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Good evening Techstravaganza friends,

Siena provided a fun tutorial on a couple of accessible gaming platforms, as well as addressing some of the ongoing challenges with Zoom. Have a listen at the following link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4FzYIMsuGTfaNgX1Hx83S1

Show Notes

Session Introduction: Techstravaganza Extra – Games Galore

Siena formally opened the recorded session, introducing the theme of the evening: accessible gaming platforms.

• Details
  • Siena: Announced the session date (Friday, September 4, 2026) and the topic — two gaming platforms to be demonstrated using a screen reader.
  • Siena: Explained she would demonstrate one platform (Dice World) on the Mac and another (Quentin C’s Playroom) on the PC.
  • Siena: Shared her screen and audio via Zoom to allow participants to follow along with VoiceOver output.
• Conclusion
  • The session proceeded as a screen-reader-focused gaming tutorial.

Dice World – Platform Overview and Game Demonstrations

Siena demonstrated the Dice World app on her Mac (M1 chip or later required for Mac compatibility), showcasing several dice games available on the platform.

• Details
  • Siena: Explained that Dice World is primarily a mobile app but is also available on Macs with Apple Silicon (2020 or later). A Windows version does not currently exist, though Siena noted she has requested one from the developers.
  • Siena: Shared her Dice World username: Siena.T-R-I-G-I-A-N-I.
  • Lily: Offered her Dice World username to participants and described herself as a casual player.
  • Suzanne: Confirmed she plays Dice World on her phone.
  • Ali: Declined to join Dice World, humorously stating he felt “outnumbered” by the gamers in the group.
• Details – Games Demonstrated
  • Farkle: Siena explained scoring (ones worth 100, fives worth 50, three-of-a-kind combinations, large straights, three pairs) and demonstrated gameplay against her friend Eric (Classical Man 19). She used the bonus roll mechanic and explained how to bank points.
  • Pig (Bank or Bust): Siena demonstrated this game, explaining that rolling a 1 causes the player to lose all points accumulated in that round. Suzanne noted that in her version, a 6 was the losing number, prompting a brief discussion about rule variations.
  • 1-4-24: Siena explained the objective (score as close to 24 as possible, requiring a 1 and a 4 in the roll) and demonstrated gameplay, ultimately scoring 23 against Eric’s 20.
  • Threes: Siena explained that 3s are worth 0 points and the goal is to accumulate the fewest points. Getting all threes triggers a Handel’s Messiah audio cue.
  • Yahtzee: Siena initiated a game against Eric, explaining scoring categories (ones through sixes, three of a kind, four of a kind, full house, small straight, large straight, Yahtzee/five of a kind). Suzanne provided tips on aiming for the upper section bonus.
• Details – Bonus Roll and Coin System
  • Siena: Explained that bonus rolls cost gold coins, which can be earned by winning games, playing the first game of the day (5 coins), scoring 50+ points in one Pig roll, or watching short video ads.
  • Siena: Shared her stats: Level 63, 1,550 wins, 1,379 losses, 6,687 bonus rolls accumulated over 10 years of play.
  • Siena: Demonstrated earning free bonus rolls by watching in-app video ads.
  • Siena: Noted a new app called Card World (Gin Rummy, Rummy 500) from the same developer, built with accessibility in mind, available on the App Store.
• Conclusion
  • Dice World is a well-accessible platform for Mac and iPhone users; Android support is limited.
  • Participants were encouraged to challenge each other using their usernames.
  • Card World was identified as a new accessible card game platform worth exploring.

Transition from Mac to PC for Quentin C’s Playroom

Siena switched from her Mac to her Windows PC to demonstrate Quentin C’s Playroom/Game Room.

• Details
  • Siena: Unplugged her USB hub from the Mac and connected it to the PC, then rejoined the Zoom call from the PC.
  • Ali: Noted Siena was still sharing her Mac screen and prompted her to stop.
  • Siena: Stopped the Mac screen share and joined Zoom from the PC.
• Conclusion
  • The transition was completed successfully, and the session continued on the PC.

Quentin C’s Playroom / Game Room – Platform Overview

Siena provided an overview of Quentin C’s Playroom, an accessible multiplayer gaming platform.

• Details
  • Siena: Explained that the Windows desktop client is called “Quentin C’s Game Room,” while the web-based version (accessible on Mac, iOS, Android, and Chromebook) is called “Quentin C’s Playroom.”
  • Siena: Provided the download URL: qcsalon.net (Q-C-S-A-L-O-N dot net). Noted the platform was originally developed in France/Switzerland and translated into many languages.
  • Siena: Shared her username: SienaT (S-I-E-N-A-T).
  • Suzanne: Shared her username: Black-eyed Susan.
  • Siena: Walked through the main menu options: Create a New Table, Join a Table, Restore a Table, Options, Functions and More, and Leave the Playroom.
  • Siena: Demonstrated the Options menu (Language, General Options, Audio and Text-to-Speech, Reading and Appearance, Security, Privacy, Restore Default Settings).
  • Siena: Demonstrated the Functions and More menu (Inbox, Friends List, Blocked Users List, Status Message, Profile, Open Forum, Change Password, Send History Report, Open Website, Save/Copy History).
  • Siena: Noted the platform has 48 games available, including 1,000 Miles, Uno, Scopa, Farkle, Yahtzee, and Quiz Party.
• Conclusion
  • Quentin C’s Playroom is a highly accessible, multi-platform gaming environment suitable for screen reader users across multiple operating systems.

