WEBVTT - Talking Tech 23rd April 2024 0:00:21.408 --> 0:00:25.638 Hello everyone! Welcome to Talking Tech. This edition available from 0:00:25.638 --> 0:00:30.138 April 23rd, 2024. I'm Stephen Jolley, great to have you 0:00:30.138 --> 0:00:33.978 with us listening maybe through Vision Australia Radio, Associated Stations 0:00:33.978 --> 0:00:38.058 of Australia or maybe the Community Radio Network. There is 0:00:38.058 --> 0:00:40.458 the podcast. If you haven't caught up with that yet, 0:00:40.458 --> 0:00:43.248 all you need to do is search for the two words. 0:00:43.248 --> 0:00:46.098 Talking tech and Dana can all come usually on a 0:00:46.098 --> 0:00:50.178 Tuesday afternoon just after it's been produced. Another option is 0:00:50.178 --> 0:00:53.178 to ask your Siri device or smart speaker to play 0:00:53.178 --> 0:00:58.908 Vision Australia Radio talking tech podcast Vision Australia Radio talking 0:00:58.938 --> 0:01:02.868 tech podcast with me, someone who can explain all this 0:01:02.868 --> 0:01:08.148 tech stuff really well. Vision Australia's national advisor on access technology, 0:01:08.148 --> 0:01:12.708 David Woodbridge. David, let's start with our product Minute from 0:01:12.708 --> 0:01:16.758 the vision store of Vision Australia. There are lots of 0:01:16.758 --> 0:01:21.168 different ways to access content from the Vision Australia library 0:01:21.168 --> 0:01:23.688 these days, and one of them is through a very 0:01:23.688 --> 0:01:25.128 simple little device. 0:01:25.458 --> 0:01:28.878 And when we say simple, we mean very, very simple 0:01:28.878 --> 0:01:31.248 to use. It's not complicated. You pick it up and 0:01:31.248 --> 0:01:34.188 you can use it. And what I'm talking about is 0:01:34.188 --> 0:01:39.858 a little audio player which is called the Envoy Envoy Kinect. 0:01:40.278 --> 0:01:42.858 The way it works is that if you're a member 0:01:42.858 --> 0:01:45.048 of the Vision Australia library and remember that the Vision 0:01:45.048 --> 0:01:48.828 Australia Library is open to anybody with a print disability. 0:01:48.828 --> 0:01:52.098 So you don't have to be just blind or low vision. Um, 0:01:52.098 --> 0:01:54.588 if you've got a print disability, I might have a 0:01:54.588 --> 0:01:58.248 neurological condition, etc. then you can join the Vision Australia library. 0:01:58.248 --> 0:02:00.618 And you can certainly, if you're not already, certainly give 0:02:00.618 --> 0:02:04.368 them a call via the main one 308 4746 number 0:02:04.368 --> 0:02:06.978 and have a chat. The way the Envoy Connect player 0:02:06.978 --> 0:02:09.738 works with the library is actually fairly cool. So one 0:02:09.738 --> 0:02:13.518 way is you grab your windows computer. So window no 0:02:13.518 --> 0:02:17.688 Windows 10 or Windows 11. You install an application from 0:02:17.688 --> 0:02:21.678 the Vision State Library called the kiosk, and then you 0:02:21.678 --> 0:02:24.978 initially log in with your username and password and then 0:02:24.978 --> 0:02:28.848 whatever you've got your bookshelf set to, such as, you know, 0:02:28.848 --> 0:02:32.928 automatic books coming online, uh, or any other content you've 0:02:32.928 --> 0:02:34.998 got up automatically and we'll get to some other options 0:02:34.998 --> 0:02:37.638 in a tick. Then as soon as you run the software, 0:02:37.638 --> 0:02:40.878 the next time it goes okay, uh, I've logged in. 0:02:40.878 --> 0:02:42.528 I've grabbed all your books for you. I'm going to 0:02:42.528 --> 0:02:44.448 download it to the player that you've got plugged in 0:02:44.448 --> 0:02:47.748 via the USB port, and you unplug it when it's 0:02:47.748 --> 0:02:50.628 finished because it tells you when