5 ms·

Show HN: Thanks to BeAware, Deaf iPhone users have a free alerting device (OSS)

124 points by saamerm 4y ago

Jemm 4y ago
Hi. Just some feedback. When I click the icon for Android download it takes me to a feedback page with no way to download the app. Searching for the app in the Canadian Play Store there are dozens of apps called BeAware none of which appear to be yours.
- saamerm 4y ago
  Hey Jemm from Canada! The app is currently only available for iOS right now. We haven't built it for Android yet since the app is free. So the form is for us to see how many people would actually download it if we build it for Android. So please fill out the form with your info, and share the form with anyone who would also want it for Android.
saamerm 4y ago
Hey HN! After months of work and over 1000 hours of research, design & development, we just released BeAware, an open-source & free Deaf Assistant iPhone app! - BeAware uses the in-built hardware to alert Deaf users of knocks on doors, baby crying for a deaf moms, sirens blaring for deaf delivery drivers. Earlier deaf users would have to purchase a separate "alerting devices" which would vibrate or flash LED's, something that they can do with this app now, even while it's running in the background in low power mode! - The app also performs highly performant Speech To Text in ~15 languages, even without an internet connection, designed to work great in the time of the pandemic. (Includes Arabic, Ukrainian, Chinese Simplified & Traditional, Spanish, French, ...) - The notepad feature allows users to type, or use pre-written phrases to display text to others who don't know ASL. It's super unique to where it allows the Deaf user to dictate the text through active audio and video calls! The app was designed to make their everyday lives easier and more inclusive. We'd love to get your feedback, and for your to share it with your friends :) Just tap the download button on the website. We plan to add AR and ML to the app if we get some traction & interest to enhance the deaf experience.
- imglorp 4y ago
  Thank you for making this app! It might sound counterintuitive, but some HoH (hard of hearing) users might actually be listening to media in the foreground when a noise triggers a background alert. They might have headphones or might have audio piped to aids over BT. So, it might make sense to pause foreground media, if that's possible, in order to let the user shift focus to the alerting noise, ideally isolating and amplifying the noise a little and sending it to the phone's audio output. Aids do this to some extent but maybe not when media is playing.
  - saamerm 4y ago
    OMG Yes, thank you for your comment! You're right! That's exactly why we have added the ability to "Mark alert as critical" so that it will increase priority and provide notification even if your phone is in Do Not Disturb or Focus mode
- ThePowerOfFuet 4y ago
  > - BeAware uses the in-built hardware to alert Deaf users of knocks on doors, baby crying for a deaf moms, sirens blaring for deaf delivery drivers. Earlier deaf users would have to purchase a separate "alerting devices" which would vibrate or flash LED's, something that they can do with this app now, even while it's running in the background in low power mode! In what way is this an improvement over the functionality that's built right into iOS 14+? https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/sound-recognition-iphf2dc33312/ios https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/sound-recognition-iph... How are you paying for the development and maintenance given that the app is free and claims not to gather personal information of any sort?
  - saamerm 4y ago
    Thank you for your comment u/ThePowerOfFuet Great question! Currently the sound recognition doesn't just measure "loud noises" or allow you to set a threshold above which to be alerted. You have to currently specify which sounds to select, and then the accuracy of those are also not that great. This app behaves like "alerting devices" that Deaf users currently pay to purchase, having to purchase and manage another gadget. Great question, if the app is open-source and free, we don't have ads, we collect no information, how do we make money? We are hoping to hit >10k active monthly users and a organically growing user base to justify putting in more time and personal money to create an AR module and an "Experience" module that uses Machine Learning. We hope to provide those as freemium features because those will require significantly more time to add, but will be an absolute game changer to Deaf Tech!
saamerm 4y ago
We are also looking to add more languages, but we need help from volunteers to verify those translations. So feel free to message us through the app or email us at hi@deafassistant.com !
AnonC 4y ago
> Apart from being free, the app is open source and available here, so we would like to continue being the best with community input and support. This is great. As a non-deaf person (as of today), I will be checking this out because such apps and features could be helpful for ordinary people too. How do you plan to keep this free though? Is it going to become freemium in the future? Apple has done a lot for accessibility in its operating systems, but improvements are always welcome. Some of the features in this app may be Sherlocked [1] by Apple in the near future. Edit: I found a typo in the info screen that’s shown when the app is launched (or when the info page is visited from the menu). I don’t have a GitHub account, hence mentioning it here. There’s a “you” (“into you your live phone calls”) that shouldn’t be there in this section: > “Text - BeAware is the only app that can read text loud into you your live phone calls, assisted by customizable preset phrases” [1]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_(software)#Sherlocked_as_a_term https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_(software)#Sherlock...
