Double Tap

Special guest Ramya Amuthan joins the Double Tap Canada team this week as we take a look at all the latest & greatest tech news.

If you are one of the many people who loved the Bose AR Frames, then you’ll be happy to learn that Bose has just unveiled a brand new range of their audio eyewear. Now called simply Bose Frames, as the AR (augmented reality) feature has been removed, do they still have enough to offer in order to be worth the price? Steven has a pair and will be letting us know what he thinks. That is, as long as he can fit them onto his massive head…

Next up, it’s time for yet another tech event. This time it’s Google who recently released a new Nest Audio smart speaker, 2 new smart phones in the form of the Pixel 4A5G & Pixel 5 and a new Chromecast with Google TV. Should you be diving for your credit card and just how accessible will Google TV be?

Finally, Ramya will be telling us just why she’s moved from Android to the Apple echo-system, despite previously referring to Apple as a ‘cult’ Also we’ll be answering a listener question regarding recommendations for accessible iOS calendar, notes & email apps.

This week Double Tap Canada returns to dive into the latest tech event of the season, and arguably, the most interesting event so far…

To mis-quote Tom Hanks, the Amazon Echo event is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get. With a reputation for embedding their Alexa voice assistant into the strangest of places, there is always a lot of excitement around just what they’ll come up with next.

This year the Echo and Echo Dot get a design change, promising improved audio and, in the case of the Echo, a new machine learning chip that allows it to process more of your voice commands locally, without the need to send recordings to the cloud. There’s also a new Echo Show 10. With its bigger screen and the ability to automatically tilt, pan & swivel itself in order to track your movements as you walk around a room, could this be the perfect device for video conferencing. We also saw updates to the Fire TV Stick and the introduction of a subscription-based gaming service called Luna.

There’s also improvements on the software side with Amazon Guard Plus, improved TTS speech, Amazon Care that can help you make sure someone you care for is safe & well and other features such as Join The Conversation which will hopefully make using Alexa more natural and interactive.

Of course, there was one product unveiled that surprised, and confused, many people. The Ring Always Home Cam is an indoor security camera that will fly around your home when you are out and stream the video to your phone. Genius or creepy? We can’t wait to find out…

Also, in a new segment called Ask Double Tap. Assistive technology trainer, George Quarcoo will be ready to answer any of your tech questions including, is Instagram accessible, Android tablet recommendations and just how accessible are TV’s?

In this week’s Double Tap Canada, Steven Scott, Marc Aflalo & Shaun Preece take a look at just what was unveiled at the recent Apple event. With no sign of the iPhone 12, Air Tags or a new Homepod, was there actually anything released to get excited about?

With the only devices shown being Apple Watches & iPads, did Apple add any new features to either platform to make people want to upgrade? The new Series 6 Apple Watch features faster performance & a brighter screen but it’s main claim to fame was the ability to monitor blood oxygen levels. Then there was the Apple Watch SE which has the same CPU as the Series 5 but with the improved 2nd generation heart rate & accelerometer sensors found in the Series 6. If the actual hardware doesn’t excite you, then maybe the new Family Setup feature in Watch OS 7 will. This allows you to pair multiple Apple Watches, (Cellular models Series 4 and above), to 1 iPhone. This means that you’re able to give family members Apple Watches without the need for them to also own an iPhone. A great way to keep in touch but also saves on the extra expense of multiple smartphones.

When it comes to the iPad range, the new 8th Generation iPad sports the old familiar design as previous entry level iPads including the Home Button & Touch ID, while the new iPad Air has a design that is closer to the iPad Pro, with USB C, a great CPU and also Touch ID built into the wake/lock button.

Aside from the hardware, we’ll take a look at iOS 14 and some of the bugs you should be aware of before upgrading.

What could possibly go wrong? Well, quite literally anything so why not take a listen to the all-new Double Tap Canada, now totally live and uncut…

Marc Aflalo joins Steven Scott & Shaun Preece to dive into this week’s tech news. But first, prepare yourselves for a tragic tale consisting of Steven bending over backwards, a dog’s water bowl and soggy air-pods.

It’s then on to happier news with Apple officially announcing September 15th as the date of their fall event. With rumors of new iPads, Air Tags, Apple Watch Series 6 and SE and possibly even a new Apple Silicon powered MacBook Air there’s plenty to look forward to… But could the star of the show, the iPhone 12 range be absent from the line-up?

Also in Apple news, Google has announced that Google Maps will be making a return to the Apple Watch. Google removed their popular map app way back in 2017, so with a 3-year hiatus why is Shaun less than impressed with its return?

Finally, it’s on to listener feedback. We’ve had some great response to the recent announcement from Aira regarding the scaling back of their 5 minutes free call offer. Despite people being obviously disappointed to lose such a great deal, it seems most people understand that it simply wasn’t sustainable indefinitely. We’ll be listening to some of your voicemails.

If you would like to get in touch with us you can email : [email protected] or why not give us a call on 1844 971 1999

Double Tap Canada is back, and the discussion is as heated as ever as the DTC team take a look at this week’s tech news.

