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Tick tock, my Apple Watch experience, using the Friends button on the Apple Watch

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Using the Friends button on the Apple Watch:

 

This blog post refers to Apple Watches running Apple Watch 1.1 software.

 

Easily one of the best features of the Apple Watch is the ability to access contacts quickly and make calls using the watch itself. There’s something wonderfully sci fi about talking at your wrist and having a two way conversation through it.

 

One of the easiest and quickest ways to get to some of your favourite contacts is to use the Friends button found below the Digital crown on the right side of the watch. This function is really useful as you can choose up to 12 people from your contacts list on your iPhone to create something called the ‘Friends Circle’ on your watch. To create your friends Circle do the following:

 

HOT TIP: First go to the Contacts setting in the Apple Watch app and make sure that ‘Mirror my iPhone’ is selected. This will mean that your entire contacts list from your iPhone will also be available on your Apple Watch. It will also mean that any contacts on your iPhone contacts list that are blocked will also be blocked on your Apple Watch.

 

1. Go to the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and go to Friends.

 

2. Once in the Friends setting area you will be presented with 12 spaces in which to add contacts of your choosing. The way Apple have done this is very clever and very easy for those of us who are blind or visually impaired to imagine. Basically the screen displays a list numbered 1 to 12 and starting from the top going down the list it displays, “Add friend, 12 o’clock on friends circle”, “Add friend, 1 o’clock on friends circle” and so on until all 12 hour positions on a metaphorical clock face are accounted for.

 

3. Single finger double tap on the clock face position you want to add a contact to. Note that you can reorder the position of contacts in your Friends Circle once you’ve filled some or all of the available spaces.

 

4. Your contacts list will open on your iPhone to allow you to select who to add. Simply find the person you want and single finger double tap on their name. That person will then be added to the Friends Circle position you selected.

 

To reorder contacts that you’ve added to your Friends Circle do the following:

 

1. When in the Friends screen in the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, single finger double tap on the Edit button found at the top right corner of the screen under your phone’s battery percentage display.

 

2. There will now be a “reorder” button down the right side of the screen next to each contact you’ve added to your Friends Circle. Single finger double tap and hold on the reorder button next to the contact you wish to move and wait for the popping sound.

 

3. Now move your finger up or down the list. VoiceOver will announce where you are moving the contact to. For example “Moved above Bob” or “Moved below Sarah”.

 

4. Lift your finger off the screen and repeat step 3 for each contact you wish to reorder.

 

5. Once you’ve finished single finger double tap on the Done button found at the top right corner of the screen under your phone’s battery percentage display.

 

To delete contacts from your Friends Circle do the following:

 

1. When in the Friends screen in the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, single finger double tap on the Edit button found at the top right corner of the screen under your phone’s battery percentage display.

 

2. There will now be a “Delete” button down the left side of the screen just after the name of each contact you’ve added to your Friends Circle. Single finger double tap on the delete button.

 

3. A “Remove”  button will now appear on the right side of the screen next to the contact you selected the delete button on. Single finger double tap the Remove button and the contact will be removed from your Friends Circle but will remain in your iPhone contacts list.

 

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for each contact you wish to delete from your Friends Circle. Then, once you’ve finished single finger double tap the Done button found at the top right corner of the screen under your phone’s battery percentage display.

 

Now you’ve created your Friends Circle here is how you can use it .

 

1. Press and release the Friends button on your Apple Watch to display your Friends Circle.

 

2. Use Digital Crown Navigation or a finger tip on the Apple Watch screen to move around the names of contacts in the Friends Circle.

 

3. Single finger double tap on the name button of the person you want to call or message. A new screen will be displayed giving you options to call, message, digital touch or send a tap. Note that the digital touch/tap option button will be greyed out/dimmed if the person does not have an Apple Watch.

 

4. Use Digital Crown Navigation or a fingertip on the screen to move around the option buttons and do the following :

 

Single finger double tap on the person’s name button to send a digital touch.

