Living Blindfully

Latest Episodes:

Episode 36:Notetakers versus mainstream solutions, this week's big Sonos announcements explained, recording on the Zoom F6 and we look ahead to WWDC May 10, 2020

Show notes

Kia ora Mosen at largers. Thanks to all your incredible contributions, it's another busy show this week. Here's what's in it.

Intro,0:00.000

COVID-19 update, and mask debate,1:05.580

Notetakers versus Braille displays with mainstream devices,6:28.249

iOS and Braille displays together are just too dodgy,11:02.897

Setting up the Zoom F6 when blind,18:58.667

Tipping and notetakers,20:38.914

Notetakers and iPhoneSE,23:27.985

New 13-inch MacBook Pro is out,25:58.339

Parasites may have just been lucky,27:05.743

Jonathan recording on the Zoom F6 digital recorder,30:35.721

Apple needs to engage with blind people re Braille,38:43.173

The benefits of Apple's USB 3.0 Camera Connector Kit,42:13.962

Report from New York and notetaker thoughts,43:52.673

ZoomF6 versus voice guided recorders,51:03.707

I need many devices to do what I do,52:17.662

Recommending a book called The Blind Doctor,54:13.317

Why Americans need to tip,55:18.514

Cryptocurrency and should a 50 year old bother to learn Braille,58:10.954

Is technology going to cause Braille to di out?,1:00:09.619

Recommending the Sonos MOVE portable speaker,1:02:04.525

ClickAndPost.com could be an alternative to Apple's defunct Cards app,1:03:28.666

Accessibility frustrations during COVID-19,1:04:03.392

Learning Braille in adulthood,1:10:54.557

Why I gave up my notetaker,1:12:14.829

The Benefits of mainstream devices and what happens when hearing aids break during the pandemic?,1:15:23.722

A look at the big announcements from Sonos especially their new ARC sound bar,1:18:27.519

VPN clients that work well on Windows and iOS,1:34:32.574

iPhone SE and lockdown comments,1:35:53.131

The Bonnie Bulletin begins with comments on blind people and video conferencing,1:39:35.713

Should I switch from Windows to Mac?,1:47:42.785

More notetaker feedback,1:59:33.101

We'll know what's in iOS 14 on 22 June,2:02:19.127

The Overcast podcast app just got way better on the Apple Watch Cellular,2:04:10.363

Tile will soon be built into some new laptops,2:05:40.584

Has Google Chrome removed voice search?,2:06:46.055

Eloquence for iOS isn't going to happen,2:07:52.254

Closing,2:10:20.580

Episode 35:Gary ODonoghue reviews and demonstrates the Zoom F6 multi-track field recorder and its iOS app from a blindness perspective May 06, 2020

Show notes

If you're blind and need to record dependable audio when you're out and about, the Zoom F6 multi-track field recorder is worthy of your serious consideration.

When you can't see the pretty level meters on these recorders, ensuring you're recording at the correct level can be a challenge. The 32-bit float recording feature of the Zoom F6 takes care of that, allowing you to eliminate clipping or hiss caused by bad levels.

Equally as exciting is that with an optional accessory, the Zoom F6 works with an iOS app that is fairly accessible, offering a range of control and configuration options.

In this episode, Gary ODonoghue takes us on a tour of the Zoom F6 and its features, shows us the iOS app, and gives us practical demonstrations of the benefits offered by 32-bit float recording.

Episode 34:is there strong science behind the public wearing masks, iPhone SE 2 reviews, conferencing apps, notetakers versus a smartphone-based solution and more May 03, 2020

Show notes

Kia ora Mosen at largers. We trust you're keeping safe and well, both physically and mentally. At this time where we all need connection, it's a bumper podcast episode for you this week, full of listener contributions.

Sonos move experiences,1:05.481

COVID-19 and the uncertain science of face covering for members of the public,2:24.783

How is the iPhone SE 2 working out?,9:15.250

More trouble with Samsung devices,11:04.690

Advice from the Scottish Government on protective covering for the public and COVID-19,12:42.740

More iPhone SE 2 feedback,16:26.573

Audio processing on Mushroom FM,17:21.644

Is there an alternative to Apple's discontinued Cards app?,19:07.651

YouTube Music on Sonos,20:47.817

Blind people and crypto currency,22:02.081

More on the Zoom F6 digital recorder,23:28.874

Success with Braille Screen Input on a Samsung device and question about Braille input on a PC,29:42.255

