Envision has announced it may wind down. If no partner takes the company on, active development of the Envision and Ally apps stops on December 31, 2026. Steven Scott and Shaun Preece read the Envision founders' statement in full and look at what it means for blind and low vision users, for people who own Ally Solos glasses, and for other smart glasses makers. The episode opens with a tribute to Brett Halle, the Apple engineer who helped build Mac OS X. Brett Halle died on October 1, 2026. His friend Ray, a fellow blind woodworker, wrote in to share the news. You'll hear clips from Brett's 2024 Double Tap interview: his early days at Apple, the NeXT acquisition, a memorable meeting with Steve Jobs, and his advice to treat new software like a video game and explore its edges. Darren also shares the sad news that longtime contributor Shahzad has died, and asks when Double Tap Live will reach TuneIn outside North America. Karthik and Karthik explain how Envision went from a free app to AI glasses and then Ally, and why they say the blind and low vision market tops out at around a million reachable users. Shaun says the bigger issue was trust, because customers kept writing in and hearing nothing back. The hosts ask what happens to the warranties on glasses people have already bought, and call for the software and firmware tools to be released as open source. Is this a warning sign for companies like AGIGA, whose EchoVision glasses face Meta, Samsung, Google and Apple? The hosts weigh paying a subscription against free features on Meta glasses, and Steven's very short prompts to Claude. Gordon explains how hashtags help Mastodon posts get seen, and John in London talks about Meta glasses, lens choices and how police sometimes mistake a long cane for a weapon. Chapters 0:00 – Intro0:46 – Remembering Brett Halle14:47 – Remembering Shahzad, and Double Tap Live on TuneIn17:55 – Envision's statement in full26:30 – Envision, trust and communication34:12 – A warning sign for AGIGA and blindness tech?43:16 – AI hallucinations, tokens and prompting47:44 – Getting seen on Mastodon with hashtags50:17 – Meta glasses, canes and the police Relevant Links Envision: https://www.letsenvision.comDouble Tap Live: https://doubletaponair.com/liveAGIGA EchoVision: https://agiga.aiMastodon: https://joinmastodon.org ---- Follow on: YouTube: https://www.doubletaponair.com/youtubeX (formerly Twitter): https://www.doubletaponair.com/xInstagram: https://www.doubletaponair.com/instagramTikTok: https://www.doubletaponair.com/tiktokThreads: https://www.doubletaponair.com/threadsFacebook: https://www.doubletaponair.com/facebookLinkedIn: https://www.doubletaponair.com/linkedinSubscribe to the Podcast: Apple: https://www.doubletaponair.com/appleSpotify: https://www.doubletaponair.com/spotifyRSS: https://www.doubletaponair.com/podcastiHeadRadio: https://www.doubletaponair.com/iheartAbout Double Tap Hosted by the insightful duo, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece, Double Tap is a treasure trove of information for anyone who's blind or partially sighted and has a passion for tech. Steven and Shaun not only demystify tech, but they also regularly feature interviews and welcome guests from the community, fostering an interactive and engaging environment. Tune in every day of the week, and you'll discover how technology can seamlessly integrate into your life, enhancing daily tasks and experiences, even if your sight is limited. "Double Tap" is a registered trademark of Double Tap Productions Inc. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.