I am forwarding this from my Mac to see if people can read it now. I
constructed the original mail in Thunderbird on my PC ` but my Mac seems to
read it fine to me.
Begin forwarded message:
From: David Griffith <daj.griffith@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: The Wileyfox Swift Accessibility Bundle Part 3.
Date: 12 October 2016 at 14:46:44 BST
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
This is an update on the investigations I have been making into the potential
of this device to be a suitable Media Player for a Deaf blind person.
There are a number of clarifications I need to make in relation to what I
have posted previously.
1. In part 1 of these reviews I was a little concerned as to the rapidity of
battery drain when I first received the device. This has, am glad to say
settled down over the last couple of days. I suspect that the biggest factor
in this may have been the turning off of the vibrate feedback feature in
Talkback settings. As I was investigating the device I effectively had the
device vibrating consistently over several hours on Sunday. Since the vibrate
feature has been cancelled the device has seen a battery usage that is more
appropriate. When I picked up the device last night to experiment with its
potential for reading Mobi files it still had a battery level of 83%
remaining. So this seems much more reassuring.
2. In part 2 of my Review I criticised the Audible App for being
significantly quieter than other media apps on the device. I mentioned at the
time I needed to try more than one title for a fairer test. In fact I
discovered that for whatever reason the commencement of the book I was
testing was simply unsuitably quiet and as subsequent chaptors loaded the
volume returned to expected levels. I think I would cautiously report that if
anything the playback through Audible on the Swift is not only equivalent to
that on my iPhone SE but probably slightly surpasses it. I was certainly able
to listen to a book called Cockroaches last night, even without hearing aid
assistance.
However one aspect of the Android Audible app is definitely not as easy as
its iOS manifestation. Using the seek bar to adjust the speed of narration
was difficult even for my sighted wife. In the end we only achieved the
desired level of speed adjustment by her placing my finger on the seek bar
and my tapping and dragging with feedback from her. I am not sure that if is
due to an Andoid or App fault but as I normally do not adjust narration
speed, listening to Audible consistently at 1.5, this one time use of
sighted help has resolved matters for me. Others may comment on how easy it
is to learn to use the seek bar. My big problem was that I could not
consistently locate it with Talkback. I am happy to report that no similar
difficulties existed with any of the other media apps I used so hopefully
Audible will sort this with an update.
3. Music
I reported only briefly on Music. I have now installed the GoneMad Music
player and I have to say that my experience of this so far is excellent. I
had transferred a significant amount of music from my PC onto the SD card and
had expected that there would be some process of importation needed. Instead
all the Music I transferred was immediately available and visible on the
Media Player when I opened it. My experience of it so far is that it is
completely accessible and the volume output is absolutely great. You will not
be straining to hear with this app.
4. Locked Screen. It is inevitable that you will have to deal with locked
screens if you want to use this media device on the move. However I was
pleasantly surprised to hear that when I reviewed the locked screen that not
only the pllay pause, volume. skip forward and skip backward buttons for the
active media playing was available but also any other app you had playing in
the background
So there were pause and play button available not only for the Mobi eBook
Reading app I was testing but also the Audible App in the background. You
can even if you want start both playing at the same time though why you would
want to do this is perhaps not clear.
However what I thingk is the case is that you could load all your media
applications, Say Audible, Voicedream Reader, Music Player and so on and be
effectively be able to control all of them from the locked screen without
having to enter the device itself. I will continue to investigate the
potential of this feature. As far as I have noticed this is not as
immediately available on my iPone though it may be that I need to investigate
this further as I may have turned Control Centre off my Locked screen to make
the sometimes problematic process of answering calls easier.
5. Update on Earphones/Headphones. In my earlier review I mentioned I was
using the JVC Gumy folding on ear headphones with good results. Last night I
experimented with using the earpones which came with the Sandisk clip Talking
Mp3 Player. I am pleased to say that the volume feedback was even better than
with the gumy. If anybody knows how to source these earphones independently
from buying the Sandisk Clip I would be very interested to hear.
David Griffith
to
If anybody has a pair of the earphone
of
