WEBVTT - Talking Tech 29th October 2024 0:00:33.203 --> 0:00:37.013 Hello everyone. Welcome to Talking Tech. This edition available from 0:00:37.043 --> 0:00:41.392 October the 29th, 2024. I'm Stephen Jolly, great to have 0:00:41.393 --> 0:00:45.083 you with us listening maybe through Vision Australia Radio, associated 0:00:45.083 --> 0:00:48.833 Stations of the Radio Reading Network and the Community Radio Network. 0:00:48.863 --> 0:00:51.623 There is also the podcast. To catch that, all you 0:00:51.623 --> 0:00:54.142 need to do is search for the two words talking 0:00:54.173 --> 0:00:56.483 tech and down. It can all come usually on a 0:00:56.483 --> 0:01:00.503 Tuesday afternoon just after it's been produced. Another option is 0:01:00.503 --> 0:01:03.173 to ask your Siri device or smart speaker to play. 0:01:03.203 --> 0:01:08.363 Vision Australia radio talking tech podcast. Vision Australia radio talking 0:01:08.393 --> 0:01:14.303 tech podcast. With me. Vision Australia's national access technology manager. 0:01:14.303 --> 0:01:18.383 Damo McMorrow. Hi, Stephen. Hi, Damo. How are you? 0:01:18.413 --> 0:01:21.202 Yeah, I'm well. Thanks. Nice to be with you again, Damien. 0:01:21.293 --> 0:01:25.943 Let's talk a bit about hardware and firmware today. A 0:01:25.943 --> 0:01:28.913 number of topics to cover. One of the things we 0:01:28.913 --> 0:01:34.123 haven't discussed for some time Is the BT speak from 0:01:34.123 --> 0:01:35.773 Blazie technologies. 0:01:36.133 --> 0:01:40.993 Yes, the BT speak is a really interesting little device. Actually, 0:01:40.993 --> 0:01:46.753 those people who back in the 80s or 90s used 0:01:46.753 --> 0:01:51.403 a Braylon speak, which from what was then Blazie engineering 0:01:51.643 --> 0:01:55.333 will find this device quite familiar because it really is 0:01:55.363 --> 0:01:58.873 sort of a modern version of the Braylon speak. So 0:01:58.873 --> 0:02:04.093 it has a Perkins style Braille keyboard, um, and speech output. 0:02:04.093 --> 0:02:07.543 So there's no Braille output on this one. It uses 0:02:07.573 --> 0:02:12.073 a device called a Raspberry Pi as its base. And 0:02:12.073 --> 0:02:14.953 while that sounds like something edible, it definitely isn't. It's 0:02:14.953 --> 0:02:20.353 a very small microcomputer, and it has USB-C connectivity, a 0:02:20.353 --> 0:02:24.973 mini HDMI port, and an SD card slot. The unit 0:02:24.972 --> 0:02:30.553 itself is about the size of, uh, two iPhone 15 0:02:30.553 --> 0:02:33.543 Pro's stacked on top of each other. That's probably the 0:02:33.543 --> 0:02:36.333 easiest way to sort of conceptualize the size of it. 0:02:36.333 --> 0:02:40.023 And it came out uh, around about, I think, January 0:02:40.023 --> 0:02:43.533 or February this year, and it's had quite a few updates. 0:02:43.532 --> 0:02:45.603 I know David did speak about it a little bit, 0:02:45.602 --> 0:02:48.692 I think at the time that it came out, but it's, uh, 0:02:48.843 --> 0:02:52.983 evolved quite a bit since then because Blastech, they're a 0:02:52.982 --> 0:02:56.792 small company, really a small start up, but they've certainly 0:02:56.792 --> 0:02:58.863 gone ahead in leaps and bounds with the device. They've 0:02:58.863 --> 0:03:04.952 been very receptive to user feedback and suggestions of additional features. 0:03:04.953 --> 0:03:08.883 And the other unique thing about it is that in 0:03:08.882 --> 0:03:12.183 addition to what they call traditional mode, where it functions 0:03:12.183 --> 0:03:16.982 like the Braille and speak of old, it runs at 0:03:16.982 --> 0:03:20.043 its core the Linux operating system, which means that you 0:03:20.042 --> 0:03:25.532 can run desktop apps like Google Chrome, Firefox, the Thunderbird 0:03:25.563 --> 0:03:28.653 email client, and so on. So it can really be 0:03:28.653 --> 0:03:32.912 as simplified or as powerful as you want it to be. 0:03:33.393 --> 0:03:35.613 It is amazing what you can get out of it. 0:03:35.613 --> 0:03:41.073 And I'm also impressed with the really transparency of the developers, 0:03:41.073 --> 0:03:45.243 very different to other organizations. People do make suggestions and 0:03:45.243 --> 0:03:47.613 they say, yeah, we'll put that on the list. And 0:03:47.613 --> 0:03:51.573 sure enough, it could well turn up in a future update. 