Facebook’s iOS app uses AI and VoiceOver to describe the contents of photos to blind users
At a time when so many Facebook posts comprise a photo and a brief comment, there’s one group of people who get rather left out of the picture: those who are blind and partially sighted. That’s a problem Facebook is fixing, starting from today. The iOS app now uses artificial intelligence to figure out the content of photos, and Apple’s VoiceOver feature to read aloud a description of them.
The Verge got a demo of the feature, which Facebook calls ‘automatic alt text.’
Automatic alt text, which is coming to iOS today and later to Android and the web, recognizes objects in photos using machine learning […] While still in its early stages, the technology can reliably identify concepts in categories including transportation (“car,” “boat,” “airplane”), nature (“snow,” “ocean,” “sunset”), sports (“basketball court”), and food (“sushi”). The technology can also describe people (“baby,” “smiling,” beard”), and identify a selfie.
Facebook said that there were two approaches it could have taken to the problem, and it chose the one it believed would be most successful …
Filed under: Apps Tagged: accessibility, automatic alt text, blind, Blind people, Facebook, VoiceOver
Barclays support for Apple Pay finally live, all major UK banks now support Apple mobile payments
Over nine months since Apple Pay was introduced to the UK, Barclays bank has finally gone live and launched its support for Apple’s mobile payments service. This means that every major bank in the UK now supports Apple Pay, a big win for a country that already has wide availability of contactless merchant terminals in many stores.
If you are a Barclays customer, open Wallet on your iPhone to get started and setup Apple Pay for your account. NFC comes bundled with Apple’s recent iPhones: iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus and the new iPhone SE ..
Filed under: AAPL Company, Apple Watch, iOS, iOS Devices, Tech Industry Tagged: Apple pay, Apple UK, iPhone iPad, mobile payments
New iPhone 6s passcode bypass lets handlers access Photos and Contacts; here’s how to protect yourself
A new iPhone 6s/6s Plus passcode bypass flaw is making its rounds on the internet today, and it’s similar to flaws we’ve seen in the past on iOS. Don’t be overly alarmed, though, as the odds of this happening to you are slim. Besides, if you are concerned, there are some bonafide ways to go about protecting yourself. more…
Filed under: iOS, Tips and Tricks Tagged: bug, contacts, how to, iPhone 6s, iphone 6s plus, lock screen, passcode bug, photos, Security, Siri, Twitter
Scrivener, The Award-Winning Writing App Used by New York Times Best-Selling Authors: $23 (Orig. $45)
From 9to5Toys Specials:
If you’re serious about writing, Scrivener is a great investment. Used by many bestselling authors, this wordsmith’s toolbox is currently $22.50 for Mac
Unlike your regular office suite, Scrivener is set up for long-form and creative writing. Along with the “snapshots” feature — each major version of your draft can be restored — the app features a storyboard tool, and a database for collecting relevant notes.
An outliner tool is also included to help you shape your narrative, and you can place research documents in floating windows for easy reference. Scriptwriting is made smoother thanks to the custom formatting options, and the clean full-screen mode is great for staying focused. The desktop app syncs with the mobile versions of Scrivener, too.
Take 50% off the regular price for both the Mac version and PC version.
Filed under: iOS Devices
Apple Stores to transition from traditional plastic bags to paper in latest environmental move
Apple has always been known for putting a huge focus on the environment, and over recent months the company has not been shy about its initiatives. At its press event last month, Apple dedicated stage time to detailing its environmental efforts. Now, Apple looks to be bringing its environmental focus to its retail stores. In a note sent to retail employees and obtained by 9to5Mac Apple has announced that it will be moving away from the iconic plastic drawstring Apple Store bags in favor of new paper bags made out of 80 percent recycled materials.
Filed under: AAPL Company
Top new 9.7″ iPad Pro features + a few not-so-great features [Video]
The 9.7″ iPad Pro is an interesting new device. Fitting squarely between the 12.9″ iPad Pro and the 9.7″ iPad Air 2, it can be difficult to determine what the device actually is. Is it an “iPad Air 3″ or is it an iPad Pro mini? Well, to be honest, it’s a little bit of both.
The new iPad Pro will feel very familiar to current iPad Air 2 owners. For those of you that already own a 12.9” iPad Pro, the smaller version might feel like a downgrade in some ways. Certainly, it’s a downgrade in the most obvious area — size. But in other ways, primarily camera capability, it’s a huge upgrade.
Of course, iPad Air 2 owners who are envious of the iPad Pro’s ability to use the Apple Pencil have a definite reason to eye the 9.7″ Pro. The new iPad Pro also works with Apple’s new smaller Smart Keyboard accessory. In other words, there’s a lot to consider when it comes to the 9.7″ iPad Pro. Have a look at some of our favorite new features, along with a few of the disappointments that we encountered. more…
Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: 9.7-inch iPad Pro, A9x, DCI, iPad Pro, review, Rose Gold, True Tone
Review: Apple’s Bluetooth keyboard becomes full size again w/ Satechi’s wireless aluminum keypad
That’s probably because the majority of users probably don’t miss it with the top number row suffice for occasional number input, so it’s understandable why Apple doesn’t pay much attention to it. But I personally like and miss the speed of using a keypad for quick commands in pro apps like Logic and punching in numbers in spreadsheets (it’s tax time…), so I’ve been testing Satechi’s new Aluminum Wireless Keypad that recently arrived.
Filed under: iOS, Mac, Reviews Tagged: add-on, Aluminum, Bluetooth, full-size apple keyboard, iPhone, keypad, Mac, numeric keypad, numpad, Satechi, Wireless
Disqus releases first iPhone app w/ support for tracking comments & discussions, more
Popular commenting service Disqus today has announced its first ever iOS app. The app is available now in the App Store for free and allows users to track notifications relating to their comments as well as discussions from channels and websites they follow. The app’s interface is pretty standard, with home, channel, notification, and profile tabs along the bottom.
Personal genomics company 23andMe using ResearchKit for new genetic research module
Apple last month announced that it was expanding the capabilities of ResearchKit with CareKit, and today the company revealed that researchers can now integrate genetics into their ResearchKit apps with a new 23andMe module. 23andMe is a popular personal genomics and biotechnology company based in Mountain View, California. With support for genetic information in ResearchKit apps, researchers will more easily be able to look for information relating to illness and disease and make associations.
Filed under: ResearchKit Tagged: 23andme, Apple, researchkit
1Password 6.2 for Mac adds automatic login naming + upgraded data importer
Juggling passwords for all the digital services we manage these days is no easy task with varying rules and expiring credentials all the time, but 1Password makes the process both more secure and way more convenient. Rather than using a version of a few passwords that you can actually remember, 1Password easily lets you generate strong, randomized passwords for each service that you protect behind a single secure password, then browser extensions and action extensions on OS X and iOS make password entry super simple.
The latest update to 1Password for Mac, version 6.2, adds a couple of minor but useful enhancements to the desktop experience. First, intelligence behind the automatic login and password filler is smarter in the new version, which means using the keyboard shortcut or browser extension to fill in your info will fail fewer times. The database upgrade also means that naming new logins will be easier as 1Password will be smarter about guessing what website you’re new login is for.
If you’re new to 1Password or setting up friends or family, 1Password 6.2 for Mac also includes a more intelligent data importer for users moving from other password management apps. This follows the introduction of new features like 1Password for Families and Teams, which are also improved in this version, as well as 1Password mini for the Menu Bar on OS X.
Check out the full release notes below:
Filed under: Apps Tagged: 1Password, AgileBits, Password Management, Security