#145: Shazam for Birds

3, 2, 1.

Welcome to blind guys chat, where oren o'.

Neill. Hello.

Jan bloom.

Hello.

And mohammed lasheer.

Hi there.

Talk about the a to z of life.

Well, hello, ladies and gentlemen. And you are very. Welcome to Blind guys chat, episode 145. Thank you very much for joining us. Now, believe it or not, we're actually going to talk to each other this time. Usually we just go straight into the guest.

Yeah, a really Blind Guys Chat with Claudia. You know, it's a blind. Blind guy, whatever. You know,

I have to say, first of all, today was the most glorious day in Dublin. It was 17 degrees, I think there is a bridge between the two buildings that I go between in. In work. And it's a glass bridge and there is no air conditioning in it and there's no way of opening the windows. But I was so happy to walk with Larry today back and forth on that bridge with. Just getting. It was just too much heat. You know, the. The actual handles of the doors on either side were. But I didn't care.

It's. It's like a greenhouse, isn't it?

It's like. Yeah, it's like a hot house. Yeah, but lovely. Lovely to have good weather back in. How is your weather doing in the hake?

It was. It was a little bit less, I must say, but also nice. Sunny, 15 degrees, I would say. And we had a really lovely weekend also. The weather was good and. But now it's. Tonight, it. It cooled down a little bit when I went out to the last order after dinner with chef, it was cold. It was really. Yeah, not raining, but a little bit. Yeah, sun was down, so. But, yeah, a little bit coldish. But no, it is really spring in the air.

It's really nice. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You can hear people mowing the grass.

Yeah, yeah, Mow the grass. You. You smell it also then? Yeah, and you. And you hear the. The birds whistling in the. In the. In. Here we are in our area are a lot of trees and so a lot of birds are waking up early.

Claudia has a great app that tells her which birds are okay at the time.

Oh, yeah, I love it. It's called Merlin something or other. Oh, hang on, I'll find it for you now. It's very Merlin bird id. You know, it's Shazam for birds. I love it. Yeah, it's brilliant. It's really lovely. Yeah.

And. And does it work also easily or you can easily get it?

Yeah, I think so, yeah. I mean, it's, you know, you just press a button and it Listens. So you just go, oh, that's good.

And then it comes automatically with it

says, yes, that's a Eurasian, you know, thrush, whatever.

Yeah, yeah. Okay.

I love it.

Cool. That's good. Yeah. Is it also accessible, Oren, do you know?

I don't know. I haven't used it actually. That's a very good question.

I'm his.

Yeah, you are his first. His voice over or to his song.

It's made by Cornell Lab, you know, Cornell University.

I have also that one. Yeah, yeah. Or I. I installed it once and that. But I did not really try it much. That's true.

No.

Yeah. I'd imagine they would make it accessible.

Yeah, yeah.

So there is like, there's a sound ID and a photo id, but I really only ever do the sound id and the last one I found was a Eurasian Blue title. Pretty little fellas.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Yeah.

My mother has these robins that live in hedges up in her garden and she also has a little water feature down near the kitchen. And the robins come down to bathe in the water fountain and it's not always on. So what happens occasionally is the robins will. One of them will come up onto the window ledge of the kitchen and kind of knock on the window.

Yeah.

And hey, Mrs. I want a bath.

Open up your.

Your tap, man. There's no water.

Yeah, no water. I want to have some fresh, nice warm water, you know.

Yeah, that would be good. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

By the way, I was last Saturday on an exhibition in the. In the Netherlands that we had our Dutch side village that's called Siso. And I was there one day at the booth of Optelec on Saturday and it was Thursday, Friday and also Saturday. But it was nice to be there again and to have. It's always a nice reunion in a way, you know, when. When you're there you always meet up. Yeah. With old friends and all users, customers, etc. It's really in. It was nice. Busy, but also nice to meet everyone again.

Is it just locals to.

