All Cool Blind Tech Shows

In this podcast, James Oates shows us how to use the Groove Music app. Groove Music is a built in application that comes with Windows10. He provides us with all of the key strokes that are available for Groove Music. He shows us how to search for music and create a playlist. He demonstrates the new feature that allows us to edit a song’s metadata. He shows us how easy it is to control Groove Music by using voice commands with Microsoft’s digital assistant, Cortana. Finally, he shows us how to stream music to a mobile device without having to purchase a Groove Music Pass. It has taken awhile, but Microsoft finally has a legitimate rival to Apple’s iTunes application.

Join Joel, James and Alex as they discuss new Cool picks: James Alex Joel

This week the Cool Blind Tech team catches up on all the headlines making news throughout the accessible tech world. Join Joel, James and Alex as they discuss the new Windows 10 anniversary edition and decide whether or not Microsoft has fulfilled its commitment to accessibility that it made in February 2016. Talk of a new Braille display coming in 2017 and of our favorite topic, new games for our iOS devices round off this must-listen-to show. Cool picks: James Alex Joel

In this episode of the Audacity for Windows series, we go through some every-day edit commands. Sprinkled with humor and sarcasm, Alex brings you to the wonderful world of checking general loudness of audio selections and exporting some uncompressed glory. Mac users: Stay tuned; we have Audacity things in the works. There are few but vital differences between Windows and Mac builds of Audacity. Note: Some effects (like the reverb) are separate from Audacity and can be downloaded by searching Google. There are several excellent VST plug-ins for many audio applications.

Join James Oates in this Spotlight interview with Kevin Andrews of RS Games and Marty Schultz, the developer of Blindfold Games. Blindfold Games features more than 45 popular iOS audio games such as; Blindfold Racer, Blindfold Road Trip, Blindfold Bingo, and many others. RS Games specializes in the development of accessible games for the blind and visually impaired. It is an online multi-player platform for the PC and Mac, and now is available on your iOS device as well. If you enjoy this interview, download the Blindfold RS Games app and the Blindfold Games app, and start having fun! You can also listen to our demonstration of the Blindfold RS Games app here.

Do you ever wish shopping for the perfect Braille Display could be as simple as walking into a store and comparing tablets? Jessica shows you how it can be by comparing three similar types of Braille devices, the Braille Sense U2 Mini, the Perkins Mini Seika and the APH Refreshabraille 18. If you enjoy this podcast and would like to hear more content similar to this, please feel free to leave comments below.

In light of the recent Pokémon GO craze, Justin explains what Dexter is, how to view info about any Pokémon, comparing Pokémon Stats, building a team and a few other tips. Not mentioned in the podcast but equally as important is The petition to Make Pokémon GO accessible. Even though the game is not, it is still possible to battle competitively, which is where Dexter comes in handy.

This supplemental series is for those who have the Superior Drummer plugin from Toontrack. We already assume you have the plug installed, and move into navigating the interface, which is actually quite usable for simple things with NVDA. If you need to add drum libraries to your drum path, you've come to the right place. Part 2 covers advanced topics.

In this podcast, James Oates tells you everything you need to know about the latest update to Windows 10. He explains the Task Viewer, virtual desktops, the new Start Menu, Cortana’s enhanced performance, Microsoft Edge, extensions for Microsoft Edge, the all new and powerful Narrator, Windows Ink Workspace, the new Settings app, projecting to your computer from other devices, the new Feedback app, the find your Windows Phone feature, how to lock your screen, and the new short cut for accessing your calendar. He also shows you how to setup the new Windows Subsystem for Linux.

Join Jessica in this Spotlight interview with the creator and visionary of Comics Empower, Guy Hasson. Comic book novices and avid fans alike will appreciate this insightful discussion of the latest developments to this powerful online comic book store for the blind and visually impaired. If you enjoyed this interview, please check out the store! The winners of the blind comic writer's competition have been chosen! Check out Bakasura! Comics Empower encourages listeners to participate in an interactive podcast. Join the conversation!

It turns out they weren’t bluffing: The developers of Blindfold Games and RS Games have come together to bring us the RS Games client on mobile devices. RS Games has been available on Windows and Mac OS for five years. Now you can play with your friends and family or against a computer bot anytime, anywhere. James Oates walks us through the app and tells us which games are available, and how much they cost. He reviews the settings for the app and he goes over how to use the app; and he quickly demonstrates how to play Monopoly, his favorite board game ever! Download the app, and start having fun right now! From the developer: RS Games specializes in the development of accessible games, products and software for the blind and visually impaired. RS Games are played by thousands of visually impaired people on Windows and Mac computers, and Blindfold Games and RS Games teamed up to create this app. Now you can play any of the 20 different multi-player games on an iPhone, iPad or iPod. Just login with your RS Games account, or create a new account, and start playing. Several of the games are free, and others are available with an in-app upgrade. You can start a public game or a private game, or you can join one of the public games that haven't started yet. You can add computer bot players to your game to make it more exciting.

The Amazon Echo is amazon’s Wi-Fi voice controlled speaker. Using just your voice, you can ask the Echo to do a number of things such as play your music library, check the weather, give you news updates, and much more! Additionally, third-party skills allow the Echo to expand its capabilities. In this podcast, Leo covers setting up the echo for the first time, as well as some of the things you can do with the echo, as well as its accompanying Alexa app. Are there any particular features or skills you would like to be covered in a future podcast? Let us know!

One of the biggest obstacles for many people when it comes to travel is the hit it takes on the bank account. Luckily, Justin is here to show off the solution, which is Kayak. In this demonstration, he takes us through the essential components of the iOS app. He shows us how to view prices for flights and hotels, track flights using the application, and a few other handy little tricks. Kayak is also available via website and an app for Android as well.

In this podcast, James Oates demonstrates how to navigate the C-Span Radio app on iOS. He shows us how to listen to live broadcasts, check today’s broadcast schedule, and enjoy in-depth podcasts. From the developer: Listen to the network that covers Washington like no other. The C-SPAN Radio app delivers live audio streams of commercial-free public affairs programming (C-SPAN Radio, C-SPAN, C-SPAN2 and C-SPAN3) and audio podcasts of some of our regularly scheduled programs around the clock, wherever you are. Hear Congressional hearings and key speeches from national and world leaders. Our daily Washington Journal call-in program, our recap of the stories of the day on Washington Today and the Sunday network talk programs. Authors on Book TV and rare archival audio from historical leaders and events on American History TV. C-SPAN Radio 90.1 FM in the Washington area and on XM Channel 455. Created by Cable. Offered as a public service. The app is available as a free download from the App Store and Google Play.

DJing with the world’s largest musical library! This one is for aspiring and professional DJ’s alike. Joel shows us how to connect a Spotify Premium account to DJAY Pro For the Mac by Algoridium. Once connected, DJ’s can perform to their heart’s content with the entire Spotify library through high quality streaming. The possibilities are endless!