RNIB Tech Talk episodes
Showing episodes 281 to 290 of 654
Emptying the Tech Talk Email Inbox [Part Two]
Hello, all! We're back, and straight back into the Tech Talk email inbox! Joining RNIB Connect Radio's Steven Scott this week - Robin Christopherson from the wonderful AbilityNet, Tim Schwartz from the lovely lifeafterblindness.com, and of course emails Andy. Quite a few themes in the emails this week including lots on Lady A, such as: calling costs and VOIP calls, tripod mounts and a link with guide dogs. There's also plenty on Audible Sync problems. Some of the other topics we cover include: iOS14 issues, Eggnog, hellos from Croatia, listening to us whilst doing the ironing, Gadflies, An Englishman struggling with obscure Scottish phrases, Utunes (or is it oooo-tunes?), iPad being set up straight out of the box, Wigtown Book Festival, and a right techie question that Steven could get his teeth into - is the Rodecaster Pro accessible? Davinder also joins us from the RNIB Technology for Life team, talking to us about memory... I'd tell you more, but I've forgotten... ha! We've done a right good job getting through these emails over the past month or so, so now is a super time to get your questions answered in the new year! what does 2021 hold for you, tech wise? any purchases planned? what can we help you on? [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) is the place to send us stuff. Chat to you all next week!
Emptying the Tech Talk Email Inbox
Iiiiiit's Tech Talk time! Okay, so you've done your festive gift shopping thanks to last week's gift guide episode of Tech Talk, so you should be feeling all festive and merry; so settle in, because Steven, Robin and Tim are here to answer your emails! Andy opens up the many pages saved up from you lovely listeners, and over this week and next we'll be reading them out, and discussing all the things you've messaged to us. This week, we cover: TW Blue, Lord of the Dance, TuneIn and the licensing rules which Steven expertly explains, reading PDF documents on Edge, dual bluetooth earphones, port and cigars, the NFL and football, Huawei, WhatsApp and Twitter, boogying down to the Bee Gees, auto text not working, broken earpods, first PCs, and many many more. So grab yourself a mulled wine, maybe a couple of mince pies, settle down on the sofa, and enjoy this cracker of a show! Oh yes, before we forget - 2021 is just around the corner, so if you would like to be one of the first emails to be read out in the new year, then get them in now! [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) - questions, queries, suggestions... all welcome. See you next week!
Tech Talk: Holiday Gift Guide 2020
Ho Ho Ho! Greetings Tech Talk fans, welcome to a special, festive episode - yes, we know it's still only November, and yes, many of us around the world are still in some kind of lockdown, but we're not letting it knock our seasonal spirit. In fact, we're combining our festive feelings with our love of shopping, and tech! Yes, in this episode, Steven, Tim, Robin and Andy have gathered a collection of festive treats that we think you - yes you, dear listener - should be adding to your present list. We cover a wide scope of toys, gifts, gadgets and gizmos - we talk about accessible gaming (both handheld and consoles), smart speakers, doorbells, watches, smart frames, plugs, mugs, backpacks and more! What is top of your Christmas list? Do any of these suggestions interest you, or do you have any suggestions of your own? Email us at [email protected]
Macs to the Max, Dolphin Easy Reader app, and Custom iOS gestures
Welcome back Tech Talk fans, we hope this week's show finds you well. Steven, Robin, Andy and Tim return for another hour of tech-delight courtesy of RNIB Connect Radio.. Unsurprisingly, we begin this week with One More Thing, Apple's third event in as many months, which was broadcasting their new Mac range - the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac Mini, now with the new M1 chips designed and built by themselves. So what does this mean, in the larger picture? Are these new products worth an investment of our hard-earned money? Does dropping Intel signal the death knell for them? Which of these products do our Apple fanboys have in their online shopping cart already? Also this week, RNIB's Paul Porter returns to the show to talk us through the Dolphin Easy Reader app now being available on the Fire Tablet range, and we're also joined by Chris Turner from the Technology For Life Team, who is telling us all about custom iOS gestures. All that, plus maybe, just maybe, a quick dive into your emails. If Steven allows it. [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) for your questions, queries and comments!
