WEBVTT - Talking Tec 17th October 2023 0:00:36.132 --> 0:00:39.852 Hello everyone! Welcome to Talking Tech. This edition available from 0:00:39.852 --> 0:00:43.962 October 17th, 2023. I'm Stephen Jolly. Great to have you 0:00:43.962 --> 0:00:47.322 with us. Wherever you're listening, perhaps through Virgin Australia Radio, 0:00:47.322 --> 0:00:52.092 Associated Stations of Australia, or maybe the Community Radio Network. 0:00:52.092 --> 0:00:54.972 There is also the podcast, if you haven't caught up 0:00:54.972 --> 0:00:56.592 with that yet. All you need to do is search 0:00:56.592 --> 0:00:59.922 for the two words. Talking tech and Diana can all come, 0:00:59.922 --> 0:01:03.132 usually on a Tuesday afternoon just after it's been produced. 0:01:03.282 --> 0:01:06.312 Another option is to ask your Siri device or smart 0:01:06.312 --> 0:01:11.502 speaker to play Vision Australia Radio talking tech podcast Vision 0:01:11.502 --> 0:01:16.032 Australia Radio talking tech podcast with me, someone who can 0:01:16.032 --> 0:01:19.842 explain all this tech stuff really well. Vision Australia's national 0:01:19.842 --> 0:01:25.572 advisor on access technology, David Woodbridge David, did you have 0:01:25.572 --> 0:01:27.432 a good White Cane day last Sunday? 0:01:27.612 --> 0:01:30.552 I actually did have a good white cane day because 0:01:30.552 --> 0:01:34.632 I actually do have a little ID cane, so it's 0:01:34.632 --> 0:01:37.122 not a proper mobility, cancer toning or cane that I've 0:01:37.122 --> 0:01:39.732 got in my over the shoulder bag or my tech bag, 0:01:39.732 --> 0:01:41.562 as I like to call it. And it's just a 0:01:41.562 --> 0:01:43.962 just in case type cane if I need sort of 0:01:43.962 --> 0:01:46.482 a bit of a, I think the take out and 0:01:46.842 --> 0:01:48.342 have a look at what's around me, so to speak, 0:01:48.342 --> 0:01:50.712 via touch. And the reason why I mentioned that particular 0:01:50.712 --> 0:01:55.452 bit is because the couple of key words for International 0:01:55.452 --> 0:01:59.562 White Cane Day, that was October 15th, was about clearing 0:01:59.562 --> 0:02:03.222 the way. And of course, if you're a traditional cane user, 0:02:03.222 --> 0:02:05.682 you know what it's like when you walk down a footpath, 0:02:05.682 --> 0:02:08.922 particularly in any city area, and you've got people who 0:02:08.922 --> 0:02:11.172 have tables and chairs and people sitting around and they've 0:02:11.172 --> 0:02:13.662 got their bags on the ground, then you've got the 0:02:13.662 --> 0:02:17.352 signage outside of some shops, you've got people that park 0:02:17.352 --> 0:02:22.752 the cars across the driveway, you've got overhanging branches on footpaths, etcetera, etcetera. 0:02:22.902 --> 0:02:25.662 And I think it's a really good reminder, particularly on 0:02:25.662 --> 0:02:29.292 the Guide Dogs website, which I referenced in the show notes. 0:02:29.292 --> 0:02:32.172 It's a good reminder for the general public to start 0:02:32.172 --> 0:02:35.232 thinking about what sort of things they may be able 0:02:35.232 --> 0:02:38.442 to do to clear the way a little bit better 0:02:38.442 --> 0:02:41.592 for people that are actually using a cane. So, you know, 0:02:41.622 --> 0:02:43.152 one of the things that I hate about using a 0:02:43.152 --> 0:02:44.772 white cane is the fact that you're still going to 0:02:44.772 --> 0:02:50.082 hit your head or contact branches above you. There's nothing 0:02:50.082 --> 0:02:53.472 worse than, you know, walking up behind a car that's 0:02:53.472 --> 0:02:58.122 parked on a footpath or across the driveway and, you know, 0:02:58.152 --> 0:03:00.942 trying to get past a cafe that's really busy with 0:03:00.942 --> 0:03:05.052 people sitting out on the footpath, it's almost impossible. You 0:03:05.052 --> 0:03:07.122 really almost feel like thinking, oh, well, I must just 0:03:07.122 --> 0:03:08.952 go and walk on the road and play up the traffic. 