Talking Technology with V I Labs

On the show this week we find out about Sight Tech Global 2022, a virtual, free, and highly accessible event on December 7 and 8 that convenes some of the world’s top experts working on inclusive tech, especially AI, for people who are blind or visually impaired. To find out more about what’s in store we are joined by Brian Fischler, comedian, podcaster, and host of this year’s Sight Tech Global c...

From video doorbells to smart lighting, this week on Talking Technology we share our top tips for keeping your home safe through the benefits of smart home technology. Next up it’s product reviews as we put the latest iPhone SE mobile phone and Apple AirPods Pro 2 under the microscope and tell you our thoughts on both products. Finally, with Black Friday 2022 only around the corner, we bring you o...

Since its initial release in 1995, JAWS has evolved to become the screen reader of choice for millions of visually impaired computer users around the world. On Talking Technology this week we are delighted to welcome Matt Ater, Vice President of Enterprise Sales from Vispero who produce the JAWS screen reader, ZoomText magnifier and Fusion, which combines JAWS with ZoomText. Matt shares with us a...

For nearly 200 years, the tactile reading system of Braille has enabled people of all ages that are blind or vision impaired to read and write. Yet in an age where synthetic speech and audiobooks are widely available, just how relevant is Braille in the modern world? Where can someone learn Braille and what sort of Braille products are available to those who read it? In celebration of National Bra...

This week we explore the rise in popularity of the free, open source, screen reader NVDA from NV Access. From its beginnings in 2006, NVDA is now used in over 120 countries and has been translated into more than 50 languages. Telling us all about the original inspiration behind NVDA and latest updates we are delighted to welcome back to the show Quentin Christianson, Training and Support Manager w...

On the show this week our attention first turns to Identity Providers (IDPs), which are used to store and verify user identity. Vittorio Bertocci is a Principal Architect for the Identity Provider Auth0 and joins us on the show to tell how this technology works and how Auth0 came to provide accessible logins for a number of NCBI’s platforms including www.ncbi.ie and the myNCBI SmartHub on Alexa an...

On the show this week we’re delighted to welcome Óran O’Neill, Audio Description Producer within Access Services at RTÉ, Ireland’s public Broadcaster. Óran tells us about his role as a sound engineer, the availability of Audio Description in RTÉ television, and informs us of several important accessibility improvements recently introduced to the RTÉ player app.   What are the most accessible strea...

In this week’s episode of Talking Technology we speak to Alan Kiernan, the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Cation Consulting. Based in Dublin, Cation develops software that runs on Amazon Web Services (AWS). Alan tells us about the work Cation did to develop the myNCBI SmartHub, their work with other organisations, and how voice-activation is changing our day-to-day lives. Next our atten...

In the latest episode of Talking Technology with NCBI Labs we explore the Envision AI Smart Glasses, a smart wearable device designed to assist blind and visually impaired people with performing a huge variety of tasks independently. Lightweight and designed to be worn all day, Envision Glasses provide access all kinds of visual information around the user. They can be used to recognise and speak...

Apple recently revealed exciting news at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, WWDC 2022, giving us a glimpse at the highly-anticipated iOS 16, the M2 chip, a new MacBook Air, and much more. There was even talk of the popular Eloquence voice in JAWS coming to Apple devices. On Talking Technology this week we are joined by Dave Nason from the Editorial Team in Apple Vis to find out about the...

“There are no limits to what people can achieve when technology reflects the diversity of everyone who uses it” ~ Microsoft Asia Pacific chief partner officer Vivek Puthucode In Episode 10 of Talking Technology with NCBI Labs we are joined by Microsoft Accessibility Evangelist for Europe, Middle East, and Africa Hector Minto and Jeremy Curry who is on the enterprise Disability Answer Desk (eDAD) t...

On the show today we are delighted to introduce listeners to the myNCBI SmartHub. Launching today on Global Accessibility Awareness Day, the myNCBI SmartHub is an Alexa Skill and Google Action that facilitates direct communications with NCBI, bringing NCBI services and content into the homes of people with sight loss through an affordable smart speaker. From finding out about the range of services...

