the iPhone isn't just a geek toy

[julesjones]

Austin Seraphin's blind. His new iPhone has changed his life.

This has been popping up my reading list this weekend, and no wonder. His blog post is a beautifully written description of just what some carefully thought out hardware and software can do to make someone's life better. The place where I started going "Oh, oh my god" was when he talked about being able to hear colour through the medium of the phone's camera and an app that reads out colour names. Just think about what that can do for someone who has just enough residual vision to make out colours in light sources.

For a lot of users, the iPhone is an expensive toy, a status symbol as much as anything. But not for all. Mass market information technology has created affordable "make a difference" devices for the disabled.

I love living in the future.

Comments

[mishalak]

This sort of use of the iPhone reminds me of the Star Trek tricorder. Using a device to detect things beyond one's sensory ability. But I don't recall any science fiction pointing out how enabling such a technology would be for a character who is deaf, blind, or unable to speak. Though, for that matter, I think fiction has barely touched upon how useful such a think would be to someone who is more or less able bodied, either.

I think it interesting how this is also coming out of a phone, a device that has some of its origins in studying human speech and deafness by Alexander Graham Bell.

[julesjones]

I hadn't made that link with Bell's work until you mentioned it, but yes, that is a lovely closing of the circle.

[spastigirl.livejournal.com]

Cool!

Have also heard of another disability-related use for the iPhone: picture exchange system for temporarily non-verbal autistics. Have no need for this as a never non-verbal Aspie.

I love my iPhone. And my Very Expensive Rectangle. Am probably at the less-deserving end of the user pool.

[julesjones]

Your very expensive rectangle needs to come visit sometime so that I can admire it...