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Let's talk tech, what gadgets and gizmos do you like the most?
Ross_Scope
Community Team Posts: 2,373 Disability Gamechanger
Hello 
I hope you are having a lovely day whatever part of the country you are in. The weather is chilly and wet where I am so it's definitely not a day for going outside!
Technology can be quite a contentious subject. Some people willingly embrace it and use it in as many aspects of their lives as possible, some people prefer not to rely on it and stick to what they are used to, and others would gladly welcome it into their lives but aren't sure how to do so or how all the new fancy gadgets work.
I would put myself in that first category, I love the many ways in which technology has made certain parts of my day quicker and easier, and I appreciate the convenience it offers.
Whatever your relationship with technology, everyone uses it to some degree, and it can be a massive help for disabled people and enable them to do tasks they would otherwise struggle with. So I'm curious what gadget or gizmo you get the most use out of and couldn't imagine going a day without? Whether it be your phone, laptop, smart watch or robot cleaner (yes, they're a thing
).
For me it's my smart speakers. For those who don't know, a smart speaker, like Alexa or Google Home, is essentially a voice controlled assistant that lives inside a speaker in your home. You can use them to be told the weather, news, play games and research random questions that pop into your head. I use the Google variant and currently have four speakers in the place where I live, I love the ease at which I can get certain information in an instant, whereas if I manually used my phone to look it up it would take me much longer due to my visual impairment.
What's your favourite piece of technology? And is there anything particular you don't have but would love to get? Also, how does technology help you, or loved ones, with your disability? Looking forward to talking tech with you all
I hope you are having a lovely day whatever part of the country you are in. The weather is chilly and wet where I am so it's definitely not a day for going outside!
Technology can be quite a contentious subject. Some people willingly embrace it and use it in as many aspects of their lives as possible, some people prefer not to rely on it and stick to what they are used to, and others would gladly welcome it into their lives but aren't sure how to do so or how all the new fancy gadgets work.
I would put myself in that first category, I love the many ways in which technology has made certain parts of my day quicker and easier, and I appreciate the convenience it offers.
Whatever your relationship with technology, everyone uses it to some degree, and it can be a massive help for disabled people and enable them to do tasks they would otherwise struggle with. So I'm curious what gadget or gizmo you get the most use out of and couldn't imagine going a day without? Whether it be your phone, laptop, smart watch or robot cleaner (yes, they're a thing
). For me it's my smart speakers. For those who don't know, a smart speaker, like Alexa or Google Home, is essentially a voice controlled assistant that lives inside a speaker in your home. You can use them to be told the weather, news, play games and research random questions that pop into your head. I use the Google variant and currently have four speakers in the place where I live, I love the ease at which I can get certain information in an instant, whereas if I manually used my phone to look it up it would take me much longer due to my visual impairment.
What's your favourite piece of technology? And is there anything particular you don't have but would love to get? Also, how does technology help you, or loved ones, with your disability? Looking forward to talking tech with you all
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I guess I use technology to aid with my “disability” because I find it hard communicating with people on the phone and in real life but I can write a good email so I use that to communicate with people when it is an option. I also do a little bit of online shopping and banking and all that stuff, which is useful to me.
I have a lot of respect for the company Apple. They try to make their products accessible to disabled people even though it costs them more than the profits they get from selling to the few disabled people who buy the products. CEO Tim Cook seems committed to this. A few years ago at a shareholder meeting he was asked if he thought it was a good idea to forget about accessibility and focus solely on profit and he got very irate and swore at the person who asked the question! He also suggested that anyone who was in Apple stock solely for the money get out of the stock!! (A very unusual thing to say to shareholders.)
I do think Apple are one of the better organisations for accessibility as you say, I suppose the only downside is that their hardware is generally more expensive than the competition. Although to some it's worth those extra pennies
I'm glad that emails are a good way for you to communicate, they can eliminate some of the barriers presented by the more traditional ways of sending and receiving mail. Is there any particular email provider you find most accessible?
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I’m going to bang Apple’s drum again and say iCloud is my favourite email provider. Among other things the address is short (4 digits _ _ _ [email protected]) so it is quicker to give out to people, as social contact is really awkward for me!
