Double Tap

Steven Scott, Shaun Preece, Steven Scott, Shaun Preece

Double Tap is the show where blind people talk tech! If you’re blind or partially sighted and have an interest in technology, this is the show for you. Everyone is welcome no matter how old you are or how much or how little experience you have with technology. Each week the team will help you better understand how technology can help your everyday life, even if you have little or no sight.

  1. 17h ago

    Duelling Duos: Two New iPhone Duo Users Discuss The Pros And Cons Of Apple's New Foldable Phone

    Is the iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable iPhone, any use if you can't see the screen? Steven Scott and Shaun Preece are joined by David Nason of AppleVis to test it with VoiceOver and low vision. They cover the passport-sized design, how VoiceOver copes when the screen changes shape, and a Split View feature that might win over blind users. David has RP and some peripheral vision. He describes the iPhone Duo as a squat, wide phone that opens into a small landscape tablet. The inner folding screen has a matte feel that takes some getting used to under your fingers, and Steven explains why he likes the crease: it gives you a tactile marker down the middle. VoiceOver gestures like the four-finger tap to jump to the top or bottom still behave as before. Exploring by touch is harder, because the dock sits on the right, home screen pages shift sideways, and apps that haven't been updated for the Duo appear in a narrow strip with black bars either side. Steven found an odd quirk: you can touch home screen icons through those black bars. The standout is Split View. Two apps run side by side, and VoiceOver handles each half on its own, so it feels like two iPhones joined together. The hosts also cover Touch ID on the power button, the missing Action button, setting the Camera Control to need a double click, weight and battery life, and the Deck-Man cassette Walkman app. Chapters0:00 – Introduction and David Nason joins3:14 – Passport-sized design explained6:55 – Folding screen feel, the crease and low vision views13:25 – Home screen layout, buttons, Touch ID and speakers23:21 – Hinge and build quality25:35 – VoiceOver on the outer and inner screens35:04 – Split View and two apps at once41:41 – Weight, battery life and thickness47:33 – Deck-Man and the first Duo apps53:07 – Cameras and wrap-up Relevant LinksDouble Tap: https://doubletaponair.comAppleVis Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/applevis-podcast/id478403062Deck-Man: Cassette Player: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/deck-man-cassette-player/id6817070335 ---- 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.

  2. 1d ago

    Touchscreen MacBook Pro and Amazon's New Alexa+ Echo Lineup: Who Are They For?

    Apple's touchscreen MacBook Pro and Amazon's new Alexa+ devices arrived in the same week. Steven Scott and Shaun Preece go through the Echo Dot, Echo Time, Alexa Photo Frame, Echo Studio with Home Camera and Echo Show 16, and ask who these expensive gadgets are really for, including blind and low vision users. Tech keeps getting more expensive. RAM and hard drive costs are pushing a decent laptop toward $3,000, and Apple's new 14 and 16 inch MacBook Pro with a PROLED XDR touch display starts at $2,899 in the US. It comes with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips and a Dynamic Island, and the glowing Apple logo is back on the lid. After an old Steve Jobs clip arguing against vertical touchscreens, the hosts look for a real use case. They welcome a new accessibility setting that turns the touchscreen off. There's also an M6 MacBook Pro and an M6 iMac, which keeps its Ethernet port on the power adapter. On the Amazon side, Shaun is still waiting for Alexa+ on his Echo Dot Max while a new $99.99 Echo Dot arrives with a built-in smart home hub and an eero Wi-Fi extender. Echo Time is a $199.99 smart alarm clock with sleep sensing and no camera. The Alexa Photo Frame syncs with Amazon Photos and lets you attach voice notes to pictures. It's a small accessibility touch, but a useful one. The Echo Studio with Home Camera, at $249.99, brings visual intelligence: hold something up and ask Alexa what it is, which takes the hosts back to Show and Tell. The Echo Show 16 starts at $499.99, and the stands cost extra. Coming up next: David Nason joins the show to compare notes on the iPhone Duo. Chapters 0:00 – Intro and the rising cost of laptops and hard drives3:14 – Apple's touchscreen MacBook Pro19:13 – M6 MacBook Pro and the new iMac24:41 – Amazon's new Echo Dot and the wait for Alexa+31:13 – Echo Time smart alarm clock35:35 – Alexa Photo Frame and voice notes on photos44:17 – Echo Studio with Home Camera50:31 – Echo Show 1653:54 – Website updates and the iPhone Duo with David Nason Are you buying any of this? Tell us at feedback@doubletaponair.com or on WhatsApp at +1 613-481-0144. Like, subscribe and share Double Tap with a friend who loves tech. Relevant LinksApple MacBook Pro: https://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/Apple iMac: https://www.apple.com/imac/Amazon's new Alexa devices: https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/devices/new-alexa-devices-2026Double Tap: https://www.doubletaponair.com ---- 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.