Scopa Game Demonstration (Quentin C’s Playroom)

Siena and Suzanne played a live game of Scopa on Quentin C’s Playroom to demonstrate gameplay.

• Details
  • Siena: Created a Scopa table, invited Suzanne (Black-eyed Susan), and made the table private using Control-H.
  • Siena: Explained Scopa rules: collect cards from the table by matching or summing to equal a card in hand; sevens, most diamonds, the Seven of Diamonds, most cards, and scopas (clearing the table) each earn points. Victory is fixed at 11 points with a two-points-ahead rule.
  • Suzanne: Confirmed she teaches Scopa at REACH and that a participant there plays exclusively Scopa.
  • Siena: Noted she learned Scopa from her grandmother using braille cards.
  • Siena: Explained game variants available: Escobar, Scopone, Muerto, and Manual Selection of Tricks.
  • Suzanne: Explained Scopone (no cards on the table at start) and Manual Selection (player chooses which cards to collect when multiple options exist).
  • Suzanne: Explained the Two Points Ahead Rule (cannot win unless leading by at least 2 points).
  • Gameplay proceeded with Siena leading 3–0 after the first round.
• Conclusion
  • The game was saved to be resumed later.
  • Siena led 3–0 after the first round.

Farkle Game Demonstration (Quentin C’s Playroom)

Suzanne created a Farkle table on Quentin C’s Playroom and played against Siena to demonstrate the platform’s version of Farkle.

• Details
  • Suzanne: Created the table, set the minimum entry to 50 points, minimum bank to 30 points, and score limit to 1,000 points.
  • Siena: Joined the table and explained differences from Dice World’s Farkle: ones are worth 10 points (vs. 100), fives are worth 5 points (vs. 50); small straights, large straights, and full houses are available scoring combinations.
  • Suzanne: Achieved a strong opening turn, rolling all dice and re-rolling multiple times.
  • Siena: Had an exceptional turn, rolling a small straight (100 pts), large straight (200 pts), another small straight (100 pts), and additional singles, banking 485 points.
  • Scores at the point of pausing: Suzanne 535, Siena 485.
• Conclusion
  • The game was saved for later completion.
  • The demonstration effectively showcased the differences between Dice World and Quentin C’s Playroom versions of Farkle.

Zoom Usability and Accessibility Concerns

Participants discussed their frustrations with Zoom’s increasing complexity and accessibility issues, comparing it to Google Meet.

• Details
  • Siena: Described Zoom as “walking into a maze blindfolded” for screen reader users due to constant interface changes, and Google Meet as more predictable and navigable.
  • Ali: Noted he stopped paying for Zoom approximately 4–5 months prior because it no longer met his needs.
  • Lily: Confirmed Zoom freezes her Mac and she can no longer log in on it; she only uses Zoom for Textravaganza.
  • Ali: Drew a parallel to the bloating of iTunes, which similarly became unwieldy over time.
  • Siena: Described instances where Zoom keyboard shortcuts stopped working randomly on both Windows and Mac, requiring force-quitting or rebooting.
  • Ali: Attributed the bloat to Zoom’s post-COVID strategy of becoming an all-in-one office suite.
  • Siena: Acknowledged the concept is sound in theory but noted Google’s approach of keeping apps separate while accessible from one place is more effective.
  • Siena: Noted Zoom’s “My Notes” feature frequently interferes with the interface on Mac.
• Conclusion
  • General consensus that Zoom has become overly complex and less accessible.
  • Google Meet was viewed as a more stable and accessible alternative.
  • The group continues to use Zoom for Textravaganza sessions for now.

Diane’s Question: Joining Zoom from Mac Mail App

Diane raised a question about how to open a Zoom meeting link from the Mac Mail app using VoiceOver.

• Details
  • Diane Brown: Explained she could read the email but could not activate the Zoom link on her Mac, so she joined from her Windows computer instead.
  • Ali: Shared his screen and demonstrated navigating the email using Control-Option-Right Arrow to locate the “Join Zoom Meeting” link, then activating it with Control-Option-Space.
  • Ali: Read out the full meeting link from the newsletter email for reference.
• Conclusion
  • Diane understood the process and planned to try it at a future session.
  • Siena offered to set up a test Zoom meeting with Diane over the weekend to practice.

Ivy’s Ongoing Audio/Unmuting Issues

Ivy Matouk experienced persistent difficulty unmuting throughout the session and was unable to speak during the Q&A portion.

