The Tech Doctor Blog and Podcast

In this podcast, Allison and Robert visit with Anna Dresner who has just published the iOS 10 version of Getting Started with the iPhone.

Once again, Anna has done an excellent job of providing VoiceOver Users with what they need to know to get up and running with iOS 10. This book is also great for experienced iPhone users who occasionally need a refresher on a forgotten command or procedure.

As always, the book is available in multiple electronic and hardcopy formats from
The National Braille Press.

In the second half of the podcast, Anna, Allison and Robert talk about Allison’s new MacBook Pro, new iPad Pro and believe it or not new Apple Watch.

They discuss the excellent job that the Icon Factory is doing making their Twitterrific twitter client accessible by VoiceOver on both the Mac and iOS platforms.

Robert, Anna and Allison bring the podcast to a close by discussing some of Anna’s current projects.

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In this podcast, Allison Hartley, Robert Carter and David Woodbridge discuss three products that Apple introduced in 2016.
the iPhone 7
the Touch Bar MacBook Pro
and
the Apple AirPods

Allison and David have concluded that the removal of the iPhone’s headphone jack has surprisingly not been a problem for them. Robert has come to the realization that the Touch Bar MacBook Pro is the best laptop that he has ever owned. David and Robert share their excitement about the new AirPods.

David and the Tech Doctors encourage everyone to give these products a fair chance by evaluating them for yourself. Only you can determine whether or not a product is right for you. Take advantage of Apple’s 14 day return policy and give yourself the chance to spend two weeks with these devices. You may be pleasantly surprised.

The Tech Doctors appreciate David taking the time to share his perspective. Be sure to
Check out David’s excellent podcast.
You will find hundreds of excellent product demonstrations.

The Tech Doctors are excited to see what Apple will do in 2017. They will be here telling you all about it. All you have to do is keep listening.

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This Tech Doctor episode is a follow-up to the previous podcast where Allison and Robert took a detailed look at the new Touch Bar MacBook Pro with VoiceOver.

The Tech Doctors begin with a workaround for the problem of not being able to start VoiceOver when booting into the system recovery partition. They briefly discuss the Touch Bar and low vision. Robert and Allison agree to get some low vision experts on the podcast to better understand how folks with low vision are getting along with the the Touch Bar.

Allison and Robert then talk about setting up Macs from scratch. Allison is currently upgrading a 2010 Mac mini and Robert just moved from a 2012 MacBook Pro to the 2016 version.

This will likely be the final Tech Doctor podcast of 2016. We will have a lot to say in early 2017. We are grateful that you choose to join us on this podcasting adventure.

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In this Tech Doctor podcast, Robert and Allison dive deeply into the 2016 13 inch Touch Bar MacBook Pro. They compare this new design with the 2012 MacBook Pro which was the new design four years ago.

Robert demonstrates that the new Touch Bar and Touch ID features are fully accessible with VoiceOver. Once again, Apple has carefully thought through and skillfully implemented VoiceOver into a new technology. Blind people should not fear the Touch Bar.

The Tech Doctors hope that this podcast will give you the necessary information to evaluate this new computer for yourself.

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In this Tech Doctor podcast, Allison and Robert spend the first half hour with Shelly Brisbin and the second half hour with Lisa Salinger.

Shelly has just published the 4th edition of her iOS Access for All book. The entire book has been updated to cover the numerous changes and additions that Apple made to accessibility in iOS 10. There are around 80 pages of new material.

The book explains how iOS provides access for people who are dealing with visual, hearing, cognitive and motor disabilities. This is a lot to cover in one book. Shelly’s years of writing experience, her technical expertise and a keen eye for clarity and detail has resulted in a book that handles this huge topic extremely well. Shelly has organized and written the book so that it can either be read straight through or used as a reference to find just the information that you need.

The Tech Doctors believe that this book is a must have if you seriously want to understand Apple’s offerings in iOS accessibility. You can go to the
Book’s Website
and read the table of contents and even try a sample chapter. The book can be purchased in EPUB or PDF format directly on the website or as an iBook in the iBook store.

In the second part of the podcast, the Tech Doctors welcome Lisa Salinger back to tell us about her new Apple Watch audio tutorial.

When Lisa was trying to decide whether or not to purchase an Apple Watch, she realized that there was very little information available for VoiceOver users who are interested in understanding what the latest watch OS has to offer.

In this comprehensive tutorial, Lisa brings her substantial organizational skills, high level of creativity and years of teaching experience together to create a tutorial that is ideal for anyone who currently owns an Apple Watch. The tutorial is equally suited for people who are trying to decide whether or not the Apple Watch is right for them.

