Hello Techstravaganza friends,
Ever wondered what the AI assistant Muse can do? Have a listen to today’s tutorial to find out. Check it out at the following link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ArzHrvsfJdMmqUwKfTSxw
Show Notes
Introduction to the Muse App
Siena provided an overview of Muse, Meta’s personal AI assistant app, covering its onboarding process, naming, and initial setup.
- Details
- Siena: Explained that Muse is a product of Meta (also developers of Facebook and WhatsApp) and functions as a personal AI agent. Users log in with a Meta/Facebook account. During onboarding, users can name the assistant (options include Glimmer, Jet, or Muse). Siena chose “Muse.”
- Siena: Demonstrated the sidebar, which includes tabs for Main Chat, Feed, Ideas, Goals, and Library, as well as a Settings section and the ability to create side chats similar to ChatGPT or Gemini.
- Conclusion
- Muse operates as a proactive personal agent, not just a reactive assistant, and can manage apps with user approval.
Connecting Gmail and Google Calendar to Muse
Siena demonstrated connecting Gmail and Google Calendar to Muse and showed how Muse proactively provided helpful information after connection.
- Details
- Siena: Connected Gmail and Google Calendar during onboarding. Muse automatically sent a heads-up about Google security alerts generated by the connection, clarifying they were not intrusions.
- Siena: Muse also proactively flagged a scheduling conflict for the following day (Thursday, October 29th) — two overlapping events at 7 PM: “Robin’s Yen” and a Books Panel.
- Conclusion
- Gmail and Google Calendar were successfully connected. Muse demonstrated proactive calendar management by identifying conflicts without being asked.
Calendar Event Rescheduling via Muse
Siena demonstrated using Muse to reschedule a recurring calendar event for a single occurrence.
- Details
- Siena: Asked Muse to keep the Books Panel and move only the Thursday, October 29th occurrence of the Rob meeting (not the whole series) to 9 PM. Muse confirmed available time slots and requested approval before making the change.
- Siena: Approved the update. Muse confirmed the Rob meeting was moved to 9:00–10:00 PM Toronto time, retaining the same Meet link, and noted Rob would receive an updated invite.
- Conclusion
- Muse successfully rescheduled a single occurrence of a recurring event, demonstrating intelligent calendar management with user confirmation.
Exploring Connectable Apps in Muse
Siena asked Muse what other apps could be connected, revealing a broad list of integrations.
- Details
- Siena: Asked Muse directly via chat. Muse responded with a list including: Google Apps (Docs, Drive, Contacts, Tasks, Slides, Forms), Social (Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Messenger), Music (Spotify), Shopping/Payments (Shopify, Shop Pay, Meta Catalog), Events/Travel (Ticketmaster, Flightaware), Health (Apple Health or Health Connect), and Work/Design (Linear, Canva).
- Palmer: Noted it was a good list and asked about Be My Eyes integration and Meta app built-ins.
- Siena: Confirmed Meta apps are built in and that she uses the Meta glasses with the same Meta account.
- Conclusion
- Muse supports a wide range of third-party app integrations. Users can ask Muse directly to initiate any connection.
iCloud Mail Connector Availability
Siena tested whether iCloud Mail could be connected to Muse.
- Details
- Siena: Asked Muse if iCloud Mail could be connected. Muse confirmed there is no built-in iCloud Mail connector; only Gmail and Outlook Mail are currently supported.
- Siena: Asked Muse to send feedback to the Muse team requesting iCloud Mail support. Muse drafted and sent the feedback as a private note, excluding personal context.
- Conclusion
- iCloud Mail is not currently supported. Feedback was submitted to the Muse team on Siena’s behalf.
Connecting Messenger to Muse
Siena demonstrated connecting Facebook Messenger to Muse and reading messages through it.
- Details
- Siena: Connected Messenger through the in-app flow. Muse confirmed connection and outlined capabilities: searching chats, sending messages (with approval), catching up on Marketplace threads, and checking recent Messenger calls.
- Siena: Asked Muse to read the last message from Ali Moosa. Muse found no Messenger message from Ali but retrieved the latest Gmail message — a forwarded email about switching to Windows full-time, summarizing advice from Sarah Alawame about post-editing audio in Reaper.
- Siena: Drafted and sent a reply to Ali Moosa’s email via Muse, with Muse requesting approval before sending.
- Palmer: Noted concern about the PIN being read aloud during the connection process; Siena clarified it was entered via Braille screen input (secure) and the issue was a navigation error.
