In spite of all the advancements we’ve seen in tech, the industry as a whole has consistently neglected people with disabilities. There have been some improvements, including video call apps like FaceTime, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts and more adding better support for sign language interpreters and closed captioning. And, this year, Instagram and TikTok finally added stickers that enable automated captioning for speech in videos, too. But major organizations continued to make decisions that exclude people with disabilities. The organizer of E3 2021, for example, failed its deaf and hard of hearing viewers during its live streamed show.There are too many individual transgressions and improvements to exhaustively detail here. Due to their sheer size, though, tech’s largest companies wield the greatest influence over what the rest of the industry does. By holding them accountable, we have a better chance of seeing widespread change in the way tech thinks about inclusive design. Here’s how Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta (formerly Facebook) and more did to improve the accessibility of their products and services in 2021.AppleApple has led the way in inclusive design for years, and in 2021 the company continued to launch new features that made its products easier for those with disabilities to use. In addition to updating its screen reader, VoiceOver, to enable better descriptions of images for the visually impaired, Apple also launched several new products.... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2021-12-31 21:00:34 UTC ]
The Scribe remains a great digital notebook for Kindle loyalists, even if not much has changed over the original. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2024-12-08 13:00:00 UTC ]
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The brand-new Kindle lineup is on sale for Cyber Monday, as are many other Amazon products, from Eero routers to Ring cameras. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2024-12-02 13:34:21 UTC ]
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The brand-new Kindle lineup is on sale for Black Friday, as are many other Amazon products, from Eero routers to Echo speakers. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2024-11-30 20:44:31 UTC ]
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The brand-new Kindle lineup is on sale for Black Friday, as are many other Amazon products, from Eero routers to Echo speakers. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2024-11-29 13:58:24 UTC ]
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Black Friday deals on Amazon devices have started early. Even the brand-new Kindle lineup is on sale. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2024-11-22 22:14:23 UTC ]
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The latest Amazon Fire HD 8, updated last month and starting at $100, is a modest refresh, offering more RAM, a nominally upgraded camera and some new AI features. The general sales pitch, however, remains the same: You get a just-competent tablet for the essentials at a dirt-cheap (and... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-15 14:19:25 UTC ]
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For obvious reasons, Twitter users are leaving en masse and heading to Bluesky, its most prominent decentralized competitor. In this episode, we discuss why Bluesky now feels like the best of early Twitter, filled with vibrant conversations and people discovering a new social network filled with... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-15 12:30:52 UTC ]
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November is in full swing, which means Black Friday is right around the corner. But the days in which you had to wait for Black Friday proper to get good deals have long been behind us. The holiday shopping season is effectively the entire month of November now, with early Black Friday deals... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-14 17:34:34 UTC ]
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Faulty devices have thrown a wrench in the company’s trade-in program for its color ebook reader. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2024-11-14 12:15:00 UTC ]
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Techtober rolled straight into November this year. The first week of the month was a busy one at Engadget HQ as we published a number of high-profile reviews over the last few days. There's the MacBook Pro and Mac mini from Apple alongside the beastly (and expensive) PS5 Pro. Plus, we've got yet... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-09 15:00:04 UTC ]
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Charging two devices at once doesn’t necessarily require a multi-port wall plug — if you purchase the right cable. For example, Anker has a special USB-C cable that splits into two so you can handle two devices at once with a single USB-C port. And the coolest part? Right now, you can... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2024-11-07 16:44:21 UTC ]
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Sony’s new beastly console is a niche product for PlayStation gamers who want the most premium experience. The PlayStation 5 Pro is the console equivalent of the iPhone Pro Max or the Kindle Signature but still cheaper than a PC gaming rig. It has a more powerful GPU, capable of offering 4K and... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-07 12:18:36 UTC ]
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There are really two types of ereaders: Dedicated ebook/audiobook devices or slabs that are more akin to small tablets with E Ink screens. In the first category, the competition is really between Amazon’s Kindle devices and Rakuten’s Kobo readers. Ereaders in the latter group include entries... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-07 08:00:36 UTC ]
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You won't have to worry about repurchasing your Nintendo favorites when the Switch’s successor finally arrives. In its earnings report, Nintendo said its next console will have backwards compatibility and be able to run games made for the Switch. In addition, Switch Online will also be available... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-06 12:15:26 UTC ]
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While we felt that the Kindle Colorsoft was by and large a solid first stab at a color ereader by Amazon, there has been a problem with the device. After several buyers pointed out that a yellow band was discoloring the bottom of the display, the same issue occurred on our review unit. Now, the... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-05 19:01:45 UTC ]
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Amazon completely revamped its Kindle family in October when it debuted the entirely new Colorsoft ereader along with updated generations of the other three existing models: the standard Kindle, the Paperwhite and the Scribe E Ink tablet. The new Paperwhite has a slightly larger screen, a bigger... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-04 16:30:36 UTC ]
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I think my colleague Cherlynn Low jinxed us in the last installment with her mention of a slower than usual October. The last week of the month was jam-packed with news, especially from Apple, so we're in for a busy few weeks of reviews to finish out the year. This week, we tested Amazon's... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-02 14:00:46 UTC ]
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If you’re wondering what happened to Amazon’s new and improved version of its Alexa voice assistant, you’re not alone. Bloomberg reports that the new Alexa is still stuck in its developmental phase and Amazon has cut off access to its beta phase including its new “Let’s Chat” phase. As a result,... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-01 21:50:42 UTC ]
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It's been a Mac-heavy week! In this episode, Devindra and producer Ben Ellman dive into all of Apple's new M4 hardware: the new iMac, Mac mini and refreshed Macbook Pros. The Mac mini, in particular, looks like it'll be a huge hit for anyone who needs a simple desktop system. Also, we dive into... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-01 13:20:04 UTC ]
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Finally, a color Kindle. Amazon, the dominant force in ereaders, finally brought color eink to its series of devices — and we’ve reviewed it. The Kindle Colorsoft is a solid premium ereader, ideal for readers of comics and graphic novels. The company has upgraded page-turn speed and a handy... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-10-31 11:15:38 UTC ]
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