Today on the show, Steven and Shaun discuss the latest opinion from leaders in the field of artificial intelligence that it will, in fact, exterminate all of us at some point in the future. It’s a cheery subject and Steven wonders why the people who are creating the tech are seemingly so concerned about it, while Shaun doesn’t appear to care less. Read more about the story here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65746524 Also, June marks the official end for Microsoft SoundScape as an app developed ...
May 31, 2023•54 min
Today on the show, Steven and Shaun delve into the Inbox to discuss your feedback about recent episodes, including solutions for CD ripping software and disk cloning software for PCs. Shaun also talks about issues relating to updating his Hable One to the latest software and how he worked round it. Links to items discussed in this episode. Double Tap and AMI only offer these links for reference - we cannot take responsibility for the content of these links or any harm the software has on your co...
May 30, 2023•52 min
Today on the show, Steven and Shaun discuss the app that they never discussed. Call Annie is an app for iOS that uses the latest ChatGPT technology to bring you a human-like virtual assistant you can talk to just as if you were having a FaceTime call with a friend. Although Steven’s attempts to demonstrate the app were shaky, download the app and try it for yourself on iOS here: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/call-annie/id6447928709 Also, Thomas Domville, also known as Anonymouse on the AppleVis ...
May 29, 2023•52 min
On the Express this week, Steven and Shaun discuss what’s been in the news this week with a look at Open AI’s Chat GPT app arriving in more countries, including Canada. Plus there’s news on Neuralink, who claim the U.S. FDA has approved human trials to begin on its implant device, which could have an incredible impact on people who are disabled; and iACast podcast host Michael Noise talks about accessibility of the new Final Cut and Logic Pro apps for iPad. There’s also discussion following our ...
May 27, 2023•52 min
Today on the show, Steven and Shaun delve into the Inbox to hear and discuss more of your comments following the past few episodes of the show. Steven also discusses his busy week travelling, and how an old piece of tech he found in the drawer really made the difference. And why was Steven talking to the Canadian Government? What has he done? Thankfully, it was all in the aid of promoting digital accessibility. You can watch and listen to Steven’s appearance via the Canadian Congress on Disabili...
May 26, 2023•52 min
Today on the show, Steven welcomes special guest Robert Kingett, a blind author, accessibility consultant and journalist. The conversation delves into Robert's background and his journey as a journalist who is blind, providing a unique perspective on advocacy and how it has evolved for him over time. A significant part of the discussion revolves around the importance of learning Braille and the challenges of learning it later in life. Robert shares his personal experience of sudden vision loss a...
May 25, 2023•52 min
Today on the show, Steven and Shaun meet up with an old friend to discuss an old problem-accessibility bug in Apple products. Scott (a.k.a. Kayaker) joins the guys to talk about accessibility bugs across Apple products and his recent experiences getting long cane training at a facility in Michigan. Get in touch with the Double Tappers and join the conversation: Email: feedback@doubletaponair.com Call: 1-877-803-4567 (Canada and USA) / 0204 571 3354 (UK) Twitter: @BlindGuyTech / @ShaunShed / @Dou...
May 24, 2023•52 min
Today on the show, Steven is nowhere to be found so Shaun takes the reins firmly in hand. He is joined by Scott Chesworth and Jenny Brennan to talk about the joys of using Reaper and their involvement in the development of the tools used to make Reaper more accessible to people who are blind. For more information on the website discussed on the show, visit www.reaperteacher.com. Get in touch with the Double Tappers and join the conversation: Email: feedback@doubletaponair.com Call: 1-877-803-456...
May 23, 2023•51 min
Today on the show, Steven and Shaun review the week in accessible tech news, starting with the biggest story of the week: Global Accessibility Awareness Day. Steven reviews the latest announcements across the major tech companies and we hear from Joe Devon, one of the co-founders of the day itself. Also, there’s an update from Be My Eyes CEO Mike Buckley, who talks about how the beta phase is going and where he sees more potential for the app to thrive, including using wearable devices and provi...
May 20, 2023•55 min
Today on the show, we tell you who has made it onto the lucky list of five winners to access the Be My Eyes Virtual Volunteer feature. Don’t panic if you didn’t win, as the team at Be My Eyes have told us that another round of testers will be added very soon. Also, there’s more from Global Accessibility Awareness Day, including news from Google on updates to the Lookout app, Microsoft Xbox sharing news on their latest accessibility updates within their app, console and website, and Samsung updat...
