular individuals, spots, and things covered in your own accumulation of photographs. It perceives the summons you talk into your Android telephone. At Facebook, profound learning innovation recognizes confronts in the photographs you post in announcements. At Skype, which Microsoft claims, it drives an administration that in a split second deciphers discussions starting with one dialect then onto the next. 

A neural net can help with a wide range of methods of recognition. This innovation is notwithstanding starting to comprehend the normal way people talk. Witness a chatbot Google is working by bolstering old motion picture exchange into a neural net so the bot can figure out how to bear on a discussion. 

The greater part of this appears like sci-fi. Be that as it may, 2015 is the year computerized reasoning innovation took off bigly in this present reality. DuLight and the Google chatbot might be investigations, however Facebook's face acknowledgment, Microsoft's Skype interpretation, and Google's Android voice acknowledgment are genuine—and accessible to all. Google is additionally utilizing this innovation to drive its Internet web index, the linchpin of its online realm. Twitter is utilizing it to distinguish erotica, which gives individuals the chance to square it. Baidu utilizes it to target commercials and distinguish malware. 

MORE AI 

Google Just Open Sourced TensorFlow, Its Artificial Intelligence Engine 

Google Just Open Sourced TensorFlow, Its Artificial Intelligence Engine 

Facebook Open Sources Its AI Hardware as It Races Google 

Facebook Open Sources Its AI Hardware as It Races Google 

Google Made a Chatbot That Debates the Meaning of Life 

Google Made a Chatbot That Debates the Meaning of Life 

What's more, because of some huge moves toward the finish of the year, progresses in profound learning will just quicken. 

Toward the beginning of November, Google astonished the tech world by publicly releasing the product motor that drives its profound learning administrations, offering this terrifically vital tech to everybody. Not that Google gave away all its innovation—not to mention the monstrous measures of information that truly bolster profound learning frameworks to make them really valuable—however it opened source enough to help drive the advancement of profound learning outside the organization. 

Weeks after the fact, Facebook publicly released plans for the custom-manufactured equipment server that drives its profound learning work. A day from that point forward, a gathering drove by Tesla Motors author Elon Musk and Y Combinator president Sam Altman divulged a $1 billion philanthropic called OpenAI that pledges to share the majority of its AI research and innovation with the outside world. 

OpenAI is a major ordeal since it will be regulated by Ilya Sutskever, once in the past one of Google's top AI scientists. Musk and Altman have likewise pitched the association as a method for shielding the world from the risks of AI. They stress that tech like profound learning will turn out to be powerful to the point that it will get to be something of a super-human insight out of hand, and they trust the most ideal method for staying away from that is to place AI in everybody's grasp. 

"Much the same as people ensure against Dr. Abhorrent by the way that most people are great, and the aggregate drive of mankind can contain the terrible components," says Altman, "we think its much more probable that numerous, numerous AIs, will work to stop the incidental awful on-screen characters." 

It's too soon to tell whether this illogical contention will hold up. Science is still far from super-human AI—on the off chance that it touches base by any stretch of the imagination. The risks are absolutely worth considering. In any case, society ought to grasp the great that AI can do. DuLight is a prime case. You'll discover comparative work under route at Facebook. This fall, the organization flaunted innovation for the outwardly impeded that will consequently investigate photographs in their Facebook News Feeds and, by means of a content to-discourse motor, portray what's in those photographs. Its impact will be both prompt and tremendous. More than 50,000 outwardly debilitated individuals as of now utilize Facebook—despite the fact that they can't perceive what's in the photographs. Presently, a machine can go about as their eyes. The effect of AI is currently plain for all to see.

Friday, 23 September 2016

07:52

New in iOS 10: Magnifier

Magnifier captured an image of a keyboard and user applied yellow/blue high contrast mode 15x magnified keyboard key using Magnifier

Apple's newly released mobile operating system includes a new accessibility feature called Magnifier. The feature uses the device's built-in camera to enlarge objects placed in front of the camera. This can be helpful for people with visual disabilities who need to read small print. The feature can be enabled by navigating to Settings > General > Accessibility > Magnifier. Once enabled, Magnifier can be accessed by triple clicking the home button.

Magnifier's interface looks very similar to the camera apps interface with a few notable changes. One change is that Magnifier has a freeze frame button rather than a shutter button. Pressing this button freezes the image instead of taking a picture. Magnifier also has a zoom slider that is large and always visible on screen. The zoom slider allows users to zoom in further than is possible with the camera app. Magnifier allows users to zoom in up to 15x compared to 5x with the camera app (iPhone 7 Plus has optical zoom). However, the further a user zooms in the more pixelated the image will become. Magnifier also includes several high contrast options that can be applied before or after a freeze frame is captured.

