WEBVTT - Talking Tech 10th October 2023 0:00:36.252 --> 0:00:39.972 Hello everyone. Welcome to Talking Tech. This edition available from 0:00:39.972 --> 0:00:43.932 October the 10th, 2023. I'm Stephen Jolly. Great to have 0:00:43.932 --> 0:00:46.272 you with us, wherever you're listening may be through Vision 0:00:46.272 --> 0:00:51.012 Australia Radio, associated Stations of Australia or perhaps the Community 0:00:51.012 --> 0:00:54.552 Radio Network. There is also the podcast. The way to 0:00:54.552 --> 0:00:57.402 find that is to search for the two words talking 0:00:57.402 --> 0:01:00.192 Tech and Dan it can come usually on a Tuesday 0:01:00.192 --> 0:01:03.642 afternoon just after it's been produced. Another option is to 0:01:03.642 --> 0:01:07.092 ask a Siri device or smart speaker to play Vision 0:01:07.092 --> 0:01:12.942 Australia Radio Talking Tech Podcast. Vision Australia Radio Talking Tech podcast. 0:01:13.092 --> 0:01:15.942 With me someone who can explain all this tech stuff 0:01:15.942 --> 0:01:22.572 really well. Vision Australia's National Advisor on Access Technology, David Woodbridge. David, 0:01:22.722 --> 0:01:26.682 let's start with a game that's become very accessible. Tell 0:01:26.682 --> 0:01:28.872 us about Forza motorsport. 0:01:29.172 --> 0:01:31.932 For people that don't know what this game is, it's 0:01:31.932 --> 0:01:37.122 literally a racing game for a console. So you've got your, 0:01:37.362 --> 0:01:42.342 your controller for your Xbox, your PC, and then you've 0:01:42.342 --> 0:01:44.892 got the game, of course, and you can choose different 0:01:44.892 --> 0:01:48.402 racing tracks around the world to race your particular car. 0:01:48.852 --> 0:01:52.422 Now of course, all this is very visual. What they've 0:01:52.422 --> 0:01:56.952 done with the release that's coming out this week is 0:01:56.952 --> 0:02:00.252 they've got all these accessibility things, not just for blind 0:02:00.252 --> 0:02:02.832 and low vision people, but for other disabilities, but particularly 0:02:02.832 --> 0:02:06.102 for blind people. They've got all these different types of 0:02:06.102 --> 0:02:10.722 audio signals and assistance to help you drive your car. So, 0:02:10.722 --> 0:02:14.802 for example, when you're on the right line, so everybody 0:02:14.802 --> 0:02:17.442 knows about when you listen to racing like F1 and 0:02:17.442 --> 0:02:20.622 so on, all the separate cars that talk about the 0:02:20.622 --> 0:02:25.032 racing line, well, you can hear an audio tone when 0:02:25.032 --> 0:02:27.732 you're on the racing line. If your wheels start to 0:02:27.732 --> 0:02:29.952 go off the side of the track, you can hear 0:02:29.952 --> 0:02:33.372 a different sound. To do that when you need to 0:02:33.372 --> 0:02:37.962 start to brake, accelerate and so on. Around the corner, 0:02:38.082 --> 0:02:41.652 you get different tones again to help you. And it's 0:02:41.652 --> 0:02:43.662 also other features which I think one of them is 0:02:43.662 --> 0:02:48.462 called something like heavy assistance, which basically means the software 0:02:48.462 --> 0:02:50.652 itself will help you drive the car a bit better. 0:02:50.652 --> 0:02:53.892 So it'll be a bit more generous about you putting 0:02:53.892 --> 0:02:57.462 the accelerator down or braking. It'll try and help you 0:02:57.462 --> 0:02:59.862 learn when to accelerate a brake and that sort of stuff. 0:02:59.862 --> 0:03:03.342 So it really does mean, particularly if you like me 0:03:03.342 --> 0:03:07.542 and my daughter has a whole racing wheel. So it's 0:03:07.542 --> 0:03:10.992 like you've got your foot pedals and your racing steering 0:03:10.992 --> 0:03:13.752 wheel that you really do feel like you're driving that 0:03:13.752 --> 0:03:16.302 car because you've got all the other sound effects, you know, 0:03:16.332 --> 0:03:19.722 of the engine and revving and braking and squealing tires 0:03:19.722 --> 0:03:22.722 and the crowds and all sorts of wonderful things. So 0:03:22.722 --> 0:03:25.102 if you're into that type of sports and you would 0:03:25.152 --> 0:03:27.882 always love or wanted to play a game that sort 0:03:27.882 --> 0:03:30.852 of people play, then this is your chance. So it's again, 0:03:30.852 --> 0:03:37.812 it's called Forza Motorsport and the official date that it 0:03:37.812 --> 0:03:40.632 came out is going to be October 10th. But basically 0:03:40.632 --> 0:03:43.722 I'm saying it's available this week. So go forth and 0:03:43.722 --> 0:03:45.222 race to your heart's content. 