Blind Bargains Audio: Featuring the BB Qast, Technology news, Interviews, and more

This week's show features the last of our CSUNATC24 interviews. It also features JJ's return to his vocal stylizing of some famous songs. We apologize in advance for that. By the way, if you have been looking for us on what used to be Twitter, well, don't. Our official feed has moved to Mastodon, and you can experience the same content you know from us there. Sponsor: A.T. Guys Now Has Zoom Products For Sale The ZOOM H1essential 32-Bit Float Recording Talking Voice Recorder, THE WORLD's EASIEST RECORDER With the push of a button the H1essential captures perfect audio for musicians, podcasters, filmmakers, and content creators. Simply hit record and discover the power of 32-bit float. 32-BIT FLOAT MAGIC, With 32-bit float recording, you never have to adjust levels. The H1essential captures every nuance of your sound ensuring high quality in every take. THE FIRST HANDY RECORDERS WITH ACCESSIBILITY The Essential Series was designed with Accessibility for the visually impaired. Navigate the menu with audible descriptions through the built-in speaker or headphones. Creators can choose English, Spanish, French, Japanese, German, Italian or Chinese.* Find out more about the ZOOM H1essential 32-Bit Float Recording Talking Voice Recorder, and the other Zoom products now available, at the A.T. Guys store today! CSUNATC24 Interview: Jenny Axler And Earle Harrison With HIMS Our last interview from Anaheim is a bit of a, 2 for 1, bonus. J.J. found a secluded spot for coffee while catching up with Jenny Axler, International Technical Manager HIMS International, and Earle Harrison, National Account Manager HIMS Inc. Both Jenny and Earle have spoken to us before, however, it has been a while since we've spoken to HIMS. So, there was a lot to learn from the pair. First up, we get the low down on the new Braille eMotion note taking device. For fans of HIMS's previous units, there are a lot of familiar designs here. Then, we get an overview of the SensePlayer and a deeper dive into the Smart Connect remote function for iOS and Android. Pre-orders for the Braille eMotion are already live. And you can find out more about various products, including Video Magnifiers, at the HIMS Inc. website.

We are back with another interview from the CSUNATC24 Exhibit Hall floor. Only one more to go after this one. Take your bets now as to who holds the last interview slot. And no, just because a robot makes a surprise appearance, the last interview is not with eBot thankfully. Sponsor: A.T. Guys Now Has Zoom Products For Sale The ZOOM H1essential 32-Bit Float Recording Talking Voice Recorder, THE WORLD,S EASIEST RECORDER With the push of a button the H1essential captures perfect audio for musicians, podcasters, filmmakers, and content creators. Simply hit record and discover the power of 32-bit float. 32-BIT FLOAT MAGIC, With 32-bit float recording, you never have to adjust levels. The H1essential captures every nuance of your sound ensuring high quality in every take. THE FIRST HANDY RECORDERS WITH ACCESSIBILITY The Essential Series was designed with Accessibility for the visually impaired. Navigate the menu with audible descriptions through the built-in speaker or headphones. Creators can choose English, Spanish, French, Japanese, German, Italian or Chinese.* Find out more about the ZOOM H1essential 32-Bit Float Recording Talking Voice Recorder, and the other Zoom products now available, at the A.T. Guys store today! CSUNATC24 Interview: Alex Russomanno and Sile O,Modhrain of Newhaptics We have been covering the exciting world of Multiline Braille Displays for a long time. And we are moving ever closer from fantasy to reality as the EBRF standard emerges onto the scene. As a result of so many placing effort into this space, we are now starting to see some new Braille technologies arise to provide a new kind of tactile feel to the need for a new style of display. JJ caught up with CEO Alex Russomanno and Sile O'Modhrain, CXO or Chief Experience Officer, of Newhaptics To talk about their Braille bubbles approach to the multiline display. That is to say, J.J. found out how compressed air can be used to drive pins on a display rather than him using a wand to wave bubbles around in the air. Listen in, or read the transcript, to learn how this new 3 line 24 cell display has been 12 years in the making. And why this technology earned a National science foundation grant for a display that allows multitouch with its multiline Braille implementation. The unit is in pre-production now, however, to stay up to date with a possible product release next year, visit the official Newhaptics Website