Yeah, it's local, it's local. But a lot of distributors also from other companies and so. But all the mainstream or the main vendors are there. So fishpero, Dolphin Help Tech, Hims, Humanware and all that. They are all being represented by all those companies. So this. So we could see the new evolve, you know, from. With the Braille keyboard. Not yet because on the Wednesday, oh, first day Friday, they showed also the Qwetti one, but they took it away on the. On the. On the on the Saturday. So that was a pity.

They have a prototype there to.

Yeah. A 3D model. It was, you know, created in 3D. So I. Oh, like printed. Yeah, possibly. Yeah, I think so. Yeah. But Andrew from the. From the UK he took it with him. So that was. But Naya. So that they make progress. And then we had some nice. Also, you know, Meta transferred or made it possible to have also a localized version in Dutch. Oh, so you're able to switch to the Dutch language. Yeah.

Brilliant.

Since two weeks now actually. So that was quite nice. So I. After the exhibition on Sunday, I switched also to. To. To Dutch and it's really. It is nice. It's really. Yeah. To have also all the. Well, the same also like in English, of course at the different voices. What you can select there with the different moodies et cetera and the more energetic or the more basic. But then you need to transfer also or localize your expressions from look and. And describe that that is then not. Well doesn't understand. So you need to do it in Dutch. But, but, but the Working with the. With the Dutch voice. So possibly that is then limited to. To the US still or the uk.

Yeah. I'm having a lot of hit and miss with Spotify. With Meta it was working good for a while, but more recently it is saying, you know, your app. The Meta app is not connected please. Yeah. And it's completely random. It will. It'll be there. You know, it'll work today, one more tomorrow. So it's really. Yeah. It's kind of annoying because you think I was playing yesterday Spotify when I was on my wall. Now it won't play today. Why not?

I'm still surprised also when you compare it to the envision glasses with Ally, you know, etc, or the other glass brands etc. It is up and speedy. Quite. You know, you only. It is right off the tip. You know, you can describe and hop bum. You have it. It is really.

That's great.

Yeah. It's really phenomenal.

The only thing I'm finding really kind of annoying with the. With the glasses. Well, I suppose the app when I go to a crossing and if I'm listening to a podcast or listen to music or whatever, I say Meta. You know, pause. Okay.

Yeah.

And then, you know, I say to good boy Larry. You know, that's good. And then the Bloomin podcast starts playing again because Meta still listening to me.

Yeah.

And even though I think good boy

means play here anything like, you know,

the amount of times I've had to say you know, hey, meta, stop. And then shouting up. You know, hey, stop.

Everyone is looking at you.

Hey, all the kids in the area. Yeah, there's that cranky guy again.

Yeah, he's shouting in his dock again. You know, he doesn't even know what the name is from the dock. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But you can also do that with your one tap on the right side of this touch bar.

Oh, what's.

You can also then post the. The music. So that's also what I do then. More or less.

Oh, the little button on the side.

Yeah, on the right hand side. You know that then you can increase volume by swiping up and down and when you press it, you tap once, then you pause it and you tap again. Then it will continue playing.

No, I've never tried. I have accidentally. I know that works with a stopping. But what I've accidentally done is Claude has been very good to me recently and she's been knitting me some hats, winter hats. And sometimes when I put the winter hat on and I. I put the glass, you know, I try and adjust the frames and I accidentally tap. Then the music stops playing and I forget about tapping it again to. To hit the play on the. On the music. But that's.

No, no, specifically winter hats.

It's no criticism on your. On your.

Of my knitting skills. Thanks. I made him a hat that looks like a sandcastle.

Okay.

It's got four corners.

So with the meta in Dutch. Are you using it more in Dutch now than in.

No, you know, it changed yesterday. So. So it's. No, but because in the English I was using also on the daily basis.

Okay. Yeah.

So it is not really. But. But it is funny how. Yeah, yeah. You know, I'm. I'm now getting more used to how she is. Or I choose chose for a female voice then how she is describing the. All the plays. And now you handed more over also to Chantal and to the kids. And then. Oh, my God, she is describing it nicely. But. But it is nice. But no, but yeah, it's a little bit a downside that. That my Spotify is not. Because that was quite. Sometimes because I. I'm playing the piano and I. With Freddy Freeloader, perhaps you. You know that one with Miles Davis, you know. Oh, wow, that's Freddy Freeloader. That is really a nice simple way. So that was. So then I play Freddy Freeloader, you

know, and I think you might have to play the piano for us someday.