- Conclusion
- Messenger was successfully connected. Muse can read and send messages with user approval. PIN entry via Braille screen input is secure; external keyboard input may expose sensitive data.
WhatsApp Integration and Call Capabilities
The group explored whether Muse could place calls via WhatsApp or Messenger.
- Details
- Siena: Asked Muse about WhatsApp. Muse clarified that WhatsApp can be connected as a channel to chat with Muse (text-based), but Muse cannot access personal WhatsApp chats or place live calls.
- Siena: Asked about Messenger calls. Muse confirmed it cannot place Messenger calls; WhatsApp is the only supported messaging channel for chatting with Muse.
- C. Young: Shared that when they asked Muse to call them, Muse responded it cannot dial out from an iPhone. Muse placed them on a waiting list for when call features become available.
- C. Young: Noted that call functionality appears restricted to U.S.-registered businesses, which may explain the limitation for Canadian users.
- Conclusion
- Muse cannot currently place live phone or WhatsApp/Messenger calls, particularly for users in Canada. This feature is on a waiting list and may be limited to U.S.-registered businesses.
Privacy Settings in Muse
C. Young guided the group through key privacy settings within the Muse app.
- Details
- C. Young: Directed Siena to Settings > Data Controls, where the “Help Improve AI Models” toggle is found. Recommended turning it off to prevent personal data from being shared with Meta for AI training.
- Siena: Located and turned off the toggle with C. Young’s guidance.
- C. Young: Also explained the Connectors section in Settings as the central hub for managing all app connections.
- Conclusion
- Users should navigate to Settings > Data Controls and disable “Help Improve AI Models” for enhanced privacy.
“Hey Meta” Voice Activation and Meta Glasses Privacy
A discussion arose about disabling the “Hey Meta” wake word on Meta glasses for privacy reasons.
- Details
- Palmer: Asked about privacy settings related to the Meta glasses, referencing a prior article shared by Siena and Chris.
- Siena: Explained that one recommended setting is to disable “Hey Meta” so the glasses are not voice-activated in public. Users would instead double-tap and hold the touchpad on the right arm to activate.
- Palmer: Added that disabling it also prevents bystanders from thinking the user is recording them.
- C. Young: Clarified that “Hey Meta” is specific to the glasses, not the Muse app.
- Conclusion
- Disabling “Hey Meta” on Meta glasses is recommended for privacy, especially in public settings. Manual activation via touchpad remains available.
Referral Code and Token System in Muse
C. Young explained Muse’s referral and token system.
- Details
- C. Young: Explained that users can invite up to 30 friends via the Invite button in the main chat. If a friend redeems the referral code within 48 hours of joining, both parties receive 1 billion Muse tokens, which extend usage capacity.
- Siena: Confirmed the referral code redemption option is found in Settings > Redeem Referral Code.
- Conclusion
- Users can accumulate up to 30 billion tokens through referrals. The free tier is currently generous, likely as a user acquisition strategy.
Muse Voice Response Feature
C. Young demonstrated how to enable Muse to respond with voice messages instead of text.
- Details
- C. Young: Instructed Siena to tell Muse “I want to hear your voice from now on,” after which Muse sends audio voice messages alongside text.
- Siena: Enabled the feature via the dictate microphone button. Muse confirmed it would send voice messages going forward.
- C. Young: Suggested asking Muse to provide five different voice options to choose from.
- Siena: Requested five voice options; Muse began processing the request.
- Conclusion
- Muse supports voice message responses, which is particularly beneficial for accessibility. Users can request multiple voice options and select a preferred one.
Adding a Calendar Event via Muse
Siena demonstrated adding and correcting a calendar event through Muse.
- Details
- Siena: Asked Muse to add “Shannon’s Halloween Party” from 4:00–9:00 PM Eastern to Google Calendar. Muse initially set it for Saturday, October 31st.
- Siena: Corrected the date to Friday, October 30th while keeping the same time. Muse updated the event accordingly.
- Conclusion
- Muse can create and modify Google Calendar events through natural language instructions, eliminating the need to open the calendar app directly.
Real-World Use Cases Shared by Participants
Participants shared a variety of practical and creative ways they use Muse.
- Details
- C. Young: Uses Muse to monitor RBC and TD Bank accounts (noting RBC announced restrictions on AI agents, though Muse was still providing account information at the time of the session). Also uses Muse to photograph items for sale, enhance images, research market prices, and post listings to Facebook Marketplace and Kijiji. Uses Muse to find cheapest gas stations along a route, calculate fuel costs, and track grocery prices within a defined radius. Also uses Muse to manage credit card payment timing and resist impulse purchases.
