WEBVTT - Talking Tech 2nd April 2024 0:00:21.368 --> 0:00:24.878 Hello everyone! Welcome to Talking Tech. This edition available from 0:00:24.878 --> 0:00:28.838 April the 2nd, 2024. I'm Stephen Jolley, great to have 0:00:28.838 --> 0:00:32.408 you with us listening through Vision Australia Radio Associated Stations 0:00:32.408 --> 0:00:36.218 of Australia or maybe the Community Radio Network. There is 0:00:36.218 --> 0:00:38.858 also the podcast. To catch that all you need to 0:00:38.858 --> 0:00:42.098 do is search for the two words. Talking tech and 0:00:42.098 --> 0:00:44.798 download can all come usually on a Tuesday afternoon just 0:00:44.798 --> 0:00:48.068 after it's been produced. Another option is to ask your 0:00:48.068 --> 0:00:51.638 Siri device or smart speaker to play Vision Australia Radio 0:00:51.638 --> 0:00:57.038 talking tech podcast Vision Australia Radio talking Tech podcast with me, 0:00:57.038 --> 0:01:00.158 someone who can explain all this tech stuff really well. 0:01:00.158 --> 0:01:05.858 Vision Australia's national advisor on access technology, David Woodbridge. David 0:01:05.858 --> 0:01:09.458 will start with our Product Minute, an item from the 0:01:09.458 --> 0:01:12.788 vision store of Vision Australia. You've got a clock this 0:01:12.788 --> 0:01:13.988 week I do. 0:01:13.988 --> 0:01:19.418 This is the ten inch alarm clock with 30 reminders. 0:01:19.418 --> 0:01:22.598 So it's basically a ten inch screen. It's a digital screen, 0:01:22.598 --> 0:01:25.178 nice and crisp to have a look at of course. 0:01:25.268 --> 0:01:29.798 And the 30 alarm reminders or just 30 reminders is 0:01:29.888 --> 0:01:32.228 really for those situations where you want to get reminded 0:01:32.228 --> 0:01:36.848 about things. So, you know, whether it's to take your medication, 0:01:36.848 --> 0:01:39.308 whether it's to remember to put the the bins out 0:01:39.308 --> 0:01:41.408 on a Tuesday evening, which I have a reminder on 0:01:41.408 --> 0:01:44.618 because I always get forgetting and so on. It's actually very, 0:01:44.618 --> 0:01:46.958 very useful. And I just like the fact from a 0:01:46.958 --> 0:01:50.108 low vision point of view. I always used to imagine 0:01:50.108 --> 0:01:52.868 there was nothing like having a clock on the wall 0:01:52.868 --> 0:01:54.968 that you can just glance at, because I know my 0:01:54.968 --> 0:01:59.708 wife often glances at our Amazon Echo to check the time. 0:02:00.488 --> 0:02:02.498 She never looks at her phone or a smartwatch or 0:02:02.498 --> 0:02:05.858 anything else. Um, so I just think the fact that 0:02:05.858 --> 0:02:11.048 you've got this lovely, low vision accessible, high contrast, very 0:02:11.048 --> 0:02:13.928 useful clock that you can have a quick look at 0:02:13.928 --> 0:02:16.328 if you want to, um, is actually really, really good. 0:02:16.328 --> 0:02:19.118 So I think sometimes Stephen, it's the, it's it's the 0:02:19.118 --> 0:02:20.498 good old things. I mean I know this is not 0:02:20.498 --> 0:02:24.008 a manual clock, but sometimes just having a clock that 0:02:24.008 --> 0:02:26.528 does what it's supposed to do is a lot better 0:02:26.528 --> 0:02:29.408 than having these all singing, all dancing, make your breakfast 0:02:29.408 --> 0:02:30.848 type of thing in the morning stuff. 0:02:30.998 --> 0:02:35.138 With a large display. This ten inch that's about 25cm 0:02:35.138 --> 0:02:37.628 comes from the United States. That's why it's ten inch. 0:02:37.628 --> 0:02:38.258 Indeed. 