Miscellaneous Deals, Sales, and News

Now here's a cool audio gadget! Plus Gadgets via Amazon offers the Blue Microphones Icicle XLR-to-USB Microphone Converter / Preamp for $9.95 with free shipping. That's the lowest total price we could find by $21. It converts any XLR microphone into a USB microphone and provides 48V of phantom power.

Overstock takes up to 55% off a large selection of home items as part of its Overstocktober Sale. Plus, get an extra 15% off select items when you add one to your cart, yielding prices as low as $3.82. Shipping adds $2.95, or get free shipping with orders of $50 or more. Choose from rugs, pet items, curtains, featherbeds, sheets, towels, and lighting.

Newegg takes 10% off your entire purchase when you apply coupon code VISACHECKOUT and checkout with Visa Checkout. (A maximum discount of $20 applies.) Plus, most orders receive free shipping. Some exclusions may apply. Coupon expires October 31. Click the provided link to start adding items to your cart!

eBay takes up to 93% off hundreds of items during its Deal Frenzy Sale. Plus, most orders qualify for free shipping. Choose from laptops, HDTVs, smartphones, cameras, watches, and more. Click the provided link to start shopping!

ThinkGeek takes $10 off Big Bang Theory orders of $40 or more via coupon code MEEMAw. Alternatively, cut 20% off $50 or more, 25% off $100 or more or 30% off $150 or more via code BAMBAM. Shipping starts at around $6, or spend over $75 to bag free shipping. There are some great Christmas items here!

Amazon cuts up to 60% off a selection of musical instruments as part of its Fall Outlet Event. Plus, Prime members receive free shipping. (Non-members can spend $35 or more to qualify for free shipping; otherwise, it starts at around $5.) Click the provided to shop all items currently on sale.

Amazon cuts up to 70% off a wide selection of items during its Fall Outlet Event. Plus, Prime members receive free shipping. (Non-members can spend $35 or more to qualify for free shipping; otherwise, it starts at around $5.) Click the provided link to shop all items in this sale.

If you're feeling a bit adventurous, the Amazon Appstore has cut
80 Android apps
to free. The selection includes games, office software, and photography apps. We have not tested any of these apps for accessibility, there will be some that are not accessible. You might find a hidden gem in this free offer! Sale ends September 27.

One of the challenges of flying with a service animal is having access to relief areas when you're at the airport. I have experienced a handful of times when I had a connecting flight to get to, but I didn't have time to relieve my dog because the relieving area was outside of the airport. According to Gizmodo, a partnership between Delta Airlines and the Detroit Airport has led to the creation of an indoor relieving area inside the terminal. Dogs will have the choice of both artificial turf or real grass and when your pup is finished relieving, you hit a button which turns on sprinklers to wash down the waste. As a service animal user, I hope this is a trend that we see in more airports.

Robert Kinjett of Crossway Media Solutions is working on a new way to access movies and TV shows that have descriptive audio tracks. The service which is called TalkingFlix, will allow users to purchase or rent titles and stream them using a web browser. According to the website, users will have access to hundreds of titles with high quality audio. Since TalkingFlix hasn't launched yet, they are looking for feedback and beta testers. Those that are interested can sign up on the website to be contacted for beta testing. There is also a short survey that can be filled out to help the designers of TalkingFlix taylor their service to customer needs.

Earlier this year, Google announced that it was developing contact lenses that would be able to detect a person's glucose levels. Now, according to the Telegraph, they've gone one step further and filed a patin for contact lenses with imbedded microscopic cameras. The camera would allow the user to take a picture of whatever was in their direct line of sight, and they would be able to control the camera through blinking patterns. The sensors in the cameras could be able to detect light, color, objects, and even faces. This technology could be an amazing asset to a blind user by pairing the contact lenses with a mobile app for object recognition and even warning the user about upcoming obstacles or mobility hazards.

David Woodbridge recently took a Qantas flight from Melbourne to Sydney. During the flight, he had the option of testing out the in-flight entertainment system on an iPad provided by the airline. He really didn't know what to expect, but he was optimistic. Much to his surprise, triple click home turned on VoiceOver, and the entertainment app was very compatible with VoiceOver. He even said in his blog post on AppleVis that he was so excited about the accessibility of the system that he lost all track of time. Since the iPad is the most popular tablet, hopefully other airlines will follow in Qantas's footsteps, and offer accessible in-flight entertainment for their customers. If you've experienced other in-flight entertainment options on other airlines that were accessible, tell us about your experience in the comments.

