WEBVTT - Talking Tech 3rd September 2024 0:00:21.168 --> 0:00:25.128 Hello everyone. Welcome to Talking Tech. This edition available from 0:00:25.128 --> 0:00:29.028 September the 3rd, 2024. I'm Stephen Jolly. Great to have 0:00:29.028 --> 0:00:32.568 you with us listening maybe through Vision Australia radio, associated 0:00:32.568 --> 0:00:35.778 stations of the Radio Reading Network or maybe the Community 0:00:35.778 --> 0:00:39.288 Radio Network. There is also the podcast. To catch that, 0:00:39.288 --> 0:00:41.478 all you need to do is search for the two 0:00:41.508 --> 0:00:44.448 words talking tech and down. It can all come usually 0:00:44.478 --> 0:00:47.868 on a Tuesday afternoon just after it's been produced. Another 0:00:47.868 --> 0:00:50.838 option is to ask your Siri device or smart speaker 0:00:50.838 --> 0:00:55.758 to play. Vision Australia radio talking tech podcast. Vision Australia 0:00:55.758 --> 0:01:01.488 radio talking tech podcast with me, someone who can explain 0:01:01.488 --> 0:01:06.288 all this tech stuff really well. Leading Australian blindness technologist 0:01:06.288 --> 0:01:09.828 David Woodbridge. David, we've got a lot to get through today. 0:01:09.828 --> 0:01:14.568 Perhaps we should start talking about the BT speak, which 0:01:14.568 --> 0:01:19.908 is the running on Linux device from Blazing Blazie technologies, 0:01:19.908 --> 0:01:24.408 the little handheld device with the Braille keyboard. There's been 0:01:24.408 --> 0:01:26.088 an update, the August update. 0:01:26.118 --> 0:01:28.428 There has been. And I must admit, this is quite 0:01:28.458 --> 0:01:32.058 a good update because they've updated the documentation, which has 0:01:32.058 --> 0:01:35.238 been something that's sort of really been needed for since 0:01:35.238 --> 0:01:38.868 the device came out. So that's actually really, really good. 0:01:38.868 --> 0:01:42.648 The second thing that I really like is in the 0:01:42.648 --> 0:01:46.398 help option. Now, you've actually got a very nice bit 0:01:46.398 --> 0:01:50.148 of a tutorial thing to listen to, which is actually 0:01:50.148 --> 0:01:52.158 really handy. Now I will give you a tip. When 0:01:52.158 --> 0:01:55.278 you listen to that, make sure that you go into 0:01:55.278 --> 0:01:58.758 the help about how to play that file, because otherwise, 0:01:58.758 --> 0:02:01.788 if you don't know the command to stop it, you 0:02:01.788 --> 0:02:04.638 won't be able to stop it because it's actually playing 0:02:04.638 --> 0:02:06.798 a media file. So the normal commands that you would 0:02:06.798 --> 0:02:09.108 use to stop a media file, that's the one you 0:02:09.108 --> 0:02:12.258 would use for that little sort of help starting tutorial. 0:02:12.258 --> 0:02:14.748 So that's just a quick tip. And the third thing 0:02:14.748 --> 0:02:19.458 is that they've rearranged the menus and the stuff in 0:02:19.468 --> 0:02:22.648 the menus actually makes a lot more sense. So that's 0:02:22.678 --> 0:02:24.928 actually a really great thing. So I think as I 0:02:24.928 --> 0:02:28.228 think we've said on and off, um, this, you know, 0:02:28.258 --> 0:02:31.378 this system basically continues to evolve and it just seems 0:02:31.378 --> 0:02:32.608 to be getting better and better. 0:02:32.638 --> 0:02:34.948 Yeah, it's a great little device, that one. The BT 0:02:34.978 --> 0:02:42.298 speak from Blazie technologies on the Living Mindfully podcast from 0:02:42.298 --> 0:02:47.338 Jonathan Mohsen. He had some information about Orcam that we've 0:02:47.338 --> 0:02:50.578 been waiting on for some time, the Orcam blindness products. 