0:02:38.258 --> 0:02:42.158 Yeah. And it's available from the vision store of Vision Australia. 0:02:42.158 --> 0:02:46.238 Shop dot Vision Australia. Org. How much does it cost? 0:02:46.448 --> 0:02:49.478 It's about $120, so that might be a little bit pricey. 0:02:49.478 --> 0:02:53.258 But considering what it does it's not a bad price certainly. 0:02:54.278 --> 0:02:59.078 Now let's talk Sony. They're doing some interesting things with accessibility. 0:02:59.318 --> 0:03:02.708 They they are they've done a few things um, now 0:03:02.708 --> 0:03:04.988 which you know, people say Sony you think are sort 0:03:04.988 --> 0:03:08.378 of like musical movies or the PlayStation five, which is 0:03:08.378 --> 0:03:11.168 all fantastic, but they actually do a lot more things. 0:03:11.168 --> 0:03:14.918 And I think it's season this year. So the, you know, 0:03:14.918 --> 0:03:18.548 the center for disability, the annual conference that were there 0:03:18.548 --> 0:03:22.238 two weeks ago, um, what they did was not only 0:03:22.238 --> 0:03:24.818 did they show off the, you know, the PlayStation five 0:03:24.818 --> 0:03:26.738 and all the accessible games and so on, and they're 0:03:26.738 --> 0:03:31.208 accessible controller for people who got a physical disability. But 0:03:31.208 --> 0:03:35.408 they also showed off their course, their Sony Bravia range 0:03:35.408 --> 0:03:38.168 of smart TVs. So of course that's got the screen 0:03:38.168 --> 0:03:41.198 reader in it. Um, and all the other type of 0:03:41.198 --> 0:03:46.238 accessibility stuff, large print, uh, speech access, input and output. 0:03:46.958 --> 0:03:51.728 They also talked about the camera that I know that 0:03:51.728 --> 0:03:56.258 was on display last year, where it literally takes what 0:03:56.258 --> 0:04:00.158 the camera is being looked at and transposed it straight 0:04:00.158 --> 0:04:05.078 onto your retina, which is fairly interesting technology. And I 0:04:05.078 --> 0:04:07.118 spoke to a few low vision people, and they said 0:04:07.118 --> 0:04:10.808 that it's amazing the clarity that they can see through 0:04:10.838 --> 0:04:14.648 using that type of mechanism. So I think that's something 0:04:14.678 --> 0:04:17.138 to keep an eye on, uh, so to speak. I just, 0:04:17.558 --> 0:04:19.748 I just just did a pun then. Um, so that's 0:04:19.748 --> 0:04:23.378 actually very interesting. The other thing, they also have now, 0:04:23.378 --> 0:04:25.568 I haven't got the the correct name about this, but 0:04:25.568 --> 0:04:28.538 I might put it in the show notes is it's 0:04:28.538 --> 0:04:31.748 a set of earphones, but they're not ones that are 0:04:31.748 --> 0:04:35.438 bone conduction. These ones sit in front of your ears. 0:04:35.438 --> 0:04:38.318 I think they're called floating earphones. The speakers sit in 0:04:38.318 --> 0:04:39.728 front of your ears, so of course they leave your 0:04:39.728 --> 0:04:42.938 ears alone for you to be able to hear your surroundings. 0:04:43.088 --> 0:04:46.148 But I thought that was actually really interesting that, you know, 0:04:46.148 --> 0:04:49.598 they can see a niche for those particular headphones in 0:04:49.598 --> 0:04:53.258 the disability market, particularly blind and low vision. And the 0:04:53.258 --> 0:04:55.598 other really cool product, which I think some people were 0:04:55.598 --> 0:04:58.028 sort of going, oh yeah, who wants this thing? It's 0:04:58.028 --> 0:05:01.988 a robot dog. Now, this might sound a bit weird, 0:05:01.988 --> 0:05:06.458 but it's a dog