Hi. I've recently needed to start using hearing aids. One of the things, quite apart from selecting the best hearing aids that is really bugging me, is the state of accessibility with hearing aid apps. Not a surprise I guess, but still disappointing. Oticons app is completely and utterly unusable for example.
I recently saw a post on applevis about the Starkey app, indicating that some bits were usable and some completely not. I wondered if anyone who uses the cap could get in contact with me or discuss here whetehr accessibility has changed, how the hearing aids behave with the phone etc and has anyone had any luck contacting Starkey to fix this.

If you have used or you are still using MacBook 12, how’s your experience? A friend has been offered one for very good price, and the unit is in pristine shape.

Hi,

I'm experiencing difficulties with VOCR performing optical character recognition on my MacBook Air Retina 2018 running macOS Sonomo 14.1.1. When I use the command-shift-ctrl-W, all I receive is "Nothing found." The VOCR version I'm using is v1.0.0-b1.1. Any suggestions on how to address this issue would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Sadik

VoiceOver's been reading out links on web pages twice for some time now, and this happens in both Safari and third-party browsers. Well, I use Firefox Focus but I already guess that it should happen in every web browser on iOS, at least on my device. Anyone else have this issue?

Apple has today released iOS 17.1.2, iPadOS 17.1.2, and macOS Sonoma 14.1.2 to the public.

The release notes for all updates are simply listed as “security and bug fixes.”

As these updates appear to have been released to address a small set of specific issues, our expectation is that they do not contain any accessibility changes for blind and low vision users; however, if you notice any changes, improvements or regressions in your own use of these releases, please post a comment below with your findings.

iOS 17.1.2 and iPadOs 17.1.2 are available via Over-the-Air Update (Settings > General > Software Update) via Finder on a Mac with macOS Catalina or later, or via iTunes on a PC or Mac with macOS Mojave or earlier.

To install macOS Sonoma 14.1.2, choose System Settings from the Apple menu, select General in the table, click Software Update in the scroll area, and click the Update Now button to begin the update process. If other updates are available, you can click "More info" to see details about them and select specific updates to install.

Welcome to the November 2023 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, your monthly digest of the latest and most notable content on the AppleVis website. This edition features a curated selection of community-submitted updates, including new app entries, updates, news, and podcasts.

New and Noteworthy App Entries

conjury (iOS/iPadOS, US$2.99)

Make your way through the eternal darkness of Lumtham woods. It's a journey filled with monsters, peril, and tonnes of loot. Collect cards, weapons, and items as you make your way through this fast-paced deck building rogue-like to escape the darkness of the forest.

Features

• 6 playable characters, each with unique abilities and gameplay
• Rogue-like gameplay and lots of replay-ability
• Over 50 different weapons
• Over 250 different cards to discover
• Tonnes of different Enemies and Bosses to defeat

Current Version: 1.3.11 (November 28, 2023)

Read conjury's AppleVis App Directory entry for more information 

Visit conjury's App Store page 

Cybercards (iOS/iPadOS, Free)

Welcome to the gritty neon streets of Cybercards, the ultimate single player roguelike card game experience! Build your deck, unlock new cards and playable characters, and strategize your way through the cyberpunk world.

With dynamic gameplay inspired by tabletop games, every draw of the deck can mean the difference between survival and failure. Do you have what it takes to outsmart your opponents and emerge victorious?

Choose from a variety of fun, exciting characters to play as, each with their own unique abilities and strengths. Unlock new cards and build the ultimate deck to take on the toughest challenges the city has to offer.

But beware, Cybercards is a true roguelike card game, meaning that every decision you make and every card you play has real consequences. One wrong move could mean the end of your journey, so choose your actions wisely!

With intuitive mobile controls and addictive gameplay, Cybercards is the perfect way to dive into the world of cyberpunk roguelike card games. So what are you waiting for? Download now and start your journey to the top of the neon underworld!

