
Free Daily Podcast Summary
by AppleVis Podcast
AppleVis is the go-to resource for blind and low vision users of Apple technologies. Our Podcast discusses the latest in Apple vision accessibility. Topics cover OS and accessibility features, apps, interviews with developers, roundtable discussions, and more - centering around accessing the maximum potential of Apple hardware, software, and services. Learn how you can get the most out of your Apple devices and hear the latest accessibility news.
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
In this podcast, Dave Nason shares his impressions after four days using the iPhone Duo. He discusses the outside and inside displays, the phone’s weight, the crease, Touch ID, battery life, app compatibility, and Split View. Dave also demonstrates navigating and using the device with VoiceOver.TranscriptDisclaimer: This transcript was generated using artificial intelligence (AI). It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.Dave Nason: Hello there, Dave Nason here again. I hope you're doing well. So I've had the iPhone Duo now for about four days, so I thought it was a good time to do a follow-up and just chat through how I'm finding it so far, what I like, what I don't like, and, yeah, just generally what I am thinking. I'm using it as a vision-impaired user, of course, and using the VoiceOver screen reader.Interestingly as well, this video is being recorded on the inside display, on the FaceTime camera on the inside display. So this is, by all accounts, the worst of the cameras on the device. It is the under-display FaceTime camera. So on the front of the device, on the outside screen, you have your kind of standard front-facing camera. On the back, you have your standard iPhone back-facing cameras, but on this inside display, for the first time, there is this under-display FaceTime camera. So, probably not really designed for exactly this kind of usage, but I thought it'd be interesting to do it so those with working eyes watching this, for one thing, can see how it looks. And, yeah, I'll be interested to hear what you think of it, and how it sounds even as well. It'll be interesting to see.So, yeah, moving on with, then, the device and usage of the device. I think I talked on a previous one of these that I would think of it having three main orientations that I would use it in. So there are other things like tent mode that you can use, and standby mode, and this kind of thing, but what I've primarily used is the three main ones, which is using the outside screen in portrait mode, like a standard iPhone; using the inside display in landscape; and using the inside display in portrait. So I'll quickly talk about each of those, and later on I can do a demo as well of how they all look and feel.So, so the outside display, I've probably used it maybe half the time so far, at least. This may change over time, but probably about half the time I'm using the outside display. And I really like it in many ways because it's, it kind of is reminiscent of the iPhone mini in some ways, which is a phone I absolutely loved. Everything very reachable, you know, using it one-handed. It's, it's quite squat now. It's, like, not even quite as tall as an iPhone 12 mini and 13 mini were, almost as tall as them, but wider, so that's the big difference.It means things like controls, like your dock and your back button, actually very conveniently are now over on the right-hand side. Your status bar as well, so things like your time and so on, you find on the right-hand side. So if you are right-handed, and that is a point—if you're left-handed, it might be different—but if you're right-handed, certainly, it's very, everything is very reachable. It's really nice to use from that point of view. I really like it. I have to say, I really like the outside screen.From that point of view, of course, you don't fit as much on the…
In this episode, Dave Nason goes hands-on with iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable iPhone. Dave gives a physical description of the device, as well as his very first impressions of iPhone Duo and some comparisons of the form factor to other iPhone models.TranscriptDisclaimer: This transcript was generated using artificial intelligence (AI). It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.Dave Nason: Hi there, Dave Nason here. I hope you're doing well. I am here with the new iPhone Duo. Mine has just arrived here today, and so I'm going to open it up, take a first look at the physical device itself, give you a description of the hardware, and, yeah, a few maybe first impressions of what I think of it before I dive in later and set it up.Okay, so let's open up the box.And, okay, so it's in the box lying flat and open at the moment, and it's just got, uh, paper tabs over it, so I will take that off.And there we go. That's the front of the box. I'm going to turn it around. And the back of the device here, um, I got the star white, as I said. I can feel the camera bump there going in the, as I look at the back face of it while open, it's obviously on the top. We have the camera bar with two cameras.So, yeah, it feels actually quite thin and light while it's in its open kind of tablet form. I don't have an iPad Air here anymore to compare it to, but I would say it's a similar thickness to that. Obviously, when it's closed, when it's folded, it is going to be a little