Episode 179: Apple WWDC, AfterShokz OpenComm Headset & Stevens Smelly Tech

Double Tap Canada takes a trip back in time this week as Steven starts the show in a nostalgic mood. He’s managed to get his hands on an old piece of tech he used way back when he was at school. While it’s always interesting to look back at retro tech, the more pressing question that is raised is just why was Steven’s school so smelly?

It’s then on to a discussion on just what to look out for when buying a ‘budget’ laptop. Of course, if you don’t care about screen quality or size then there are great savings to be made on displays without touch-screen support or 4K resolution. But, what about memory? Will you really notice the difference between 8GB of RAM and 16GB or RAM? If you are just looking to upgrade your existing laptop which component should you spend your money on?

In tech news this week, Apple have announced the date for their Worldwide Developers Conference. Running from the 7th to the 11th of June, this is the event where we’ll see Apple’s plans for iOS 15 and other operating systems and maybe some new hardware too. Are we finally going to get confirmation of Apple Glasses? Marc & Shaun can’t wait, so why is Steven so uninterested?

The streaming media service HBO Max has finally added some 1500 hours of audio described content to its library and also promises to make their app more accessible. Obviously, this is great news for us but more than that it’s a great example of what blind organizations & the blind community can achieve when it comes to holding companies accountable regarding accessibility.

Other tech news include how Starbucks in the US now have free Aira access, just what is wrong with the Apple TV remote & how the success of Clubhouse is showing people the benefits of audio when it comes to accessing news & entertainment.

Finally, Steven tells us about his latest purchase, the AfterShokz OpenComm bone conduction headset. The Aftershokz range of bone conduction headsets have been extremely popular in the blind & visually impaired community as they allow you to listen to audio safely, without blocking out environmental noise around you. The OpenComms have a boom arm microphone, which should make then ideal when it comes to making calls. Do they deliver on this promise? Steven will be letting us know.