Home » Archives for Colin Hughes

Author: Colin Hughes

Voicing concerns: the silent struggle for Siri accessibility on Apple Watch

The Apple Watch, often regarded as a symbol of cutting-edge technology, pledges to bring the future to our wrists. Yet, for those with severe upper limb disabilities, this future comes with a caveat. The challenge? Siri’s accessibility—or the lack thereof. Apple’s wizardry has made Siri smarter in recent times. With the voice assistant on your wrist, you can do everything from launching apps to re...

Why Apple Voice Control needs an AI upgrade

Apple’s press release for the new M3 MacBook Air launched this week described the machine as the “world’s best consumer laptop for AI.” The claim comes ahead of WWDC 2024, when the tech giant is expected to announce a raft of new artificial intelligence features across all of its platforms. Apple CEO Tim Cook has teased the company’s plans for new artificial intelligence (AI) announcements twice t...

Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses: hands-free heaven for accessibility

The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses launched last October and succeeded the first-generation Ray-Ban Stories. They are a collaboration between Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, and Ray-Ban, the iconic eyewear brand. They are designed to offer a range of features, such as camera, audio, and AI, in a stylish and comfortable form factor. They come in two styles: Wayfarer and Headliner, and var...

How I influenced Apple’s Siri updates and what other accessibility features I’m hoping for in 2024

In iOS 17.4, currently in beta testing, there is a new option to set ‌Siri‌ to read incoming messages in a specific language like French, Spanish, German, and many more.The change does not update the primary language that ‌Siri‌ speaks in and responds to, but is limited to message playback. This is something I highlighted to Apple in an email last August citing an example of how adding other langu...

KeyboardMike Plus review: SpeechWare’s new highly accurate voice dictation microphone

In today’s digital world, talking instead of typing has become a game-changer. With voice dictation, you can easily turn your spoken words into written text, making tasks like sending emails and messages super easy. And what makes this magic happen? Microphones! These little gadgets aren’t just extras; they’re the heroes behind clear communication. A good voice dictation micropho...

Sunak scrapping dedicated minister for disabled people makes no sense

I am deeply concerned by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s decision to remove the dedicated role of Minister for Disabled People, a position that has been part of government for decades. The move is regrettable, and its implications for disabled people are troubling. Mims Davies has taken on the role within the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), but remains a parliamentary under Secretary of State...

Enhancing Ray-Ban Stories: 5 ways Meta can improve its ailing smart glasses

Meta is struggling to retain users for its Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses, with over 90 percent of consumers having abandoned the platform, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. Launched in September 2021, for some at least the integration of the smart glasses into our daily lives has brought a new dimension of connectivity and convenience. With the partnership between Meta and Ray-Ban,...

AirPods can authenticate you for Siri requests in iOS 17

Siri has long been a game-changer for people with upper limb mobility issues, allowing voice control of a wide range of tasks on Apple devices like the iPhone. However, one frustrating user experience that I’ve highlighted regularly in the past is the “You need to unlock your iPhone first” roadblock that is common for a few crucial requests that Siri can help you perform, such as “read my messages...

Meta updates Ray-Ban Stories with three useful features

As Apple prepares to unveil its first foray into smart wearable headgear, the soon to be launched Reality Pro headset, Meta has been busy upgrading its Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses, which have been around since 2021. Smart glasses have made significant progress in blending fashion with cutting-edge technology, and the iconic Ray-Ban Stories just got even smarter. With some exciting recent updates...

6 ways Meta can improve Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses

As someone who has been using Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses all day every day for the past five months, (with added prescription lenses), I have been impressed with their ability to capture photos and videos, and chat and call hands-free without having to touch my smartphone. However, there are some areas where I think the smart glasses could be improved to make them even more convenient and acces...

Apple adds Siri Shortcuts action for auto-answer calls in iOS 16.4 beta

Last week Apple released the latest beta version of its iPhone operating system iOS 16.4 to developers and public beta testers. iOS 16.4 beta is full of new features. These include new emoji, enhanced support for 5G, the ability to enable push notifications for web apps, and the return of the new architecture for the Home app. Apple has also added some new Shortcuts actions to iOS 16.4 beta one of...

Meta Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses to offer hands-free calling and texting

Meta, formerly known as Facebook, announced in a blog post this week that it will soon be rolling out a new feature on its Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses that will allow users to make hands-free phone calls using their phone number. Additionally, the glasses will be equipped with the ability to read incoming text messages out loud, providing an even more convenient way for users to stay connected w...

  • 1
  • 2
  • 5