JJ is back with some sad news about his AI driven co-star. But do not fret too much as he has some other AI powers up his sleeve with another CSUNATC24 interview. Also, as we are reaching the end of our California coverage, drop us a line about what you thought were the big takeaways from ATIA and CSUN. Send your ideas to feedback@blindbargains.com and we may feature those comments in a future episode. Sponsor: A.T. Guys Now Has Zoom Products For Sale The ZOOM H1essential 32-Bit Float Recording Talking Voice Recorder, THE WORLD S EASIEST RECORDER With the push of a button the H1essential captures perfect audio for musicians, podcasters, filmmakers, and content creators. Simply hit record and discover the power of 32-bit float. 32-BIT FLOAT MAGIC With 32-bit float recording, you never have to adjust levels. The H1essential captures every nuance of your sound ensuring high quality in every take. THE FIRST HANDY RECORDERS WITH ACCESSIBILITY The Essential Series was designed with Accessibility for the visually impaired. Navigate the menu with audible descriptions through the built-in speaker or headphones. Creators can choose English, Spanish, French, Japanese, German, Italian or Chinese.* Find out more about the ZOOM H1essential 32-Bit Float Recording Talking Voice Recorder, and the other Zoom products now available, at the A.T. Guys store today! CSUNATC24 Interview: Amos Miller of Glidance We have discussed various mobility enhancements for years on the podcast. However, it looks like we may now have the real deal on the horizon from the person behind Microsoft Soundscape. Amos Miller, CEO of Glidance, spoke to JJ from the Exhibit Hall floor about the new mobility aid. This device aims to be the first in what Amos calls intelligent Guides that can assist the existing skills of a cane or Service Animal user. The device utilizes a series of cameras, radar and on device chips to process travel faster than reliance on a current day cell phone. This speed of calculation allows the user to navigate and compensate quicker in challenging environments. Tune in, or read the transcript, to learn how Amos feels about how Glidance can work alongside various navigation apps to provide even greater flexibility when it comes to orientation and mobility. Pre-orders for Glidance are planned for the Spring of 2024 with a possible launch window in early 2025. To learn more, and hear a described video about the unit, visit the official Glidance website.

We are back to prove last week was not a one off April Fools joke. And we have an interview about a product you old timers might know, but in a more modern style than you might remember. Plus, for good or bad, this interview is not from Florida and does not feature a poolside parrot in the background. Break out your floppies and those connector cables that are worth more than gold for BBQ 226. Sponsor: A.T. Guys Now Has Zoom Products For Sale The ZOOM H1essential 32-Bit Float Recording Talking Voice Recorder, THE WORLD S EASIEST RECORDER With the push of a button the H1essential captures perfect audio for musicians, podcasters, filmmakers, and content creators. Simply hit record and discover the power of 32-bit float. 32-BIT FLOAT MAGIC With 32-bit float recording, you never have to adjust levels. The H1essential captures every nuance of your sound ensuring high quality in every take. THE FIRST HANDY RECORDERS WITH ACCESSIBILITY The Essential Series was designed with Accessibility for the visually impaired. Navigate the menu with audible descriptions through the built-in speaker or headphones. Creators can choose English, Spanish, French, Japanese, German, Italian or Chinese.* Find out more about the ZOOM H1essential 32-Bit Float Recording Talking Voice Recorder, and the other Zoom products now available, at the A.T. Guys store today! CSUNATC24 Interview: BT Speak And Bryan Blazie For some the letters BNS mean a lot. The Braille N Speak was the very first Braille experience for an older generation that was new to computing, let alone, a portable Braille display. Having speech and Braille with an almost instant on wake time was transformative in a way that some now find with a mobile phone with a display over a Bluetooth connection. With that in mind, and with support of his father Dean, CEO Bryan Blazie of Blazie Technologies is out to recapture those retro stylings in a whole new package. JJ got a chance to talk with Bryan about the new BT Speak and learn how the Raspberry Pi made this reentry into the notetaker space possible. Note, the interview and transcript refer to a second model. Post interview, the team has indicated that there is only one unit at launch. To learn more, and keep up with the latest, visit the Blazie Technologies website.

