News from Be My Eyes
A lot of amazing things have happened for Be My Eyes lately, and in this newsletter we have so much to tell you. You can read about the Android launch and the iOS update, and finally you can meet Amir, who tells about how Be My Eyes has altered his life for the better. Enjoy! Be My Eyes for Android has landed It’s been in the pipeline for a couple of years, and we are so thrilled that Be My Eyes is finally available for Android. It is our hope that we are now able to help even more blind and visually impaired in all corners of the world. We want to thank you all for the support and for joining our launch campaign to help spread the word. Since the release on October 5th, we have welcomed 2,500 blind users and more than 18,000 volunteers to the community, and the numbers are still rising. Do you know someone, who might find Be My Eyes useful? Remember to invite them to join the community. Be My Eyes for Android can be downloaded from the <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bemyeyes.bemyeyes> Google Play Store. Be My Eyes iOS update Along with the release of the Android app, the iOS version has gotten a major update, to match the design of the Android version. In the iOS update, the functionality is the same as usual, so you can update without any worries. The update do have some new features, which are a new rating system, to make it easier to report errors, and improved and extended settings, where you are now able to change your password in the app and to select primary and secondary languages. Remember to update Be My Eyes to its latest version, to have the best possible experience with the app. You can update the app in <https://itunes.apple.com/dk/app/be-my-eyes-helping-blind-see/id905177575?mt=8> App Store. “It comforts me to know there’s an option whenever I need assistance” – Amir Amir, who was born blind, has a Master’s degree in Teaching English as a Foreign Language and now works as a radio journalist and translator. He loves the many ways that he can use Be My Eyes on a daily basis, and how the app helps to break down cultural barriers. Amir has always been passionate about exploring and sharing technologies that make life easier for the blind and visually impaired. During his time at university, he became knowledgeable on a variety of assistive tools, and to this day, he continues to teach about such technological developments. Amir was therefore quick to adopt Be My Eyes and recommend it to others, and the app has profoundly altered the way he lives his own life: “It comforts me to know there’s an option whenever I need assistance. So whenever I’m stuck, it can be the case of reading labels in the supermarket or just sorting out the color of my clothes. Just knowing that there is always a 24/7 assistance available means a lot of comfort for me.” The instances are infinite One of Amir’s favourite hobbies is to play on his digital piano. One day, he wanted to record a piece of music, but could not remember where the ‘record’ button was located. He therefore opened up Be My Eyes and reached a sighted volunteer, who could read the name and describe the location of each button: “I was surprised that a task that could have required 30 minutes on my side just took 2 minutes to complete.” Another way Amir uses Be My Eyes is when he finds himself in unfamiliar surroundings. Be My Eyes volunteers have helped him to determine what is going on around him or navigate through unfamiliar buildings or streets. They’ve identified how many people are in a room, helped him find the location of an elevator, and recommended the easiest path for him to walk with his cane. According to Amir, Be My Eyes has revolutionized the way he navigates, and the instances, where he can use Be My Eyes in his daily life, are infinite. Last but not least, Amir has a piece of advice for those, who are hesitant to use Be My Eyes: “Go ahead and use Be My Eyes just once, and you’ll notice how easy it is to access the app, and how easily you can use it after that.” Not only does Be My Eyes help Amir with his daily tasks, it breaks down cultural barriers by connecting Amir with volunteers from all around the world. Alexander Hauerslev Jensen, Community Director at Be My Eyes © <http://bemyeyes.com/> Be My Eyes 2017 Prof. B.S.M. Kumar, M.Sc., M.Tech., PhD. Director (Industry and Education Relationship), Project Starfish Email: kumar....@pstarfish.org Linkedin: <https://in.linkedin.com/in/dr-kumar-bsm-39887864> https://in.linkedin.com/in/dr-kumar-bsm-39887864 Twitter: @BSMKumar1 Cell: +91-9840139849 Skype: bsm.kumar | www.pstarfish.org | "An integrated opportunity and employment platform for the blind and A shared service for business and start-ups" -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://accessindia.inclusivehabitat.in/pipermail/ai/attachments/20171012/601fe940/attachment.html> Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list.. 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