- IfOnlyYouKnew 4y ago
  It’s been pre-sherlocked. The feature exists, only with different sounds (doorbell, barking, fire alarm etc.) I don’t know why this fact isn’t acknowledged (as far as I can see). For those users unaware of the native features, it’s a disservice. And for those that know, it leaves them wondering how the two interact, and if it isn’t maybe a little petty not to mention it.
  - lelandfe 4y ago
    For the interested: Settings > Accessibility > Sound Recognition It appears this app does have alerting based on decibel thresholds, which iOS lacks.
    - saamerm 4y ago
      Exactly, the app is a compliment to the native "Sound Recognition", they don't step on each other's toes. We don't 100% endorse that functionality because we don't want to be liable for inaccuracies or weaknesses in that functionality
post_break 4y ago
I don’t see a price or in app purchase. How is this being monitized?
- KSPAtlas 4y ago
  Donations I think.
- saamerm 4y ago
  Thank you for your comment! Great question, if the app is open-source and free, we don't have ads, we collect no information, how do we make money? We are hoping to hit >10k active monthly users and a organically growing user base to justify putting in more time and personal money to create an AR module and an "Experience" module that uses Machine Learning. We hope to provide those as freemium features because those will require significantly more time to add, but will be an absolute game changer to Deaf Tech! So please share it with your friends so we can make the dream a reality! :)
knolan 4y ago
For anyone interested iOS also has some of these sound recognition features built in. https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/iphone/iphf2dc33312/ios https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/iphone/iphf2dc33312/io...
- saamerm 4y ago
  Thanks for your comment! The app doesn't perform any of those sound recognition features, it currently acts as a compliment to those features :)
ChrisMarshallNY 4y ago
Kudos! I am always glad to see more accessibility in software. For regular (non-disabled user base) apps, it’s quite possible to make apps accessible, but it’s something that should be planned from the beginning (same with localization). I do it with almost all my apps. Pretty simple, if you integrate it from the start. One tool that I always suggest, is Sim Daltonism[0]. It’s a great way to ensure that we don’t rely on color alone, as a UI feedback axis. [0] https://michelf.ca/projects/sim-daltonism/ https://michelf.ca/projects/sim-daltonism/
- saamerm 4y ago
  Dude wait, did You create Sim Daltonism? I am a HUGE fan of that app, especially since I am also color blind :D
  - ChrisMarshallNY 4y ago
    No. I did not. I use it all the time, though. I was just using it this morning.
    - saamerm 4y ago
      Ah ok, I got excited for a minute. But yeah I totally agree about a11y first!
Linda703 4y ago
[dead]
roamerz 4y ago
Thanks for doing this project and I hope it works out for you! I am frequency deaf and have always wanted an app that could alert me to a nearby rattlesnake when I am out hiking as I can’t hear them very well. From reading that would probably be a paid feature later down the road but one I would certainly pay for!
- saamerm 4y ago
  Holy moly thats a great idea, thanks for your comment! I will provide this functionality for free for you (and everyone else if its not too difficult) if you can help me test it, so I can figure out the science. I kinda have an idea, because I have studied the science behind sounds quite a bit. Can you reach out to me at hi@deafassistant.com ?
Vladimof 4y ago
Does it use the lidar for object detection for the blind?
- saamerm 4y ago
  @Vladimof thanks for your comment, it's an app for the deaf. Though a lidar object detection app for the blind would be awesome. Have you seen something like that already?
reaperducer 4y ago
Somewhat off topic, but earlier this week I saw a guy on the train signing to someone over FaceTime. Until then, I didn't realize how life-changing video calling can be for some people.
- saamerm 4y ago
  Yup video calling is a game changer, a lot of signs require two hands so it's still challenging even with video calling!
mrlonglong 4y ago
Do it for Android, I'm not a fan of iThingies
- saamerm 4y ago
  I know!! I wish I had infinite time and money, so I could just build apps that would be useful for people! :) Please fill out the form on the website so if I get at least 100 interested android users, I will go ahead and start building that as well
_ink_ 4y ago
Is it possible to translate the transcribed text? E.g. listen to english audio and show german text?
- saamerm 4y ago
  @_ink_ it is definitely possible to add that feature too. I think our focus is on the 90% of uses, but is that something that would be helpful for you?