Things like grammar and sentence structure are hard. That's why we do more talking than writing on this site. Except, for a considerable time, we haven't been doing a lot of that either. Well, that changes today as we replaced the batteries, dust off the cobwebs and have knocked off some of the krust with an all new BBQ episode featuring an interview from CSUNATC24! Sponsor: A.T. Guys Now Has Zoom Products For Sale The ZOOM H1essential 32-Bit Float Recording Talking Voice Recorder, THE WORLD'S EASIEST RECORDER With the push of a button the H1essential captures perfect audio for musicians, podcasters, filmmakers, and content creators. Simply hit record and discover the power of 32-bit float. 32-BIT FLOAT MAGIC' With 32-bit float recording, you never have to adjust levels. The H1essential captures every nuance of your sound ensuring high quality in every take. THE FIRST HANDY RECORDERS WITH ACCESSIBILITY The Essential Series was designed with Accessibility for the visually impaired. Navigate the menu with audible descriptions through the built-in speaker or headphones. Creators can choose English, Spanish, French, Japanese, German, Italian or Chinese.* Find out more about the ZOOM H1essential 32-Bit Float Recording Talking Voice Recorder, and the other Zoom products now available, at the A.T. Guys store today! CSUNATC24 Interview: Mike Buckley CEO of Be My Eyes BE My Eyes may now be a service with a worldwide reach, however for the BBQ Crew, it holds a special place in our audio hearts as the service was our featured interview in our official first episode back in January 2015. Since that time the service has gone on to be used by millions and JJ sat down with Mike Buckley, CEO of Be My Eyes, to talk about several subjects regarding the three services the company offers. Listen to the pair discuss how Be My AI has grown over the last year to become a Visual Interpretation tool for reading menus, describing objects and even a bird finder. The conversation gives some insight into the Open AI partnership and how that impacts the service when it comes to regional privacy concerns. Mike also touches upon the importance of business partners as it pertains to their successful Customer Service initiatives and how that led them to the recent announcement of the Service Directory that will allow you to easily find information for directly reaching well known branded companies. Lastly, the discussion turns to the upcoming launch of the muchly user requested Be My Eyes for Windows that is slated for a debut later this year. To learn more about the products and services mentioned during this interview, visit the official Be My Eyes site A Quick Programming Note: Sure, we released this one on April 1st. But, we promise, this is not a one off thing. We have more CSUNATC24 coverage heading towards the interwebs as you read this. And we have some other surprises along the way. We are trying out some new things, some new formats and some new tech. Although we hope to circle back to some familiar voices too. We thank you for listening and please be aware that some content may have shifted in the overhead bins while we were in flight.

It would be truly wild if you could take the skills you have learned through playing audio games, like Swamp or Tactile Battle, and transfer them into real world Orientation and Mobility. Surprisingly enough, J.J. did just that when he spoke to Brandon Biggs, Engineer with the Smith-Kettlewell | Eye Research Institute, during our CSUN 2020 coverage. A lot has happened in two years and Brandon is back to demonstrate the Audiom project. Audiom is a browser based inclusive map system that utilizes Open Street Map data in ways that allow the user to explore the world around them in a manner that provides more information than what can be parsed by a screen reader by itself. Tune in, or read below, to experience demos of this new system of navigation. Also, be sure to check out our previous coverage of the TMaps initiative as it is a great partner technology mentioned in this interview. Be sure to visit the Audiom public beta website to test drive this software for yourself. Audiom is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research, and National Institutes of Health. Blind Bargains Virtual Exhibit Hall coverage is Brought to you by AFB AccessWorld. For the latest news and accessibility information on mainstream and access technology, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon offerings, access technology book reviews, and mobile apps, and how they can enhance entertainment, education and employment, log on to AccessWorld, the American Foundation for the Blind's free, monthly, online technology magazine. Visit https://www.afb.org/aw

