Apple Watch - My Time Machine

I always had an aspiration to get myself an Apple product due to its reliability and amazing accessibility features, but heavy price tag constantly held me back. Finally, In October 2022 after convincing myself I made the most expensive shopping in my life and became a proud owner of Apple iPhone 13 and Apple Watch SE 2nd Generation.

 

In India, Apple products were once considered to be extremely rare and expensive. However, in the last couple of years, that picture has changed. Thanks to the heavy discounts provided by e-commerce platforms on Apple products and also the high brand aspiration amongst Indian millennials. Although an iPhone is an extremely well-known device, an Apple watch still holds a special place in the range of high-tech gadgets and it was always on my radar. After tying it on my wrist for more than six months I can honestly say that it is an amazing piece of technology available in the market.

 

This blog is to share my wonderful experiences with the readers as a visually impaired user of the product.

 

Small and sturdy

I bought an Apple Watch SE 2nd gen with GPS + cellular connectivity and got it paired with my iPhone 13.

 

Apple watch SE comes in two different variants, 41 MM and 44 MM. I opted for the 44 due to its larger size and it fits well on my wrist.

 

In terms of hardware, it runs on the same processor on which Apples most expensive watch Ultra runs. Mine has got 32 gigs of storage along with all the important health sensors except E.C.G. and SPO2.

 

It was a very conscious decision to go for this variant to save some money without compromising on high end features. It has got a rectangle dial having a crisp display with ION-X protection. On the right side of the watch, it has got a digital crown and one button. Both these controls are highly responsive and give the tactile effect. It is especially important for a user like me who has blindness.

 

It is equipped with multiple noise cancelling microphones and they work exceptionally well. I often make calls on my watch and the person on the other end never realizes that I picked up the call on my watch and not on the phone. People who have difficulty in accessing touch screen can use the digital crown navigation and even side button for most of the features including settings, app docker, watch face and home screen. Digital crown can be pushed to invoke apple’s voice assistance SIRI.

 

Many times we get scared taking our phone out during the rains as water might tamper the device but I can comfortably use my watch for calls and other stuff even in heavy rains as it is water resistant for 50 meters. That means I can take that long deep in a pool while wearing my watch. In my opinion it is a very safe and sturdy wearable product I’ve ever used.

 

Easy and intuitive

Main reason behind getting this expensive Watch is that it runs on Watch OS, and it supports the voiceover, the most advanced and popular screen reading software developed by Apple. From the initial set-up everything was exceptionally smooth, I could configure all the desired features using Voice Over without any difficulty. All the on-line reviews and customer testimonies strongly recommended the cellular version hence I’ve decided to shell out those extra Rs. 4000 to get myself the Cellular enabled watch. For those who are unfamiliar with this concept, it is nothing but a smart watch with e-sim capability. In short, this watch can make calls, send/receive SMS, and access the internet independently. Watches without cellular connectivity cannot perform all these tasks stand alone.

 

In terms of E-SIM installation process was a cakewalk, I have configured my Jio E-Sim on my watch within few taps. In India most of the mobile operators provides this service free of cost hence it didn’t add any cost burden on me. Watch faces provided by Apple are extremely smooth and responsive. Adding a variety of widgets or complications in Apple’s language is a super straightforward process. I have created different watch faces to suit my requirements and made most of my watch. Accessing advanced features of watch, reading mobile notifications, attending calls and replying to text and instant messages is extremely fast and responsive. I can perform all these tasks using voiceover without any issues.

 

Health and utility

Almost every day, we read news that how an apple watch has saved someone’s life cause of to its highly accurate on-board sensors and bucket of interesting apps. Right from alerting about my noisy environment to showing me valuable information about my cardio fitness, Apple watch is on the job always. It supports mainstream iOS apps along with numerous third-party offerings. You can easily search and install the compatible watch app using your watch or iPhone.

 

I was amazed when I started using my watch to navigate my music apps. Right from skipping next and previous track, loading favorite playlist, tagging track as liked/ loved everything is possible directly from your watch. Presently YouTube music has only controller app on Apple watch, which means it won’t work without your phone. However, Apple music can stream songs directly using the data from Watch e-sim. In short you can leave your phone at home and still enjoy your favorite music during your morning walks using Apple music on your watch.

