Tech Tips: Alexa is Changing

Contributed by Jerry Price, Assistive Technology Specialist

No need to panic, but the Alexa app from Amazon is going through some modifications.  First of all, the app now has a “hands-free” mode so that your personal assistant can assist you at all times.  You will also find the Alexa button at the top of the screen rather than at the bottom.  Secondly, the app itself is easier to navigate and places your favorite activities at the top.

These alterations will be rolling out over the next couple of weeks, so if your device has not upgraded yet, it will.

Technology User Group Meeting, August 8th

Technology User Group Meeting

Contributed by Jerry Price, Assistive Technology Specialist

On Saturday, August 8th, the Technology User Group is pleased to welcome Stacey Crown who will be giving us a virtual demonstration of OrCam products and services.

This technology enables blind and low vision individuals to read text, recognize faces, and much more.

 

The presentation will be virtual and may be joined by calling 319-527-4994.  You do not have to RSVP for this event.

 

The presentation will begin at 10 AM and last about 60 minutes.

 

We look forward to meeting with you virtually on Saturday, August 8^th, and hope that you will join us for other exciting events we have planned throughout the year.

 

If you would like to listen to previous TUG recordings, please click here:

https://www.marylandlibraries.org/Pages/Technology%20User%20Group.aspx

 

Upcoming TUG Programs:

 

Saturday, September 12, 10 AM, the BlindShell Mobile Phone.

Saturday, October 3, 10 AM, LookOut, The Amazing Android app.

 

Follow LBPH on:

 

Facebook at www.facebook.com/mdlbph

On Twitter at www.twitter.com/md_lbph

On our blog at https://mdlbph.blogspot.com/

And our website at https://lbph.maryland.gov

 

For more information about the Technology User Group, please contact Jerry Price at (410) 230-2446 or via email at jerry.price1@maryland.gov.

Partner Post: ADA30 Lead On: Celebration of Disability Arts, Culture, Education & Pride

ADA30 Lead On: Celebration of Disability Arts, Culture, Education & Pride

TransCen and the Mid-Atlantic ADA Center are proud to be among the sponsors of ADA30 Lead On: Celebration of Disability Arts, Culture, Education & Pride, Thursday, July 23 from 7:00 - 9:15 PM Eastern. This FREE event to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) will be streamed on YouTube and Facebook Live. 

 

Actor and activist Danny Woodburn will host the celebration that will feature performers, artists, singers, dancers, poets, filmmakers, and storytellers with disabilities. We'll hear from disability rights leaders, including Senator Tom Harkin, Judy Heumann, Governor Tom Ridge, Tony Coelho, and Marlee Matlin.

 

Join us to mark the 30th Anniversary of the landmark civil rights legislation that has enhanced inclusion and access for millions of Americans! 

 

TransCen and the Mid-Atlantic ADA Center join lead sponsor AT&T along with:

• The Ability Center
• Bus Door Films
• Deraney PR
• Easterseals Disability Film Challenge
• EIN SOF Communications
• Exceptional Minds
• Foundation for Global Sports Development and Sidewinder Films
• Kessler Foundation
• Lights! Camera! Access!
• Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation
• Mulberry Tree Group
• Point 360
• The Sign Language Company
• Wells Fargo
• Woman of Her Word
   

Register for ADA30 Lead On: Celebration of Disability Arts, Culture, Education & Pride

Free Community Event: Folger's New Virtual Book Club

Try out the Folger's new virtual book club 

Contributed by Ashley Biggs, Marketing and Outreach Librarian on behalf of Folger's Shakespeare Library

Join the Folger as we search the stacks for our favorite novels inspired by Shakespeare and the early modern era. 

Held on the first Thursday of the month, this informal Book Club is free and open to all. Our picks range from historical fiction to adaptations of Shakespeare's plays and will be sourced from a different indie bookstore each month.

To spark the discussion, Folger staff will be on hand to provide historical context and speak to relevant items from the library collection.

 Grab your reading glasses and make a plan to join us for our first session on Thursday, August 6 at 6:30pm (EST) when we'll be talking about Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. 

Participation is free but registration is required. Sessions will be conducted through Zoom, so keep an eye on your inbox the day before for an access link, along with recommendations for quick bites and beverages to enjoy while we chat.