  3. 2d ago

    New OLED iPad mini, Braille Watches and an Accessible Samsung Soundbar

    Apple's new iPad mini has an 8.5 inch OLED screen, the A20 Pro chip and a thinner 5.4mm body. Steven Scott and Shaun Preece talk about what it offers blind and low vision users. Then they open a busy mailbag covering Braille watches, an accessible soundbar and a pro mixing console that talks. The new iPad mini starts at £699 or $699 for 128GB. Shaun loves the size and thinks the brighter OLED display will matter to low vision users. Steven wonders where the iPad fits now that the iPhone Duo exists and the Mac might get a touchscreen. Both want multi-user profiles on iPad. They compare it with Amazon's new tablet, which now runs Android with full TalkBack, and Steven explains how his iPad Pro and Final Cut's recording app let him run an accessible multi-camera shoot. Anne-Marie from Worcestershire wants talking watches to stop saying "the time is". She's also looking at Braille watches and recommends the thriller The Prometheus Code by Dan Stone. That leads into a debate over whether blind culture exists, an AI-discovered PHP security flaw that took websites offline, early app problems on the iPhone Duo, and whether it's now safe to update to iOS 27. Claire asks why the mailbag is now read by an AI voice, and Steven explains why Laura stepped back. Greg in Pennsylvania praises DiGiCo for putting a screen reader on its mixing consoles. Elliot in Bournemouth found the Samsung HW-Q990F soundbar accessible out of the box thanks to Voice Guide. John Wells reports that Accessible YouTube Downloader has stopped working, which leads the hosts to argue that blind users should be allowed to build their own interfaces. Chapters 0:00 – The new OLED iPad mini8:49 – Amazon's tablet, multi-camera recording and user profiles18:15 – Anne-Marie on talking watches, Braille watches and The Prometheus Code29:30 – Is there such a thing as blind culture?32:14 – PHP security flaw, iPhone Duo apps and updating to iOS 2739:44 – Claire asks about the show's AI email voice44:57 – Greg on DiGiCo consoles and vibe-coded accessibility49:21 – Elliot on the accessible Samsung soundbar53:10 – Accessible YouTube Downloader and building our own interfaces Relevant Links Apple iPad mini: https://www.apple.com/ipad-mini/Samsung HW-Q990F Soundbar: https://www.samsung.com/us/audio-devices/soundbar/q-series-11-1-4-ch-soundbar-rear-speakers-sku-hw-q990f-za/Sonos: https://www.sonos.com/DiGiCo: https://digico.biz/Dan Stone, author of The Prometheus Code: https://www.danstoneauthor.com/Accessible YouTube Downloader Pro: https://github.com/sulaiman-alqusaimi/accessible_youtube_downloader_pro ---- 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.

  4. 3d ago

    Retro Reader, Emergency Preparedness and the Withings Paywall

    Sean Randall has built Retro Reader, an open source book reader that brings classic speech voices like Eloquence, DECtalk and DoubleTalk to a pocket device costing about 22 pounds. Steven Scott and Shaun Preece also look at emergency preparedness for blind people when the power and the internet go down. After recent storms and power cuts in the UK, Steven and Shaun ask what being prepared looks like for blind people. They cover battery packs you can't easily check the charge on, LED displays that OCR struggles to read, offline apps, big portable power stations, and the loss of long wave radio. They also mention Code Orange, a new emergency preparedness podcast from AfterSight that is coming to Double Tap Live. In the news, Apple's expected Mac event is ahead of full coverage on Thursday. Shaun shares the mixed reviews of Microsoft's new Surface, and the hosts question why Withings now charges new users 100 dollars a year to sync their data with Apple Health. Sean Randall then explains how Retro Reader runs on the Freenove Media Kit, a small ESP32 board with a five-way navigation button, a headphone jack and a microphone for voice notes. You install a voice from your browser, add books over Wi-Fi or a microSD card, and listen offline. Sean is open about the trade-offs: there's a slight hiss on headphones, a reset button that's easy to knock, and a battery you buy separately. He's working on a 3D printed back plate with a belt clip. Sean also explains why synthetic voices still suit fast readers. He listens at around 730 words per minute, and he looks ahead to new projects, from a baby monitor to rebuilding the Franklin Language Master. Chapters 0:00 – Coming up: going retro2:44 – Emergency preparedness for blind people15:43 – Code Orange from AfterSight17:04 – Apple's Mac event and Microsoft Surface reviews19:43 – Withings charges for Apple Health sync22:38 – Sean Randall introduces Retro Reader38:05 – Why retro voices still work for fast reading43:56 – Setting up the Retro Reader hardware50:27 – Baby monitors and the Franklin Language Master54:34 – Vibe coding and wrap-up Relevant Links Retro Reader: https://retroreader.ukCode Orange podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/code-orange/id1838769695AfterSight: https://www.aftersight.orgDouble Tap: https://doubletaponair.com ---- 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.

