New Vision Newsletter
May 2023
Welcome to your May New Vision Newsletter. New Vision at Goodwill seeks to promote independence and equality for people who are blind and visually impaired. We educate, inform, and provide resources, so people with visual impairments can live their fullest lives. We hope you find this newsletter useful, and we would love your feedback through the link shared at the end of this newsletter.
Virtual Training
Personal electronic devices can enhance the lives of people who are blind and visually impaired. New Vision offers free instruction on how to use the latest technology and devices to connect to the world and increase independence. Instruction can be provided, in many cases, virtually via telephone, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and FaceTime. Please contact us to find out more.
Echo Tips Podcast
New Echo Tips Podcast episodes are released every Wednesday morning. They are available on your Echo or computer. The podcast features New Vision's instructor, David Ward. These episodes contain micro-sized, roughly 5-minute, tutorials on various Amazon Echo features. The newest episodes are available below.
A special thank you to our sponsor, the Virginia Board for the Blind and Vision Impaired, for supporting New Vision's diverse programming!
Latest Episodes
Episode 244 Music's AutoPlay, Move Here, and Explicit Lyrics Filtering
Episode 245 Echo News about MATTER and Do You Know Alexa?
Episode 246 Navigating Podcasts and Audible Revisited
Episode 247 TV Schedules Revisited
Episode 248 New Devices Echo Pop and Echo Show 5
So how can I get it on my Echo? You can ask your Echo the following:
- Alexa, play Echo Tips Podcast.
- Alexa, play next episode or Alexa, skip.
This will play the previous episode since the podcast is sorted from newest to oldest.
If you have an Apple device such as an iPhone or iPad, you can also ask Siri to play the most recent episode. Simply say: "Siri, play the Echo Tips Podcast."
Alternatively, you can play the podcast via the website below, which is screen reader compatible. You can navigate the episode title via heading number 2. Simply press the space bar or otherwise activate the link to start that episode.
tunein.com/podcasts/Education-Podcasts/Echo-Tips-p1118403/
Lions on the Lake Event
Save the date! Lions on the Lake is June 17, 2023 at Claytor Lake State Park from 11 am – 2 pm. There will be boat rides, picnic, games, and tons of fun! The event is sponsored by the Blacksburg Breakfast Lions Club. If you don’t have transportation and live in the New River Valley contact Suzanne Ament at seament@radford.edu or by phone 540-381-0963. Or if you live in the Roanoke area and don't have transportation contact David Ward at dward@goodwillvalleys.com or by phone 540-985-8900. Transportation will be first-come-first-served. Each person is limited to two seats for the blind individual and a friend or family member. As always there is no charge for this event and the park also grants free access.
Please RSVP, an accurate tally helps in preparing adequate food, life-jackets, and having plenty of supplies. Contact David or Susan with any questions.
Podcasts
Don't have a smartphone, but you'd still like to be able to call and Uber? If so listen to this quick segment from the Daily Tech News Show. Check out the link below.
https://youtu.be/_Z-yJGzydc8?t=243
Join Thomas Domville as he demonstrates the power of the Virtual Volunteer feature, set to come to the Be My Eyes app in late Q3 2023. Currently in beta testing, this feature, powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4 model, has the potential to be a game changer for people with visual impairments. It offers a virtual sighted assistant that can generate context and understanding for images, allowing for a greater degree of independence in everyday tasks. During the episode, Thomas showcases a variety of real-world use cases for the Virtual Volunteer, including identifying clothing, getting information from food packaging, describing greeting cards, photos from your photo library or places such as Facebook, and weather maps, reading restaurant menus, and more. Don’t miss this exciting demonstration of the Virtual Volunteer! Listen at the link below.
https://www.applevis.com/podcasts/introducing-be-my-eyes-virtual-volunteer-demonstration-some-game-changing-real-world-use
Ever wish you could just point at a button on a microwave and have your iPhone tell you what it was? An exciting episode of the Maccessibility Round Table Podcast is in store as the panel dives into the latest Apple Accessibility announcement. Their thoughts and insights on the new features and their impact on the accessibility community will be shared. This informative and engaging discussion is not to be missed! Check out the link below.
https://maccessibility.net/2023/05/21/mrtp-256-back-in-the-tiger-days
iPhone & iPad Apps
Here's the AppleVis' Unlimited Newsletter for April 2023. AppleVis is a premier website for reviewing Apple-related devices and Apps from a visual impairment perspective. In this month's edition learn about community-submitted updates, including new app entries, updates, news, and podcasts.
https://www.applevis.com/blog/applevis-unlimited-whats-new-noteworthy-april-2023
Echo Things to Try
Here are a few things to try with your Echo. Some practical, some just fun.
- Alexa, give me some advice?
- Alexa, tell me about the new Echo Show 5.
- Alexa, tell me something weird.
- Alexa, how do I receive calls?
- Alexa, quiz me on 2023 movies.
- Alexa, play Elton John on Apple Music.
- Alexa, set up Guard.
For more about what's new with Alexa check out the official blog by clicking the following link: Alexa Blog.
Your Thoughts
If you have any thoughts about what could be mentioned in an upcoming newsletter or comments on this newsletter feel free to reply or fill out the following form. See the following link: New Vision Feedback Form.
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Contact Info
Assistive Technology Instructor,
New Vision at Goodwill Industries of the Valleys
dward@goodwillvalleys.com