it's done, and press 0:02:50.628 --> 0:02:53.808 one button to turn it on. Press the same button 0:02:53.808 --> 0:02:57.528 to start it playing and off you go. So it really, 0:02:57.528 --> 0:03:01.518 really is straightforward. Or the other way is let's say 0:03:01.518 --> 0:03:04.308 for example, you're not don't want to actually use a 0:03:04.308 --> 0:03:07.908 windows computer. You can actually send your envoy connect to 0:03:07.908 --> 0:03:11.088 the Vision Australia library. They can put more content on 0:03:11.088 --> 0:03:14.268 it for you and send it back. And the tip 0:03:14.268 --> 0:03:17.148 for some people is to have two players, because what 0:03:17.148 --> 0:03:18.888 you can do is you can have one play which 0:03:18.888 --> 0:03:21.258 has got your new current books on it, and then 0:03:21.258 --> 0:03:23.208 once you finish with the other player that's got your 0:03:23.208 --> 0:03:25.578 old books and you send it in while that's waiting 0:03:25.578 --> 0:03:27.888 to get updated and send it back to you, you 0:03:27.888 --> 0:03:30.558 can enjoy content on your current player that you've got 0:03:30.558 --> 0:03:33.288 all the new books on. So it's a great way, 0:03:33.288 --> 0:03:36.618 considering that this thing only costs $84. So it is 0:03:36.618 --> 0:03:40.788 really worthwhile to grab a hold of this, particularly for 0:03:40.788 --> 0:03:45.078 people that want either simple access via windows computer or 0:03:45.078 --> 0:03:47.988 they want to just be able to enjoy books, you know, 0:03:47.988 --> 0:03:50.508 turn it on, press play, adjust the volume, which is 0:03:50.508 --> 0:03:53.208 actually very, very loud. Go to the previous next chapter 0:03:53.208 --> 0:03:55.728 and not have to worry too much about all the 0:03:55.728 --> 0:03:58.518 whiz bang features that other systems may have. 0:03:58.638 --> 0:04:00.948 Physically, it sits in the palm of your hand. 0:04:00.948 --> 0:04:04.248 It does literally. You've got a speaker, and then below 0:04:04.248 --> 0:04:07.698 that you basically got about six buttons. So play pause 0:04:07.698 --> 0:04:10.998 or on and off a bookshelf, fast forward rewind and 0:04:10.998 --> 0:04:13.428 volume up and volume down. And the thing I love 0:04:13.428 --> 0:04:16.278 about this one, and besides the volume and the fact 0:04:16.278 --> 0:04:18.498 that you can pair it off for USB to actually 0:04:18.498 --> 0:04:20.748 pair it, it's got a little solar panel at the 0:04:20.748 --> 0:04:23.568 back of it. So you can use the the free 0:04:23.568 --> 0:04:26.718 battery in the sky. You pop it on your kitchen 0:04:26.718 --> 0:04:29.478 bench or wherever you got the sun coming through, and 0:04:29.478 --> 0:04:32.988 hey presto, it'll do a good solid charge of your 0:04:32.988 --> 0:04:35.598 envoy connect within. I think I want to say around 0:04:35.598 --> 0:04:38.868 about eight hours. So it really does work extremely nicely. 0:04:38.868 --> 0:04:41.838 And of course you can plug a good old 3.5mm 0:04:41.868 --> 0:04:44.238 headphone jack into it for your earphones if you want 0:04:44.238 --> 0:04:45.108 to do that as well. 0:04:45.318 --> 0:04:47.988 The speaker itself is pretty good, but as you say, 0:04:47.988 --> 0:04:50.088 you can use the headphones as well. 0:04:50.268 --> 0:04:53.268 That's right. And when we say loud, it's significantly loud. 0:04:53.268 --> 0:04:56.118 It's actually really, really good volume. I can actually have 0:04:56.118 --> 0:04:58.998 it on my outdoor table. Undermine the time, you know, 0:04:58.998 --> 0:05:00.708 the back of my house and I can listen to 0:05:00.708 --> 0:05:04.248 it a good, jeez, ten, ten meters away. So that's 0:05:04.248 --> 0:05:08.478 the Envoy Kinect from the Vision Australia Vision store, which 0:05:08.478 --> 0:05:10.188 works with the Vision Australia library. 