• Details
  • Ali: Attempted to prompt Ivy to unmute via Zoom’s host controls.
  • Siena: Provided keyboard shortcut reminders (Command-Shift-A) and noted the audio mute/unmute sound cues in VoiceOver.
  • Ali: Noted that the prompt to unmute is easy to miss.
  • Siena: Confirmed Ivy still appeared muted and suggested she reach out via email or text for follow-up troubleshooting.
• Conclusion
  • Ivy was unable to participate verbally; follow-up troubleshooting was planned.

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Hello Techstravaganza friends,

Siena and Ali provided a wonderful demonstration and discussion of the ways to use AI for productive and creative tasks. Have a listen at the following link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4w5UC2h0um5oa0Mq5FaXFJ

Show Notes

Workshop Introduction and Session Setup

Siena and Ali opened the session, welcomed new and returning members, and outlined the plan to compare three AI assistants — ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Perplexity — on productivity and creativity tasks. 

• Details
  • Siena: Introduced herself as host and co-facilitator alongside Ali, welcomed all attendees, and explained the session focus on AI for productivity and creativity.
  • Ali: Noted plans to open the floor for questions around 2:30 PM and flagged topics from the Textravaganza Workshops WhatsApp/iMessage group, including questions about computers and iOS betas.
  • Siena: Confirmed an alarm was set for 2:30 PM and sent a message to the Techstravaganza Workshops group to inform members of the session agenda.
• Conclusion
  • The session was structured as a live demonstration followed by open Q&A.
  • Notes were being captured via recording, managed by Lily.

AI Tool Comparison — PDF Summarization

Siena demonstrated uploading an inaccessible, image-based PDF (a MIDI Plus Mini Engine USB user manual) to each AI assistant and requesting a summary. The PDF was scanned and not readable by screen readers directly.

• Details
  • Siena: Explained that image-based PDFs cannot be read by screen readers such as JAWS, and that she currently uses DocuScan Plus for this task. She wanted to test whether AI could replace or supplement that workflow.
  • Siena (on Gemini): Uploaded the PDF via Google Drive clipboard paste. Gemini produced a well-structured summary with headings (Product Overview, Key Features, Power and Battery, Controls and Interface), making it easy to navigate by heading using JAWS.
  • Siena (on ChatGPT): Uploaded the same file. ChatGPT also produced a concise summary with headings and bullet points. Siena noted Gemini’s summary felt slightly more concise.
  • Siena (on Perplexity): Uploaded the file and requested a summary. Perplexity produced a usable summary with headings, though it prompted upgrade notices during the process.
• Conclusion
  • All three AI assistants successfully summarized the PDF manual.
  • Gemini’s output was considered slightly more concise and well-structured.
  • Perplexity’s free plan showed limitations with repeated upgrade prompts.

AI Tool Comparison — Verbatim Text Extraction from PDF

Siena asked each AI to extract the full text of the manual exactly as written, without summarizing, to test whether the tools could serve as an accessibility workaround for inaccessible documents.

• Details
  • Siena (on Gemini): Required multiple, increasingly specific prompts before Gemini extracted the English text correctly. Initially, Gemini attempted to summarize. After specifying “extract only the English text exactly as written,” Gemini eventually succeeded but took significantly longer.
  • Siena (on ChatGPT): With a single clear prompt, ChatGPT extracted the full verbatim English text quickly and accurately, preserving the original wording including grammatical errors present in the source document.
  • Siena (on Perplexity): Perplexity extracted some text but the output was disorganized, with repeated website URLs, jumbled characters, and text that was difficult to read with a screen reader.
  • Liz: Asked for clarification on what “productivity” means in this context. Siena explained it refers to tasks that increase efficiency, such as making inaccessible documents readable.
  • Liz: Shared a personal use case — using Meta AI glasses to have jokes and memes explained to her, which she found very helpful.
  • Siena: Confirmed this is a valid and practical use of AI, noting she had used ChatGPT and Gemini to interpret memes sent by family members.
• Conclusion
  • ChatGPT performed best for verbatim text extraction with minimal prompting.
  • Gemini required more specific prompting but ultimately succeeded.
  • Perplexity’s output was difficult to read and considered a partial failure for this task.
  • Prompt specificity is critical, especially with Gemini; users may need multiple attempts to get the desired output.

AI Tool Comparison — RTF File Conversion

Siena asked all three AI assistants to convert the uploaded PDF into an RTF document that could be opened and read in a word processor using a screen reader.

• Details
  • Siena (on ChatGPT): ChatGPT converted the file to RTF within seconds and provided a download link. The resulting file opened in LibreOffice and was readable, though it contained some RTF formatting artifacts (backslashes and escape characters).
  • Siena (on Gemini): Gemini packaged the RTF file inside a ZIP archive for “secure downloading.” After extraction, the file opened cleanly in LibreOffice with readable, well-formatted text. Siena declared Gemini the winner for this task.
  • Siena (on Perplexity): Perplexity prompted an upgrade to Pro for document creation but still produced a downloadable RTF. The resulting file contained extraneous words and was difficult to read, earning a “half-pass.”
• Conclusion
  • Gemini produced the cleanest RTF output and was judged the best performer for this task.
  • ChatGPT’s output was functional but contained formatting artifacts.
  • Perplexity’s output was the weakest and required a paid plan for full functionality.

