Technically Working

Damashe Thomas and Michael Babcock

"Welcome to 'Technically Working', the go-to podcast for tech enthusiasts and productivity seekers alike. Hosts Michael Babcock and Damashe Thomas take you on a journey through the ever-evolving world of technology and productivity. As Mac OS and iPhone users, they share their personal experiences and tips on staying productive while using these tools. But they don't stop there - they also explore other platforms like Android and Windows to bring you a comprehensive view of the tech landscape. Tune in each episode to hear them keep each other accountable, discuss the latest tools and strategies, and share their journey to reaching their goals. Whether you're a small business owner, freelancer, or simply looking to boost your productivity, 'Technically Working' is the perfect podcast for anyone looking to level up their tech skills and get things done."

  1. 1 dag geleden

    Our Access Is Not Your Excuse

    Michael and Damashe are back after St. Louis with an episode that runs long on opinions. Michael shares early Earshot numbers, explains why he is building iCloud sync with privacy defined up front, and walks through why the iOS simulator makes VoiceOver testing nearly impossible. Damashe lays out his solution for Meta and everyone else building smart glasses: stop using disabled people to justify features you should not ship the way you are shipping them. Also in this episode: switching from Terminal to the Codex app, whether Stage Manager could replace virtual desktops, Todoist versus Reminders, the trick to actually remembering names, and a plan to smoke chili on Sunday. In this episode Recapping the shortest show they have ever published, recorded in person in St. Louis Earshot on the App Store: 249 downloads, 40 subscriptions, and zero marketing so far Why Michael is cautious about third party subscription analytics and what data is actually available in App Store Connect The tradeoffs of Apple standing between developers and customers iCloud sync coming to Earshot: library, queue, play position, and bookmarks, with the help screen spelling out exactly what gets stored Stress testing with an OPML file of 1,100 feeds and an inbox that pulls in 3,000 episodes every other day Refresh performance and where concurrent feed checking comes in Why Michael is not asking for reviews inside the app, and Damashe's case against review prompts that interrupt you The VoiceOver experience in the iOS simulator, and why "heading, heading, heading" made Michael start pushing developer builds straight to his phone What this means for sighted developers who want to build accessible apps Accessible screen sharing on the Mac, the voice pitch quirk, and canceling a remote access subscription Damashe's take on smart glasses, person recognition, and why contacts should be the boundary instead of a social graph Whether AI should describe people at all Saying someone's name five times so you actually remember it Michael's move from Terminal to the Codex app, plus a good experience with Claude Cowork Could Stage Manager work as a virtual desktop for a VoiceOver user? Neither of them knows, so tell them Beta features in shipped builds, and using smaller TestFlight groups to absorb schema migrations Todoist, Reminders, Fantastical, and getting AI chats to file reminders for you Perspective Tasks as a free option worth a look What an operating system might look like if it were just an edit box, and why Damashe is not sold Links and mentions Earshot on the App Store Perspective Tasks by Michael Doise and Taylor Arndt Stage Manager on macOS: if you use it with VoiceOver, they want to hear from you Get in touch Email the show at feedback@technicallyworking.show Michael on Mastodon: https://dragonscave.space/@payown Damashe on Mastodon: https://technically.social/@damashe The show bot: https://technically.social/@tw Use the hashtag #TechnicallyWorking, and capitalize the T and the W so screen readers say it correctly. Support the show One time tips and monthly subscriptions are both available at https://technicallyworking.show, under the support us link. Shout out to subscriber number one, whoever you are. Support Technically Working by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/technically-working Find out more at https://technically-working.pinecast.co Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/technically-working/e17aa084-39fd-42ce-80f4-6cc75c61081a Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-431b7d for 40% off for 4 months, and support Technically Working.

