Talking Technology with V I Labs

Assistive technology company Envision has announced new Ally Solos glasses in a bid to compete with Meta. The new glasses are initially priced at €399, and contain many of the features we’ve come to expect from smart glasses, such as the ability to read documents, describe surroundings, and listen to audio through the glasses connected to your phone.   In this extra podcast, David and Joe discuss...

Meta Glasses have been a major topic of conversation for blind people for a few months at this point, but unfortunately, those in Ireland were left out. Things are finally starting to change, however, so in this podcast we try out the Meta Glasses without a VPN in sight. Are wearables the next step forward for those who are blind or visually impaired? As well as our in-depth look at Meta Glasses,...

It’s fair to say that RTÉ Player has had ups and downs when it comes to accessibility over the years. With the European Accessibility Act now in full effect, though, the team at RTÉ seem to be rolling out major upgrades.  In this episode, we take a look at what’s new both on mobile and on the web, and discuss some of the audio-described content that’s available. In less positive media news, we dis...

On this episode of Talking Technology , we attend the Zero Limits Track Day in Mondello Park. We speak to those attending to get their views on the future possibility of self-driving cars and ask if this technology would be embraced by those with sight loss. David tries driving for the first time, and it turns out there’s hope for him yet as a getaway driver. What could possibly go wrong? Vision S...

The European Accessibility Act is now in full effect, but what does it mean exactly? Will it actually make a difference for those who are blind or visually impaired? This week on the show, we catch up with Vision Ireland’s new head of technology, Sean Doran, and head of sales at sister company Vially, Andrew Power, to learn about the European Accessibility Act and how companies are responding to i...

On this episode of Talking Technology, we’re playing a game of catch-up as we check in on all the voice notes you sent us in recent weeks. Comments include thoughts on our use of chapter markers, WhatsApp’s arrival on iPad, and the Sullivan+ app. We also catch up with Sean Breslin, who is providing audio descriptive commentary for Croke Park, and we have a statement from a lady with the coolest jo...

After a very successful demo day at the Wayfinding Centre in Dublin, lots of people share their feelings on Glide. Some loved the device and can’t wait to get one, while others ask what it means for the future of the guide dog. Does Glide risk making guide dog refusal more acceptable?  With Apple launching a new design across their platforms, we discuss how it will impact those with low vision. Ar...

On this episode of Talking Technology extra, we meet the team from Glide ahead of their demo day in Dublin. We take a trip to The Wayfinding Centre to meet Amos Miller and Luke Buckberrough (co founders of Glide’s parent company Glidance Inc.). They explain what the product is, discuss recent delays, and tell us about their ambitious vision for the future.   Would you use Glide? Send us a WhatsApp...

On this week’s Talking Technology, cofounder of Hable Freek van Welsenis discusses the company’s Hable One product and the Hable Easy. He tells us of the company’s aim to become a major player in the low-cost assistive technology space. In tech news, we hear about WhatsApp for iPad and a new partnership between Aira and Google.  And what’s your favourite podcast app? We want to hear about it. Send...

On this episode of Talking Technology, we are joined by Stuart Lawler who tells us all about the Paige Braille.  We discuss the latest accessibility features announced by Apple including accessibility reader and braille access, and in tech news we explore a new solution for training Deaf dogs. No, that’s not a typo.  We pay a visit to a school in Gorey to chat Braille with some SNAs, and is smart...

On today’s episode of Talking Technology with V I Labs, we are joined by Matt Ater, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Vespero.  Matt tells us about the latest in the world of Jaws, including updates to Jaws for Windows and how Jaws is installed on McDonald’s self-service kiosks in America. We also hear that Jaws will be moving into a subscription model for purchases around the world...

In this episode of Talking Technology, Joe shows us accessible streaming devices, including the Apple TV 4K and Amazon Fire Stick. How do these devices work for blind and low vision users? In tech news, we hear about exciting innovations from Samsung, as well as a new medical device aiming to help with dry eyes. After an RTÉ news report about an AI-powered talking tree, David and Joe ask if talkin...

