Audio Pizza

Kayaker, Shaun, Garth and Kayaker talk about the latest Apple product announcements including the new MacBook Air M4. Listener feedback offers additional AI tips using your own special files. But the biggest news is our very own Shaun travelled to the CSUN Assistive Technology Conference and offers his insights about what he found on the exhibit hall floor including his latest impressions with the Glide.

Kayaker, Garth, and Shaun crush Kayaker’s opinion on the need for free blind utility apps, but everyone seems to be against the subscription model. And the gang discusses the latest AI news and how it might help the blind AI app world.

Shaun, Garth, and Kayaker are back discussing news from the Consumer Electronics Show - everything from Barbie robots, shocking spoons to AI supercomputers . You’ll learn who was on the nice and naughty list over the holidays and hear the predictions for 2025 (aka things that, if predicted, are guaranteed not to happen). Oh, and you’ll learn more than you ever wanted about aftershave.

Shaun, Garth, Kayaker and friends perverse a Dickens classic tale for your holiday enjoyment. Consider this episode as the equivalent of the ugly Christmas sweater— it’s so over the top, you can only smile with holiday cheer. Merry Christmas from us to you. From Our Home to Yours Christmas Magic by Jordie Howell and Andhika Patrick

On this months episode we look at customising your iPhone and discuss some of the new features brought to us by iOS 18. There are many ways to improve your experience using voice over on iOS and we take a deep dive in to some of our favorite options.

On this Reaproducer episode of Audio Pizza, I will go over the basic workflow I use when recording and editing a podcast. Recording Typically, we use Zoom to connect with each other but then make our own local recordings of our ends. This way, we have good, pristine copies ready for editing. On the Mac, I use Audio Hijack or Reaper to do the recording. Once I have each of the individual files from the participants, I rename them with short filenames to cut down screen reader verbosity when navigating the project. I save a Reaper project and paste the files straight into the blank project, ready for editing. Project Settings To make navigating the audio easier for this type of editing, in the View menu, I change the Time unit for ruler to Minutes and Seconds, and Press Option+Return to access project settings, to adjust the tempo to 60, and time signature to 60 over 4. This may not make a lot of sense musically; however, it is useful for navigating by minutes with Page Up and Page Down, and seconds with Command+Page Up and Page Down. These can then be set as default project settings if you wish and it will also then retain your choice for the time ruler. Normalising After pasting the files into their own tracks in the project, I select all the items by first selecting one item, and then extending the selection with Command+A to all the items. I use Shift+U to bring up the SWS/BR - Normalize loudness dialog. This gives me the option to normalise each item to my preferred starting value of –23 LUFS. It is a good idea to add a limiter to your master track at this point, as it’s possible that some parts of the recording will be coming in above 0 dB and clipping. Item: Auto trim/split items (remove silence) Control+Accent will bring up this dialog. As the name suggests, it works on the items rather than the tracks and will split each selected item based upon the content of the item. Where the level is above the set threshold, in this case, where the particular person is talking, it will leave an item, and anywhere where the level falls below the threshold, it will remove an item. So in those locations on the track where the level was below, the track will be empty. In effect, if set correctly, it will split before and after each passage of speech and remove the rest. This has some significant benefits and can speed up the editing process. You can now quickly navigate to particular parts of the audio and make the desired change on that item. This might be adjusting the volume of a phrase, removing a section, or shifting around the content of the podcast. However, it’s important that your original files have a nice low noise floor, as when the quiet sections are removed, there is complete silence on that track. This can be disconcerting for the listener if there’s too much noise in the sections when the person is speaking and this cuts in and out. Basic Editing You can navigate to an item to be removed with Command+Left/Right Arrows, and delete, or cut and paste it to another location with Command+X and Command+V. Keep in mind your current ripple state: off, or all tracks. Usually, you would not want to use the ripple per track option as you are likely to make subsequent content go out of sync. If a particular item is too loud or too quiet, it can be quickly adjusted with Command+Up/Down Arrow. This will adjust the particular take within the item by 1 dB. Trimming Left or Right Edge of Item to Edit Cursor One quick way of cutting off the end of an item is to use the action found on Control+Shift+Period — Item edit: Trim right edge of item to edit cursor. Typically, you could split the end of the item off, select that item, and delete it. However, if you place your cursor in the same location you would have made the split, and trim the right edge to that point, you’ve accomplished the same thing with one keystroke. This can be used to extend an item as well. Place the edit cursor after the selected item, and again...