There has been a lot of debate recently following the release of the first public beta of Apple Watch OS. Apple released the build without VoiceOver support and although they did make it clear in the release notes that this was the case, it did mean that VoiceOver users could not take part in this stage of the beta program. This resulted in the creation of a petition by Jonathan Mosen asking that Apple never again release a public beta without VoiceOver support. However, others in the visually impaired community disagreed, stating that missing features etc. was just a part of software development and to be expected. We’ll be talking to Jonathan Mosen to hear just why he thought a petition was necessary.

Next, will be taking a look at the new Amazon Halo. This fitness / health tracker not only monitors your heart rate, activity, and sleep, but also promises to provide very accurate body composition data.

One feature that may prove a little more controversial is the social interaction analysis. Using a microphone built into the wrist band, the Halo will monitor how you talk to others throughout the day and then tell you how well you interact socially. Is this a great way for self-improvement or yet another invasion of privacy?

Just when you thought you had heard everything there was to say about face masks, Double Tap Canada is here and Steven has found one to get excited about. No, not his tartan face mask, but a mask with built in bone conduction audio…

Moving quickly on, we are joined this week by JJ Meddaugh from Blind Bargains to discuss the recent announcement from Aira that they have now put in place limits to their previously unlimited free 5 minute call offer. Was this inevitable and always a short-term deal or has the offer been abused by users? We’ll be discussing the topic and also hearing some opinions from the community.

Next up we’ll be looking at what’s coming up in the next version of Android. One of the most interesting points, from an accessibility aspect, is that the Android screen reader TalkBack is to get more gestures in the form of multi-finger taps etc. Good news for screen reader users, but are braille display users still being left behind when it comes to Android?

Finally, it’s on to virtual conferences. JJ was impressed with the NFB conference and wonders just what we can expect from CSUN. Also we’ll hear from listener Tiffany who seems less excited then Steven over the inclusion of QWERTY keyboards into braille displays like the Mantis Q40.

Double Tap Canada is joined by Jay Taylor this week as we take a look at the latest generation of the wearable video magnifier headset, the E-Sight 4. Jay has been helped greatly in the past by previous versions of the E-Sight headset, but just what has been improved in this latest release?

Steven is also excited this week by a news story of a new procedure that may help ‘quiet’ the effects of Nystagmus. He’ll be looking at the story of a Canadian man who has been able to drive after undergoing this surgery. Great news, if only Steven can remember the guy’s name…

Next, we’ll be taking the Google Look Out app for a test-drive. With features such as scene & object recognition, real-time OCR, document scanning, currency identification and rather impressive product recognition, could this be Androids answer to the fantastic iOS app Seeing AI?

Although the topic of accessible gaming has been discussed numerous times, its usually only focused around audio games for the smart phone or smart speaker. Well, this week Double Tap Canada is asking the question, “Can you really enjoy mainstream console games if you are blind or have low vision?”

Steven Scott & Shaun Preece are joined by 2 guests who think the answer is a resounding yes. Brandon Cole was one of the accessibility consultants involved in the development of the incredibly well received AAA game The Last of Us 2. He’ll be telling us exactly how he became involved and just what features were implemented to make the game totally playable by someone with no sight.

Also, from the YouTube channel PSImBlind, avid low vision gamer Agon will be describing the gameplay experience of the game and just what he feels the developer got right when it comes to accessibility and what he’d like to see added in the future.

Will Steven & Shaun be convinced that they too can enjoy console or mainstream gaming and just what can we expect when it comes to accessibility from future games?

In what seems to be a re-occurring theme for Double Tap Canada, this week’s episode starts with a Steven Scott rant. But just what or who is he angry at now? It is non-other than President Trump. Specifically, Trumps proposed ban of the social media platform Tik Tok. Are there really valid concerns regarding the data security of Tik Tok users or is there other possible reasons for Trumps actions? Oh, and of course, we will be looking at just how accessible Tik Tok is…

Next up is a High Speed How To on a under reported new feature coming in iOS14, and although it may seem a small change, it is very welcome. In iOS14 you are able to send audio messages just by asking Siri. In much the same way as sending a text message, you will be able to simply ask Siri to send an audio message to a contact, speak your message and the recording will be sent via iMessage. All without ever having to touch your phone.

Finally, we will dive into what was unveiled at the Samsung Unpacked 2020 event. With the Note 20 smartphones, Tab 7 tablets, Galaxy Buds Live & a new smart watch, is there anything that got us reaching for our wallets? And did the new Z Fold 2 smartphone impress Steven?

Prepare yourselves as this week’s Double Tap Canada kicks off with a rant from an upset Steven Scott after he was placed on a company’s ‘vulnerable’ list because he is blind. Is he right to be upset or just far too sensitive? We’ll find out.

Also, after finding the perfect keyboard and braille display Steven now thinks he’s found the perfect audio book reader. With its great battery life, totally accessible interface and ease of use, is the Victor Reader Stream really the best option? Shaun isn’t so sure…

Next up, the DTC crew reveal their favourite Echo skills. With the thousands to choose from, which ones do they use the most?

If you have jumped on the iOS beta testing program but are having second thoughts, Shaun will show you how to roll back to the non-beta version. It’s surprisingly easy, but of course, Steven finds something to complain about.

Finally, With a recommendation for a calendar app and a question on how to increase the bass on Air Pod Pros, the show wraps up with your emails and voicemails. If you’d like to get in touch you can email [email protected] or call us on 1866 509 4545