Double Tap

By Steven Scott, Shaun Preece, Steven Scott, Shaun PreeceTechnology

Double Tap episodes

February 04, 2022 The Metaverse, Microsoft's accessibility features and your feedback
This week Steven, Marc and Shaun get together for another chat on the big tech topics of the week.
Following this week’s Double Tap TV episode on the subject of the Metaverse, guest Chris Matthieu joins the gang on the podcast to go more in-depth and answer some of the big questions around the future of the Internet. If you’ve always wondered what an NFT is, or how crypto currency could become part of our everyday lives, you must check out this episode.
Plus, there’s more feedback from our audience, and talk of Microsoft’s latest accessibility features.
Keep the feedback coming to [email protected].
53 min
January 28, 2022 Did the Mac change the world, say no to green bubbles and Anker Soundcore Frames
Steven, Marc and Shaun return for another hour of news, opinion and debate on the topic of tech. The show kicks off with a listener reprimand for Marc and his apparent love for Elon Musk. Should we be looking beyond the impressive technology of companies such as Tesla and Space X and concentrate more on the effects it may have on other areas of modern life?

Next, do people really judge others by the type of phone they use? Google seems to think that the Green Bubble label given to those not using iMessage could be seen as a type of exclusion or even bullying. Should all messaging services and companies be forced to work with each other, or are people simply being too sensitive? This leads into a conversation on the future of the Internet and the power of the big tech companies that seem to control the majority of it. Does the answer lie with NFTs, crypto and Web 3.0?

In Apple news, on January 26, 1984 - 38 years ago - they unveiled the first Mac computer. Just what effect did this have on the world of computing? Was it purely all about the marketing or did the Mac truly bring computing into the home?