0:03:51.603 --> 0:03:56.073 They bring out updates quite regularly every month or two. 0:03:56.313 --> 0:04:00.783 Quite amazing. And it's been interesting following their progress since 0:04:00.783 --> 0:04:02.702 January February this year. 0:04:02.732 --> 0:04:05.673 It certainly has. You know, they've they've introduced a number 0:04:05.673 --> 0:04:11.013 of different features. There's a now a radio tuner. So 0:04:11.013 --> 0:04:13.503 a web radio type application where you can listen to 0:04:13.533 --> 0:04:17.013 I think over 50,000 stations. It's got in its database. 0:04:17.433 --> 0:04:21.123 There's now a calendar application and a phone book application. 0:04:21.153 --> 0:04:23.433 A whole range of things that have really been added 0:04:23.433 --> 0:04:28.563 since the original release, where it was really just a, 0:04:28.593 --> 0:04:32.303 you know, glorified text editor. Um, you know, there's a 0:04:32.303 --> 0:04:34.603 weather app as well. There's all sorts of different things 0:04:34.603 --> 0:04:37.152 that have been added, so it really has come a 0:04:37.153 --> 0:04:38.863 long way in a very short time. 0:04:38.863 --> 0:04:42.823 And released this week a very comprehensive user manual. 0:04:42.853 --> 0:04:45.733 Yes. That's right. So when the device first came out, 0:04:45.733 --> 0:04:48.943 it really just came out with some help files, which 0:04:48.943 --> 0:04:52.243 were just sort of short text files. There was a 0:04:52.243 --> 0:04:55.573 couple of YouTube videos and so on. Whereas now there 0:04:55.573 --> 0:04:59.113 is a very comprehensive audio tutorial. I think it's about 0:04:59.113 --> 0:05:02.533 2.5 hours in length. And there is also, as you said, 0:05:02.533 --> 0:05:08.323 a comprehensive user manual that's available in word format and 0:05:08.323 --> 0:05:11.083 PDF format. And it's all nicely marked up in headings, 0:05:11.083 --> 0:05:13.333 so it's easy to kind of navigate through it and 0:05:13.333 --> 0:05:18.433 search for particular things. And it um, it is going 0:05:18.433 --> 0:05:20.923 to be a, as they say, a living document. So 0:05:20.923 --> 0:05:23.143 it is going to evolve over time as they add 0:05:23.143 --> 0:05:26.233 new features. But it is a much better start, I think, 0:05:26.233 --> 0:05:28.423 for people who are just new to the device in 0:05:28.423 --> 0:05:30.313 terms of helping them to get up and running and 0:05:30.313 --> 0:05:34.803 to understand, uh, how to navigate just using the Perkins 0:05:34.803 --> 0:05:36.152 style Braille keyboard. 0:05:36.183 --> 0:05:39.513 We'll put the address to the Blastech website in the 0:05:39.513 --> 0:05:41.853 show notes, and there you'll be able to find details 0:05:41.853 --> 0:05:44.553 of how to order. You can't buy directly in Australia. 0:05:44.583 --> 0:05:46.893 You've got to do it from overseas from here. 0:05:46.923 --> 0:05:50.343 That's right. Yes, they they don't have Subdistributors yet. It's 0:05:50.343 --> 0:05:51.873 direct from Blastech. 0:05:51.903 --> 0:05:56.203 And we're talking about somewhere in the order of 1500 0:05:56.203 --> 0:05:58.383 to $2000. Australian. 