Living Blindfully

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Episode 96:Nick Zammarelli reviews the new version of Google Talkback included with Samsung smartphones Feb 10, 2021

Show notes

Samsung has recently released a new Galaxy range, plus they are going back and upgrading some older models to Android 11. As part of that upgrade, the Voice Assistant screen reader has been replaced by a new version of Talkback from Google. It boasts multitouch gestures and other improvements. In this episode, Nick Zammarelli introduces us to the new Google Talkback and shares his thoughts on his likes and dislikes.

Episode 95:Advocacy strategies for better VoiceOver reliability, when religion and disability rights collide, tech tips and more Feb 06, 2021

Show notes

Kia ora Mosen At Largers. A reminder that this podcast is indexed by chapter. If you listen with a podcast client that offers chapter support, you can easily skip between segments.

Here are the topics covered in this episode, and the time in the file for each.

A selection of listener concerns about the current quality of iOS,0:00 Advocacy strategies for improving VoiceOver quality control,18:31 When disability rights and religion collide,33:17 Cool Christmas gifts,58:23 Thoughts on HumanWare's new Brailliant family,1:02:26 BrailleNote Apex reaches end of life. Upgrades offered.,1:08:40 Looking for an accessible tool for DVD audio extracting,1:10:31 Meditation apps,1:11:33 Dealing with mainstream tech support,1:14:16 Syncing podcasts between Amazon echo devices,1:15:10 Looking ahead to the new decade,1:17:32 In praise of HomePod Mini,1:20:41 Synology Network Attached Storage devices,1:22:47 MisbehavingCastro,1:26:23 Social media behaviours that cause accessibility annoyances,1:28:11 The Mac Podcasts app,1:36:13 Thoughts on Seeing AI, Braille and other things,1:37:24 Returning the AirPods Max,1:44:03 The Oticon More hearing aids are a potential game changer,1:49:13 Anyone using an Amazon Smart Oven?,1:59:04 Another new laptop to consider,2:03:05 The Brief Bonnie Bulletin,2:05:04 Closing,2:09:24

Episode 94:HumanWare talks about its new generation Brailliant Braille displays, and a review of the Brailliant BI20X Feb 03, 2021

Show notes

HumanWare has launched a new generation of Brailliant Braille displays. They are notable not only for what they do out of the box today, but also for the tantalising promise of some great future features thanks to some very capable hardware.

I speak with Andrew Flatres, who manages the Brailliant product line at HumanWare, and Peter Tucic, who’s the Braille Ambassador for HumanWare in the US.

Then I give you a comprehensive review of the Brailliant BI20X, which HumanWare sent me to review.

Find out more about Brailliant from your HumanWare distributor, or http://HumanWare.com

Episode 93:Braille bugs in iOS 14.4, laptops you like and don't, Uber guide dog discrimination and more Jan 30, 2021

Show notes

Kia ora Mosen At Largers. A reminder that this podcast is indexed by chapter. If you listen with a podcast client that offers chapter support, you can easily skip between segments.

Here are the topics covered in this episode, and the time in the file for each. Intro,0:00 Braille issues in iOS 14.4,0:29 Anticipating the Brailliant episode,14:25 Laptops you like...and don't,16:57 A solution to dodgy laptop keyboards,24:06 Mainstream tech support and blind people,27:45 Rivo2 and Microsoft Outlook on the blink,36:12 The Castro podcast app for iOS,41:56 Are AirPods Max worth the money?,53:07 Seeing AI,1:01:29 Remembering Larry King,1:05:51 Learning to take good pictures with iPhone,1:13:35 The golden age of moon exploration,1:16:48 Zoom recorders,1:18:41 Upskilling and Braille displays,1:20:40 Ringtones and WhatsApp,1:22:50 Fire TV,1:24:26 Alexa sounds,1:25:26 Skipping to the Bonnie Bulletin,1:27:44 Learning and supporting each other online,1:31:57 Uber guide dog refusal,1:37:36 Closing and contact info,1:45:42

Episode 92:Interview with Microsoft Seeing AI founder Saqib Shaikh, and a walk around Mosen Towers to demonstrate Seeing AI's World Channel Jan 27, 2021

Show notes

Microsoft's free Seeing AI app helps blind and low vision iPhone and iPad users with visual tasks. And now, it's added lidar for Pro Apple devices that come with the feature.

I speak with Microsoft Seeing AI's founder, Saqib Shaikh, a blind person himself who came up with a practical solution to tackle many of the visual tasks we as blind people face daily. We talk about Seeing AI's future and where it's going.

Then I take a walk around Mosen Towers with my iPhone 12 Pro Max to give you a practical demonstration of Seeing AI's World Channel. I recommend listening to this demonstration with headphones to get the full immersive experience.

Episode 91:New laptops at Mosen Towers, mainstream tech support and blind people, a Rivo2 review and more Jan 23, 2021

Show notes

Kia ora Mosen At Largers. A reminder that this podcast is indexed by chapter. If you listen with a podcast client that offers chapter support, you can easily skip between segments.

