They say that comedy relies on timing. Well, it turns out the same can be applied to podcasting. The day we had scheduled for the recording of this month’s show just coincidentally happened to be the same day Google informed the world about Android L. Listen as JJ, Ana and Steve talk about the latest news as it happened in Episode 33!

In The News:

Android L is now Android lollypop and Official

All current Nexuses, including Nexus 4 and 2012 Nexus 7, will get Lollipop

Moto confirms update to L plans

Nexus 6 official

Nexus 9 Specs

Sick of your Galaxy Gear with Androidware? Just stick Windows 95 on it

Nexus Player is First Android TV box

Google Play Store v5.0

MBraille 1.1.1 for Android is out. Fixes an UI translation issue where English was shown even if translation was available.

From SeroTalk, Fleksy talks Android and more

Blinddroid Wallet Updated

Google’s conversational search adds Open Table

The Huddle 2 has been released

Android Developer Backstage Episode 14: Accessibility

The band is back together and its time to wrap up the summer. Google i/o, Site Village and the NFB/ACB summer shows are bandied about between JJ, Ana and Steve. Put your feet up, its an old fashioned gab fest Android style!

In The News:

Eve Andersson, manager of the core @googleaccess team at Google research, gave an inspiring speech at NFB 2014

Revisiting the “Switch to Android full-time” experiment

Fun with an Á Capella voice sample #30DaysWithAndroid

Google’s Play Store refund policy appears to have been extended to two hours

Tesco’s prototype Glass app lets you order milk by looking at the barcode

The Summer That Was…

We’ve had a lot of questions, emails and comments about the various summer events. And now its time to chat about all we heard from the various extravaganzas. Be sure to send in your thoughts to us via iBlink Radio, on Twitter and through email resources@serotalk.com with your opinions on these hot button issues.

Speaking of iBlink Radio, remember you can use that awesome Android app to catch up on all of SPN’s summer specials by checking the “Catch Convention” link on the front page or by going straight to our SeroTalk website

Additional Info…

There were a few products mentioned throughout this episode. Here are links to some of the products mentioned.

JJ talked about Android access with the iGrillMini

Steve described Telorion. To learn more, or purchase, it visit this link.

Or visit their homepage.

Contacting the Team

We’ve had our say, now its your turn. Drop us a line at or send us a tweet at our official Twitter page.

You can also follow our hosts by visiting

Ana’s Accessible Android blog or

JJ at AndroidAccess.net.

Finally, Check out Steve’s Twitter feed.

Thanks for listening!

To help remake accessibility training as we know it, visit to view training subscription options and make your contribution to EZFire’s A11YTV funding campaign.

Welcome back everyone to a show that has lots of talk, demos and an awesome interview from a phone retailer. JJ is a world traveler this month, therefore, the other guy with a J in his name steps in to host with Ana and steve. We have a ton of iReports in the Mailbag, an app to help you relax and your next TTS for Halloween.

In The News:

Our own Ana appeared on the Eyes on Success show talking about the kindle Fire HDX. Check it out here…

Android Silver: everything you need to know – TechRadar UK

In relation to the Silver discussion, Google Now launcher Recently Updated

Flounder” could be the codename for Google’s next Nexus device

Motorola’s Moto E runs KitKat, resists scratches, costs $129 unlocked

HTC-made Nexus device shows up in Android source code

Google added the ability to take photos while recording video back to the stock camera app. Neat!

Google Maps 8 brings lane guidance, Uber integration, and more

From JJ on Twitter, if you use Android and Uber, sign up for the beta of 3.0 so accessibility comments can be heard.

Google Now Shows You a List of Stores When You Go to a Mall

Steve had a chance to use Guide Dots. To learn more about this app, check out the google Play page

The Eyes Free List found a way around the “Okay Google” bug by using OpenMic

Sample Phone Setup Options for Android

From Our That Android Show Twitter Feed, Kyle Borah ?@KyleBorah May 10 If any Talkback android users are looking for a good trivia game, check out quizup. Its very accessible. @thatandroidshow

Federal court overturns Google v. Oracle decision, setting disastrous precedent

The Ever-Sorrier State of Android Bloatware

Your Android can now endlessly play relaxing music for free, thanks to Doze

App Demo: Doze

After all the news, Ana needed time to relax. An what better way to relax than for free on your Android with the Doze app. Rain, music and more. Find inner peace or at least something to just have on in the background for white noise. Ana also sent in this note after we went to press…. “Doze has been updated. There is now an additional unlabeled button for donating to the developer. If you swipe through the UI, the donate button is before Doze and Recline. Tapping it takes users to the Play Store, where they can donate a little over a dollar.” Discussion, New voices

The team sits down and talks about Eloquent Witches. No wait, the team sat down to discuss Elequence and yes, a Witch voice. Jarrod Jicha ?@JichaMan1974 wrote on Twitter,

This is got to be the weirdest android voice I have ever heard!

Code Factory ETI on Google Play

Interview: Odin Mobile

Ana sits down with the team at odin mobile to discuss the many options they offer in phones, in support and now a few options for those who live in particular states to gain an even cheapr mobile device. You won’t want to miss this interview and you definitely want to visit their site to learn more.

Contacting the Team

We’ve had our say, now its your turn. Drop us a line at or send us a tweet at our official Twitter page.

You can also follow our hosts by visiting

Ana’s Accessible Android blog or

JJ at AndroidAccess.net.

Finally, Check out Steve’s Twitter feed.

Thanks for listening!

The TAS team returns, no really, and we’re back to discuss a somewhat busy mainstream news month. Ana wasn’t able to join us in studio, however, she turns in a stellar overview of Google Calendar and takes an in-depth look at the new Galaxy S5’s new accessibility features. All that, and more, on a “back to normal’ That Android Show!

In The News:

CSUN 2014 has come and gone. Yet the news from that show continues to make waves. Take a gander at this article on highlights from the Exhibit Hall floor, written by our own JJ, for an example of some news on Android related products.

And Blind Bargains conducted interviews from the show floor as well. Check this one out on a popular synth being released through Code Factory to Google Play soon.

