Talking Technology with NCBI Labs

In our Braille special podcast this week we are joined by the following guests: Jackie McBrearty speaks about her experience of learning and using Braille and what Braille means to her. Lina Kouzi, Head of Library Access Services at NCBI, discusses the importance of Braille on medicine packaging as the NCBI Library was instrumental in working with the Pharma companies in Ireland to commence production of Braille on the pharma packs. Also, we are joined by Daniel Lubiner from the TouchPad Pro Foundation to find out about an exciting product called the Braille Doodle. Petrina Finn and Derry Lawler speak about the Hable One and their experience of using it. Support the show

Today is Global Accessibility Awareness Day. It has become a tradition for tech companies to announce accessibility improvements on this important day, and we’ve already seen exciting announcements from Apple to kick off proceedings. We wanted to celebrate this great access news by making a few announcements of our own. In this podcast, we tell you all about the new version of the myNCBI SmartHub, an exciting new addition to Bookshare, and a really cool collaboration between NCBI and a sight loss charity in the States. Support the show

In many ways, video games allow consumers to escape their world and experience things that would otherwise be impossible. On this show this week we take time to explore the area of accessible gaming. From Windows PC to PlayStation, Xbox to Smart Speakers, what are some of the best games available on these devices for someone who is blind or partially sighted, and how can we stay up to date with the latest news and developments in this area? Support the show

In many ways, video games allow consumers to escape their world and experience things that would otherwise be impossible. On this show this week we take time to explore the area of accessible gaming. From Windows PC to PlayStation, Xbox to Smart Speakers, what are some of the best games available on these devices for someone who is blind or partially sighted, and how can we stay up to date with the latest news and developments in this area? Support the show

In the latest episode of Talking Technology we return with more product reviews. Michael Griffith from Dublin gives us an insight into his experience with the Apple AirTag that can help locate misplaced items such as keys, wallets, luggage, backpacks, and in his case even the TV remote! There are lots of different power banks on the market, however many of them are not accessible. Mairead in the Labs team has been trying out the Energrid Accessible Portable Power Bank and shares her thoughts. David brings us news of the new TFI Live App that replaces the Real Time Ireland and Journey Planner apps. Joe talks about new accessibility features and enhancements introduced to the iPhone in iOS 16.4, and finally Daniel introduces us to Microsoft’s PowerToys. This collection of free utilities for Windows are a toolbelt to accomplish many common tasks. Support the show

Android or iOS – we all have our platform of choice when it comes to choosing the right smartphone. On the show this week we’re re-joined by NCBI Labs Chief Technology Officer Kyran O’Mahoney who shares with us the next part of his journey from switching from his iPhone to a Google Pixel Pro. Likewise, Mairead O’Mahony in the Labs teams has been taking a break from her iPhone to try out the Samsung Z 4 Flip phone. Are they missing their iPhones or have they already converted to Android? The StellarTrek, as the name suggests, is a digital orientation and mobility assistant with GPS technology and a user-friendly tactile interface with buttons to guide you along your chosen route using appropriate voice commands. We’re joined by guest Martin Lawlor who has been trying out the StellarTrek these last few weeks to hear his thoughts. Support the show

Android or iOS. Everyone has their platform of choice when it comes to choosing a smartphone. On the show this week we’re joined by NCBI Labs Chief Technology Officer Kyran O’Mahoney who shares with us the first part of his journey from switching from his beloved iPhone to a Google Pixel Pro. We’re also joined by Mairead O’Mahony who has made the switch from her iPhone to a Samsung A13. What are their initial thoughts? Next up, Sean Doran tells us about the latest technologies for people with sight loss that he came across while attending the CSUN Assistive Technology Conference in Los Angeles last week. Support the show

The ARX Vision headset is a wearable device aimed at helping blind and visually impaired people to interact with the visual world around them using a camera and AI. On the show this week we’re joined by David Nason who has been trying out this headset and shares his thoughts. Next our conversation turns to smartphones, more specifically Samsung smartphones. We review the new Samsung Z Flip4 and the Samsung Galaxy S23, giving a perspective on each phone from an accessibility viewpoint. Support the show

