WEBVTT - Talking Tech 9th January 2024 0:00:08.248 --> 0:00:11.968 Hello everyone! Welcome to Talking Tech. This edition available from 0:00:11.968 --> 0:00:16.408 January the 9th, 2024. I'm Stephen Jolly. Great to have 0:00:16.408 --> 0:00:19.858 you with us listening maybe through Virgin Australia Radio, Associated 0:00:19.858 --> 0:00:25.198 Stations of Australia or the Community Radio Network. There's also 0:00:25.198 --> 0:00:27.748 the podcast. To catch that, all you need to do 0:00:27.748 --> 0:00:30.628 is search for the two words talking tech. And Dan. 0:00:30.628 --> 0:00:33.148 It can all come usually on a Tuesday afternoon just 0:00:33.148 --> 0:00:36.448 after it's been produced. Another option is to ask your 0:00:36.448 --> 0:00:40.318 Siri device or smart speaker to play Virgin Australia Radio 0:00:40.318 --> 0:00:46.228 Talking Tech podcast, Virgin Australia Radio Talking Tech podcast with me, 0:00:46.228 --> 0:00:49.288 someone who can explain all this tech stuff really well. 0:00:49.288 --> 0:00:55.438 Vision Australia's national adviser on access technology, David Woodbridge David, 0:00:55.438 --> 0:00:59.518 we've passed looking back at last year and looking forward 0:00:59.518 --> 0:01:02.728 to this year and down into the nitty gritty of 0:01:02.728 --> 0:01:07.438 developments this year, and let's start with the World Braille 0:01:07.438 --> 0:01:12.418 Day last Thursday, January the 4th, which is the anniversary 0:01:12.418 --> 0:01:15.088 of the birth of Louis Braille, the man who started 0:01:15.088 --> 0:01:15.628 it all. 0:01:15.748 --> 0:01:19.558 It certainly is. And it's always amazing that you think 0:01:19.558 --> 0:01:22.798 such an invention has made a huge difference in lots 0:01:22.798 --> 0:01:26.608 and lots of people's lives over the years, even though 0:01:26.608 --> 0:01:30.328 I guess I'm primarily a screen reader user. Uh, across 0:01:30.328 --> 0:01:35.038 all my stuff, I use manual braille in particular quite 0:01:35.038 --> 0:01:37.228 a lot. So I still have a Perkins Braille, a 0:01:37.228 --> 0:01:40.468 bra labeler. I've got a little brow device in front 0:01:40.468 --> 0:01:45.628 of me, and I thought it was really fantastic that Microsoft, Google, um, 0:01:45.628 --> 0:01:50.008 celebrated Braille was all the International Braille Day. I was 0:01:50.008 --> 0:01:53.278 a little bit disappointed that Apple didn't. So I thought, hmm, 0:01:53.278 --> 0:01:56.278 that's something to keep an eye on. Uh, and of course, 0:01:56.278 --> 0:02:00.088 Vision Australia celebrated in style by posting an email about 0:02:00.088 --> 0:02:02.608 Braille last week as well. It's one of those things 0:02:02.608 --> 0:02:05.098 that we just take for granted, and I really do 0:02:05.098 --> 0:02:08.788 think it's nice to celebrate these things. Like I just said, 0:02:08.788 --> 0:02:11.368 that we do take for granted, but still is really 0:02:11.368 --> 0:02:14.248 very relevant today, particularly for literacy, Braille. 0:02:14.548 --> 0:02:17.578 And this particular World Braille Day was a bit special 0:02:17.578 --> 0:02:19.948 for me and my wife Vicky, because fresh in our 0:02:19.948 --> 0:02:24.208 memory is our visit to the Louis Braille Museum, where 0:02:24.208 --> 0:02:26.458 we happen to be for a very special couple of 0:02:26.458 --> 0:02:31.708 hours in May last year. Very nice. Now, Braille is 0:02:31.798 --> 0:02:37.018 as relevant today and changing as much today as ever. Muse. Score. 0:02:37.018 --> 0:02:38.338 Tell us about that app. 0:02:38.338 --> 0:02:43.528 So music Score is a composing music score application. So 0:02:43.528 --> 0:02:49.918 it's open source. And they announced that in version 4.1 0:02:49.918 --> 0:02:52.648 there will be a Braille view. And what the brow 0:02:52.648 --> 0:02:55.468 view will allow people to do is to not only 0:02:55.468 --> 0:03:00.508 visually see the brow representation of the print music score 0:03:00.508 --> 0:03:03.118 on the screen, but you'll also be able to read 0:03:03.118 --> 0:03:07.168 it in Braille as well, which means you've got direct 0:03:07.168 --> 0:03:11.908 access to quote music Braille in live while you're doing 0:03:11.908 --> 0:03:15.238 your music school. And then later on this year, I 0:03:15.238 --> 0:03:20.308 believe with version 4.2, they'll be introducing Braille keyboard input. 