S1: Hello everyone. Welcome to Talking Tech. This edition available from
S1: October the 29th, 2024. I'm Stephen Jolly, great to have
S1: you with us listening maybe through Vision Australia Radio, associated
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S1: Vision Australia radio talking tech podcast. Vision Australia radio talking
S1: tech podcast. With me. Vision Australia's national access technology manager.
S1: Damo McMorrow. Hi, Stephen. Hi, Damo. How are you?
S2: Yeah, I'm well. Thanks. Nice to be with you again, Damien.
S1: Let's talk a bit about hardware and firmware today. A
S1: number of topics to cover. One of the things we
S1: haven't discussed for some time Is the BT speak from
S1: Blazie technologies.
S2: Yes, the BT speak is a really interesting little device. Actually,
S2: those people who back in the 80s or 90s used
S2: a Braylon speak, which from what was then Blazie engineering
S2: will find this device quite familiar because it really is
S2: sort of a modern version of the Braylon speak. So
S2: it has a Perkins style Braille keyboard, um, and speech output.
S2: So there's no Braille output on this one. It uses
S2: a device called a Raspberry Pi as its base. And
S2: while that sounds like something edible, it definitely isn't. It's
S2: a very small microcomputer, and it has USB-C connectivity, a
S2: mini HDMI port, and an SD card slot. The unit
S2: itself is about the size of, uh, two iPhone 15
S2: Pro's stacked on top of each other. That's probably the
S2: easiest way to sort of conceptualize the size of it.
S2: And it came out uh, around about, I think, January
S2: or February this year, and it's had quite a few updates.
S2: I know David did speak about it a little bit,
S2: I think at the time that it came out, but it's, uh,
S2: evolved quite a bit since then because Blastech, they're a
S2: small company, really a small start up, but they've certainly
S2: gone ahead in leaps and bounds with the device. They've
S2: been very receptive to user feedback and suggestions of additional features.
S2: And the other unique thing about it is that in
S2: addition to what they call traditional mode, where it functions
S2: like the Braille and speak of old, it runs at
S2: its core the Linux operating system, which means that you
S2: can run desktop apps like Google Chrome, Firefox, the Thunderbird
S2: email client, and so on. So it can really be
S2: as simplified or as powerful as you want it to be.
S1: It is amazing what you can get out of it.
S1: And I'm also impressed with the really transparency of the developers,
S1: very different to other organizations. People do make suggestions and
S1: they say, yeah, we'll put that on the list. And
S1: sure enough, it could well turn up in a future update.
S1: They bring out updates quite regularly every month or two.
S1: Quite amazing. And it's been interesting following their progress since
S1: January February this year.
S2: It certainly has. You know, they've they've introduced a number
S2: of different features. There's a now a radio tuner. So
S2: a web radio type application where you can listen to
S2: I think over 50,000 stations. It's got in its database.
S2: There's now a calendar application and a phone book application.
S2: A whole range of things that have really been added
S2: since the original release, where it was really just a,
S2: you know, glorified text editor. Um, you know, there's a
S2: weather app as well. There's all sorts of different things
S2: that have been added, so it really has come a
S2: long way in a very short time.
S1: And released this week a very comprehensive user manual.
S2: Yes. That's right. So when the device first came out,
S2: it really just came out with some help files, which
S2: were just sort of short text files. There was a
S2: couple of YouTube videos and so on. Whereas now there
S2: is a very comprehensive audio tutorial. I think it's about
S2: 2.5 hours in length. And there is also, as you said,
S2: a comprehensive user manual that's available in word format and
S2: PDF format. And it's all nicely marked up in headings,
S2: so it's easy to kind of navigate through it and
S2: search for particular things. And it um, it is going
S2: to be a, as they say, a living document. So
S2: it is going to evolve over time as they add
S2: new features. But it is a much better start, I think,
S2: for people who are just new to the device in
S2: terms of helping them to get up and running and
S2: to understand, uh, how to navigate just using the Perkins
S2: style Braille keyboard.
