• chevron_right

      Tekken 8’s “colorblind” mode is causing migraines, vertigo, and debate

      news.movim.eu / ArsTechnica · Tuesday, 2 January - 20:14 · 1 minute

    Fighters striking one another in stark black and white line outlines in Tekken 8's colorblind mode.

    Enlarge / It looks wild and different, like something nobody has tried before. And many accessibility experts say there's a reason Tekken 8 's style isn't commonly deployed. (credit: Bandai Namco/YouTube/Gatterall)

    Modern fighting games have come quite a long way from their origins in providing accessibility options. Street Fighter 6 has audio cues that can convey distance, height, health, and other crucial data to visually impaired players. King of Fighters 15 allows for setting the contrast levels between player characters and background. Competitors like BrolyLegs and numerous hardware hackers have taken the seemingly inhospitable genre even further.

    Tekken 8 , due later this month, is offering a number of color vision options in its settings. This includes an unofficially monikered "colorblind mode," with black-and-white and detail-diminished backgrounds and characters' flattened shapes filled in with either horizontal or vertical striped lines. But what started out as excitement in the fighting game and accessibility communities about this offering has shifted into warnings about the potential for migraines, vertigo, or even seizures.

    You can see the mode in action in the Windows demo or in a YouTube video shared by Gatterall —which, of course, you should not view if you believe yourself susceptible to issues with strobing images. Gatterall's enthusiasm for Tekken 8 's take on colorblind accessibility ("Literally no game has done this") drew comment from Katsuhiro Harada , head of the Tekken games for developer and publisher Bandai Namco, on X (formerly Twitter). Harada stated that he had developed and tested "an accessibility version" of Tekken 7 , which was never shipped or sold. Harada states that those "studies" made it into Tekken 8.

    Read 5 remaining paragraphs | Comments

    • chevron_right

      Microsoft issues system-level ban for “unauthorized” Xbox accessories

      news.movim.eu / ArsTechnica · Monday, 30 October - 17:13 · 1 minute

    Official controllers like this will have no problem working with the Xbox going forward.

    Enlarge / Official controllers like this will have no problem working with the Xbox going forward. (credit: Microsoft)

    Microsoft has begun warning Xbox users that "unauthorized" accessories will no longer work on the company's consoles. The move is likely an effort to limit online cheating that can be enabled by certain external devices, but it seems set to have unintended consequences for communities that rely on adapters for more legitimate users.

    In recent days, users on sites like ResetEra and Windows Central began reporting encounters with "error 0x82d60002" when they plug certain accessories into their Xbox. An on-screen message appearing alongside that error indicates that "using unauthorized accessories compromises your gaming experience" and refers users to Microsoft's list of officially supported accessories .

    A recently added Xbox support note clarifies that the error appears when "one of the accessories you’re trying to connect was not manufactured by Microsoft or another licensed Xbox hardware partner." After the error appears, Microsoft says that "you’ll have two weeks to use the accessory, after which time it will then be blocked from use with the console. At that time, you’ll receive error code 0x82d60003. We encourage you to contact the store or manufacturer where you obtained the accessory to get help with returning it."

    Read 9 remaining paragraphs | Comments

    • chevron_right

      How AI can make gaming better for all players

      news.movim.eu / ArsTechnica · Tuesday, 11 July, 2023 - 16:48

    Close up shot of young girls hands playing game on digital tablet while sitting in parents lap

    Enlarge (credit: Thomas Barwick/Getty )

    When Google revealed Project Gameface, the company was proud to show off a hands-free, AI-powered gaming mouse that, according to its announcement , “enables people to control a computer’s cursor using their head movement and facial gestures.” While this may not be the first AI-based gaming tool, it was certainly one of the first to put AI in the hands of players, rather than developers.

    The project was inspired by Lancy Carr , a quadriplegic video game streamer who utilizes a head-tracking mouse as part of his gaming setup. After his existing hardware was lost in a fire, Google stepped in to create an open source, highly configurable, low-cost alternative to expensive replacement hardware, powered by machine learning. While AI’s broader existence is proving divisive, we set out to discover whether AI, when used for good, could be the future of gaming accessibility.

    It’s important to define AI, and machine learning , to understand clearly how they work in Gameface. When we use the terms “AI” and “machine learning,” we’re referring to both the same and different things.