0:03:45.462 --> 0:03:48.252 And just remind us what technology do you play it on? 0:03:48.492 --> 0:03:51.102 So this will be the PC as in Windows Computer 0:03:51.192 --> 0:03:53.962 or your Xbox. But of course most people play it 0:03:53.962 --> 0:03:55.542 on the Xbox and it has to be the latest 0:03:55.542 --> 0:03:57.852 version of the Xbox. So it has to be the 0:03:57.852 --> 0:04:01.512 Xbox One s, which is the new Xbox. 0:04:02.142 --> 0:04:06.642 Very interesting. Yeah, It's the time of the year when 0:04:06.642 --> 0:04:11.472 Freedom Scientific or we know them now. As for Spyro 0:04:11.952 --> 0:04:17.502 from their stable come the public betas of Jaws fusion 0:04:17.502 --> 0:04:20.292 and zoom text. Please elaborate. 0:04:20.592 --> 0:04:24.282 So Jaws of course is the screen reader which feeds 0:04:24.282 --> 0:04:27.582 off information off the screen. For blind people, Fusion is 0:04:27.582 --> 0:04:31.782 a combination of the screen reader Jaws and their main 0:04:31.782 --> 0:04:35.262 product for low vision people, which is called Zoom text. 0:04:35.502 --> 0:04:39.582 So you've got three products Jaws, Zoom, text, so screen 0:04:39.582 --> 0:04:42.432 reader screen magnifier. And when you combine the two of them, 0:04:42.432 --> 0:04:46.212 they're called fusion. And what they've got now is the 0:04:46.212 --> 0:04:51.162 2024 public betas that are now available to download and use. 0:04:51.252 --> 0:04:53.532 So these are like ones that you can actually use 0:04:53.532 --> 0:04:55.332 to have a bit of a play for them before 0:04:55.332 --> 0:04:59.082 they're commercially released and give them feedback. The two main 0:04:59.082 --> 0:05:02.082 features that I know caught our attention. One was to 0:05:02.082 --> 0:05:05.382 do with when you're on a video call to make 0:05:05.382 --> 0:05:08.982 sure that your face is in camera view. If you've 0:05:08.982 --> 0:05:11.772 got enough lighting and if you're moving your head around 0:05:11.772 --> 0:05:14.712 that sort of stuff too much, which most video cameras 0:05:14.712 --> 0:05:18.372 don't like you're doing. And another mode, particularly for Jaws, 0:05:18.372 --> 0:05:22.032 is structured Braille mode, which means you can split up 0:05:22.032 --> 0:05:27.492 the display to monitor or and or read different documents 0:05:27.492 --> 0:05:30.702 open on your Windows computer. So that's going to be 0:05:30.702 --> 0:05:32.202 interesting for people that want to be a bit more 0:05:32.202 --> 0:05:35.652 productive using their Braille displays. And as far as Zoom. 0:05:35.672 --> 0:05:38.792 Text goes. And when I say zoom, text them. Also 0:05:38.792 --> 0:05:41.942 talking about fusion, because remember, it's part of draws and 0:05:41.942 --> 0:05:44.972 zoom text in one package. They seem to have spent 0:05:44.972 --> 0:05:50.612 a lot more time making the interface much easier to use. 0:05:51.302 --> 0:05:54.812 They have made a few changes, I believe, to enhancements 0:05:54.812 --> 0:05:57.752 to do with the mouse cursor and so on. But 0:05:57.992 --> 0:06:01.862 reading the documentation over the weekend, it seems primarily that 0:06:01.862 --> 0:06:04.532 they've been trying to make all the the toolbars and 0:06:04.532 --> 0:06:07.502 the menus more streamlined. So it's much easier to pick 0:06:07.502 --> 0:06:09.062 up and start using straight away. 0:06:09.362 --> 0:06:12.872 And the actual official release certainly of Jaws is around 0:06:12.872 --> 0:06:15.422 the end of October each year and the others are 0:06:15.422 --> 0:06:16.982 around about the same time, aren't they? 0:06:17.192 --> 0:06:18.512 Exactly, yeah. Correct. 