Re: A review of Aira. What it is, how it works, and the ways it has changed my life, Mosen Consulting

[Jürgen Fleger]

Hello Jonathan,

oh yes, I stopped reading to early. I hope Aira is comming to Germany as well.

All the best
Jürgen


> Am 07.04.2018 um 23:47 schrieb Jonathan Cohn :
> 
> You should read the entire article this is discussed in it.
>  
>   Best wishes,
> 
> Jonathan Cohn
> 
> 
> 
>> On Apr 7, 2018, at 2:45 PM, Jürgen Fleger > > wrote:
>> 
>> Hi,
>> 
>> are you familiar with the app „Be my Eyes“? Sounds very much like Aira. But 
>> I don’t know if Be my Eyes is available outside of Europe. Is it in the US 
>> App Store?
>> 
>> All the best
>> Jürgen
>> 
>> 
>>> Am 07.04.2018 um 20:26 schrieb Vaughn Brown >> >:
>>> 
>>> Hi,
>>> 
>>> I, too, use AIRA and inf it very, very helpful. I am now able to take
>>> on responsibilities such as sorting mail, reading print lables, and
>>> getting guidance to an unfamiliar locations. Thank you for sharing
>>> this. I, too, experienced a leap in independence. Not to mention my
>>> laydfriend can relax more while I take over some visual
>>> responsibilities such the sorting of mail as mentioned before.
>>> 
>>> Kindly,
>>> Vaughn
>>> 
>>> On 4/6/18, M. Taylor > wrote:
 Hello Everyone,
 
 I am posting the following article because it references an iOS app.
 
 Mark
 
 A review of Aira. What it is, how it works, and the ways it has changed my
 life
 by Jonathan Mosen, Posted on 03/04/2018
 
 Introduction
 Recently, I was pleased to attend the CSUN assistive technology conference.
 I've had the privilege of going to 10 of these before, but it has been a
 few
 years since I was there last.
 When you're involved with an industry, you tend to watch developments so
 closely that changes usually seem incremental. But occasionally, something
 new comes along that is so game changing, it stops you in your tracks. For
 me, San Diego-based Aira is one such technology. I am late to this party.
 Aira has been rolling out for some time in the United States. And indeed,
 we
 covered Aira in an edition of The Blind Side Podcast last year. But since
 mentioning my Aira experience to people via outlet such as my Internet
 radio
 show, The Mosen Explosion, I've learned that not everyone yet fully
 understands what the service is or how it works. For those not familiar
 with
 Aira, or who would like to read someone else's impressions of it, read on.
 What is Aira
 According to the company's website,
 Aira is today's fastest growing assistive community. One tap of a button
 instantly connects you with a sighted professional agent who delivers
 visual
 assistance anytime and anywhere.
 Here's what that means in practice. At present, Aira is a smart phone app,
 available for iOS and Android. Since Aira is a service for blind people,
 it's no surprise that the app is exemplary in terms of its accessibility.
 And in iOS, it even sports Siri integration.
 Using the app, you can connect via video, much like a FaceTime call, with
 agents who can provide you with visual information. Audio quality is
 excellent, far clearer than a standard cell phone connection. Essentially,
 an Aira agent can tell you anything at all that a pair of functioning eyes
 can see, plus perform a range of tasks pertaining to that information.
 You can acquire the visual information using your smart phone's camera, or,
 when you become a subscriber to the Aira service (Aira calls its customers
 "explorers") you receive a pair of smart glasses. These are included as
 part
 of your subscription, so there's no hardware cost upfront.
 The service is available officially in the United States at present, where
 Aira has an arrangement with AT Aira explorers receive an AT MiFi
 device, allowing them to use the service on the go without the data
 consumed
 by the video connection eating up a customer's own cellular plan. If you
 have a cellular plan equipped with the personal hotspot feature, you are
 free to pair your Aira glasses with your phone using that method. For those
 with large data plans, this may be attractive because there is one less
 device to keep track of, carry, and charge. The downside, other than the
 data consumption, is that a video connection to Aira for a long time may
 cause significant battery drain on your smart phone.
 When you're at home, work, or anywhere that Wi-Fi is available that doesn't
 require web-based authentication, you can pair your Aira glasses to that
 network. As far as I have been able to ascertain, 5 GHZ Wi-Fi isn't
 supported at present.
 Because of the need for high quality video, the glasses pair via Wi-Fi, and
 not Bluetooth. The glasses are 

Re: A review of Aira. What it is, how it works, and the ways it has changed my life, Mosen Consulting

[Jonathan Cohn]

You should read the entire article this is discussed in it.
 
