WEBVTT - Talking Tech 5th September 2023 0:00:44.129 --> 0:00:47.879 Hello everyone. Welcome to Talking Tech. This edition available from 0:00:47.879 --> 0:00:52.289 September the 5th, 2023. I'm Stephen Jolly. Great to have 0:00:52.289 --> 0:00:55.409 you with us wherever you're listening, perhaps through Vision Australia Radio, 0:00:55.409 --> 0:01:00.119 associated Stations of Australia or maybe the Community Radio Network, 0:01:00.509 --> 0:01:03.299 there is also the podcast. If you haven't caught up 0:01:03.299 --> 0:01:05.189 with that yet, all you need to do is search 0:01:05.189 --> 0:01:07.889 for the two words. Talking tech and Downer can all 0:01:07.889 --> 0:01:11.339 come usually on a Tuesday afternoon just after it's been produced. 0:01:11.339 --> 0:01:14.459 Another option is to ask a Siri device or smart 0:01:14.459 --> 0:01:19.499 speaker to play Vision Australia Radio Talking Tech Podcast. Vision 0:01:19.499 --> 0:01:24.179 Australia Radio Talking Tech podcast. With me someone who can 0:01:24.179 --> 0:01:28.769 explain all this stuff really well. Vision Australia's National Advisor 0:01:28.769 --> 0:01:33.509 on Access Technology, David Woodbridge. David, let's reach out a 0:01:33.509 --> 0:01:37.739 little bit and start today talking about the Deep Space Network. 0:01:38.219 --> 0:01:40.859 This is actually really fascinating because we take sort of 0:01:40.859 --> 0:01:43.709 space in some ways for granted, but when you think 0:01:43.799 --> 0:01:46.139 about some of the stuff that we've been using for 0:01:46.139 --> 0:01:49.409 quite a long time, you start to wonder about where 0:01:49.409 --> 0:01:51.239 things are going to be going in the future, because 0:01:51.239 --> 0:01:55.109 at the moment the Deep Space Network comprises three locations. 0:01:55.109 --> 0:01:58.439 You've got California in the US, you've got Spain, and 0:01:58.439 --> 0:02:03.029 then of course you've got Australia. They currently handle about 0:02:03.029 --> 0:02:07.049 40 missions at the moment and that includes the Artemis 0:02:07.199 --> 0:02:10.769 Space Mission to the moon. It also includes all the 0:02:10.769 --> 0:02:14.219 other deep space missions, such as the Voyager staff going 0:02:14.219 --> 0:02:17.309 out into the the universe. Most of this stuff has 0:02:17.309 --> 0:02:19.899 been upgraded with the antennas and so on. You know, 0:02:19.919 --> 0:02:22.109 since I think the first one came online in California, 0:02:22.109 --> 0:02:25.619 I think in 1966, and we all know about the 0:02:25.619 --> 0:02:28.919 Apollo mission and how Australia helped with that 1 in 1969. 0:02:28.919 --> 0:02:32.009 I want to say, Stephen, that's right. But they were 0:02:32.009 --> 0:02:33.839 saying that in the future there's going to be another 0:02:33.839 --> 0:02:36.689 40 missions on top of the existing 40 which will 0:02:36.689 --> 0:02:40.979 still be going. And not only do we send rockets 0:02:40.979 --> 0:02:44.039 with people in them and voyages out to the universe, 0:02:44.039 --> 0:02:47.279 but we also have these hundreds and thousands probably by 0:02:47.279 --> 0:02:50.249 the time it happens in the future, satellites orbiting around 0:02:50.249 --> 0:02:52.619 the world, which all need to be tracked when they 0:02:52.619 --> 0:02:56.219 get launched. So even the Artemis one mission, I think 0:02:56.219 --> 0:02:59.669 it deployed ten cube satellites, which are tiny little satellites. 