AI Tool Comparison — Creative Song Generation

Siena shifted to a creativity task, asking each AI to generate a country song about the frustrations of technology failures.

• Details
  • Siena (on ChatGPT): ChatGPT generated strong, humorous country song lyrics (titled “Technology’s Got It Out for Me”) with verses, a chorus, and a bridge. However, it could not generate an actual audio track — only lyrics.
  • Siena (on Perplexity): When asked to generate a song based on the ChatGPT-created lyrics, Perplexity refused, claiming the lyrics were copyrighted. Siena pointed out this was incorrect since the lyrics were AI-generated. Perplexity instead created an entirely new song. This was considered a failure of the task.
  • Siena (on Gemini, paid plan): Gemini generated a full-length audio track (approximately 3 minutes) using the provided lyrics. The song was played live for attendees and was well-received. Siena downloaded both an MP3 and an MP4 with cover art.
  • Max: Praised the track and requested a copy be sent out.
  • Siena: Confirmed she would share the track with anyone who requested it.
  • Jackie Castrogiovanni: Discussed Suno, another AI music tool, noting it is reasonably accessible but has inconsistent creation limits and download restrictions on the paid plan. She also mentioned MusicGPT as inaccessible.
• Conclusion
  • Gemini (paid plan) was the clear winner for audio song generation, producing a full MP3/MP4 track.
  • ChatGPT excelled at lyric writing but cannot generate audio.
  • Perplexity failed the task by incorrectly flagging AI-generated lyrics as copyrighted.
  • Suno remains a viable but inconsistent option for accessible AI music creation.

Differences Between AI Assistants — General Overview

Liz raised a question about why there are so many separate AI programs and whether they all operate differently.

• Details
  • Liz: Asked whether ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Meta AI all operate differently and noted it seemed wasteful to have so many separate systems.
  • Ali: Explained they all work on similar underlying principles but operate differently in practice.
  • Siena: Elaborated that different AIs excel at different tasks — Gemini and Perplexity are strong for research, while ChatGPT and Gemini perform better for productivity tasks. She recommended experimenting with free plans to determine which suits specific needs.
  • Siena: Noted that Meta AI (used via glasses) will be the topic of the following week’s session.
  • Palmer: Mentioned interest in Claude and the Perplexity browser, noting he primarily uses Gemini and has had some issues with ChatGPT’s voice conversation feature.
  • Siena: Mentioned Suno (music-specific AI) and Arena AI (for audio drama creation) as additional specialized tools.
• Conclusion
  • No single AI assistant is best for all tasks; users should experiment with free plans.
  • Meta glasses and their AI integration will be covered in the next Textravaganza Afternoons session.

Gemini Pricing and Plan Clarification

Max asked about the difference between free and paid Gemini plans and whether paying for Google storage automatically includes Gemini AI features.

• Details
  • Max: Asked whether paying for 100 GB of Gmail storage includes the paid Gemini AI plan.
  • Siena: Clarified that she pays approximately $26/month for a plan that includes 2 terabytes of Google storage and the Gemini AI Premium tier. She noted the AI Ultra plan costs $139/month, which she does not use.
  • Siena: Explained she uses Google Drive as universal cloud storage accessible from both her Windows PC and Mac, making the plan worthwhile for her workflow.
• Conclusion
  • Paying for Google storage alone does not automatically include Gemini AI Premium.
  • The Gemini AI Premium plan (~$26/month with 2 TB storage) is separate from basic storage plans.

Mac vs. Windows Accessibility Discussion

Ali opened a broader discussion about the state of VoiceOver on macOS, frustrations with accessibility regressions, and whether switching fully to Windows is worth considering.

• Details
  • Siena: Reported that Google Chrome on macOS has become significantly less accessible, with tasks that previously worked now broken. WordPress also no longer functions properly in Chrome on Mac and only partially works in Safari.
  • Ali: Agreed, noting VoiceOver issues are not browser-specific but are rooted in VoiceOver itself, and that accessibility has worsened with each macOS update.
  • Palmer: Noted that iPhone and iPad accessibility issues are more manageable and workable compared to macOS.
  • Siena: Said she plans to keep the Mac for specific tasks — broadcasting via Audio Hijack, Fargo (soundboard/DJ console), FaceTime, and iMessage — while using Windows for productivity, web browsing, and word processing.
  • Ali: Identified key Mac strengths he values: Audio Hijack, Loopback, Fargo, and iMessage. He noted replicating this setup on Windows would be very difficult.
  • Ali: Acknowledged he is “very forgiving” toward the Mac despite its issues, continuing to use it because of these specific strengths.
  • Lily: Suggested keeping the Mac for audio recording/broadcasting tasks where it works well, and using Windows for everything else, noting there is nothing wrong with using multiple devices for different purposes.
  • Ali: Agreed, noting everything is saved to Google Drive, making cross-device workflows seamless. He also noted Reaper works well on Windows for audio editing.
  • Ali: Highlighted that Windows with JAWS handles text selection and copy-paste from websites far more efficiently than VoiceOver on Mac, where users must use “copy last phrase” repeatedly.
  • Palmer: Confirmed he uses macOS Monterey on a Mac Neo and finds Safari faster for banking. He noted occasional VoiceOver freezes requiring a restart, and that the power button locks the screen rather than offering a shutdown option.
  • Palmer: Raised the question of whether Apple may shift focus more toward iPads and away from Mac laptops.
  • Ali: Expressed uncertainty but noted Apple’s attention is clearly not focused on improving VoiceOver on Mac.
• Conclusion
  • Both Siena and Ali plan to retain their Macs for specific use cases (broadcasting, messaging, FaceTime) while relying more on Windows for general productivity.
  • The consensus was that using both platforms strategically — similar to choosing between AI tools — is the most practical approach.
  • VoiceOver on macOS is experiencing ongoing regressions with no clear sign of improvement.

