Applevis Podcast

WikiTrip – Travel Audio Guide is an iOS app that uses VoiceOver accessibility with a location-based audio guide to pull curated information from Wikipedia and read it aloud while the listener is moving.In this episode, Thomas Domville demonstrates and reviews the iOS app WikiTrip, a location-based audio guide that pulls curated information from Wikipedia and reads it aloud while the listener is moving, such as during a road trip, bus ride, or walk. He explains how the app works, including its reliance on location services and an active cellular connection, and notes that it is designed primarily for use on the go rather than while stationary. He walks through the main interface, describes how the app discovers nearby points of interest, and discusses key settings such as voice selection, minimum distance traveled, and minimum time between articles. He also highlights the History feature, which stores previously played items and allows the user to open the associated Wikipedia pages, and explains that the app

In episode 113 of the AppleVis Extra podcast, Dave Nason and Scott Davert welcome back Xiaoran Wang and welcome Buddy Brannan from Agiga to talk about the EchoVision smart glasses. The conversation focuses on how EchoVision is designed specifically for blind and low vision users, highlighting its accessibility-first approach and ongoing development through close collaboration with the community. Those interested can also check out EchoVision's Youtube channel for more information. During the discussion, the guests cover key features such as live AI scene description, a dedicated reading mode for printed text, button-based controls, audio routing to hearing aids, battery life and charging options, and hardware design choices. They also explain the Pioneer program while announcing its expansion,, upcoming hardware improvements, pricing and subscription plans, and the expected timeline for the final release.TranscriptDisclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcripti

In this episode, Tyler demonstrates how to manage login items on macOS.If there are certain apps or files that you always want open, you can configure them to open automatically when logging into your Mac. To do this, go to System Settings > General > Login items & Extensions, click Add, and select the item in the open dialog. To delete a login item, select it in the table and click Remove. Alternatively, items in the Dock can be added as login items by selecting them and choosing "open at login" from the "options" submenu in the item's context menu (accessed by pressing VO-Shift-M); uncheck this option to remove it.In addition to login items, Login items & Extensions Settings allows you to manage background items, processes that run even if the app is not open in order to complete certain tasks or respond to changing conditions, such as checking for and installing updates. If there are certain apps you don't want to be able to run background processes, for example, if they're utilizing a dispro

In the December 2025 edition of Apple Crunch, hosts Thomas Domville (AnonyMouse) and John Gassman wrap up the year with a wide-ranging discussion covering AppleVis community awards, Apple’s own App Store recognitions, major Apple hardware and business news, and an accessibility-focused app pick to close out the month.The episode begins with a deep dive into the AppleVis Golden Apples Awards for 2025. Thomas explains the nomination criteria and selection process before announcing this year’s winners. PixieBot takes top honors as Best App of the Year, praised for its rapid adoption of new AI models and especially its standout video description capabilities. Adventure to Fate earns Best Game of the Year for its fully accessible RPG design and highly engaged developers, while the PixieBot developer is recognized as Best Developer of the Year for consistent community involvement and innovation. The prestigious David Goodwin Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Aira, recognizing its long-standing global impact in pro

This podcast episode features a detailed, hands-on review of the iOS game Dungeon Scoundrel, presented by Thomas Domville, also known as AnonyMouse. The episode focuses on exploring the game’s mechanics, accessibility, and overall design, offering listeners a thorough understanding of how the game plays from start to finish. Thomas introduces Dungeon Scoundrel as a tactical, turn-based dungeon crawler card game with solitaire-style elements, designed for short but strategic play sessions that typically last around fifteen minutes.Throughout the episode, Thomas explains that the game is fully playable offline and emphasizes its strong accessibility support, including full VoiceOver compatibility. He walks listeners step by step through the interface, starting from launching the app and navigating the main menu to selecting a character class and entering the dungeon. He explains how each run consists of clearing a deck of cards that represent dungeon rooms filled with monsters, weapons, shields, potions, and sp

