The following iPhone, iPod and iPad apps have been hand chosen and in use by Votech Rehab for use and recommendation for individuals who are visually impaired or blind. Please contact us if you know of other applications worthy of our review and recommendations.
Note: Links will open in separate window and directly into iTunes
Write&Say - Lifelike Talking Text Editor with Translator - knowtilus: The most innovative text editor with Text to speech + Export and mail your documents as MP3 voice files + 52 Voices + 3D Avatar + Translator 50 languages. For the iPhone and iPad.
Write&Say - Dictation and Text to Speech for iPhone 4S - knowtilus: This is a special new version of Write&Say for iPhone 4S. Write&Say is an innovative and minimalistic text editor with advanced speech features. Specifically designed for the iPhone 4S.
Light Detector - EveryWare Technologies: Have you ever listened to light? With Light Detector, now you can! Light Detector transforms any natural or artificial light source it encounters into sound. Light Detector is easy to use! Just run the application and point your iPhone camera in any direction. You will hear a higher or lower sound depending on the intensity of the light. If you are blind, Light Detector helps you to be more independent in many daily activities. At home, point your iPhone towards the ceiling to understand where the light fixtures are and whether they are switched on. In a room, move the device along the wall to check if there is a window and where it is. You can find out whether the shades are drawn by moving the device up and down. Bring Light Detector with you to discover what is around you at the speed of light.
Voice Brief - Dong Baik: Voice Brief is speaking personal assistant who reads just about everything you want to hear everyday life. Works on all iPhones.
VM Alert - Video Motion Detector - Adam Uccello: Video Motion Alert (VM Alert) is an advanced video processing application for the iPhone capable of detecting motion seen by the iPhone camera. VM Alert can use either the rear or front facing camera. VM Alert can be configured to sound a pleasant or alarming audible alert when it detects motion and can optionally save images of the motion conveniently to the iPhone camera roll. Usage VM Alert is simple to use. Simply start the app, aim the camera at the scene to be monitored, and set the iPhone on a stable surface. After about 3-5 seconds of being still, the app will automatically arm. (The app uses the internal accelerometer to determine when it is no longer moving.) While armed, it will alert on any motion seen by the camera. To disarm, simply pick up the phone.
List Recorder - Sixth Mode Solutions: List Recorder combines making lists with an easy to use, yet powerful audio recorder. The result is a handy app that lets you quickly jot down and organize information as audio, text or both. List Recorder has powerful recording features such as your choice of recording formats, optional stereo, a level meter, the ability to continue recording after pausing or system interruption, three ways to transfer your audio files and more. Its recording function is so easy, you can do it blindfolded! A great audio recorder is only part of the List Recorder package. It is also a great organizer, so you won't lose track of your audio after it’s recorded. Manage all kinds of information by making lists of items that can include both audio and text. Give your items do dates. Make lists within lists. List Recorder is fun and efficient to use with its custom motions and gestures. Pause and continue by tilting your device. Navigate through your lists with taps and tilts. Check items with swipes. You’ll feel like you have a magic wand that talks to you as List Recorder responds to your tilts and touches. It’s quick and easy to record a note. A single tap and you’re recording. Give it a title and text or just tilt left and go back to the list view. Organize in whatever way you want by sorting and moving items between lists.
