[accesscomp] FW: Friday Finds for December 18 2015
- From: "Robert Acosta" <boacosta@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "access comp" <accesscomp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 19 Dec 2015 07:38:28 -0800
Robert Acosta, President
Helping Hands for the Blind
(818) 998-0044
www.helpinghands4theblind.org
From: dan Thompson [mailto:dthompson5@xxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Friday, December 18, 2015 10:57 PM
To: dan Thompson
Subject: Friday Finds for December 18 2015
I must first apologize for the last few weeks not getting this out earlier
on Friday. This will stop as of this posting. I wish all a very peaceful
and spiritually filled Christmas. We all must Thank God for the gift that
keeps on giving, Christ and our salvation.
Peace be with you all!
Friday finds for December 18 2015
The start of each article is marked with an asterisk. Using the
find/replace feature of your word processor, type in the asterisk (shift
plus numeral eight) then hit enter to jump between articles.
*Contents:
1. Pondering Questions
2. Fact of the day
3. twenty three Last-Minute Gift Ideas for Young Professionals College
Students Moms and Dads Too
4. AppleVis Newsletter
5. Google, Our quantum computer is 100 million times faster than a
conventional system
6. Evidence of a genetic 'fountain of youth' discovered
7. victorstream 4.6
8. Window-eyes update
9. rita's idevice advice
10. Sunu BandThe from the NFB Jernigan Institute
11. Accessibility Guide for Windows 10 and Office 2016 for educators of the
visually imparied
12. Welcome to the Empathy Wars
Articles start next
*1) Pondering questions:
If you get cheated by the Better Business Bureau, who do you complain to?
Why are there interstate highways in Hawaii?
If you meld dry ice, could you swim without getting wet?
*2) Facts of the day:
Elvis was a big fan of Monty Python and would often act out the British
comedy troupe's skits in front of friends.
Michael Jackson wanted to do a Harry Potter musical. J.K. Rowling said no.
President Van Buren was the first president born an American citizen. All
previous presidents were born English citizens, while the colonies still
belonged to Great Britain.
Submitted by Susie Risser - Springfield, IL
Scholars came up with "three" for the unmentioned number of wise men who
came to see Jesus because of the three gifts mentioned in the Bible:
frankincense, gold, and myrrh.
Submitted by Terry L. Cornwell Oakton, VA
Hall of Fame football coach Woody Hayes used to do chores as a youngster for
another Hall of Famer, Cy Young, in Newcomerstown, OH. Woody got a nickel
every time he mowed the town's baseball field.
*3) 23 Last-Minute Gift Ideas for Young Professionals,
College Students, Moms and Dads, Too
By Mary Hunt on 12/18/15
Gift-giving is surely on everyone's mind as we head into the final weekend
before Christmas. It's a wonderful holiday tradition-one in which I
participate fully because it brings me so much joy.
A few days ago, I opened my email box to find a really nice message from a
reader ooking for help with gift suggestions for her husband's
administrative staff-a group of sharp, young professionals both male and
female. He wants to
acknowledge each with an appropriate gift-something that won't be so dorky
it shows up in next spring's garage sale or worse, the trash. And he also
wants to
stay away from any gift that could be seen as too personal. His budget it
about $30 per gift.
I accepted the challenge and went right to work, contacting several of the
sharpest, Smartest young professionals I know, asking for their opinions,
suggestions and help. Together we came up with suggestions of gifts that
each of them would thoroughly enjoy receiving from a supervisor, boss-or
anyone, for that matter.While I was in gift-guide mode, it dawned on me that
over the past weeks, we've
hit on gifts for kids, teens and grandparents-even gifts baskets. Butwhat
about moms and dads? Read on and you'll see we've got that covered there,
too, just in case you're behind the eight ball and need quick, realiable
suggestions. It's not too late, but you have no time to waste.
If you're sweating bullets wondering if any of these items will possibly
arrive before
Christmas, the answer is a qualified yes-only if you use Amazon Prime
shipping and place your order before midnight on Tuesday, Dec. 22. Don't
have a Prime membership? You're in luck! Click HERE to get a free 30-day
trial Prime membership. You can use it immediately, and at no cost for a
full month, at which time you are free to cancel it. Each of the gifts that
follow qualify for Prime shipping at this writing.
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS AND COLLEGE STUDENTS
1. FABULOUS GYM BAG. This Adidas medium-size duffel is exactly that-
fabulous. Just the right size, this bag is well-designed with zippers and
pockets in all the right places. Comes in 11 colors. Perfect gym bag. Great
size, good price at
about $30.
2. SMARTPHONE CABLE. NomadKey is a cable to charge your smartphone, that
fits onto your keychain. It works like your normal cable for charging and
syncing your phone. Plug one end into a USB port and the other end into your
mobile device. The concept is brilliant. Your keys are always with you when
you leave the house so you'll never leave it behind. Better, you won't even
notice you're carrying
it. For Samsung Galaxy, Htc One, Google Nexus, Motorola, Lg, Sony,Jawbone.
About $20.
3. PORTABLE PHONE CHARGER. Small as a candy bar, the 2nd Generation
Anker Astro is the most powerful high-capacity, portable charger in its
category.
Charges the iPhone 6 well over two times, Galaxy S6 1.5 times and other
smartphones multiple times before it needs to be recharged. Come with a
micro USB cable, travel pouch, product guide and an 18-month warranty. About
$20.
4. BREAKFAST SANDWICH MAKER. This is not a kitchen gadget that will be one
and done. No way will this get stuck in the back of a college dorm room or
apartment closet. The Hamilton Beach Breakfast Sandwich Maker's unique
design creates a home-cooked breakfast sandwich in just five minutes. Watch
the video. It's great! Can't think of a more perfect gift for the busy
starving student or young professional making his or her way up the
corporate ladder. About $24.
5. LAPTOP BACKPACK. Fits up to a 15-inch laptop computers, with a zippered
speed pocket. Includes a secure place for your cell phone and or boarding
pass. Interior expanded to accommodate books, files and folders. This
AmazonBasics Laptop Backpack including an organizational panel keeps
chargers, cords, pens and small electronics untangled and organized for easy
use. About $25.
6. ROLLER BALL PEN. The Uni-Ball Jetstream RT Fine Point Retractable Roller
Ball Pen was voted best pen by The Wirecutter-the cutting edge site that
rates and reviews all kinds of products for its millennial audience. Back
to the pen: Unique hybrid ink offers the smoothness of a gel with the
quick-drying properties of
a ballpoint. Ideal for left-handers because the ink dries so fast, there's
little chance of smudging. Uni Super ink is specially formulated to become
trapped in paper, helping prevent criminal check washing and other document
alteration. Archival-
quality, acid-free ink is fade- and water-resistant. Great gift in the
3-pack option, which comes in at about $9.
7. BLUETOOTH TRACKER. Tile is a tiny Bluetooth tracker and easy-to-use app
that finds your phone, keys and anything you don't want to lose-in mere
seconds!
Attach a Tile to an item and locate it by sound, by seeing its last known
location on am pa or by marking it as "lost" and getting an alert when it's
found. Can't find your phone? Just press Tile to make your post phone ring,
even if it's on silent. Place aT ile on your key ring and you'll never
misplace them again. Very cool, cutting edge technology. Buy a single Tile
or cut the price when you buy a dozen. About $25 for
one; $15 each by the dozen.