Zoom Cloud Meetings questions,32:11.663

iPhone SE 2 thoughts and envy in the blind community,36:26.381

More on Zoom Cloud Meetings,43:53.133

Granular control of different iOS volumes,45:03.552

The cloud meeting space is really heating up,49:01.190

Notetakers versus a Braille display and an iPhone,54:27.150

Question about places where blind people can meet during COVID-19,1:02:53.178

Notetakers versus a Braille display and iPhone,1:04:27.788

Michael Feir talks about his book Personal Power iOS edition,1:05:06.043

Talk stations in New Zealand,1:11:00.291

Phone Soap poor customer experience,1:12:14.328

Migrating data from one iPhone to another,1:15:08.999

The Bonnie Bulletin begins with a COVID-19 update,1:16:20.652

Bonnie's take on notetakers versus an iPhone with a Braille display,1:21:19.643

A request for a stereophonic Bonnie Bulletin,1:22:52.706

The iOS Camera Adapter kit,1:23:14.840

Reading Recommendation The Chronicles of St. Mary's by Jodi Taylor,1:25:25.999

Microsoft Word 365 dictation is worth checking out,1:29:03.604

Thankfully Microsoft Word is now flagging two spaces after a period/full stop as an error,1:29:44.876

Michael Feir's book and a new version of Ulysses for iOS and Mac,1:31:47.075

Exciting updates coming for Sonos,1:32:39.819

Tipping in the US versus New Zealand,1:35:27.555

Blind people in Hong Kong advocating for more accessible media apps,1:42:34.615

National Braille Press has some free kids' books to give away,1:44:32.848

British blind man says people are being judgmental about blind people during COVID-19,1:45:30.443

InstaCart and comments on tipping in America,1:47:31.566

Mike Feir's Book Personal Power iOS Edition,1:49:18.843

iPhone SE 2,1:51:32.013

Ways for blind people to connect during COVID-19,1:52:03.430

Closing,1:54:20.552

Episode 33:Mushroom FM turns 10, a celebration Apr 25, 2020

Show notes

On 25 April 2010, after a week of hard work and a massive social media build-up, the Internet radio station Mushroom FM launched. It's with pride and gratitude that we celebrate Mushroom Fm's 10th birthday by delving into Mushroom FM's extensive archives, hearing stories from its founders about the how and the why, telling the story of how it relaunched stronger than ever after a hiatus, and

playing congratulatory messages from its listeners who are affectionately called the Mushroom Crowd.

Episode 32:Contributions now open for our Mushroom FM 10th anniversary episode, a detailed look at iPhone SE 2nd generation, who needs a note taker these days and more Apr 19, 2020

Show notes

Hi Mosen at Largers. We hope you're keeping safe and well. We have another busy podcast for you this week as we prepare for Mushroom FM's 10th birthday celebrations, in which you can participate in several ways. On the show this week:

Intro,0:00.000

COVID-19 in New Zealand,1:05.496

iPhone XR very sensitive,2:27.891

Send in your Mushroom FM memories for our special podcast next week,3:10.456

You can still register for Mushroom FM's virtual music festival Mushroomstock,5:25.995

The iPhone SE second generation explained,6:51.924

What's old is new again,21:54.949

Feedback on the new TalkBackBraille keyboard,25:29.116

JAWS in the workplace and laptop layout,28:47.851

Zoom Cloud Meetings audio,31:08.694

CleanFeed is an incredible service for live and recorded audio,37:54.541

Microphone for iPhone mxlmm130 review,41:39.228

Finding inspiration to keep job hunting during a crisis,43:49.803

COVID-19 inAustinTX,49:38.037

New iPhone SE has dual SIM,51:07.060

Update from Madrid,52:47.620

Follow-up to Zoom Cloud Meetings question,58:51.005

Zoom F6 portable recorder,59:41.871

YouTube music on iOS and Sonos,1:05:18.197

Fighting COVID-19 in South Korea, see this Guardian article,1:07:23.842

Bluetooth speakers and VoiceOver for iOS,1:09:16.133

The Bonnie Bulletin begins with a COVID-19 update,1:12:00.404

Note taker options,1:14:59.128

Job hunting in this difficult economy,1:17:05.981

Typewriters and telex machines,1:23:33.756

Running a personal blog,1:29:10.051

The Optacon is technology that has never really been improved upon,1:30:57.528

Focus Blue 5th generation stand-alone,1:33:37.756

COVID-19 brings an end to The Archers 69-year streak,1:35:48.115

Get your contributions in for our special Mushroom FM 10th birthday episode,1:38:51.650

Closing,1:40:34.134

Episode 31:Mushroom FM soon turns 10, Main Menu just turned 20, Nest Video Doorbell review, plenty of tech and audio geekery Apr 12, 2020

Show notes

Hello Mosen At Largers. We trust you're keeping safe and in good mental health during these tough times. This week there's over 100 minutes of content to keep you entertained and informed. Thanks to everyone who has so generously contributed.