Digit-Eyes Audio Scanner and Labeler - Digital Miracles, L.L.C.: Digit-Eyes reads barcode labels. It enables people without vision to scan UPC / EAN codes and hear the names of over 23 million products. Users can also make their own barcode labels on the Digit-Eyes website and print them on inexpensive address labels. These barcodes may contain text that VoiceOver reads aloud or they can be used to record audio on your iPhone or camera-equipped iPod Touch that is played back whenever the bar code is scanned. Blind? Dyslexic? Digit-Eyes is for you! With Digit-Eyes, you can - Record your own labels. Visit the Digit-Eyes web site to print specially coded quick-response (QR) barcode labels, apply one to your calendar, your clothing or a box of leftovers, scan, and record a message. To listen to the recording, just rescan the label. - Make text-based labels. Visit the Digit-Eyes web site to type up to 100 characters per label, print the specially coded quick-response (QR) barcode labels on your local printer and apply them to your file folders or CDs. To listen to the text, scan it with the Digit-Eyes application on any iPhone or camera-equipped iPod Touch. Buy pre-printed washable labels. Sew them into your clothing and record whatever you want to about the garment: color, fabric care or what it should be worn with. Even when the labels have been washed, bleached, sent through the dryer or dry-cleaned, you’ll still be able to scan them with the Digit-Eyes app on your iPhone or iPod Touch and hear what you recorded about the garment. Use the manufacturer's product code to find out what the item is. Digit-Eyes includes a feature that enables you to identify many groceries, CDs, and other consumer goods by scanning the UPC and EAN codes on the products. Just point the camera of your iPhone or iPod Touch at a package label, scan the code, and wait for Digit-Eyes to call our database and tell you what the item is. Read standard inventory tags in code 39 or code 128 format. Use of the free Digit-Eyes website comes with the product. The website contains extensive tutorial material designed for users of the iPhone and iPod Touch who are not sighted. The product purchase also includes free online support and tutoring.
Color ID Free - GreenGar Studios: Color Identifier uses the camera on your iPhone or iPod touch to speak the names of colors in real-time. It's a new Augmented Reality app for discovering the names of the colors around you! The color names are fun and specific: Paris Daisy, Lavender Rose, Moon Mist, and many more. The app also supports Simple Colors. Tap the color square at the top left corner to toggle between Simple Colors and Exotic Colors. It can be a useful app for the blind and visually impaired, but I think it's fun for everyone.
Insight Radio - G Media: This application lets you listen to Insight Radio on your iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. While listening, the app displays text and images about the programme on air now. You can interact by phone, email, Facebook and Twitter.
VizWiz - ROCHCI: VizWiz lets blind users recruit remote sighted workers to help them with visual problems in nearly real-time. Users take a picture with their phone, speak a question, and then receive multiple spoken answers.
LookTel Money Reader - IPPLEX: LookTel Money Reader instantly recognizes currency and speaks the denomination, enabling people with visual impairments or blindness to quickly and easily identify and count bills. Simply point your iPhone’s camera at a bill and the application will tell you the denomination in real-time. Several currencies are supported including the US Dollar, Euro, British Pound, Canadian Dollar, and Australian Dollar. Featuring LookTel’s patented and proprietary object recognition technology, LookTel Money Reader makes it as easy to recognize bills as possible. There’s no need to hold the iPhone still or capture a photo and wait for a result – recognition happens instantly, and in real-time. Additionally, the app does not require any internet connection, which means it can read money quickly at any location, anytime. LookTel Money Reader is a helpful mobile assistant that’s simple and easy to use. While shopping, use the application to verify money while checking out or to ensure you are getting the right amount of change back. It can also be used to quickly and easily sort money with total independence from virtually anywhere.
EyeNote - Bureau of Engraving and Printing: EyeNote is a mobile device application to denominate Federal Reserve Notes (U.S. paper currency) as an aid for the blind or visually impaired to increase accessibility. Using EyeNote, a user can have the denomination of a note scanned and communicated back to the user. EyeNote works on the iPhone 3G and 3Gs, the iPhone 4 and 4S, the 4th Generation iPod touch, and the iPad 2.
ColoredEye - mgs apps: The perfect app for the color-impaired or the colorblind. ColoredEye will identify the colors from your camera in real-time! Or you have option to identify colors within a saved photo. Simply use your iPhone or iTouch to take a photo in good lighting, then pick an object or location within the photo for ColoredEye to classify, or use the live camera mode to find out colors instantly.
HeyTell - Voxilate: Use HeyTell as a walkie talkie, intercom, or instant voice messaging system to send quick voice messages to friends and family with iPhones or iPods. Use the integrated geolocation feature to find your friends when they've given you bad directions and you're just around the corner!