8. SLEEP MASK AND EAR PLUGS. What young student or professional doesn't
long for more quality sleep? Here's the gift that will fulfill that dream.
Bedtime Bliss comfortable Sleep Mask & Ear Plugs comes with a handy travel
case. And boy
does it work. Made to block out light, its so lightweight your sleepy
recipient will not
even feel it. Contoured, this mask creates room to open your eyes, yet still
relax in darkness. Won't smudge makeup either, which makes a quick power nap
a distinct possibility! About $13.
9. SUPER SMARTPHONE CAMERA LENS SET. That camera on your
smartphone or tablet is passable for most situations. But now and then who
doesn't long for a great fisheye (for selfies, of course!) and a lens that
lets you
zoom in for extreme close-up viewing. This set of lenses comes with three
lenses, lens clips, caps, hooks, cleaning cloth and carrying case. Great
reviews, too. About
$30.
DADS
10. CLIPLIGHT. This Clip Strip Powerful Pocket Light is perfect for all of
dad's
hobbies-hiking, campig, fishing, car repair, dog walking or any number of
emergencies. It's so bright you'll have a hard believing it fits in his
pocket like a pen! And it clips onto just about anything for hands free
lighting. Check those
reviews! About $11.
11. GEEK DAD. The title of this book alone is going to make Dad smile. Check
this description: "Today's generation of dads grew up more tech-savvy than
ever.
Rather than joining the Little League team, man grew up playing empire
games, Dungeons and Dragons, and watching Star Wars. Now with kids of their
own,
these digital-age dads are looking for fresh ways to share their love of
science and technology and help their kids develop a passion for learning
and discovery.." About $15.
12. BATHE AND BREW. I have to admit I'm hesitant here, leaning on your good
sense of humor. This is a gift box that appears to contain ridiculous
products from clueless companies, no actual product is inside or included.
And it is so funny. If
you're at wits end for how to prank Dad, this might be it. Of course you
need to fill this box with a gift because no one could be that cruel to give
Dad an empty, albeit hilarious, box. About $7.50
13. FOGLESS SHOWER MIRROR. Many men prefer to shave in the shower and
that presents a problem: Fog. This shower mirror solves that problem. It's
guaranteed to be fogless for life. Requires no annoying fog sprays. Ever.
Fill it with
hot shower water and it's good to go. Easy. Just look at those reviews.
About $30.
14. GRILL GLOVES. Every guy who proudly handles that BBQ grill (summer is
coming, I promise), will be thrilled with these Ekogrips Max Heat Silicone
BBQ Grill
Oven Gloves, that comes in three sizes. Heat resistant with maximum
protection. Waterproof and dishwasher safe, too. About $18.
15. LEATHERMAN MICRA TOOL. This multi-tool provides tough tools that all
fold
up into a tiny package. Includes three screwdrivers, scissors, nail file,
ruler, bottle opener, knife and tweezers. I lost one of these to TSA while
going through airport security, and it broke my heart. Loved that little
thing and used it often. (This is not
a "dads-only" gift.) About $20.
16. SHREDDER CLAWS. I know what you're thinking: Backscratchers? The
answer would be, No! and don't even try that. The BBQ Meat Forks are the
best thing on earth for pulling brisket from the grill or slow cooker and
shredding it.
Perfect for pulled pork, pulled chicken and pulled beef, too. Dishwasher
safe and appropriately gnarly looking. About $12.
MOMS
17. INFUSER WATER BOTTLE. Not only is this a beautiful water bottle, it has
excellent function. The point of the bottle is to load the center chamber
with things
like strawberries, lemon and cucumber to infuse and flavor the water. Unlike
most other infuser bottles, this one is designed to keep seeds and pulp from
floating out into the water. It's fantastic and a cinch to clean. Holds a
full 24 ounces of water.
The bottle is easy to hold, and it has a snap-on lid that makes it easy to
travel with. Dishwasher safe. Gorgeous! About $16.
18. TAKE A WINE. This flexible, unbreakable wine bottle is really a travel
bag to
take wine camping, hiking or picnicking. Comes with a small funnel which
makes filling it, with one's wine of choice, quite easy. This practical gift
for the wine lover is as convenient as it is cute. About $18.
19. SILICONE OVEN GLOVES. Finally, silicone oven gloves sized to fit women's
hands, these cute polka dot gloves are fantastic. They're flexible and easy
to put on. And don't ask me why they don't melt. They just work the way
we'd expect that
they should. Nine colors to choose from including Christmas red. About $25.
20. CROCHET HOOKS. Excellent beginners set of crochet hooks with
comfortable, ergonomic grips that make crocheting a true joy, not a painful
endeavor. Beautiful color-coded handles in a rainbow of colors make this a
beautifully ideal gift for any craft lover. About $11.
21. ESSENTIAL OIL DIFFUSER. This diffuser for aromatherapy, uses non-heat
ultrasonic waves to protect the healing and natural properties of the
essential oils. Use without oil and it's a humidifier. Extremely quiet this
beautiful diffuser has a therapeutic mood enhancing LED light. About $30.
22. ESSENTIAL OIL SET. An excellent starter kit that comes with six bottles
of oils: lavender, tea tree, eucalyptus, lemongrass, sweet orange, and
peppermint.
Each bottle contains 100% pure unadulterated essential oil; without any
fillers, additives, bases or carriers. Use with the diffuser above. About
$25.
23. MOM'S ONE LINE A DAY: A FIVE-YEAR MEMORY BOOK. For the busy
mom-on-the-go, this memory keeper offers a quick and easy way to capture the
everyday moments of motherhood. With enough space to record a single
thought, a family quote, or a special event each day for five years, this
beautiful keepsake makes sure those precious memories will last a lifetime.
It takes personal discipline
to journal every day, month in and month out. But this journal removes all
the drudgery because there's room to write only one line. What a gem. About
$10.
Mary Hunt's Everyday Cheapskate blog
*4) AppleVis Newsletter December 2015
We are pleased and excited to announce that voting for the AppleVis Golden
Apple Awards of 2015 is now open. Read on to see which apps and developers
have been shortlisted and to learn how to cast your own votes.
The AppleVis Golden Apple Awards is our community's opportunity to recognize
and acknowledge the hard work and dedication which developers have put into
making great and accessible iOS and OS X applications over the last twelve
months.
To be eligible for consideration for the Golden Apple Awards of 2015, an app
must:
* Be fully accessible to blind and low vision users.
* Have been launched or significantly updated during 2015.
* Be from a developer with a demonstrated and long-term commitment to
full accessibility.
* Demonstrate excellence in design, functionality and operation.
Candidates for Developer of the Year must:
* Have a long-standing, exemplary commitment to making their apps
fully accessible to blind and low vision users.
* Be receptive and responsive to the needs of blind and low vision
users in a timely manner.
* Have delivered significant new features or updates to their app(s)
during 2015, particularly updates which directly benefit blind and low
vision users.
Voting will close at 23:59 PDT on December 24, 2015. Voting is open to all
registered users of the AppleVis website; if you are not already registered
and would like to vote, you can <http://www.applevis.com/user/register>
create an account now.