0:03:09.852 --> 0:03:11.622 So but I think it was a really good in 0:03:11.622 --> 0:03:13.662 mind because I had this little quiz on the page 0:03:13.662 --> 0:03:19.392 that is basically take this quiz and give yourself a 0:03:19.392 --> 0:03:22.152 bit of a point system on how good you are 0:03:22.152 --> 0:03:25.032 at maybe thinking about clearing the way. So I quite 0:03:25.032 --> 0:03:28.302 liked this idea, and it really brings it home to 0:03:28.302 --> 0:03:32.082 me and hopefully the general community about making life that 0:03:32.082 --> 0:03:35.112 just a little bit easier from, you know, being a 0:03:35.112 --> 0:03:37.542 bit more conscious of what you're doing. 0:03:37.692 --> 0:03:40.722 And on the flip side, it's a great celebration of 0:03:40.722 --> 0:03:43.302 our capacity to be able to get out there in 0:03:43.302 --> 0:03:46.332 the world, move around independently with dog or cane, and 0:03:46.332 --> 0:03:48.282 do lots of other things independently, too. 0:03:48.462 --> 0:03:51.312 Quite right, Stephen. I mean, it's the cane for such 0:03:51.312 --> 0:03:55.392 a simple tool. Makes our lives hugely independent these days, 0:03:55.392 --> 0:03:56.442 as always. 0:03:56.742 --> 0:04:00.732 Last week we started talking about tactile braille graphics devices, 0:04:00.732 --> 0:04:03.882 in particular the monarch. You've had to play with one. 0:04:03.882 --> 0:04:07.002 So let's go back and just explain exactly what it 0:04:07.002 --> 0:04:11.112 is physically and functionally and what your experience has been. 0:04:11.502 --> 0:04:13.752 So I've literally got the monarch right in front of 0:04:13.752 --> 0:04:16.212 me on the table here. What it is, it's a 0:04:16.212 --> 0:04:23.562 Braille graphics tablet with a Braille Perkins style input keyboard. 0:04:23.562 --> 0:04:26.982 So that's literally what it looks like. And for size wise, 0:04:27.312 --> 0:04:32.382 if you know how big a 15 inch laptop is 0:04:32.682 --> 0:04:37.002 and if you can imagine, it's probably about, I'd say 0:04:37.002 --> 0:04:41.952 about five five centimetres thick, then that's the sort of 0:04:41.952 --> 0:04:45.622 the size of the actual monarch. So what you have 0:04:45.642 --> 0:04:47.952 to think about the fact that is on the top 0:04:47.952 --> 0:04:50.082 face of the monarch taking up most of the area. 0:04:50.082 --> 0:04:54.132 You've got the the multi line braille display if you like, 0:04:54.132 --> 0:04:56.322 which is really a graphics tablets made up of lots 0:04:56.322 --> 0:04:59.622 and lots of little dots called braille when they raise up. 0:05:00.702 --> 0:05:04.002 And so I can produce both braille because it's a 0:05:04.002 --> 0:05:06.432 tactile thing and of course graphics. Now at the moment 0:05:06.432 --> 0:05:09.312 I've got the main menu for the monarch on the screen. 