Mystic Access Podcast

Welcome to the podcast. This episode contains two very different topics, and we hope one or both will be of interest to you.

First, though, we want to thank those who attended our free virtual event on getting comfortable with computers. We’re grateful for the questions you shared to help make our presentation more helpful for you, the listeners. If you weren’t able to attend live, no worries. You can download the audio of the event right here.

We next share the final chapter of our story about our Google doorbell. We had a very unfortunate experience as we tried to return it to Amazon, which was the impetus for our purchase of the Google camera for our front yard. Hope you gain insight from our sad, cautionary tale.

Finally, a much happier topic. The U.S. is about to experience a solar eclipse, and here in Western NY, we’re in totality! If none of that makes any sense to you, check out the resources below for lots of explanation. We tease a very cool app called Eclipse Soundscapes which is available for both iOS and Android. It includes both audio description and sounds to help you understand and experience eclipses. The app is free. Don’t hesitate to check out other eclipse-related apps as well. Some include videos and additional media for your enjoyment.

Total Solar Eclipse 2024: Everything You Need to Know, Space.com

Device Helps People Who Are Blind or Have Low Vision Experience a Solar Eclipse, NPR.org

The LightSound Project, Harvard.edu

Sense the Solar Eclipse with NASA’s Eclipse Soundscapes Project, NASA

Note: this is not the same as the Eclipse Soundscapes app. The app is not part of this 2024 project, which will record sounds from nature to see how they change during the solar eclipse.

Thanks, as always, for listening and spreading the word about us. We appreciate you.

Today’s episode is packed with updates, a demo we hope you’ll enjoy, and the chance to *finally* hang out with us later this month.

Yes, at last, we’re having another free event! This time we’re discussing computers. whether you’re buying one, procrastinating about buying one, or just confused on terminology, we hope to make this a fun and informative event with lots of time to ask your questions. What’s the difference between RAM and storage? What are must-have components when shopping for a new computer? What version of Windows or Mac should you get? What should you know as a screen reader or magnification user? We’ll share vocabulary, our own experiences, and give you the tools to discover more for yourself. We hope you’ll join us on Thursday, March 28, at 8:00 PM eastern time. Register your free seat at this link. If you know you’ll be unable to attend live, please don’t register for the event so someone else can have that seat. The event will be recorded for your enjoyment later. If you know others who may be interested, please send them to this page to register, too.

In a previous podcast episode, Chris asked you to remember the number 22. We now explain that mystery by introducing you to an amazing surge protector from SuperDanny. We use ours in our entertainment center and absolutely love it. We explain its features, and, of course, talk about all the things you can plug in with this cool tool. Visit this page to learn more. Please note that this is our Amazon affiliate link. Any purchases made through this link provide us a small commission. We never recommend products we don’t use and love ourselves.

This episode also brings us to the end of our Ebay braille display story that we’ve been sharing. There’s a happy ending, but one twist before we get there. Hope you’ve found our experience educational on your own journey in purchasing assistive technology.

If you’ve been following our Google doorbell adventure, it’s time for an update on the decisions we’ve made. We tell you whether we kept our Google doorbell, things we love and don’t love, and more, including our thoughts on sound quality and other features.

Finally, we end the podcast with a cool demo. This is a Windows program called Weather Monitor. We don’t know about its availability for Mac. Learn about its intuitive interface, features, how to add cities, and how to configure the program. Note that this is still in public beta. Activate this link to download a .zip file containing the program. We hope you like it, too.

Thanks, as always, for listening and spreading the word. We appreciate you!

This episode begins with a discussion of online chats. Many of you may remember when chatting with customer service or technical support online was a daunting if not impossible experience. Fortunately, this is no longer the case, as chat software is so much more accessible than it was even a few years ago. We talk about a few recent experiences we’ve had working with online chat software and our level of satisfaction. We hope this helps you feel more comfortable trying out chatting with support or customer service reps online when needed.

Next, we discuss our purchase of a Google Nest doorbell and why we chose to do so.

Chris recently talked about his less than positive experience buying assistive technology on Ebay. We have an update on that story in today’s podcast.

Finally, if you’ve ever needed the password to a WiFi network to which you’ve connected in the past, Kim shows you how to find that info via an iPhone. The process is quite similar on Android, so this example should give you a good idea of how it works.

We hope you find this episode fun and useful. As always, thanks for listening and spreading the word. We appreciate having you as part of our community.

We begin this episode by updating you on Kim’s progress with her iPhone 14 Pro. Learn how she feels about it after several weeks of constant use, the surprising features she now enjoys, and whether she misses anything about her old iPhone SE. Find out her tricks for conquering Face ID and the home and app switcher gestures. We expand the discussion to talk about the Actions button on the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Chris’s thoughts.

We’re excited to announce that a new front porch edition podcast is in our future. We’re returning to NC for part of April/May, and while our location will be different since we’ve sold our NC home, the fun will remain. Look forward to that episode coming up sometime in May or June.

Finally, we return to our Spectrum journey to discuss our experience setting up Spectrum internet, some cool braille finds that we didn’t expect, and more. We then dive into a discussion and demo of the Xumo streaming box, what it does and doesn’t do, a downside when connecting it to the internet, and our thoughts after a few days of using it to stream TV. Kim discusses the remote and gives a tour of some of the features you’ll find as part of the box, and you get to hear what the Voice Guide sounds like as we explore.

Thanks, as always, for listening!

We begin by thanking those of you who have purchased our newest product since its release. We think this information on how to protect yourself from scams is so important, and we’re so happy you’re enjoying learning more about this subject. To learn more about this audio documentation please visit this page.