And even more on video magnifiers, Access Note and other Android news can be heard on our SPN flagship feed at SeroTalk.

And then there was the really big story this month. How to tell if your Android device is vulnerable to Heartbleed

Android 4.1.1 Still Vulnerable to Heartbleed

[Google now constantly scans your installed Android apps for malware[(http://liliputing.com/2014/04/google-now-constantly-scans-your-installed-android-apps-for-malware.html)

[Android fragmentation turning devices into a toxic hellstew of vulnerabilities[(http://dlvr.it/5N2GwS)

Android’s KitKat is rolling out even more slowly than Jelly Bean did

Fingerprint lock in Samsung Galaxy 5 easily defeated by whitehat hackers

PayPal Debuts Its Biometrics And Smartwatch Integrations With Samsung

It’s out and being talked about. Samsung Focuses On Accessibility With An Ultrasonic Case, A Text-Reading Stand And Voice Labels

Tap Tap See Comes To Android

The following stories we may not have discussed directly, however, we thought them worth a read regardless.

Pre-iPhone Android envisioned with no touch-screen support

Google Play Still Tops iOS App Store Downloads, And Now Narrowing Revenue Gap, Too

Google Glass gets KitKat update, video calling removed

I Was Assaulted For Wearing Google Glass In The Wrong Part Of San Francisco

Google Patents Tiny Cameras Embedded In Contact Lenses

App Demo: Ana And Her Calendar

Ana is a very busy person and she has a super grasp of the Google ?Calendar as it’s how she keeps all her schedules together in one place. She shows us some basics and discusses the power that is in mastering dates and times. Also, check out this article for some advanced features.

The Coolest Things You Can Automatically Add to Google Calendar

Discussion Topic: In The Shadow Of Google i/o 2014, What Is Android Doing For Us Now

3d printing, pointy Braille and CSUN aftermath. We sit down and talk about various ways of access with Android and beyond.

Blind Bargains asks some tough questions about cross platform apps in relation to the latest release of TapTapSee

Joe recommends Access Talk for another look at what happened recently at CSUN and to get thoughts on a new user to the world of Android.

its good vs. evil? Its mets vs. Yankees? No, it is a battle that has always been around for one reason or another. Its “Is the note taker dead? 2014. While not directly Android related, except if you consider the Braille Plus 18 or the upcoming Access note from AFB, this discussion from HIMS started a lot of emails on so many Blind related lists.

Google Reveals the Crazy Modular Phones Ara Will Let You Build

Hardware Close Look: Samsung S5

Triple click Home to bring up… TalkBack? No, its not April Fools again. Ana sits down with Nimer Jaber to learn how this is a real thing on the newly released Samsung Galaxy S5. Touch Wiz has been improved and a whole slew of new access options came along in the box. Hear what’s new before you sign that next cell phone contract!

Mailbag:

We got in lots and lots of mail, iReports and tweets about how you liked [or in many cases didn’t] our April Fools programming on our show, our Sister show “Triple Click Home” and of course “SeroTalk”. After we sterilize some of the keyboards and Braille Displays from reading those comments… we’ll share them. For now, even if you didn’t like the show, be sure to check out how well our gang did over at 3ch. There is some sly Google content in that show. We promise!

Contacting the Team

We’ve had our say, now its your turn. Drop us a line at or send us a tweet at our official Twitter page.

You can also follow our hosts by visiting

Ana’s Accessible Android blog or

JJ at AndroidAccess.net.

Finally, Check out Steve’s Twitter feed.

Thanks for listening!

February maybe one of the shortest months of the year, however, it doesn’t seem to be a quiet month for Android fans. Google’s buying, selling and updating like crazy and we try to encapsulate the month’s recent news in this episode. Plus, Ana provides an interview with another Android Developer, a discussion on recent critical articles on Android’s accessibility and of course your feedback in the overflowing Mailbag.

In The News:

Google’s $3.2 billion Nest deal is official

Q&A: Lenovo CEO On How To Turn Around Motorola

Nokea launches a trio of Android based phones

Strange bedfellows: Microsoft could bring Android apps to Windows

New Android OEM licensing terms leak; “Open” comes with a lot of restrictions

CamFind is Tap Tap See for Android says Steve

A walk with Project Tango

ideal Group has released GuideDroid Beta

Steve notes that you have to suspend TalkBack first, try Crazy Bat

Why you shouldn’t propose with Google Glass

Google i/o June 25th – 26th

Developer Interview: PDF To Speech Pro

Ana sits down to discuss the parels of development with PDF, alternative formats and the challenges of keeping up with so many changes to it all over so many years. don’t miss this inside look at one of the veteran apps for TalkBack users. Also, not listed here, this app is also available for Amazon kindle users via the Amazon App Market.

App Demo: PDF To Speech

Ana calls this PDF To Speech “a media player for books”. And she may just be right. With options for so many formats, voices and gestures, you will see why this app is one of the best options for those who use TalkBack to read various text formats.

Discussion topic: Android Development Accessibility

The team sits down to discuss recent articles from Marco and Chris about their views on Android Development and how accessible these development tools are. To follow along with the discussion, check out these articles: From Chris: Testing Android Accessibility: I Give Up

He also wrote a post on programming

Marco, previously interviewed on our show, has some info up about the challenges encounterd with firefox for Android

And… Accessibility in Firefox for Android – Some more technical details

Plus… Accessibility in Firefox for Android: Some more technical background, Part II

Be sure to send in your thoughts on these articles, or on our discussion of these articles, in an iReport or email. We’d like to hear what our audience has to say about all this. Who knows, your comments could be featured in an upcoming show!

