All News and Views

CES is over, so that must mean its time for Macworld. Alas, that event is no more but you sure couldn't tell by the amount of news we have in the run down this week.

Some Window-Eyes 9 users received an unexpected pop-up message earlier today, the result of a security breach on the company's App Central repository. AN updated copy of one of the default scripts was posted to the website by someone who maliciously hacked the server. AI Squared quickly defused the problem, though some users may need to go and redownload the GW Toolkit app. No personal data stored on your computer is believed to be at risk. We've included more info on how to fix the problem and a statement issued by AI Squared below.

In the world of accessible games, Super Liam was the first accessible side-scroller, taking many of its cues from Super Mario and other past titles. Now, you can relive this chapter in early 2000's accessible games by downloading and playing Super Liam for free. L-Works is releasing several of its older titles for free and users can expect additional releases including Judgment Day in the near future. Check the link to learn more and download the free game, compatible with most versions of Windows.

There's no shortage of quality text-to-speech voices available for Android users and now Code Factory, who already has made available a version of Eloquence for Android, has added to the available options by releasing Vocalizer voices for the platform. Vocalizer voices are most commonly associated with the iPhone, including Samantha which is the default United States voice. Similar to Acapela, a free app allows users to browse available voices (more than 80 in all) and individual voices can be purchased for $3.99 each. Early reports indicate the voices are quite responsive. Have you tried out any of the new Vocalizer voices for Android? Let us know what you think.

The Be My Eyes app we previously posted about is now available for free on the iTunes App Store. The app pairs blind or visually impaired individuals with volunteers who can help answer visual questions such as the expiree date on milk or the reading on a thermostat. We've linked to the page on the App Store from this post, and you can hear an interview with cofounder Thelle Kristensen in our Blind Bargains podcast.

We've made it to number 1! Thanks for following the top 10 stories of the year in assistive technology, as voted on by our panel: Jeff Bishop, J.J. Meddaugh, Jamie Pauls, Alena Roberts, and Joe Steinkamp. Number 1 was a pretty simple choice for us this year, and we discussed it in detail on the This year in Assistive Technology podcast which you can listen to now. So without delay, the top story of the year.

Those who have been reading our Top Ten lists over the years know that we like to get an idea of what other stories are making news in the general field of Assistive Technology. And who better to ask than a former panelist Mr. Wade Wingler of the INDATA podcast and social media feeds. Take it away Wade!

In the 80s the board game of choice was Trivial Pursuit. And all you needed to play was a dining room table, a board, a six sided die and all these little pie wedges that fit neatly into a six sectioned pie. You rolled a die and answered trivia questions from one of six genres, determined by where you landed with your dye roll. But now it’s 2015 and surely someone has found a way to put all that into your hand, right? Enter Trivia Crack.

AI Squared has released Window-Eyes version 9, the biggest update to the screen reader in a couple years. Among the new features are completely rewritten web support for Internet Explorer and Firefox, which will handle modern web pages with dynamic content. In addition, support for Google Docs, the latest version of QuickBooks, MathPlayer, and preliminary support for the Windows 10 preview are included in the update among other features. Increased responsiveness is also included, especially when arrowing around documents or executing other keyboard commands. Window-Eyes is free for users with a copy of Microsoft Office 2010 or later installed. We've linked to the press release from this post.

For the past two years, blind individuals in Denmark have been testing an app which uses the video chat capabilities of an iPhone to provide sighted assistance. Now The app is set to launch worldwide on January 15. Be My Eyes connects volunteers with people needing assistance for cases where an extra pair of eyes could be useful. Examples given include reading mail or adjusting the thermostat. Currently, the nonprofit is looking for volunteers to help run the free service, and is using Thunderclap, a tool to generate interest on social media, to do this. To learn more about the app or join the Thunderclap, which will send their message to over 200 accounts on Thursday, check the link on this post. And, here's a link to the Be My Eyes site. Thanks to Bryan Smart for the tip.

Intel's keynote address at the Consumer Electronics Show included a demonstration of how their RealSense technology has the potential to help the visually impaired be more aware of their surroundings. In the video, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich introduces us to Darryl Adams, a Technical Project Manager at Intel who also happens to be visually impaired. They explain how vibration and other feedback is used to convey nearby information, and how it has opened up new possibilities for Adams. While opinions may differ on the effectiveness of this approach, it's another example of a mainstream company giving time to issues that affect the visually impaired in a major and well-publicized speech. We've linked to the relevant portion of the video in the source so you can watch it for yourself and share your feedback.

Google Docs has received the lion's share of attention when it comes to accessibility, but Microsoft has posted a blog message detailing some current and future planned enhancements to Office Online. Included in the changes are increased formatting notifications, virtual buffer reading for smaller files, and improved documentation. While much of the post centers around Narrator support, the help documentation also gives tips for screen reader use with Jaws and Window-Eyes. Check the source link for the post and help files. Have you tried Office Online, and how does it compare with Google Docs? Let us know in the comments.

It's the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and that means stories from all parts of tech, from currved televisions to wireless connections for your toothbrush of the future -- except from Apple of course. They don't attend CES. However, they always manage to slip into the news cycle either by luck, chance or just plain shrewd countermarketing. Here are just some of the stories that involved the company this week.

Just one more to go. we continue our written recap of the top 10 biggest and most influential stories of 2014 on Blind Bargains. This year's panel included Jeff Bishop, J.J. Meddaugh, Jamie Pauls, Alena Roberts, and Joe Steinkamp. Number 2 is actually quite a bit related to number 3.

Did you get our This year in Assistive Technology podcast? You can listen to that now and know the top 3. Meanwhile, we continue our written recap of the top 10 biggest and most influential stories of 2014 on Blind Bargains. This year's panel included Jeff Bishop, J.J. Meddaugh, Jamie Pauls, Alena Roberts, and Joe Steinkamp. Number 3 involves a colossal merger.

We're winding down our countdown of the top 10 biggest and most influential stories of 2014 on Blind Bargains. This year's panel included Jeff Bishop, J.J. Meddaugh, Jamie Pauls, Alena Roberts, and Joe Steinkamp. Next up, a very active story on social media.

We're in the middle of counting down the top 10 biggest and most influential stories of 2014 on Blind Bargains. This year's panel included Jeff Bishop, J.J. Meddaugh, Jamie Pauls, Alena Roberts, and Joe Steinkamp. Number 5 is a familiar entry on our list, but for slightly different reasons.

We're in the middle of counting down the top 10 biggest and most influential stories of 2014 on Blind Bargains. This year's panel included Jeff Bishop, J.J. Meddaugh, Jamie Pauls, Alena Roberts, and Joe Steinkamp. Let's turn to Joe for his take on our number 6 story, which involves a 12-year-old wiz kid.

Happy New Year. We're counting down the top 10 biggest and most influential stories of 2014 on Blind Bargains. This year's panel included Jeff Bishop, J.J. Meddaugh, Jamie Pauls, Alena Roberts, and Joe Steinkamp. Coming in at number 7 is a potential huge break-through for accounting.

We're counting down the top 10 biggest and most influential stories of 2014 on Blind Bargains. This year's panel included Jeff Bishop, J.J. Meddaugh, Jamie Pauls, Alena Roberts, and Joe Steinkamp. Number 8 involves one of the biggest free giveaways in recent memory.