WEBVTT - Talking Tech 19th September 2023 0:00:44.139 --> 0:00:47.709 Hello everyone. Welcome to Talking Tech. This edition available from 0:00:47.709 --> 0:00:51.999 September the 19th, 2023. I'm Stephen Jolly. Great to have 0:00:51.999 --> 0:00:55.029 you with us. Listening may be through Vision Australia Radio, 0:00:55.059 --> 0:00:59.469 associated Stations of Australia or maybe the Community Radio Network. 0:00:59.589 --> 0:01:02.709 There is also the podcast. The way to catch that 0:01:02.709 --> 0:01:05.439 is to search for the two words talking tech and 0:01:05.439 --> 0:01:08.349 Diana can all come usually on a Tuesday afternoon just 0:01:08.349 --> 0:01:12.339 after it's been produced. Another option is to ask a 0:01:12.339 --> 0:01:15.879 Siri device or smart speaker to play Vision Australia Radio 0:01:15.879 --> 0:01:21.519 Talking Tech Podcast. Vision Australia Radio Talking Tech podcast. With 0:01:21.519 --> 0:01:24.699 me someone who can explain all this tech stuff really well. 0:01:24.699 --> 0:01:26.979 And he's been working very hard over the last week 0:01:26.979 --> 0:01:33.579 or so. David Woodbridge, Vision Australia's National Advisor on Access Technology. David, 0:01:33.579 --> 0:01:37.839 you were awake bright and early last Wednesday morning to 0:01:37.839 --> 0:01:42.129 follow the Apple event from Apple Park. So let's dissect 0:01:42.129 --> 0:01:45.639 a bit of that today. Firstly, what was your impression 0:01:45.639 --> 0:01:46.389 of the event? 0:01:46.929 --> 0:01:49.329 Well, first of all, the positive thing was the fact 0:01:49.329 --> 0:01:53.889 that again, again it was audio described which places like Microsoft, Samsung, 0:01:53.889 --> 0:01:57.369 Google and so on haven't decided not to do yet. 0:01:57.369 --> 0:02:01.839 So that was a good thing, a good plus. I 0:02:01.839 --> 0:02:05.289 think Apple sometimes gets a little bit too distracted on 0:02:05.289 --> 0:02:11.259 doing their, quote, cute little, you know, photography bits, filming bits, 0:02:11.259 --> 0:02:15.369 play bits. And I just got the funny feeling that 0:02:15.549 --> 0:02:19.419 the whole presentation went for roughly about 90 minutes. I 0:02:19.419 --> 0:02:21.609 reckon they could have done it in about 45 minutes 0:02:21.609 --> 0:02:25.479 because they had a lot of fill in stuff and 0:02:25.629 --> 0:02:28.299 some of the important stuff they sort of brushed across. 0:02:28.299 --> 0:02:30.789 And then some of the the non important stuff, at 0:02:30.789 --> 0:02:33.669 least for us, blind and low vision people, they spend 0:02:33.689 --> 0:02:35.739 a heck of a lot of time along. But I 0:02:35.739 --> 0:02:38.559 must say, Stephen, the thing that and I know you 0:02:38.559 --> 0:02:40.239 and I were joking about it before we came on here, 0:02:40.239 --> 0:02:44.259 but the environmental thing with, you know, Mother Nature coming 0:02:44.259 --> 0:02:47.259 into Apple Park and basically, you know, prove to me 0:02:47.259 --> 0:02:50.049 what you're doing. Apple In some ways I thought that 0:02:50.049 --> 0:02:51.909 was a complete waste of time. But in the other 0:02:51.909 --> 0:02:55.509 thing and what you said and it's probably true, I 0:02:55.509 --> 0:02:59.619 also started thinking of the environmental impact upon when we 0:02:59.619 --> 0:03:02.979 start making any type of technology and, you know, dragging 0:03:02.979 --> 0:03:05.989 stuff out of the ground, how to recycle it, how 0:03:05.989 --> 0:03:09.399 to produce better manufacturing techniques and everything else. So from 0:03:09.399 --> 0:03:11.339 one point of view, it was like, Oh God, no, really? 