<http://www.applevis.com/blog/advocacy-applevis-assistive-technology-ios-app
s-mac-apps-news/cast-your-votes-now-applevis> The voting form can be found
here (note that you will need to be logged in to see the voting form at the
end of that post).
Below are the nominees for each award:
Best iOS App
1Password - Password Manager and Secure Wallet
1Password allows you to securely store and retrieve your website logins,
credit cards, personal information, secure notes and more. With support for
Safari extensions, 1Password makes it possible to quickly login to websites
without having to remember any of your passwords and fill forms with credit
card and personal details without typing them in.
<http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/productivity/1password-password-manager-an
d-secure-wallet> Read 1Password's AppleVis iOS App Directory entry for more
information
Drafts 4 - Quickly Capture Notes, Share Anywhere!
Drafts is both simple yet powerful. Open the app and you are presented with
a new, blank draft - ready for you to type. Once you have finished typing,
extensive output options let you send your text to Twitter, Facebook, Mail,
Messages, a Calendar event, quickly save (or prepend/append) to Dropbox,
Google Drive or Evernote--and much more. Advanced multi-step actions and
Javascript integration can combine all of these options into a single
double-tap.
<http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/productivity/drafts-4-quickly-capture-note
s-share-anywhere> Read Drafts' AppleVis iOS App Directory entry for more
information
Overcast: Podcast Player
Overcast is a powerful yet simple audio podcast player, with features such
as Smart Speed, Voice Boost, and Smarter Playlists to help you manage and
optimize your podcast listening.
<http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/news/overcast-podcast-player> Read
Overcast's AppleVis iOS App Directory entry for more information
Workflow: Powerful Automation Made Simple
Workflow won an Apple Design Award at this year's Worldwide Developers'
Conference (WWDC). These prestigious awards acknowledge the mobile and
desktop apps which raise the bar in design, technology and innovation. In
the case of Workflow,
<http://www.applevis.com/blog/advocacy-apple-ios-apps-news/workflow-app-wins
-prestigious-apple-design-award-because-its> the award specifically
recognized its accessibility with VoiceOver. According to
<https://developer.apple.com/design/awards/> Apple's own report on the 2015
Design Awards:
Workflow is a powerful automation tool, available exclusively for iPhone and
Apple Watch, that connect apps and actions together to automate things you
do every day. Selected as an Apple Design Award winner for its outstanding
use of iOS accessibility features, Workflow delivers an excellent
implementation for VoiceOver with clearly labeled items, thoughtful hints,
and drag/drop announcements, all of which make the app usable and quickly
accessible to those who are blind or low-vision. The creators of Workflow
understand that true accessibility is not just a technical task, it also
requires design and usability consideration.
<http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/productivity/workflow-powerful-automation-
made-simple> Read Workflow's iOS App Directory entry for more information
Best iOS Game
A Blind Legend
This "hack-and-slash" audio game harnesses the power of binaural sound to
bring characters and actions vividly to life around the player. Taking the
role of Edward Blake, the famous blind knight, players must find their way
through the High Castle Kingdom and avoid the many traps and dangers that
lie in store for them.
<http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/games/blind-legend> Read A Blind Legend's
AppleVis iOS App Directory entry for more information
Audio Rally Racing
Audio Rally Racing lets you experience the thrill of speed and reckless
driving on country roads and city streets. First you choose a car, then you
can start competing in the various races and circuits available. With your
navigator telling you what's coming up, your goal is simply to drive as fast
as possible; get around the curves; and avoid the obstacles in your way.
<http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/games/audio-rally-racing> Read Audio
Rally Racing's AppleVis iOS App Directory entry for more information
Blindfold Bowling
Blindfold Bowling is an audio game that challenges you to make the perfect
strike. You throw the bowling ball by either flicking with one finger;
aiming with one finger and flicking; or setting the exact angle with your
thumb and forefinger, and then flicking. The faster you flick, the faster
you throw the ball. You will hear the ball rolling down the alley, hopefully
followed by the falling of pins. Like real bowling, you can get a strike, a
spare, or even miss completely with a gutter ball.
<http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/games/blindfold-bowling> Read Blindfold
Bowling's iOS App Directory entry for more information
Dice World - Dice with Friends!
Dice World features a collection of popular and fun 2-player dice games -
Yahtzee, Farkle, Pig, Threes, Balut and 24 - offering multiple game and
player options and the ability to track your performance.
<http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/games/dice-world-dice-friends> Read Dice
World's iOS App Directory entry for more information
Best Assistive iOS App
BARD Mobile
BARD Mobile provides access for qualified US citizens to braille and talking
books directly from the National Library Service (NLS). The BARD catalogue
contains nearly 70,000 books, magazines, and music scores in audio and
braille formats, with new selections added daily. With the BARD Mobile iOS
app, you can play NLS audio materials on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
If your device is connected to a refreshable braille display through
Bluetooth, you can also read the braille materials available on BARD.
<http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/books/bard-mobile> Read BARD Mobile's
AppleVis iOS App Directory entry for more information
Be My Eyes - helping blind see
Be My Eyes enables blind and low vision iOS users to connect with sighted
volunteers via live video chat to ask questions about objects or situations
that they have encountered in their daily lives - be that choosing the
correct color shirt, locating the desired store in a mall or reading the
label from a food container.
<http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/lifestyle/be-my-eyes-helping-blind-see>
Read Be My Eyes' AppleVis iOS App Directory entry for more information
BlindSquare
BlindSquare uses GPS and the compass to locate you and provide you with
information about the surrounding environment. The app is aware of when you
travel by car, bus or train and starts to report interesting places in front
of you (for example, the next transit stops) and street crossings when you
are passing them. By changing the radius, you can limit the area you are
interested in. You can also search by search term or by category. You can
select an interesting place from the search results to find more information
and get directions.
<http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/navigation/blindsquare> Read
BlindSquare's AppleVis iOS App Directory entry for more information
KNFBReader
KNFBReader converts printed text into high quality speech to provide
accurate, fast, and efficient access to both single and multiple page
documents with the tap of a button on the iPhone. Picture accuracy is
facilitated by a Field of View Report, Automatic Page Detection, and Tilt
Control. When used with a document stand, the app will automatically detect
when you turn the page of a book in the stand or insert a different sheet.
<http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/productivity/knfbreader> Read
KNFBReader's AppleVis iOS App Directory entry for more information
Voice - Take Pictures & Have Them Read/Spoken In Many Languages with Fast
OCR
Voice allows you to take a picture of anything that has text on it, and then
have that text read to you within a few seconds. The app includes a number
of advanced features that you might not expect to find on a free app, such
as a book mode, a field of view report, auto-capture, Smart Crop, column
detection and reading, document background cleaning, and a lot more.
<http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/productivity/voice-take-pictures-have-them
-readspoken-many-languages-fast-ocr> Read Voice's AppleVis iOS App Directory
entry for more information
Best Mac App
1Password - Password Manager and Secure Wallet
1Password is a password manager that offers both security and convenience.
Anti-phishing protection, automatic strong password generation and support
for all major web browsers ensures that entering of passwords, identities,
and credit card details into web forms is fast and secure. Additionally, it
provides a secure place to store confidential information and notes.
