Talking Technology with V I Labs

It’s a packed Show today as David and Joe listen to some of the voice notes sent in to the Show recently. Topics include everything from Elon Musk‘s Blindsight device to the accessibility of the new digital census.  We speak to Ed Harper about some of the tech helping him run his Goat Farm without sight, and he tells us about a really cool solution called no fence. Technology news features robotic...

In the latest episode of Talking Technology the team discuss all the latest updates from Apple‘s new iOS 18 release and ask the question why aren’t we getting Apple Intelligence in Ireland for ages. Cobalt join us to talk about some of the appliances in Their range, and share their views on smart tech as the company turns 40.  David and Joe listen to your voice notes learning all about the Pan Pic...

In this weeks Talking Technology we’ve assembled a super panel of accessibility experts to chat about Apples GlowTime event. From new iPhones and Apple watches to AirPods becoming hearing aids, we discuss it all and share if we will be upgrading. In Tech News we chat about winning free Jaws licences, and with €13.1 billion hanging around following the Apple tax ruling, Daniel feels Talking Technol...

From adjusting the fridge temperature using a smart phone app to controlling your oven with Alexa, in this podcast we explore the power of a kitchen built to be smart and accessible. Things aren’t all sunshine and roses however as we explore the safety concerns with smart hobs and Quooker taps.  We’ve got the new Virgin Media Play app And allegedly fake accessibility advocates in tech news, and we...

Wow, sometimes stories come along that you just don’t expect. David and Joe share their thoughts now with a special episode of Talking Technology Extra, as Be My Eyes acquire AppleVis.  Support the show

Joe has got solar panels on his house, but is the app accessible? What’s the process like? We talk all that and more in this super sustainable episode of Talking Technology. Elaine Slator from the Vision Ireland retail team tells us about the online efforts in the charity shop space, and how you can get some preloved goodies.  We chat accessible gaming in tech news, and head down under for a sunsh...

On this weeks Talking Technology David and Joe discuss the Meta smart glasses. As OrCam become the first big AI glasses maker to leave the assistive technology space, what do the Meta glasses tell us for the future.  With the Bord Gas Energy theatre gearing up for an audio described performance of Wicked, we chat to them to ask how it all works.  Be My Eyes discuss data sharing in tech news, and w...

On this weeks talking technology we talk to the team behind the new Vision Ireland Bookshare skill on Alexa, and we’ll also give you a demo where you’ll get an insight into David’s favourite book. With the announcement of blind Barbie dolls, we ask the question does Barbie need a screen reader now? We discuss audio description in the upcoming Olympics and some super cool tactile tools in the kitch...

This week on Talking Technology we dive deeper into description app PiccyBot with its developer Martijn van der Spek. With David not finding much use for PiccyBot last time we spoke about it on Quick Picks, will he be eating his words? In tech news we tell you about a new service launching for Vision Ireland Bookshare users as well as checking out a ton of announcements from Aira.  Support the sho...

We kick off the show this week by sharing your voice notes on a range of topics, from AfterShokz headphones to accessible dating apps.   Next, we dive into the world of Audio Described Sports Commentary, a service that brings all the excitement of live football to fans with sight loss. Shamrock Rovers FC audio described commentator Phelim Warren joins us to explain how he's making this possib...

Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference took place last night so David Nason joins us to talk about all that’s new with Apple's platforms.  In Talking Technology news we discuss Vision Ireland‘s response to the issues visually impaired students had with digital exam papers, as well as chatting about a government dating app in Japan making citizens sign marriage letters.  We also discuss...

Ahead of the upcoming local and European Elections this Friday, June 7th, we explore accessible voting options and the potentials of technology for people with sight loss. Brian Dawson, Communications and Public Engagement Manager at The Electoral Commission, joins us to tell us more. We learn about an interesting use case of Aira shared by one of our listeners and discuss the launch of Be My AI,...