0:05:10.608 --> 0:05:14.148 Terrific. We're starting to see the presence of AI in 0:05:14.148 --> 0:05:18.048 our apps more and more. This is something from Honda. 0:05:18.198 --> 0:05:20.778 Yep. And when we say Honda, we. I mean, the 0:05:20.778 --> 0:05:23.778 Honda Car company and what they're doing there currently in 0:05:23.778 --> 0:05:27.768 conjunction with a couple of blindness organizations, uh, on the 0:05:27.768 --> 0:05:30.648 other side of the world. They're developing something called the 0:05:30.648 --> 0:05:36.798 Honda Scene Audio app, which is currently in beta. And 0:05:36.798 --> 0:05:39.708 what it's designed to do is to give you, through 0:05:39.708 --> 0:05:43.638 computer vision, what is happening around the car when you're 0:05:43.638 --> 0:05:45.498 traveling is a blind or low vision person, because we 0:05:45.498 --> 0:05:48.138 know as a blind person, you jump in a car 0:05:48.168 --> 0:05:49.968 and all you can hear is just the car noises 0:05:49.968 --> 0:05:51.738 and the road surface and all that sort of stuff. 0:05:51.828 --> 0:05:55.548 So this tells you what's happening around you. It also 0:05:55.548 --> 0:06:00.108 has G.P.S. information. So it also knows from your GPS 0:06:00.108 --> 0:06:04.338 location what quote should be around you. So what they're 0:06:04.338 --> 0:06:07.758 saying is, look, it's not just audio describing or describing 0:06:07.758 --> 0:06:13.398 what's around you. It's also giving you G.P.S. located type information. 0:06:13.518 --> 0:06:15.258 And the other thing it also gives you as well 0:06:15.258 --> 0:06:19.038 is because you're traveling outside in the weather. It's also 0:06:19.038 --> 0:06:21.888 giving you the forward cost if it's cloudy or raining 0:06:21.888 --> 0:06:25.458 or a chance of rain and so on. So it 0:06:25.458 --> 0:06:29.508 really does sound like one of these inclusive applications where 0:06:29.898 --> 0:06:33.828 it's really telling you what's happening in your environment in 0:06:33.828 --> 0:06:37.638 real time and giving you a lot more information just besides. 0:06:37.638 --> 0:06:40.788 Oh look, your computer vision thing has just seen a tree. 0:06:40.788 --> 0:06:44.268 Well big deal. But when they can describe the landscape 0:06:44.268 --> 0:06:47.688 in much greater detail the cliffs, the ocean, all that 0:06:47.688 --> 0:06:50.568 sort of stuff this is really going to bring alive 0:06:50.568 --> 0:06:53.298 traveling in the car. So I'm not too sure whether 0:06:53.298 --> 0:06:55.698 when they say an app that it's tied to the 0:06:55.698 --> 0:06:58.338 the Honda Entertainment system and just using the cameras in 0:06:58.338 --> 0:07:00.708 the car, or it's an app you can use on 0:07:00.708 --> 0:07:03.138 your smartphone that didn't quite go into that detail in 0:07:03.138 --> 0:07:06.258 the article I read, but looks promising for the future. 0:07:06.678 --> 0:07:11.118 One of the downsides of the new generation of vehicles, 0:07:11.118 --> 0:07:15.198 electric cars, etc. is they don't make any noise. 0:07:15.348 --> 0:07:19.938 No, and that's actually quite dangerous for us, particularly if 0:07:19.938 --> 0:07:23.898 you've got low vision issues or you're completely blind because 0:07:23.898 --> 0:07:25.998 these things don't make a noise. The only time electric 0:07:25.998 --> 0:07:28.308 vehicle makes a noise is when the tyre noise is 0:07:28.308 --> 0:07:30.558 on the road, and you can hear it now when 0:07:30.558 --> 0:07:33.558 they're at lower speeds, you can't hear the car even 0:07:33.558 --> 0:07:38.778 move under, say 25km an hour. So what Vision Australia 0:07:38.778 --> 0:07:42.198 has been advocating and lobbying for for the last five 0:07:42.198 --> 0:07:46.548 years is to get a sound in the car so 0:07:46.548 --> 0:07:51.678 that it generates the noise under 25km an hour. And 0:07:51.678 --> 0:07:55.098 the fancy name for it or the abbreviation is avatar. 