If you love curling up with a good book from the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, this episode is especially for you.

📚 We recently received our brand-new Digital Advanced Players (DA2) from the library, and of course we couldn’t resist taking them for a thorough spin. 📦✨ We start by sharing our first impressions of the player and giving you a friendly tour of the hardware. From the layout of the controls to how everything feels in your hands, we walk through what makes the new player different and why we’re so excited about it.

Then it’s time for the fun part: a full demo. 🎙️ You’ll hear two of the built-in text-to-speech voices, follow along as we download a book, explore the wish list feature, check out settings, and more. While there are still a few things we’d love to see improved, we’re already big fans of the functionality—and especially the hardware design. 👍 If you’re curious about the DA2 player or wondering whether you might want one, this demo should give you a helpful preview.

In the second half of the episode, we shift gears to a slightly less delightful discovery involving our new Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones. 🎧 After picking them up during the holidays, we recently ran into an unexpected change that may impact some blind and visually impaired users. We talk about what happened, what we think about it, and why it might matter if you rely on accessibility when using Bose products. As far as we know, this doesn’t affect all Bose hardware, but it’s definitely something some users may encounter. 🤔

Thanks as always for listening! And if you’re tuning in on release day, we hope your St. Patrick’s Day luck is going strong. 🍀 We’ll talk to you again on the last day of March!

The post The DA2 Debut Plus a Bose Curveball appeared first on The Mystic Access Podcast.

Do you love an episode that gives you a little bit of everything? High tech, low tech, practical info, and a dash of surprise? Yes, please. 🎧✨

In this episode, we kick things off with a deep dive into the Invincible Wifi internet Package from Spectrum. Chris walks you through:

* What’s actually included in the package * What the equipment offers (and who it’s best for) * A fun little surprise he discovered during the unboxing 👀

After a few days of real-world use, we share our honest impressions—what’s working well, what’s interesting, and what you might want to consider before upgrading your own setup. If you love hearing about tech from the perspective of people who actually live with it, this one’s for you.

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Let’s be real: the modern web can feel like an obstacle course, especially for screen reader users. Cluttered layouts. Mystery buttons. Popups everywhere. No thanks.

That’s where InnoSearch comes in. This service aims to simplify the experience of:

* Shopping online * Ordering food * Booking flights

Chris takes the Android version of the InnoSearch app for a spin and explores how it behaves with a screen reader. Then, Kim shares what the AI-powered phone interface experience is like—you’ll hear how it sounds, discover how intuitive you think it is, and learn whether it lives up to the promise of less clutter and more clarity.

If you’re curious about accessible alternatives to traditional websites, this segment is packed with insight. For even more on InnoSearch, check out this recent Tek Talk presentation.

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Thanks, as always, for being part of our community. We appreciate you showing up, listening in, and exploring new tools with us. We’ll see you again closer to St. Patrick’s Day—maybe with a little extra luck on our side. 🍀

The post The Quest for Better Bars (and Better Browsing) appeared first on The Mystic Access Podcast.

This episode is a delightful mixed bag—in the best possible way. We’ve got two very different low-tech demos, a juicy tech update for the gadget lovers, and one topic that surprised even us. Think of it like Kim’s column in Our Special from National Braille Press—something for every skill level. So buckle up. This ride has range.

🟣 Low-Tech Fun: The BrailleDoodle

We kick things off with a hands-on (literally) demo of the BrailleDoodle—a creative tactile board that’s equal parts braille learning tool and STEM art canvas. We spotted it in Dallas last year and Kim immediately knew one had to come home.

It’s refreshingly low tech. No batteries. No updates. Just tactile creativity and skill-building magic. Whether you want to sharpen your braille, explore spatial concepts, or secretly unleash your inner artist, this little product delivers. We demo it live and share our impressions.

Curious? Find tutorials and videos at the link above: TouchPadProFoundation.org/instructions.

🧤 Winter Gloves… But Make Them Techy

Yes, we’re talking about gloves. It’s been *that* cold. We recently picked up some cozy wool gloves with touchscreen capability, and they’ve been a total game changer.

But—and this is important—not all touchscreen gloves are created equal. There’s one key thing you absolutely need to check before buying if you want them to actually work well with your phone or tablet. We break it down so you don’t end up with warm hands and frozen frustration.

📱 Android 16 + Braille Displays = Big Win

Chris recently updated his Samsung phone to Android 16 and TalkBack 16, and there’s a very exciting accessibility perk: support for HID-compliant braille displays. That’s right—plug and play just got easier.

We also chat about the Samsung braille keyboard, which feels a lot like Braille Screen Input on iOS. If you’re a braille user curious about what’s new on Android, this segment is for you.

💊 Demo: CVS Spoken Rx

To wrap things up, Chris demos the Spoken Rx prescription reader from CVS Pharmacy. You can access Spoken Rx through the CVS app, but we focus on the standalone hardware version—which is free, simple, and incredibly convenient.

If managing prescriptions independently is important to you (or someone you love), this is worth a look. We walk through how it works and provide some useful tips. Learn more and register at the above link.

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Thanks so much for spending time with us. We appreciate you. Catch you in March!

The post Tactile Art and Talking Prescriptions appeared first on The Mystic Access Podcast.