Neal Kuniansky, Director of marketing and Sales for Duxbury Systems, is no stranger to the BBQ Exhibit Hall microphones. Moreover, he might be slightly infamous for his aid in a past April's Fool podcast. But this interview is about Duxbury's future and J.J. gets the low down on the new features in 12.6 for Windows and Mac OS. Tune in, or read the transcript below, to get some insights on EBRF and multi-line braille display support as well. To learn more about 12.6, which has been released since the time we recorded this, or to purchase an upgrade to an existing product, visit the Duxbury Systems website Blind Bargains Virtual Exhibit Hall coverage is Brought to you by AFB AccessWorld. For the latest news and accessibility information on mainstream and access technology, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon offerings, access technology book reviews, and mobile apps, and how they can enhance entertainment, education and employment, log on to AccessWorld, the American Foundation for the Blind's free, monthly, online technology magazine. Visit https://www.afb.org/aw

We began our 2022 CSUN coverage with a discussion about some of the upcoming initiatives from APH. But hearing about the Dynamic Tactile Device Project over Zoom wasn t enough for J.J. s curiosity. That s why he managed to brave the conference labyrinth and find Greg Stilson, Director of Global Innovation for APH, and lay his hands upon the DTD himself. In this demo you will learn more about the current prototype unit while J.J. navigates through images, floor plans and other examples. Greg then goes on to explain more about EBRF, how the unit differs from the DotPad and why he is optimistic about how the DTD will bring a whole new layer of context when it comes to reading textbooks in the classroom. To learn more about the project, and to see if there will be a demonstration coming to your area, visit the Dynamic Tactile Device Project site Blind Bargains Virtual Exhibit Hall coverage is Brought to you by AFB AccessWorld. For the latest news and accessibility information on mainstream and access technology, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon offerings, access technology book reviews, and mobile apps, and how they can enhance entertainment, education and employment, log on to AccessWorld, the American Foundation for the Blind's free, monthly, online technology magazine. Visit https://www.afb.org/aw

Braille Screen Input, or BSI, is a great choice for those who like that approach on a touch sensitive glass screen. But there is now more than one way to input a cord these days andFreek van Welsenis, Co-Founder of Hable, offers to J.J. another alternative for smartphone navigation. The lightweight Hable is a Bluetooth enabled input device for Android and iOS that has been sweeping its way across the EU. And now it sets its sights on a U.S. launch. To learn more about the device, visit the official Hable website Blind Bargains Virtual Exhibit Hall coverage is Brought to you by AFB AccessWorld. For the latest news and accessibility information on mainstream and access technology, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon offerings, access technology book reviews, and mobile apps, and how they can enhance entertainment, education and employment, log on to AccessWorld, the American Foundation for the Blind's free, monthly, online technology magazine. Visit https://www.afb.org/aw

Higher end math and computational thinking are skill sets that can provide amazing opportunities to many at a young age. The problem that persists is how do parents and educators find the right accessible tools for mastering these abilities in the K-12 environment? We have featured APH s Code Jumper in our previous convention coverage. However, that s just the start for APH s Road To Code offerings that teach students the concepts of sequencing, loops and block coding. J.J. spoke to Leslie Weilbacher, APH Regional Outreach Specialist for the Northwest Region, about some of the new programs and products that can assist in the teaching of coding fundamentals. The interview covers products like the Colby Mouse, Code Quest and Snapino s Snap Circuits and Snap Rover. Lastly, programs like the National Coding Symposium and Access Academy are discussed. To learn more about the products mentioned, with additional links to educational resources, visit the APH Road To Code website Blind Bargains Virtual Exhibit Hall coverage is Brought to you by AFB AccessWorld. For the latest news and accessibility information on mainstream and access technology, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon offerings, access technology book reviews, and mobile apps, and how they can enhance entertainment, education and employment, log on to AccessWorld, the American Foundation for the Blind's free, monthly, online technology magazine. Visit https://www.afb.org/aw