Yeah.

No, no, not at all. No, no, no, no, no.

Just a Little bit, yeah.

Okay, I can do that. No, I'm. I'm. But it is nice to, to listen to the music on your, on your, on your glasses.

Come here. Have you used it with be my eyes or with. With WhatsApp recently with video? Because Cloda is. Is saying to me that the camera you said, is it. Is it out of focus or kind of blurred a bit? Oh really? When I ring you on WhatsApp a

couple of times, I think it might have just had a fingerprint on it or something.

Oh yeah.

But also it, I think I can't remember. Is the, is the camera on the left hand side?

It is, yeah.

Yeah. Because when you're crossing a road, you never look all the way to the right and I can never see the road and then you start crossing and I'm like, what are you. No, right look more right.

But you see the funny thing and he won't.

He's like, there's no bend your head neck. You know,

the funny thing is I actually am like turning my head 90 degrees left or right.

Yeah. But well, I think right, you need to. You might need to turn 100, right.

You need to do it more than anyway, you know, otherwise. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Hey, by the way, but did the IRA app already show up with the.

Oh, on the meat last.

Yeah, on the meta. I didn't see that because they, they promised that.

Yeah, Mo would know more about that than me.

Okay.

It's not, it's not in Ireland.

Where is Mo?

Yeah, he is on holiday. Yeah, it's a good one. Yeah.

Enjoying the basement?

No, no, no, no. We throw him for the bus. Hey Mo, we need to have your report again. Come on. That is really good.

Have you, have you used this Orion app much later?

Really? I used it on the exhibition floor because that was funny. Because when you open up the Orion app when you're wearing your glasses and then you need to first open it up, open the app Orion on your phone and then you can say Orion and you heard bleep, bloop, bloop. And then you can say scan nearby for example, or search for. You know, you can really search. And then I was searching for the word search for Optelec, you know, and then when you are walking around then it's. It's really searching for the word optelec. So, so then you know what stand you need to go to. Oh wow. And that is quite a really good. Yeah, that is really awesome. It's really nice. Yeah. Because it has also this feature of so has scan nearby. It will tell you everything. What it's. What. What you are. Yeah. When you move your head, you know, it will automatically read what. What it is. Yeah. Seeing. Yeah. Seeing. Is that the right.

Yeah, yeah, I think so.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. The camera sees it.

Yeah, yeah.

But then you have also overkill because

when I was a little bit verbose.

Yeah. The verbosity is really not ended. But I think that needs to be more. Yeah. Due to when more people use it, it will be I think becoming an option because. Or it has to be there because you need to be able to do that. Otherwise you get really confused.

Yeah. And have you had the other one? I'm not having really much success with and I think they've. I have to feed it back to them. But they. I think there is a slight issue with the navigation is with Tierra.

Yeah, no, I did not use that so much. But that was. Yeah. We had this guy on our podcast, the Dutch.

Liam.

Yeah, Liam. And I think that they need to work hard because this is really an. And I learned also there is a new app. Becky Butt.

Excuse me.

Yeah. P, E, C, C, Y and then B, O T or something pecky.

But okay. I put you in somebody's bum.

Come on. I would never say something like that. No, no, no, no. I'm disappointed. Yes.

But.

But. But I can be wrong of course as well. But because my colleagues, Marco Costenza and. Yes, yes. You know our friend.

Yeah, yeah.

He was. He was promoting that or promoting. He was mentioning it because. Yes. I was really also using the Orion app also to. To go to our stand as well. You know, walking around with. And that was really funny. Yeah. And I learned even that the Orion app was made by a Dutch company. So it is being market by a French company, Orion. But. But the apps, the. The actual manufacturer is a Dutch software company.

