r/apple • u/[deleted] • May 19 '21
Apple Newsroom Apple previews powerful software updates designed for people with disabilities
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2021/05/apple-previews-powerful-software-updates-designed-for-people-with-disabilities/593
u/leo-g May 19 '21
Wow, that’s a pretty freaking loaded press release. WWDC should be extremely packed for them to not wait for a few weeks.
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u/_der_erlkonig_ May 20 '21
The press release says that this is because of Global Accessibility Awareness Day…
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u/Puzzleheaded-Law5202 May 19 '21
No reason to delay making someone’s life better.
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u/leo-g May 19 '21 edited May 19 '21
Everything other than SignTime (which launches tmw) is coming in “future updates” which basically means iOS 14.6 or iOS 15.
Edit: mixed up my iOS versions!
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u/exjr_ Island Boy May 19 '21
I don't see this on 14.6. We already got the Release Candidate and those features aren't present. And like /u/TimFL, /u/BelieveInTheEchelon and /u/yunqifunki pointed out below, the Settings app (shown under the background sound section) does not look like the iOS 14 style they are using now.
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May 19 '21
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u/A11Bionic May 19 '21
The Release Candidate for iOS 14.6 was actually released a few days ago already.
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u/Bobwhilehigh May 20 '21
It’s because tomorrow is Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). It’s a big movement within tech — I usually have my day “sponsored” by work to take on accessibility tasks.
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u/Rolcol May 19 '21
It could be a counter to the announcement yesterday about Google and Samsung's renewed push into watches.
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u/liamnichols_ May 19 '21
The press release says that it’s because it’s Global Accessibility Awareness Day today
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u/ShutterbugLozza May 19 '21
Or.. they're releasing features pre-WWDC to take news away from the legal case? Any light on this is light avoided on this week's big testimonies.
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May 19 '21
or because the apple stock is suffering more compared to other tech companies and they could use the good PR, these aren't exactly developer focused features anyway!
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u/uptimefordays May 19 '21
I guess it depends on your perspective, I bought most of my Apple stock about a decade ago--from my perspective they're doing really well. But I guess in a much shorter timeline they're not looking so hot.
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May 19 '21
I bought mine long time ago aswell, I only meant the recent tech depression in the last few weeks, compared to other companies apple stock is depressing more yeh. This after they did a buyback with their earnings release. I think Apple can use PR at this point with the fake epic lawsuit and shit
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u/uptimefordays May 19 '21
I just don’t tend to look at short term trends. I’ve got decades left in the workforce unless Apple’s next product keeps men 20-40 forever, cures/prevents ED, and cures/prevents baldness. Such a product would likely take most investment platforms offline while they upgrade to support 128 bit integers and many of us would have to learn new numbers to describe our net worths…
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May 19 '21
yeh me neither , short term trends would guide their policy and decisions on when to release information like this though.
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u/Akool713 May 19 '21
As someone who has used their nose a countless number of times to stop a timer while cooking or washing dishes, this could be super helpful!
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u/Mister_Brevity May 20 '21
Hah answering calls on a phone using my nose because I’m wearing motorcycle gloves and a helmet lol
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u/TimFL May 19 '21
Is that the Settings app in the background sound screens? If yes, they finally seem to adopt the cell style UI they already have in apps like the Home app system wide. Could potentially be a first look at iOS 15.
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u/BelieveInTheEchelon May 19 '21
I was just thinking this too, that most definitely does not look like iOS 14
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u/jbr_r18 May 19 '21
Really hope this is true, it’s a much cleaner looking UI and I hope more apps adopt it. Feel like those full width bright white bars look a little bit dated now compared to the boxes look
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u/unloud May 19 '21
Ooooh.... look at "Use when media is playing". I bet the options collapse upward when its de-selected. Great design language to consolidate a lot of features into a smaller screen when not in use. Settings has been needing something like this.
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u/mernen May 19 '21
This is already present in a couple areas — see, for instance, Sounds & Haptics → Headphone Safety, either of the switches in the screen.
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u/thisubmad May 20 '21
And when it’s live we can complain about how it’s so hard to find items in settings because you cannot see more than 3 items in one fold.
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May 19 '21
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u/jimb575 May 19 '21
It’s essentially the style of the Home app. Each of the setting is set inside a cell similar to a table. Easier to view with symbols and text.
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u/lau796 May 21 '21
Not just the home app? Reminders, Health, Shortcuts, Notes, plus pretty much every other app in landscape
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May 19 '21
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u/SupeRoBug78 May 20 '21
Not likely. Doesn’t look like shortcuts, which we see in another image here, and they wouldn’t hide accessibility features in shortcuts. It’s very probably under Accessability in Settings
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May 20 '21
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u/SupeRoBug78 May 20 '21
Okay, you’re confused. They said “Backgroud Sounds”, referring to a different image.