0:05:58.413 --> 0:06:02.433 Yes, depending on shipping and exchange rates and so on. Um. 0:06:02.883 --> 0:06:09.213 So that's the BT speak from Blazie technologies. Another device 0:06:09.213 --> 0:06:14.103 to talk about is from Orcam, which will be available 0:06:14.103 --> 0:06:18.693 through Vision Australia and also through Quantum World. And that's 0:06:18.693 --> 0:06:22.743 another in the Orcam series people might know about the 0:06:22.743 --> 0:06:26.613 Orcam read three. This is an awesome light. Tell us about. 0:06:26.613 --> 0:06:30.333 It. Yes, so the Orcam read light looks quite similar 0:06:30.333 --> 0:06:33.753 to the Orcam read three. So it is a handheld 0:06:33.753 --> 0:06:38.033 device rather than a wearable device like the Orcam, Myeye 0:06:38.033 --> 0:06:41.963 and Mipro, which were the ones that, um, attached using 0:06:41.963 --> 0:06:43.853 magnets to a pair of glasses. So this is a 0:06:43.883 --> 0:06:48.113 handheld device that can also be placed in a stand. 0:06:48.113 --> 0:06:50.993 So there is a stand available as an accessory for it. 0:06:50.993 --> 0:06:56.393 And it's it's really quite similar to the read three, 0:06:56.393 --> 0:06:59.543 but without some of the advanced AI features. So it 0:06:59.543 --> 0:07:04.673 really focuses on the reading component. So being able to 0:07:04.703 --> 0:07:10.013 read text and you can use it for those that 0:07:10.013 --> 0:07:13.133 have low vision, it has sort of a laser pointer 0:07:13.133 --> 0:07:16.283 so that you can point at and read specific paragraphs. 0:07:16.283 --> 0:07:18.353 Or for those of us with no vision, you can 0:07:18.353 --> 0:07:20.633 pop it into the stand and capture a whole page, 0:07:20.633 --> 0:07:23.633 or you can still use it as a handheld. It 0:07:23.633 --> 0:07:25.403 does take a little bit of practice, I think, to 0:07:25.433 --> 0:07:29.963 get it centered nicely so that you can capture the page. Um, 0:07:29.963 --> 0:07:33.683 it is very small. Um, not not a lot bigger 0:07:33.683 --> 0:07:38.503 than a sort of a large USB stick, and it 0:07:38.503 --> 0:07:41.653 does work quite well in low lighting conditions. So you 0:07:41.653 --> 0:07:44.713 would be able to read things like a restaurant menu 0:07:44.713 --> 0:07:48.013 or that type of thing with it. The other thing 0:07:48.043 --> 0:07:50.683 about the Orcam that a lot of people like, and 0:07:50.683 --> 0:07:53.743 all of the Orcam products are similar in this respect, 0:07:53.743 --> 0:07:58.303 is that they don't require an internet connection. So whereas 0:07:58.303 --> 0:08:03.763 other OCR devices need internet connectivity because they process the 0:08:03.763 --> 0:08:07.333 information in the cloud, this does it offline, and that 0:08:07.333 --> 0:08:10.993 can be extremely useful if you are working in a 0:08:10.993 --> 0:08:15.283 secure environment, or if you have concerns about sort of 0:08:15.313 --> 0:08:18.283 the privacy and where your where your documents are going 0:08:18.313 --> 0:08:20.263 and where they're being processed and so on. All of 0:08:20.263 --> 0:08:23.653 the processing is done on the device itself. 0:08:23.683 --> 0:08:28.543 The Orcam read light the price is light compared with 0:08:28.543 --> 0:08:30.373 other orcam readers. 0:08:30.403 --> 0:08:34.333 It is. It comes in at around about $1,480, which 0:08:34.813 --> 0:08:38.203 you know, is is definitely within that sort of NDIS 0:08:38.203 --> 0:08:42.913 consumables price bracket. And you know, and that's that's the 0:08:42.913 --> 0:08:46.003 idea of it. It perhaps doesn't have the bells and 0:08:46.003 --> 0:08:48.793 whistles that the Mii, or perhaps even the read three 0:08:48.793 --> 0:08:52.813 or the read Smart had. But as a low cost 0:08:52.813 --> 0:08:57.613 and highly portable reading tool. Uh, it's it's a great 0:08:57.612 --> 0:08:58.723 little product, I think. 