February maybe one of the shortest months of the year, however, it doesn’t seem to be a quiet month for Android fans. Google’s buying, selling and updating like crazy and we try to encapsulate the month’s recent news in this episode. Plus, Ana provides an interview with another Android Developer, a discussion on recent critical articles on Android’s accessibility and of course your feedback in the overflowing Mailbag.

In The News:

Google’s $3.2 billion Nest deal is official

Q&A: Lenovo CEO On How To Turn Around Motorola

Nokea launches a trio of Android based phones

Strange bedfellows: Microsoft could bring Android apps to Windows

New Android OEM licensing terms leak; “Open” comes with a lot of restrictions

CamFind is Tap Tap See for Android says Steve

A walk with Project Tango

ideal Group has released GuideDroid Beta

Steve notes that you have to suspend TalkBack first, try Crazy Bat

Why you shouldn’t propose with Google Glass

Google i/o June 25th – 26th

Developer Interview: PDF To Speech Pro

Ana sits down to discuss the parels of development with PDF, alternative formats and the challenges of keeping up with so many changes to it all over so many years. don’t miss this inside look at one of the veteran apps for TalkBack users. Also, not listed here, this app is also available for Amazon kindle users via the Amazon App Market.

App Demo: PDF To Speech

Ana calls this PDF To Speech “a media player for books”. And she may just be right. With options for so many formats, voices and gestures, you will see why this app is one of the best options for those who use TalkBack to read various text formats.

Discussion topic: Android Development Accessibility

The team sits down to discuss recent articles from Marco and Chris about their views on Android Development and how accessible these development tools are. To follow along with the discussion, check out these articles: From Chris: Testing Android Accessibility: I Give Up

He also wrote a post on programming

Marco, previously interviewed on our show, has some info up about the challenges encounterd with firefox for Android

And… Accessibility in Firefox for Android – Some more technical details

Plus… Accessibility in Firefox for Android: Some more technical background, Part II

Be sure to send in your thoughts on these articles, or on our discussion of these articles, in an iReport or email. We’d like to hear what our audience has to say about all this. Who knows, your comments could be featured in an upcoming show!

Mailbag

Our first email is from Kelsey:

“Hi Guys, I just want to start off with a big thank you for all the great work you include in your Android podcasts and wish you all the best for 2014… bring it on podcast 25! My main topic is about Android – specifically, the Nexus 7.
I’m a dedicated iOS user; I started off with an iPod Touch 4, merged to the iPhone 4 when my Owasys 22c blind phone broke down and now have an iPhone 4S. However, I took a risk just before the new year and dived into Android with the Google Nexus 7. This was after reading many articles with blind people moaning about how awful Android was compared to iOS and how it should be killed or destroyed or beaten up but I decided that I would decide for myself thank you very much. After un-boxing the Nexus 7 (which happened to fly across the room when I finally persuaded it to rather violently pop out of the box), I managed to set it up with TalkBack with no sighted assistance – one aspect I was very impressed with. I checked out the TalkBack tutorial and got my head around the basics. Next, I updated it to 4,4,2 KitKat and then set to work. The first thing I did was go to the Play Store, go to my iPhone and see which of the applications on my phone were available on the Nexus 7. I found a few and then went with the ones I knew.
Plume for Twitter just didn’t do it for me so I soon uninstalled that. I think that may be because I’m so used to checking Twitter on Twitterrific (a big shout-out to those guys) that I just couldn’t get used to doing it on the Nexus. It took me a while to hunt down what I think is one of the most important aspects of getting a new device – a case. Eventually, I chose a wired keyboard case with has a keyboard sewn into the case and room for the tablet to stand on top. I was very impressed with the ease of touch typing on a 7 inch physical keyboard. So, about four weeks into this Android experience, my reaction is far from I'm a iPhone-ian... Get Me out of Here. I’m more in the Android-ian Idol. I’m loving the Google Play / KitKat experience and I think I’ve found the key to why people are so reluctant to accept Android after using an iDevice. Android is different. It is a very unique experience and user interface compared to any operating system – mobile or desktop – that I have ever seen but once you get that idea and learn the way it works, it is so easy to learn about Android. And to be honest, your device isn’t exactly going to explode in your hands so you need to explore, customise and exercise your thirst for adventure. Try it in different situations, see how it works for you in day to day life and see if it fits your needs. Also, we Android people all seem to stare at people who say that Android is rubbish but we also have to accept that it is not going to be for everyone just as Windows is not going to be for everyone and nor is OS 10. Finally, I do have a few questions about Android (yes, hello Jo). Do you have any applications that may help me in day to day life? I’m talking about Twitter applications (I’m still open to that idea). How about other cool applications, mainstream or blindness specific? Really, free applications are for me as I’m under a tight budget but I’m interested all round. I’ve currently got iBlink Radio, Accapella TTS, WordPress, Skype, BBC News, BBC Weather, CamFind, Kindle, Hatchi, StemStumper and TuneIn Radio. Also, I know the basic gestures: flicks, double-taps, single-tap option, scrolling with left right flick, two finger scroll and the two-part, rightangle gestures. Is there any of gestures that I’m missing here? Well, thanks for your help guys and keep going with the good work. All hands on deck for promoting Android accessibility to all around!!!!

