Double Tap

Double Tap Canada kicks off this weeks episode with Smart speakers. And no, that's definitely not a description of the hosts...

Shaun Preece has a deep dive into the Google Home Mini and the Echo Dot 3, comparing everything from design, audio quality and brains to see which one can claim the entry level smart speaker crown. You may be surprised by the result. Next, Steven Scott and Tim Schwartz talk about the recent Microsoft Accessibility webinar they attended and why they think Narrator is now a serious alternative to 3rd party screen readers. In fact, Steven thinks that the writing is on the wall for paid screen readers like Jaws.

The show wraps up with listener emails and another Tims Bits feature

Double Tap Canada takes a look at the Consumer Electronics Show 2019 this week which leads Shaun daring to ask the question ""Why should I care as a visually impaired person?""

Well, the truth is that more and more mainstream tech is becoming accessible, sometimes through design and sometimes through integration of smart technology such as Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. Whatever the reason, this exhibition will have something of interest for you.

The team discuss the announcement  the you'll soon be able to access Apples library of movies directly on a Samsung TV, a device to bring the white cane  up to date, the future of 5G, toilets and impossible burgers.  Who said CES was boring?

Also in this weeks show Tim Schwartz will be letting us know what technology he's excited about in 2019 and Steven shares some Android love with an introduction to Talkback.

Double Tap Canada starts 2019 still in festive mood as Steven, Shaun & Tim talk about their new tech presents and just how much food & chocolates they ate. As usual though, Steven soon ruins the high spirits when he wonders if the Double Tap team will survive to the end of the year unless they get healthy. Shaun's new years resolution is to start going to the gym but will he get any further then a Google search? And will the Apple Watch really help them get fit?

The discussion then moves on to the new tech goodies they got for Christmas including a smart water bottle, Amazon Echo, a steering wheel, Apple Homepod and Amazon Buttons. The Amazon Buttons were a hit in the Schwartz household but just what went wrong for Steven when he tried them?

We wrap up with Steven letting us know just how good the Apple Homepod sounds compared to his Sonos Play 5 and just how was he able to drive across America without leaving his office?

Double Tap Canada is full of festive spirit this week as Steven warms our hearts with his views on the true meaning of Christmas, Shaun tells us how being visually impaired means you never have to send Christmas cards and Tiny Tim recommends leaving all the work to your wife...

Luckily, the team quickly move on to their tech gift suggestions for Christmas 2018. Tim kicks off with Bluetooth trackers. These tiny squares of tech can be attached to anything from remote controls, hotel doors, keys and dog collars and when activated through a smartphone app, will beep and sometimes flash away making it easy to find whatever they're attached to. Shaun, of course, sings the praises of his favourite gadget, the Amazon Echo Dot. With more and more features appearing with each software update, 100% accessibility due to the audio only nature of the platform and an incredibly affordable price, is Shauns assertion that even people who don't know they want them, should have them correct or fan boy madness? As for Steven, well, his recommendation comes as a complete shock to everyone...

Double Tap Canada is in trouble this week as a listeners email chastises the Double Tap team for their lack of knowledge when it comes to specialised technology. Can Steven, Shaun & Tim defend themselves or, at least, can Steven & Shaun blame it all on Tim?

The talk around DAISY books and players continues with an email from Mark telling us just why he loves his player over a smartphone app and does Shaun finally see the benefits of DAISY over MP3?

We then move on to Stevens marital woes with his wife forbidding the use of a smart plug with Christmas lights. Is this grounds for divorce or a matter of safety? And is Ikea getting ready to take over the smart device world as they start selling a smart plug for around $15 Canadian?

We finish this episode with talk of the recently announced Microsoft Webinars for accessibility. If you want to know more about Narrator, low vision tools and just what is the best way to use the Ribbon menu bar when your visually impaired, they may be worth a look.

The Double Tap Canada team are back at full capacity this week as Steven Scott returns from his London trip full of tales of chance encounters with the Queen and disappearing apps on his iPhone. After a therapeutic moan we move onto Daisy players. Following on from a listeners email, Steven looks into what tech is out there for playing this popular audio format.

Next Tim and Shaun take a look at some interesting tech news from the last week including Instagram embracing accessibility, Apple Music coming to Amazon Echos and real-time subtitles coming to Skype. But which news story will cause the biggest argument this week?

Finally, Shaun shows us how to set up Multi-Room Speaker Groups using Amazon Echo smartspeakers. It's easy to set up and means you can have music playing everywhere in your home. Unfortunately, what isn't so easy though, is getting Shaun to remember to record the feature in the first place..

Tim Schwartz takes charge of Double Tap Canada this week as Steven Scott is off on assignment. Whatever that means...

First up for discussion is the  ""Connecting Families"" initiative. A scheme to help an estimated 220,000 low income Canadians get connected to the internet. With so many services from education, government and shopping moving online, is internet access an essential utility for every family?

Also, we have news of accessibility improvements for Skype 8 and Androids Accessibility Suite. And Tim spills the beans on some more Vorail news, but will he reveal his top secret source?

Finally, we discuss the sad news that Eyesfree Fitness is to close, but they are making all the audio exercise files free to download.  And can Tim really come up with a new list of Top 5 Tech  essentials that Steven & Shaun haven't already used?

"Join a exhausted and financially drained Double Tap Canada team this week as they struggle to cope with the constant Black Friday deals.

We kick off with some of the recent tech news stories from the week including Skype support arriving on the Amazon Echo and the popular FlickType app dropping it's monthly subscription in favour of a one off purchase fee.

Next we move on to the difficult second Top 5 list of essential tech for the visually impaired, but can Shaun come up with anything that wasn't already on Stevens list last week?

This week it's the listener emails that spark the inevitable argument between Steven and Shaun. Do you really need a full sized keyboard to use a screen reader properly? It's up to Tim to decide..."

"Love is in the air in this episode of Double Tap Canada as Steven and Tim have found a new love... Microsoft Narrator. Have they gone mad?

Also no expense is spent on new jingles as the team show their love for smart speakers and what they can do. But will a quick trivia quiz cause a rift?

Finally, we take a look at your emails including a roundup of Apples recent new products, a few additions to Stevens Top 5 list and privacy on Aira."

In this weeks Double Tap Canada, the team take a look at wearable tech. With Aira recently announcing new pricing plans will the service go from strength to strength or are the cracks starting to show?

Next, Orcam have updated their MyEye product with some great new features. The Orcam MyEye is a device that clips onto glasses and uses a camera and artificial intelligence software to perform tasks such as reading print, recognising faces and reading bar codes. There's no denying it's usefulness to someone who is blind or visually impaired but it does come at a price.

Finally, Steven Scott gives us his top 5 gadgets he can't live without, but will Shaun and Tim agree?