Oh, I didn't know. That's good. We should try and get them on maybe. But no, I'd love to. I'd love to know from other people, listeners, are they. Have they been using the new Orion app or the Tiara. Yeah, it's nice. Yeah. Or any other. Because it is nice to see new apps coming out. You know, there are still people working on new apps and ways to navigate

and find and the business model. You know, that's also quite funny because the Orion app is being sponsored by partners and that is quite. You know, when you look at the partners from Orion, they are all hotels and restaurants, you know, in France. Then you should be able to order or have when you. Perhaps that would be there ultimate goal that you. When you want to go to Paris, then you search for an hotel sponsored by Orion, for example. Did you also hear much about this glide or what was it? The Glidance.

I've seen their emails come in, but still nothing about release in Europe. No.

Yeah. And I learned that they were presenting it at csun. But then when you listen to Double Tap or whatever, all those other podcasts. But yeah, it is still. Yeah, some really. A really fun. Yeah. Fan about it. Really good.

But Naya, I think there's a. I think it still has. I might be wrong, but I still. I think it still has a way to go.

Yeah.

Before I don't look.

I mean, that kind of technology, there's obviously a lot of. It'll take a lot of iterations to get it to the point where it's going to be very usable.

Yeah.

Yeah.

You know,

Email us on blindguyschat.com drop us a line and come along. Email us on blindguyschat.com drop us a line and come along. Email us on blindguyschat.com we'll read it out loud.

Chef is a little bit getting more and more with his retirement, I think, because, yeah, his neck is not so nice anymore, but, yeah, it's not so nice.

But tomorrow, chiropractor, you know those guys that go. Yeah, and they click you all into place.

I will tell Shift when I'm coming downstairs after this recording and I will look at this response, you know, then he will.

Actually I saw a video recently of a Turkish barber in Istanbul who like does your hair and then break your neck and then, yeah, he clicks. He clicks your shoulders and your neck and then he gives you a massage.

I did it. I did when I was in Istanbul visiting. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. In. When I was visiting real technic. Murat Dirmirsi. His. His office in Istanbul. And it was quite. Yeah, quite fun to. To go to the Turkish barber, but it is in Nepal as well. Sorry, your nose. Sorry.

This guy. This guy did wax. He waxed around his eyebrows and he did two. Two like sticks with wax on them up his nose and two in his ears. I just like popped them out.

Oh, really?

Yeah. Apparently it's really good. I don't know.

Yeah. But this massage is also done in Nepal. When I was in Kathmandu, it was also doing the same. And then they. They were really mapping, tapping on your head, you know. Dang, dang, dang. It's. Oh, I will not come On. And then it's almost that they break your neck, you know, because. Because then they stand behind you, you know, and then they embrace, you know, from the back, they. They do their arms around your breast, you know, and then. Oh, my God, you know, Shoo. Oh. You know, the first time is the best experience. The second time, you don't want to go any.

It's so funny.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

And if anyone has experience with that writing, because I want to hear more.

Yeah.

Perhaps they. They won't return anymore, you know, the end of.

I tell you, if somebody could click my neck, I'd be very happy.

Oh, yeah, you would love that.

Yeah, I'd love. I don't know about the being grabbed from behind and pulled, but if they could make my neck click, I'd be thrilled. Yeah.

Oh, okay.

Okay, okay.

All right.

Do you want it. Do you want your email jingle?

Yeah, always. And I. I still don't know the lyrics because I don't have a copy of it because you better know the inbox.

She's the email queen reading out your messages she's the go between tips, tricks, complaints, suggestions Blind guys chat answering your questions Yanma Oren, they're bringing the facts

Hit us with your wisdom or your

wise crack attack

AGC email what you got to. It should be a video because I'm dumb singing.

It really swings, guys.

So hit that keyboard, let your fingers clap we're waiting on your voice in this funky rap.

So cool, man.

It's too cool for me. Really. Too cool. Okay, so, you know, I have a few emails and a really short one from a woman called Petra in Germany. And she says, she's asking. She's asking about festivals and accessible entertainment in Europe. She says, hi, everyone. I'm planning to attend a few musical festivals, music festivals next summer. I presume she means this summer. I don't know. Have you had any good or bad experiences with accessibility at major events like that?

