Colin Hughes – Aestumanda

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, A new smart lock hints at what accessibility-first smart homes could become 5 days, 21 hours ago

The arrival of a new generation of hands-free smart locks, such as the Aqara U400, is one of those moments where a feature framed as convenience quietly reveals something much more important.

Using Ultra […]

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, Meta at CES 2026: research into EMG smart home control for disabled people 6 days, 10 hours ago

Among Meta’s many announcements at CES 2026, one stood out for me — not because it represents a finished product, but because it represents a research direction I have been advocating for in my writing for a lon […]

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, AI dictation vs. built-in tools: my year with the gap 1 month ago

Dictation has shaped how I use technology for the past decade, but something shifted this year. A wave of new AI dictation apps came to prominence in 2025, each promising accuracy, speed and intelligence far […]

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, Labour promised to fix the NHS. So why am I, a vulnerable housebound patient, still waiting for a flu jab? 1 month, 1 week ago

Flu season has arrived early. BBC News reports a sharp rise in infections, prompting ministers and public health officials to issue their annual directive: get vaccinated now. Hospitals are already bracing for a […]

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, Budget 2025: Motability cuts that betray disabled people’s independence 1 month, 2 weeks ago

The Autumn Budget delivered many of the usual headlines — duties rising on cigarettes and alcohol, eye-catching giveaways, and a handful of announcements clearly shaped for the early evening news. But beneath a […]

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, Voice Control in macOS 26.1 fixes some bugs — but Apple should add “Background Accessibility Improvements” 2 months, 1 week ago

Voice Control in macOS 26.1: progress, but key bugs remain
After six weeks of waiting, Voice Control in macOS 26.1 has arrived — and it’s a story of progress mixed with frustration.

The good news: Apple has […]

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, A picture paints a thousand words: why cutting Motability would be a betrayal 2 months, 2 weeks ago

They say every picture tells a story.

In this old family photo from the 1990s, I’m sitting outside our home in rural Wales with my brother Ian and sister Lyn. My brother Alan isn’t in the photo. Behind us sta […]

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, Meta visited me to test the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses and Neural Band 2 months, 2 weeks ago

Meta brought the future to my doorstep
Two weeks ago, something quite extraordinary happened. Meta Reality Labs visited my London home to let me try the new Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses — the first model with a b […]

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, Apple’s Voice Control has stalled — but AI dictation is racing ahead 3 months ago

Last month I reported on a series of serious Voice Control bugs in macOS 26 that Apple quietly acknowledged but has yet to fix. You can read that piece here. The story struck a nerve because these weren’t minor q […]

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses gen 2 review: power, promise, and what’s next 3 months, 2 weeks ago

The battery, for real this time
Let me start with what works: battery life. The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses Gen 2 claims up to 2× the battery life over Gen 1. In my use — a few photos, a video, message re […]

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, iPhone Air review: why Apple’s lightest phone might be the perfect ‘bed phone’ 3 months, 2 weeks ago

When Wall Street Journal tech columnist Joanna Stern remarked on Threads that the iPhone Air might be the perfect “bed phone,” it wasn’t just a throwaway comment. It captured something millions of us do every […]

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, Apple confirms Voice Control bugs in macOS 26 3 months, 2 weeks ago

Apple has acknowledged a series of bugs affecting Voice Control in macOS 26, the company’s built-in accessibility feature that allows people to fully operate a Mac by voice.

Over the past week, users have r […]

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, Why Meta’s Ray-Ban Display glasses feel like the next step for accessibility 3 months, 3 weeks ago

This line from Meta’s announcement of the new Ray-Ban Display glasses with Neural Band really struck me.

“Think of the potential impact it could have for people with spinal cord injuries, limb differences, tre […]

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, Aqua Voice delivers what Apple’s dictation still lacks 4 months, 2 weeks ago

Dictation on the Mac has often felt like a leap of faith. Apple’s native Dictation and Voice Control offer a path to speech-to-text, but accuracy issues, sluggish input, and awkward editing frequently interrupt p […]

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, WWDC 2025: accessibility gains, missed chances, and what Apple still needs to fix 7 months ago

Yesterday’s WWDC 2025 keynote brought Apple’s bold new Liquid Glass design, system-wide renaming (e.g., iOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26), and a big push for on-device Apple Intelligence—available now in eight more language […]

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, WWDC 2025: Can Apple finally fix Voice Control? 7 months, 1 week ago

As WWDC 2025 approaches, rumours swirl about what Apple may unveil: enhanced AI features, a new naming convention for all the operating systems, and a visual glass-like overhaul, including round Home Screen icons. […]

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, WWDC 2025: Why Apple Watch still falls short on accessibility 7 months, 1 week ago

As WWDC 2025 approaches, Apple is widely expected to reveal a significant redesign of watchOS—part of a broader visual refresh inspired by visionOS. This could include rounded icons, translucent UI elements, and a […]

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, WWDC 2025: What disabled people want to see from Apple this year 7 months, 1 week ago

Apple’s WWDC 2025 keynote is just days away, and expectations are high. This year’s announcements are rumoured to include a dramatic visual overhaul—complete with rounded icons on the Home screen and a more unifi […]

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, macOS finally lets you record custom vocabulary in Voice Control – but Apple still has work to do 7 months, 2 weeks ago

macOS finally lets you record custom vocabulary in Voice Control – but Apple still has work to do

Did this really just happen?

Tucked away in a recent macOS Sequoia update, Apple has quietly rolled out a l […]

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, Confirmed: Apple’s Powerbeats Pro 2 also hit by voice control failure 8 months, 2 weeks ago

When I first reported a serious voice assistant bug affecting Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, I believed it was device-specific. After a phone or WhatsApp call, the “Hey Meta” assistant would go silent — and would […]

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