 

Single finger triple tap on the person’s name button to send a tap.

 

Single finger double tap on the Phone button to call the person.

 

Single finger double tap on the Message button to send the person a message.

 

You can also single finger double tap on the Back button found at the top left of the screen to return you to your Friends Circle list.

 

5. If you wish to switch your Apple Watch off, press and hold the Friends button for 2 seconds. A new screen will then be displayed giving you 4 options. You can single finger swipe left or right to find Cancel, Power off, Power reserve and Lock device buttons. Simply single finger double tap on the button for the action you want to perform.

 

6. To switch your Apple Watch on, press and hold the Friends button for 2 seconds. The watch will take approximately 90 seconds to boot up. It will then ask you to enter your watch passcode.

 

 

In my next blog I will be talking about adding and removing third party apps from the Apple Watch.

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Tick tock, my Apple Watch experience, the set up

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9th July: The set up.

 

Having spent some time unpacking both my Apple Watch and the additional Leather Loop strap I’d bought for it I got on with setting the watch up. I will state here that although I’ve read a fair bit about the Apple Watch I had, until now, never actually handled one let alone set one up. I also set the watch up with no sighted assistance at all, I’d been looking forward to setting it up myself, plus I wanted to see how the set up worked for a blind person doing it on their own.

 

It’s best to have the watch on your wrist when setting it up so first I put it on and noticed that despite my misgivings about the rubber sports strap that came with the Watch it is really very comfortable and robust with an easy to secure pin arrangement.

 

Next the watch needed to be switched on. This is done by pressing the Friends button for two seconds. Once pressed the watch takes about 90 seconds to boot up. Now it is worth mentioning here that I already knew to expect this so I simply went off and made a cup of tea whilst it did so. Once I’d got my freshly made cuppa it was time to turn on VoiceOver. Those of you who have iPhones, iPads or iPods will no doubt be familiar with the shortcut method for turning it on during set up, which of course is to press the Home key three times in quick succession. It’s exactly the same on the Apple Watch except that you press the Digital Crown instead. The Digital Crown gives a nice positive click as you press it which I found quite reassuring. VoiceOver takes two or three seconds to start, but once on you’re presented with a language selection screen where you can single finger flick left or right to find the language you wish to use. Then you simply single finger double tap on the screen to select that language.

 

Next the watch requires you to pair it with an iPhone. I have an iPhone 5s, but the Apple Watch is compatible with the iPhone 5, 5c, 5s, 6 and 6+ so as long as you have one of these you’ll be fine. Having said that, I doubt there is anybody who’s interested in buying an Apple Watch who isn’t aware of this.

 

When the watch announces the pairing screen, single finger flick right to scroll along each segment to listen to the information it gives you. At this point you’ll need to have your iPhone handy and have the Apple Watch app open. All you need to do then is follow the instructions that both the watch and the iPhone give you. I say the watch and the iPhone as VoiceOver announces each stage as you go through it and depending on which stage you are at determines whether you’re using the watch or the app on the iPhone. It’s worth pointing out here that there’s a time limit on putting the pairing code into the watch when the iPhone app asks you to, so this may mean you take a few attempts to type the code in quickly enough. I managed to do it on the second attempt, I think it was probably because the virtual number pad on the watch screen is so small that it takes a bit of getting used to.

 

Once you’ve completed the initial set up of your watch you can start taking a look around it and setting it up to suit your own needs. The first thing I’d recommend you do is make the accessibility shortcut switch VoiceOver on and off. To do this do the following:

 

1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and single finger double tap on the GENERAL button.

2. Single finger double tap on the ACCESSIBILITY button.

3. Three finger swipe up the screen to scroll up then single finger double tap on the ACCESSIBILITY SHORTCUT button.

4. Single finger double tap on the VOICEOVER button.

 

You can now return to your Apple Watch and confirm this setting is active by pressing the Digital Crown three times in quick succession to switch VoiceOver off. Simply repeat the three Digital Crown presses to switch it back on. You can now control VoiceOver easily using this shortcut.

