all categories Deals, Sales, and News

Today only until 4 pm ET, Best Buy cuts up to 50% off a selection of computers, electronics, and household items during its 4-Hour Flash Sale. (Prices are as marked.) Plus, most items receive free shipping; otherwise, if possible, choose in-store pickup. Click the provided link to start shopping!

Quality Cellz via eBay offers the refurbished Unlocked HTC One M7 32GB 4G LTE Android Smartphone in Silver for $129.99 with free shipping. That's the lowest total price we've seen for this phone. (It's also $19 below the best price we could find for a new one.) It features a 4.7 inch 1080p touchscreen LCD, Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro 600 1.7GHz quad-core processor, 32GB internal memory, 4-megapixel camera, 1080p video recording, Beats audio sound enhancement, 4G LTE, 802.11n wireless, Bluetooth, and Android 4.1.2 OS (Jelly Bean).

Pangea Deals via eBay offers the refurbished Apple iPhone 6 Plus 64GB Smartphone for AT&T (no contract) in Space Gray or Silver for $469.99 with free shipping. That's $230 under the lowest total price we could find for a new unit.

Listen up sports fans, this one's for you. A researcher at Drexel University is seeking feedback on the accessibility of sports team websites. The survey will ask about the website for one of your favorite teams including the shopping experience for this site, as well as your personal interest in sports. To take the survey, follow the source link on this post.

For those looking to master their iPhone or iPad, two new training options have been released with wildly differing price points.

Freedom Scientific has announced a new "training bundle" for VoiceOver users on Apple's iOS platform. The bundle includes over 10 hours of VoiceOver training in DAISY format which come pre-loaded on a 2 GB SD card. The training is said to be applicable to new users of the iPhone or iPad and covers the very basics, according to the press release. This training material also comes with a Plextalk Pocket, which allows you to play the DAISY content that you have purchased. The cost of this bundle is $599.

Shelly Brisbin has also announced her updated book, iOS Access for all. For $20, this comprehensive text tutorial, which covers VoiceOver, low vision settings, hearing aid features and much more, is available in ePub format, which is compatible with many readers on a variety of platforms. Brisbin reports on her blog that a PDF version will soon be available as well.

It's once again time for what has become a bit of an annual tradition around here. Every March when we talk endlessly about CSUN, the largest assistive technology conference for the blind, we hear from people who would love to go, if only it was within their budget. With room rates over $200 a night, a nearly $500 registration fee, plane tickets, meals, and other expenses, the cost often seems prohibitive. With this in mind, we've updated our list of tips for enjoying the conference on a budget.

Amazon announced 2 new devices today that use the technology behind Alexa. The Amazon Tap, is available for pre-order only to Prime members at $129 and is estimated to ship on march 31. This is a portable speaker set-up which also uses the technology behind Alexa. Think the brains behind the Echo, but not the higher profile hardware.
A new, trimmed down version of the Echo, called the Echo Dot, was
also announced. priced at $89, you will only be able to order this if you already have an
Amazon Echo or Amazon Fire TV. If you're interested in being an early adopter and checking this one out, say:
"Alexa order an Echo Dot" from either of the aforementioned Alexa enabled devices. The Echo Dot appears to
not have the complex speaker system in its larger counterpart, but does offer plenty of connectivity options
to a bigger sound system. Check out either of the links in this post for more specific info, or the source for the original announcements.

Freedom Scientific has released a new update to OpenBook version 9. In addition to improved optical character recognition, or in non-technical terms, improved recognition of text, this update adds camera support for 3 video magnifiers: The ONYX Portable HD, the TOPAZ XL HD, and the TOPAZ PHD.

Once you install the update, if one of these 3 devices are connected to your computer, they will show up as camera options under the Advanced menu of OpenBook. This means that you can use them like you would a Pearl or other supported camera/scanner to take pictures of text. This also means that you can use one of these magnifiers to display a live image of what's under the camera, allowing you to use the low vision settings in OpenBook to change the formatting, color, and other parts of the live image to better suit your needs. The one limitation to scanning is that you cannot use the Multipage scanning feature, as these video magnifiers do not have the necessary technology to support this functionality.

Existing OpenBook users with the program installed can update their software by going in to the "help" menu and choosing "Check for updates". More information about this update is available on the What's New in OpenBook 9 page on Freedom Scientific's website. The changelog is posted below the jump.

HumanWare is once again in the teaser business, distributing an Email hailing their next big thing. They plan to unveil what they're calling "the product that will reunify efficiency and accessibility" at this year's CSUN conference on March 23. The BrailleNote Apex was released over 6 years ago and has fallen behind competing products in terms of specs. The Victor Reader Stream 2 was more recently updated while the Trekker Breeze received a refresh in 2015. Check the link on this post to sign up to get more info, or read on for their brief announcement. We'll post more information as we receive it.