 

For me it is really handy that I don’t have to take out my phone in crowded places to perform those basic tasks related to my music playback. Overall, it is a superb experience to manage all your music needs right from your wrist. Apart from music  Using the Google maps on my watch during navigation is an out of this world experience. It is incredibly user friendly to receive all the navigational alerts directly on your wrist. It is truly an amazing utility through which I can focus on my walk or ride without taking out my phone frequently. It is especially useful whenever I walk using my white cane.

 

I must mention that I’ve stopped using my phone for all the regular interactions such as attending quick calls, replying to those WhatsApp and text messages, checking my calendar entries, viewing the day/date and tapping on weather info. Everything is so smooth on my Apple watch. It is obvious that typing experience on such a tiny screen is not at all pleasant, but dictation works very well most of the time. Some higher end apple watches do support QWERT keyboard but in my opinion typing on such a small display with screen reader would be little challenging. It is exceedingly difficult to document all the apps and their features in this blog, but I can assure you that the app eco system of Apple watch is growing rapidly, and it is enhancing overall utility of this device.

 

Times Have Changed

I remember watching one advertisement by Samsung back in early 2000 in which they had depicted the future by showing one man making call through his wristwatch. I’m so overwhelmed that after two decades I became that man. Invoking SIRI, replying to mails, managing health including exercise, keeping track of calory count and medicines, all the phone related interactions like calls, SMS, accessing music, controlling map navigation, setting up timer, reminders, remotely accessing phone, creating voice notes, receiving all notifications from my phone and so on. My watch is capable of doing almost everything. Due to its cellular connectivity, it has become truly smart, I am not dependent on my phone, can simply leave my phone behind and manage many important tasks directly on my watch.  It is not only a smart watch, but a small computer tied to my wrist. Apple watch is not only taking care of my health needs but also ensures my safety with its crash and fall detection mechanism. During the car crash or bad fall it can immediately alert the emergency services automatically.

 

Although it is a most expensive watch, I’ve ever purchased but it gives me the required freedom and makes my daily life super convenient. Within such a brief time span this gadget became my great companion at home and even during my office time. In my six months of use I never experienced a laggy interface and frozen apps. It is not only robust but also a reliable product. I am incredibly happy with my Apple Watch. It is an essential part of my daily life and has made my life much easier and more convenient. It is worth the investment, especially for people who are looking for a reliable and accessible smartwatch.

 

Being a person with blindness, I find the Apple Watch to be one of the most intuitive and high-tech assistive technologies I have ever used. It has made my life much more independent and has allowed me to do things that I never thought possible before.

 

I would highly recommend the Apple Watch to anyone who is looking for a smartwatch that is both powerful and accessible.

 

While my friends may laugh at me for owning such an expensive watch, I take pride in flaunting it on my wrist and delighting in its remarkable features.

Now my Windows 10 PC is also my phone companion

Hey Friends,

Hope you all are safe during the global pandemic of COVID-19. Recently all over the world lockdown is being slowly lifted and things are coming back to normalcy.

In India Unlock 1.0 has been started with some restrictions. I hope that everyone will adopt this new normal of wearing a mask, sanitization and most importantly physical distancing.

So, let’s hit the point of this blog. During the lockdown period of more than three months I am continuously sitting in front of my laptop as I am working from home. Round the clock I am accessing my Windows based laptop hence my Android phone became my secondary device during this period. It is very cumbersome to check and keep a track of updates from both laptop and phone.

I use ‘WhatsApp’ through web so no worries for my social engagement which is important for us now a days. However, I am still stuck to my phone to do other tasks like checking notifications, reading SMS and attending or making calls. I had to remove my laptop earphone multiple times to access my phone which was very troublesome and distracting during the working hours. 

So I was looking for a solution which can allow me to access my Android device through my PC. Fortuitously I came across one application developed by Microsoft which was offering functionality I was looking for. I tried the app on my ‘Windows 10’ PC and felt amazed with the technology and the flexibility offered by this app. After using this for more than a week I decided to pen down my experience of this new alternative. I am sure this will excite you as well and provide a big relief in accessing most of your phone features right from your Windows based laptop.

So, here we go.

