WEBVTT - Talking Tech 16t April 2024 0:00:21.458 --> 0:00:24.968 Hello everyone! Welcome to Talking Tech. This edition available from 0:00:24.968 --> 0:00:28.928 April the 16th, 2024. I'm Stephen Jolley, great to have 0:00:28.928 --> 0:00:31.388 you with us. Wherever you're listening may be through Vision 0:00:31.388 --> 0:00:35.918 Australia Radio, Associated Stations of Australia or maybe the Community 0:00:35.918 --> 0:00:39.518 Radio Network. There is also the podcast. To catch that, 0:00:39.518 --> 0:00:41.408 all you need to do is search for the two 0:00:41.408 --> 0:00:44.768 words talking tech and down a canal come usually on 0:00:44.768 --> 0:00:48.758 a Tuesday afternoon just after it's been produced. Another option 0:00:48.758 --> 0:00:51.338 is to ask a Siri device or smart speaker to 0:00:51.338 --> 0:00:56.918 play Vision Australia radio talking tech podcast Vision Australia Radio 0:00:56.918 --> 0:01:01.958 talking tech podcast with me, someone who can explain all 0:01:01.958 --> 0:01:05.438 this tech stuff really well. Vision Australia's national advisor on 0:01:05.438 --> 0:01:10.358 access technology, David Woodbridge. David, let's start with our product minute. 0:01:10.628 --> 0:01:14.588 This is an item from the vision store of Vision Australia. 0:01:14.738 --> 0:01:18.578 And it's to do with mobility being out and about. 0:01:18.698 --> 0:01:22.388 It is so this is to attach your mini guide 0:01:22.388 --> 0:01:25.358 to your mobility cane. Now let me just backtrack a bit. 0:01:25.358 --> 0:01:28.778 So what this actually does, it's a holder, as the 0:01:28.778 --> 0:01:34.658 name suggests, to attach your handheld mini guide, sonar based 0:01:34.658 --> 0:01:39.038 orientation mobility device and what it is. It's a device 0:01:39.038 --> 0:01:41.318 that you normally hold in your hand and you point 0:01:41.318 --> 0:01:45.008 it forward. And because it has this high frequency ultrasound 0:01:45.158 --> 0:01:48.878 that hits objects and bounces back and makes the mini 0:01:48.878 --> 0:01:52.478 guide vibrate depending on what you've got it set to. 0:01:52.508 --> 0:01:54.698 So it might be to detect an object one meter 0:01:54.698 --> 0:01:59.828 away 1.52m, four meters up to a whopping eight meters away. 0:02:01.208 --> 0:02:03.788 That's fine if you've got a hand available to hold 0:02:03.788 --> 0:02:06.278 the mini guide, but if you don't, then what this 0:02:06.278 --> 0:02:09.908 holder does, it allows you to attach that mini guide 0:02:10.748 --> 0:02:13.748 to the cane. And then because it's got sort of 0:02:13.748 --> 0:02:17.678 this sort of rotating type screw device on the mechanism 0:02:17.678 --> 0:02:22.148 that holds it on, you can actually put the mini 0:02:22.148 --> 0:02:24.998 guide into what orientation you like, whether it's pointing straight 0:02:24.998 --> 0:02:27.758 ahead up a little bit, if you're going near trees 0:02:27.758 --> 0:02:30.698 or whatever else you might want to do. Now I 0:02:30.698 --> 0:02:33.638 just want to say something about the product description, which 0:02:33.638 --> 0:02:36.158 I'll hopefully let the guys know to correct. This week 0:02:36.518 --> 0:02:39.428 is on the description. It actually says that you've got 0:02:39.428 --> 0:02:44.648 to use cable ties to attach the holder to the cane. Now, 0:02:44.648 --> 0:02:48.008 when I got mine this week, what it is, is 0:02:48.008 --> 0:02:51.128 a little o ring. And this o ring has got 0:02:51.128 --> 0:02:53.378 a screw. So you undo the screw and it lets 0:02:53.378 --> 0:02:56.558 