iOS 26 VoiceOver Issue — Hey Siri Setup

Max shared a specific accessibility bug encountered on iOS 26 when attempting to re-enable Hey Siri.

• Details
  • Max: Reported that on his iPhone 17 Pro running iOS 26, VoiceOver was unable to read the prompts displayed during the Hey Siri setup process. He tried multiple workarounds with Apple Accessibility support via screen share on a landline, including turning off screen curtain and adjusting other accessibility settings.
  • Max: The only solution was to turn VoiceOver off entirely and have the Apple support agent read the prompts aloud so he could say them to his phone.
  • Max: Expressed frustration that a core Apple feature is inaccessible to VoiceOver users, and asked how users can effectively report such issues to Apple.
  • Ali: Noted a disconnect between Apple Accessibility and the engineering team, suggesting feedback does not reliably result in fixes.
  • Siena: Empathized and confirmed the frustration, noting the screen curtain being on could sometimes cause similar issues but acknowledged Max had already ruled that out.
  • Lily: Agreed the issue is unacceptable for a native Apple feature.
• Conclusion
  • Hey Siri setup on iOS 26 is currently inaccessible with VoiceOver enabled, requiring VoiceOver to be turned off as a workaround.
  • There is a perceived disconnect between Apple Accessibility support and the engineering team responsible for fixing such bugs.

Windows Chrome Not Launching — Palmer’s Issue

Palmer reported that Google Chrome would not open on his Windows laptop, even when searched via the Start menu.

• Details
  • Palmer: Described that Chrome would not launch from the desktop shortcut or the Start menu search. He had been working around this by re-running the Chrome installer downloaded via Microsoft Edge each time.
  • Siena: Suggested trying to launch Chrome via the Windows Run dialog (Windows key + R, then typing “chrome”).
  • Palmer: Tried this live during the session and confirmed Chrome opened immediately.
  • Siena: Recommended removing the broken desktop shortcut and recreating it after the session.
• Conclusion
  • The Windows Run command (“chrome”) successfully launched Chrome as an immediate workaround.
  • Palmer and Siena agreed to follow up after the session to recreate the desktop shortcut properly.

Windows Laptop Recommendations for Accessibility Users

Palmer discussed his need for a lightweight Windows laptop to replace his 8-year-old HP, suitable for accessibility work including JAWS, NVDA, and Narrator.

• Details
  • Palmer: Explained he needs a light laptop without a number pad, with standard navigation keys (Home, Page Up, Page Down, End, arrow keys), capable of running JAWS, NVDA, and Narrator. He mentioned his current laptop’s up arrow key is failing.
  • Siena: Shared her own setup — a Lenovo Legion Go (a handheld gaming PC running full Windows 11) used as a travel computer, paired with a Bluetooth keyboard. She noted it has USB-C ports and requires a USB hub for standard USB-A devices.
  • Palmer: Asked about USB connectivity on the Legion Go; Siena confirmed it uses USB-C and a hub is needed for USB-A devices, available for under $20 on Amazon.
  • Siena: Also mentioned the ASUS ZenBook and the GPD Win Max as options she had considered, noting the GPD Win Max was out of her price range.
  • Palmer: Expressed interest in the ASUS brand. He also noted his Sony Bluetooth headphones connected successfully alongside his hearing aids via Bluetooth, which surprised him.
  • Palmer: Asked about Pixel phone availability (specifically whether the “A” series continues past the Pixel 10); Siena was unsure but thought the A series may have ended around the Pixel 10.
• Conclusion
  • A lightweight Windows laptop without a number pad is recommended for portable accessibility work.
  • USB-C hubs (under $20) solve connectivity issues for devices with only USB-C ports.
  • The ASUS ZenBook and GPD Win Max were mentioned as options worth researching.

Screen Recording Tools for Accessibility Demonstrations

Palmer asked about accessible tools for recording screen demonstrations, having encountered issues with Loom.