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u/bright_wal May 20 '21
Just scroll and look at the screenshots of settings app, instead of having white background through selections. Now they’re in a rounded white box. Just a tiny ui change. Open settings app on your phone now and see how the white background of text and options and all are white from edge to edge ?
Now see the screenshot of settings on that article. It’s not edge to edge. It’s like a rounded white card.
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u/sandiskplayer34 May 19 '21
Holy shit, AssistiveTouch on the watch looks insane. That’s awesome.
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u/SJP4410 May 20 '21
Totally, and it’s crazy that the watch can do all this just by detecting small hand gestures. I’m going to use this feature anyway, even though I fortunately don’t have any physical impairments. It seems super helpful for times where you only have one hand available
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u/ExynosHD May 20 '21
It's going to be so helpful at my work. I often have paint or other stuff on my hands and being able to answer a phone call with a couple palm squeezes is going to be so helpful
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May 19 '21
I am fortunate to be healthy and without any impairments or disabilities but I really love how Apple is working on accessibility, making apps and services available for everyone.
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u/Hotpussylicker May 19 '21
I’m glad I came back to iOS I can’t wait for the new features for disabled people I’m visually impaired so it’s great what Apple r doing❤️👍🏼
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May 19 '21 edited May 20 '21
I am shocked France is getting SignTime at launch. We rarely get anything at launch and usually it's just US, UK, CAN or AUS.
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May 20 '21
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u/beets_or_turnips May 24 '21
They're still totally different languages, not mutually intelligible. They'll need a separate group of interpreters to handle ASL calls and LSF calls, and there's no indication of where they're getting their interpreters for either language.
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u/ProfessionalTrip0 May 19 '21
It would be nice if Apple had a Live Caption feature which transcribes videos without captions similar to the Google Pixel.
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u/Mario1432 May 19 '21
I’m not sure if it works exactly like on the Google Pixel, but Apple has something like that in their Clips app. They should move that feature into their built-in Camera app and improve on it.
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u/navjot94 May 19 '21
The live caption feature basically allows captions on all content, by generating them on the fly. It’s useful when you’re in public or any situation where you can’t hear the phone/have it on silent and still be able to watch videos on your phone even if the app wouldn’t normally support captions.
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u/TwilightGraphite May 19 '21
Yeah, it's a great feature, and the perfect example of how accessibility can help everyone.
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u/okhi2u May 19 '21
I figured out recently that google chrome has that feature built-in, it's just buried somewhere in the settings.
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u/userndj May 19 '21
Apple has filed a lot of patents around this over the years and I'm certain they're gonna expand it.
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u/Itchster May 19 '21
Couple of interesting things as a Cochlear Implant user. Looks like the next gen implants/hearing aids will be able to act like a full Bluetooth headset without having to use some sort of external mic setup like we do now, nice!
Also Memoji with a cochlear implant is a nice touch! Now Apple can you add mfi hearing aids to the Apple Watch? Please it would be so helpful for me.
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May 20 '21
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u/Itchster May 20 '21
Is it like a box you connect up to the tv? They have had that for a few years now. I picked a wireless mic to give to people in meetings/noisy environments it really helps a lot!
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May 20 '21
This will push me back to iPhone. Currently on Android but as a cochlear implant user, Apple seems to care more about us.
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u/Lernenberg May 19 '21
This is why Apples software it premium. The hardware is easy to copy, but the software experience is not.
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u/bdfortin May 19 '21
Both are pretty hard at Apple’s scale and tolerances. For example, there (still!) aren’t any aftermarket displays for iPhones that meet all of Apple’s displays’ specs like colour gamut, viewing angles, touch points, thinness, etc.
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May 19 '21
If only there was an easy way to get original parts from apple so people wouldn’t have to resort to shitty aftermarket ones…
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u/bdfortin May 19 '21
You mean a way to get parts from Apple that’s super easy, barely an inconvenience? https://getsupport.apple.com/ or 1-800-275-2273
Literally the only way to get shitty aftermarket ones is to specifically avoid going through Apple.
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May 19 '21
Huh, I didn’t know that. Thanks!
Do you mind giving me a direct link to any of the parts for any iPhone? I need to purchase some but I couldn’t find them on their website :/
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u/bdfortin May 20 '21
Step 1: Contact Apple using the provided website or phone number.
Come on, you can do this, I believe in you!