S1: We'll put the address to the Blastech website in the
S1: show notes, and there you'll be able to find details
S1: of how to order. You can't buy directly in Australia.
S1: You've got to do it from overseas from here.
S2: That's right. Yes, they they don't have Subdistributors yet. It's
S2: direct from Blastech.
S1: And we're talking about somewhere in the order of 1500
S1: to $2000. Australian.
S2: Yes, depending on shipping and exchange rates and so on. Um.
S1: So that's the BT speak from Blazie technologies. Another device
S1: to talk about is from Orcam, which will be available
S1: through Vision Australia and also through Quantum World. And that's
S1: another in the Orcam series people might know about the
S1: Orcam read three. This is an awesome light. Tell us about.
S2: It. Yes, so the Orcam read light looks quite similar
S2: to the Orcam read three. So it is a handheld
S2: device rather than a wearable device like the Orcam, Myeye
S2: and Mipro, which were the ones that, um, attached using
S2: magnets to a pair of glasses. So this is a
S2: handheld device that can also be placed in a stand.
S2: So there is a stand available as an accessory for it.
S2: And it's it's really quite similar to the read three,
S2: but without some of the advanced AI features. So it
S2: really focuses on the reading component. So being able to
S2: read text and you can use it for those that
S2: have low vision, it has sort of a laser pointer
S2: so that you can point at and read specific paragraphs.
S2: Or for those of us with no vision, you can
S2: pop it into the stand and capture a whole page,
S2: or you can still use it as a handheld. It
S2: does take a little bit of practice, I think, to
S2: get it centered nicely so that you can capture the page. Um,
S2: it is very small. Um, not not a lot bigger
S2: than a sort of a large USB stick, and it
S2: does work quite well in low lighting conditions. So you
S2: would be able to read things like a restaurant menu
S2: or that type of thing with it. The other thing
S2: about the Orcam that a lot of people like, and
S2: all of the Orcam products are similar in this respect,
S2: is that they don't require an internet connection. So whereas
S2: other OCR devices need internet connectivity because they process the
S2: information in the cloud, this does it offline, and that
S2: can be extremely useful if you are working in a
S2: secure environment, or if you have concerns about sort of
S2: the privacy and where your where your documents are going
S2: and where they're being processed and so on. All of
S2: the processing is done on the device itself.
S1: The Orcam read light the price is light compared with
S1: other orcam readers.
S2: It is. It comes in at around about $1,480, which
S2: you know, is is definitely within that sort of NDIS
S2: consumables price bracket. And you know, and that's that's the
S2: idea of it. It perhaps doesn't have the bells and
S2: whistles that the Mii, or perhaps even the read three
S2: or the read Smart had. But as a low cost
S2: and highly portable reading tool. Uh, it's it's a great
S2: little product, I think.
S1: So that's the Orcam read light from Vision Australia or
S1: directly from quantum RV, the Victor Reader stream three. Tell
S1: us about that.
S2: So the Victor Reader Stream three has been out for
S2: a little while and it, funnily enough, follows on from
S2: the original stream and the stream version two. So this
S2: is Humanware small handheld media player slash Daisy player and
S2: the stream three has been out for a while, and it, um,
S2: introduced Bluetooth as one of its major new features, as
S2: well as some improved voices and a little bit of
S2: a physical redesign of the unit itself. And this week
S2: Humanware have released an updated firmware for it, which they're
S2: calling version 1.4. And there's a couple of significant additions
S2: in this update. The first is a couple of new voices,
S2: so if we have anyone listening in the Canadian market,
S2: there are two new Canadian voices and they have upgraded
S2: the text to speech engine. It's still acapella, but it's
S2: a newer version which addresses some issues with some of
S2: the voices stuttering and so on. They have added some
S2: new Bluetooth profiles, and what that means is that for
S2: people who had difficulty connecting the stream three to their
S2: Bluetooth hearing aids, Humanware strongly suggest giving it another try
S2: because they the new profiles that they've introduced will improve
S2: the connectivity to a lot of hearing aid type devices.
