This is just a heads up that our Techstravaganza workshop is coming up in exactly 15 minutes, and will run 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.
At last week’s workshop, we took an indepth look at a series of useful tips designed to make your iOS 26 experience smoother, courtesy of Ali and Macara. These included:
– Turning off Notification grouping for an easier way to read your notifications in the Notification Centre.
Arranging apps into folders on the Home Screen and showing the badge count to see how many new items are in each folder. This is another way you can see how many new notifications you have.
Changing the default calling app. You may wish to do this if you prefer to use WhatsApp or another calling app by default. This afternoon, we will return to our series on podcast players to explore a popular podcast player called iCatcher.
If you have any questions or topic suggestions, comments or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to the team.
This is a reminder of our upcoming Techstravaganza, which will take place in exactly one hour, and will run 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.
At last week’s workshop, we took an indepth look at a series of useful tips designed to make your iOS 26 experience smoother, courtesy of Ali and Macara. These included:
– Turning off Notification grouping for an easier way to read your notifications in the Notification Centre.
Arranging apps into folders on the Home Screen and showing the badge count to see how many new items are in each folder. This is another way you can see how many new notifications you have.
Changing the default calling app. You may wish to do this if you prefer to use WhatsApp or another calling app by default. This afternoon, we will return to our series on podcast players to explore a popular podcast player called iCatcher.
If you have any questions or topic suggestions, comments or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to the team.
This was a fun tutorial on accessing the Voice Dream Reader Player settings.
Have a listen, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or run into problems accessing it using the contact information at the bottom of the newsletter.
This is a reminder of our upcoming Techstravaganza, which will take place tomorrow afternoon (Wednesday, November 5, 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.
At last week’s workshop, we took an indepth look at a series of useful tips designed to make your iOS 26 experience smoother, courtesy of Ali and Macara. These included:
– Turning off Notification grouping for an easier way to read your notifications in the Notification Centre.
Arranging apps into folders on the Home Screen and showing the badge count to see how many new items are in each folder. This is another way you can see how many new notifications you have.
Changing the default calling app. You may wish to do this if you prefer to use WhatsApp or another calling app by default. This week, we will return to our series on podcast players to explore a popular podcast player called iCatcher.
If you have any questions or topic suggestions, comments or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to the team.
Siena led a meeting to discuss iOS notification issues and provide tips, with Ali assisting with technical setup. They planned to cover three main tips about notification settings and the Notification Center, though Ali had to briefly pause due to a system update prompt. Siena also announced that a Techstravaganza 2.0 event would be held on November 13th, focusing on parts and notifications.
Techstravaganza 2.0 and Notification Features
Ali and Siena discussed the upcoming Techstravaganza 2.0 event scheduled for November 13th.They then addressed issues with notifications and VoiceOver, explaining how to navigate through the Notification Center and use automatic grouping. Ali planned to demonstrate these features using her phone, but the connection was not established in time. Siena provided a brief overview of how notifications appear and behave with VoiceOver before handing the discussion back to Ali.
iPhone Notification Center Customization
Ali demonstrated how to access and customize the Notification Center on an iPhone, including adjusting notification styles, grouping options, and settings for individual apps. He explained the differences between “by app” and “automatic” grouping modes and showed how to modify preferences for lock screen appearances, sounds, and badges. Ali encouraged questions and provided a comprehensive overview of managing notifications on the device.
iPhone Lock Screen Notification Settings
Ali and Ivy discussed the limitations of iPhone lock screen notifications, noting that they disappear quickly and cannot be adjusted. Liz inquired about notification settings, and Ali explained the functions of banners, previews, and badges, as well as how to clear notifications. Siena joined the call to address technical difficulties some participants were experiencing with Zoom, planning to work with them on Friday to resolve the issues. Ashlyn suggested turning off “Race to Wake” to prevent automatic voice activation when picking up the phone, which Ali agreed was a good idea.
iPhone Features and Settings Tutorial
The group discussed iPhone settings and features, with Siena demonstrating the Raise to Wake function for Liz. Ali provided a tutorial on using the Notification Center, including how to clear individual notifications. The conversation ended with Ali making some audio adjustments before locking their device.
iPhone Display Settings Tutorial
Siena demonstrated how to adjust the Raise to Wake feature on an iPhone, explaining its functionality and showing how to turn it off to prevent unwanted voice feedback. She also covered other display settings like auto-lock, appearance, and True Tone, addressing Liz’s questions about these features. The session included troubleshooting audio issues during the demonstration, which were eventually resolved.