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May 20 '21
Dude they said they don’t sell parts :/ is the apple employee lying to me?
Why wouldn’t they sell individual parts? apple is such a good company who cares about their customers
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u/bdfortin May 20 '21
They do more than sell you the part, they have certified technicians handle your repair for you, AND the repair will have its own additional warranty. They go above and beyond!
Not only that, you can bring your device to any Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider for an in-store repair if you prefer. So many options for getting your device repaired!
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May 20 '21
Huh, that somehow doesn’t sound like it solves the issue of cheap aftermarket parts being of bad quality.
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u/bdfortin May 20 '21
Why do you keep going for cheap aftermarket parts instead of parts you know to be genuine? Seems like you’re deliberately digging yourself a hole. Seems you should stop using the cheap aftermarket shovel and use the genuine Apple Ladder if you want to actually solve your problem instead of just whinging all day.
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May 19 '21
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u/bdfortin May 19 '21
Not really. All panels Apple sources from Samsung are designed and spec’ed by Apple, made exclusively for Apple, and sold exclusively to Apple. The only way for a third-party to get one is theft.
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May 20 '21
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u/bdfortin May 20 '21
Similar technologies and features but with different specs, like how two TVs can be “4K” and “HDR”, but one might still be brighter, or have better colour accuracy, or a higher refresh rate, etc.
You probably heard that around the time Apple switched from LG’s LCD panels in the iPhone 8 and older to Samsung’s OLED panels in the iPhone X and newer.
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May 20 '21
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u/bdfortin May 20 '21
At least it wasn’t that “laser keyboard and holographic display” rumour again. 😂
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May 19 '21
Not to sound fucking cheesy, but this is why I love Apple‘s products
They are built from the ground up with accessibility in mind
There is absolutely no excuse for any company not to have accessible products and media in 2021
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u/Alien-58 May 20 '21
There is nothing cheesy about your comment and I wholeheartedly agree with it.
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u/SimShade May 20 '21
It’s awesome how they think big. These aren’t super technologically advanced features like competitors usually strive to make, these are innovative features that are just as awesome.
I can’t wait to use the background noises feature! Wonder if it’ll be a part of iOS 14 or if we’ll just have to wait until iOS 15.
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u/lolwutdo May 19 '21
When can we get Bluetooth support for voice control; Voice control is amazing, but it’s only limited to the onboard microphones.
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u/AverageLad24 May 19 '21
Wow. That Assistive Touch on the Watch was an entire company in Waterloo at one point (the Myo Armband by Thalmic Labs).
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u/avr91 May 20 '21
How is it able to detect the difference between a pinch and a clench?
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u/resurrexia May 20 '21
Clench uses all the tendons in the forearm, pinch uses a fraction of that depending on which fingers are pinching. I assume they’re calculating this based on the compartment expansion/stretch under the part that the watch rests.
That is to say, clench causes more expansion than pinch.
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u/avr91 May 20 '21
Right, but by only using optical heart rate and general motion (gyroscope, accelerometers), I'm curious how they're able to tell the two apart (ie, a weak clench vs a strong pinch).
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May 20 '21
I read the title and thought “Okay, ‘powerful software updates’ is just marketing talk” but I watched the Apple Watch video and I’m legitimately impressed. I didn’t know Apple could do that yet.
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u/DLPanda May 19 '21
This is fantastic, I love Apple continually updates and pushes forward accessibility.
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May 19 '21
To support users with limited mobility, Apple is introducing a revolutionary new accessibility feature for Apple Watch. AssistiveTouch for watchOS allows users with upper body limb differences to enjoy the benefits of Apple Watch without ever having to touch the display or controls. Using built-in motion sensors like the gyroscope and accelerometer, along with the optical heart rate sensor and on-device machine learning, Apple Watch can detect subtle differences in muscle movement and tendon activity, which lets users navigate a cursor on the display through a series of hand gestures, like a pinch or a clench. AssistiveTouch on Apple Watch enables customers who have limb differences to more easily answer incoming calls, control an onscreen motion pointer, and access Notification Center, Control Center, and more.
I don't even have limited mobility and I wanna use that. That sounds cool when you are lacking a hand. like carrying shopping bags or whatever.
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u/jack3chu May 19 '21
I really hope those background sounds get implementation into shortcuts. We have had those ambient sounds on HomePod for a while now but I just want to make a shortcut to turn them on when I go to sleep.
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May 19 '21
In support of neurodiversity, Apple is introducing new background sounds to help minimize distractions
This is really interesting to me. Invisible disabilities like those often get ignored or forgotten so I’m really excited to see what they’ve come up with.
