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On the show this week, it’s now easier than ever to participate in Living Blindfully, thanks to our new WhatsApp support which is live now. See the bottom of this post for all the deets.
In your computer’s BIOS utility, there are a lot of important tweaks you can make to the way your computer performs. The trouble is, if you want to make those low level changes, you often need sighted assistance. Lenovo offers a fully accessible Windows utility to configure the BIOS of its ThinkPad products. It does require you to get into Windows, but it is better than what we usually have. Having been requested to do so by a listener, I’ll give you a quick demonstration.
I unreservedly want my self-driving vehicle, and I want it yesterday. As the technology evolves, it’s important that we give careful thought to how blind people will interact with these vehicles. How will we locate one when it pulls up and is waiting for us to get into it in a rideshare setting? What do we do to ensure they’re not equipped with touch screen interfaces with no talking options? What must we consider about finding our destination once the vehicle reaches the end of its journey? It’s critical that we as blind people have input into this future, otherwise technology that has the potential to be revolutionary may cause more problems than it solves. Dr Nicholas Giudice from the University of Meyne is blind himself, and has been giving a lot of thought to these critical matters. Not only will we discuss autonomous vehicles, but we’ll discuss the technological and societal questions posed by the concept of robotic guide dogs. It won’t be long before a robotic guide dog might be cheaper, last longer, and do far more than the current furry variety. That will raise all sorts of emotional and ethical questions. What will we do when continuing to work with traditional guide dogs is purely a matter of sentiment, not better mobility? Are you ready for this future? Have you experienced a self-driving vehicle, and how did it go? Share your feedback with us.
And sadly, the accessibility of X for iOS is very badly broken, but a fix is promised.
All this, and a lot more, in Living Blindfully 289. With listeners in 113 countries, our Living Blindfully community offers a wide range of knowledge and perspectives. We welcome your contribution to the show. Here’s how to have your say.
Send us a text or audio message via WhatsApp. +447874464152 or just choose this link from your mobile device to WhatsApp us.
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