124 points by saamerm 4y ago

Jemm 4y ago

Hi. Just some feedback. When I click the icon for Android download it takes me to a feedback page with no way to download the app. Searching for the app in the Canadian Play Store there are dozens of apps called BeAware none of which appear to be yours.

saamerm 4y ago
Hey Jemm from Canada! The app is currently only available for iOS right now. We haven't built it for Android yet since the app is free. So the form is for us to see how many people would actually download it if we build it for Android. So please fill out the form with your info, and share the form with anyone who would also want it for Android.

saamerm 4y ago

Hey HN! After months of work and over 1000 hours of research, design & development, we just released BeAware, an open-source & free Deaf Assistant iPhone app! - BeAware uses the in-built hardware to alert Deaf users of knocks on doors, baby crying for a deaf moms, sirens blaring for deaf delivery drivers. Earlier deaf users would have to purchase a separate "alerting devices" which would vibrate or flash LED's, something that they can do with this app now, even while it's running in the background in low power mode! - The app also performs highly performant Speech To Text in ~15 languages, even without an internet connection, designed to work great in the time of the pandemic. (Includes Arabic, Ukrainian, Chinese Simplified & Traditional, Spanish, French, ...) - The notepad feature allows users to type, or use pre-written phrases to display text to others who don't know ASL. It's super unique to where it allows the Deaf user to dictate the text through active audio and video calls! The app was designed to make their everyday lives easier and more inclusive. We'd love to get your feedback, and for your to share it with your friends :) Just tap the download button on the website. We plan to add AR and ML to the app if we get some traction & interest to enhance the deaf experience.

imglorp 4y ago
Thank you for making this app! It might sound counterintuitive, but some HoH (hard of hearing) users might actually be listening to media in the foreground when a noise triggers a background alert. They might have headphones or might have audio piped to aids over BT. So, it might make sense to pause foreground media, if that's possible, in order to let the user shift focus to the alerting noise, ideally isolating and amplifying the noise a little and sending it to the phone's audio output. Aids do this to some extent but maybe not when media is playing.
- saamerm 4y ago
  OMG Yes, thank you for your comment! You're right! That's exactly why we have added the ability to "Mark alert as critical" so that it will increase priority and provide notification even if your phone is in Do Not Disturb or Focus mode
ThePowerOfFuet 4y ago
> - BeAware uses the in-built hardware to alert Deaf users of knocks on doors, baby crying for a deaf moms, sirens blaring for deaf delivery drivers. Earlier deaf users would have to purchase a separate "alerting devices" which would vibrate or flash LED's, something that they can do with this app now, even while it's running in the background in low power mode! In what way is this an improvement over the functionality that's built right into iOS 14+? https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/sound-recognition-iphf2dc33312/ios https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/sound-recognition-iph... How are you paying for the development and maintenance given that the app is free and claims not to gather personal information of any sort?
- saamerm 4y ago
  Thank you for your comment u/ThePowerOfFuet Great question! Currently the sound recognition doesn't just measure "loud noises" or allow you to set a threshold above which to be alerted. You have to currently specify which sounds to select, and then the accuracy of those are also not that great. This app behaves like "alerting devices" that Deaf users currently pay to purchase, having to purchase and manage another gadget. Great question, if the app is open-source and free, we don't have ads, we collect no information, how do we make money? We are hoping to hit >10k active monthly users and a organically growing user base to justify putting in more time and personal money to create an AR module and an "Experience" module that uses Machine Learning. We hope to provide those as freemium features because those will require significantly more time to add, but will be an absolute game changer to Deaf Tech!

saamerm 4y ago

We are also looking to add more languages, but we need help from volunteers to verify those translations. So feel free to message us through the app or email us at hi@deafassistant.com !

AnonC 4y ago

> Apart from being free, the app is open source and available here, so we would like to continue being the best with community input and support. This is great. As a non-deaf person (as of today), I will be checking this out because such apps and features could be helpful for ordinary people too. How do you plan to keep this free though? Is it going to become freemium in the future? Apple has done a lot for accessibility in its operating systems, but improvements are always welcome. Some of the features in this app may be Sherlocked [1] by Apple in the near future. Edit: I found a typo in the info screen that’s shown when the app is launched (or when the info page is visited from the menu). I don’t have a GitHub account, hence mentioning it here. There’s a “you” (“into you your live phone calls”) that shouldn’t be there in this section: > “Text - BeAware is the only app that can read text loud into you your live phone calls, assisted by customizable preset phrases” [1]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_(software)#Sherlocked_as_a_term https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_(software)#Sherlock...