On the show this week we take time to acknowledge and celebrate some of the women in technology who have been making strides in the field of digital accessibility and inclusion. We’re first joined by Rebecca Rosenberg, developer of the ReBokeh app that works much like an augmented reality filter for real life, allowing users to customise how they see their world through their smartphone. Adela Buliman tells us about an upcoming diversity and inclusion conference being organised by Google in Northern Ireland called Women TechMakers Belfast 2023 where she will be giving a speech on “Is Northern Ireland Digitally Accessible?”, and speaks with Diana Penamora in the IA Labs team about the art of Blog writing. Support the show

The evolving concept of smart homes is becoming a game changer for many people with sight loss as more and more smart home appliances enter the market. On the show this week we speak with Deirdre Feehilly who with her son Oisín has been trying out the Roborock S6 MaxV intelligent robot vacuum cleaner. Joe has been checking the accessibility of the Cosori smart air-fryer, while David gives us an insight into the Google Nest Protect smoke and CO alarm. We also discuss the new Indoor Navigation feature introduced to the popular Seeing AI app from Microsoft. Support the show

The power and potential of a new technology called ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence chatbot from OpenAI, have led some to claim it heralds a new era in computing. On the show this week David has an exclusive interview with ChatGPT (that’s right a chatbot) you’ll definitely not want to miss. From smart wearables to smart TVs, we review the latest tech innovations that came out of this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. They are sunglasses, they are headphones, but are they any good? Joe has been trying out a pair of Bose Frames Soprano Smart Glasses and shares his thoughts. Support the show

On the show this week, and in celebration of World Braille Day on 4th January, we host a panel discussion with several experienced braille users who speak about their lives with braille and share with us their top braille device recommendations. We’re also joined by Lina Kouzi and Rebecca Curtis from the Library & Media Centre at NCBI to find out about LEGO Braille Bricks toolkits being sent to teachers and early years educators in schools right across the country as an invaluable resource for learning braille. Have you ever thought about learning braille? Would you like to become a proficient touch typist, find out about the many benefits of Smart Speakers, or know how to use a Screen Reader such as NVDA or JAWS to its full potential? If you answered yes to any of these questions why not sign up to one of our virtual technology courses taking place throughout the year? NCBI Labs technology training manager Denis Nolan tells us more. Support the show

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and what better way to help get in the festive spirit than listen to our Christmas episode of Talking Technology!! We have lots of Christmas topics in store for you on the show. To start we share our top things to try on your Alexa smart speaker for Christmas before checking out some Christmas-themed apps for your smartphone. Next up we discuss Microsoft’s recent decision to end its support for the popular Soundscape navigational app. No doubt it comes as a surprise to many but with Microsoft making the code available as open-source software from January and paving the way for further development, could the future actually be bright for Soundscape as we now know it? The team share their thoughts. Support the show

On the show this week we find out about Sight Tech Global 2022, a virtual, free, and highly accessible event on December 7 and 8 that convenes some of the world’s top experts working on inclusive tech, especially AI, for people who are blind or visually impaired. To find out more about what’s in store we are joined by Brian Fischler, comedian, podcaster, and host of this year’s Sight Tech Global conference. Also the show we are joined by Santiago Velasquez who is the founder and CEO of technology start-up Hailo, a system that remotely alerts the bus driver when a person with vision impairment wants to board a bus. Santiago tells us about his plans for Hailo and also EyeSyght, which is a tactile visual display to help someone with a vision impairment access graphical content. Should you have any questions about either Hailo or EyeSyght you can contact Santiago through the following email addresses: info@hailo.co / info@eyesyght.com. Support the show

From video doorbells to smart lighting, this week on Talking Technology we share our top tips for keeping your home safe through the benefits of smart home technology. Next up it’s product reviews as we put the latest iPhone SE mobile phone and Apple AirPods Pro 2 under the microscope and tell you our thoughts on both products. Finally, with Black Friday 2022 only around the corner, we bring you our top recommendations on where to get the best deals in tech and which retailers are offering the biggest discounts. Support the show