Transcribed by Grecia Ramirez Directly, and actually in person, from Anaheim, it s blindbargains.com coverage of CSUN 2022. Brought to you by AFB AccessWorld. For the latest news and accessibility information on mainstream and access technology; Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon offerings; access technology book reviews and mobile apps; and how they can enhance entertainment, education, and employment, log onto AccessWorld. The American Foundation for the Blind s free online technology magazine. Www.afb.org/aw. Now, here s J.J. Meddaugh. J.J. MEDDAUGH: Blind Bargains virtual Exhibit Hall coverage, CSUN 2022 and beyond and across the pond. Hey. I rhymed myself. I will have an award for me later. No. I m just kidding. Ed Rogers, Managing Director, and Charlie Harding, Marketing Distribution Manager for Bristol Braille Technology. The Canute is alive, and we have updates to share. Welcome back to the podcast. ED Rogers: Thank you very much. It must have been a couple years. CHARLIE HARDING: Hi. JM: Yes. Absolutely. And this is your first time, I think, Charlie, on this? CH: It is my first time, so thanks for having me. JM: Yeah. Sounds great. And we ll get back to you in just a second, Charlie. Welcome. I want to talk to Ed first though because we ve been talking about the Canute for a few years, and you got a bit of a head start on some of the other multiline things that have been out there. The Canute has actually shipped. We ve seen units in hand. But why don t you go ahead and give an update on the current status of the Canute and what s going on. ER: Yeah. We started shipping right at the start of 2020, about the same time as the pandemic, actually. And JM: What a time. ER: -- we shipped perfect timing. We shipped a batch of machines out, our very first commercial machines. And then, again, at the end of 2021, we shipped another batch out. And what we are focusing on now is on making sure that the customers that have those machines can actually start to do some more interesting things with them. Because we built these machines and we sold these machines as eBook readers. This is a paperless Braille page, a full Braille library. And, of course, as it s got nine lines, you get the kind of context that you don t get on any other Braille Display because it s 40 cells by nine lines. That s a third of a Braille Ready File, a BRF file. So that was our initial focus. But we re now starting to think about varying the uses people put the Canute to. JM: So before we get into what some of the people are using the Canute for, let s just talk about that. The Canute, like you said, has gone through a couple different runs now. But I know there s been certainly, the part shortage has been affecting lots of different industries and such. How are things looking as far as the Canute users in so far as people who want to think about getting into the Canute? ER: Well, we ve been very heavily affected like many, many factory-owned businesses and like a lot in this industry. At this moment, the machines that are out there are the machines that are available, so there s very limited stocks for people wanting to buy them. But there s hope that the situation can resolve itself soon. These things are being worked and we re working through them. But meanwhile, we do have machines out there in the field being used, and yeah. We hope to go back into production very soon. Like I said, we finished our last one just at the at the start of 2022. JM: Yeah. I can realize that too. It s a product that is specialized and takes a certain set of parts, so I think there s an expectation that it s not the type of product that you re going to order today, and you re going to have these things delivered tomorrow; right? ER: No. One of the things which is making Braille Displays, especially multiline Braille Displays, such a challenge is that the Canute has of course that being 40 cells by nine lines, and each of those cells is a six-dot because...