  2. 10 aug

    Live from BITS HQ: Earshot Hits the App Store

    Michael and Damashe record live from the ACB Convention in St. Louis, in a suite generously loaned by Larry Watkinson and Kayla. This one is a room full of people, a passed microphone, and a lot of new tech announcements. The two hosts also met in person for the first time this week. Handshakes, no hugs. In this episode Earshot was accepted into the Apple App Store during convention week. Michael is now officially an app developer, which is still a little strange to say out loud. Taylor Arndt, COO of Techopolis, walks through Start Testing, a project she has been building for three years. It handles bugs, issues, and tasks, syncs with GitHub, and can pull in TestFlight feedback. There is a free plan for a single solo project, and a new Techopolis for Open Source tier at $3 a month or $30 a year for three projects and three contributors. Their AI agent, Lyra, can turn a long transcript into a full set of issues and a working plan. Michael Doise from Techopolis introduces Start Navigating, released the same day. It is a free indoor navigation app that lets you record a route from point A to point B, add markers along the way, and follow it later using compass directions, step counts, and ARKit. There is route recovery if you are not standing at the start, plus early support for sharing routes to a public database so others can download them. Think elevator to Starbucks, recorded once and shared with everyone arriving later in the week. Jeff Bishop gives an overview of BITS, the Blind Information Technology Solutions, a 501c3 affiliated with ACB focused on training, mentoring, and encouraging people to build things. He also talks about BITS Connect, the new iOS app built with Techopolis, which brings members and non-members alike into one place. Also in this episode: the BITS Blinky, barbecue at Sugar Fire, a review of the mac and cheese, and why the Simple PTT radios made convention comms much better this year. Gear used for this episode Zoom H6 Studio, Audio-Technica AT2005 for Michael, Shure Beta 87A for Damashe, both wired XLR. The XLR cables were paid for by tip jar supporters, so thank you. Links Start Testing Start Testing pricing Perspective Apps, including Start Navigating Michael on Mastodon Damashe on Mastodon The TW bot Email: feedback@technicallyworking.show Hashtag: #TechnicallyWorking Thanks to Larry and Kayla for the space, and to everyone who crowded into the room to be part of it. Support Technically Working by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/technically-working Find out more at https://technically-working.pinecast.co Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/technically-working/129cf90e-8ee0-4f7c-a26f-43be35a5a511 Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-431b7d for 40% off for 4 months, and support Technically Working.

  3. 3 aug ·  Bonus

    Our Perspective

    Feed Drop Hey, we're sharing the first episode of Our Perspective, while Damashe waits for the recording gear to arrive to his house for episode 174. Enjoy and subscribe to our perspective. Support Technically Working by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/technically-working Find out more at https://technically-working.pinecast.co Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/technically-working/a60ff80b-0414-497a-97f3-b3f2534225d4 Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-431b7d for 40% off for 4 months, and support Technically Working.

