Double Tap

Today on the show, Steven and Shaun discuss rumours that Apple are going to make major improvements to the microphone inside the iPhone 16 to assist in improving the quality of an enhanced Siri using artificial intelligence. Shaun, however, is unconvinced that an upgraded microphone would make any difference. Also, there's an update from listener Matthew on his decision to move to Windows for his music production work, and Lena updates Steven and Shaun on the capability of Seeing AI on the iPhone. Our feature interview today is with Kareen Kiwan and Salih Kunduz, who write for the Accessible Android website, sharing their unique perspectives as Android users who are blind. They join the guys to talk about the arrival of Seeing AI on the platform and the update to Be My Eyes which will soon include Be My AI, and chime in on the release of Talkback 14.1. 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) X (formerly Twitter): @BlindGuyTech / @ShaunShed Mastodon: @DoubleTap

Today on the show, Steven and Shaun discuss the terrifying, but rather amusing, story of a thief who handed back an Android phone to their victim, saying they would have preferred an iPhone. It's a bizarre story, but it does remind us of the need to protect our devices; the guys discuss the best way to ensure your data is safe if your phone is stolen. Also, Ned Desmond is the creator and executive producer of Sight Tech Global, a free, online conference to discuss the world of technology from a blind point of view. Ned tells us about Sight Tech Global and its origins, and what to expect from the two-day event. And host of the Echo Tips Podcast, David Ward, is back again to share his buying guide for the Amazon Fire TV Stick. 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) X (formerly Twitter): @BlindGuyTech / @ShaunShed Mastodon: @DoubleTap

Today on the show, Steven and Shaun discuss the latest news about Be My AI, the open beta feature that has been available for some time in iOS, is and is now available on Android devices via the already available Be My Eyes app. There's also a guide to buying the perfect Amazon Echo device courtesy of the fantastic David Ward who hosts the Echo Tips podcast. He shares his wealth of experience in making sure you know about the best devices out there and the best deals. And there's more of your feedback, including questions on why a blind person should buy an Apple Watch and a wonderful story from Eden, who tells us about the job she does thanks to her ability to read Braille. 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) X (formerly Twitter): @BlindGuyTech / @ShaunShed Mastodon: @DoubleTap

Today on the show, Steven and Shaun discuss the big breaking news that Microsoft is launching its popular iOS app, Seeing AI, onto Google's Android operating system. You can find out all the details and how to download the app here: https://doubletaponair.com/breaking-news-microsoft-announce-seeing-ai-for-android/ Also, there's a discussion on audio description, the accessibility of the Double Tap website and why carpets in the kitchen are so wrong. 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) X (formerly Twitter): @BlindGuyTech / @ShaunShed Mastodon: @DoubleTap

Content Warning: This episode contains references to alcoholism and suicide, and also contains what some may consider to be strong language. Today is a little different on Double Tap, as we ditch the theme music, put Mr. F into his bed with hot cocoa, and Steven, Shaun and special guest Matthew Alcock sit down for a good old-fashioned heart-to-heart. It all starts with a tweet. A tweet that was meant to show support for the blind community, but backfired massively. Matthew, who considers himself to be low vision, argues that those who are also low vision and are content creators or gaming enthusiasts, and do not use tools or features that totally blind people to do these types of activities, should not call themselves blind to the wider public. He believes it damages the blind community as those who do not understand vision impairment may assume that if a gamer who identifies as blind can play a game, that in fact is not accessible or playable by someone with no sight, it can confuse and create issues in furthering the understanding outside of our community. In this hour-long special, we delve into these topics, which open up some interesting and fascinating personal stories from Matthew and the guys. As always here at Double Tap, we pride ourselves on allowing everyone the freedom to talk and discuss their views. However, we also rightly take those views to task, so expect an interesting and engaging discussion which I'm sure you won't want to switch off. 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) X (formerly Twitter): @BlindGuyTech / @ShaunShed Mastodon: @DoubleTap

Today on the show, Steven and Shaun discuss Apple's latest advertising campaign, aimed at promoting the benefits of their new "Personal Voice" accessibility feature, allowing people with ALS (or MND as it is known in the UK) to digitally store their voice and use the "Live Speech" feature to enable that voice to read aloud whatever you want it to say. This is all highlighted in a new film that Apple has launched ahead of International Day of Persons with Disabilities; read more here: https://doubletaponair.com/new-apple-film-promotes-personal-voice-feature/ Listener Lena also gets in touch to share the information on how to register for this year's Sight Tech Global conference taking place on the 6th and 7th of December. More details are here: https://sighttechglobal.com There's also an in-depth conversation with voice actor Fern Lulham. Fern is blind and most recently is the audio describer on the hit Netflix series "All The Light We Cannot See." In our extended interview, Steven and Fern discuss the role people who are blind can play in the process of creating audio description, and we delve into her thoughts on how people who are blind are portrayed in television generally. 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) X (formerly Twitter): @BlindGuyTech / @ShaunShed Mastodon: @DoubleTap