0:03:00.269 --> 0:03:02.639 And I just thought we sort of just really take 0:03:02.639 --> 0:03:04.559 this stuff for granted. So I'm going to be interested 0:03:04.559 --> 0:03:09.599 to see over the next maybe 3 to 5 going 0:03:09.599 --> 0:03:14.339 ten years and more into the future how NASA and 0:03:14.339 --> 0:03:16.619 also around the world or the science agency start to 0:03:16.619 --> 0:03:19.469 manage all this local space stuff, I want to say 0:03:19.469 --> 0:03:21.749 around the earth, then, of course, around the moon. And 0:03:21.749 --> 0:03:24.839 then we've got the Mars rover on Mars, the deep 0:03:24.839 --> 0:03:29.159 space missions and goodness knows what else. So it's almost like, 0:03:29.159 --> 0:03:31.679 you know, the house you built, the three bedroom house 0:03:31.679 --> 0:03:35.699 you built back in the 19 6660s, even though it's 0:03:35.699 --> 0:03:38.399 been upgraded, maybe you need to move and buy a 0:03:38.399 --> 0:03:40.139 bigger house. Yes, there's. 0:03:40.139 --> 0:03:42.569 A bit of a traffic problem up there and we 0:03:42.569 --> 0:03:45.659 need a good tracking network to to keep on top 0:03:45.659 --> 0:03:47.099 of it all. I nearly said to keep track of 0:03:47.099 --> 0:03:53.039 it all. But now another thing is space. We hear 0:03:53.159 --> 0:03:55.529 more and more about them, and I'm going to be 0:03:55.529 --> 0:03:58.319 sending some more satellites of interest up there. 0:03:59.339 --> 0:04:02.129 Yes. So apparently this article is to do with I 0:04:02.129 --> 0:04:06.869 think it's 2025. So it's where basically SpaceX so via 0:04:06.869 --> 0:04:10.829 their rocket is going to put more satellites. Speaking of 0:04:10.829 --> 0:04:17.249 satellites into orbit specifically for the emergency SOS system that 0:04:17.249 --> 0:04:21.059 Apple users and you know, we've already heard about other 0:04:21.059 --> 0:04:25.679 manufacturers doing more work with satellites, including Google and so on. 0:04:26.429 --> 0:04:30.449 But hopefully if they start putting these type of satellites 0:04:30.449 --> 0:04:36.749 and communication communication satellites into orbit, I'm hoping that beyond 0:04:36.899 --> 0:04:41.189 SMS messages to emergency services, we sort of maybe start 0:04:41.189 --> 0:04:45.299 having more text messages involved, being able to send people 0:04:45.299 --> 0:04:47.279 via text messages if you're out in the back of 0:04:47.639 --> 0:04:51.119 his house, Australians like to say whoop up somewhere or even, 0:04:51.119 --> 0:04:55.469 dare I say it, proper data communication to your Internet provider, 0:04:55.589 --> 0:04:59.489 sending an email and perhaps even accessing the internet correctly. 0:04:59.489 --> 0:05:04.019 Because I think sometimes we forget that beyond your cellular 0:05:04.019 --> 0:05:07.589 network and beyond your wi fi little Wi-Fi network at home, 0:05:07.859 --> 0:05:12.659 we still actually have a lot of satellite communication type stuff. 0:05:12.659 --> 0:05:16.079 So you can actually get a satellite phone to use. 0:05:16.079 --> 0:05:20.339 You can also get a satellite hotspot. And just like 0:05:20.339 --> 0:05:24.059 a normal hotspot you'd have on your phone, these hotspots 0:05:24.059 --> 0:05:28.319 can share to other Internet enabled devices like your smartphone 0:05:28.319 --> 0:05:32.039 and your laptop and that sort of stuff. So again, 0:05:32.039 --> 0:05:34.169 it's one of those things. It's sort of like sight 0:05:34.169 --> 0:05:36.989 unseen and we've got all these satellites whizzing around the earth, 0:05:37.319 --> 0:05:40.109 but I don't think we realize how much we actually 0:05:40.109 --> 0:05:43.569 use these