Steven Aquino (he/him)

Disabled person. Freelance technology reporter covering accessibility and assistive tech. Bylines at Forbes, TechCrunch, The Verge, and elsewhere.

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npub1qsgvtv7lsewcw5py4fttpjsn37k26rp92dhc7ypwh9nesqpnaqfspthdn9

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steven_aquino_at_sfba.social@mostr.pub

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npub1qsgvtv7lsewcw5py4fttpjsn37k26rp92dhc7ypwh9nesqpnaqfspthdn9

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Last Notes

2024-10-31 00:57:52

Some late news: TIME named the hearing aid feature for AirPods Pro one of the “best inventions” of the year.
I wrote about its significance and, crucially, how it speaks to Apple’s ability to deliver innovative products being firmly intact.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevenaquino/2024/10/30/airpods-pro-hearing-aid-amongst-best-inventions-list-shows-apple-still-wows/

2024-10-23 04:50:57

I’m becoming increasingly convinced nobody gives a true shit what I say or write on the internet.
(This is my anxiety and depression addled brain talking tonight.)

2024-10-22 14:34:07

The new iPad mini starts shipping tomorrow, but I've had one nearly a week for testing. It's a great little tablet, with plenty of use cases, that I discovered isn't for me anymore—for now. And that's okay!
My review ft. @jordynbzim is here!
https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevenaquino/2024/10/22/ipad-mini-review-for-accessibilitys-sake-your-mileage-may-certainly-vary/

2024-10-13 06:52:55

Apple is telling on itself how low tvOS is on the priority list when the iTunes movies and TV shows apps still exist in the new version despite them being deprecated.

2024-09-24 02:00:09

People who are poo-pooing generative AI tools like those in Apple Intelligence should read my recent op-ed for MIT Tech Review.
It’s disingenuous to do all this handwringing over using AI for the arts without stopping to consider not everyone can create in the conventional ways. Image Playgrounds, Midjourney, et al, can make art accessible.
https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/08/23/1096607/ai-people-with-disabilities-accessibility/amp/

2024-09-20 15:13:38

Some personal news: It’s my birthday today.
Given my background and mental health struggles, every trip around the sun feels special in my book.

2024-09-16 22:22:35

I decided to embrace iOS 18 by eschewing the app labels and enabling Display Zoom. Everything is so much easier to see now. Like @npub1eee…e209 always says, things don’t look weird—they look normal.
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/113/149/557/991/408/243/original/c52c6b4192834d4f.jpeg

2024-08-23 18:41:39

I’ve used the Amazon Chime app on macOS for a few interviews this week. Let me tell you, it is *not* a good app in any aspect.

2024-07-20 16:08:37

Someone on X made Windows’ BSOD into an iPhone wallpaper and it’s kinda amazing.
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/112/819/679/736/194/637/original/718aeb224c562707.jpeg

2024-06-19 04:33:53

With today’s Threads API news, are we gonna see a Threadsbot and other clients?
I’m a huge fan of Ice Cubes for Mastodon, all thanks to @npub1eee…e209 for the glowing recommendation on Daring Fireball.

2024-06-01 18:23:17

The thrust of the iPadOS conversation always centers on using the iPad Pro as a main computer. For me, I’m curious what people think of it as a laptop replacement—in other words, using a Mac as a primary computer for work, but use an iPad instead of a MacBook for travel and all that.

2024-05-27 04:09:22

The “Apple is behind in AI” narrative is super dumb because FIRST! but also because Apple’s done AI in plain sight re: accessibility forever—it’s just the company isn’t doing it with as much flash as others.
To wit…
•Personal Voice
•Detection Modes in Magnifier
•Listen for Atypical Speech
•Point to Speak
Not to mention the neural network technology in Apple silicon for years.
But sure, Apple Park is a 5-alarm fire.

2024-05-24 01:43:50

A rare early evening story by me: I recently spoke with my friend Jordyn Zimmerman, a renowned educator and disability advocate, about her recent CBS News interview and her reactions to Apple’s newly-announced accessibility features to come later this year.
This was a fun one to work on!
https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevenaquino/2024/05/23/jordyn-zimmerman-talks-recent-cbs-news-appearance-apple-accessibility-in-interview/

2024-05-22 23:05:30

Another cool story from me, late afternoon edition: I talked to the accessibility lead for Google Maps at Google about the new accessibility features the company announced at I/O last week.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevenaquino/2024/05/22/inside-googles-process-to-creating-newly-announced-maps-accessibility-features/

2024-01-19 18:40:14

Did anyone order the 1TB Vision Pro?

2023-12-29 03:52:39

- reply

@npub1utv…87lr Love you close friend. 💕

2023-12-11 01:02:06

Okay, I’ll just be honest.
The holidays always have been hard on me, especially in the last few years. My mental health has been shit lately with a lot going on. It’s rough going here.
If you see me posting stories to my Forbes column a lot and guesting on syndicated radio shows, it’s all a facade.

2023-11-04 16:13:22

This take on the M3 iMac is overwrought.
I have a Lightning cable permanently attached to my Retina 4K iMac specifically to charge the peripherals when need arises. Maybe the tech nerds want cable oneness, but it's truly not the end of the world for the Magic accessories to have Lightning. Besides, 99.9999% of you lot (the nerds) aren't buying the goddamn iMac anyway.
https://www.imore.com/mac/imac/apples-new-imac-is-boring-and-it-feels-like-a-rushed-addition-to-the-lineup

2023-08-13 22:44:50

I finally jumped on the iOS 17 beta train this weekend on my phone and my iPad mini. Everything is great except now my iMessage is broken between my phone/tablet and my iMac.