Author: Macara

Urgent reminders in iOS 26

Siena demonstrated the new urgent reminders feature in iOS 26, showing how to mark reminders as urgent to ensure they trigger alarms even when focus modes are active.

• Details
  • Siena: Demonstrated how to create an urgent reminder for taking medication, showing that urgent reminders will activate even when a focus is on or the device is muted
  • Siena: Showed how to access reminder details and toggle the urgent setting
  • Ali: Clarified that urgent reminders will go to your phone regardless of which device you set them on
• Conclusion
  • Urgent reminders are useful for time-sensitive notifications that shouldn’t be missed
  • The feature requires permission to allow reminders to schedule alarms
  • Alarms will bypass any focus mode settings

Creating and organizing reminder lists

Siena demonstrated how to create and organize lists in the Reminders app to better categorize different types of reminders.

• Details
  • Siena: Created a “School assignments and tests” list with custom icon and color
  • Jeroo: Asked how to create lists and navigate through the process
  • Liz: Inquired about creating a medical list for doctor’s appointments
  • Ivy: Mentioned having a birthday group under reminders to keep birthdays organized
• Conclusion
  • Lists can be customized with different colors and icons
  • Creating separate lists helps organize different types of reminders (medical, birthdays, school, etc.)
  • Multiple lists can be created for similar categories (e.g., family birthdays and friends’ birthdays)

Setting reminder details

The group discussed various options for setting up reminders, including dates, times, early reminders, and repeat settings.

• Details
  • Siena: Demonstrated setting dates, times, and early reminders for school assignments
  • Siena: Showed how to set reminders to repeat daily
  • Liz: Asked about how early reminders work compared to urgent alarms
  • Ivy: Clarified that early reminders send a notification rather than an alarm
• Conclusion
  • Early reminders can be set for various time intervals before the actual reminder
  • Reminders can be set to repeat at different intervals (daily, weekly, etc.)
  • The app offers flexibility in how notifications are delivered

Shared lists and advanced features

Siena demonstrated advanced features including shared lists, assigning reminders to specific people, and adding additional details.

• Details
  • Siena: Showed the Techstravaganza shared list where team members track upcoming tutorials
  • Siena: Demonstrated how to assign reminders to specific people in shared lists
  • Siena: Showed how to add location-based reminders and messaging-based reminders
• Conclusion
  • Shared lists allow for collaborative task management
  • Reminders can be assigned to specific individuals in shared lists
  • Additional context can be added through notes, tags, and other details

Google Tasks vs. Apple Reminders

The group discussed the differences between Google Tasks and Apple Reminders and which might be better for different workflows.

• Details
  • Ali: Asked whether to continue using Apple Reminders or switch to Google Tasks since he uses Google Workspace and PC
  • Siena: Suggested switching to Google Tasks for better integration with Google products
  • Ali: Noted he would lose features like urgent reminders but was okay with that
• Conclusion
  • Google Tasks integrates better with Google Calendar and Workspace
  • Apple Reminders offers more features like urgent reminders
  • The choice depends on which ecosystem a user primarily works in

Grocery list templates

Liz shared her experience with grocery list templates in the Reminders app.

• Details
  • Liz: Described how a CNIB person set up a grocery list template that automatically categorizes items
  • Liz: Explained how she can use Siri to add items to specific categories
  • Siena: Confirmed this would be covered in a future tutorial
• Conclusion
  • Smart lists and templates offer advanced organization features
  • Siri integration makes adding items to lists convenient
  • A dedicated tutorial on this feature is planned for March

Upcoming Techstravaganza workshops

The team discussed upcoming workshop topics and scheduling for Techstravaganza.