Mailbag

Our first email is from Kelsey:

“Hi Guys, I just want to start off with a big thank you for all the great work you include in your Android podcasts and wish you all the best for 2014… bring it on podcast 25! My main topic is about Android – specifically, the Nexus 7.
I’m a dedicated iOS user; I started off with an iPod Touch 4, merged to the iPhone 4 when my Owasys 22c blind phone broke down and now have an iPhone 4S. However, I took a risk just before the new year and dived into Android with the Google Nexus 7. This was after reading many articles with blind people moaning about how awful Android was compared to iOS and how it should be killed or destroyed or beaten up but I decided that I would decide for myself thank you very much. After un-boxing the Nexus 7 (which happened to fly across the room when I finally persuaded it to rather violently pop out of the box), I managed to set it up with TalkBack with no sighted assistance – one aspect I was very impressed with. I checked out the TalkBack tutorial and got my head around the basics. Next, I updated it to 4,4,2 KitKat and then set to work. The first thing I did was go to the Play Store, go to my iPhone and see which of the applications on my phone were available on the Nexus 7. I found a few and then went with the ones I knew.
Plume for Twitter just didn’t do it for me so I soon uninstalled that. I think that may be because I’m so used to checking Twitter on Twitterrific (a big shout-out to those guys) that I just couldn’t get used to doing it on the Nexus. It took me a while to hunt down what I think is one of the most important aspects of getting a new device – a case. Eventually, I chose a wired keyboard case with has a keyboard sewn into the case and room for the tablet to stand on top. I was very impressed with the ease of touch typing on a 7 inch physical keyboard. So, about four weeks into this Android experience, my reaction is far from I'm a iPhone-ian... Get Me out of Here. I’m more in the Android-ian Idol. I’m loving the Google Play / KitKat experience and I think I’ve found the key to why people are so reluctant to accept Android after using an iDevice. Android is different. It is a very unique experience and user interface compared to any operating system – mobile or desktop – that I have ever seen but once you get that idea and learn the way it works, it is so easy to learn about Android. And to be honest, your device isn’t exactly going to explode in your hands so you need to explore, customise and exercise your thirst for adventure. Try it in different situations, see how it works for you in day to day life and see if it fits your needs. Also, we Android people all seem to stare at people who say that Android is rubbish but we also have to accept that it is not going to be for everyone just as Windows is not going to be for everyone and nor is OS 10. Finally, I do have a few questions about Android (yes, hello Jo). Do you have any applications that may help me in day to day life? I’m talking about Twitter applications (I’m still open to that idea). How about other cool applications, mainstream or blindness specific? Really, free applications are for me as I’m under a tight budget but I’m interested all round. I’ve currently got iBlink Radio, Accapella TTS, WordPress, Skype, BBC News, BBC Weather, CamFind, Kindle, Hatchi, StemStumper and TuneIn Radio. Also, I know the basic gestures: flicks, double-taps, single-tap option, scrolling with left right flick, two finger scroll and the two-part, rightangle gestures. Is there any of gestures that I’m missing here? Well, thanks for your help guys and keep going with the good work. All hands on deck for promoting Android accessibility to all around!!!!

Best Wishes,

Kelsey

London, England”

Thanks for that awesome report. Ana did a good job about describing gestures last year. moreover, most of the apps we’ve discussed over the years are still pretty much useable with Android [barring if they have not been abandoned by the Developer]. Take a look through our archives to see if any past recommendations strike your fancy.

Next, thoughts from Mike Arigo …

“I mainly wanted to agree with something Steve said on this show. I also wish developers would pay more attention to android. I too wish the developer of blind square would develope a version for android. The number of blind android users is continuously growing, and to say there is not enough blind android users is simply wrong. Hopefully developers will stop treating android like a second class platform and give it as much attention as they do on IOS.”

Wise words sir. Now we turn to an email from Christene.

“To Whom It May Concern, I am looking at getting the Samsung as my next cell phone. However, I understand that there is a new Samsung phone coming out in March. Here are some questions that I have they are as follows. What do you think of the Samsung mini cell phone? Also what do you think of the regular size Samsung cell phone? I would appreciate any information that you may be able to provide in this matter.

Thank you for your time regarding this matter.

Sincerely,

Christine Chaikin

Whenever someone considers a Samsung device, in the realm of android, the reality of it coming with Touch Wiz has to be considered. Unless, as some do, you choose the Google Play editions of a device that sports stock android instead of Touch Wiz. If you aare a low vision user, then you may find touch Wiz’s “Easy mode” helpful. And TalkBack users might find the extra chattiness of notification and tags helpful in learning android. We’ve also mentioned before that we wish more makers would add the ability to place the Accessibility menu in the Power Options like the option within Touch Wiz. And if you can deal with all of that, and some of Samsung’s bloatware, then you might enjoy using a Samsung device. If not, then go the play Edition route or look at using another device.

Next, an email from Robin

“I have tried a number of magnifiers on my Android JellyBean device. Cozy Magnifier and Microscope Free and Cozy Magnifier and Microscope Plus, No Ads, 99Cents, by Hantor, are great. The developer has responded to suggestions for increasing accessibility with updates and email responses. I have tried every magnifier I can find for my device, and this is by far the best. I read small things at close range and signs far away, and much in between.
I love That Android Show.

Robin Switzer Brunner”

Cool suggestions Robin! We hope to hear from our listeners to see what else they have tried or have seen with both of those apps you recommend.

Contacting the Team

We’ve had our say, now its your turn. Drop us a line at or send us a tweet at our official Twitter page.

You can also follow our hosts by visiting

Ana’s Accessible Android blog or

JJ at AndroidAccess.net.

Finally, Check out Steve’s Twitter feed.

Thanks for listening!

2013 brought us many surprises, versions of Android and tons of TalkBack updates. We take some time to look at the year that was for Google Mobile Access from both a low vision and blindness perspective. Plus we may have created some new controversies as an early start on 2014. See if you can spot them during this jam packed episode.

In The News:

Android v4.4.2 Released

New TalkBack Released

New Just Speak update

New Kindle App update adds Talkback support! Steve recommends this app, Screen Time Out Toggle, for use with the Kindle app to avoid screen time outs when reading books

New Eyes Free Shell update released

new Samsung Core Advanced Phone aimed at the Disabled market

New update to iBlink Radio

New Ideal Web Reader

MIT professor tears into Samsung’s ‘painful’ smartphone software

Google approves first CyanogenMod phone

Low Vision Discussion With Rodeny Edgar:

Rodney, the host of our SPN sister show “High Contrast”, sits down with joe to talk what is good and bad and just plain hard to see in the latest version of Android. Rodney has both versions of the Nexus 7, being the 2012 and 2013 editions, and that comes into play during their discussion.