0:07:55.098 --> 0:08:00.318 So it stands for Acoustic Vehicle Audio System. One thing 0:08:00.318 --> 0:08:04.038 that did mention in the announcement, which Chris Edwards made 0:08:04.038 --> 0:08:08.388 last week, is it's not just a beep sound, because 0:08:08.388 --> 0:08:10.548 a beep sounds, as we all know, is very hard 0:08:10.548 --> 0:08:13.398 to determine where it's coming from. Chris said in the 0:08:13.398 --> 0:08:16.098 the article that I read is it actually makes an 0:08:16.098 --> 0:08:19.938 engine sound, which is much easier to locate. So that 0:08:19.938 --> 0:08:23.058 means when you've got an electric vehicle coming towards you 0:08:23.058 --> 0:08:25.608 in a car park, or it's coming up to a 0:08:25.608 --> 0:08:28.728 crossing with no traffic lights, or it's backing out of 0:08:28.728 --> 0:08:31.668 a drive while you're doing all sorts of low speed things, 0:08:31.668 --> 0:08:34.698 you'll be able to hear it. And the really great thing, 0:08:34.698 --> 0:08:37.188 as Chris said, was pointed out and also in the article, 0:08:37.548 --> 0:08:42.618 was that the government's also extended this to hybrid vehicles, 0:08:42.948 --> 0:08:47.628 hydrogen vehicles and trucks and buses, not just electric cars. 0:08:47.628 --> 0:08:50.628 So I think this is going to look bright, considering 0:08:50.628 --> 0:08:54.018 that over the next 25 years or so, um, we're 0:08:54.018 --> 0:08:56.838 going to see a lot more things on the road 0:08:57.138 --> 0:08:59.208 that are electric. And I think it's very promising because 0:08:59.208 --> 0:09:02.658 I have been called out quite a few times with 0:09:02.658 --> 0:09:05.838 electric vehicles. And as Chris points out, a number of 0:09:05.838 --> 0:09:08.928 us have had very near misses with electric vehicles purely 0:09:08.928 --> 0:09:10.338 because you can't hear them coming. 0:09:10.578 --> 0:09:13.758 He's a good man, Chris. He leads the systemic advocacy 0:09:13.758 --> 0:09:17.358 group at Virgin Australia. This issue is an example of 0:09:17.358 --> 0:09:20.148 the very kind of thing that he's quite concerned about 0:09:20.148 --> 0:09:20.928 and working on. 0:09:21.078 --> 0:09:24.558 Exactly. Know. And that's been it's been fantastic that after 0:09:24.558 --> 0:09:27.018 five years of lobbying, we've got to where we are now. 0:09:27.018 --> 0:09:30.138 So I think Virgin Australia needs to be congratulated and 0:09:30.138 --> 0:09:30.828 so does the government. 0:09:30.828 --> 0:09:35.658 Actually Apple accessibility may is always an interesting month. And 0:09:35.658 --> 0:09:38.568 there's a major event next week that we can tune into. 0:09:38.568 --> 0:09:40.608 That's correct. And they seem to be getting in early 0:09:40.608 --> 0:09:44.208 for God. So God is the Global Accessibility Awareness Day, 0:09:44.208 --> 0:09:47.208 which I think from memory is in about May 20th. Uh, 0:09:47.208 --> 0:09:49.998 so Apple's getting in a bit early. So what they've 0:09:49.998 --> 0:09:54.138 got is they've called Apple accessibility events. Make it yours 0:09:54.288 --> 0:09:58.818 and there'll be over viewing accessibility to do with cross 0:09:58.818 --> 0:10:02.838 the line for accessibility of all Apple products. So iPhone, iPad, 0:10:02.838 --> 0:10:06.858 Apple Watch, etc. and what they've done quite nicely. And 0:10:06.858 --> 