<http://www.applevis.com/apps/mac/productivity/1password-password-manager-an
d-secure-wallet> Read 1Password's AppleVis Mac App Directory entry for more
information
Audio Hijack
Audio Hijack allows you to record any application's audio, from Internet
streams to DVD audio and everywhere in between. If your Mac can play it,
Audio Hijack can record it. And that's not all - Audio Hijack can also
enhance any audio using industry-standard VST and AudioUnit audio effects.
<http://www.applevis.com/apps/mac/utilities/audio-hijack> Read Audio
Hijack's AppleVis Mac App Directory entry for more information
Carbon Copy Cloner
Carbon Copy Cloner provides the peace of mind that comes from knowing that
your personal files and data and your operating system are all preserved on
a bootable backup should disaster strike. Restore individual files from the
Finder or boot from your backup to restore your Mac to a previous state.
<http://www.applevis.com/apps/mac/utilities/carbon-copy-cloner> Read Carbon
Copy Cloner's AppleVis Mac App Directory entry for more information
LaunchBar
LaunchBar is an award-winning productivity utility that offers an intuitive
and efficient way to search and access any kind of information stored on
your Mac or on the Web. It provides instant access to your applications,
documents, contacts, and bookmarks, to your music library, to search engines
and more. Just use a keyboard shortcut to bring LaunchBar's input window to
front and start typing. As you type, LaunchBar displays the best matching
choices.
<https://www.obdev.at/products/launchbar/index.html> Visit the LaunchBar
website for more information
Developer of the Year
DeskConnect, Inc.
Creator of
<http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/productivity/workflow-powerful-automation-
made-simple> Workflow - Powerful Automation Made Simple.
<https://workflow.is/> Visit DeskConnect's website for more information
Kid Friendly Software
Creator of the 'Blindfold' series of accessible games, which includes
<http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/games/blindfold-air-hockey> Blindfold Air
Hockey, [Blindfold Bowling}(
<http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/games/blindfold-bowling>
http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/games/blindfold-bowling),
<http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/games/blindfold-racer> Blindfold Racer and
<http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/games/blindfold-spades> Blindfold Spades.
<http://www.kidfriendlysoftware.com> Visit Kid Friendly Software's website
for more information
MIPsoft
Creator of <http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/navigation/blindsquare>
BlindSquare.
<http://www.blindsquare.com> Visit MIPsoft's website for more information
Pangia Games
Creator of <http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/games/dice-world-dice-friends>
Dice World- Dice with Friends!,
<http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/games/premium-blackjack> Premium
Blackjack, and <http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/games/premium-video-poker>
Premium Video Poker.
<http://www.diceworldgame.com> Visit Pangia Games' website for more
information
Shalin Shah
Creator of
<http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/productivity/voice-take-pictures-have-them
-readspoken-many-languages-fast-ocr> Voice - Take A Picture And Have It
Spoken.
<http://www.shalinshah.me> Visit Shalin Shah's website for more information
Cast Your Votes Now
<http://www.applevis.com/blog/advocacy-applevis-assistive-technology-ios-app
s-mac-apps-news/cast-your-votes-now-applevis> Here is the link to the page
on the AppleVis website where you can cast your votes for the nominees that
you believe to be most worthy of being an AppleVis Golden Apple
With all our best wishes for the Holiday Season and the New Year!
The AppleVis Editorial Team
<http://www.applevis.com> www.applevis.com
If you enjoy or benefit from what we do at AppleVis, please consider
supporting us by making a single or regular micro donation at
<http://www.applevis.com/donate> www.applevis.com/donate
Newsletter:
<http://www.applevis.com/newsletter/applevis-newsletter> AppleVis
Newsletter
*5) Google: Our quantum computer is 100 million times faster than a
conventional system
* By <http://www.extremetech.com/author/jhruska> Joel Hruska on
December 9, 2015 at 1:37 pm
*
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/219160-googles-quantum-computer-is-100-mi
llion-times-faster-than-a-conventional-system?mailing_id=1525889
<http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/219160-googles-quantum-computer-is-100-m
illion-times-faster-than-a-conventional-system?mailing_id=1525889&mailing=Ex
tremeTech&mailingID=4A4F66928700BB1DF05EC39BEE026FB7>
&mailing=ExtremeTech&mailingID=4A4F66928700BB1DF05EC39BEE026FB7
*
* Ever since quantum computer manufacturer D-Wave announced that it
had created an actual system,
<http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/175084-new-benchmarks-raise-doubt-over-d
-waves-quantum-computer-but-google-is-optimistic-longterm> there have been
skeptics.
*
*
<http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/175084-new-benchmarks-raise-doubt-over-d
-waves-quantum-computer-but-google-is-optimistic-longterm>
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/175084-new-benchmarks-raise-doubt-over-d-
waves-quantum-computer-but-google-is-optimistic-longterm
*
* The primary concern was that D-Wave hadn't built a quantum computer
as such, but instead constructed a system that happened to simulate a
quantum annealer - one specific type of quantum computing that the D-Wave
performs - more effectively than any previous architecture.
Earlier reports suggested
<http://www.extremetech.com/computing/184242-d-wave-confirmed-as-the-first-r
eal-quantum-computer-by-new-research> this was untrue, and Google has now
put such fears to rest. The company has presented findings conclusively
demonstrating the D-Wave does perform quantum annealing, and is capable of
solving certain types of problems up to 100 million times faster than
conventional systems. Over the past two years, D-Wave and Google have worked
together to test the types of solutions that the quantum computer could
create and measure its performance against traditional CPU and GPU compute
clusters. In a new
<http://googleresearch.blogspot.com/2015/12/when-can-quantum-annealing-win.h
tml> blog post,
http://googleresearch.blogspot.com/2015/12/when-can-quantum-annealing-win.ht
ml
Hartmut Neven, director of engineering at Google, discusses the
proof-of-principle problems the company designed and executed to demonstrate
"quantum annealing can offer runtime advantages for hard optimization
problems characterized by rugged energy landscapes." He writes:
"We found that for problem instances involving nearly 1000 binary variables,
quantum annealing significantly outperforms its classical counterpart,
simulated annealing. It is more than 108 times faster than simulated
annealing running on a single core. We also compared the quantum hardware to
another algorithm called Quantum Monte Carlo. This is a method designed to
emulate the behavior of quantum systems, but it runs on conventional
processors. While the scaling with size between these two methods is
comparable, they are again separated by a large factor sometimes as high as
108."
Neven goes on to write that while these results prove, unequivocally, that
D-Wave is capable of performance that no modern system can match -
optimizations are great and all, but a 100-million speed-up is tough to beat
in software -
the practical impact of these optimizations is currently limited. The
problem with D-wave's current generation of systems is that they are
sparsely connected. This is illustrated in the diagram below:
<http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/vesuvius_connectivity
.png> D-Wave 2
D-Wave 2's connectivity tree
Each dot in this diagram represents a qubit; the number of qubits in a
system controls the size and complexity of the problems it can perform.
