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Braille phones, glaucoma implants and screenshots

Basic phone for Braille readers (or kids and the elderly) We’ve previously covered the extensive features of smartphones that can help the sight impaired. It’s clear, however, that smartphones are not for everyone. One alternative is a custom made Braille...

Smart speakers: for patients and practitioners

Many readers will have experience of using smart speakers, such as the Amazon Echo or the Google Home. These popular devices are inexpensive and powerful. In brief, smart speakers listen for a spoken trigger word, followed by verbal commands. Commands...

A paperless future – get involved!

Jeremy Hunt’s statement earlier in 2014, about a paperless NHS by 2018, has added momentum to the transition away from paper records. The Tech Review this issue discusses what that will involve and how and why you may want to...

Samsung focuses on the sight impaired and internet security flaws

Smartphone assistive technology for the sight impaired In previous issues we’ve covered some specific smartphones that have been developed for the sight impaired. Samsung are now doing something similar, but in the form of accessories. In March 2014 they announced,...

Glasses for the blind and a safer internet

Google Glass I recently attended a demo of the Google Glass technology (at the TEDx Salford conference). For those who have not come across Glass, it a wearable computer developed by Google. In essence it is a very small computer...

Useful and controversial apps and services

These apps and web services are not specifically ophthalmic but hopefully of interest. Office Lens Delegates take pictures of presentation slides at conferences quite frequently. If this is something you do, have a look at the ‘Office Lens’ app. This...

Expensive Malware

Cryptolocker and similar ransomware There is a new breed of computer malware that is spreading rapidly. The first major manifestation of this new type is known as Cryptolocker. At present it’s a Windows only problem (all versions), but it’s likely...

New developments

To reflect the fact that this column consists of not just web links, but also mobile and general technology content we have changed the name from Internet to ‘Tech Review’. In keeping with the title, this issue includes a mixture...

A connected workplace - Part 2

In Part 1 of this topic (bit.ly/ENconnected) the need for a mature ophthalmic imaging network was described. Here, I provide a scoring scheme that can be used to articulate the maturity of existing devices. As with any scoring system, the...

Clipboard history

If you regularly use the clipboard on a PC or Mac to copy and paste information, you will likely appreciate how useful the feature is. Despite its utility, it fails when you copy data over something else you have yet...

Windows 10 and Chrome sharing

Windows 10 on OCT scanners and cameras It has been well publicised that Windows 7 has finally been retired. No more patches and fixes are being released, at least for home users. Some NHS institutions and businesses have expensive extended...

Technology for remote working and COVID-19 resources

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered every aspect of how we live, and how healthcare needs to be provided for the welfare of patients and staff. I thought I would try to summarise a few potential technology tools that could be...