things. So that's another thing besides the deep. 0:05:43.659 --> 0:05:47.829 Space stuff and the satellites in general. I want to 0:05:47.829 --> 0:05:53.289 really see how all this satellite communication stuff really impacts 0:05:53.289 --> 0:05:55.449 our lives in the coming years because I think we're 0:05:55.449 --> 0:05:58.089 just going to get to the stage where we will 0:05:58.089 --> 0:06:02.259 be able to communicate almost with anything in the next 0:06:02.259 --> 0:06:03.159 five years or so. 0:06:03.609 --> 0:06:06.069 Of course, already a lot of people in regional Australia 0:06:06.069 --> 0:06:11.349 are using satellite technology for their TV. Well even in 0:06:11.349 --> 0:06:16.809 metropolitan areas with pay television services, Foxtel and of course 0:06:16.809 --> 0:06:20.589 for their broadband internet, they're using the satellite technology. So 0:06:20.589 --> 0:06:23.799 it continues to be very important and it's grown a 0:06:23.799 --> 0:06:27.369 long way since Alan Shepard first went into space. Let's 0:06:27.369 --> 0:06:31.569 talk now batteries and what are Nissan up to? 0:06:32.499 --> 0:06:35.739 This was another interesting talk that I'm really interested in. 0:06:35.739 --> 0:06:37.329 And we're talking about the Nissan Leaf, which is the 0:06:37.329 --> 0:06:41.889 electric vehicle from Nissan. And I've always wondered what happens 0:06:41.889 --> 0:06:45.669 to all the batteries that make up the whole system 0:06:45.669 --> 0:06:48.909 in an electric car. And what Nissan is going to 0:06:48.909 --> 0:06:52.749 be doing is they're going to be repurposing those batteries 0:06:53.199 --> 0:06:55.479 instead of two major ways. One, of course, they're going 0:06:55.479 --> 0:06:57.699 to be recycling them if they're not good enough to 0:06:57.699 --> 0:07:00.099 be used for this second purpose. And the second purpose 0:07:00.099 --> 0:07:04.659 is as a power battery source that you may be 0:07:04.659 --> 0:07:08.619 able to use in your home when you're 240 volt 0:07:09.099 --> 0:07:11.799 power goes out on the main grid. You can switch 0:07:11.799 --> 0:07:14.319 over to your backup battery and you can still use 0:07:14.319 --> 0:07:18.219 things like your fridge, your washing machine, your air conditioner 0:07:18.219 --> 0:07:21.669 and that sort of stuff. What happened to us, I 0:07:21.669 --> 0:07:23.379 want to say about two years ago now, when the 0:07:23.379 --> 0:07:27.129 bushfires were particularly here in New South Wales, we actually 0:07:27.129 --> 0:07:30.099 lost power for five days straight. So we had food 0:07:30.099 --> 0:07:32.199 going off in the fridge and no hot water and 0:07:32.199 --> 0:07:34.749 this and that. The other thing, and I just think 0:07:34.749 --> 0:07:38.619 battery backup sources are very expensive. I mean you're talking 0:07:38.619 --> 0:07:42.789 from anything from $7,000 minimum up to $18,000. And I 0:07:42.789 --> 0:07:47.049 thought with places like, you know, the Nissan car maker Tesla, 0:07:47.049 --> 0:07:49.539 which I know already has a battery called the battery wall. 0:07:49.899 --> 0:07:52.359 I just hope these sort of prices come down and 0:07:52.359 --> 0:07:54.819 you won't have to look for special subsidies to put, 0:07:54.819 --> 0:07:59.469 you know, either solar or solar and batteries into your house. So, again, 0:07:59.469 --> 0:08:03.549 I'm going to be watching, along with SpaceX, satellites and 0:08:03.549 --> 0:08:08.019 communication on Earth with batteries, because, again, remember, all our 0:08:08.019 --> 0:08:10.479 