Tag Archives: App

Public Museum debuts new accessibility technology for blind and low vision visitors

July 21, 2021Entertainment, Local EntertainmentApp, blind, smartphoneJoanne

By Kate Kocienski
Grand Rapids Public Museum

The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) is excited to announce the implementation of Aira, an app-based service that connects people who are blind or have low vision to highly trained, remotely-located agents in real time to guide them through exploration of the Museum at no cost to the visitor.

Through the app on the user’s smartphone, Aira delivers instant access to visual information at the touch of a button, enhancing everyday efficiency, engagement and independence. Visitors to the GRPM can download the app and begin using the service during their visit for free. Through visual interpretation, this guided service provides access for visitors who are blind or low vision to engage with exhibits, label text, interactives and more while they explore the Museum on their terms.

“The Grand Rapids Public Museum is proud to continue to expand access to the Museum for members of the community who are blind or low vision, unlocking an independent experience,” said Dale Robertson, President & CEO of the GRPM. “By partnering with Aira to offer this free access to anyone visiting the GRPM, we are continuing to ensure the Museum is as accessible and inclusive to the broadest population.”

Once connected to an Aira agent, the visitor, referred to Aira as an Explorer, will decide where and when they would like additional access to information. They can choose to be navigated through the Museum, making their way to exhibits, the Curiosity Shop, Cafe or anywhere else they would like to go. The Aira agent will customize the experience to what the visitor or Explorer is interested in seeing and learning, reading labels and explaining the details of the artifacts and information around them.

Aira came recommended to the GRPM by the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI) through the Museum’s exhibit design process. As the Museum works towards a new, internally-designed exhibit, Fashion and Nature, it connects with local groups and experts within the community for feedback on design, accessibility and inclusivity. As the Museum looks to not only ensure that Fashion and Nature is being designed and built for broad audiences, but that the entire Museum experience is accessible, members of ABVI shared their experience using the Aira service and how empowering it has been in their everyday lives. ABVI is one of many groups the Museum works with for this feedback, including GVSU occupational therapists, Anishinaabe Circle, Disability Advocates of Kent County and more.

For more information or to begin your visit to the GRPM, visit grpm.org.

Michigan launches free app designed to protect mobile devices from threats

April 1, 20213-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of WyomingApp, cyber, Michigan, phishing, Scam, securityJoanne

Now available to download for free is the Michigan Secure app. (WKTV)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

There are no bells or whistles or even alarms; just a simple text message to your phone as you walk into the store: “CAUTION: The Unknown network you are connected to is not encrypted. Please avoid any private or confidential transactions unless using secure Websites…”

The message comes from a free app, called Michigan Secure, which is designed to help Michigan residents navigate an increasingly technology-based world.

“Much of the activity that people do is online,” said the state’s Director of Communications Caleb Buhs. “Students taking classes to people making purchases.”

With the growing use of technology comes a high risk of people’s personal information getting stolen through threats, such as unsecured internet access, that most people don’t even realize are out there.

“It is designed to make people aware,” Buhs said. “If you are at the gym and suddenly decide to make a purchase for new equipment or clothing, the alert will come up that the internet is not secure. Maybe that is not the time to make that purchase.”

Developed by the Michigan’s Department of Technology, Management and Budget, the department in charge of keeping highly sensitive public information protected, the project was started two years ago because of the increase in cybersecurity crimes against both individuals and companies.

Many are familiar with the SolarWinds data breach, one of the largest data hacks in U.S. history, that resulted in more than 18,000 computer networks being sabotaged. There are also the everyday reminders of not to open emails from the IRS or Social Security as neither would contact people in such a way. According to Pew Research, more than 60 percent of Ameicans have personally experienced a major data breach. The cost of the average data breach to a U.S. company is around $8 million.

Buhs said with the recent pandemic, which forced many into remote work and classrooms, the risk of cyber attacks become even higher. In fact, because of the growing use of technology by municipalities and schools, institutions are facing more malicious cyber attacks. Just this March, a cyber attack on Microsoft focused on vulnerabilities in its exchange service, email software, and calendar resulting in 30,000 organizations getting hacked. More recently, college students across the nation are being warned about a phishing attack to steal students personal information to file false tax claims.

