WEBVTT - Talking Tech 28th November 2023 0:00:08.178 --> 0:00:11.748 Hello everyone! Welcome to Talking Tech. This edition available from 0:00:11.748 --> 0:00:16.038 November 28th, 2023. I'm Stephen Jolly. Great to have you 0:00:16.038 --> 0:00:19.638 with us. Listening may be through Vision Australia Radio, Associated 0:00:19.638 --> 0:00:24.108 Stations of Australia or maybe the Community Radio Network. There 0:00:24.108 --> 0:00:27.048 is also the podcast to catch that. What you need 0:00:27.048 --> 0:00:29.778 to do is search for the two words talking tech 0:00:29.778 --> 0:00:32.748 and down can Canal come usually on a Tuesday afternoon 0:00:32.748 --> 0:00:36.348 just after it's been produced. Another option is to ask 0:00:36.348 --> 0:00:39.738 your Siri device or smart speaker to play Vision Australia 0:00:39.738 --> 0:00:45.588 Radio talking tech podcast Vision Australia Radio talking Tech podcast 0:00:46.038 --> 0:00:48.438 with me, someone who can explain all this tech stuff 0:00:48.438 --> 0:00:54.648 really well written. Australia's national advisor on access Technology, David Woodbridge. David, 0:00:54.648 --> 0:00:58.368 let's talk today about some of the apps that have 0:00:58.368 --> 0:01:01.338 come to your attention and some of them to mine 0:01:01.338 --> 0:01:02.508 throughout the year. 0:01:03.048 --> 0:01:05.928 Yeah, because looking back in the year, I've suddenly realised 0:01:05.928 --> 0:01:09.408 that I've gone far beyond in some ways, just using 0:01:09.408 --> 0:01:12.018 sort of apps on my iPhone or even my Android 0:01:12.018 --> 0:01:15.738 phone to, to be exact. And I've gone into more 0:01:15.738 --> 0:01:20.028 getting more information around what's happening with our planet for 0:01:20.028 --> 0:01:21.948 general news, technology and everything else. 0:01:21.948 --> 0:01:26.358 So talking of getting information, let's talk about information around you. 0:01:26.358 --> 0:01:31.188 The Environment Obstacle Detector came to your attention recently. 0:01:31.428 --> 0:01:36.768 It did. And this uses your camera on your iPhone 0:01:36.768 --> 0:01:38.598 because that's what I tested it on. I'm not sure 0:01:38.598 --> 0:01:44.598 if there's an Android version and what it does. It vibrates, speaks, 0:01:44.598 --> 0:01:47.358 and makes sounds when you get close to an object. 0:01:47.358 --> 0:01:50.088 So it's very similar to sort of other handheld devices. 0:01:50.328 --> 0:01:53.148 Now I've tried it out with a chest harness. I 0:01:53.148 --> 0:01:54.618 think I might have said it a few weeks ago 0:01:54.618 --> 0:01:58.638 and it worked beautifully. Well, oddly, it doesn't work with 0:01:58.638 --> 0:02:01.908 overhanging trees, so tree branches or leaves and so on. 0:02:01.908 --> 0:02:05.898 And I think that's because it's not quite solid enough 0:02:05.898 --> 0:02:10.638 for the signal to bounce back. So I've currently ordered 0:02:10.908 --> 0:02:14.508 a head mount for my iPhone and I'm going to 0:02:14.508 --> 0:02:16.308 see if that makes any difference. 0:02:16.308 --> 0:02:18.468 So how is it giving you the information. What are 0:02:18.468 --> 0:02:19.518 you actually hearing? 0:02:19.908 --> 0:02:21.648 I can hear speech. So it's going to say like 0:02:21.648 --> 0:02:25.938 1.5 1.5m away or 0.5m away, which drives me crazy. 0:02:26.478 --> 0:02:29.868 The vibration actually gets a lot more solid if you like, 0:02:29.868 --> 0:02:32.808 but the one that I use is the beeping sound. 