0:02:50.608 --> 0:02:55.678 Yeah. So basically Orcam sent a letter to quantum Rlve 0:02:55.708 --> 0:02:58.258 reading Learning Vision, and then they passed that particular letter 0:02:58.258 --> 0:03:02.608 on to Jonathan at Living Blind Fully. And basically what 0:03:02.608 --> 0:03:06.088 they're saying is that, um, they're not going to keep 0:03:06.088 --> 0:03:09.328 developing the Orcam range, but what they are going to 0:03:09.328 --> 0:03:12.628 be doing is keep distributing the Orcam so that things 0:03:12.628 --> 0:03:15.868 like the Orcam read and the Orcam Myeye two, and 0:03:15.868 --> 0:03:19.258 so on. So they're still doing the products as far 0:03:19.258 --> 0:03:23.098 as Distributorships going, but it looks like from, I guess 0:03:23.098 --> 0:03:25.528 from looking around on the internet as well, that they're 0:03:25.528 --> 0:03:30.628 going to put more development into hearing type devices, which 0:03:30.628 --> 0:03:32.098 I think, you know, when all is said and done, 0:03:32.098 --> 0:03:33.988 it's actually really good. I mean, one of the benefits 0:03:33.988 --> 0:03:38.158 of the orcam, which none of the other devices really do, 0:03:38.518 --> 0:03:41.818 is that it doesn't interact with the internet. So if 0:03:41.848 --> 0:03:44.638 you're working in a high secure area, like, you know, 0:03:44.668 --> 0:03:48.298 the Department of Defense or Parliament House or some other 0:03:48.298 --> 0:03:51.778 place that's got high security, um, you know, as long 0:03:51.778 --> 0:03:54.088 as the employer knows that the thing you're using to 0:03:54.118 --> 0:03:57.838 read your document isn't accessing the internet at all, it's 0:03:57.838 --> 0:04:01.138 all standalone. That's actually really, really good. So that's been 0:04:01.138 --> 0:04:04.168 one fantastic thing about the Orcam ever since it came out, 0:04:04.168 --> 0:04:07.498 is that it doesn't plug into the internet. It's completely independent, 0:04:07.498 --> 0:04:11.008 very private and secure, and it's really great for the workplace. 0:04:11.038 --> 0:04:16.168 Living blindfold has for five years now been a go 0:04:16.198 --> 0:04:21.848 to place for blindness technology discussion and other blindness issues. 0:04:21.878 --> 0:04:23.498 It's coming to an end. 0:04:23.528 --> 0:04:26.288 Yeah. Look, it seems to be the time for people 0:04:26.288 --> 0:04:28.508 to be moving on. So I'm moving on. And apparently 0:04:28.508 --> 0:04:33.668 now Jonathan's moving on. So yes, living blind fully subscription wise. 0:04:33.668 --> 0:04:36.158 And the podcast will be coming to an end and 0:04:36.188 --> 0:04:39.938 towards the end of September. And he hasn't yet told 0:04:39.938 --> 0:04:42.908 us what his new adventure is going to be. Um, 0:04:42.908 --> 0:04:48.218 but yeah, he said, unfortunately, um, the new job will 0:04:48.218 --> 0:04:51.548 take all his attention, so sadly, he'll have to stop 0:04:51.548 --> 0:04:52.898 doing Living Blind fully. 