• Details
  • Palmer: Described wanting to record his screen (including screen reader output) for marketing/tutorial purposes. He tried Loom but had setup issues, possibly related to connectivity.
  • Siena: Said she is not familiar with Loom and suggested Zoom or Google Meet as accessible alternatives, noting both allow screen sharing and recording even with a single participant.
  • Siena: Explained that to record an iPhone screen via Zoom on a PC, both devices need to be connected to the same Zoom meeting, and the iPhone can be shared via a wired connection on Mac.
  • Palmer: Asked whether the webcam video needs to be active alongside screen sharing; Siena was unsure and offered to research it.
  • Siena: Noted Zoom recordings do not include built-in editing; a separate tool like Reaper (which Ali confirmed can handle video) would be needed for editing.
  • Ali: Confirmed Reaper supports video editing but noted he is not an expert in that area.
• Conclusion
  • Zoom and Google Meet are recommended as accessible screen recording options.
  • Editing recorded content would require a separate tool such as Reaper.
  • Siena agreed to research whether webcam video is required alongside screen sharing in Zoom recordings.

AI for Music Score Reading — Liz’s Question

Liz raised the idea of using AI to help her learn piano by reading music scores note by note, given her near-total vision loss.

• Details
  • Liz: Explained that her piano teacher writes out note names (e.g., C, C, F, E, C, D) by hand, and she uses her phone’s screen reader to read them back slowly. She asked whether AI could read a treble clef score one note at a time.
  • Siena: Expressed curiosity and suggested exploring whether AI could generate a music score from an audio file and then read it back note by note.
  • Liz: Clarified she would prefer single notes rather than chords, as chords are too complex to explain orally.
  • Siena: Noted she is an auditory learner and cannot rely on sheet music herself, but acknowledged ear training does not work for everyone.
  • Siena: Offered to research the idea and suggested Liz provide a simple song (Liz chose “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”) so Siena could attempt to provide the note letters.
• Conclusion
  • No definitive AI solution was identified during the session, but the idea was flagged as worth exploring.
  • Siena agreed to investigate whether AI can extract and read music scores note by note.
  • Liz will share “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” with Siena as a test case.

Upcoming Sessions and Podcast Feeds

Ali and Siena outlined upcoming Textravaganza content and clarified the podcast structure.

• Details
  • Siena: Announced a Textravaganza Extra this week focused on accessible games — Dice World and Quentin C’s Game Room.
  • Siena: Confirmed the next Textravaganza Afternoons session will cover Meta glasses and their AI features.
  • Ali: Clarified there are now three separate podcast feeds: Techstravaganza Afternoons, Techstravaganza Evenings, and Techstravaganza Extra.
  • Max: Confirmed he is busy Thursdays but asked whether the Extra session would be podcasted; Siena confirmed it would be.
• Conclusion
  • Techstravaganza Extra (this week): Accessible games — Dice World and Quentin C’s Game Room.
  • Next Techstravaganza Afternoons: Meta glasses and AI.
  • All sessions are available as podcasts across three separate feeds.

Read more about what’s coming up on this month’s Techstravaganza Afternoons workshops at the following link: https://techstravaganza.ca/2026/09/02/whats-coming-up-on-techstravaganza-afternoons-as-of-september-2-2026/

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Good afternoon Techstravaganza friends,

Siena provided a fantastic tutorial of Android and TalkBack this afternoon! Have a listen at the following link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1tLPyO8gZyCFqlVkjHCK2g

Show Notes

TalkBack Tutorial: Android Navigation Basics

Siena demonstrated core TalkBack navigation on a Motorola Moto G 5G running Android 15, covering the permanent navigation bar, gestures, app switching, and the app drawer.

• Details
  • Siena: Explained the three permanent buttons at the bottom of Android screens — Back (bottom left), Home (center), and Overview/Recent Apps (bottom right) — and noted Samsung phones reverse the Back and Overview button positions, which she finds counterintuitive.
  • Siena: Demonstrated swipe gestures: swipe up then left to go Home; swipe left then up to open Recent Apps; swipe down then left to go Back; two-finger swipe up and left to open the App Drawer (App Suggestions).
  • Siena: Showed how to navigate the home screen by swiping left/right one app at a time and double-tapping to activate.
  • Siena: Demonstrated closing apps from the Recent Apps view by swiping down with one finger to reveal the Close action, then double-tapping.
  • Siena: Highlighted the App Drawer as the most efficient way to find apps, noting the Motorola launcher automatically groups Google apps and Moto apps into separate folders, with remaining apps alphabetized.
• Conclusion
  • TalkBack offers multiple equivalent methods for navigation (gestures and physical buttons), providing flexibility for users.
  • The App Drawer is recommended over the home screen for finding apps, especially when the home screen is disorganized.

TalkBack Tutorial: Uninstalling Apps via Settings

Siena demonstrated that uninstalling apps directly from the home screen or app drawer is difficult in TalkBack, and walked through the Settings-based method.