the O ring expand. And then you slide that o 0:02:56.558 --> 0:03:00.038 ring onto either your part of your metal part of, 0:03:00.038 --> 0:03:03.098 you know, your handle. I've done my handle. And then 0:03:03.098 --> 0:03:07.478 as you tighten the screw up, it tightens that o ring. 0:03:07.478 --> 0:03:10.688 So you get a very nice solid connection to your cane, 0:03:10.688 --> 0:03:13.478 and then you just pop the mini guide into the 0:03:13.478 --> 0:03:16.328 holder part, and then you adjust the angle with this 0:03:16.328 --> 0:03:19.448 little lever which way you want the mini guide pointing. 0:03:19.448 --> 0:03:22.628 So because it's got the O ring, then you don't 0:03:22.628 --> 0:03:25.718 need cable ties to attach the holder to the cane. 0:03:25.718 --> 0:03:28.238 That might have been on an original version, but this 0:03:28.238 --> 0:03:31.718 new version fits on very nicely. It's nice and snug. 0:03:31.718 --> 0:03:35.558 It holds the actual mini guide very nicely, and it 0:03:35.558 --> 0:03:37.808 really does work. So if you want to turn your 0:03:37.808 --> 0:03:42.158 cane into a bit of a smart sonic type cane, 0:03:42.188 --> 0:03:45.278 this works really nicely. So all you need is both 0:03:45.278 --> 0:03:48.158 the mini guide holder and of course the mini guide. 0:03:48.398 --> 0:03:50.888 And what's the cost of the mini guide holder? 0:03:51.128 --> 0:03:54.218 It's about $99, which I originally thought. Wait, that's a 0:03:54.218 --> 0:03:56.348 bit pricey, but when I got it, it's so well 0:03:56.348 --> 0:04:00.218 designed and so well built that I thought, yeah, sometimes 0:04:00.218 --> 0:04:02.048 when you get things that are made very well and 0:04:02.048 --> 0:04:05.228 good quality, you think, yep, that's fine, that's worth the price. 0:04:05.498 --> 0:04:10.298 Excellent. We talked last week about the BT Speak Pro, 0:04:10.328 --> 0:04:13.538 which is the device from Blazey Technology with the little 0:04:13.538 --> 0:04:18.398 Braille keypad on it. Um, let's talk about its availability. 0:04:18.398 --> 0:04:23.018 So Virgin Australia has received quite a few inquiries about 0:04:23.018 --> 0:04:27.878 the BT Sport Pro from Blades Technologies, and I don't 0:04:27.878 --> 0:04:30.518 know if we've made it extremely clear in the last 0:04:30.518 --> 0:04:34.598 episode that it's currently only available in the United States 0:04:34.598 --> 0:04:39.308 from Laser Technologies themselves, because they're only been shipping this 0:04:39.308 --> 0:04:43.388 new product since March 1st. At the moment, I think 0:04:43.388 --> 0:04:48.308 they just want to maintain control over servicing and support 0:04:48.308 --> 0:04:50.978 and supply and those sort of things. I did contact 0:04:50.978 --> 0:04:54.968 them last week and asked them about what their plans 0:04:54.968 --> 0:04:58.898 are for international distributorship, and they said, look, for the moment, 0:04:58.898 --> 0:05:02.948 we'd much prefer to have control over the whole way 0:05:02.948 --> 0:05:07.328 to go process because we want to maintain great consumer 0:05:07.328 --> 0:05:10.388 support and so on. Um, so as soon as available 0:05:10.388 --> 0:05:13.478 internationally and or at Virgin Australia, I will definitely let 0:05:13.478 --> 0:05:15.998 people know. But for the moment you would need to 0:05:15.998 --> 0:05:18.728 purchase it from the United States and of course pay 0:05:18.728 --> 0:05:19.478 shipping for it. 0:05:19.658 --> 0:05:24.958 Microsoft. Looking at the idea of having ads right up front. 