0:06:18.992 --> 0:06:23.552 Now, our friends at Nvda, it's an Australian company which 0:06:23.552 --> 0:06:29.192 has software which is freely available, though a donation is 0:06:29.192 --> 0:06:31.592 very helpful to them. The public beta is out for 0:06:31.592 --> 0:06:32.222 this year. 0:06:32.432 --> 0:06:35.152 That's right. So they do a number of betas per year. 0:06:35.162 --> 0:06:38.132 I think it's round about four per year I think. 0:06:38.372 --> 0:06:41.972 So I think this one's number four. Again, for people 0:06:41.972 --> 0:06:45.422 that might not realize Nvidia is a course again, a 0:06:45.422 --> 0:06:51.092 screen reader for Microsoft Windows. Nvda stands for Non-visual Desktop access, 0:06:51.452 --> 0:06:57.152 and the update for their public beta is primarily around 0:06:57.152 --> 0:07:01.892 bug fixes to do with things like Microsoft Edge, Microsoft 0:07:01.892 --> 0:07:05.132 Word and so on, and a few behind the scenes 0:07:05.132 --> 0:07:09.032 twists and a few more commands to do with their 0:07:09.032 --> 0:07:12.542 Braille display. Remember that you don't actually have to buy 0:07:12.542 --> 0:07:16.582 a commercial screamer like Jaws or Supernova from Dolphin. You 0:07:16.592 --> 0:07:19.682 don't have to use the narrator built in screen reader. 0:07:19.682 --> 0:07:22.352 You've always got Nvda there to get you out of trouble. 0:07:22.562 --> 0:07:25.052 A wonderful Australian success story. 0:07:25.322 --> 0:07:26.372 Absolutely. Yep. 0:07:26.732 --> 0:07:30.572 The new pixel phone and watch. Tell us about them. 0:07:31.022 --> 0:07:33.062 This is the pixel eight phone and of course the 0:07:33.062 --> 0:07:37.502 pixel to pixel watch. These were announced last week. And 0:07:37.502 --> 0:07:39.722 the reason why I always like to mention these is 0:07:39.722 --> 0:07:44.462 because these are the official versions of Android slash Google 0:07:44.462 --> 0:07:47.612 that you always get the latest and greatest updates from. 0:07:48.092 --> 0:07:53.012 So if you're with other manufacturers like Samsung, HTC and 0:07:53.012 --> 0:07:56.822 so on, you basically have to wait to get their 0:07:56.822 --> 0:08:01.802 software update that's done by those particular manufacturers and developers 0:08:01.802 --> 0:08:05.732 of the updated versions of their slightly different versions of 0:08:05.732 --> 0:08:09.812 Android 14, for example. So that's one huge benefit. The 0:08:09.812 --> 0:08:12.182 other benefit, which I thought was quite interesting, was that 0:08:12.182 --> 0:08:16.202 they also announced that the Pixel eight will be software 0:08:16.202 --> 0:08:20.492 supported definitely for seven years. So I think that's actually 0:08:20.492 --> 0:08:22.232 a really good thing because normally we think, oh, you know, 0:08:22.232 --> 0:08:24.602 3 or 4 years out of a smartphone that you 0:08:24.602 --> 0:08:27.062 should be it. But no, they're doing it up to 0:08:27.062 --> 0:08:31.082 seven years. And of course with the Pixel two watch, 0:08:31.532 --> 0:08:34.532 they're also announcing some more accessibility stuff to do with 0:08:34.532 --> 0:08:38.312 that watch as well. So like I always say, with 0:08:38.462 --> 0:08:41.642 both Android, in this case, the Pixel eight and the 0:08:41.642 --> 0:08:46.052 Pixel two Watch and Samsung, they're always great spaces to 0:08:46.052 --> 0:08:50.702 watch because they keep improving the interface and accessibility almost 0:08:50.702 --> 0:08:51.572 every single year. 0:08:51.932 --> 0:08:55.832 There's been some very good work done with information about 0:08:55.832 --> 0:09:01.682 various Android accessibility features and some YouTube productions. Tell us 0:09:01.682 --> 0:09:02.432 about that. 0:09:02.432 --> 0:09:04.592 In the link up in the show notes, I've got 0:09:04.592 --> 0:09:09.902 a few interesting YouTube demos on the Lookout app, which 0:09:09.902 --> 0:09:12.002 is the one