0:04:52.928 --> 0:04:56.048 Yeah, it's been a great product. A lot of people 0:04:56.048 --> 0:04:59.828 have used it. Indeed. Some good news. Applevis is to 0:04:59.858 --> 0:05:01.538 reopen early next week. 0:05:01.568 --> 0:05:04.688 Yeah, this is actually really exciting. So as we learned 0:05:04.688 --> 0:05:08.948 last week, um, be my eyes, the very famous volunteer 0:05:08.948 --> 0:05:11.798 type system which also uses AI and all sorts of 0:05:11.798 --> 0:05:16.478 other wonderful things, um, has actually taken over the running 0:05:16.508 --> 0:05:22.178 of Applevis They're employing two staff to maintain the site, 0:05:22.208 --> 0:05:26.528 moderate the site, support the site, etc. they're also having 0:05:26.528 --> 0:05:30.008 the existing editors, if they so wish, to keep continuing 0:05:30.008 --> 0:05:35.948 with the actual, um, website itself. And they the statement 0:05:35.948 --> 0:05:39.758 that I heard was the fact that, um, as with 0:05:39.758 --> 0:05:43.148 everything that Baby Boys does there, it's, you know, the 0:05:43.148 --> 0:05:46.088 fact about supporting people out there in the world on 0:05:46.088 --> 0:05:48.818 all the different types of stuff they use, including technology. 0:05:48.818 --> 0:05:52.838 And they felt that because iOS and all the stuff 0:05:52.838 --> 0:05:55.628 that goes with iOS, i.e. the Apple TV, the Mac 0:05:55.628 --> 0:05:59.198 OS and so on, um, is a is a basically 0:05:59.198 --> 0:06:02.048 intrinsic part of people's lives these days, and that's why 0:06:02.048 --> 0:06:05.258 they're continuing with it. So I believe it'll be coming 0:06:05.258 --> 0:06:10.328 online before the Apple event happens on in the US 0:06:10.358 --> 0:06:15.428 on September 9th. And they'll do their normal editorial stuff 0:06:15.428 --> 0:06:18.878 on all the stuff coming out from Apple. So that's 0:06:18.878 --> 0:06:21.568 a bit of a great start to restart the new 0:06:21.568 --> 0:06:22.918 look for Applebee's. 0:06:22.948 --> 0:06:26.368 Just to explain to those who are not familiar with Applebee's. 0:06:26.608 --> 0:06:31.648 It has a marvelous library of articles going back years 0:06:31.648 --> 0:06:35.608 and years. And a terrific library of podcasts, hasn't it? 0:06:35.638 --> 0:06:38.548 It's got a good range of podcasts, good range of articles. 0:06:38.548 --> 0:06:42.238 But what it's also got is an absolutely fantastic thing. 0:06:42.268 --> 0:06:46.018 Of all the different apps across all the different categories 0:06:46.018 --> 0:06:50.278 that you could possibly think of, like entertainment, travel, navigation 0:06:50.278 --> 0:06:54.898 and so on. And they have comments on those apps. 0:06:54.898 --> 0:06:57.418 So you know, this this app is accessible. This app 0:06:57.418 --> 0:06:59.038 is sort of accessible if you want to fight long 0:06:59.038 --> 0:07:02.458 enough with it. This one's not. Don't even bother. And 0:07:02.458 --> 0:07:04.738 so on and so on. So when I left Virgin 0:07:04.768 --> 0:07:07.558 Australia I had to work out some accounting type stuff 0:07:07.558 --> 0:07:11.488 and my source was Applebee's. So I went in there 0:07:11.488 --> 0:07:13.678 because it's only retailing at the moment. Went in there 0:07:13.678 --> 0:07:15.478 and was able to look at quite a few different 0:07:15.508 --> 0:07:18.538 apps for accounting. Get if they get the information, if 0:07:18.538 --> 0:07:20.928 they work with VoiceOver or not. And hey presto was 0:07:20.928 --> 0:07:24.018 off and running. So in that way, I'm really pleased 0:07:24.018 --> 0:07:26.028 to see it coming back again because it really is 0:07:26.028 --> 0:07:27.918 truly a fantastic resource. 