Tablet's got you covered

Not that long ago Gizmodo posted an article around one of its journalists attempting to last a week using a Dell Venue 8 (an 8" Windows 8 Tablet) as their primary device. |success? Sort of....

But the possibility of using your talet as your main computing device is becoming more of a reality with a scattering of high end tablets, wireless connecivity options and the ubiquitious OTG (let's you use your micro USB charging port with any standard USB device).

Admittedly some of these devices are rather expensive when compared to a similarly specified laptop/notebook/ultrabook (thehigher end ones such as the Lenovo Yoga Pro 3) but these can be had for a much cheaper price point (Teclast X series). Some even offer Dual boot capabilities in Windows 8 and Android.

Armed with a tablet with Bluetooth, WiFi and WiDi (Wireless Display) you don't even need any cables to get yourself setup for a tablet centred desktop PC (Masking tape maybe to stick it to the back of your monitor??).

And combine it with a bluetooth keyboard case/cover and you've not only got a touch tablet but a fully functional laptop to go.

Mobile Human Computer Interfaces

In terms of Human Comuter Interfaces (HCI) we've come to expect a fairly standard set of options or in other words, the status quo. But do they really meet our needs and is the concept of the smartphone operating system really being appropraitely considered from a finger friendly perspective? Not really, at least not in most cases.

I am sure some punters will laugh in my face but despite WIndows Phone 8 essentially being an Ugly Duckling of the current crowd, it is one of the better implementations of a User Interface that is specifically designed for use with your fingers. It's generally large tiles (although you can usually select several sizes) allows for easy pressing of desired applications.

Ok, I hear you cry out "But what about iOS???!!" and the other crowd who undoubtedly will argue that Android is much better....

It's undeniable that both operating systems are now a pretty sight and Android in particular, allows for a large amount of flexibility in changing the appearance to suit your needs. But heavy use of text and poor in App design are often a problem. Items such as the back button on the new iOS 7 Safari leaves a lot to be desired  Android doesn't do much better with heavy use of text in its interface that are often difficult to identify as buttons unless you have previous experience (the Save and Cancel buttons up the top right common to most apps is terrible).

Some basic principles of design could really help improve the useability of our finger oriented devices.  Steve Jobs is famously quoted as saying they would not produce a smaller tablet unless you could shrink your fingers. Well our fingers haven't shrunk but the Operating Systems haven't provided us with bigger buttons to press either, regardless of screen real estate.

Mobile Screen Magnifier Round Up

Not that long ago I took a look at the Windows Mobile Phone 8 Screen Magnifier in comparison with the iOS Zoom functionality.  Back then I was a bit oblivious to the fact that at long last Android had acquired its own in-built Screen Magnifier (note that I have no idea about Blackberry OS....).  So, now that all three major players in the smartphone and tablet markets have similar functionality, let's line then up and take a closer look at what each has to offer over the other.

 

Android Screen Magnifier

As the newcomer to this particular functionality (at least to my knowledge) Android has some expectations to live up to and a fairly high bar to match.  There are some key and interesting differences between this implementation and the one present on WIndows and iOS based devices even though at first glance, it offers the same feature set.

Unlike iOS and Windows Phone the Android based magnifier does not zoom in on the keyboard.  What?  Yes that's right it doesn't zoom in on the on-screen keyboard.  This may sound odd at first but if you've ever attempted to type while the screen is magnified you can probably recognise that this actual feature comes in handy.  This one works by retaining the screen itself still being magnified (in particularly the text you are entering) while slotting the standard keyboard at the bottom of the screen.

The other odd feature is that when you get a notification in a dialog box the screen automatically disengages the magnifier.  This might seem unusual to start with as well but ends up working favourably as it stops you from remaining oblivious when there is a change in focus in the application which can sometimes occur in iOS (where you might be zoomed in somewhere and not aware of an item requiring your attention somewhere else on the screen).

Apart from this, all functionality is essentially identical to those in Windows Phone and iOS based devices.

iOS Zoom

The iOS Zoom has been around since the first iPad and offers the same functionality as that available on the Windows Phone and Android based devices.  It's key difference here is that it utilises three fingers to implement its functionality.  This can be both good and bad as it's distinct and you won't be setting it off accidentally but it can sometimes be hard to pull off without accidentally clicking on an icon or something you didn't intend to.

Perhaps the most useful distinction here is that the iOS Zoom still retains its kinetic scrolling and flick functionality.  This is handy for reading long lines of text or if you want to quickly go from one side of the screen to the other without zooming out.

WP8 Screen Magnifier

There's nothing really here to set it apart.  About the only thing I can mention here is that the combination of the layout design, capability to enlarge the font sizes in all aspects of the OS and the implenentation of a basic, but well executed magnifier works well.

So which one's for me?

In my view, Android has the edge on the other mobile OS' here.  The way it implements its magnifier is a much more readily useable system that ensures you stay aware of your full screen content while allowing you to zoom in on what's important

Going Silent

So you've acquired yourself a Smartphone....

For most people who are Deaf and Deafblind, the most likely reason you bought one is to do your Text or SMS messaging on in some accessible way (at least more so than a standard cheap phone).  So you have magnification, text-to=seech and if you're lucky, even Voice Recognition that understands what you say but what about your ring tones?

But why do I need a Ring tone?

Well you don't actually....
Until you put your phone on Vibrate, chuck it in your pocket or bag and realise you can't really feel it when it vibrates (especially true if you've got it in your hand bag).  While in silent mode your average mobile will still make a continuous "ring" when a new voice call comes in but your average text message notification makes a weak buzz.  You can't change the intensity or duration either directly or by assigning a different ring tone (IOS will let you set it to repeat up to 10 times).

Which might leave you missing your messages left, right and centre.....

It's a shame so much flexibility in ring tone is available to people who can hear them but how about a bit of vibratory adjustment?

Activating the Magnifier in Android

My apologies to those with Android devices or who were contemplating the purchase of one and my misinformed post about the fact that Android does not appear to yet have a screen magnifier.

The good news is that it does.  Although since there are several versions of ANdroid running around from Honeycomb to Jelly Bean, so you might need to make absolutely sure that the version you are getting has it.  I was lucky enough to have a little play with a Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 today and found out that it does at least have magnification.

To Activate the screen magnifier...
1. Open Settings
2. Open Accessibility
3. Open Screen Magnification and turn it on.

Now that it is turned on you can activate it by triple tapping with one finger.  Controlling the magnification is done by using 2 fingers.  I'll have a better look when I get a chance and let you know the exact details on how to appropriately use the magnifier (instructions are provided in the activation setting screen for the magnifier).

Android Accessibility still Lacks Screen Magnifier?

While Android has always seemed to have decent Accessibility options which have improved over the years, now including such features as KickBack (Haptics), it still appears to be missing a Screen Magnification system built in.  Of course, as with any platform that is as open as Android there are ways around this but it's generally not as simple to use as the magnifiers available in Windows Phone and iOS.

The easiest way to accomplish this is to utilise a screen capture utility and then zooming in using a photo editor/viewer.  It's not a very elegant way to implement the functionality but it might hold you out while you're waiting for one to arrive.

I do understand that not everyone requires a screen magnifier.  Indeed, everyone's accessibility requirements are different, but you only need to do a search online to realise there are quite a few people asking for one.