you use for object recognition and text 0:09:12.002 --> 0:09:15.392 detection and so on. Also, Talkback itself, which is the 0:09:15.392 --> 0:09:19.622 actual screener that you actually use to make the phone 0:09:19.622 --> 0:09:21.722 talk to you. And there's a few other ones there 0:09:21.722 --> 0:09:24.842 as well. So again, this has been one of the 0:09:24.842 --> 0:09:28.682 things that's been a little bit, I guess, missing in 0:09:28.682 --> 0:09:33.032 the Android world is that there's no real good documentation 0:09:33.032 --> 0:09:37.532 or videos or tutorials from Google or other places. So 0:09:37.532 --> 0:09:40.352 this is a really good start in making sure that 0:09:40.352 --> 0:09:43.022 people have got something to both watch and listen to, 0:09:43.202 --> 0:09:47.672 to start learning how to use the Android system properly, 0:09:47.672 --> 0:09:49.022 particularly with Talkback. 0:09:49.332 --> 0:09:53.642 At that time, we talked again about tactile or Braille 0:09:53.642 --> 0:09:58.892 graphic displays. Explain what they are and what's happening at 0:09:58.892 --> 0:09:59.522 the moment. 0:09:59.792 --> 0:10:03.872 We've got three what are called tactile graphics display on 0:10:03.872 --> 0:10:08.252 the market and what they are are effectively ten lines 0:10:08.252 --> 0:10:13.232 of a broad display all in one big array. And 0:10:13.232 --> 0:10:19.112 when it displays diagrams or Braille itself, as in real brother, 0:10:19.112 --> 0:10:22.832 you can read as in literally Braille. It uses those 0:10:22.832 --> 0:10:27.152 ten lines to produce the Braille. And when it does 0:10:27.152 --> 0:10:30.812 the drawings of a tactile diagram or a chart and 0:10:30.812 --> 0:10:35.342 so on, it then uses more pins on that Braille display. 0:10:35.352 --> 0:10:38.982 Ten line area to make sure that all the lines 0:10:38.982 --> 0:10:42.942 and pictures that you're feeling are sort of very continuous 0:10:42.942 --> 0:10:45.852 lines and everything's shaded in properly. So it's like filling 0:10:45.852 --> 0:10:49.242 a real picture. We don't have much to do with 0:10:49.242 --> 0:10:51.792 the one from orbit research, the ones that we have 0:10:51.792 --> 0:10:53.622 in Australia at the moment we're currently looking at is 0:10:53.622 --> 0:10:55.092 the dot pad which I've already talked about in the 0:10:55.092 --> 0:10:58.332 program and the one that I'm going to be having 0:10:58.332 --> 0:11:00.522 a look at starting this week is actually going to 0:11:00.522 --> 0:11:03.012 be the monarch. And as far as I can tell, Stephen, 0:11:03.012 --> 0:11:05.442 the main difference between the two of them is the 0:11:05.442 --> 0:11:09.582 dot pad is more for grab stuff off the Internet 0:11:09.852 --> 0:11:12.402 or do your own drawings. So if you're a teacher, 0:11:12.402 --> 0:11:14.832 you can quickly do a drawing on your iPad or 0:11:14.832 --> 0:11:17.562 your iPhone comes out on the actual dot pad itself. 0:11:17.562 --> 0:11:20.472 And I can also do my own drawings, whereas the 0:11:20.472 --> 0:11:25.122 monarch seems to be, here's a system where you can 0:11:25.122 --> 0:11:31.632 download all I think it's 15,000 diagrams worth of tactile 0:11:31.632 --> 0:11:35.772 whatever from the main printing house for the blind in 0:11:35.772 --> 0:11:40.632 the States. And you can also download Braille files that 0:11:40.632 --> 0:11:45.212 the software will then translate into extended brief or brown 0:11:45.222 --> 0:11:48.102 files so that they look really good on the actual 0:11:48.102 --> 0:11:51.132 Braille display. Plus it's going to have a scientific calculator 0:11:51.132 --> 0:11:53.682 and all sorts of other things. So it's a very 0:11:53.682 --> 0:11:57.882 much geared to education. The price of these things. The 0:11:57.882 --> 0:12:00.162 monarch is going to be about double the price of 0:12:00.162 --> 0:12:02.772 the dot pad. But as far as I'm concerned, they've 0:12:02.772 --> 0:12:07.482 got very specific niches in the market. The dot pad 0:12:07.482 --> 0:12:09.822 is very much of your this is what you can 0:12:09.822 --> 0:12:12.402 do if you want to muck around, whereas the monarch 0:12:12.412 --> 0:12:15.402 is we've got all these nice things for you to use. 0:12:15.402 --> 0:12:18.492 And by the way, people that are familiar with human wear, yes, 0:12:18.492 --> 0:12:20.922 it is based on Qi soft running on Android. 