0:03:11.339 --> 0:03:12.669 Are we going we're going to go into a whole 0:03:12.669 --> 0:03:15.729 skit now? Are we versus Oh, that's right. I've got 0:03:15.729 --> 0:03:18.369 to keep remembering about environmental impact. Yeah, I. 0:03:18.369 --> 0:03:20.199 Thought it was pretty entertaining and it did make me 0:03:20.199 --> 0:03:24.879 think about it. It was rather innovative way to do it. Okay. 0:03:24.879 --> 0:03:28.899 So let's talk about what was put out to us. 0:03:29.289 --> 0:03:32.889 We'll start with the iPhones. Firstly, what are the models 0:03:32.889 --> 0:03:35.469 of the iPhones that they told us about the other day? 0:03:35.739 --> 0:03:38.889 So the new iPhones are the iPhone 15 and the 0:03:38.889 --> 0:03:42.639 15 plus. So that's your 6.1 or 6.7 inch phones. 0:03:42.969 --> 0:03:45.039 And then you've got the pro versions of that. So 0:03:45.039 --> 0:03:48.159 you've got the iPhone, iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 0:03:48.159 --> 0:03:53.139 15 pro max, and again, 6.1 and 6.7. So there 0:03:53.139 --> 0:03:57.369 were the four phones, the 15, the plus and the 0:03:57.369 --> 0:04:01.179 15 pro and the we can't call it a plus. 0:04:01.179 --> 0:04:03.159 It's a max. So yeah, four phones. 0:04:03.939 --> 0:04:07.719 Okay. So tell us about the the design and the 0:04:07.719 --> 0:04:11.139 display of these devices, these iPhones. 0:04:11.739 --> 0:04:14.439 Well, in particular with the 15 they were talking about 0:04:14.439 --> 0:04:18.909 the fact that the color is now incorporated into the 0:04:19.389 --> 0:04:22.539 the metal when the phone's built. So it's actually part 0:04:22.539 --> 0:04:27.579 of the whole process of building the phone now with the, quote, metal, unquote, 0:04:28.389 --> 0:04:31.269 in the the bigger version, the pro version of the phone, 0:04:31.269 --> 0:04:34.119 if you like, it's titanium. So it's going to be 0:04:34.119 --> 0:04:37.059 a lot stronger. I still think the weakest part of 0:04:37.059 --> 0:04:39.219 the phone is actually at the back because when they 0:04:39.219 --> 0:04:42.339 talk about the gorilla, the gorilla glass at the front 0:04:42.429 --> 0:04:48.249 and other glass, I've actually managed to crack my phone screen. 0:04:48.249 --> 0:04:50.079 So and the back of it. So when they say 0:04:50.079 --> 0:04:52.269 it's really, really tough, it might be, but you can 0:04:52.269 --> 0:04:55.539 still break it. The other thing between remember, between the 0:04:55.539 --> 0:05:00.579 15 and the pro versions of these phones is the 0:05:00.579 --> 0:05:03.369 15 itself has still got this 16 chip, which is 0:05:03.369 --> 0:05:07.569 currently in the 14. The 14 pro the 17 chip 0:05:07.569 --> 0:05:11.859 is only in the pro versions of the phone. What 0:05:11.859 --> 0:05:16.839 they were also pointing out quite a fair bit was 0:05:16.839 --> 0:05:22.929 the you've got much more lenses to use wherever virtually 0:05:22.929 --> 0:05:27.099 if you like, or mechanically in the pro version as 0:05:27.099 --> 0:05:30.939 opposed to the 15. And of course the pro version 0:05:30.939 --> 0:05:34.869 being the pro version, it's got a lot more oomph 0:05:34.869 --> 0:05:39.129 in the actual processor. It's got more neural engines, it's 0:05:39.129 --> 0:05:42.579 got more cores. And also the fact that this might 0:05:42.579 --> 0:05:45.639 be good for low vision people. It's actually brighter in sunlight. 