  5. 4d ago

    How AI Helps Blind People Build PowerPoint, Plus Alexa+ and Apple News

    PresentAble is a new JAWS app that lets blind people create, check and fix PowerPoint presentations on their own. Lawyer and trainer Jonathan Simeone explains why he built it. Before that, Steven and Shaun cover a storm, an AppleVis health app debate and Alexa+. A storm cut Shaun off from The Shed. Steven had to get home from the hospital across a busy road with no crossings, with the wind drowning out the traffic. Then an AppleVis thread about an app that uses the iPhone camera to check for blood in stool or urine starts a frank debate. Steven and Shaun weigh privacy and embarrassment, and ask whether health checks like this belong with AI or with trained people through a service like Aira. Steven finally has Alexa+ after setting up Amazon's new tablet, and he reports on how it handles his heating and why its answers keep changing. Siri gets a rare win. They also look ahead to Wednesday's Apple event, the rumoured touchscreen MacBook and the iPhone Duo that Apple has loaned to Steven. Jonathan Simeone is a blind lawyer who trains people for a living. He spent years struggling with PowerPoint and relying on sighted helpers who rarely told him what was wrong. He used vibe coding to build PresentAble with Hartgen Consultancy. It works with JAWS 2022 or later and can import Markdown, Word or existing PowerPoint files. It flags layout errors, and with an OpenAI API key it can review slides visually and create images. The conversation goes further into employment, honest feedback and how much of the job blind people can do by themselves. PresentAble is available to pre-order now and launches on Thursday 29 October. Chapters 0:00 – Storm knocks out The Shed4:04 – AppleVis debate over a hygiene and health app12:48 – Lights left off, lights left on and smart bulbs15:11 – Alexa+ arrives with Amazon's new tablet22:15 – Siri gets the clock change right24:06 – Apple event, touchscreen MacBook and iPhone Duo26:31 – Jonathan Simeone on building PresentAble30:28 – Inaccessible tools and blind employment39:05 – How PresentAble works with JAWS and PowerPoint48:43 – Honest AI feedback, pricing and availability Relevant Links PresentAble from Hartgen Consultancy: https://www.hartgenconsultancy.com/presentableLearning Blind Tech with Desiree Renae: https://desireerenae.com/Aira: https://aira.io ---- 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.

  6. Oct 23

    Learning Braille, Braille Display Prices and Cazerny Bussey's Even Though I'm Blind

    Why is learning braille as an adult still so hard, and why does a braille display cost more than a laptop? Steven Scott and Shaun Preece dig into braille access and pricing. Then they meet Cazerny Bussey, the musician and founder of Even Though I'm Blind. John in London wrote in about trying to learn braille as an adult. He found a box of course books he never opened, and braille displays he couldn't afford. Steven argues that mass adoption and patient learning have to go together. He points to Hadley, the Braillists and the Perkins Braille Bloom as signs of progress, and suggests a low-cost braille display built as a teaching device. The talk then turns to pricing. Steven recalls Amos Miller of Glidance being told to charge several times more because governments would pay. He asks why there's still no real consumer price for blind people who are out of work or study. Cazerny Bussey lost his sight at 15 and went on to graduate from the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts. His father was in Stetsasonic. His song Even Though I'm Blind grew into a nonprofit with a podcast, a 24/7 radio station playing around 45 blind artists, a yearly showcase and a directory of blind-led businesses. Cazerny also talks about recording in Logic on the Mac, being open about using AI in music, a moment with Busta Rhymes, and plans for a documentary and charting records with BMG. Chapters0:00 – Welcome and human-made music2:06 – Inbox: learning braille as an adult10:29 – Why braille and assistive tech cost so much18:15 – Meet Cazerny Bussey23:34 – Music roots and finding the blind community29:44 – The Even Though I'm Blind foundation and radio station35:29 – Making music on a Mac with Logic43:31 – AI-generated music and being open about it48:31 – The directory, a documentary and big plans53:49 – Wrap-up and weekend plans Relevant LinksEven Though I'm Blind: https://eventhoughimblind.com/The Braillists Foundation: https://www.braillists.org/Hadley: https://hadleyhelps.org/Glidance: https://glidance.io/AMI-audio: https://www.ami.ca/ami-audio ---- 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.

