# help for users of the iPhone

Category: accessible Devices

## Post 1 by Blue Velvet (I've got the platinum golden silver bronze poster award.) on Thursday, 02-Jul-2009 11:39:57

Here are some ways to find help for blind users of the iPhone which I got from this week's Top Tech Tidbits
1) The iPhone, accessible out of the box, has been generating lots of talk and information. Mark Taylor, on his Candle Shore blog, has converted chapters
from the User's Guide into various accessible formats. To find them, choose the Documentation link from his blog page, which has considerable recent coverage
concerning the phone.
http://mark.candleshoreblog.com/
2) Of particular interest from his blog is his very thorough review of the phone:
http://mark.candleshoreblog.com/2009/06/30/review-not-every-apple-iphone-is-a-golden-delicious/
3) Part of the allure of the iPhone is the existence of thousands of apps to make the phone do all sorts of things. Apple only guarantees that the apps
that ship with the phone will work with speech, but others do with no effort. Holly Anderson has compiled a list of the apps which have been found to work
with VoiceOver
http://www.lioncourt.com/voiceover-compatible-iphone-applications/
4) The June 25 Serotek Tech Chat Discussed the New iPhone 3G S
http://serotalk.com/2009/06/26/june-25-live-tech-chat-discussing-the-new-iphone-3g-s/
5) Who knows if this initiative will work, but Marcus Engel
http://marcusengel.blogspot.com/2009/06/pardon-my-geekiness.html
suggests that we write to Apple to encourage them to arrange so that NLS books can be played on the iPhone. It would be cool, so if you want to do it, write
to
accessibility@apple.com
6) There are at least two mailing lists for blind users of the iPhone to share experience, learning and frustration. To join aiphone, send a blank message
to
aiphone-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or to join viphone send a blank message to
viphone-subscribe@googlegroups.com

## Post 2 by tyger_lillee84 (I can't call it a day til I enter the zone BBS) on Friday, 03-Jul-2009 8:54:27

Oh wow!!!! I just got my i phone yesterday, and I'm sure these links will help me a lot. Thanks so much!!!!!

## Post 3 by ddenne92 (Veteran Zoner) on Friday, 03-Jul-2009 9:40:00

I'm not sure if I'm taking this the wrong way but I don't think you'd have to act angree when emailing apples accessibility department. I've done it casually before and haden't had an issues. When suggesting things to I wouldn't do it in a angree manner either. Apple is very good at any ofthe departments if you ask me. If they get enough requests for something then chances are they'll probably put it to the test and make it availible for the typical users at some point. Apple has went on user suggestions and requests for a while and I think there products are an obvious result to that. If it wasn't then the iPod and macintosh computer and the iPhone wouldn't have so many users. Users wouldn't like it if they sucked and didn't have the stuff they wanted.
Correct me if I'm wrong anyware and, I'm sorry for going off topic.

## Post 4 by monkeypusher69 (I'll have the last word, thank you!) on Friday, 03-Jul-2009 9:56:26

So long as those features people want added don't go against Mr. Jobbs vision.... otherwise it may take them a while ... or him being absence for 6 months lol. Copy, Cut and Paste, MMS messaging, and tethering are just a few.

## Post 5 by Big Pawed Bear (letting his paws be his guide.) on Friday, 03-Jul-2009 10:30:54

copy, cut and paste do not appear in iphone? wtf?

## Post 6 by monkeypusher69 (I'll have the last word, thank you!) on Friday, 03-Jul-2009 12:54:16

well untill iPhone 3.0 software to use Copy Cut and Paste you had to have a Jail borken iPhone. Apple finally implemented Copy Cut and Paste, along with MMS and tethering in 3.0 software, Co incidentallly enough while jobbs was out for 6 months. lol Now if ATT will support the MMS and Tethering for the iphone like it does for every other phone on its network they will actually be useful lol

## Post 7 by kelly (Zone BBS Addict) on Friday, 03-Jul-2009 18:18:54

I have a nokia e71x and its known as the iphone killer. I love this phone it rocks.