0:10:10.248 I think it's a great idea. The the actual times 0:10:10.548 --> 0:10:15.588 are on May 1st, two, eight and nine. And then 0:10:15.588 --> 0:10:19.218 during those days they've got different times and also different 0:10:19.218 --> 0:10:21.408 ways of. Setting it. So I think they've got a 0:10:21.408 --> 0:10:25.068 couple with closed captioning. They've got a couple with audio 0:10:25.068 --> 0:10:28.638 describing going on as well. So they're actually pre done 0:10:28.638 --> 0:10:31.488 pre recordings which I think is a fantastic way to 0:10:31.488 --> 0:10:33.408 do it. That seems to be the Apple way at 0:10:33.408 --> 0:10:35.868 the moment. They do these sort of keynotes or videos 0:10:35.868 --> 0:10:37.848 that are pre done so they can put all the 0:10:37.848 --> 0:10:40.488 accessibility stuff into it rather than being a live one. 0:10:40.908 --> 0:10:43.338 And I think it's a good idea, even though I'm 0:10:43.338 --> 0:10:47.568 a fairly good person on Apple accessibility. I've loved listening 0:10:47.568 --> 0:10:50.538 to this type of stuff because I always find out 0:10:50.538 --> 0:10:54.888 little things that I may have forgotten. So if you 0:10:54.888 --> 0:10:56.688 want to just have a little bit of refresher, it 0:10:56.688 --> 0:10:59.598 only takes an hour. Choose what time you like. Register 0:10:59.598 --> 0:11:01.428 on the link that I've got in the show notes, 0:11:01.428 --> 0:11:04.368 and hey presto, you can sit back and listen to 0:11:04.368 --> 0:11:07.728 it at your own time and at your own accessibility level. 0:11:07.728 --> 0:11:08.838 Great stuff. 0:11:08.988 --> 0:11:13.548 More attention now to the beat speak or Blazey speak. 0:11:13.728 --> 0:11:16.848 The little device that we've been talking about in recent 0:11:16.848 --> 0:11:20.838 weeks that Braille oriented one. There's a leather case that's 0:11:20.838 --> 0:11:22.218 going to be available soon. 0:11:22.428 --> 0:11:25.578 That's right. There's a company called turtle back overseas that's 0:11:25.578 --> 0:11:29.568 very famous for producing executive cases for quite a few 0:11:29.568 --> 0:11:35.448 different blindness type products, and they've just announced via Blazey 0:11:35.448 --> 0:11:38.358 Technologies themselves, they've got a case now for the beat 0:11:38.358 --> 0:11:41.928 speak so effectively. What it does it when it's closed 0:11:41.928 --> 0:11:45.168 it calls it covers up the keys. Um, it leaves 0:11:45.168 --> 0:11:48.168 the ports open, including that, of course, where you plug 0:11:48.168 --> 0:11:51.078 it in via the USB port to power it. Um, 0:11:51.348 --> 0:11:53.898 so it's really designed to sort of, you know, keep 0:11:53.898 --> 0:11:56.808 dust and other stuff out of the keys when the 0:11:56.808 --> 0:11:59.988 case is closed, has a little magnetic toggle on the front, 0:11:59.988 --> 0:12:02.568 so it clips on quite nicely and stays there. So 0:12:02.568 --> 0:12:05.598 it's just to protect it, considering that this thing's, you know, 0:12:05.598 --> 0:12:08.388 an Australian dollars, it's worth about a couple of thousand dollars. Um, 0:12:08.388 --> 0:12:10.518 it's always a good idea to try and keep your 0:12:10.518 --> 0:12:14.088 your device bump free, scratch free, moisture free and all 0:12:14.088 --> 0:12:16.548 that sort of cool stuff. So have a look at 0:12:16.548 --> 0:12:18.618 that on the link. Um, now, if you go to 0:12:18.618 --> 0:12:23.388 the Blaze Technologies website, you may also see a promo 0:12:23.388 --> 0:12:26.298 on there to get a reduction off if you use 0:12:26.298 --> 0:12:30.228 a promo code. Um, but I think that's only lasting 0:12:30.228 --> 0:12:33.258 for another 3 or 4 weeks as we go to air. 0:12:33.258 --> 0:12:36.108 So you certainly can go to the turtle back link 0:12:36.108 --> 0:12:40.728 that I've got on the show notes. It's $148 US now, 0:12:40.728 --> 0:12:43.218 the promo code via the Blaze Technology site. If you 0:12:43.218 --> 0:12:45.168 want to use that promo code when you purchase from 0:12:45.168 --> 0:12:49.038 turtle Bank, that takes it down to 92 USD. 0:12:49.248 --> 0:12:51.738 Is that available now or is it for pre-order? 