0:02:32.808 --> 0:02:34.758 So when you're two meters away, it's like a click. 0:02:34.908 --> 0:02:39.258 When it's 1.5m away, it's like a beep. And then 0:02:39.258 --> 0:02:42.978 when it's one meter away. So almost within arm's distance away, 0:02:42.978 --> 0:02:45.168 it's a very fast, rapid, solid beep. 0:02:45.858 --> 0:02:51.438 Very interesting. Now of course, our smart device is a 0:02:51.438 --> 0:02:56.598 source of great news content. And you use an RSS reader. 0:02:56.598 --> 0:02:59.178 You better tell us about what an RSS reader is 0:02:59.178 --> 0:03:01.398 and then the particular app that you use. 0:03:01.818 --> 0:03:05.868 RSS readers are basically a hyperlink or a feed link 0:03:05.868 --> 0:03:09.798 that goes to different websites. So when they update information 0:03:09.798 --> 0:03:12.348 on the website, it goes to that feed. So it's 0:03:12.348 --> 0:03:16.248 very much like you subscribing to a podcast feed, except 0:03:16.248 --> 0:03:20.328 this time you're actually subscribing to Attacks Feed if you like, 0:03:20.328 --> 0:03:22.968 where news stories pump. So things like in Australia, Sydney 0:03:22.968 --> 0:03:26.298 Morning Herald, The Age or those sort of major ones, 0:03:26.298 --> 0:03:29.598 and the RSS reader that I use, which I've searched 0:03:29.598 --> 0:03:33.348 for all different types of RSS feeds around the world, 0:03:33.378 --> 0:03:39.588 is leary l I r e RSS reader. And what 0:03:39.588 --> 0:03:41.628 I do every morning when I'm having my cup of 0:03:41.628 --> 0:03:44.448 coffee or cup of tea, I started up. It. Does 0:03:44.448 --> 0:03:48.348 a screen refresh or application refresh of all the RSS 0:03:48.348 --> 0:03:50.388 feeds that are following, which is, like I said, about 40, 0:03:50.568 --> 0:03:53.268 and then I simply read the ones that I want. 0:03:53.268 --> 0:03:55.818 I then asterisk the ones that I then want to 0:03:55.818 --> 0:03:59.058 post out to social media. And that's literally what I 0:03:59.058 --> 0:04:02.868 do for every single day, including getting stuff for talking tech. 0:04:03.438 --> 0:04:07.038 What's your way of getting access to X? What used 0:04:07.038 --> 0:04:07.878 to be Twitter. 0:04:08.448 --> 0:04:13.278 Oddly, I use an app called spring, which supposedly is 0:04:13.278 --> 0:04:16.598 not supposed to work anymore due to the lovely person 0:04:16.608 --> 0:04:19.788 at x slash Twitter. But it still does work and 0:04:19.788 --> 0:04:22.738 it's very accessible. So that's the one that I still use. 0:04:22.738 --> 0:04:26.028 So rather than using the quote X app, I use 0:04:26.028 --> 0:04:29.508 this spring app because it's just a lot more accessible 0:04:29.508 --> 0:04:32.268 than what Twitter app or accepts ever been. 0:04:32.838 --> 0:04:37.248 There's been a competitor to X over the last year 0:04:37.248 --> 0:04:40.788 or so. Mastodon. How do you access that? 0:04:41.418 --> 0:04:44.478 Yep. So Mastodon it does have its own app, but 0:04:44.478 --> 0:04:47.268 I use another app from the same developer that does spring. 0:04:47.268 --> 0:04:52.038 It's called Mona. Mona. And again, the developers spent a 0:04:52.038 --> 0:04:55.608 lot of time doing accessibility. Now the reasons why I 0:04:55.608 --> 0:04:59.388 in particular don't use any other clients or spend time 0:04:59.388 --> 0:05:04.188 really on Mona or the spring app is mainly because 0:05:04.188 --> 0:05:08.848 like every social media, everybody sort of sometimes. Post stuff 0:05:08.848 --> 0:05:10.828 that are not really relevant to what I'm looking at, 0:05:10.828 --> 0:05:14.248 so I tend to read and then share my information 0:05:14.248 --> 0:05:18.478 out to Mona and Spring. So i.e. Mastodon and Twitter, 0:05:18.478 --> 0:05:21.448 rather than reading those particular social websites. 