Sign in or 
Location: AAC Software
Discussion: I-Phone applications for memory aid and "to do" lists
Category:
Discussion Forum /
General Discussion
Share this
Showing 8 posts
|
timkraft |
I-Phone applications for memory aid and "to do" lists
Oct 6 2009, 6:26 PM EDT
Has anyone found a really good I-phone app for use as a memory aid? We are working with an Iraq war vet with a TBI who is looking for something along the lines of a voice recorder, but with the ability to create audio reminders. At programmed times, the device would ring or vibrate, the user would look at the screen, touch an icon and hear an audio recording representing the reminder, like "Doctor Jones appointment at 3:00" and daily reminders like, "time for your 3 PM medications".
Do you find this valuable?
Keyword tags:
aac
communication aid
voca
|
invisiblebloke |
1. RE: I-Phone applications for memory aid and "to do" lists
Oct 7 2009, 5:00 AM EDT
A colleague has provided this possible solution:ReQall http://www.macnn.com/articles/08/08/02/reqall.reminder.software/ I've had a quick look and it looks like it does all the things that you wanted to do. 1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you? |
|
timkraft |
2. RE: I-Phone applications for memory aid and "to do" lists
Oct 7 2009, 1:11 PM EDT
Thank you for your suggestion, Invisiblebloke. I did come across ReQuall in my research and it does come close to doing what we need. Here's what I don't like about it, and if I'm wrong, I'd like to know:1. you need connectivity for it to work. If you're out of cell phone contact, say inside a steel frame building, you've lost your lifeline. A standalone ap would be preferrable. 2. It appears to convert ALL of your audio into text and sends you text-only reminders. The user wants audio and photographic reminders, not text (or at least in addition to text). Any mistakes in the speech-to-text engine are going to throw the user off. Thanks again and please pass along anything else you may come across. Do you find this valuable? |
|
invisiblebloke |
3. RE: I-Phone applications for memory aid and "to do" lists
Oct 8 2009, 6:17 AM EDT
| Post edited: Oct 8 2009, 6:24 AM EDT
I've had a response on another Forum that I posted your enquiry to. The person who responded uses a Touch and recommended you have a look at an App called 'Occasions'.This is how the App is summarised: The recently updated Occasions is currently number 1 in the paid Lifestlyle apps and for a good reason: in a very intuitive interface, it reminds you of all the important anniversaries, birthdays, and any other occasions that are coming up. The app automatically retrieves important date information from all your contacts, and also gives you an option to create custom entries (for anyone, contact or not). You can call, e-mail, text, etc. straight from the app, among a host of other incredibly convenient functions. Perhaps the most important feature of the app is the element of push notifications, which can be set to be sent at whatever time guarantees you will receive them. Read more: http://iphoneapplicationlist.com/2009/09/24/occasions/ 1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you? |
|
invisiblebloke |
4. RE: I-Phone applications for memory aid and "to do" lists
Oct 8 2009, 6:36 AM EDT
I've had another Forum response to your enquiry. Hope it's helpful:Evernote is really good. Works on a PC and you can sync it with the Evernote app on the iphone (and blackberry, windows mobile etc). You can download the notes onto your iPhone so although it needs a network connection to sync it doesn't need a connection to work. Doesn't do reminders though but I still think it's worth a look. What you are asking for would be really difficult to implement because it's trying to combine a calendar/reminder app with voice recognition. I'd be very interested if you do find anything that can do this. With Evernote you can write text notes, make audio files, take pictures and save all this. It's free but there is a paid account if you want to upload Word documents. PDF only on the free version. Pictures with text are searchable as it OCR's the file on the server (doesn't convert the picture to text but the text in the picture is searchable) They also do a really funny podcast that you can download from iTunes! Then you might want to combine this with using Toodledo.com on the PC and then syncing it with one of the many 'todo' or Get Things Done (GTD) apps in the store. Couple of good ones are Todo from appigo and To Do. Cheers, Bruce Do you find this valuable? |
|
timkraft |
5. RE: I-Phone applications for memory aid and "to do" lists
Oct 8 2009, 10:59 AM EDT
| Post edited: Oct 8 2009, 11:18 AM EDT
Thank you!I'll check out Occasions today. As for EverNote, If it can't do reminders, it doesn't meet the user's needs. I envision something that works a lot like Outlook calendars and reminders (not the email part, just the calendar). You make an entry, give it a time and location, set the reminder interval (say, 30 minutes before the appointment). Additionally you would be able to create a custom audio or visual reminder. You would speak into the phone "dentist at 3:00". Or you would hand the phone to the dental receptionist and say "please speak my appointment into the phone". You would also be able to take a photograph representing the appointment--perhaps a picture of the dentist office building. At 30 minutes before the appointment, the phone rings. You look at the screen and see some text, but since you have some difficulty reading and comprehending text, you touch the message and you would hear your voice or the receptionist's voice saying "Dentist at 3:00" and as a bonus, you would see the custom image, a picture of the office, as a bonus. No speech recognition would be needed. Just replay whatever audio reminder the user created when he or she made the calendar entry. Like I say, I would be alot like Outlook, but with the addition of easy-to-create and attach audio (and possibly visual) reminders/cues. It doesn't sound all that complex programming-wise considering all of the things that an I-Phone CAN do. I really appreciate the time and thought you've put into this. I hope we can continue this discussion. If we find just the right application, we will help some deserving veterans (and their wives who have to call them constantly to keep them on task). Do you find this valuable? |
|
timkraft |
6. RE: I-Phone applications for memory aid and "to do" lists
Oct 8 2009, 2:44 PM EDT
OK, I just found an old HP Pocket PC among our AAC equipment. Must be 7 or 8 years old. About the size of an I-Phone. It runs Windows. It comes with a version of Outlook that does pretty much everything I've asked for. You can enter Outlook appointments, but here's the bonus: you CAN *EASILY* (easily is very important) attach a voice message to an appointment. At the pre-determined warning time, the device beeps, you look at the screen and see the text, click on the little speaker icon and hear your own voice message. Now if we could just add the ability to attach photographs and make phone calls we'd have the app that I'm looking for. Enter the I-Phone. There simply MUST be something similar to this *ancient* (OK, 7 years old) architecture available for the I-Phone.
Do you find this valuable?
|
|
timkraft |
7. RE: I-Phone applications for memory aid and "to do" lists
Oct 8 2009, 3:33 PM EDT
Maybe I'm over-thinking this. How about just running Outlook on an I-Phone? Is that easy? (obviously I'm not an I-Phone user). Apparently it can be done. Then the user's care-giver or significant other could enter Outlook appointments from a home PC. Whenever the I-phone is in cell-phone range, it would synch the Outlook calendars. Unless I'm missing something, this may be the answer. Another option would be to just use a newer Windows-friendly device (pocket PC) --one that includes a phone.
Do you find this valuable?
|
