Discussed topics
VoiceOver rotor basics
Siena provided a comprehensive overview of the rotor functionality in VoiceOver.
- Details
- Siena: Explained that the rotor allows users to read by character, word, headings, and perform other functions
- Siena: Demonstrated how to access the rotor by placing thumb and index finger on the screen and rotating as if turning a dial
- Siena: Showed that users can navigate through rotor items by rotating clockwise or counterclockwise
- Rob: Asked about keyboard users accessing the rotor
- Siena: Explained that keyboard users can use up arrow with left arrow to go counterclockwise and up arrow with right arrow to go clockwise
- Conclusion
- The rotor is a fundamental navigation tool for VoiceOver users
- The gesture mimics turning a physical dial, rotating either clockwise or counterclockwise
- Keyboard users can access rotor functions using arrow key combinations
Rotor items and functions
Siena demonstrated various items available in the rotor and their functions.
- Details
- Siena: Showed characters, words, lines options for reading text at different levels
- Siena: Demonstrated text selection options (character, word, line, page selection)
- Siena: Explained hints feature that provides context-sensitive help for controls
- Siena: Showed the actions menu that allows performing operations on selected items
- Siena: Demonstrated braille screen input for typing in braille on the touchscreen
- Siena: Explained containers for navigating between sections, especially useful on iPad
- Siena: Showed headings navigation for web browsing
- Siena: Demonstrated voice selection for switching between different language voices
- Conclusion
- The rotor contains numerous navigation and interaction options
- Different rotor items appear contextually based on the current screen or app
- The actions menu provides quick access to common operations without needing to use gestures like long press
VoiceOver activities
Siena explained how activities in VoiceOver allow for preset configurations.
- Details
- Siena: Demonstrated how activities allow users to switch between different VoiceOver presets
- Siena: Explained her personal activities including reading (slower speech), editing (includes punctuation), tutorials (slower speech, some sounds disabled), and gaming (faster speech, sounds disabled)
- Siena: Showed how to switch between activities using the rotor
- Conclusion
- Activities provide quick access to different VoiceOver configurations
- Users can create custom activities for specific use cases
- Activities can adjust speech rate, punctuation level, and sound settings
Customizing the rotor
Siena demonstrated how to add or remove items from the rotor.
- Details
- Siena: Showed how to access VoiceOver settings to customize the rotor
- Siena: Navigated to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Rotor > Rotor Items
- Siena: Demonstrated selecting and deselecting items to include in the rotor
- Siena: Explained that some items like “Actions” are always available and cannot be removed
- Liz: Asked specifically about adding text selection and actions to her rotor
- Siena: Confirmed text selection can be added, while actions is available by default
- Conclusion
- The rotor is highly customizable to suit individual needs
- Users can add or remove items through VoiceOver settings
- Some items are context-sensitive and only appear in certain apps or situations
Practical demonstration with Mail app
Siena demonstrated practical applications of the rotor in the Mail app.
- Details
- Siena: Showed how to use the actions menu to delete, flag, or mark emails as read
- Siena: Demonstrated text selection in email messages
- Siena: Showed how to read an email by character, word, and line
- Liz: Asked how to spell an author’s name from an email
- Siena: Demonstrated using words in the rotor to navigate to the name, then characters to spell it out letter by letter
- Conclusion
- The rotor provides efficient ways to interact with emails
- Character-by-character navigation helps with spelling unfamiliar names or words
- The actions menu simplifies common email operations
Upcoming Techstravaganza sessions
Discussion about future Techstravaganza workshops.
- Details
- Siena: Announced another Techstravaganza session on February 12th focusing on JAWS basics
- Siena: Mentioned that topics are lined up through the end of March
- Jackie: Suggested FaceTime as a future tutorial topic
- Siena: Confirmed they haven’t covered FaceTime yet and would add it to the list
- Conclusion
- A JAWS basics workshop will be held on February 12th from 7-9 PM Eastern
- Participant suggestions help drive future Techstravaganza topics
- FaceTime will be added as a future tutorial topic
Text-to-speech voices and technology
A side discussion about various text-to-speech voices and technologies.
- Details
- Rob: Mentioned using Siri voice for VoiceOver
- Siena: Discussed using Eloquence voice on her devices
- Rob: Shared that Susan Bennett is the original voice of Siri
- Rob: Mentioned differences between RealSpeak Solo and Vocalizer voices
- Siena: Noted that Vocalizer is available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac
- Conclusion
- Various voice options are available across different platforms
- Users have personal preferences for different synthetic voices
- Some voices are available across multiple platforms and screen readers
Check out the List of Future Techstravaganza Topics at the Following Link
(altered), Updated as of Feb 2, 2026, What’s Coming Up on Techstravaganza
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