that will respond to being petted, uh, 0:05:06.458 --> 0:05:09.848 to being talked to, uh, it'll also greet you at 0:05:09.848 --> 0:05:11.468 the front door. If you wanted to do that, you 0:05:11.468 --> 0:05:14.588 can sort of train it in little basic robotic commands, 0:05:15.098 --> 0:05:21.618 but it's designed for people that may want a. In 0:05:21.618 --> 0:05:24.288 this case a little robot dog, but don't want the 0:05:24.288 --> 0:05:28.278 real thing or that have other needs that the you know, 0:05:28.278 --> 0:05:33.258 the little robot would satisfy. Um, so, you know, because 0:05:33.258 --> 0:05:35.328 taking care of a real animal is a lot different 0:05:35.328 --> 0:05:37.578 from taking care of a of a robot dog, but 0:05:37.578 --> 0:05:41.268 apparently also very cool. You can actually buy, like, little 0:05:41.268 --> 0:05:44.748 false bones for it, a little, uh, a little food bowl, 0:05:44.748 --> 0:05:48.258 a little drinking bowl. Um, so people might remember those. 0:05:48.258 --> 0:05:50.538 Do you remember those Tamagotchi games that were around in 0:05:50.538 --> 0:05:53.238 the 90s, Steve, where there were little animals that were 0:05:53.298 --> 0:05:54.918 a little virtual animal in the key ring? You had 0:05:54.918 --> 0:05:56.448 to take care of it? No, but. 0:05:56.448 --> 0:05:57.138 I believe you. 0:05:57.138 --> 0:05:59.148 Right. Well, this is like. This is like, this is 0:05:59.148 --> 0:06:02.058 the robot version of a little Tamagotchi one's back in 0:06:02.058 --> 0:06:04.788 the 90s. So rather than taking care of a virtual pet, 0:06:04.968 --> 0:06:07.278 you can now take care of your robot dog. So 0:06:07.278 --> 0:06:08.808 I think it's really, really cute. 0:06:08.808 --> 0:06:12.168 I wonder whether it would be of interest. Um, maybe 0:06:12.168 --> 0:06:15.498 for people who can't see to be able to alert 0:06:15.498 --> 0:06:18.948 them to something happening, or for people who can't hear 0:06:18.948 --> 0:06:21.588 very well, to alert them to the doorbell ringing by 0:06:21.588 --> 0:06:23.388 coming and wagging its tail or something. 0:06:23.388 --> 0:06:25.638 Yeah. Look, I wouldn't be I wouldn't be surprised. I mean, 0:06:25.758 --> 0:06:27.198 you could certainly do that sort of stuff. I mean, 0:06:27.198 --> 0:06:29.688 that there's a lot of senses in it. Uh, mind you, 0:06:29.688 --> 0:06:32.028 it's not cheap. I think it's around about 2500 dollars 0:06:32.028 --> 0:06:34.968 a year, so it's not cheap. But yes, I mean, 0:06:34.968 --> 0:06:37.578 there's hopefully there's certain things that could be programmed into it. 0:06:37.578 --> 0:06:40.548 So if the doorbell goes, it can come trundling over 0:06:40.548 --> 0:06:43.548 and wag its tail furiously and get your attention. But, 0:06:43.548 --> 0:06:46.428 you know, I wouldn't be surprised if it's not beyond 0:06:46.428 --> 0:06:47.718 the realms of possibility. 0:06:47.988 --> 0:06:51.348 There going to be some events in the next few weeks. 0:06:51.348 --> 0:06:54.228 In May we've got the Google I o event. 0:06:54.228 --> 0:06:57.498 Indeed, its crazy season coming up yet again. So, uh, 0:06:57.498 --> 0:07:02.748 Google has got its IO input output conference and surprise, surprise, 0:07:02.748 --> 0:07:05.088 let's just say they're probably going to be talking all 0:07:05.088 --> 0:07:10.668 about artificial intelligence, large language models, of course, their Gemini system. Um, 0:07:10.668 --> 0:07:13.038 and then along with that, they'll be talking about the 0:07:13.038 --> 0:07:16.308 next version of Android coming out. And of course, I'm 0:07:16.308 --> 0:07:20.448 definitely be sure there'll be new pixel phones, uh, high 0:07:20.448 --> 0:07:23.988 end and low end and of course, a new Pixel Watch. 