Top Apps and Devices 2020

Hello and welcome to the Triple Tap Tech top apps for 2020. This has been a very challenging year and we all have had to rely more than usual on technology for Work, Play, Entertainment and Communications. There are lots of fantastic and wonderful devices and apps out there and these are ones we would recommend.

Top 5 Apps

Zoom Cloud Meetings

This is a Video Meeting service that can be used to make video calls and group meetings to one or more people. This service has become a must have for communication over the Covid 19 crises. many charity’s and organisations use zoom to set up meetings and stay in contact with friends and family. You can use the free version of zoom or there is a paid for subscription that gives you access to more advance features. Zoom is also accessible using your devices accessibility features.

https://zoom.us/

Disney Plus

This is a new Video streaming app that has it content created by Disney and costs £5.99 per month. This app is available across most devices from Fire TV and Apple TV for the Big Screen to iOS and Android tablets and smartphones. You can also watch it directly from you internet browser. The content has Audio description for a lot of its content and can be used with most accessibility software.

Xbox Game Pass

This is a game streaming service from Microsoft that can be used to play games on the Xbox One and Series X and S. You can also play games from this service on your Windows 10 PC and on Android devices. This service costs £10.99 Per month and works with the accessibility features of each device.

Dolphin Easy Reader

This is an accessible app that has been designed to be very customisable for reader with low vision and no vision. This app has access to the RNIB Talking book service and Calibre Audio Library. This app will also put a human voice onto text only books so you can enjoy them too. This app is free to download and is available on most devices.

Aira

Aira allows you to get sighted assistance anywhere from your smart device. The app connects you to a trained advisor and uses your camera to get the best advice for your problem. It’s a subscription based app with pricing starting from 30 pounds a month for 30 call minutes. They do provide a free 5 minute call once a day and is available on IOS and Android.

Top 5 Devices

iPhone SE2020

Once again the iPhone is a essential piece of technology for anyone with a visual impairment. This year saw a lot of new iPhones released and the iPhone SE 2020 is a good all rounder from this year. It costs just £399 and you can use a wide range of accessible apps. The iPhone itself comes with a fantastic range of accessibility features built in that can be used straight out of the box.

Orbit Writer

The Orbit writer is a small and portable Perkins style braille keyboard. It allows you to connect up to 6 devices via Bluetooth and USB. It costs 100 dollars and works with IOS, Android, Fire tablet, windows, Mac and Chromebook.

Concerto Player

This is a great all round media player made for a charity called British Wireless for the Blind Fund. this device resembles a Boom Box from the late 90s and can play Cassette Tapes, CD, Digital and FM Radio. This device can also play media that is stored on an SD card and USB Drive. We found that the simplicity and versatility of this device was amazing, you do not need to be connected to the internet to use all the amazing features. We also loved the sound quality that this produced. One of the main features we loved was the ability to listen to Daisy Audio Books straight from the CD or USB inputs. The device can be purchased from BWBF Direct webpage and costs £276. This device can also be received free in certain conditions.

Raspberry Pie 400

This is a low cost computer that runs on Linux and can be used with the Raspberry Pi OS or other software. The whole device is built into a compact keyboard and costs just under £100. It can connect to any monitor or tv display using a HDMI connection. The operating system can be customised to used with low vision and it also includes a screen reader called Orca that can be used to navigate your software. We found the low cost price and the ability to customise it for you own needs very impressive.

Echo buds.

The Echo Buds are ear phones that are made By Amazon and is also an Alexa enabled device that you can use just the same as your smart speaker when out and about. They have a nice rich sound that produces a nice distinctive mix between the Bass, Mid and High range sounds. They cost around £130 from Amazon. They also have in built Bose Noise Cancelling technology built into them which is surprisingly good for the price range. They can also be used with your smart phone native digital assistant.

Game of the Year

The Last of us Part 2

This is the game that changed everything. This is the game other games need to follow for accessibility. The last of us part 2 is a post apocalyptic survival horror game that has been developed for the PlayStation 4. It has a wide range of accessible features built into it from a fantastic screen filter for low vision to a vast library of audio cues and haptic feedback for no vision. The only downside is that the game is not suitable for young people due to its subject matter.