## Post 8 by Leafs Fan (I'll have the last word, thank you!) on Tuesday, 07-Jul-2009 8:27:15

For those of you who have iPhones so far, how do you like them?

## Post 9 by BryanP22 (Novice theriminist) on Thursday, 10-Sep-2009 11:42:01

I've been going back and forth with myself on this issue for a while. On the one hand I really don't care for the voiceover voice as I've heard it on various Mak demos. But on the other hand the next time I get a new cell phone I don't want to have to pay extra for the speach software if I can avoid it, since let's face it those things aren't cheap. Maybe I'll find out if there's an Apple store here in Twin Falls and see if they wouldn't let me come in and at least look at and demo an IPhone. Or maybe I should talk with the folks at AT&T about that.

## Post 10 by monkeypusher69 (I'll have the last word, thank you!) on Thursday, 10-Sep-2009 20:10:49

The voiceover voice on the iPhone is that samantha voice that you can buy for talks as well as used on a few other devices. I don't remember it being the same default voice on voiceover on the mac but i could be wrong. I would try an ATT store because as far as i know the Apple store tends to restrict the display phones a bit more. I believe at the ATT Store you may even be allowed to try and make a test phone call among other things that you can't do in the apple store.

## Post 11 by BryanP22 (Novice theriminist) on Friday, 11-Sep-2009 7:47:08

Well since I'm with AT&T and there is a store right here in town I may see about doing that, possibly even this next week. I am familiar with the Samantha voice. You're right in that that isn't the default voice on the Mak. That voice is called Daniel I believe. It's kinda cool in that he pauses naturally and sometimes breathes at the end of sentences but the voice itself wasn't my favorite. But if I can learn to use the IPhone it'll save me from having to get a new IPod as well as paying extra next time I have to get a new phone in order for it to be usable. Granted a few things in Mark Taylor's review did concern me about the phone, such as the moving the phone triggering the speaker function. I'm not the sort of person who can easily use headphones when talking on the phone. I don't really have hearing problems but I don't and have never liked the idea of wearing headphones while on the phone. I like to be able to hear what's going on around me. That and he did mention that an increasing number of people have had problems with the IPhone overheating to the point where it became unusable. But maybe that's been taken care of by now.

## Post 12 by Liz (The Original) on Friday, 11-Sep-2009 20:47:37

I have an iPhone and like it a lot. If anyone has specific questions, feel free to ask.

## Post 13 by BryanP22 (Novice theriminist) on Saturday, 12-Sep-2009 5:33:37

Well I found a video demonstration of the IPhone with the Voiceover screen reader. If they're open today I might actually make a trip over to AT&T and see if they won't let me demo the IPhone. If so and if I decide I like it I may replace my current phone with an IPhone. Granted the touch screen texting does concern me somewhat, as do Mark Taylor's comments about the phone automatically switching to speaker mode if you turn it while you're talking, and the news about some people's phones overheating and becoming unusable. About my only real complaint with the phone so far is that I don't particularly like the Samantha voice. It's the same voice that's the default in the Victor Reader Stream.

## Post 14 by monkeypusher69 (I'll have the last word, thank you!) on Saturday, 12-Sep-2009 15:58:01

I think the thing with the phone overheating is a rare case senario and apple will take care of you if that happens.

## Post 15 by BryanP22 (Novice theriminist) on Saturday, 12-Sep-2009 20:01:32

Well I went to my AT&T store and played around with the IPhone. Very cool. Only problem is it's going to be at least a year or more before I qualify to upgrade to get one. But the touch screen is a lot less confusing than I was expecting it to be.