0:07:23.988 --> 0:07:27.558 That'll be also out as well. But I'm really looking 0:07:27.558 --> 0:07:31.428 forward to, of course, the chat about Gemini and what 0:07:31.428 --> 0:07:33.468 may be happening in the future. That's going to be 0:07:33.468 --> 0:07:34.338 really exciting. 0:07:34.338 --> 0:07:37.098 So Gemini again, what's it going to be? 0:07:37.608 --> 0:07:39.858 I have a funny feeling it's going to replace, you know, 0:07:39.858 --> 0:07:43.098 your your okay Google stuff in your phone. So rather 0:07:43.098 --> 0:07:47.358 than using your personal assistant just for turning things on 0:07:47.358 --> 0:07:49.038 and off and asking the time and date which most 0:07:49.038 --> 0:07:52.518 people do, um, you will actually be using Gemini to 0:07:52.518 --> 0:07:55.398 do that, plus all the other large language model stuff 0:07:55.398 --> 0:07:57.498 that you can really get involved with. 0:07:57.888 --> 0:08:01.848 Hmm. Very interesting. That's going to be on May 14th, 0:08:01.848 --> 0:08:03.798 the Google event in date. 0:08:03.798 --> 0:08:05.868 So it'll be on Tuesday. Their time in the US 0:08:05.868 --> 0:08:07.728 so very early in the morning our time. 0:08:08.448 --> 0:08:12.318 And four weeks later pretty close to anyway on June 0:08:12.318 --> 0:08:16.848 the 10th is the Apple event, the WWDC. Tell us 0:08:16.848 --> 0:08:18.198 about that one. Indeed. 0:08:18.198 --> 0:08:22.638 So again, um, as I just mentioned, Gemini, the gossip 0:08:22.638 --> 0:08:24.498 is at the moment that I want to get this 0:08:24.498 --> 0:08:27.348 out of the way is the fact that Apple may 0:08:27.348 --> 0:08:31.218 be using the Gemini model. So the large language model 0:08:31.218 --> 0:08:35.748 from Google as it's backend to Siri or whatever else 0:08:35.748 --> 0:08:39.168 they may produce for the large language model for for 0:08:39.168 --> 0:08:42.648 iOS and for the Mac, of course, as well. Um, 0:08:42.648 --> 0:08:46.278 but we'll see what happens. But it looks like iOS 18, 0:08:46.278 --> 0:08:48.528 which will start being in the beta version as soon 0:08:48.528 --> 0:08:52.188 as WWDC is underway. There's going to be a lot 0:08:52.188 --> 0:08:54.978 of changes. So in not only just to do with 0:08:54.978 --> 0:08:58.788 the AI type stuff, uh, but they're saying, you know, 0:08:58.788 --> 0:09:01.098 this will be the big change. We haven't had a 0:09:01.098 --> 0:09:03.588 big change in iOS for a long, long time. This 0:09:03.588 --> 0:09:07.938 is going to be it. So we'll have different multiple screens. Um, 0:09:07.938 --> 0:09:12.318 the phones might be slightly different. Adding new hardware functionality, 0:09:12.408 --> 0:09:14.598 not just for the camera, um, when they come out 0:09:14.598 --> 0:09:17.538 in September or October. So and there'll be also other 0:09:17.538 --> 0:09:19.698 stuff to do with the iPad and so on. And 0:09:19.698 --> 0:09:22.278 let's not forget the Vision Pro as well. Hopefully we'll 0:09:22.278 --> 0:09:24.858 get that in Australia this year. So there's going to 0:09:24.858 --> 0:09:27.258 be a lot of stuff coming out of Apple. And 0:09:27.258 --> 0:09:31.098 I'm I'm really looking forward to seeing how all this 0:09:31.098 --> 0:09:33.738 stuff sort of integrates with each other. So it's not 0:09:33.738 --> 0:09:37.698 just Google and Apple, but it's also how those platforms 0:09:37.698 --> 0:09:40.578 will then integrate with all the other platforms around, of course, 0:09:40.578 --> 0:09:44.958 things like Amazon and Microsoft. So that's what I'm really 0:09:44.958 --> 0:09:48.888 looking forward to, to seeing how all these platforms behave together. 