Double Tap

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

Double Tap episodes

September 17, 2021 Episode 203: The Apple Event 2021
Yes, it’s that time again! Another year, another Apple event! But was it a strong, solid showcase of ever-improving products, or an underwhelming disappointment? Well, that depends on who you ask…
Steven Scott, Marc Aflalo and Shaun Preece will be diving into just what was announced at the Apple Fall event this year. They’ll be sharing their thoughts on the updated iPad range, the new Series 7 Apple Watch and, of course, the new iPhone 13 lineup. Is Shaun seriously suggesting that the new iPad Mini would make for a great phone? Is Steven’s credit card about to explode with even more iPhone purchases, and does the new Apple Watch offer anything interesting to draw Marc away from his recently acquired Samsung Galaxy Watch 4?
All these questions will be answered in the next 52 minutes, plus we have listener emails, time zone confusion and an announcement of the arrival of a new ""Double Tap Baby""…
Tune in to Double Tap Canada, Thursdays at 7 p.m. Eastern on AMI-audio, and check out Double Tap TV, which airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Eastern on AMI-tv. Also why not take a listen to our new podcast series, Shaun of the Shed? You’ll find it on your favourite podcast app: search for AMI-Exclusives.
53 min
September 10, 2021 Episode 202: Event Excitement, Echo Updates & iMac Accessories
Welcome to Double Tap Canada. It’s September which, as any nerd knows, is the start of tech event season. We now have official word on both the Apple and Microsoft event dates, which are September 14 and September 22, respectively. But which one are you more excited about? Can Shaun convince Steven that Microsoft are, in fact, cool?
It’s then on to the tech news, with a discussion regarding web accessibility ... or lack thereof. With so many people having to work from home recently, the problems that certain services, apps and websites have when it comes to accessibility have been brought into the spotlight. We share our thoughts and experiences, but would also love to hear yours. You can email us at [email protected]. Speaking of accessibility, Steven tells us about a great tip for JAWS and Outlook users. It’s a great demonstration of how one simple keypress can make a big difference to usability.
Next up, Shaun is excited by some recent updates to the Amazon Echo. There’s adaptive volume which allows your Echo to shout back at you, and some new ways to trigger routines that could bring new life to your Echo Show.
It’ll come as no surprise to hear that Steven has been spending again this week. He’ll be telling us all about his exciting new accessories, such as a monitor riser dock and a five-way charging station, but what exactly has he been buying these accessories for? Spoiler alert: He’s also bought a new iMac…
The show wraps up with your emails, including support for the Home Button, a call for an online blind trucking convoy and, rather worryingly, a proposal for Shaun for president…
53 min
September 03, 2021 Episode 201: Smart Homes, Smart Toilets & Hammering Screws
Welcome to a rather manic episode of Double Tap Canada where this week we dive into the exciting world of the smart home. Steven & Marc have been splashing the cash in an effort to transform their existing ordinary, boring old dumb houses into futuristic dream homes of tomorrow. With smart toilets with self-lifting seats, voice-controlled showers, touch sensitive curtains & voice-controlled blinds what could possibly go wrong?
We’ll also be discussing some interesting tech news including China’s new crack-down on online gaming. Under 18’s will only be allowed to play games for 1 hour a day and only on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays. Is this the actions of a responsible, concerned regime or the over-reach of a nanny state?
To wrap up the show, Shaun will be explaining internet speeds and how you can test your connection to make sure you’re getting what you’re paying for.
All this and more, only on Double Tap Canada.
53 min
August 27, 2021 Episode 200: Goodbye FlickType, Setting Up Apple Pay & Who’s to Blame for Climate Change?
Double Tap Canada is back with another hour of the latest tech news and tech talk. If the team don’t melt in their sweltering studios that is… Maybe they should turn off some of their kit once in awhile.
With the announcement that the popular typing app FlickType is to disappear from the App Store shortly, Steven, Shaun and Marc discuss the developer's reasons for the decision. Should we be concerned by Apple's actions? In more positive news, the CNIB announced they are to open SmartLife centres in various locations across Canada. CNIB describes the centres as:
“CNIB SmartLife is an interactive retail experience that gives people with disabilities of all ages hands-on access to the latest breakthroughs in assistive technologies, as well as tried-and-true favourites."
The ability to get hands-on with technology before deciding whether it’s right for you is very important, and it’s great to see more locations becoming available. the organization will be opening an additional four SmartLife centres across Canada over the next several months, including locations in Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa and Brampton, Ont.