 

The last thing I’m going to talk about in this blog post is how to find the Apple Watch user guide. To get to the user guide do the following:

 

1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.

2. Single finger double tap on the ABOUT button.

3. Three finger swipe up the screen to scroll up.

4. Single finger double tap on the APPLE WATCH USER GUIDE button.

 

You are then presented with a list of sections to browse. To expand a section and see what topics are within it simply single finger double tap on the name of the section. You can collapse the topics list by single finger double tapping on the section name again.

 

To read a topic, single finger double tap on the topic name. You can then do a two finger swipe down on the screen and VoiceOver will read the page to you.

 

Once you’ve finished reading the page single finger double tap on the TABLE OF CONTENTS button found at the top left of the screen under the signal strength status bar item and you will be returned to the user guide table of contents. When you’ve finished reading the user guide and wish to come out of it, single finger double tap on the DONE button found at the top right corner of the screen under the battery power display.

 

 

In my next blog post I’ll be talking about VoiceOver gestures for use on the Apple Watch as well as how to navigate around glances and notifications.

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Tick tock, my Apple Watch experience, the watch arrives!

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9th July: The Apple Watch arrives!

 

As you will recall from my first Apple Watch Experience blog post, I placed the order for my Apple Watch online on 6th July and received an email telling me to expect delivery of it sometime between 20th and 27th July. Imagine my astonishment then when on Wednesday night (8th) at around 9.30pm I received another email from the online Apple store telling me that my watch had been dispatched and that I’d receive it on Thursday 9th!

 

I had read that many people were disappointed with the waiting time for their watches once their order had been placed, so I’d already resigned myself to waiting two or three weeks to receive mine. I’m not sure whether Apple have stepped up production of the watch so more are immediately available to go out, but I was genuinely impressed that in the end my wait was a mere 3 days. For any of you who are thinking of buying an Apple Watch a piece of advice I would give is to place your order on the online store and then contact your local Apple retail store if you have one to see if they have the model you want in stock. That way if the retail store has one you can reserve it and go get it then cancel your online order. If they haven’t got the model you want in stock then at least you know you’ve placed the order online and will receive it, albeit not as instantly as picking one up. I did this and I’m glad, as I’d have been utterly disappointed if I’d have gone into a retail store only to find they didn’t have any.

 

So what were my first impressions?

 

I had ordered an Apple Watch Sport 42mm in Space Grey along with an additional Leather Loop strap which meant that the order came in two packages. Apple’s presentation and packaging of products has always been superb and the Apple Watch is no exception. The Sport model comes in a long smooth contoured case that displays the watch with the rubber Sport strap that comes with it attached and laid out flat. The charging plug, magnetic charging cable and quick start guide are all neatly tucked away in a compartment under a cardboard separator much as we are used to in iPhone boxes. The Leather Loop Strap also comes in a long contoured case and is presented laid out flat much in the same way. The cases are clearly designed to last and I imagine many people will use them to store their watches and straps in simply because they are so practical; I know I am.

 

Before I start talking about the watch itself I must mention the charging plug. There’s been a lot of talk about how great the new fold away pin design is and how brilliant they are for saving space when popping in a bag when travelling etc. Well, I had not handled one of these new plugs until unpacking my watch but I have to say, the plugs are really very cool indeed.

 

So, the watch itself. The first thing that struck me was how sleek and light it is. I mentioned in my earlier blog post how I would be interested to compare my new Apple Watch Sport with my old battered speaking watch, naturally that was pretty much the first thing I did as I took the old watch off my wrist. A lot of people have said that the Sports model’s light weight puts them off, but to be honest it weighs pretty much the same as my old speaking watch so this really isn’t an issue for me. The Apple Watch is definitely larger than my old watch though, but actually I quite like that.