Best Wishes,

Kelsey

London, England”

Thanks for that awesome report. Ana did a good job about describing gestures last year. moreover, most of the apps we’ve discussed over the years are still pretty much useable with Android [barring if they have not been abandoned by the Developer]. Take a look through our archives to see if any past recommendations strike your fancy.

Next, thoughts from Mike Arigo …

“I mainly wanted to agree with something Steve said on this show. I also wish developers would pay more attention to android. I too wish the developer of blind square would develope a version for android. The number of blind android users is continuously growing, and to say there is not enough blind android users is simply wrong. Hopefully developers will stop treating android like a second class platform and give it as much attention as they do on IOS.”

Wise words sir. Now we turn to an email from Christene.

“To Whom It May Concern, I am looking at getting the Samsung as my next cell phone. However, I understand that there is a new Samsung phone coming out in March. Here are some questions that I have they are as follows. What do you think of the Samsung mini cell phone? Also what do you think of the regular size Samsung cell phone? I would appreciate any information that you may be able to provide in this matter.

Thank you for your time regarding this matter.

Sincerely,

Christine Chaikin

Whenever someone considers a Samsung device, in the realm of android, the reality of it coming with Touch Wiz has to be considered. Unless, as some do, you choose the Google Play editions of a device that sports stock android instead of Touch Wiz. If you aare a low vision user, then you may find touch Wiz’s “Easy mode” helpful. And TalkBack users might find the extra chattiness of notification and tags helpful in learning android. We’ve also mentioned before that we wish more makers would add the ability to place the Accessibility menu in the Power Options like the option within Touch Wiz. And if you can deal with all of that, and some of Samsung’s bloatware, then you might enjoy using a Samsung device. If not, then go the play Edition route or look at using another device.

Next, an email from Robin

“I have tried a number of magnifiers on my Android JellyBean device. Cozy Magnifier and Microscope Free and Cozy Magnifier and Microscope Plus, No Ads, 99Cents, by Hantor, are great. The developer has responded to suggestions for increasing accessibility with updates and email responses. I have tried every magnifier I can find for my device, and this is by far the best. I read small things at close range and signs far away, and much in between.
I love That Android Show.

Robin Switzer Brunner”

Cool suggestions Robin! We hope to hear from our listeners to see what else they have tried or have seen with both of those apps you recommend.

Contacting the Team

We’ve had our say, now its your turn. Drop us a line at or send us a tweet at our official Twitter page.

You can also follow our hosts by visiting

Ana’s Accessible Android blog or

JJ at AndroidAccess.net.

Finally, Check out Steve’s Twitter feed.

Thanks for listening!

This is by far one of the most jam packed content shows we’ve done since the Nexus 7 episode. And we even managed to talk about that new version of the 7 too. Therefore, by decree of the hosts, we claim that this show is a must listen. So many listener questions answered,all at once, we may have just run aground for topics on next month’s show!

In The News:

Nexus 7 receives bug fix update, should solve multitouch and GPS issues

Google begins rollout of Android Device Manager to help track your lost phone

Google Now just got a big update! It can now track concert tickets, transit times, rental cars, and much more

Google Helpouts to let you buy and sell video chats with experts

Nearby Explorer sees an update and here’s what is new…

Another Android list? Yep, and if you are interested add the word subscribe in the subject line of a message to:
vi-android-request@freelists.org

Check out the Podcast, Extreme Call Blocker for Android

Droid 5 on the horizon?

Feature Preview: Graphic Labeling In TalkBack

Its one of the most asked questions to the crew of the podcast. When will it happen? How can I get it? Why isn’t it already there? Well, even though it is still in the beta stage, Ana takes us an early look at the Graphics Labeling feature in Android. Note, since this is still a beta, the final product may not resemble what is demonstrated in this episode.

Interview: Greg Stilson Of Humanware

We’ve been asked by many of you out there to do a segment on Brail and BraileBack. And we couldn’t be happier that Greg Stilson, Product Manager at Humanware, jumped at the chance to help us out with an interview about this very subject. Greg talks about the process, the approach and how humanware products are working with Android. This chat should do much to answer many of our recent mailbag questions about Braille and more!