• Details
  • Siena: Showed the Techstravaganza list with upcoming tutorials including Perplexity, Uber app, Apple Music, and more
  • Siena: Scheduled a Google Tasks tutorial for March 4, 2026
  • Ashlyn: Mentioned Perplexity, an AI tool that was requested for a future tutorial
  • Ivy: Shared that Perplexity is more detailed than ChatGPT and provides references
• Conclusion
  • Google Tasks tutorial scheduled for March 4, 2026
  • Outlook tutorial by Amanda scheduled for February 18, 2026
  • Smart lists and templates tutorial scheduled for March 2026
  • Messages on Mac tutorial scheduled for the next day

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Scheduling a Zoom meeting on iPhone

Ali demonstrated the complete process of scheduling a Zoom meeting using the iPhone app

• Details
  • Ali: Showed how to access the schedule button in the Zoom app and fill out meeting details including topic, date, time, and duration
  • Ali: Explained that for basic (free) accounts, it’s best to set meetings to 15 minutes to avoid hitting the 40-minute limit warning
  • Ali: Demonstrated how to add invitees both within Zoom and through the calendar integration
  • Ali: Showed how to save the meeting to the calendar and complete the scheduling process
• Conclusion
  • The scheduling process involves multiple steps but is straightforward once familiar with the interface
  • Calendar integration helps manage scheduled meetings

Meeting controls and features

Ali demonstrated various meeting controls and features available during a Zoom meeting

• Details
  • Ali: Showed how to start a scheduled meeting and access the main meeting controls
  • Ali: Demonstrated the chat feature, including how to send messages to everyone
  • Ali: Showed the participants panel and how to view participant information
  • Ali: Demonstrated how to raise and lower hand
  • Ali: Explained that the raise hand button is now directly on the main screen, not in reactions or more menu
  • Amanda: Asked about the AI Companion feature
• Conclusion
  • The iPhone interface provides access to all essential meeting controls
  • Some interface elements have been relocated in recent updates

AI Companion feature

Discussion about Zoom’s AI Companion feature and its capabilities

• Details
  • Amanda: Asked what the AI Companion feature does
  • Ali: Explained that AI Companion provides meeting summaries after meetings end
  • Ali: Noted that it allows late joiners to ask questions about what happened earlier in the meeting
  • Ali: Mentioned that AI Companion requires at least a Pro account and is not available on basic accounts
  • Amanda: Asked about the cost of Pro accounts
  • Ali: Stated that a single Pro license costs around $25 Canadian per month including tax
• Conclusion
  • AI Companion is a premium feature that provides useful meeting summaries
  • The feature requires a paid Zoom account (Pro level or higher)

Personal Meeting ID vs. scheduled meetings

Discussion about when to use personal meeting ID versus scheduling a meeting

• Details
  • Amanda: Asked about when to use personal meeting ID versus creating a meeting
  • Ali: Explained that personal meeting ID is best for quick, impromptu meetings
  • Ali: Gave an example of wanting to meet with someone immediately rather than scheduling ahead
  • Ali: Cautioned that using personal meeting ID for all meetings could allow anyone with the link to join any meeting
  • Roueida: Asked if Zoom provides the personal meeting ID
  • Ali: Confirmed that Zoom provides the personal meeting ID
• Conclusion
  • Personal meeting ID is best for quick, impromptu meetings
  • Scheduled meetings are more appropriate for planned events
  • Using personal meeting ID for all meetings poses security risks

Meeting duration and limits

Brief discussion about meeting duration limits

• Details
  • Roueida: Asked what happens if a meeting scheduled for 15 minutes goes longer
  • Ali: Explained that on basic accounts, meetings are cut off after 40 minutes
  • Roueida: Confirmed understanding that meetings continue until the 40-minute limit
• Conclusion
  • Basic Zoom accounts have a 40-minute limit regardless of scheduled duration
  • Pro accounts don’t have this limitation

Email BCC functionality (unrelated to Zoom)

Brief side question about Mac email functionality

• Details
  • Roueida: Asked how to set BCC in email on a new Mac Pro 15
  • Ali: Suggested checking the view menu in the Mail app
  • Roueida: Acknowledged the suggestion and said she would try it
• Conclusion
  • The BCC option is likely available in the view menu of the Mail app

A Brief Note About Upcoming Workshops

Today’s was the last workshop for 2025. Workshops will resume again on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2026. Please stay tuned to the newsletters, as the schedule of topics for January and February will be posted within the next day or 2.