0:05:45.819 --> 0:05:47.769 So if you're out and about, you need to look 0:05:47.769 --> 0:05:50.949 at your phone screen. It's bright enough so that the 0:05:50.949 --> 0:05:54.069 daylight doesn't wash out the screen and you can still 0:05:54.069 --> 0:05:56.829 look at the screen. So that was actually pretty amazing. 0:05:57.429 --> 0:06:01.749 The thing that they slid over quite nicely, I thought, 0:06:02.139 --> 0:06:05.289 was the fact that both of these would say, let's 0:06:05.289 --> 0:06:07.629 just say the iPhone. Now the new iPhone is going 0:06:07.629 --> 0:06:11.169 to Usbc. So the lightning cables and the lightning connector 0:06:11.169 --> 0:06:14.919 is now gone. And supposedly you can now connect all 0:06:14.919 --> 0:06:20.469 sorts of wonderful usb-c things to your iPhone. Now, there's 0:06:20.469 --> 0:06:23.469 a slight difference between the 15 and the pro version 0:06:23.469 --> 0:06:25.739 of the 15, which I'm not really going to go into, 0:06:25.749 --> 0:06:31.569 but I would suggest moving forward with the usb-c cabling options, 0:06:31.569 --> 0:06:34.629 you need to be a bit sort of more definite 0:06:34.629 --> 0:06:37.239 about what cable you're using in a way because you've 0:06:37.239 --> 0:06:42.279 got data and data and charging and you've also got 0:06:42.279 --> 0:06:46.689 cables that are either usb-c two or Usb-c three. So 0:06:47.079 --> 0:06:50.139 lightning was good because lightning was lightning. I think we're 0:06:50.139 --> 0:06:52.419 now going to be entering into a bit of a 0:06:52.419 --> 0:06:54.989 maybe a learning period for maybe the next 6 to 0:06:54.989 --> 0:06:58.599 12 months as we get used to what usb-c things 0:06:58.599 --> 0:07:02.469 work and what Usb-c cables work with the iPhone 15. 0:07:02.829 --> 0:07:06.099 On the iPhone 15 range. Tell us about the action switch. 0:07:06.369 --> 0:07:09.939 Quite simply, the the ring switch, which is what you 0:07:09.939 --> 0:07:11.709 used to use on the side of your phone to 0:07:11.709 --> 0:07:15.489 silence or unmute. If you like your phone call ring, 0:07:15.489 --> 0:07:18.579 This is now changed into the quote actions button, which 0:07:18.579 --> 0:07:22.299 is basically what is on the ultra Apple Watch and 0:07:22.299 --> 0:07:24.459 what you can do. There will be a certain number 0:07:24.459 --> 0:07:28.539 of features that you can associate with that action button 0:07:29.169 --> 0:07:32.079 that might be to, you know, run a shortcut to 0:07:32.079 --> 0:07:34.839 activate the camera app to do all sorts of things. Now, 0:07:34.839 --> 0:07:37.989 initially there's about 6 or 7 features that you can 0:07:37.989 --> 0:07:41.499 associate with that actions button, but I'm assuming moving down 0:07:41.499 --> 0:07:46.179 the track, particularly of shortcuts, you could assign any feature 0:07:46.179 --> 0:07:47.679 to that actions button. 0:07:47.859 --> 0:07:50.229 I get the impression this has been very much an 0:07:50.229 --> 0:07:55.599 incremental increase. The last really big development was probably with 0:07:55.599 --> 0:07:59.139 the iPhone 12. So people are still happy with say 0:07:59.139 --> 0:08:02.349 they're 13 and 14 and maybe even their twelves. Might 0:08:02.349 --> 0:08:04.389 it be a good idea to just hold back for 0:08:04.389 --> 0:08:05.229 12 months. 