Last October I wrote about a new company called 64 Ounce Games. They are a company dedicated to making board games accessible to the blind. Over the past six months they have been working on ways to modify board games tat you can already buy and they are developing their own board games. One of their goals is to use braille and QR codes to provide information that is on the cards in a game. In order to do this though, they need to purchase an embosser. For this, and to raise funding for their own games, 64 Ounce Games has launched a KickStarter campaign. The reception in the first three days has been overwhelming, and they have already reached their original $7,500 goal. The campaign is still going on however, and more money raised will enable them to reach stretch goals, including creating dice for some popular RPG games and making accessibility kits for additional titles. Those who contribute to the campaign can receive one of their original games called Yoink! or receive brailled sleeves for games like Coloretto or the Resistance. To learn more about 64 ounce games, and their mission to make board games accessible, visit my original post.

One of the features in the Apple Maps app that visually impaired users most appreciate is the ability to look at the map before they go on their route. This feature has just been added to the newest version of BlindSquare. In this short podcast from the developers, Sandra describes how to both access and use the integrated maps feature. She explains how to follow streets as well as how to change cardinal directions. To use this feature, be sure to upgrade to version 1.64.

Sendero is continuing to upgrade their Sendero GPS options for the BrailleNote and the BrailleSense. They have just released version 2014, and if you're upgrading from an older version, it will only cost $49. Also, if you're a new customer, they've dropped the price for Sendero GPS to $599. Another announcement, according to the Sendero press release, is the introduction of Key Maps. This feature is available for users on the BrailleNote. This virtual navigation option allows users to download maps directly to the BrailleNote using Wi/Fi, virtual navigation to a new destination, route recommendations to destinations, and easy to search contact information for businesses.

Currently, Pandora 1 subscribers pay $3.99 a month or $36 per year to listen to Pandora without ads. According to Lifehacker, they've just decided to raise the monthly charge to $4.99 per month starting in May and to eliminate the yearly subscription option. For current Pandora 1 subscribers, your monthly charge will not change. Also, if you have a yearly subscription, when you are up for renewal, you will be charged the old rate of $3.99 per month. Basically, if you're interested in locking in at the $3.99 per month rate, you'll need to start subscribing before May.

Rose Waagon, who is best known for her blog Chicks Dig Macs, is working on a book to help the blind cook. Her survey is designed to find out what kinds of topics people are most interested in, and to find out what areas of cooking people feel like they need the most assistance in. The survey includes 21 questions.

Last week, Senators Warren of Massachusetts and Brown of Ohio introduced a bill that would make changes to Supplemental Security Income SSI. The bill is called the Supplemental Security Restoration Act of 2014. As it stands now, those who receive SSI benefits must not have more than 2,000 dollars in cash or assets or they will lose their benefits. According to Disability Scoop, one of the proposed changes in the bill would raise the maximum amount to $10,000. The bill would also eliminate the restriction on family and friends providing assistance such as housing or food to SSI beneficiaries and raise the income level that beneficiaries can receive before losing their benefits. . If you think this is an important bill, contact your senators and ask them to support the bill.

A team from the MIT media lab have created the first wearable technology that will help someone with a visual impairment navigate. The technology uses vibration in a shoe or insole to tell the user about left or right turns while they're navigating to a destination. The shoes/insoles pair with a GPS app on an Android, Windows, or iOS phone. According to entrepreneur.com, the technology is primarily designed for people in the developing world. However, the shoes/insoles could be helpful to anyone as a fitness tracker because the device is also designed to count steps and calories burned. This Ted talk highlights the journey for the creator of the Lechal shoe and shows how it works.

As of this week, the shoes or insoles can now be pre-ordered for $100 if you are sighted, and $50 for those who are visually impaired.

The 2014 Winter Paralympics started Friday in Sochi, Russia. Over the next 8 days, athletes will be competing in five different sports. This year’s U.S. team includes six visually impaired athletes, competing in alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, and the Biathlon. Let's take a moment to learn about the athletes representing the United States.