0:05:10.152 --> 0:05:11.652 And then of course, when I go into one of 0:05:11.652 --> 0:05:14.832 the functions, I can have diagrams showing and so on. 0:05:15.162 --> 0:05:17.832 Now what they've done, which I think is really cool 0:05:17.832 --> 0:05:21.012 with the monarch, is they've got these really cool controls 0:05:21.012 --> 0:05:25.962 for you to move, say, by ten lines at a time. 0:05:25.962 --> 0:05:28.962 So if you're reading a multi-line braille document, which I've 0:05:28.962 --> 0:05:31.512 got it in front of me as well, then when 0:05:31.512 --> 0:05:33.132 you get to the bottom of it, you want to 0:05:33.132 --> 0:05:35.472 press your your advanced key if you'd like to jump. 0:05:35.642 --> 0:05:37.672 Another ten lines or jump ten lines back, which is 0:05:37.672 --> 0:05:40.792 really cool. And then they've got another function which is 0:05:40.792 --> 0:05:44.452 basically using your arrow keys. And in that way you 0:05:44.452 --> 0:05:48.022 can go left, right, up or down, either when you're 0:05:48.022 --> 0:05:51.202 in a braille graphics or tactile graphic or when you're 0:05:51.202 --> 0:05:55.702 on one of the multi-line documents and so on. And 0:05:55.702 --> 0:05:58.642 then what's really cool, Stephen, are these keys down the bottom. 0:05:58.642 --> 0:06:00.622 And a lot of these keys, they're the zoom in 0:06:00.622 --> 0:06:04.882 and zoom out keys, which is if you're familiar with pictures, 0:06:04.882 --> 0:06:07.882 you zoom in or you zoom out to make a 0:06:07.882 --> 0:06:12.142 picture smaller or larger. So what you can do is 0:06:12.442 --> 0:06:17.392 if you go into the Braille tactile graphics library and 0:06:17.392 --> 0:06:21.112 you bring up a tactile image, you go, oh, that 0:06:21.112 --> 0:06:25.072 looks like an atomic cell with your protons and electrons 0:06:25.072 --> 0:06:26.682 and that sort of stuff. And then if you have 0:06:26.692 --> 0:06:31.102 a zoom in out, you can look into the actual 0:06:31.102 --> 0:06:35.572 atomic structure of an atom. And you can with again, 0:06:35.572 --> 0:06:38.962 those arrow keys, you can go left, right, up or down. 0:06:38.962 --> 0:06:42.682 You can again zoom in and zoom out. Another great 0:06:42.682 --> 0:06:45.292 example that I love to use with the monarch is 0:06:45.292 --> 0:06:48.862 I've got a thing called moon phases, and it's the 0:06:48.862 --> 0:06:51.622 phases of the moon. So you've got like a waxing 0:06:51.622 --> 0:06:53.932 gibbous and a full moon and so on. Now when 0:06:53.932 --> 0:06:57.652 you bring the default tactile up, it's sort of like 0:06:57.652 --> 0:07:01.702 thumbnail images. And as soon as you hit the zoom 0:07:01.702 --> 0:07:05.422 out button, you've got these really, really cool shapes of 0:07:05.422 --> 0:07:07.192 the moon. And they're all labeled in Braille. So you've 0:07:07.192 --> 0:07:09.592 got like full moon and like I said, Waxing gibbous 0:07:09.592 --> 0:07:12.142 and so on. But of course, that's not all going 0:07:12.142 --> 0:07:14.902 to fit on this bra display. So that's why you 0:07:14.902 --> 0:07:17.302 have to zoom around with the arrow keys as well. 0:07:17.542 --> 0:07:19.702 And of course, one of the things I haven't mentioned 0:07:19.702 --> 0:07:21.322 that I mentioned briefly in the beginning, I said it's 0:07:21.322 --> 0:07:23.152 got a perk and style keyboard. So right in front 0:07:23.152 --> 0:07:25.762 of me on the bottom of the top face, I've 0:07:25.762 --> 0:07:29.512 got my traditional one, two, three, four, five six bar keys, spacebar, 0:07:29.632 --> 0:07:33.262 and of course your dot seven and dot eight. And 0:07:33.262 --> 0:07:35.932 then right at the front of the display on the 0:07:35.932 --> 0:07:39.502 front face facing me. So it's the same side facing 0:07:39.502 --> 0:07:45.562 me is your traditional back home and recent buttons because 0:07:45.562 --> 0:07:49.402 this tablet is actually based on Android and I left 0:07:49.402 --> 0:07:52.372 this to the last is it's actually based on key soft. 0:07:52.372 --> 0:07:54.712 So if you know