    Read 28 remaining paragraphs | Comments

    • chevron_right

      Apple details upcoming AI-driven iOS 17 accessibility features

      news.movim.eu / ArsTechnica · Tuesday, 16 May, 2023 - 21:11

    Around this time last year, Apple previewed several of the accessibility features that would be added to iOS 16, which launched last fall. Now it seems that has become a tradition; today, Apple published details about several upcoming features in iOS 17 that are meant to help users with speech, vision, and cognitive disabilities use the company's devices more effectively.

    For example, nonspeaking people will be able to type and have that translated into synthesized speech on a call. Many of the new features like this rely on machine learning. In another example, "those at risk of losing their ability to speak can use Personal Voice to create a synthesized voice that sounds like them for connecting with family and friends," Apple writes.

    Other features are purely design-oriented. For users with cognitive disabilities, Apple will roll out Assistive Access, which redesigns apps like Photos, Camera, or Music to reduce cognitive load and make them easier to use. There will also be ways to focus communication on visual media, like recording short videos.

    Read 3 remaining paragraphs | Comments

    • chevron_right

      Sony announces new controller aimed at gamers with disabilities

      news.movim.eu / ArsTechnica · Thursday, 5 January, 2023 - 16:04 · 1 minute

    A promotional video announcing Sony's Project Leonardo accessibility controller.

    After years of complaints from disabled gamers about the limitations of the PlayStation5's DualSense controller, Sony is taking its first formal steps to increase control accessibility on its newest console. The company says Project Leonardo, announced Wednesday night at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, was designed "with key contributions from accessibility experts, community members, and game developers." The upcoming control solution aims to let players with disabilities "play games more easily, more comfortably, and for longer periods," according to Sony's announcement .

    The Project Leonardo device as shown consists of a single arcade-style analog joystick and a control ring circled with eight large, white input plates and a massive circular input surface in the center. Those buttons can all be customized to any standard input or combination of inputs, and the device itself can lie flat on a surface without needing to be actively held.

    Project Leonardo will come with a number of swappable stick caps, buttons, and labels for customization, as well as a support to adjust the distance between the stick and buttons. Players will be able to use up to two Project Leonardo controllers and/or mix and match them with a DualSense controller as a single input, letting a friend or family member assist cooperatively with the secondary device. Players will also be able to connect a variety of existing external accessibility accessories through four standard 3.5 mm AUX ports.

    Read 3 remaining paragraphs | Comments

    • chevron_right

      How the PS5’s DualSense controller is failing disabled players

      news.movim.eu / ArsTechnica · Wednesday, 16 November, 2022 - 16:55

    The DualSense Edge offers some nice improvements for pro PS5 gamers, but not the additional accessibility gamers with disabilities need.

    Enlarge / The DualSense Edge offers some nice improvements for pro PS5 gamers, but not the additional accessibility gamers with disabilities need.

    On opening night of August's Gamescom conference, PlayStation announced its new PlayStation 5 controller, the DualSense Edge. With the new iteration, players can remap inputs and save them as custom profiles and even replace physical buttons and add levers to the controller’s backside.

    Though these changes offer a certain level of accessibility, neither the announcement nor the accompanying blog post suggests this was deliberate. Rather, the DualSense Edge is a “high-performance, ultra customizable” gamepad ostensibly aimed at competitive gamers. At its heart, the Edge remains the same-old DualSense, and, as such, its accessibility improvements feel incidental rather than intended.

    That has been something of a disappointment to gaming accessibility advocates and players who rely on non-standard controls. In the wake of Microsoft’s success with the Xbox Adaptive Controller , Sony’s lack of similarly accessible control options for the PlayStation 5 is starting to stick out like a sore thumb(stick).

    Read 21 remaining paragraphs | Comments

    • chevron_right

      NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access) is a free, open source accessibility screen reader for Microsoft Windows

      GadgeteerZA · news.movim.eu / gadgeteerza-tech-blog · Thursday, 19 May, 2022 - 09:27

    For blind people to use a computer, they need a screen reader which reads the text on the screen in a synthetic voice or with a braille display. But in many cases, screen reading software costs more than the computer itself. In the past, this has left computers inaccessible to millions of blind people around the world. This is a critical problem, because without computers, access to education and employment is severely limited, not to mention everyday functions such as online banking, shopping, and news.