Many of you might be familiar with Dot through their first entry into the market with the Dot Watch. Since then, the company has grown their offerings beyond the Braille timepiece and are now reaching into the realm of tactile graphics. J.J. traveled to the CSUN basement to talk with Daniel Hyun, Director of Operations for Dot Incorp, about their new technology shown at the Exhibit Hall. The pair discuss how the team has iterated to a 4th generation of Braille Cell, their drive towards Accessible Kiosks and then the conversation moves to the Dot Pad prototype. Fans of Open Source Projects won t want to miss the discussion about the API mentioned in this interview. To learn more about Dot, including the Dot Watch, visit the official website Blind Bargains Virtual Exhibit Hall coverage is Brought to you by AFB AccessWorld. For the latest news and accessibility information on mainstream and access technology, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon offerings, access technology book reviews, and mobile apps, and how they can enhance entertainment, education and employment, log on to AccessWorld, the American Foundation for the Blind's free, monthly, online technology magazine. Visit https://www.afb.org/aw

Shelly brought us our first look at the Envision Glasses almost two years ago at CSUNATC20. A lot has happened since the team debuted that initial pair. And J.J. caught up with Karthik Kannan, Cofounder and Chief Engineer of Envision AI, to find out more. In this interview you will learn about the expansion of the platform, how the new Envision Ally app works and what upcoming features are on the horizon for the Glasses and Envision AI app. To learn more about the products mentioned in this interview, including the ability to schedule a virtual demonstration, visit the Envision AI website Blind Bargains Virtual Exhibit Hall coverage is Brought to you by AFB AccessWorld. For the latest news and accessibility information on mainstream and access technology, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon offerings, access technology book reviews, and mobile apps, and how they can enhance entertainment, education and employment, log on to AccessWorld, the American Foundation for the Blind's free, monthly, online technology magazine. Visit https://www.afb.org/aw

Earlier in the feed we featured a chat with Randy Ahn on innovation at HIMS. But for those who are eager to learn more JJ spoke with Thomas Simpson, VP of Marketing and Sales for HIMS Inc, about the announcement of pre-orders for the BrailleSense 6 Mini. The pair discuss what s in store for those who are seeking the new Android based notetaker, upgrade paths and initial feature sets for the new device. To learn more about pricing, listen or read the transcript below, and visit the HIMS Inc website to pre-order the unit Blind Bargains Virtual Exhibit Hall coverage is Brought to you by AFB AccessWorld. For the latest news and accessibility information on mainstream and access technology, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon offerings, access technology book reviews, and mobile apps, and how they can enhance entertainment, education and employment, log on to AccessWorld, the American Foundation for the Blind's free, monthly, online technology magazine. Visit https://www.afb.org/aw

The BBQ Crew has long established themselves for bringing you their unique take on the news from the Exhibit Hall floor. In this interview J.J. sits down with Randy Ahn, CEO of HIMS Inc, to talk about the latest innovations from the company who brought you the BrailleSense and BookSense product lines. We hope you enjoy this very special simhae jamsu. To learn more about this product, or other offerings, visit the HIMS International website