Register here: 

https://www.folger.edu/events/words-words-words-station-eleven?utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TSM2020BookClubAnnouncement&utm_content=version_A&promo=13356

Hope to see you there!

LBPH Note: BARD and Bookshare have many of Shakespeare's plays and poems available for FREE download. Contact the library with any questions. 

Tech Tips: Hundreds of TV Streams

Tech Tips: Hundreds of TV Streams

Contributed by Jerry Price, Assistive Technology Specialist

Choose from hundreds of TV streams by installing two free apps.  Pluto TV, which is owned by ViacomCBS, features movies, news, sports, and streams of some of your favorite TV episodes.  Stirr TV, which is owned by Sinclair Broadcasting Group, has tons of on-demand content and local news from WBFF in Baltimore or WJLA in Washington, D.C.  Both apps are accessible, and each has an Android and iOS version.

Marylandia Collection: Update

Marylandia Collection: Update

Contributed by Jordan Farinelli, Collection Development Librarian

As we patiently wait to see what will become of the 2020 baseball season, check out this title that covers the history of the Baltimore Orioles through firsthand accounts of the team’s glory days.

Sports and Recreation

DBC 12426 – From 33rd Street to Camden Yards : an oral history of the Baltimore Orioles, by John Eisenberg

Narrated by Steven Thurston

The winningest baseball franchise from 1960-1997, the Orioles are a beloved team that encompasses each of the game’s major issues of the last half century: integration, free agency, drugs, labor strikes and runaway salaries. Baltimore Sun columnist John Eisenberg brings to life the epic saga of this amazing team through the recollections of those who were there: the players, managers, coaches, and owners.

MAT Program: Update

MAT Program: Update

Contributed by Joseph Beckett, Program Coordinator for MAT

Just ninety days into 2020, the world as we know it was twisted beyond our comprehension.  The United States was in near panic mode, paralyzed by a novel virus called COVID-19. Perhaps, since the virus was primarily in Asia ad Europe, citizens of the US felt that they were ‘immune’, even safe, from the deleterious nature of the highly contagious infection. Then, just a month into 2020 the first case of the infection was reported. Still, the nation was unprepared for what it all meant, what was rapidly to come, and the possible seriousness of a virus not yet fully understood.   By March, the number of cases increased exponentially, bringing concern and pre-panic. One of the most affected areas was the education system, from pre-kindergarten through graduate school. The virus brought the system to nearly a standstill, as administrators spent days deciding and strategizing the best methods to provide continued academic services to their students. Several months later, schools are still working out the kinks as they prepare for the Fall.

The aforementioned concerns have had only a slight impact on the Maryland Accessible Textbook Program. As Maryland college and university students were readjusting to their new normal, the MAT team continues to edit, and convert requested materials fully. Fortunately, the program will always have the ability to serve its students. The Maryland Accessible Textbooks program’s hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 9 am-4:30 pm.  Questions and comments can be emailed the MAT program at any time at accessible.textbook@maryland.gov. 

We look forward to continuing our service to Maryland’s print-impaired college students.

 

Tech Tip: Source for New Apps

Tech Tips: Source for New Apps

Contributed by Jerry Price, Assistive Technology Specialist

SOURCE FOR NEW APPS

Want a quick reference to see which apps are accessible?  Check out
the AppleVis apps page:
https://www.applevis.com/apps/latest?type=ios_app_directory

Free EVENTS at LBPH!

Free EVENTS this month at LBPH!

Contributed by Ashley Biggs, Marketing and Outreach Librarian

These events are FREE and open to the public. 

Capture the Flavor: Herbs and Spices 

July 8, 2020 @ 6:30 PM

Register here: http://bit.ly/UMETelCon

Learn how to cut down on salt and sugar and 'spice' up your food with these 'flavoring agents' so it's healthier and tastes good. Beverly Jackey is a Family and Consumer Science Educator at the University of Maryland Extension (UME). As a member of UME’s Healthy Living Action Teams, she develops and provides community programming and outreach in the areas of nutrition and chronic disease prevention and management, food safety, and healthy home environments in Maryland’s Upper Shore Cluster that includes Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne's Counties.

Technology User Group: iOS14

July 11, 2020 @ 10AM 

TEL: 319-527-4994

The next software upgrade for the iPhone promises to provide many exciting accessibility features. Discover all the details for the next generation of Apple Smartphone users. Will also be discussing: Supersense AI, Ariadne GPS, and Digit Eyes. 

