Cool podcast, thanx for the info on that; wish I had the $14 to shell out for it now. On Aug 30, 2013, at 12:27 AM, Ilkka Pirttimaa wrote:
> Jessica, BlindSquare is designed for visually impaired, so it is very fluent > to use. For example, there is just one search box where you type any search > term. It will find places by name, address, your contacts by name, address or > company, categories matching search term etc. From search results you have > options like "make a phone call", "google it", "show restaurant menu", > "simulate location" (you can "visit there" at home). You can also set alert > distance for the place, so for example, if you simulated your destination at > home and found nearest bus stop, you can set alert distance of 300 meters for > that stop, so you will get alerted when you need to get off. There is also > button to Plan a route. It will list you all navigation apps you have > installed (Google Maps, TomTom, Navigon, Waze etc.) and when selected, you > will have that 3rd party app running, destination is selected and you will > get spoken turn-by-turn. BlindSquare will stay on background adding > information about your address, intersections and nearby places while you go. > > You will learn most of it's features by listening this podcast: > http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/blindsquare-feature-packed-navigational-tool-blind-ios-users > Some more features: > https://audioboo.fm/boos/1497058-blindsqare-news-podcast-1-for-release-1-43 > Walking demo: > https://audioboo.fm/boos/1555578-blindsquare-walking-demo-using-google-maps > > > > On Fri, Aug 30, 2013 at 4:00 AM, Jessica Moss <[email protected]> > wrote: > Ok, I'm really confused here. I've started trying to use google maps, for > example, and have a love-hate relationship with it, considering the fact that > I love the idea that unlike mapquest, the search feature as far as finding a > location such as "pizza hut," is so much easier, however, I don't like the > fact that you can't access your contact info like you can with map > quest/apple maps, which is something I do really frequently. > Also, I've found that in a lot of cases, its acuracy can be really off when > navigating, and was wondering if anyone else has ever had this issue. > Something else I was curious about, what's the difference between using > blindsquare with an app like google maps, and just using google maps, for > example, by itself? > On Aug 29, 2013, at 11:10 AM, Mike Arrigo wrote: > > > I actually use GPS more for telling me streets and places than directions. > > While it's certainly no substitute for a cane or guide dog and good travel > > skills, for me it's just as important. I remember back in 2009, this was > > when I was using way finder on a Nokia Symbian phone, I had gone out for a > > nice long walk, on the way home, one of the streets had an interesting > > curve in it and I found myself in a different place than I expected. I > > probably would not have gotten back on track had it not been for the GPS > > program, and it was kind of late so there was no one around to ask. These > > days, having nearby explorer on my android devices, and the sendero seeing > > eye app and blindsquare on my iphone are good things for sure. > > Original message: > >> Wow, Cheree! what a story! > > > >> Glad you had friends you could call and that all worked out well! :) > > > >> I love the fact that GPS apps are so prevalent on mobile platforms now. > >> -And that so many of them are at least usable for us. It's very freeing > >> when you think about it. :) > > > >> In addition to assisting people you are with, they can go a long way to > >> helping people get acquainted with their environments so that we can > >> really get a better sense of our surroundings. > > > >> Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful night! > > > >> Smiles, > > > >> Cara :) > >> On Aug 28, 2013, at 9:08 PM, Cheree Heppe <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> Cheree Heppe here: > > > >> The use of the GPS in a car could only have happened to somebody in a > >> sit-com, but, trust me, it happened to my friends and me this afternoon. > >> A pair of apparently solid sandals that I wore to work completely broke > >> down, leaving me the choice of walking in my nearly bare feet over > >> questionably clear sidewalks and streets to get home. I decided that > >> would be a very risky plan and phoned a family I have known for some years > >> with an emergency plea for transport or to borrow a pair of shoes. All of > >> the girls and their mother wear the same size shoe as I do. > >> The mom, Carolyn, agreed to pick me up after my work day and drive me home > >> and share a pair of shoes until I could step on to home turf and return > >> them. > >> At about 17:25, long after I got outside in my nearly bare feet, they > >> hadn't arrived. Two phone calls determined that Carolyn had parked her > >> SUV in one of those self-serve parking garages and walked several blocks > >> to me. > >> When Carolyn and her daughter, Hannah, saw me outide my building, they > >> simultaneously realized that they'd forgotten the loaner pair of shoes in > >> their car. > >> Carolyn wore a double pair of socks and let me slip into her sneakers. We > >> carefully, for Carolyn's sake, wended our way to find the building and her > >> SUV. > >> Once up the ramps and at the car, we all got inside, only to have Carolyn > >> realize that her credit card was at home next to the laptop. This car > >> park requires a credit card in order to open the exit gates. > >> We decided to use my card. Carolyn took it to the machine, where, because > >> of Braille labelling I affixed with the card number, etc, it promptly got > >> well and truly jammed in the machine. Naturally, it hadn't gotten to the > >> stage to let us, or the ever-growing line of cars and driers out of the > >> parking structure. > >> On the automatic card machine now jammed with my card is a keypad to use > >> in case of problems. Carolyn dialed and explained that a card had gotten > >> jammed in the machine. > >> Several staff from the Embassy Suites to which the parking structure > >> belonged, came out and could not get the card out. Meanwhile, the drivers > >> were making increasingly interesting suggestions about our situation. > >> Finally, the hotel engineer came with a pair of needle-nose pliers and > >> pulled the card out. > >> All and sundry breathed a really large sigh of relief and we all got free > >> egress from there. > >> Not, for the GPS part. > >> Carolyn is not familiar with the city and I am not familiar with driver > >> helps. What a team. So, I brought up WAZE, a navigation and traffic GPS > >> that one of my former readers swears by. Sure enough, after I set it up, > >> I had to turn off VoiceOver to Carolyn's sighted daughter could read the > >> directions to Carolyn. WAZE is more accessible than it started out to be, > >> but still is not blind friendly enough to use the way we would really > >> like. It's amazing for sighted users, however. > >> We found our way home beautifully. > >> If I actually learn how to use some of my GPS apps, I suspect I will have > >> powerful tools in the palm of my hand. I have Ariadne and Blind Square > >> and they help more than hinder. Maybe I'm making GPS progress, eh? > > > > > >> Regards, > >> Cheree Heppe > >> T > > > >> Sent from my IPhone 4S > > > >> -- > >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > >> "MacVisionaries" group. > >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > >> email to [email protected]. > >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > >> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. > >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > >> -- > >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > >> "MacVisionaries" group. > >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > >> email to [email protected]. > >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > >> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. > >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > > "MacVisionaries" group. > > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > > email to [email protected]. > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. > > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "MacVisionaries" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "MacVisionaries" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