0:12:21.222 --> 0:12:25.242 But we're not talking about them for the individual. Probably 0:12:25.242 --> 0:12:28.212 more for the educational environment. 0:12:28.512 --> 0:12:32.802 Definitely for the monarch because we're looking at $20,000 us 0:12:33.132 --> 0:12:39.132 for the dot pad. It's $10,000 US. So maybe with 0:12:39.132 --> 0:12:41.562 the dot pad you can see yourself, maybe even also 0:12:41.562 --> 0:12:43.902 getting it for job access and those sort of things. 0:12:43.902 --> 0:12:49.392 But yes, they're more aimed at the educational market, whether that's, 0:12:49.392 --> 0:12:52.962 you know, school, TAFE, college or university. 0:12:53.532 --> 0:12:57.372 For something completely different. Tell us about some interesting apps 0:12:57.372 --> 0:12:58.662 you've found recently. 0:12:58.932 --> 0:13:01.992 This was actually really cool. I listened to the Double 0:13:01.992 --> 0:13:05.742 Tap podcast that Stephen Scott does and he had a 0:13:05.742 --> 0:13:08.142 person that came on and reviewed a little app called 0:13:08.142 --> 0:13:12.072 Train Sounds. This app in particular is actually free and 0:13:12.072 --> 0:13:14.412 you run it and you get 46 different types of 0:13:14.412 --> 0:13:18.792 sounds of trains, including my favorite one, which is where 0:13:18.792 --> 0:13:21.552 you get that other train going through a level crossing. 0:13:21.552 --> 0:13:23.802 So you get that ding, ding, ding, ding, ding sound 0:13:23.802 --> 0:13:26.472 as the train goes past the level crossing and it 0:13:26.472 --> 0:13:28.602 sort of gets louder and fades off in the distance. 0:13:28.812 --> 0:13:31.182 But then when I had a look at settings, the button, 0:13:31.182 --> 0:13:33.072 the only thing that was under the settings button was 0:13:33.432 --> 0:13:36.042 other apps that we produce. And there were all these 0:13:36.042 --> 0:13:40.572 other apps with to do with sounds like different crow 0:13:40.572 --> 0:13:45.312 sounds different, other bird sounds, different sort of city based 0:13:45.312 --> 0:13:48.882 sounds and so on. So if you're very much into 0:13:48.882 --> 0:13:51.162 all the different types of sounds that you might want 0:13:51.162 --> 0:13:54.012 to listen to, it's not a bad way to do it. 0:13:54.012 --> 0:13:56.262 The only thing I didn't like about the train app itself, though, 0:13:56.282 --> 0:14:00.072 they weren't labelled, so I didn't have, you know, train 0:14:00.072 --> 0:14:04.452 going through a level crossing that was labelled Train Sound three. 0:14:04.452 --> 0:14:06.672 But besides that, I did have a really nice time. 0:14:06.672 --> 0:14:09.252 Listen to all 46 different train sounds. 0:14:10.212 --> 0:14:13.092 Just before we go, a reminder of where we have 0:14:13.092 --> 0:14:15.522 details of what you've been talking about in this and 0:14:15.522 --> 0:14:16.992 previous editions of the program. 0:14:17.082 --> 0:14:19.182 You can check out my blog site, which is David 0:14:19.182 --> 0:14:23.562 would be a dot podbean pad veon. Com. 0:14:23.682 --> 0:14:29.382 David would be our dot podbean podbean to right to 0:14:29.382 --> 0:14:30.012 the program. 0:14:30.192 --> 0:14:32.292 You can write to me at Vision Australia where I work. 0:14:32.382 --> 0:14:36.912 David Dot Woodbridge How it sounds at Vision Australia. Org. 0:14:37.092 --> 0:14:41.832 David Dot Woodbridge at Vision Australia. Org This has been 0:14:41.832 --> 0:14:45.072 talking tech with me has been Vision Australia's National Advisor 0:14:45.072 --> 0:14:49.572 on Access Technology, David Woodbridge. I'm Stephen Jolley. Take care. 0:14:49.572 --> 0:14:51.252 We'll talk more tech next week. See you.