  4. 27 jul

    Time Is Just a Construct

    Episode summary Michael has submitted Earshot to App Review, leading to a tour through App Store Connect’s confusing controls and an expedited-review form that required sighted assistance. He is also stress-testing Start Posting, a Mastodon scheduling tool designed with screen-reader users in mind, while both hosts prepare for ACB in St. Louis and consider an evening meetup. Damashe previews the A. T. Guys booth lineup, including cane pouches, the Dot Pad, Zoom audio gear, large-print keyboards, and the Shokz OpenFit 2+. From there, the conversation moves to AirPods and Find My, Michael’s missing earbud, filling in on Double Tap, possible cameras in future AirPods, football streaming, over-the-air DVRs, and the NAS Damashe will eventually have to buy. In this episode 0:00 – Recording late and attempting a short show 0:58 – Earshot enters App Review 1:38 – App Store Connect and the expedited-review process 4:09 – Start Posting and Michael’s Mastodon routine 5:40 – St. Louis barbecue and ACB meetup plans 9:10 – World Cup visitors discover Costco and Buc-ee’s 10:53 – Reviewing the Politics Politics Politics podcast 13:46 – ACB booth inventory, demonstration units, and shipping 14:33 – How the cane pouches are designed 17:20 – Dot Pad, Zoom recorders, and large-print keyboards 18:48 – Why Damashe likes the Shokz OpenFit 2+ 20:18 – AirPods and Find My quirks 22:30 – Michael’s missing AirPod Pro 25:45 – Michael fills in on Double Tap 28:26 – Could future AirPods include cameras? 30:18 – Heat, humidity, and remembering to hydrate 31:50 – Football streaming and NFL Sunday Ticket 32:48 – Over-the-air television, Channels DVR, and NAS hardware 35:00 – Listener feedback, Mastodon, and meeting up in St. Louis Call for feedback Damashe is looking for firsthand experiences with UGREEN NASync systems and current Synology hardware. Send your recommendations, warnings, and preferred NAS configurations. If you are in St. Louis during ACB and would like to meet after 5 p.m., reach out by email or Mastodon. Mentioned in this episode App Store Connect Techopolis — home of Start Posting 2026 ACB Conference and Convention A. T. Guys Dot Pad Zoom PodTrak P4next Zoom H5studio Zoom H1 XLR Zoom H6studio Shokz OpenFit 2+ Apple Find My Politics Politics Politics Double Tap Channels HDHomeRun UGREEN NASync Synology NAS products Support the show Support Technically Working through the Tip Jar. Thanks to everyone who already supports the show. Find us Email: feedback@technicallyworking.show Michael on Mastodon: @payown@dragonscave.space Damashe on Mastodon: @damashe@technically.social Technically Working bot: @tw@technically.social Follow the conversation using #TechnicallyWorking, with a capital T and W. Support Technically Working by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/technically-working Find out more at https://technically-working.pinecast.co Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/technically-working/d52462c8-c436-450c-8c45-d4f545a52e19 Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-431b7d for 40% off for 4 months, and support Technically Working.

  5. 21 jul

    That Beep Is a Showstopper

    Michael has Echo Vision glasses in for testing, and before he can say much about how they work, there is the beep. A loud, high-pitched beep every time the glasses go into the case or come back out. Damashe tries to be reasonable about it. It does not last long. From there the show goes AI-heavy: Fable's possible expiration, sub-agents that write themselves, a Cloudflare Workers email parser, and the Claude for Chrome extension. In this episode Echo Vision first impressions: the beep, the four-beep battery check, and the tiny sticker on the bridge that keeps them from charging out of the box The setup problem, where the app knows an update is available but the update button is dimmed and there is no obvious way to connect to Wi-Fi Why convention is the real test for any connected device Earshot build 151 is live on TestFlight with monetization: monthly, annual, and lifetime options plus three tip jar levels under Help and About Damashe's request for a plain "What's New" section alongside Kashe's story Fable's expected expiration, the rumor about it moving to the higher plans, and the temporary usage increases at claude.ai/settings/usage Damashe built an email parser on Cloudflare Workers to replace Parcel's removed email forwarding, with a Sonnet fallback when parsing fails. Open source release coming after a security pass Telling Claude it is too expensive to do research, and watching it spin up a Sonnet-powered docs sub-agent on the fly Claude's screen reader mode (claude --ax-screen-reader) and the menu change that trips you up: press the number, then press Enter Using the Claude for Chrome extension to get through Cloudflare's redesigned interface Michael switched from Fable to Codex, plus a workaround for pasting long terminal output into Fable on the web Making podcast content readable by AI: MCP servers, markdown endpoints, and whether SEO plugins handle any of it Techopolis is building starttesting.net, plus a Buffer-style social scheduling tool in the spirit of Meet Edgar Substack lets you export subscriber emails and takes 13 percent. A shoutout to Matt at Pinecast for not doing weird things with the tip jar 40,481 downloads and counting. Thank you for sharing the show Convention plans: Michael is in St. Louis the 22nd through the 1st, Damashe the 25th through the 29th Links Claude for Chrome: https://claude.ai/chrome Start Testing: https://starttesting.net Tip jar and supporters: https://technicallyworking.show Contact us Email: feedback@technicallyworking.show Michael: https://dragonscave.space/@payown Damashe: https://technically.social/@damashe The show bot: https://technically.social/@tw Or use #TechnicallyWorking and we will see it Support Technically Working by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/technically-working Find out more at https://technically-working.pinecast.co Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/technically-working/3d7709cf-3571-42be-897a-4d2e99a52867 Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-431b7d for 40% off for 4 months, and support Technically Working.

