The updated operating system, renamed iOS 4 today, has additional accessibility features that add to the already impressive suite of accessibility features on the iPhone and iPad.
Summary of new accessible features in iOS 4 and iPhone 4:
- Support for more than 30 Bluetooth wireless braille displays.
- Braille tables for 25+ international languages.
- Use a physical keyboard by pairing a Bluetooth wireless keyboard with your iPhone.
- Touch Type by running your finger across the keyboard and listening to each letter being read out. When you find the letter you want, simply lift your finger to select it.
- A new Typing Practice mode helps new users get accustomed to typing on the iPhone keyboard.
- Rotor is now visible to sighted users to make it easier for them to assist you or to use the rotor themselves.
- Add settings to the web rotor such as lists, tables, text fields and buttons.
- iBook application is now available on the iPhone and iPod touch. Added features include native support for PDFs, sync bookmarks and notes across mutliple devices including the iPad, and the option to annotate eBooks.
- Large Font feature lets you increase the font size of key elements in Mail, Contacts, Notes and Messages.
- FaceTime allows video calling over WiFi, which can provide the ability for people who are Deaf or hearing impaired to communicate using sign language via the iPhone 4 and its forward facing camera (iPhone 4 only).
The new iOS 4 is available free to owners of the iPhone 3, iPhone 3G and iPhone 4. All features expect FaceTime are available to iPhone 3G owners as well as new owners of the iPhone 4.
The new iOS 4 will be available for download on 21 June 2010. The iPhone 4 will be available for purchase in Australia in July.
Visit our digital technology section for more information about mainstream technologies that are accessible.
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