WEBVTT - Talking Tech 7th November 2023 0:00:08.148 --> 0:00:11.748 Hello everyone! Welcome to Talking Tech, this edition available from 0:00:11.748 --> 0:00:15.648 November 7th, 2023. I'm Stephen Jolly, great to have you 0:00:15.648 --> 0:00:19.668 with us listening through maybe Vision Australia Radio, Associated Stations 0:00:19.668 --> 0:00:23.688 of Australia or perhaps the Community Radio Network. There is 0:00:23.688 --> 0:00:27.048 also the podcast if you'd like to catch the podcast 0:00:27.048 --> 0:00:28.578 and haven't done so yet. All you need to do 0:00:28.578 --> 0:00:32.538 is search for the two words talking tech. And then 0:00:32.538 --> 0:00:35.268 it can come usually on a Tuesday afternoon just after 0:00:35.268 --> 0:00:38.358 it's been produced. Another option is to ask a Siri 0:00:38.358 --> 0:00:42.528 device or smart speaker to play Vision Australia radio talking 0:00:42.558 --> 0:00:47.658 tech podcast Vision Australia Radio talking tech podcast with me, 0:00:47.658 --> 0:00:50.478 someone who can explain all this tech stuff really well. 0:00:50.478 --> 0:00:56.268 Vision Australia's national advisor on Access Technology, David Woodbridge and 0:00:56.268 --> 0:00:59.148 David for once at a civilised time in our part 0:00:59.148 --> 0:01:02.148 of the world. Last Tuesday morning at 11 a.m., we 0:01:02.148 --> 0:01:05.118 were able to tune in to the most recent Apple event. 0:01:05.448 --> 0:01:10.398 We were indeed, and this one was purely a pre-recorded event. 0:01:10.398 --> 0:01:14.838 So there wasn't anybody actually at Cupertino at all. And 0:01:14.838 --> 0:01:20.238 what they announced was three new MacBook pros and a 0:01:20.238 --> 0:01:25.158 new iMac. So you've really got the M3 standard MacBook Pro, 0:01:25.578 --> 0:01:27.888 then you've got the Pro version of it, and then 0:01:27.888 --> 0:01:30.138 you've got sort of the big version of it, which 0:01:30.138 --> 0:01:33.468 is the max version of it. And then they also 0:01:33.468 --> 0:01:36.798 announced that the fact that the 24 inch iMac is 0:01:36.798 --> 0:01:39.318 also getting the M3 chip. 0:01:39.648 --> 0:01:41.988 Just to remind everyone what the iMac is. 0:01:42.138 --> 0:01:46.188 The iMac is an all in one desktop computer. So 0:01:46.188 --> 0:01:48.818 if you think about a computer has got the normally 0:01:48.828 --> 0:01:52.218 on a windows computer, you've got the the system box 0:01:52.218 --> 0:01:55.668 separate to the monitor and normally a separate speakers or 0:01:55.668 --> 0:01:59.118 part of the monitor. A iMac is an all in 0:01:59.118 --> 0:02:03.378 one computer. So you've got the the computer itself, plus 0:02:03.378 --> 0:02:05.478 the monitors all in one thing. Or you really need 0:02:05.478 --> 0:02:08.418 to do is plug in your power, attach a keyboard 0:02:08.418 --> 0:02:12.948 and mouse or trackpad and off you go. So all 0:02:12.948 --> 0:02:16.248 this new stuff now runs on Apple Silicon, as with 0:02:16.248 --> 0:02:20.328 the M1 and M2. And really what they were saying 0:02:20.328 --> 0:02:25.338 quite deliberately in the presentation is that the standard M3 0:02:25.338 --> 0:02:29.658 is for your general student type person. So when you're doing, 0:02:29.748 --> 0:02:32.868 you know, essays or a bit of number crunching or 0:02:32.868 --> 0:02:36.828 composing some music, that sort of lower end stuff, the 0:02:36.828 --> 0:02:39.528 next one, the pro version of the MacBook Pro, if 0:02:39.528 --> 0:02:42.678 you like, is for people that are a little bit 0:02:42.678 --> 