Double Tap

Welcome to a special episode of Double Tap. Join us as we wave goodbye to the old weekly show and say hello to the all-new six days a week schedule. Yes, that's right! Starting from the 1st of September you'll be able to tune in to Double Tap everyday from Monday to Saturday at noon Eastern. We're excited to bring you even more Double Tap goodness and we hope you will be too!

Steven kicks off the show with yet another love letter to the Mac. It seems he's fallen in love with the new Universal Control feature. This allows you to use one keyboard and mouse across multiple computers and iPads. Sounds great for all you multi-taskers out there, but Steven does have one question. Can you activate Universal Control without using a mouse? Is there a keyboard shortcut to switch between devices? We don't have the answer yet but maybe you can help.

Next, Marc is the one holding the company credit card this week and boy has he been busy. As the man in charge of producing many shows he's always looking for the best devices for recording audio and video. He wants to tell us all about just why he's so excited by the new wireless microphone kit from DGI. With two microphones and great audio quality are these the best option for recording on the go? But that's not all. He also thinks he's found the perfect 4K webcam for recording video podcasts. With its incredibly compact design, motorized gimbal and amazing image quality the wireless microphone kit from DGI camera is his new camera of choice.

Finally, Steven and Shaun discuss the newly-released Stellar Trek GPS device from HumanWare. This specialized device is designed for the visually impaired to help with mobility and orientation and it definitely boasts some nice features, such as on-board OCR and sign and door detection, as well as reliable turn by turn navigation. Previous GPS devices from HumanWare have proven very popular, but will people be willing to pay the Stellar Treks $1,500 Canadian price tag?

Many thanks for listening, and if you'd like to get involved with the discussion, send us an email to [email protected]. We love to hear from you!

Double Tap goes Daily from the 1st of September, with the exception of Sundays; we all need a rest! Steven talks through how the new shows will work and what you can expect in the coming months. Listen out from noon on Thursday 1st September for our new weekday editions with Steven and Shaun and our new Saturday edition with Steven and Marc exclusively on AMI-audio and then on the podcast later in the day.

Also this week, the guys discuss how monitors have gotten weird. New styles of monitors that provide double and even triple monitor setups are now available from companies like LG and Samsung, but are these any use to us low vision folks out there?

Also, there's discussion on the accessibility and usability of the new WhatsApp app on Windows that has just been launched. Steven has put it through its paces and compares it to the recently-released Mac version.

And finally there's talk of the newly designed and soon-to-be available supersonic jets following the news that American Airlines have bought 20 of them, with no refunds available!

As always get in touch and share your thoughts by emailing [email protected].

A travelling Steven Scott means that it's down to Marc and Shaun to take the wheel of Double Tap this week as we steer our way through all the latest tech news. But first, Shaun wants to give a shout-out to an app he feels is seriously underrated and underappreciated by most people. It's an app Shaun says not only brings people together but also has helped him out of some sticky situations many times. Can you guess what app he's talking about?

Next, it's on to the latest update to iOS16 beta. Shaun has noticed some improvements to the TTS voices, but is there anything else to get excited about other than the battery percentage icon?

Marc has taken the plunge and purchased a M2 Macbook this week, and has found a new way to copy his content across from his old machine. But just exactly how long will it take? And if Shaun was able to get his hands on the company credit card what gadget would he be buying?

Finally, it's on to the Samsung Unpacked event, where we saw the release of the next generation of folding and flipping phones. But was there anything else released that could end up on the DTC team's wish list?

"The Double Tap team are back in full force with the return of Steven Scott and boy, it seems he's been busy…

Steven has the nostalgia bug this week, as he's bought a keyboard that promises to be just like the keyboards we used in the past. He can't wait, but Shaun isn't convinced that keyboards of the past were that great anyway. There's also a brand-new folding keyboard that could be perfect for using with your smartphone or tablet whilst on the move, but only if you can get it at the right price.

Next, Marc wants to talk about the upcoming Samsung event and the rumour that they are going all in on foldable devices. Is folding screen technology really mature enough to take over from the standard smartphone design?  

In other exciting, but quite nerdy, news, Steven has been trying out Windows 11 for ARM on his M1 Mac Mini using a virtual machine program called Parallels. Sounds complicated, but all that really means is that you can run Windows 11 on your Apple Silicon-powered computer once again. But what is the performance like? How accessible is it to set up and what screen reader can we use?

Finally, the show wraps up with more of Marc's smart home woes and a possible divorce for everyone..."