In this episode of the AppleVis Extra podcast, hosts Dave Nason and Thomas Domville speak with StephenLovely, the creator of Vision AI Assistant, a rapidly emerging web-based accessibility tool designed primarily for blind and visually impaired users. Stephen explains the motivation behind the project, rooted in his own lived experience as a person who has been blind since birth, and how that perspective shaped every design decision. The discussion covers the app’s core philosophy of giving users control over what visual information they receive, rather than forcing them to listen to long, generic descriptions.The conversation explores Vision AI Assistant’s major features in depth, including the Photo Explorer, which allows users to explore images by touch and zoom into specific areas for granular detail; Live Camera Mode, which provides near real-time environmental feedback and action detection; object tracking for navigation; sign and text reading via gesture-based interaction; physical book reading with pa

In this November edition of Apple Crunch, Thomas, John, and Desiree dig into a surprisingly busy month for Apple. We start with the iPhone Air’s underwhelming debut and why Apple may be rethinking its strategy after weak sales and confusing pricing. Next, we explore Apple’s ongoing talks to bring a Gemini-powered core to Siri—what that means for privacy, how it blends with Apple Intelligence, and how it may finally close the gap with today’s leading AI assistants.We also look ahead to iOS 27, which is shaping up to be a major stability-focused update across all Apple platforms—echoing the beloved Snow Leopard era—with an emphasis on fixing long-standing issues including Braille bugs and Personal Voice quirks.From there, we move into Apple’s evolving 2026 roadmap, including new release schedules for iPhones and Macs, the long-rumored foldable iPhone, a next-generation smart home device, and early hints of Apple smart glasses. We also discuss a promising Vision AI web app offering detailed grid-based image expl

In this episode, Tyler demonstrates how to customize the Control Center and menu bar on macOS.With macOS Tahoe, the Mac's Control Center and menu bar have become more customizable, with the ability to add, remove, and reorder a greater variety of items.To add an item to the Control Center or menu bar, click the “Edit controls” button at the bottom of the Control Center dialog, focus on the item you want to add either in the list of suggestions or the “More controls” grid, and choose "Add to Control Center" or "add to menu bar" from the Actions menu (accessed by pressing VO-Command-Space). Note that you can use the search field, or click a category in the “Available controls” group to narrow down what’s shown in the “more controls” grid.To remove an item from Control Center, focus on it and choose "Remove" from the context menu (accessed by pressing VO-Shift-M). To remove an item from the menu bar, focus on it and choose "Remove" from the Actions menu.To move an item in Control Center, press VO-Shift-F3 to tur

In this episode, David Nason unboxes an iPhone Air and gives his first impressions of the device. Apple’s thinnest phone to date, the iPhone Air was released alongside the iPhone 17, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max in September 2025. Our thanks to Apple for providing this device for review. This and future reviews of the device are entirely independent with no editorial input from Apple.Key Points:Despite the coverage I’ve seen and heard, I was still somewhat blown away by just how thin this device is.It is significantly thinner than the iPhone 15 Pro.While the screen is slightly larger, it doesn’t immediately feel like a much larger device due to the thin build.Set up went smoothly, including transfer from physical SIM card on my existing phone to the eSIM on the Air.During set up and initial use, the fact that it has only a single speaker does not appear to be problematic. This is only navigating the phone with VoiceOver, and in a quiet environment however, so more real world use is needed in order to make a full jud

In this episode, Tyler demonstrates how to opt out of notifications for offers and promotions in the Wallet app on iOS.The Wallet app, responsible for managing payments, orders, passes, and more, often sends important notifications related to users' financial activity. However, notifications from the Wallet app can also be used to deliver ads, like Apple's advertising of discounted "F1: The Movie" tickets. To ensure you don't receive such notifications in the future, open the Wallet app, double-tap the "More" button near the top right of the screen, select "notifications" from the menu, and toggle the "offers & promotions" switch off.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.Tyler: Hey Apple visitors, Tyler here, with a quick tip for how to opt out of offers and promotions in the Wallet app on iOS. As the Wallet app is used to mana