0:02:48.138 more number crunching, such as massive amounts of data getting 0:02:48.138 --> 0:02:51.348 more advanced into a bit of video editing and music 0:02:51.348 --> 0:02:55.758 composition and so on. They also mentioned things like working 0:02:55.758 --> 0:02:59.418 in neurology and processing that type of data and so on. 0:02:59.818 --> 0:03:04.488 Then the Max is really for your full blown videoing 0:03:04.488 --> 0:03:08.388 4K type person where you will need the power of 0:03:08.388 --> 0:03:12.198 the processor. Where I came away from this event was 0:03:12.198 --> 0:03:16.068 thinking if you've already got an M1 and particularly in 0:03:16.068 --> 0:03:19.608 them to Mac, there was absolutely no need to update 0:03:19.848 --> 0:03:22.608 if you've got an internal Mac. So before the M1 0:03:22.608 --> 0:03:26.298 came out in 2020, you might want to start to 0:03:26.298 --> 0:03:29.628 consider updating because you will notice a bit of a 0:03:29.628 --> 0:03:33.948 speed difference. But for most of us that do emailing, 0:03:33.948 --> 0:03:37.698 word processing, web browsing, a bit of podcasting on that 0:03:37.698 --> 0:03:40.548 sort of stuff, if I was going to update, I'd 0:03:40.548 --> 0:03:43.728 probably just update to the straight M3, and that's more 0:03:43.728 --> 0:03:44.448 than adequate. 0:03:44.958 --> 0:03:47.418 What did you think of the broadcast time being in 0:03:47.418 --> 0:03:50.718 prime time evening time in the United States? 0:03:50.838 --> 0:03:53.118 Well, I loved it. And of course it had the 0:03:53.478 --> 0:03:57.228 scary fast Apple event because it was around Halloween. But 0:03:57.228 --> 0:03:59.748 I love the time because it meant I could I 0:03:59.748 --> 0:04:02.268 could think about doing other work around it, and I 0:04:02.268 --> 0:04:04.738 wasn't tired. I didn't have to get up at 3 a.m. 0:04:04.738 --> 0:04:07.788 or 10 a.m. that time and listen to the keynote. 0:04:08.178 --> 0:04:11.118 But what did you think about them experimenting for the 0:04:11.118 --> 0:04:13.278 American market with the evening prime time? 0:04:13.428 --> 0:04:15.108 I thought it was great because I think there was 0:04:15.108 --> 0:04:17.438 some sort of sports thing or some other thing on, 0:04:17.508 --> 0:04:21.408 and they apparently had a fantastic logging, because every time 0:04:21.408 --> 0:04:23.538 I think people know there's an Apple keynote event on, 0:04:23.958 --> 0:04:25.458 people have to listen to it. And because you can 0:04:25.458 --> 0:04:28.428 listen on your iPhone, your iPad or wherever else you like, 0:04:28.728 --> 0:04:31.068 it's very easy to just drop in and listen to it. 0:04:31.338 --> 0:04:33.528 Any other Apple news that day we should know about? 0:04:33.798 --> 0:04:37.128 Not so much that day, but we've also had the 0:04:37.128 --> 0:04:41.838 quarterly event from Apple to do if their quarterly earnings 0:04:42.198 --> 0:04:45.888 and as expected overall their ratings are down. However their 0:04:45.888 --> 0:04:48.678 services are up. So lots of things to do with 0:04:48.678 --> 0:04:51.438 iCloud and the App Store in the Apple TV. They 0:04:51.438 --> 0:04:54.168 were making lots and lots of money. But look, every 0:04:54.168 --> 0:04:58.938 time somebody says Apple's earnings are dropping, they're still earning 0:04:58.938 --> 0:05:01.668 megabucks of money. I'm looking forward to when they're going 0:05:01.668 --> 0:05:04.848 to push the Mac, hopefully more next year, because I 0:05:04.848 --> 0:05:06.888 think sometimes they spend a lot