Wishing all of you the happiest of Holidays, and all the best for 2026!

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Gmail app navigation and interface

Siena and Ali demonstrated the basic navigation of the Gmail app interface.

• Details
  • Siena: Showed the navigation menu, compose button, and search field at the top of the screen
  • Siena: Explained that multiple email accounts can be added to the Gmail app
  • Siena: Pointed out the Gemini AI integration within the Gmail app
  • Ivy: Mentioned she has a different layout with compose and search at the bottom of her screen
  • Siena: Clarified that Ivy was likely using the native Mail app rather than the Gmail app
• Conclusion
  • The Gmail app has a consistent layout with navigation menu, search field, and compose button at the top
  • The app supports multiple email accounts and includes Gemini AI integration

Reading emails in Gmail

The presenters demonstrated how to read individual emails in the Gmail app.

• Details
  • Siena: Showed how to open an email by double-tapping on it
  • Siena: Demonstrated the email reading interface with options like close, archive, delete, and mark as unread at the top
  • Siena: Explained how to navigate through the email content by swiping right with one finger
  • Siena: Showed how to close an email using the close button at the top
  • Siena: Demonstrated using VoiceOver’s action menu to manage emails from the inbox view
• Conclusion
  • The Gmail app provides a straightforward interface for reading emails
  • Users can easily navigate through email content using VoiceOver gestures
  • Email management actions are available both within the email and from the inbox view

Navigating conversation threads

A significant portion of the session focused on navigating conversation threads (email chains) in the Gmail app.

• Details
  • Siena: Demonstrated how to identify and open conversation threads
  • Siena: Showed that Gmail displays the number of emails in a conversation
  • Siena: Explained that Gmail shows threads in chronological order (oldest first)
  • Ali: Demonstrated how to expand and collapse individual messages within a thread
  • Siena: Showed how to navigate between messages using headings or form controls in VoiceOver
  • Ivy: Asked about the difference between using headings and form controls for navigation
• Conclusion
  • Gmail app displays conversation threads in chronological order (oldest first), unlike the Mail app
  • Users can expand or collapse individual messages within a thread
  • VoiceOver users can navigate between messages using either headings or form controls

Replying to emails

Ali demonstrated how to reply to specific messages within conversation threads.

• Details
  • Ali: Showed how to select a specific message within a thread to reply to
  • Ali: Demonstrated that when the reply button is activated, it replies to the currently selected message
  • Ali: Compared this to the Mail app’s approach to replying to messages in threads
  • Siena: Noted that Gmail makes it clearer which message you’re replying to
• Conclusion
  • The Gmail app makes it easier to identify which message you’re replying to within a thread
  • Users can select specific messages within a thread to reply to them directly

Composing emails

Ali demonstrated how to compose new emails in the Gmail app.

• Details
  • Ali: Showed how to access the compose button
  • Ali: Demonstrated adding recipients in the To and CC fields
  • Ali: Showed how to add a subject and message body
  • Ali: Demonstrated using dictation for message composition
  • Ali: Showed options for discarding drafts and sending messages
• Conclusion
  • The Gmail app provides a straightforward interface for composing new emails
  • Users can easily add recipients, subject, and message content
  • The app supports dictation for message composition

Gmail app settings and customization

The presenters explored various settings and customization options in the Gmail app.

• Details
  • Ali: Demonstrated how to access settings through the navigation menu
  • Ali: Showed how to customize mail swipe actions
  • Ali: Explained signature settings and how they sync with web signatures
  • Siena: Noted that Gmail synchronizes signatures across devices, unlike the native Mail app
  • Ivy: Asked about how to establish and manage signatures
• Conclusion
  • Gmail app offers various customization options through settings
  • Users can customize swipe actions to personalize email management
  • Signatures can be synchronized across devices when using the web signature option

Advantages of Gmail app over native Mail app

Throughout the session, several advantages of the Gmail app over the native Mail app were highlighted.