‘Your Phone App’ and ’Your Phone Companion’

This solution is a combination of two applications, one is a Windows 10 based app, ‘Your Phone’ and another is an Android app ‘Your phone Companion’. Great news is that it is also available on iOS platform. So, definitely question will arise in your mind that how will it help us? And here is an answer. By using the ‘Your Phone’ app you will be able to access your phone’s key features like notifications, reading or replying to SMS, managing few phone settings and the killer feature is to make or receive phone calls right from your Windows PC. Basically, your phone app automatically synchronizes your phone to PC for real-time updates. So, no need to check your phone for those notifications, SMS or phone calls while working on your important office presentation or writing that crucial e-mail.

Prerequisites to make this work

·       ‘Windows 10’ PC with latest updates.

·       ‘Your Phone’ app on PC.

·       ‘Your Phone Companion’ app on mobile device.

·       Preferably common wi-fi network but syncing on mobile data is also possible.

·       Bluetooth connectivity in PC and phone for calling facility.

Installation and configuration

If your Windows 10 is updated with latest patch from Microsoft then you will find the app ‘Your Phone’ in your PC. In case you don’t have this then simply get this from Microsoft Store for free. Now on your phone install ‘Your Phone Companion’ app from available app store. In my case I installed this on my Moto G5+ through Google Play store. As per Microsoft official documentation, Samsung phone owners may have to specifically install this from dedicated Galaxy Store. As stated, it is also available on Apple’s AppStore.

Once it is installed simply follow all the instructions on your phone and provide required permissions. Next open the ‘Your Phone’ app on your laptop and follow the on-screen instructions. You may have to scan the QR code through your phone to sync your PC and your phone. After pairing, your phone may ask for additional privileges. Just provide all of them and finish the set-up. As mentioned above, both these devices preferably  on the same wi-fi network at least during the configuration. If you want to use your mobile data then once set-up is done then open the 'Your Phone Companion' app on your phone then go to settings and turn on the 'Sync over mobile data' . If you want the calling feature accessible through your PC then turn ON Bluetooth connectivity on both the devices and finish the pairing if it is not done already. This complete procedure looks difficult but let me tell you it is just a cakewalk as you are well guided by friendly instructions.

Accessibility

Most importantly it is highly accessible using screen readers like ‘Narrator’, ‘NVDA’ and ‘Jaws’. If you have any issues in finishing this procedure then use the ‘Trouble shoot’ option given in the Windows application. I am sure you will be able to do this without any glitch.

You may read accessibility help regard to:

a.      Using Narrator and TalkBack

b.      Setting up and using Magnifier

c.       Accessibility for Phone screen

‘Your Phone’ app on PC

Once configured, you can open the ‘Your Phone’ app on your laptop and customize the settings as per your requirements. You can enable or disable many features like reading SMS, calls, photos through this setting panel. You can even turn on or off the notifications from certain apps. Your phone PC app also has dedicated tabs for notifications, messages, photos and calls. Through ‘Notifications’ tab you can access all phone notifications and even reply to your ‘WhatsApp’ messages.  ‘Messaging’ tab is exclusively for accessing your SMS. You can send, receive and even reply to your messages right from this interface. You can also choose your preferred SIM while sending SMS. Your Phone app on the PC is a handy way to respond to text messages from your PC with a full keyboard that also allows you to keep focused on your PC instead of pulling out your phone. Photo tab is also a nice bonus to access photos available on your phone from the PC.

‘Call’ tab is one of my favorite sections in this app. If you have provided required permissions on your mobile application then you can even search through your contact list and make or receive calls right from your laptop without using your phone. I am using this feature extensively and really amazed with its suppleness. Since it connects the call using Bluetooth connectivity audio quality is very sharp and clear on the laptop. Using call module, you can transfer the ongoing call from PC to phone and vice versa. While making a call you may have to select your preferred SIM on your phone as this feature is presently not available or may come in next update. On this ‘Call’ tab you can even access call history which is very convenient in dialing favorite numbers. After posting this I discovered one more utility of this app so thought to update you all. If your playing any music on your phone then you will have audio controllers under this 'Your Phone' app which will help you to control the music playback on your phone through your PC. As per the official documentation, many of the mobile apps are accessible through this ‘Your Phone’ app but I am yet to try that on my PC. ‘Your Phone’ app is automatically fetching the updates from your phone but you can even use the ‘Refresh’ option for manual update. Apart from this ‘Your Phone’ app on my laptop, I am able to receive all the phone notifications instantly on my Windows notification tray inside ‘Action Center’ [Win + A]. These include app notifications, SMS and incoming calls.