Current Version: 0.0.175 (November 22, 2023)

Read Cybercards' AppleVis App Directory entry for more information 

Visit Cybercards' App Store page 

FYE (iOS/iPadOS, Free)

From Your Eyes is an assistant technology that brings together human and artificial intelligence and offers both fast and qualified visual explanation service to visually impaired and visually impaired users. There are three hundred and thirty million visually impaired people worldwide. One million of them are in Turkey, and ten million are in the United States. FYE consists of three parts: visually impaired users, trainable artificial intelligence services and descriptors. Visually impaired users can take any photo or select an image from their existing library and upload it to the application. Artificial intelligence delivers a draft description to the user immediately after the visual is loaded into the application. If the visually impaired user thinks that this draft description should be improved, he can also enter the description section in which aspect he wants it to be detailed and send it to the descriptors with a single click.

This request reaches the descriptors as a notification. When a descriptor enters the application, it selects an image from the request pool and makes written improvements to the text by comparing the image and the draft description. The process ends when the advanced draft is sent back to the user. The underlying AI services learn about these improvements with machine learning.

Current Version: 1.0.5 (November 23, 2023)

Read FYE's AppleVis App Directory entry for more information 

Visit FYE's App Store page 

Idle Iktah (iOS/iPadOS, Free With In-App Purchases)

Idle Iktah is an incremental game set in a fictionalized Pacific Northwest where you start from nothing and create your own path to success. Level up, complete quests, and gain powerful rewards as you dive deeper into this hand-crafted adventure.

Current Version: 1.0.7 (November 28, 2023)

Read Idle Iktah's AppleVis App Directory entry for more information 

Visit Idle Iktah's App Store page 

Obstacle Detector - For Blind (iOS/iPadOS, Trial then $5.99 In-App Purchase)

Obstacle Detector is a powerful obstacle detection application, specially designed for visually impaired people to travel. It can help visually impaired people better avoid surrounding obstacles and avoid harm.

It uses the latest technology to measure distance through the LiDAR scanner and TrueDepth camera equipped on the iPhone. It has the characteristics of stability and high accuracy. The longest measurement distance is up to 5 meters, with a centimeter-level error! Designed for blind people.

Features (Exclusive to Premium Edition):

• Alerting the proximity of obstacles through sound and vibration
• Real-time broadcasting of the actual distance to obstacles
• Extensive customization options, creating a personalized "blind cane"
• Support for adjusting the size of the detection field of view

Supported Devices:

All Apple devices that support LiDAR scanners or feature Face ID

Current Version: 1.4.0 (November 19, 2023)

Read Obstacle Detector's AppleVis App Directory entry for more information 

Visit Obstacle Detector's App Store page 

Railboard - National Rail (UK) (iOS/iPadOS, Free)

Powered by National Rail Enquiries, Railboard is the best app for National Rail train times and platform numbers. Plus, you can save lots of money by finding super-cheap split train tickets on the app.

With Split Tickets, our clever algorithms find combinations of tickets that together offer the same journey but at a lower price than a regular ticket.

This is done by splitting regular train tickets at calling points along the journey. So instead of one ticket from A to C, you have two tickets from A to B and B to C. However, you stay on the same train as normal. There is no requirement to alight and re-board. And we do all the hard work to find them for you!

But that’s not all; Railboard has tons of other features:

• No booking fees.
• Instant etickets, which you can add to Apple Wallet.
• Buy with Apple Pay.
• Supports Dark Mode.
• Set your railcard to get railcard discounts.
• Easily request refunds using an online form inside the app.
• Receipts available inside the app.
• An easy button to add journeys to your calendar.
• You can optionally toggle off seeing ticket prices.
• You can choose to see only direct trains.
• National Rail departure and arrival boards.
• Official National Rail platform numbers.
• Clear disruption, delay, and cancellation notices.
• Pin trains and journeys for easy access later on.
• You can save route searches for quick access.
• Optional settings, so you can customise Railboard to how you like it.

Current Version: 5.19 (October 16, 2023)

Read Railboard - National Rail's AppleVis App Directory entry for more information 

Visit Railboard - National Rail's App Store page 

All recent app entries posted to AppleVis can be found at:

iOS/iPadOS
Mac
Apple Watch
Apple TV

Notable App Updates

Dice World® Play with Friends (iOS/iPadOS, Free With In-App Purchases)

Roll, Compete, and Conquer in Dice World!

Get ready to immerse yourself in six addicting dice games that you can enjoy online or offline. Now with full VoiceOver support for unmatched accessibility, Dice World is the #1 choice for fun and inclusive gaming.