electricity prices are going up. So I think more and 0:08:10.479 --> 0:08:13.989 more people are going to start looking at battery systems 0:08:13.989 --> 0:08:17.319 to use particularly the sunlight, to give you a bit 0:08:17.319 --> 0:08:19.209 more power at home. And you won't have to use 0:08:19.209 --> 0:08:20.139 the grid all the time. 0:08:20.649 --> 0:08:21.939 What are Anker up to? 0:08:22.239 --> 0:08:25.209 So what Anchor is doing is they've brought out two batteries, 0:08:25.209 --> 0:08:27.849 one that's coming next year and one that's already out already. 0:08:27.849 --> 0:08:31.149 And this is primarily in the United States. So you 0:08:31.149 --> 0:08:35.229 go out into the countryside and you can use your 0:08:35.229 --> 0:08:38.919 power bank, which is extremely big, by the way, to, 0:08:38.919 --> 0:08:42.789 you know, charge your your cooking charger lighting, run your 0:08:42.789 --> 0:08:45.819 TV off, your laptop, everything else. But what they're also 0:08:45.819 --> 0:08:49.479 bringing out next year is what they call a portable 0:08:49.479 --> 0:08:53.739 stackable power source. So what you can do is you 0:08:53.739 --> 0:08:56.529 can have one battery and I can't remember how many 0:08:56.529 --> 0:08:58.569 watts it had, but it's a decent wattage. They said 0:08:58.569 --> 0:09:03.369 to run again, an air conditioner, a washing machine, a 0:09:03.369 --> 0:09:06.369 fridge and so on. But what they're also enabling you 0:09:06.369 --> 0:09:10.539 to do is to stack another five batteries with the 0:09:10.539 --> 0:09:14.379 initial one without having to do any major electricity work 0:09:14.379 --> 0:09:17.349 to build up your battery bank, if you like, at home. 0:09:17.349 --> 0:09:21.669 So if that stuff comes to Australia, then I think 0:09:21.669 --> 0:09:24.789 it's going to be really interesting for people that can't 0:09:24.789 --> 0:09:28.629 get these subsidies to look at having a battery backup 0:09:28.629 --> 0:09:31.149 at home. So again, that's what I'll be looking at 0:09:31.149 --> 0:09:33.099 hopefully in the next couple of years or so. 0:09:33.549 --> 0:09:39.579 Let's talk now about the Microsoft navigation app soundscape, which 0:09:39.579 --> 0:09:44.139 was dropped, I think, at the end of June springing 0:09:44.139 --> 0:09:48.639 up from that and based on soundscape was Voice Vista. 0:09:48.639 --> 0:09:53.349 That's still going strongly, but soundscape has been revived by 0:09:53.349 --> 0:09:54.249 a third party. 0:09:54.519 --> 0:09:56.499 Now I'm a bit confused. I didn't spend too much 0:09:56.499 --> 0:09:58.689 time looking at the developer, but it actually says the 0:09:58.689 --> 0:10:01.929 Scottish Tech Army and I'm assuming the Scottish Tech Army 0:10:01.929 --> 0:10:04.869 is not the Scottish Army, but yes, it's the full 0:10:04.869 --> 0:10:09.069 blown soundscape. So the soundscape you loved from Microsoft, which 0:10:09.069 --> 0:10:12.489 became open source in January and was, as you said, 0:10:12.489 --> 0:10:16.239 discontinued in June, that's now back on board. Just one warning, though, 0:10:16.239 --> 0:10:19.749 if you have your beloved soundscape still working and you 0:10:19.749 --> 0:10:22.299 install the new one, it will overwrite the old one, 0:10:22.299 --> 0:10:27.369 which means, like me, if you had your 75 points 0:10:27.369 --> 0:10:29.919 of interest or markers in the app, it'll wipe them 0:10:29.919 --> 0:10:30.519 all out. 0:10:30.789 --> 0:10:34.419 Yeah. Good one. To keep in mind the annual Apple 0:10:34.419 --> 0:10:37.359 event where the new iPhones and other things are announced. 