bit, or twice as thick to be exact, so that's going to be a different experience, I suppose. But in terms of how, you know, thin it is, it very much feels like a small tablet here, and nice and thin, and, yeah, good weight distribution, and feels very premium, I gotta say. Like, you can feel the—it has the titanium rails on the side of it. It's, um, yeah, but it feels very sturdy. Um, so, yeah, it feels good.I'm going to fold it over for the first time, so let us see how that feels. Oh, yeah. Very satisfying. Very satisfying and very cool. And this is how it—yeah, even it does feel, like, obviously quite thick now when I've got it in its closed form compared to a normal phone, and quite wide. It feels very wide compared to other phones that I've used. So even compared to, say, the iPhone mini, it's probably a similar enough height to the iPhone mini, so similar size screen, but wider, and that, it is really noticeable. I'm just about getting my thumb across the screen. So, yeah, that will definitely take some getting used to.And on the inside screen, I really don't think I feel the crease at all there, to be honest. Like, if you really, really look for it, I can feel a tiny bit there, but, like, it's—yeah. At the moment, obviously, we don't know how that will go over time. It's been folded precisely once so far, so we'll see how that goes, um, over time, but it certainly doesn't feel significant at this time.Okay, let's dive in and give you a more detailed description of the physical device itself. So I have it open now, so unfolded, and I'm looking at the inside screen. The screen size, as you may know, is 7.6 inches from corner to corner. What you do feel here is there are these titanium rails—I believe it's titanium—around the edge. You can actually feel a little lip all the way around, so there's kind of a boundary on the…
Moving files between a Mac and a Windows PC doesn't have to mean uploading everything to the cloud, emailing attachments to yourself, or relying on third-party file transfer apps. In this episode of the AppleVis Podcast, Tyler demonstrates how to use Server Message Block (SMB) file sharing to connect a Mac directly to a Windows PC over a local network, allowing you to browse, copy, and manage shared files using Finder.Tyler begins on the Windows side, walking through the settings needed to make a PC discoverable and accessible on a trusted network. He explains the importance of selecting the Private network profile, enabling network discovery and file sharing, and configuring the folders you want to share. Along the way, he discusses sharing permissions and offers a practical alternative for people using passwordless Microsoft accounts: creating a separate local Windows account specifically for accessing shared folders.With Windows configured, Tyler switches to his Mac and demonstrates how to locate the PC using Finder's Network browser, accessed with Command-Shift-K. Using VoiceOver throughout the demonstration, he shows how to connect as a registered user, enter the appropriate credentials, and navigate the shared Windows folders just as you would other locations in Finder. He also explains the convenience of saving credentials in your Mac's Keychain, along with the security considerations worth keeping in mind.Once connected, Tyler explores his Windows user folder, demonstrates accessing the Downloads folder, and shows how changes made from the Mac are immediately reflected on the PC. He highlights an important distinction when deleting files from a network share: unlike ordinary file deletion, items may be removed immediately rather than moved to the Trash or Recycle Bin. The walkthrough concludes with a demonstration of safely disconnecting from the Windows PC using Finder's Eject command.Whether you regularly switch between macOS and Windows, need to transfer large files, or simply want a convenient way to access files across your computers without relying on cloud storage, this episode offers a practical introduction to SMB sharing. With VoiceOver and Windows screen reader feedback included throughout, the demonstration is particularly useful for blind and low-vision users looking to make file management across platforms more accessible.Thinking About Giving It a Try?If you have both a Mac and a Windows PC, SMB file sharing is a useful feature worth exploring. It's built into macOS and Windows, requires no additional software or subscription, and lets you work with files across both computers over your local network. Once everything is configured, Finder provides a familiar way to access your Windows files, including when navigating with VoiceOver.Learn MoreApple Support: Connect to a Windows Computer from a MacApple Support: Connect Your Mac to Shared Computers and ServersMicrosoft Support: File Sharing Over a Network in…