A Look Back At 2013:

Ana, JJ, Joe and Steve take a look back at the last 12 months of Android news and events. What did they like? What didn’ they like? There is a ton of praise and a lot of scorn, plus many rapid releases, with our look at the year that was in Android.

Mailbag:

We didn’t have time this month to feature iReports and emails on the show itself, however, here are some of the comments we found in the That Android Show Inbox. Up first, Mike Arigo:

“Great show. Actually the cyanogen installer is not supported on any of my devices, they’re a bit older phones, and even if I had a supported phone, it’s only used for the first install, after that, you use rom manager to install new builds. Steve should test that with his galaxy s 3, if it’s still on android 4.1, he could go to 4.3 soon to be 4.4, there’s really no reason to stay with the samsung firmware. Hopefully swype will become even more accessible in a future update, for me though, it’s still worth the switch. It’s much more forgiving about not typing the wrong letter, that in itself is worth the switch. I did install cyanogen 10.2 based on android 4.3 on my samsung galaxy relay, my samsung captivate glide and my htc my touch 4g slide, works great on all of those. Waiting for cyanogen 11 which will be based on kit kat.”

Thanks for the update Mike, here’s pat with her thoughts on becoming a new Android user…

“”Hi Everyone, I just finished listening to the last podcast called: Flowers, Rainbows and Puppies. I loved it. I have a little suggestion, please I noticed that you talk about Android phones a lot. There is little mention of Android Tablets. Can you please include info on what Android Tablets work best for Blind folks, please? I’m really new to this Android stuff. I don’t have an Android phone yet, but I just received an Android Tablet. It’s the DOPO (Double Power Technologies) Model EM63 Tablet. Keep up the excellent work. Thanks so much. Pat Ferguson”

Well, we do sorta discuss this one on air a bit, but for those skimming the show notes, we try our very best to feature devices that are popular and affordable. Moreover, and this is super important, we try to feature stock Android as others will try to reproduce what we say on their devices at home. Through trial and error, and through the two formats over three years of doing a show on Android Access, we’ve learned to stick with devices like the Nexus 7 tablet as it will provide the most consistent experience for those who want to learn or replicate our demos. We hope that info helps explain why we try not to complicate matters too much on the show.

Finally, here is a series of running thoughts from jim as he wrote in to tell us about his Nexus 5.

“Hi, hearing that they have been able to deal with the web view constraints and make them natively accessible makes me very happy for sure. I honestly was concerned that the web view issue may not be able to be corrected due to the constraints of the accessibility implementation. I did not know enough to know for sure, but I was concerned about what I thought was a good possibility of that being the case. I am quite happy to be wrong. I would have loved to have been told for certain I was wrong a long time ago. I was concerned it limited the potential for us to use the platform under commonly found conditions. Now I am sure I am going to buy a Nexus 5, I do wish I could get the damn play store to be accessible to do it on my windows 7 64 bit box with any screen reader and browser combination. I haven’t been successful yet. I am about to just purchase it on amazon and pay the hundred dollars more for hopefully much quicker delivery and an accessible purchasing experience. This play store crap with not leaving the warehouse until possibly December 11th is a bit unacceptable anyway. I feel as though possibly customers are played with this limited constraint crap by many, yes, including Apple for sure.

Jim”

Here’s a second with more on the new phone,

“Hi that android show, I just thought I’d write with an update after playing with my new Nexus 5 for a few days. I am really liking the improvements they have made in 4.4. Native support for web views is awesome! It makes using the gmail app way better and it really needed it. You could get what you needed out of it before, but it wasn’t a good user experience. It wasn’t really reliable and predictable. The web view support is great in other places too. One thing I am concerned about for the future is what impact, if any, that ART will have on accessibility. I hope it won’t impact it, but I don’t know enough to know and can imagine it completely destroying what allows accessibility to work? I just don’t know enough at the detailed level to know if it will destroy it or have no impact. The nexus 5 is very fast. The negatives of the nexus 5 are the speaker and its lack of volume capability and battery life is ok, but not great. Neither of those issues are as bad as they could sound though. I prefer a good microphone that the nexus 5 has over the nexus 4 and, while I would love a good speaker, one can always fall back to other sound output sources as necessary. Talkback with the google TTS (haven’t tried others yet) is plenty loud enough and so are other media sources.Where the speaker volume deficiency shows itself most is speaker phone. If the sound is low from the other side of the call, you are screwed for trying to use speaker phone unless your environment is very quiet. Plan on other output sources. The ear piece is fine by the way. Personally I don’t like putting my phone up to my ear much. I don’t like skin oil all over my screen.”

And here’s another mail with an update upon further use…

“Hi Jo,

Thanks for the reply. Here are some additional thoughts after further use. Most are good. Let’s get the only negative one out of the way. I have found that the web views don’t always consistently work with explore by touch. There was one I could never get to work and others worked sometimes and not other times pulling up the same thing. The one I could not get to work for whatever the reason was bringing up the shipping email in a google now card from an Amazon shipment. It worked perfectly well on the IOS version. Nothing would get it to read at all by doing anything on the Android side. The example I found that would read sometimes and not others was an email so far. Pulling up the same email in gmail would sometimes read and other times would not. Fortunately swiping through the email from gmail would still get it to read. Not so with the shipping email in google now. At least if we are truly thankfully beyond the limitation of depending on web scripts, maybe they can fix the inconsistent reading or not reading at this point. I don’t know. At least if swiping will still read it, it can be reliable. The good things I alluded to above are native stuff that are not web views. Google Plus works way better than the IOS version because the explore by touch and swiping are working nicely where I can’t say the same for voiceover. Voiceover is being a real PITA right now in such types of situations. I also picked up a MOto X along side my Nexus 5. You may know I like being able to try out gadgets and I like it much more when I like them and they work too. The Nexus 5 is relatively fast and there is no lag in the screen reader experience. The first generation Nexus 5 I have though has a weak speaker, which I hear they are now shipping a revised version which does not, and battery life is relatively weak too. The Moto X is better on these issues and feels just slightly sluggish on screen reader response. The Acapela TTS helps this some, but there is still a gap in performance. It would probably not be noticed without a direct comparison, which includes a comparison by familiarity from daily use, with the Nexus and also voiceover performance. The later I know is comparing Apples and Googles. One thing I have to say I am not so happy they took away is the ability to touch anywhere on the screen and for Talkback to place focus there to register a tap by double tapping, even where there is not a recognized object on the screen there. The ability to do that was useful. I have some theory’s why they took that away which may or may not be correct. Some have to do with people maybe wining instead of learning how to use stuff and that thought is extremely frustrating. Not a big deal in the big picture though. I still have and use my 5s and an IPad mini retina. I want everything to work great. I like all of it.