0:05:25.438 --> 0:05:29.428 Yes. I was just completely startled by this particular one. 0:05:29.428 --> 0:05:32.788 So what they're doing is on the current Windows Insider build, 0:05:32.788 --> 0:05:36.058 which is like a predevelopment version of windows. This is 0:05:36.058 --> 0:05:39.778 for Windows 11, uh, in the United States. What Microsoft 0:05:39.778 --> 0:05:43.828 is apparently testing are putting ads in your start menu, 0:05:43.828 --> 0:05:47.818 which of course you can go into settings and turn off. 0:05:47.818 --> 0:05:51.508 But I just thought, is this turning into some sort 0:05:51.508 --> 0:05:56.218 of TV set operating system wise? Because why on earth. 0:05:56.218 --> 0:05:57.688 And I know why I know if you'd want to 0:05:57.688 --> 0:05:59.908 do it. Um, but why on earth, from a consumer 0:05:59.908 --> 0:06:02.638 point of view, would you want to have to navigate 0:06:02.638 --> 0:06:06.898 past ads on your start menu? Yes. It's a great way, 0:06:06.898 --> 0:06:09.928 from a commercial point of view to raise revenue and, 0:06:09.928 --> 0:06:13.228 you know, get people to pay ads on windows in general. 0:06:13.468 --> 0:06:17.458 But I just thought this is just getting really, really ridiculous. 0:06:17.458 --> 0:06:20.608 It's an operating system. It's not an application. It's not 0:06:20.608 --> 0:06:24.028 a web page. It's not a television set. I just 0:06:24.028 --> 0:06:27.058 think this is a really bad way for even Microsoft 0:06:27.058 --> 0:06:29.188 even think about doing in the first place. 0:06:29.308 --> 0:06:35.038 Let's talk about SD cards now, those secure digital storage 0:06:35.038 --> 0:06:38.608 things that are so small about thumbnail size, I think 0:06:40.258 --> 0:06:44.398 they're likely to even grow more in capacity in the 0:06:44.398 --> 0:06:45.328 next year or so. 0:06:45.598 --> 0:06:48.718 Indeed. So apparently next year they're going to be hitting 0:06:48.718 --> 0:06:55.288 four terabytes of space, which is enormous. Now, one could 0:06:55.288 --> 0:06:58.168 be misled on thinking that this is a really great thing, 0:06:58.168 --> 0:07:01.708 because in one way it is, but in the other way, 0:07:01.738 --> 0:07:05.128 people need to be reminded by the fact that any 0:07:05.128 --> 0:07:09.688 memory card or flash stick or USB stick, we used 0:07:09.688 --> 0:07:12.418 to call them a thumb drive. They're only meant to 0:07:12.418 --> 0:07:15.928 be temporary storage, because if I had something that was 0:07:15.928 --> 0:07:18.898 four terabytes, I'd go, oh, well, look, I'll just keep 0:07:18.898 --> 0:07:22.438 my podcasts on there or I'll just keep all my 0:07:22.438 --> 0:07:24.898 karate notes on there, or I'll keep my life story 0:07:24.898 --> 0:07:26.968 on there, and I won't need to worry about it. 0:07:27.448 --> 0:07:30.148 But that's a really dangerous thing to do, because as 0:07:30.148 --> 0:07:32.998 I keep saying, it's temporary storage. It's meant to be 0:07:32.998 --> 0:07:37.738 used to transfer information from one device to another. Um, 0:07:37.738 --> 0:07:40.408 if you can't do it via a Wi-Fi network, or 0:07:40.408 --> 0:07:43.408 us Apple users use AirDrop and so on. So I 0:07:43.408 --> 0:07:46.408 think it's it's great, particularly if you want to have 0:07:46.408 --> 0:07:49.618 something that produces very large files. But otherwise I think 0:07:49.618 --> 0:07:51.118 it's a little bit on the dangerous side. 0:07:51.358 --> 0:07:55.918 Let's talk about Apple now. They continue to see eight 0:07:55.918 --> 0:07:58.828 gigs as the