Storytelling with Jane Dorfman

July 15, 2020 @ 6:30PM

Register here: https://forms.gle/rVfZQ84kdhWm785LA

Jane Dorfman is a performing member and president of Voices-in-the-Glen and a member of the National Storytelling Network and on the program committee for the Washington Folk Festival. As a Children’s Librarian, she knows the importance of reading and listening. Her programs are age-appropriate and build in lots of opportunities to join in the telling. She will be hosting an event for LBPH/LBPH patrons on how to craft their own stories. Learn to tell stories that inspire, entertain, engage, and advocate. 

Storytelling through Food with Dr. Williams-Forson

July 22, 2020 @ 6:30 PM

Register here: https://forms.gle/a2CXrGnoL7ncztVM8

Dr. Psyche Williams-Forson is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of American Studies at the University of Maryland College Park. She will be here discussing how food plays a huge part in the stories we tell. Have you ever caught yourself telling the story of how your grandmother did something amazing while serving a family recipe? Or how about how your trip to the grocery store turned into an adventure? How about the times where you made dishes that comforted, soothed? Food is more than something you eat - it is a huge part of the stories we tell. 

Tech Tips: Technology Podcasts

Contributed by Jerry Price, Assistive Technology Specialist

Technology Podcast Resources

AppleVis
https://www.applevis.com/podcasts
Apple products and software from a blind perspective.

Blind Bargains
https://www.blindbargains.com/
Looks at blindness-related products and services.

Daily Tech Headlines
https://play.acast.com/s/dth
Latest news on all things tech.

Double Tap Canada
http://www.radio-canada-online.com/podcasts/double-tap-canada
Reviews products and services from a vision loss perspective.

FSCast
https://blog.freedomscientific.com/fscast/
Freedom Scientific Jaws, Zoomtext and Fusion.

Hadley Presents
https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/hadley-presents-hadley-podcasthadleyedu-fVrvLlSc4iA/
Covers a wide array of blindness issues including technology.

RNIB Connect Radio
https://rnibconnectradio.org.uk/Podcasts.html
Products and services for the blind reviewed by people with vision loss.

Techmeme Ride Home
https://www.ridehome.info/podcast/techmeme-ride-home/
News and commentary on all things tech.

The Daily Download
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-daily-download-latest-tech-news-byte-sized/id1366197807?mt=2
Tech news updates and offerings.

The Vergecast
https://www.theverge.com/podcasts
Latest news on gadgets and gizmos.

Vision Australia Radio Talking Tech
https://talkingtech.podbean.com/

Tech news and services from a vision loss perspective.

Technology User Group: July Meeting

Technology User Group: July Meeting

Contributed by Jerry Price, Assistive Technology Specialist

On Saturday, July 11^th, we are doing a lively presentation as we take a first look at IOS 14.  As the operating system behind the iPhone changes so does its features and skills.  In addition, we will look at 3 paid apps:

 Supersense AI.  This app is a text to speech app which offers an easier approach to reading mail, menus, currency, and more.

 Ariadne GPS.  This GPS app not only pinpoints your location but outlines the relevant points ahead and behind you.

Digit Eyes.  While not new, this app features bar code scanning abilities and much more.

 

The presentation will be virtual and may be joined by calling 319-527-4994.  You do not have to RSVP for this event. The presentation will begin at 10 AM and last about 90 minutes.

 

We are looking forward to an exciting 2020, and we look forward to meeting with you virtually on Saturday, June 13th.

 

If you would like to listen to previous TUG recordings, please click here:

https://www.marylandlibraries.org/Pages/Technology%20User%20Group.aspx

 

Upcoming TUG Programs:

 Saturday, August 8, 10 AM, A Presentation by OrCam.

Saturday, September 12, 10 AM, the BlindShell Mobile Phone.

 

Follow LBPH on:

Facebook at www.facebook.com/mdlbph

On Twitter at www.twitter.com/md_lbph

On our blog at https://mdlbph.blogspot.com/

And our website at https://lbph.maryland.gov

 

For more information about the Technology User Group, please contact Jerry Price at (410) 230-2446 or via email at jerry.price1@maryland.gov.