Today on the show, Steven and Shaun share their issues with Apple iPhones and Watches, citing the silence of both devices from time to time as well as the silence from Apple itself on the issues we face. But how do we get that to change, and does the upcoming International Day of Persons With Disabilities allow for that conversation to happen? Also, there is a frank and honest email from Gordon in Scotland, sharing his experience of living with blindness, and a reminder to share your gift ideas in the Double Tap Gift Guide. 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) X (formerly Twitter): @BlindGuyTech / @ShaunShed Mastodon: @DoubleTap

Today on the show, Steven and Shaun return together again following their recent trip to London, England, to meet up with the other members of the Double Tap and AMI family. As you'd expect, there are a few stories from the road to share, including computers almost bursting into flames, alarms being set off and a significant lack of coffee availability. In amongst all of this, we do get back to the tech, and it is a retro radio that causes controversy this week. Was Steven right about the radio he bought? Negative Julian weighs in. And how exactly does the famed table coaster work? Jenine has questions. And is it normal to be told you "don't sound blind" when you work on the radio? Stan has concerns. 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) X (formerly Twitter): @BlindGuyTech / @ShaunShed Mastodon: @DoubleTap

In the second part of this interview, Steven Scott is joined by Robert Kingett to talk about his latest work, called Social Audio Description. They discussed Robert’s key part in developing more audio description for streaming services, in particular Netflix, in the early days, and how his hard work paid off when the streaming giant announced it would add audio description to all of its original content moving forward. Steven and Robert go on to discuss the controversial role of artificial intelligence (AI) in audio descriptions. While Robert voices skepticism about AI's role, Steven expressed excitement over emerging AI capabilities, particularly GPT-4's ability to provide detailed alt text for images, a development that could revolutionize media consumption. You can learn more about Robert's work at blindjournalist.wordpress.com and socialaudiodescription.com, a pioneering collective hiring blind audio description writers. 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) X (formerly Twitter): @BlindGuyTech / @ShaunShed Mastodon: @DoubleTap

Today on the show, Steven welcomes special guest Robert Kingett, an author, accessibility consultant and journalist who is blind. 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 and how it impacted his life, highlighting the importance of technology in bridging the gap between people who are disabled and non-disabled. Robert also opens up about his turbulent childhood, growing up with a single mother struggling with drug addiction. He talks about the importance of control and stability in his life, and how technology and creative pursuits provided that for him. The conversation then shifts to Robert's educational journey, where he shares his decision to attend a school for the blind. Steven and Robert discuss the importance of providing children with the tools they need to succeed, regardless of their visual abilities. To learn more about Robert, visit his website: https://blindjournalist.wordpress.com/ 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) X (formerly Twitter): @BlindGuyTech / @ShaunShed Mastodon: @DoubleTap

Today on the Express Edition, Steven and Shaun look back at the week's news in tech with Grace Scoffield reading through some of the big headlines of the week, including the latest on the chaos at Open AI, Apple gives in on RCS messaging and Sonos sets out to launch headphones in 2024. There's also a chance to catch up on the conversation following Mike Calvo's exclusive interview with us regarding the Humane AI launch, with listener Stan being our final voice on the subject. There's also a catch up with Mark Walker from the UK charity AbilityNet sharing his thoughts on this year's TechShare Pro event, and Shaun provides a detailed look at how to use the new AI-based Microsoft Disability Answer Desk service via Be My Eyes. 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) X (formerly Twitter): @BlindGuyTech / @ShaunShed Mastodon: @DoubleTap

Today on the show, Steven and Shaun discuss the phenomenon that is Black Friday and Steven shares some of the wacky purchases he has made recently which have turned out to be pretty useful. Steven also shares his thoughts on a recent episode of the UnMute Presents podcast, hosted by friends of the show Michael Babcock and Damashe Thomas. It's all about staying safe online this holiday season and offering tips to help you avoid scams. Check out the episode here: https://unmute.show/2023/11/23/staying-safe-during-the-holidays/ Also, there are more of your comments and feedback, including questions surrounding the new hearing aid capability within MacBooks, and a request for a review of smart toasters. Plus there's more feedback on our Holiday Gift Guide that listeners are continuing to contribute to. 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) X (formerly Twitter): @BlindGuyTech / @ShaunShed Mastodon: @DoubleTap

