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From: NCBI Labs <labs@xxxxxxx>
Date: 18 September 2020 at 14:00:04 IST
To: Joseph Murphy <murphyjoe1955@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: NCBI Labs Technology Newsletter
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Technology Newsletter
Welcome to the 22nd edition of the NCBI Labs Technology Newsletter.
This week in our Technology Quick Tips we go through the keyboard shortcuts
for accessing and navigating the System Tray on a Windows computer. We check
out how to use Siri to search for photos in the Photoâs App on an iPhone or
iPad and how to use the Listen Live feature to transmit audio directly to
Apple AirPods or other compatible Bluetooth headphones.
In recent years, many people have turned to using smart thermostats to
remotely adjust the heating in their homes. Not only can these devices offer
a lot in terms of convenience, they can also help you save on your energy
bills. This week we explore the Hive Thermostat, which can be controlled
using a phone, tablet, computer, or smart speaker.
Finally, we share some of the latest news from NCBI Labâs Braille Support
Group, including research into how braille display users can read subtitles
in Braille from different apps such as Netflix and YouTube.
Donât forget that NCBI Labs technology podcasts are available on Apple
Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify Podcasts, as well as the NCBI YouTube
Channel. If you have an Amazon Echo or Google Home you can simply say
âAlexaâ or âHey Googleâ, âPlay NCBI Labs Podcastsâ to listen back
to previous recordings.
As always, if you have any questions or need any technology support, please
reach out to us via the contact details at the bottom of this newsletter.
Technology Quick Tips of The Week
Accessing the System Tray in Windows
The System Tray is another name given to the Notification Area, which is
located in the right-side of the Windows Taskbar. The System Tray features
different types of notifications and alerts on your computer such as the date
and time, your internet connection, battery status, and volume level. It can
also be used to find out your Teamviewer number if you have this software
installed on your computer and require remote support.
To access the System Tray using the keyboard press Windows Key + B. You can
then use the arrow keys to traverse across the different icons and the space
bar or enter key to select them. Once the selection is on the system trayâs
notifications chevron button, you can press the space bar or enter key to
open the hidden system tray icons and use the arrow keys to move through
them.
Siri Suggestion
Searching for Photos in the Photoâs App
Siri can locate photos by a variety of parameters including date, people,
places, objects and activities. This can save you time instead of going
through your whole photo library looking for that specific photo.
You can say things like âHey Siri, show me my photos from Italyâ and
because you have location services turned on the Photoâs app will be able
to identify all the photos you have taken in Italy. âHey Siri, show me
photos of my Dogâ and all pictures of dogs will be shown.â Hey Siri, show
me all photos from January 2016â. If you have your iPhone for a few years
the chances are you will have hundreds of photos so these Siri commands
should save you from endlessly flicking through your photos album when you
are trying to dig out that special photo to show your friends.
Live Listen feature on iPhone
With Live Listen your iPhone can act like a microphone that sends sound to
your Apple AirPods or other compatible Bluetooth headphones like the
Powerbeats Pro.
Live Listen can help you hear a conversation in a noisy area or even help you
hear someone speaking across the room. For example, if you were in a noisy
restaurant and you were having trouble hearing those around you, you could
put in your AirPods and turn on Live Listen and put your phone in front of
your friend and now you can hear them read out the menu out loud to you.
Also, if you are at the back of a lecture hall and you are having trouble
hearing the person speaking, Live Listen could help you hear the content more
clearly. We wonât go into how it can be used as a spy tool.
Turning on Live Listen using VoiceOver:
To use Live listen, you need to add it to Control Centre.
1. Go to Settings > Control Centre
2. Double tap on Customise Controls, and then double tap on Hearing
3. Double tap on back, to save the setting
Now you have added Live Listen to your Control Centre. To access it you will
have to open it by navigating to the status bar at the top of the screen. Now
flick up with three fingers to open Control Centre and flick right to hearing
devices and then double tap. At this stage make sure you have your AirPods in
your ears. Now flick right until you hear VoiceOver announce Live Listen off,
double tap and toggle it to on.
Now place your iPhone in front of the person or noise you want to hear. The
noise coming through your AirPods should be really clear and you can turn up
or down the volume.
Hive Thermostat
Using a smart thermostat is a good way for you to access your heating
controls. There is a number of these thermostats available and the one you
choose can depend on some different factors including the type of heating
system you have.
Many of these smart thermostats can be made accessible through the use of a
smart phone app or desktop app. The one we are going to focus on is the Hive
active heating smart thermostat with the Hive hub. This thermostat is
suitable for people that have oil or gas boilers. It can also be set up to
control the different zones in your house such as upstairs, downstairs and
hot water.
