[access-uk] AppleInsider | Inside Apple's iOS 5: LED flash on calls, custom accessibility gestures & vibrations

From: Gordon Keen <gordonkeen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 9 Jun 2011 13:58:11 +0100

Some stuff to look forward to...
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/06/09/inside_apples_ios_5_led_flash_on_calls_custom_accessibility_gesturesvibrations.html

AppleInsider | Inside Apple's iOS 5: LED flash on calls, custom accessibility
gestures & vibrations

By AppleInsider Staff

Published: 02:30 AM EST
Apple is poised to add several significant advancements to accessibility in iOS
5, such as LED flash on calls, custom gestures and personalized vibration
alerts.

Apple unveiled iOS 5 on Monday at the Worldwide Developers Conference in San
Francisco, touting a number of major improvements to the customizability of iOS
for users with disabilities. The update is due out this fall.

"iOS 5 comes with innovative new features that make it easier for people with
mobility, hearing, vision, and cognitive disabilities to get the most from
their iOS devices," Apple notes on its website. "iOS 5 works with specialized
hardware accessories.

"The LED flash and custom vibration settings let you see and feel when
someone’s calling. And improvements to VoiceOver include custom element
labeling. These are just a few of the ways iOS 5 continues making advances in
the field of accessibility."

As the iPhone maker has steadily ramped up accessibility features in iOS,
adoption among users with disabilities has increased. Apple's iPad and iPhone
have been praised by members of the blind community recommending the devices.

A new Assistive Touch feature will allow customized gestures as macro
shortcuts. The feature is still under development, however, as there doesn't
yet appear to be a way to link new gestures to specific actions.

iOS 5 on iPhone now supports use of the LED flash as an alert. Apple has also
added a Speak Selection feature with an adjustable Speaking Rate slider for
vocalizing text selections.

Custom vibration alerts can also be activated in iOS 5. Personalized vibrations
can be recorded for individual contacts by recording a series of taps on the
screen. A viewer displays visual ripples indicating the force and frequency of
the taps during recording and playback.

For more, see AppleInsider's extensive coverage of iOS 5, including the
in-depth features below:

Inside Apple's iOS 5: Calendar improvements help make iPhone, iPad PC-free

Inside Apple's iOS 5: iTunes Tone Store will offer more text alert options

Inside iOS 5: Notification Center, banner alerts

Inside Apple's move to open up SMS-style messaging to not-mobile clients

Inside Apple's iOS 5: Reminders app offers location-aware to-do lists

Inside Apple's iOS 5: Safari Reader, private browsing, tabs on iPad

Inside Apple's iOS 5: PC Free setup, keyboard shortcuts

I seem to remember, when voiceover was introduced, some people were skeptical
that apple would bother to continue developing access - guess they were wrong
then.

From Bridgerule in glorious Devon, England.
Catch the buzz at http://www.bridgerule.co.uk

[access-uk] AppleInsider | Inside Apple's iOS 5: LED flash on calls, custom accessibility gestures & vibrations

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