Today on the show, Steven and Shaun continue the discussion around life as two people who are blind, sharing a recent experience that has got Steven thinking. Also, there's more reaction to the interview with Mike Calvo's thoughts on Humane's AI Pin and more comments on the subject of life with blindness. 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) X (formerly Twitter): @BlindGuyTech / @ShaunShed Mastodon: @DoubleTaP

Today on the show, Steven and Shaun discuss the latest fallout from the chaos at Open AI following the firing, and now return of CEO Sam Altman. However, the main conversation today follows reaction to the CEO of Pneuma Solutions, Mike Calvo, and the interview we broadcast airing his views on the launch of the Humane AI Pin and his concerns over the lack of any mention of disability or accessibility in the marketing. Today we hear your feedback from that interview and it's fair to say it is a mixed bag of responses. 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) X (formerly Twitter): @BlindGuyTech / @ShaunShed Mastodon: @DoubleTap

Today on the show, Steven and Shaun discuss how they have been upsetting podcasters. Well, one in particular. It's all good fun, though, and we hope lovely Jenine from That Real Blind Tech Show enjoys her new nickname from the guys; find out more today on the show. Also, there's a lot of continuing chat around the subject of blindness and today we hear more of the stories and experiences you have kindly shared with us. 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) X (formerly Twitter): @BlindGuyTech / @ShaunShed Mastodon: @DoubleTap

Today on the show, Steven and Shaun discuss the unexpected dismissal of Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI. This significant move was prompted by a reported loss of confidence in his leadership abilities. While the tech industry is abuzz with reactions to these developments, Steven and Shaun offer their opinions and what might happen next. Also, Mark Walker from AbilityNet joins the conversation to talk about the recent TechShare Pro event, where AI's integration with accessibility was a major focus. 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) X (formerly Twitter): @BlindGuyTech / @ShaunShed Mastodon: @DoubleTap

Today on the Express, Steven and Shaun learn about what's next for Vispero's Next Big Thing, and we hear what the CEO of Pneuma Solutions thinks about the launch of the Humane AI Pin. Plus there's a review of new MacBook Pros running the latest M3 processors. Grace Scoffield joins the team, bringing us the latest news in tech, and Ryan Jones, the VP of Software at Vispero, drops by following the announcement of the winner of their Next Big Thing contest this week. Also, Mike Calvo, the CEO of Pneuma Solutions, airs his thoughts on the launch of the AI Pin from Humane, suggesting that the lack of any mention of disability or accessibility was a major failing of the company. And there's the reaction to the newest MacBook Pro releases from Apple, with Patrick O'Rourke joining Marc Aflalo to discuss what's new, and how good they actually are. 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) X (formerly Twitter): @BlindGuyTech / @ShaunShed Mastodon: @DoubleTap

Today on the show, Steven and Shaun discuss CEO of Pneuma Solutions Mike Calvo's reaction to Humane's launch of the AI Pin, which he says failed to address the device’s accessibility for disabled people. Also, there's more of your emails and feedback, including questions on the best accessible games out there for blind people who aren't necessarily "gamers," and there's a suggestion on a good tech-enabled way to mark up your trash cans. 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) X (formerly Twitter): @BlindGuyTech / @ShaunShed Mastodon: @DoubleTap

Today on the show, Steven and Shaun discuss the big news from Be My Eyes that it has partnered with Microsoft to create the first AI virtual assistant for its Disability Answer Desk. Read more here: https://doubletaponair.com/be-my-eyes-ai-customer-support/ There's also news from HumanWare regarding their Victor Reader Stream 3: you can now access TuneIn via the accessible audio player. Read more here: https://doubletaponair.com/tunein-partners-with-humanware-to-enhance-audio-accessibility/ Plus listener Callum asks about the pitfalls of using a Braille display across two machines - one real and one virtual - if he chose to get a new Mac with silicon chips. And Steven has a question for you: what's your favourite and most usable navigation app? 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) X (formerly Twitter): @BlindGuyTech / @ShaunShed Mastodon: @DoubleTap

On today’s show, hosts Steven Scott and Shaun Preece discussed the result of the Next Big Thing contest from Vispero, highlighting winner Abby Duffy’s AI-based image recognition feature suggestion. Also, there was much discussion following listener Matthew’s email on transitioning from a Mac studio to a Windows setup for music production, as he sought advice on audio routing options, equipment choices, and accessibility-friendly backup solutions. With the holiday season in mind, Stephen introduced the Double Tap Holiday Gift Guide 2023, inviting listener contributions for accessible gift ideas. Find out more at www.doubletaponair.com; search for Gift Guide or find the link to submit on the homepage 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) X (formerly Twitter): @BlindGuyTech / @ShaunShed Mastodon: @DoubleTap