Behind Facebook’s efforts to make its site accessible to all
Earlier this year, Facebook launched a new feature for iOS screen readers called automatic alt text. Powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning, it recognizes the objects in a photo and then describes them, which is incredibly handy for users who are blind. It arrived on Android soon after, and two weeks ago, the social network officially made the tool available in 20 other languages. These are just a few recent examples of how Facebook is attempting to make its products — as well as the internet as a whole — more accessible to those with disabilities.
It all started five years ago when Jeff Wieland, who worked in the company’s user research team at the time, discovered that there were people with disabilities who were having a rather terrible experience with Facebook. For example, he found out that screen readers — software used by blind users to know what’s happening on a page — would interpret a button on a site as simply, well, “button.” It would have no information on what the button does. “This is a really simple example,” he said. “For an engineer, adding a label to a button is one line of code. But it changes everything.”
The problem, he said, was that developers were not designing the web experience with screen readers in mind. It seems like a “No, duh” explanation, but as Wieland tells me, accessibility is not a subject that’s often taught in computer science classes. “It’s not part of the core curriculum. You have people graduating from great programs, but who have no exposure to accessibility. It’s a real tragedy.” Indeed, he says that almost all incoming engineers have no prior exposure to the subject.
And the fact is, the community that needs this tech is a large one. According to the World Health Organization, about 285 million people worldwide are visually impaired, and of those, around 39 million are fully blind. And that’s just those who suffer from vision loss. “Accessibility is about more than that; it’s about serving those who have varying ability,” said Wieland. “I discovered there was this vast community we were underserving.”
In response to this, Wieland set about creating an accessibility team at Facebook with the company’s blessing. “Philosophically, people got it,” he said, adding that the goal aligns with Facebook’s mission for connecting the world. “But the big question was, how do we do this?”
Over the years, the team has worked to raise awareness of accessibility issues and assistive technologies within the company. It started out with two people, but now it’s grown to more than 20. It’s a cross-functional group made up of people in design, user research, data science, operations and more. Remember those unlabeled buttons? Now, Wieland said, that’s a mostly solved issue (though, given the scale of Facebook, there are probably still a few unlabeled ones here and there). The key factor? Working with existing teams on Facebook to integrate accessibility across the board.
That automatic alt text photo captioning, for example, required the assistance of Facebook’s artificial intelligence team. “There’s this concept of alt text for photos, which used to be provided by the site owner or web developer,” said Wieland. “But now the internet is all photos … The only way we could really provide the text for photos at our scale, would be to use computers to do this.” Fortunately, Facebook’s AI team has been working on computer vision for at least a year and a half already and had the technology and expertise to work on the project.
According to Crista Earl, the director of Web Services for the American Foundation for the Blind, most sites have incorrect or poorly designed forms. “For example, when trying to book a flight on a travel site … the manner of selecting choices poses an obstacle to users of assistive technology.” Inadequately labeled videos and images are also a problem. Other common issues are low-contrast images and tiny fonts for those with low vision.
“During my experience online with accessibility issues, I have struggled with a lot of different things,” said Kevin Cao, a visually impaired tech support employee for the New York Institute for Special Education. Examples include the lack of voice descriptions for images and text. A few of his favorite sites are YouTube and Applevis.com, a community website for low-vision Apple users, which he said have “clear label buttons, links and heading recognition.”
As for how he thinks Facebook is doing, he believes it’s good for now, but it could use improvement. “I would like to add more picture descriptions with faces, people,” he said. That’s the same feedback Wieland heard as well. “They want to know what a person’s hair is like, et cetera. A human can describe a full context, but we’re just returning a list of objects … Hopefully in the future we can tell a richer narrative.”
Facebook’s work on accessibility encompasses more than just vision loss. Back in 2014, the company added the ability for users to provide closed captions to videos. It’s currently working on a more automated captioning system with the help of Facebook’s language-and-speech-technology group.
“The real lion’s share work that we do is to prepare our teams to write and design applications that are accessible, to make it foundational,” said Wieland. “We want to embed accessibility into all of the steps along the way, from ideation to actually shipping the product.” To help this along, Facebook has now integrated accessibility to the QA process that Wieland says has been useful. “It helps push accessibility earlier in the process, without waiting to hear user feedback.”