• Details
  • Siena: Mentioned that Gmail delivers notifications more promptly than the native Mail app
  • Siena: Noted that Gmail integrates with Google Calendar for event invitations
  • Siena: Explained that Gmail’s thread navigation is more intuitive
  • Ali: Demonstrated that Gmail synchronizes signatures across devices
  • Siena: Pointed out that Gmail allows collapsing and expanding individual messages in threads
• Conclusion
  • Gmail app offers better notification delivery and calendar integration
  • The app provides more intuitive thread navigation and management
  • Gmail synchronizes settings like signatures across devices

Next week is our annual Zoom tutorial, on Wednesday, Dec 17. Depending on what time allows, there will possibly be a follow up on the evening of Dec 18, more information nearer to the day.

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Setting up email accounts in iOS/iPadOS 26

Siena demonstrated the process of adding email accounts to the Mail app on an iPad, focusing on VoiceOver accessibility.

• Details
  • Siena: Showed how to set up an iCloud email account as the first account
  • Siena: Demonstrated how to enable/disable iCloud Mail in Settings
  • Ali: Clarified that users don’t need an iCloud email account but might be prompted to create one for certain backup features
  • Jackie: Asked about setting up accounts without an iCloud email
  • Siena: Confirmed you can use any email address for your Apple ID
• Conclusion
  • The Mail app guides users through initial setup when first opened
  • Users can enable or disable iCloud Mail through Settings > Apple Account > iCloud

Adding multiple email accounts

Siena demonstrated how to add Gmail and custom domain accounts to the Mail app.

• Details
  • Siena: Showed how to add accounts through Settings > Mail > Accounts
  • Siena: Demonstrated the authentication process including two-factor authentication
  • Siena: Explained how to select which services to enable (Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Notes)
  • Siena: Showed how to customize account labels for easier identification
• Conclusion
  • Multiple accounts from different providers can be added to the Mail app
  • The Mail app recognizes account types (Gmail, Exchange, etc.) automatically
  • Users can customize account labels to make them more recognizable

Navigating between email accounts

Siena demonstrated different methods for viewing and switching between email accounts.

• Details
  • Siena: Showed how to use the sidebar on iPad to switch between accounts
  • Siena: Explained that on iPhone, users would use the “Mailboxes” back button
  • Siena: Demonstrated how to enable and use the “All Inboxes” feature
  • Ali: Mentioned he prefers using “All Inboxes” to avoid missing emails
• Conclusion
  • Users can view individual account inboxes or combine them using “All Inboxes”
  • The iPad interface uses a two-column layout with message list and open message
  • VoiceOver users need to use the “containers” rotor setting on iPad to read messages

Email app preferences

Discussion about different email apps and their features.

• Details
  • Ali: Mentioned he finds the Gmail app more reliable than the Mail app
  • Amanda: Shared that she prefers Outlook
  • Siena: Noted that Gmail app has better notifications and calendar integration
  • Ali: Discussed how Gmail app handles calendar invites directly in the email
• Conclusion
  • Different email apps have various strengths and weaknesses
  • The Gmail app will be covered in a separate tutorial the following day

Calendar app discussion

A side discussion about calendar applications and subscriptions.

• Details
  • Ali: Mentioned Fantastical’s features including live activities on lock screen
  • Amanda: Explained she stopped using Fantastical to avoid another subscription
  • Macara: Discussed conference call joining features in Fantastical
  • Ali: Noted he’s helped the Fantastical team improve accessibility
• Conclusion
  • Fantastical offers useful features but requires a subscription
  • The group might do a tutorial on Fantastical in the future

Coming Up

Join us tomorrow evening from 7:00 to 9:00 PM Eastern for Techstravaganza 2.0, where the Gmail app on iPhone and iPad will be explored. Next Wednesday, we will have the annual Zoom tutorial, which, depending on time on Wednesday, might have a followup on Thursday, Dec, 18, from 8:00 to 10:00 PM Eastern.

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Screen reader pronunciation settings on iOS

Siena and Sherry demonstrated how to change pronunciation settings in VoiceOver on iOS devices.