Let your phone buzzes on laptop

Overall, it is just a great utility for everyone as we don’t have to handle multiple devices. Everything is there in your computer screen. I am using your phone app since a week now. I am astonished with its flexibility.

Imagine you are in middle of bank transaction then with this utility now you will be able to access OTP SMS quickly on your PC without touching your phone. This is very handy to finish those banking transactions in given time limit. Right from the news updates, latest tweets or sensitive alerts all phone notifications are instantly available on your big PC screen. Now whenever my phone buzzes for anything I don’t rush for it as within a blink same notification pops up on my Windows PC. I simply open the Windows action center [Win + A] or ‘Your Phone’ app directly to access those notifications received from my phone. During last week I answered many calls directly on my laptop while working on presentations and even while coding, loved the flexibility. I am always a big fan of software designed by Microsoft but this time they took this to the next level. Special thanks to MS designers for making this utility all inclusive. So, if you’re tired looking for your phone for nonstop app notifications or frustrated leaving your workstation for attending that nonsense telemarketing call then this is the precise solution for you. Try this and let me know in comments section below that how do you find it. So, stay safe and stay connected always.

The decade of transformation

After the cheerful festival celebrations we have finally entared into the New Year. It’s not only New Year but also a fresh new decade. I wish healthy and prosperous New Year and New Decade to all my readers. I was randomly discussing with my friend regarding the changes that we all experienced in previous years and decided to put my observations in a blog post. I am sure this will make you feel more nostalgic. So relax and enjoy this time travel.

Keypad to touch screen

Do you remember the keypad style panels used in feature phones, electronic appliances? I used to enjoy them a lot since they had some tack tile feedback. Now this is transformed completely and we interact with our gadgets with responsive touch screens. Smart phones, electronic appliances even floor panel inside elevator is now works through a touch screen. I believe this is one of the biggest transformations in last decade. 

Laptop to tablets

Laptop was one of the prime gadgets during those days. I bought my Sony Vaio with 2 gigs of ram and 128 gigs of HDD. I remember I used to carry that everywhere with pride and attitude (lol). It was an eye catchy machine. Years passed and we look at it as a bulky affair. Now people switched to portable and stunning tablet devices.

SMS to chat

Do you remember that late night SMS from your friend? Oh what a feeling! We all used to send those short messages to everyone. Everything is changed and SMS was killed by chat apps like ‘WhatsApp’, ‘Hike’. With fancy stickers, interactive emojis, group chat and voice messages these apps have become crucial part of our life whereas now SMS is used only to receive OTP’s and balance alerts.

Broadband to heavy mobile data

In last decade most of the Indian homes got equipped with broadband service with limited data plans. Limited means really limited, I had a MTNL plan of 1 gigs which I used to utilize throughout the month. If it is rapidly going then I used to turn off OS updates on my laptop and in case of excessive data left unused then on last day I used to download lot of MP3 songs and movies. Oh! Those were the days. I am sure many of you must have done this in their houses. Now situation is completely different, we have 1.5 gigs of data for the day. It means almost 50 times growth in our consumption.

Voice calling to Video calling

Struggle of getting network coverage for a simple voice call is now an old story. People started using the interactive video calling. Right from showing the scenes from your expensive international holiday to sharing your favorite recipe, video call is a preferred choice.

Voice tag to virtual assistant

I don’t know how many of you used this amazing feature in old Nokia Symbian phones called as ‘Voice Tag’. Once added to any number, you can dial the same just by using your voice. This was an initial form of virtual assistant I feel. Now after so many years   here we are with rich and interactive virtual assistants like Google or Siri which can respond to your queries, dial a number, and set an alarm and so on…

Banking to Digital Banking

Can you recollect your last bank visit? I remember I went to my bank’s branch for opening a fixed deposit. This banking paradigm is transform at a truly amazing pace. Now we can open new account, fixed deposit, recurring deposit, and transfer money to another account, update address by just tapping few menus on web or mobile app. Are you really missing that bank queue? then just go and get your passbook printed from your nearest branch.