  7. Oct 22

    Sky's Premier League Audio Description, Freight Fate and Apple HomeView

    Sky Sports is adding audio description and live captions to Premier League football. Then a listener's frustration with Sky Go shows how far the broadcaster still has to go. Steven Scott and Shaun Preece go through your emails and messages on TV accessibility, AI agents, accessible gaming and the smart home. Gordon from Livingston, Scotland, wrote in about Sky Go. You can't watch live programmes with audio description on your phone, and the TV guide no longer tags any programme as having AD. Steven explains how the new Sky Go app for Sky Glass and Sky Stream handles it. The hosts then ask who should be pushing broadcasters on accessibility, how small accessibility teams really are, and why blind people need to be in the room at every level. Gregory asked about OpenAI's Dots. Steven explains what these always-on AI agents can do, and Shaun makes the case that the basic Amazon Echo is still the most dependable assistant. Shaun also tries Freight Fate, an audio-first trucking game, and is impressed by its spatial audio. Apple's HomeView could make setting up smart home devices much easier, and the hosts discuss what that means alongside Matter. Steven also covers people using AI to strip the bloat out of slow Android TVs, which could make a sluggish TalkBack experience faster. Along the way there's Shaun's Fargo rewatch with Seeing AI, the future of live TV, and the Clicks Communicator. Chapters0:00 – Welcome and Sky's Premier League audio description4:28 – Rewatching Fargo without AD and the future of live TV11:43 – Dumb phones, screen time and the Clicks Communicator16:54 – Gordon on Sky Go and missing audio description labels26:47 – Blindness organisations, accessibility teams and blind leadership36:52 – Gregory's message and trying Freight Fate40:26 – OpenAI Dots and why the Amazon Echo still wins45:52 – Apple HomeView and easier smart home setup51:57 – Debloating Android TVs with AI55:02 – Wrap-up and how to get in touch Relevant LinksSky Audio Description: https://www.sky.com/help/articles/what-is-audio-descriptionRNIB: https://www.rnib.org.uk/Seeing AI: https://www.seeingai.com/Freight Fate: https://github.com/orinks-games/Freight-FateClicks Communicator: https://www.clicks.tech/communicatorApple HomeView: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/10/meet-apple-homeview-a-new-way-to-enjoy-entertainment-and-manage-the-home/ ---- 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.

  8. Oct 21

    Aira, Google DeepMind and Guided Vision: How Blind Testers Trained Gemini

    Google's new Guided Vision feature in Gemini Live was trained with help from Aira and its blind Trusted Testers. Everette Bacon and Lynette Frison of Aira explain how the partnership with Google DeepMind works, what blind users taught the AI, and what it means for Aira's future. Steven Scott and Shaun Preece open with vibe coding, including homemade Claude voice assistants that answer in about three seconds and people using AI to bring old Echo Show and Meta Portal hardware back to life. Brandon Bracey's BlindRSS reader is now on Android, and Steven unboxes a new 8-inch Amazon tablet. Everette Bacon, Chief of Blindness Initiatives at Aira, explains how Explorers swapped free minutes for sharing their sessions to train DeepMind's Astra model. Lynette Frison describes running the Trusted Tester program, where a human visual interpreter watches every AI session and steps in when the answer is unsafe or wrong. Early versions hallucinated and once told a tester to find a sighted person. Today's Guided Vision is, in Everette's words, a little too safe. The panel covers how blind users prompt differently, from turning a vitamin bottle to describing remote buttons by touch. They talk about medical and personal requests, why some people feel more at ease asking AI, and why finding dog poop is Aira's number one request. Everette is open about the business side: Google pays for the data, and Aira hasn't decided whether to charge for Aira AI. Everyone agrees that blocking image descriptions for adult content or swear words treats blind people like children. Aira's Build AI program has now expanded to the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Chapters0:00 – Intro and vibe coding the TV2:40 – Building a Claude voice assistant6:29 – Reviving old tech, BlindRSS for Android and a new tablet11:52 – Aira, Google DeepMind and Guided Vision17:32 – Trusted Testers, hallucinations and human in the loop25:52 – How blind users' prompts train the AI28:36 – Comfort, privacy and sensitive requests38:13 – The future of Aira AI and Guided Vision44:25 – Image description limits and content filters51:09 – Build AI expands and wrap-up Relevant LinksAira: https://aira.io/Aira Build AI FAQ: https://aira.io/build-ai-faq/Guided Vision in Gemini Live: https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/products/gemini-app/guided-vision-gemini-live/BlindRSS: https://github.com/serrebidev/BlindRSSClaude: https://claude.com/ ---- 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.

4.5
out of 5
39 Ratings

About

Double Tap is the show where blind people talk tech! If you’re blind or partially sighted and have an interest in technology, this is the show for you. Everyone is welcome no matter how old you are or how much or how little experience you have with technology. Each week the team will help you better understand how technology can help your everyday life, even if you have little or no sight.

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