In this podcast, Levi Gobin demonstrates the new Live Recognition capabilities in iOS 27.TranscriptDisclaimer: This transcript was generated using Google Gemini, an artificial intelligence (AI) tool. It was lightly edited and formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.Announcer: You're listening to another AppleVis podcast. Levi Gobin: Hello, everyone, and in this podcast, I'm going to be demonstrating the new features for Live Recognition and Magnifier in iOS 27. So the first big new feature is the fact that you can now ask Magnifier a question, and it will use Apple Intelligence to describe the scene. And you can access this from either the rotor or a VoiceOver gesture, or from the Magnifier app itself. I will be discussing all of these today. So I'm going to go ahead and unlock my phone. VoiceOver: 12:34, 98% charged. Levi's iPhone 17 Pro Max. Levi Gobin: Okay, it's reading my battery widget. And I'm going to now navigate to the the Live Recognition rotor and swipe down to Ask. VoiceOver: Characters. Actions, activate. Image Recognition, item. Text Navigation. L, Live Recognition, Ask, off. Levi Gobin: And I'm already on it. Um and now I'm going to double tap, and it will bring up the Ask flow like this. VoiceOver: Close. Question, text field, is editing, Ask, insertion point at start. Levi Gobin: Okay, and so now it puts me in a text field where I can type, but first I'm going to explore the interface and show you what else is here. VoiceOver: Close Transcript, button. Levi Gobin: So, a button to close the transcript, which will take you back to the Live Recognition area. VoiceOver: Ask, heading. Close Live Recognition, button. Question, text field, is editing, Ask, insertion point at start. Ask, dimmed, button. Hi, button. Levi Gobin: And uh that's all you have. So I can then type in a question. VoiceOver: Speech off. Speech on. Levi Gobin: Oops. Um, like VoiceOver: w h Do you see on the dot 15 Translated, box. Levi Gobin: on the box. I didn't type the a for some reason in the word what, but it will be able to understand it. And now I'm going to hit the Ask button. VoiceOver: Question, text Close Live Question, Ask, button. Levi Gobin: If you're using braille screen input, you can also swipe up with three fingers. Um but I have this box right here, and I'm going to hit the Ask button on it. VoiceOver: Just a moment. This is a box for an Instamic microphone recorder, which is labeled as a wearable, wireless, and waterproof device featuring 32-bit float recording. Levi Gobin: And say I wanted to um ask it VoiceOver: Space. Does it say how long you can dot 1 2 3 Record record Record on the box. Translated, box. Levi Gobin: And then I'm going to VoiceOver: Question, text Ask, button. Levi Gobin: hit the Ask button. VoiceOver: Just a moment. No, the visible text does not state the recording duration. Levi Gobin: Now I'm going to flip the box over. I'm not sure if it does say the actual duration on it, but that's why we have AI. I flipped it over, and I will say, VoiceOver: D How about Translated, now. Levi Gobin: And I will then hit the Ask button again. VoiceOver: F O P w h t Do you see on Question, text Ask, button. How Just a moment. No, the text on this side of the box does not state the recording duration. Levi Gobin: Okay, so the recording duration is not on the box. Um, so you can ask it directly from there, and you can also get to this flow by assigning a…
One of the most significant VoiceOver improvements in iOS 27 is the arrival of much richer, AI-powered image descriptions. In this podcast, David Nason takes the feature for a hands-on test drive, showing how VoiceOver can provide far more detailed information about images than the simpler descriptions users may be familiar with. Rather than having to share an image with another app, these descriptions are integrated directly into VoiceOver and can be accessed using the rotor or a gesture of your choice.David demonstrates the different ways you can interact with visual content. Image Description provides a detailed account of an image, while Ask About Image lets you pose a specific question about what is shown. Explore Image combines the two approaches, first providing a description and then letting you type or dictate follow-up questions. These capabilities aren't limited to individual pictures: VoiceOver can describe an entire screen, answer questions about it, and even describe an individual item under VoiceOver focus. That last option could prove especially useful when encountering an unlabeled button or another inaccessible interface element.The episode then turns to customization. David walks through adding Image Recognition to the VoiceOver rotor, choosing which recognition options appear there, and rearranging them to suit your preferences. He also demonstrates assigning Intelligent Image Description directly to a VoiceOver gesture for almost instant access. Alternatively, you can assign a gesture to Show Recognition Options, which presents a menu and lets you choose the type of description or exploration you want each time.There's also a particularly useful option in Photos. David demonstrates generating an intelligent description of a photograph and saving it as that photo's VoiceOver label, meaning the description will subsequently be announced while browsing your photo library. He also discusses some areas where he would like to see the feature improve, including the ability to edit saved descriptions and receive more complete information about people and certain types of images. Despite these limitations, he comes away impressed by how quickly and conveniently the feature makes visual information accessible from within VoiceOver itself.If you're a blind, DeafBlind, or low-vision iPhone user who regularly encounters photographs, app artwork, unlabeled controls, or other visual information, this episode offers a practical look at what these new VoiceOver capabilities can do. It's also worth a listen if you already use third-party AI image-description tools, as David demonstrates why having this functionality integrated directly into VoiceOver could make exploring visual content considerably quicker and easier.TranscriptDisclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.David: Hallo there and welcome to the AppleVis Podcast. My name is David Nason. This podcast is to demo one of the new and I think most important features, certainly for those of us using voiceover, in iOS 27. That feature is the new AI-powered image descriptions. Now you may be thinking we already had image descriptions in voiceover, but this…