Finally, Steven gives us a quick review of his new Anker Soundcore Frames. Are they good enough to replace his much-loved Bose AR Frames? And just how much would you pay to live on a cruise ship? Shaun seems to be happy to pay any price to have 24-hour access to a buffet…
53 min
January 21, 2022 Rockets, Keyboards and the future of civilization!
It’s another busy week for the tech team at Double Tap Canada as Steven, Marc and Shaun discuss the big stories this week in tech, along with a healthy dose of nonsense.
We start with an overly-excited Marc, who tells us about the amazing job being done to send rockets to space pretty much every couple of weeks these days as Steven and Shaun listen on with, let’s just say, less excitement!
Steven is more interested in an email from listener Rebecca, who suggests the Matias Bluetooth keyboard as a replacement following the tragic death of Steven’s beloved Logitech MX Keys after a drowning incident involving a bottle of water and said keyboard.
Shaun answers a listener email about how to use the new hand gestures on the Apple Watch and Steven does a pretty awful job at a live demo of the feature. (It actually is very good in real life, honest.)
In amongst all the actual tech talk, the team discuss the future of civilization from the point of view of Baba Vanga, the infamous Bulgarian mystic who was blind, and shared her view of what will happen to the world up until 5070 when the world will end, in her view. Oh, and we invent a new country as well. Enjoy!
53 min
January 14, 2022 iPhone Turns 15, What Matters at CES and Why Is Ham-Ham So Sad?
Prepare yourselves for a hour of your favourite tech talk, tech news and other ramblings. Steven Scott, Shaun Preece and Marc Aflalo are back with another episode of Double Tap Canada!
After a brief discussion on COVID-19 and soggy keyboards, it’s time to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the iPhone. We take a look back at where it all started in 2007, and just what impact it had on not only accessibility, but also the entire tech world.
Next, it’s on to the Consumer Electronics Show 2022. What with the current situation, this year's CES was a quiet affair, but was there anything that got the DTC team excited? Marc tells us about the new smart device protocol called Matter and Shaun is drooling over some impressively powerful laptops. Steven, as usual, finds something altogether more, erm, disturbing…
The show wraps up with your emails, including discussions on braille displays and headset recommendations.
53 min
January 07, 2022 Hands-Free Apple Watch, Braille Labelers and The Mystery Sandwich
Happy New Year! Double Tap Canada is back with another hour of the latest tech talk, news and opinions.
Shaun has been testing out the new hand gestures feature that was introduced with the latest Apple Watch OS update. It allows you to navigate and interact with your Apple Watch without actually touching the screen. Instead, you simply perform gestures, such as clenching your fist or pinching your fingers together, to move or select items on the Apple Watch. Very useful when using a long cane.
In Apple news, Steven is excited by rumours of a new iPhone SE being released in 2022, but Shaun isn’t convinced. Also, will we finally see the end of the iPhone camera bump and screen notch with the release of the iPhone 14?
Next, Steven is already eyeing up his first tech purchase of the New Year in the form of a braille labeler. The Logantech Braille Labeler certainly looks like a cool piece of kit, but just how many labels do you need to make in order to justify its $775 US price tag?
The show wraps up with a look at security and privacy, with a discussion around a USB Dead-Mans Switch that may help keep your data safe if your laptop is ever stolen and a new browsing app from Duck Duck Go that promises to make privacy simple.
All this plus accessible chocolates, the mystery of Marc's swimming pool & Shaun’s mystery sandwich… Only on Double Tap Canada!
52 min
December 31, 2021 The Lenovo Smart Clock 2 Challenge
Double Tap Canada is back! With the smell of Brussels sprouts in the air and gravy stains everywhere, there’s no denying we’re still in festive mood and what better way to celebrate than to open one of Steven’s parcels live on the show?
In his never-ending quest to own every single bit of tech on the planet, Steven has bought himself something a little bit different this week. Throughout the show, we’ll be unboxing and trying to set up the Lenovo Smart Clock 2, a Google assistant powered clock. With its design and touch-screen display, this device seems very similar to the Amazon Echo Show but the important question is … can we get it to talk?
Along the way, we’ll also be discussing the importance of Braille keys, what exactly Canadians eat for Christmas dinner, a new web browsing app for the Apple Watch and what we expect from the Apple Glasses.
Thank you so much for listening, and we’d all like to wish you a very Happy New Year from everyone here at Double Tap and AMI-audio!
53 min
December 24, 2021 The Tech We Bought, The Tech We Loved & The Tech Steven Returned
Happy Christmas from Double Tap Canada! In this festive episode, Marc, Steven and Shaun take a look at the tech they’ve bought over the last year, and what they would recommend to others. There’s computers, keyboards, headphones, speakers, smart cups and coffee machines, services and more.
Steven has also found an interesting, or terrifying depending on your view, section of the Amazon app where you can see how many parcels you’ve ordered over the last year. There are no prizes for guessing which one of the team has ordered the most…
Wishing you all a happy holiday season from all of the Double Tap Canada team!
53 min
December 17, 2021 More Affordable Option for Jaws in Canada, Accessible Gaming & Going Back to Braille School
Despite a sickly Shaun, a missing Marc and Steven destroying all his computers, another episode of Double Tap Canada is here.
We kick off the show with the news that Steven is returning his Surface Laptop 4. What went wrong this time? Was it the stuttering speech or the furry fabric coating? Steven explains all.
Next, it’s on to the news that Forza Horizon 5 has won the "Innovation in Accessibility" award at the recently held Game Awards 2021. The very fact that the category exists does seem to show that accessibility is being taken seriously by the video game industry, so why aren’t there more accessible games?
In other news, Steven is about to start a Braille course, but can he convince Shaun to join him? And why does Shaun hate the Perkins Brailler? Also, there’s some exciting news for Canadians interested in getting hold of the Jaws screen reader. Matt Ater tells us all about the new Home Annual License program.
53 min
December 10, 2021 Surface Adaptive Kit, Aira Priority Connect & A Typing T-Rex
Looking for an hour of top tech talk and news? Well, you’re in luck because here’s another episode of Double Tap Canada.
The show kicks off with Steven’s latest trip to the Apple Store, but surely there can’t be anything left for him to buy? He tells us why he’s returned his new MacBook Pro. Next, it’s on to Microsoft and their new Surface Adaptive Kit. Although designed for the Surface Pro and Surface Laptops, this kit could be useful for any device. It consists of various tactile "bumps" and stickers that you can use to mark and identify keys, ports or cables. Obviously, this is very useful for us as visually impaired people, but it could be equally useful for anyone who has spent time crawling around the back of a computer trying to find a cable.
Sticking with Microsoft, there’s the news that the long unchanged app Notepad is to get a refresh in an upcoming update to Windows. Featuring the new Windows 11 design, dark mode and multi-level undo, should we be excited that it’s finally got some attention, or is it a case of "if it’s not broke don’t fix it"?
In other news, Aira has announced its Priority Connect system. As the name suggests, this will give priority to Aira subscribers when it comes to answering calls during busy periods. If you don’t have an Aira subscription, then you may have to call back another time. Is this simply a sensible way of managing resources or does Aira have a responsibility to provide information to other services such as Be My Eyes or Seeing AI during these busy periods?
All this plus your emails, Steven’s new keyboard setup for dinosaurs and why Marc and Shaun are destroying the planet.

53 min
December 03, 2021 Episode 214: Surface Laptop 4, Rode Wireless Go 2 and No Space Lasers
Marc Aflalo is back with Steven Scott and Shaun Preece for another episode of Double Tap Canada, but before we jump into this week’s tech there is an important question to be asked. Just what is the difference between a biscuit and a cookie?
Steven has been at it again, and has a brand-new gadget to play with. The sleek, shiny Surface Laptop 4 is Microsoft’s example of how a Windows laptop should be. The design is top-class, but is it really the best option when it comes to a Windows computer?
Next, Steven and Marc answer a listener email regarding the Rode Wireless Go 2 microphones. Consisting of two wireless microphones and a receiver that can be plugged into a computer and acts as an audio interface, this could be a great option for podcasters. But why is the software so inaccessible?
Sticking with listener emails, the show wraps up with a discussion around the M1 and M1 Pro CPUs in the new Mac computers and just how capable they are. Also, what is the future of Windows on the Mac?
53 min

About Double Tap

From the publisher's feed

Double Tap is the show where blind people talk tech! If you’re blind or partially sighted and have an interest in technology, this is the show for you. Everyone is welcome no matter how old you are…