The Michigan Secure app is designed to detect phishing risks by checking links. It also will alert a user to an unsecured Wi-Fi network, check apps before they are downloaded, and when a system has been tampered with. Michigan Secure even has a database of potential threat indicators to notify individuals of activity on their phone that matches a documented threat. Everything is designed for the user to determine what they want and do not want to use.

The Michigan Secure app is a free download from App Store or Google Play. The app runs on devices with iOS 11 or higher, Android 6.0 or higher and Chromebooks with Android App Support.

“While the security of our mobile devices is critical, it is also important to respect people’s privacy,” DTMB Director and State Chief Information Officer Brom Stibitz said. “Michigan Secure does not require anyone to share their personal information or mobile data. It exists for the sole purpose of detecting threats and notifying the user.”

The Michigan Secure app does not collect, store, or monitor the personal information of users that download it. The app’s code and privacy configuration settings have received the approval of the American Civil Liberties Union for the way it protects individual privacy.

Within only a few days of release, which was earlier this year, the app had more than 1,000 downloads and interest continues to build. Buhs said he believes Michigan is the first state to offer such an app with only the City of New York having something similar.

For more information about the app, visit Michigan.gov/MichiganSecureApp. Visit the Michigan Cybersecurity website at Michigan.gov/Cybersecurity for information ranging from how to practice proper cyber “hygiene” to learning about what to do if you are a victim of a cybercrime.

SpartanNash relaunches partnership with Flashfood

June 16, 20203-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of WyomingApp, food, SpartanNashJoanne

By Lauren DeVol
SpartanNash

As part of its commitment to helping customers save money every day and reducing its environmental impact, SpartanNash today announced it is relaunching its Flashfood® pilot program at five West Michigan Family Fare stores.

The Flashfood app allows store guests and community nonprofits to purchase food nearing its best-by date at savings of up to 50 percent off. Eligible items include meat, produce, seafood, deli and bakery products.

The five participating Family Fare stores testing the Flashfood app are located at:

2245 84th St., SW in Byron Center
1415 E. Fulton St. in Grand Rapids
2755 Lake Michigan Drive, NW in Grand Rapids
1225 Leonard, NE in Grand Rapids
6127 Kalamazoo Ave., SE in Kentwood

Through the partnership, Family Fare shoppers can download the Flashfood app and browse grocery deals. Purchases are made directly from the shoppers’ phone and picked up from the Flashfood area in participating Family Fare stores.

The Flashfood pilot was first launched in February 2020 but was temporarily halted due to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Given the success of the initial pilot, SpartanNash plans to expand the partnership at the end of the month, with additional stores to be announced soon.

“We are excited to relaunch the Flashfood app for our customers and expand the program to additional stores, making it easier than ever to save time and money at Family Fare,” Director, Retail Consumer Innovation Matt Bennett said. “The Flashfood app also gives us the ability to reduce food waste while increasing access to lower cost fresh foods – making it a win-win for our customers and the environment. Our aisles are filled with a variety of perishable foods, and as we get near the best-by dates, we want to make sure customers know about the savings available to them.”

Flashfood is a Toronto-based mobile app that operates in more than 450 grocery locations throughout Canada, Michigan and Wisconsin. The mobile app is free and available on iOS and Android.

After downloading the Flashfood app, customers can select a participating Family Fare store, choose the items they want to purchase and pay for them directly on the app, then pick up their items and confirm their order at the customer service counter. To make it even easier, the purchased food will be stored at the front of each participating Family Fare in refrigerators and on storage racks until the store guest picks them up.

The Flashfood app pilot is another way SpartanNash is fighting food waste and hunger in local communities. SpartanNash also partners with local food banks and food pantries throughout the company’s footprint, donating pantry staples and shelf-stable products as well as fresh dairy, meat and produce.

In April, SpartanNash and the SpartanNash Foundation donated $250,000 to Feeding America. SpartanNash also donates more than 5.5 million pounds of food annually to partnering food banks and local food pantries and funded more than $1.4 million in community support in 2019.

