Comments on: Android Aims Beyond Cool To Life Impact

By: Victor

Victor — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 23:47:13 +0000

I’m totally blind and i’m trying to decide whether to get an Android phone or an iPhone. From everything I’ve read so far, I’m leaning toward an Android phone. It sounds like the Android has a lot more apps for blind people than the iPhone with more on the way! Yay!

Recently I read that Google is planning to unvail it’s own music service to compete with Itunes. Awesome!

I’d like for android app developers to develop an app that can give a description of a grocery store or some other building so that a blind person can get somewhat oriented to an unfamiliar place. That would require that there be some sort of database of information about the layouts of buildings. I think Google could find a way to do that. Google would have to get access to the floor plans of buildings or something like that.

I’ve read that Android phones are cheaper than iPhones. Is that true? If anyone can come up with any other reasons why I should get an Android phone, please post them here. I want a phone/PdA with the best and the most accessible apps for the blind. The apps will definitely help people like me be more independent and productive.

By: udik

udik — Fri, 07 May 2010 03:09:33 +0000

check out also a cool new app on Market, Webtalk – voice enabled internet browser… helps greatly for visually impaired, have it read aloud any article, say on cnn, yahoo, cbs etc – so you are free to do other suff while listening.. check also youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6KTrkmiCg8

By: FisherP

FisherP — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:31:46 +0000

@Brian – one thing I did think of using QR codes for is bus timetables. Some stops here in UK don’t have a timetable to hand. YOu have to guess the times, or simply wait. If the bus company had a QR code on the stop, you could scan it, find out which bus you want and what time it arrives. Building on this, you could access google maps and use the gps to find your nearest stop from your current location, tell it where you want to get off, get times of buses you need to catch, and be notified when you want to get off when actually on the bus. This could also be done without the QR codes though, for visually impaired or sighted people. This could also be linked into train and metro services.

By: FisherP

FisherP — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:27:00 +0000

@Brian – would that not rely on being able to see the QR code?
Maybe an augmented view of what you’re looking at would be better. A lot of augmented reality apps are currently available. You could just add some text-to-speech onto the view to describe what it is you’re looking at. Would be cool to integrate this into maps and satnav stuff too. E.g. imagine walking along, not knowing where you are. You switch to the augmented map, point it out in front of you and get a description of what is in front (e.g. Burger King). You can then get directions to a particular point on a map (e.g. a statue or point of interest)… or something like that. Just a quick idea I had.

By: vincent

vincent — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:41:45 +0000

ingenuous !

By: Vlad

Vlad — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:24:57 +0000

I recently gave a thought to QR codes, and just imagine what could an Android do for visually impaired people! Just accept QR codes widely in the cities, and your phone whould be able to tell you where you are, which store you’re in front of, and what this restaurant has on special today. I’m slowly becoming a visually impaired, one eye is almost blind, and all this gives me hope I won’t be left out when the dark day comes.

By: Brian

Brian — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:40:22 +0000

Cool! My cousin is blind and I’ve often thought that Android could end up being a good platform for accessibility.

By: SULLY

SULLY — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:23:08 +0000

Not able to view the videos at work but this seems like a huge step in the right direction and so much more important then “my phone can read the barcode on my grocery store club card”.
I also think these apps could help someone who is not able to speak. I know they could simply write down a message on a piece of paper but what if that message is to a child that can’t read or to a blind person? They could simple type the message and the android phone would do the talking for them.