Whether you're a fan of fast-paced Farkle, strategic Yatzy, or unpredictable Pig, Dice World has something for everyone.

Current Version: 22.11 (November 15, 2023)

Changes in Version 22.11

• Accessibility fixes, including select all button fix and user search issues resolved!
• Option to post wins to timeline!
• Stability fixes.

Read Dice World® Play with Friends' AppleVis App Directory entry for more information 

Visit Dice World® Play with Friends' App Store page 

FruitPot 2 (iOS/iPadOS, Free With In-App Purchases)

Try out the best game of the year.

If you liked FruitPot 1 you will love FruitPot 2: similar gameplay but with all new stores and mini-games, and set in the 80s.

• Innovative ever-changing fruit machine slot.
• More than 15 mini-games that appear as you progress through the game.
• Original gameplay where you have to spend the Bucks you get at the games buying items in stores at the mall.
• Great sounds and graphics.
• No internet connection is required to play, also no personal data gathering or subscriptions.
• 100% Accessible with VoiceOver, as it always should be.

Current Version: 1.231120 (November 19, 2023)

Changes in Version 1.231120

Exciting Update! Step into a winter wonderland with our newest addition - a Christmas-themed slot machine and a charming street of festive shops. Spin for holiday luck and explore a delightful selection of seasonal stores. Update now and immerse yourself in the spirit of Christmas gaming!

Read FruitPot 2's AppleVis App Directory entry for more information 

Visit FruitPot 2's App Store page 

Supersense - AI for Blind (iOS/iPadOS, Free With In-App Purchases)

Supersense is the smartest and simplest scanner app made for the blind and visually impaired users to read any text format, currency or product details from a barcode independently.

With the power of AI, Supersense automatically figures out what you are trying to scan, guides you on how to point the camera, and reads the content in the right format. Its unique design minimizes the time and frustrations of scanning and reading text for a blind and visually impaired user.

Full features of Supersense:

• Smart Scanner: The app automatically detects whether you are trying to quickly read a piece of text, a long document, a currency or a barcode.
• Smart Guidance: The app guides you on how to point the camera and finds the best angle to have the most accurate results
• Quick Read: Instantly read the text presented in front of the rear camera
• Document: Read longer documents with the assistance of smart guidance. Once the text has been recognized, use VoiceOver commands to navigate through the recognized text and share it to other apps.
• Multipage Scanning: Scan documents with multiple pages simultaneously and navigate through the text.
• Currency: Recognize currencies and hear the value of a banknote
• Barcode: Scan barcodes to hear the name and brand of the products with additional information
• Object Explorer and Find: Scan your physical environment and hear about the objects that are around.
• Import: Read and explore text from the images and PDF files. Also you can send them directly from any other apps with using "Recognize with Supersense" tool in your share menu.
• Read History: Displays your recognition history in a single screen.

Current Version: 1.10.23 (November 7, 2023)

Changes in Version 1.10.23

1. Read History Filters: Tailor your results in Read History and display only what you need on the latest results section
2. Library: A new Library button is added to Read History where you can access all recognition history categorized by read modes in the new Library screen
3. Dark Theme: Switch to dark mode on all Supersense screens by selecting Dark Theme under the settings menu
4. Reading Settings: A new settings menu to customize reading and display options on the reading screen

Read Supersense - AI for Blind's AppleVis App Directory entry for more information 

Visit Supersense - AI for Blind's App Store page 

VoiceVista (iOS/iPadOS, Free)

VoiceVista is a critical application for the blind and low vision users' community. It is built upon Microsoft's discontinued and open-source project Soundscape (https://aka.ms/ossblog) and is licensed under the MIT License (https://github.com/microsoft/soundscape/blob/main/LICENSE.txt).

The app leverages advanced iOS audio technology and precise location services to empower individuals in developing a heightened sense of their environment. It offers reassurance in unfamiliar settings, assisting users in forming mental maps and confidently navigating their desired routes.

