Advertise on podcast: Technically Working

Damashe's soloing again No, the team isn't breaking up, listen to find out what happened to put Damashe in the solo position again. Also, you do get Mike at the end, demoing the Remote Incident Manager from iOS. Links Remote Incident Manager Travel router mentioned Social Michael Damashe TW Bot Support Technically Working by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/technically-working Find out more at https://technically-working.pinecast.co Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/technically-working/e2fe7823-0058-4449-9844-4c13f519b6ba Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-431b7d for 40% off for 4 months, and support Technically Working.

Would you trust AI to buy an anniversary gift for your spouse? Michael did, and the results might surprise you. This week on Technically Working, Michael shares how he used Muse to shop for anniversary gifts, from picking out flowers to finding a turtle-themed water bottle. Damashe and Michael talk about what it's like to let AI make purchases, the security concerns that come with giving it access to your accounts, and how these tools are changing the way we get things done. But that's not all. Michael talks about preparing to fly home with his new guide dog, Damashe shares his plans for bringing more devices into Apple Home, and the two discuss smart locks, Apple Watch upgrades, AI-generated scam calls, and the future of satellite connectivity. Also in this episode: Michael's experience using Muse and Stripe Link to purchase anniversary gifts. Preparing to travel by airplane with a large German Shepherd guide dog. How realistic AI-generated voices are making scam calls harder to recognize. Damashe's plans for HomeKit Secure Video, Aqara devices, and smart home automation. Smart locks, accessibility frustrations, and Apple's Ultra watches. Audio dramas, Audible subscriptions, and expiring credits. Earshot's new Personal Audio feature. Testing cellular internet as an alternative to traditional home internet. Starlink, T-Mobile, and the future of satellite-powered cellular service. We'd love to hear from you! Have you ever let an AI agent make a purchase for you? Would you trust one with your shopping accounts? Send us your thoughts at [email protected]. Find us on Mastodon and join the conversation using #TechnicallyWorking. Support Technically Working by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/technically-working Find out more at https://technically-working.pinecast.co Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/technically-working/edd86da8-2269-4d5c-b2e1-844f1637402f Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-431b7d for 40% off for 4 months, and support Technically Working.

Solo Report Damashe has to take this one alone… Is it a rant, a rage, a bunch of silence… check it out and see. Social: Damashe Michael TW Support Technically Working by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/technically-working Find out more at https://technically-working.pinecast.co Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/technically-working/75def27d-6b58-40ac-80a8-14ca19546b4a Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-431b7d for 40% off for 4 months, and support Technically Working.

Michael has been experimenting with Meta Muse, and what caught his attention is not just how it answers questions, but how it can actually go do things. We talk about using AI for reminders, calendar management, travel information, research, and other tasks that usually require jumping between several apps. Michael shares how Muse kept reminding him about a form until he finally finished it, added flights from an itinerary to his calendar, and even noticed emergency contact information that might be useful while traveling. Of course, giving an AI the ability to take action also raises questions about permissions, privacy, security, and how much access we are comfortable giving these tools. Damashe talks about why he prefers limited or read-only access where possible, and we compare the approach with ChatGPT, Claude, Siri, Apple Intelligence, Gemini, and Apple’s Private Cloud Compute. We also dig into Meta’s growing collection of AI hardware, including the Ray-Ban Meta glasses and the Muse Charm, a handheld device designed to provide another way to interact with Muse without wearing AI on your face. Later, Michael explains how he plans to put Muse to another test while attending guide dog school. He wants to use it to help journal the experience each day and see whether a conversational AI assistant can make documenting an entire process easier to stick with. Along the way, we wander through smart glasses, proactive assistants, Tamagotchis, podcasting, and the kind of conversation that started Technically Working in the first place: sitting down, talking about technology, and seeing where the conversation goes. Support Technically Working by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/technically-working Find out more at https://technically-working.pinecast.co Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/technically-working/5bb1b9da-543d-4f62-9f08-235b6ca56e28 Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-431b7d for 40% off for 4 months, and support Technically Working.