 

In terms of how the watch feels, it’s basically a smooth oblong that is slightly longer on its vertical sides than its horizontal top and bottom sides. The watch face/touch screen is completely smooth and has rounded edges that curve over the sides, top and bottom. Down the right hand side of the unit are two tactile controls. The first is found approximately 3mm from the top and is a flat disc. This is the digital crown, it can be pressed in and acts very much like the home button on an iPhone, iPad or iPod. It can also be turned using a fingertip to navigate using something called crown navigation, this is fantastic for us VoiceOver users, but I will come back to that in a later post. Below the digital crown and approximately 3mm from the bottom is a slightly raised oblong button, this is the Friends button and allows you to quickly access people you’ve put in your favourites list in your contacts, it is also the power button for the watch. The left side of the watch feels completely smooth, however both the speaker and microphone are housed here with the speaker near the top and the microphone near the bottom. Turning the watch over you feel a slightly raised dome shape, this presses into the top of your wrist and provides you with vibrations and haptic feedback as well as allowing the watch to track your heart rate etc.

 

The rubber Sport Band strap that comes with the watch actually feels very nice and robust. I must admit that I didn’t much like the idea of a rubber strap, but actually it’s very comfortable and easy to fasten to your wrist.

 

The additional Leather Loop strap I bought to use on my watch for more formal or work events feels fantastic. The strap is divided into segments that make me think of tank tracks. This of course makes the strap very tactile and it really does feel great against the wrist. The only thing I think makes me not want to wear this strap all the time is that the watch doesn’t feel as secure on the wrist as it does with the rubber Sports strap. The Leather Loop strap secures by feeding through a D ring, folding back on itself and a small magnetic weight at the end of the strap magnetising to one of the other tank track segments. It may very well be that because I’m not used to this type of fastening it makes me more wary, but the strap itself is most definitely worthy of use for more formal or special occasions.

 

In summary the Apple Watch Sport is very light, has tactile controls that are easy to find and operate, feels and looks sleek, and overall is a beautiful piece of engineering.

 

In my next post I’ll share with you my experience of setting the watch up and my first impressions of operating it.

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AVC takes to the air waves

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Yesterday morning I was interviewed by BBC Three Counties Radio for an upcoming programme about disability and overcoming adversity. The programme will feature several short interviews with a number of people from all walks of life and with a variety of disabilities. All have faced and overcome the challenges and restrictions that their disabilities bring them on a daily basis and resolutely refuse to let themselves be beaten. They have made significant adjustments to the way they approach their lives and have experienced dramatic and positive changes in the direction their lives have taken as a result.

 

I am thrilled to be involved in this programme and know that it will help to dispel the myth that disabled people are incapable of achieving ambitious goals. I encourage you to listen if you can and of course share this information with as many people as you can.

 

The programme is called Shrink Wrapped and runs from 1pm to 2pm on BBC Three Counties Radio this Sunday 14th December. You will also be able to catch it on the listen again service on the station’s website or via the BBC iPlayer if you miss it.

 

James Goldsworthy.

Founder of Alternate Visions Coaching.

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A refreshing new project

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Yesterday I had a meeting with a new client Bobcat Digital Ltd and their web designer Karton Design Ltd. The meeting was about the building and development of Bobcat’s new website and I have to say that it was incredibly refreshing to sit in a room of people who all want to work together and produce a great finished product. The enthusiasm for the project was palpable and we think we will have something very special and quite different by the time it is complete.

 

I am very much looking forward to working on this project and imagine it will be a fantastic learning experience for all of us that are involved.

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Is it accessible?

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How accessible is your website?

 

Thousands of people around the world purchase screen reading software to enable them to use computers, tablets and mobile phones effectively on the internet. The common misconception is that only blind and visually impaired people use this software, but this is not the case. Although the visually impaired community accounts for a large percentage of the world’s screen reader users, people with motor impairment and learning difficulties also use them to great effect.