how to use key soft on 0:07:54.982 --> 0:07:58.942 your brilliant Braille display or on your Braille note touch, 0:07:59.242 --> 0:08:01.522 then I'm going to say that you're very quickly be 0:08:01.522 --> 0:08:04.642 able to pick up the monarch, because if I read 0:08:04.642 --> 0:08:07.372 down the list here, I've got the brow editor for 0:08:07.372 --> 0:08:11.332 doing multiline Braille editing, the tactile viewer. If you're viewing 0:08:11.332 --> 0:08:16.852 tactile graphics, the word processor for plugging in or using 0:08:16.852 --> 0:08:21.262 the keyboard to do your standard documents and so on. 0:08:21.262 --> 0:08:24.712 So really amazing. And then port wise I can plug 0:08:24.712 --> 0:08:28.072 this into a HDMI monitor. So anything that's on the 0:08:28.102 --> 0:08:31.072 on the monarch comes up on monitor. Like I just said, 0:08:31.072 --> 0:08:34.402 I can plug it in a standard USB A or 0:08:34.402 --> 0:08:37.312 a USB C keyboard. I can also plug in a 0:08:37.312 --> 0:08:41.062 USB stick if I also want. And I've got also 0:08:41.062 --> 0:08:43.912 got volume keys because this thing also talks to me 0:08:43.912 --> 0:08:45.892 as well. And of course, if you've got volume with 0:08:45.892 --> 0:08:51.262 internal speakers, you've also got an external headphone jack. Battery wise, 0:08:51.262 --> 0:08:53.842 this thing lasts for. Well, I think at the moment 0:08:53.842 --> 0:08:56.422 they're saying about ten hours. I get about 20 hours 0:08:56.422 --> 0:08:59.392 out of this thing at the moment. And just to note, 0:08:59.392 --> 0:09:02.422 this thing is still in private beta amongst organizations around 0:09:02.422 --> 0:09:04.402 the world, which is why Virgin Australia has got one. 0:09:04.612 --> 0:09:07.342 And we're still looking at a release date towards the 0:09:07.342 --> 0:09:10.702 end of 2024. So that's the monarch. 0:09:10.882 --> 0:09:13.942 That's going to be available from human wear, isn't it, 0:09:13.942 --> 0:09:14.692 in Australia. 0:09:14.902 --> 0:09:16.722 And it's going to be available from Humera in Australia. Yes, 0:09:16.752 --> 0:09:20.542 I probably will probably be also available from from Virgin Australia, 0:09:20.542 --> 0:09:23.502 but we haven't got that far yet on our planning stage. 0:09:23.602 --> 0:09:25.822 What sort of money are we looking at and where 0:09:25.822 --> 0:09:27.532 are these devices going to live? Because they're not going 0:09:27.532 --> 0:09:28.882 to live in people's homes. 0:09:29.512 --> 0:09:33.672 The price in US dollars is floating somewhere between 20,000 0:09:33.672 --> 0:09:38.822 to 30,000 US. So where these where these things are 0:09:38.822 --> 0:09:40.622 going to end up, I would imagine, Stephen. It's going 0:09:40.622 --> 0:09:43.712 to be like the original Kers while reading machine that 0:09:43.712 --> 0:09:46.112 we saw originally appear in the state libraries in different 0:09:46.112 --> 0:09:49.262 states of Australia. So I would assume that these are 0:09:49.262 --> 0:09:52.292 going to appear in. So those sort of places like libraries, 0:09:53.132 --> 0:09:57.662 higher education, so universities, tafes and hopefully with schools that 0:09:57.662 --> 0:10:00.332 I guess would want to share one from a main office, 0:10:00.332 --> 0:10:04.532 those sort of situation, particularly if people want to do science, technology, 0:10:04.532 --> 0:10:06.002 engineering and mathematics. 0:10:06.752 --> 0:10:08.852 Well, it'll be interesting to see how that one plays 0:10:08.852 --> 0:10:12.182 out over the next few years, really. Now you've got 0:10:12.182 --> 0:10:15.302 a little bit of advice for people who are purchasing 0:10:15.302 --> 0:10:18.482 their cane, their long cane online. 