Comments on: SeroTalk Extra: Tech Chat Edition

By: Beth

Beth — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 03:03:12 +0000

In another podcast last year, Mike said something about Windows Phone having Samnet on it, this topic was not mentioned in the most current “Extras” podcast but it goes along with the mobile theme. Please, Mike, tell us more about this. Thanks. Beth

By: BlindEducator

BlindEducator — Wed, 08 Apr 2015 15:01:25 +0000

After listening to the podcast, a few questions pop out.
1. How can the Pebble be compared to the AppleWatch when they are 2 different things? By the way matt described the Pebble, and Mike carried on about it. They made it sound as it is a smart ban and not a watch. And even though accessibility wasn’t mentioned in the Apple keynotes. As most times it isn’t. You know it will have accessibility. Can we say the same about the Pebble. And as I mentioned in an AudioBoom back in September October time. The battery of a product will be as good as the user makes it. All the bench marks presented for a product on a keynote. Is in a controlled environment. So the 18 hours was given with someone constantly moving. other then a few blind people. Can you really see all that requires accessibility be as active as the people used to demo the product?

2. If the AppleWatch is this shiny new thing that may or may not work, What then is the Amazon Echo which is still in beta and can be said the same as the AppleWatch? Specially with Amazon’s track record that some of their products aren’t with us any more. Like the Fire Phone. And the Echo was demonstrated in the podcast.

Over all, it was a good podcast, and Joe was right, at times I did want to yell at the round table of presenters. Specially, as I mentioned it in my blog. The whole thing sounded as if you were all going by a script and when one would go off that script. Mike would pose a question to get back on the script, and then it sounded as if a deer was caught by headlights. Hope, Derek, and Matt sounded as if they were shooting off the hip, but there were times. That when being challenged by Mike, Hope kind of wanted to take a couple of things back. Even though it was a pretty good informative podcast. It was pretty lengthy and way too many people and stuff presented. Thank you for reading.

By: Beth

Beth — Wed, 08 Apr 2015 14:10:34 +0000

I wrote to the APH BP18 list and got a very interesting response to the question of the future of that and I assume also similar android phones slash notetakers for the blind: The difference in normal phones and the bp18 is that, if desired, the screen reader can be implanted in the system and the internals of the device can be changed. Beth

By: Beth

Beth — Wed, 08 Apr 2015 14:00:44 +0000

If third party screen readers will someday die, what about note takers? Also, it was stated that Apple, though not an A T vendor, is providing access, since there is no room for third party innovation. Though not an Apple user, I have read and listened to podcasts enough to question where Apple came up with VoiceOver, were blind people consulted during the planning and testing stages, I assume they were and still are. Well, VoiceOver is very inefficient, in my opinion, compared to Windows. I’m concerned about how A T will fare regarding efficiency in the years ahead. Beth

By: Beth

Beth — Wed, 08 Apr 2015 00:32:23 +0000

I so enjoyed the show on the future of tech, fascinating stuff! Laugh if you will but, for years, I have wondered why there has never, at least to my knowledge, been cell phone availability on PCs. No, you wouldn’t hold it to your face, it would be assumed that you would use a speakerphone function or some kind of headset. Would someone please tell me: Why hasn’t this been done? Why not have a SIM card in a PC or some other means of cellular technology? Thanks and keep up the great work! Beth