Communication apps for deaf users?
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Hello
Newbie here. I am not sure I am posting in the correct place - apologies if I have made a mistake with this.
I am deaf and I have never used a smartphone before. I am considering buying one of those supported by Ubuntu Touch and installing Ubuntu Touch on it.
I have just contacted Relay UK (speech to text service) to see if I can add their app to the Ubuntu Touch OS, but the person I 'spoke' with was not sure if it was the smartphone or the operating system that would either accept or reject a particular app. S/he had never heard of Ubuntu Touch. S/he said an android phone would accept their app, but is this the case if I am using Ubuntu Touch?
Also, I have looked at the list of apps available with Ubuntu Touch and do not see one for video calling, which I would want to have the option of using to communicate via sign language.
I happen to have an iPad that is supported by Ubuntu Touch, and was considering trying to install UT on it to see if I got on with it before buying a smartphone. Is it possible to install Ubuntu Touch without losing what is already on this tablet? For example, I have iCloud associated with it, with photos stored there. Would I lose the ability to access and use iCloud if I no longer use Apple via this tablet?
Can anyone help answer these three questions for me? Or tell me who I can ask instead?
Thank you!
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I think I might be really confused. I was given an iPad, which appears to be apple. But I thought it was a Nexus 7 because I was also given paperwork for that. So, the last question is probably to be ignored. Sorry about that!
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Hi and welcome @buzzears
An app developed for android or iOS cannot be ported to Ubuntu Touch.
If there is an existing software for Ubuntu (desktop) and if it's in QT then the port is easier because we can reuse a good part of the original software.For now, video chat is not possible on Ubuntu Touch. This is a big issue that we are well aware of and a major blocker for many people interested in UT.
In your case I understand that this is something that you rely on to communicate.Yes iPads are not supported and Apple's services neither.
When installing Ubuntu Touch on a device, everything is lost, we need to rewrite the data partitions in order to install the OS.Sorry my answers don't go in the right direction.
I'll have a look at "Relay UK" to understand exactly what it does and if a similar solution is doable on Ubuntu Touch. -
Hi AppLee
Thank you very much for replying. I appreciate your kind honesty in telling me what I hoped not to 'hear'! But better to know than to buy a phone and then get frustrated with it.
I look forward to learning if Relay UK can be added to Ubuntu Touch because I would rely on that more than video calling.
Thank you.
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@buzzears The best option would probably if someone would make an app based on Mozilla's DeepSpeech: https://github.com/mozilla/DeepSpeech
But for deeper integration, like converting speech to text in the background, it would likely need some support in the OS as well.
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@buzzears To amplify what Applee is saying: the chances of Relay UK itself being added to Ubuntu Touch are close to zero, so don't wait for that. What may be possible is an alternative application that does a similar job. I am not aware of such a thing offhand, but I am not as familiar with the available applications as other folk here.
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Thank you everyone.
It sounds like Ubuntu Touch won't work for me then? Does anybody know of another deGoogled alternative (cleaner, more privacy etc)? I have read android is open source, but I don't know anything about it otherwise, and I've heard of /e/ but also don't know much about that. But while I am here perhaps somebody will have an idea?
Thank you!
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@buzzears LineageOS is great if your device supports it.
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@buzzears said in Communication apps for deaf users?:
I have read android is open source, but I don't know anything about it otherwise,
On the contrary Android is the epitome of Google, although there is the Android Open Source Project. This video explains it better than I can.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIPLATXJCpA
