The Tech Doctor Blog and Podcast

In this Tech Doctor podcast Allison and Robert speak with Michael Doise and Taylor Arndt about their company called Techopolis which develops AI based apps for iOS and Mac.

• Michael Doise, the founder, has over 16 years of experience in the assistive technology and accessibility industry, creating AI-powered apps.

• Taylor Arndt, the Chief Operations Officer, has 8 years of experience in accessibility and AI.

• The company, Techopolis, LLC, is expanding its focus to AI apps, starting with Perspective Intelligence.

• The app has been designed to run on various iPhone models including older iPhones.

• It includes advanced image and vision features, such as OCR, classification, and a cool color identifier.

• A significant addition is the video mode, which reads and describes the user’s surroundings in real-time.

• Techopolis also has an app called Perspective Transcribe. Perspective Transcribe offers a free trial and is designed to be a user-friendly transcription app with AI-powered features.

• The app allows users to dictate their thoughts and convert them into written posts or transcripts for meetings and podcasts.

• Taylor emphasizes the importance of privacy and data security, stating that the transcription is fully on-device and does not send data to third-party servers.

• It provides summaries using Apple Foundation models and other models for compatibility.

• The paid all-access feature includes action item reminders and a chat feature.

The Tech Doctors hope you enjoy learning about Techopolis as much as they did.

To download a text-based transcript of the podcast click

Here

This Tech Doctor podcast episode features Robert and Allison interviewing Michael McCulloch and Sandhya Rao, President and Vice President of iBUG Today (iBlind Users Group), about their organization’s history and activities.

Michael, a retired NASA engineer, explains how iBUG began in 2011 with a workshop at the University of Houston after he received his first iPhone with VoiceOver, eventually growing from 5 initial members to serving approximately 6,500-7,000 people annually.

Sandhya shares her journey from having a rare brittle bone condition that affected her vision to becoming involved with iBUG, emphasizing the organization’s focus on empowering blind people through accessible technology training and social activities.

The discussion covers iBUG’s various offerings including weekly “Buzz” calls, monthly Apple workshops, specialized training programs, and numerous social events ranging from Star Trek viewings to a monthly book club and a weekly movie night, all conducted virtually through Zoom. All iBUG services are provided by volunteers. There is no charge for any of what iBUG has to offer.

To learn more about iBUG Today, click

Here

To download or read a text base recap of what was covered in the podcast click

Here

In this Tech Doctor podcast, Robert plays a presentation about amateur radio that he created for a non-profit group called iBUG Today.

In the introduction to the podcast, Robert explains that iBUG Today is an organization based in Houston that provides many excellent training and social opportunities for people who are blind. Robert encourages everyone to learn more about iBUG Today by visiting there website

Here

Meeting summary
Quick recap
The Tech Doctor podcast team discussed Apple’s recent product announcements, including the MacBook Air M5, MacBook Pro M5, iPhone 17E, iPad Air, and MacBook Neo. They analyzed the features, pricing, and potential market impact of each device, with particular focus on the MacBook Neo’s limited RAM and targeted education market. The team agreed that while most of the new releases were solid improvements, the MacBook Neo may struggle to meet the needs of power users and developers. They also noted that Apple’s decision to release products via press statements rather than events was effective for conveying detailed information.

 

To download a text-based summary of the podcast click

Here

Meeting summary

Quick recap

The Tech Doctor podcast featured a detailed discussion about the upcoming HumanWare BrailleNote Evolve, presented by David Woodbridge, who shared extensive insights about the device’s features and functionality. David explained that the Evolve runs Windows 11 Pro. It has a 32-cell Braille display with a dedicated Braille style keyboard, and includes 512GB storage, 32GB RAM, and an Ultra 5 processor. The Evolve does not have a built-in screen. He described how the device can be used with both NVDA and JAWS, and detailed the various input methods including the unique FN key system for accessing numbers and function keys. The discussion covered the device’s pricing ($6,100 USD), battery life (8 hours), and included features like Thunderbolt ports, HDMI output, and NFC capabilities for future smartphone integration.

Allison shared her positive first impressions after seeing the device, while Robert and David discussed the device’s potential impact on the Windows-based note-taker market.

To download a text-based summary of the podcast, click

Here