Earlier this week, Apple previewed several new accessibility features that are scheduled to release in the second half of this year. The most notable change is a new live captions function which will roll across all Apple devices to assist those that are hard of hearing. Real-time captions can be turned on when viewing any audio, video, or streaming content including FaceTime, video-conferencing apps, and social media apps.
Real-time captioning will automatically transcribe convos to all participants over Facetime and texts submitted into the chat can be read aloud when using a Mac. Users can also scale the text size up and down for readability.
Other features introduced include door detection, which locates a door and determines its distance and characteristics, Apple Watch Mirroring which helps users remotely control an Apple Watch from a paired iPhone, and a sound recognition function that can trigger responses based on non-verbal audio cues from objects such as a bell or appliance. The industry-leading screen reader, VoiceOver, has also expanded to more than 20 new languages and regions.
Look for the software updates to arrive across Apple devices later this year.
Elsewhere in tech, Apple will reportedly phase out the lightning port for USB-C across other peripherals.
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