Author: Colin Hughes
Enhancing Ray-Ban Stories: 5 ways Meta can improve its ailing smart glasses
Meta is struggling to retain users for its Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses, with over 90 percent of consumers having abandoned the platform, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. Launched in September 2021, for some at least the integration of the smart glasses into our daily lives has brought a new dimension of connectivity and convenience. With the partnership between Meta and Ray-Ban,...
AirPods can authenticate you for Siri requests in iOS 17
Siri has long been a game-changer for people with upper limb mobility issues, allowing voice control of a wide range of tasks on Apple devices like the iPhone. However, one frustrating user experience that I’ve highlighted regularly in the past is the “You need to unlock your iPhone first” roadblock that is common for a few crucial requests that Siri can help you perform, such as “read my messages...
Meta updates Ray-Ban Stories with three useful features
As Apple prepares to unveil its first foray into smart wearable headgear, the soon to be launched Reality Pro headset, Meta has been busy upgrading its Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses, which have been around since 2021. Smart glasses have made significant progress in blending fashion with cutting-edge technology, and the iconic Ray-Ban Stories just got even smarter. With some exciting recent updates...
6 ways Meta can improve Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses
As someone who has been using Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses all day every day for the past five months, (with added prescription lenses), I have been impressed with their ability to capture photos and videos, and chat and call hands-free without having to touch my smartphone. However, there are some areas where I think the smart glasses could be improved to make them even more convenient and acces...
Apple adds Siri Shortcuts action for auto-answer calls in iOS 16.4 beta
Last week Apple released the latest beta version of its iPhone operating system iOS 16.4 to developers and public beta testers. iOS 16.4 beta is full of new features. These include new emoji, enhanced support for 5G, the ability to enable push notifications for web apps, and the return of the new architecture for the Home app. Apple has also added some new Shortcuts actions to iOS 16.4 beta one of...
Meta Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses to offer hands-free calling and texting
Meta, formerly known as Facebook, announced in a blog post this week that it will soon be rolling out a new feature on its Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses that will allow users to make hands-free phone calls using their phone number. Additionally, the glasses will be equipped with the ability to read incoming text messages out loud, providing an even more convenient way for users to stay connected w...
Ring Intercom: an accessible and secure addition to your home security
When it comes to home security, there are a lot of options out there. From traditional alarm systems to smart video doorbells, it can be hard to know what’s right for you. One product that has recently caught my attention is the Ring Intercom. A major reason this smart tech product interested me is because of upper limb disability I have never been able to pick up and use the communal interc...
Voice dictation game changer: My experience with Google’s Project Relate app
After a lifetime living with the effects of the progressive muscle wasting condition muscular dystrophy I would describe my speech as non-standard because I don’t have the breath to speak long sentences, and when I am tired some words are occasionally slightly slurred. I also need to use a ventilator to help me breathe parts of each day, and wearing the accompanying nasal mask also affects m...
Enhancing accessibility: WhatsApp Mac beta with native Apple Silicon support now available to all users
WhatsApp has been working on an updated Mac app that features native Apple silicon support, and a beta version of the app is now available to all WhatsApp users. This beta version is a significant upgrade from the previous version as it brings several new features and improvements, including accessibility enhancements. One of the most significant changes in this update is the optimisation for Appl...
How Ray-Ban Stories help me take photos and videos for the first time
Ray-Ban Stories are wearable smart glasses that give you a new way to capture photos and video, message and call with WhatsApp, listen to music, and like all sunglasses protect your eyes from glaring rays on a sunny day. Launched in September 2021, these wearable tech spectacles are a collaboration between Facebook (aka Meta) and Luxottica (the parent company of Ray-Ban the sunglasses maker). The ...
Apple Accessibility Preview: the unanswered questions
Ahead of its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on the 6th of June Apple has previewed updated accessibility features coming to its platforms later this year. Among the software updates with the potential to change lives are LiDAR-powered Door Detection for blind or visually impaired users, Live Captions for deaf people or those with hearing loss, and features which give those with phys...
KeyboardMike: how I invented a microphone for speech recognition
Getting high levels of accuracy in the words you dictate into a email client, website text box, or document on a computer with speech recognition applications is no easy task. Tech companies that make voice dictation apps, like Microsoft’s Voice Typing tool, Apple’s Voice Control, and Nuance Dragon Professional, don’t manufacture microphones and often they will offer up the impression that a...