As part of the education process, the accessibility team has done a lot internally to raise awareness of the issue. There’s an Empathy Lab located in the middle of the Facebook campus that’s partially designed to simulate disabilities to engineers and developers. On display are assistive technologies such as a Braille display for phones, a computer that uses eye tracking for control as well as screen-reading software. “It allows them to play with some of the technologies that people use day in and day out,” said Wieland. “It makes it feel real and close to home.”
As an extra step to increase accessibility training, Facebook joined a bunch of peers including Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and IBM, along with leading academic institutions like Stanford and MIT, to tackle the challenge of bringing it into the classroom. The initiative is called Teach Access, and the idea is to make sure students of technology will be able to graduate with more exposure and understanding of the needs of disabled users.
Just last Thursday, Facebook released a Teach Access tutorial on GitHub that aims to teach developers best practices to writing accessible code and designing accessible experiences. It’s free, and anyone can use it and edit it.
Other companies have increased their accessibility efforts too. Twitter recently enabled users to add alt text to images. Google and Apple have made their products more accessible across the board. For example, Google introduced voice commands to Docs a few months ago, allowing users to type, edit and format text just by talking. Swift Playgrounds, an iPad app that teaches coding skills to kids, had the input of a blind engineer at Apple so that even kids who can’t see could learn to program.
“Our long-term goal is that we want systemic changes to happen in schools,” Wieland said. “Every computer science program should include accessibility to some degree. We don’t expect people to be experts. But we want them to have at least some level of understanding of what accessibility is about.”
Adobe Lightroom now lets you edit RAW files on your phone
Adobe Lightroom mobile users have been asking for the ability to edit RAW files in the mobile app, and now the company doing something about the request. In the latest update for the iOS version of the software, there’s a RAW Technology preview. This means that you’ll be able to import those hefty files to your iPhone or iPad, giving you a means of checking the images before you get back to your computer. Lightroom mobile for iOS will also let you edit the files just like you would in the desktop or web versions of the app, making changes to white balance, highlights and more for an uncompressed file. Those changes also sync across devices.
iOS users will also be able to adjust linear and radial selections inside the app. With those tools, you can add a selection, modify an existing one or use the features to emphasize certain parts of an image. If you fancy doing your edits with an iPad and a connected keyboard, you’ll now be able to use those handy shortcuts with the mobile app. The update is available from the App Store now for both iPhone and iPad, free of charge.
The Android version of the app is getting some new features, too. Earlier this year, Adobe added an in-app camera and “shoot-through” presets to the app. With this update, the company is adding manual controls to that workflow as well. When you’re taking photos with Lightroom mobile on Android, you’ll be able to leverage a new Pro mode that allows adjustments to ISO, shutter speed, white balance and manual focus. Adobe brought its DNG RAW format to the Android app a while back, and now the software has the manual controls to go along with it. What’s more, there’s also a new Lightroom Camera widget for easy access to those features, so you won’t have to launch the full app just to grab a few snapshots.
Android faithful also gain improved support for full-resolution files. If you have an image stored somewhere within the Lightroom ecosystem, you’ll be able to pull it into the full-res version, make your changes and export it. The latest version of the Android app offers those features and more for free, and it’s available now over at Google Play.
Source: Adobe
Tesla no longer guarantees your electric car’s resale value
Tesla introduced its Resale Value Guarantee in 2013, when buying an upscale electric car was a riskier prospect. What if your Model S was worth less than a tried-and-true German sedan? However, the market has clearly grown up since then… and Tesla is changing accordingly. The automaker tells The Verge that it has discontinued the program for any new car bought after July 1st. The move will reduce interest rates “as low as possible” and sweeten leases and loans, a spokesperson says. You’re still protected if you bought a car under the guarantee, but any relative latecomers will just have to trust that the used EV market will work in their favor.
Maintaining the program was potentially very expensive. Tesla promised that you’d get at least 50 percent of the base price as well as 43 percent of the options pricing. That wasn’t a huge hit to the bottom line when the company was selling a relatively small number of luxury cars (Elon Musk even backed it with his own money), but it could cut much deeper when Tesla starts selling hundreds of thousands of Model 3s.
Look at it this way, though: while the move is unfortunate if you liked the idea of your car maintaining a high minimum worth, it’s also a sign that the EV market is growing up. Tesla has enough demand that it can ditch the guarantee without worrying that sales will drop off a cliff. And with these kinds of volumes, resale value might not be an issue in the first place. There’s clearly an audience for these vehicles, so you shouldn’t have to lower your asking price just to attract a buyer.