While each group of qubits is cross-connected, there are relatively few
connections between the groups of qubits. This limits the kinds of
computation that the D-Wave 2 can perform, and
<http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/215296-did-googles-quantum-computer-just
-get-the-biggest-processor-upgrade-in-history> simply scaling out to more
sparsely-connected qubit clusters isn't an efficient way to solve problems
(and can't work in all cases). Because of this, simulated annealing - the
version performed by traditionally designed CPUs and GPUs - is still
regarded as the gold standard that quantum annealing needs to beat.
How much of an impact quantum computing will have on traditional markets is
still unknown.
http://www.extremetech.com/?s=quantum+computing+
Current systems rely on liquid nitrogen cooling and incredibly expensive
designs. Costs may drop as new techniques for building more efficient
quantum annealers are discovered, but so long as these systems require NO2
to function, they're not going to be widely used. Google, NASA, the NSA, and
other supercomputer clusters may have specialized needs that are best
addressed by <http://www.extremetech.com/?s=quantum+computing+> quantum
computing in the long-term, but silicon and its eventual successors are
going to be the mainstay of the general-purpose computing market for decades
to come. At least for now, quantum computers will tackle the problems our
current computers literally can't solve - or can't solve before the
heat-death of the universe, which is more-or-less the same thing.
*6) Evidence of a genetic 'fountain of youth' discovered
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/219353-evidence-of-a-genetic-fountain-of-
youth-discovered?mailing_id=1525889
<http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/219353-evidence-of-a-genetic-fountain-of
-youth-discovered?mailing_id=1525889&mailing=ExtremeTech&mailingID=4A4F66928
700BB1DF05EC39BEE026FB7>
&mailing=ExtremeTech&mailingID=4A4F66928700BB1DF05EC39BEE026FB7
by Aaron Krumins
December 14 2015
From Extreme Tech
It's no secret that the search for the fountain of youth has shifted into
high gear of late. Google has thrown their hat in the ring with the creation
of Calico
<http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/166858-with-calico-google-looks-to-make-
your-lifespan-its-business> -
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/166858-with-calico-google-looks-to-make-y
our-lifespan-its-business
a company whose mission statement waxes eloquent on the prospect of life
extension. Biology wild man Craig Venter
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Venter> has also entered the fray,
spawning a company called Human Longevity Inc.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Venter
While many were banking on these well-funded biotechs to draw first blood in
the war on death, it seems a small group of researchers at ETH Zurich
<https://www.ethz.ch/en.html> have taken the lead, announcing last week
that they had isolated a small group of genes that modulates the aging
process. Identifying the genes responsible for aging is arguably the first
step in halting, or perhaps even reversing the process.
The researchers took a novel approach to searching for the genes involved in
aging, selecting three animals with vastly disparate biology and looking for
a common set of genes that influenced aging across all three. Earlier
studies had indicated that up to 1 percent of genes in an animal like the
nematode could influence life expectancy, but a much smaller sub set of
these would be conserved across the evolutionary process and be found in
other animals as well, including humans. The animals they selected for the
study
<https://www.ethz.ch/en/news-and-events/eth-news/news/2015/12/genes-for-long
er-healthier-life-found.html>
https://www.ethz.ch/en/news-and-events/eth-news/news/2015/12/genes-for-longe
r-healthier-life-found.html
included the much-scrutinized nematode C. elegans, zebra fish and the common
mouse. The scientists likened it to searching for a needle in a haystack of
40,000 genes.
To understand how their search progressed, it is helpful to have a basic
understanding of how genes are expressed. A measure of gene expression can
be found in the number of its mRNA molecules present in an animal's cells.
When the mRNA of a certain gene is widespread, that gene is being
upregulated and when it is scarce, the expression of the gene is minimal.
Using statistical models, the researchers looked for the intersection of
genes that were regulated in the same manner across the different life
stages of all three animals. Out of 40,000 genes shared by the organisms,
the researchers identified a mere 30 that were significant markers for
aging. One in particular, the bcat-1 gene, seemed to have disproportionate
effect on aging. "When we blocked the effect of this gene, it significantly
extended the mean lifespan of the nematode by up to 25 percent," explains
Professor Michael Ristow, coordinating author of the recently published
study and Professor of Energy Metabolism at ETH Zurich.
<http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/nematode.jpg> The
humble nematode work who saw its life expectancy increased by 25% due to
genetic modifications
The humble nematode worm who saw it's life expectancy increased by 25% due
to genetic modifications
The bcat-1 gene regulates an enzyme of the same name, which is responsible
for degrading branched-chain amino acids
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branched-chain_amino_acid> naturally
occurring in food proteins.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branched-chain_amino_acid
When these branched-chain amino acids accumulated in the cells of the
nematode due to inactivity of the bcat-1 gene, it triggered a molecular
signaling cascade that resulted in increased longevity. Even better, the
same process seemed to increase several measures of vitality in the worm
including the speed at which the creatures moved, and how often the
nematodes successfully reproduced. In other words, the worms not only lived
longer, but were rejuvenated in other ways.
A similar, though less pronounced, effect was achieved merely by increasing
the quantity of branch chain amino acids in the worm's diet, which triggers
the same signaling cascade - though to a lesser extent due to the effects of
unimpaired bcat-1 gene. Ristow has no doubt that the same mechanism occurs
in humans, since the study looked only at genes conserved in evolution and
therefore existing in all organisms.
While it might be premature to start taking mega doses of branch chain amino
acids like L-leucine, L-isoleucine and L-valine, it's worth noting these are
already used to treat liver damage and are also added to many sports
nutrition products. Thus, there's probably little danger in increasing one's
intake of them if you're curious to experiment with the life-extending,
vitality increasing benefits of these amino-acids.
*7)
HumanWare has released a free update for the 2nd generation Victor Reader
Stream.
Here is a link to the brief description of the update. I also have included
a press release and link to an audio file for cconnecting your stream to the
internet for WIFI in your home or in some other location.
This release allows you to record Internet radio streams in a variety of
sound qualities, supports the mass deletion of podcasts, and includes
several additional text-to-speech voices. It's a free update for all current
stream owners and can be downloaded wirelessly or manually. You
What's New
This Version 4.6 software upgrade provides the following new features and
enhancements:
. Internet radio recording: Have you ever been listening to an
internet radio station and a song or program is coming up you know you want
to listen to again? Now you can with the simple press of a button. When you
hear something on an internet radio station that you want to record, simply
press the record button to start the recording of that station. Press it
again to conclude the recording session.
. Improvements to Wikipedia / Wiktionary functionality to support
search resulting in more than one article
. Add function to move and delete all episodes of a podcast feed.
Now you can quickly clear out old podcast episodes if you want to make
additional space, or simply move them to the external SD card.
. Introduced additional text to speech voices in specific languages:
Manon - French, Claudia - German, Lisa - Australian English, Laia - Catalan
. Daisy Online support: In specific countries, libraries are using
the Daisy On-Line Delivery protocol. This support has been added for those
and additional libraries who will offer content using this delivery method
to media players such as the Stream.
. Other stability enhancements and improvements.
If you already have your Victor Reader Stream connected to a wireless
internet connection, downloading this update is as simple as pressing your
Stream's On-line button to enter the on-line bookshelf. Stream will
immediately detect that there is an update available and you can begin
downloading it.
