Damashe and Michael are back for episode 155 of Technically Working, and this one is packed. They start by addressing the episode 153 publishing mishap where Michael's audio track was accidentally left out of the Auphonic template, leaving listeners with a two-person conversation missing one of the people. They break down exactly what happened, how their podcast production workflow contributed to the issue, and what they're changing in their Dropbox and Auphonic setup to prevent it from happening again. Next up, the technically.social Mastodon instance went offline after a billing issue with masto.host. Damashe walks through the full story of how a separated email alias caused him to miss payment failure notifications, how the hosting provider cancelled the account with no option to reactivate, and how he rebuilt the Mastodon server on CloudRun. The Technically Working bot is back online, refederated, and ready for followers at @tw@technically.social. Damashe is recording on the Shure Beta 87A, and both hosts take time to explain why this super cardioid condenser microphone is their top recommendation for podcasters and content creators looking to upgrade to XLR. They cover the mic's pickup pattern, durability, price point (typically around $200 on sale), and how it compares to alternatives like the Samson Q2U, the Audio-Technica ATR 2100X, and a brand new Audio-Technica 2500X that neither host has tested. They also discuss the Focusrite Vocaster One and Vocaster Two as affordable audio interfaces with phantom power for anyone building a home podcast studio setup. Michael brings a detailed CSUN 2026 recap from Anaheim. His hands-on impressions cover a wide range of assistive technology and accessibility products including the Dot Pad X multi-line braille display from AT Guys, the Mnemonic portable Bluetooth braille labeler that embosses onto DYMO and metal tape from a phone app, and the Cadence, a 48-cell refreshable braille tablet with four lines of 12 cells, an impressive refresh rate, and the ability to daisy-chain up to four units together. Michael also visited the DOT and LG booth where they demonstrated a fully accessible self-checkout kiosk with speech output, headphone jack, and a 12-cell braille display built into the unit. LG showcased accessible home appliances including a washer, dryer, refrigerator, and dishwasher with braille labels, adaptive features for users with upper body limitations, and the ThinkQ smart home hub with voice control. Samsung's accessibility sticker program for appliances also gets a mention. On the braille display side, the episode covers the Thinkerbell Labs 40-cell braille display running Linux and targeting a $1,200 price point, the Orbit Flow (a USB-only 40-cell aluminum braille display, and the Orbit Strata with combined braille and speech output. Michael also shares his experience with the Orbit Optima and discusses the differences between Piezo and True Braille cell technology. Damashe and Michael discuss braille on business cards, why QR codes linking to vCard contact information should be the standard at conferences, and the challenge of scanning business cards accessibly. Damashe puts out a call to listeners for accessible business card scanning app recommendations. Damashe introduces changedetection.io, a self-hosted website monitoring tool he installed on CloudRun to track product pages for stock changes. He set it up to watch for Ubiquiti mobile routers that were out of stock, got a Pushover notification when they came back, and grabbed them before they sold out again. He explains how he's planning on using the routers with SIM cards to provide cellular Wi-Fi for security cameras at his rest area vending locations, and discusses the tradeoffs between rugged outdoor-rated routers and cheaper alternatives with 3D-printed enclosures. The episode wraps with a podcast download stats update: 31,092 total downloads, 409 in the last seven days, and 142 downloads for episode 154 in just three days. Damashe teases the new Technically Working website, confirms the URL structure will support direct episode links like technicallyworking.show/155, and shares plans to expand the show's social media presence to Blue Sky. They celebrate three years of weekly podcast publishing with no missed episodes and welcome new listeners who discovered the show at CSUN. Links and resources: Technically Working: technicallyworking.show Send feedback: feedback@technicallyworking.show AT Guys Braille Apps for Dot Pad: braille.atguys.com changedetection.io Support the show: technicallyworking.show (tip jar link on podcast page) Mastodon bot: @tw@technically.social Damashe on Mastodon: @damashe@technically.social Michael on Mastodon: @payown@dragonscave.space Hashtag: #TechnicallyWorking 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/6662e615-658f-4b52-a8b1-70dc332c802e 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.