Source: The Verge
Amazon Prime Day was 60 percent bigger than last year’s sale
Amazon’s Prime Day ended up being more successful than even the company could have predicted, with customer orders surpassing Prime Day 2015 by over 60 percent worldwide and 50 percent in the United States alone.
The special sale day, which included various deals on Amazon-branded products like Kindles and Alexa-enabled home devices, saw Prime members flocking to the retail giant in droves. It quickly became the biggest day ever as far as Amazon devices went, breaking records left and right.
In all, Prime Day found over two millions toys and one million pairs of shoes purchased by consumers, 90,000 TVs purchased and hundreds of thousands of Kindle e-readers sold along with other impressive numbers. What’s really impressive is the fact that these sales were able to go through considering the torrent of issues customers experienced during the sale, with checkout difficulties and other various headaches to worry about.
Still, the annual Prime Day was another success. It’s likely we’ll see another one next year looking at these numbers. Will you be participating?
Source: Amazon
Tesla unveils its less pricey crossover Model X 60D
While much pricier than its upcoming $35,000 Model 3 sedans, Tesla’s Model X crossovers fit the bill for electric car enthusiasts that need a little more space. That dream is a little easier to achieve with the new $74,000 Model X 60D, which doesn’t go quite as far as the old baseline X 75D but costs $9,000 less.
The new model’s 60kwh battery gives it an EPA-estimated 200-mile range, which is 37 miles less than its bigger cousin. Otherwise it performs just like the 75D with a top speed of 130 mph and acceleration of 0-60 in 6.0 seconds. Given that Tesla has recently announced slightly cheaper car models that limits battery capacity behind a costly software update, the company could be doing the same and introducing the 60D as a code-crippled version of its longer-range predecessor, wonders Autoblog. Regardless, you can order the newest Model X on Tesla’s site and get it by September.
Source: Autoblog
DNC, RNC streaming options include Twitch and Bing
The US’ big political parties are seemingly determined to outdo each other in terms of ways to watch their conventions online. To start, the Democratic Party has unveiled livestreaming plans that will let you watch its National Convention on seemingly every modern platform under the Sun. On top of Twitter and its own site, the party will stream through Bing, YouTube and… Twitch. That’s right — you can witness an important part of the electoral process in between League of Legends and Overwatch viewing sessions. The convention will also be live on Amazon’s Fire TV, the Apple TV, Roku players and your Xbox, in case you’d rather see the nominations on a big screen.
The Republican Party hasn’t announced similarly broad plans so far — we’ve asked Twitch about what it’s doing — but you shouldn’t be hurting for convention viewing choices on that front, either. You’ll get livestreaming through the Republican National Convention website, Bing, YouTube (including Fox News) and the RNC’s own mobile app. The one certainty: the days of having to sit down in front of the TV are long gone, regardless of where you sit on the political spectrum.
Source: 2016 DNCC (PR Newswire), Bing Blogs
Nissan announces a suite of auto-drive features
Nissan is getting in on the semi-autonomous driving function game, having launched a suite of them on Wednesday. Unlike Tesla’s automated options, Nissan made sure to stress they’re intended only to assist rather than outright replace drivers.
The ProPilot suite is capable of driving a vehicle on a single-lane motorway as well as navigate congestion if required, but it’s only meant to help drivers get through these obstacles rather than taking over completely.
There’s a special button on the steering wheel that will activate ProPilot, which helps maintain a safe distance from a car in front of you without requiring any input from the driver as far as the steering, acceleration or brakes go. Drivers’ hands must be kept on the wheel the entire time, and the wheel is released there’s an alarm that goes off after 10 seconds.
The first vehicle to include these options will be a special Serena minivan that goes on sale in Japan as of next month. There are plans in the future to implement the ProPilot suite in Qashqai SUV crossovers in the future as well as to roll out the feature in the US and China over the next few months.
This news comes hot on the tail of a recent crash involving a Tesla vehicle’s autopilot feature, but Nissan has declined to comment specifically on that event. The company plans to introduce autonomous multiple-lane driving by 2018 and other additional functions for urban driving.
Via: Reuters
Alcatel Idol 4S arrives in the US with VR goggles for $350
Now that high-end phone makers Samsung, LG and HTC have had their fun in the sun, it’s time for their more affordable counterparts to enjoy the limelight. Alcatel is bringing its Idol 4S flagship to the US for a pre-order price of $350 ($400 retail), and you can start ordering at 8 a.m. PT on July 15 via Alcatel’s website. The company is also offering an installment payment option that lets you get the Idol 4S at $37 a month.