default size for Ram. 0:07:58.948 --> 0:08:01.078 They've been doing this now for a good I want 0:08:01.078 --> 0:08:04.378 to say a good decade. Um, and I don't know 0:08:04.378 --> 0:08:07.078 why because yes, you can definitely get away with using 0:08:07.078 --> 0:08:11.428 eight gigabytes of Ram in your Mac. Um, with voiceover, 0:08:11.428 --> 0:08:15.298 if you want to do basic functions like mail, web browsing, 0:08:15.298 --> 0:08:19.588 word processing, as soon as you start doing large amounts 0:08:19.588 --> 0:08:24.868 of data crunching and processing like video editing, number crunching 0:08:24.868 --> 0:08:28.228 and so on, you do need more memory. And because 0:08:28.498 --> 0:08:32.218 Apple's memory is traditionally very, very expensive, then you might 0:08:32.218 --> 0:08:34.378 as well buy it up front. So on windows I 0:08:34.378 --> 0:08:38.398 always say 16 gigs of Ram. So what I'm really 0:08:38.398 --> 0:08:41.338 going to start saying these days to protect yourself in 0:08:41.338 --> 0:08:43.438 the future, not get ripped off by having to pay 0:08:43.438 --> 0:08:45.748 for extra memory from Apple, then you might as well 0:08:45.748 --> 0:08:48.058 just bite the bullet and get 16 gigs, same as 0:08:48.058 --> 0:08:49.048 you do with windows. 0:08:49.468 --> 0:08:54.148 If you've got an iPhone 12. Anyone in that family? Um, 0:08:54.358 --> 0:08:58.978 is there really a need to go up to 1415 0:08:58.978 --> 0:08:59.818 at this stage? 0:09:00.238 --> 0:09:03.298 No, particularly if you've got a 12 pro, which is 0:09:03.298 --> 0:09:07.108 the course when the lidar stuff came in for us doing, 0:09:07.108 --> 0:09:09.928 you know, people detection or detection, all that sort of 0:09:09.928 --> 0:09:14.578 cool stuff in the magnifier app within iOS itself. Uh, 0:09:14.578 --> 0:09:18.028 because I saw an article last week about apparently Apple 0:09:18.028 --> 0:09:19.918 and I haven't seen this personally. I've only read the 0:09:19.918 --> 0:09:23.308 article about the link on Apple's website trying to convince 0:09:23.308 --> 0:09:25.378 people to update from the 12, in particular on the 0:09:25.378 --> 0:09:27.658 12 Pro to the current version. And what they were 0:09:27.658 --> 0:09:31.618 saying was, you know, it's better camera, it's more storage, 0:09:31.618 --> 0:09:35.578 it's built to last. Well, if your existing phone's already 0:09:35.578 --> 0:09:38.428 got a camera that meets your own needs, your storage 0:09:38.428 --> 0:09:40.798 when you bought it meets your own needs and it's 0:09:40.798 --> 0:09:43.918 built to last i.e. it's still going after a number 0:09:43.918 --> 0:09:48.418 of years, then the arguments for upgrading aren't really valid. 0:09:48.418 --> 0:09:50.878 So what I would say to people is that if 0:09:50.878 --> 0:09:53.938 there's a new specific software function that will only run 0:09:53.938 --> 0:09:57.688 on the, let's say, the iPhone 16 this year, or 0:09:57.688 --> 0:10:00.028 there's a particular hardware feature that you're really, really, really 0:10:00.028 --> 0:10:03.328 looking for. That's the reason to upgrade. It's not the 0:10:03.328 --> 0:10:05.458 fact that it's got a better camera, a bit of this, 0:10:05.458 --> 0:10:07.678 bit of that, more of this, more of that. It's 0:10:07.678 --> 0:10:10.918 the fact that it's giving you extra functionality that you 0:10:10.918 --> 0:10:14.848 might need for your specific reasons. So don't match up 0:10:14.848 --> 0:10:16.588 an update if you don't have to. 0:10:17.188 --> 0:10:21.598 Yeah, we might see more iPads and MacBooks. This year 0:10:21.598 --> 0:10:23.938 with another chip, the M4. 