phonehome...?

Is it possible to use an ipad as a huge mobile phone?
(for people with very limited vision)

Also, is the camera good enough to allow the ipad to be used as a magnifier
to read labels, menus etc?

In article <WKfNq.46289$2>, zulu
<> wrote:

> Is it possible to use an ipad as a huge mobile phone?
> (for people with very limited vision)

there are voip apps that will let you use an ipad as a phone with giant
buttons, but i would think voice dialing would be easier, or dialing by
feel on a normal cellphone (not a touchscreen).

> Also, is the camera good enough to allow the ipad to be used as a magnifier
> to read labels, menus etc?

no. the camera in the ipad (and ipod touch) is horrible.

on the other hand, the camera in an iphone works quite well for this,
including using its built-in 'flash' as an always-on light to
illuminate the target area and apps that magnify what it sees.

In article <050120121045413364%>,
nospam <> wrote:

> In article <WKfNq.46289$2>, zulu
> <> wrote:
>
> > Is it possible to use an ipad as a huge mobile phone?
> > (for people with very limited vision)
>
> there are voip apps that will let you use an ipad as a phone with giant
> buttons, but i would think voice dialing would be easier, or dialing by
> feel on a normal cellphone (not a touchscreen).

Apps like Skype would work on an iPad, and if it was a 3G iPad they'd
work most places that a phone would work. But they won't "ring" for
incoming calls the same way a phone would. I would agree that voice
dialing is probably a better solution.

> > Also, is the camera good enough to allow the ipad to be used as a magnifier
> > to read labels, menus etc?
>
> no. the camera in the ipad (and ipod touch) is horrible.

It's not great for pictures but it does effectively enlarge objects
close to the lens (say, documents within a few inches). In some quick
tests it seems like it would work quite well for this. But don't take
anyone's word for it, go to an Apple store and give it a try.

> on the other hand, the camera in an iphone works quite well for this,
> including using its built-in 'flash' as an always-on light to
> illuminate the target area and apps that magnify what it sees.

Except the iPhone's screen is nowhere near as big, so while it's better
for taking photos it's not as good for ad hoc use making things look
bigger.

--
Tom "Tom" Harrington
Independent Mac OS X developer since 2002
http://www.atomicbird.com/

In article <tph-1DA17D.12262405012012@localhost>, Tom Harrington
<> wrote:

> > > Is it possible to use an ipad as a huge mobile phone?
> > > (for people with very limited vision)
> >
> > there are voip apps that will let you use an ipad as a phone with giant
> > buttons, but i would think voice dialing would be easier, or dialing by
> > feel on a normal cellphone (not a touchscreen).
>
> Apps like Skype would work on an iPad, and if it was a 3G iPad they'd
> work most places that a phone would work. But they won't "ring" for
> incoming calls the same way a phone would. I would agree that voice
> dialing is probably a better solution.

i don't know about skype but i tried a couple of voip apps and the ipad
rang on incoming calls with a push notification. it was a bit weird to
receive a call on the ipad, but it worked fine.

> > > Also, is the camera good enough to allow the ipad to be used as a
> > > magnifier to read labels, menus etc?
> >
> > no. the camera in the ipad (and ipod touch) is horrible.
>
> It's not great for pictures but it does effectively enlarge objects
> close to the lens (say, documents within a few inches). In some quick
> tests it seems like it would work quite well for this. But don't take
> anyone's word for it, go to an Apple store and give it a try.

the resolution is far too low to be useful for resolving things like
small text. it's under 1 megapixel. the camera is an embarrassment.

> > on the other hand, the camera in an iphone works quite well for this,
> > including using its built-in 'flash' as an always-on light to
> > illuminate the target area and apps that magnify what it sees.
>
> Except the iPhone's screen is nowhere near as big, so while it's better
> for taking photos it's not as good for ad hoc use making things look
> bigger.

what matters is the resolution. the iphone camera can resolve details
that the ipad camera can't even come close to resolving. the 4s has
over 10x as many pixels! that's a huge, huge difference.

In article <tph-1DA17D.12262405012012@localhost>,
Tom Harrington <> wrote:

> In article <050120121045413364%>,
> nospam <> wrote:
>
> > In article <WKfNq.46289$2>, zulu
> > <> wrote:
> >
> > > Is it possible to use an ipad as a huge mobile phone?
> > > (for people with very limited vision)
> >
> > there are voip apps that will let you use an ipad as a phone with giant
> > buttons, but i would think voice dialing would be easier, or dialing by
> > feel on a normal cellphone (not a touchscreen).
>
> Apps like Skype would work on an iPad, and if it was a 3G iPad they'd
> work most places that a phone would work. But they won't "ring" for
> incoming calls the same way a phone would. I would agree that voice
> dialing is probably a better solution.

The MagicJack app will if you're a subscriber although it won't voice
dial.

[OT] Now that rotary phones are a thing of the past, what's a better
term for "dialing"?

--
PRAY, v. To ask that the laws of the universe be annulled in behalf
of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy. -- Ambrose Bierce

"Tom Stiller" <> wrote in message
news:tom_stiller-...
> In article <tph-1DA17D.12262405012012@localhost>,
> Tom Harrington <> wrote:
>
>> In article <050120121045413364%>,
>> nospam <> wrote:
>>
>> > In article <WKfNq.46289$2>, zulu
>> > <> wrote:
>> >
>> > > Is it possible to use an ipad as a huge mobile phone?
>> > > (for people with very limited vision)
>> >
>> > there are voip apps that will let you use an ipad as a phone with giant
>> > buttons, but i would think voice dialing would be easier, or dialing by
>> > feel on a normal cellphone (not a touchscreen).
>>
>> Apps like Skype would work on an iPad, and if it was a 3G iPad they'd
>> work most places that a phone would work. But they won't "ring" for
>> incoming calls the same way a phone would. I would agree that voice
>> dialing is probably a better solution.
>
> The MagicJack app will if you're a subscriber although it won't voice
> dial.
>
> [OT] Now that rotary phones are a thing of the past, what's a better
> term for "dialing"?

*Pressing tha wrong key* :-)

Thanks to all for yout informative answers.

I hope Apple can take a hint.
The technoly is there, it just needs putting together into a sinle, fully
functional package.
....maybe next year!

"Todd Allcock" <> wrote in message
news:je7c5f$96s$...
> At 05 Jan 2012 14:58:12 -0500 Tom Stiller wrote:


>My father, born in 1919, still called the refrigerator an "icebox" up to
>the day he died.
>

....and I still call a radio a wireless.
!