Apps, Apps, Apps:

Tyler sent in an iReport about what were some good TalkBack friendly apps for the new Android user. The gang sat down and gave their thoughts on not only the new user, but some new apps as well.

The update to Barns And Noble’s “Nook” app is worth a look Steve says

JJ talks about the new Learning Ally app

Ana discusses the new GPS app Dotwalker

Steve has recently posted some fantastic deep dives into Android and TalkBack on the long running “Our Place” podcast. To hear, subscribe and share, visit the “Our Place” site.

And be sure to visit Ana’s new relaunched Accessible Android blog. She’d like feedback, suggestions and conversation about the new site!

Feature Preview: Text Selection

Knocking those Mailbag questions down one by one. This time Ana takes on the commonly asked question “How can I select text in Android?”. Remember, like Graphics Labeling earlier, this is in beta and so it may just change by the time the feature becomes officially supported. However, we wanted to show our listeners that it is coming and you can help give your feedback to the Development team before this finalizes later this year.

Mailbag:

Greg, not the one from Humanware, writes in with this question…

“Hello all, is there a way to quickly mark emails for deletion and delete all at once using the native email/gmail applications in jellybean using brailleback? I’ll be on a road trip later this week and would like to be able to clean out emails while on the road. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
I’m using a Sprint Samsung Galaxy s3 with Jellybean 4.1, Talkback 3.5 beta1, and the latest version of Brailleback and an Alva bc640.
Thanks,
Greg Rogers”

Steve recommends Aquamail as a possible solution to Greg’s question

Ana also suggests looking at the batch function in K9 Mail too

Hardware Review: Chromecast

JJ describes the device, his setup process and he shares his thoughts on this new $35 device that connects to your Android or iDevice to share tabs and video from Chrome.

Contacting the Team

We’ve had our say, now its your turn. Drop us a line at resources@serotalk.com or send us a tweet at our official Twitter page.

You can also follow our hosts by visiting

Ana’s Accessible Android blog or

JJ at AndroidAccess.net.

Finally, Check out Steve’s Twitter feed.

Thanks for listening!

**In The Google I/O News:

Why Google’s Big Conference Will Be Quieter This Year

Google to sell unlocked Galaxy S 4 with stock Android 4.2 on June 26

Google gives developers app beta testing, multiplayer API

Google Play services get substantial API update

Google beefs up Hangouts into text, photo, video chat powerhouse

Google overhauling flagship search with “Answer, converse, anticipate”

Google unveils new music subscription service to compete with Spotify

Google pushes Android tablets for the classroom with its new educational initiative

Google Maps adds better directions, suggestions, and 3D Earth rendering

Everything announced at the Google I/O 2013 keynote in one handy list

Google engineers discuss fragmentation, hardware, and Project Butter

Larry Page wants to ‘set aside a part of the world’ for unregulated experimentation

What we didn’t get at Google I/O 2013 (Key Lime Pie, smartwatch, and more)

**App Overview: Hangin’ Out With Ricky, Joe And Google Hangouts

Ricky and Joe walk us through portions of the Video Calling features of the new update to Google Plus and Google Hangouts on their nexus 7 tablets and some other device designed by a company in California we shall not name here. We will say that this unknown device does have a better mic than the nexus 7 though.

**App Overview: Ana Shows off The Stock Email and Gmail Apps

We’ve gotten a lot of questions about how to go about using the Email and Gmail apps in Android. This month, Ana takes us through some of the menus and options in both these important applications.

**Mailbag

Lets start off this month’s feedback with poetry from Chris;

“And Ode to Google Now There’s a miracle on my cellphone All I did was click ‘allow’ Now it’s tracking all my movements It’s known as Google now There are cards that report the weather Sports results and even more It collects my personal data But for what I’m not quite sure It even knows my bladder For my life I can’t think how It said ‘To make it to the bathroom’ ‘You need to leave the bedroom now’ Just because I work from home And avoid the traffic strife I found it quite insulting That one card said ‘Get a Life!’ So my thanks go out to Google For watching all I do I’ve pulled the blind and locked the door At least it’s private in my loo! Chris Ankin”

Thank you Chris for that very much well needed classing up of the joint. Poetry corner starts up on an episode of “That Android Show’ very soon. Get your coffee and jazz records ready folks.