of time on the 0:05:06.888 --> 0:05:10.288 iPhone and the. I've had. And because I'm such a, 0:05:10.288 --> 0:05:13.528 you know, a fan of the Mac. Hopefully next year 0:05:13.528 --> 0:05:15.118 they'll start pushing the Mac a lot more. 0:05:15.778 --> 0:05:17.118 And the Touch Bar has gone. 0:05:17.128 --> 0:05:20.458 Yep. It's gone. Completely gone. It was a useless invention 0:05:20.458 --> 0:05:22.408 in the first place when they first announced it back 0:05:22.408 --> 0:05:26.278 in 2010, I think it was or sometime. And we've 0:05:26.278 --> 0:05:29.548 now got normal Apple keyboards with function keys. Hooray! 0:05:30.028 --> 0:05:32.638 You got your new all terrain cane about a week 0:05:32.638 --> 0:05:34.258 or so ago. How is it? 0:05:34.798 --> 0:05:38.908 Absolutely amazing. So I thought, you know, well, extending the 0:05:38.908 --> 0:05:41.698 hand or, you know, big deal between sort of the 0:05:41.698 --> 0:05:44.458 golf grip for normal kind use and the round grip 0:05:44.458 --> 0:05:47.218 beneath that to extend it out and almost use it 0:05:47.218 --> 0:05:49.798 like a walking stuff, if you like. So I went 0:05:49.798 --> 0:05:53.308 for this very rocky stepped walk down to a point 0:05:53.308 --> 0:05:56.848 here on the Central Coast, and what I found was 0:05:56.848 --> 0:05:59.278 before I took a step, I would use the normal 0:05:59.278 --> 0:06:01.288 kind to sort of explore what I was going to 0:06:01.288 --> 0:06:03.838 step onto, and then what I would do is I'd 0:06:03.838 --> 0:06:06.778 extend the handle to make it a full extension, and 0:06:06.778 --> 0:06:09.628 then explore a little bit more beyond that step to 0:06:09.628 --> 0:06:12.508 either side, and then find a really great place where 0:06:12.508 --> 0:06:14.938 I could actually put the ball of the cane down 0:06:15.058 --> 0:06:18.778 for stability and then step. So using it as a 0:06:18.778 --> 0:06:21.568 walking stuff. And then when I stepped down, I could 0:06:21.568 --> 0:06:24.538 then retract it back into a normal cane and do 0:06:24.538 --> 0:06:26.248 the exploration again. Now, I did have a side of 0:06:26.248 --> 0:06:28.708 person with me, because I didn't want to tumble down 0:06:28.708 --> 0:06:31.588 a steep set of stairs, but I managed to do 0:06:31.588 --> 0:06:33.718 that whole thing that I have not walked down for 0:06:33.718 --> 0:06:35.908 about 20 years by myself. So I was a little 0:06:35.908 --> 0:06:38.128 bit slow. But now that I know where I'm going, 0:06:38.278 --> 0:06:40.888 I'm going to be more confident. But just that extra 0:06:40.888 --> 0:06:44.998 extension to make sure that you're 100% safe stepping down 0:06:44.998 --> 0:06:47.218 the service that you're stepping down to, and what's on 0:06:47.218 --> 0:06:49.558 your left and right hand side as far as jobs 0:06:49.558 --> 0:06:51.688 are concerned, was absolutely amazing. 0:06:52.318 --> 0:06:56.668 Human wear delivered some updates to their Braille devices. The 0:06:56.668 --> 0:07:01.228 brilliant series, the B 20 x, the B 40 x, 0:07:01.228 --> 0:07:04.048 and then the mantis Q 40. That's the one with 0:07:04.048 --> 0:07:09.658 the coyote keyboard. So they've gone to version 2.1.0. 0:07:10.168 --> 0:07:15.208 Significant, yes, because we now have localized languages, which is 0:07:15.208 --> 0:07:18.448 basically regions that the the brilliant support. So here in 0:07:18.448 --> 0:07:21.598 Australia we can have two languages. And I think from 0:07:21.598 --> 0:07:24.028 memory it was Lisa for the female voice. And I 0:07:24.028 --> 0:07:27.328 think it was Tyler for the the male voice. But 0:07:27.328 --> 0:07:29.968 I think, Stephen, you said that you had some issues 0:07:29.968 --> 0:07:32.908 with adjusting the right for those Australian voices. 