  6. 13 jul

    We Also Do Interiors

    Technically Working 171: We Also Do Interiors Episode summary Michael and Damashe finally come clean about the interior design business they have been running in secret. Damashe weighs a Comcast contract against fiber that has not arrived yet. Michael downgrades his Claude plan, turns Claude into a marketing assistant, and moves Earshot closer to the App Store. Plus Braille inside the box of the new glasses, the Orbit Player getting Bard support, hotel status hacking, and travel tips ahead of St. Louis. In this episode VoiceOver volume levels and why the number changes depending on headphones, kids, and mixers (0:00) Damashe's internet dilemma: AT&T fiber with no timeline, Comcast at $150 a month for a symmetrical gig, and a one year contract with a $35 per month early termination fee (0:31) Running a contract past AI before you sign it, and why pressure tactics do not work (5:36) Starlink through US Mobile as a possible temporary option (28:11) The interior design confession, and the emails that started it (13:10) A new marketing idea: pull episode teasers off the staging site, have AI read them dramatically, and post the clips (14:00) Word of mouth is working. Running into listeners at NFB in Austin (15:42) The new glasses arrive, still in the case, but there was Braille inside the box (17:03) ChatGPT's iOS app loses its headings, and Michael heads back to Claude (21:11) Downgrading from $100 to $20 on Claude and experimenting with Ollama Cloud (30:34) Hands on with the Orbit Player, and Bard support arriving on the 15th (22:28) Earshot monetization takes shape: Earshot Plus, a tip jar, App Store Connect setup, tax forms, and the 15 percent versus 30 percent form (33:20) Earshot gets a shout out on Double Tap in a segment about useful vibe coded tools (35:15) Marriott Bonvoy, Uber One, and the free coffee economy of lounge access (44:47) ACB Convention is across all 10 streams. Listen at acbmedia.org, and calendar events populate to the 2026 Conference and Convention button in the ACB Link app (53:03) Still hunting for good barbecue in St. Louis. Beef ribs or brisket preferred (38:20) Airport assistance: do you check the box when booking, or just show up and ask? Using Aira, calling a friend, and deciding when to just walk to the gate yourself (1:03:18) Visualize Access and using pre trip airport orientation to skip the wait (1:08:03) Call for feedback We want your travel tips. Packing, navigating new spaces, dealing with airports and assistance requests. Send them to feedback@technicallyworking.show. Mentioned in this episode ACB Media: acbmedia.org ACB Link app, 2026 Conference and Convention section Double Tap podcast Orbit Player Bard (Braille and Audio Reading Download) Graphic Audio: graphicaudio.net Aira Visualize Access Cooper's BBQ and Taco Deli, Austin Brailsmith Support the show Tip jar supporters get early access. Head to technicallyworking.show and activate the Support Us link. Find us Feedback: feedback@technicallyworking.show Michael on Mastodon: @payown@dragonscave.space Damashe on Mastodon: @damashe@technically.social Show bot: @tw@technically.social Hashtag: #TechnicallyWorking Want the social posts and Substack version next? Support Technically Working by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/technically-working Find out more at https://technically-working.pinecast.co Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/technically-working/985010bb-1515-4599-818a-2e5a0a706b5f Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-431b7d for 40% off for 4 months, and support Technically Working.