Walmart offers the 6.1-lb. Toshiba C55-B5382 Intel Pentium 2.16GHz Quad 15.6 Inch Laptop in Jet Black, model no. PSCMLU-09T0L3, for $279 with free shipping. That's the lowest total price we could find by $77. It features an Intel Pentium N3540 2.16GHz Bay Trail quad-core processor, 15.6 inch 1366x768 display, 4GB RAM, 1TB hard drive, DVD burner, 802.11n wireless, 4-cell battery, and Windows 10 Home.

Don't let the name fool you, it works great with speech too!
Newegg via eBay offers the 5.2-lb. Toshiba Satellite S55T-C5370-4k Intel Skylake Core i7 2.5GHz 15.6 Inch 4K Touchscreen Gaming Laptop, model no. PSPT4U-00700H, for $899.99 with free shipping. That's the lowest total price we could find by $158, although most retailers charge around $1,150 or more. It features an Intel Core i7-6500U 2.5GHz Skylake dual-core processor, 15.6 inch 3840x2160 (4K UHD 2160p) LED-backlit touchscreen, 16GB RAM, 1TB hard drive, Nvidia GeForce GTX 950M 4GB graphics, DVD burner, 802.11ac wireless, Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth 4.1, USB 3.0, HDMI, 4-cell battery, and Windows 10 Home 64-bit.

At ThinkGeek, buy one select apparel item and take 50% off a second apparel item of equal or lesser value. Shipping adds $6.95, but orders of $75 or more bag free shipping. Deal ends March 4.

Bidallies via eBay offers the refurbished Samsung Galaxy Note III 32GB No-Contract Android Smartphone for Verizon Wireless in Black, model no. SM-N900V, for $149.99 with free shipping. That's the lowest total price we've seen for this no-contract phone with any carrier. (It's a current low by $50.) Features include a 1920x1080 5.7 inch Super AMOLED touchscreen, 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor, 3GB RAM, 32GB memory, 13-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front camera, microSD card slot, stylus, 802.11n wireless, Bluetooth 4.0, and Android 4.3 OS (Jelly Bean).

Best Buy cuts up to $200 off select HP desktops and laptops. (Prices are as marked.) Plus, these items bag free shipping. That's the best sale we've seen specifically on HP computers from Best Buy. Click the provided link to start shopping this sale.

Walmart offers the Mainstays Microsuede Rocker Recliner in Beige, model no. WM7142, for $189. If possible, opt for in-store pickup to avoid the $49.97 shipping charge. That's the lowest price we could find. It measures 35 x 38 x 40-1/2 inches and features a multi-position reclining mechanism with discreet trigger release, spring core seat, and fully padded chaise.

How about a quick deal? Musician's Friend offers the Fender American Vintage '64 Jazz Rosewood Fingerboard Bass Guitar in Black for $2,199.99. In-cart, that price drops to $1,299.99. With free shipping, that's the lowest total price we could find by $499, although most places charge $2,000 or more. It features a maple C-shaped neck, 20 frets, lower-mounted finger rest, and case. Deal ends at midnight!

Walmart offers the Skullcandy Shrapnel Bluetooth Portable Speaker, model no. S7SHGW-343, for $17. If possible, opt for in-store pickup to avoid the $4.97 shipping charge. That's the lowest price we could find by $5. It's drop- and splash-proof and features up to 10 hours of playback per charge, an on-board microphone, and belt loop.

MobilePros1 via eBay offers the Apple iPad Pro 12.9 Inch 128GB WiFi Tablet in Silver, model no. ML0Q2LL/A, Space Grey, model no. ML0N2LL/A, or Gold, model no. ML0R2LL/A, for $799.99 with free shipping. That's the lowest total price we've seen for a 128GB model. It features a 12.9 inch 2732x2048 LCD multi-touch display, A9X 64-bit chip, 128GB internal storage, 802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 4.2, 8-megapixel rear camera, 1920x1080 (1080p) video recording, 10-hour battery life, Smart Connector, Touch ID, Apple Pay, four speakers, and iOS 9.

Walmart offers the Toshiba Satellite AMD A10 1.8GHz 15.6 Inch Laptop in Satin Gold, model no. L55D-C5318, for $429 with free shipping. That's the lowest total price we could find by $89. It features an AMD Carrizo A10-8700P 1.8GHz quad-core processor, 15.6 inch 1366x768 LCD display, 12GB RAM, 1TB hard drive, 802.11n wireless, USB 3.0, HDMI, media card reader, 4-cell battery, and Windows 10 Home 64-bit.

Dictation has been possible in Google Docs for some time, but now Google has introduced a way for select users to edit documents using their voice. If you use the Chrome web browser with Google Docs, you can speak formatting commands such as "Select all" or "Go to the end of the line" to format and edit documents without using the keyboard. With screen reader support enabled, additional commands such as "Speak from cursor location" and "Speak table column header" are also available. Google recommends using headphones when using voice commands with a screen reader. Check the link on this post for the complete list of available voice commands, and let us know what you think in the comments.