Join the Audio pizza team to discuss Apples newest releases - hands on hardware.

Clearly an un-caffeinated cranky Kayaker, an uncharacteristically calm Shaun and a chilled whisky-sipping Garth discuss the pros and cons of specialised blind technology versus everyday devices. Kayaker gives his opinion on the Victor Reader Trek against a iPhone 8 without a cell phone plan. Garth goes off on the prices on software features for braille devices, all while Shaun holds the fort down. Don’t forget to email your opinions to Garth (g@theblind.ninja), Shaun (s@theblind.ninja) and/or Kayaker (k@theblind.ninja).

Scot reports on the people and politics, but mostly the tech from NFB's 2024 conference. NIIRA Glide NOA BrailleDoodle

Scott, Shaun, and Garth are thrilled to welcome former Apple Executive Brett Halle to dive into the exciting highlights of WWDC 2024. In a surprising twist, Shaun makes a sudden exit from his shed just as the team delves into the potential impact of Apple's groundbreaking announcements.

Scott, Shaun, and Garth are joined today by Nefertiti Matos Olivares to talk everything Audio Description. Nefertiti is the Workflow Manager: Quality and Inclusion for Descriptive Video Works, and Project Lead, Narrator and QC Specialist at the Social Audio Description Collective . You can contact her via Twitter/X and keep up with news, reviews and all things AD plus get involved in advocating for blind and human-centered Audio Description via the Twitter/X AD Community and the LinkedIn AD Group.

After more then 12 months in the wilderness we're back, to go travelling. Shaun, Kayaker and Garth are joined by Jordie to discuss their recent travels around the world. After knowing each other for around 12 years, they have finally met in person, which was weirdly normal. WE discuss the good and the bad of travelling when you're blind and share some of the tips and tricks we've discovered on our journeys. PRM Assist is a useful app for booking airport assistance.

No Russian monkeys were hurt in the making of this podcast.

Apple dropped a bunch of great products in there last two events, however this doesn't stop a Voice-Over rant. And if you're desperate for a Christmas gift recommendation, this just might be the episode for you.

Welcome back to another episode inspired by Douglas Adams book, The Meaning of Liff. We share one of Douglas's words, and create one of our own. In both, an under utilised place name is married with a concept or situation needing a name.. Exmouth: Noun. The excuse or co-conspirator, you have ready in order to extract yourself from an unwanted conversation at a party or other public gathering. "Christine, if you see me stuck talking to Bob tonight, , can you be my exmouth? Rescue me please, you know how he can go on!"

Welcome back to another episode inspired by the hilarious book by Douglas Adams - The Meaning of Liff. We share one of Douglas's words, and create one of our own. In both, an under utilised place name is married with a concept or situation needing a name.. Werribee: Noun. The sense of frustration experienced by a blind person when trying to eat a meal which contains peas, or similar difficult to catch food types. After five minutes of tediously scraping my fork around the plate, I finally succumbed to my Werribee and used my fingers to get the last of the peas and corn.

Rooty Hill: Noun. A trip hazard or uneven section of a concrete path caused by the lifting of sections due to tree roots growing under the path. These are most often found in established leafy suburbs, although can be seen anywhere humans have attempted to concrete over nature. It is speculated that a Rooty Hill is natures attempt to bring mankind closer to Mother Earth. This is achieved by tripping them over so they land face first on the ground. The white cane user has a distinct advantage over a guide dog handler in finding a Rooty Hill prior to it causing an unceremonious return to Earth. Please contact Garth or Jordie if you have any suggestions for inclusion in upcoming episodes.

Chittering: Noun. The momentary feeling of confusion and dismay when you realise that the person to whom you've responded heartily to hearing them call "Hello", was not actually speaking to you. There has been a substantial increase in the prevalence of Chittering for all since mobile phones became common however for blindies, it is a risk we run whenever answering a "hello", where our name was not used in the initial greeting. Please contact Garth or Jordie if you have any suggestions for inclusion in upcoming

Welcome back to another episode inspired by the Douglas Adams book "The Meaning of Liff", where we share one of Douglas's words, and create one of our own. We marry a place name with a concept or situation we find ourselves in as blind people. Dirranbandi: Noun. The hair tie or other band, which you attach to your door handle in a hotel, to help you return to the correct room