A Key to the iPhone - Apple Releases iOS 4.1
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Today Apple released iOS 4.1 for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Among the improvements for Voiceover users, come not only a host of important bug fixes, such as proper editing of contact phone numbers, as well as the fact that Voiceover will now read tables in their proper order, but VO users now have very comprehensive keyboard navigation support.
Now a VO user can pair a bluetooth keyboard to their iDevice and not only use it to type and edit text, but also completely navigate and operate the device from the keyboard as well.
Thanks to users on the VIPhone list, and a bit of experimentation from us here at Maccessibility, we’ve compiled a preliminary list of keyboard commands for use with Voiceover.
• Arrow keys MOve Voiceover cursor to navigate the iPhone / iPod Touch screens
• VO-spacebar activates the current item
• VO-a reads page from current location/starting at current item
• VO-b reads page starting at the top
• VO-h activates home button
• VO-m goes to the status bar
• VO— (dash/hyphen) stops the current action such as stopping / starting media playback or hanging up a call.
• VO-s toggles speech on/off
• VO-shift-s toggles screen curtain on/off
• Left/right arrow at the same time activates/deactivates the QuickNav feature
• left-up arrow and right-up arrow cycle through the rotor settings
• Up and down arrows together activates the item like VO-spacebar
• VO-Command-left and right arrows cycle through Voiceover settings (Use VO-Command-up and down arrows to change settings)
Settings are: Use Phonetics, Use Pitch, Volume, Rate and Typing Echo
• VO-Space Bar on the Page label of a home screen advances the page. I.E. Pressing VO-Space on the ‘Page 1’ label will move to page 2
?Along with this very detailed enhancement, Safari users will note that sites now are accompanied by a sound to let the user know the progress while a site is loading. Additionally, In-page links are now announced by Voiceover, so a user can more easily understand and navigate a web page.
On the gaming side of things, Apples recently announced Game Center is also accessible to Voiceover users, opening up a whole world of possibilities and enhancements for visually impaired online gamers.
These are only a few of the updates in iOS 4.1 so please stay tuned. I’m sure we’ll find out a whole lot more very soon as well, so we’ll be sure and keep you up-to-date.