Episode Description Michael is getting hands-on with the RØDECaster Pro II, and thanks to Sean’s AccessCaster software, the mixer is finally usable without relying on its touchscreen. Michael and Damashe walk through the hardware, routing, multiple-computer setup, smart pads, monitoring, and what accessible third-party software changes about the value of otherwise inaccessible hardware. The conversation also moves into Michael’s upcoming guide dog training, Apple hardware and the folding iPhone discussion, Siri and podcast transcripts in Earshot, the Technically Working website rebuild, remote mixer control, and Damashe’s experiments using the Drafts MCP connector with Claude. Feedback: [email protected] Website: https://technicallyworking.show Chapters 00:00:00 The RØDECaster Pro II Sounds Different 00:02:23 Getting Started With AccessCaster 00:16:28 Breaking News and Guide Dog Training 00:20:38 Apple Hardware, Macs, and the Folding iPhone 00:23:39 Siri in macOS and Context Menu Changes 00:29:42 Earshot, Siri, and Podcast Transcripts 00:34:03 Going Deeper Into RØDECaster Routing 00:44:32 Accessibility Beyond a Touchscreen 00:49:30 Earshot Codes, Feedback, and Mastodon 00:51:52 Thoughts on Apple’s Latest Event 00:58:34 Rebuilding the Technically Working Website 01:04:51 RØDECaster Wi-Fi and Remote Control 01:11:51 Drafts, MCP, and Letting AI Clean Things Up 01:15:43 Wrapping Up TW180 Support Technically Working by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/technically-working Find out more at https://technically-working.pinecast.co Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/technically-working/d6675ed6-d482-4f7b-b19a-c6736090513d Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-431b7d for 40% off for 4 months, and support Technically Working.

Damashe is joined by Shaun Preece of Double Tap to talk about what happens when AI coding turns “I wish this worked differently” into “maybe I can fix it myself.” Shaun shares how he went from programming years ago to experimenting with Claude Code, while he and Damashe compare how AI has changed the way they research, plan projects, verify information, and learn while they build. They talk about keeping AI from wandering off, asking questions one at a time, using one AI to check another, and knowing when you still need to verify the answer yourself. The conversation gets especially practical when Shaun explains how he used AI-assisted coding to make much of the RODECaster Pro II accessible. That meant figuring out how the mixer communicates with its software, reverse-engineering commands, testing across different setups, and building an interface that can announce changes as controls are adjusted. They also get into computer-use agents, whether AI-generated software has real value, the difference between a quick experiment and a project you actually maintain, and Shaun’s work making Keychron keyboard configuration more accessible. It all comes back to one idea: AI does not have to help you build the next big app. Sometimes it can simply help you fix the things that get in your way and make your computer yours again. Support Technically Working by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/technically-working Find out more at https://technically-working.pinecast.co Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/technically-working/fee388ee-c70a-4fb0-a6e0-cc3de959c4f3 Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-431b7d for 40% off for 4 months, and support Technically Working.

Technically Working 178: I Just Don’t Want to Do It Show Notes Michael and Damashe start out talking about GPT 6 and the ways AI has moved beyond being something interesting to experiment with and into something they actually use to get work done. Damashe shares how ChatGPT helped him troubleshoot a machine by finding and working through the documentation, while Michael talks about using computer use to handle WordPress changes and other tasks he already knows how to do but, as he puts it, sometimes just doesn't want to do himself. That leads into a conversation about when handing work to AI makes sense, when you still need to check its work, and how Michael is limiting access when letting AI work on websites. They also talk about volunteer work, last-minute requests, and Michael's goal of being more selective about the unpaid work he takes on. Then Michael asks for "no judgment" before revealing his latest purchase: a RØDECaster Pro II. His current mixer is starting to show its age, and the RØDECaster offers dual USB connections, mix-minus, multiple outputs, and the flexibility he wants for live and hybrid audio work. The problem, of course, is accessibility. Michael and Damashe talk through whether the RØDECaster can be made usable through existing workarounds, custom software, computer use, or direct device control. From there, the AI conversation returns because apparently every website needs an AI now. They consider whether smaller local models could actually be useful inside apps for things like better podcast search without turning every product into another AI chatbot. With an Apple event approaching, Michael and Damashe make some predictions. A folding iPhone leads to theories about Touch ID, including Damashe's hope that Apple puts it in the Apple logo on the back. They also talk Apple Watch, HomePod, Apple TV, Siri, what they might buy, and how Apple could handle a major event and a future leadership transition. Michael has also been relying on Siri more than he expected. Some recent successes with messages, calendar events, and reminders have him wondering how useful Siri could become once third-party apps can expose more of their features. That naturally turns into what Siri support should look like in a podcast app. Damashe wants simple commands like playing the latest episode of a show, continuing the queue, or moving to the next item. Michael shares some of the Siri work planned for Earshot along with recent player improvements. They wrap up with more Earshot changes, including easier episode and chapter navigation, folders that survive OPML exports, episode filtering, and finally getting auto-expiring podcasts working. In This Episode Using GPT 6 for research, troubleshooting, planning, and everyday work A free month of Earshot Plus for Technically Working listeners Letting computer use handle the tasks you know how to do but don't want to do Reviewing AI work instead of blindly trusting it Limiting AI access to WordPress sites Cutting back on last-minute and unpaid work Michael buys a RØDECaster Pro II The accessibility problem with modern audio hardware Could custom software make the RØDECaster accessible? AI showing up everywhere Where smaller local AI models might actually be useful Folding iPhone and Touch ID predictions Apple Watch, HomePod, Apple TV, and Siri expectations Michael starts trusting Siri a little more What Siri support should look like in a podcast app New Earshot playback and navigation controls Preserving folders in OPML exports Episode filtering and auto-expiring podcasts Chapters 00:00 - GPT 6, Earshot Plus, and putting AI to work 05:00 - ChatGPT versus the technician 09:50 - Computer use and "I just don't want to do it" 12:51 - Doing less free work 13:54 - No judgment: Michael bought a RØDECaster Pro II 20:00 - Can inaccessible audio gear be made accessible? 26:31 - Everybody has an AI 28:36 - Apple event predictions 34:20 - What Apple hardware are we actually buying? 40:00 - Siri, Apple events, and what comes next 50:00 - Michael is starting to rely on Siri 53:30 - Calendars, reminders, and task apps 56:45 - What should Siri do in a podcast app? 60:00 - New Earshot playback controls 63:20 - OPML folders and different ways of listening to podcasts 65:18 - Filters, auto-expiring podcasts, and finally solving the original problem Links Mentioned Technically Working Feedback: [email protected] Support Technically Working Earshot Podcasts on the App Store Support Technically Working by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/technically-working Find out more at https://technically-working.pinecast.co Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/technically-working/5b9d0997-8857-41a0-a909-e2dd90002cde Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-431b7d for 40% off for 4 months, and support Technically Working.