Current Version: 1.2.4 (November 24, 2023)

Changes in November

• New places data:
  • California 1.4M records
  • Germany 3M records
  • United Kingdom 2.5M records
  • Japan 2M records
• Relayout settings UI
• Merge features of Assistant tab to Surroundings tab
• Call out city of street when in vehicle
• Call out street name in What's My Location
• Allow to turn on/off Intersections and Transportation info separately
• Importing BlindSquare Backup
• Customize shake motion response
• Customize auto-mute distance for beacons
• Wake me up before you reach a location
• Sort search place results by distance
• Exclude user-generated markers from the 'All Places' list
• Clearly label 'Mute' and 'Unmute' for audio beacons
• Open Google Maps with the destination location

Read VoiceVista's AppleVis App Directory entry for more information 

Visit VoiceVista's App Store page 

Recent News and Views

Apple News

• Apple Releases iOS 17.1.1, iPadOS 17.1.1, macOS 14.1.1, and watchOS 10.1.1 With Minor Bug Fixes

This Month in Podcasts

AppleVis Unleashed November 2023: Liar, Liar Pants on Fire

In this month's edition of AppleVis Unleashed, Thomas Domville, Mike Malarsie, and John Gassman discuss recent Apple news and other topics of interest. We were also thrilled to have a brief visit from Randy.

Topics featured in this episode include:

• A Word from Randy Rusnack
• Woah! Vosh a Possible New Screen Reader Solution for the Mac
• Apple M3 Chips Have Arrived
• Will the RSC End the Green Bubble vs. the Blue Bubble War?
• Ready or Not Here Comes the iOS Side Loading for the EU Customers
• iOS 17.2 is Nearing to Release and the Latest on the Upcoming iOS 18.
• Thoughts from the Unleashed Team on This Year AppleVis Golden Apples Award

Listen to “AppleVis Unleashed November 2023: Liar, Liar Pants on Fire”

How to Change Safari's Default Search Engine on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS

In this episode, Tyler demonstrates how to change Safari's default search engine on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.

Listen to “How to Change Safari's Default Search Engine on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS”

Podcasts by Thomas Domville

• Charging Smarter: A Dive into iOS Battery Health and Charging
• FruitPot 2: A Fun and Addictive Slot Machine Game for iOS
• Screen Recording on iOS and iPadOS: Tips and Tricks for Beginners

Hot AppleVis Content

Here are some of the most talked-about posts from the past month:

• Work In Progress: Vosh - a third-party screen-reader for the Macintosh
• Introducing Obstacle Detector App - Travel tools for the blind, obstacle distance detection
• Speech Central Next-gen testing
• Seeking testers for Braille Editor application
• Voiceover optimizations and scripts for mac

Club AppleVis

By joining Club AppleVis, members and friends of our community can directly support the financial costs of operating AppleVis, ensuring that we can continue to provide valuable information, help, and support. Your contribution will support our mission and help ensure the success of AppleVis. Become a part of our special donor community today!

To learn more about Club AppleVis and how you can join, please visit www.applevis.com/club-applevis

anyone tried the thinkorswim desktop, how is it working for yu? as far as i can tell, the web version is not quite usable yet. the all-in-one ticket on schwab.com is very good now. if thinkor swim lives up to its promise and becomes accessible, it would be great.

Hello all:
I need to use my Iphone as my external mike for my mac studio .
i followed all steps but Iphone Mike is not visible under system preferences/sounds/input
even, can not use my Iphone as my Mac camera on facetime, so, facetime is not working now at all.
Are there any solutions please?

Hello,
I guess, on the news--which was on News Max--they're telling iOS 17.1 users to do this immediately. I guess you should turn off the "Name Drop" feature of "Air Drop", and the people list how to. Go into settings, and go into general. Go into Air Drop and I guess turn off "Bring iPhones Together." If this is not turned off, I guess anyone who has an iPhone nearby can get anything they want on you like your name, contacts, and the like. Is this true or just bull hokey? As it came from News Max TV, though, I'm saying it's legitimate.

Hello,
I've just recently experienced where VO has stopped speaking but is still running. This is when I've been in the music app, so has anyone else experienced this? When it happens, none of the gestures work either, and no sounds or haptics, too. I've had to turn off VO and turn it back on again, but in the most recent issue of this problem, it didn't help. I had to close the music app, and while a song was running, push the sleep/wake button, pick up my phone to get VO to speak, and go back into the music app just from the lock screen. Then, VO works fine ... as it used to. Keep in mind that my iPhone's one of the older models, 8+ with home button. Could this be the cause? I've not used all of the 64 gb up yet/try not to use it for more than I need, that is.

