You’ve got to love the boffins at Bristol University’s Centre for Deaf Studies.
They’ve only gone and created a new app for their website MobileSign, featuring over 4000 signs, which can be accessed using a predictive search engine.
You can now view videos featuring your favourite signs anywhere you go, and the app even keeps a list of recently visited signs so you can go over what you’ve just learned.
Fantastic. And even better, it’s completely free.
Here’s a video of it in action:
To download the app, just go to https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=air.deaf.com.mobilesign
For more information, go to: http://www.bris.ac.uk/deaf/english/news/2012/121.html
With thanks to Twitter’s @Deaf
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Christof
June 7, 2012
When is this going to be available for iPhone, please?
Steve Emery
June 8, 2012
hi, it’s steve here from cds; ipad/iphone users haven’t been forgotten, it just takes time to get it approved; so it should be available in a few weeks on ipad/iphone, keep eyes open for news 🙂
Chris
July 2, 2012
It is available now: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mobilesign/id538428314?ls=1&mt=8
Pauline Roberts
June 7, 2012
Agreed, it doesn’t make it clear that it is only for Android phones and not iPhones. Disappointing.
Sasha Thorpe
June 7, 2012
I’ve downloaded this and it keep crashes :/
Chris
June 7, 2012
Should be available for iPhone and iPad too next month
Eloise
June 8, 2012
Disappointing… It looks such a promising app, but when I click on any word it tries to take me to a website, meaning browsers have to be opened, loads of time taken faffing to get stuff up and an end product that doesn’t properly work. It’s a great idea but would be more useful with simple graphics and text instructions in my opinion…
Chris
June 8, 2012
Hi from CDS, its best practice to allow the individual phone decide how to open/play the videos, some phones will ask you if you want to download the videos or watch in a browser, we cannot bundle the videos with the app as it would be too big.
Pauline Roberts
June 8, 2012
So what is the difference and/or benefits between this app and just having the MobileSign website icon on your phone to go straight to it?
Pauline Roberts
June 8, 2012
@Eloise. That is interesting as you can already just create a link straight to the MobileSign website. I thought this was an app to avoid this so you could view straight from it. Can’t see the point if this is the case. Hopefully though it will be something to be worked on as it has great potential when the problems are ironed out.
Chris
June 8, 2012
Yes, the videos are available for free download through the website or the app, we don’t restrict access to it as we want to make the content as accessible as possible to everyone. Searching for videos using the app is faster than the website and the videos downloaded through the app are of a higher quality than the website, you can also search the video database offline using the app.
Pauline Roberts
June 8, 2012
@Lana. Yes, the signs are not regional. That is the case though if you buy a book or DVD though isn’t it? Part of the wonderful culture of the Deaf is the diversity of BSL and the equivalent of accents/dialects:-) Admittedly, its not ideal for wanting to learn your local BSL when starting out, but most Deaf would still understand you even when using the Bristol signs. I remember for whatever reason we were recommended the book from the Beverley School when doing level 1. Even though we were corrected when meeting other Deaf it wasn’t wasted. It would be great if all areas could have regional signs in the various formats for new learners.
@Chris So the difference is that you can just download them? I have the MobleSign icon on my iPhone and it takes me straight to the box where you can type in the sign, then view the video. Will look forward to testing out the iPhone version when out though.
Eloise
June 8, 2012
Well I may as well use the website on my computer. Unless someone is in a city where signal is great, I am not convinced this will work… It takes a good ten minutes for me to find out what a sign is on my phone app, and only a few seconds when I log on to my computer. This is why I suggested a photo/drawn graphics with written instructions. This would also mean you don’t require internet connection for the app. 🙂
Pauline Roberts
June 8, 2012
Eloise: What I did was go to http://www.mobilesign.org/ with Safari on my iPhone. this gives the A-Z of signs with the search box. I then click on the icon that looks like a rectangle with an arrow in pointing to the right.I then have three options, the middle one being: add to home screen. This puts an icon on home screen (where all the apps are). So if I then want to check a sign, I click on the icon and it takes me direct to the A-Z search box. Just type in the word you want and away you go! If out and about this can be done from a free wifi spot, or you can use your internet data if you have one. As Chris develops the new app, you will be able to download the videos and access without the internet connection. Until that happens though I can’t see any immediate benefit unless of course you have an Android phone. Hope this helps.
Chris
July 2, 2012
You can now download the app for your iPhone/iPad:http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mobilesign/id538428314?ls=1&mt=8
Lana
June 8, 2012
I have not seen the signs on MobileSign and I am concerned about people not knowing some signs may be not their regional signs.
Mick Reilly
June 9, 2012
I too downloaded the app and found that when taping the small pics next to the words the video never loaded. I then went direct to the web and they worked fine on the phone so app not working
Stan Airey
December 19, 2013
Works perfectly for me i use it regularly to help with my bslcourses home work