0:10:24.058 --> 0:10:28.288 Yes, the M3 only came out five months ago and 0:10:28.288 --> 0:10:30.658 all the gossip is at the moment is that Apple 0:10:30.658 --> 0:10:34.048 is going to be releasing the M4 chip, probably in 0:10:34.048 --> 0:10:35.848 the next. Well, I don't know, but maybe in the 0:10:35.848 --> 0:10:38.908 next six months or so. Particularly for the Mac. But 0:10:38.908 --> 0:10:41.038 of course, because it's sharing the same chip if you 0:10:41.038 --> 0:10:43.318 like to do with the iPads and so on, we're 0:10:43.318 --> 0:10:44.908 probably going to see it in the iPads coming up 0:10:44.908 --> 0:10:48.478 as well. And of course, this is all about artificial intelligence. 0:10:48.478 --> 0:10:51.958 So it's making all the neural engines and the other 0:10:51.958 --> 0:10:54.688 processing stuff that goes on the chip to make using 0:10:54.688 --> 0:10:57.868 AI much more efficient. So I wouldn't be surprised this 0:10:57.868 --> 0:11:01.888 year if we see not only Macs with M4 chips, 0:11:01.888 --> 0:11:03.478 but also iPads as well. 0:11:03.508 --> 0:11:08.158 An AI seems to be embedding itself into lots of 0:11:08.158 --> 0:11:13.738 applications and devices. Seeing AI. Tell us what's happening there. 0:11:14.038 --> 0:11:16.978 Just to remind people briefly, what's seeing AI is it's 0:11:16.978 --> 0:11:20.518 a application that has different options in it, which they 0:11:20.518 --> 0:11:24.388 call channels to do different functions with your camera, such 0:11:24.388 --> 0:11:28.558 as optical character recognition. So reading print off a menu 0:11:28.558 --> 0:11:33.928 in a restaurant, barcode reading, face recognition, scene detection, all 0:11:33.928 --> 0:11:37.648 that sort of cool stuff. And there's a category in 0:11:37.648 --> 0:11:40.228 there or the channel that's called world. Now, what world 0:11:40.228 --> 0:11:43.918 traditionally does is allow you to do scene detection or 0:11:43.918 --> 0:11:48.508 people detection around you. What Microsoft has actually just done, 0:11:48.508 --> 0:11:51.448 because it is a Microsoft app, is added this function 0:11:51.448 --> 0:11:56.308 called Find My Item in the world channel, which means 0:11:56.308 --> 0:11:59.728 rather than just telling you specifically that you've got a 0:11:59.728 --> 0:12:02.968 couple of bags around you, for example, or a couple 0:12:02.968 --> 0:12:05.578 of sets of keys, you can say, I want to 0:12:05.578 --> 0:12:08.848 identify my keys or my bag, or in my case, 0:12:08.848 --> 0:12:12.328 my coffee cup, so that when I put it down 0:12:12.328 --> 0:12:14.098 and I can't find it, I can go to the 0:12:14.098 --> 0:12:17.608 world channel, select Find My Item, select in my case 0:12:17.608 --> 0:12:21.418 David's coffee cup, and it will only look for David's 0:12:21.418 --> 0:12:23.368 coffee cup. And of course, the reason why that works 0:12:23.368 --> 0:12:26.458 so well is because initially when I go to find 0:12:26.458 --> 0:12:30.268 my item, I then say add item. It then wants 0:12:30.268 --> 0:12:33.778 me to take a picture in different situations of my 0:12:33.778 --> 0:12:36.718 coffee cup. And then that's what it looks for when 0:12:36.718 --> 0:12:39.208 you actually do it. And just a warning when you 0:12:39.208 --> 0:12:41.938 do this because it says to you to start doing 0:12:41.938 --> 0:12:45.568 initial photos or images on a table, make sure you've 0:12:45.568 --> 0:12:48.328 got room behind you, because it will actually ask you 0:12:48.328 --> 0:12:51.778 to step backwards up to about two meters away. So 0:12:51.778 --> 0:12:54.328 that's just the tip for using the application in this 0:12:54.328 --> 0:12:55.378 particular function. 