In this episode, Scott Davert gives us an in-depth demonstration of Braille Access. New in iOS 26, Braille Access aims to offer an experience similar to dedicated braille note takers.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.An AppleVis Orriginal Thanks for checking out the AppleViz podcast. I'm Scott Davert, and on this podcast, I'm going to cover Braille Access, a brand new set of features available in iOS 26.My apologies, by the way, for getting this out kind of late. I know it's been pretty much a month at this point, but I had a lot of things going on, including being sick twice last month. And the bulk of everything I'm going to talk about here today is available in the article I published on September 13th.So if you're someone who prefers blog posts to podcasts, that is also available to you. What is Braille Access? Braille Acce

September 2025 Edition Hosted by Thomas Domville, Dave Nason, and John GassmanWelcome to the September 2025 edition of Apple Crunch, where we break down the biggest Apple stories and explore what they mean for the blind and low-vision community. This month, we dive into a wide range of updates—from AppleVis itself getting a major facelift, to a critical VoiceOver bug fix in iOS 26.0.1, to Apple’s highly anticipated September hardware event with its mix of bold moves and controversial compromises.We also take a closer look at rumors of a new budget-friendly MacBook that could redefine Apple’s entry-level lineup, while across the tech landscape Meta is making aggressive plays in AR, VR, and AI that may shape the competition for years to come. Rounding things out, we announce the launch of two exciting new AppleVis series: Gamers Corner, a podcast dedicated to accessible play, and AnonyMouse’s App Pick of the Month, a blog feature highlighting standout apps.There’s a lot happening this fall, and we’re here to ma

Welcome to Gamers CornerWelcome to the very first edition of Gamers Corner, a brand-new show from AppleVis hosted by Thomas Domville (AnonyMouse), with co-hosts Aaron Spelker and Jesse Anderson. This inaugural episode marks the beginning of a seasonal series that will run three or four times a year, depending on the pace of major game releases.Gamers Corner was created to provide blind and low vision gamers with a dedicated space to discover new titles, revisit hidden gems, and explore accessibility in mainstream and indie games alike. Each edition will highlight standout iOS games, feature community-driven insights, and showcase accessible titles across other platforms. Our goal is to capture the excitement of gaming while maintaining a critical eye on design, accessibility, and overall player experience.In this debut issue, we dive into two ambitious iOS games that generated plenty of discussion, explore Aaron’s “Vault Treasure” pick from the past, and finish with Jesse’s console recommendation that proves

In this short AppleVis episode, host Scott Davert walks through how to bind a custom braille display command that instantly announces and brailles the current date and time on an iPhone. The motivation is simple: while the lock screen shows the time, that isn’t always convenient; a dedicated braille command lets you check the time anywhere without leaving what you’re doing.The conversation centers on VoiceOver’s braille command customization inside iOS. Scott explains that, as of this recording, iOS does not offer an equivalent mapping for a connected QWERTY keyboard or a native touchscreen gesture; he hopes Apple adds those options later. He also points out a brief “silent” behavior in one of the command menus where speech may stop speaking; there’s a quick recovery keystroke for that. Finally, he clarifies that longer braille displays can show the entire date and time on one line, while shorter displays (like 20-cell units) may require a single pan forward to reveal all details.Step-by-step: Assign a braill

In this episode, Thomas Domville (also known as Not a Mouse) walks listeners through the new and customizable VoiceOver sounds and haptic feedback options introduced in iOS. Thomas highlights how these features can be especially helpful for users who experience sensory overload or prefer a more tailored accessibility experience.Listeners will learn how to access, adjust, and personalize VoiceOver sound effects and haptics, including how to change volumes, intensities, and even toggle individual sounds on or off.Key PointsIntroduction to VoiceOver soundsExplanation of different tones and sound effects (e.g., navigation into Touch Containers).Why customizing these effects can reduce sensory overload.Accessing the settingsStep-by-step navigation into Accessibility → VoiceOver → Audio → VoiceOver Sounds and Haptics.Customizing optionsTurn off VoiceOver sounds completely if preferred.Adjust sound volume separately from speech volume.Toggle haptics on or off, or fine-tune haptic intensity.Per-effect controlEach Voi