Technically Working 177: The Bot Couldn’t Get Out Show Notes Michael and Damashe begin with a look at how AI can turn convention documents into WordPress pages, Gravity Forms, confirmation messages, and other ready-to-use materials. They discuss why a smoother payment process matters and how showing people only the instructions they need can prevent abandoned registrations and unpaid entries. Then Damashe reacts to rising Mac prices, explains why selling his MacBook Pro may have been a poorly timed decision, and considers whether things have become bad enough to buy another Windows computer. Michael shares useful shortcuts and recent experiences with Codex and ChatGPT, while both hosts stress that AI-generated work still needs to be reviewed. The conversation also covers Postmark, Cloudflare, transactional email, and the decision to rebuild the Technically Working website with familiar WordPress tools. Damashe explains why he does not want his business depending on a software stack he barely understands. Along the way, the hosts offer a warning about installing several WordPress caching plugins and explain why more caching does not make a website faster. Michael shares the latest Earshot improvements, including faster feed refreshes, haptic feedback, adjustable descriptions, new accessibility settings, and category browsing. The two consider how server-side podcast feed checking might work and what it could cost. Finally, Damashe explains why the Technically Working Mastodon bot never appeared during the ACB convention. He secured the server so thoroughly that the bot could not get out. The planned solution involves a Raspberry Pi, Tailscale, and one more project competing for his attention. In This Episode Using AI to build WordPress pages and Gravity Forms from existing documents Creating clearer registration and payment flows Why AI-generated forms and websites still need human review Rising Mac prices and Damashe’s poorly timed MacBook Pro sale ChatGPT and Codex shortcuts and computer control Postmark, AWS SES, and Cloudflare for transactional email Rebuilding the Technically Working website with GeneratePress Choosing a software stack you understand well enough to maintain Why several WordPress caching plugins will not make a site faster Earshot feed refresh, haptics, descriptions, and category browsing The possibilities and costs of server-side podcast feed checking Panic returning money to Playdate customers The mystery of subscriber number one How Damashe accidentally trapped the Technically Working bot Tailscale, Raspberry Pi projects, cameras, and internet failover Support Technically Working by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/technically-working Find out more at https://technically-working.pinecast.co Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/technically-working/ba76eb96-515b-4c08-9587-0684eae26143 Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-431b7d for 40% off for 4 months, and support Technically Working.

