aaron

I made a keyboard because I needed one and nothing on Android was built for blind users. I put it on GitHub because someone else might need one. Then I woke up this morning and Mastodon had eaten it.

New blog post — what overnight virality actually looks like from the inside, the TalkBack problem nobody else bothered solving, Flexy, and why I spent the day building instead of panicking.

https://fireborn.mataroa.blog/blog/i-made-a-keyboard-nobody-asked-for-my-experience-making-taptype/

#TapType #Android #Accessibility #BlindTech

TapType v3.0 is out! This release includes two of the most requested features.
French language support: Full AZERTY layout with a 50,000 word dictionary and all announcements translated.
Traditional keyboard mode: A new way to use TapType without swiping. Every tap types a character immediately. Visible buttons for space, delete, enter, shift, numbers, and emoji are built into the keyboard surface. Word predictions appear at the top, tap one to accept it. Hold and drag to explore keys with no delay. Two-finger tap opens the mode selector through the prediction bar. Enable it in Settings, Keyboard, Traditional keyboard.
The traditional mode still uses the same spatial layout under the hood, so your muscle memory carries over. It just removes the need to learn swipe gestures before you can start typing.
Also new in v3.0: delete by character setting. Up-down swipe gesture for newline. Emoji favourites now use up-down swipe instead of long press. Bug fixes for foldable device passthrough, word deletion after cursor movement, and repeated character announcements. The entire app is fully localized in English, German, Spanish, and French.
Download: https://github.com/aaron-gh/taptype-releases/releases/tag/v3.0
TapType is a free Android keyboard for blind users. No visible keys, you tap where QWERTY keys would be from muscle memory, and a spatial algorithm predicts the intended word. Fully accessible with TalkBack.
#TapType #Accessibility #A11y #Android #Blind #ScreenReader #TalkBack #Keyboard

New post: The Galaxy Z Fold 7, one month in.

I expected to hate this phone. I thought the fold was a solution to a problem I didn't have. I thought the flip was the right form factor and the fold was a gimmick for people with more money than sense.

A month later, it has changed how I work. Dev work, blogging, AT training, video calls — all better. The inner display turned my phone into an actual multitasking device instead of a single-app pipeline I constantly switched between.

It's not the best foldable on the market. The battery can't keep up with combined phone and tablet use. One UI is still bloated. TalkBack has bugs unique to this device. But the form factor itself? Sold.

Full post covers accessibility, screen reader quirks, hardware, what sucks, and why I'm already eyeing the Clicks Communicator as my next phone because I can't leave well enough alone.

https://fireborn.mataroa.blog/blog/the-galaxy-z-fold-7-one-month-in/

#Android #GalaxyZFold7 #Samsung #Foldable #Accessibility #ScreenReader #TalkBack #BlindTech #AssistiveTechnology #MobileWorkflow #PhoneReview

I need to stop having project ideas.

TapType v2.0 is out!
TapType is a keyboard for blind users — no visible keys, just tap where QWERTY keys would be and it predicts your words. Fully accessible with TalkBack.
What's new in v2.0:
Multi-language support — English (US/UK), Deutsch, Espanol. All speech, announcements, and punctuation fully translated. Switch languages right from the keyboard.
Reorganised settings into clean categories with per-language user dictionaries and punctuation.
TTS engine fixes — language switching and engine changes now work reliably.
Download the APK:
https://github.com/aaron-gh/taptype-releases/releases/tag/v2.0
If you find TapType useful, consider supporting its development:
https://paypal.me/aaronhewitt
https://github.com/sponsors/aaron-gh
https://liberapay.com/fireborn/
#TapType #Accessibility #A11y #Blind #Android #TalkBack #Keyboard #AssistiveTech

I write a lot of code. Sometimes it's good code, sometimes I read it back later and think "What the hell was I thinking".