Street shopping to online shopping

Street shopping! Oh what a chaotic experience I had here in Mumbai. My mum used to go crazy for this as she could bargain at her best. From the early days of last decade we have been introduced to this massive phenomenon called ‘Shopping malls’. We were enjoying this experience but now one more new easy and interactive option launched. It is called ‘E-commerce’. Story started by ordering books and now we are in the age of buying expensive gadgets online. Grocery, apparels, toys, fashion and grooming accessories everything is online. Forget about this, people even order their bike and car online. Isn’t that too much?

T.V., media to online music and streaming

Last decade was all about movies, sports and fashion specific channels. We even enjoyed the liberty of ‘Conditional Access System’ through set-top boxes and ‘Direct to Home’ services. In last couple of years people started going away from that so called ‘Idiot Box’. Ease and always available approach of online streaming platforms like ‘Amazon Prime’, ‘Netflix’ made them really popular amongst the all age groups. Rich regional and international content is one of the big reasons behind the success of these services. 24x7 availability of your favorite movie or series is the key of this new type of entertainment hub.  Audio described movies and T.V. shows are a big boom for all my visually impaired friends to enjoy this diverse content without any hindrance. We used to store lot of MP3 songs on our mobile devices and used to buy those small memory cards for extra memory. Now everything is subscription based and available 24x7 on demand.

‘Where is this address?’ to Google maps

Are you lost on the road? Is this place new for you? Then just go and ask any shopkeeper, specifically tea seller or Panwala. They are the most useful and correct navigators in new areas. I’m sure all of us have done this before. With the availability of GPS and Google Map service nowadays we first check the address or route on the smart phones and then seek for human help if required.

Taxi to app based cabs

Iconic ‘Black & Yellow’ taxi, ‘Kali Pili’ in local language was the only option apart from crowded public transport. Convincing these taxi guys for a desired route was a nightmare. This picture changed with the introduction of app based cab aggregators like ‘Uber’ and ‘Ola’. On demand availability, Door to door service, comfortable AC cars, choice of payment methods and most of other features were few reasons behind the success of these services.

Will sci-fi movies be the next reality?

These are few of the changes we experienced in last decade but there are lots of other interesting things entered in our life like smart devices, IOT, online food delivery, business and social networks, connected cars and so on. As we all know, next decade will be driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning and 5G connectivity. As a result we will see interactive software and hardware, wireless infrastructure, lightning speed for data transfer, drones for delivery and many more interesting technologies. I remember when I started using smart speaker in my house two years ago I felt like a character in a sci-fi movie but the actual movie will start now. A blind individual like me will wear smart glasses while walking on the road independently and can also drive a driverless car using an onboard computer. So fasten your seat belts, adjust your chair and get ready to travel into a highly advanced and interesting new decade of 2020!

‘News on Air’ - Infotainment hub in your pocket

Jingle bells, carols, decorated Christmas trees, gifts and lot of cakes… Yes you guessed it correct! We are in the middle of Christmas and New Year’s celebration; which is the most favorite time of the year. Absorbing the energy and positivity in the air I decided to write a small informative blog about one interesting app called ‘News on Air’. I am sure this entertaining piece of software will boost the festivity mood for you.

Installation and Interface

As you all know, I am an Android user and I tried this on my Moto G5+. ‘News on Air’ is an official application by ‘Prasarbharti’ a division which is responsible for all government operated news and radio services in India. Since it is designed by government division it supports many regional languages, so if you are someone who wants to access the app in your own language then this is for you. During installation you can configure your desired language however it can be changed later using apps interface.

User interface of this app is pretty straight forward, each option is self explanatory like ‘Live Radio’, ‘Live TV’, ‘News’, ‘Podcast’, ‘Programs’ . Main menu button has got all the settings related to the app. Most important element of this interface is it is fully accessible with built-in screen reader ‘Talkback’. This application does not require any credentials or profile hence you can start enjoying all the services immediately after the installation.