  7. 4 jul

    Technically Working Episode 170: Turn the Right Knob, People Hear You

    Audio Gear Talk Damashe kicks off with an audio interface mishap. He shipped most of his demo gear to Austin for the NFB National Convention, including his usual recorder, and had to quickly set up the Zoom H5 Studio instead. After a few minutes of confusion over gain knobs, the fix turned out to be simple: turn the right one. He walks through his thoughts on the Zoom H1, H4, H5 Studio, H6, H6 Studio, and P4next, covering which ones he prefers and why (mainly manual gain control over digital menus). Claude Remote Control Coding Michael shares his experience using Claude's remote control feature while traveling in Vegas. He pushed eight TestFlight builds for Earshot from his phone while away from his laptop, sending prompts, reviewing bug reports, and even having Claude message a friend to check on his machine. Claude also handled app signing certificates without Michael physically present to approve it. They talk through when remote control coding actually makes sense versus when it is overkill. Fable Access and Model Usage A quick discussion on Anthropic's Fable model, its usage costs compared to Opus 4.8, and the tip of using a cheaper model like Sonnet to draft prompts before handing them to a more expensive model for the actual work. Recording and Editing Mishaps Damashe accidentally rendered a recording at sped up playback speed while editing in Reaper, cutting an hour long file down to 39 minutes. They also compare notes on Alphonic's redesigned interface. Packing for Travel With ACB National Convention and NFB Convention both coming up, Michael and Damashe compare packing strategies. Topics include suitcase versus tank roll, packing cubes, folded outfit pouches, and Damashe's strong opinion on four wheeled suitcases over two wheeled ones. Streaming Service Frustrations A shared rant on subscription price increases, particularly Amazon Prime adding ads to Prime Video and raising prices for features nobody asked for, plus general annoyance with Apple's constant upsell notifications. Listener Question: Buying a Windows Laptop Longtime listener Chad wrote in asking for laptop advice ahead of a new purchase meant to last five to seven years. Michael and Damashe recommend: Snapdragon (ARM based) processors over Intel or AMD if budget allows 16GB RAM minimum, 24 to 32GB if affordable 512GB storage as a comfortable baseline Lenovo as their preferred Windows brand, specifically the ThinkPad X1 Carbon or ThinkPad T14s Snapdragon Checking Paul Thurrott's site (thurrott.com) for detailed laptop reviews Physically testing the keyboard in store when possible Also Discussed Whisper Flow and FlowType dictation apps Google account overload Siri reliability issues on iOS beta A Raspberry Pi 5 (16GB RAM, unopened) up for grabs from Damashe Convention Plans Both hosts will be in St. Louis for ACB National Convention, July 24 to 29. Damashe is also at NFB National Convention in Austin this week. Listeners in either city are invited to reach out. Contact Email: feedback@technicallyworking.show Michael: @Payown@dragonscave.space Damashe: @Damashe@technically.social Show bot: @TW@technically.social Hashtag: #TechnicallyWorking Support the show at technicallyworking.show/tipjar Episode 170 • Runtime: ~1:18:00 Want me to move on to social posts next?# Episode Notes Notes go here Support Technically Working by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/technically-working Find out more at https://technically-working.pinecast.co Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/technically-working/7baa238c-1c81-4225-ae54-189d75ecdd8c Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-431b7d for 40% off for 4 months, and support Technically Working.

