Colin Hughes – Aestumanda

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, Why Meta’s latest smart glasses announcement matters for accessibility 1 week, 5 days ago

Meta announced on Tuesday that it is launching two new Ray-Ban smart glasses aimed at prescription wearers. The company says the new models support nearly all prescriptions and are designed to better serve people […]

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, Beyond the chatbox: why GPT-5.4’s computer use matters for accessibility 1 month ago

OpenAI has just released GPT-5.4, and GPT-5.4 computer use is one of the most interesting parts of the announcement. In practical terms, that means the model can inspect screenshots and return interface actions […]

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, WhisperTyping review: the Windows dictation app outpacing Apple and Microsoft 1 month, 2 weeks ago

This WhisperTyping review explores a high-accuracy Windows dictation tool built on OpenAI’s Whisper model, combining AI-driven rewriting, translation and workflow automation. While it requires a physical t […]

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses must become true smart home controllers 1 month, 2 weeks ago

Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses are often presented as content tools — devices for creators capturing everyday moments.

That framing is far too narrow.

If Meta is serious about ambient computing and long-term m […]

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, Meta’s rumoured Malibu 2 smartwatch could finally make wearables accessible 1 month, 3 weeks ago

Meta is reportedly developing a smart fitness watch, internally codenamed Malibu 2. At first glance, this may sound like just another entrant into an already crowded wearable market dominated by Apple, Samsung, […]

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, Why the Meta AI app needs a physical and motor disability section for the company’s smart glasses 2 months, 1 week ago

Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses have been life-transforming for me and for many others with severe physical disabilities. As the company’s smart glasses, they already show how powerful voice-first, wearable t […]

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, When the system takes the carer, the disabled person pays the price 2 months, 2 weeks ago

From a hospital bed in Arlington, Texas, Wael Tarabishi asked for only one thing: the return of his father.

His father, Maher Tarabishi, had been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in late […]

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, Two years on, Apple’s antitrust case hasn’t gone away — and neither have the accessibility questions 2 months, 2 weeks ago

Last week, I received an unexpected email from the U.S. Department of Justice.

It wasn’t a press update or a policy statement. It was procedural — a reminder that, as part of the Department’s ongoing antit […]

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, iOS 26.3 will bring Notification Forwarding to the EU — the UK and others may be left waiting 2 months, 3 weeks ago

Apple is currently testing a new feature called Notification Forwarding as part of the iOS 26.3 beta. On the surface, it looks like a small system-level change. In reality, it points to a potentially significant […]

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, A new smart lock hints at what accessibility-first smart homes could become 3 months 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 3 months, 1 week 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 4 months 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? 4 months, 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 […]

John Cope replied 3 months ago

So I am not alone, my mum is 86 and is housebound, we have the same problems in Birmingham but nobody cares or helps, not my GP, MP,, or NHs,
- Colin Hughes replied 2 months, 4 weeks ago
  
  John, thank you for sharing this — I’m really sorry your mum has been left in that position. Sadly, what you describe mirrors what far too many housebound families experience, in different parts of the country.
  
  I hope she has now been able to receive her flu vaccine, even if far later than it should ever have been. No one who is housebound should have to fight to access something so basic.
  
  I appreciate you taking the time to comment — it matters that these experiences are visible.

Colin Hughes wrote a new post, Budget 2025: Motability cuts that betray disabled people’s independence 4 months, 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” 5 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 5 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 5 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 6 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 […]

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