0:08:05.499 --> 0:08:07.749 Look like I would, particularly if you've got an iPhone 0:08:07.749 --> 0:08:10.269 12 Pro which has got the built in LiDAR in 0:08:10.269 --> 0:08:13.209 it because that's what quite a few of the accessibility 0:08:13.209 --> 0:08:16.329 options are built around. So I've still got my 12 0:08:16.329 --> 0:08:18.669 pro even though I do have a 14 pro max, 0:08:19.269 --> 0:08:22.239 but that's mainly for testing. But my 12 pro is 0:08:22.239 --> 0:08:24.309 perfectly fine. Okay, the battery is getting a bit worse 0:08:24.309 --> 0:08:27.429 for wear, but I'm quite happy to go and put 0:08:27.429 --> 0:08:29.199 a new battery if I have to in my 12 0:08:29.199 --> 0:08:32.529 pro or carry around a battery pack. So yeah, honestly, 0:08:32.529 --> 0:08:35.049 if you've got a 12 pro, a 13 or definitely 0:08:35.049 --> 0:08:38.379 a 14, there is absolutely no need to update to 0:08:38.379 --> 0:08:39.249 a 15. 0:08:39.519 --> 0:08:42.369 Just might have to replace your battery. Tell us about 0:08:42.369 --> 0:08:45.939 the new Apple watches the series nine and the ultra two. 0:08:46.389 --> 0:08:49.959 So yes so two brand new watches. The Series nine 0:08:49.959 --> 0:08:54.429 is an absolute update from the series eight. So it's 0:08:54.429 --> 0:08:58.329 definitely got a faster process because remember, the series eight 0:08:58.329 --> 0:09:01.929 in the ultra one had the same processing power. So 0:09:01.929 --> 0:09:06.279 now the Series nine has got a proper updated chip 0:09:06.279 --> 0:09:13.239 in it. And the ultra two it is main feature 0:09:13.239 --> 0:09:16.899 is that it's again a lot brighter in sunlight. Now 0:09:16.899 --> 0:09:19.179 I can't remember whether they said that applied to the 0:09:19.179 --> 0:09:21.999 series nine one or not, but the Ultra two was 0:09:21.999 --> 0:09:24.549 definitely an improvement for looking at in sunlight because you're 0:09:24.549 --> 0:09:27.999 really using it outdoors. And of course the major feature 0:09:27.999 --> 0:09:29.859 that I really liked to hear about was the double 0:09:29.859 --> 0:09:33.039 tap function where the double tap with your two fingers, 0:09:33.039 --> 0:09:36.699 which is really a double pinch. It would detect that 0:09:36.699 --> 0:09:40.299 movement through your wrist and do a default function. And 0:09:40.299 --> 0:09:42.069 the one that I think is quite amazing is that 0:09:42.069 --> 0:09:44.889 it would actually answer a call and hang up a call. 0:09:44.889 --> 0:09:49.389 So for me, if you've already had issues about using 0:09:49.389 --> 0:09:51.849 your Apple Watch to answer and hang up a phone call, 0:09:51.849 --> 0:09:55.059 this is a pretty major improvement. So that's why I'm 0:09:55.059 --> 0:09:56.799 looking forward to it. So if you've got a Series 0:09:56.799 --> 0:10:00.309 eight watch or an essay and you do have trouble 0:10:00.309 --> 0:10:02.319 with the phone calls and that sort of stuff may 0:10:02.319 --> 0:10:03.669 not be a bad idea to update. 0:10:04.029 --> 0:10:06.549 So am I looking forward to being at a restaurant? 0:10:06.549 --> 0:10:09.339 My phone goes without dropping my knife and fork. I 0:10:09.339 --> 0:10:12.729 can start a conversation on the phone. Isn't that disgraceful? 