Techstravaganza Evenings

Key Takeaways

• The session was a Techstravaganza Evenings workshop held on Thursday, October 8th, focused on using WhatsApp on the PC (Windows).
• Participants learned how to link WhatsApp on a Windows computer using either a QR code scan or phone number.
• The tutorial covered sending text messages, sharing and activating links, sending and playing voice messages, reacting to messages, and making voice/video calls.
• A key finding was that links embedded in WhatsApp messages on Windows are not treated as static text — pressing the right arrow key and then Enter activates them.
• The transcription feature for voice messages is available on the phone but not yet on the Windows desktop app.
• Voice and video calling via WhatsApp on Windows was successfully tested, though it required being inside an active conversation to access the call buttons.
• The next Techstravaganza session was announced to cover browsing digital flyers.

• ​To learn more, please visit techstravaganza.ca. While you're there, subscribe to the newsletter so you never miss topic lists, updates or workshop podcast uploads.

Key Takeaways

• The session was a live tutorial on setting up and using WhatsApp on a Mac computer, hosted by Siena with co-host Ali.
• The primary focus was demonstrating how to link a Mac as a companion device to WhatsApp using QR code scanning.
• A key lesson learned during the demo: users must tap the OK button on the iPhone before scanning the QR code, or the scan will fail.
• Additional features demonstrated included sending text messages, voice messages, and placing voice and video calls via WhatsApp on Mac.
• Participants debated whether using WhatsApp on a computer is worth the setup effort compared to simply using it on the phone.
• WhatsApp was highlighted as a valuable tool for international communication, eliminating long-distance charges.
• File sharing via WhatsApp (copy-paste into chat) was noted as a useful alternative to email.
• Next session announced: a tour of the Mantis Q40 Braille display on Wednesday, September 16th (Techstravaganza Afternoons).

To learn more about the workshops, please visit techstravaganza.ca. While you're there, subscribe to the newsletters so you never miss topic lists, updates and workshop podcast uploads.

The session was a Techstravaganza Evenings workshop (rebranded from Techstravaganza 2.0) held on Thursday, July 9, 2026.

The main tutorial covered how to download ringtones from the Zedge website (zedge.net) using a PC with JAWS, and how to transfer and set those ringtones on an iPhone using Google Drive and VoiceOver.

A key technical tip was shared by Ashlyn: to disconnect audio in the Zoom iOS app, the phone must be unplugged from any external mixer first, then the "Speaker" button reveals a "Disconnect Audio" option.

The group discussed the pros and cons of Zoom vs. Google Meet, ultimately deciding to continue hosting Techstravaganza on Zoom while acknowledging Zoom's growing usability and accessibility issues.

Ali announced an upcoming episode of the Ali Moosa Show covering the end of 570 News, featuring guest Jim Snyder.

To learn more about the workshops, please visit techstravaganza.ca. While you're there, subscribe to the newsletters so you never miss workshop schedule and topic updates!