Have you ever browsed Ebay for your assistive technology needs? How’d that work out for you? We share a cautionary tale of a recent experience we’ve had purchasing a braille display from an Ebay seller. We’ll share updates in a future episode.

Next, we take a stroll down memory lane. we’ve recently been thinking about our paths to today’s assistive technology, specifically braille devices and notetakers. We talk about what our older technology use to do for us, what features it contained, and how it has evolved through the years. We all use braille and braille displays/notetakers differently, but they have always made us more proficient both at work and at home. We’re amazed that any NLS patron can now get their own braille display for free. We’ve come such a long way! We hope you’ll enjoy this discussion and think about your own experiences, too.

Finally, we talk about our switch to Spectrum, why we did it, our thoughts so far in these very early stages, and the services we’ve purchased. we also demo the streaming service they offer. They have a box you can get called the Xumo Box, which can be connected to modern TVs. It does not connect via a coax cable. We didn’t get one of these.

I wanted to link to the 70 or so channel streaming service that we purchased and demo here, but have had a lot of trouble finding good information. It may be best to contact spectrum directly to get additional details about the exact name and channel info. I think it’s called Spectrum Stream, but please don’t quote me. Reach Spectrum by calling: 1-855-843-0996. We’ll share more about our journey, and demo additional Spectrum apps in upcoming episodes.

Thanks, as always, for listening.

We’re excited to begin this episode by announcing that our first product of the year has been released! Staying Safe from Scams is a three and a half hour overview of the scams you may encounter, tactics scammers use to fool you, and how to prevent yourself from being scammed. We cover email, snail mail, website, phone, text, and romance scams. You’ll also learn about web tools and other strategies to help keep you safe. This documentation is specifically designed from a blindness perspective. The documentation also comes with a comprehensive resource list in .docx format to help you continue learning on your own. Learn more and purchase your copy here. This product is currently on sale, so take advantage of the lower price while it’s available. We can’t wait to share this info with you!

Next, we discuss an event we were hoping to attend this spring, and the sad reason we’re no longer going. This is a good example of how many folks don’t necessarily understand accessibility and usability needs. While we’re unhappy, we currently aren’t taking any further action, but wanted to share our experience with you.

We have a new Lasko space heater to demo for you. This is a link to the product on Target, as we can guarantee it’s the one we purchased. We discuss the front touch panel controls, the remote, and more. A highly recommended purchase for those with frigid winters, or even frigid rooms!

Finally, we talk about our experience using the UPS pickup service from DoorDash. Maybe this would be a good option for you to try, too.

Many thanks, as always, for listening! We appreciate you!

In this episode, we discuss Kim’s first empressions of Face ID and having a phone without a home button. We also discuss Uber and Lyft and why we prefer one over the other at this current time.

Welcome to our final podcast of 2023. How is that even possible?

We begin by sharing about Kim’s Christmas present from Chris; the Soundcore Frames Bluetooth glasses by Anker. We discuss pairing and connecting, and Kim plays some music and shares how to use the touch controls. You also get to hear the phone call quality when using the glasses. Activate this link to purchase a pair of Soundcore Frames for yourself or someone you love. This is our affiliate link, and we receive a small commission when you purchase via this link.

Next, Kim discusses a great Audible alternative, Chirp. This site regularly has sales in which you can purchase books for under $10 each. Kim loves Chirp for its ease of use, variety, and, of course, awesome prices during sales. Learn about the service, go on a tour of the home page, walk through the checkout process with Kim, and discover how to play books from your Chirp library both on a PC and via iOS. And yes, we use the Soundcore Frames during the iOS portion. Visit this link to check out Chirp and their vast selection of books.

Our final demo of the year is for this great Amazon Basics shredder. Note that if you purchase from the above link we’ll receive a small commission. We thought we needed a second shredder in the house, and while this one isn’t quite as powerful as our old one, it doesn’t need to be. IT shreds CDs, credit cards, and all that junk mail or those sensitive documents you no longer need. We definitely recommend it.

We hope your holidays are happy and filled with lots of love and laughter. Looking forward to sharing 2024 with you! Thanks for being a listener! We appreciate you! Happy Merry everything!

Looking for that last-minute stocking stuffer or perfect present? In this episode we’re making our list and checking it twice. No, we aren’t necessarily Santa’s helpers, but we discuss several items we’ve purchased during the past year that we think may make great gifts for your friends, family members, or maybe even for you! Products range from software and electronics to things that can make your holidays the coziest ever. The full list is below. Amazon affiliate links for applicable items are coming soon. Please note that if you order one of the below products from our Amazon link, we’ll receive a small commission. We never recommend products or services we haven’t used and enjoyed ourselves.

Ten Port USB Wall Charger

Hope you find something to share or enjoy on our list. Thanks for listening!

Welcome to the 300th episode of the Mystic Access podcast! Wow! We begin by delving into a little of the podcast’s history, Kim’s involvement, and how excited we are to have hit this very cool milestone.

We also thank everyone who attended our day-after-Thanksgiving open house! It was awesome, as always. If you missed this one, we’ll be doing it again next year, as well as another open house sometime in late July, 2024.

The Majority of this episode contains a discussion of HumanWare’s Stellar Trek and our newly-released audio documentation on this innovative GPS device. We’re joined in the castle by Mathieu Paquette, who talks about the Stellar Trek, its many features, what’s coming in future updates, and more. We also share about how our documentation, which is free to everyone, can help you decide whether the Stellar is the right device for you. We hope you enjoy this fun discussion.

Thanks, as always, for listening and spreading the word about our podcast. We appreciate you.