0:10:18.572 --> 0:10:22.832 I didn't actually realize this because by accident, I've been 0:10:22.832 --> 0:10:26.402 getting a cane that I've ordered online with a tip 0:10:26.402 --> 0:10:30.212 already on it. So I've always assumed, as I don't 0:10:30.212 --> 0:10:32.102 know if most people do, that. When you buy a 0:10:32.102 --> 0:10:36.052 white cane, it actually comes with a tip. But. They don't. 0:10:36.052 --> 0:10:38.932 So depending on the certain brand of cane you get 0:10:39.502 --> 0:10:41.062 and because there's a few of them, I won't go 0:10:41.062 --> 0:10:43.642 into the into the different brands because I'll confuse people. 0:10:43.972 --> 0:10:46.912 But so the thing is, when you buy your 54 0:10:46.912 --> 0:10:49.642 inch or your 56 inch cane, whatever it might be, 0:10:50.752 --> 0:10:53.632 make sure in the description that it actually says it 0:10:53.632 --> 0:10:56.932 comes with a tip, because I think about two thirds 0:10:56.932 --> 0:10:59.842 of our canes don't. So that means that you'll have 0:10:59.842 --> 0:11:02.332 to also order a tip. Now, the tricky bit about 0:11:02.332 --> 0:11:05.932 that is, and if you're not sure about this, is 0:11:05.932 --> 0:11:09.112 why you need an old person orientation mobility instructor, or 0:11:09.112 --> 0:11:11.092 talk to the person face to face in their shop 0:11:11.482 --> 0:11:15.262 because I don't know myself what's what. Be available for 0:11:15.262 --> 0:11:17.032 a like a cane that maybe had as a hook 0:11:17.032 --> 0:11:21.052 tip a screw on one and so on. So just 0:11:21.052 --> 0:11:23.482 be careful. If you're a traditional cane, you and you think, oh, look, 0:11:23.582 --> 0:11:25.012 I don't know, to go into a shop or talk 0:11:25.012 --> 0:11:28.252 to anybody, I order one online. Well, that's all hunky dory, 0:11:28.252 --> 0:11:30.652 but just make sure that you get one that has 0:11:30.652 --> 0:11:33.322 a tip on it, or go into your local Vision 0:11:33.322 --> 0:11:36.292 Australia office and say, I'd like to buy a replacement cane. 0:11:36.532 --> 0:11:38.602 I'm going to buy a new one. Do I need 0:11:38.602 --> 0:11:42.112 to buy a tip? And quite most of the time 0:11:42.112 --> 0:11:44.332 is that the person will also be able to assist 0:11:44.332 --> 0:11:47.032 you in fitting the tip onto the cane. So at 0:11:47.032 --> 0:11:49.252 least that way when you walk out of the shop door, 0:11:49.672 --> 0:11:52.102 you know the canes up and running ready to go. 0:11:52.522 --> 0:11:56.182 A very interesting provider of technology from the United States, 0:11:56.182 --> 0:11:59.512 but their products are available all around the world is 0:11:59.512 --> 0:12:03.052 at guys. Tell us about the Versus slate. 0:12:03.352 --> 0:12:05.662 I love the IT guys because they're always bringing in 0:12:05.662 --> 0:12:09.622 interesting and new technology for people who are blind. So 0:12:09.622 --> 0:12:11.992 the versus slate is for people that know what a 0:12:11.992 --> 0:12:13.882 hand slate is. And that's of course, where you use 0:12:13.882 --> 0:12:17.212 your stylus to push up pins onto a piece of 0:12:17.212 --> 0:12:19.432 paper and you take it apart, flip the flip the 0:12:19.432 --> 0:12:20.932 thing over, and then you can read the braille. 