Podcast Player Tutorial Overview
The Techstravaganza session focused on beginning a tutorial series about podcast players, starting with the Apple Podcasts app on iPhone. Siena Trigiani led the tutorial, highlighting new features including enhanced dialogue, adjustable playback speeds, and browsing options. Ali announced that the workshop format would remain unchanged and that future sessions would be available on various podcasting platforms.
Apple Podcast Interface Features
Siena demonstrated various features of Apple’s podcast interface, including algorithmic recommendations, popular shows, and news updates, while Ali provided the Apple Accessibility phone number. They explored different podcast categories including technology, music, business, and culture, with Siena highlighting several interesting podcasts including “Happy Enough Happiness” and “If Objects Could Talk.” The discussion focused on how the Apple algorithm personalizes podcast recommendations based on user listening habits, with Siena noting that the interface shows both free and subscriber-only content.
Apple Podcasts Search Tutorial
Siena provided a tutorial on using the Apple Podcasts app, focusing on the Home and Search tabs. She demonstrated how to search for podcasts, including the new location of the search field in iOS 16, which has moved to the bottom right corner. Siena also explained how to use the adjustable slider to filter search results by top results, shows, episodes, channels, and categories.
Podcast Management on Mobile Devices
Siena demonstrated how to search for and follow podcasts on a mobile device, showing features like following shows, activating episodes, and managing automatic downloads. She explained that the best way to check if a podcast is being followed is to double-tap and activate it. Scott asked about the recommended number of podcast episodes to listen to daily, and Siena suggested listening to one episode per day or creating a playlist of different podcasts for evening listening. Ali and Scott briefly discussed keeping up with sports podcasts and missed news updates.
Podcast Discovery Techniques Explained
The group discussed finding podcasts, with Palmer recommending The Simply Space and Astrum, though neither was found in Apple Podcasts. Siena demonstrated how to search for podcasts in the Apple Podcasts app, including finding and following the “Teach Me How to Adult” podcast by Jillian Berner. They explored various search techniques and discussed the differences between YouTube and podcast platforms for discovering content.
iOS Podcast Navigation with Magic Tap
Siena demonstrated how to listen to podcasts using the iOS VoiceOver screen reader, including navigation between episodes and the use of the Magic Tap feature. Ali provided clarification on how to access and configure the Magic Tap settings in the Commands menu. They discussed the new iOS 2026 update that allows Magic Tap to only answer and end calls, rather than controlling media playback to prevent unintended interactions. The session concluded with plans to cover the podcast library and browsing features in the next meeting.
Podcast Navigation and Updates
Siena demonstrated how to navigate and use the Apple Podcasts app, including searching for shows, following podcasts, and accessing account settings. She highlighted specific shows she follows, such as Apple Events Audio and Ali and Macara’s Books, and mentioned that she listens to some podcasts on YouTube as well. Scott announced his podcast, Weekly In Sports, would release its October show soon. Siena expressed excitement about an upcoming book discussion on the Books Panel podcast and mentioned she had started reading “Stop Saying You’re Fine” by Mel Robbins.
Book Discussion and Podcast Tips
The group discussed the book “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” by Mark Haddon, sharing their thoughts on its plot, characters, and themes related to autism. They also talked about podcast listening habits, including strategies for skipping ads and the differences between platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Max shared a tip for fast-forwarding and rewinding podcasts by 60 seconds to skip ads. The conversation concluded with Ashlyn mentioning a new book she started, “The War of the Whales,” and Ali suggesting it could be a topic for their upcoming show.
Upcoming Events and App Tutorial
The group discussed upcoming events and content, including a books Panel, Ali and Macara’s Books and the Broadcast Map Show. They encouraged listeners to join live streams early for interactive elements and surprises. Siena announced that next week’s session will be earlier than usual, running from 12:30 to 2:30 PM Eastern. The group also discussed the iCatcher app, which is a one-time purchase with optional tips, and they planned to demonstrate it in a tutorial next week.
Category: Tutorials
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Techstravaganza for Wednesday, Oct 15, 2025
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Facebook Tutorial Section One, Thursday, October 9, 2025
Hello everyone,
We had an amazing session tonight covering the Facebook Tutorial!
A huge thank you to @sienatrigianiSienat for running the session!
Join us again for the next workshop, on Wednesday, October 15, 2025!
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Techstravaganza, Wednesday, October 8, 2025
Hello Techstravaganza Friends,
I am sure it was a fun session this afternoon.