• Details
  • Sherry: Demonstrated accessing the pronunciation settings through Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Speech > Pronunciation
  • Siena: Explained that users can add words that are mispronounced and create phonetic substitutions
  • Siena: Used “Fogarty” as an example, showing how to spell it phonetically as “FOH GGER TY” to get the correct pronunciation
  • Sherry: Showed how to test pronunciations using the play button before saving them
• Conclusion
  • iOS allows users to apply pronunciation changes to specific voices or all voices
  • Changes made on iPhone will sync to iPad and Apple Watch through iCloud
  • The process involves adding the word as spelled correctly, then creating a phonetic substitution

Deleting pronunciations on iOS

Drew (Jeroo) asked about deleting pronunciations, leading to a discussion about the process.

• Details
  • Jeroo: Asked how to delete a pronunciation completely
  • Siena: Explained that with VoiceOver on, users can swipe down with one finger to access the delete option
  • Jeroo: Noted difficulty finding the edit button without VoiceOver
  • Siena: Located the edit button at the bottom of the screen
  • Jeroo: Confirmed that when using the edit button, red circles with minus signs appear next to entries
• Conclusion
  • With VoiceOver: Swipe down on a pronunciation to access the delete option
  • Without VoiceOver: Use the edit button at the bottom of the screen, then tap the red circle with minus sign
  • The placement of the edit button at the bottom makes it difficult to find, especially for users with visual impairments

Pronunciation settings on macOS

Siena demonstrated how to change pronunciation settings in VoiceOver on macOS.

• Details
  • Siena: Showed how to access VoiceOver Utility using Ctrl+Option+F8
  • Siena: Navigated to the Speech category and then the Pronunciation tab
  • Siena: Demonstrated adding a pronunciation by entering the original word and its substitution
  • Palmer: Asked for clarification on the process
• Conclusion
  • Unlike iOS, macOS doesn’t allow setting pronunciations per voice
  • MacOS allows setting pronunciations per application
  • The process involves adding the word and substitution, with no explicit save button needed

Pronunciation settings in JAWS

Siena demonstrated how to change pronunciation settings in the JAWS screen reader.

• Details
  • Siena: Accessed the Dictionary Manager through the JAWS context menu (Insert+J)
  • Siena: Showed how to add a word and its replacement pronunciation
  • Siena: Explained additional options like playing sounds instead of speaking certain words
  • Siena: Demonstrated how to specify language, synthesizer, and voice settings
• Conclusion
  • JAWS offers more granular control than VoiceOver, allowing settings by language, synthesizer, and voice
  • Changes can be saved to the default dictionary or application-specific dictionaries
  • The process is similar to iOS and macOS but with more customization options

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Gmail keyboard shortcuts and navigation

Siena demonstrated how to access and use keyboard shortcuts in Gmail on the web.

• Details
  • Siena: Showed how to access keyboard shortcuts by pressing question mark (shift+slash)
  • Siena: Explained that keyboard shortcuts work differently on PC and Mac – on PC use Control instead of Command
  • Siena: Demonstrated navigation shortcuts including G+I (go to inbox), G+T (go to sent messages)
  • Hans: Asked for clarification about using star+A to select all conversations
  • Siena: Clarified that you press the keys sequentially, not simultaneously
  • Palmer: Asked about using delete key vs. # (number sign) for deleting messages
  • Siena: Showed that Gmail uses # for deletion rather than the delete key
• Conclusion
  • Keyboard shortcuts make Gmail navigation more efficient
  • Users can always access the shortcuts list by pressing ? (question mark)
  • Most common shortcuts: C (compose), R (reply), A (reply all), F (forward), # (delete)

Virtual PC cursor in Windows screen readers

Siena explained the importance of toggling the virtual PC cursor when using JAWS with Gmail.

