Talking Tech by Vision Australia Radio
Vision Australia's Access Technology Officer Damo McMorrow talks with Stephen Jolley about the latest developments and gadgets in the tech world from a blindness and low vision perspective.
Episodes
In the final edition of this 13 year long weekly program:
- Damo reflects on his eleven and a half years with Vision Australia and explains his new role with the Commonwealth’s Administrative Review Tribunal;
- He demonstrates his recently acquired fully accessible Air Hover X1 drone; and
- He explains the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses app change from Meta View to Meta AI.
To access Talking Tech, presented each week by Ste...
This week Damo shows us his recently acquired WEWalk Smart Cane 2. This includes a description of the cane, along with feature demonstrations including its object detection, favourite locations and more. This product is available from the Vision Store, shop.visionaustralia.org.
There is also a reminder to tune to next week’s program which will contain significant news about the Talking Tech program and podcast.
To acce...
This week we cover:
- A description of the fully accessible Yamaha FGDP30 electronic drumkit
- Advice of a battery draining issue with the WeWalk Smart Cane 2; and
- News of the most recent update to the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.
To access the program, presented each week by Stephen Jolley and Damo McMorrow, you can go to varadio.org/talkingtech.
To write to the show use damo.mcmorrow@visionaustralia.org
This week we cover:
- The recently introduced Projects function included in ChatGPT for both the online and mobile app environments;
- The ‘dictate’ function in the AI tool of Freedom Scientific known as FS Companion;
- A prototype haptic device for following live sport, known as One Court which was on show at the recent CSUN Assistive Technology conference;
- Damo’s account of his back up power system, to contend wi...
This week we cover:
- Information about the Vision Australia Alexa Smart Home Program with inquiries welcome at voiceassist@visionaustralia.org;
- News of the latest updates to the BT Speak from Blazie Technology with further information at https://blazietech.com;
- News of the Orbit Speak from Orbit Research with further information at https://orbitresearch.com
- News of the latest software updates from Apple.
To access ...
News of the imminent release of Apple software updates.
Then from his CSUN discoveries, Damo’s account of:
- two new distance camera low vision aids, the Magnibot from Trisight and the Snowpad from Zoomax;
- A new braille display technology being developed by New Haptics;
- An AI mobility aid from Make Sense;
Finally, we hear of Innosearch AI assisted shopping.
To access the program, presented each week by S...
This week upon Damo’s return from the CSUN Assistive Technology conference in California, he begins a series of explanations of various products that took his attention.
In this program he covers:
- The Glide mobility device from Glidance;
- The Echo Vision smart glasses from Agiga; and
- The Tactonom Reader Flex interactive tactile graphics reader from Tactocom.
To access the program, presented each week by Steph...
This week while Damo returns from the CSUN Assistive Technology conference in California, Stephen speaks with Steve Monigatti, a Vision Australia Service Development Lead. The conversation includes:
This week while Damo attends the CSUN Assistive Technology conference in California, we mark International Women’s Day in conversation between Stephen and blind assistive technologist Ramona Mandy. Ramona recalls her time as an Adult Braille Training Instructor with Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind, her 24 years with Humanware and explains her current role with the Monash Assistive Technology Society centre.
&nbs...
This week we cover:
- News of the imminent roll out of Amazon Alexa Plus;
- Information about a blindness and low vision oriented Linux Resource at http://blindlinux.com. (Note no ‘s’ before the ‘:’).
- Damo is off to the assistive technology conference at CSUN in California and talks about his preparation for the adventure.
To access the program, presented by Stephen Jolley and Damo McMorrow, you can g...
This week we cover:
- News of Apples’s latest phone, the iPhone 16e;
- An update to info about the WeWALK Smart Cane 2, including news that it will soon be available from the Vision Store, shop.visionaustralia.org;
- Damo’s recent venture in to the world of Network Radio.
To access the program, presented by Stephen Jolley and Damo McMorrow you can go to varadio.org/talkingtech
To write to the show use damo.mcmorrow...
This week we cover:
- News of the WeWALK Smart Cane 2 with more information available at wewalk.io;
- A little about Damo’s YouTube channel, including how he produces content with explanation of overcoming the challenges involved for a person who is blind. Damo’s channel can be found at youtube.com/@theblindtestdrive;
- News of the Be My Eyes app, including the availability of a ‘read aloud’ feature.
&n...
This week we cover:
- Further news in the wake of the announcement of DeepSeek, the Chinese based AI tool;
- News of the Access On podcast of the American National Federation of the Blind feature on Blazie Technologies, blazietech.com;
- An explanation of the recently revamped Seeing Eye app from Microsoft;
- An explanation of the Invites app from Apple;
- A reminder of the Access Technology Help Desk service from Vision Australia.
This week Damo takes us through:
- Some highlights from last week’s updates to Apple software products;
- A recent experience with Notebook LM, a Google AI tool;
- Some points to keep in mind about DeepSeek, the new AI tool from China;
- An update to Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini, which may be of interest to those who use hearing aids.
To access the program, presented by Stephen Jolley and Damo McMorrow you can go to var...
This week we cover:
- Vision Australia’s Alexa Smart Home program enabling participants to gain skills with Amazon Alexa devices. Furtherr information can be found by emailing voiceassist@visionaustralia.org;
- Updates to the BT Speak from Blazie Technologies at blazietech.com and an associated podcast from Robert Carter (the Tech Doctor) athttps://www.dr-carter.com/?p=579;
- Updates to the Stella Trek GPS aid from Humanware w...
This week, while Damo continues his annual leave, Stephen chats with Jim Pipczak, Access Technology Lead with Vision Australia, based in Melbourne.
To access the program, presented by Stephen Jolley and Damo McMorrow you can go to varadio.org/talkingtech
To write to the show use damo.mcmorrow@visionaustralia.org
This week, while Damo continues his annual leave, Stephen chats with Kent Walsdorf, Access Technology Lead with Vision Australia, based in Geelong Victoria.
To access the program, presented by Stephen Jolley and Damo McMorrow you can go to varadio.org/talkingtech
To write to the show use damo.mcmorrow@visionaustralia.org
This week, from the Coorparoo Office in Brisbane, we feature a recent conversation Damo had with Kimberley Nean, a participant in the Vision Australia Graduate Program. Kimberley Takes us through her life long encounter with the twin challenges of deteriorating hearing and vision, with emphasis in particular on the use she has made with evolving access or assistive technologies.
To access the program, presented by Step...
This week, reflecting on the year of development with assistive technology Damo looks at :
breakthroughs with Smart Glasses with focus on the Meta and ARX Vision products;
Release of the pockets sized BTSpeak from Blazie Technologies and Orbit Speak from Orbit Research;
The release of the Dot Pad and Monarch multi line tactile braille displays;
The expansion of AI in particular Apple Intelligence and the FSCompanion and Ask M...
This week:
- Damo explain availability of Vision Australia Assistive Technology and Quantum RLV services over the holiday season;
- We complete the round up of Apple software released in mid December;
- Damo explains some of the technology he uses when relaxing and holidaying;
- With technology scammers particularly active at this time of the year, There are tips to help you avoids trouble from them.
To access the program...
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