Magnifier has several advantages over taking a picture with the camera app and then enlarging the image from the camera roll. The first advantage is that freeze frames are captured in full resolution. This means that users can zoom out after the freeze frame is capture. In the camera app, once a picture is captured using zoom there is no way to zoom out again. Another advantage of Magnifier is the high contrast modes that are available. Lastly, opening Magnifier by triple clicking the home button means that it is faster to launch than third party magnification apps.

There is one feature that unfortunately is not included in Magnifier which is the ability to save freeze frames for viewing at a later time. For example, if a person uses Magnifier to read a conference agenda the person may need to take multiple freeze frames of the agenda through out the day because only the most recent freeze frame can be saved.

It also may be difficult for some people to capture crisp images with Magnifier. At 15x zoom, even the slightest shake can make the image blurry. I wish Apple had added a capture timer to Magnifier. This could help eliminate minor shaking that occurs when a user reaches for the freeze frame button.

Overall, I think Magnifier will be greatly appreciated by people with visual disabilities and older people who have trouble reading small print.

Tuesday, 13 September 2016

10:49

New in iOS 10: Software TTY Calling

Software TTY call on iPhone

Apple's updated mobile operating system, iOS 10, includes many new accessibility features. One of these features is Software TTY calling. TTY calling allows people who are deaf and people with hearing disabilities who cannot communicate using voice calling to communicate with people by using voice calling through relay services. The TTY user with a hearing impairment types a message and a relay operator reads that message aloud to the person on the other end of the phone call, who does not have a hearing impairment. When the person on the other end of the phone call speaks the relay operator types what is spoken and the text then appears on the TTY device.
physical TTY machine
Previously, this communication method required a physical TTY machine such as the one pictured above. These machines are large and much less convient to carry around than an iPhone. With iOS 10, Apple is building the functionality of a TTY machine into the iPhone. This eliminates the need for people who rely on TTY calling to have a physical TTY machine.

Software TTY calling on the iPhone works much like an iMessage conversation with a few differences. When software TTY is enabled, the user makes or receives a phone call through the Phone app. Once the user dials the number and presses send the user has the option of placing the call as a voice call, TTY call, or TTY relay call. TTY relay calls will be placed using the relay number specified in settings. If the user chooses one of the TTY options they will be able to access the TTY interface which resembles an iMessage chat. iOS even suggests TTY abbreviations above the keyboard during the conversation such as GA for go ahead and SK for ready to hang up.

With voice calling on the iPhone users can press the home button during a call to access other apps while still talking to person on the other end of the call. I frequently use this feature when placed on hold. While on hold I will check my email or read the news. However, with software TTY calling, users are not notified when new TTY messages are received while using other apps. For example, if  software TTY users wants to check their email while on hold they will not be notified when the next message is received. This means that TTY users might miss incoming messages when multitasking. I would prefer that the feature send notifications when the user is multitasking to alert the user that a new TTY message is received. Much like iMessage sends notifications to users when a new message is received. This would allow TTY users to multitask without fear of missing a message.

The software TTY feature of iOS 10 is a great addition to the iPhone. I think it will be viewed as a major upgrade for TTY users. iOS 10 users who want to enable software TTY should navigate to Settings > General > Accessibility > TTY and then switch on software TTY. This menu also gives users access to other TTY settings such as setting the relay number. 

Monday, 15 February 2016

11:57

New Add-On for OneNote Benefits Students with Dyslexia


Microsoft OneNote Icon
Microsoft recently made a new add-on available for its OneNote software which aims to help students with dyslexia. The add-on works within Microsoft's note taking software and is currently available to download as a beta. Once installed, a new tab appears which gives users the option to read content using text-to-speech or dictate using speech-to-text. While both of the features have been available before it is nice to have a free option that can be used directly within OneNote: an application that many schools and parents already have installed as part of the Microsoft Office suite.


The text-to-speech reader mode is called "immersive reading mode" and includes some handy features. When activated the reader fills the entire screen with text from your OneNote notebook. While reading text is highlighted as it is read aloud. Users have the option to change the background color and text size in order to create a more comfortable reading experience. The add-on also includes the ability to highlight nouns, verbs, and adjectives in different colors; a feature that could be helpful for younger students. Microsoft even includes the ability for users to break words up into syllables.

It is exciting to see the fruits of Microsoft's enhanced accessibility initiatives. While the new features are not novel they seem easy to learn. Since the "Learning Tools" are free for OneNote users and easy to learn they may prove to be a great starting point for people new to assistive technology. Microsoft seems to be increasing their focus on accessibility. Recently, the company announced a new Chief Accessibility Officer and a reorganization of accessibility teams. Hopefully, with the new reorganization, "Learning Tools" is just the beginning of Microsoft's accessibility improvements.