0:03:20.308 --> 0:03:23.728 So they'll be using your SDF, JKL keys as the 0:03:23.728 --> 0:03:27.028 Braille input keys. The other thing about this, too, is 0:03:27.028 --> 0:03:31.108 it allows teachers who are blind or sighted, or students 0:03:31.108 --> 0:03:36.448 who are blind or sighted to collaborate on producing music scores. 0:03:36.448 --> 0:03:39.538 And if you're learning Braille music, you can get the 0:03:39.538 --> 0:03:42.868 screen reader to say, you know, this is A44 time 0:03:42.868 --> 0:03:46.648 signature and so on. So this has lots of implications. 0:03:46.648 --> 0:03:49.708 And if you don't know who the developer of music 0:03:49.708 --> 0:03:53.458 score is, it's the same folks that produce audacity. 0:03:53.818 --> 0:03:57.358 Great news for all their brother and sister musicians who 0:03:57.358 --> 0:04:01.918 use Braille. Tell us about the web Aim Screen Reader survey. 0:04:01.918 --> 0:04:02.998 It happens every year. 0:04:03.508 --> 0:04:06.118 Indeed. And this is the 10th one. So this is 0:04:06.118 --> 0:04:10.798 a survey that not only covers screen readers across all platforms, 0:04:11.188 --> 0:04:14.938 such as, you know, windows, Apple, Linux and so on, 0:04:14.938 --> 0:04:18.058 but it also covers other things like what browsers do 0:04:18.058 --> 0:04:22.048 you use? Uh, whether you use more mobile than desktop 0:04:22.378 --> 0:04:25.048 systems and so on. So it's it's quite a wide 0:04:25.048 --> 0:04:30.838 ranging survey. It's open till the 31st of Jan 2024. 0:04:30.838 --> 0:04:34.318 So what I advise people to do is please actually 0:04:34.318 --> 0:04:37.348 add your comments to it, because this is a really 0:04:37.348 --> 0:04:40.558 great way of finding out what's really going on in 0:04:40.558 --> 0:04:42.568 the world and what people actually use. 0:04:42.568 --> 0:04:44.668 So it's a worldwide survey, is it? 0:04:44.668 --> 0:04:45.718 Yes it is. Yeah. 0:04:45.838 --> 0:04:49.348 Closing at the end of January. Now, what's all this 0:04:49.348 --> 0:04:53.728 nonsense with the Apple Watch Series nine and the ultra two? 0:04:54.808 --> 0:04:58.438 Right. So in a nutshell, a metal company has taken 0:04:58.438 --> 0:05:02.308 Apple to court about them using a bit of hardware 0:05:02.308 --> 0:05:05.368 technology that's in the Apple Watch Ultra two and the 0:05:05.368 --> 0:05:08.388 series nine watch. And what that. Company is saying basically 0:05:08.388 --> 0:05:12.978 because we want royalties for our hardware patent. Apple saying no, 0:05:12.978 --> 0:05:15.528 because if we make a software change, it'll be different. 0:05:15.558 --> 0:05:18.948 The other company is saying, no, it won't. So they 0:05:19.068 --> 0:05:25.218 did a suspension of those two Apple Watches on December 26th. 0:05:25.668 --> 0:05:30.048 Apple very quickly then appealed that and it got taken up. 0:05:30.048 --> 0:05:34.008 So the appeal got disappeared. Whatever the word is for that. Withdrawn. 0:05:34.008 --> 0:05:36.258 So the Apple Watch Ultra two and the Apple Watch 0:05:36.258 --> 0:05:39.408 Series nine is now on sale again. But it's pending 0:05:39.408 --> 0:05:43.248 the appeal. So at the end of the day, really 0:05:43.248 --> 0:05:46.218 all Apple has to do is to start paying a 0:05:46.218 --> 0:05:49.608 couple of cents per unit to the company that says they. 0:05:49.608 --> 0:05:52.698 I was brought his only old patent hardware, and they're 0:05:52.698 --> 0:05:55.488 pretty convinced that changing the software is not going to 0:05:55.488 --> 0:05:58.038 make any difference to the patent dispute. 