“Hi Guys, Inspired by TAS 13, I’ve bought myself a Nexus 7, wow what a lovely tablet, from the moment I got it out of the box I was in love!, I have to agree with all your comments this device exudes quality and having only had an Archos G9 tablet to compare it to, it’s worlds apart and SO slick in feel and use. I wanted to pick up on something Jo mentioned whilst talking to Byron about ‘Aqua Mail’ being accessible, I went and got it from the Play Store and have now bought the Pro version. For anyone who recalls my email a few months back where I was desperately searching for an email client that actually READ my emails, this is the one!, you can add multiple accounts so simply all the hard work is done for you, it’s just a case of entering your email address and password and bingo!, I have two hotmail accounts plus my Gmail all on the one app. Most importantly I can simply move my finger down line by line, or hold position at the bottom of the screen and the whole thing reads out. There are some accessibility features included like colour contrast ‘white on black’, use of web scripts. Sound notifications with an option to turn off during the night with specific times. All in all this is by far the most usable email app I’ve come across on Android. Having listened to Steve’s review of Moonreader, the book reading apps that I’d throw into the ring would be ‘Go Read’ and ‘Read Books’ and possible even ‘Auto Reader 3D’ is worth a look. On the Audiobook side ‘Coolreader’, ‘Listen Audiobook Player’ and my favourite ‘smart Audiobook Player’ – for some free aduiobooks either streamed or downloaded check out ‘LibraryVox Audiobooks’ Looking forward to show 15! Kind regards, Chris”

The team also mentioned the Akimbo app as something that Chris may want to check out as well. Next up, Denis with a question.

“Hello team, Is it possible to label objects with Talkback? Thank you.

Dennis Bartlett”

Sadly, no not yet. However, we’ve got our fingers crossed for Android v5 or a later version of Talkback. Stay tuned. And now ken asks a question we often get asked on TAS;

“Hi That Android Show Team,

To cut a long story short, I am forced to consider upgrading to a smart phone. My current phone battery takes less of a charge over time. I am a Verizon customer and their feature phones are becoming more limited over time. This is especially true of contact management. I only use my cell phone to make telephone calls. Verizon has excellent coverage in the area ware I mostly use my cell phone so I want to stay with them if possible. I am still using a LG 4650 because of an accessible windows PC contact management program. I can enter or edit all contact information in a fully accessible windows PC program on my computer then transfer that information to my phone. I do not have to try to enter contact information using just a phone keypad or virtual keypad. Is there anything comparable to this program in the Android Eco system? If there is, please direct me to where I can get that program. JJ and Joe is the Droid 4’s physical keyboard good enough to enter contact information efficiently and comfortably. Thank all of you for any help you can provide.

Best Wishes, Ken Scott”

As JJ and Joe said a few shows back, the Droid 4 is a pretty good phone with a darn good hardware keyboard. And that it runs v4.1 is an amazing bonus! It is still a mid level phone, working towards entry level, one year into its life cycle and it has seen three OS upgrades. Its possible it might even get v4.2 as well. If you can live with the fact that this hardware is aging and may be left behind in about 8 months, it’s a great buy. But if you are looking for better support on newer hardware, you may want to look at some from the Samsung line that have hardware keyboards instead.

“Hi, just wanted to say I have learned a great deal about Android and it has peeked my interest. I am an IOS user at present. keep up the good work, considering a Nexus 7

John”

Thanks John, we welcome all to listen. Even those on Windows Phones, Firefox OS or those devices that begin with a vowel. The Nexus 7 is a great starter on the road to Android and it doesn’t require a cell contract. Which just makes it even better for beginners. Our last two emails are from James Mannion.

“Hi That Android Show team,

I wanted to write in and share my observations after having gotten some hands on time checking out the HTC1. I do not own one and I did not get to check out everything in depth or really research the possibilities of resolving the minor issues I did find, but here is my perspective. I am happy to report I found it to be good and not at all a disappointing experience. I checked out the AT&T model in the store. The home screens as well as the apps drawer do read. This includes the home screen that HTC dedicates to what they call blink feed. The keyboard does read and is functional although you have to double tap on a character to enter it. I do not know if this is a 4.1 issue, an HTC issue or an old version of Talkback on the device. I know I have heard of the Samsung Note II having the same issue. Quite annoying, but really a minor issue in my opinion. The next minor issue I found is that the buttons within the notification shade were not labeled. These were the buttons to clear notifications and to bring up settings from within the notifications shade. Again, updating talkback might resolve that issue. In the stock lanucher that HTC puts on the device, within the apps drawer you scroll up and down instead of left and right and it moves up and down by screen that way. I actually prefer that. The biggest issue I found is that when touching the top of the screen it only reads the clock. It did not report battery or signal status or any other information. That information is important, but the issue may be able to be resolved by updating talkback, using a different launcher, I have come to prefer Nova anyway even over the Android stock launcher on my Nexus 4 anyway, or there may be entries in settings to change how these items are displayed. I did not get to go any further in depth than that and I would be interested in hearing any information you have on it as well as any thoughts on if using a different launcher should have an impact on those status items reading or do they remain how they are at a deeper system level and unchanged by what launcher you load. Finally, the phone feels very nice in the hand, is made of quality materials and is very fast and responsive. The speakers sound fantastic although I heard something about the speakers becoming the subject of a law suit and injunction against HTC concerning the speakers used? From what I heard I was not clear on what the end result would be. My understanding on that is incomplete and please feel free to correct me if what I do understand is incorrect.

