News
Apple is listening: Voice Control widens access
Accessibility doesn’t often get much coverage or attention by tech companies, or the media, but today Apple revealed what could be a big step forward for people with physical and motor disabilities: Voice Control. With macOS Catalina and iOS 13 you will soon be able to control your Apple device completely by your voice. This is a significant as it is a recognition by Apple for the first time that people with physical disabilities want alternative methods of control other than Switch Control, which is the method Apple has offered users until now. At WWDC today, Apple demonstrated that Voice Control can be used to do things like launch apps, attach photos to messages, write, edit and send email and messages, and much more. For those concerned about privacy the company says your voice is proc...
Best features from Apple WWDC that will never come
Every year Apple uses its Worldwide Developers Conference to showcase its new software and technologies for developers. The conference opening keynote is where the tech giant’s top executives preview the company’s upcoming operating systems. iOS 13, macOS 10.15, tvOS 13, watchOS 6, are expected to be unveiled. Apple usually releases developer betas of its new iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV software the same day, followed by public beta versions a few weeks later and final releases to consumers in September. With WWDC 2019 only a few days away the internet is alight with rumours and predictions of what we’ll see — or what people would like to see during the keynote. However, amongst all the increasingly fevered speculation about Dark Mode for iOS 13, Safari and Mail upgrades, ...
Airpods 2 review: how Apple’s new wireless earbuds have set me free
I took delivery of Apple’s new second-generation Airpods on release day last week. After months of speculation and rumour about what the new earbuds would include, as I will explain, I had a particularly urgent reason for waiting for their release – and it seemed like an eternity. I have muscular dystrophy, which causes severe muscle weakness in my limbs, including my hands and arms, meaning I rely on a truly hands-free solution for messaging, making phone calls, listening to music, controlling my environment, and getting things done on my mobile devices. I am unable to touch the Apple Watch face, or the iPhone screen, in many situations with my fingers. I am 100 per cent reliant on using Siri and voice commands to control my devices, stay connected, and do the things I need to do to...
