#Time boss pro update how to#
#Time boss pro update full#
#Time boss pro update software#
#Time boss pro update series#

I explained to him that there was a possible ADA violation by not making the Smoke iT software accessible to consumers with various disabilities. So, it is his responsibility to include these standards in the original design, if possible. I explained that Pit Boss most likely wouldn’t be aware of accessibility features in the operating system or software and web accessibility standards because they build grills and he, Ken, builds software that has to adhere to these standards. Ken got on the phone and explained that Pit Boss had never asked them to include the feature of VoiceOver or Talkback support in the Smoke iT software to control the grills. This couldn’t all be inaccessible could it?īut, alas the ignorance, or is it stupidity, continued.

#Time boss pro update full#

After all the website was full of consumer level automation software. Certainly Ken, the owner, knew about accessibility. I was told I was going to speak to the actual owner of t2Fi, Ken. I demanded to speak to someone in charge. But, he was unable to tell me when or if VoiceOver support was coming to the Smoke iT app. After all, more sighted people buy grills than blind people.” He actually said this! He continue to add insult to injury by informing me that the future feature list was long but he would make sure that my feature request would get on it. The rep began to wax philosophical about how “I needed to understand that blind people are the minority, so we probably weren’t very high on the priority list when designing this grill. If it had only ended there, but we were just getting started. Once explained, they can no longer claim to be ignorant. For example, your average t2Fi customer representative may have never considered how a blind person would grill meat. You see, an ignorant person cannot be fully blamed for not being aware of something. It’s at this point that we start exploring the line between ignorance and stupidity. He didn’t know blind people could cook, let alone use grills. The t2Fi representative seemed to have been caught off guard.

#Time boss pro update how to#

While many of the Pit Boss employees I spoke to on this journey weren’t able to figure out how to fix my problem, I never experienced the level of ignorance from Pit Boss support staff like I am about to share from the t2Fi support and management teams. I must mention here that Pit Boss farms out the support for the app to the developer t2Fi. So, armed with these positive experiences, I figured, “I got this!”Īfter making my way through a complex menu structure on the Pit Boss phone system, I finally connected with Smoke iT app support. Because many of us blind folks self advocate for accessibility, many consumer products have become usable to various types of enthusiasts. I have written many reviews throughout the years describing my mostly positive experiences. While sometimes frustrating when something doesn’t work, I am usually pleasantly surprised at the level of enthusiasm most companies display when they find that there is an entire market of customers out here they never noticed. As a blind consumer having dealt with hundreds of consumer electronics companies, over the years, this would not be my first time giving the Accessibility 101 class. Surely there was something that could be done as a work around until the developers could make it fully accessible. This basically left me with a useless product, but I had hope! Even simple things like setting and adjusting the grill temp were impossible for me to do by myself.

It was impossible for me to independently connect to the grill for the first time with the app. You see, I had no way to know if the app was accessible until I connected it to a grill, something that can’t always be done in a store, especially with a grill. When I finally got the grill delivered and began to set it up on my network, I discovered the app was not accessible for blind people using the iPhone. I figured the companion app to the 1150 would be perfect to be able to grill independently using my iPhone and the included VoiceOver screen reader.

I have previously owned a Green Mountain Grills smart pellet grill that did the trick at the time, but for the combination of reasons above I moved to the Pit Boss. The smart technology features were important to me because most pellet grills have inaccessible digital LED control panels. I chose this brand and model because it was said to be a solidly built product, had great reviews, and best of all a great value for the price. Like others tired of being cooped up for a year of Covid restrictions, I was getting ready for the summer heat and many days spent in the pool, grilling in the Florida sun, in the company of friends and family.

#Time boss pro update series#

This past March I purchased a Pit Boss Pro Series II 1150 grill at Lowes.