It's down to Marc Aflalo to steer the good ship Double Tap this week, as Steven is taking a well-deserved rest. However, we've had reports that he has been sighted in his local Apple Store. Will he be able to resist the siren call of the new M2 Macbook? He was adamant last week that he will not buy one, but Marc and Shaun aren't convinced...

Next, Shaun wants to complain about vinyl. His house has been taken over by amplifiers, speakers, banana plugs and four miles of speaker wire, yet he insists that vinyl records sound terrible. This leads into a discussion regarding the ownership of digital media, and do you miss owning an actual physical product such as a CD or DVD?

Shaun has also been looking into Windows 11 and virtual desktops. With easy keyboard shortcuts available to create, switch to and rename virtual desktops there's no denying this feature is very screen reader friendly. And being able to separate tasks to their own desktop could improve your productivity or workflow. Sounds great, but there seems to be a fatal flaw with the virtual desktop concept. But maybe you can help...

In his never-ending task to try to explain block chains, Marc has found a piece of audio which he thinks will make the concept crystal clear for everyone. It's a shame, then, that Shaun seems to be even more confused.

The show wraps up with a high-speed run-through of all the tech news we didn't want to talk about, and Shaun's rant on why hot tubs are the worst thing in the world."

In shocking news, Steven has announced he has no interest in buying the new Apple M2 laptops. After reading some less than glowing reviews of Apple's latest and greatest computers, it seems that the performance gains over the last gen M1 powered laptops is nothing to get excited about. In fact, there are reports that the SSD performance is worse in the M2 lineup. However, the real question is do Marc and Shaun actually believe that Steven won't be buying a new laptop?

Finally, we discuss the new ARX Vision wearable headset. With a design similar to an AfterShox headset but also featuring a camera on one side, could this finally be the perfect accessory for Aira? Steven has been taking a look at what it currently offers.

The Double Tap team is back in full force this week, as Marc returns to join Steven and Shaun to dive into the latest tech news, rumours and opinions.

After Shaun announces he's upgrading his shed's Internet speed, the discussion inevitably leads to the recent Rogers service outage that affected multiple businesses and domestic services, such as emergency call centres, in Canada last week. The impact this loss of service had is yet more proof that the Internet isn't a luxury, it's an essential service. Should Internet providers, such as Rogers, be forced to have a backup plan to catch these problems in a more timely manner?

Next, in listener feedback, we have details on how to set up email rules on iCloud.com and why learning Braille, even just Grade 1 Braille, is such a good idea.

It's then on to Twitter and Elon Musk. This strange Ross and Rachel-style relationship between Elon and Twitter has hit another hurdle, as he has announced that he no longer wishes to buy the popular social media platform. As a result, Twitter is now suing Elon in an effort to force the sale through. Is this just a genius negotiation tactic, or has he bitten off more than he can chew?

To wrap up the show, the team discuss the rumours about the upcoming Apple Watch Series 8. Could Apple really be ready to release a "Rugged" and "Outdoor Adventurer" style watch? And Steven gives his opinion on his Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. Is there finally an accessible competitor to the Apple Watch?

First, Steven wants to tell us all about a new tech gadget he's got his sights on. It's not at all accessible, it's expensive and it's complete tech overkill. We're talking about the Revolution Cooking R180 High-Speed Two-Slice Stainless Steel Smart Toaster. Has Steven finally lost his mind?

Next up, Shaun has some explaining to do after listeners noticed a problem with last week's podcast. But were the audio gremlins due to incompetence or was it sabotage? Then it's on to some exciting news from Orbit Research. They have announced a new product called the Orbit Slate. This is a Braille display with a difference, as it features not just one line of Braille cells but multiple lines. Although there is not a lot of information regarding availability and pricing, there's no denying that Orbit are really shaking up the world of Braille. HumanWare have also announced a new product this week called the Stellar Trek. This GPS device features two cameras that are capable of detecting and directing users to doors and building entrances. Could this be a must-have device for mobility or are apps such as Google Maps or Apple Maps all we need?

And finally, there is some amazing news from Aira. In their ongoing mission to get the Aira service available to everyone, they have announced a new desktop app for Windows and Mac. But that's not all. They have also announced that Aira will be available on the BlindShell Classic 2 phone shortly. But wait, that's still not all. They also unveiled that Aira will be available on the ARX Wearable hardware. This means that, for the first time, we will be able to use Aira without having to take out our smartphones and hold them out in front of us. The ARX Wearable features a bone conduction headset with a built-in camera which Aira agents can use to assist customers. Exciting stuff, and there was also a mention that a further announcement will be made in August regarding the Envision Glasses! We can't wait to get our hands and faces on these wearables to test them out."