Intro,0:00.000

COVID-19 in New Zealand,1:05.501

MushroomFM prepares to celebrate our 10th birthday with a huge virtual music festival. Register for Mushroomstock today,3:26.358

Seeing AI and Envision AI compared,7:57.695

COVID-19 in Ireland,10:45.336

iPhone annoyances,14:30.137

Mixer demise,20:27.387

NFB confirms this year's convention will be virtual,22:42.188

Best mixer and mic for an Internet radio station,26:07.446

More on the Envision smart glasses,30:03.778

Waterproof Bluetooth headset recommendation,33:36.153

Google delivers a Braille virtual keyboard for Android,37:11.022

iPhone hardware failure?,40:36.521

Google and Apple work together on a COVID-19 contact tracing API,44:38.273

Recording YouTube videos and iOS bugs,48:09.775

Follow-up to iOS bugs,53:43.830

Google Nest Video Doorbell demo,57:46.255

Reflections on the 20th anniversary of Main Menu,1:03:00.063

Getting around glitches when using Zoom for podcast recording,1:10:36.012

Archives of early Main Menu shows,1:12:29.030

Wireless broadband and New Zealand's remote education initiatives,1:14:26.667

The Bonnie Bulletin begins discussing if masks for the public really work,1:15:53.384

Easter for kids in lockdown,1:17:47.366

Podcast recommendation 13 Minutes to the Moon Season 2,1:20:06.381

Some American English voices in iOS are saying Yestertay,1:24:21.371

A couple of science fiction book recommendations,1:26:02.323

Report from Rhode Island,1:28:06.968

Dell Mobile Connect and its iOS support has promise,1:32:49.830

Configuring Zoom's advanced settings with Internet Explorer 11,1:34:10.858

Apple patent reveals they are thinking about bedding products for sleep tracking,1:36:49.226

AirPower may be back on track,1:38:46.737

Mix Minus recording with the Allen & Heath mixer,1:40:12.861

Closing and Mushroomstock reminder,1:45:41.586

Episode 30:Is it time to give up on Zoom Cloud Meetings, Apple working on massive improvements to the way the camera works for blind people, and listeners report in on COVID-19 Apr 04, 2020

Show notes

Hi Mosen at Largers. Bonnie and I send our best to you as we all navigate these difficult waters together in isolation. We wish you safety and good health. Today:

Intro,0:00.000

An interesting new book, Fast Asleep by Michael Mosley,0:37.371

Acts of kindness and the SoupDrinker,2:10.880

COVID-19 in Quebec,7:27.633

Bluetooth headset recommendations,11:27.177

External microphones when using video conference iOS apps,12:53.293

Sounds in Microsoft Office and Microsoft announces Microsoft 365,19:38.496

Political comments on the podcast and Envision Smart Glasses,23:29.294

It's not as efficient to use the iPhone as it used to be,30:24.607

Major Apple Watch series 5 battery drain after update,36:10.443

Many little things are so different inCalifornia,38:36.134

Bluetooth headsets or earbuds you can wear in the shower,43:34.880

Plug a powered USB hub into your iPhone,44:39.214

Is it time to give up on Zoom Cloud Meetings?,45:35.209

The tech companies warned us this was coming,53:32.377

Working from home seems to generate more work,54:36.007

Facebook unveils new features inspired by COVID-19,55:46.697

The Bonnie bulletin in lockdown,57:58.613

Techniques for recording YouTube videos when blind,1:01:37.503

Some fine things have been laid upon your table but you only want the ones you can't get,1:05:58.447

Lord of the rings movies with audio description?,1:07:22.725

Report from New York,1:10:02.104

Apple files patent that dramatically improves the use of the camera for blind people,1:15:58.528

Looks like it's the iPhone SE 2,1:18:39.787

Dell says you can now control iPhone from its computers,1:20:13.372

People inventing reasons to get in touch during the lockdown,1:21:11.753

Loved ones in self-isolation,1:22:00.066

Other medical procedures suffering due to COVID-19,1:22:41.264

Big improvements to the Spotify app for Apple Watch,1:24:28.026

Closing,1:25:05.170

Episode 29:More blind people report in from around the world, audio graphing with iOS and VoiceOver, tips for hearing aid wearers, a new Sonos operating system and more Mar 29, 2020

Show notes

Hi Mosen At Largers. I'm back again with another jam-packed episode put together by our wonderful community. Don't forget, many of us are staying in touch twice a day every week day at the moment on Mushroom FM, and you're very welcome to tune in and tell us how you're doing. Let's stick together and support each other.

Here's what's on the show today.

Introduction,0:00.000

Very strict lockdown in New Zealand,0:51.951

New Zealand receives a nationwide emergency alert,9:50.505

A guest appearance from someone famous,14:54.072

German perspective,17:03.292

An unwelcome hint in iOS 13.4 Mail,17:53.878

Why are even seasoned work from homers finding this time so tough,19:01.360

Sites to help record podcast interviews,23:23.316. Sites mentioned include Squadcast,Zencastr and CleanFeed.

