professional wordpress themes

Apple reveals new accessibility features, like custom text-to-speech voices [Silberling]

On 05/22/2023, in accessibility / UDL, Apple, assistive technologies, Bias | Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), participation, platforms, tools, by Daniel Christian

Apple reveals new accessibility features, like custom text-to-speech voices — from techcrunch.com by Amanda Silberling

Excerpt:

Apple previewed a suite of new features today to improve cognitive, vision and speech accessibility. These tools are slated to arrive on the iPhone, iPad and Mac later this year. An established leader in mainstream tech accessibility, Apple emphasizes that these tools are built with feedback from disabled communities.

Assistive Access, coming soon to iOS and iPadOS, is designed for people with cognitive disabilities. Assistive Access streamlines the interface of the iPhone and iPad, specifically focusing on making it easier to talk to loved ones, share photos and listen to music. The Phone and FaceTime apps are merged into one, for example.

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

 

“Tech Survey 2022” [lawtechnologytoday.org] + several other legal-related items

On 12/03/2022, in Apple, law schools, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, marketing/social marketing, technologies for your home, tools, United States, vendors, by Daniel Christian

Tech Survey 2022 — from lawtechnologytoday.org

Excerpt:

The ABA Legal Technology Survey Report is the most comprehensive study available of lawyers’ actual technology use, spanning a vast range of topics from security and basic office software to technology budgets, marketing tools, and much more. The survey has been published annually for more than 20 years. The 2022 edition features five volumes, each with detailed charts, tables, and trends.

TechReport 2022: Technology Budget and Planning — from lawtechnologytoday.org by Taylor Young

Excerpt:

Each year the American Bar Association’s Legal Technology Resource Center surveys ABA members to discover how lawyers are using technology in their practices nationwide. The 2022 ABA Legal Technology Survey Report is published in five volumes:  Online Research, Technology Basics & Security, Law Office Technology, Marketing & Communication Technology, Litigation Technology & E-Discovery. The published results represent one of the most comprehensive technology surveys of lawyers available.

2022 ABA Tech Survey provides information on attorney use of iPhones and iPads — from legaltechmonitor.com by Jeff Richardson

Excerpt:

For over three decades, the ABA has conducted an annual survey of lawyers to find out what legal technology they use.   These results are released every year by the ABA Legal Technology Resource Center.  The 2022 report was just released (edited by Taylor Young, and researched by Taylor Young and Joshua Poje).  There are five volumes, and you can purchase a copy using this page of the ABA website.

I have been looking at these reports every year since 2010 because they have been the best source of statistics on the use of mobile technology by lawyers.  (My reports on the prior ABA surveys are located here: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010.)

AALS Selects 2023 Scholarly Papers Competition Winner — from aals.org

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

Washington, DC (November 22, 2022) – The Association of American Law Schools (AALS) has announced the winner of the 2023 AALS Scholarly Papers Competition for law school faculty members in the field for five years or fewer.

The competition’s selection committee recognized the following outstanding paper:

    • Nicole Summers, Associate Professor, Georgetown University Law Center, “Civil Probation.”  

In “Civil Probation,” Summers investigates the outcomes of eviction settlements. Based on her empirical findings, she advances a novel theory of “civil probation” within the eviction legal system. The article will be published in an upcoming issue of Stanford Law Review.
…
“With eviction complaints comprising nearly a quarter of all civil filings, it’s crucial we develop policies that address the myriad ways tenants are systemically disadvantaged in the cases and ultimately harmed. I am very grateful to my mentors and colleagues for encouraging and supporting me in this project.” 

 

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

 

Best webcams as well as wireless keyboards/mice for teachers and students [Edwards

On 11/17/2022, in A/V -- audio/visual, adjunct faculty, Apple, colleges, community colleges, corporate universities / corporate training, digital audio, digital learning, digital video, distance education, education, education technology, faculty/staff, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, human-computer interaction (HCI), Hyflex learning, instructional design, IT in HE, K-12 related, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning hubs & pods & microschooling, learning spaces, liberal arts, Microsoft, multimedia, new media literacies, online learning, parents/guardians, platforms, presentations, productivity / tips and tricks, remote teaching and learning, student teaching/teacher education, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, technologies for your home, tools, training / L&D, United States, universities, usability, vendors, videoconferencing, web-based collaboration, by Daniel Christian