Jim”

“Hi That Android Show crew,

I just wanted to write to share and express my frustration and wondering about what seems to be sighted people posting negative reviews all the time on the play store on Talkback. I seriously question their motive. It really seems like they are people who don’t need the assistance and run the thing anyway and then post it as some sort of huge problem that it “jacked up their phone” and other things. They have to first ignore the message that it will change the gestures, look for nothing but how to get around the tutorial about how it works, have launched it with no research on what it does or what it is for and then complain like it is a complete fault of the system that it caused them some sort of issue?? I can’t stand this age we live in where people absolutely refuse to take any responsibility for anything and absolutely everything is someone’s fault regardless of what the individual trying to fault someone else did or didn’t do relevant to the situation. Is it simply exploration with an unwillingness to be diligent about what they are doing or is it some bad intention and some sort of hate against our access??”

To be honest, we aren’t surprised about the HTC Sense UI. Historicly this has never been a great skinning of Android for TalkBack and many on the team felt that there would be little change coming in version 5. As to the comments, it’s the internet. Nothing surprises us much when it comes to those out there who comment on apps without reading release notes, app descriptions or even app permissions. Much of the problems with those who sideload and spread ill fated apps probably can be drawn back to app commenters. We’re joking of course, but as you heard a few episodes back, some developers don’t even look at the Play Store comments anymore for constructive criticism.

**Contacting the Team We’ve had our say, now its your turn. Drop us a line at or send us a tweet at our official Twitter page.

You can also follow our hosts by visiting

Ana’s Accessible Android blog or

JJ at AndroidAccess.net.

Finally, Check out Steve’s Twitter feed.

Thanks for listening!

Do you enjoy our SPN Podcasts? You can help us out a whole lot by taking this very short survey.

Yep, it’s been a while since you heard us last. We figured a whopping 150 minute podcast might need a little separation time before we showed up again in the RSS feed. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, etc. Still, we’ve been storing up your feedback and we’re back with another show on topics like OCR, ePub and more!

In The News:

The number 1 story of 2012, Fleksy, is coming to Android in 2013

Here’s an example of how the mainstream media is finding the Fleksy app useful and promoting it to other sighted users. “Are you prone to touch-screen typos? The Fleksy app is here to save you from yourself”

Check out the SPN SeroSpectives “Year in AT” for even more Android related news with JJ and Joe!

Verizon brings Mobile Accessibility to the Google Play market as a free service for those on Verizon Wireless

AT&T Launches Corporate Accessibility Technology Office and Further Expands Commitment to Customers with Disabilities

The official Nexus 7 Dock has arrived on store shelves. Here’s a review from Android Central.

Don’t forget, if you haven’t heard it already, we cover the Nexus 7 in-depth in episode 13. And this month Steve gives his opinion now that he was able to open his holiday gifts and join the Nexus 7 set.

You can find the page for the Martian watches Steve mentioned here

Braile Back officially released

And here is another link for BrailleBack information and supported displays

Ray Kurzweil joins google

Dropbox to be included on all Samsung flagship phones and cameras

Great Android Apps to Help the Visually Impaired

Some people stray from the path and then return to the fold. Such is the case with this blog post on “Adventures In Android”.

A T Guys seeking feedback on a possible @SpeedDots protector for the Nexus 7 with a short survey.

App Review: Moon Plus Reader Pro:

Steve has been telling the team about this app for months. Now he lets everyone else in on the party with a demo of this app that lets you read ePub files and so much more. Find the link to the app in the Play Market if you want to know more. Note, as Steve says in his review, you want to choose the paid option over the free one in order to have better luck with TalkBack.

App Review: Google Voice Actions:

Continuing our look at the Nexus 7, and Jellybean, Ana shows us just how powerful and amazing this built in app is for things beyond just searching the web on the topic of socks. You can learn more about Voice Actions from the official page and you can also read more about them from this link.

Second link non official

Ana also wanted to mention this helpful tip for a common question we get asked about all the time in regards to this app.