If you need assistance connecting your VictorStream to the internet, visit
the link below to hear an audio file explain how this is done.
http://www.humanware.ca/web/HumanWare/podcast_feed/Humanware/Connecting_the_
Stream_to_wifi_and_browsing_and_download.mp4
*8) Window-eyes Update
December 14 2014
Office Enhance 1.0.5
Office Enhance provides enhancements for Microsoft Office products,
including Word, Excel, Power Point, and Outlook.
Spell Check
When the spelling/grammar dialog is displayed, you will hear the error type,
the error itself (spelling errors spelled out), the selected suggestion (if
one is available -- spelling error suggestions are spelled out), and the
context of the error. By default, the following hotkeys are available to
re-read the error information:
* Alt-R - Reads the selected suggestion. A second press spells the
suggestion phonetically if the error is spelling related.
* Alt-W - Reads the error. A second press spells the error
phonetically if the error is spelling related.
* Alt-S - Reads the context of the error.
You can control the rate at which spelling errors are spelled using the
Office Enhance menu item in the Window-Eyes Apps menu.
*9) Rita's iDevice Advice for December 7, 2015: access the level, or an
inclinometer
by swiping left in Compass.
Many people do not realize that they have a level and or an inclinometer
present on their iDevice.
A level can come in very handy when attempting to get a picture straight on
a wall. I have also pulled up the level to assist sighted people when they
are searching for a level tool to get things level.
The level is fully VoiceOver accessible.
Just open your "compass" app on your iPhone.
Sometimes the Compass app is in the "Utilities" folder.
When you are running voiceOver: Open the Compass app by performing a one
finger double tap on the app.
It will open to the Compass.
When the iPhone is in Portrait mode, just above the "Home" button will be
the Level option. It will say "level 2 of two, adjustable, swipe up with
one finger to adjust the value". Flick up with one finger to open the
level.
When VoiceOver is NOT running, swipe left when you open the Compass app, and
the level will appear.
Here is a short visual description of how the level works.
How to keep things on the Level with iPhone's Compass
The Compass is really two, two, two tools in one! Swipe left from the
Compass screen and you find an electronic spirit level. Instead of having an
air bubble that must fall between two lines to indicate a level horizontal
surface, two white bubbles, um, circles must line up when you place your
iPhone on a horizontal surface.
The degree of inclination appears in the circles, and when your iPhone is in
a perfectly level position, the whole screen turns green and zero degrees
show in the center circle.
If you use the edges of your iPhone, instead of circles, you have a
horizontal line across the center that divides the white top from the black
bottom. When your iPhone is in a position of zero inclination, the black
turns green.
Rita's idevice advice Monday December 7 2015
*10 Sunu Band from the NFB Jernigan Institute
National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute Research Collaboration:
Sunu Band
By Amy Mason
The National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute leads the quest to
understand the real problems of blindness and to develop innovative
education, technologies, products, and services that help the world's blind
to achieve greater independence. Many technology developers have the best
intensions when designing that great next product for the blind.
Unfortunately they do not include blind people in the process. We strongly
encourage developers of innovative nonvisual access technologies to work
with us during the design and development phase. By leveraging the expertise
and the life experience of the independent blind with the engineering
expertise of these developers of next generation technologies, the result is
an innovative, more useful product for the blind.
Last year we began just such a collaborative relationship with a startup by
the name of UStraap. In 2014, we were contacted by one of the project's
creators, Marco Trujillo, and asked to look at his prototype device. Our
initial impressions can be seen in a previous
<https://nfb.org/blog/atblog/ustraap-system> AT Blog post about the USTRAAP.
To paraphrase, at that time, we believed that the device had promise, and we
were excited to see where it was going to go. It has indeed undergone
several iterations of changes after extensive testing with blind people, and
now goes by the name of Sunu.
In this post we want to share a bit of our interactions with the creators of
the Sunu to provide a peak into the workings of the Access Technology Team
and how we assist manufacturers in providing useful tools to blind
consumers. The following is a brief description and critique of the Sunu
Band by Sunu, and a sample of the feedback we were able to provide to the
developers. In order to maintain the integrity of their intellectual
property, we are only able to provide examples of questions and suggestions
that demonstrate, in a small way, the benefit of our collaboration.
The Sunu Band
By Sunu
Sunu describes the Sunu Band as a smart-bracelet that uses sonar
"look-ahead" technology, empowering mobility and independence for people
living with impaired vision by helping improve awareness, orientation, and
mobility, which can be used with other aids. The Sunu Band is a wearable
bracelet with a sonar sensor, two buttons on the watch face, and an
adjustable wristband. The device provides haptic feedback about surroundings
to the user. You simply point or scan with the sensor on the device, and the
closer you come to a person or object, the more intense the vibrations on
your wrist become. There is also a separate Sunu Tag that can be used as a
locator device for easily misplaced items. The tag will beep, and the
wristband vibrates faster as the two come closer, "rather like a game of
'hot or cold' with a prize of rediscovering your missing keys." There are
promises of leveraging app integration to create enhanced functionality, and
add other features. The one that has already been implemented well enough to
be tried by our team is a vibrating watch feature, similar to that offered
by the Meteor Vibrating Pocket Watch. We will discuss each of these three
features in turn, including our thoughts on how to improve the
functionality, and finish with information on where you can go to get your
hands on the device if it piques your interest.
Navigational Aid
The Sunu Band started life as merely a navigational aid intended to provide
additional information to cane and dog guide users. As such, this is still
the heart of the device and its functionality. The band uses sonar waves to
gather information about the user's surroundings and conveys information on
how near the user is to an obstacle by vibrating with increasing frequency
as the user nears it. It offers both an outdoor and an indoor navigation
mode. Indoor mode uses a narrower band and a shorter range in order to
provide more detailed information when a user is in more crowded settings,
and may be moving more slowly. In our testing, we found that the Sunu may be
useful in a number of indoor and outdoor situations including:
. Simulating shore-lining technique. For instance, indoors, a user could
use the band to search across the hall for openings where the hall turns or
open doors. Outdoors, it could be used to search for bus shelters, entrance
alcoves for businesses, or other open spaces.
. Following people in a line. By pointing the band at a person in front
of the user in line, they can feel the change in vibrational pattern as the
line moves up, without having to search as often for that person with the
tip of the cane.
. Detecting objects at head height. By angling the wrist just a little,
it was possible for our testers to discover tree branches and other
obstacles that might offer a nasty shock to the traveler.
It is rather clever in that it provides to cane users some of the
foreknowledge of more distant objects enjoyed by dog users, and allows dog
users to gather information about the obstacles they are maneuvering around
with their guide.
Sunu states, "It is easy to learn within minutes." So we put this assertion
to the test. Several staff members took the Sunu Band through some basic
mobility scenarios. For some the indoor navigation functionality of the
device took a little time to acclimate to, while others picked it up very
intuitively. In discussions with the developers, they state that although
you can learn to operate the device in minutes, it does take more time to
master its use. We are hopeful that there are opportunities in the future
for us to assist with the development of additional training materials. Our
opinion is that it would be a helpful device for individuals to use as a
complement to good orientation and mobility skills training.
Of course, when evaluating technologies that provide nonvisual information,
there is always a tricky balance between how much is too much information.