Since its initial release in 1995, JAWS has evolved to become the screen reader of choice for millions of visually impaired computer users around the world. On Talking Technology this week we are delighted to welcome Matt Ater, Vice President of Enterprise Sales from Vispero who produce the JAWS screen reader, ZoomText magnifier and Fusion, which combines JAWS with ZoomText. Matt shares with us a bit of his background, talks about what’s new in JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion 2023, and demonstrates the new JAWS Smart Glance feature. Next our conversation turns to Bluetooth tracker devices. Both the Apple AirTag and the Tile Pro are great trackers that can help you keep track of your keys, wallet, luggage, and just about anything you don’t want to lose. We compare both item finders to see which brand comes out on top. Like to know how to set up an AirTag? Check out our video demonstration on YouTube. Support the show

For nearly 200 years, the tactile reading system of Braille has enabled people of all ages that are blind or vision impaired to read and write. Yet in an age where synthetic speech and audiobooks are widely available, just how relevant is Braille in the modern world? Where can someone learn Braille and what sort of Braille products are available to those who read it? In celebration of National Braille Week and World Sight Day taking place this month, this episode of Talking Technology explores these questions and more. On the show we welcome a panel of guests, including: Breda Dowling,Jodie McGrieleAudrey Tormey,Greg Flanagan, We tell how to sign up for an upcoming Braille course with NCBI Labs, and share details about exciting new products launched by Apple this week including an iPad Pro with M2 Chip, redesigned iPad, and an updated Apple TV 4K. Regardless of your prior knowledge of Braille you’ll not want to miss this episode. Support the show

This week we explore the rise in popularity of the free, open source, screen reader NVDA from NV Access. From its beginnings in 2006, NVDA is now used in over 120 countries and has been translated into more than 50 languages. Telling us all about the original inspiration behind NVDA and latest updates we are delighted to welcome back to the show Quentin Christianson, Training and Support Manager with NV Access. Next, our conversation goes ‘out of this world’ as we find out about recent developments in accessible astronomy for people with sight loss. Researchers Christopher Harrison from Newcastle University in the UK and Jake Noel Storr from Groningen University in the Netherlands join us on the show to tell us about the pioneering work they are doing in this field. The much awaited Amazon Echo Dot 5th gen is finally here, and it has a good number of tricks under its sleeve. Who is this smart speaker for and should we be rushing over to the Amazon website to buy one? David and Joe share their thoughts. Support the show

On the show this week our attention first turns to Identity Providers (IDPs), which are used to store and verify user identity. Vittorio Bertocci is a Principal Architect for the Identity Provider Auth0 and joins us on the show to tell how this technology works and how Auth0 came to provide accessible logins for a number of NCBI’s platforms including www.ncbi.ie and the myNCBI SmartHub on Alexa and Google Home. Vittorio also tells us about a brand-new type of login credential called a Passkey. A replacement for passwords, Passkeys are faster to sign in with, easier to use, and much more secure. Is this the end of passwords as we know it? Apple recently wrapped up its big ‘Far Out’ product launch event where it unveiled new iPhones, AirPods and Apple Watches. We also got an insight into cool new features introduced to your iPhone in iOS16 including improvements to Siri, the ability to edit and unsend messages and a new customisable lock screen. Joining us on the show to discuss these and other announcements from the event is David Nason from the AppleVis editorial team. Support the show

On the show this week we’re delighted to welcome Óran O’Neill, Audio Description Producer within Access Services at RTÉ, Ireland’s public Broadcaster. Óran tells us about his role as a sound engineer, the availability of Audio Description in RTÉ television, and informs us of several important accessibility improvements recently introduced to the RTÉ player app. What are the most accessible streaming services offering Audio Description? What is the best way to check if AD is available, and then enable it? Our guest speaker Óran and panel share their views and recommendations. Support the show