Nike Training Centre, Braille feedback, and Talking Microwaves
Hello friends! Team Tech Talk is here with you for another hour of accessible technology goodness! Steven is joined by Robin, Tim and Andy for a jam-packed show. First, we hear about a new talking microwave that has been launched by the RNIB that aims to simplify the cooking experience for blind and partially sighted people. Steven chats to Claire Maxwell from the RNIB Products Team about the new kitchen appliance, and also to Kim Jaye, a blind cook who has been testing it out. We also take a deep dive into the TechTalk email inbox, starting things off by covering some of your replies with regards to the Braille email we had a few weeks back. We received a lot on this topic from you, dear listener, so many thanks for sharing your thoughts and opinions, and apologies if we didn't manage to get to your email this week. Also this week, Robin has been chatting with Microsoft and City University of London about Seeing AI, we hear once again from the Technology for Life team - this week, Mark explains about an app he's loving - the Nike Training Centre. All that, plus Burger King, SmartPhone launchers, nerds, JAWS questions, and plenty of Steven's impression of a ship's horn. [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) for all your questions and comments, as ever. Chat soon!
State Of The Nation on Gaming
Hello, all, and welcome to a special episode of Tech Talk this week; Robin, Andy and Tim get the week off, and Steven instead sits down to talk accessible gaming with two guests! Joining Steven is Ian Hamilton (https://twitter.com/ianhamilton_) , and Sightless Kombat (https://twitter.com/sightlessKombat) . On the eve of the next era of console releases, with the Xbox Series X, and the PlayStation 5 due to be released this month, the world is about to take its latest step into modern console gaming - but what does that mean for those who are blind and partially sighted? What if you buy an expensive next-gen console, only to find none of the games are accessible to you? Of course, that's not the only method - PC gaming, Virtual Reality headsets, even gaming on smart speakers - what paths are the industry taking to make gaming a world for everyone? Also on this show, we hear from Steven Davidson from RNIB's Technology for Life team, who joins us to introduce a new book to help us understand iOS14. What are your thoughts on accessible gaming in 2020? With advances in console and game accessibility, would you consider picking up the next console? Or, if you have a child or relative with a visual impairment, would you now feel secure in introducing them to games like Minecraft? Email us with your thoughts - [email protected] Chat to you all next week!
The importance of Braille, thoughts on the Echo Dot and Nest Audio, and online security
Good day to you all, and welcome to Tech Talk! On today's podcast you'll be hearing from our regulars: Steven Scott, Robin Christopherson, Tim Schwartz, and Andy with the Emails. Speaking of emails, we begin this week's show with one that came in recently; regular listeners to the show will recall that Robin is now in possession of a Optelec Voyager refreshable Braille terminal, and has started using it as part of his daily life. Steven's also had lessons to relearn Braille over the last twelve months... but are they being too flippant towards learning braille? One listener has got in contact to suggest that their attitude towards Braille has irritated them, and that anyone unable to read Braille who is blind or visually impaired is, in their words, illiterate. It brought about a serious and thought-provoking discussion among the team which covered education, availability and advancements in technology, and the importance of Braille in our lives. There's a lot to unpack in this, and we fully expect you, dear listener, to have an opinion on it too - let us know where you stand on all of the talking points covered today, by emailing [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) Also on the show, RNIB's Technology for Life team talk about online security, Steven's had the Echo Dot and Nest Audio devices delivered recently, so we compare them to other devices like the Apple HomePod, and the Sonos One, plus: lanyards, being fuelled by coffee, bad rapper names, extreme sports, Pay As You Go AIRA, and toe-breaking reviews. Chat to you all next week!