0:10:13.119 --> 0:10:16.209 It's pretty amazing. Yeah. Don't talk too much about it. 0:10:16.209 --> 0:10:18.669 I might convince myself that I need one now. Yeah. 0:10:20.139 --> 0:10:24.729 AirPods two. There's been an update with those. Is that 0:10:24.729 --> 0:10:25.719 of much interest. 0:10:26.199 --> 0:10:30.219 In the sense that it's getting a lot busier with 0:10:30.219 --> 0:10:34.329 the AirPods software. So you've got all these new adaptive 0:10:34.329 --> 0:10:39.309 functions for conversation mode and noise cancellation modes and everything else, 0:10:39.759 --> 0:10:42.099 plus the fact the new case that you'll have to 0:10:42.099 --> 0:10:45.949 buy a complete new set of. AirPods will be using Usb-c. 0:10:46.009 --> 0:10:49.789 But I think what Apple's doing is they're positioning the 0:10:49.789 --> 0:10:54.229 AirPods Pro to be part of the whole new. What's 0:10:54.229 --> 0:10:57.259 the word for it? Hotel, if you like, of features 0:10:57.259 --> 0:10:59.359 that will be coming up with the Vision Pro next year. 0:11:00.239 --> 0:11:04.469 I was 17 out today. If you're listening on Tuesday 0:11:04.469 --> 0:11:06.719 and we'll go into that in a lot more detail 0:11:06.719 --> 0:11:11.699 next week. Tell us, though, about the accessibility features of 0:11:11.699 --> 0:11:12.869 iOS 17. 0:11:13.289 --> 0:11:15.599 So the major one that I like to point out 0:11:15.599 --> 0:11:18.629 at the time at the moment is the new access 0:11:18.629 --> 0:11:21.869 assistive mode, which is basically means it cuts down an 0:11:21.869 --> 0:11:26.519 application to its bones. And then it simply got a 0:11:26.519 --> 0:11:28.229 back button to go back to your home screen. And 0:11:28.229 --> 0:11:31.439 so what they've done, they've combined the phone call app 0:11:31.589 --> 0:11:38.969 into by phone calls and FaceTime. They've simplified the photos app, simplified, 0:11:39.059 --> 0:11:41.189 and a few other apps as well. But it literally 0:11:41.189 --> 0:11:43.499 just means you've got a few icons on the screen, 0:11:43.799 --> 0:11:48.349 particularly for music, nice big large buttons and large print. 0:11:48.359 --> 0:11:52.739 So really it's for people that find the quote, iPhone 0:11:52.739 --> 0:11:56.279 in iOS too hard to use. This really makes it 0:11:56.279 --> 0:12:01.379 a very simple, straightforward interface and the other feature that 0:12:01.379 --> 0:12:04.199 a lot of people are talking about is the personal 0:12:04.199 --> 0:12:08.729 voice option. So if you're want to record your voice 0:12:08.729 --> 0:12:11.729 and be able to, if you like, have the iPhone 0:12:11.729 --> 0:12:14.549 speak in relatively similar to your own voice, you can 0:12:14.549 --> 0:12:17.159 do that. The other function calls, which I love, is 0:12:17.159 --> 0:12:19.529 when you're on a phone call, a particular for someone 0:12:19.529 --> 0:12:21.809 that might be deaf or has a speech impediment or 0:12:21.809 --> 0:12:25.829 another disability, you can type in on the keyboard of 0:12:25.829 --> 0:12:29.309 the iPhone and then what you type in gets sent 0:12:29.309 --> 0:12:31.199 off to the caller, either in your own voice, if 0:12:31.199 --> 0:12:34.259 you've recorded it, or the default voice that you're currently 0:12:34.259 --> 0:12:37.439 using for iOS. That's pretty amazing. And the other major 0:12:37.439 --> 0:12:40.349 feature of calls for me is the Siri option, where 0:12:40.349 --> 0:12:43.859 you can speed up Siri to twice. And of course 0:12:43.859 --> 0:12:46.949 we don't have to use the magic word HTC anymore. 