This is complicated by the fact that what is considered too much information
for some may be considered too little information for others. This is why we
definitely appreciate the ability to put the Sunu Band in sleep mode with
ease.
The one area of concern with the band as a navigational tool that we noted
at this time is that it is easily covered by the sleeve of a winter coat,
and may not be as useful in the colder months outdoors.
Sunu Locator Tag
The tag is a pretty simple concept. A user places the tag on or in a bag,
luggage, keys, or other easily-misplaced object. When the user wishes to
locate the item, they can either use the wristband or the intended
smartphone app to trigger the tag and follow the vibrations of the wristband
or audible tones from the tag to help reunite them with their wandering
belonging. The additional ability to use the vibrations on the band will
hopefully make it possible for a user to silence the tag and find the item
in question without alerting others in the area to the search.
We have been providing on-going support in the development of this
technology and were pleased that some improvements have already been made.
For example, the Sunu Tag is a much nicer size and shape than the original
design, and also works well in our testing with the Sunu Band. We are
looking forward to the integration with the app and Bluetooth, which should
give it slightly longer range.
Timekeeping
As previously mentioned, the Sunu Band, although referred to as a bracelet,
also tells time, like a watch. The original method of obtaining the time was
deemed by our testers as a little too conspicuous. We emphasized that many
people want to check the time in class, or in a boring meeting, and not let
others know they are counting down the minutes. Although this was also input
the developers received from others, we were able to give some additional
useful feedback on some suggested alternative methods of checking the time.
We are hopeful that with app integration, alarms may also be included in the
device, as the Sunu would prove to be a nicely inconspicuous way to keep
track of upcoming appointments, and might even provide an alternative to a
loudly buzzing alarm clock.
Design and Other Thoughts
We found the wireless charging feature of the device to be an interesting
alternative to the more familiar USB chargers being used by most
technologies. We expressed our disappointment that, in the beta unit, there
was no non-visual indication that the products are actually charging. They
informed us that they have a strategy for dealing with this in the final
version. Moreover, they consulted us on using USB as an alternative option
for charging the device. Using USB to directly charge the device may be more
familiar to most users and may be more secure, because it is less likely the
device will be knocked off its charger. However, USB seems like a possible
point of malfunction due to plugging and unplugging the device. USB Micro
just doesn't seem very sturdy and the charging disk would be unplugged a lot
less often than the band, which would minimize the wear and tear on the band
itself.
In our discussions with Marco, we learned that the folks from Sunu are
hoping to add more features via their smartphone app, including some which
may work with iBeacon and indoor navigation technology. We are very
interested to see what may come of these discussions, and will continue to
provide our guidance to the team at Sunu as they continue creating this very
versatile and interesting piece of technology.
Final Thoughts
"Tested and validated" is Sunu's current claim. As the oldest, largest
organization of the blind in the United States, the National Federation of
the Blind is pleased that we are being afforded the opportunity to test and
aid in the development of the product. We can validate that it is an
innovative piece of access technology with great potential. We are hopeful
that the Sunu Band technology will be integrated into one of the emerging
navigation technologies we are identifying through our
<https://nfb.org/blog/atblog/national-federation-blind-indoor-navigation-cha
llenge-0> NFB Indoor Navigation Challenge.
We make sure that technology developers understand that it is important that
any wearable technology is both functional and stylish. The prototype of the
Sunu Band has a wristband that can be sized fairly easily, and we found the
to be a very simple and elegant solution.
Sunu informs us that the design of the final product will be even better.
All in all, we cannot wait to see the final product, and with the advent of
app and possible beacon integration, we are really quite excited by what the
future holds for the Sunu Band.
For more information about the Sunu Band, visit <http://sunu.io/>
http://sunu.io/ or their Indiegogo campaign. The intended retail price for
the band and one tag is planned to be $250. During the campaign, the band
and tag combo is available at a discounted price of $199, and for this
weekend they are planning to offer a special package with the band only at
$70.
*11) Here is a direct link to a PDF download for the new Accessibility
Guide for Windows 10 and Office 2016.
I have downloaded and converted this file. I am sending it as an attachment
in this posting. However if you wish to visit the link below and download
the file your self the direct link is below.
http://aka.ms/accessibilityguideforeducators
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001e9w-QYJFnPPllHsklLdZ5AsBjp3zuLUeY2XaZuueCqZX
Ny8OjmySoBWU3Sr7XwriT2hV5ebHZyzgX3vZ6uaQXkylUdrdkuclANni4GU2-o3ixQkz2BExPWS7
QtEvqtKQsXZ-9uU67gjzOELwyh9-e29AcLogzf7cwJeHBlE3wUs9jKjP-Muh66K0TA4tiS7kgA3D
3MDN4Fs=&c=jOYWzfRUNO1iCjqU0VY5xRNBtoM_p93hWXyA1RiqQkkzWzE68PMefw==&ch=KI4XL
RT3C4Utw5-B10HBHYGzxdRGCwl0_B18zQPBpQFhrk5fnND8HA==>
*12)
By Roman Krznaric
<http://www.dailygood.org/story/1180/welcome-to-the-empathy-wars-roman-krzna
ric/>
http://www.dailygood.org/story/1180/welcome-to-the-empathy-wars-roman-krznar
ic/
Stepping into other people's shoes has been a catalytic force for social
change throughout human history.
https://dy1m18dp41gup.cloudfront.net/cdn/farfuture/ULcXUmBVOJAKEKDhKa4nhCIqk
AJnCdv_ycjqv8QEY0E/mtime:1435492373/files/brains-460x3071_2.jpg
Credit: <http://www.intentionalworkplace.com/>
www.intentionalworkplace.com. All rights reserved.
You can always tell when a good idea has come of age: people start
criticising it. That's certainly the case when it comes to empathy.
Empathy is a more popular concept today than at any time since the
eighteenth century, when
<http://ebooks.gutenberg.us/WorldeBookLibrary.com/moralsent.htm> Adam Smith
argued that the basis of morality was our imaginative capacity for "changing
places in fancy with the sufferer." Neuroscientists, happiness gurus,
education policy-makers and mediation experts have all been singing its
praises.
This has, of course, got the critics charging in, led by Yale psychologist
Paul Bloom, who claims that
<http://www.bostonreview.net/forum/paul-bloom-against-empathy> "empathy is
biased." In his view, empathy is a dangerous emotional force that draws us
towards identifying with the suffering of particular individuals or our
nearest and dearest, while we blithely ignore the plight of distant
strangers or people outside our tribe, be it based on religion, ethnicity or
class. It also fails to confront the
<https://www.opendemocracy.net/transformation/kristen-zimmerman/forget-empat
hy-%E2%80%93-it%E2%80%99s-time-for-radical-connection> structural barriers
to social change.
Philosopher Peter Singer takes a similar position in his latest book,
<http://www.mostgoodyoucando.com/> The Most Good You Can Do. He cites a
study in which one group of people were shown a photo of a single child,
with her name and age, and were asked to donate money for a $300,000 drug
treatment to save her life. Another group were shown photos (with names and
ages) of eight children, and told $300,000 was required for medication that
would save all their lives.