0:05:22.138 --> 0:05:26.668 One of the video assistance apps that people use is 0:05:26.668 --> 0:05:29.998 Be My Eyes. It's been around for quite a few years. 0:05:30.628 --> 0:05:34.168 A major development with my eyes this year wasn't there? 0:05:34.408 --> 0:05:37.078 Oh, this was a huge explosion when they developed the 0:05:37.078 --> 0:05:42.208 virtual AI assistant to help you identify what was around you, 0:05:42.208 --> 0:05:46.018 and they were even mentioned at the open AI conference 0:05:46.018 --> 0:05:50.638 as being an absolute great example of how artificial intelligence 0:05:50.728 --> 0:05:54.358 can help people that are particularly blind or low vision. 0:05:54.358 --> 0:05:57.208 So I never used to use bias before, because I 0:05:57.208 --> 0:06:01.168 had no need to quote ring people for assistance. But 0:06:01.168 --> 0:06:03.268 since I'm very interested in finding what's around me when 0:06:03.268 --> 0:06:06.478 I'm out and about myself independently, I'm always using the 0:06:06.478 --> 0:06:09.058 virtual assistant in my eyes. 0:06:09.268 --> 0:06:12.418 So be my eye. How do you use it? 0:06:13.078 --> 0:06:15.778 Simply going to be my eyes. You choose the AI 0:06:15.778 --> 0:06:19.708 assistance tab and then you effectively take a picture, and 0:06:19.708 --> 0:06:23.278 then it comes back and tells you what's in that photo. 0:06:23.278 --> 0:06:25.438 And then you can interrogate that photo more if you 0:06:25.438 --> 0:06:28.948 wish to do so. So it's actually very well done. 0:06:28.948 --> 0:06:30.958 And of course, if it doesn't get right the first time, 0:06:30.958 --> 0:06:33.298 you can always ask it again and again and again 0:06:33.658 --> 0:06:35.938 just to double check your information. That's what I do 0:06:35.938 --> 0:06:38.908 with all AI systems. I always double check. I don't 0:06:38.908 --> 0:06:41.568 take the first thing that comes out with as the 0:06:41.818 --> 0:06:43.258 the whole and solely truth. 0:06:43.618 --> 0:06:45.868 And you don't have to take the photo from within 0:06:45.868 --> 0:06:49.168 the app. You can actually have photos already on your 0:06:49.168 --> 0:06:52.888 device and share those to be my AI, and it'll 0:06:52.888 --> 0:06:54.688 describe them, which is terrific. 0:06:54.688 --> 0:06:56.728 That's also true. So if you've taken photos from like 0:06:56.728 --> 0:06:58.258 from the camera app, for example, then you can do 0:06:58.258 --> 0:06:59.638 exactly the same thing. Yeah. 0:07:00.118 --> 0:07:03.358 Well, photos that somebody else has sent you all sorts of. Absolutely. 0:07:03.358 --> 0:07:05.608 Which is really great perplexity. 0:07:05.608 --> 0:07:08.848 That's another AI app that people use. 0:07:09.328 --> 0:07:11.938 Now you've spent more time with this one than I have. 0:07:11.938 --> 0:07:14.158 I must admit, I haven't spent that much time, and 0:07:14.158 --> 0:07:17.548 I find it a little bit messy to get information 0:07:17.548 --> 0:07:18.958 out of it, because it feels like I've got a 0:07:18.958 --> 0:07:20.938 sort of like go all over the screen to find 0:07:20.938 --> 0:07:23.308 the information. I'm assuming you've got the next using that 0:07:23.308 --> 0:07:23.848 app now? 0:07:24.178 --> 0:07:27.388 Yes, I use it quite regularly a couple of times. 