Next up, following a listener’s request, Shaun will be showing you how to set up and use Apple Pay on your iPhone. You’ll never need to carry cash again…
The show wraps up with some great emails from you, including questions about spacial audio and possibly the best example of tech that you can’t throw away: Greg’s 70-year-old, self-built hi-fi amplifier. Greg, we salute you, sir!
53 min
August 20, 2021 Episode 199: Opening Windows on the M1 Mac, There’s No Place Like Home Button & Sentimental Tech
Steven "Uncle Fester" Scott & Shaun "Cousin Itt" Preece are back with all the latest in tech in another episode of Double Tap Canada. But where has Lurch … sorry, we mean Marc Aflalo gone?
We kick off the show with some feedback from you regarding the old tech you just can’t throw away. Laptops, Zunes, camcorders, etc., but what is it that makes us keep hold out-of-date gadgets? Steven thinks he has the answer.
Next, Steven tells us all just what he loves about his latest purchases. Does the home button on the iPhone SE really make it the must-have iPhone? Do the Beats Studio Buds outperform the AirPods Pro? Steven will give us his thoughts.
After some complaining about VoiceOver problems the team are having on the Mac and Apple Watch, it’s on to this week’s tech news. You’ll soon be able to run Windows as a virtual machine on the M1 Mac, but just how good of an experience could it be? Also, Twitter has caused a bit of a outcry over its introduction of a new font. Apart from its name, Chirp, just how bad can a change of font be? And Intel has announced that it will be going up against graphics card giants Nvidia and AMD with its new line of high-end graphics cards called Arc. With Nvidia dominating the graphics market for so long, does Intel really have a chance?
All this and more, only on Double Tap Canada.
53 min
August 13, 2021 Episode 198: Apple's New Image Scanning System: A Slippery Slope or a Sensible Step To Protect Children?
Welcome back to Double Tap Canada. This week’s show kicks off with the news that Steven has bought a high-end gaming PC … again! After complaining that his last one was too loud and too hot, will he actually end up keeping this one?
Next, Marc is excited by the new products just announced by Samsung. Firstly, the folding smartphones Galaxy Fold and Z Flip have been updated to Version 3, but is there enough here to tempt anyone to jump into the folding device ecosystem yet or is the technology still too immature? Secondly, Samsung have the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. Promising good performance and featuring the new Tizen / Android Wear hybrid operating system, has the Apple Watch finally got some competition?
Google have also announced updated products, with the new Nest Doorbell and Nest Camera. Both products feature on-board machine learning with the ability to alert you when they detect parcels, animals, vehicles and recognized faces. Are these must-have gadgets when it comes to security, especially if you are blind or partially sighted?
On a more serious topic, the discussion turns to the recent announcement from Apple that they will be implementing new features in iOS15 aimed at identifying child abuse material. The reaction to this news has been massive, with many people asking questions about how the feature will be implemented and just where it could lead. Is it a slippery slope to a Big Brother-like future? Marc will explain exactly what Apple will be doing and telling us his feelings on the topic.
The show wraps up with emails, including one from Greg asking, "What old tech are we hanging on to?" Shaun wonders why he keeps hanging onto his Amazon Fire tablet even though he never uses it, and Steven goes back to the 80s with his much-loved Sony Walkman. If only he had some tapes…
53 min
August 06, 2021 Episode 197: Hands-on with Windows 365, Clacky Keyboards & Killing Wasps
Steven, Marc and Shaun are back with another episode of Double Tap Canada. It’s a tech show … honest, but could there be a format change soon? Shaun seems to think the Blind Builders show could be a hit.
We kick off this week’s show with a return to Steven's guilty pleasure. Yes, he’s back on his truck-driving game, and this time he’s got friends. Euro Truck Simulator now has multiplayer support, and Steven loves nothing more than to spend many hours virtually delivering carrots to France in a convoy of other gamers. There’s no doubt he’s obsessed, but it does lead onto a serious discussion about the accessibility of gaming and why we sometimes worry about telling people we play games at all.
Next, Marc has set up his Windows 365 cloud-based computer, meaning he can access a high-spec Windows PC from any web browser on any device. But how does it compare to using a real, physical PC? Marc tells us of his experience. Steven will be setting up his own Windows 365 PC soon, so if you have any questions relating to accessibility or any tests you would like him to do, let us know.
In the now regular segment of "What Has Steven Bought This Week?" we hear of his newfound love … mechanical keyboards. These keyboards have always been a must-have for serious typists as the amount of travel when pressing a key gives great feedback and accuracy when typing. The downside is they are noisy and could quickly annoy anyone working around you. Steven has bought the Razer Ornata V2 keyboard, but is it better then his pervious favourite, the Logitech MX Keys?