Best wishes,

Jonathan Cohn



> On Apr 7, 2018, at 2:45 PM, Jürgen Fleger  wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> are you familiar with the app „Be my Eyes“? Sounds very much like Aira. But I 
> don’t know if Be my Eyes is available outside of Europe. Is it in the US App 
> Store?
> 
> All the best
> Jürgen
> 
> 
>> Am 07.04.2018 um 20:26 schrieb Vaughn Brown :
>> 
>> Hi,
>> 
>> I, too, use AIRA and inf it very, very helpful. I am now able to take
>> on responsibilities such as sorting mail, reading print lables, and
>> getting guidance to an unfamiliar locations. Thank you for sharing
>> this. I, too, experienced a leap in independence. Not to mention my
>> laydfriend can relax more while I take over some visual
>> responsibilities such the sorting of mail as mentioned before.
>> 
>> Kindly,
>> Vaughn
>> 
>> On 4/6/18, M. Taylor  wrote:
>>> Hello Everyone,
>>> 
>>> I am posting the following article because it references an iOS app.
>>> 
>>> Mark
>>> 
>>> A review of Aira. What it is, how it works, and the ways it has changed my
>>> life
>>> by Jonathan Mosen, Posted on 03/04/2018
>>> 
>>> Introduction
>>> Recently, I was pleased to attend the CSUN assistive technology conference.
>>> I've had the privilege of going to 10 of these before, but it has been a
>>> few
>>> years since I was there last.
>>> When you're involved with an industry, you tend to watch developments so
>>> closely that changes usually seem incremental. But occasionally, something
>>> new comes along that is so game changing, it stops you in your tracks. For
>>> me, San Diego-based Aira is one such technology. I am late to this party.
>>> Aira has been rolling out for some time in the United States. And indeed,
>>> we
>>> covered Aira in an edition of The Blind Side Podcast last year. But since
>>> mentioning my Aira experience to people via outlet such as my Internet
>>> radio
>>> show, The Mosen Explosion, I've learned that not everyone yet fully
>>> understands what the service is or how it works. For those not familiar
>>> with
>>> Aira, or who would like to read someone else's impressions of it, read on.
>>> What is Aira
>>> According to the company's website,
>>> Aira is today's fastest growing assistive community. One tap of a button
>>> instantly connects you with a sighted professional agent who delivers
>>> visual
>>> assistance anytime and anywhere.
>>> Here's what that means in practice. At present, Aira is a smart phone app,
>>> available for iOS and Android. Since Aira is a service for blind people,
>>> it's no surprise that the app is exemplary in terms of its accessibility.
>>> And in iOS, it even sports Siri integration.
>>> Using the app, you can connect via video, much like a FaceTime call, with
>>> agents who can provide you with visual information. Audio quality is
>>> excellent, far clearer than a standard cell phone connection. Essentially,
>>> an Aira agent can tell you anything at all that a pair of functioning eyes
>>> can see, plus perform a range of tasks pertaining to that information.
>>> You can acquire the visual information using your smart phone's camera, or,
>>> when you become a subscriber to the Aira service (Aira calls its customers
>>> "explorers") you receive a pair of smart glasses. These are included as
>>> part
>>> of your subscription, so there's no hardware cost upfront.
>>> The service is available officially in the United States at present, where
>>> Aira has an arrangement with AT Aira explorers receive an AT MiFi
>>> device, allowing them to use the service on the go without the data
>>> consumed
>>> by the video connection eating up a customer's own cellular plan. If you
>>> have a cellular plan equipped with the personal hotspot feature, you are
>>> free to pair your Aira glasses with your phone using that method. For those
>>> with large data plans, this may be attractive because there is one less
>>> device to keep track of, carry, and charge. The downside, other than the
>>> data consumption, is that a video connection to Aira for a long time may
>>> cause significant battery drain on your smart phone.
>>> When you're at home, work, or anywhere that Wi-Fi is available that doesn't
>>> require web-based authentication, you can pair your Aira glasses to that
>>> network. As far as I have been able to ascertain, 5 GHZ Wi-Fi isn't
>>> supported at present.
>>> Because of the need for high quality video, the glasses pair via Wi-Fi, and
>>> not Bluetooth. The glasses are associated with your Aira account. This is
>>> useful if, like in Bonnie's and my house, you're sharing your minutes as a
>>> couple. More on that later.
>>> The upshot of all of this is that for 18 hours of every day, professional,
>>> well-trained sighted assistance is just a few taps or a Siri command away.
>>> Describing it like this makes it sound kind of cool. But I want to explain
>>> the 

Re: A review of Aira. What it is, how it works, and the ways it has changed my life, Mosen Consulting

[Jürgen Fleger]

Hi,

are you familiar with the app „Be my Eyes“? Sounds very much like Aira. But I 
don’t know if Be my Eyes is available outside of Europe. Is it in the US App 
Store?