• Details
  • Siena: Demonstrated using Insert+Z to toggle virtual PC cursor on/off in JAWS
  • Siena: Explained that virtual cursor needs to be off when navigating message lists and using keyboard shortcuts
  • Siena: Showed that virtual cursor needs to be on when reading message content
  • Jackie: Asked for clarification about constantly toggling the virtual PC cursor
  • Siena: Confirmed this is necessary as JAWS can interpret Gmail shortcuts as JAWS commands when virtual cursor is on
• Conclusion
  • Windows screen reader users need to toggle virtual PC cursor on/off frequently
  • Virtual cursor off: for navigating message lists and using Gmail shortcuts
  • Virtual cursor on: for reading message content
  • Mac VoiceOver users don’t need to worry about this as it’s handled natively

Reading and managing email threads

Siena demonstrated how to navigate through email threads and perform actions on messages.

• Details
  • Siena: Showed how to open conversations with Enter or O key
  • Siena: Demonstrated using semicolon to expand threads and colon to collapse them
  • Siena: Showed using N to move to next message and P to move to previous message in a thread
  • Ali: Asked if P and N move between messages in a thread
  • Siena: Confirmed and demonstrated this functionality
  • Siena: Showed how to delete entire threads with # (Shift+3)
• Conclusion
  • N and P keys navigate between messages in a thread
  • Semicolon expands threads, colon collapses them
  • (Shift+3) deletes messages or entire threads
  • Users can select multiple messages with X key before deleting

Composing emails

Siena demonstrated how to compose new emails and use various composition features.

• Details
  • Siena: Showed using C to compose or D to compose in a new tab
  • Ali: Noted that Shift+C also works for composing
  • Siena: Demonstrated adding recipients, subject, and message body
  • Siena: Showed additional options like attaching files, inserting emojis, and scheduling sends
  • Siena: Demonstrated adding CC/BCC recipients with Command/Ctrl+Shift+C and Command/Ctrl+Shift+B
  • Siena: Showed sending a message with Command/Ctrl+Enter
• Conclusion
  • C, D, or Shift+C can be used to compose new messages
  • Command/Ctrl+Enter sends the composed message
  • Gmail offers many composition features accessible via keyboard shortcuts

Mac vs. Windows differences

Discussion about the differences between using Gmail on Mac and Windows.

• Details
  • Siena: Explained that Mac uses Command key where Windows uses Control key
  • Siena: Noted that Mac VoiceOver handles navigation natively without toggling virtual cursor
  • Palmer: Asked if Gmail web navigation is similar between Mac and Windows
  • Siena: Confirmed the shortcuts are the same, with the main difference being Command vs. Control
• Conclusion
  • Gmail keyboard shortcuts are consistent across platforms with Command/Control key difference
  • Mac users have a smoother experience without needing to toggle virtual cursor
  • Web interface is consistent across platforms

Apple Mail app issues

Discussion about issues with the Apple Mail app.

• Details
  • Palmer: Described how Apple Mail organizes messages by letter rather than date
  • Palmer: Explained issues with the archive folder behavior
  • Liz: Asked about dealing with 570 draft emails that were created automatically
  • Siena: Explained that Mail app saves drafts automatically when composing is interrupted
  • Siena: Suggested manually selecting and deleting drafts
• Conclusion
  • Apple Mail has some organizational quirks compared to Gmail
  • The app automatically creates drafts even for incomplete compositions
  • There’s no easy way to bulk delete drafts in the native Mail app

Coming Up Next Week

Join us for changing Voiceover pronounciations on Dec, 3. Also, check out the rest of the December lineup at the following link.

(Updated), What’s Coming Up on Techstravaganza for November and December 2025

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macOS Phone App Demonstration

Siena demonstrated the new Phone app in macOS, explaining its functionality as a secondary phone interface that works across iPhone, iPad, and Mac when devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi and iCloud account. The app allows users to make calls, send messages, and access call history, with Liz inquiring about its availability on iPad, which Siena confirmed. The discussion included practical uses of the app, such as making calls when the phone is charging or left in another room, and participants shared personal experiences about where they keep their phones at home.