Here are the topics covered in this episode, and the time in the file for each.

introduction,0:00 Review of the Dell XPS-15 2020 edition and the tech support experience that prompted me to buy it,2:39 Tech support story,31:08 Blind people making the most of pitch,33:42 Looking for an SSH app for iOS,34:37 Bluetooth keyboard recommendations,35:48 Fire TV feedback,37:53 The quest for the missing Emoji,40:30 Review, Family Duel Alexa skill",41:35 Comment on the Nixon deep fake,45:57 Is it worth switching to Office 365?,49:43 Lidar on the Pro iPhones,55:19 Review of the Rivo 2 keyboard,1:01:38 APH Mantis thoughts,1:21:51 Welcome back and Scribe for Meetings,1:35:02 The Bonnie Bulletin starts with her most frequent source of mainstream tech support nightmares,1:36:59 Bonnie MacMosen. The M1 arrives at Mosen Towers,1:41:20 Fondly remembering Larry King,1:53:04 Closing,1:55:48

Episode 90:Unboxing, installing, setting up and using an Amazon Fire TV Stick with the VoiceView screen reader Dec 19, 2020

Show notes

in our final episode of the decade, we unbox, install and set up an Amazon Fire TV stick, then enable the VoiceView screen reader and put it through its paces.

Thank you for an amazing year for Mosen at Large. I appreciate the time you have taken to listen, and Bonnie and I wish you a safe and restful holiday season.

Mosen At Large will be back for the new decade on 23 January 2021.

Episode 89:This decades tech in review, I still want a Google self-driving car for Christmas, and being on the front line of the COVID-19 fight Dec 12, 2020

Show notes

Kia ora Mosen At Largers. A reminder that this podcast is indexed by chapter. If you listen with a podcast client that offers chapter support, you can easily skip between segments.

Here are the topics covered in this episode, and the time in the file for each. Introduction,0:00 I want the Google Driving Car for Christmas,2:15. If you like it, you can always vote for it inMushroom FM’s countdown and listen to the song on YouTube. John Lennon Book recommendation,5:21 Vote now in Mushroom FM's Holiday countdown. Voting closes on Friday,10:01 Milestones and graduations,11:49 Songs that have kept you going during the pandemic,15:46 The decade is about to end,18:23 The biggest tech highlights of the decade from a blindness perspective,24:56 Are my dodgy Apple Watch days behind me?,1:04:19 Apple Fitness Plus,1:09:32 AirPods Max,1:11:24 Exposure notifications finally come to New Zealand,1:13:15 Inaccessible TV ads,1:16:41 It's frightening on the front line of the COVID-19 fight,1:20:43 Don't forget good old Ludwig,1:25:28 How to read or hear Louis the Blind Christmas elf,1:41:34 Closing,1:43:04

Episode 88:Remembering John Lennon, the pros and cons of social media, Apple things, Windows things, Sonos things and more things Dec 05, 2020

Show notes

Kia ora Mosen At Largers. A reminder that this podcast is indexed by chapter. If you listen with a podcast client that offers chapter support, you can easily skip between segments.

Here are the topics covered in this episode, and the time in the file for each. Intro,0:00 Vote now for our 2020 holiday countdown and score an invitation to our highly exclusive Christmas party,5:00 The day John Lennon died and what he and the Beatles mean to us,19:57 Memories of tape recorders, the Beatles and the day John died,38:54 Social media, the pros and cons,47:57 More tape recorder memories,1:01:50 Thoughts on various recent topics,1:32:18 Praise for the Orbit Writer,1:45:06 Samsung and Sonos Arc,1:47:48 The search for lost things,1:50:48 Optimising settings for Windows notifications,1:51:48 Questions on mixers and thoughts on social media,1:53:25 More AppleFeedback,1:58:01 New iPhone Mini,1:58:55 Any hints on using Apple Music with iTunes for Windows?,2:03:33 Update on Watch and email problems,2:07:01 What do you use your Apple Watch for?,2:10:25 Misc Apple News,2:17:15 The increasing accuracy of deep fake,2:18:34 The strangulation of TuneIn in the UK,2:27:02 The Bonnie Bulletin on squeaky tapes, John Lennon and impact with attitude,2:30:31 Closing,2:41:57

Episode 87:Tape recorder memories, eating in public, Mantis Q40 questions and more Nov 28, 2020

Show notes

Kia ora Mosen At Largers. A reminder that this podcast is indexed by chapter. If you listen with a podcast client that offers chapter support, you can easily skip between segments.

Here are the topics covered in this episode, and the time in the file for each. Introduction,0:00 It's beginning to feel like summer with the return of cricket,2:15 Thanksgiving. Daily gratitude works wonders,3:11 The search for the lost cord,5:08 Send me your Beatles and John Lennon memories for the next episode,12:09 Book recommendation: "Breath, the new science of a lost art", by James Nestor,15:35 More tape recorder memories,17:33 Bluetooth keyboard recommendations,1:07:10 iOS app recommendation, NFC Tools,1:09:49 How accessible is the Ancestral Quest app?,1:11:36 Product recommendation, Keyto Breath Sensor,1:12:36 Mantis Q40 comments,1:15:09 Facebook for iOS accessibility bug, and why do people still use Facebook anyway?,1:18:02 Several topics from South Africa including blind people eating in public,1:23:11 Tips for diagnosing and resolving your own computer problems,1:36:37 Windows podcast app recommendation, Speak OnMedia Suite,1:46:12 Windows Notifications and reaction to the MFI hearing aid issue,1:50:18 Various thoughts from the UK,1:58:02 Good maps and questions about the Mantis Q40,2:04:38 Two-factor authentication with 1Password and Amazon Sidewalk explained,2:08:50 Closing and contact info,2:16:16 Share your thoughts on these topics or any others. Drop me an email in writing or with an audio attachment, Jonathan at MushroomFm.com, or phone the listener line in the United States, +1864-60Mosen, that's +18646066736. Keep up with Mosen At Large between episodes. Follow MosenAtLarge on Twitter where you'll get audio extras, links to interesting news stories, sneak peeks about what's coming up and more. If you'd like to subscribe to our announcements only email list, please send email to media-subscribe@mosen.org And if you like the show, we'd love a positive review and for you to spread the word. Thank you.

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