0:07:27.918 --> 0:07:32.508 And speaking of the podcasts, I find them a very 0:07:32.508 --> 0:07:35.808 good go to place around the time of the iOS 0:07:35.838 --> 0:07:40.308 updates because there's some great guides to using new features 0:07:40.308 --> 0:07:41.478 or change features, etc.. 0:07:41.508 --> 0:07:43.698 That's right. And look, I'm sure Thomas Donville, if he 0:07:43.698 --> 0:07:45.588 hasn't done it already, I'm sure he'll be releasing a 0:07:45.588 --> 0:07:50.298 whole whole plethora of podcasts to do with all the 0:07:50.298 --> 0:07:52.368 new features in iOS 18 and so on. 0:07:52.398 --> 0:07:57.048 Now, recently you acquired a Tony Box. Mhm. Tell us 0:07:57.048 --> 0:08:00.108 again what it is and how did you go with it. 0:08:00.138 --> 0:08:02.208 Yeah. So the Tony Box is basically it's a little 0:08:02.208 --> 0:08:05.448 audio box which is covered by foam. And you've got 0:08:05.448 --> 0:08:07.968 a little character which is all from Disney like Mickey 0:08:07.968 --> 0:08:11.178 Mouse and all those sort of ones. And you pop 0:08:11.178 --> 0:08:15.018 the little character on top and based on that particular character, it'll, 0:08:15.048 --> 0:08:17.838 you know, play different songs, it'll play a story and 0:08:17.838 --> 0:08:20.148 you can control that device. You can, you know, you 0:08:20.148 --> 0:08:22.078 can whack it on the side to go to the 0:08:22.078 --> 0:08:26.488 previous and next song. If it's got a song based system, um, 0:08:26.488 --> 0:08:28.768 you can also tilt it left and right to go 0:08:28.798 --> 0:08:31.138 fast forward and rewind. So from that point of view, 0:08:31.168 --> 0:08:35.518 it works absolutely perfectly now because it's a mainstream device. Um, 0:08:35.518 --> 0:08:38.638 when you first set it up, you will need side 0:08:38.638 --> 0:08:41.068 assistance if you're completely blind because it had these wonderful 0:08:41.068 --> 0:08:43.978 little lights and it says if the light is blinking 0:08:43.978 --> 0:08:45.868 or if the light is a certain colour and so on, 0:08:46.168 --> 0:08:49.048 then you do this and, you know, being blind, you 0:08:49.048 --> 0:08:53.638 actually can't see that happening. Um, so that's why I've 0:08:53.638 --> 0:08:56.368 said on the internet that once you've got it set up, 0:08:56.368 --> 0:08:59.908 you just basically buy your all your new characters, whack 0:08:59.938 --> 0:09:02.458 them on there, and it just works flawlessly. So it's 0:09:02.458 --> 0:09:06.328 just that initial setup itself with the box itself, which 0:09:06.328 --> 0:09:09.178 is a bit difficult. But once that's done, hey presto 0:09:09.178 --> 0:09:11.428 and off you go and enjoy all the different Disney characters, 0:09:11.428 --> 0:09:12.598 stories and songs. 0:09:12.628 --> 0:09:16.798 You've been having some experience in the wearables world. How 0:09:16.798 --> 0:09:18.808 is your AR headset? 0:09:18.838 --> 0:09:20.788 It's actually going really well. So the Vision store did 0:09:20.788 --> 0:09:22.798 a bit of a webinar on this last week as 0:09:22.798 --> 0:09:25.168 we go to air this week. And I must say, 0:09:25.168 --> 0:09:29.368 the things they covered were extremely accurate. It does suffer 0:09:29.368 --> 0:09:32.758 from a little bit of AI delusion. So for example, 0:09:32.758 --> 0:09:35.158 it thinks my wife's car is currently driving through a 0:09:35.158 --> 0:09:38.038 field of flowers, which sounds pretty cool. So really, when 0:09:38.038 --> 0:09:40.408 you're using these for that type of AI stuff, just 0:09:40.408 --> 0:09:43.228 take some with a grain of salt. It's not too 0:09:43.228 --> 0:09:46.318 difficult to work out what's right and what's incorrect. I mean, 0:09:46.318 --> 0:09:48.628 you wouldn't necessarily have an elephant in your lounge room, 0:09:48.628 --> 0:09:52.198 for example. But as far as documentation stuff is concerned, 0:09:52.228 --> 0:09:57.238 reading documents, the short text stuff, the queue information. So 0:09:57.238 --> 0:10:00.598 the question where you can actually use AI to then 0:10:00.628 --> 0:10:02.728 interrogate a document. So if you were looking at your 0:10:02.728 --> 0:10:05.578 electricity bill, you can say, how much do I owe 0:10:05.578 --> 0:10:07.948 on the bill? Or if it was a restaurant menu 0:10:07.948 --> 0:10:11.368 or a menu from a cafe, you can say, what's 0:10:11.368 --> 0:10:14.248 the breakfast choices and how much, what's the cheapest one, 0:10:14.248 --> 0:10:17.008 and so on. So all that sort of stuff works 0:10:17.008 --> 0:10:20.248 absolutely perfectly. And I'd like to remind people about is 0:10:20.458 --> 0:10:23.588 this is an external camera to your phone so you 0:10:23.588 --> 0:10:27.038 can keep your Android phone currently and hopefully later this month, 0:10:27.038 --> 0:10:30.488 your iPhone 15 or above in your pocket and just 0:10:30.488 --> 0:10:33.008 use this camera. And of course it's three apps. It's 0:10:33.008 --> 0:10:36.128 the AR app itself. It also works with the Seeing 0:10:36.158 --> 0:10:38.378 Eye app. So all the functions you've got in the 0:10:38.378 --> 0:10:41.678 Seeing Eye app will work through the camera. And of 0:10:41.678 --> 0:10:44.288 course the Navy lens, which is sort of the the 0:10:44.288 --> 0:10:48.518 QR code type labelling system, which works really nicely. I've 0:10:48.518 --> 0:10:53.048 got to get mine replaced because the right temple earbud 0:10:53.198 --> 0:10:54.998 doesn't seem to be working very well, and that's where 0:10:54.998 --> 0:10:57.338 the camera is. So it might have just got bumped 0:10:57.338 --> 0:11:00.728 in transport and whatever else might have happened. But, um, 0:11:00.728 --> 0:11:02.228 I'm sure I'll be able to take it back and 0:11:02.228 --> 0:11:04.238 exchange it and and off we go. But as a 0:11:04.238 --> 0:11:09.098 headset for only $1,399, it's really fantastic when you compare 0:11:09.098 --> 0:11:10.688 to what other stuff's on the market. 0:11:10.718 --> 0:11:14.348 Just tell me, how does it feel with the camera 0:11:14.348 --> 0:11:17.258 on your head, rather than on a phone that you've 0:11:17.258 --> 0:11:19.508 got to manipulate with your hands? Yeah. 0:11:19.538 --> 0:11:21.428 Look, one thing I know, we I think we might 0:11:21.458 --> 0:11:23.168 have talked about this a year or so ago when 0:11:23.168 --> 0:11:25.208 I tried the first one. It does get a bit 0:11:25.238 --> 0:11:27.908 hot with the camera module. So what they've done now, 0:11:27.938 --> 0:11:30.578 they've got a little silicone sleeve that goes over the 0:11:30.578 --> 0:11:32.438 camera module, so it makes it more comfortable when it's 0:11:32.678 --> 0:11:35.858 against your skin on your face. I must admit, after 0:11:35.858 --> 0:11:38.228 I started wearing it, because it really does feel like 0:11:38.228 --> 0:11:40.568 you're wearing a headset, so you really do forget about 0:11:40.568 --> 0:11:44.258 the camera. Um, and it's actually very comfortable. It's not 0:11:44.258 --> 0:11:48.278 that heavy. And I also use it on my Mac 0:11:48.278 --> 0:11:52.148 because it's a bone conduction headset, effectively, with a camera 0:11:52.148 --> 0:11:54.668 on it, I can just keep wearing it so I 0:11:54.668 --> 0:11:58.598 can take it the USB-C out of my Android phone, 0:11:58.598 --> 0:12:01.838 which I bought