In this podcast, Thomas Domville walks through the redesigned Phone app in iOS 26. The episode explains the difference between the new Unified view and the legacy Classic view, shows how to switch between them, and highlights where previously familiar items—like Voicemail—now live. Throughout, Thomas shares VoiceOver-friendly steps and tips to make navigation faster and less confusing.Key PointsiOS 26 introduces a Unified layout for the Phone app; Classic is still available.You can switch views anytime via the Filter button (top-right).In Unified, Calls/Missed/Voicemail/Unknown Callers/Spam are grouped as options rather than bottom tabs.VoiceOver gestures used: one-finger double-tap, swipe right/left, four-finger tap to jump to top.What You’ll LearnHow to quickly toggle between Unified and Classic layouts.Where to find Voicemail and other categories in Unified.How the Calls screen combines Favorites and Recents in one layout.Why Unknown Callers and Spam are easier to separate from Missed.Step-by-Step: Switch

In this podcast, Thomas Domville walks through Safari’s new Tabs layout options in iOS 26, explains the default Compact view, and shows how to switch between Compact, Bottom, and Top tab layouts. The demo is VoiceOver-centric, with practical navigation tips (rotor use, headings, and screen-edge gestures) to make changing this setting quick and repeatable.SummaryWhat changed: Safari now defaults to a Compact UI along the bottom: a single row with More, Tabs, the Address Bar, and a Page Menu. Traditional back/forward controls aren’t where long-time users expect.Why it matters: If Compact disrupts your muscle memory (or your VoiceOver workflow), iOS 26 lets you pick an alternate layout—Bottom (classic iOS) or Top (very old Safari style).Key Points & TakeawaysThree layouts available: Compact (default), Bottom (classic), Top (legacy-style).Settings location: You change this in Settings → Apps → Safari → Tabs.VoiceOver navigation pattern: Use headings to jump quickly through long Settings screens; the Apps butt

In this episode, Levi Gobin demonstrates screen sharing with VoiceOver on macOS. Levi first shows us the Screen Sharing settings in VoiceOver Utility, then demonstrates controlling another Mac using the Screen Sharing app.Starting with macOS Tahoe 26, VoiceOver can be used to control another Mac remotely using the built-in Screen Sharing facility, either through FaceTime or Messages for controlling Macs over the Internet, or Finder or the Screen Sharing app (located in the Utilities folder) for controlling Macs on your local network. When controlling another Mac, VoiceOver can be configured to use a different voice or cursor color, in order to differentiate your Mac from the remote one.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.Levi: Hello, everyone. And in this podcast, I'm going to demonstrate the newly introduced screen sharing featu

In this podcast, Thomas Domville walks through Apple’s new Adaptive Power mode in iOS, explaining what it does, which devices support it, what trade-offs to expect, and how to turn it on. You’ll learn how the system uses on-device intelligence to detect unusually power-hungry apps or tasks and gently throttle performance to extend battery life—plus how this differs from the traditional Low Power Mode.What is Adaptive Power?An AI-assisted battery feature that watches for apps or tasks using more CPU/battery than usual and automatically makes performance adjustments (e.g., slightly dimming the display or allowing some activities to take longer) to reduce drain.It’s conservative compared to Low Power Mode—only intervenes when something is actually hogging resources, so the phone behaves normally most of the time.Trade-offs: When Adaptive Power kicks in, you may notice subtle slowdowns (emails/messages can arrive a bit slower; animations feel slightly less snappy; display may dim a touch).Device support: Requires

In this podcast, Thomas Domville demonstrates a new iOS feature that lets you reset VoiceOver settings back to factory defaults—useful when settings have become confusing or inconsistent. He walks through where the option lives, how to activate it, and the consequences (you’ll lose all customizations).Key Points & TakeawaysPurpose: Quickly restore VoiceOver to a clean, default state when troubleshooting is too time-consuming.Where to find it: Inside Settings → Accessibility → VoiceOver.Irreversible action: Resetting wipes all VoiceOver customizations (voices, rotor options, verbosity, speech settings, etc.). There’s no “undo.”When to use: After lots of experimentation or when helping someone whose device has settings “buried” or misconfigured.After the reset: You’ll need to reconfigure your preferred voice and options.Step-by-Step: Reset VoiceOver Settings (iPhone)Open Settings.Navigate to Accessibility.Select VoiceOver.(If using VoiceOver: one-finger double-tap to open items, swipe right/left to move foc