On this episode of Talking Technology, we try the Hark AI reading machine from Humanware. Is it worth its hefty price tag? The Nintendo Switch 2 is getting a screen reader, and what if your AirPods could see? All that and more in tech news.  Daniel tells us about exciting updates for Android devices, and would you use Roy Keene as your screen reader voice? To provide feedback on the Consumer Prote...

On this episode of Talking Technology, we catch up with Karthik Kannan CTO at Envision to learn all about the new ally app. We discuss pricing, future plans, and the role of Envision Glasses in the Meta Ray-Ban world.  We hear your thoughts on AirTag and air fryers, and in tech news we explore a new collaboration aiming to make games more accessible. Join the conversation with a WhatsApp voice not...

This week on Talking Technology, we take a trip to Anaheim in California, as our very own Denis Nolan gives us a preview of CSUN 2025. Lucy Ashton joins us from Seable to discuss accessible holidays for the blind, and she tells us how technology is changing what people want from their holiday experience.  We’ve got updates on new apps from Envision, and do jaws users really want The New Insert J C...

This week on Talking Technology, we meet Elaine Power who joins the V I Labs team in the south east of the country.  We discuss the new iPhone 16 E as well as the death of the iPhone SE line, and we ask what we can expect from tomorrow’s announcement of the next generation Alexa. Send us a voice note with your thoughts now. The number you need is 086 199 0011. International listeners can use +353...

On this episode of Talking Technology , we chat with Ian McKinley about the new audio descriptive commentary being provided for Irish viewers of the Six Nations. He also discusses his own career and how visual impairment has changed the way he plays the game. We have loads of your comments and questions on everything from blood pressure monitors to video doorbells, and we discuss a bid from Elon M...

This week on Talking Technology we’re chatting all things accessible health and fitness. We explore some of the really cool supports available for blind and partially sighted customers at Slimming World, and we catch up with our colleagues at vision sports to discuss the accessibility of the gym. We have tons of your voice notes to get through, and in tech news we ask the question, could you be a...

This week on Talking Technology we  caught up with Andrew Flatres from HumanWare to discuss the monarch, a new device capable of displaying braille and tactile graphics. Andrew tells us about the really cool new capability’s of the device, and why they threw one down a metal staircase in Canada. Did we mention they cost £14,000? In tech news we discuss the impact of cuts to diversity, equity and i...

Technology is always moving forward. In this Episode David, Joe, Mairead and Daniel look back at the biggest stories of 2024, and bravely look forward into the great unknown that is 2025.  Support the show

Are David and Joe on the naughty or nice list? We speak to Santa in a desperate bid to find out.  We also discuss the AppleVis golden apple awards for 2024, and some of the movies and TV shows with audio description for the Christmas period. Support the show

We catch up with filip and Lukáš from Blindshell to learn all about the newly released Blindshell Classic 3. The team discuss why they changed direction on support for third-party apps, as well as their future plans for Classic 2 and 3.  In tech news we hear of an exciting win for young developer Maura Moore-McCune, and Huawei are rolling out a whole new screen reader.  finally, we take a look at...

On this weeks show we dive straight into your voice notes and explore the new Seeing AI feature for describing video. The Blindshell classic three makes an appearance in tech news and we say goodbye to the Apple headphone adapter. Support the show

This week we’re spead dating at Sight Village in London. How many stands can David talk to, and what familiar faces will he meet along the way? Jaws 2025 has been released, and Joe returns to correct the record and tell David off.  Send a voice note on WhatsApp now to 086 199 0011.  Support the show

On this week’s Talking Technology Mairead shows off the new features in braille screen input for iOS. Brian gives us a demo of the HumanWare Braille Note Touch, and Daniel is not a bitcoin millionaire. join the conversation with a WhatsApp voice note to 086 199 0011, or email content@vi.ie Support the show