0:08:58.723 --> 0:09:02.532 So that's the Orcam read light from Vision Australia or 0:09:02.533 --> 0:09:08.563 directly from quantum RV, the Victor Reader stream three. Tell 0:09:08.563 --> 0:09:09.703 us about that. 0:09:09.703 --> 0:09:12.583 So the Victor Reader Stream three has been out for 0:09:12.583 --> 0:09:15.612 a little while and it, funnily enough, follows on from 0:09:15.612 --> 0:09:19.003 the original stream and the stream version two. So this 0:09:19.002 --> 0:09:24.553 is Humanware small handheld media player slash Daisy player and 0:09:24.673 --> 0:09:28.093 the stream three has been out for a while, and it, um, 0:09:28.122 --> 0:09:33.162 introduced Bluetooth as one of its major new features, as 0:09:33.163 --> 0:09:35.862 well as some improved voices and a little bit of 0:09:35.892 --> 0:09:41.492 a physical redesign of the unit itself. And this week 0:09:41.492 --> 0:09:45.063 Humanware have released an updated firmware for it, which they're 0:09:45.063 --> 0:09:50.702 calling version 1.4. And there's a couple of significant additions 0:09:50.703 --> 0:09:54.242 in this update. The first is a couple of new voices, 0:09:54.242 --> 0:09:58.413 so if we have anyone listening in the Canadian market, 0:09:58.413 --> 0:10:02.643 there are two new Canadian voices and they have upgraded 0:10:02.642 --> 0:10:05.193 the text to speech engine. It's still acapella, but it's 0:10:05.223 --> 0:10:09.183 a newer version which addresses some issues with some of 0:10:09.183 --> 0:10:13.323 the voices stuttering and so on. They have added some 0:10:13.323 --> 0:10:16.473 new Bluetooth profiles, and what that means is that for 0:10:16.473 --> 0:10:21.632 people who had difficulty connecting the stream three to their 0:10:21.632 --> 0:10:25.833 Bluetooth hearing aids, Humanware strongly suggest giving it another try 0:10:25.833 --> 0:10:30.963 because they the new profiles that they've introduced will improve 0:10:30.963 --> 0:10:34.443 the connectivity to a lot of hearing aid type devices. 0:10:34.443 --> 0:10:39.833 So definitely worth a look. There's also now the ability 0:10:39.833 --> 0:10:44.573 to categorize voice notes. So previously all of your voice 0:10:44.573 --> 0:10:47.782 notes were just in one big long list. Um, with 0:10:47.813 --> 0:10:51.563 the most recent appearing first. Now you can actually categorize it. 0:10:51.563 --> 0:10:53.453 So if you have some voice notes that you take 0:10:53.453 --> 0:10:55.792 for work and some for home or, you know, some 0:10:55.793 --> 0:10:57.923 of them are phone numbers, perhaps, and some of them 0:10:57.923 --> 0:11:01.913 are recipes or other things you can categorize that to 0:11:01.943 --> 0:11:05.242 make the list a little bit easier to navigate through. 0:11:05.453 --> 0:11:08.423 Yes. Voice notes can be a challenge to manage, so 0:11:08.423 --> 0:11:12.863 that sounds quite good. So this upgrade is already there. 0:11:12.892 --> 0:11:14.572 Do people have to do much to get it? 0:11:14.902 --> 0:11:18.683 Uh, you should be able to either download it over Wi-Fi, 0:11:18.713 --> 0:11:22.762 or you can download the upgrade to your computer, copy 0:11:22.793 --> 0:11:24.742 it to your SD, your SD card, put it in 0:11:24.742 --> 0:11:27.503 the root of the SD card or the top level 0:11:27.502 --> 0:11:30.382 of folders there, and then power on the stream and 0:11:30.382 --> 0:11:33.292 it should find the upgrade. So generally the the upgrades 0:11:33.293 --> 0:11:36.982 for the stream devices are tend to be fairly easy 0:11:36.982 --> 0:11:39.732 to install. They take a little while, but it keeps you, 0:11:39.762 --> 0:11:42.493 you know, across what it's doing. Um, it is always 0:11:42.492 --> 0:11:44.833 worth having your device plugged into power if you're doing 0:11:44.833 --> 0:11:48.102 any upgrades just so that the battery doesn't fail partway through. 