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The Federal Communications Commission is currently seeking feedback about people's experience with described television programming. Since the FCC commenting process is not easy to access, the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) is offering to help submit comments. All you have to do is write an email describing your opinions about described tv to tv@afb.net

Along with describing how you feel about described programming, also include your experience with accessing the programming whether it be positive or not, if you've found the description to be helpful or not, and any other details that will help make described television a more positive experience for everyone.

The email must include your full name and physical street address for the comments to be accepted by the FCC. Send emails to AFB no later then September 30.

Before 2012, there was no television coverage of the Paralympics. Then, in 2012, NBC showed 5.5 hours. Now, they've just announced that the 2014 Winter Paralympics and 2016 Summer Paralympics will have over 100 hours of television coverage. The US olympic Committee will also be airing live coverage on their website, TeamUSA.ORG . This perhaps could mean much greater exposure for sports such as goalball which are largely unknown by the mainstream.

In one week, Apple has come out with two new iPhones, a new version of iTunes, and now new software for the Apple TV. The 6.0 released actually came out last Friday but then was pulled after some users were experiencing some major usability issues. There are a number of new features in this update. Users will now be able to stream music, photos, and videos from iCloud, use the new iTunes radio, and buy music from the iTunes store.

Imagine if you could use your voice to request a 3-D printed object. Thanks to Yahoo! Japan, students at a school for the blind are able to do just that. The 3-D printer accepts voice commands. Students can ask for anything they want and the system then searches the database of 3-D printer plans and then prints out the object. If the object requested is not available, Yahoo Japan puts out a request for help in designing the desired object. Perhaps someday, all classrooms will have this technology.

The much anticipated BARD app is finally here. For me, this means I no longer have to carry more then one device, which in my opinion is huge. I can now access all of my books on my iPhone. So what's the new BARD Mobile app like, and what should you expect?

One important part of setting up VoiceOver is choosing what will be included in the rotor. The rotor options change depending on the app that you're in, but each setting can be very useful for navigating quickly. To change what rotor settings you will have access to, visit the Rotor menu within the VoiceOver menu in settings/General/Accessibility. One of the new rotor settings in VoiceOver is called handwriting. As with many features, there is no explanation of what this does or how to use it, but that's why we have this tutorial.

In June we learned about the 200 new features that would be coming in iOS 7. Most of the announced changes though had nothing to do with accessibility. With this in mind, we wanted to bring you a list of the changes that would be coming for VoiceOver users. To begin let's start with how you set VoiceOver to the settings you want.

In an effort to attract new customers, Sprint is offering $100 off the cost of certain smart phones including the new iPhone 5C and 5s. This means that you can get the iPhone 5C for free and the 5s for $99. The offer only applies to customers who are switching from a different carrier and who sign a two year agreement.

Web developers who are interested in learning how to make their websites accessible can now participate in a free online course offered by google. The course starts today and runs through the end of September. Participants will be able to complete the course at their own pace. Topics that will be covered include: the fundamentals of using Aria within html 5 and tips and tricks hon how to build accessibility into your site without breaking code. Participants will also have the opportunity to test out their website using the Chromevox screen reader that is compatible with Google Chrome. Those who register should have a basic understanding of html, java script, and CSS.

Fedora Outlier is coming out with a new version of their Old Hat Guide to iPhone Accessibility. The new version will cover iOS 7 and all of the new features. You can pre-order the book through October 15th for $4.99. According to the website, some of the topics that will be covered include: accessibility settings and how to adjust them, voiceover gestures with tricks on how to master them, techniques of how to browse the web using Safari, and how to use Siri and dictation. The book also comes with video tutorials and voiceover tips.

A team of researchers at the University of Washington who design technology for the blind are interested in learning what barriers the blind and visually impaired face with technology and what strategies they use to overcome these barriers, as well as what technology they use. The survey should take about 20 minutes to complete and participants will have the option of being entered into a drawing to win one of five $20 gift cards to Amazon.

The Center on Disabilities at California State University Northridge has opened the call for general session papers today. Those that are interested in presenting at the 2014 CSUN conference will have until October 11th to submit their paper. The CSUN website lists all of the rules and regulations on what the paper should include as well as other important information.

GPS apps can be a great asset to the blind, but most of them will only get the person close to their destination. One solution for this problem is to allow the user to set their own points of interest (POI). A new app developed in Australia, called Point Finder, allows users to do just that. The app, which can be purchased for a dollar allows users to set their own POI's and get navigation instructions to reach their POI. If the destination is on a map, the user can interface with Google Maps to get turn by turn instructions. The app uses a continuous sound as the person moves toward the chosen POI. As they get closer, the pitch of the sound gets lower.

Starting tuesday, Windows users will be able to download the first JAWS 15 public beta. The Freedom Scientific website lists all of the changes that are coming in this version of JAWS. Some of the new features include: a new cursor called the touch cursor that allows users to interact with objects found in apps in Windows 8, JAWS specific touch screen gestures in Windows 8, support for Vocalizer voices from Nuance, new FS Reader, automatic detection of braille displays, drivers of third party braille displays included in the JAWS installation, and updated Skype support.

The FS Cast this month features an interview with Eric Damery discussing the new features in the JAWS 15 beta.

Source: tubidy

Paying with your cell phone seems to be the direction that many companies are heading. Paypal has just released a new version of their iOS app that will allow you to pay businesses with your iPhone. The app will search for businesses around you so that you'll know where you can use the app. The interface works great with Voiceover allowing users to pay for items on their phone and transfer money between accounts.

Even though there are accessible smart phones on the market, not everyone is interested in having a phone that requires a data plan. Starting on September 13th, Sprint will start selling the new Kyocera Kona flip phone. The phone will sell for $50 with a two year contract, with a $50 rebate that makes the phone free. The phone has a built-in text to speech engine that reads aloud all menus, text messages, incoming caller ID, notifications, and more. Users will be able to change how fast the text to speech talks and the color contrast on the screen. The keypad has shortcut keys for 911 and well defined tactile buttons. There is also a web browser for users that are interested in connecting to the web on their phones.

Less than a week after the game launched, the developers of Codename Cygnus have submitted an update to address the concerns about using Facebook authentication to save game play. According to the press release, Jonathan Myers said, "We needed a way to support our dedicated players with the creation of save game profiles online, but requiring a Facebook login from all players was far too much to ask. We really regret it, and we're very happy to listen to our fans and make this immediate change."

Once the update goes through, players will now have the option of saving their game online without having to login to Facebook. The company is also running a limited time promotion that will give players the first episode for free and allow users to purchase all 5 of the episodes for $6.99, a dollar off the price they had at launch.

To learn more about Codename Cygnus, read our review .

Starting today, users of the Victor Reader Stream will now have the option of downloading content from NFB Newsline and Bookshare wirelessly. After downloading the newest firmware version 4.2, users can then enter their credentials in for both services and start downloading content. Users can also get the upgrade by using the Humanware Companion software on their PC.

Other features in this update include support for Windows media and speak audio files, improvements to text to speech and audio playback, and improvements to the automatic software update check.

Humanware is offering a webinar to discuss the new features in this update on September 26. Register for the webinar by visiting the Humanware Events page.

The national Federation of the Blind is seeking input on how people perceive their organization and the initiatives that it supports. They want participants of the survey to be honest in their responses. All information will be held confidential. The goal of the survey is to learn how to better serve the needs of the blind community. . The survey has less than 20 questions and should take no more then 15 minutes. The survey will close on September 12th.