Best Webcams for Teachers and Students — from techlearning.com by Luke Edwards
Get the best webcams for teachers and students to help with hybrid learning and more

The Logitech C922 Pro Stream was selected as the best overall webcam for educators by techlearning dot com

Best Wireless Keyboard and Mouse for Teachers 2022 — from techlearning.com by Luke Edwards
The best wireless keyboard and mouse for teachers keep you connected to devices while staying mobile

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

 

Apple just quietly gave us the golden key to unlock the Metaverse [Holmlund]

On 09/26/2022, in 3D, A/V -- audio/visual, Apple, Augmented Reality (AR), content development, aggregation, repositories, emerging technologies, future, marketing/social marketing, Metaverse, simulations, vendors, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, vision/possibilities, vocational / trades, Web3, XR - extended reality, by Daniel Christian

Apple just quietly gave us the golden key to unlock the Metaverse — from medium.com by Klas Holmlund; with thanks to Ori Inbar out on Twitter for this resource

Excerpt:

But the ‘Oh wow’ moment came when I pointed the app at a window. Or a door. Because with a short pause, a correctly placed 3D model of the window snapped in place. Same with a door. But the door could be opened or closed. RoomPlan did not care. It understands a door. It understands a chair. It understands a cabinet. And when it sees any of these things, it places a model of them, with the same dimensions, in the model.

Oh, the places you will go!
OK, so what will this mean to Metaverse building? Why is this a big deal? Well, to someone who is not a 3D modeler, it is hard to overstate what amount of work has to go into generating useable geometry. The key word, here, being useable. To be able to move around, exist in a VR space it has to be optimized. You’re not going to have a fun party if your dinner guests fall through a hole in reality. This technology will let you create a fully digital twin of any space you are in in the space of time it takes you to look around.

In a future Apple VR or AR headset, this technology will obviuosly be built in. You will build a VR capable digital twin of any space you are in just by wearing the headset. All of this is optimized.

Also with thanks to Ori Inbar:

Somewhat relevant/see:

“The COVID-19 pandemic spurred us to think creatively about how we can train the next generation of electrical construction workers in a scalable and cost-effective way,” said Beau Pollock, president and CEO of TRIO Electric. “Finding electrical instructors is difficult and time-consuming, and training requires us to use the same materials that technicians use on the job. The virtual simulations not only offer learners real-world experience and hands-on practice before they go into the field, they also help us to conserve resources in the process.”

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

 

The Metaverse Will Reshape Our Lives. Let’s Make Sure It’s for the Better. [Ball]

On 07/24/2022, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, 3D, A/V -- audio/visual, Amazon, Apple, collaboration, digital learning, emerging technologies, Facebook / Meta Platforms, future, Google, Metaverse, Microsoft, multimedia, NVIDIA, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, vision/possibilities, wearables, web-based collaboration, Web3, XR - extended reality, by Daniel Christian

The Metaverse Will Reshape Our Lives. Let’s Make Sure It’s for the Better. — from time.com by Matthew Ball

Excerpts (emphasis DSC):

The metaverse, a 30-year-old term but nearly century-old idea, is forming around us. Every few decades, a platform shift occurs—such as that from mainframes to PCs and the internet, or the subsequent evolution to mobile and cloud computing. Once a new era has taken shape, it’s incredibly difficult to alter who leads it and how. But between eras, those very things usually do change. If we hope to build a better future, then we must be as aggressive about shaping it as are those who are investing to build it.

The next evolution to this trend seems likely to be a persistent and “living” virtual world that is not a window into our life (such as Instagram) nor a place where we communicate it (such as Gmail) but one in which we also exist—and in 3D (hence the focus on immersive VR headsets and avatars).

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

 

Apple Starts Connecting the Dots for Its Next Big Thing [Mickle & Chen]

On 06/12/2022, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, 3D, A/V -- audio/visual, Apple, Augmented Reality (AR), content development, aggregation, repositories, digital audio, digital learning, digital video, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, future, game-changing environment, internet, society, telecommunications, vendors, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, vision/possibilities, voice recognition / voice enabled interfaces, wearables, by Daniel Christian

Apple Starts Connecting the Dots for Its Next Big Thing — from nytimes.com by Tripp Mickle and Brian X. Chen
The company has enlisted Hollywood directors like Jon Favreau to help its effort to create products that blend the physical and virtual worlds.