0:07:27.388 --> 0:07:32.038 I've used it this year that immediately jump out. We 0:07:32.038 --> 0:07:34.918 were upgrading our NBN and I was wanting to find 0:07:34.918 --> 0:07:37.498 out about fibre to the home and what it was 0:07:37.498 --> 0:07:40.858 going to mean. I just asked perplexity about it and 0:07:40.858 --> 0:07:44.698 it explained it to me. Explained the modems that were available. 0:07:44.698 --> 0:07:47.218 ET cetera. The different kinds of cable that you can 0:07:47.218 --> 0:07:51.058 use then to carry the signal around, around your home. 0:07:51.958 --> 0:07:55.258 So I became an expert on what the difference was 0:07:55.258 --> 0:07:59.188 between cat five, cat six, cat seven. ET cetera. Something 0:07:59.188 --> 0:08:03.868 completely different is when listening to cricket on the radio. 0:08:03.868 --> 0:08:06.658 Sometimes I might wonder about a particular batsman and I 0:08:06.658 --> 0:08:10.888 can just ask perplexity, which hand is Hayley Matthews bat? 0:08:11.128 --> 0:08:13.708 And it'll come back and tell me about Haley Matthews. 0:08:14.158 --> 0:08:16.708 A lot more about her if I want it. Terrific. 0:08:16.708 --> 0:08:17.668 All sorts of stuff. 0:08:17.668 --> 0:08:18.568 That's really cool. 0:08:19.798 --> 0:08:24.898 So that's perplexity. Another one that people use, the Microsoft one. Bing. 0:08:25.228 --> 0:08:27.778 I like being in a few ways. One of the 0:08:27.778 --> 0:08:30.868 main reasons is because it's if you're quite live on 0:08:30.868 --> 0:08:33.118 the web, so it's not just coming off a large 0:08:33.118 --> 0:08:36.988 language model that hasn't been updated for a while, like 0:08:36.988 --> 0:08:38.998 it's voice feedback. The only thing I don't like and 0:08:38.998 --> 0:08:42.478 I know I can wear headphones is the the stop 0:08:42.478 --> 0:08:46.468 speaking button. If voiceover reads it out to me, then 0:08:46.468 --> 0:08:49.918 Bing thinks it's myself or whatever else talking to it, 0:08:49.918 --> 0:08:53.728 so it stops talking. So that's really irritating. And the 0:08:53.728 --> 0:08:56.488 other thing about being I find sometimes is if I'm 0:08:56.488 --> 0:09:00.478 not using the speech output bit, it has information on 0:09:00.478 --> 0:09:04.198 the screen, but I find it's not very friendly to 0:09:04.198 --> 0:09:06.958 try and find it quickly. And that's what I like 0:09:06.958 --> 0:09:08.968 about some of the newer systems, that it's very quick 0:09:08.968 --> 0:09:10.468 to find the information on the screen or have it 0:09:10.468 --> 0:09:13.288 spoken out to you, which Bing does do, but sometimes 0:09:13.288 --> 0:09:14.698 it just feels a bit too fiddly. 0:09:14.938 --> 0:09:16.468 Tell me about Call Any. 0:09:16.738 --> 0:09:20.738 Call any is an application for both iOS and the Mac, 0:09:20.758 --> 0:09:23.908 and I use core any on the Mac, and this 0:09:23.908 --> 0:09:25.858 is purely and you can use the keyboard, but this 0:09:25.858 --> 0:09:28.798 is purely voice input and voice output. So I can 0:09:28.798 --> 0:09:31.468 just simply sit here. I can run the call any 0:09:31.468 --> 0:09:34.798 application press on the button that says call any. And 0:09:34.798 --> 0:09:36.778 she knows my name now. So she says, Hi David, 0:09:36.778 --> 0:09:39.558 what can I do for today? I ask her questions, 0:09:39.558 --> 0:09:41.308 so she speaks back to me and we have a 0:09:41.308 --> 0:09:45.208 conversation now that is really, really amazing. So I find 0:09:45.208 --> 0:09:48.658 when I want to get straight information or query information 0:09:49.078 --> 0:09:51.808 I always tend to use Call Annie on my Mac. 0:09:52.138 --> 0:09:54.928 ChatGPT has been around a while now. 0:09:55.348 --> 0:09:59.398 It has been, and I'm looking forward to spending more 0:09:59.398 --> 0:10:04.018 time with ChatGPT. In fact, this weekend I had a 0:10:04.108 --> 0:10:09.658 whole conversation with the AI. Out. I and I literally 0:10:09.658 --> 0:10:13.828 spoke between 35 to 45 minutes asking it all about 0:10:13.828 --> 0:10:19.408 computer vision, computer enhancement, AI, VR, R, blah, blah, blah. 0:10:19.648 --> 0:10:23.338 And it was just absolutely incredible because you're speaking to 0:10:23.338 --> 0:10:25.228 it and it's speaking back to you. It really feels 0:10:25.228 --> 0:10:28.138 like you're using a human being. And I wasn't using headphones, 0:10:28.138 --> 0:10:33.118 but the stop speaking button is called Speak now, which 0:10:33.118 --> 0:10:35.608 means that it doesn't activate anything because it's just the 0:10:35.608 --> 0:10:39.868 Speak Now button. So I'm thinking I might even just 0:10:39.868 --> 0:10:42.748 apply for the full version of ChatGPT. So I get 0:10:42.748 --> 0:10:46.108 the latest database and internet access, then just using the 0:10:46.108 --> 0:10:47.058 free version now. 0:10:47.068 --> 0:10:50.188 So let's just explain this one to people that the 0:10:50.188 --> 0:10:56.548 app is called ChatGPT. It uses GPT 3.5 for the 0:10:56.548 --> 0:11:01.948 free version. The paid one is GPT four, but this feature, 0:11:01.948 --> 0:11:04.948 the speech feature in it that's just come out in 0:11:04.948 --> 0:11:06.208 the last few days, hasn't it? 0:11:06.538 --> 0:11:08.908 It has. And because you don't have to try and 0:11:08.908 --> 0:11:11.728 find information on the screen and it's all done by 0:11:11.728 --> 0:11:15.208 your voice and then the voice feedback, I think it's 0:11:15.208 --> 0:11:18.838 just updated my access to the app and the AI 0:11:18.838 --> 0:11:22.618 system for OpenAI and chat, GPT itself, the application is 0:11:22.618 --> 0:11:24.598 just 100% improvement. 0:11:24.838 --> 0:11:26.968 There's a lot more we could talk about with apps 0:11:26.968 --> 0:11:29.668 during the year. We'll get some more opportunity to do 0:11:29.668 --> 0:11:35.038 that in future weeks. The vision store taking Christmas orders 0:11:35.038 --> 0:11:37.948 now and in the final days, the vision store of 0:11:37.948 --> 0:11:38.938 Vision Australia. 0:11:39.328 --> 0:11:42.478 Indeed. So if you're listening to this program this week, 0:11:42.538 --> 0:11:46.288 then as of December 1st, that's the last date you 0:11:46.288 --> 0:11:49.858 can get your orders in before Christmas for Western Australia. 0:11:50.218 --> 0:11:52.918 And then Friday week, which should be December 8th for 0:11:52.918 --> 0:11:55.588 the rest of Australia, is the time to get your 0:11:55.588 --> 0:11:58.708 orders in. So it's guaranteed before the Christmas shutdown period 0:11:58.708 --> 0:12:01.378 for business rate, which we have every year and just 0:12:01.378 --> 0:12:03.028 has a bit of a sort of a bonus thing. 