May 19, 2023•52 min
Today on the show, Steven and Shaun dedicate the episode to the people who were instrumental in creating what is now known as Global Accessibility Awareness Day. They spend the hour with Joe Devon who, along with his friends, developed the day after it was clear there was a need to educate people on building accessible websites, services and apps. It all started with a blog post that still to this day goes viral each year. Read the blog post from MySQL Talk here: https://mysqltalk.wordpress.com/...
May 18, 2023•52 min
Today on the show, it’s another packed episode discussing Amazon’s latest product release called the Echo Pop. Read more about the new Amazon Echo Pop here: https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/17/23726684/amazon-echo-pop-smart-speaker-new-show-5-display-price The guys also discuss Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, who appeared in front of the U.S. Congress to urge lawmakers to build regulations for companies investing in and building artificial intelligence systems. Read more about Sam Altman’s appearance i...
May 17, 2023•52 min
Today on the show, Steven and Shaun discuss the latest news from Apple, which has introduced a number of new accessibility features that will be coming out later this year. The news comes ahead of this year’s Global Accessibility Awareness Day on May 18th. Read more about the latest news on upcoming accessibility features from Apple here - https://www.apple.com/uk/newsroom/2023/05/apple-previews-live-speech-personal-voice-and-more-new-accessibility-features/ Also, there’s more of your feedback, ...
May 16, 2023•53 min
Today on the show, Steven and Shaun discuss the important factors to consider when buying a new PC laptop following a query from one of our listeners on social media. Steven presents his Top 5 laptops for 2023, including such brands as Dell, Lenovo and LG. Also, the guys discuss the news that Twitter will now have a new CEO, but is anything likely to change for the social network? Read more about the new Twitter CEO here - https://ap-pleinsider.com/articles/23/05/11/new-twitter-ceo-to-start-in-s...
May 15, 2023•52 min
Today on the show, Steven and Shaun present the first Double Tap Express - your weekly round-up of the week that was on Double Tap. We look back at Google I/O and hear thoughts from Double Tap TV’s Marc Aflalo on the event, plus we get an exclusive hands-on review of the Pixel 7A smartphone that Google just announced. Watch Marc’s review of the Pixel 7A on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/watch?v=1scXkudG61g&feature=share Google I/O 2023 is a wrap; here’s a list of everything announced Tech...
May 13, 2023•53 min
Today on the show, Steven and Shaun discuss a recent article shared on the Double Tap Twitter feed that has been drawing some attention to the subject of why people who are blind wear sunglasses. Why is it such a taboo for some, even when it is necessary? Read the article here - https://www.medicalnew-stoday.com/articles/why-do-blind-people-wear-sunglasses Also, there’s a discussion on what might come out to replace Soundscape when Microsoft finally retires it in June this year. Could an Android...
May 12, 2023•52 min
Today on the show, Steven and Shaun are joined by Double Tap TV’s Marc Aflalo to discuss the big news from Google’s I/O event, held May 10th in California. There’s lots of discussion about artificial intelligence and the latest hardware announced, including the new Google Pixel Fold, Pixel and the Pixel 7A. Watch Marc’s unboxing video of the new 7A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1scXkudG61g There’s also a look at the new accessibility features inside Android’s Accessibility Suite, including su...
May 11, 2023•52 min
Today on the show, Steven and Shaun discuss the news that Apple are launching Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro on the iPad starting on May 23rd. How accessible do the guys think the apps will be, and could this be the excuse for people who are blind to buy an iPad? Read more about the iPad apps coming soon - https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/9/23716679/apple-final-cut-pro-logic-ipad-subscription-price-apps Also, there’s concerning news about the future of WhatsApp in the UK, as new laws could force tec...
May 10, 2023•52 min
Today on the show, Steven and Shaun discuss some of the week’s big tech news stories, and announce a new feature coming soon to Double Tap! Also, (Lord) Robin Christopherson, as anointed by Steven, joins the guys to answer listener Debbie’s question about how to import audiograms into the Health app on iPhone. Keep your comments coming - email feedback@doubletaponair.com or call 1-877-803-4567 and leave us a voicemail. You can also find us across social media @DoubleTapOnAir.Find Double Tap onli...
May 09, 2023•52 min
Today on the show, Steven and Shaun discuss their weekend of fun playing with Mastodon and the new Audon feature that lets users livestream audio through their feed. Also, Steven demonstrates how to use the Priority VoiceOver AppleScript that was featured on the AppleVis website. Find out more about that feature here: https://www.applevis.com/forum/macos-mac-apps/how-hopefully-speed-voiceover-launch-time-performance-mac-no-terminal-required And there’s more feedback following Saturday’s conversa...