to support the AR headset, whack it 0:12:01.838 --> 0:12:04.568 into my Mac or Windows, and I can use it 0:12:04.568 --> 0:12:06.758 as an audio device as well. So that's actually pretty, 0:12:06.758 --> 0:12:10.268 pretty cool. So no, it there's no problem wearing it 0:12:10.268 --> 0:12:13.088 for extended periods of time. Like I just said, you 0:12:13.088 --> 0:12:14.948 actually even forget about that. You're wearing it. 0:12:15.488 --> 0:12:20.828 Next Tuesday morning Australian Eastern time. That'll be at 3 a.m.. 0:12:20.828 --> 0:12:24.378 So it's 10 a.m. Monday morning in the US. Is 0:12:24.378 --> 0:12:28.218 the Apple event, which will be announcing new hardware and 0:12:28.248 --> 0:12:30.558 will get release dates for software, etc.. 0:12:30.588 --> 0:12:33.138 That's right. So I'm getting up for it as usual. 0:12:33.138 --> 0:12:36.258 And then you and I will be doing a coverage 0:12:36.258 --> 0:12:39.048 of that particular event. It's actually worked out really nicely 0:12:39.048 --> 0:12:41.718 because we can do sort of fresh off the press, 0:12:41.718 --> 0:12:44.628 as it were. And so I'm really looking forward to it. 0:12:44.658 --> 0:12:46.548 It should be a really exciting event. I'm looking forward 0:12:46.548 --> 0:12:48.978 to what they're going to be talking about with the 0:12:48.978 --> 0:12:53.388 iPhone 16. There's speculation there's going to be an iPad mini. Um, 0:12:53.388 --> 0:12:55.968 there's going to be stuff about the next version of 0:12:55.968 --> 0:12:59.478 Mac OS. So this time around, particularly with all the 0:12:59.478 --> 0:13:02.148 Apple AI stuff, this is one event I'm really looking 0:13:02.148 --> 0:13:02.898 forward to. 0:13:03.138 --> 0:13:05.718 The timing for this is perfect, David, because it's actually 0:13:05.718 --> 0:13:08.898 going to be the last of your regular talking texts. 0:13:08.928 --> 0:13:11.928 We'll have you back from time to time more often 0:13:11.928 --> 0:13:15.558 than not, I hope, but it'll be the last of 0:13:15.558 --> 0:13:19.188 your regular weekly appearances on Talking Tech, and for it 0:13:19.188 --> 0:13:21.918 to be an Apple event, well, there's something amazing about that. 0:13:21.918 --> 0:13:24.078 I know it's actually worked out really well, and I 0:13:24.078 --> 0:13:25.938 will let people know that I'm starting my new job 0:13:25.968 --> 0:13:28.158 actually next Monday as we speak this week. 0:13:28.158 --> 0:13:31.758 So talking tech next week. Make sure you tune in 0:13:31.788 --> 0:13:34.458 for that one. Before we go, a reminder of where 0:13:34.458 --> 0:13:36.588 there are details of what we've been talking about in 0:13:36.588 --> 0:13:38.628 this and previous editions of the program. 0:13:38.628 --> 0:13:40.698 Indeed. So as always, you can check out my blog 0:13:40.698 --> 0:13:43.968 site which is David Woodburn dot Podbean. 0:13:43.998 --> 0:13:52.278 Podbean.com David Woodburn podbean podbean.com. To write to the program. 0:13:52.458 --> 0:13:55.428 You can use my personal email address for the last 0:13:55.458 --> 0:13:59.208 time next week, which is David would be R. So 0:13:59.238 --> 0:14:03.708 it's like David Woodbridge without the EJ at gmail.com. 0:14:03.738 --> 0:14:10.068 David would be R at gmail.com. This has been talking 0:14:10.098 --> 0:14:14.418 tech with me has been leading Australian blindness technologist David Woodbridge. 0:14:14.418 --> 0:14:17.508 I'm Stephen Jolly. Stay safe. We'll talk more tech next week. 0:14:17.538 --> 0:14:18.108 See you.