Siena demonstrated how to download and set up the Uber app from scratch on an iPad.

The group explored various safety features available in the Uber app, with particular focus on PIN verification, trusted contacts, and emergency settings.

The group discussed how to set up service animal accommodations in the Uber app.

Siena demonstrated the process of booking a ride through the Uber app.

The group discussed various accessibility features in the Uber app specifically designed for blind and low vision users.

The group encountered and discussed technical issues with VoiceOver not properly reading certain elements in the Uber app.

After the main presentation, participants discussed various headphone options, particularly focusing on bone conduction headphones.

Participants discussed concerns about Uber driver requirements and safety issues.

Contact the team:

Email

[email protected]

Like us on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578990010675

Follow the Show:

On Tunein

http://tun.in/pxXlj

On Apple Podcasts:

On Audible:

On iHeart:

On Spotify

Siena demonstrated how to install and set up the Perplexity app on an iPhone.

Siena demonstrated how to perform basic searches in Perplexity using a question about the Beatles song “Let It Be.”

Siena demonstrated how to ask follow-up questions to create a conversational flow with Perplexity.

The group explored Perplexity’s ability to provide music-related information, including chord sheets and lyrics.

Siena demonstrated Perplexity’s voice interaction capabilities.

Siena tested Perplexity’s ability to generate creative content by requesting a Harry Potter fanfiction.

The group discussed how Perplexity compares to other AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini.

Liz asked about Perplexity’s ability to find recipes.

The group discussed another AI app called Orion that helps find objects.

Contact the team:

Email

[email protected]

Like us on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578990010675

Follow the Show:

On Tunein

http://tun.in/pxXlj

On Apple Podcasts:

On Audible:

On iHeart:

On Spotify

Siena demonstrated the new layout of the Messages app in macOS 26 Tahoe, highlighting significant changes from previous versions.

Siena demonstrated how to open multiple conversations in separate windows for easier management.

Siena demonstrated how to pin important conversations to keep them at the top of the conversations list.

Siena demonstrated how to use filters to view specific types of messages.

Siena demonstrated various ways to interact with messages in conversations.

Participants discussed their concerns about Apple’s approach to Mac app design.

Participants discussed ongoing issues with VoiceOver on Mac.

You can find a list of upcoming topics for the rest of January and most of February at the following link. Please note: the list of topics will soon be updated to reflect added topics. Also, next month’s Techstravaganza 2.0 on February 12, will focus on Jaws basics.

Contact the team:

Email

[email protected]

Like us on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578990010675

Follow the Show:

On Tunein

http://tun.in/pxXlj

On Apple Podcasts:

On Audible:

On iHeart:

On Spotify

Siena demonstrated the new urgent reminders feature in iOS 26, showing how to mark reminders as urgent to ensure they trigger alarms even when focus modes are active.

Siena demonstrated how to create and organize lists in the Reminders app to better categorize different types of reminders.

The group discussed various options for setting up reminders, including dates, times, early reminders, and repeat settings.

Siena demonstrated advanced features including shared lists, assigning reminders to specific people, and adding additional details.

The group discussed the differences between Google Tasks and Apple Reminders and which might be better for different workflows.

Liz shared her experience with grocery list templates in the Reminders app.

The team discussed upcoming workshop topics and scheduling for Techstravaganza.

Contact the team:

Email

[email protected]

Like us on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578990010675

Follow the Show:

On Tunein

http://tun.in/pxXlj

On Apple Podcasts:

On Audible:

On iHeart:

On Spotify

Ali demonstrated the complete process of scheduling a Zoom meeting using the iPhone app

Ali demonstrated various meeting controls and features available during a Zoom meeting

Discussion about Zoom’s AI Companion feature and its capabilities

Discussion about when to use personal meeting ID versus scheduling a meeting

Brief discussion about meeting duration limits

Brief side question about Mac email functionality

Today’s was the last workshop for 2025. Workshops will resume again on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2026. Please stay tuned to the newsletters, as the schedule of topics for January and February will be posted within the next day or 2.

Wishing all of you the happiest of Holidays, and all the best for 2026!

Contact the team:

Email

[email protected]

Like us on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578990010675

Follow the Show:

On Tunein

http://tun.in/pxXlj

On Apple Podcasts:

On Audible:

On iHeart:

On Spotify

Siena and Ali demonstrated the basic navigation of the Gmail app interface.

The presenters demonstrated how to read individual emails in the Gmail app.

A significant portion of the session focused on navigating conversation threads (email chains) in the Gmail app.

Ali demonstrated how to reply to specific messages within conversation threads.

Ali demonstrated how to compose new emails in the Gmail app.

The presenters explored various settings and customization options in the Gmail app.

Throughout the session, several advantages of the Gmail app over the native Mail app were highlighted.

Next week is our annual Zoom tutorial, on Wednesday, Dec 17. Depending on what time allows, there will possibly be a follow up on the evening of Dec 18, more information nearer to the day.

Contact the team:

Email

[email protected]

Like us on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578990010675

Follow the Show:

On Tunein

http://tun.in/pxXlj

On Apple Podcasts:

On Audible:

On iHeart:

On Spotify

Siena demonstrated the process of adding email accounts to the Mail app on an iPad, focusing on VoiceOver accessibility.

Siena demonstrated how to add Gmail and custom domain accounts to the Mail app.

Siena demonstrated different methods for viewing and switching between email accounts.

Discussion about different email apps and their features.

A side discussion about calendar applications and subscriptions.

Join us tomorrow evening from 7:00 to 9:00 PM Eastern for Techstravaganza 2.0, where the Gmail app on iPhone and iPad will be explored. Next Wednesday, we will have the annual Zoom tutorial, which, depending on time on Wednesday, might have a followup on Thursday, Dec, 18, from 8:00 to 10:00 PM Eastern.