Jim”

Contacting the Team

We’ve had our say, now its your turn. Drop us a line at or send us a tweet at our official Twitter page.

You can also follow our hosts by visiting

Ana’s Accessible Android blog or

JJ at AndroidAccess.net.

Finally, Check out Steve’s Twitter feed.

Thanks for listening!

Welcome back everyone to one of the longest running Android Accessibility podcasts, now legal age at 21! In this episode we’ll hear about Point Finder, Ana shows us a neat app in beta and she even drops a hint to the boys on what she wants as a holiday gift. Oh, and some pointy remarks in the mailbag too. So sit right down and enjoy a Kit Katt with us as we wait for that update to arrive.

In The News:

Nexus 5 leaked on Google Play: $349 for 16GB

Google’s iron grip on Android: Controlling open source by any means necessary

Kindle HDX Released, Talkback, BrailleBack and Ivona voice on board

new Talkback update is live

Just Speak released

Netflix v3.0 For Android Begins A Slow Rollout – Complete Redesign With Slide-Out Navigation, Action Bar,

Photos of a redesigned Google Play Store for Android have leaked

Nike’s no-Android stance on FuelBand is a huge mistake – CNET

For Samsung, All Roads Lead Away From Android

HTC Seeks to Outsource Smartphone Production

The Problem with Android is Choice

Google advantage, Google Now and Replacement Keyboards

GOOGLE STOCK HAS BROKEN $1,000 — AN ALL-TIME HIGH

How long will Google keep burning money on Motorola?

Why Making a $6,000 Smartphone May Not Be Crazy After All

App Review: Point Finder

Want to remember where that comfy chair is? Need an app to assist you in finding that particular spot is for finding that tricky door at the shops? Or, how about marking the hard to find bus stop? Ana shows us that we can do it all and more with Point Finder.

Developer Interview: Point Finder

Ana sits down with the gang from ico Space to discuss the point Finder Accessibility app. Hear about the inspiration for the app, the development process and how the features of the app changed over time.

App Demo:: Just Speak Beta

We talk about it in the News section and now ana shows us how it works in this short demo of the app.

Mailbag:

We thank you all for your tweets, iReports and your emails. Speaking of emails, here is one from Bruce.

“Hi Guys, I really appreciate the information you make available to us. Thanks. I’m in the process of choosing a phone. I had the “cheap” iPhone in mind but it’s not cheap and I think Apple have shot themselves in the foot. So I’m back to looking at Android solutions again. I have a few questions I hope you can help with. a) Do you need a quad core phone for Talkback? What would be the minimum spec you need for good Talkback performance? Would a Galaxy S4 Mini (dual core 1.7GHz) do the job, or even a Galaxy Ace 3? I’d want to be running GPS and travel planning apps. b) I have some vision but really need white text on a black background. Can this be achieved for the menus and apps? I came across a ROM you can installed which does this but I’m not sure if it would compromise accessibility. (It’s bizarre to me that the term “ROM” is used for software! Had me confused for a while.) c) Do you know of any apps that will read MP3 audiobooks and allow you to vary the speed? I have a Victor Reader Stream but it would be nice to be able to use the phone for this. Thanks in advance, and keep up the good work.

Bruce Cambridge, UK”

The team feels strongly that you should be fine on any of the modern phones being released today. You may want to think more along the lines of being outdated with the tech in your phone over the lifetime of a contract rather than if you need a hardware bump for access. With this in mind, you may want to look at mid line phones like the motto X and then work your way up to Galaxy S4, Note 3 or others. And, for sure, you may just want to hang on and see what the nexus 5 may bring as well. The same goes for checking into any access changes on v4.4. Currently, unlike iOS, there is no toggle for inverting colors. There is the triple tap for screen magnification and a few other shortcuts in Jellybean though.

Also, the team mentions several apps for the audio books question. Check out Smart Audio here if you want to know more about one recommended by all.

Next up, a comment from James Mannion…

“Hi,

I have to say I really like the podcasts on serotalk and listen to be informed. I am not even writing this to get into a debate. Honestly I see the good and the bad in both platforms. No, neither is perfect and that extends to the accessibility on either one. Listening to the That Android show though all too often pisses me off because it feels like there are as many Apple bashing comments as can be engineered into the show. If Apple and IOS is that bad, if their market share is so low as not to matter, if they have so lost their way, then why do you feel such a need to bash and bash and bash what doesn’t matter to you anyway? Know I don’t hate Apple and it seems to be a requirement to listen to your show all too often.

Jim”

JJ and Ana disagree, however, Steve agrees with the comment above. Possibly because, as he puts it, he wasn’t there to keep the rest of us in check. But there is a bit of a double standard when it comes to this kind of thing with some out there on the internet. And if you don’t believe us, check out our sister SPN show “Triple click Home” and count the number of snide comments made about android. We think you will find we are not even close to the number of remarks made on our last episode.

Contacting the Team

We’ve had our say, now its your turn. Drop us a line at or send us a tweet at our official Twitter page.

You can also follow our hosts by visiting

Ana’s Accessible Android blog or

JJ at AndroidAccess.net.

Finally, Check out Steve’s Twitter feed.

Thanks for listening!

This is by far one of the most jam packed content shows we’ve done since the Nexus 7 episode. And we even managed to talk about that new version of the 7 too. Therefore, by decree of the hosts, we claim that this show is a must listen. So many listener questions answered,all at once, we may have just run aground for topics on next month’s show!