All the best
Jürgen


> Am 07.04.2018 um 20:26 schrieb Vaughn Brown :
> 
> Hi,
> 
> I, too, use AIRA and inf it very, very helpful. I am now able to take
> on responsibilities such as sorting mail, reading print lables, and
> getting guidance to an unfamiliar locations. Thank you for sharing
> this. I, too, experienced a leap in independence. Not to mention my
> laydfriend can relax more while I take over some visual
> responsibilities such the sorting of mail as mentioned before.
> 
> Kindly,
> Vaughn
> 
> On 4/6/18, M. Taylor  wrote:
>> Hello Everyone,
>> 
>> I am posting the following article because it references an iOS app.
>> 
>> Mark
>> 
>> A review of Aira. What it is, how it works, and the ways it has changed my
>> life
>> by Jonathan Mosen, Posted on 03/04/2018
>> 
>> Introduction
>> Recently, I was pleased to attend the CSUN assistive technology conference.
>> I've had the privilege of going to 10 of these before, but it has been a
>> few
>> years since I was there last.
>> When you're involved with an industry, you tend to watch developments so
>> closely that changes usually seem incremental. But occasionally, something
>> new comes along that is so game changing, it stops you in your tracks. For
>> me, San Diego-based Aira is one such technology. I am late to this party.
>> Aira has been rolling out for some time in the United States. And indeed,
>> we
>> covered Aira in an edition of The Blind Side Podcast last year. But since
>> mentioning my Aira experience to people via outlet such as my Internet
>> radio
>> show, The Mosen Explosion, I've learned that not everyone yet fully
>> understands what the service is or how it works. For those not familiar
>> with
>> Aira, or who would like to read someone else's impressions of it, read on.
>> What is Aira
>> According to the company's website,
>> Aira is today's fastest growing assistive community. One tap of a button
>> instantly connects you with a sighted professional agent who delivers
>> visual
>> assistance anytime and anywhere.
>> Here's what that means in practice. At present, Aira is a smart phone app,
>> available for iOS and Android. Since Aira is a service for blind people,
>> it's no surprise that the app is exemplary in terms of its accessibility.
>> And in iOS, it even sports Siri integration.
>> Using the app, you can connect via video, much like a FaceTime call, with
>> agents who can provide you with visual information. Audio quality is
>> excellent, far clearer than a standard cell phone connection. Essentially,
>> an Aira agent can tell you anything at all that a pair of functioning eyes
>> can see, plus perform a range of tasks pertaining to that information.
>> You can acquire the visual information using your smart phone's camera, or,
>> when you become a subscriber to the Aira service (Aira calls its customers
>> "explorers") you receive a pair of smart glasses. These are included as
>> part
>> of your subscription, so there's no hardware cost upfront.
>> The service is available officially in the United States at present, where
>> Aira has an arrangement with AT Aira explorers receive an AT MiFi
>> device, allowing them to use the service on the go without the data
>> consumed
>> by the video connection eating up a customer's own cellular plan. If you
>> have a cellular plan equipped with the personal hotspot feature, you are
>> free to pair your Aira glasses with your phone using that method. For those
>> with large data plans, this may be attractive because there is one less
>> device to keep track of, carry, and charge. The downside, other than the
>> data consumption, is that a video connection to Aira for a long time may
>> cause significant battery drain on your smart phone.
>> When you're at home, work, or anywhere that Wi-Fi is available that doesn't
>> require web-based authentication, you can pair your Aira glasses to that
>> network. As far as I have been able to ascertain, 5 GHZ Wi-Fi isn't
>> supported at present.
>> Because of the need for high quality video, the glasses pair via Wi-Fi, and
>> not Bluetooth. The glasses are associated with your Aira account. This is
>> useful if, like in Bonnie's and my house, you're sharing your minutes as a
>> couple. More on that later.
>> The upshot of all of this is that for 18 hours of every day, professional,
>> well-trained sighted assistance is just a few taps or a Siri command away.
>> Describing it like this makes it sound kind of cool. But I want to explain
>> the impact that Aira has had on our lives in the brief time we have had it,
>> to illustrate that, at least for some of us, this technology is more than
>> just pretty cool, it's life-changing.
>> My first Aira experience
>> If you've been reading this blog or listening to The Blind Side Podcast
>> 