0:05:58.188 --> 0:06:01.368 One of many legal disputes that seem to go on 0:06:01.368 --> 0:06:02.298 in the tech world, isn't it? 0:06:02.328 --> 0:06:03.228 Indeed, yeah. 0:06:04.338 --> 0:06:09.768 The textbooks and expos and things already underway this week. 0:06:09.888 --> 0:06:14.478 Indeed. So let us not forget the famous Consumer Electronics 0:06:14.478 --> 0:06:19.908 Show in Las Vegas. This is where manufacturers of all 0:06:19.908 --> 0:06:25.698 sorts demonstrate either concept custom previews, whatever you want to 0:06:25.698 --> 0:06:29.838 call it, technology that they're working on for sale in 0:06:29.838 --> 0:06:32.268 retail this year. So some of this stuff may not 0:06:32.268 --> 0:06:36.048 even come to pass. And this year, of course, funnily enough, 0:06:36.048 --> 0:06:39.648 there's a lot of stuff about AI, artificial intelligence. So 0:06:39.828 --> 0:06:45.558 we can be looking at indoor car info slash information systems. 0:06:46.038 --> 0:06:49.188 We'll be looking at robots and then of course, all 0:06:49.188 --> 0:06:55.458 the other sort of general stuff about laptops, desktops, monitors, smartphones, 0:06:55.458 --> 0:06:59.208 smart devices, you name it, it'll be there. And there's 0:06:59.208 --> 0:07:02.748 been also some talk about some different accessibility stuff that 0:07:02.748 --> 0:07:05.298 will also be there. So what I thought we would 0:07:05.298 --> 0:07:10.698 do is wait till CES throws everything against the wall. 0:07:10.698 --> 0:07:12.768 We'll pick out some of the major things, and we'll 0:07:12.768 --> 0:07:15.198 cover more about it next week when we've got more 0:07:15.198 --> 0:07:16.668 of idea what's been covered. 0:07:16.758 --> 0:07:19.908 Are people able to tune in to any sessions online? 0:07:19.908 --> 0:07:22.458 You can. The link in the show notes takes you 0:07:22.458 --> 0:07:25.248 to one of the the Tech blog websites, and they'll 0:07:25.248 --> 0:07:29.748 be adding stuff so you can go and watch specific manufacturers. So, 0:07:29.748 --> 0:07:32.898 you know, Honda might have one. Um, Samsung will have 0:07:32.898 --> 0:07:36.348 one and someone so you can tune in when those 0:07:36.348 --> 0:07:38.028 ones are on. But there's not like a sort of 0:07:38.028 --> 0:07:43.878 a main stage that's continually broadcast each particular manufacturer or developer, uh, 0:07:43.878 --> 0:07:47.868 if they're doing a keynote or a presentation online, um, 0:07:47.868 --> 0:07:50.418 it just has different times of the day and most 0:07:50.418 --> 0:07:53.028 of the course being in Las Vegas, it's probably going 0:07:53.028 --> 0:07:54.618 to be somewhere in the morning at the time. 0:07:54.618 --> 0:07:58.008 Samsung they have an event coming up on the 18th 0:07:58.008 --> 0:07:58.668 of January. 0:07:58.668 --> 0:08:01.398 Yep. So of course that's our time. Uh, and it's 0:08:01.398 --> 0:08:05.148 the unpacked event for 2024. The first one what we're 0:08:05.148 --> 0:08:09.798 looking at is most likely a new Galaxy phone. I 0:08:09.798 --> 0:08:12.228 wouldn't be surprised if we saw a new Galaxy Watch. 0:08:12.228 --> 0:08:16.428 And it probably most likely a new Galaxy set of 0:08:16.428 --> 0:08:19.518 buds as well. Earbuds. Uh, and who knows, they might 0:08:19.518 --> 0:08:24.198 even also talk about putting AI more into the Samsung 0:08:24.198 --> 0:08:29.118 operating system for phones. So poor old Bixby might be 0:08:29.118 --> 0:08:31.458 living very dangerously on the end of its lifespan. 0:08:31.788 --> 0:08:37.488 Now, copilot, which is the AI tool from Microsoft going 0:08:37.488 --> 0:08:38.658 to more platforms. 