NFB is doing a live presidential release and other consumer organisations holding virtual gatherings,30:10.278

Strict delivery requirements at a complex for the over 55s,32:50.808

A report from Scotland and question about the LBC app,35:09.608

Speaking out against the catastrophic COVID-19 response in the US,39:11.428

Revisiting the question of VoiceOver sounds coming through the speaker when using MFI hearing aids,42:00.965

Will we get remixes of earlier Beatles albums?,47:10.540

Getting up to speed with Backpack Studio and Zoom,48:45.736

Checking in with Canada,51:53.632

Update from a schoolteacher in New York,56:03.723

Report fromWashingtonDC,59:50.438

Podcast hosting recommendations,1:03:18.846. Sites mentioned include Libsyn,Podbean,Pinecast and Anker.

Where to buy the Sharp Talking Time,1:05:04.157

Bluetooth hearing solutions for an RIC hearing aid wearer,1:06:44.919

Guide dog treats for when the usuals don't turn up,1:09:06.468

Recent experience of Zencastr,1:09:31.004

Oh the places you'll go when in lockdown,1:11:45.552

The Bonnie Bulletin in lockdown,1:13:43.154

Is Britbox accessible?,1:19:24.880

Different approaches to getting work for disabled people,1:23:56.187

Answer to the Bluetooth headphones for RIC hearing aid wearers question,1:29:04.598

Allen and Heath Zed-12FX versus Zed-24FX mixer,1:29:45.883

Little known feature. Audio presentation of graphical data in iOS 13,1:33:17.855

ECG and irregular heart rate notifications have come to New Zealand onAppleWatch,1:34:45.457

Webcam recommendations,1:35:03.781

Blindness providers in New Zealand,1:39:44.984

Apps for maintaining a journal,1:40:21.662

My Sonosthesia book and big changes coming to Sonos with their new S2 operating system,1:42:01.095

Google Podcast is now available for iOS and you can hear Mosen At Large with it,1:44:15.864

Journal app recommendation Day One Journal,1:44:57.703

More on Apple's audio graphing,1:45:25.281

Episode 28:The benefits of meditation, and the fully accessible FitMind app, with Liam McClintock Mar 28, 2020

Show notes

Hi Mosen at largers. Welcome to this extra episode. First, I hope you and yours are doing well during this global crisis.

I've heard from many listeners throughout the week from all over the world, emailing this podcast and also contributing to the live radio shows I've been doing twice a day to help us stay connected with each other. For some people, self-isolation is proving very tough, especially for those on their own.

So this seems like the perfect time to interview the founder of a meditation app I discovered recently that has really impressed me. It's called FitMind. It's fully accessible, and there's something in it for you whether you've always wanted to start a meditation practice or whether you've been meditating for years.

You can download the iOS app for free. To use it fully, you'll need a subscription, but FitMind's founder, Liam McClintock who joins us on this episode, gives an email address you can contact if you feel you'd benefit from the app but genuinely can't afford to buy it at this difficult time. Thanks to Liam for that very generous offer.

In this discussion, we explore what meditation is, what its benefits are, the science behind it and some blindness-specific aspects of meditation you don't hear about in mainstream podcasts.

For further information about FitMind, you can visit the FitMind website.

Episode 27:COVID-19 perspectives experiences and fears from around the world, new hardware and software from Apple, and yea for accessible Rubik's cubes Mar 22, 2020

Show notes

Hi Mosen at Largers. This week's show is a little longer than usual to give you a bit more fresh content to listen to. It also demonstrates the amazing sense of community we've built up in the last 21 years I've been connected with you via Internet radio and podcasting.

Please note that to keep our community in touch with one another and to provide some connection during this difficult time, whenever possible I will be hosting my show on Mushroom FM during the week live, twice a day from Monday to Friday. There will be a new show at 2 AM US Eastern time and another new show at 2 PM US Eastern time. For details about where that is where you are, check the Mushroom FM schedule.

This week on the show.

Introduction,0:00.000

Temporarily, I'm live twice a day during the week on Mushroom FM,0:47.810

COVID-19 from a blindness perspective,2:48.436

Keeping fit during COVID-19 isolation with reference to the awesome fully described workouts from http://BlindAlive.com ,8:12.267

Accessible Rubik's Cube,9:55.920

Thoughts from Christopher on iOS 14,12:55.737

Listener comment on familiar voices at a difficult time,21:04.402

Listener question about accounts in multiple Apple App Stores,21:53.941

My audiobook on Zoom is now free,28:57.670

A UK perspective onCOVID-19,30:45.392

Will summer help lessen the spread ofCOVID-19,32:53.421