Guide Dogs and Microsoft: Cities Unlocked, exploring cities through sound

Getting around cities is a nerve wracking experience for too many people, especially those living with sight loss. Too often it can feel like public spaces and services - from parks to transport systems - are designed with insufficient consideration for the people they serve. Combining the expertise of Microsoft, Guide Dogs and Future Cities Catapult with other organisations, Cities Unlocked has developed an in-depth understanding of the challenges people with sight loss face when using our cities. This has enabled us to develop a new technology that could eventually help unlock cities for everyone. To find out more please watch the Cities Unlocked video or visit the website: http://www.citiesunlocked.org.uk/

Introducing Amazon Echo

Introducing Amazon Echo At SITE Scotland we have just heard about this new gizmo so we thought we would share it! Following on from SIRI and other virtual assistants on mobile devices, Amazon has recently introduced its own cylinder-shaped version called Amazon Echo, which stands at 9.25 inches high. To install, simply connect it to your home Wi-Fi network and you’ll be guided through setup with the free companion app available on Fire OS and Android, plus desktop and iOS browsers. Once it is set up, Echo begins working as soon as you say the wake word, “Alexa.” “Amazon” also serves as a wake word, and in the future Amazon may add more wake words for users to choose from. Far-field voice recognition Amazon Echo is always on and is designed around your voice. Echo is programmed with far-field voice recognition technology with seven microphones that can hear you from any direction. With its enhanced noise cancellation, Echo can hear you ask a question even if it’s playing music. Always on, always learning Echo is connected to the cloud, running on Amazon Web Services so it continually learns and adds more functionality over time. The more you use Echo, the more it adapts to your speech patterns, vocabulary, and personal preferences. What can it do? As stated above, it is always connected and is conveniently hands-free. All you have to do is say “Alexa” and Echo will provide the following: Music: listen to your Amazon Music Library, Prime Music, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, or stream amazon echo question your favourite music from your phone or tablet via Bluetooth with services like Spotify, iTunes, and Pandora. News, weather, information: hear the most recent weather forecasts and news stories from a variety of sources including local radio stations, NPR, and ESPN from TuneIn. Alarms, timers, lists: Echo helps you stay on time and stay organised with voice-controlled alarms, timers, shopping and to-do lists. Questions and answers: get information from Wikipedia, definitions, answers to common questions and more. Because it towers at 9.25 inches, Echo isn’t exactly portable. However, with its free companion app, you can stay connected and manage your alarms, music, shopping lists and more anywhere you go. Then upon returning home, you have your very own virtual personal assistant ready to help you with whatever you need. Amazon hasn’t released a launch date or even a strategy for its newest toy, Amazon Echo, but it will be available for $199 (or $99 if you’re an Amazon Prime member.) Because it has not been released, purchasing Echo is through invitation only. No details of any UK release at present.

Heating Allowance For Glasgow Residents

Glasgow City Council is offering every resident aged 80 and over money to help heat their homes during the winter. The Affordable Warmth Dividend (AWD) 2014/15 scheme is now in its fourth year, the scheme was officially launched on Monday 3rd November 2014 and will run to 31st March 2015. The Affordable Warmth Dividend is a payment of £100 made by the council to Glasgow residents who are 80 years of age and older on or before 31 March 2015 to keep warm during winter. As in previous years all eligible applicants who received the payment previously will automatically receive an application, Glasgow City Council have identified a further 1500 approximately residents who have turned 80 in this year or will be 80 years of age by 31st March 2015.      If you require any further information, please contact: Angela Carlyle Team Leader Stakeholder Liaison Glasgow City Council Revenue and Benefits 231 George St 3rd floor Glasgow G1 1PX   Mon - Fri 8.30 - 2pm   ( 0141 287 5311 * [email protected]