In spring of my eighth grade year, my parents and I visited my aunt, Sister. Olivia. She had a radio with 9 bands on it, more than I'd ever seen before and it totally captivated me. I got to play with it and discovered the weather Channel, didn't know that existed. That a radio station … Continue reading How my love for meteorology has let me see technology change in many ways over the years, and how a blind meteorologist may be very possible in the near future.
How I was afraid of fireworks as a totally blind child, but how I have also grown to have some appreciation for them as an adult
As many young blind children still are today, I was afraid of any noise that my 5 year old brain thought was loud. Thunder, sirens, and fireworks were at the top of the list; at least I didn't hide under the bed like our dog. As i got older, i grew to tolerate loud sounds, … Continue reading How I was afraid of fireworks as a totally blind child, but how I have also grown to have some appreciation for them as an adult
How along with Scriptalk, CVS’s RX reader though a completely separate system from Scriptalk, is very simular and also identifies prescribed medications for blind patients
In recent years I had heard about Scriptalk, a system where blind patients can get the information about their medications through NFC. Pharmacies who offer the Scriptalk service also may offer a dedicated device that can read the information, or the patient can decide to download the Scriptalk app and read it on their smartphone. … Continue reading How along with Scriptalk, CVS’s RX reader though a completely separate system from Scriptalk, is very simular and also identifies prescribed medications for blind patients
How for blind people, the iPhone significantly changed the world of cell phones even more than for the sighted
In 1990 I had a conversation with my friend Aaron Levinthal about phones and we thought it would be cool if we could just take our phone put it on our belts and go out into public. Neither of us had seen a cell phone at that point yet. On a college trip the assistant … Continue reading How for blind people, the iPhone significantly changed the world of cell phones even more than for the sighted
How I hacked my apartment building’s security system
When I first moved into my apartment after college in 1994, my Mom said she would feel better if I lived in a secure-locked building. I asked the police, and was told it wasn't really that significantly more secure than buildings that were not secure-locked; so until 2007 the building where I lived was not, … Continue reading How I hacked my apartment building’s security system
How that modern technology is a life changer for the blind in educational settings cannot be overstated
I have written before about how for people with disabilities, a smartphone is way more than something cool, or a convenience, but a real life changer in how people can interact with the world, be productive, and live their lives. For me, technology truly narrows the gap caused by blindness between me and the sighted … Continue reading How that modern technology is a life changer for the blind in educational settings cannot be overstated
How back in 2014 I pulled some April fools pranks on my FourSquare followers
Back in 2013 I learned about and began to use the Foursquare social network. It was cool, you could check in to your current physical location, and your friends would see where you were. Although there are some very potentially significant problems with doing that, some times it was actually very helpful. If you saw … Continue reading How back in 2014 I pulled some April fools pranks on my FourSquare followers
How using Apple watch processors which only have wifi N in HomePods is not a step backwards.
When I heard people on a podcast recently bash the new Apple HomePod second generation, I decided a rebuttal was needed. They thought that the new HomePod was a step backward because it used an Apple watch processor instead of an iPhone processor, and only had wifi N instead of wifi 6 or 6E. … Continue reading How using Apple watch processors which only have wifi N in HomePods is not a step backwards.
How the abacus, though low tech, became and still remains a very useful tool for those who are blind doing math
The abacus has had a rich history lasting over two thousand years. Ancient merchants needed a way to count things and make calculations. The Asian abaci are the most well known today, both Chinese and Japanese models still exist. The Japanese model has one row of beads with a separation bar and then four more … Continue reading How the abacus, though low tech, became and still remains a very useful tool for those who are blind doing math
Challenges and frustrations I experience being totally blind, dealing with statuses of devices with LEDs
Because most devices are designed by sighted people, for other sighted people, lights are used to tell the person statuses like on/off etc. For those who can see, it's super easy, quick and efficient. For those who are totally blind, it's only frustrating at best. The device most frustrating for blind users are the … Continue reading Challenges and frustrations I experience being totally blind, dealing with statuses of devices with LEDs
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