Mystic Access Podcast

Chris Nova, Kim Nova
  • 4.3 (12)
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  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

We record podcasts on assistive technology and products and services which we find of interest. We specialize in providing comprehensive tools for people who are blind and visually impaired to become empowered to maximize the use of their access technology while having fun doing it.

  1. 5D AGO

    From the Castle to the Couch: Holiday Fun Awaits!

    Get ready for a little bit of everything in this festive episode! We’ve got an exciting announcement, a magical castle interview, and a cozy demo perfect for chilly evenings. First up: We’re thrilled to invite you to our day-after-Thanksgiving open house! It’s one of our favorite Mystic Access traditions, full of laughter, friendship, and a few surprise reunions over the years. And it’s free to join for everyone. Mark your calendars for Friday, November 28, 1–5 PM EDT, grab your virtual leftover turkey sandwich (or a slice of pie—no judgment here), and join us for an afternoon of great company and community fun. You can register your seat right here—before that pie coma hits! Then, in the castle: We welcome Natalie Mauceli, Editor with National Braille Press, who brings a sleigh-full of sparkle and delight! She’ll share NBP’s 2025 holiday picks, including brand-new books, classic returning favorites like the Peanuts calendar, and can’t-miss magazines such as Our Special and Syndicated Columnists Weekly. Whether you’re shopping for yourself or a fellow book lover, you’ll want to take notes! Finally, grab your remote (or in this case, your iPhone): We demo the DIRECTV iOS app sharing what we love, what could be improved, and why it might be your next favorite way to watch TV as the weather turns frosty. Wrap-Up: Thanks so much for tuning in! We’re so grateful for you—our listeners, friends, and fellow tech adventurers. We’ll see you again in two weeks with more fun!

    1h 16m

  2. OCT 28

    Permanent Price Drop, A Bluetooth Speaker with a Terrific Twist, and a Day After Turkey Day Announcement

    Short & Sweet: Cool Tech + Big News! Chris might be a bit under the weather this week , but we’re still bringing the heat with a super cool audio demo and a juicy announcement! Price Drop Alert! We’ve permanently reduced the price of our Windows 10 Audio Documentation! Originally $75 → now just $60! Still rocking Windows 10? Need a friendly tour of the Desktop, Taskbar, and all those basics that make PCs tick? This guide has your back! Meet Mrmorale: The Stand That Can Kim takes the spotlight with a demo of the Mrmorale Bluetooth-Induction Speaker—a gadget that totally earns its cape! This is an Amazon affiliate link, purchasing from this link we will receive a small commission. Why we love it: • It’s a phone/tablet stand • It doubles as a power bank • It handles Bluetooth and induction sound tech What’s induction? It’s magical audio sorcery that makes your tiny device sound bigger, bolder, and clearer—no pairing required! Kim shows off both modes with her iPhone and her Victor Reader Stream 3. Save the (Day After) Date! Our Day After Thanksgiving Open House is almost here! Registration will be ready by our next episode. It’s free, it’s fun, and we want YOU there—bring your questions, your comments, and yes… your virtual leftovers. Thanks for tuning in and hanging with us on this bite-sized episode! Rest up, Chris! And thanks for listening, everyone—we’ll catch you next time!

    29 min

  3. OCT 14

    AirPods Armor, Hable Hacks & Alexa+ Reloaded

    Today’s episode is jam-packed with practical tips, tech demos, a minor mystery, and even a dramatic drop test. Buckle up—we’ve got something for everyone! Tiny Accessories, Big Impact Who knew AirPods cases could spark so much excitement? We kick things off by proving that even the smallest accessories can change your entire tech experience. • Kim and Chris unveil their brand-new protective cases for the AirPods Pro 2. • Features, finishes, favorite perks—we cover it all. • And because Chris can’t resist science… he drop-tests his case live. For research, of course. You can purchase Chris’s case here. Kim’s is available from this link. These are both Amazon affiliate links, so Mystic Access receives a small commission if you buy through them The moral: whether it’s earbuds or kitchen gadgets, protect your gear, especially when traveling! Hable + BlindShell = Accessibility Power Duo A helpful tip from a listener sent us into full-on detective mode. The result? Chris demos how the Hable One keyboard pairs with the BlindShell Classic 3 phone—and yes, it works with the Classic 2 as well! If you’re a BlindShell user wondering about external input options, this is a must-hear moment. The Case of the Missing Shipt Item Kim recounts our first-ever delivery hiccup with Shipt. One lonely item vanished from the order—but fear not! She walks through how we got it resolved in record time. Spoiler: the refund process was surprisingly painless. Alexa+ — Round Two! We wrap things up with a fresh review and demo of Alexa+. We covered it earlier this summer, but enough has changed that it deserved another look. You’ll hear: • What’s better now • What’s still a bit bumpy • And how Amazon Prime Music sneaks its way into the conversation Thanks for spending part of your day with us—we’ll be back in two weeks with more tech talk, tales, and possibly more drop tests.