0:12:21.112 --> 0:12:23.632 Sometimes called a braille frame. Yeah. 0:12:23.632 --> 0:12:26.572 Apparently we call a brow frame in Australia. Apparently the 0:12:26.572 --> 0:12:28.462 US and Europe are a bit more trendy and they 0:12:28.462 --> 0:12:31.342 call it the slate. But when you use this one, 0:12:31.342 --> 0:12:33.922 they're actually magnetic pins. So you push the pins out 0:12:33.922 --> 0:12:37.852 again with a stylus, but there's no paper involved. So 0:12:37.852 --> 0:12:41.452 when you flip it over on the back of the versus, 0:12:41.452 --> 0:12:44.812 like the bra comes up. And then of course when 0:12:44.812 --> 0:12:47.782 you're finished, you can just flatten all the pins with 0:12:47.782 --> 0:12:50.902 your hand or your fingers, flip it back over and 0:12:50.902 --> 0:12:52.972 effectively start Braille again with a stylus. 0:12:53.122 --> 0:12:55.762 Very interesting. And how much are those? 0:12:56.122 --> 0:12:59.722 There are about $170 Australian. I've got mine. It's always 0:12:59.722 --> 0:13:01.732 next to my desk because sometimes I don't have access 0:13:01.732 --> 0:13:05.362 to my my smartphone or my computer in particular. I'm 0:13:05.362 --> 0:13:07.972 just taking down a reference number or a phone number. 0:13:07.972 --> 0:13:10.112 I just grab it and start, you know, browsing on 0:13:10.302 --> 0:13:11.722 the versus like, so to speak. 0:13:12.232 --> 0:13:15.382 Of that product from 80 guys, the cable one. 0:13:15.532 --> 0:13:17.872 We have mentioned this on the show before. This is 0:13:17.872 --> 0:13:22.072 the eight dot braille input keyboard. So if you think 0:13:22.072 --> 0:13:24.052 of a braille cell with dots one, two, three down, 0:13:24.052 --> 0:13:26.602 left hand side, four, five, six down the other, and 0:13:26.602 --> 0:13:29.062 then normally dot seven would be on the left hand 0:13:29.092 --> 0:13:32.392 side next to dot three, and dot eight would be 0:13:32.392 --> 0:13:35.242 on the right hand side next to dot six. And 0:13:35.242 --> 0:13:38.752 that is your Braille input keyboard. So not only can 0:13:38.752 --> 0:13:41.392 you use a combination of those keys to actually produce 0:13:41.392 --> 0:13:44.302 Braille letters and so on, but you can also use 0:13:44.302 --> 0:13:50.092 combinations to navigate around your smartphone. So, you know, smartphone 0:13:50.092 --> 0:13:54.172 or tablet. And because it is such a tiny device, 0:13:54.472 --> 0:13:57.262 you can simply basically hold it in your hand when 0:13:57.262 --> 0:13:58.702 you finish with it, pop up back in your pocket 0:13:58.702 --> 0:14:01.882 and off you go. So it's such a nice little 0:14:01.882 --> 0:14:05.702 device to use that every time I see it, or 0:14:05.702 --> 0:14:08.602 a different organization, bring it on board for sale. We 0:14:08.602 --> 0:14:09.622 always like to mention it. 0:14:10.012 --> 0:14:12.172 Just before we go, a reminder of where there are 0:14:12.172 --> 0:14:14.362 details of what you've been talking about in this and 0:14:14.362 --> 0:14:15.922 previous editions of the program. 0:14:15.922 --> 0:14:18.892 As always, the information is on my blog site, which 0:14:18.892 --> 0:14:22.572 is David. Would it be a dot podbean pad be 0:14:22.582 --> 0:14:23.482 a incom? 0:14:23.512 --> 0:14:29.902 David would be dot podbean Podbean to write to the program. 0:14:30.292 --> 0:14:32.392 You can write to me at Vision Australia where I work, 0:14:32.392 --> 0:14:36.892 which is David Dot Woodbridge at Vision australia.org. 0:14:37.042 --> 0:14:41.032 David Dot Woodbridge at Vision Australia. Org this has been 0:14:41.032 --> 0:14:44.152 talking tech with me has been Vision Australia's national advisor 0:14:44.152 --> 0:14:48.472 on access technology David Woodbridge I'm Stephen Jolley take care. 0:14:48.472 --> 0:14:50.182 We'll talk more tech next week. See you.