    NVDA has been translated by volunteers into more than 55 languages, and been used by people in more than 175 countries. It has also won multiple awards.

    See https://github.com/nvaccess/nvda/

    #technology #screenreader #accessibility #disability #sightimpaired

    • chevron_right

      Apple details new iPhone features like door detection, live captions

      news.movim.eu / ArsTechnica · Wednesday, 18 May, 2022 - 21:24

    Global Accessibility Awareness Day is Thursday, so Apple took to its newsroom blog this week to announce several major new accessibility features headed to the iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, and Mac.

    One of the most widely used will likely be Live Captions, which is coming to iPhone, Mac, and iPad. The feature shows AI-driven, live-updating subtitles for speech coming from any audio source on the phone, whether the user is "on a phone or FaceTime call, using a video conferencing or social media app, streaming media content, or having a conversation with someone next to them."

    The text (which users can resize at will) appears at the top of the screen and ticks along as the subject speaks. Additionally, Mac users will be able to type responses and have them read aloud to others on the call. Live Captions will enter public beta on supported devices ("iPhone 11 and later, iPad models with A12 Bionic and later, and Macs with Apple silicon") later this year.

    Read 4 remaining paragraphs | Comments

    • chevron_right

      How To Unlock the Best Features on Your iPhone

      pubsub.dcentralisedmedia.com / LifehackerAustralia · Friday, 5 February, 2021 - 06:17 · 3 minutes

    We’ve covered a ton of iPhone and iPad features in the past , but these options are easy to overlook if you’re not used to browsing through the right sections of your iPhone or iPad’s Settings (or even just using certain buttons). And you should take some time to learn what’s available, as there are plenty of useful tools that Apple has snuck in there, and they’re great for increasing productivity.

    Among our favourite iPhone hacks:

    There are two features other we want to describe in a little more detail: magnification and voice controls. The former is a great way to get a closer look at anything your phone’s camera can see, and the latter is an incredibly useful way to control your iPhone or iPad with your voice.

    Use Your iPhone/iPad as a magnifying glass

    wyyclx0lp8upsgiitxbn.png

    The Magnifier tool uses your device’s camera to zoom in on real-world objects.

    1. To use it, go to Settings > Accessibility > Magnifier.
    2. Tap the “Magnifier” toggle on.
    3. Triple-press the home button to open the Magnify camera. You can zoom in and out using the slider, and snap a photo with the shutter button.

    I was surprised at just how close the camera lets you zoom-in, though the quality of the zoomed-in image will differ between devices. If you find your zoomed image is too bright, try turning on the “Auto-Adjust Exposure” option in the Magnifier menu to help reduce glare. (Note that Magnifier is different from the Zoom feature listed above; that one gives you a closer look at whatever apps or photos are currently displayed on your screen.)

    Use Siri to manage your iPhone or iPad via “Voice Control”

    gi86ewwvoclssutw8os8.png
    1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control
    2. Tap “Set Up Voice Control” then tap “continue.” You’ll be shown a list of Siri commands that can be used to control your device.
    3. Tap “Done” to close the instructions.
    4. Tap the “Voice Control” toggle the feature on.

    You can now use any of the commands listed in the instructional guide to control your device (and you can find the list again by tapping “Learn More…” under the “Voice Control” toggle).

    You can also customise your commands, onscreen feedback and interface setup in Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control . Here’s what each option does:

    • Language: Set your preferred language for controlling Siri (defaults to your system’s preferences).
    • Customise commands: Create and edit new voice commands.
    • Vocabulary: Lets you teach Siri new words that can be used to create commands. This can help make your commands feel more natural.
    • Show confirmation: Turns on visual feedback when a command is heard by Siri.
    • Play sound: Enables audio confirmation when Siri hears your commands.
    • Show hints: Offers real-time tips based on how you use Siri commands, and suggests commands to use.
    • Overlay: Turn this on to give each on-screen element a number value, .which can then be used in your voice commands to specify buttons or parts of the screen you wish to access.

    This article has been updated since its original publish date.

    The post How To Unlock the Best Features on Your iPhone appeared first on Lifehacker Australia .