In The News:

Nexus 7 receives bug fix update, should solve multitouch and GPS issues

Google begins rollout of Android Device Manager to help track your lost phone

Google Now just got a big update! It can now track concert tickets, transit times, rental cars, and much more

Google Helpouts to let you buy and sell video chats with experts

Nearby Explorer sees an update and here’s what is new…

Another Android list? Yep, and if you are interested add the word subscribe in the subject line of a message to:
vi-android-request@freelists.org

Check out the Podcast, Extreme Call Blocker for Android

Droid 5 on the horizon?

Feature Preview: Graphic Labeling In TalkBack

Its one of the most asked questions to the crew of the podcast. When will it happen? How can I get it? Why isn’t it already there? Well, even though it is still in the beta stage, Ana takes us an early look at the Graphics Labeling feature in Android. Note, since this is still a beta, the final product may not resemble what is demonstrated in this episode.

Interview: Greg Stilson Of Humanware

We’ve been asked by many of you out there to do a segment on Brail and BraileBack. And we couldn’t be happier that Greg Stilson, Product Manager at Humanware, jumped at the chance to help us out with an interview about this very subject. Greg talks about the process, the approach and how humanware products are working with Android. This chat should do much to answer many of our recent mailbag questions about Braille and more!

Apps, Apps, Apps:

Tyler sent in an iReport about what were some good TalkBack friendly apps for the new Android user. The gang sat down and gave their thoughts on not only the new user, but some new apps as well.

The update to Barns And Noble’s “Nook” app is worth a look Steve says

JJ talks about the new Learning Ally app

Ana discusses the new GPS app Dotwalker

Steve has recently posted some fantastic deep dives into Android and TalkBack on the long running “Our Place” podcast. To hear, subscribe and share, visit the “Our Place” site.

And be sure to visit Ana’s new relaunched Accessible Android blog. She’d like feedback, suggestions and conversation about the new site!

Feature Preview: Text Selection

Knocking those Mailbag questions down one by one. This time Ana takes on the commonly asked question “How can I select text in Android?”. Remember, like Graphics Labeling earlier, this is in beta and so it may just change by the time the feature becomes officially supported. However, we wanted to show our listeners that it is coming and you can help give your feedback to the Development team before this finalizes later this year.

Mailbag:

Greg, not the one from Humanware, writes in with this question…

“Hello all, is there a way to quickly mark emails for deletion and delete all at once using the native email/gmail applications in jellybean using brailleback? I’ll be on a road trip later this week and would like to be able to clean out emails while on the road. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
I’m using a Sprint Samsung Galaxy s3 with Jellybean 4.1, Talkback 3.5 beta1, and the latest version of Brailleback and an Alva bc640.
Thanks,
Greg Rogers”

Steve recommends Aquamail as a possible solution to Greg’s question

Ana also suggests looking at the batch function in K9 Mail too

Hardware Review: Chromecast

JJ describes the device, his setup process and he shares his thoughts on this new $35 device that connects to your Android or iDevice to share tabs and video from Chrome.

Contacting the Team

We’ve had our say, now its your turn. Drop us a line at resources@serotalk.com or send us a tweet at our official Twitter page.

You can also follow our hosts by visiting

Ana’s Accessible Android blog or

JJ at AndroidAccess.net.

Finally, Check out Steve’s Twitter feed.

Thanks for listening!

**In The Google I/O News:

Why Google’s Big Conference Will Be Quieter This Year

Google to sell unlocked Galaxy S 4 with stock Android 4.2 on June 26

Google gives developers app beta testing, multiplayer API

Google Play services get substantial API update

Google beefs up Hangouts into text, photo, video chat powerhouse

Google overhauling flagship search with “Answer, converse, anticipate”

Google unveils new music subscription service to compete with Spotify

Google pushes Android tablets for the classroom with its new educational initiative

Google Maps adds better directions, suggestions, and 3D Earth rendering

Everything announced at the Google I/O 2013 keynote in one handy list

Google engineers discuss fragmentation, hardware, and Project Butter

Larry Page wants to ‘set aside a part of the world’ for unregulated experimentation

What we didn’t get at Google I/O 2013 (Key Lime Pie, smartwatch, and more)

**App Overview: Hangin’ Out With Ricky, Joe And Google Hangouts

Ricky and Joe walk us through portions of the Video Calling features of the new update to Google Plus and Google Hangouts on their nexus 7 tablets and some other device designed by a company in California we shall not name here. We will say that this unknown device does have a better mic than the nexus 7 though.

**App Overview: Ana Shows off The Stock Email and Gmail Apps

We’ve gotten a lot of questions about how to go about using the Email and Gmail apps in Android. This month, Ana takes us through some of the menus and options in both these important applications.

**Mailbag

Lets start off this month’s feedback with poetry from Chris;

“And Ode to Google Now There’s a miracle on my cellphone All I did was click ‘allow’ Now it’s tracking all my movements It’s known as Google now There are cards that report the weather Sports results and even more It collects my personal data But for what I’m not quite sure It even knows my bladder For my life I can’t think how It said ‘To make it to the bathroom’ ‘You need to leave the bedroom now’ Just because I work from home And avoid the traffic strife I found it quite insulting That one card said ‘Get a Life!’ So my thanks go out to Google For watching all I do I’ve pulled the blind and locked the door At least it’s private in my loo! Chris Ankin”

Thank you Chris for that very much well needed classing up of the joint. Poetry corner starts up on an episode of “That Android Show’ very soon. Get your coffee and jazz records ready folks.