Hello,
For months now, my active energy stats have been on August 7th 2023 in the health app. Also, my headphone levels have been okay, but those stats are back from February 2022. I just wonder why these figures are not being updated daily any more, as they once did? I've contacted the accessibility team, but they don't seem to know how to resolve the issue. It's okay, I guess. However, I'd like to have up-to-date info, right? Also, why can't I get the Kimberling City, MO branch of Fordland Clinic on the "Share with your doctor," pages? I guess they're not hooked up to Apple's health system, but I wish they were--just for helping fill in my chart a bit better before appointments.

Hi. I'm learning Chinese and, as sighted people learn hanzi, I thought it would be a good idea to learn Chinese braille.
I can't write anything with BSI, though. I can make it translate the braille dots into the Pinyin stuff, but no actual words. Am I missing some necessary step?
Thanks all in advance!

Hi. I'm learning Chinese and, as sighted people learn hanzi, I thought it would be a good idea to learn Chinese braille.
I can't write anything with BSI, though. I can make it translate the braille dots into the Pinyin stuff, but no actual words. Am I missing some necessary step?
Thanks all in advance!

Hi all,

I don't see this listed here as a bug - am I missing something?

Thanks,
Daniel

Hi,, wondering if anyone can help please? Before i updated my Mac book to the most up-to-date version of Mac OS the other day i had my preferred Irish Siri voice, and can't ever remember having a particularly hard time changing it. Once i had completed this most recent update i noticed Voiceover had switched back to the default daniel voice. Trouble is i'm having an awful time trying to change it back to the irish siri that i prefer (i just hate the daniel voice). So once in Voiceover utility, i am arrowing down to "speech", Vo right arrow to "custom language" and interacting with the table, VO right to the voice pop-up menu, Vo space on that and arrowing to the voice i'd like. When i VO space on that voice to choose it it's only speaking a tiny sample; daniel just stays checked no matter what i'm doing. Apologies for the long winded description, but i hope maybe it might work to help someone figure out whether i'm missing something? I don't remember struggling like this last time. Many thanks in advance for any help.

I am trying to figure out what has changed with a SmartNews app. I could no longer get it to provide me the headlines for the news in a format where I can just click through and read one line description of each article and then the ones I want double click into those and read the whole article now it just gives me options for like each news provider such as CNN, Fox News, CBS, ESPN so forth With no article description whatsoever anyone else have this problem or know how to fix it

Hello everyone,
Today is a really happy day for me, because in iOS 17.2 beta 4, we can now do something that almost all of us have wanted to do for ever.
And that is, we can now change the default notification sound for third party apps!!!!!!!!!!
I've been waiting for this day for ever!
To find this feature, go into your sounds and haptics settings and find the new default alerts section.
I do not know if this feature is available in macOS 14.2 beta four, but I for certain know it's in iOS 17.
Other than this big feature, I have only been running iOS for about an hour and haven't installed the other betas yet.
If you find any features and or bugs with all of the new betas, please feel free to post them here.

As of Sonoma, VoiceOver no-longer reads dynamic content in the Wordpress block editor. For example if you press the forward slash (/) on an empty block to bring up the block list, VoiceOver won't read the suggestions. This occurs even with the option to report dynamic content changes enabled in Voiceover utility. Are any other Wordpress users out there experiencing this and does anyone have a fix or know what caused this to break? Reported to Apple Accessibility but I no-longer hold out any hope that anything will get fixed by Apple.

It appears that VoiceOver has randomly stopped giving me image descriptions. Disabling and enabling it didn’t fix the problem. Please help.

A friend is contemplating upgrading from his 2017 MacBook Air to a model in the M2 lineup. As a frequent traveler often without access to a power source, he finds himself at a crossroads between the M2 Air 13 and M2 Air 15. The M2 Air 13 boasts a 52WH battery, whereas the 15 comes with a larger 66WH battery. Given his consistent practice of activating the screen curtain and maintaining a display brightness of zero, he's pondering whether choosing the 15-inch model would yield prolonged battery life. Despite both Macs purportedly having the same battery life as specified by Apple (since the larger battery on the 15-inch model is allocated to power the larger screen), he now wonders if, with the screen curtain off, he could potentially achieve even better battery performance on the 15-inch variant.