Mac Phone Call and Notifications

Siena and Ali demonstrated how to make and end phone calls on a Mac using the phone app and Notification Center, including navigating call history and ending calls. They discussed the differences between full screen and banner modes for notifications, and Ali mentioned exploring the option to change the notification style on the Mac. John joined the conversation briefly to clarify that the notification banner on the Mac looks similar to iOS’s floating window.

Mac Notification Management Tutorial

Siena and Ali explored how to manage and interact with phone notifications on a Mac, including changing alert styles to persistent banners and adjusting notification settings for specific applications. They tested answering a FaceTime call through the Mac’s Notification Center, noting some initial confusion with the labeling but successfully completing the task. Both participants acknowledged this as a learning experience, as Siena had never used a Mac to make or answer calls before.

MacOS 2026 Phone Call Features

Siena demonstrated how to answer phone calls on a Mac using macOS 2026’s new notification center feature, which treats phone calls as FaceTime calls. She showed that calls can be answered through the notification center even when the phone app is closed, though the phone app must be open to end calls. Siena also briefly mentioned a new feature in macOS 2026 that provides message and email summaries, though she didn’t demonstrate this functionality.

Mail App VoiceOver Features Update

Siena demonstrated the new Mail app features on Mac, including how to navigate between mailboxes and messages using VoiceOver commands, and showed the AI summary button that provides a concise summary of email content. She noted that while there weren’t many new VoiceOver features in the update, the summary button was particularly useful for quickly understanding email content without reading the full message. Liz inquired about the VO left/right commands and learned that these gestures are equivalent to flicking left/right on iPads that support the feature, with Siena suggesting that the iPad Mini 7 and up, as well as the Air 3 and up, support this functionality.

Email Content Display Issues Investigation

The team discussed issues with email excerpts not displaying properly in some cases, with Ali confirming that the full newsletter content is actually visible when scrolling down in the email. They identified that the problem might be related to how the email is displayed on different devices or email clients, as some team members were able to see the full content while others saw only an excerpt with a “continue reading” link. Ali agreed to investigate further and potentially make adjustments to ensure consistent display of the full content across all devices.

Email Formatting and Accessibility Issues

The team discussed issues with email formatting and accessibility, particularly regarding heading blocks and their impact on mobile readability. They explored mail settings and default email app configurations, with Ali demonstrating how to adjust settings on both iPhone and Mac. The group agreed to investigate whether different account types (iCloud vs Gmail) might be affecting the display issues, and Siena confirmed she would try adding heading blocks to improve navigation while being mindful of potential formatting complications.

Gmail Email Header Improvements

The team discussed issues with email headers and navigation in Gmail, particularly regarding Techstravaganza reminders. Liz suggested adding a sentence to the existing header rather than creating new blocks, which would help maintain consistency. They explored potential causes for scrolling and link-finding difficulties, including the use of threaded views and calendar integration. The group agreed to investigate further before making changes to their email templates.

Email Calendar Invite Simplification

The team discussed issues with email calendar invites and decided to simplify the process by creating a block pattern or template with essential meeting details. They agreed to remove unnecessary information like Find Your Local Number and the calendar view to make it easier for participants. Siena suggested using Google Calendar directly and copying the link with the required information once, rather than doing it weekly. The team also discussed how switching from direct email to a newsletter format allows for larger, unlimited subscriber lists.

Newsletter Format Simplification Discussion

The team discussed streamlining the newsletter format by removing extraneous embedded content and focusing on essential information like Zoom meeting links. They identified that the current format was cluttered and made it difficult to see key details. Siena and Ali agreed to simplify the newsletter by using excerpts and removing unnecessary information like location tags. They also addressed an issue with the iPad status bar disappearing in Mac OS 26, finding that it was still present but harder to access due to smaller icons. The team decided to encourage participants to use the Zoom app for easier access to meeting details, noting that it was free.

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Facebook Tutorial and Device Demo

The meeting began with a discussion about new technology, including a new device with reading capabilities and various voice options. Siena then introduced a tutorial on Facebook, covering topics such as writing posts, interacting with timelines, managing notifications, and exploring the Facebook menu. She requested participants to mute their microphones during the tutorial and to use specific commands for raising hands or unmuting. Despite some technical difficulties with screen sharing, the session continued, and Siena encouraged participants to let her know if they could hear the audio.