In this episode, Michael Hansen gives us an overview of the new VoiceOver and braille features in iOS 27.Topics covered include:Image DescriptionsNew Options for Text Exploration and NavigationNew Verbosity Options for VoiceOver Hints.Import and Export Pronunciation DictionariesEnhancements to Live RecognitionNew Cursor Visibility OptionsBraille ImprovementsLegacy Siri Voices Come to VoiceOverTranscriptDisclaimer: This transcript was generated using Google Gemini, an artificial intelligence (AI) tool. It was lightly edited and formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.Michael Hansen: Hello Friends, it's Michael Hansen here with an overview of the new VoiceOver features and changes in iOS 27. Now, in my personal estimation, iOS 27 is a pretty big update for VoiceOver users. For people with Apple Intelligence capable devices, VoiceOver now has image descriptions and live recognition scene descriptions, the ability to ask questions about your environment, and all kinds of things related to that, powered by Apple Intelligence. It's really cool. And for all users, Apple has also made refinements to text navigation, braille screen input, and a few other things as well. In this podcast, I'm going to talk you through the main highlights of iOS 27 with VoiceOver. Also do a couple of demos along the way, too.Image Description. At long, long last, Apple has finally brought image description natively to VoiceOver in iOS 27. Now, this is a feature that does require an Apple Intelligence capable device. And how it works is that when you place VoiceOver focus on a picture, for example a photo in the Photos app or an attachment that someone sends you, a picture in Messages or a post on Facebook, you turn the VoiceOver rotor to the image recognition rotor if it's not already there. And then you can swipe through the options depending on what you're wanting to do. Available options include being able to get an intelligent image description, which is kind of your basic everyday one stop shop description. You can ask a single question about the image using the ask about image option. You can explore the image and kind of get a, kind of a separate screen that has the text of the image description and a chat box where you can type or dictate and have a follow-up conversation about the picture. You can recognize your screen, and this will describe everything that is seen on your screen. You can ask about the screen, you can get, you can explore the screen. And if you're in the Photos app, you can also save the intelligent image descriptions for when you go through your photos in the future. You can get started with VoiceOver's image description functionality right out-of-the-box by turning the VoiceOver rotor to image recognition. You can customize which options appear in the VoiceOver image recognition rotor by navigating to Settings, Accessibility, VoiceOver, Rotor, Image Recognition Rotor. You can also assign any of the image recognition functions to either a touch gesture or a keyboard command by navigating to Settings, Accessibility, VoiceOver, Commands. Now there are a lot of really cool things that you can do with image and screen descriptions. I'm going to show you just one…
In this episode of the AppleVis Extra, David Nason speaks with Rocco Fiorentino, developer of FloType, an upcoming VoiceOver-first keyboard for blind and low-vision users. If you remember the speed and simplicity offered by Fleksy and later FlickType, FloType will feel immediately familiar. Rocco explains how his background as an audio engineer and producer gradually led him into development, first through scripting tools designed to make Pro Tools more efficient with VoiceOver, and eventually to building a keyboard intended to solve one of the persistent frustrations of touchscreen devices: typing quickly without needing to hit every virtual key precisely.FloType takes a very different approach from Apple's conventional onscreen keyboard. Rather than requiring you to locate individual letters accurately, you tap approximately where you believe the letters would be on a QWERTY keyboard. FloType analyzes the pattern of those taps and predicts the word you intended. Swipe right to accept the suggestion, swipe up or down to move through alternatives, and continue typing without having to find a spacebar. In the episode, Rocco gives a hands-on demonstration showing just how quickly this can work, including entering words, correcting an incorrect prediction, adding punctuation and emoji, deleting text, and switching to manual character entry when a word isn't in FloType's dictionary.There is considerably more going on than word prediction. FloType can be used system-wide through an iOS keyboard extension, while gestures provide access to editing commands that would otherwise require finding controls on the screen. Rocco discusses cursor navigation, manual entry, customizable sounds and haptics, key size and contrast options for low-vision users, and plans for a self-voicing experience. He also talks about an Apple Watch version currently being tested, where limitations in watchOS gesture handling present some interesting accessibility challenges. Multi-language support is another major goal, with English and Spanish planned as the initial languages when FloType reaches the App Store.The conversation also offers an interesting look behind the scenes at accessible app development. Rocco is totally blind and discusses using Swift and Xcode, AI-assisted development, sighted feedback for visual design, and extensive input from blind and low-vision beta testers. He explains why supporting another language involves far more than translating an interface: FloType needs to understand the vocabulary, grammar, keyboard layout, and patterns of each language well enough for its prediction system to remain useful. The pair also discuss FloType's eventual business model, the realities of maintaining an accessibility-focused app as Apple changes VoiceOver and its operating systems, and Rocco's commitment to ensuring the project can continue even if he is someday unable to maintain it himself.This episode should be particularly interesting to anyone who misses Fleksy or FlickType, finds conventional touchscreen typing cumbersome, doesn't use Braille Screen Input, or simply wants another fast way to enter text on an iPhone or iPad. It is also well worth hearing for blind developers and anyone curious about how a VoiceOver-first application moves from an idea to a working product. FloType remains in active beta at the time of writing rather than being a publicly released App Store app, but its…
In this episode of the AppleVis Extra, David Nason is joined by blind software developer Yannick Plassiard for a fascinating conversation about accessibility, software development, and what happens when the person building an accessible app is also someone who relies on accessibility every day. Yannick is the developer behind App-Suite, a growing collection of accessibility-focused applications that includes aGram, aScan, aCapture, and other projects spanning MacOS, iOS, Windows, and Android.Yannick takes us back to his earliest experiences with computers, learning to program on MS-DOS and working primarily with Braille at a time when screen readers and assistive technology looked very different from what we use today. From there, he discusses a career that has taken him through accessibility, Braille technology, healthcare, financial systems, and backend development. That varied background has given him an interesting perspective on accessible software design: techniques developed to solve problems in one industry can often prove surprisingly valuable when applied somewhere else.The conversation then turns to App-Suite and the accessibility problems that inspired Yannick to start building his own applications. We hear about aScan, his approach to making document scanning and understanding easier for blind users; aCapture, which grew from his frustration with the complexity of recording and streaming audio on the Mac; and aGram, an alternative Telegram client designed with accessibility firmly in mind. Yannick also shares some of the lessons learned while developing aGram, including why newer technology isn't necessarily the best technology for every job and how performance problems led him to reconsider an initially SwiftUI-heavy approach.One of the most intriguing parts of the discussion concerns Talk Forward, Yannick's Android screen reader project. Built from the open-source foundations of TalkBack, Talk Forward explores what an Android screen reader might feel like if some of the interaction techniques familiar to VoiceOver users were brought across to Google's platform. Yannick discusses adding concepts such as rotor-style navigation, improving responsiveness, experimenting with AI-powered dictation and image descriptions, and even developing a custom keyboard in an effort to make typing more predictable and efficient. For anyone who has considered trying Android but found the transition from VoiceOver difficult, it's an especially interesting glimpse at another approach to accessible mobile interaction.David and Yannick also explore the rapidly changing relationship between artificial intelligence and software development. Yannick explains how AI tools have changed his workflow, allowing him to spend less time writing routine code and more time reviewing, testing, debugging, and thinking about how an application should actually behave. Just as importantly, he makes the distinction between making an interface technically accessible and making it genuinely pleasant and efficient to use with a screen reader. Whether you're a developer, a VoiceOver user curious about how accessible apps are made, an Android user interested in Talk Forward, or simply someone who enjoys hearing how accessibility challenges can inspire new software, there's plenty in this conversation worth hearing.Thinking About Giving It a Try?If Yannick's approach to accessibility sounds appealing, App…
Free AI-powered daily recaps. Key takeaways, quotes, and mentions — in a 5-minute read.
Get Free Summaries →Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
Listeners also like.