Lisa worked with Chris and Kim from Mystic Access who used their expertise to create a DAISY formatted tutorial with very good audio quality. The tutorial is easy to navigate and one can quickly locate a forgotten command thanks to the detailed level of markup provided by the team at Mystic Access.

The Tech Doctors recommend this tutorial for anyone who wants to really understand what the Apple Watch with VoiceOver can do for you. Even if you should decide that the Apple Watch is not for you, the tutorial provides exactly the information that is needed to make an informed decision. The tutorial is available on the
Mystic Access
website. This tutorial is worth a lot more than the $39 price tag.

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In this Tech Doctor podcast, Allison and Robert discuss the information that was announced at Apple’s October 2016 “Hello Again” event.

Robert and Allison were pleased that Apple began with an excellent video on Apple accessibility. Apple released a version of this video with audio description. The audio version is played at the end of the podcast.

In addition, Apple has enhanced its
accessibility web page.
Check it out.

Allison and Robert spend the rest of the podcast discussing the
new MacBook Pros

Robert and Allison can’t wait to get their hands on these new state-of-the-art computers. They are especially excited to try out the new Touch Bar which replaces the traditional function keys.

As always, Apple is pushing us forward with this new and innovative technology. Robert and Allison are pleased that you have chosen to come along as we explore these new MacBooks.

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Every September, the Tech Doctors enjoy podcasting about the new Apple hardware and software. This year’s keynote took place on September 7, 2016 and we learned about the new iPhone 7, iOS Ten, tvOS 4, watchOS 3, Apple Watch Series 2, Apple Watch Series 1, macOs Sierra and wireless AirPods.

Robert and Allison sit down with David Woodbridge and talk through it all.

The Tech Doctors sincerely appreciate David taking the time to share his expertise and experiences with us.

Check out David’s
Talking Tech
radio show and podcast as well as his
Personal Podcast
where he demonstrates hardware and software that he finds useful and exciting.

You can read about all of the new Apple stuff on the
Apple Website.

It was our pleasure to bring you this podcast. The Tech Doctors love talking about new Apple stuff.

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In this Tech Doctor episode, Allison and Robert share their feelings and thoughts about the Apple Event where Apple introduced new hardware including: Apple Watch series 2, two models of iPhone 7 and wireless AirPods. We hope you enjoy our analysis of this important keynote.

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In this Tech Doctor podcast, Robert and Allison speak with Mel Scott founder of BlindAlive and Eyes-Free Fitness.

Mel explains how she became frustrated with inaccessible exercise videos where the instructor did not provide a verbal explanation of how to perform the exercises. Mel decided to solve the problem by creating her own fully accessible exercise routines. Mel’s verbal instruction is clear and easy to follow. The exercise program is excellent and of course fully accessible.

The
BlindAlive Website
is uncluttered and easy to navigate. It is, however, filled with useful fitness information. There is a blog and podcast as well as a page for purchasing downloadable MP3 recordings of the exercises. Some of the recordings are also available on CD from Amazon. If you have questions or are uncomfortable ordering online, you can call 570-212-9979 and leave a voicemail message and someone from BlindAlive will return your call.

In addition to learning about exercise, Mel told the Tech Doctors about a remarkable backpack called the BackTpack. It is available from BlindAlive as well. There is lots of good information in this podcast.

Thanks Mel.

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In this Tech Doctor Podcast, Robert and Allison begin a two part series exploring the ever-increasing role that technology is playing in helping us with our physical and mental health. In this episode, the podcast focuses on anxiety.

Robert and Allison had the pleasure of speaking with Sandra Reich and Georgia Dow. Sandra is a psychotherapist and the
Clinical Director of The Montreal Center for Anxiety & Depression.
Georgia is also a therapist at the Montreal Center for Anxiety & Depression. She specializes in the treatment of anxiety.

Sandra and Georgia have created an online video series helping people to understand what anxiety is, how it works and how to reduce and eventually control it. Robert and Allison suspect that these videos would likely be particularly helpful to blind people who are struggling with anxiety. Georgia and Sandra present the information and treatment in an easy to understand style with lots of natural warmth and compassion. Don’t just take Allison and Robert’s word for it, listen to the podcast and here Sandra and Georgia for yourself. You can learn more about how to purchase and download the videos by visiting the
Anxiety-Videos website.

In addition to their clinical work, both Georgia and Sandra are prolific podcasters. Sandra does a radio show and podcast called
Straight Talk with Sandra Reich.
Georgia is a co-host on several Apple centered podcast on the
iMore network
and she is frequently a guest on other podcasts around the internet.

Allison and Robert appreciate Georgia and Sandra sharing this important information with all of us.

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