Out of curiosity do you have an email provider you find is especially good for people with visual impairment?
its also a lifeline in many ways, after all without it I wouldn’t be talking to friends on scope. 🙂
I worked in the Computer Industry for almost 25 years doing everything from programming to project management and I always built my own computers ever since my first CP/M machine I housed in a bodged wooden box
TK
But as for helping with my disability I find the one cup water boilers really useful, means I dont have to lift hot kettle and pour out as I am visually impaired and in wheelchair so worktop too high etc
I think the big benefit with Apple is that they update their devices for longer. Particularly with their phones and tablets, which as you say makes them last longer. With Samsung, Google and the other giants you don't tend to get as many software and security updates.
I use Gmail mostly. I prefer to manage my email from my phone because it is the simplest way for me and the screen reader works well. I use Gmail because it's simple to use, visually straight forward and has a dark mode built in. I have Yahoo accounts set up through Gmail as well so it's good that I can manage everything from one app. Outlook is a close second.
What is the Apple device you have @leeCal if you don't mind me asking? I'm glad it's enabled you to join in on Scope
That was a very expensive laptop you got back then @woodbine
Thanks for sharing @Topkitten
I also have a one cup kettle for the same reason @janer1967 , they are so useful aren't they? I'm still getting used to what setting to put it on for smaller mugs so I don't overflow it, but other than that it's a fantastic tool to have. Do you get a lot of use out of your Alexa device?
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I use it all the time, for reminders, alarms, music, audio books, just to name a few! I agree, that from a visually impaired perspective they are amazing!
Scope
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Yes they are so very helpful for all those things @Chloe_Scope, I love just being able to shout a song at Google and have it played right away
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My favourite gadget is my iPad for watching programmes around the house when my partner is hogging the TV watching sport
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I mainly use Alexa for music and asking questions and my son is always asking her to fart which is quite funny lol sorry just my sense of humour
No smart speaker, smart TV or tablet etc. I do have a smart phone and an old laptop but I'm not really sure they count as gadgets!
I do like tech in cars though...cruise control is one thing that massively helps me continue to drive with my conditions, can't imagine driving a car without it now!
Of course a smartphone and laptop count @OverlyAnxious, thanks for sharing
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My car has a feature where if you come off the brake pedal it holds the brakes for 3 seconds or until you pull away - nice for a hill start. I’ve now almost forgotten how to use the handbrake as the car tells you off if you use it while moving/trying to move i.e. for a hill start so I don’t know what I’ll do if I get back into a car without the feature now
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Years back when computers were a new idea, but out of reach in cost, I was interested to at least find out something concerning them, so I went to an evening class on programming. They were a little clique who excluded newcomers, refused access to the handful of screens, and went off to the pub, so luckily I could figure out most of the course from the textbook!
Now, I use my ancient tablet but haven't the confidence to try my all singing laptop, bought mainly to take dictation when my hands don't like typing. Precovid, I tried and tried to hire a secretary or somehow get a hand-holder. I can do barely anything techno related, it all intimidates me (even though any 2 year old isn't scared). It's like putting someone in a plane cockpit and telling them it's easy to drive. With modern planes, I don't doubt it. But Im not going to attempt take off!
Completely useless with tech..when I got my first PC I remember getting endless pop ups asking is such a thing secure? Or such a thing is trying to gain access is that ok?
How the hell would I know!?
No more scanning for viruses and waiting an age for it to boot up and update each day...lol
I'm glad you find your iPad to be very helpful, do you use it for much?
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Scope
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The portability and smaller form factor can't be ignored as well as you mention there. It's much easier to sit in bed watching YouTube on a tablet, than holding a bulky laptop on my knees
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Scope
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<code><a href="https://twitter.com/lgbtdisability" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/lgbtdisability</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/tombyford" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/tombyford</a> <br><a href="https://www.facebook.com/tombyford" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/tombyford</a><br>http://www.twitter.com/lgbtdisability@66Mustang, in theory you could run all the old programs concurrently so long as the coding is Windows friendly (which it often wasn't). What most people don't realize is that the PC was designed to run in 64k of memory and, for backwards compatibility, still does. However, you never see this as Windows does the translation and mostly uses the 64k of lowest memory to transfer data as it did originally and the screen area is basically not used at all and is managed by the graphics card with data to it going through base memory. It is Windows that handles multi processor access and background programs and memory usage but they don't call it Bloatware for nothing. Any program that used to be about and is still around has been bloated up and takes more memory and various other things than they used to. Don't forget though that I started in the Computer Industry before the PC existed and well before Windows. Back then we always agreed both would never last or amount to much, lol! Everything we did was from the CLI (Command Line Interpreter) and was text only and even the first versions of Windows had to be started that way. It wasn't really until Windows 3.1.1 that it started with the computer and we all hated it
TK
I had a friend as a young child (in maybe 1999) who was quite smart and had an early computer which seemed similar to what you describe. He had a game called Bio Menace (I think?) and you had to run it by typing in commands.