0:11:48.132 --> 0:11:50.623 In fact, I think most of them now, most of 0:11:50.622 --> 0:11:54.223 these devices won't actually allow you to install the upgrade 0:11:54.223 --> 0:11:55.843 unless it's connected to power. 0:11:55.872 --> 0:12:01.032 The Victor Reader stream three from Humanware. Well, it's a 0:12:01.033 --> 0:12:05.982 big week for Freedom Scientific, the annual software upgrades. 0:12:06.193 --> 0:12:11.623 Yes. So we are expecting a version 2025 of Jaws, 0:12:11.652 --> 0:12:15.043 fusion and Zoomtext to be released this week. As is 0:12:15.043 --> 0:12:17.922 often the case the last week in October. We have 0:12:17.923 --> 0:12:21.673 mentioned this a couple of times over the last few weeks. So, um, 0:12:21.732 --> 0:12:26.473 hopefully by now you have upgraded your software maintenance agreement, 0:12:26.473 --> 0:12:30.163 or SMA if you have one, so that when these 0:12:30.163 --> 0:12:33.552 updates are released, you'll be able to just download and 0:12:33.553 --> 0:12:37.122 install them. And there are some quite exciting things coming. Uh, 0:12:37.122 --> 0:12:40.923 which we will be able to talk about next week, hopefully. 0:12:40.923 --> 0:12:42.752 And another thing we'll be able to talk about next 0:12:42.752 --> 0:12:47.132 week is the new versions of the Apple software, which 0:12:47.163 --> 0:12:49.323 are dropping this week. Some of you might already have 0:12:49.323 --> 0:12:55.382 them on your devices. iOS 18.1 for the iPhone, for 0:12:55.382 --> 0:13:00.122 the iPad, and also another version of Sequoia for the Mac. 0:13:00.122 --> 0:13:01.953 So that's pretty exciting too. 0:13:02.073 --> 0:13:05.612 It is indeed. It's always nice to see what's coming. 0:13:05.612 --> 0:13:09.393 I don't think that we'll get the new Siri, the 0:13:09.392 --> 0:13:12.753 Apple intelligence based version of Siri, in 18.1. I think 0:13:12.752 --> 0:13:16.833 that's only available in the US at this stage, but 0:13:16.833 --> 0:13:18.963 I am looking forward to trying that because I do 0:13:18.992 --> 0:13:22.172 find myself getting a little bit frustrated with Siri these days. 0:13:22.593 --> 0:13:25.052 A little birdie told me that might be an interesting 0:13:25.053 --> 0:13:29.343 Christmas present when iOS 18.2 comes out around Christmas time. 0:13:29.343 --> 0:13:32.882 But this takes us on that journey towards Apple intelligence. 0:13:32.882 --> 0:13:37.172 And there are some interesting features in iOS 18.1, so 0:13:37.232 --> 0:13:38.882 be good fun to explore. 0:13:38.913 --> 0:13:40.732 Absolutely looking forward to it. 0:13:40.762 --> 0:13:43.643 Before we go, a reminder of where there are details 0:13:43.642 --> 0:13:46.432 of what we've been talking about in this and previous 0:13:46.433 --> 0:13:48.893 editions of the program, all you need to do is 0:13:48.892 --> 0:13:55.252 go to VA radio.org/talking tech. VA radio, dot org slash 0:13:55.283 --> 0:13:57.892 talking tech and to right to the program. 0:13:58.073 --> 0:14:02.843 You can email me Damo Dot McMorrow. That's Damo dot 0:14:02.872 --> 0:14:07.463 m c m o r o w at Vision Australia. 0:14:07.703 --> 0:14:10.193 Org and thank you to everybody who has written in. 0:14:10.193 --> 0:14:12.502 I really appreciate your encouragement and your comments. 0:14:12.502 --> 0:14:13.732 You've been getting a few, have you? 0:14:13.732 --> 0:14:15.503 I have indeed, yes. Yeah. 0:14:15.533 --> 0:14:19.253 Terrific. All right. So don't forget that email address. If 0:14:19.253 --> 0:14:21.563 there's something you want to say to Damo or myself. 0:14:21.563 --> 0:14:27.683 Damo McMorrow at Vision australia.org. This has been talking tech 0:14:27.683 --> 0:14:31.913 with me has been Vision Australia's national access technology manager 0:14:31.913 --> 0:14:35.422 Damo McMorrow. I'm Stephen Jolly. Stay safe. We'll talk more 0:14:35.423 --> 0:14:36.713 tech next week. See you.