Get Me to an Xbox

Never did I think I would be interested in Xbox ---- until now. The New York Times reported Microsoft’s Xbox Live entertainment service will allow subscribers to access television and video content right from their Xbox 3600 console.

Okay, so that’s nice, but not enough to get me on an Xbox.

I continue to read and learn you can search for the programming you want with Voice Commands. Yes, that’s right; just tell your Xbox what you want to watch – verbally.

Apparently I am not the only one having difficulty operating (the now almost archaic) remote control and cable programming guides. The clunky old cable box may soon be an antiquity.

“In a demonstration of the technology last week at Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, Wash., Michael Suraci, director of marketing for Xbox Live, told an Xbox to “Bing Sandra Bullock,” which promptly found “The Blind Side,” “Crash” and several other movies starring the actress that were available through various sources of video on Xbox Live.”

“Mr. Suraci also used a sequence of voice commands to switch to an app for Verizon’s FiOS TV, within which he could flip among live channels by using more voice commands or a swiping motion with his hands.”

Now I have one very important question. Does it talk back?

Read the New York Times article:
“Xbox Live Challenges Cable Box”

Next Stop SoHo

Good things come to those who wait.

Apple SoHo is about to host it's own accessibility event.

What: Accessibility Out of the Box
Where: 72 Greene Street, New York City, NY 10012
When: Tuesday, November 29th at 4pm - 5:30pm


I'll be there and I will be joining two other speakers to share some of the ways we use Apple's Accessibility in our daily life.

See you there!

It’s Not You George, It’s Me

George pointed out to me earlier this week that the formatting of my blog looked strange to him. He mentioned something about a “style sheet” and ‘word wrap,”but I do not know what he is talking about. I call a colleague and ask him what this means and he tells me to tell George it’s not my blog, it’s his browser. As I am about to relieve myself of all responsibility, my colleague calls back to say there is indeed something funky about the way my last blog post (Out of the Box Again) looks. He thinks I may have posted it inside a table.

I dread the thought of even looking at it, so I don’t. I go through Blogger instead and attempt to edit it. Easier said then done. Copying and pasting does not work, only a few sentences come through. I go back to the original draft and copy it to repost, but this one wipes out all of my carefully embedded hyperlinks. While trying to restore the links I hit the enter key and somehow accidentally publish the messy draft.

The erroneous posting is published with no links and with my notes exposed at the end. Each time I edit a post it gets posted to Facebook (and maybe Twitter) over and over again and I have no clue how to stop it.

I decided to give it one more go and fixed the post and published it. I hope you'll forgive me George, it still looks different and I'm just going to have to let it be.

Does this have to be so difficult -- really?

Out of the Box Again (Again)

Good things deserve repeating. That’s why Apple West 14th Street last night hosted “Accessibility Out of the Box“ for the second time. This time I was invited to take part in a panel discussion along with Dan Etra, Rethink Autism and Leslie Schect, District 75.

In August I wrote the first “Out of the Box” post, moved by the experience and hoping that the attention to accessibility would continue and grow. It has. I’ve heard from Apple SoHo that they too are getting in on this good thing and will soon be offering Accessibility Workshops (stay tuned).

I see this attention to the needs of special people happening at Apple Stores around the globe. You can help move the process along – go to your friendly neighborhood Apple and ask them to do the same. Get involved in a movement! (No sleeping in tents – I promise.)

This is way too good to keep quiet!

Thank You Steve Jobs

When I got home tonight and clicked on to CNN I learned that Steve Jobs died today. I felt the loss of a friend. I certainly didn’t know him personally -- yet it seemed I did. The reports of his health issues prevailed, but I chose to believe he would live forever.

He said, “No one wants to die, and yet death is the destination we all share.” I recently watched the video of his 2005 commencement address at Stanford on my iPad. My love for Apple began with the iPod, then I became intimately involved with the iPhone. It all synched seamlessly with my iMac, creating my first perfectly integrated relationship.

None of this is so different from the relationship anyone had with Steve Jobs or with Apple. That is the beauty of it. My experience was like the experience of everyone else...except I could not see the words on the screens of any of these devices. Under the leadership of Steve Jobs, Apple did something no one else had the guts to do -- they gave text the ability to speak with Voice Over.

He revolutionized a culture and he allowed everyone around him to think of everyone around them. And, I have no doubt that this legacy of inclusion will continue and his powerful spirit will continue to change the world.

In realizing his dreams he also realized mine.

Thanks Steve -- you changed my life!