“Hi Guys, Inspired by TAS 13, I’ve bought myself a Nexus 7, wow what a lovely tablet, from the moment I got it out of the box I was in love!, I have to agree with all your comments this device exudes quality and having only had an Archos G9 tablet to compare it to, it’s worlds apart and SO slick in feel and use. I wanted to pick up on something Jo mentioned whilst talking to Byron about ‘Aqua Mail’ being accessible, I went and got it from the Play Store and have now bought the Pro version. For anyone who recalls my email a few months back where I was desperately searching for an email client that actually READ my emails, this is the one!, you can add multiple accounts so simply all the hard work is done for you, it’s just a case of entering your email address and password and bingo!, I have two hotmail accounts plus my Gmail all on the one app. Most importantly I can simply move my finger down line by line, or hold position at the bottom of the screen and the whole thing reads out. There are some accessibility features included like colour contrast ‘white on black’, use of web scripts. Sound notifications with an option to turn off during the night with specific times. All in all this is by far the most usable email app I’ve come across on Android. Having listened to Steve’s review of Moonreader, the book reading apps that I’d throw into the ring would be ‘Go Read’ and ‘Read Books’ and possible even ‘Auto Reader 3D’ is worth a look. On the Audiobook side ‘Coolreader’, ‘Listen Audiobook Player’ and my favourite ‘smart Audiobook Player’ – for some free aduiobooks either streamed or downloaded check out ‘LibraryVox Audiobooks’ Looking forward to show 15! Kind regards, Chris”

The team also mentioned the Akimbo app as something that Chris may want to check out as well. Next up, Denis with a question.

“Hello team, Is it possible to label objects with Talkback? Thank you.

Dennis Bartlett”

Sadly, no not yet. However, we’ve got our fingers crossed for Android v5 or a later version of Talkback. Stay tuned. And now ken asks a question we often get asked on TAS;

“Hi That Android Show Team,

To cut a long story short, I am forced to consider upgrading to a smart phone. My current phone battery takes less of a charge over time. I am a Verizon customer and their feature phones are becoming more limited over time. This is especially true of contact management. I only use my cell phone to make telephone calls. Verizon has excellent coverage in the area ware I mostly use my cell phone so I want to stay with them if possible. I am still using a LG 4650 because of an accessible windows PC contact management program. I can enter or edit all contact information in a fully accessible windows PC program on my computer then transfer that information to my phone. I do not have to try to enter contact information using just a phone keypad or virtual keypad. Is there anything comparable to this program in the Android Eco system? If there is, please direct me to where I can get that program. JJ and Joe is the Droid 4’s physical keyboard good enough to enter contact information efficiently and comfortably. Thank all of you for any help you can provide.

Best Wishes, Ken Scott”

As JJ and Joe said a few shows back, the Droid 4 is a pretty good phone with a darn good hardware keyboard. And that it runs v4.1 is an amazing bonus! It is still a mid level phone, working towards entry level, one year into its life cycle and it has seen three OS upgrades. Its possible it might even get v4.2 as well. If you can live with the fact that this hardware is aging and may be left behind in about 8 months, it’s a great buy. But if you are looking for better support on newer hardware, you may want to look at some from the Samsung line that have hardware keyboards instead.

“Hi, just wanted to say I have learned a great deal about Android and it has peeked my interest. I am an IOS user at present. keep up the good work, considering a Nexus 7

John”

Thanks John, we welcome all to listen. Even those on Windows Phones, Firefox OS or those devices that begin with a vowel. The Nexus 7 is a great starter on the road to Android and it doesn’t require a cell contract. Which just makes it even better for beginners. Our last two emails are from James Mannion.

“Hi That Android Show team,

I wanted to write in and share my observations after having gotten some hands on time checking out the HTC1. I do not own one and I did not get to check out everything in depth or really research the possibilities of resolving the minor issues I did find, but here is my perspective. I am happy to report I found it to be good and not at all a disappointing experience. I checked out the AT&T model in the store. The home screens as well as the apps drawer do read. This includes the home screen that HTC dedicates to what they call blink feed. The keyboard does read and is functional although you have to double tap on a character to enter it. I do not know if this is a 4.1 issue, an HTC issue or an old version of Talkback on the device. I know I have heard of the Samsung Note II having the same issue. Quite annoying, but really a minor issue in my opinion. The next minor issue I found is that the buttons within the notification shade were not labeled. These were the buttons to clear notifications and to bring up settings from within the notifications shade. Again, updating talkback might resolve that issue. In the stock lanucher that HTC puts on the device, within the apps drawer you scroll up and down instead of left and right and it moves up and down by screen that way. I actually prefer that. The biggest issue I found is that when touching the top of the screen it only reads the clock. It did not report battery or signal status or any other information. That information is important, but the issue may be able to be resolved by updating talkback, using a different launcher, I have come to prefer Nova anyway even over the Android stock launcher on my Nexus 4 anyway, or there may be entries in settings to change how these items are displayed. I did not get to go any further in depth than that and I would be interested in hearing any information you have on it as well as any thoughts on if using a different launcher should have an impact on those status items reading or do they remain how they are at a deeper system level and unchanged by what launcher you load. Finally, the phone feels very nice in the hand, is made of quality materials and is very fast and responsive. The speakers sound fantastic although I heard something about the speakers becoming the subject of a law suit and injunction against HTC concerning the speakers used? From what I heard I was not clear on what the end result would be. My understanding on that is incomplete and please feel free to correct me if what I do understand is incorrect.

Jim”

“Hi That Android Show crew,

I just wanted to write to share and express my frustration and wondering about what seems to be sighted people posting negative reviews all the time on the play store on Talkback. I seriously question their motive. It really seems like they are people who don’t need the assistance and run the thing anyway and then post it as some sort of huge problem that it “jacked up their phone” and other things. They have to first ignore the message that it will change the gestures, look for nothing but how to get around the tutorial about how it works, have launched it with no research on what it does or what it is for and then complain like it is a complete fault of the system that it caused them some sort of issue?? I can’t stand this age we live in where people absolutely refuse to take any responsibility for anything and absolutely everything is someone’s fault regardless of what the individual trying to fault someone else did or didn’t do relevant to the situation. Is it simply exploration with an unwillingness to be diligent about what they are doing or is it some bad intention and some sort of hate against our access??”

To be honest, we aren’t surprised about the HTC Sense UI. Historicly this has never been a great skinning of Android for TalkBack and many on the team felt that there would be little change coming in version 5. As to the comments, it’s the internet. Nothing surprises us much when it comes to those out there who comment on apps without reading release notes, app descriptions or even app permissions. Much of the problems with those who sideload and spread ill fated apps probably can be drawn back to app commenters. We’re joking of course, but as you heard a few episodes back, some developers don’t even look at the Play Store comments anymore for constructive criticism.