• Details
  • Siena: Showed that long-pressing an app in the app drawer does not reliably surface an uninstall option under TalkBack.
  • Siena: Navigated to Settings → Apps → See All Apps, located Dice World, swiped right to find the Uninstall button, double-tapped, and confirmed the uninstall.
  • Siena: Noted Dice World does not work well on Android but works on iPhone and Mac; expressed preference for playing it on Mac.
• Conclusion
  • The recommended method to uninstall apps on Android with TalkBack is: Settings → Apps → See All Apps → find the app → swipe to Uninstall → confirm.

TalkBack Tutorial: The TalkBack Menu

Siena demonstrated how to access and use the TalkBack contextual menu, including its key features.

• Details
  • Siena: The TalkBack menu is accessed by swiping down then right in one fluid gesture.
  • Siena: Menu options include: Describe Image, Describe Screen, Read from Focused Item, Copy Last Spoken Phrase, Spoken Language, Screen Search, Hide Screen (screen curtain/shade), Voice Commands, Keyboard Shortcuts, and TalkBack Settings.
  • Siena: Demonstrated Describe Screen, which provided a detailed verbal description of the current screen layout including app icons and navigation dock.
  • Siena: Noted that Actions in the TalkBack menu provides an alternative to swiping up/down to access item-specific actions.
• Conclusion
  • The TalkBack menu is a powerful shortcut hub for common accessibility functions and settings.
  • Describe Screen can be useful for quick spatial orientation on an unfamiliar screen.

TalkBack Tutorial: Sound and Vibration Settings

Siena navigated to TalkBack Settings → Audio → Sound and Vibration and turned off sound feedback at the request/suggestion of Ali Moosa via chat.

• Details
  • Ali Moosa (via chat): Expressed dislike for TalkBack sounds.
  • Siena: Agreed, noting TalkBack sounds cannot be customized (unlike VoiceOver), so she prefers to disable them entirely. Turned off Sound Feedback and confirmed Vibration Feedback was already off.
  • Siena: Noted that speech rate (130 WPM) and accessibility volume (100%) were correctly configured.
  • Siena: Highlighted a quick-access tip: hold one finger on screen and press volume up/down to adjust accessibility volume from any screen; swipe up/down with three fingers to adjust speech rate.
• Conclusion
  • Sound feedback was disabled during the session.
  • TalkBack does not support customizable sounds, which is a noted limitation compared to VoiceOver.

TalkBack Tutorial: Text-to-Speech Settings and Voice Options

Siena explored the Google Text-to-Speech engine settings, demonstrating how to download additional voice packs and select preferred voices.

• Details
  • Siena: Navigated to TalkBack Menu → Text-to-Speech → Preferred Engine (Google Speech Recognition and Synthesis) → Settings → Install Voice Data.
  • Siena: Downloaded English voice packs for Australia, India, Nigeria, and United Kingdom, as well as Italian (Italy) for demonstration.
  • Siena: Demonstrated all eight available English (United States) voices by playing sample text (“This is an example of speech synthesis in English”), commenting on their qualities (e.g., Voice 4 sounds like a young man, Voice 6 reminds her of a familiar voice).
  • Siena: Selected Voice 1 (English US) as her preferred voice.
  • Siena: Demonstrated language detection settings (Off, Conservative, Aggressive) and set it to Aggressive, explaining that this causes TalkBack to switch language as soon as it detects non-English text.
  • Jackie Castrogiovanni: Asked how to access different voices, confirming she was unaware this customization was possible and had been using a less preferred voice.
  • Siena: Confirmed voice packs are small in file size and unlikely to cause storage issues.
  • Siena: Mentioned an NVDA add-on that brings Google TTS voices to Windows, which she installed and shared with others.
• Conclusion
  • Users can significantly improve their TalkBack experience by switching to Google TTS, downloading additional voice packs, and selecting a preferred voice.
  • Language detection can be set to Aggressive for better multilingual support.
  • Jackie Castrogiovanni planned to explore voice options on her own device after the session.

Participant Discussion: Android vs. iPhone — Personal Preferences

Following the tutorial, Ali Moosa facilitated a group discussion asking participants whether they would consider switching to or using Android based on what they had seen.

