Techstravaganza

More Fun with the Meta Glasses, Friday, Oct 2, 2026

Written by

Macara

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Hello Techstravaganza friends,

Have a listen to this evening’s fantastic continuation of the Meta Glasses tutorial at the following link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1WzSfMk4wnUFaDD3RxwnqW

Show Notes

Planned Switch from Zoom to Google Meet

Siena announced that the previously planned November switch to Google Meet would need to happen sooner than anticipated, due to the combined security and accessibility issues with Zoom.

  • Details
    • Siena Trigiani: Stated that Google Meet offers tighter security, an accessible admin interface, and better screen reader compatibility on both Windows and Mac.
    • Ali: Agreed that Zoom is no longer a service worth paying for and supported the switch.
    • Palmer: Suggested announcing the proposed timeline at the end of the session rather than mid-announcement.
    • Hans: Shared past experience using Google Meet with NVDA on Windows 11, noting some hotkey responsiveness issues from a couple of years ago, and requested a refresher session.
    • Siena Trigiani: Confirmed that Google Meet has improved significantly, including keyboard shortcut performance, and works with both JAWS and NVDA.
    • Siena Trigiani: Explained how to install Google Meet as a Progressive Web App (PWA) via Chrome or Brave browser for a better desktop experience.
    • Hans: Noted that installing as a PWA creates a desktop shortcut, which would be more convenient than the Zoom client.
    • Palmer: Mentioned a possible free Google Meet app on the Microsoft Store, though its official status was uncertain.
  • Conclusion
    • The switch to Google Meet will happen sooner than November; the exact timing will be decided at the Monday team meeting.
    • A Google Meet refresher/office hour workshop is planned for Tuesday (11:00 AM–12:00 PM) and Monday afternoon (1:00–3:00 PM).
    • The best experience with Google Meet is via Chrome or Chromium-based browsers (e.g., Brave).
    • The Flip tutorial will be postponed to make room for the Google Meet transition tutorial.

Google Meet Hotkeys and Features Overview

During the discussion of the platform switch, Siena provided a brief overview of Google Meet keyboard shortcuts and features relevant to screen reader users.

  • Details
    • Siena Trigiani: Shared that Ctrl-D is used to mute/unmute in Google Meet.
    • Hans: Asked about hotkey differences compared to Zoom and requested a refresher on tabbing and navigation.
    • Siena Trigiani: Explained the PWA installation process via meet.google.com and the Alt key menu in Chrome (Save, Cast, and Share option).
    • Palmer: Confirmed understanding of the PWA installation process.
  • Conclusion
    • A dedicated Google Meet tutorial/refresher session will be held the following week.
    • Ctrl-D is the mute/unmute shortcut in Google Meet.
    • Installing Google Meet as a PWA is recommended for the best experience.

Content Creation Philosophy and Analytics

A broader conversation arose about the philosophy behind running Textravaganza and the impact of focusing on analytics versus passion-driven content creation.

  • Details
    • Ali: Stated that Textravaganza’s viability comes from not focusing on numbers or analytics, but doing it out of genuine interest.
    • Ali: Shared an anecdote about a student in his accessible voice and broadcasting course who became discouraged by low numbers; Ali advised him to keep creating and ignore the metrics.
    • Lily: Noted that some people may expect quick monetization or get discouraged easily.
    • Hans: Shared his own experience with hobby broadcasting, acknowledging the psychological challenge of low listener counts, and noted cliquish behavior in some online radio communities.
    • Hans: Referenced Ali’s podcast interview with Brian Burke from 570 News, discussing how commercial radio has become tightly controlled and formulaic.
    • Lily: Agreed that radio has become formulaic, with repeated playlists and little room for personality.
    • Hans: Described an experiment where three different local radio stations (formerly “the Bounce”) were playing the identical playlist simultaneously.
    • Ali: Confirmed that radio is driven entirely by money and consultant-driven playlists.
  • Conclusion
    • Textravaganza operates on a passion-driven model, not an analytics-driven one.
    • Participation and readership at any level (even just email subscribers) are valued.
    • Commercial radio’s shift to formulaic, consultant-controlled content was seen as a cautionary example.

Textravaganza Growth and Community Recognition

The group briefly discussed how Textravaganza is gaining recognition beyond its original organizational affiliation.