News, Live Radio and Live TV

By default ‘News’ tab is selected and it displays all the news articles. You can even select ‘Top Headlines’ and ‘National’, ‘International’ news items as per your choice. Good part is that ‘Talkback’ reports the selected tab correctly. Under ‘Live TV’ you can watch all the government owned TV channels like ‘DD News’, ‘DD Kisan’, ‘Rajyasabha TV’. As soon as you tap on one of the channels, it starts the streaming. You can stop the streaming by locating the ‘Pause’ button at the bottom of the screen. In ‘Live Radio’ you have got huge list of radio channels across the different states of the country. It has also got the FM channels like ‘FM Rainbow’ and ‘FM Gold’ of specific city. By default this list displays in a grid format but you can switch to the list mode by using the options at the top. This is one of the most accessible designs I have seen in recent times. I truly appreciate this design, kudos to the developers! Guys please note, this list is really huge hence response from your screen reader is little slow at times. I was playing my personal favorite ‘FM Rainbow Mumbai’ for a while and results were just amazing. Using this service you can enjoy all the local streaming services of your city across the world.

Infotainment at its best

‘News on Air’ is a great resource for information and entertainment for every Indian who is closely connected to their regional radio and TV services. Being a streaming application it works using internet connectivity but you can listen to the downloaded podcasts anytime offline. Reading news articles on this app is a great experience and radio or TV works like a charm. Most of the online streaming applications are not that screen reader friendly but this one stands as a winner in this League. I hope developers will maintain this level of accessibility in future updates too. So, get yourself a glass of favorite drink along with some Christmas cakes, cookies and enjoy the popular regional and international content on ‘News on Air’.

Google Assistant, my virtual companion

Hi Friends,

After a gap of month I decided to write a small blog to celebrate the festival mood. This time I'm writing it on my favourite Google Assistant and most importantly on its commands. These commands are very handy on the go for a specific task or to fetch certain information. People around me know this very well that I use them extensively right from checking the time and battery level of my device to changing the profile picture on my phone. Since you get the response in audio you don't have to look at your screen. If you follow my blogs then you might be aware that last year I became a proud owner of Google Home Mini, the smart speaker by Google. This device is always online at my home and everyone uses it including my elderly parents. I must tell you whenever I am home I command Mini as ‘Hey Google’ and get the response within fraction of time. Its an amazing feeling altogether! Utilization of these services purely depend upon knowledge of important commands. Hence I decided to pen down few of the useful ones. Commands mentioned below will work on any device that supports Google Assistant.

So let’s get started with a big shout to our Virtual Assistant!

What is the time? or what is the clock?

Usage is very straight forward; but let me tell you it is one of the most asked queries on any smart speaker. Whenever I am home I use this a lot. I remember before assistant came into the picture I used to trouble my family members for this important but stupid question (wink..)

How is the traffic towards work? (or any other location)

This is very important for daily commuters who travel by road. Thanks to google's own map service which provides this information on the go. Let me tell you it is a savior many times if you are traveling towards new location.

How do you say --- [any word] in Hindi? Or any other language

This service is an output of Google's own rich translation algorithm. This is very useful in many scenarios. I know many of my friends' kids use this for their home work. Isn’t that great?  

How do you spell --- [any word]?

This is useful if you are into lot of documentation. When I am working on my laptop and if I stuck at any word then instead of opening additional browser window for Google search I just give a command to my Home Mini and get the result instantly. Like previous commands kids use this a lot.

Remember --- [any info e.g. "I kept my card in third shelf"]

This is the most amazing command I came across. With this one you can tell your assistant to remember certain things for you. You can fetch the saved information by asking few questions related to the task. For e.g. 'What did I tell you about my card?' or 'Where is my card?'. Warning! You should not ask your assistant to remember your passwords as it may not be a great idea from the security and privacy point of view. Guys please note, to use this command on smart speaker you will have to provide certain privileges through your 'Home' app. Don’t worry, Google will help you to set this once you ask to remember something.

 

India's cricket score? or when is India playing next?

It is very useful and handy when you want to know the status of any sport which is currently going on or recently completed. I like this command specially as I can check the score without turning the TV on. I taught this to my dad and he uses this effectively to know the score of cricket match. I often use this during my travel.

How do I do this? or any Google search term

Since Google Assistant is powered by Google's rich search mechanism, using assistant for searching any information is a pleasant experience. It even reads the trending search for you. I tried few queries like 'What is the price of certain phone?', 'How do I use filter in MS Excel?' and assistant quickly responded to me in it's pleasing voice.

Play [any artist name], [any music genres] [any album]

All these commands are good alternatives to access your favourite music quickly. Assistant looks for your active subscriptions and streams the audio using the appropriate service. In case of no active subscription, music is played using the free services like YouTube. You can even control your music hands free with commands like ‘Pause’, 'Stop', 'Rewind', 'Forward'.