**Contacting the Team We’ve had our say, now its your turn. Drop us a line at or send us a tweet at our official Twitter page.

You can also follow our hosts by visiting

Ana’s Accessible Android blog or

JJ at AndroidAccess.net.

Finally, Check out Steve’s Twitter feed.

Thanks for listening!

Do you enjoy our SPN Podcasts? You can help us out a whole lot by taking this very short survey.

Welcome everyone to an episode chock full of news, overviews and fabulous updates to items we’ve covered in earlier shows. We even fit in a fantastic interview and your letters in the mailbag. So prepare for the onslaught of Android information!

Sponsor:

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To learn more about these amazing headphones, and to read about the new Bluez with wireless options, visit Aftershocks.com. You can also catch SPN’s own Mike Calvo, from last year; review a pair of the Aftershocks that he uses in his daily work.

In The News:

Rubin out, Pichai in as Google’s new senior vice president of Android

Andy Rubin bids farewell to Android partners, describing himself as ‘an entrepreneur at heart’

Google separates its mapping and commerce unit, VP Jeff Huber headed to the X team

Google Closes the Book On Google Reader On July 1, Seven Other Products Also Get The Chop

Why Google Killed Google Reader? It was self defense

Google Reader May Return In Google Plus

Babble: Google may be priming unified chat service for Google I/O

Google slips, accidentally unveils Evernote-like Google Keep service

You can place flowers in remembrance for those who were gone before their time at Slate’s  “Google Graveyard” page

Meet the Galaxy S 4

Group Play Surround Sound on the Galaxy S 4

Comparing the Galaxy s 3 to the s 4

Galaxy S 4 Moves Away From Android

Google Play removes ad blocker apps

TalkBack v3.0 Now available

Google Hangouts Got A Lot More Accessible

Don’t forget that JJ and Joe went to CSUN 2013 and here is a link to a panel discussion they did in regards to APH’s Nearby Explorer and more

Google shows off a prescription version of Google Glass

Google Glass shows off its apps at SXSW

Bar bans Google Glass

Who’s afraid of Google Glass?

App Overview: Google Keep

Joe takes us on a quick tour of the new note taking app for Chrome, Google Drive and Android. And yes, he discusses the Evernote factor.

Interview With Dr. Robert Carter “The Tech Doctor”

Joe asked Dr. Robert Carter to drop by, as part of our continuing long look at the nexus 7, to discuss his thoughts and experiences on Android. Dr. Carter has been using the nexus 7 for a few months and he also is very familiar with the mac and iOS devices. His excellent podcasts on the nexus 7 covered some areas, such as connecting the unit to a mac, are definitely worth listening to if you are considering a nexus 7 in your future. Also, be sure to follow his show as he will be looking at APH’s Nearby Explorer soon.

Software Update: Another Look At Acapela TTS With Steve

A recent update to the Acapela TTS engine has Steve elated. Find out more about the update by visiting the Google Play market page for this voice engine.

Hardware Update: The Droid 4 And Jellybean

JJ and Joe have talked about their Droid 4 phones before, however, neither one of them ever thought they would be able to talk about running Android v4.1 on their units without having to learn the world of modding. Well it turns out that Motorola has been kind to the pair by releasing Jellybean to the Droid 4 recently. Is the best hardware keyboard phone out there enhanced or diminished by the OS update? Tune in to hear their verdict.

Mailbag:

The mailbag was kind of light this time around, however, some of your emails did spark conversations and suggestions about various apps on the Play Market from the team.

Audio Evolution  is an app that allows for the editing of audio on your android device.

Jango Radio is an app that Steve adores but wishes it wouldn’t force stop on him under jellybean. He is looking to contact the developer about the issue, and you can follow the app’s updates by visiting the Play Market page here.

Here’s an email from Carolyn about Google TV

“Hello!

 Keep up the great work on That Android Show!  We never miss an episode!

Dennis and I are thinking about getting either Google TV or the Apple TV.  First, can you access Apple TV from a Google Smart phone or tablet as your remote?

Is the latest version of the Google TV totally accessible?  And, do you have to use ITunes for the Apple TV?

Dennis said he’d rather use his 10 inch Google tablet as a cool remote if possible.

Thanks so very much.

Carolyn Ranker”

The team was a bit skittish to say much about Google TV this close to Google i/o. Joe did say that there were alternatives to using a Google TV out on the Play market.

Joe’s not played with MX Player, however, he’s heard good things about it for playback of various media formats.

And VLC is in Beta on the Play market as well.

These next two emails we answer during the course of this episode.

“Hello!

First I must say, that you’re doing an excellent job—keep at it!

Now, I have an Galaxy Nexus (android 4.1.1) with Ivona TTS, which is horrible for typing. How can I use Google tts for typing and Ivona for everything else without going to accessability settings?

Can you recommend any other TTS engines that have a nice voice and are not so laggy?

Thanks for your help!”

Check out Steve’s update on Acapela. He finds that a much better option in regards to lag.

We also talk about this one from James during our talk about Google keep.

“Hi guys,

I have been a listener of the show to keep up with the advancements in android accessibility. For a while they were extremely slow, but it seems with Jelly bean we have really gained a lot. I have always wanted and still really hope for great access on the Android side and this might truely represent the majority of the ground that needed to be gained from earlier versions. I purchased a nexus 4 to put on my second line. As I write this I still need to go get a sim card for it as it just arrived today from amazon. After listening to yours and other podcasts, I am quite confident the basic functionality is quite nice to use now with talkback such as phone, messages, settings, etc.

My concern is how well will apps work. I also have been wondering about selecting text and copy and paste. Do you know if we can do that at all in edit fields or other places yet?”

Additionally, we had a great iReport on how well this works in Episode 14’s mailbag segment in case anyone else wants to know more about editing options in Android.

Contacting the Team

We’ve had our say, now its your turn. Drop us a line at resources@serotalk.com or send us a tweet at our official Twitter page.

You can also follow our hosts by visiting

Ana’s Accessible Android blog or

JJ at Android Access.net.

Finally, Check out Steve’s Twitter feed.

Thanks for listening!