blindness

Protecting your blind side in IT

I recently argued that everyone has a blind side. When people or organizations miss important threats or opportunities--ones that are perhaps obvious to you--it's easy to think badly of them, to assign blame. My goodness! Why ever could they not see that coming?! Idiots! But it's not simple to avoid being those idiots.

I've dealt with department managers with unimpressive budgets who truly "get it." And I've worked with international governments and captains of industry who wouldn't recognize a clue if it dressed up as Colonel Mustard and bludgeoned them with a lead pipe in the conservatory.

In my experience, truly incompetent individuals and outlandishly oafish organizations are the exception. What I usually find are intelligent, well-meaning folks who can't see what they're missing--not because they're stupid, lazy, or in any other meaningful way blameworthy--but because they're focused on other tasks and looking the other way.

Last week, I promised to share some techniques for dealing with the blind side. I wish I could say "Combine a pound of black beans, a quart of skepticism, three eggs, four product evaluations, and a dash of focus group feedback in a large mixing bowl; stir until creamy; pour into well-greased pan; and bake for an hour at 325 degrees." But it's not like that. Improving your perception and handling of things that are over the horizon, camouflaged, latent, or visible only in the "negative space" (i.e., what's missing rather than what's there)--those are skills to be learned, not recipes to be followed. Nevertheless, I've used these these techniques with excellent results:

Admit It, Move On People tend to be embarrassed by, thus defensive about, their blind spots, weaknesses, ulterior motives, errors, and failures. Ego drives us to pretend they don't exist. But when you're pretending something isn't a problem, it's hard to do much about it. So get over it. Accept that you have significant weaknesses, fears, and other assorted ugly bits--that there's an often large gap between where/what you are and where/what you want to be. Getting over shame and blame and getting your ego out of the way lets you get on with the real work. If it's not your ego in the way, help whoever's ego is in the way to get out of it.… Read more

Looking for the blind side in a complex world

I spend a fair bit of my working life meeting with people, listening to their plans for their next product, project, strategy, initiative, or campaign. My job? Review, evaluate, and give feedback. It's great when I can confirm they've got things right. Check! Good! Yep! Oh, yeah, I like that! I help confirm and build confidence in the plan.

It's a good thing I have the opportunity to be positive, because the larger and more important part of the job is decidedly less affirming: figuring out where they've gone wrong. What's missing? What's vague … Read more

Mercedes-Benz reveals specs on two new V8s

Mercedes-Benz today unveiled two new engines for the 2011 CL-Class.

The first of two all-new direct injection biturbo V8 engines is for the 2011 CL550 4MATIC. According to Mercedes, the 4.6-liter V8 engine has 20 percent smaller displacement than its predecessor, but delivers 429 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, which is 12 percent more horsepower and 32 percent more torque. It also has an improved fuel economy of about 10 percent. The CL550 4MATIC will have an MSRP of $114,025.

The second new engine is for the 2011 CL63 AMG coupe ($151,125) and S63 AMG sedan ($… Read more

Law makes tech easier for blind, disabled (podcast)

The Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act, which President Obama is expected to sign on Friday, would make it easier for people who are visually impaired, deaf, or have other disabilities to access smartphones, TV programming, and other technology products. This would include making sure that devices could, when possible, be used by people who may not be able to see a screen.

The act is designed to assure that closed captioning, which is required on TV broadcasts, also applies to Web TV programming, and it would require that TV and Web-video interface devices, such as remote controls, be … Read more

Google acquires mobile-typing company

Google has acquired a start-up called BlindType that aims to dramatically improve typing on Android and iOS mobile devices.

"We're excited to join Google, and look forward to the great opportunities for mobile innovation that lie ahead," BlindType announced on its blog Friday. The company hasn't released the software, though one review in July was favorable.

Mobile-device typing has changed significantly with the iPhone's functional touch-screen keyboard, Android's reasonably advanced word-prediction system, and Swype's technology for sliding fingers over letters. But as any touch typist or hunt-and-peck tapper knows, mobile typing is still … Read more

Biosynthetic corneas help restore light--and sight

In development for more than a decade, biosynthetic corneas implanted in 10 Swedish patients over a two-year clinical trial are helping most of those patients see again, according to researchers in Canada and Sweden.

"This study is important because it is the first to show that an artificially fabricated cornea can integrate with the human eye and stimulate regeneration," senior author May Griffith of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute said. "With further research, this approach could help restore sight to millions of people who are waiting for a donated human cornea for transplantation."

Griffith and colleagues … Read more

BlindType 'allows for super sloppy typing'

BlindType is a new software keyboard meant for iOS and Android devices. Made by a company based in San Francisco, it reduces typing errors by predicting words even if you tap on the wrong letters. Yes, most mobile phone onscreen QWERTY keypads already do this. For example, in a situation where you type "hwllp" when you mean to say "hello," the software will fix it for you.

The difference with BlindType is that its algorithms seem to be much more tolerant and you can type in almost gibberish and the software will still give you the … Read more

Blind person to drive at Daytona

A blind person will soon be driving at Daytona.

No, I didn't begin my Independence Day celebrations a week ago. Please, bear with me a little. We'll get to Daytona shortly.

You see, the Associated Press has offered the information that the National Federation of the Blind and Virginia Tech University have come together to develop technology that will allow blind people to get behind the wheel of a car and go wherever they like.

2011 should see the debut of a prototype vehicle equipped with "nonvisual interfaces." This technology transmits information to blind drivers about … Read more

Putting the 'we' in Wii for blind gamers

VI Fit, a video game research project at the University of Nevada, Reno, could help people who are visually impaired stay fit with active games modeled on the Wii that do not require vision (of the literal variety, that is) to play. They do require Wii remote controllers and a Windows PC with Bluetooth support or a USB Bluetooth dongle, but the games can be downloaded for free at vifit.org.

"Lack of vision forms a significant barrier to participation in physical activity, and consequently children with visual impairments have much higher obesity rates and obesity-related illnesses such as … Read more

Why I'm getting an iPad (or, the blind men and the elephant)

In case you've been overwhelmed by iPad coverage these past few days (or, perhaps, weeks), the reason for the barrage is simple: to many people, this device is many things. It's a continuation of the brilliance and categorical confusion birthed by the iPhone, only in the case of the iPad, the Swiss Army Knife has left its holster. The iPhone still purported to be a phone first, and the iPod Touch laid claim in some capacity as a successor to the iPod line, despite both devices really being small computing platforms of a different sort.

Expanded and standing … Read more