  • Details
    • Ali: Mentioned that individuals within a particular organization (not named) are aware of Textravaganza’s relaunch and are helping spread the word.
    • Lily: Expressed that it is encouraging to be considered legitimate even outside the former organizational structure.
    • Ali: Noted that people can participate by joining sessions or simply subscribing to email updates.
  • Conclusion
    • Textravaganza is gaining organic recognition through word of mouth and possibly search engines.
    • All forms of engagement, including passive email readership, are welcomed.

Meta Glasses Tutorial — Phone Calls Feature

Siena demonstrated the phone call functionality of her Meta Skylar Glasses, testing both outgoing and incoming calls with Ali and Lily.

  • Details
    • Siena Trigiani: Used the “Hey Meta, call Ali Moosa” voice command to initiate a call; the call connected successfully via WhatsApp.
    • Ali: Confirmed good sound quality from the glasses’ microphone.
    • Siena Trigiani: Attempted to end the call using “Hey Meta, hang up” but the command did not work during an active call.
    • Palmer: Suggested trying “hang up call” or “end call” as alternative commands.
    • Lily: Googled and found that a double-tap on the right touch-sensitive strip of the glasses should end a call.
    • Hans: Confirmed from experience that double-tapping the touchpad on the right arm of the glasses ends a call.
    • Siena Trigiani: Had difficulty locating the exact tap point, possibly due to hair or headset interference.
    • Siena Trigiani: Successfully answered an incoming call using “Hey Meta, answer.”
    • Lily: Attempted to call Siena but was sent to voicemail due to Siena’s mindfulness Focus mode being active around 8:00–8:05 PM.
    • Siena Trigiani: Noted that calls seem to default to WhatsApp even when instructed to use the phone.
  • Conclusion
    • Incoming calls can be answered via voice command (“Hey Meta, answer”) or double-tap on the right arm touchpad.
    • Ending calls via voice command during an active call does not appear to work reliably; using the phone directly or double-tapping the touchpad is the workaround.
    • Calls tend to default to WhatsApp when WhatsApp is connected.
    • Microphone quality has improved since the first generation of the glasses.

Meta Glasses Tutorial — Messaging Feature

Siena demonstrated sending and receiving text messages hands-free using the Meta Glasses.

  • Details
    • Siena Trigiani: Attempted to send a message to Lily using punctuation words (e.g., saying “comma” and “period”), which caused the glasses to read punctuation as literal words rather than applying them.
    • Siena Trigiani: Retried without dictating punctuation; the glasses automatically inserted punctuation, and the message was sent successfully.
    • Lily: Confirmed receipt of the message and replied; Siena received and read the reply via the glasses.
    • Siena Trigiani: Demonstrated the “Hey Meta, read my messages” and “Hey Meta, read last message from Ali” commands.
    • Siena Trigiani: Noted that unlike Siri, Meta AI automatically inserts punctuation without needing to dictate it.
    • Hans: Pointed out that the glasses can only read a portion of long messages and will say “that’s all I can read for now”; messages must also be read promptly after receipt, as the glasses cannot retrieve older messages.
    • Hans: Noted similar limitations with long WhatsApp voice messages.
    • Siena Trigiani: Acknowledged these limitations and agreed they somewhat defeat the hands-free purpose for longer messages.
    • Hans: Attributed the limitations to the glasses’ small buffer compared to a phone.
  • Conclusion
    • Messaging works well for short messages; punctuation is inserted automatically without needing to dictate it.
    • Long messages cannot be fully read by the glasses; users must check their phone for the remainder.
    • Messages should be read promptly after receipt, as the glasses cannot retrieve older messages on demand.
    • The messaging feature works better than the call-ending feature.

Meta Glasses Tutorial — App Connectivity (WhatsApp, Messenger, Phone)

Siena walked through the process of connecting communication apps to the Meta Glasses via the Meta AI app’s device settings.