Contact the team:

Email

[email protected]

Like us on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578990010675

Follow the Show:

On Tunein

http://tun.in/pxXlj

On Apple Podcasts:

On Audible:

On iHeart:

On Spotify

Siena and Sherry demonstrated how to change pronunciation settings in VoiceOver on iOS devices.

Drew (Jeroo) asked about deleting pronunciations, leading to a discussion about the process.

Siena demonstrated how to change pronunciation settings in VoiceOver on macOS.

Siena demonstrated how to change pronunciation settings in the JAWS screen reader.

Contact the team:

Email

[email protected]

Like us on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578990010675

Follow the Show:

On Tunein

http://tun.in/pxXlj

On Apple Podcasts:

On Audible:

On iHeart:

On Spotify

Siena demonstrated how to access and use keyboard shortcuts in Gmail on the web.

Siena explained the importance of toggling the virtual PC cursor when using JAWS with Gmail.

Siena demonstrated how to navigate through email threads and perform actions on messages.

Siena demonstrated how to compose new emails and use various composition features.

Discussion about the differences between using Gmail on Mac and Windows.

Discussion about issues with the Apple Mail app.

Join us for changing Voiceover pronounciations on Dec, 3. Also, check out the rest of the December lineup at the following link.

Contact the team:

Email

[email protected]

Like us on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578990010675

Follow the Show:

On Tunein

http://tun.in/pxXlj

On Apple Podcasts:

On Audible:

On iHeart:

On Spotify

Siena demonstrated the new Phone app in macOS, explaining its functionality as a secondary phone interface that works across iPhone, iPad, and Mac when devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi and iCloud account. The app allows users to make calls, send messages, and access call history, with Liz inquiring about its availability on iPad, which Siena confirmed. The discussion included practical uses of the app, such as making calls when the phone is charging or left in another room, and participants shared personal experiences about where they keep their phones at home.

Siena and Ali demonstrated how to make and end phone calls on a Mac using the phone app and Notification Center, including navigating call history and ending calls. They discussed the differences between full screen and banner modes for notifications, and Ali mentioned exploring the option to change the notification style on the Mac. John joined the conversation briefly to clarify that the notification banner on the Mac looks similar to iOS’s floating window.

Siena and Ali explored how to manage and interact with phone notifications on a Mac, including changing alert styles to persistent banners and adjusting notification settings for specific applications. They tested answering a FaceTime call through the Mac’s Notification Center, noting some initial confusion with the labeling but successfully completing the task. Both participants acknowledged this as a learning experience, as Siena had never used a Mac to make or answer calls before.

Siena demonstrated how to answer phone calls on a Mac using macOS 2026’s new notification center feature, which treats phone calls as FaceTime calls. She showed that calls can be answered through the notification center even when the phone app is closed, though the phone app must be open to end calls. Siena also briefly mentioned a new feature in macOS 2026 that provides message and email summaries, though she didn’t demonstrate this functionality.

Siena demonstrated the new Mail app features on Mac, including how to navigate between mailboxes and messages using VoiceOver commands, and showed the AI summary button that provides a concise summary of email content. She noted that while there weren’t many new VoiceOver features in the update, the summary button was particularly useful for quickly understanding email content without reading the full message. Liz inquired about the VO left/right commands and learned that these gestures are equivalent to flicking left/right on iPads that support the feature, with Siena suggesting that the iPad Mini 7 and up, as well as the Air 3 and up, support this functionality.

The team discussed issues with email excerpts not displaying properly in some cases, with Ali confirming that the full newsletter content is actually visible when scrolling down in the email. They identified that the problem might be related to how the email is displayed on different devices or email clients, as some team members were able to see the full content while others saw only an excerpt with a “continue reading” link. Ali agreed to investigate further and potentially make adjustments to ensure consistent display of the full content across all devices.

The team discussed issues with email formatting and accessibility, particularly regarding heading blocks and their impact on mobile readability. They explored mail settings and default email app configurations, with Ali demonstrating how to adjust settings on both iPhone and Mac. The group agreed to investigate whether different account types (iCloud vs Gmail) might be affecting the display issues, and Siena confirmed she would try adding heading blocks to improve navigation while being mindful of potential formatting complications.

The team discussed issues with email headers and navigation in Gmail, particularly regarding Techstravaganza reminders. Liz suggested adding a sentence to the existing header rather than creating new blocks, which would help maintain consistency. They explored potential causes for scrolling and link-finding difficulties, including the use of threaded views and calendar integration. The group agreed to investigate further before making changes to their email templates.

The team discussed issues with email calendar invites and decided to simplify the process by creating a block pattern or template with essential meeting details. They agreed to remove unnecessary information like Find Your Local Number and the calendar view to make it easier for participants. Siena suggested using Google Calendar directly and copying the link with the required information once, rather than doing it weekly. The team also discussed how switching from direct email to a newsletter format allows for larger, unlimited subscriber lists.

The team discussed streamlining the newsletter format by removing extraneous embedded content and focusing on essential information like Zoom meeting links. They identified that the current format was cluttered and made it difficult to see key details. Siena and Ali agreed to simplify the newsletter by using excerpts and removing unnecessary information like location tags. They also addressed an issue with the iPad status bar disappearing in Mac OS 26, finding that it was still present but harder to access due to smaller icons. The team decided to encourage participants to use the Zoom app for easier access to meeting details, noting that it was free.

Contact the team:

Email

[email protected]

Like us on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578990010675

Follow the Show:

On Tunein

http://tun.in/pxXlj

On Apple Podcasts:

On Audible:

On iHeart:

On Spotify