In other tech news, we have Google confirming leaks of the upcoming Pixel 6 smartphone range, which will be using Google's own Tensor processor and an interesting update for the Echo Cube which adds support for Zoom video calling.
The show wraps up with the long-awaited USB feature from Shaun. If there’s time, of course…
53 min
July 30, 2021 Episode 196: Clubhouse Opens Its Doors, MSN Messenger Is Back (Kind Of) & Sweaty Tech
Builders, barking dogs and failing hardware. That can only mean it’s time for another episode of Double Tap Canada. Steven, Marc and Shaun are here to talk about what’s new in the tech world this week. Well, amongst other things, such as Steven's new favourite TV show and Shaun’s shed troubles…
When it comes to tech news, we kick off with the announcement that Clubhouse is now open to all with no need for an invitation to join. This is obviously great news, but is it too late? Is the honeymoon period over for Clubhouse? Also, we have a new email service from DuckDuckGo that can shield you from having to deal with a mountain of junk mail and help you maintain your privacy by blocking email tracking.
Shaun is also excited by a new feature coming to Windows 11. Microsoft Chat is part of the built-in Teams platform on Windows 11 and allows you to quickly message, audio/video call or share files, etc., with your contacts directly from the taskbar. Steven isn’t convinced it’s anywhere as useful as iMessage, and Shaun can’t wait to go back to the days of apps like ICQ, MSN Messenger, Yahoo Chat, etc.
The team will also be answering some of your emails, such as a crackling audio problem in JAWS, some more information regarding diabetes blood monitoring and the perils of a digital divide.
The show wraps up with bad news for Marc, as Sony announces the new Sony ZV-E10 Vlogger camera. This upgrade to the popular ZV1 adds some great new features and the ability to change lenses. Can Marc resist the temptation to upgrade his camera? Finally, just how sweaty are your fingers? Well, apparently, they are sweaty enough to generate electricity to power a wearable gadget. Free, clean and renewable energy ... all without lifting a finger. Great Scot! It sounds amazing, but can it produce enough power to run a time machine? Marc is determined to find out…
53 min
July 23, 2021 Episode 195: Windows 365, WhatsApp Everywhere & Bloodless Blood Testing
Welcome to Double Tap Canada. It’s a tech show, honestly! This week’s episode was recorded a little earlier than usual due to Shaun’s rather selfish request to take a week off. So, if Apple releases their smart glasses this week and we don’t mention it, you know who to blame.
The show kicks off with a reprimand from a listener regarding our big tech discussion last week. Can Marc justify his stance on the restriction of big tech companies? It’s then on to tech news, including good news for those of you who don’t have the time to read a book in one sitting, a new case for the Apple TV Siri remote that may stop you from losing it, and how WhatsApp are testing the ability to use its service on multiple devices. However, the one news story that has got us most excited this week is the announcement of Windows 365. Of course, we are full of questions such as, what is it, how does it work and, most importantly, is it accessible? To help answer these questions we are joined by Jason Brommet, Head of Modern Work & Security at Microsoft Canada. He’ll be telling us all about this exciting new service. Or, at least he’ll try to if Marc and Steven stop talking for one second.
The show wraps up with talk of blood glucose monitoring without the need to draw blood, and the possibility of this technology being built in to a smart watch. Also, Steven has just discovered NVDA and he’s loving it…
53 min
July 16, 2021 Episode 194: Breaking Up Big Tech, TCL Glasses & The Trouble with Teams
The whole DTC team are back this week with another large dose of tech news and opinion. We kick off the show with a question from a listener who is having problems with using Bluetooth headsets with Microsoft Teams. Steven & Shaun think they have the answer, but it might not be one you are happy with.
Next up, Marc has something he needs to get off his chest. With governments from various countries trying to crack down on the ever-growing expansion of big tech companies such as Microsoft & Google is this punishing success or making sure no one company has too much power? And who decides when a company is too big anyway? Shaun thinks the man for the job…
In tech news we look at why Marc is excited by the upcoming iCloud Private Relay service in iOS15, a new MagSafe battery charger for the iPhone 12 range from Apple and what new features can we expect to see in the soon to be released Blind Shell Classic 2 smartphone
We wrap up the show with a feature from Shaun on the new accessibility features coming in iOS 15 and Steven tells all about his experience with the TCL NxtWear G Glasses that promise to give you a 140-inch display that you can wear on your face.
54 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…