Episode 163:A post-holiday catch-up, Apple has broken iOS Braille yet again, and some cool gadgets at this years Consumer Electronics Show

Kia ora Mosen At Largers. A reminder that this podcast is indexed by chapter. If you listen with a podcast client that offers chapter support, you can easily skip between segments.

Here are the topics covered in this episode, and the time in the file for each.

Intro,0:00

My little boy got married,1:08

NZ appoints a nondisabled person to head the Ministry for Disabled People Transition Unit,5:02

Amazon Alexa skills and Google actions for Mushroom FM and MushroomEscape,8:11

A fun family Christmas,11:03

A lesson on how not to do customer service,14:11

A cool techy Christmas,26:41

Best Christmas present,29:40

Laptop considerations,32:02

Apple has broken Braille yet again,35:04

Tim's New Hearing Aids part 1,44:54

Mike May and Gena Harper talk about the Consumer Electronics Show,54:19

Just some of the products mentioned include:

Robo Rock Vacuum (Smart Home Appliance)

It has rubber rollers to address dog hair without having to cut out hair. Potential mopping feature, an auto empty doc where it goes and empties itself, self-washing, self-refilling and self-cleaning.

My Eli (Smart Health) website not in English

Bracelet for security such as falling. Sends a message to all of your contacts. Also, can send a follow-up text saying you are ok, very attractive looking bracelet. GPS tracking, alarm and audio.

Circular Smart Ring from France (Smart Health)

Track 24/7 health data. sleep, steps, biometric heart rate sensor, oxygenation. Comes in silver, black, gold, rose gold. Planning to come to market in March of

1. Approx. $259, can pre-order.

Letsfit (Smart Health)

Automatically track your heart rate, distance traveled, calories burned, time spent active, all accessed through the app. Multicolor bands. Has a ten-hour battery life. Approx. $50-70

Picoo (Electronic Game/Gift)

It’s a game console with 4 hand-held controllers. The controllers make sounds, have lights and vibrate. Buy them through Picoo. Working with a Dutch organization that works with visually impaired children. There is also an app to choose different games. Launched on Jan 5th. Approx.$250

Govee (Home)

Aura Smart Table Lamp. Personalize simple color patterns, 20 different scene options, hands free voice control through Alexa or google assistant, timer schedule to turn on/off, and syncs to music. Approx.$64.99

Edge Sound Research (Audio)

Experiential Audio. ResonX is a modular device that can be attached to the back of a chair to turn the chair into the diaphragm of a speaker so that you can feel and hear every sound for maximum immersion.

Jordilight (Outdoor)

Swiss army knife on flashlight. Dog collar accessory, junior model in development. Flexible, magnetic. 19 LED lights controlled in the app, each can be set independently to a range of 256 colors, and brightness. 7 preset modes, SOS mode, 100, 50, 25 % brightness, night rider, party, and compass modes. Waterproof. Launches last week of March.

Liddle speaker by D3 Products (Audio)

Bluetooth speaker, compatible portable speaker can be attached to any surface and works with all devices.

Airxom (COVID)

A respiratory device protective mask to filter microparticles, bacteria, and everything from. Charge the mask with usb and lasts 8 hours. French company. Approx. $350 coming out March 2022.

Steam-box (Home)

Self-heating lunchbox. Tactile dots to set 5 minutes of heating and other features. Enjoy a hot meal anywhere, anytime. Rechargeable, uses an app. Weighs 3 pounds. $230 in April, presale price of $189

Invoxia Smart Dog Collar (Electronic Dog)

The first biometric health collar for dogs, ready this summer. It has an app, $99 $13/mo fee.

Smart Dog Collar (Electronic Dog)

Make clear and reliable phone calls to your pet on AT&T‘s nationwide network. Stream music to your dog. No SIM cards. No Activation Fees. GPS tracking and training techniques such as clicking, beeping and pain-free vibrating. Data bundles are $10/mo for 1 gb data, 500 minutes of calling, 2000 minutes of music, or $15 for unlimited. From $199

GAF Energy (Home)

Solar shingles performance of a standard roofing shingle,

Bosch (Smart Home Appliances)

24” oven that works with Alexa, you can verbally tell the oven to cook, what temperature to bake and for how long. A refrigerator that keeps track of your food and offers up suggestions on what you can make with the ingredients you have in the fridge. A dishwasher that can figure out what is in the dishwasher and what setting it needs to use to clean those specific dishes. You can also make favorite settings such as it is lasagna night and it knows what types of dishes you will be putting in it for lasagna night and you can choose the lasagna night setting.

Miela (COVID)

Air purifier, has 7 filters, subscription plan, app. Has ability to turn off and on by the air purifier. Don’t need an app

ActivMotion (Smart Communication)

Ears and hands-free communications. Two models, Eminentia clips over the ear and Crura also has a module along the cheek housing the microphone

Shiftall Mutalk (Smart Communication)

Bluetooth microphone that prevents your voice from leaking out. It goes over your mouth to trap sound. Can strap around your head or simply be held to your mouth.

Targus (Accessory)

Eco Smart, Cypress Collection. All from recycled products. Backpacks and suitcases. They are in the price range of $129 - $149. TO9 office anti-microbial, price $119.

My Manu (Smart Communication)

Affiliated with T-Mobile. All voice activated. Can stream from Spotify, translate, text message, cell service, total hands free, 4G connected. Has ear buds and a thin that hangs down around your neck. Coming out later this year, price point around $150.

Lovebox (Communication Gift)

Little box with a heart on the front. Visual, screen is inside the box, send messages through an app. Can purchase different hearts and icons for the front of the box.

Motion Pillow (Smart Health)

Machine learns your sleeping habits, and inflates and deflates airbags to rotate head to open the airway.

Benjilocks (Smart Home)

Fingerprint locks. Array by Hampton is the app for the locks.

Hydrow Connected Fitness Rower (Smart Health)

$2,295 + $38/mo membership (might be a discounted price)

Rowing machine with screen and classes

Clmbr (Smart Health)

Two models, one has a small touch screen, the other is a large. Bluetooth enabled screen. Touch screen with all their on-demand content. Has companion app called clmbr. $2,799 + subscription of $40/mo

Starcase (Smart Communication)

Smart LED Battery case, provides full recharge of your phone, syncs with contacts and other apps. Different lights, icons, scrolling texts and notifications. $149.

IHome (Smart Home)

Charges, usb chords, humidifiers, Ear buds, headsets, blue tooth products

Navitas (Technology)

Fast charging charges that can be purchased on Amazon

The Bonnie Bulletin recounts an unpleasant guide dog-related incident with a happy ending,1:53:42

Closing and contact info,2:03:45