Joe and Patrick take the wheel this week as J.J. is off to CSUNATC22. In another headphones recommended show, Joe takes us on a tour of three apps that he came across in 2021. Swerve through obstacles in Space Wave Race, become a short order cook with Blinded Chef and transform into a swashbuckling adventurer as you explore the mysteries of the Sonar islands. It really is all fun and games this week on episode 224 of the BBQ. Space Wave Race 2:35 From the Apple App Store page "Only the true heroes of space can become champions of Space Wave Race: the intergalactic championship that will take you to challenge the best pilots in the galaxy! LISTEN, MOVE AND SHOOT TO BEAT YOUR ENEMIES IN THE GREAT SPACE RACE Fly through a myriad solar systems, space ruins, unknown engineering structures, asteroids and incandescent stars to win the battle. Be the first in this intrepid running race fighting your enemies. Prove what galactic material you are made of! UNLOCK DIFFERENT TYPES OF SPACESHIPS Enjoy the experience playing with different spaceships designed for battle. Unlock more spaceships by playing the game. PLAY CHALLENGING GAME MODES Includes several game modes with different complexities and gameplay: Championship Mode, Single Race Mode, Endless Galactic Mode. DESIGNED TO BE accessable Space Wave Race has been developed to be fully accessible, including modes for players with reduced mobility, visual and/or hearing impairment and dyslexia. Expressly created to enjoy the experience without losing a single detail in all conditions." > This game is also available on PC/Mac [via the Steam service. And you can see what others have said about the game at this Apple Vis page. Blinded Chef 14:50 Taken from the Google Play Store page "Take control of a chef and lead him from a street hot dog vendor to a head chef in a restaurant. Test your hearing, reaction and memory! Play, cook, find new dishes and earn achievements. For those who find the game too easy, there is a hardcore mode inside. Inside you will find: Rules: Listen and remember which ingredients you need to make a dish, swipe in the appropriate direction to select the required ingredient and confirm your choice with a swipe up. All ingredients are in different groups and the more complex the dish, the more groups and ingredients. For example: A client asks you to cook burger of pork meat, lettuce, tomato and mushrooms. Use the following combination: Swipe right to choose pork meat, swipe up to confirm, swipe right to choose lettuce, swipe up to confirm, swipe down to choose tomato, swipe up to confirm, swipe left to choose mushrooms, swipe up to confirm. You can also find this game by visiting the Apple App Store and you can hear "Friend Of the Show" Jessie Anderson's YouTube review at IllegallySighted Sonar Islands 21:44 Noted from the game's developer Mental Home website "Sonar Islands is a MULTIPLAYER ONLINE game, where all relevant events happen in your ears. On various islands you explore and discover, seek hidden TREASURES and conquer OBSTACLES. Every new island has a special atmosphere and a different gameplay. Do your best to fortify your islands and be clever enough to take the gold from your opponents. Visit the ancient TEMPLE island, the ancestors built, where snakes are biting and down falling parts may block your way. Take a trip to the JUNGLE island, watch abandoned lions on your way, but be aware of the tree traps, set up by the natives. You can go up, but there is no coming down. The FUN FAIR island is a happy place to be. You can shoot toys coming towards you. Some carry a treasure, some carry a bomb, that's the risk. The VOLCANO island is a chilly place, for some too hot, especially if you step near the lava flows. Ash and stone rain down due to the eruptions of terraforming, raise your shield to protect you. In the MACHINE HALL you will meet the friendly robots from Feer, but this time you carry a stun gun to short-circuit their...

Greg Stilson, long time friend of the show, has not appeared in front of the BBQ microphones since November 2020. So, he had a lot to cover with J.J. in this look at what is happening at the American printing House. The pair catch us up with updates on Mantis Q40, Chameleon 20 and Code Jumper. Then the party really starts with the duo delving into products like Juno, the upcoming Poly and a deep dive into what it takes to bring the Dynamic Tactile Device Project from development to purchasable product. Learn what EBRF is and why it is important to the future of multi-line Braille Displays in this interview. To learn more about the products mentioned, or to inquire about the regional user s groups Greg mentioned, listen to the file or read the transcript below. You can also find out more about products, manuals and accessories by visiting the APH website Sponsor: American Printing House for the Blind Since 1858, APH has operated in Louisville, Kentucky, empowering people who are blind or visually impaired by providing accessible and innovative products, materials, and services for lifelong success. APH's vision is for an accessible world, with opportunity for everyone. Visit APH.org to learn more about their products and services.