What’s unique about the Idol 4S is its packaging. The phone will come in a plastic box that’s part VR goggles and part container for the included accessories such as JBL headphones, screen protector and protective Incipio case. The Idol 4S VR goggles look very similar to Samsung’s Gear VR, except it has touch controls on the bottom instead of the right side, and its head strap has a cushioned back piece for a more comfortable fit.
Goodies aside, the device also squeezes a bunch of impressive features for the compelling price. You’ll get an octa-core Snapdragon 652 CPU, 3GB of RAM and a 5.5-inch Quad HD AMOLED display. Unlike the international version, the American Idol 4S will have a fingerprint sensor on the rear for easier unlocking and payments.
At its retail price, the Idol 4S will go toe to toe with ZTE’s Axon 7 and the OnePlus 3, which all cost $400. The ZTE and OnePlus devices are both equipped with the same Snapdragon 820 CPU that powers this year’s high-end flagships, so it will be interesting to see if the Idol 4S’ Snapdragon 652 setup can keep pace.
The Idol 4S also packs dual JBL speakers that can pump out sound through the back and the front of the phone, a 16-megapixel rear camera with 360-degree image capture built in, as well as a dual SIM card slot. It will ship with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, with a promised update to Android N (although time frame is uncertain at the moment).
With so many goodies included regardless of whether you pre-order, the Idol 4S is quite the bargain, and a relatively easy way to check out the world of VR.
‘Pokémon Go’ to Feature Retailer-Sponsored Locations
Niantic Labs, the developer behind the hit augmented reality game Pokémon Go, today hinted to the Financial Times that it plans to allow retailers and other companies to introduce sponsored locations in the future as a way to monetize the app.
Real world locations in Pokémon Go serve as “Pokéstops” for collecting in-game items and power-ups including “Pokéballs” or as “gyms” for battling the pokémon of other players. Right now, Pokéstops and gyms are largely located at notable landmarks like parks and statues, but may expand to encompass retailer-sponsored locations.
Niantic Labs’ previous app, Ingress, featured similar branded portals purchased by retailers like Jamba Juice and Zipcar. Advertisers who purchased portals through Niantic Labs paid on a “cost per visit” basis, and a similar tactic could be used in Pokémon Go.
John Hanke, chief executive of Niantic, which developed Pokémon Go in partnership with the Japanese games group, said “sponsored locations” would provide a new revenue stream, in addition to in-app purchases of power-ups and virtual items. […]
Alongside in-app payments, “there is a second component to our business model at Niantic, which is this concept of sponsored locations”, Mr Hanke said, where companies “pay us to be locations within the virtual game board — the premise being that it is an inducement that drives foot traffic”.
Niantic CEO John Hanke declined to tell Financial Times about any sponsorship deals already in the works for Pokémon Go, but code within the app discovered this morning suggests a deal may have been established with McDonald’s. McDonald’s imagery is included in the app and the McDonald’s name is listed in the app’s code.
Image via Gizmodo
Pokémon Go has become a global phenomenon since its launch last week, earning an estimated $1.6 million in daily revenue with more than 7.5 million downloads in the United States. The app received its first update yesterday, fixing a number of bugs and changing Google permissions that sparked privacy concerns.
Tag: Pokémon GO
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Adobe Lightroom for Android adds pro mode to built-in camera
An update is now rolling out to Adobe Lightroom, bringing mobile photo editing aficionados an all new pro mode for the built-in camera. This update also packs a couple of other notable tweaks that should make using the app much nicer.
Here’s the full skinny on what’s new in Adobe Lightroom version 2.1 for Android:
- New and improved in-app camera. The new interface makes it even easier to capture photos at their best, providing a modern mobile capture experience. When supported by the device, take control over the shutter speed, ISO, white balance, and focus.
- Improved full resolution output. Images that were added through Lightroom on the web or Lightroom mobile can be exported at their native resolution.
- Support for latest Adobe Camera Raw functionality
- Various bug fixes
In addition, there’s a new Lightroom Camera widget that will let you launch Lightroom directly into the built-in camera from your home screen.
If you’re interested in checking out everything that’s new, you can grab Lightroom 2.1 on Google Play now.