0:09:49.248 --> 0:09:51.618 More and more wearables are going to be part of 0:09:51.618 --> 0:09:56.118 our lives. And you saw an interesting article recently about 0:09:56.118 --> 0:09:57.948 ethics of wearables. 0:09:58.188 --> 0:10:00.498 That's right. And I have a funny feeling this article 0:10:00.498 --> 0:10:04.518 sort of slightly originated from some person who decided as 0:10:04.518 --> 0:10:07.698 a groom he would go into his wedding wearing his 0:10:07.698 --> 0:10:10.698 vision pro, which I believe didn't go down too well 0:10:10.698 --> 0:10:14.838 with his new wife, but it sort of really brought 0:10:14.838 --> 0:10:18.288 to this person's attention that wrote the article about, particularly 0:10:18.288 --> 0:10:21.128 with wearables, not so much a watch. And you. Smart 0:10:21.128 --> 0:10:24.248 rings and that sort of stuff. But it's your glasses 0:10:24.248 --> 0:10:28.778 that now that are almost the same as wearing a 0:10:28.778 --> 0:10:32.738 pair of, quote, normal glasses. And because these things have 0:10:32.738 --> 0:10:35.108 got a camera in them, that leads me on to 0:10:35.108 --> 0:10:40.118 think about things like the Ray-Ban glasses, the envision glasses, 0:10:40.118 --> 0:10:44.288 which you can now get, um, proper lenses for. And 0:10:44.288 --> 0:10:47.258 there's also other smart glasses coming out for blind low 0:10:47.258 --> 0:10:51.278 vision this year as well, which is similar technology. And 0:10:51.278 --> 0:10:53.708 I have a funny feeling that we're going to have 0:10:53.708 --> 0:10:58.598 to start behaving the way that the general community behaves, 0:10:58.598 --> 0:11:01.718 because you just can't say, I've got the right to 0:11:01.718 --> 0:11:05.768 wear this camera, um, in a public bathroom just because 0:11:05.768 --> 0:11:11.378 I need orientation and mobility, because everybody else, when you 0:11:11.378 --> 0:11:15.338 would go into a restroom to avoid people being uncomfortable, 0:11:15.338 --> 0:11:18.908 you would probably take off your smart glasses. And when 0:11:18.908 --> 0:11:21.788 you've finished with the restroom, you go out the door 0:11:21.788 --> 0:11:24.218 and then put your smart glasses back on again. So 0:11:24.218 --> 0:11:27.758 I just think from a disability point of view, we 0:11:27.758 --> 0:11:30.398 need to be aware that this is how the rest 0:11:30.398 --> 0:11:33.488 of the population behaves when they're using the smart tech, 0:11:33.488 --> 0:11:36.818 particularly camera based wearables. And I think we also have 0:11:36.818 --> 0:11:40.088 to be or acknowledge that that applies to us as well. 0:11:40.088 --> 0:11:44.888 And that reminds me of conferencing. And sometimes we as 0:11:44.888 --> 0:11:47.618 blind people might tend to think, oh, I don't really 0:11:47.618 --> 0:11:50.108 need to use my camera. I don't, I don't look 0:11:50.108 --> 0:11:55.118 at things and I'm not preaching here. I'm just saying 0:11:55.118 --> 0:11:58.088 what my experience is that I found it useful to 0:11:58.088 --> 0:12:03.428 use my camera in those sorts of activities, because it 0:12:03.428 --> 0:12:09.128 normalizes my participation in the meeting. Otherwise