0:12:55.528 --> 0:12:57.958 There are these apps that have been around for some time, 0:12:57.958 --> 0:13:02.578 like seeing AI, and they just evolve. And you've got 0:13:02.578 --> 0:13:04.198 to be careful to keep on top of all the 0:13:04.198 --> 0:13:05.968 exciting new features, haven't you? 0:13:05.998 --> 0:13:08.488 You do. And one way of doing that is two 0:13:08.488 --> 0:13:10.558 ways that I always do is when you go in 0:13:10.558 --> 0:13:13.318 and update your apps within the App Store app itself. 0:13:13.558 --> 0:13:16.798 Have a look at the what's being updated just below 0:13:16.798 --> 0:13:19.468 where it's got, you know, update for this app, or 0:13:19.468 --> 0:13:21.958 go and look in the history for each application. Again 0:13:21.958 --> 0:13:24.058 within the App Store app. And that will tell you 0:13:24.058 --> 0:13:26.908 because I sometimes forget when I go and use an 0:13:26.908 --> 0:13:29.938 application or you hear on the internet that there's a 0:13:29.938 --> 0:13:32.308 function in this particular that we think, oh no, I 0:13:32.308 --> 0:13:33.988 remember that one. I used to use that when it 0:13:33.988 --> 0:13:36.748 first came out last year or something. So that's a 0:13:36.748 --> 0:13:38.968 good way to keep up to date with what's changing, 0:13:38.968 --> 0:13:42.808 because these apps add new functions all the time. And yeah, 0:13:42.808 --> 0:13:45.208 if you haven't visited your full functionality of your app 0:13:45.208 --> 0:13:47.458 for a while, I'd go and just double check to 0:13:47.458 --> 0:13:48.508 see what's changed. 0:13:48.508 --> 0:13:51.358 With apps updating, there are two options. You can have 0:13:51.358 --> 0:13:55.168 it so that it automatically happens behind the scenes, and 0:13:55.168 --> 0:14:00.358 there's when where you explicitly go and check whether there 0:14:00.358 --> 0:14:05.548 are updates and then download those updates. Now that's a 0:14:05.548 --> 0:14:08.758 very good reason for using that second option rather than 0:14:08.758 --> 0:14:10.888 it just all happening behind you. 0:14:11.068 --> 0:14:13.768 Correct. And that's exactly why I've got my automatic app 0:14:13.768 --> 0:14:16.258 updating turned off, because I want to see what's being 0:14:16.258 --> 0:14:17.698 changed as I update apps. 0:14:17.938 --> 0:14:21.118 Before we go, a reminder of where there are details 0:14:21.118 --> 0:14:23.188 of what we've been talking about in this. And previous 0:14:23.188 --> 0:14:24.358 editions of the program. 0:14:24.358 --> 0:14:26.548 As always, you can check out my blog site, which 0:14:26.548 --> 0:14:30.988 is David would be our podbean podbean. 0:14:31.228 --> 0:14:36.868 Com David would be our podbean podbean. Com to write 0:14:36.868 --> 0:14:37.978 to the program, you. 0:14:37.978 --> 0:14:39.868 Can write to me at Vision Australia where I work 0:14:39.868 --> 0:14:43.858 which is David Dot Woodbridge at Vision australia.org. 0:14:43.858 --> 0:14:48.298 David Dot Woodbridge at Vision Australia. Org. This has been 0:14:48.298 --> 0:14:51.688 talking tech with me has been Vision Australia's national advisor 0:14:51.688 --> 0:14:55.738 on access technology David Woodbridge I'm Stephen Jolley take care. 0:14:55.738 --> 0:14:57.478 We'll talk more tech next week. See you.