Facebook Platform Tutorial Overview

Siena conducted a tutorial on Facebook’s interface, explaining various features like creating posts, stories, reels, and live streaming. She mentioned the risks associated with Facebook Marketplace, similar to Kijiji. Ali distractedly shared information about a daily deal on Audible for a book on self-talk. Siena expressed interest and decided to purchase it. The tutorial concluded with a brief explanation of the search and Messenger functions, noting that the search button labeling issue on the iPad had not been fully resolved.

Facebook Tutorial for Techstravaganza

Siena demonstrated how to create and edit a post on Facebook using an iPhone, including typing with braille screen input and using AI features to rewrite text and add backgrounds. She composed a post about doing a tutorial for Techstravaganza 2.0, showing how to use the Facebook app on an iPhone. Ali offered to help Siena get used to typing on the touchscreen, and Siena mentioned she could mention Ali and Jackie in the post.

Facebook Tagging and Mention Features

Siena demonstrated how to use the mention and tag features in the Facebook app on iPhone, explaining the differences between the two and showing how to manually add tags. She encountered some issues with VoiceOver reading characters properly while using mentions, so she switched to using the tag feature instead. Siena also showed how to add emotions to a post, choose a background color, and adjust privacy settings for the post.

Facebook Content and Tagging Guide

Siena demonstrated how to create and post content on Facebook, explaining the tagging feature which sends notifications to tagged individuals. She clarified that tagged users receive notifications both on their phones and when they open Facebook, though the timeline now shows posts in random rather than chronological order. When asked about the home timeline’s randomness, Siena recommended using the notifications tab or following public pages for more organized content.

Facebook Description and Notification Issues

The group discussed issues with Facebook’s image and video description capabilities, noting that while Facebook has built-in image description tools, they are often inaccurate and unreliable. They explored the possibility of using Be My Eyes or Seeing AI to improve video description functionality, as these tools might provide better results. The conversation then shifted to notification problems on both iOS and Android devices, where participants discovered that while push notifications were enabled, many users were still not receiving notifications, with the notification count often being out of sync with the actual number of unread messages.

iOS Update Notification Issues

The group discussed issues with the latest iOS update affecting Notification Center and screen locking behavior. They explored potential solutions and shared experiences with different screen readers across operating systems, with Ali and Siena agreeing that VoiceOver remains more stable than TalkBack. The conversation concluded with a brief mention of Facebook app usage.

Facebook Update Discussion Tutorial

Siena led a tutorial on Facebook for Techstravaganza 2.0, demonstrating features like double-tapping to open full posts. She addressed concerns about Facebook’s recent update that requires users to tap to read full posts, noting this change affects both sighted and visually impaired users. The group discussed the pros and cons of this new feature, with Jackie suggesting it could be beneficial by allowing users to preview content before deciding whether to read the full post. They also touched on the differences between using Facebook on iPhone versus Android devices, with Siena sharing her experience of using an Android tablet and finding it sluggish compared to iPhone.

Facebook Features and User Engagement

The meeting focused on discussing Facebook features and functionality, particularly around notifications and user interactions. Siena demonstrated how to engage with Facebook posts, including liking, commenting, and replying, while also explaining notification settings and birthday reminders. The group discussed the limitations of deleting posts versus comments, with Siena clarifying that only post owners can delete their own content. The conversation ended with a brief discussion about creating a public Facebook group for assistive technology questions. 

Contact the team:

Email: support@techstravaganza.ca

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578990010675

Would you like to join the Techstravaganza Workshops Whatsapp Group? Fill out the form located at the following link: https://techstravaganza.ca/join-the-techstravaganza-workshops-whatsapp-group/

Follow the Show:

Tunein: http://tun.in/pxXlj

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/techstravaganza/id1846930800

Audible: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/techstravaganza/id1846930800

iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-techstravaganza-301161434/

Spotify: https://spotify.link/vVGru9nKBXb