This is a friendly reminder of our upcoming Techstravaganza, which will take place tomorrow afternoon (Wednesday, November 26, 2025) from 1:00 to 3:00 PM Eastern.
Please be advised that this is an ongoing weekly workshop. All workshops are recorded and posted immediately after the workshop for your reference. we recommend that you please join in 15 minutes prior to the workshop, in order to ensure that your setup is working correctly. Also, please be advised that the Zoom studio is setup so that everyone is muted upon entry, in order to prevent background noise when coming into the studio.
Join the workshop!
In order to join in in the workshop, please use the conference information below:
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coming Up
On this week’s Techstravaganza, we will take a look at using Gmail on the web in the Windows operating system, as per participants’ request. Also, we have many exciting tutorials to take us into 2026! Please check out our topic lineupfor the rest of the year by visiting the following link:
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.
This This is just a friendly heads up that there are only 15 minutes to go until our Techstravaganza workshop, which will begin at 1:00 PM Eastern and will run until 3:00 PM.
Please be advised that this is an ongoing weekly workshop. All workshops are recorded and posted immediately after the workshop for your reference. we recommend that you please join in 15 minutes prior to the workshop, in order to ensure that your setup is working correctly. Also, please be advised that the Zoom studio is setup so that everyone is muted upon entry, in order to prevent background noise when coming into the studio.
In order to join in the workshop, please use the following conference information:
Siena Trigiani is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
On this week’s Techstravaganza, we will take a tour of what’s new in MacOS 2026, as per participants’ request. We will take a look at the new Phone app which is now available on the Mac, as well as some of the new functions of VoiceOver for MacOS 2026. Time permitting, we will also take a look at some of the new features of iOS and iPadOS 26.
If you have any questions or topic suggestions, comments or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to the team.
This is a friendly reminder of our upcoming Techstravaganza, which will take place this afternoon (Wednesday, November 19, 2025! The workshop will begin in exactly one hour (at 1:00 PM Eastern), and will run until 3:00 PM.
Please be advised that this is an ongoing weekly workshop. All workshops are recorded and posted immediately after the workshop for your reference. we recommend that you please join in 15 minutes prior to the workshop, in order to ensure that your setup is working correctly. Also, please be advised that the Zoom studio is setup so that everyone is muted upon entry, in order to prevent background noise when coming into the studio.
In order to join in the workshop, please use the following conference information:
Siena Trigiani is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
On this week’s Techstravaganza, we will take a tour of what’s new in MacOS 2026, as per participants’ request. We will take a look at the new Phone app which is now available on the Mac, as well as some of the new functions of VoiceOver for MacOS 2026. Time permitting, we will also take a look at some of the new features of iOS and iPadOS 26.
If you have any questions or topic suggestions, comments or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to the team.
This is a friendly reminder of our upcoming Techstravaganza, which will take place tomorrow afternoon (Wednesday, November 19, 2025) from 1:00 to 3:00 PM Eastern.
Please be advised that this is an ongoing weekly workshop. All workshops are recorded and posted immediately after the workshop for your reference. we recommend that you please join in 15 minutes prior to the workshop, in order to ensure that your setup is working correctly. Also, please be advised that the Zoom studio is setup so that everyone is muted upon entry, in order to prevent background noise when coming into the studio.
In order to join in the workshop, please use the following conference information:
Siena Trigiani is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
On this week’s Techstravaganza, we will take a tour of what’s new in MacOS 2026, as per participants’ request. We will take a look at the new Phone app which is now available on the Mac, as well as some of the new functions of VoiceOver for MacOS 2026. Time permitting, we will also take a look at some of the new features of iOS and iPadOS 26.
If you have any questions or topic suggestions, comments or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to the team.
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.
This is a friendly reminder of this evening’s Techstravaganza 2.0, which will take place in exactly 15 minutes! The workshop will begin promptly at 7:00 PM Eastern, and will run until 9:00 PM!
Please note that Techstravaganza 2.0 is an ongoing monthly workshop. All workshops are recorded and posted immediately after the workshop for your reference. we recommend that you please join in 15 minutes prior to the workshop, in order to ensure that your setup is working correctly. Also, please be advised that the Zoom studio is setup so that everyone is muted upon entry, in order to prevent background noise when coming into the studio.
In order to join in the workshop, please use the following conference information:
Siena Trigiani is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
On this month’s Techstravaganza 2.0, as a follow-up to last month’s workshop, we will continue exploring the Facebook app for the iPhone and ipad. We will begin by recapping how to compose a post, as well as how to read posts on the timeline. Afterwards, we will look at the Notifications, Friends and Facebook Menu tabs.
If you have any questions or topic suggestions, please do not hesitate to reach out to the team:
I look forward to seeing you all shortly!
Techstravaganza
Where we come together to teach and learn all things assistive and mainstream technology
Techstravaganza 