“Google Now often speaks results in its own voice, so users sometimes hear two voices, the voice of Google Now and the voice of the screen reader. To prevent this from happening, go to Settings>Language and

Input>Voice Search and set Speech Output to Only When Hands Free.”

Developer Interview: ScanThing:

Throughout our series we have gotten many questions about OCR apps and what is it like to develop them for Android. We were lucky enough to sit down with the ScanThing Developers for a long chat about their app and what the future may hold for an upcoming release. We would like to thank Eric and Razi for their time and for giving us such an open look at their process of development. Also, check out the demo of the app with Ana and Rusty perez that follows the Developer Interview segment. And, most importantly, you can find the app on the Play Market by heading over to the product page.

Mailbag:

There were so many emails and iReports from everyone that we can’t feature them all in one show. We did want to say thank you for sending in your feedback and please continue sending it as it helps us create the show you, the listener, wants to hear on SPN! Many of your comments on episode 13 mirrored the below email;

““Hi guys,

I just wanted to thank you for your recent Jellybean coverage; it’s helping me decide on a mobile platform for college. I’ve been an iOS gal for a while, but I’m sort of between platforms at the moment, so I went to you guys to see the other side of the fence, so to speak. I appreciate the strengths of both platforms, but for my current needs and constraints I think the Nexus 7 is a viable option.

I do have a question about office type apps for the Nexus– are there any accessible solutions for browsing and editing Word documents? I have a desktop at home, but I’m interested in something portable. I’ve also been looking at keyboard cases for the Nexus 7 online; have any of you gotten to try one of those?

Again, thank you to everyone on SPN for providing such quality information and commentary. Especially for the Android team–TAS 13 was just what I needed.”

We’re happy so many enjoyed the nexus 7 show. It took a long time, however, you liked it. You really liked it! That wasn’t the only remarks we got in since lucky 13. Here’s just a smattering of the other comments we cover this episode.

Sebastian left us an iReport on another phone in the Samsung Galaxy line for T Mobile. And it has a keyboard! Want to know more? Check out this unboxing video from PhoneDog

We’ve gotten in several calls about that other Galaxy phone you may have heard of called the S III. Here are some tips we found about the phone that may answer some of the questions we’ve been hearing from our listeners.

Jane left us an iReport about games. There are really  some out there, check out our first episode for an interview with the creators of Stem Stumper, but the crew would love for our fans to give us some reviews of Audio Ping Pong from the Google Play Market!

Now for the emails, Greg writes in with the following;

“Hey That Android Show, I decided to go with the Galaxy s3 using Android and have just a couple questions

How do you maneuver seek controls with Talkback such as the 1 that controls screen brightness?

How do you cut/copy and paste text using Talkback?

Finally, what’s the best way to make use of the playbooks application in conjunction with Talkback?

Thanks,

Greg”

Ana, in reply to Greg’s email, writes…

“1. To change the value of a slider, long-press (i.e., double-tap, keeping the finger on the screen after the second tap), then swipe left or right.

2. As far as I know, we don’t have a way to select text accessibly. I’ve been able to do it off and on, but I haven’t figured out how to do this predictably. This is the only area where there is a major gap in accessibility.

3. I use Play Books, but I’m not sure how I do it. I’ll pay attention so I can do an app review on the next show maybe.”

Just a little Inside Baseball, like so much that happened during the Nexus 7 special, the app changed in an recent update. So we will revisit Google Books, and Google Currents, again in a future show.

And talking about recent updates, our regular pen Pal Chris from across the pond fills us in on a few things since our last show;

“Just an update to my previous email, I’ve now learnt that Adobe Flash is still available but has to be downloaded from the Adobe archive page rather than from Google Play store.

I’ve also heard that Google may enable conection to adhoc connections at some stage, this means that a temporary wifi hotspot can be created on a mobile phone with 3g, and can be connected to by your tablet thus negating the need for a separate data plan or even buying a more expensive tablet with a 3g capability.

This kind of connection was only previously possible using ‘tethering’ to another Android phone, I have no details on when this will happen, just read it on the ‘smart wifi scanner’ app page, Google really should address this, as it’s already possible on Apple ipad’s so it’d be another strong selling point for Android devices.

Looking forward to TAS 13

Kind regards,

Chris

UK”

And another from Chris…

“Hi Guys,

Well show 13 was a long time coming, but well worth the wait!, really enjoyed listening to your in depth view on the Nexus 7, there’s nowhere else in the world to get that all important perspective from a visually impaired person’s point of view, so thanks!

An update on the Adobe flash saga, I managed to download it from the archive section of the Adobe site, it means you have to temorarily enable the option to accept third party apps to install it, but it’s now back on my ICS Archos tablet.

