VoiceOver
 |
|
 VoiceOver Utility pane for adjusting Verbosity. |
|
| Developer(s) | Apple Inc. |
|---|---|
| Stable release | 4.0 (242.7) / July 20, 2011 |
| Operating system | Mac OS X, iOS |
| Type | Screen reader |
| License | Bundled |
| Website | http://www.apple.com/ accessibility/voiceover/ |
VoiceOver is a screen reader built into Apple Inc.'s Mac OS X, iOS and iPod operating systems. By using VoiceOver, the user can access their Macintosh or iOS device based on spoken descriptions and, in the case of the Mac, the keyboard. The feature is designed to increase accessibility for blind and low-vision users, as well as for users with dyslexia. VoiceOver is included on the latest versions of Apple's iPod Shuffle and iPod Nano, as well as recent Macs and iOS devices.
[edit] Mac OS X
VoiceOver was first introduced in Mac OS X 10.4 and the target was users who had difficulty in reading due to vision impairment, particularly the blind.
VoiceOver can read typed text, or it can also read out what screen elements are visible or focused. VoiceOver also includes support for many Braille displays for those who are both blind and deaf. In addition, VoiceOver includes features for those that cannot use the mouse, such as keyboard based navigation. For users with MacBooks or Magic Trackpads, a number of special multitouch features are also available. An example of this is the capability of the trackpad to act as the screen. Rather than being used to move the mouse, the trackpad represents the active window, and you can tap anywhere to hear what is under your finger.
[edit] iOS and iPod line
After its success on Macs, Apple added VoiceOver to the iPod Shuffle. This enabled users of the iPod Shuffle to minimally control the playback of songs by having titles read out. With the 2010 revision of iPod Shuffle, the user can also have VoiceOver read out playlists.
A few months later, with the release of the iPhone 3GS, VoiceOver was added to iOS. As a result of this, VoiceOver is now also available on the iPod touch. On the touch screen interface, VoiceOver lets users tap the screen without selecting the element. This means that a user can tap anywhere on the screen and find out if there is an element there without needing to see the screen. VoiceOver can also turn off the display but leave the touch screen sensitive to touch, saving battery power. To turn VoiceOver on go to Settings, general, and down to accessability and it can be found there. It has been said that some new iPod touch 4th generation, all you have to do is triple-click the home button to activate it.
In September 2009, Apple launched this feature on the iPod Nano line.
[edit] External links
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
This Apple-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