I was literally about to bring smartwatches up before seeing your comment @66Mustang!
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A family member does have one and if I understand it correctly he can make his phone make a noise by tapping something on his watch - quite handy if you lose your phone!
I may be going to the Scottish highlands and there might not be any 3G or 4G in some areas. My Motability car does not have a sat nav (it was a £900 optional extra) so we are stuck using the phone as a sat nav.
Thanks if anybody knows!!
Yeah you can do that with a smartwatch, in my experience the only issue with it is that it makes your phone ring at maximum volume, which helps find it, but it can't be good for the neighbours
Smart speakers like Alexa and Google Home have that functionality as well.
Regarding maps, I know that with Google Maps you can download them for offline use. I've not used the feature, but I have the map for my hometown downloaded just in case I ever need it. It doesn't take up too much storage.
Hope this helps.
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I came back to this thread to ask if anyone is watching the Apple event that’s on right now? They have just announced the Apple Watch 6 and there are maybe more products to come - maybe an iPad.
Scope
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A family member got a new phone and kindly gave me their old one to trade in to Apple - I may get up to £90. Also another family member is eligible to get me the Blue Light discount so I should save a little bit more.
Here is a picture of my current iPad, I think you will agree is due an upgrade!
Mine is a 5th generation iPad and the new one is 8th generation so should be quite a bit improved.
I hate any sort of damage myself, even the smallest scratch sets me off...but it means that after a few years, I end up with pristine looking items that no longer carry out their primary function!
Also, I've always been interested to know, can you get cut from swiping a cracked touch screen?
I used to worry about scratches and things but learnt that they will just happen so you have to accept them. I guess the good thing about your attitude though @OverlyAnxious is that you have a decent trade-in value when it’s time to change? Or did you mean that you keep them so long they become obsolete? Hehe
On the topic of scratches family member is the compete opposite, they work outdoors and whenever they get a new piece of equipment, especially PPE like a helmet, they scrape it on the floor and jump on it so it looks used!! Apparently it’s frowned upon to have pristine PPE haha.
I've never traded in any electricals...as you suggest, they last so long with me that they're not worth anything when they finally do break!
I did sell my old Xbox 360 when it RROD'd...was only 3 years old, looked perfect cosmetically but had an internal issue...think I only got £30 for it for spares. Couldn't trade it in against the Xbox One as they only took working items.
I've used my laptop every day since buying it in mid-2013 but you'd never know. I've even used it outside several times for vehicle diagnostics but am always careful not to let it get scratched in any way!
Bought my TV back in 2011 and it still looks near-perfect... I say near because it's a shiny gloss plastic casing and there are lots of tiny hairline scratches in it from dusting believe it or not! The remote also still works fine, no cracks or missing buttons, and importantly, the battery cover is still present! I always wonder how everyone else's remotes seem to be missing the battery cover!
Same with my Smartphone...it never goes near any keys or coins, and I don't use it in bed (though that's more for contamination reasons lol). It's either in my hand, on the clean table or in it's own softly lined, front jeans pocket with nothing else! I've never broken a screen so far. I had to give up my last smartphone after 4 years purely because the power socket broke so I couldn't charge it, screen and case still look perfect. In fact, my original smart phone from 2012 still has the original screen in perfect condition, still works fine too, only had to upgrade that one as it didn't have enough storage space for modern apps.
I like to buy things brand new and then keep them perfect...the only thing I've never been able to do it with so far is cars, cars are all already ruined by previous owners time I get them. And then every stone chip or door ding I pick up depresses me more and more. I know it's just a fact of driving no matter how careful I am, but it still irks me lol!
I am with you on the phone thing, I never put my keys and phone in the same pocket for the same reason as you. I guess while I don’t mind scratches I don’t see the point in getting unnecessary ones.
I don't tend to sell or trade things in once I'm done with them, either due to nostalgia or the fact that the device is so old that it's worth next to nothing.
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@Ross_Scope, I too am very careful with tech. Although, I do like to recycle old pieces, but only when it's completely past it's best.
Scope
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Scope
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