- Jackie Castrogiovanni: Uses Muse to monitor grocery store flyers for specific items from three approved stores, receiving weekly updates every Thursday. Also tracks entertainment news about favorite artists (Kenny Loggins, Tim Allen), TV shows, and podcast/talk show appearances. Created a Spotify playlist of 70s songs by having Muse filter through over 1,000 liked songs.
- Palmer: Expressed interest in the grocery and forms use cases; noted the Hable device’s audio feedback (lost in iOS 26) appears to have returned in iOS 27.
- Siena: Noted that Muse’s photo description and editing capabilities are particularly valuable for blind users who cannot use traditional editing software.
- Conclusion
- Muse has broad practical applications spanning finance, shopping, entertainment, accessibility, and productivity. A Part 2 session was suggested to explore Goals, Ideas, Library tabs, and additional connectors.
Muse Integration with Other AI Tools (Zapier, Gemini, NotebookLM)
A participant asked about connecting Muse to other AI platforms.
- Details
- C. Young (via chat): Asked how to connect Muse to Gemini, NotebookLM, or ChatGPT, mentioning Zapier as a potential bridge.
- Siena: Acknowledged unfamiliarity with Zapier in this context but expressed willingness to explore it.
- Ali: Confirmed having used Zapier professionally.
- C. Young: Explained their strategy of using one AI to fact-check another, which motivated the desire to connect Gemini to Muse given Gemini’s deep Google integration.
- Conclusion
- Connecting Muse to other AI tools via Zapier was identified as a topic for further exploration. No live demonstration was completed.
iOS 27 VoiceOver Issues
Participants discussed accessibility inconsistencies observed after updating to iOS 27.
- Details
- Palmer: Noted that the lock screen clock behavior seems inconsistent — VoiceOver sometimes focuses on a different part of the screen instead of the clock after unlocking.
- Lily Frederiksen: Confirmed experiencing the same issue and noted that restarting the phone resolves it temporarily, but she has been restarting 2–3 times per week.
- Ali: Shared a tip to make every Saturday a reboot day for device optimization.
- Siena: Noted she updated to iOS 27.2 that morning and hoped the issue would be resolved.
- Palmer: Noted a positive change — the Hable device’s audio feedback cue (absent in iOS 26) appears to have returned in iOS 27.
- Conclusion
- iOS 27 has some VoiceOver lock screen inconsistencies. Regular weekly reboots are recommended. iOS 27.2 may address the issue.
macOS 27 Update Safety
Palmer asked whether it was safe to update to macOS 27.
- Details
- Palmer: Asked if macOS 27 is safe to update to now.
- Siena: Said the accessibility decline was not as drastic as anticipated.
- Lily Frederiksen (via chat): Confirmed it is safe to update.
- Conclusion
- macOS 27 is considered safe to update to, with no major VoiceOver accessibility regressions reported.
Transition from Zoom to Google Meet
Siena announced the upcoming platform transition for Techstravaganza sessions.
- Details
- Siena: Announced that starting Wednesday, November 4th, 1:00–3:00 PM Eastern, all Techstravaganza sessions will move to Google Meet, citing accessibility and security reasons. Noted that some Zoom settings are no longer as accessible for screen reader users as they once were.
- Siena: Offered one-on-one practice sessions for participants who want to familiarize themselves with Google Meet before the transition. Contact: support@techstravaganza.ca.
- Ali: Noted that in Google Meet, co-hosts can be pre-assigned before the meeting starts for anyone with a Gmail/Google account, unlike Zoom where co-hosts cannot assign other co-hosts.
- Palmer: Confirmed the date is Wednesday, not Monday.
- Ashlyn Eddy’s: Confirmed the transition is in one week.
- Conclusion
- Techstravaganza moves to Google Meet on Wednesday, November 4th. One-on-one practice sessions are available upon request.
Upcoming Tutorial: DropDeck App
Siena previewed the next week’s tutorial topic.
- Details
- Siena: Announced that next week’s Techstravaganza will feature a tutorial on DropDeck, described as a soundboard/DJ console/recording app used for podcast production.
- Siena: Noted that Techstravaganza itself is recorded using DropDeck, with Zoom as a backup recording.
- Conclusion
- The next tutorial will cover DropDeck on Wednesday, November 4th, coinciding with the first session on Google Meet.
Look ahead to what’s coming up on Techstravaganza for the rest of the year at the following link: https://techstravaganza.ca/2026/10/20/whats-coming-up-on-techstravaganza-for-the-remainder-of-2026/
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