“Reducing food waste and building stronger communities are both important parts of SpartanNash’s corporate responsibility commitment,” Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Communications Meredith Gremel said. “At SpartanNash, we are always looking for positive changes we can drive as we ‘take food places’ in more socially responsible, environmentally sustainable ways, and the Flashfood app is another way we can do that – all while benefitting our store guests and community partners.”

GVSU group develops tool for children to earn screen time

July 12, 20173-bottomApp, Grand Valley State University, GVSU, screen timeJoanne

A Grand Valley State University group has developed an app for a local entrepreneur that addresses a common concern among parents: the amount of time their children spend on electronics.

Grand Valley’s applied Medical Devices Institute (aMDI) has developed Test 4 Time! (T4T), an app that makes children earn screen time on tablets and smartphones. T4T asks math questions for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. If they answer the questions correctly, they get the time.

“The app addresses a difficult challenge all parents have and allows parents to manage their child’s time on a device while making the experience fun, educational and challenging,” said Brent Nowak, executive director of aMDI.

The idea for the app came from its inventor and founder Tim Smock, from Forest Hills, six years ago when his 7-year-old son asked to play video games every day.

“I would write down 20 math questions and told him if he answered them, he could have one hour on the Wii,” he said. “I wondered if this process could be automated and came up with the idea for Test 4 Time.”

He filed for a provisional patent in August 2011 and began exploring development options.

Smock worked in 2016 with students from Grand Valley’s School of Computing and Information Systems to build a prototype of the app. Earlier this year, he came to aMDI to bring the app to market. John Doneth, a computer science major from Ada, was hired by aMDI in February to help write code and design the app.

Nowak said in six months aMDI created a full development program for T4T, from market study to product testing to launch.

“The aMDI team, which includes students and staff members, demonstrated that we can work at the pace of industry to launch a product to industry standards,” Nowak said.

Smock said he’s enjoyed working with aMDI. “The value and professionalism are exemplary, and we are very excited by the early enthusiasm for this app from parents and teachers,” Smock said.

Nowak said the next step is to develop a hardware device with the T4T software that requires children to earn time on the TV and video game consoles.

The project was funded in part by the State of Michigan’s Small Company Innovation Program/Technology Commercialization Assistance program. Learn more at www.test4time.com.

Cost-Saving Grocery Store Tips Through the Use of Apps

July 16, 2015How-To's, Local BusinessApp, Mperks, VivinoJoanne

A few years ago I would have to get the Sunday Press in order to start the process of building my grocery list. I looked for what foods were on sale that week and what meals should be prepared based upon sale prices. While my questions haven’t changed the process did change slightly.

When I got my first iPod Touch back in 2008 one of the very first apps I downloaded was Grocery IQ. The app allowed me to build my shopping list and have several lists according to which stores I wanted to shop at. It continues to be one of my favorite apps. I can save certain items as favorites. When I search for an item it has auto-suggest. So if I’m looking for a yogurt it will suggest very cherry or vanilla. I can also search for coupons and then email them to myself so I can print them out. If I’m sending the hubby to do the grocery shopping I can email the list to him. You can also build the list online with their website and it will auto-sync with your mobile device.

I mainly shop at Meijer. I like my one stop shopping and being a Michigan based company I have no problem rooting for the Home Team. If you follow Meijer on Facebook you can get a preview of the upcoming ad every Friday. It helps me get a start on my meal planning and sometimes I will wait to buy something when I know it will be on sale in just a couple of days. Family Fare also does this but releases it on Saturdays. Meijer also has their own app. If you use it with your perks number– you will have digital coupons at the touch of a finger. My house loves a good Mperks weekend when you can save 5, 10 and even 15%. It a little Dutch girl’s dream. Don’t forget to jump on to Meijer’s free WiFi when you are in the store to use either of these apps. The Mperks app was just recently updated to be added to Passbook for you Apple lovers, like me.

After I’ve made my trip through the market I may or may not have had the thought about picking up a bottle of wine to help me relax after all that stressful shopping. Vivino is an app that my BFF told me about while she was stationed overseas in Germany. Use the app to snap the picture of the wine bottles’ label and the app pulls up information and gives you a rating. The more you tell it about what type of wines you prefer the more helpful it is. I’ve also used this to snap a picture of a wine list in restaurants. The app will give the ratings of the wine on the list.