    1h 1m

  4. SEP 30

    Earbuds, Ovens, and Autumn Surprises

    Show Notes: Sales, Scares, Stories, and So Much More! Today’s episode is a grab bag of goodness—updates, unboxings, tech tales, sales news, and even a sprinkle of story time. Settle in and enjoy the ride! A Surprise “Welcome to Fall” Sale We kicked off an impromptu autumn celebration with 17% off most products now through Friday, October 3. It’s the perfect moment to snag something you’ve had your eye on — including our latest offering, Audible Adventures. This is our best deal until Black Friday, so don’t miss it! Kim vs. iOS 26: A Cautionary Tale iOS 26 has landed, and Kim has quite the hair-raising story about updating her device. Don’t worry — it ends well! Tune in for lessons learned and things you might want to watch out for before you tap “Install Now.” AirPods Pro 3: Kim’s Big Decision Kim also dives into the AirPods Pro 3 experience with an unboxing clip and first impressions. Stick around toward the end of the episode to hear the unexpected decision she made about keeping them… or not. Chris’s Ear Tip Upgrade + A Must-Have Accessory While we’re on the topic of earbuds, Chris picked up new ear tips for his AirPods Pro 2. He also scored a bonus accessory in the box that he thinks every earbud owner needs. He’ll tell you what it is and why it’s awesome a bit later in the show. A Tour of MysticAccessDownloads.com We’ve refreshed the layout of MysticAccessDownloads.com! Chris walks you through the updated site and gives you the lay of the land. You can explore the new design right now. Amazon Smart Oven Update: Plot Twist! Remember our chat last episode about the Amazon smart oven ghosting voice commands? Turns out… it fixed itself! We share what happened and thank everyone who chimed in with your own experiences and ideas. Plus a Few Stories… There are extra tidbits and tales sprinkled throughout this episode, but we’ll let you discover those on your own. Thanks so much for listening—we’re grateful you’re here and hope you find something fun, helpful, or just plain entertaining in this week’s mix!

    52 min

  5. SEP 16

    AI at the Door, Apple on the Brain, and Local Now on Demo

    In this episode, we’ve got a little bit of everything—updates, surprises, demos, and stories that might make you smile: • Site Maintenance Notice – Our free downloads site, Mystic Access Downloads, will be offline for a short time while we make some changes on the backend. Don’t worry, the site will be back soon; it’ll just be in maintenance mode until it returns. When it’s online again, you’ll be able to download files as you always have. This has nothing to do with the downloadable products you may have purchased from Mystic Access! These can be downloaded from within your user account as normal. • Smart Oven Woes – Our Amazon smart oven suddenly stopped responding to Alexa voice commands. We share our experience, theories, and ask if you’ve run into the same issue. (Thankfully, our braille overlay is currently saving the day!) • Apple Event Reactions – Did you watch the latest Apple event? We share what caught our eye, what we’re dreaming about, and whether there’s anything we’re tempted to buy. • UPS Meets Ring – A fun story about chatting with our UPS driver through the Ring app while being hundreds of miles from home—complete with the audio! • Ring AI Event Descriptions – A look at how Ring is using AI to provide event descriptions, and what we think of the results. • App Demo: Local Now – Kim demos the Local Now iOS app, which features hundreds of free channels covering news, lifestyle, movies, and more. Also available for Android and on the web at LocalNow.com. As always, thanks for listening! Enjoy the rest of your September, and we’ll be back on the last day of the month with a fresh episode.