Have a listen as the Apple Calendar app was covered.
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Thunderbird on The PC Tutorial
Good evening,
Once again, I would truly like to apologize for the problems with this tutorial.
I just noticed there were issues with the original tutorial that was posted on July 9, 2025Rest assured, this has now been
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What is New with VoiceOver on iOS 2026, and adjusting Google Calendar Settings, Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Workshop Introduction and Setup
Ali began the workshop on October 1st, 2025, and introduced the session after resolving some technical issues with audio recording. He welcomed participants, including Jackie and Hans, and confirmed that the audio was properly set up for recording. Ali emphasized that participants could join at any time and encouraged them to reach out with questions or comments. The session started with a brief introduction, and Ali mentioned that they would be discussing the main topics shortly.
Google Calendar Invite Settings Demo
Ali demonstrated how to change Google Calendar settings on the web interface to control how calendar invitations are added to the calendar. He showed how to navigate the settings menu using keyboard shortcuts and explained the options for handling calendar invitations, ultimately deciding to set them to only add invitations when responding to the invitation email.
iOS 26 Accessibility Features Demo
Ali demonstrated how to adjust settings in Google Chrome and VoiceOver on an iPhone, including changing permissions for guests and configuring audio input. He then showed new features in iOS 26, such as Magic Tap, customized commands, and support for additional Indian language voices. Ali also demonstrated the copy speech feature, allowing users to copy text from apps where text selection isn’t possible, and showed how to paste it into a note.
Audible Notes Rotor Feature Demo
Ali demonstrated using the rotor feature in Notes to copy and paste audiobook information from Audible, including titles, narrators, and durations. They created a new note and used the rotor to navigate and edit the text, fixing minor spelling errors along the way. Ali showed how to paste multiple audiobook entries into the note and make adjustments to the text.
Speech Copying and PDF Navigation
Ali demonstrated how to use the copied speech feature and answered questions about its functionality. He showed how to adjust the Magic Tap command behavior to prevent music from playing after ending a call. Ali also explained how to read PDF documents in the Preview app, navigating through the app’s interface and demonstrating the creation and selection of documents.
Magic Tap Feature Demo
Ali demonstrated how to use and customize the Magic Tap feature on an iPhone, explaining that it can be used to answer and end phone calls but cannot be customized for other actions. Hans raised concerns about the feature inadvertently activating media playback, which Ali confirmed could be disabled in settings. Liz inquired about turning off Magic Tap, and Ali agreed to provide instructions. Hans also mentioned the Back Tap feature, which can be customized for various actions and works through iPhone cases.
iOS Magic Tap Feature Disable
Ali demonstrated how to disable the Magic Tap feature in iOS 2026, which is activated by default and causes music to play when performing a two-finger double-tap. After showing the step-by-step process in Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Commands > Magic Tap, Ali confirmed that the feature can be turned off by disabling Media Playback. Hans then provided additional guidance on using dictation, explaining that it is started and ended with a two-finger double-tap, and confirmed that a tone is played when dictation is complete.
Email Attachment Navigation Challenges
Ali, Jeroo, and Liz discussed issues with accessing email attachments on mobile devices. Jeroo asked about navigating back to an email after viewing an attachment on an iPad, and Ali agreed to investigate. They discovered that the process varies between iPhone and iPad, with swiping down on an iPhone returning to the email but requiring a second tap on an iPad. Ali suggested Jeroo forward an attachment to check the navigation on her device, which Jeroo did. They also discussed challenges with accessing and editing PDF attachments, particularly those requiring input, and Ali acknowledged the need for further investigation into these issues.
iOS Mail Security and Navigation
The team discussed navigation and security features in Apple Mail and iOS. Ali and Jeroo explored how to close and reopen the Mail app when the back button is missing, while Jackie inquired about dictating usernames and passwords, which Ali explained is not allowed for security reasons. The group also discussed alternative methods for entering passwords, including using a physical keyboard, Bluetooth keyboard, or the password autofill function, with Hans noting that Face ID or passcode authentication is required for these features to work.
iOS Features and Calendar Updates
The group discussed password management features on iOS devices, including iCloud Keychain, the Passwords app, and locked notes for backup. They explored how to set up and use live voicemail, which allows messages to be viewed without dialing into voicemail.
Ali announced that he would not be present for next Wednesday’s session, but the Google Calendar tutorial would continue as scheduled. The group also discussed the upcoming 2.0 session on October 9th in the evening.