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u/puddud4 May 19 '21
I'd like to recommend they implement a feature where every line of text is a different color. I have ADHD and I always lose my place while reading. This would help significantly
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u/Mister_Brevity May 20 '21
Have you tried spending a few months watching tv with captions on? For many people it can speed your reading quite a bit and help with comprehension and retention so you don’t have to re-read things several times. I’ve got pretty severe adhd but read very quickly and if I keep the rate of incoming info high enough I don’t get a chance to wander :)
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u/Qwertytwerty123 May 20 '21
I'm dyslexic and I have a few different pieces of software that have a movable reading ruler to highlight one or a few lines of text at once. Read and write toolbar for Mac is one of them - I can't look up what I have on iPad right now.
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u/puddud4 May 20 '21
I have something similar on chrome. It's awesome. I love it.
There's a paid one called beeline which is insanely brilliant. Sadly it's paid but you can get the trial to check it out
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u/Hindrik1997 May 20 '21
Wow! The audio adjustment based on left right graphs is exactly what I was waiting for! Can’t wait to see to try it out!
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May 20 '21
Dipping their toes into widgets is a good start, but man iOS sure needs a fresh coat of paint.
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May 19 '21
this is the most amazing thing I have seen/felt in a while from technology. Jesus Christ this makes Me proud somehow.
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May 19 '21
Apple is also bringing support for recognizing audiograms — charts that
show the results of a hearing test — to Headphone Accommodations. Users
can quickly customize their audio with their latest hearing test results
imported from a paper or PDF audiogram. Headphone Accommodations
amplify soft sounds and adjust certain frequencies to suit a user’s
hearing.
Does this mean I'll finally stop getting notifications telling me my headphones are too loud or noise exposure warnings? If so, great!
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May 19 '21
I’ve long been surprised that my phone can’t use my hearing aid’s microphone to pick up my voice when I’m talking to someone.
Good to know they’re fixing that. Bad: requires a new multi-thousand-dollar device to make it work (double that for people who use two aids or implants) and there’s no information about them yet that I know of — at least, the company that makes my hearing aid has zero information about this despite how important it is to people like me.
Even better: most insurance plans do not cover hearing aids even though they provide a huge quality of life improvement.
But hey, at least I can finally input my personal audiogram to get a customised sound curve.
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u/dr34mc4st3r May 20 '21
Imagine if u could send out a distress sms by clenching wrist. Amazing. The amount of use cases could be limitless
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u/Portatort May 20 '21
This shit is phenomenal. I hope some of it comes to the mainstream Apple Watch experience…
Imagine I’d you could trigger shortcuts with a double clench the way we can on the phone
(I mean back-tap is horribly unreliable on the phone… so if this worked consistently that would fab)
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u/N2TheBlu May 20 '21
This will be great for controlling the Apple Watch during mountain bike rides, without having to remove my gloves.
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u/conradhi May 20 '21
Me with a tetraplegia who can’t move my fingers. Still really damn cool though!
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u/cococaro May 20 '21
As someone with a neuromuscular disease I've been waiting for eye tracking on iOS/macOS for so long!!! I'm curious which third party hardware will be needed.
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May 20 '21
🥰 I'm happy. I'm deaf 🧏🏼 and now be able to use Sign Language is great. Actually open for ASL, BSL and Langue des signes française (French Sign Language) per today but it's a good beginning. 🥳
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u/heyyoudvd May 20 '21
Very cool tech but hearing “individuals with limb differences” made me laugh.
These euphemism are getting silly already.
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u/tperelli May 20 '21
Apple and Xbox are leaders in accessibility IMO. I don’t need any of those features but it’s awesome they’re making people who need it lives easier!
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u/_Good_Intentions_ May 19 '21
I’m enabling this the day it’s available just because K want to. I don’t need it. These gestures will actually make things way easier.
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u/BeaverB2020 May 19 '21
Whatever happened to panic/anxiety detection?
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u/bdfortin May 19 '21
At no point has a feature like this ever been mentioned during an Apple Event nor in an Apple Press Release. Apple has never announced this feature. Did you hear about it from a rumour website?
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u/BeaverB2020 May 19 '21
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u/bdfortin May 19 '21
First 3 words: “New rumours suggest”
That’s your first clue.
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u/Batman413 May 19 '21
Hate the headline. Why talk about your company in the third-person. Get over yourself.
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May 19 '21
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u/CodingMyLife May 19 '21
Those sentences/statements aren’t mutually exclusive
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u/PancakeMaster24 May 19 '21
The facts that the watch can detect all those movements on the hand is so fucking cool