I heard on a UK tech podcast called ‘Frequency Cast’ that Google may be bringing out a sub $100 Nexus tablet in Spring 2013 which will be interesting.

Meanwhile on the Google Playstore the Nexus 4 in both 8 and 16Gb versions remains elusive.  The 16Gb model briefly became avaiable as an advance order of 6 weeks, and then promptly got updated back to ‘sold out’.  The LG factory must be working 24/7 at the moment and it seems very odd that Google should launch a product and then not be able to complete orders, they must have grossly under estimated the demand.

I do own an Archos G9 80 tablet, and despite some firmware issues which saw my tablet having to be replaced, I am actually pretty happy with it, at the time I was having the problems I swore I’d never buy another Archos product again then low and behold on their website http://www.archos.com/products/home/archos_tv_connect/index.html   they have announced the release of the ‘Archos TV Connect’.

This is a samall box that connects directly to your TV via HDMI, has a host USB and SD card slot, has ethernet and WI-FI connectivity and is running Jellybean Android.  The clever bit is that it comes with a bluetooth remote which has a touch surface allowing users to swipe and tap the same way as you would your phone or tablet, thus effectively turning your TV into a huge tablet.  The prospects are great for low vision or even blind users because you can of course enable ‘talkback’ and access all your usual apps, but it’ll be really handy for accessing YouTube and Catch-up TV, I see it as a universal media centre that is Android powered – the best new is that it’s only going to cost £99 in the UK so I guess under $150

With these exciting innovations starting to filter through, I’m thinking that Android really will be the new Apple!

Best regards,

Chris Ankin

UK”

In episode 13, joe and Ana wanted to know if anyone had been using keyboard editing on their Nexus 7 units. Check out the show for an iReport and discussion on this topic. And take a gander at the email below for even more info;

“Hi,

Yes, you can copy and paste, etc., using a qwerty keyboard connected via a micro USB/USB cable. I use my Nexus 7 this way all the time. However, and this is a big one, I haven’t found any way to control echoing using talkback. It echoes every key you type and every word you type. It is also sluggish if you are used to a computer. This has meant I am not as anxious to compose on my tablet. It’s good for editing when all those details are really important.

The keyboard is also handy to find those pesky menu/more options buttons though you can’t right click anything. You still have to double tap and hold the screen.

hth, Rill””

Next, Carolyn’s email started quite the debate between all the team members. Here’s the email in question that set off the firestorm.

“Hello,

 Santa brought my husband, Dennis, the Nexis 10 for Christmas.  He loves it.  I gave him the 10 instead of the 7, reasoning that with the vision he has, the bigger screen would be best.

However, for me with no vision, I’m wondering which Nexis tablet is best.  The 7, 10, isn’t there a 4?

Or does it really make a difference for us totally blind guys?

Just curious to see what the team thinks.

Thanks and keep up the fabulous work!

Carolyn”

Thanks for the email about the nexus 10. We think it comes down to the individual, okay some of us do, but many choose the 7 because of its size and weight. To each their own use case. Still, go to the shops and hold each in your hands before you make any purchases. Better to know in person than make a guess at it online.  

Contacting the Team

We’ve had our say, now its your turn. Drop us a line at resources@serotalk.com or send us a tweet at our official Twitter page.

You can also follow our hosts by visiting

Ana’s Accessible Android blog or

JJ at Android Access.net.

Finally, Check out Steve’s Twitter feed.

Thanks for listening!

2012 has been a banner year for Android and the Nexus line. Powered by the amazing Project Butter filled Jellybean, the rise of the Samsung Galaxy S III and the growth of the Play Market, Android became a worldwide sensation with adoption rates soring past the 1 million activations a day mark. The summer release of the Nexus 7, featuring the partnership of Google and Asus, started off a flurry of sales and it shoed that you could have the experience of stock Android in a good looking and affordable 7 inch tablet. While the team dreams of getting their hands on a new Nexus 4 or the delightful nexus 10, we turn instead to our trusty Nexus 7 units to provide you a long look at the tablet and the enhancements that come along with version 4.2 of Jellybean. Join Byron Lee, Ricky Enger, Ana and Joe as they discuss their thoughts on the good and the bad of the Nexus 7.

In The News

Let’s start with the “What’s new” page for jellybean 4.2

Ars Technica reviews Jellybean 4.2

Android 4.2.1 rolling out to take back the month of December

Here’s the Play Market page for the nexus 7 8 BG

take a look at the Accessibility page for the Nexus 7

Also, for more SPN goodness on the Nexus 7 and other tablets, be sure to listen to our second Mobile Special “Scratching The Surface With Mike Calvo”

A Discussion Of low Vision Use Of The Nexus 7 With Byron Lee And Joe

We’ve had a lot of requests to chat about using low vision related apps on Android. Byron Lee recently acquired a Nexus 7 and he stopped by to offer his thoughts on the unit and provided some tips for using Android in general.