0:07:33.118 --> 0:07:36.328 Well, for any voice that wasn't the normal default voice, 0:07:36.328 --> 0:07:39.208 I was having difficulty changing the voice rate. So I 0:07:39.208 --> 0:07:42.778 think work not quite complete there. We might see an 0:07:42.778 --> 0:07:45.208 update at some stage in the future to get it right. 0:07:45.208 --> 0:07:47.848 The other interesting one, of course, is the access to 0:07:47.848 --> 0:07:52.618 the Daisy libraries, and the Vision Australia library content is 0:07:52.618 --> 0:07:56.578 now available, and that's quite an experience. Can I say, David, 0:07:56.668 --> 0:08:00.628 downloading a newspaper, having it in Braille and also being 0:08:00.628 --> 0:08:04.228 able to search for particular words through the whole document 0:08:04.228 --> 0:08:07.288 as you can with any Daisy document? Pretty good. 0:08:07.528 --> 0:08:10.588 Yeah. And I particularly like reading articles, particularly when they 0:08:10.588 --> 0:08:14.788 start using words that I haven't seen written down before. 0:08:14.788 --> 0:08:17.728 Because we're using Braille, you can double check the spelling 0:08:17.728 --> 0:08:20.458 and stuff, particularly when you've got an email, people some 0:08:20.458 --> 0:08:22.288 questions about things that you might not know how to 0:08:22.288 --> 0:08:24.718 spell because you're using speech all the time. That is 0:08:24.718 --> 0:08:27.358 a great benefit to me. Of course, with braille and literacy. 0:08:27.988 --> 0:08:32.218 Now, you discovered something interesting about price comparisons. 0:08:32.848 --> 0:08:35.428 Yes. Look, I was quite surprised by this. A quantum 0:08:35.428 --> 0:08:40.318 last week announced, or they were promoting the focus 14 0:08:40.498 --> 0:08:44.128 version five Bluetooth Braille display from Whisperer. So that's a 0:08:44.128 --> 0:08:48.238 14 cell braille display with some very basic note taking functions. 0:08:48.238 --> 0:08:51.268 And I thought, oh, well, you know, it's $2,900. Let 0:08:51.268 --> 0:08:53.668 me go and check out what the brilliant from Human 0:08:53.668 --> 0:08:56.968 Wear 20 cell version is selling for. Plus all the 0:08:56.968 --> 0:09:00.658 applications that supports including Daisy that we've just talked about 0:09:00.658 --> 0:09:03.748 and no taking for that matter. And it turns out 0:09:03.748 --> 0:09:09.208 that the human wear product is $45 more expensive, 2945 0:09:09.448 --> 0:09:12.628 so what I've learnt from that is just don't assume 0:09:12.628 --> 0:09:16.858 that 14 cells or 20 cells or 40 cells, or 0:09:16.858 --> 0:09:20.998 roughly the same price from different manufacturers, it always is 0:09:20.998 --> 0:09:22.948 a good idea to shop around and see what bang 0:09:22.948 --> 0:09:25.738 for your buck you're getting. And depending on how many 0:09:25.738 --> 0:09:27.988 brow cells you've got in the display, plus all the 0:09:27.988 --> 0:09:31.798 applications that the actual brass display actually supports. 