In late January the BBQ Crew reconvened in Clubhouse to talk about some of the trends they experienced in 2021. JJ, Joe, Patrick, Ricky and Shelly rolled through the year that was, before taking on the daunting task of their 2022 predictions. Tune in to find out if you agree with the viewpoints of the BBQ Crew. And sound off with your own insights in the comments section below or tweet us @blindbargains on Twitter. Note: The iOS Braille bugs mentioned in this program were finally addressed in a recent 15.3.1 patch. It is too soon to tell if this will resolve the issues mentioned in the podcast, however, the sentiment that there should have been a patch sooner in the iOS 15 release cycle still remains. For those who rely on Braille for their primary form of using the device, this was a devastating problem, not a mild nuisance that could be easily ignored. So, the remarks made are still valid for future iOS releases, and we hope this whole debacle results in stronger and tighter testing results before a future release to the general public. 3:30 COVID The group talked about their experiences when accessing the sign up pages for vaccines and boosters. Regional differences vastly impacted the Crew as there was no uniformity amongst the various rollouts from the local providers. Test kits were another topic discussed with the group noting the lack of access on that front as well. Visual interpreter services are helpful, but there is no direct way to read your test results privately at this time. 16:31 Supply Chain Issues Everywhere JJ tells tales of woe on what it has been like to stock, ship and work with his partners over the last year at our sister site A.T. Guys. Ricky noted the trouble Humanware had with comments on social media regarding meeting demand after the launch of their new BI-x Braille Displays. Joe echoed that Google ran into the same problem with the debut of the new Pixel 6 line. And sometimes the product might be in stock, yet the Amazon shipping time might be longer than you'd expect. Patrick stated that it was not just an electronics issue because he waited a few months for a specialized part made out of plastic. Shelly relayed that having an alternate choice in mind is crucial when making a big ticket purchase, like appliances, as the most popular option may take a few days after forever to arrive. She adds that luck and research may help when making those kinds of purchases. 22:20 NLS Braille Display Beta How are Braille Displays and Girl Scout Cookies alike? Well, it turns out that the model of display offered to you depends on your location in the U.S. This is kind of like the naming convention for a famous flavor of delectable cookie. We will not declare whether Zoomax or Humanware is a Samoa though. The conversation then turned to the reasons why someone would still buy a Braille Display in the commercial market if they already have an NLS badged model. Upsell features, like notetaking options and quieter operation, may still allow other models to stand out. Joe said that having familiarity with Braille gives someone better justification for moving up to a 40, or even an 80, cell model to complete tasks in education or at a work setting. JJ pondered if an open model approach may drive up commercial prices of displays as it has in some international territories. We then move on to a discussion about self-contained devices like the HIMS BrailleSense 6 and the APH Mantis. Ricky says that the idea of using a self-voicing all in one Braille notetaker is still a popular choice for some types of jobs and for students. The easy exporting of materials, along with wireless connections to the internet or a smartphone, are powerful tools to have on hand. Not to mention that having a backup display is incredibly helpful as well when it comes to using another display over the NLS model. 34:50 iOS Issues Patrick and Ricky go into depth about the problems they have been encountering for months with iOS 15...

The BBQ Crew has been talking about the joys of 3d printing for some time now. But J.J. really wanted to know more about the process and what it takes to make an idea go from CAD design to cake design. That is why he sat down with Matthew Suggs, Founder of 3D Wolf Paw Printing, to learn more about how one goes about printing materials on mass. Matthew has more than 10 3d printers of various size and type. He gives J.J. a crash course on the materials used, the time it can take to print something and how he enjoys the experience of holding the fully realized project. To commission a product, email Matthew at blind.grey.wolf@gmail.com. Blind Bargains Virtual Exhibit Hall coverage is Brought to you by AFB AccessWorld. For the latest news and accessibility information on mainstream and access technology, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon offerings, access technology book reviews, and mobile apps, and how they can enhance entertainment, education and employment, log on to AccessWorld, the American Foundation for the Blind's free, monthly, online technology magazine. Visit

We last caught up with AudioEye on the CSUNATC19 Exhibit Hall floor with news of their advancement into the kiosk access space. The internet has evolved a lot in the 2+ years since that interview and that is where J.J. starts with Dominic Varacalli, President, of AudioEye. The pair discuss the hot button topic of overlays, user testing and how the company is educating their customers to understand that access is a journey rather than a one and done service environment. If you are interested in joining the user testing program, visit this page for more information. Also, to obtain services, travel to the AudioEye website for more details. Blind Bargains Virtual Exhibit Hall coverage is Brought to you by AFB AccessWorld. For the latest news and accessibility information on mainstream and access technology, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon offerings, access technology book reviews, and mobile apps, and how they can enhance entertainment, education and employment, log on to AccessWorld, the American Foundation for the Blind's free, monthly, online technology magazine. Visit