it's, oh, Stephen 0:12:09.128 --> 0:12:12.428 doesn't use a camera, but everybody else does. So I 0:12:12.428 --> 0:12:14.648 try to keep that in mind so you can take 0:12:14.648 --> 0:12:15.878 that or leave it as I say. 0:12:16.148 --> 0:12:18.278 That's right. That reminds me of a person, a supplier 0:12:18.278 --> 0:12:20.708 back in the 1990s that used to sell computers without 0:12:20.708 --> 0:12:23.798 a monitor because blind people didn't need a monitor. He 0:12:23.798 --> 0:12:26.468 forgot about the fact that people that repair computers need 0:12:26.468 --> 0:12:28.358 to look at the computer screen to show off the 0:12:28.358 --> 0:12:29.318 computer's working or not. 0:12:29.528 --> 0:12:32.708 Yeah, that's that's a good one. And now you've got 0:12:32.708 --> 0:12:35.378 a little bit of Microsoft news I do. 0:12:35.378 --> 0:12:37.478 So a couple of little bits and pieces to do 0:12:37.478 --> 0:12:41.768 with Microsoft. So Windows 11 notepad, you can now spell 0:12:41.768 --> 0:12:44.948 check in the little text editor, which I think is 0:12:45.128 --> 0:12:47.888 pretty pretty cool because lots of us use notepad for 0:12:47.888 --> 0:12:50.468 sort of quick, very fast notes if we're a bit 0:12:50.558 --> 0:12:52.718 a bit of a hurry rather than launching up, you know, 0:12:52.718 --> 0:12:56.138 for Microsoft Word. So that was number one. Number two, 0:12:56.168 --> 0:12:59.438 I guess we can say goodbye to the applications key 0:12:59.438 --> 0:13:03.968 in the new Surface Pro range coming out now, because 0:13:03.968 --> 0:13:06.788 that's now been changed to the co-pilot key. And I 0:13:06.788 --> 0:13:09.998 can remember seeing on social media what Microsoft is saying 0:13:09.998 --> 0:13:15.458 is the copilot key is using your computer with AI 0:13:15.488 --> 0:13:19.748 rather than using a computer that you then run AI on, 0:13:19.748 --> 0:13:23.528 apparently having a key on the keyboard made this really 0:13:23.528 --> 0:13:25.718 AI for some reason. I don't quite know why, but 0:13:25.718 --> 0:13:30.368 apparently Microsoft's very definite on that message, so they'll probably 0:13:30.368 --> 0:13:32.408 the two main things for this week that I wanted 0:13:32.408 --> 0:13:34.178 to mention about Microsoft in particular. 0:13:34.178 --> 0:13:36.848 And so copilot, for those who are not aware, is 0:13:36.848 --> 0:13:40.958 just another of the AI facilities that are around. And 0:13:40.958 --> 0:13:44.948 it's they're built into Microsoft Windows. Correct. Before we go, 0:13:44.948 --> 0:13:47.558 a reminder of where people can find details of what 0:13:47.558 --> 0:13:50.138 we've been talking about in this and previous editions of 0:13:50.138 --> 0:13:50.738 the program. 0:13:50.738 --> 0:13:53.018 Indeed. So as always, you can check out my blog site, 0:13:53.018 --> 0:13:56.678 which is David, would it be our Podbean pod band? 0:13:56.828 --> 0:14:02.108 Com David would be our podbean podbean. Com to write 0:14:02.108 --> 0:14:02.858 to the program. 0:14:02.858 --> 0:14:04.988 You can write to me at Virgin Australia where I work, 0:14:04.988 --> 0:14:09.398 which is David Woodbridge sounds at Vision Australia. 0:14:09.698 --> 0:14:14.678 Org David Woodbridge at Virgin australia.org this has been talking 0:14:14.708 --> 0:14:18.398 tech with me has been Vision Australia's national advisor on 0:14:18.398 --> 0:14:22.658 access technology David Woodbridge I'm Stephen Jolley. Stay safe. We'll 0:14:22.658 --> 0:14:24.008 talk more tech next week. See you.