Blind Bargains Audio: Featuring the BB Qast, Technology news, Interviews, and more

Joe is joined by longtime friend, and fellow podcaster, Jamie Pauls this week as J.J. is on the road. However, J.J. did have a chance to interview Intuit's Ted Drake about some of the processes and programs happening at the company to forward accessibility efforts for their internal culture and customers alike. A tip, "Sound Off" plus a musical topic smash into the "Last Word". Grab your spreadsheets for it is time for BBQ 186.

June usually finds us talking about Apple and games thanks to WWDC and E3 respectively. Jesse Anderson

Thousands of developers and programmers headed west to San Jose for Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference this week. And our own BBQ Crew Member Shelly Brisbin was amongst the attendees during the main keynote. Tune in to hear an on-the-spot report from her, as well as, Byron Lee and Scott Davert joining Joe to discuss the big announcements in this wrap up format show.

The long U.S. holiday, that coincides with the release of episode 182, was good for the BBQ Crew as we return refreshed and renewed. Proof is in the recordings they say, okay we're the only ones who say that really, as we come to you with actual news. Also, Ricky stops by to talk about new hardware. A listener Oreo follow-up in "Sound Off", a tip plus a "Last Word" that any audio engineer would love rounds out this pre-WWDC show.

Features abound this week as we look at what's new for Windows 10 in the recently released 2019 Spring Update. Winston Chen joins us to give some amazing insight into the creation of the new VoiceDream Scanner app for iOS. We also tell you about a fantastic new contest where you can win an iPhone and other prizes from AIRA. And, on top of all that, we celebrate Mickey mouse's 90th birthday while humming a popular tune in the "Last Word". Time to watch those progress bars move ever so slowly while you listen to BBQ 182.

We have a treat in store this week. Sure there is Joe and J.J. saying blah, blah, blah news and silly things per the usual. And you would think that this is just your run of the mill episode. How about we tell you that Patrick is on board with some talk about Bluetooth devices? Yeah, now we piqued some interest. Of course we still have a tip featuring a Tile demo, "Sound Off", "Last Word" and a bit of a tease about an upcoming event to round things out too. C'mon and fire up those devices and connect to the loudest speakers you can find for the best enjoyment of BBQ 181.

The BBQ Crew returns to the studio to delve into the highlights from the 2019 Google i/o keynote. We also have an interview with a maker of some tasty products, Angela Fowler of Gliding Eagle Jerky. And David Ward stops by again to pass along another Amazon Echo tip. All of this, plus the "Last Word", is in store for you in episode 180.

This week finds J.J. on the road, and recording from April's Michigan AER convention. Joe is preparing for his return trip to Starkville to teach A.T. for MSU. And is not totally doing accessibility testing of the recent release of Mortal Kombat 11. Nope, not at all testing the new spoken menus in the game. Er, um, this week is a features format of the BBQ with an interview with Microsoft and Be My Eyes. David Ward joins us for the first time with a submitted tip. Also, there are some new product mentions in-between these two interviews you don't want to miss. Now load your photos into the buffer and join us for BBQ 179.

Time for some spring cleaning as the BBQ Crew sweeps out the cobwebs from the studio for an actual, gasp! in-studio recording of a podcast. Karthik Kannan drops by to pull back the studio curtains to shed some light in here, and on what's happening with Envision AI. A tip, "Sound Off" and a non-food-related "Last Word" round out the episode. Don't get too comfortable or we'll ask you to grab a dust pan and join us in cleaning up the place on BBQ 178.

It has been an amazing time in Anaheim with tons of interviews now placed on the feed for your downloading pleasure. But we can t put a bow on CSUNATC19 coverage until the BBQ Crew sits down and raps about it during our annual wrap up show. J.J. and Joe are joined by Shelly, Chancy and Ricky in the BBQ Broadcast Suite from the fabulous Anaheim Hilton. The group describes aspects of the convention hotel, the elevators and the new registration process before moving on to their thoughts on the A.T. related highpoints of the event.

Blind Bargains Qast 175 featured a discussion about the recent Indoor Navigation Symposium, hosted by the American Printing House for the Blind. This kind of event is designed to bring together experts in their respective fields in order to foster collaboration. Craig Meador, president of APH, and Jose Gaztambide, CEO of the newly formed Access Explorer, offer J.J. an opportunity to learn more about how APH is looking to create more partnerships in key areas moving forward. Products like the newly announced Jupiter, the Braille Trail and the new direction for Access Explorer are highlighted as being examples of how APH will drive innovation for future products and services. To learn more about the products mentioned, and so much more, visit the APH website

Each year s tour of the LS&S booth offers a massive information dump on the new and incredible products making their public debut. Jason Neeland, Senior Account Manager for LS&S, brings J.J. along on a closer look at a few of the newest offerings. The pair discuss a high tech pill bottle called the I Remember, the FDK Arm Blood Pressure Unit, an Atomic Talking Keychain, a new Adjustable Liquid Level Indicator, the newly revised Ti 30XS Talking Scientific Calculator and you will just have to investigate what exactly is the mysterious U.F.O. hovering over CSUN. But that s not all, to find out what else is available, visit the LS&S website

The Blind Bargains Suite almost needed an adjoining room to fit all the participants from NV Access involved with this interview. Mick Curran (Executive Director and founder), James Boreham (General Manager), Reef Turner (Developer and Quentin Christensen (Training & Support Manager take J.J. on a whirlwind tour of the newest features of NVDA. braille display auto detection, enhanced support for Office 365 through UI Automation and the ability to use the Windows 10 One Core voices are highlighted at the top of this discussion. The conversation then turns to a more candid look at how the move away from Python 2 will impact add on makers, the challenges in supporting older operating systems and how a more rapid release schedule can be a double edged sword. The team also talks about their view on competition in the market and detail which synthesizer is the most popular amongst the program s users. please be sure to donate, or purchase the training materials mentioned, as it keeps the lights on, but it additionally allows the team to come and network at events like CSUN. To learn more, or to read the In Process blog, visit the NV Access website

Some traditions are hard to break. And even though we are not in San Diego any longer, Joe still managed to find Cory Hanosh , President of NorthState Assistive Technology, to see what was new at their booth. The company has shown off portable magnification before on larger Android tablets, and a product sporting a Lenovo computer, so it comes as no surprise that the latest Video Magnifier uses a Surface Pro for its display. The Revo2Go-WIN All-in-one Portable Magnifier, Windows 10 Tablet and OCR, provides near and far distance viewing in a form that is more suited for the Education and traveling professional. To learn more about this new device, and read up on the iPad based iGo Pro 12.9, visit the NorthState AT website

Books can be so boring just sitting there and not responding to your touch or swipes. It would be so cool if you could tactually interact with them somehow. Well, Rebecca Zerovnik, Business Developer for Feelif, gives Shelly an opportunity to do just that with the many products the company is hoping to bring to the U.S. soon. Each device utilizes a Samsung phone or tablet, with a tactile overlay, to give a user the ability to learn more about pictures and text through haptics and sound. The company's apps provide access to games, books, object identification in pictures and more. While not available in the U.S. just yet, the products mentioned can be shipped from the EU. To learn more about the product range, visit the Feelif website