The result? People gave more to the single child, which is an "absurd
outcome" in Singer's view. His conclusion is that "emotional empathy" biases
us towards individual cases, whereas a more rational utilitarian
approach-what he calls "effective altruism"-would prompt us to save the
larger number of children. It is reason and argument, not empathy he
contends, that should be our primary moral guide.
This sounds logical, but I believe the anti-empathy brigade is badly
mistaken, for two main reasons.
First, they show an astonishing willingness to ignore different types of
empathy. A standard psychology textbook reveals that there are two forms.
One is 'affective' empathy, which is about feeling or mirroring others'
emotions-as when Bill Clinton famously told an HIV/AIDS activist that "I
feel your pain." The other is 'cognitive' or 'perspective-taking' empathy,
where you focus on imagining what it's like to be another person, with their
beliefs, experiences, hopes, fears and views of the world.
Bloom and Singer only give attention to affective empathy (which they
describe as 'emotional empathy'). I agree with them that a strong emotional
resonance can make us unfairly favour individual cases, so of course we
should save the eight lives rather than one. But while they both acknowledge
the existence of cognitive empathy, they fail to explore its power to
promote ethical behaviour.
In doing so, what they really miss is that cognitive empathy has been a
crucial force in the struggle for human rights and the task of shifting
social and political structures. Let me give an example: the campaign
against slavery and the slave trade in eighteenth-century Britain.
In the 1780s, at a time when half a million slaves were being worked to
death on British sugar plantations in the Caribbean, opponents of slavery
launched an empathy-based political campaign to get members of the public to
understand what it might be like to be a slave. They printed tens of
thousands of copies of a poster showing how many slaves could be squeezed
onto a slave ship, published oral testimonies of violence against slaves,
and got former slaves to give public talks about their ordeals. In other
words, they were tapping into the cognitive empathy of some sections of
British society.
The results were spectacular: public protests, parliamentary petitions, and
the world's first fair trade boycott (of slave-produced sugar). According to
historian <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Hochschild> Adam Hochschild in
his book Bury the Chains, the campaign-when combined with other factors such
as slave revolts on plantations and structural shifts like the diminishing
profitability of the slave economy-played a key role in the abolition of the
slave trade in 1807 and the eventual abolition of slavery itself. Hochschild
injects a missing ingredient into this story by showing that there was a
"sudden upswelling" of human empathy, remarkable for the fact that "it was
the first time a large number of people became outraged, and stayed outraged
for many years, over someone else's rights."
The end of slavery illustrates a larger historical pattern: cognitive
empathy cracks open the door of moral concern for neglected or marginalised
groups, and rights and laws wedge that door wide open. This has happened
over and over again since the eighteenth century-in the struggle for civil
rights, gay rights, and the rights of women, indigenous people, and disabled
people.
The key is 'perspective taking'-trying to imagine what it might be like to
be 'the other'-which makes us care about the plight of those outside our
immediate community and treat them as human beings of equal value to
ourselves. Political instruments such as public policy and human rights
legislation typically play the role of codifying and universalising this
moral concern.
I put this point to Singer in a public discussion we had recently in
<http://www.thebookseller.com/news/blackwells-oxford-holds-empathy-festival>
Oxford. Doesn't the slavery case, I asked him, show that 'reason'-in the
form of laws and rights-actually works hand in hand with cognitive empathy
to produce the kind of ethical world we both care about? He paused and then
said hesitantly, 'Well, yes, slavery is a good example. Cognitive empathy
can make a difference.'
In my view, thinkers such as Singer and Bloom are on shaky empirical ground
when they put so much faith in the power of reason and rational argument.
Even that arch-rationalist
<http://stevenpinker.com/publications/better-angels-our-nature> Steven
Pinker has come round to the importance of cognitive empathy in his vast
study of the decline of violence in human history called The Better Angels
of Our Nature. Drawing on the work of cultural historians such as
<http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/08/books/review/Wood2.t.html?_r=0> Lynn
Hunt, he argues that the humanitarian revolution of the eighteenth
century-which generated the first campaigns to tackle child poverty, the
anti-slavery movement and associations to improve working conditions-was
rooted in "the rise of empathy and the regard for human life."
Simply put, taking on the perspective of others is one of the fundamental
stepping stones to acknowledging their humanity and inspiring political
action. As the cognitive linguist
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/george-lakoff/empathy-sotomayor-and-dem_b_209
406.html> George Lakoff puts it: "Empathy is at the heart of real
rationality, because it goes to the heart of our values, which are the basis
of our sense of justice. Empathy is the reason we have the principles of
freedom and fairness, which are necessary components of justice." The
<http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17470919.2015.1029593?journalCod
e=psns20> latest research by leading neuroscientists suggests that he's
right.
Cognitive empathy matters because it is part of the toolkit we need to
confront the great social, political and ecological challenges of our age.
Our failure to act on climate change is, to a significant degree, a failure
to step into the shoes of future generations and take into account the
impact that our carbon-intensive lifestyles will have on them.
The growing wealth inequalities in countries like Britain and the US are
fuelled by the failure of the rich and of political elites to step outside
the cocoons of their privileged lifestyles and understand what it might be
like to be someone lining up at a food bank or having their home threatened
with repossession by a bank. And we can never have a cogent or just debate
about the influx of immigrants into the European Union until we hear the
voices of refugees squeezed onto death-trap boats in the Mediterranean.
Ultimately, the place to start creating a more empathic civilisation is in
the education system. We need to teach empathy skills to young people so
that they develop the deep sense of social and ecological justice that will
motivate them to be active citizens -and as a new report from
<http://www.foe.co.uk/sites/default/files/downloads/empathy-effect-roman-krz
naric-76075.pdf> Friends of the Earthreveals, there's plenty of evidence
this can be done. Filling their heads with a list of moral rules from
religious texts or rationalist writings isn't enough. Empathy, especially
its cognitive form, is one of the most powerful ways we have of escaping the
boundaries of our egoistic concerns, changing our values, and inspiring
social action.
The historical truth is that reason without empathy is potentially
lethal-just think of the Nuremberg Laws that were underpinned by the
apparently 'rational' racist ideology of the
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Untermensch> Untermensch, a term meaning
'subhuman' that was used to denigrate Jews and Roma. We certainly shouldn't
reject reason. But if we care about forging a world of social and political
justice we have to give equal weight to expanding our empathetic
imaginations.
"The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken
those who seek you."
Psalm 9:9-10
To subscribe to Dan's tips or HotSpot with God Daily Devotional, send a
blank message to dthompson5@xxxxxxxxx and include "subscribe Dan's Tips" or
Subscribe HotSpot with God" in the subject line.
"The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken
those who seek you."
Psalm 9:9-10
To subscribe to Dan's tips or HotSpot with God Daily Devotional, send a
blank message to dthompson5@xxxxxxxxx and include "subscribe Dan's Tips" or
Subscribe HotSpot with God" in the subject line.
"The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken
those who seek you."
Psalm 9:9-10
To subscribe to Dan's tips or HotSpot with God Daily Devotional, send a
blank message to dthompson5@xxxxxxxxx and include "subscribe Dan's Tips" or
Subscribe HotSpot with God" in the subject line.
Other related posts:
- » [accesscomp] FW: Friday Finds for December 18 2015 - Robert Acosta