May 08, 2023•52 min
Today on the show, Steven and Shaun go off-topic (unusual we know) and discuss an email from Gary, who asks if his lack of involvement in advocacy within the blind community is bad. The email ignites some interesting discussion and opens up an important debate on the way people who are blind discuss advocacy, and indeed how we feel about ourselves as a community, or as a group of individuals. There’s also lots of tech news to discuss, including Amazon’s moves towards AI chatbot integration into ...
May 06, 2023•52 min
Today on the show, Steven and Shaun debate the latest advances in technology for conditions like retinitis pigmentosa. But is this something Shaun sees as positive, or is it just giving us false hope? Read more about the study Steven and Shaun discuss here - https://www.cnet.com/science/biology/features/the-bionic-eye-that-could-restore-vision-and-put-humans-in-the-matrix/ Plus, there’s more of your feedback, including questions about the ways to get audiobooks from Audible onto a Victor Reader ...
May 05, 2023•52 min
Today on the show, Steven and Shaun discuss Steven's latest travels to Amsterdam and the apps that made it easier to get around. Plus, he talks about his latest keyboard obsession with review and demo to follow! And, there's more of your feedback and a demo of the new RNIB Accord USB and MicroSD card Bluetooth speaker on sale from the charity from listener Negative Julian. As always, your feedback is welcome. Email feedback@doubletaponair.com or call 1-877-803-4567 and leave us a voicemail. You ...
May 04, 2023•52 min
Today on the show, Steven and Shaun discuss the demise of Amazon’s Halo products and wonder if this is a sign of things to come following a huge number of job cuts at the tech giant, in line with other tech companies across the industry. Also, we meet Daniel Lubiner, the man behind the BrailleDoodle, an innovative product that hopes to increase the shockingly low number of children's access to Braille learning. The product is back on Kickstarter today and aims to raise around $100,000 or more to...
May 03, 2023•53 min
Today on the show, Steven and Shaun discuss their upcoming trip to Sight Village in Birmingham, England, where much of today’s latest and hottest blind tech will be on display. There’s also a chance to hear our interview with the creators of Table One, a small Braille input keyboard for smartphones. Also, listener John Carpenter sends in his demo of how to get started and use the device. As always, your comments are welcome. Email feedback@doubletaponair.com or call 1-877-803-4567 and leave us a...
May 02, 2023•52 min
Today on the show, Steven and Shaun reflect on the past six months of Twitter being under the ownership of Elon Musk. We remember the initial news that the SpaceX and Tesla founder was rumoured to be taking over, and we discuss the shocking news that 80% of the company’s staff were culled in the early weeks of his stewardship, including, and crucially to the disability community, the entire accessibility team. We hear from contributors we spoke to then, including Poppy and Theresa, who had plent...
Apr 29, 2023•53 min
Today on the show, Steven and Shaun discuss the latest headphones on the market that can also clean the air and help you breathe more easily. But why is Shaun so resistant to the new Dyson headphones? Plus, Shaun talks about his first experience with the new beta version of the Microsoft Phone Link app for PC that lets you connect your iPhone and read and send texts, as well as make calls, from your PC to the phone. As always, we value your feedback. Email feedback@doubletaponair.com or call 1-8...
Apr 28, 2023•52 min
Today on the show, Steven and Shaun read through more of your feedback and answer some of your tech queries. It is also fair to say that Steven (as usual) goes off-topic and rants about something else entirely; this time it's the cost of Canadian donuts that has caused him trauma and stress this week. But why? They do get to the tech eventually and a controversy in the blind community over an app that has chosen to move to a subscription model. What is the concern and why has the developer done ...
Apr 27, 2023•53 min
Today on the show, Steven and Shaun read through more of your comments on the various topics we discuss daily. We are also pleased to be joined by TikTok and all-around social media star Claire Sisk, also known as CanSeeCantSee online, to chat about dirty chicken, bus fears and how NFC tags make everything a bit better around the home! As always, we love and value your feedback. Email us at feedback@doubletaponair.com or call 1-877-803-4567 and leave us a voicemail. You can also find us across s...
Apr 27, 2023•53 min
Today on the show, Steven and Shaun discuss two big new tech stories, one about an app called Petey that enables the popular GPT chatbot on your iPhone and Apple Watch. It's got new features, including the ability to integrate with Apple Music and more. Also, there's news of a new function to boost dialogue in selected Amazon Original TV and movies. Plus there's more of your feedback, in particular following our episode on the AI dilemma, and on the state of accessibility in app design and thoug...
Apr 25, 2023•52 min