0:08:38.688 --> 0:08:41.298 I got very excited when I saw this because now 0:08:41.298 --> 0:08:44.928 the copilot itself, the app is not only available on 0:08:44.928 --> 0:08:47.538 the iPhone, but it's also available on Android. And of course, 0:08:47.778 --> 0:08:51.378 this is the, you know, the open source back end 0:08:51.378 --> 0:08:53.598 or front end when they want to call it, of 0:08:53.598 --> 0:08:57.768 the AI system from Microsoft. So as with any other 0:08:57.768 --> 0:09:00.858 large language model, you can ask it questions. The weird 0:09:00.858 --> 0:09:05.658 thing is, on my iPhone, I can say open Copilot 0:09:06.288 --> 0:09:09.648 on Android where I can normally say open and then 0:09:09.648 --> 0:09:11.988 I have an application to start Copilot. I've got to 0:09:11.988 --> 0:09:16.608 say launch. So if anybody's listening out there in Android Land, 0:09:16.728 --> 0:09:19.848 if you can tell me why some applications need the 0:09:19.848 --> 0:09:23.178 word launch versus the word open, I'd be really interested 0:09:23.178 --> 0:09:23.928 to hear about it. 0:09:24.318 --> 0:09:26.148 You might be able to clear up a bit of 0:09:26.148 --> 0:09:30.378 confusion that may arise for some people. People who use 0:09:30.408 --> 0:09:35.478 iOS may be familiar with Bing. Now there's copilot. They're 0:09:35.478 --> 0:09:36.798 both from Microsoft. 0:09:37.008 --> 0:09:41.388 That's right. So basically Bing's morphed into or changed into copilot. 0:09:41.388 --> 0:09:45.228 Because when you think about what an original large language 0:09:45.228 --> 0:09:48.468 model is, it's just a large language model. It doesn't 0:09:48.468 --> 0:09:51.318 really interact with the internet. So what Microsoft's done is 0:09:51.318 --> 0:09:54.678 they've married both the Bing, the search side of things 0:09:54.678 --> 0:09:58.098 with the AI, large language model side of things, and 0:09:58.098 --> 0:10:00.558 both of them give you the result of using copilot. 0:10:00.918 --> 0:10:04.548 There's going to be a new key on windows keyboards. 0:10:04.548 --> 0:10:06.948 And of course people are saying this is the first. 0:10:07.228 --> 0:10:12.298 Major thing that Microsoft has done with the windows keyboard 0:10:12.298 --> 0:10:16.048 for the last three decades. Um, so besides your application 0:10:16.048 --> 0:10:20.098 key on upcoming Microsoft keyboards and laptops and so on, 0:10:20.308 --> 0:10:23.848 there'll be a dedicated co-pilot key. Now, I'm assuming on 0:10:23.998 --> 0:10:27.328 keyboards that don't have a dedicated co-pilot key like your 0:10:27.328 --> 0:10:31.378 applications key. They'll definitely be a keyboard workaround. So hopefully 0:10:31.378 --> 0:10:33.418 it uh, so yes, this week we'll find out more 0:10:33.418 --> 0:10:37.528 about that. Um, believing Acer's releasing a laptop that's got 0:10:37.528 --> 0:10:41.608 the copilot key already on the keyboard. So that's going 0:10:41.608 --> 0:10:44.338 to be really nice. Like the home button originally on 0:10:44.338 --> 0:10:47.608 your iPhone or your iPad. You can sit now back and, uh, 0:10:47.608 --> 0:10:51.658 press your co-pilot button on your windows keyboard and chit 0:10:51.658 --> 0:10:52.228 chat away. 0:10:52.588 --> 0:10:56.188 Tell us about Tom Tom teaming up with Microsoft. 0:10:56.398 --> 0:11:00.268 This is another area where Microsoft is really getting into 0:11:00.268 --> 0:11:03.808 artificial intelligence. So not only in computer side of things. 0:11:03.808 --> 0:11:08.848 So laptops and desktops, but also in car infotainment systems. 0:11:08.848 --> 0:11:13.618 So normally when you use Tomtom, which is the navigation system, 0:11:13.618 --> 0:11:17.278 you can look up and find the nearest petrol station. Well, now, 0:11:17.278 --> 0:11:21.028 because it's going to be using AI and search, you'll 0:11:21.028 --> 0:11:23.698 be able to say to the AI system in your car, 0:11:23.698 --> 0:11:27.118 naturally speaking, for example, I'm just leaving Gosford here. I'm 0:11:27.118 --> 0:11:31.588 travelling to Sydney. Can you tell me what the next 0:11:31.588 --> 0:11:34.228 petrol station on the left hand side of the road 0:11:34.228 --> 0:11:37.738 will be? That's got the cheapest petrol available and it 0:11:37.738 --> 0:11:40.858 will come back and let you know. So rather than 0:11:40.858 --> 0:11:46.498 just saying all or putting in petrol stations on your route, 0:11:46.498 --> 0:11:48.928 you'll be able to interrogate the system much better. And 0:11:48.928 --> 0:11:51.268 of course you'll also be able to control your cars, 0:11:51.268 --> 0:11:54.328 so you'll be able to say, close open windows, uh, 0:11:54.328 --> 0:11:56.878 change your air conditioning, all that sort of stuff. So 0:11:56.878 --> 0:12:00.808 to me, Stephen, this reminds me of the Knight Rider 2000. So, Kit, 0:12:00.808 --> 0:12:03.538 I want Tomtom to actually use the guy that did 0:12:03.538 --> 0:12:06.358 the kit voice. I want that now in the Tomtom system, 0:12:06.358 --> 0:12:10.078 and it's going to be available in various manufacturer cars, uh, 0:12:10.078 --> 0:12:10.588 this year. 0:12:10.588 --> 0:12:14.128 Hopefully it's come a long way from that magical device 0:12:14.128 --> 0:12:16.798 a few years ago that would give you your GPS info, 0:12:16.798 --> 0:12:17.308 hasn't it? 0:12:17.518 --> 0:12:19.438 I know, yeah. I mean, you sort of look back 0:12:19.438 --> 0:12:21.538 and you think, oh my goodness, how do we use 0:12:21.538 --> 0:12:24.538 that type of device? It was so primitive. Now it's 0:12:24.538 --> 0:12:27.928 on my sky's the limit. So I'm really looking forward 0:12:27.928 --> 0:12:29.758 to this year and see how it goes. Because I 0:12:29.758 --> 0:12:33.028 think it's just going to be absolutely amazing where AI 0:12:33.028 --> 0:12:35.368 and search takes us in particular. 0:12:35.968 --> 0:12:38.728 Tell us about grok. Grok. 0:12:38.968 --> 0:12:43.108 This may have been available overseas in X or as 0:12:43.108 --> 0:12:46.138 I still like to call it, Twitter. So this is 0:12:46.138 --> 0:12:48.688 the Twitter app on your iPhone. I'm pretty sure it's 0:12:48.688 --> 0:12:51.028 on Android, but I haven't double checked that. So it's 0:12:51.028 --> 0:12:53.128 one of the tabs down the bottom. So we've got 0:12:53.128 --> 0:12:56.548 home and notifications. And the grub tab allows you to 0:12:56.548 --> 0:13:01.438 use the AI large language model of the system, which 0:13:01.438 --> 0:13:04.258 is called grok grok. And this is part of the 0:13:04.258 --> 0:13:08.428 premium subscription. So you'll need to pay for it. So 0:13:08.428 --> 0:13:11.188 you get all the wonderful things that a premium subscription 0:13:11.188 --> 0:13:14.248 gives you a i.e. things like being able to delete 0:13:14.248 --> 0:13:17.218 or redo a tweet properly and so on. So part 0:13:17.218 --> 0:13:20.068 of that deal is also to use the AI system. 0:13:20.338 --> 0:13:23.368 I think it ended up being about 31 or $32 0:13:23.368 --> 0:13:26.398 a month. So I thought, well, I don't use systems 0:13:26.398 --> 0:13:29.218 that much at the moment and I don't need the 0:13:29.218 --> 0:13:33.358 premium features of the grok system and the other stuff. 0:13:33.358 --> 0:13:35.818 So I thought, yeah, you know what, I'll just mention it. 0:13:35.818 --> 0:13:37.438 It's there. And if you want to pay for the 0:13:37.438 --> 0:13:39.628 premium version of X, go for it. 0:13:39.898 --> 0:13:43.318 Just before we go, a reminder of where there are details. 0:13:43.318 --> 0:13:45.508 If what you've been talking about in this and previous 0:13:45.508 --> 0:13:46.048 editions of the. 0:13:46.048 --> 0:13:48.178 Program, you can check out my blog site, which is 0:13:48.178 --> 0:13:52.498 David would be r dot podbean Podbean com. 0:13:52.498 --> 0:13:58.408 David would be dot podbean Podbean. Com to write to 0:13:58.408 --> 0:13:59.128 the program. 0:13:59.128 --> 0:14:00.958 You can write to me at Vision Australia where I work, 0:14:00.958 --> 0:14:04.708 which is David Woodbridge how it sounds a division Australia. 0:14:04.918 --> 0:14:10.198 Org David Woodbridge at vision Australia. Org this has been 0:14:10.198 --> 0:14:13.588 talking tech with me has been Vision Australia's national advisor 0:14:13.588 --> 0:14:18.058 on access technology David Woodbridge I'm Stephen Jolley take care. 0:14:18.058 --> 0:14:19.738 We'll talk more tech next week. See you.