New iPhones, new HomePod Minis, and a look at the Be My Eyes app
We've made it to 350! Can you believe it?! 350 Tech Talk shows, amazing stuff - well done to all of you who have survived them all! Today's episode is a right Apple fest; Steven, Robin, Tim and Andy gather together to talk about the 'Hi, Speed' Apple event from last week. We're going to be getting four new iPhones - iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and a iPhone 12 Pro Max - which one is at the top of the guys shopping lists? We take a deep dive into all the features - improved displays, improved cameras, better speed, LIDAR, MagSafe, LTE and 5G, Ceramic Shield and being 4x less resistant to drop damage... are these the kind of features that could persuade you to upgrade? Also coming soon are a new range of HomePod Minis - these ones are sphere shaped, that apparently can interact with each other; can they rival Echo devices, and take over the home? Also on this week's show, we welcome back the RNIB's Technology For Life team; this week, find out all about the popular app Be My Eyes. We'd love to know how you feel about what we've talked about this week - are you an Apple fanboy like Steven? What do you love about the Be My Eyes app? Let us know - [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
Accessible Voting in the US, New Microsoft Surface Devices, and VoiceView on Fire Tablets
Welcome one, welcome all... to Tech Talk! Your weekly dose of accessible tech news, reviews and gossip from RNIB Connect Radio! Joining Steven Scott on this week's show - Robin Christopherson, Tim Schwartz and Andy with the emails, and boy what a show we've put together for you! Coming up, Steven and the team discuss the new arrivals in the Microsoft Surface range: the Surface Laptop Go, and the Surface Pro X tablet. If you're listening to this in the US, both of those devices are out today, for those in the UK, you'll have to wait until the 27th. Are they worth putting on your Christmas list? With the US election drawing ever closer, we discuss just how accessible it is to vote, especially as we remain in a pandemic; Can absentee and early voting options truly be accessible? Tim explains the situation, and we also hear from Chris Denielson of the NFB in the States. Also, we've teamed up with RNIB's Technology for Life team to give you some much needed hints, tips and advice on things it would take us half an episode to explain! This week, TFL's Mohammed Atif offers his demonstration of how to set up an Amazon Fire tablet with Voice View enabled. All that, plus: Robin now owning a braille display, and weirdly it has an ejector seat button, virtual machines, pet shop sounds, "Algorithms done a boo-boo", Steven speaking French, accessible ATMs, spongey braille, Andy "just works", Columbus collaborations, and Andy apparently being ideal for voicing SatNav systems in your car. Plus emails! What happens when Google blocks you from your emails, because you're not in your usual city? And a very technical question about adding a spellchecker to a Win32 application. Robin of course has the answer! Speaking of Robin, his World Sight Day interview with Amazon on their Day One Blog, can be found here - Making the digital world accessible to all (https://blog.aboutamazon.co.uk/diversity-at-amazon/making-the-digital-world-accessible-to-all) On the topic of emails, yes, we do have an ever-expanding list still to read out, but trust me - we have secret plans for the rest of the year that will see us chomp through those 15 pages with ease! So now would be a great time to email in, and get it featured. Get in contact with us at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) - every single one will be read out. Tata!
Google's #LaunchNightIn, National Braille Week, and New Bose Frames
Hello everyone! It's time for Tech Talk 348! Thank you for joining us. On today's episode, Steven, Robin, Tim and Andy discuss Google's #LaunchNightIn event of last week, and boy are they all underwhelmed! There was plenty of new techy stuff revealed - the new Pixel 5, a Pixel 4A 5G, Nest Audio, and Chromecast with Google TV... they try to wrap up what they liked most, and what they may end up buying. It's also National Braille Week this week, which gives us a chance to talk about both the Orbit Writer... and Lego! Lego is still cool, no matter your age. Speaking of things that are cool, Bose have revealed a new series of 'Open Ear Audio™ technology' frames, and of course Steven has bought a pair. Shame his head is literally too big! All jokes to the usual email address, please... All that, as well as: an update for those of you having trouble with Audible and the Victor Reader Stream sync problems, the extortionate cost of YouTube TV, balls aplenty, help for musicians, should you buy a smartphone or tablet just for the Google Lookout App, sheep not using 5G, missing AD on ITV now found, and Steven talking sports, albeit briefly. Andy is still giving out Tech Talk Titles for the regulars in the email inbox, so to join the list, get in contact with us at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) - we welcome all kinds of questions, or even answers to previous listener questions that you want to join in on! chat to you all next week!