 

Sadly only a small percentage of websites out there are fully accessible to screen reader users. Unfortunately very few corporations, companies, organisations and small businesses even consider whether their website is accessible. This isn’t to say that the number of accessible websites is not increasing, because it is, albeit very slowly. There are certainly a far greater number of accessible websites now compared to just five years ago.

 

So who is to blame?

 

The website developers? Probably not, as they tend to work to their client’s specifications and to whatever the current minimal accepted level of accessibility is at the time. This isn’t to say that some web developers don’t try to go the extra mile and work hard on accessibility, because some certainly do.

 

The web developer’s clients, the corporations, companies, organisations and small businesses then? Probably not them either. After all, more often than not they simply want a website that looks good, that works, that promotes their product or service and that won’t cost them a fortune to have built or to maintain.

 

The disabled community perhaps? Again probably not. A vast majority of visually impaired and disabled people wouldn’t know how to build a website in the first place and those that do already do a huge amount to improve accessibility where they can. In fact the greatest leaps forward in accessibility have been as a result of the technically minded members of the disabled community having direct influence in its development.

 

So what’s the answer? 

 

To be honest I don’t think there is a correct answer, but here are my thoughts. 

 

The disabled community really does need to speak up more and communicate with web developers and the corporations, companies, organisations and small businesses that purchase their web building services. It is no good our complaining about inadequate accessibility if we are not talking to the people who can change it. There is a lot of ignorance out there about accessibility and I think it is our part to play to improve the situation by educating people about it. I don’t just mean negative communication either; if something works and improves our web experience we should be letting the web developers know. Equally when things are not working we need to communicate in a constructive and informative manner, not just blowing hot air. Without constructive feedback it is exceptionally difficult for web developers to make positive changes. 

 

As far as the corporations, companies, organisations and small businesses are concerned I think it is quite difficult. I think what it really boils down to here is a lack of awareness when it comes to accessibility, which of course is where what I said above comes in. Having said that however I do wonder if they ever think about how much their potential client base could grow if the percentage of people that are currently unable to navigate their websites could suddenly access them. I do feel that many simply overlook or dismiss the disabled community as not being viable clients or customers and I think that is something that really ought to change.

 

Regarding web developers; again this is a difficult one as the default position seems to be to work to the minimum industry standard for accessibility. That is of course a generalisation, I have come into contact with some outstanding web developers who are very inclusive of accessibility and who strive to improve it on an ongoing basis. There are a very small number of course like the one I spoke to around eighteen months ago who told me that the number of disabled people using the internet that struggle with accessibility is insignificant when it comes to the number of internet users worldwide, so it didn’t really matter if the sites he developed were accessible as his clients didn’t care about it. I wonder whether they genuinely didn’t care or if actually they just didn’t understand about the impact that accessibility can have, or even if they understood what accessibility is. With that extreme example aside I think that on the whole web developers are quite open to feedback, particularly if it is constructive. It would be quite nice if more developers approached disabled user groups and asked for their feedback during development rather than as an afterthought, but again what need is there if their clients are not bothered about it?

 

In summary I feel that it is the responsibility of all of us whether disabled, a web developer or a purchaser of website building services to spread the word about accessibility and make it an industry standard rather than an inconvenience.

 

Part of my mission is to make disabled people more able to be independent through the use of technology. This of course means desktops, laptops, tablets and mobile phones. The ability to successfully navigate the internet and the websites that they want to visit has an enormously positive impact upon disabled individuals. Believe me, I know, I am one of those people. It creates the possibility of building networks of disabled peers as well as more inclusion in the general community. Let’s not forget that disabled people would still like to shop online, read local news online, hire solicitors or buy insurance online, just because we are disabled doesn’t mean we don’t want to do the same things as those who aren’t.