With kind regards, with love. Yeah. Yeah.

I like that name. Patrick.

And greetings. Yeah, so she's.

Yeah, my German isn't the May West. I learned German from the Bible, so I. I know how to say the be in thou and whatever.

But.

Okay, okay. Ah, yeah, no, but, but, but, but I don't have. I'm not really an an. Music festival goer.

I bet Mo would have a story or two. Would he?

Yeah, of course.

Yeah.

We don't get out.

I mean, in fairness, I used to be a big festival fan, but then I got married

and he didn't like it. Anymore.

No.

Yeah. You know, but. But. But I. But I never. Also, to be honest, I don't mind much about accessibility when I go to a concert, in a way, you know,

you go because you're with somebody.

Yeah, Chef, I don't bring. No, no, no, no, no, no.

We've brought. We brought Larry to a few indoor gigs. Theater. Like. Oh. Like, he's not wildly happy because they tend to be quite loud.

Yeah.

So he kind of gets a bit, like, sometimes I will. He'll sit in between my knees and I'll hold his ears, like, put my

hands to the cinema one. You know, when. When. For our red carpet event, you know, then it was.

Oh, yeah, he was there when you were starring in the film.

Exactly, exactly, exactly. But. But yeah, that was also one time, I think, you know, it was not really.

Yeah, yeah. We brought Larry to. We bought my. My cousin's daughter, Siobhan, who comes up to us every week from Cork. We brought her to the Superman film that was out. Oh, was that last year?

Last year, yeah.

Was it? Oh, my God, it was so loud. It was just.

Yeah.

And myself and Larry, I, like, we had had enough. I was done. And we literally have not gone to the cinema since then because it just completely put me off. And not just me. I think you as well. I mean, even Siobhan said it was very loud.

Yeah.

We didn't really answer your question, Petra. I'm really sorry, but what are we saying? We're saying good or bad experiences? I mean, you know, I keep saying that I'm going to buy ear defenders for Larry so that we can bring him to more of those kind of things. I still haven't managed to do it, so. Yeah, I don't know, maybe we could ask our listeners to tell us about their experiences.

Yeah.

Come in, Larry. Come in. Standing.

Should get on the podcast.

Oh, yeah.

Hasn't he kind of lost his vision now? Elton John. Oh, yeah, he had a really kind of. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yes.

Is it like, Steve, you won the number? Number two, then? Yeah.

And for. What's her name, the actress. She was in that yoke. Oh, God, yeah. She's completely blind now. God lover. All right, so that's it.

Okay, thanks very much. Well, listen, folks, hope you've enjoyed the show. And don't forget, blind guys Chat. Gmail Com, I should say. And just one. One thing before I go, I just remembered, actually, I will be hosting another event for the Audio description association, the ADA.

Oh, yeah.

And that will be on April 29th, which is a Wednesday 7:00 clock in the evening and I'm going to be talking to Roz Chalmers and we're going to be talking an interesting topic about when is audio description too much? Ah. In other words, when is it an overload?

When your wife tries to ad things

probably on the couch.

Well, I will put the link to that in the show notes and if you'd like to come along we'd love to hear from as many users to come along and tell us what they think. We're not this time. We're not asking you to look at anything in particular and talk about anything. You can talk about any type of audio description, whether it be theater or film or, or tv. But really the we want to know this time is when is it too much? When do you want the audio describer that is audio describing at whatever you're watching. When do you want them to shut up and why? When does overload kick in? When does your memory stuff going oh no, this is too much to remember. You know, can I just enjoy the. The show. So have a think about that. April 29th, 9th at 7:29 GMT. April 29th at 7:00pm GMT and I'll leave the link in the show notes for you and hopefully you can come to that. It'd be lovely if you could. We need as much, we need to get as much user feedback as we can. Yeah. From audio subscribers. So we will see you in two weeks time folks.

Okay, bye bye.

Take care.