Set me an alarm [any time]

Opening 'Clock' app and setting an alarm involves multiple steps but this command makes our life easy. Using this command you can set multiple alarms and even snooze any of the running alarm by just saying 'Snooze the alarm'. Canceling alarm is also possible with just a 'Cancel alarm [at specific time]’ command.

How is weather?

This command gives detailed weather report for your current location. Details include temperature and any important weather forecast. It is very useful to plan your day accordingly. I must tell you, being a Mumbaikar I use this a lot during monsoon time to know the unpredictable weather conditions. You can even use this for checking weather for any location in the world. For e.g. ‘How is weather in Melbourne?’. I remember I was using this query many times before my Melbourne travel.

Try and enjoy!

It's good to utilize Google Assistant in effective way by using the rich command library provided by Google. The above mentioned commands are few of the important ones however command library is still very huge. I must tell you these commands will surely save your time and give you the user friendly experience. Specially the voice control nature makes them the perfect companion for your elderly parents, kids and those who are not technology savvy. So, why to wait? Go wake your Google Assistant up and get ready to be amazed!

SuperSense – enjoying the independence

On the occasion of 73^rd Independence Day of our country I decided to share an interesting app which helps people with vision impairment in their independent living. I recently came across this Android app named ‘SuperSense’ developed by MIT lab and thought to write a blog post on it. Basically this app is designed using artificial intelligence(AI) and computer vision technology which helps its user to understand the surroundings effectively. It also supports object and text recognition on the go. Icing on the cake is that all the mentioned features work without internet connectivity. I tried this on my Moto G5 Plus and results are just amazing

User interface

‘SuperSense’ has very clean and easy interface. Once you launch the app you have a ‘Menu’ button which pops up the setting options once activated. These settings include features like ‘Enable TalkBack’, ‘Enable Beeping’, ‘Enable Vibration’, ‘Invite Friends’, ‘Give Feedback’ and ‘Help’. Utility of these settings is very straight forward as per their names. Beeping is useful in context of ‘Find Object’. ‘TalkBack’ option will provide audio prompts even when ‘TalkBack’ screen reader is turned off. I think this is useful for people with low vision who don’t use screen reader always. Next to this ‘Menu’ button we have three important options as ‘Read’, ‘Explore’ and ‘Find’. Each option has their little description written next to the name. At one time user can select one of the options and based on this selection button at the end will change its label accordingly. For e.g. ‘Start Reading’ when ‘Read’ is selected. During the recognition this button changes its label to ‘Pause’ for better usability.

Recognition results

I tried reading the text on my computer screen using the ‘Read Text’ option and it turned out to be very accurate. Guys, please note this recognition happens on the go so changing your focus and going away from the text may affect the result. ‘SuperSense’ even guides you to align the camera for better focus with directions however this needs some improvement.  ‘Explore’ option is also very useful while visiting any new place. I tried this in my office building and got decent results taking into account my surroundings including doors, steps and people around. One of the interesting options in the ‘SuperSense’ is ‘Find’ which helps you to locate the specific object from the category. Presently list of categories are enough for daily usage and this  list may increase with future updates. You just need to rotate your phone after selecting the desired object from the list, app gives you the beep sound if object is located. Using this option I tried locating my TV remote, water bottle, microwave and other small utensils in the kitchen and it worked just fantastic!

Experience the AI future

As we all know there are plenty of mobile apps available for object recognition but ‘SuperSense’ stands strong in this competition due to its easy interface, amazing accuracy and most importantly offline feature. Reading business cards, paper prints and signages is a cakewalk in ‘SuperSense’. Out of the other features ‘Find’ feature appealed me the most as it helps me locating my stuff quickly and saves lot of time. I think this app will be very useful for my friends with vision impairment living alone. Presently app is available only on Android platform but developers have plan of rolling it out on iOS as well. As of now ‘SuperSense’ is free for users but they are planning for subscription based usage in coming days. So try this astonishing technology on your Android phone by visiting the URL given at the end of the post and enjoy the independence. You can share your feedback with me by writing your comments.   

Google playstore link

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mediate.supersense&hl=en...