0:10:37.359 --> 0:10:39.159 We now know when it's going to be. 0:10:39.399 --> 0:10:42.369 That's right. So it's on September 12th US time, which 0:10:42.369 --> 0:10:45.139 means the 30th. Our time frame in the morning and 0:10:45.139 --> 0:10:49.279 it's called wanderlust. So I have completely no idea what 0:10:49.279 --> 0:10:51.649 that's in reference to, but we'll see what happens. And 0:10:51.649 --> 0:10:54.859 of course, it's going to be the iPhone, which will 0:10:54.859 --> 0:10:58.039 probably have Usbc. Who knows. Some people have said the 0:10:58.159 --> 0:11:01.519 new AirPods and of course, the updated Apple Watch. So 0:11:01.519 --> 0:11:04.309 let's see what happens. And probably next week Steve will 0:11:04.309 --> 0:11:07.609 talk a little bit more about some stuff that can 0:11:07.609 --> 0:11:10.069 set you up for the the time when we talk 0:11:10.069 --> 0:11:12.079 about on the show after next week. 0:11:12.289 --> 0:11:15.079 Yes, well, a little bit convoluted, but we can give 0:11:15.079 --> 0:11:16.969 you an idea next week when you can hear about 0:11:16.969 --> 0:11:19.909 it before we talk about it the following week. What 0:11:19.909 --> 0:11:25.249 we do know, though, is that iOS 17 will be compatible, 0:11:25.249 --> 0:11:28.339 as is the usual case, with quite a number of 0:11:29.419 --> 0:11:32.839 Apple devices going downwards. But it does stop. 0:11:33.289 --> 0:11:35.179 That's right. So effectively it's going to be any iPhone 0:11:35.179 --> 0:11:41.599 after 2017, which effectively means that everything above the iPhone ten, 0:11:41.609 --> 0:11:43.659 so not the iPhone ten, but the iPhone ten S 0:11:43.699 --> 0:11:46.789 and so on. And as far as the eye pads 0:11:46.789 --> 0:11:49.999 are concerned, roughly the same thing. But if you've got 0:11:49.999 --> 0:11:55.549 an original iPad Pro and so on, they definitely won't work. 0:11:55.549 --> 0:11:59.059 But if you've got an iPad Pro 11, that will 0:11:59.059 --> 0:12:00.439 be okay. So I've got a link in the show 0:12:00.439 --> 0:12:04.219 notes for both of those types of things, iPhone and iPad, 0:12:04.219 --> 0:12:05.989 just so that you can double check. 0:12:06.319 --> 0:12:08.329 One thing I wanted to talk to you about is 0:12:08.329 --> 0:12:11.509 that you have a pretty active X feed, so I 0:12:11.509 --> 0:12:14.689 didn't even say Twitter. People might like to follow that 0:12:14.689 --> 0:12:17.779 because it can point you to some quite interesting stories. 0:12:18.409 --> 0:12:21.619 I spend a lot of time every day going through 0:12:21.619 --> 0:12:23.599 a lot of social media stuff that I send out 0:12:23.599 --> 0:12:26.659 to the x feed and to the mastodon feed as well. 0:12:26.809 --> 0:12:28.849 So if you want to follow me in that, if 0:12:28.849 --> 0:12:31.489 you just search for David Woodbridge, you'll definitely be able 0:12:31.489 --> 0:12:33.979 to find me. I think I must have in my 0:12:33.979 --> 0:12:37.699 list at least every week around about 40 to 50 stories. 0:12:37.879 --> 0:12:40.519 And talking of events, as we mentioned, the Apple event, 0:12:40.519 --> 0:12:42.349 there's an Amazon event coming up soon. 0:12:42.679 --> 0:12:45.109 On September 20th, which of course is going to be 0:12:45.109 --> 0:12:48.319 in the US. So 21 hour time and I'm looking 0:12:48.319 --> 0:12:50.569 forward to this one because I want to see what 0:12:50.569 --> 0:12:53.959 Amazon is eventually going to do with the Echo, you know, 0:12:53.959 --> 0:12:56.989 whether our good old lady is going to turn into 0:12:56.989 --> 0:13:00.379 a proper AI rather than a personal assistant. So I 0:13:00.379 --> 0:13:02.719 really don't care about the hardware. I want to see 0:13:02.719 --> 0:13:04.099 what they're going to be doing with the software. 