Accessibility got a big update in iOS 13 and macOS Catalina. We mentioned an aspect of this update in a previous article -this linkThe update is not only dependent on the ability to use the mouse or rearrange, but most of all, it is giving users the ability to fully control their devices using only their voices. Is it possible for the user to dispense with his hands and rely on his voice only to manage every small and large detail even the smallest details on the screen in front of him without complication? Does this feature work with all applications? Follow us


Apple at the 2019 developer conference showed a person with special needs named Ian Mackay in a wheelchair coordinating a trip with a friend, using the new voice control feature, issuing commands to the Mac, and everything said was handled without much delay. The same applies to iOS 13 without touching the devices, which some considered incredibly amazing. Watch the video:

Instead of using MacKay a few clicks of the mouse or buying dedicated devices for controlling by tongue with these devices, Apple has provided the new macOS and iOS system that prevents him from all of that. Here, the splendor of updating this feature, through which you can control the Mac, iPhone or iPad with the same level of accuracy as using the mouse.

The truth is that the new voice control feature is completely different from the previous one in the current and old systems that were neglected and Apple did not pay much attention.

Voice control over devices has become commonplace, Windows 10 has its own voice control system, but it needs more settings than the Mac system, but it works well. Also, Google will release a new version of the Android system that supports a similar feature. On a larger scale, the rise of smart home gadgets and virtual assistants has made the idea of ​​talking to machines more accepted. Whether it is about bringing more people to use the products or because of the need for convenience and simplicity of use and not being the monopoly of one group without the other, therefore, controlling devices through sound will be more common.


Features like improved voice control are, without a doubt, great for people like Ian with mobility impairments that make traditional use of computers and smartphones difficult. Priyanka Josh, Director of External Affairs at the National Disability Organization, said: “Whether you have mobility impairments or your hands are completely busy, the Voice Access Control feature has made the lives of all device users easier, and it's great to see Apple advance in this area. As technology continues to remove barriers to social contact and productivity, it must also remove barriers to employment. ”


How does voice control work

The way Voice Control works is simple: if you are using an iOS device, and you have the feature enabled, you will see a small blue microphone that lights up when listening to voice commands (set by default to listen to voice commands all the time unless you prevent the device from recording when you are not looking at the screen). On the Mac, a small window will appear for you to confirm that your computer can hear you, and you only have to say the commands clearly so that the device can properly understand and execute them.

Then voice control is done even in the finer details of everything. Apple says that this feature is based on artificial intelligence and the basic algorithms that run Siri, so it is sufficient to perform various actions such as launching applications, converting your voice to text, and much more.

The voice control is smart enough to recognize whatever items in the menu are, so you can say “click next” to accept the application's terms of service, for example. Also, you can tell the voice control to "show numbers", at which point a number is attached to every item on the screen and you can interact with those elements by simply speaking the number.

Rather, the matter goes deeper than that, and if it happens that the voice control is unable to respond or choose the item you want, you can ask it to display a grid of squares on the screen, then every part of this grid will be marked with a number, then in this case you can say the number, And interact with the desired element. With voice control, your voice will reach everything.

The only limitation of the Voice Control feature is the time required to get used to building your favorite command lines. In the demo video, most of the commands are handled without any problems, but it takes some time to get used to using the lengthy strings and strings required to complete a task, but with time everything will be much easier.


Precautions for using voice control

There are some potential caveats that you should bear in mind. Like the effect of using voice control on battery life, until now, Apple hasn't mentioned anything specific about it.

Not working with all applications. But the developers promise that they will keep accessibility in mind and especially the new Voice Control feature while building their apps. All the onscreen elements for their apps will be properly marked in their code, so they can be handled well. This indicates that it is possible that there are applications that have deficiencies and the Voice Control feature will not work as well as it should, so we cannot measure the success or failure of that feature on those applications.

What do you think of the new voice control feature? Is it only useful for people with special needs? Let us know in the comments.

Source:

engadget

Related articles