• Details
  • Lily: Found TalkBack and Android intriguing and would want to explore before deciding. Primary concern is price — high-end Android devices (Pixel, Samsung) are nearly as expensive as iPhones, making the risk of switching less worthwhile.
  • Ali Moosa: Not interested in switching to Android. Key reasons: fewer third-party podcast app options on Android (uses EyeCatcher on iPhone; only Pocket Casts is comparable on Android), and the iPhone ecosystem better meets his specific needs.
  • Jackie Castrogiovanni: Has experience with both. Noted iPhone apps feel less clunky and VoiceOver is more straightforward. Praised iPhone’s Siri + Be My Eyes integration for hands-free image description. Android drawback: her older Samsung has not received a major software update in nearly a year, causing app clunkiness (notably Spotify). Highlighted Android advantage: “Close All” option in Recent Apps, which iPhone lacks.
  • Yvonne: Strongly prefers Apple due to superior dictation accuracy (99% comprehension despite having an accent), comfort from years of familiarity, and the transformative impact of accessibility features (Seeing AI, VoiceOver) on her daily life. Open to trying Android again but content with Apple.
  • Ashlyn Eddy’s: Has never used an Android phone; first phone was an iPhone 5 (preceded by an iPod Touch). No immediate interest in switching but curious.
  • Macara: Also always been in the Apple ecosystem (started with iPod Touch). Noticed more discussion of Android in the blind community recently and found the tutorial interesting. Curious about Talk Forward (a newer free Android screen reader) but does not see herself switching.
  • Siena: Shared her own Android history — used old Sony and Motorola hand-me-downs. Noted TalkBack gestures have improved significantly over the years. Still more comfortable on iPhone, especially for helping family members (e.g., turning on VoiceOver for her grandmother). Chose Motorola Moto G over Pixel due to cost; noted Motorola runs near-stock Android with minimal bloatware.
• Conclusion
  • The majority of participants prefer iPhone/VoiceOver due to familiarity, ecosystem integration, app quality, and accessibility features.
  • Price parity between high-end Android and iPhone reduces the incentive to switch.
  • Android has notable advantages (Close All in Recent Apps, voice customization, stock Android on Motorola/Pixel) but also notable gaps (Gemini limitations, manufacturer fragmentation, app clunkiness on older devices).

Gemini vs. Google Assistant: TalkBack Control Limitations

A discussion emerged around the ability (or inability) of Google’s AI assistants to toggle TalkBack on and off.

• Details
  • Siena: Demonstrated asking Gemini to turn TalkBack off and on. Results were inconsistent — Gemini reported success but TalkBack did not always actually change state.
  • Jackie Castrogiovanni: Confirmed Google Assistant on her Samsung says “TalkBack isn’t available on this device” when asked to toggle it, despite TalkBack being installed. It can navigate to the TalkBack menu but cannot toggle the feature.
  • Jackie Castrogiovanni: Noted the volume key shortcut to toggle TalkBack was removed on her device, leaving her with no reliable hands-free method to re-enable TalkBack if it shuts off accidentally.
  • Jackie Castrogiovanni: Shared an embarrassing incident where TalkBack shut off unexpectedly; while trying to re-enable it, she accidentally initiated an unwanted group call to her performers group chat during her frustrated attempts.
  • Siena: Noted that on iPhone, Siri reliably toggles VoiceOver, and she can assist family members (e.g., grandmother) without issue.
  • Jackie Castrogiovanni: Expressed hope that the permanent switch from Google Assistant to Gemini will bring significant improvements to app-opening and accessibility control capabilities.
• Conclusion
  • Gemini’s ability to reliably toggle TalkBack is inconsistent and needs improvement.
  • The removal of the volume key shortcut on some Android devices is a significant accessibility regression.
  • Google needs to ensure Gemini can reliably turn TalkBack on and off, particularly for users who cannot interact with the screen without it.

Talk Forward: Alternative Android Screen Reader

Siena briefly mentioned a newer screen reader for Android.

• Details
  • Siena: Mentioned Talk Forward, described as a free Android screen reader gaining popularity in the blind community.
  • Macara: Expressed curiosity about trying Talk Forward.
• Conclusion
  • A future tutorial on Talk Forward may be planned.

iPhone App Management: Closing Apps and Battery/Performance

A side discussion arose about best practices for managing open apps on iPhone and the impact on performance and battery.

• Details
  • Jackie Castrogiovanni: Noted her iPhone was acting sluggish the previous night due to approximately 30 apps open in the app switcher; apps were not closing properly.
  • Siena: Shared an anecdote about helping her grandmother close all open apps to resolve slowness.
  • Ashlyn Eddy’s: Noted her iPhone 15’s battery health is at 85% with 433 charge cycles (approaching 500).
  • Jackie Castrogiovanni: Her iPhone battery health is at 87–88%, down from 95% when new.
  • Siena: Suggested closing apps that are not frequently used from the app switcher to help with memory and sluggishness, while frequently used apps (Gmail, Messenger, Facebook) can remain open.
  • Ashlyn Eddy’s: Noted closing apps may also help battery life.
  • Siena: Observed that newer iPhones (15, 17E) tend to manage resources better.
• Conclusion
  • Recommended practice: close infrequently used apps from the app switcher; leave only regularly used apps open.
  • Battery health naturally degrades over charge cycles; monitoring battery health percentage is useful.

Android Manufacturer Fragmentation

A brief discussion on how the Android experience varies across manufacturers.

• Details
  • Jackie Castrogiovanni: Observed that iPhones are consistent across models, whereas Android behavior varies by manufacturer, creating a learning curve when switching between Android devices.
  • Siena: Agreed, noting Samsung’s reversed back/overview button layout is confusing. Motorola’s near-stock Android is more consistent with Pixel. Mentioned accessible home screen launchers as a historical workaround before TalkBack gestures matured.
• Conclusion
  • Android fragmentation across manufacturers means accessibility experiences can differ significantly, whereas iOS/VoiceOver offers a more uniform experience.

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