Change System Fonts to APHont

Below are the steps Mr. lee provided for changing your system fonts. Beware that this requires you to root your phone and you would seriously need to decide if you would want to do that before pursuing this option. Also, we don’t recommend rooting on the show. So, do this at your own risk!

Here are the steps from Byron:

1) root phone

2) changed her default fonts to BOLD APHONT–a low vision font

APH Products: APHont A Font for Low Vision

note: the default fonts for android are in the device folder

/system/fonts/

and i replaced both

DroidSans.ttf

and

DroidSans-Bold.ttf

with APHont bold, but i made sure to rename it as “DroidSans.ttf” and

“DroidSans-Bold-ttf”

*** i also kept a backup copy of those 2 fonts! ***

3) rebooted

4) changed the default font SIZE using “Font Size (for root users)”;

published by i-p-tel GmbH, and available on the Android Market.

5) rebooted again

6) installed JORTE for calendar — syncs w/ google calendar

Byron also recommended these apps as being low vision friendly

Big Font

Mobile Accessibility

BIG Launcher

ScreenZooM (rooted)

Battery Notifier (Big Text)

K-9 Mail

Dolphin Browser

iBlink Radio

Mailbag

First up, an email from Mike Arigo

“Hey guys, loved the show!

I don’t know of any qwerty phones that have jellybean out of the box, but if you’re willing to learn how to install different roms, you have several options. I’m running 4.1.2 on my sony xperia pro, my sony xperia mini pro, my htc desire z and my htc my touch 4g slide. All of these phones have qwerty keyboards, and were never officially updated to jellybean, but they run it very well. These phones only work with GSM, that’s why I don’t like CDMA, you’re too limited in what phones you can use. I’m with Steve, I prefer to buy my phones directly, as far as I’m concerned, the carrier control needs to end at the sim card.

That’s a shame about motorola phones, but I’m not surprised. Motorola has always been one of the slowest companies to update their phones, and on top of that, they don’t allow you to unlock or easily root them to install other roms. I have 2 motorola phones that are stuck on 2.3, they could easily run jellybean but I can’t gain the access to do it.

Unless Motorola changes their policy on letting you install other roms, I will never purchase or recommend motorola phones again.”

Next, Chris writes in with an ARCHOS update

“Hi,

Just wanted to say once again how much I enjoy the show, love the news and app reviews which are nicely put together, unlike the ‘Android Police’

podcast which although at times interesting seems to be so full of waffle!

Anyway, I’ve recently gotten a replacement Archos 80 G9 250Gb tablet, after Archos most recent firmware 4.0.25 turned my previous flash/SD G9 device into a ‘plastic brick’ (long story but the forums are full of tales of woe and lousy customer service).

Whilst replacing all the lost apps, I noticed that Adobe Flash Player has vanished from the Playstore, although I haven’t come across a problem in not having it installed so far, is their any alternative out there?, I assume it’s primarily for video playback?

Best wishes

Chris

UK”

Well Chris, um no. Chrome is one way of getting around some issues with Flash content. And Adobe only is allowing new Flash installs for the BBC iPlayer. But this isn’t a consistent thing and it does depend on the region you live in as to if it remains on the Play Store. If you have installed it before, it is in the “All Apps” section of your Play market options. 

Lastly, Norman writes in with more info on using Hotmail

“Hi.

I’m a longtime fan of That Android Show, great show.

I just finished listening to episode 12.

I wanted to comment on the e-mail from chris about setting up Hotmail on your android.

I set it up using Microsoft exchange.

Use m.hotmail.com as your mail server.

I’ll also include the link on where you can go to get instructions on how to set this up.

http://windows.microsoft.com/is-IS/hotmail/hotmail-help-center/android-hotmail-without-app

these steps are a little tricky but I did it without sighted assistance

Norman”

Thanks Norman and thanks to everyone else who wrote in, left us iReports in iBlink Radio or who drop us a line on Twitter. We’re looking very forward to hearing your nexus 7 experiences!

Contacting the Team

We’ve had our say, now its your turn. Drop us a line at resources@serotalk.com or send us a tweet at our official Twitter page.

You can also follow our hosts by visiting

Ana’s Accessible Android blog or

JJ at Android Access.net.

Finally, Check out Steve’s Twitter feed.

Thanks for listening!