  • Details
    • Siena Trigiani: Navigated to Device Settings > Apps within the Meta AI app to connect WhatsApp and the phone app.
    • Siena Trigiani: Demonstrated settings including “Announce Messages,” “Automatic Message Readout,” and “Share Media Hands-Free.”
    • Ali: Noted that automatic message readout could be annoying if someone sends multiple messages in quick succession.
    • Siena Trigiani: Confirmed that both “Announce Messages” and “Automatic Message Readout” can be toggled independently for flexibility.
    • Siena Trigiani: Connected Messenger during the session and noted it would need to be reconnected later.
  • Conclusion
    • WhatsApp and the phone app can be connected via the Meta AI app’s Device Settings > Apps section.
    • Message announcement settings are flexible and can be toggled on or off based on user preference.
    • Messenger connectivity is also available but may require reconnection after certain actions.

Meta Glasses Tutorial — Timer Feature

Siena tested the timer functionality of the Meta Glasses.

  • Details
    • Siena Trigiani: Used “Hey Meta, set a timer for 10 seconds” — the timer started and rang successfully.
    • Siena Trigiani: Attempted to set an alarm using “Hey Meta, set an alarm for 8:32 PM” — the glasses responded that they can only set timers, not alarms.
  • Conclusion
    • The Meta Glasses support timer functionality via voice command.
    • Alarm setting is not currently supported; only timers are available.

Meta Glasses — Hardware Overview and Generation Comparison

The group discussed the different generations and models of Meta Ray-Ban glasses.

  • Details
    • Siena Trigiani: Confirmed she has the first-generation Skylar Meta Glasses; also mentioned the Wayfarer and Oakley models.
    • Hans: Has the Gen 1 Ray-Bans and was considering Gen 2 for better battery life; noted that Gen 3 Meta Ray-Bans are expected to be released imminently and can be purchased via the Meta app (not yet on Amazon).
    • Palmer: Noted that Gen 3 battery life is reportedly 4 hours longer than Gen 2.
    • Hans: Confirmed Gen 3 offers 12 hours of battery life vs. 8 hours for Gen 2.
    • Palmer: Mentioned the Meta displays and neuro band announced at Meta Connect, which reportedly include a built-in screen reader and gesture-based navigation similar to Vision Pro.
    • Siena Trigiani: Noted that the glasses’ microphone is situated on the right arm and that long hair can interfere with it.
  • Conclusion
    • Gen 3 Meta Ray-Bans offer 12 hours of battery life and are expected to release soon.
    • The Skylar, Wayfarer, and Oakley models all use Meta AI.
    • Hair or headset placement can interfere with the glasses’ microphone on the right arm.

Meta Glasses — Third-Party App Compatibility

The group briefly discussed third-party visual assistance apps compatible with Meta Glasses.

  • Details
    • Siena Trigiani: Mentioned plans to do a future tutorial on using Be My Eyes, Aira, and ScribeMe with the Meta Glasses.
    • Palmer: Added that Orion is also now available on the glasses.
    • Palmer: Speculated that more visual assistance apps will be added over time.
  • Conclusion
    • Be My Eyes, Aira, ScribeMe, and Orion are among the third-party apps compatible with Meta Glasses.
    • A dedicated tutorial on third-party app integration is planned for a future session.

Dictation Fails and Funny Ringtones Segment

Toward the end of the session, the group shared humorous dictation experiences and demonstrated custom ringtones.

  • Details
    • Siena Trigiani: Shared that dictation once turned “oops” into “hoops” and another time produced an inappropriate word.
    • Ali: Demonstrated his custom ringtones, including the Jeopardy Fast Theme (2002–2008) as his default ringtone and a pre-1997 Jeopardy jingle as his reminder sound.
    • Lily: Recognized the Jeopardy Fast Theme when Ali’s phone rang.
    • Ali: Explained his love of Jeopardy and the late Alex Trebek as the motivation for the ringtone choices; also mentioned Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and Family Feud tones.
    • Palmer: Mentioned the Jeopardy Masters theme and how it references the classic board reveal music.
    • Siena Trigiani: Revealed her ringtone is the classic Skype ringtone and her text tone is the old MSN Messenger sound.
    • Ali: Mentioned he also has the Price Is Right “loser” sound assigned to a specific contact, framing it humorously as making the tone “unique.”
    • Ali: Offered to share his entire ringtone folder with participants via Google Drive.
    • Palmer: Added Google Drive to his iPhone to facilitate receiving the shared folder.
  • Conclusion
    • Ali will share his custom ringtone folder via Google Drive with interested participants (Palmer and Lily confirmed interest).
    • The segment was a lighthearted close to the session.

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