Netflix - My Experience with Screen Reader Talkback

Being grown up in nineties I have seen people listening to cricket commentary on their handy radios called transistor radio. Today things have changed with the smart phones and portable audio players where storing favorite song collection became trendy for many of us. With new age technology, we have huge mobile data benefits. Thanks to data war started by few telecom operators.  Because of unlimited data offers, people shifted to the online streaming of videos and audios. Right from a five year old to the security guard of our building, everyone started enjoying his preferred content on YouTube. To encash this massive market several online streaming providers jumped in India with their introductory offers. I tried one of the streaming services on my smart phone and decided to pen down my overall experience in the context of accessibility and usability.

Yes, you guessed it correct! I tried Netflix! One of the expensive streaming services which has very rich and diverse content in the form of films, TV shows, and web series. After scrolling through the list of categories I must say that it is one of the largest streaming libraries available to us. Instead of getting into the plan details I will directly review Android application of Netflix installed on my Moto G5 Plus mobile.

Profiles and Application interface

Netflix subscription is based on the number of screens, for e.g. if you have four screens membership then you can stream the videos on four different devices simultaneously. In other words, you can create four profiles under your account and all of them can stream any content at a given point of time. I am really impressed with this profile based access as managing multiple users in your house becomes easy and each profile can have its own preferences. As soon as you launch this app, on first screen it asks you to choose your profile. After the profile selection it lands us on the home screen which has options as ‘Films’, ‘Series’, ‘Downloads’, ‘Coming Soon’ and ‘Search’.  In ‘More’ tab you have all the configuration settings like Profile Management, Account, Notifications settings. You can even sign out using this option. I always check the accessibility of settings and configuration options before anything else as user customization is top most priority for any interface. Fortunately Netflix stands as winner in this area as all the options and menu are fully accessible with screen reader Talkback.

Finding desired content

On a lazy Saturday afternoon we mostly tend to watch something which can pass some time. Of course with an intension of an entertainment! And at that moment we usually want to find the best content, search quickly and with an ease. Netflix does this job very smartly by categorizing its content by ‘type’. Under the ‘Film’ category you have subsections for languages. I am happy as all the major regional Indian languages are present in this list. You can sort by genres like Drama, Comedy, and Action and even find the specific content by using ‘Search’ option. I tried exploring all these options using Talkback and did not face any issues as such. On home screen you can even have a preview of newly added content in the form of trailer. If you come across any interesting film or Web series then simply add that to your personalize library using ‘My List’ option. Netflix user can download any available content to watch offline from ‘Download’ option. I must say this is a very nice feature if you are a regular traveler where mobile data is not always available.

Streaming player

Built-in video player is one of the crucial modules of any streaming service. Player available on Netflix application is very advance in terms of features and its quality.  However it turned out very disappointing for me in terms of screen reader’s accessibility. Accessing playback menu using Talkback is a nightmare. I struggled a lot to open this menu and it opened on the screen after double tapping at top right corner with two fingers. After opening it, I observed few options like 'Forward 10 Seconds', 'Rewind 10 Seconds', 'Change language and subtitles'. Forwarding and rewinding the stream using timer slider was also not working. Overall this streaming player is not screen reader friendly as of now. I hope Netflix will improve on this in their future update.

Audio description    

Netflix is one of the few services which has rich content library with audio description. By the way, audio description is nothing but additional audio track added to the video which explains the scenes where there are no dialogues. It also describes the surroundings in that frame. Audio description is extremely useful for person with vision impairment as it helps them to understand the visuals more effectively and enjoy the content without much hindrance. Netflix has large number of films, series, and documentaries with audio description. The best part is all the Netflix originals are available with a quality audio description track. Even Netflix originals in Hindi language has this feature. You can search the content with audio description by using various categories. Please note that audio description track is not turned on by default. You need to enable it explicitly from 'Change audio and subtitles' menu available on video player. Unfortunately accessing this option is a hurdle as playback option of video player is not easily accessible while navigating with screen reader program Talkback.

Try and decide

As a streaming service Netflix is super loaded in terms of content. Obviously we have to shell out decent money for transforming our boring weekends into entertaining family time with choice of your popcorns. Either you watch it on your smart phone or smart television you have enough content to indulge your craving for films and shows. I hope Netflix developers will work on their video player to make it more accessible for screen reader users. To begin with one month free subscription is a good choice before joining the large Netflix party. Happy watching!`