On the show today we speak with Brian about a Braille morning that was held in UCC and discuss how digital Braille can be used in education. We play more of your voice notes and hear from Deirdre Maddin who is the outreach worker for the Disability Support Service in UCC about the services they offer students. Interested in learning Braille through your smartphone? Mairead discusses apps for learn...

Apple has just announced new upgrades for their iPad Air and iPad Pro. The V I Labs team discuss what’s new, and what it all means for those with sight loss.  Support the show

The power and potential of AI have featured more and more in the news as of late. From text and document analysis to image creation, the possibilities of AI for people with sight loss are endless. And now, AI is starting to enter the music space. On today's show, we share an album created entirely using AI and ask the question: "Would you give AI-generated music a chance?" Support t...

On the show this week we catch up with Everette Bacon, Vice President of Blindness Initiatives at Aira Technologies to find out about the inspiration behind this popular app, how it works, and future developments including the new Access AI Feature. Voice Dream Reader, the highly regarded text-to-speech reading app, was set to be the latest beloved app to adopt a subscription model. But now that’s...

On the show this week, David and Joe have a listen to all of your voice notes, and Joe gives us a tour of the accessibility features on the Samsung S90C Smart TV.  We share all the latest tech news including a groundbreaking audio description research study, and explore the world of Siri Shortcuts in Quick Picks.  Join the conversation by sending an email to content@VI.ie or send us a WhatsApp voi...

On the show this week we check out the Vision Buddy, an innovative TV-watching system for the visually impaired, featuring HD streaming and magnification. CEO Zack Afridi joins us to unveil the latest updates to the 4th Generation of this product. We reveal the standout results of the 10th WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey and discuss the versatility of Energrid’s accessible power banks, perfect fo...

Lightweight and designed to be worn all day, Envision AI Smart Glasses provide access to all kinds of information to the vision-impaired user. Joining us on the show to tell us more is Envision's co-founder and Chief Technical Officer, Karthik Kannan. We explore the latest member of Amazon’s Echo family, the Echo Pop, featuring Alexa voice control, smart home integration and a more budget-fri...

This week we tell you about a brand-new way that you can interact with Talking Technology. You can now send us a voice note on WhatsApp by using the number 086 199 0011. We can’t wait to hear your thoughts.  We also unbox the new Talking air fryer from Cobolt. Could this be the most accessible air fryer yet? It’s audio description from Google and Safer Internet Day in tech news. And we chat more a...

This week on Talking Technology David and Joe discuss all the big news from CES 2024 which took place in recent weeks. JP attended the BT Young Scientist exhibition and we hear from one of its visually impaired contributors.  It’s accessible gaming and noodles in tech news this week, and David becomes the Voice of a Talking Calculator in Quick Picks.  We also have an appearance from a random Rabbi...

Join us as we celebrate Braille Literacy Month and dive into the world of Braille in our daily lives!   Mairead starts the conversation by exploring the presence of Braille in everyday places and the benefits of using Braille labelling. Next, Brian shares his personal Braille experience when ordering from a menu and reading Braille subtitles on his favourite Netflix shows. Wrapping up the episode,...

In this episode of Talking Technology, we take a trip down memory lane to look back at the biggest stories of 2023. We also look ahead to see what 2024 might have in store.  We hope you all had a great Christmas. Enjoy the new year's festivities and we’ll be back on January 9th. Support the show

In this festive episode of Talking Technology, we first chat with Dave Nason, CX Accessibility Manager at Sky Ireland, about the latest in Sky product accessibility, including voice guidance on Sky Glass TV and Sky Stream. Exciting news for Android users as Seeing AI and Be My AI hit the Play Store, closing the accessibility gap with iOS. Join us as we discuss what this means for vision-impaired A...

In this episode of Talking Technology, we dive into the Envision AI Smart Glasses—an innovative wearable device designed to assist blind and visually impaired people with performing a huge variety of tasks independently. Priyanka Srivastava from Envision AI joins us to explore its capabilities, from recognising text to describeing objects, people, colours, and more. Also this week, Vision Ireland...