VoiceOver iPhone Demonstration Guide
Siena demonstrated how to use VoiceOver on an iPhone, including accessing the lock screen and clearing notifications. She explained how to delete individual notifications and entire groups of notifications in the Notification Center. The group discussed audio issues during the demonstration, which were eventually resolved.
iOS Badge Count Notification Demo
Siena demonstrated how to use badge counts on iOS to track new items in folders and individual apps, showing examples with the Mail app and Communication folder. She explained that badge counts appear when there are new items to address, such as unread emails or software updates, and can be managed through the edit mode. Liz asked about receiving verbal notifications for new voicemail messages, but Siena did not provide a solution, noting that the current system only shows a badge icon.
iPhone Voicemail Notification Setup
Siena demonstrated how to set up custom sounds for voicemail and other notifications in the Settings and Sounds section of an iPhone. She showed Liz how to access voicemail notifications through the Notification Center, which could help Liz who was previously missing voicemails for three days.
WhatsApp as Default iPhone Calling
Siena demonstrated how to change the default calling app on an iPhone, showing that WhatsApp could be set as the default instead of the phone app. She explained that WhatsApp often provides better call quality than traditional phone calls, and mentioned that the search field in iOS 26 has been moved to the bottom right corner of the screen. The session concluded with Siena offering to help Ivy troubleshoot audio issues by trying a different device.
iPhone Default App Configuration
Siena and Ali demonstrated how to change default apps and settings on an iPhone, focusing on call handling and WhatsApp integration. They successfully tested calling a landline number through WhatsApp and explored alternative calling options when WhatsApp wasn’t available. The demonstration concluded with confirmation that the default app settings were successfully changed, though Siena mentioned they would need more time to cover additional topics, which would be addressed in a future session.
Tech Workshops and App Notifications
The meeting covered upcoming workshops and tutorials, including iCatcher on November 5th, VoiceOver Rotor 101 on November 12th, and Gmail on the web on Windows on November 26th.Siena announced Techstravaganza 2.0, a monthly evening workshop held on the second Thursday of each month from 7 to 9 p.m. Eastern. Hans inquired about controlling live activity notifications in food delivery apps, and Siena explained that these notifications are currently app-specific and can only be managed by opening the app. Liz asked about blocking notifications from a specific app, and Siena demonstrated how to disable notifications in the Settings app. Jackie mentioned receiving a new keyboard for her iPhone and sought help with pairing it, which Siena addressed by explaining the need to remove a plastic tab and use the F1 key to enable the keyboard.
This is a reminder of our upcoming Techstravaganza, which will take place in just 15 minutes, and will run 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.
At last week’s workshop, we took a look at the podcasts app on the iPhone and iPad, this time exploring the New tab, which was previously called Browse. As per participants’ request, we also looked at Apple’s built-in Podcasts app on the Mac. On this week’s workshop, we will take a look at a series of useful tips designed to make your iOS 26 experience smoother, courtesy of Ali and Macara. These will include:
– Turning off Notification grouping for an easier way to read your notifications in the Notification Centre.
Arranging apps into folders on the Home Screen and showing the badge count to see how many new items are in each folder. This is another way you can see how many new notifications you have.
Changing the default calling app. You may wish to do this if you prefer to use WhatsApp or another calling app by default.
If you have any questions or topic suggestions, comments or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to the team.
This is a reminder of our upcoming Techstravaganza, which will take place in exactly one hour, and will run 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.
At last week’s workshop, we took a look at the podcasts app on the iPhone and iPad, this time exploring the New tab, which was previously called Browse. As per participants’ request, we also looked at Apple’s built-in Podcasts app on the Mac. On this week’s workshop, we will take a look at a series of useful tips designed to make your iOS 26 experience smoother, courtesy of Ali and Macara. These will include:
– Turning off Notification grouping for an easier way to read your notifications in the Notification Centre.
Arranging apps into folders on the Home Screen and showing the badge count to see how many new items are in each folder. This is another way you can see how many new notifications you have.
Changing the default calling app. You may wish to do this if you prefer to use WhatsApp or another calling app by default.
If you have any questions or topic suggestions, comments or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to the team.
Techstravaganza 