S2: So definitely worth a look. There's also now the ability
S2: to categorize voice notes. So previously all of your voice
S2: notes were just in one big long list. Um, with
S2: the most recent appearing first. Now you can actually categorize it.
S2: So if you have some voice notes that you take
S2: for work and some for home or, you know, some
S2: of them are phone numbers, perhaps, and some of them
S2: are recipes or other things you can categorize that to
S2: make the list a little bit easier to navigate through.
S1: Yes. Voice notes can be a challenge to manage, so
S1: that sounds quite good. So this upgrade is already there.
S1: Do people have to do much to get it?
S2: Uh, you should be able to either download it over Wi-Fi,
S2: or you can download the upgrade to your computer, copy
S2: it to your SD, your SD card, put it in
S2: the root of the SD card or the top level
S2: of folders there, and then power on the stream and
S2: it should find the upgrade. So generally the the upgrades
S2: for the stream devices are tend to be fairly easy
S2: to install. They take a little while, but it keeps you,
S2: you know, across what it's doing. Um, it is always
S2: worth having your device plugged into power if you're doing
S2: any upgrades just so that the battery doesn't fail partway through.
S2: In fact, I think most of them now, most of
S2: these devices won't actually allow you to install the upgrade
S2: unless it's connected to power.
S1: The Victor Reader stream three from Humanware. Well, it's a
S1: big week for Freedom Scientific, the annual software upgrades.
S2: Yes. So we are expecting a version 2025 of Jaws,
S2: fusion and Zoomtext to be released this week. As is
S2: often the case the last week in October. We have
S2: mentioned this a couple of times over the last few weeks. So, um,
S2: hopefully by now you have upgraded your software maintenance agreement,
S2: or SMA if you have one, so that when these
S2: updates are released, you'll be able to just download and
S2: install them. And there are some quite exciting things coming. Uh,
S2: which we will be able to talk about next week, hopefully.
S1: And another thing we'll be able to talk about next
S1: week is the new versions of the Apple software, which
S1: are dropping this week. Some of you might already have
S1: them on your devices. iOS 18.1 for the iPhone, for
S1: the iPad, and also another version of Sequoia for the Mac.
S1: So that's pretty exciting too.
S2: It is indeed. It's always nice to see what's coming.
S2: I don't think that we'll get the new Siri, the
S2: Apple intelligence based version of Siri, in 18.1. I think
S2: that's only available in the US at this stage, but
S2: I am looking forward to trying that because I do
S2: find myself getting a little bit frustrated with Siri these days.
S1: A little birdie told me that might be an interesting
S1: Christmas present when iOS 18.2 comes out around Christmas time.
S1: But this takes us on that journey towards Apple intelligence.
S1: And there are some interesting features in iOS 18.1, so
S1: be good fun to explore.
S2: Absolutely looking forward to it.
S1: Before we go, a reminder of where there are details
S1: of what we've been talking about in this and previous
S1: editions of the program, all you need to do is
S1: go to VA radio.org/talking tech. VA radio, dot org slash
S1: talking tech and to right to the program.
S2: You can email me Damo Dot McMorrow. That's Damo dot
S2: m c m o r o w at Vision Australia.
S2: Org and thank you to everybody who has written in.
S2: I really appreciate your encouragement and your comments.
S1: You've been getting a few, have you?
S2: I have indeed, yes. Yeah.
S1: Terrific. All right. So don't forget that email address. If
S1: there's something you want to say to Damo or myself.
S1: Damo McMorrow at Vision australia.org. This has been talking tech
S1: with me has been Vision Australia's national access technology manager
S1: Damo McMorrow. I'm Stephen Jolly. Stay safe. We'll talk more
S1: tech next week. See you.