We have entered an age of a professionalised internet with high expectations for accessible websites and mobile applications. On the show this week we are delighted to introduce listeners to Inclusion and Accessibility Labs, a spin-out company from the NCBI. IA Labs Co-Founder Kyran O’Mahoney, and Adele Buliman, QA and Customer Success Lead, tell us about the work the team is doing to drive forwar...

In the modern inclusive teaching space, Braille is key to a vision impaired student’s reading and writing skills, enabling them to master the rules of spelling, punctuation, grammar in a script created for them to access text, mathematics, music, and other information. On the show this week we speak with several guests about their experience learning Braille and the empowering role it has played i...

On the show this week we are joined by Amir Slapak, Senior Business Development Manager with Israeli-based company Silentium, to find out about pioneering Active Noise Cancellation technology being developed to enhance sound quality and cut out distraction in all sorts of environments. We are joined by Samsung Galaxy user Kerie Doyle who shares with us her experience using the Commentary Screen Re...

This week on the show we check out key highlights from Apple's recent Peek Performance Event that introduced us to several new products including a new iPhone SE with A15 Bionic Chip, a new iPad Air with M1 Chip, a powerful new Mac desktop called Mac Studio, and a new professional monitor called the Mac Studio Display. Clearly Apple’s first major media event of the year was very much characte...

The screen reader has for many years been an essential piece of software for people with sight loss who wish to read text that is displayed on a computer or mobile phone screen through speech output. On the show this week we compare and contrast two popular screen readers for Microsoft Windows, NVDA from NV Access and JAWS from Freedom Scientific. We explain the difference between both, and what b...

In our technology podcasts we always strive to keep our finger on the pulse when it comes to finding out about the latest trends and developments in emerging technology for people with sight loss.    In 2020 the so-called ‘Jedi Glove’ was developed by medics and engineers at the Clinical Science Institute in NUI, Galway. This ultrasonic glove was designed to help wearers navigate their environment...

First up this week, with Safer Internet Day taking place this year on Tuesday 8th February we take time to highlight some of the ways we can stay safe online.    Next we check out the recently released Amazon Echo Show 15. Described as a big Alexa display for your wall, this is the largest smart display yet from Amazon and offers a range of built-in accessibility features for people who are blind...

Our Live Event Podcasts return this year with a brand new name – Talking Technology with NCBI Labs. On the show this week we first explore the rapidly evolving area of 3D Printing. We find out how 3D printing works and what tools and materials are used to create 3D models. From applications in healthcare, transport, construction, music, and more, this technology is extremely versatile and, when it...

Wishing all our listeners a very Happy New Year. For almost 200 years, Braille has transformed the lives of many people with sight loss. It has promoted equal opportunities and opened doors to literacy, education, and employment. In recognition of World Braille Day taking place today 4th January, our first Live Event of 2022 is dedicated entirely to the tactile writing system of Braille. What is e...

We have lots coming up in what will be our final Live Event of 2021. To start off, it’s competition time as we give away an Amazon Echo smart speaker to one lucky listener. Next, we’re very exciting to tell you about the brand-new BlindShell Classic 2. An updated version of the internationally popular BlindShell Classic, this is a fully accessible phone for the blind and visually impaired communit...

On this weeks live event, we talk about the Black Friday deals available this year, both online and in-store. We feature deals on smart speakers, wifi extenders, apple devices, and Orcam products, and even show how you can use your Amazon Echo to search for deals. Also on the show, we talk to Leonie Watson, director of Tetralogical, about W3C and WCAG 2.1 guidelines, as well as the notable develop...

On the show this week we find out about a new daily weather forecast podcast that has been launched by Met Éireann. The podcast offers a convenient and accessible way to find out the weather forecast if you are on the move and is also available through your smart speaker. To find out more we are joined by Evelyn Cusack, head of forecasting with Met Éireann, and Joanne Walker, Senior meteorological...

On today’s show, we talk about the rise of subscription based services in recent years. We discuss the various businesses that offer subscription options currently, and discuss the pros and cons for the end user. Additionally, in our series of end-user reviews, Brian Manning tells us how he uses his Dot Watch, and give us his opinion on it. Support the show (https://www.ncbi.ie/supporting-us/donat...