0:13:04.369 --> 0:13:06.019 We're not going to lose. The thing that we can 0:13:06.019 --> 0:13:07.549 speak to, though. You don't think? 0:13:07.729 --> 0:13:10.399 No, no, no. I think I think a lady will 0:13:10.399 --> 0:13:15.169 transform herself into a large language model with access to 0:13:15.169 --> 0:13:16.759 the Internet. So I think we'll get the best of 0:13:16.759 --> 0:13:20.059 both personal assistant and AI as well. 0:13:20.209 --> 0:13:21.829 What about the Google devices? 0:13:22.369 --> 0:13:23.689 Look, I think the same thing is going to happen 0:13:23.689 --> 0:13:27.349 with Google when we've got barred from Google as well. 0:13:27.349 --> 0:13:30.229 And I think we're going to see those transforming. The 0:13:30.229 --> 0:13:32.509 only one that's not talking about it is Apple. But 0:13:32.509 --> 0:13:35.329 Siri is doing a lot of AI things in the background. 0:13:35.329 --> 0:13:37.789 It's just that Apple doesn't talk about them as being AI. 0:13:37.789 --> 0:13:40.609 So I wouldn't be surprised in the next 12 months, 0:13:40.999 --> 0:13:43.909 our personal assistants won't be personal sense anymore. They'll be 0:13:43.909 --> 0:13:47.299 AI systems that we just use the way we used 0:13:47.299 --> 0:13:49.519 to use our personal assistants and a lot more. 0:13:49.819 --> 0:13:53.179 And of course as that smart wearable device vision pro 0:13:53.179 --> 0:13:55.279 that Apple's going to be presenting to us in the 0:13:55.279 --> 0:13:56.929 next year or so, I'm sure there will be a 0:13:56.929 --> 0:13:58.189 fair bit of AI in that. 0:13:58.399 --> 0:14:02.689 Absolutely. Particularly for object recognition and distancing and all that 0:14:02.689 --> 0:14:04.699 sort of stuff. So no, I think it's going to 0:14:04.699 --> 0:14:07.039 be very interesting with this type of stuff, particularly over 0:14:07.039 --> 0:14:11.539 the next 2 or 3 years. There will be, particularly 0:14:11.539 --> 0:14:14.959 when you talk about augmented reality, virtual reality, and then 0:14:14.959 --> 0:14:18.169 of course your layering or the accessibility stuff on top 0:14:18.169 --> 0:14:22.249 of that, which also includes artificial intelligence. So good times ahead, 0:14:22.249 --> 0:14:22.729 I think. 0:14:22.999 --> 0:14:25.129 Now just before we go, a reminder of where people 0:14:25.129 --> 0:14:27.409 can find details of what we've been talking about in 0:14:27.409 --> 0:14:29.269 this and the previous editions of the program. 0:14:29.449 --> 0:14:31.339 As always, you can check out my blog site, which 0:14:31.339 --> 0:14:35.599 is David would be dot podbean pad and. 0:14:36.169 --> 0:14:41.659 David would be art dot podbean podbean.com. To write to 0:14:41.659 --> 0:14:42.289 the program. 0:14:42.469 --> 0:14:44.329 You can write to me at Vision Israel, where I work, 0:14:44.329 --> 0:14:48.889 which is David Dot Woodbridge. How it sounds at Vision Australia. 0:14:49.159 --> 0:14:54.289 Org David Dot Woodbridge at Vision australia.org. This has been 0:14:54.289 --> 0:14:57.409 talking tech with me has been Vision Australia's National Advisor 0:14:57.409 --> 0:15:01.609 on Access Technology, David Woodbridge. I'm Stephen Jolley. Take care. 0:15:01.609 --> 0:15:03.259 We'll talk more tech next week. See you.