Double Tap
A weekly discussion exploring how technology can support blind and partially sighted people in daily life.

AppleInsider Podcast
Weekly coverage of Apple news, product reviews, and analysis on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and company updates.

Macworld Podcast
A weekly roundup of news, reviews, and tips focused on Apple products and the broader ecosystem.

Primary Technology
A weekly breakdown of major tech news, from consumer gadgets to AI, explained for a general audience.

Mac Power Users
Explores productivity workflows and tips for maximizing Apple technology with expert guests.

Cult of Mac
Covers Mac news, how-tos, device setups, and product reviews with expert analysis and listener questions.

The MacRumors Show
Discussion of the latest Apple news and rumors, covering the iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple Watch, and upcoming gadgets.

MacBreak Weekly (Video)
Experts analyze Apple news, from AI and Vision Pro to iPad and iPhone updates.

MacBreak Weekly (Audio)
Experts analyze Apple news, products, and industry developments weekly.

Apple Bitz XL w/ Brian Tong
A tech host shares candid commentary and interviews on Apple's products, news, and controversies with industry guests.

9to5Mac Happy Hour
A podcast by Benjamin Mayo, Zac Hall, and the 9to5Mac staff covering the latest tech news.

Mac OS Ken
Daily Apple and tech news with a focus on Apple-related developments and announcements.
AppleVis is the go-to resource for blind and low vision users of Apple technologies. Our Podcast discusses the latest in Apple vision accessibility. Topics cover OS and accessibility features, apps, interviews with developers, roundtable discussions, and more - centering around accessing the maximum potential of Apple hardware, software, and services. Learn how you can get the most out of your Apple devices and hear the latest accessibility news.
AI-powered recaps with compact key takeaways, quotes, and insights.
Get key takeaways from AppleVis Podcast in a 5-minute read.
Stay current on your favorite podcasts without falling behind.
It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of AppleVis Podcast as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
No. Podzilla is an independent service that summarizes publicly available podcast content. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by AppleVis Podcast.
Absolutely! The free plan covers up to 3 podcasts, any in the catalog. Basic raises that to 15, Pro to 40 and Max to 100. Browse our full catalog at /podcasts.
AppleVis Podcast covers topics including Technology. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.