RedLaser Barcode Scanner and QR Code Reader - eBay Inc.: RedLaser - Impossibly accurate barcode scanning. The ALL-NEW RedLaser is the best and easiest to use RedLaser yet! It has everything you loved in RL Classic and more of the functionality you have told us you are looking for! ► FEATURED IN AN IPHONE TV AD!. Shop smarter. RedLaser searches thousands of ONLINE and LOCAL retailers for the best prices and features product results from Google, TheFind, eBay, Milo, American Express, and many more. Scan faster, even without autofocus! RedLaser uses state-of-the-art barcode recognition that can read virtually any product barcode or QR code. Works great on both iPhone and iPod Touch! Organize and share your scans! RedLaser’s new list feature lets you create shopping or wish lists and share them with friends and family to make shopping and gift-giving so much easier!
iTunes U - Apple: The iTunes U app gives you access to complete courses from leading universities and other schools — plus the world’s largest digital catalog of free education content — right on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. Whether you’re majoring in molecular biology at a university, taking Spanish in high school, or just interested in European history, you now have a valuable tool to help you learn anytime, anywhere.
Alarmed ~ Reminders, Timers, Alarm Clock - Yoctoville: The all-in-one alarm app that is alarmingly great! Pop-up reminder alerts with robust repeat scheduling, flexible snooze and full customization. Pop-up timers with custom messages, countdown / countup and pause. The most awesome alarm clock available with iTunes playlists & built-in melodies, sleep timers, fade-in and a fullscreen clock panel. Over 80 high-quality custom sounds included. Are you alarmed?
Talking Scientific Calculator - Adam Croser: This scientific and fraction calculator speaks answers, button names and formulas aloud with its built in voice, or with custom voices recorded directly into the iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch! ** Regularly featured on "What's Hot" - Utilities Ideal for the vision impaired, blind, or anyone looking for an easy to read calculator - with optional speech. If you’re looking for an accessible calculator, but only care about the basic functions then this could also be the calculator for you. The add, subtract, multiply, divide, clear, backspace and memory functions are accessed through large buttons, grouped together.
soundAMP Lite - Ginger Labs: Amplify the world around you discreetly with iPhone and iPod touch. The most popular hearing app on the App Store. Over 60,000 purchased in 55 countries. . * Featured by Apple in the "Special Education - Learning for Everyone" category. Featured by Apple in the “New & Noteworthy” and “Staff Favorites” categories. Included on demo iPhones in Apple Stores nationwide. Selected by Apple as the hearing app for Apple's website. Although this is an app designed for hearing, we feature it here because it is VoiceOver accessible.
Chime - Blacktree: While waxing nostalgic about my old digital watch, I remembered how much I loved having the passage of time marked by an hourly chime. But then I thought, why should all the chimes be the same? For your pleasure, a simple app that provides unique chimes on the hour, half hour, or quarter hour.
VoCal Voice Reminders. Remember to do everything (VoCal The Voice Calendar) - GZero Ltd: Remember everything, forget nothing with this voice 'to-do' list. Simply speak your personal memo, set the time and date, be reminded in YOUR voice using YOUR words. No need to type text! Using Apple's local notification technology, VoCal fuses a Dictaphone, Calendar and Alarm system into one. Speaking is quicker and more accurate than typing. VoCal makes a personal memo quick, easy and naturally has no spelling mistakes!
RxmindMe Prescription / Medicine Reminder and Pill Tracker - RxmindMe, LLC: RxmindMe is the iPhone Prescription Reminder App for your iPhone! Get reminders on your phone no matter what App you are running! (iTunes Browsers, click "...More" to your right to read more about RxmindMe) RxmindMe is now FREE for everyone!
Pandora Radio - Pandora Media, Inc.: Pandora Radio is free personalized radio that only plays music you’ll love. Just start with the name of one of your favorite artists, songs or classical composers and Pandora will create a custom "station" that plays similar music. Already a Pandora listener? Even easier. Just log in. Pandora on iPhone is fully integrated with Pandora on the web. Enjoy all your existing stations - and create new ones right from youriPhone, iPod Touch or iPad.
Disclaimer: At the time of recommendation, all apps were compatible with the built in Apple Voiceover or contained its own accessibility. These are recommendations only. Any app purchases or downloads are made at the end-users own expense. The vendors for the applications are ultimately responsible for your support.