0:09:32.368 --> 0:09:35.038 Talking of displays, and we've been talking about the high 0:09:35.038 --> 0:09:40.348 end graphic displays in recent weeks, like the monarch and 0:09:40.348 --> 0:09:43.468 the dot pad, the Braille doodle that we should talk 0:09:43.468 --> 0:09:44.188 about that. 0:09:44.308 --> 0:09:48.028 Yeah. Look, it's getting closer and closer to being sold. 0:09:48.028 --> 0:09:50.848 And so what it is, if you can imagine an 0:09:50.848 --> 0:09:54.658 oversized Braille grid. So let's say, for example, it's 20 0:09:54.658 --> 0:09:57.598 cells wide by 20 cells deep. And you've got pins 0:09:57.598 --> 0:10:02.128 in it where when you draw this magnetic stylus across it, 0:10:02.128 --> 0:10:05.368 it pulls up the pins. So literally you can do 0:10:05.368 --> 0:10:09.478 shapes of triangles and. Circles. And of course you can 0:10:09.478 --> 0:10:11.788 draw houses and all that sort of cool stuff. So 0:10:11.788 --> 0:10:16.168 it's a very quick way of producing very quick diagram 0:10:16.168 --> 0:10:19.408 or a line picture of something for a child or 0:10:19.408 --> 0:10:21.958 an adult or whatever else. And of course, you could 0:10:21.958 --> 0:10:24.388 also practice your print letters if you wanted to. You 0:10:24.388 --> 0:10:26.648 can also do Braille on it if you really wanted to. 0:10:26.668 --> 0:10:29.488 And then of course, when you're finished, you just take 0:10:29.488 --> 0:10:32.968 your hand or your fingers across and just push down 0:10:32.968 --> 0:10:35.488 or scrub out all the pins that are sticking up 0:10:35.488 --> 0:10:38.448 and hi presto, you can start again, Australian dollar wise, 0:10:38.458 --> 0:10:40.018 by the time it hits the market here in Australia, 0:10:40.018 --> 0:10:43.168 we are looking at about $140. So it's nice to 0:10:43.168 --> 0:10:48.268 have something that's completely mechanical, doesn't involve any electronics at all, 0:10:48.268 --> 0:10:52.108 and very quickly gives you access to shapes and diagrams 0:10:52.108 --> 0:10:54.448 so people can very quickly show you what something may 0:10:54.448 --> 0:10:55.078 look like. 0:10:55.348 --> 0:10:59.548 The very popular smartphone with buttons, the Blind Shell Classic 0:10:59.548 --> 0:11:00.868 two an update. 0:11:01.108 --> 0:11:04.918 There is an update and look, it's mainly a bugfix update, 0:11:04.918 --> 0:11:07.738 but what was interesting to me was that it also 0:11:07.738 --> 0:11:11.248 has a new function where let's say you've got a 0:11:11.248 --> 0:11:13.558 favourite web page, like going to all the time. So 0:11:13.558 --> 0:11:16.758 for me it would be like Apple VS or Shoprite 0:11:16.798 --> 0:11:19.288 in Australia, org and so on. But you can add 0:11:19.288 --> 0:11:23.128 those pages to your favorites list in that side button 0:11:23.128 --> 0:11:25.798 that you press to bring up your favorites. And I 0:11:25.798 --> 0:11:28.648 think that's a really nice idea because it saves you 0:11:28.648 --> 0:11:33.178 having to go into applications, etcetera, etcetera, and get to 0:11:33.178 --> 0:11:36.238 the web browser tool. You can simply when you're on 0:11:36.238 --> 0:11:38.818 that page. Next, add it to your favorites and then 0:11:38.818 --> 0:11:41.008 you can access it via the side button. I think 0:11:41.008 --> 0:11:42.178 that's a really great feature. 0:11:42.538 --> 0:11:45.688 Victor read a trick from human where you've got some news. 0:11:45.928 --> 0:11:48.418 It's basically coming to the end of life for the 0:11:48.418 --> 0:11:52.328 product from human wear. So I guess as of 31st 0:11:52.328 --> 0:11:57.478 of December this year, it's being discontinued officially being produced. However, 0:11:57.988 --> 0:12:00.718 Human Wear will continue to support the product for another 0:12:00.718 --> 0:12:04.888 three years. So if you're looking at having a combined 0:12:04.888 --> 