IfOnlyYouKnew 4y ago
It’s been pre-sherlocked. The feature exists, only with different sounds (doorbell, barking, fire alarm etc.) I don’t know why this fact isn’t acknowledged (as far as I can see). For those users unaware of the native features, it’s a disservice. And for those that know, it leaves them wondering how the two interact, and if it isn’t maybe a little petty not to mention it.
- lelandfe 4y ago
  For the interested: Settings > Accessibility > Sound Recognition It appears this app does have alerting based on decibel thresholds, which iOS lacks.
  - saamerm 4y ago
    Exactly, the app is a compliment to the native "Sound Recognition", they don't step on each other's toes. We don't 100% endorse that functionality because we don't want to be liable for inaccuracies or weaknesses in that functionality

post_break 4y ago

I don’t see a price or in app purchase. How is this being monitized?

KSPAtlas 4y ago
Donations I think.
saamerm 4y ago
Thank you for your comment! Great question, if the app is open-source and free, we don't have ads, we collect no information, how do we make money? We are hoping to hit >10k active monthly users and a organically growing user base to justify putting in more time and personal money to create an AR module and an "Experience" module that uses Machine Learning. We hope to provide those as freemium features because those will require significantly more time to add, but will be an absolute game changer to Deaf Tech! So please share it with your friends so we can make the dream a reality! :)

knolan 4y ago

For anyone interested iOS also has some of these sound recognition features built in. https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/iphone/iphf2dc33312/ios https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/iphone/iphf2dc33312/io...

saamerm 4y ago
Thanks for your comment! The app doesn't perform any of those sound recognition features, it currently acts as a compliment to those features :)

ChrisMarshallNY 4y ago

Kudos! I am always glad to see more accessibility in software. For regular (non-disabled user base) apps, it’s quite possible to make apps accessible, but it’s something that should be planned from the beginning (same with localization). I do it with almost all my apps. Pretty simple, if you integrate it from the start. One tool that I always suggest, is Sim Daltonism[0]. It’s a great way to ensure that we don’t rely on color alone, as a UI feedback axis. [0] https://michelf.ca/projects/sim-daltonism/ https://michelf.ca/projects/sim-daltonism/

saamerm 4y ago
Dude wait, did You create Sim Daltonism? I am a HUGE fan of that app, especially since I am also color blind :D
- ChrisMarshallNY 4y ago
  No. I did not. I use it all the time, though. I was just using it this morning.
  - saamerm 4y ago
    Ah ok, I got excited for a minute. But yeah I totally agree about a11y first!

Linda703 4y ago

[dead]

roamerz 4y ago

Thanks for doing this project and I hope it works out for you! I am frequency deaf and have always wanted an app that could alert me to a nearby rattlesnake when I am out hiking as I can’t hear them very well. From reading that would probably be a paid feature later down the road but one I would certainly pay for!

saamerm 4y ago
Holy moly thats a great idea, thanks for your comment! I will provide this functionality for free for you (and everyone else if its not too difficult) if you can help me test it, so I can figure out the science. I kinda have an idea, because I have studied the science behind sounds quite a bit. Can you reach out to me at hi@deafassistant.com ?

Vladimof 4y ago

Does it use the lidar for object detection for the blind?

saamerm 4y ago
@Vladimof thanks for your comment, it's an app for the deaf. Though a lidar object detection app for the blind would be awesome. Have you seen something like that already?

reaperducer 4y ago

Somewhat off topic, but earlier this week I saw a guy on the train signing to someone over FaceTime. Until then, I didn't realize how life-changing video calling can be for some people.

saamerm 4y ago
Yup video calling is a game changer, a lot of signs require two hands so it's still challenging even with video calling!

mrlonglong 4y ago

Do it for Android, I'm not a fan of iThingies

saamerm 4y ago
I know!! I wish I had infinite time and money, so I could just build apps that would be useful for people! :) Please fill out the form on the website so if I get at least 100 interested android users, I will go ahead and start building that as well

_ink_ 4y ago

Is it possible to translate the transcribed text? E.g. listen to english audio and show german text?

saamerm 4y ago
@_ink_ it is definitely possible to add that feature too. I think our focus is on the 90% of uses, but is that something that would be helpful for you?