Excerpt:

Nearly 15 years after the iPhone set off the smartphone revolution, Apple is assembling the pieces for what it hopes will become its next business-altering device: a headset that blends the digital world with the real one.

The company has enlisted Hollywood directors such as Jon Favreau to develop video content for a headset that it is expected to ship next year, according to three people familiar with that work. Mr. Favreau, an executive producer of “Prehistoric Planet” on Apple TV+, is working to bring that show’s dinosaurs to life on the headset, which looks like a pair of ski goggles and aims to offer virtual- and augmented-reality experiences, these people said.

Speaking of the future, here’s another item regarding what’s coming down the pike:

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

 

Four items re: Extended Reality (XR)

On 05/26/2022, in accessibility / UDL, Apple, Augmented Reality (AR), creativity, education technology, experimentation, history, ideas, immersion, India, innovation, instructional design, K-12 related, learning ecosystem, Metaverse, Microsoft, Mixed Reality (MR), mobile learning, mobile technologies, platforms, society, sociology, tools, ubiquitous learning, United States, vendors, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, vision/possibilities, Web3, XR - extended reality, by Daniel Christian

SXSW EDU Launch Winner Our Worlds Bringing Native American Culture to Life Through Mobile-Based Immersive Reality — from the74million.org by Tim Newcomb

Excerpt:

Take a stroll along the La Jolla Shores Beach in San Diego, and you might find sand between your toes. But users of the new Our Worlds app, winner of the 2022 SXSW EDU Launch Competition, might also find much more. Through augmented reality, they can look at that same stretch of beach and see handmade tule boats from the local Kumeyaay tribe.

Our Worlds launched to highlight Native American history via modern-day technology, putting what founder and CEO Kilma Lattin calls “code to culture” and pushing Native American civilization forward. Lattin says Our Worlds offers a full suite of technology — virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence — to capture all the components that make a culture.

 

Apple’s first AR/VR headset inches closer to launch — from protocol.com by Nat Rubio-Licht
The company reportedly showed off the device to board members as it makes progress on the headset’s operating system.

Camp K12 Launches Hatch Kids, a Metaverse & AR/VR Creation Platform for Kids — from edtechreview.in by Stephen Soulunii

….

 

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

 

27 Fun Ways to Celebrate the End of the School Year [Wilkey O.]

On 05/25/2022, in Apple, creativity, digital audio, digital learning, digital storytelling, digital video, education, education technology, Google, ideas, instructional design, K-12 related, Learning Experience Design, multimedia, podcasting, social learning / networks, student teaching/teacher education, student-related, teachers, tools, United States, vendors, youth, by Daniel Christian

27 Fun Ways to Celebrate the End of the School Year — from commonsense.org by Erin Wilkey O.

Excerpt:

This year, things are closer to “normal,” but we can still be creative in recognizing and celebrating students’ accomplishments. Use this list of ideas to help you plan some fun end-of-year activities — we’ve included a special section at the end for celebrating the class of 2022. Many of the ideas here play out in the digital world, but we’ve mixed in some offline options as well.

We hope these activities bring you and your students some much-deserved joy as we close out the 2021–2022 school year.

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

 

Accessibility-related postings from Canvas, Apple, and Google

On 05/18/2022, in A/V -- audio/visual, accessibility / UDL, Apple, assistive technologies, Canvas - and other Instructure-related items, CMS/LMS, Google, internet, IT in HE, by Daniel Christian

New Accessibility Features Coming to Apple Devices — from .lifewire.com by Cesar Cadenas; fact checked by Jerri Ledford
Helping people with disabilities navigate the world

Excerpt:

Door Detection is a new mode coming to Apple’s Magnifier app. As the name suggests, the feature helps people find the door and how far they are it, and describes various attributes of the door. These attributes include if the door is open or closed as well as how to open it.

 

Addendum on 5/19/22:

Addendums on 5/20/22:

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

 

The AR Roundup: March 2022 [Emrich]

On 04/07/2022, in Adobe, Apple, Augmented Reality (AR), engineering, Facebook / Meta Platforms, Google, innovation, interface design, IT in HE, Metaverse, Mixed Reality (MR), new business models, NVIDIA, platforms, tools, usability, user experience (UX), user interface design, vendors, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, vision/possibilities, visualizing information, wearables, XR - extended reality, by Daniel Christian

The AR Roundup: March 2022 — from linkedin.com by Tom Emrich

Excerpt:

Every month I round up what you may have missed in Augmented Reality including the latest stats, funding news and launch announcements and more. Here is what happened in augmented reality between March 1-31, 2022.