It will need to be installed by a professional installer. Some retailers
offer installation as a free incentive when purchasing the product. You get 2
wireless thermostat sensors with the device so you can put one upstairs and
one downstairs to monitor the temperature in the house. These attach to a
little holder that you need to screw to the wall. The thermostat has frost
protect built in, so your house temperature never falls under 7 degrees. You
can also set up Geo location in the Hive app so you can get alerts when you
have left the heating on when you are away from home.
Works with TalkBack and Voiceover
There are a few ways the Hive smart thermostat is accessible. One way is
through the app.
After the hive thermostat is installed you will need to set up a hive account
and download the Hive app to your smart phone and connect your phone to the
Hive hub. TalkBack and VoiceOver will read all areas as you go through each
step of the setup. There is also an area in the Hive app where you can adjust
text size.
Once setup is complete you can go to the home screen of the Hive app and you
will be presented with options like zone1, zone2, and hot water. As you swipe
through these it will announce if your boiler is currently on or off and it
will tell you the temperature in that zone.
If you are a TalkBack or VoiceOver user, you can go into any of these zones
by double tapping and then you can boost your heating or change the
temperature or even set a schedule.
You can also access the Hive Thermostat via a PC or Laptop through the online
dashboard, and for those that donât use a smart phone you can send text
commands to the thermostat. Note the text command service does not work if
your heating system is split into zones.
Access your Hive Thermostat using your Smart Speaker
Another great feature of the Hive smart thermostat is that it can be linked
with your smart speaker such as Amazon Alexa or Google Home. This makes
controlling your heating a fully accessible and hands-free experience and may
be the best option for some people.
Go to the Google Home app or the Alexa app on your smart phone and put in
your Hive username and password and follow the on-screen instructions. Note
with Alexa you need to enable the Hive skill. Then ask your smart speaker to
discover devices.
To show an example of the commands you can use we will use Alexa.
âAlexa, ask Hive to Boost the heating Upstairsâ
âAlexa, ask Hive to boost the hot waterâ
âAlexa, ask hive to Set downstairs temperature to 22 degreesâ
âAlexa, what is the temperature in the houseâ
If you have a gas or oil boiler the Hive active thermostat is a good option
and can be accessed and controlled in a number of ways. We are not
recommending it over any other thermostat, and it is a good idea to get
advice from your plumber to check if it will suit your system.
NCBI Labs Braille Support Group
Earlier this year NCBI assembled a special group from among our Labs team to
promote and investigate the roll of Braille in the everyday and professional
lives of blind people in Ireland.
With this in mind, we have obviously upskilled our knowledge of the different
braille technologies in everyday use, be it the various note takers, braille
displays, the braille watch etc.
We have also partnered with a cohort of external experienced braille users
and blind professionals using braille in their work.
With this in mind, we have set ourselves the task of developing a platform
supporting our service users in the use and knowledge of this very important
medium being used by blind service users.
Being the national agency for supporting people with sight loss in Ireland we
feel that it is our responsibility to provide such support mechanisms.
Among the initiatives we have started to investigate is one learning how
blind people could use their various displays to read subtitles for different
apps such as Netflix and YouTube through braille on their various devices.
We can now offer comprehensive support to anyone looking to do this.
We are also liaising with various third level colleges exploring the
possibility of interesting a graduate technology student in developing a
dedicated speech to braille app. There was a tradition in NCBI where we were
approached by some of these colleges looking for ideas where such students
could develop technologies that could support blind people and with this in
mind, we are making such approaches.
Just imagine the significance of such a dedicated app for people who are deaf
blind. They could interact with their neighbours and friends using their
braille displays and potentially carry out prolonged conversations. Such
interactions can now take place by improvising with existing apps such as
Notes on an iPhone, but we need to simplify the process.
So as readers of our technology newsletter just be cognisant of the work that
is going on in the background.
NCBI Labs Technology Live Events
We are running monthly Technology Live events during the COVID 19 crisis on
topics that will support you. All events are recorded and made available as
podcasts and on YouTube for you to listen to or watch back afterwards.
The next Live Event is set to take place on Tuesday 13th October.
To listen back to previous Live Events click the button below.
NCBI Live Events YouTube Playlist
Technology Support Line
We offer a dedicated support line and email address for technical support
related to assistive and mainstream technology.
The service is free for people with sight loss and their families. We also
offer technical advice on assistive technology to schools and employers.
The Technology Support Helpdesk is operated between 09:00 to 17:00 Monday to
Friday.
Contact NCBI Labs nationwide: 1850 92 30 60 or 01 53 12 975
Email NCBI Labs
Subscribe to NCBI Labs Podcasts
NCBI Labs Live Events are hosted on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and we will
add to other popular Podcasts Directories in the coming weeks
Please subscribe to the following and give us a listen on your favourite
device.
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Spotify
TuneIn
Support NCBI
Your continued support for NCBIâs work to help people with sight loss is
hugely appreciated. Please click the link below for more information on how
you can help.
Support NCBI
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