## Post 16 by tyger_lillee84 (I can't call it a day til I enter the zone BBS) on Monday, 14-Sep-2009 19:36:59

Does anyone know how to delete apps. Thanks

## Post 17 by dallas cowboy fanc (Veteran Zoner) on Monday, 21-Sep-2009 4:50:40

Hi,
I have the N82 and I am considering getting the Wayfinder Access gps software for it. It costs about the same as a new I phone. Has anyone fully tested the gps on the I phone? Is it totally accessible? Any insight would be awesome. Thanks.

## Post 18 by BryanP22 (Novice theriminist) on Monday, 21-Sep-2009 11:55:58

Well by all accounts the VOiceover Screen Reader is supposed to be totally usable, or at least as close to it as possible, with all the applications built into the phone. I didn't have time to experiment and in any case the phone was one of those display models that's tethered to its station, so I couldn't have taken it outside to try the GPS. Of course if I did get an IPhone I don't know if I'd use it for that. Certainly the phone and the IPod features but probably not many of the other aps. I don't even use all the aps on my current phone. Of course I can't since Mobile Speak doesn't necessarily work with them.

## Post 19 by monkeypusher69 (I'll have the last word, thank you!) on Monday, 21-Sep-2009 13:21:59

well there is no built in GPS apps on the iPhone, atleast non that does turn by turn navigation. So its a matter of finding out if it works with one of the third party ones in the app store.

## Post 20 by BryanP22 (Novice theriminist) on Monday, 21-Sep-2009 15:51:43

As far as I know Voiceover and the third-party aps don't yet get along. Whether that will change in the future is anyone's guess.

## Post 21 by dallas cowboy fanc (Veteran Zoner) on Monday, 21-Sep-2009 16:58:47

Sounds like the I phone's gps system doesn't provide the detailed turn for turn gps capabilities that I need. The phone sounds pretty cool though.
The Wayfinder Access does offer a free trial. I am going to probably check that out and see how well it works with the built in gps receiver in my N82.
thanks for your help.
e

## Post 22 by BigDogDaddy (Help me, I'm stuck to my chair!) on Tuesday, 22-Sep-2009 9:56:25

I'd hardly say that third party apps and the iPhone don't get a long, take a look at this link and you can see some of the apps confirmed to work with Voice over fairly large by most standards.
http://maccessibility.net/iphone/apps/

## Post 23 by dallas cowboy fanc (Veteran Zoner) on Tuesday, 22-Sep-2009 18:14:23

Wow,
I checked out that link and it is quite a list of apps. The only thing lacking is when you click on a link, such as a gps feature, it takes you directly to the app store instead of giving more detail about that application.
I am going to have to talk to someone who has used it.
cheers

## Post 24 by WillieTheWoof (I'll have the last word, thank you!) on Monday, 28-Sep-2009 16:32:50

Regarding GPS: I use navigon and it's fine. Many things have to be read by touching the screen such as points of interest however, as you are walking it will tell you where to turn with street names included and also let you know when you have arrived. Deleteing apps, find the app and tap twice and on the second tap hold your finger on the screen until you hear an assending bleep and then you will here move or delete. let your finger go and then be carefull. all apps will have delete in there name so just be sure to double tap the one you want to delete. It will then ask you to rate the app and you can either find the slider and flick up or down to increase or decrease the number of stars or tap on no thanks.

## Post 25 by monkeypusher69 (I'll have the last word, thank you!) on Saturday, 03-Oct-2009 16:11:35

and the gps reciever built into the iPhone seems to be accurate for predestrians?

## Post 26 by dallas cowboy fanc (Veteran Zoner) on Saturday, 03-Oct-2009 18:46:19

Does the I phone gps have a feature that automatically describes what's around you?
I just downloaded the Wayfinder Access trial version yesterday, and briefly tried it out in a friend's car. It was pretty accurate and very easy to use. Once you put in a destination you can scroll to the 'all nearby" tab, and you get the mature female porn star voice telling you when to turn and the talks eloquence voice telling you everything around you. It is pretty cool.
Tomorrow I will go out and try it in pedestrian mode.
cheers