Re: A review of Aira. What it is, how it works, and the ways it has changed my life, Mosen Consulting

[Vaughn Brown]

Hi,

I, too, use AIRA and inf it very, very helpful. I am now able to take
on responsibilities such as sorting mail, reading print lables, and
getting guidance to an unfamiliar locations. Thank you for sharing
this. I, too, experienced a leap in independence. Not to mention my
laydfriend can relax more while I take over some visual
responsibilities such the sorting of mail as mentioned before.

Kindly,
Vaughn

On 4/6/18, M. Taylor  wrote:
> Hello Everyone,
>
> I am posting the following article because it references an iOS app.
>
> Mark
>
> A review of Aira. What it is, how it works, and the ways it has changed my
> life
> by Jonathan Mosen, Posted on 03/04/2018
>
> Introduction
> Recently, I was pleased to attend the CSUN assistive technology conference.
> I've had the privilege of going to 10 of these before, but it has been a
> few
> years since I was there last.
> When you're involved with an industry, you tend to watch developments so
> closely that changes usually seem incremental. But occasionally, something
> new comes along that is so game changing, it stops you in your tracks. For
> me, San Diego-based Aira is one such technology. I am late to this party.
> Aira has been rolling out for some time in the United States. And indeed,
> we
> covered Aira in an edition of The Blind Side Podcast last year. But since
> mentioning my Aira experience to people via outlet such as my Internet
> radio
> show, The Mosen Explosion, I've learned that not everyone yet fully
> understands what the service is or how it works. For those not familiar
> with
> Aira, or who would like to read someone else's impressions of it, read on.
> What is Aira
> According to the company's website,
> Aira is today's fastest growing assistive community. One tap of a button
> instantly connects you with a sighted professional agent who delivers
> visual
> assistance anytime and anywhere.
> Here's what that means in practice. At present, Aira is a smart phone app,
> available for iOS and Android. Since Aira is a service for blind people,
> it's no surprise that the app is exemplary in terms of its accessibility.
> And in iOS, it even sports Siri integration.
> Using the app, you can connect via video, much like a FaceTime call, with
> agents who can provide you with visual information. Audio quality is
> excellent, far clearer than a standard cell phone connection. Essentially,
> an Aira agent can tell you anything at all that a pair of functioning eyes
> can see, plus perform a range of tasks pertaining to that information.
> You can acquire the visual information using your smart phone's camera, or,
> when you become a subscriber to the Aira service (Aira calls its customers
> "explorers") you receive a pair of smart glasses. These are included as
> part
> of your subscription, so there's no hardware cost upfront.
> The service is available officially in the United States at present, where
> Aira has an arrangement with AT Aira explorers receive an AT MiFi
> device, allowing them to use the service on the go without the data
> consumed
> by the video connection eating up a customer's own cellular plan. If you
> have a cellular plan equipped with the personal hotspot feature, you are
> free to pair your Aira glasses with your phone using that method. For those
> with large data plans, this may be attractive because there is one less
> device to keep track of, carry, and charge. The downside, other than the
> data consumption, is that a video connection to Aira for a long time may
> cause significant battery drain on your smart phone.
> When you're at home, work, or anywhere that Wi-Fi is available that doesn't
> require web-based authentication, you can pair your Aira glasses to that
> network. As far as I have been able to ascertain, 5 GHZ Wi-Fi isn't
> supported at present.
> Because of the need for high quality video, the glasses pair via Wi-Fi, and
> not Bluetooth. The glasses are associated with your Aira account. This is
> useful if, like in Bonnie's and my house, you're sharing your minutes as a
> couple. More on that later.
> The upshot of all of this is that for 18 hours of every day, professional,
> well-trained sighted assistance is just a few taps or a Siri command away.
> Describing it like this makes it sound kind of cool. But I want to explain
> the impact that Aira has had on our lives in the brief time we have had it,
> to illustrate that, at least for some of us, this technology is more than
> just pretty cool, it's life-changing.
> My first Aira experience
> If you've been reading this blog or listening to The Blind Side Podcast
> over
> the years, you will know that in recent times I have come out as having a
> hearing impairment. I love going to these big conferences because I get to
> catch up with old friends and make new ones, as well as see the latest and
> greatest technology. I hate going to these big conferences because often, I
> find myself in difficult audio environments. It can be