BBQ In Review is our ongoing series of posts that attempts to capture some of the news that falls outside of our podcasts. Think of it as a raw feed of information which undergoes a miniaturization process for what topics that best suit our podcast format. In the past we have left the stories that did not make the cut part of Joe s endless scroll of tweets. But to save time, sanity and Doomscrolling social media for those who wish to avoid that kind of thing, welcome aboard and enjoy the pile of stuff below. Hopefully the reading of these articles will lessen the feeling of FOMO, Fear Of Missing Out, on all the new hardware coming to stores this holiday season.

Events in 2021 continue to switch to virtual formats due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The American Council of the Blind convention, originally scheduled for Phoenix, now joins this list.

The following was sent out today from convention coordinator Janet Dickelman:

HBO Max is at long last joining the ranks of streaming services which will include audio description, thanks to a settlement announced today.

Google has rarely repeated themselves when it comes to doing the big reveal for their product or developer presentations. Yet today s 30 minute Launch Night In event was definitely as far as one could go on the opposite side of the energy spectrum of previous Blimp filled performances. And perhaps that was for the best as many of the products were confirmed, thanks to leaks and retailers breaking street dates, rather than announced. An update to the Chromecast line, an original Google Home replacement and two new phones were the stars of the program. While a few services did get a brief mention amongst the various staff driven vignettes.

Below you will find links to Google s own blog with the official details of today s announcements. Additionally, under those links, there is a collection of hands on information about the new products. Plus, a whole lot of Google related news that transpired earlier in the month looms further down the page.

Voting is important, in 2020 perhaps more so than ever. However, the ongoing COVID19 changes mean that this process looks different than it has in years past. Be My Eyes is making accessible voting information available by state in its app. See the text of the Be My Eyes email, and find out about some patriotic items available from the National Braille Press, below.

September seems to have gone a little crazy with hardware events. There was the typical Apple one, a soon to be had Google one, there was the PlayStation 5 And the Microsoft Series X Event. Not to be out done, or it is just multi-billion-dollar peer pressure at work, Amazon held a live event Of their own this week. Revisions to Echo, Fire and Alexa debuted alongside a few new Drones and services. Below are a collection of links summarizing all the recent announcements. Additionally, below that pile of news, you will find a secondary pile that covers more Alexa related information that surfaced prior to the rolling out of new devices.

A new online conference seeks to help educators stay on-trend with assistive technology.

A new software update is available for the BrailleNote Touch Plus. The new update adds the ability to open and read pdf's directly, sign in with google, user guide updates and more.

From now to December 28, buy all Voice Dream apps, reader, writer, and scanner, for 50 percent off or more.

From now until January 3, Aira credit can now be purchased for yourself or someone else.

October is a time for ghouls, ghosts, and game demos. Yep, keeping with a long-standing tradition that happened somewhat organically without us realizing it, we give you another reason to break out the earbuds in order for you to experience life beyond The Vale . And speaking of new experiences, Ricky dropped by the office of beeping and talking to discuss the Nuraloop earbuds with Joe. Lastly, but technically in the middle of the show, we hear from the new voice of the Amazon Echo. Listen in to hear the first ever F bomb hiding somewhere within the minutes of BBQ 216.

Summertime is the perfect season for going to the beach, camping, and of course buying computers. Okay, that last one is more geared towards the tech sector who aren t necessarily going to readily engage in the first two activities mentioned. Join Patrick, Joe and first timer Alex Hall As they discuss how each one of them navigated the computer buying process. Listen in as the trio breakdown what access issues they encountered and what tips they recommend for those about to consider the addition of their own shiny new laptop or desktop.

The ninth month on the calendar brings along Pumpkin Spice and another Apple event. Refreshingly the event focused on things that were not the iPhone For a change. Somehow, despite 2020 being well 2020, the event was full of interesting news. Join the BBQ Crew as J.J., Joe and Shelly Brisbin Break down the staggering number of iPads and Apple Watch editions in this mandated by Tech Podcast Law required Apple event wrap up show.

It finally happened! Enough stuff has transpired for us to do a proper old school news filled episode. Or as we now call it during the After Times , a retro inspired BBQ show. Join J.J., Joe and Patrick as they learn how to do a thing again that they have spent 10 years already doing prior to the release of this particular audio program. Breaking news talk of Audio Description, a tip, a bunch of Sound Off and the return of the Last Word will give you that nostalgic feeling for sure!

The summer brings the heat and the box fans out from their hiding places from within the closet. We have been laying low to stay cool. And there is nothing like lying under the ceiling fan on a lazy summer day with a big pile of Braille to keep you company. In this episode, courtesy of J.J., you will find two demos and an interview with Jared Rimer discussing Braille Translation. Grab a cool beverage and relax in your best outdoor lawn furniture while you enjoy BBQ 212.

Apple filmed their annual keynote for WWDC in Apple Park, not in front of a live studio audience, where many upcoming changes were announced for software and hardware. J.J., taking time out from gathering requests for Orbit Writer Braille Keyboard Smartphone Companion Preorders, and Joe, trying to steal back the PS4 controller from Ricky so he can play the Blind friendly The Last Of Us 2 , asked Jamie Pauls, who was editing a new episode of the Eyes Free Sports Podcast , to join them in this summary of the event s big news. Expect there to be info dumps a plenty as this is a wrap up show after all. And be sure to learn more about what was discussed in the copious pile of links down below.

It is time for another BBQ Bite, or Byte as we have not really settled on that yet, as we keep delving back into our pile of holiday tech gifts to talk about on the show. In this episode Ricky will talk about what Joe gave her, Sennheiser Ambeoes, and Joe will converse with Ricky about the Bose Frames she provided him. There is a whole lot of moving in stereo in this virtual audio extravaganza. And you may want to listen in a good pair of headphones for the full effect of the cat and construction. Confused? Tune in and all will be revealed in 3d audio.

usually our first "In Studio" episode after convention coverage is the traditional wrap up show where we dissect and discuss a particular event 20 minutes longer than we really should. But, as you already know, these are strange times and we find ourselves amongst the BBQ Crew reflecting on life after CSUN instead of our normal post con conversation. J.J. and Shelly talk about their return travel adventures while Joe remarks what it was like to watch the goings on from home. We do talk some tech this week, however, it is scattered throughout the run time of the show in between tips and musings about what has to be considered for future gatherings within the Blind and Low Vision communities. Sound Off and the Last Word find their way in towards the end of the program. So, we did not deviate too far from the norm. Or at least our version of that.