“The metaverse is no longer a single virtual world or even a cluster of virtual worlds. It’s the entire system of virtual and augmented worlds,” Chalmers tells me over Zoom. “Where the old metaverse was like a platform on the internet, the new metaverse is more like the internet as a whole, just the immersive internet.”

~ David Chalmers, Philosopher and Author of Reality+

 

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

 

This might be the best iPhone feature you never knew existed [Aamoth]

On 04/07/2022, in Apple, productivity / tips and tricks, tools, by Daniel Christian

This might be the best iPhone feature you never knew existed — from fastcompany.com by Doug Aamoth
Why doesn’t ‘Back Tap’ have its own ad? Or billboards? It’s amazing! And there are counterparts available for Android, too.

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

Did you know that you could tap the back of your phone to make it quick-launch apps, settings, and shortcuts?

Although I feel mild shame for not knowing such a feature existed until now, I feel even greater joy that it’s part of my life. It’s life-changing, friends. Here’s how it works on an iPhone—and two ways to get something similar on an Android phone.

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

 

The 20 best dyslexia resources for homeschoolers [Kessler]

On 03/26/2022, in accessibility / UDL, Apple, education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, Microsoft, neurodivergent/special needs, parents/guardians, platforms, student-related, youth, by Daniel Christian

The 20 best dyslexia resources for homeschoolers — from raisinglifelonglearners.com Colleen Kessler

Excerpt:

Homeschooling a child with dyslexia can be a challenge, especially when you are struggling to find resources. I believe homeschooling is the best possible educational choice for your dyslexic child. You just need to right education and support. These are 20 of the best dyslexia resources out there for homeschoolers.

Also relevant/see:

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

 

This Hilarious AR App Teaches Kids Financial Responsibility [Carlton]

On 03/11/2022, in Apple, Augmented Reality (AR), business, digital learning, economics, education technology, educational games / serious games, engagement / engaging students, experimentation, Google, homeschooling/homeschoolers, innovation, instructional design, K-12 related, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning preferences, multimedia, teachers, technologies for your home, XR - extended reality, youth, by Daniel Christian

This Hilarious AR App Teaches Kids Financial Responsibility — from vrscout.com by Bobby Carlton

Excerpts:

Adventures with Zeee Bucks is a mobile AR experience that is designed to help youngsters sharpen their financial skills by earning and saving Zeee bucks, and even help them save real money.
…
You can download the app today for free on the iOS and Android stores.

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

 

Inclusive Hiring in Tech: How to Write More Inclusive Job Descriptions [from one of our nieces, Jill Bender]

On 03/07/2022, in Amazon, Apple, Bias | Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), career development, computer science, corporate / business world, culture, innovation, participation, programming, technology (general), United States, workplace, by Daniel Christian

Inclusive Hiring in Tech: How to Write More Inclusive Job Descriptions — from one of our nieces, Ms. Jill Bender

Addendum on 3/8/22:

 

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

 

Meet The Secretive Surveillance Wizards Helping The FBI And ICE Wiretap Facebook And Google Users [Brewster]

On 02/27/2022, in Apple, Facebook / Meta Platforms, Google, law schools, legal reform, legislatures / government / legal, platforms, privacy, society, the downsides of how people use tech, United States, vendors, by Daniel Christian

Meet The Secretive Surveillance Wizards Helping The FBI And ICE Wiretap Facebook And Google Users — from forbes.com by Thomas Brewster
A small Nebraska company is helping law enforcement around the world spy on users of Google, Facebook and other tech giants. A secretly recorded presentation to police reveals how deeply embedded in the U.S. surveillance machine PenLink has become.

Excerpts:

PenLink might be the most pervasive wiretapper you’ve never heard of.
…
With $20 million revenue every year from U.S. government customers such as the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) and almost every other law enforcement agency in the federal directory, PenLink enjoys a steady stream of income. That doesn’t include its sales to local and state police, where it also does significant business but for which there are no available revenue figures. Forbes viewed contracts across the U.S., including towns and cities in California, Florida, Illinois, Hawaii, North Carolina and Nevada.

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

 
Previous Entries Next Entries
© 2024 | Daniel Christian