The "Learning Tools" add-on available as a free download for Windows. Click here to learn more and download the add-on.

Thursday, 13 August 2015

07:35

AXS Map: Crowdsourced Accessibility Reviews of Businesses



AXS Map is an app available for iOS and Android that allows users to rank the accessibility of local businesses. Using the location of the device users can search for nearby businesses and rank the accessibility of the location in very basic terms. More detailed accessibility information and information for people with a wider range of disabilities would improve the app.

While accessibility standards established by the government are exact and technical, AXS Map uses a star rating system. For example, a businesses that is easily accessible to people with disabilities would earn a five star ranking. The app also allows users to rank a business based on the noise level, which can be helpful for people with hearing impairments, and by light which can be helpful for people with visual impairments.

I was recently involved in a "Mapathon" were a group of people used the app to map parts of the city. This experience helped me understand the value of the app, as some businesses had serious accessibility issues such as numerous steps with no ramps.

The data that is inputted through the app or the website can then be viewed by people interested in the accessibility of a business. For example, a person with a physical disability could check the app to make sure that a coffee shop had a ramp.

If the AXS Map platform becomes popular it could even prompt businesses with poor rating to make improvements.

While the concept behind AXS Map is good, the implementation is a little rough. The app is not intuitive to use and can be frustrating. However, it does work once you get familiar with the interface. The app also requires users to enter their email which could steer some users away.

To use AXS Map visit AXSMap.com or download the app for iOS and Android. Click here to download the app for iOS and click here to download the app for Android.

Tuesday, 21 July 2015

10:08

Inspiration Maps Updated with iPhone Support and More

Inspiration Maps displayed on iPhone 6

Inspiration Maps iconThe mind mapping and outlining app Inspiration Maps, which was previously only available on the iPad, is now available on the iPhone as well. The app is a valuable tool to help students organize their ideas and start the writing process. Users can drag text boxes around the screen to easily produce webs of ideas. Inspiration Maps is particularly helpful when writing about complex topics that require a well planned and organized essay. Inspiration Maps can be also be helpful when beginning an essay to visualize the structure that the written piece will take.

With the larger screen iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus in makes sense to bring the app to the iPhone. If you are concerned about not having enough room to effectively use the app on your iPhone, a free version is available here.

The update also makes in easier to select multiple text boxes or images at the same time. Now users can press and hold on the screen in order to lasso a group of images.

The updated app is available for $10 is the App Store. Click here to download the app. Click read more below to view more screenshots of Inspiration Maps for iPhone.



graphic highlighting brainstorming

screenshot showing ability to add graphics, notes, hyperlinks, and audio

screenshot showing the ability to flip between web and outline view

Friday, 3 July 2015

06:00

Bright Future for Apple Accessibility with Lisa P. Jackson in the Lead

Headshot of Jackson wearing red shirt

Apple recently updated the bio of Lisa P. Jackson to reflect her new role overseeing accessibility at Apple. This expands her previous responsibilities of overseeing environmental initiatives at Apple. Ms. Jackson's official title is now Vice President of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives. Apple CEO Tim Cook has been vocal regarding his views of the importance of accessibility. This new management change, which puts a Vice President level executive in charge of accessibility for the first time, seemingly reaffirms Apple's long-standing commitment to accessibility.

Apple has been a leader in accessibility. Its products include superior accessibility features out of the box. Features such as VoiceOver, Speak Selection, Zoom, AssistiveTouch, and Switch Control give people with disabilities equal access to Apple products at no additional charge. From personal experience I can say that these features are truly life changing and positively impact many people.

Even considering Apple's past success there are areas for possible improvement. One example involves training sales people about the accessibility features. On recent trips to Apple Stores, I have had some experiences that are not consistent with Apple's commitment to accessibility. For example, the Apple Watch on display had its accessibility features disabled. While Apple likely wants to limit confusion for customers who do not use accessibility features, this does not promote equal access. Part of the magic of the Apple Store is being able to walk up to a shinny new product and try it out. With the accessibility features disabled, and the sales people unfamiliar with how to enable these features, users with disabilities don't have an opportunity to fully explore the product. Apple should be showing off these features, not hiding them. Apple would be doing a great service to its customers with disabilities to prepare its store employees to talk about accessibility features as well as they talk about other features.

Ms. Jackson has proven herself to be a very capable leader.  She has the ability to continue Apple's accessibility superiority and solve existing challenges. Her work on environmental initiatives has been very successful, propelling Apple towards the top of the technology industry in terms of sustainability. The future of Apple product accessibility seems bright, and I am excited to see what innovations come next.

To read Lisa Jackson's full bio from Apple click here. Photo credit: Apple.