0:12:03.028 --> 0:12:06.298 What I did last week is I went out and about, 0:12:06.298 --> 0:12:08.938 so I went onto a main road, I went into 0:12:08.938 --> 0:12:11.878 a park, I went into a quite shady street. I 0:12:11.878 --> 0:12:15.118 did some stuff in my backyard and also one finishing off, 0:12:15.118 --> 0:12:19.048 one inside, and I just called it the sounds of 0:12:19.048 --> 0:12:22.678 Summer vision Store ideas, just that you can see that 0:12:22.678 --> 0:12:25.288 this stuff really does work, and you can really have 0:12:25.288 --> 0:12:27.808 lots of fun when you use this stuff out and about, 0:12:27.808 --> 0:12:28.738 particularly in summer. 0:12:29.068 --> 0:12:32.728 So for people, particularly in Australia and in New Zealand, 0:12:32.728 --> 0:12:36.598 who can access the Vision Australia Vision store, they haven't 0:12:36.598 --> 0:12:39.058 been there before. What are the sorts of things that 0:12:39.058 --> 0:12:41.968 they can get from there that will make a difference 0:12:41.968 --> 0:12:43.798 and would be good for Christmas presents? 0:12:44.158 --> 0:12:48.718 We do have a lot of gift ideas under $100. 0:12:49.108 --> 0:12:52.918 Quite a few things between 100 to say 5 or $600. 0:12:53.098 --> 0:12:55.288 And then then of course, you've got the big ticket 0:12:55.288 --> 0:12:59.038 items like video, desktop magnifiers and braille displays and that 0:12:59.038 --> 0:13:02.968 sort of stuff, but particularly things for the kitchen, such 0:13:02.968 --> 0:13:07.228 as cooking, preparation, checking how hot your meat is inside, 0:13:07.228 --> 0:13:10.138 whether it's cooked properly, checking what jars are actually in 0:13:10.138 --> 0:13:12.478 the pantry, and all that sort of cool stuff. Vision 0:13:12.478 --> 0:13:15.268 Australia has all the stuff to be fully independent, not 0:13:15.268 --> 0:13:17.578 only in the kitchen, but you think of different rooms 0:13:17.578 --> 0:13:20.518 in your house such as your bathroom, lounge room, bedroom 0:13:20.518 --> 0:13:23.458 and so on. Then we have stuff for practically every 0:13:23.458 --> 0:13:25.468 single room in your house. And like I just said 0:13:25.468 --> 0:13:27.538 in the podcast, when you're out and about as well, 0:13:27.538 --> 0:13:29.158 not just inside your own home. 0:13:29.458 --> 0:13:33.448 So for people struggling with their vision, it's a good 0:13:33.448 --> 0:13:37.708 way to open the door to all those possibilities with 0:13:37.708 --> 0:13:39.118 devices and things, isn't it? 0:13:39.358 --> 0:13:39.898 Indeed. 0:13:40.348 --> 0:13:47.278 Shop Dot Vision australia.org shop dot Vision australia.org. Before we go, 0:13:47.278 --> 0:13:49.738 a reminder of whether a details of what you've been 0:13:49.738 --> 0:13:52.558 talking about in this and previous editions of the program. 0:13:52.708 --> 0:13:54.778 Indeed. So as always, you can check out my blog 0:13:54.778 --> 0:13:59.998 site which is David would be Dot pod bad Pencom. 0:14:00.538 --> 0:14:06.118 David would be dot podbean pod a n and to 0:14:06.118 --> 0:14:07.078 write to the program. 0:14:07.258 --> 0:14:09.208 You can write to me at Business Real where I work, 0:14:09.208 --> 0:14:13.018 which is David Dot Woodbridge. It sounds at Vision Australia. 0:14:13.228 --> 0:14:18.178 Org David Dot Woodbridge at Vision Australia. Org this has 0:14:18.178 --> 0:14:20.938 been talking tech with me has been Vision Australia's national 0:14:20.938 --> 0:14:25.558 advisor on access technology David Woodbridge I'm Stephen Jolley take care. 0:14:25.568 --> 0:14:27.208 We'll talk more tech next week. See you.