    53 min

  6. SEP 2

    Security Scares, Gift Card Gimmicks, and Kim’s Big Oops

    Today’s episode is a melting pot of cautionary tales and practical tips from our recent adventures. Our goal isn’t to scare you, but to remind you to stay careful and vigilant—especially while traveling. In this episode, we cover: • Travel & Canes – A follow-up on our cane conversation from last time, sharing how our two-section telescopic canes performed during our flight home. Lots to recommend, but also one big concern. • Airport Security – A new and eye-opening experience before even boarding the plane. • Kim’s Scary Mistake – An unnerving incident in Buffalo that you’ll definitely want to learn from. • Transaction Monitoring – Why you should pay attention to those “annoying” notifications from services like Life Lock (we learned this the hard way). • Switching Phone Plans – Helping Kim’s mom move to a new provider came with its own set of complications—here’s what to watch out for when porting a number. • Verizon Home Internet Perks – We share why taking a gift card perk might not have been the best idea. (This story will have a sequel in a future episode!) • New Coffee Discovery – A brand we’re loving and think you will too. • Kim’s Product Demo – The Sticro Moist Heat Sinus Mask for sinus pressure relief. It has three heat settings, five timers, and options for both dry and moist heat. Kim swears by it! (Affiliate link included—thank you for supporting us when you purchase through it.) As always, thanks for listening! We hope our rambling adventures offer something useful for your own journey. Until next time!

    41 min

  7. AUG 19

    Telescoping Canes, Hurricane Tracking, Our New Safety Book, and More

    Welcome to our final 2025 episode recorded in North Carolina! To kick things off, we brought you outside to experience some late-summer nature sounds. Unfortunately, the ambiance was interrupted by the air conditioner, so we moved the recording indoors. We hope the natural setting was a nice touch before the interruption! In this episode, we’re picking up where we left off last time with our tease about canes. An unexpected situation at the ACB convention has led us to new discoveries, and we’re now the proud owners of some telescoping canes! In This Episode: • Telescoping Cane Talk: We dive into two different telescoping canes we’ve recently tried out: • Ambutech’s Two-Section Graphite Cane: We’re big fans of Ambutech for their customizable options and top-notch quality. This cane is adjustable, making it a fantastic travel companion. However, we do have a small concern we share in the episode. Learn more about the cane and order yours by activating this link. • Sam Seavey’s Recommended Titanium Cane: You can find this sturdy option on Amazon (via our affiliate link). Sam from the great YouTube channel The Blind Life has a great review of it, and we share our thoughts on why it might be a fabulous travel buddy. • Classic Apps for the Blind: Chris takes us down memory lane with a discussion of two reliable Windows apps: • Remind-Me, and • Handy Address Book by Beiley Software These apps are a throwback but are still packed with practical and helpful features. Best of all, this company cares about accessibility. We discuss how these terrific Windows apps stand the test of time. • Hurricane Tracker App: With Hurricane Erin making waves in the Atlantic, we introduce you to My Hurricane Tracker from jRustonApps. It’s a great, accessible tool for tracking hurricanes and tornadoes. We also share about the past hurricanes this app lets you explore—perfect for those who want to dig into storm history! • New Book Release: We’re excited to announce the release of our latest book from National Braille Press, Staying Safe: Tips And Tools For A Secure Home, Body, And Spirit. It’s filled with advice and tips to help readers stay safe in various situations, like building a secure home, while walking, using rideshare services, in airports, dealing with stress or anxiety, safety in romantic relationships, and more. We think this would also make a nice companion to our book about staying safe online. We feel this book would make a great addition to your library or as a thoughtful gift! As always, thanks for tuning in! We’ll see you in September with more insights and updates.

    44 min

  8. AUG 5

    Echos, Fire Tablets and Alexa+, Oh My!

    Most of this episode is dedicated to all things Amazon. We have numerous demos and thoughts to share on several products. First, however, we’re announcing a twenty-five percent off sale to celebrate our fourth wedding anniversary on August 11. The sale runs from Friday August eighth through end of day Tuesday August twelfth, and you’ll save on all our audio documentation, including our new Audible Adventures product. We highly recommend it for all book-lovers! We begin our look at Amazon products with a discussion of our new latest generation Echo. We share the sad circumstances that led us to purchase it, and through the magic of editing you’ll be there with us as we unbox and set it up. We also play some tunes to show you its sound quality. On Prime day we also purchased new Fire tablets. This was yet another cool setup process. Chris talks about his, and Kim takes you through hers in close to real time so you can experience it, too. Finally, we take you with us as we check out Alexa+. this demo was recorded in June, but it still gives you an idea of the differences between Alexa and Alexa+. Of course, we share our likes and dislikes. Finally, we close by teasing an upcoming podcast topic we’ll discuss next time. Thanks, as always, for listening!

    1h 26m
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4.3
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

We record podcasts on assistive technology and products and services which we find of interest. We specialize in providing comprehensive tools for people who are blind and visually impaired to become empowered to maximize the use of their access technology while having fun doing it.

Information

  • Creator
    Chris Nova, Kim Nova
  • Years Active
    2012 - 2025
  • Episodes
    384
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Mystic Access. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Mystic Access Podcast

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