0:12:46.949 --> 0:12:49.469 We can just use the word Siri plus the fact 0:12:49.469 --> 0:12:52.289 we can put two commands at the same time when 0:12:52.289 --> 0:12:54.989 we're using series. So there's a few other ones there 0:12:54.989 --> 0:12:57.629 that we'll go probably do more in depth next week, 0:12:57.629 --> 0:13:00.209 but they're the major ones. I will talk more about 0:13:00.209 --> 0:13:04.349 point and Speak next week because I've got some sort 0:13:04.349 --> 0:13:07.469 of issues with that point. And speak is simply when 0:13:07.469 --> 0:13:11.189 you run the magnification app only with a pro version 0:13:11.189 --> 0:13:14.789 of the phone, by the way, then it will use 0:13:14.789 --> 0:13:18.419 LIDAR and the Magnification app to detect where your finger 0:13:18.419 --> 0:13:21.719 is in space and what your finger is pointing at, i.e. 0:13:21.719 --> 0:13:25.319 icons on a touchscreen. It'll tell you what the button 0:13:25.319 --> 0:13:28.379 is when that icon is obscured or the buttons obscured 0:13:28.379 --> 0:13:30.569 because your fingers over it and then you can tap it, 0:13:30.569 --> 0:13:34.529 which means you can use a touchscreen with your finger, 0:13:34.529 --> 0:13:38.819 with your camera point speak, positioning you on the touch screen. 0:13:38.819 --> 0:13:41.039 And by the way, there are a few known bugs 0:13:41.039 --> 0:13:43.859 in iOS 17 and I'll point them out. But if 0:13:43.859 --> 0:13:45.419 you want to have a look in the meantime, they're 0:13:45.419 --> 0:13:46.349 up on the Apple. 0:13:47.459 --> 0:13:52.799 Website as usual. Great stuff on the Apple website with 0:13:52.799 --> 0:13:58.859 articles and podcasts explaining these new features, particularly accessibility features. 0:13:59.489 --> 0:14:02.219 That there will be. And I haven't checked today, but 0:14:02.219 --> 0:14:04.409 I'm sure there's going to be a whole raft of 0:14:05.129 --> 0:14:08.999 blog articles and podcasts to do with all the features 0:14:08.999 --> 0:14:12.869 with iOS 17, including the accessibility one. So if you 0:14:12.869 --> 0:14:14.659 want to fill in some time over the next week, 0:14:14.669 --> 0:14:17.819 week or so, enjoy Apple Podcasts. 0:14:17.939 --> 0:14:20.209 We'll talk about it in more detail next week. 0:14:20.219 --> 0:14:20.879 Certainly. Well. 0:14:21.479 --> 0:14:24.029 Just before we go, a reminder of where people can 0:14:24.029 --> 0:14:26.999 find details of what we've been talking about in this 0:14:26.999 --> 0:14:28.819 and in previous editions of the program. 0:14:28.829 --> 0:14:30.659 As always, you can check out my blog site, which 0:14:30.659 --> 0:14:35.519 is David would be a dot podbean pad beacon. Com. 0:14:35.639 --> 0:14:41.009 David would be our dot podbean pod beacon to right 0:14:41.009 --> 0:14:41.849 to the program. 0:14:42.089 --> 0:14:43.559 You can write to me at business trial where I 0:14:43.559 --> 0:14:48.509 work which is David Dot Woodbridge out sounds at Vision Australia. 0:14:48.779 --> 0:14:53.849 Org David Dot Woodbridge at Vision Australia. Org This has 0:14:53.849 --> 0:14:56.639 been talking tech with me has been Vision Australia's National 0:14:56.639 --> 0:15:01.349 Advisor on Access Technology David Woodbridge. I'm Stephen Jolley. Take care. 0:15:01.359 --> 0:15:02.999 We'll talk more tech next week. See you.