0:12:51.738 --> 0:12:55.398 No, it's for pre-order. I would probably suggest maybe towards 0:12:55.398 --> 0:12:56.838 the end of May. 0:12:57.198 --> 0:13:00.918 They have pretty significant software updates every month or so. 0:13:00.918 --> 0:13:02.688 Now for the BT spec, don't they? 0:13:03.078 --> 0:13:04.788 They do. And I think this is going to be 0:13:04.788 --> 0:13:06.828 a regular thing for the moment. While they're sort of 0:13:06.828 --> 0:13:09.078 ironed out, a few little bugs add a few more 0:13:09.078 --> 0:13:13.278 applications and features and documentation. Uh, there isn't one was 0:13:13.278 --> 0:13:16.578 actually a good one because it actually included a voice 0:13:16.578 --> 0:13:20.868 memo application. It's a good, solid update that they've actually 0:13:20.868 --> 0:13:24.078 released voice memos, and they've got more applications to come 0:13:24.078 --> 0:13:24.978 as time goes on. 0:13:24.978 --> 0:13:26.478 Tell us about the we work. 0:13:26.478 --> 0:13:29.268 So this is the quote, smart cane, uh, which is 0:13:29.268 --> 0:13:32.928 as an application of your smartphone, uh, that you can 0:13:32.928 --> 0:13:36.528 control the cane on what it does with sounds and 0:13:36.528 --> 0:13:39.768 stuff to do with GPS. The cane itself has a 0:13:40.068 --> 0:13:43.428 one single sonar unit that points in front, detects objects 0:13:43.428 --> 0:13:46.428 right in front of you above your waist height. So 0:13:46.428 --> 0:13:49.188 it's another option to look at if you're looking for 0:13:49.188 --> 0:13:53.358 a sonar based cane, such as the walk, ultra cane, 0:13:53.358 --> 0:13:56.388 or other sonar based canes. But the walk is the 0:13:56.388 --> 0:13:59.478 one that Vision Australia sells. And this new one, uh, 0:13:59.478 --> 0:14:02.418 is a is a version two of the previous one. 0:14:02.418 --> 0:14:05.658 And certainly worthwhile having a listen to the webinar coming 0:14:05.658 --> 0:14:11.058 up on our time the 26th of April. And it's 0:14:11.058 --> 0:14:12.828 probably going to be about 3 a.m. in the morning. 0:14:12.828 --> 0:14:14.988 So depending on how you are, have a listen. 0:14:14.988 --> 0:14:17.688 Hopefully there'll be a recording available for later use. 0:14:17.688 --> 0:14:18.648 I hope so, yeah. 0:14:18.888 --> 0:14:21.498 Before we go, a reminder of where there are details 0:14:21.498 --> 0:14:24.618 of what we've been talking about in this and previous editions. 0:14:24.798 --> 0:14:26.808 As always, you can check out my blog site, which 0:14:26.808 --> 0:14:30.858 is David Audible Podbean Pod Barn Comm. 0:14:30.858 --> 0:14:36.288 David would be our podbean podbean. Com to write to 0:14:36.288 --> 0:14:37.038 the program. 0:14:37.068 --> 0:14:39.078 You can write to me at Virgin Australia where I work, 0:14:39.078 --> 0:14:43.338 which is David Woodbridge how it sounds at Virgin australia.org. 0:14:43.338 --> 0:14:47.928 David Dot Woodbridge at Vision Australian org this has been 0:14:47.928 --> 0:14:51.228 talking tech with me has been Vision Australia's national advisor 0:14:51.228 --> 0:14:55.608 on access technology David Woodbridge I'm Stephen Jolley. Take care. 0:14:55.638 --> 0:14:57.348 We'll talk more tech next week. See you.