Apple
Nice Feature Contrasting Information
Originally posted August 29, 2008
Using contrasting gray scale to contrast information is very helpful. I like this use of contrasting color by the Safari browser team at Apple. Notice that the search words are highlighted in white and the first word found is in yellow. All other text has a gray background. This helps put things in context and helps the user find the search word quickly. This same feature could be used for other applications:
- Text editors – could use contrasting colors to help highlight the script construct being edited.
- Word processors – could use gray scale contrast to highlight the sentence and paragraph being edited or selected.
- Web Browsers – could highlight only the text or object being viewed, (as defined by the mouse pointer location).
- Photo editing software – could brighten the pixel area being edited and dim the rest of the photo.
- Code debuggers – could highlight the trace walk-back item and dim the other statements.
You get the idea. This feature should be optional. For many low vision users, contrast is a great way to pin-point something and make it obvious.
Apple Support Responds to Magnifier Focus Post
Originally posted August 28,2008
Apple support responded quickly to my Mac OS X requirement suggestions. Some of their responses indicate to me that they are not standing still on making their magnifier a state of the art tool for low vision users. Apple is a leader in OS accessibility and that is why I use a Mac.
- Provide text smooting. – Apple provides image smoothing but not text smoothing. When text is magnified beyond 4x, the user can see “digital jag”. The text has raged edges where the magnifier shows individual pixels. This could be resolved. Performance issues will have to be overcome. Commercial magnifiers have this feature. [Apple]: http://developer.apple.com/leopard/overview/ mentions Apple is already moving toward resolution independence which will ultimately enable on-screen elements to scale without jaggies.
- Provide a magnification spotlight. – This will allow the user to only magnify a small area of the screen. This helps with context. Windows allows the user to determine the size of the magnification rectangle. All magnifiers need this feature. The user should be able to toggle between full screen and spotlight quickly. [Apple]: Apple includes a developer tool called Pixie, that provides “spotlight” magnification in a window up to 12x magnification. (it’s on the Mac OS X DVD in case you didn’t install the developer tools on your Mac.) It ships with every Mac. Your thoughts on how it might be useful as an end-user application would be appreciated.
- Provide keyboard shortcuts. - Shortcuts should be one-handed. Shortcuts are needed for; toggling magnification on/off, moving the magnification focus up/down/left/right, switching from full-screen/spotlight and increasing/decreasing magnification. This would help with keeping magnified information in context. Sighted users who are working with visually impaired users would GREATLY APPRECIATE this support! [Apple]: Mac OS X provides shortcut keys for enabling and disabling zoom, changing magnification and smoothing, and provides for trackpad and mouse scrolling control of the magnification (press the Control key while dragging the trackpad or scrolling the mouse). Zooming is also enabled by default in Mac OS X.
This is good news about the text smoothing support. I will try the Pixie tool and report back on it. It would be nice if the Pixie tool could be made part of OS X and integrated with the magnifier as described above. Two magnifiers are not needed. I will encourage Apple to include additional shortcuts as described above. It is worth noting that Apple provides a real time magnifier that is ahead of competition. We will report on Microsoft’s response.
Apple’s 3Q New Products
Originally posted July 28, 2008
Jason D. O’Grady & David Morgenstern posted an interesting blog entry on ZDNet today, “Mystry Solved: Apple’s New Product is iTablet”. They are guessing that the 3Q announcement of new products will include this touch-screen tablet PC that utilizes 100 patents and parts of other products like iPhone. If they are right and this product is to be introduced and be successful, it could mean:
- The mouse could be dead – no need for a mouse with touch-screen gesture technology.
- Typing could be revolutionized – view specific keyboards could be introduced by each application.
- Navigation could be enhanced – with new standard gestures.
- Alternative views could be provided – with gestures and new application standard components.
- Context specific views/shortcuts could be created – taking advantage of smaller UI real estate.
This should be fun to see if this is a good guess and if so how it affects User Interfaces for accessibility.