  8. 29 jun

    Apple's Price Hikes, Smart Glasses, and AI Policy Whiplash

    What We Cover This Week Earshot Development Progress and the Claude Workflow Michael walks through where the Earshot podcast app stands after another round of Claude-assisted development. The improvements keep landing, the test loop is tightening, and Michael shares what's working in the build process. If you want to kick the tires yourself, the public TestFlight link is below. Damashe on the New Siri Beta The capabilities are genuinely impressive — but the limitations around third-party app integration are exactly where the friction shows up. Damashe gets into what's working, what isn't, and why the third-party gap matters more than Apple seems to think. FloType for Blind and Low-Vision Users We promised we'd point listeners to FloType, the new VoiceOver-first keyboard from developer Rocco. It picks up the eyes-free typing approach that Fleksy pioneered and FlickType refined — tap roughly where the keys would be on a QWERTY layout, swipe right to commit the word, swipe down to cycle suggestions. The public beta opened in June 2026 and is actively under development. Links below. Apple's Price Increases — and the Refurb Math Damashe and Michael unpack Apple's recent price increases across the lineup. Damashe wasn't surprised that they happened — supply chain pressure plus expired component pricing made it inevitable — but he was surprised by how fast they hit after Tim Cook's announcement. We get into why the iPhone is conspicuously absent from the increases (Damashe's read: Apple is holding that lever for the September refresh). The MacBook Neo Touch ID Refurb Michael flags that the MacBook Neo with Touch ID is now in Apple's refurb store at $679 — but the savings versus the previous refurb price are only about $20. That sparks a broader conversation about when Apple's refurb store actually wins. Our take: the included AppleCare tips the value calculation in Apple's favor versus Amazon, B&H, or other retailers — even when the headline price doesn't. Pirate Ship for Cheap, Sane Shipping Quick recommendation for anyone shipping on eBay or otherwise: Pirate Ship integrates cleanly, the rates are hard to beat, and the workflow is straightforward. Both of us use it. Smart Glasses: Echo Vision from AGIGA, Meta Ray-Bans, and Why Damashe Is Holding Off Michael received a free pair of Echo Vision smart glasses from AGIGA and is starting a head-to-head against his Meta Ray-Bans. He'll be reporting back as testing continues. Damashe explains why, despite putting money down on the Echo Vision earlier, he hasn't pulled the trigger on a purchase. The delayed shipping timeline, ongoing concerns about real-world functionality versus price, and a frustrating experience with his current Oakley Vanguards (uncomfortable fit, lens color issues) have all stacked up. The plan: let Michael run the gauntlet first, then decide. This leads into a broader technical point about smart glasses generally — the importance of a separate compute device versus trying to cram everything into the frames themselves, and what that means for where the category is actually heading. AI Policy Whiplash and Why It Matters Damashe gets candid about his frustration with the rapid policy shifts and government restrictions in the AI space — specifically around Anthropic's Fable model and the Mythos security tool. The deeper concern isn't any single rule; it's the inconsistency. Building a business on a platform whose ground rules change month to month is hard. The tech industry needs stability to plan, and right now it isn't getting it. Behind the Scenes We also work through some audio gremlins at the top of the episode (microphone swap, settings adjustments, phone static) — par for the course, and resolved before things really get going. Links and Apps Mentioned Earshot TestFlight FloType keyboard TestFlight FloType beta tester WhatsApp group Pirate Ship Apple Refurbished Store AGIGA Echo Vision smart glasses Meta Ray-Bans Connect With the Show Follow Technically Working on Mastodon: @TW@technically.social Reach Damashe at @damashe@technically.social Follow Michael @payown@dragonscave.space Send feedback, questions, or topics for future episodes our way, feedback@technicallyworking.show — we read everything. Support Technically Working by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/technically-working Find out more at https://technically-working.pinecast.co Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/technically-working/9c098f14-de7d-4974-b5ad-8d692288a766 Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-431b7d for 40% off for 4 months, and support Technically Working.

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"Welcome to 'Technically Working', the go-to podcast for tech enthusiasts and productivity seekers alike. Hosts Michael Babcock and Damashe Thomas take you on a journey through the ever-evolving world of technology and productivity. As Mac OS and iPhone users, they share their personal experiences and tips on staying productive while using these tools. But they don't stop there - they also explore other platforms like Android and Windows to bring you a comprehensive view of the tech landscape. Tune in each episode to hear them keep each other accountable, discuss the latest tools and strategies, and share their journey to reaching their goals. Whether you're a small business owner, freelancer, or simply looking to boost your productivity, 'Technically Working' is the perfect podcast for anyone looking to level up their tech skills and get things done."

Informatie

  • Maker
    Damashe Thomas and Michael Babcock
  • Jaren actief
    2023 - 2026
  • Afleveringen
    181
  • Beoordeling
    Expliciet
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026
  • Website van aflevering
    Technically Working

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