0:12:08.758 daisy vector stream with a GPS, the Victor Trek part 0:12:08.758 --> 0:12:12.898 of it, then jumping now while the going's good, otherwise 0:12:12.898 --> 0:12:15.658 you'll have to end up with two separate units the 0:12:15.658 --> 0:12:18.778 vector reader stream third generation itself, and of course the 0:12:18.778 --> 0:12:21.358 stellar tracks. They'll have to carry two units around rather 0:12:21.358 --> 0:12:23.578 than one. Keeping in mind that the stellar Trek now 0:12:23.578 --> 0:12:26.368 has a lot of cool, very good high end GPS 0:12:26.368 --> 0:12:27.448 stuff in it these days. 0:12:27.868 --> 0:12:32.158 You're very famous. Exploring tech webinars seem to have gone 0:12:32.158 --> 0:12:33.778 into hibernation. 0:12:33.778 --> 0:12:36.748 They have look, these have been running for, I want 0:12:36.748 --> 0:12:38.788 to say over sort of 3 or 4 years now, 0:12:38.788 --> 0:12:41.668 and it's gotten to the stage where we sort of 0:12:41.668 --> 0:12:45.148 need to re-evaluate how are we going to start delivering 0:12:45.148 --> 0:12:48.958 people interesting or new content. So we've decided to put 0:12:48.958 --> 0:12:51.958 on hold for the moment. And in the new year, 0:12:52.018 --> 0:12:55.528 probably around about February, most likely, we'll start looking at 0:12:55.528 --> 0:12:58.588 different ways of producing content. So it might be via 0:12:58.588 --> 0:13:01.618 a web page, it might be via a podcast feed 0:13:01.618 --> 0:13:04.378 or whatever else. We're just going to basically throw ideas 0:13:04.378 --> 0:13:07.048 against the wall, see what sticks, and then I'll let 0:13:07.048 --> 0:13:09.568 people know what I'm talking to, what form it might take. 0:13:09.898 --> 0:13:12.748 We'll deal with this in more detail in coming weeks, 0:13:12.748 --> 0:13:16.258 but people might like to go somewhere for Christmas. Ideas 0:13:16.258 --> 0:13:18.238 from the vision store of Vision Australia. 0:13:18.448 --> 0:13:20.968 Indeed. So keep in mind that the cut off for 0:13:20.968 --> 0:13:25.168 guaranteed delivery is basically December 4th, so it's not that 0:13:25.168 --> 0:13:27.508 far away. I've got a link in the show notes 0:13:27.508 --> 0:13:32.308 that takes you to initially 75 different gift ideas, but yes, 0:13:32.308 --> 0:13:34.228 we're starting to run at a time, which is why 0:13:34.228 --> 0:13:36.358 we're mentioning it now. So you can have a look 0:13:36.358 --> 0:13:39.778 at those ideas or any other ideas on the web 0:13:39.778 --> 0:13:43.138 page for doing searching, and you can start ordering now. 0:13:43.858 --> 0:13:46.528 Before we go, a reminder of where there are details 0:13:46.528 --> 0:13:48.988 of what we've been talking about in this and previous 0:13:48.988 --> 0:13:50.218 editions of the program. 0:13:50.518 --> 0:13:52.588 Indeed. So as you can check out my blog site, 0:13:52.588 --> 0:13:56.668 which is David would be a dot podbean pad and. 0:13:57.328 --> 0:14:03.118 David would be dot podbean podbean to write to the program. 0:14:03.238 --> 0:14:05.188 You can write to me at Vision Australia where I work, 0:14:05.188 --> 0:14:08.968 which is David Woodbridge, how it sounds at Vision Australia. 0:14:09.178 --> 0:14:13.618 Org David Dot Woodbridge at Vision Australia. Org this has 0:14:13.618 --> 0:14:16.348 been talking Ted with me has been Vision Australia's national 0:14:16.348 --> 0:14:21.208 advisor on access technology David Woodbridge I'm Stephen Jolley. Take care. 0:14:21.208 --> 0:14:22.918 We'll talk more tech next week. See you.