I Shouldn’t Have to Tell the Intelligence Michael and Damashe explore what happens when AI tools are asked to work instead of simply answer questions. Damashe shares his experiences using ChatGPT to reorganize a Numbers spreadsheet, Claude to manage email, and an AI-assisted product search that produced a very convincing but completely inaccurate hard drive price. That leads to a larger question: If you ask AI to research something, should you also have to tell it to search the web and verify the information? They discuss the rough edges of today’s AI agents, why this period feels like the early days of personal computing, and whether these tools will eventually become reliable enough to work without constant supervision. They also talk about software companies rewarding new customers instead of loyal ones, VoiceOver and Zoom frustrations, sharing health data with AI, configuring ChatGPT and Codex on the Mac, repurposing computers as servers, and the photo they forgot to take when they finally met in person. In This Episode Discounts for new customers versus rewards for existing customers VoiceOver keyboard commands that stop working until the Mac is restarted Using whois and dig to look up domain information Zoom’s loud and repetitive notifications Rising computer and storage prices Using ChatGPT to reorganize a Numbers spreadsheet Comparing ChatGPT computer use with Claude’s computer-control features Organizing email through Fastmail and MCP The permissions Codex needs to control apps on macOS An imaginary 24-terabyte hard drive deal that was too good to be true Why AI research should include checking the original source Whether we are living through the early personal-computer era of AI Asking one AI to review another AI’s work Giving AI access to Apple Health and years of health data Continuous glucose monitors and accessible glucose tracking Apple Watch reminders, workout encouragement, and handwashing alerts Customizing the ChatGPT app’s keyboard shortcuts Moving keyboard focus to the main chat composer with Shift+Escape Repurposing a Mac mini and mini PC as home and office servers Moving Plex and an audiobook library to Linux Why the show is not getting any shorter Links and Resources Gravity Wiz GeneratePress Fastmail Model Context Protocol Dexcom Audiobookshelf Plex Will Codex Reset? Pinecast Connect With Us Send your feedback to [email protected]. Michael: @[email protected] Damashe: @[email protected] Technically Working: @[email protected] Join the conversation using #TechnicallyWorking. Support Technically Working by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/technically-working Find out more at https://technically-working.pinecast.co Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/technically-working/ceb7f7e2-2de2-41b5-8a9f-36a0454bb986 Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-431b7d for 40% off for 4 months, and support Technically Working.

Michael and Damashe are back after St. Louis with an episode that runs long on opinions. Michael shares early Earshot numbers, explains why he is building iCloud sync with privacy defined up front, and walks through why the iOS simulator makes VoiceOver testing nearly impossible. Damashe lays out his solution for Meta and everyone else building smart glasses: stop using disabled people to justify features you should not ship the way you are shipping them. Also in this episode: switching from Terminal to the Codex app, whether Stage Manager could replace virtual desktops, Todoist versus Reminders, the trick to actually remembering names, and a plan to smoke chili on Sunday. In this episode Recapping the shortest show they have ever published, recorded in person in St. Louis Earshot on the App Store: 249 downloads, 40 subscriptions, and zero marketing so far Why Michael is cautious about third party subscription analytics and what data is actually available in App Store Connect The tradeoffs of Apple standing between developers and customers iCloud sync coming to Earshot: library, queue, play position, and bookmarks, with the help screen spelling out exactly what gets stored Stress testing with an OPML file of 1,100 feeds and an inbox that pulls in 3,000 episodes every other day Refresh performance and where concurrent feed checking comes in Why Michael is not asking for reviews inside the app, and Damashe's case against review prompts that interrupt you The VoiceOver experience in the iOS simulator, and why "heading, heading, heading" made Michael start pushing developer builds straight to his phone What this means for sighted developers who want to build accessible apps Accessible screen sharing on the Mac, the voice pitch quirk, and canceling a remote access subscription Damashe's take on smart glasses, person recognition, and why contacts should be the boundary instead of a social graph Whether AI should describe people at all Saying someone's name five times so you actually remember it Michael's move from Terminal to the Codex app, plus a good experience with Claude Cowork Could Stage Manager work as a virtual desktop for a VoiceOver user? Neither of them knows, so tell them Beta features in shipped builds, and using smaller TestFlight groups to absorb schema migrations Todoist, Reminders, Fantastical, and getting AI chats to file reminders for you Perspective Tasks as a free option worth a look What an operating system might look like if it were just an edit box, and why Damashe is not sold Links and mentions Earshot on the App Store Perspective Tasks by Michael Doise and Taylor Arndt Stage Manager on macOS: if you use it with VoiceOver, they want to hear from you Get in touch Email the show at [email protected] Michael on Mastodon: https://dragonscave.space/@payown Damashe on Mastodon: https://technically.social/@damashe The show bot: https://technically.social/@tw Use the hashtag #TechnicallyWorking, and capitalize the T and the W so screen readers say it correctly. Support the show One time tips and monthly subscriptions are both available at https://technicallyworking.show, under the support us link. Shout out to subscriber number one, whoever you are. Support Technically Working by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/technically-working Find out more at https://technically-working.pinecast.co Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/technically-working/e17aa084-39fd-42ce-80f4-6cc75c61081a Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-431b7d for 40% off for 4 months, and support Technically Working.

Michael and Damashe record live from the ACB Convention in St. Louis, in a suite generously loaned by Larry Watkinson and Kayla. This one is a room full of people, a passed microphone, and a lot of new tech announcements. The two hosts also met in person for the first time this week. Handshakes, no hugs. In this episode Earshot was accepted into the Apple App Store during convention week. Michael is now officially an app developer, which is still a little strange to say out loud. Taylor Arndt, COO of Techopolis, walks through Start Testing, a project she has been building for three years. It handles bugs, issues, and tasks, syncs with GitHub, and can pull in TestFlight feedback. There is a free plan for a single solo project, and a new Techopolis for Open Source tier at $3 a month or $30 a year for three projects and three contributors. Their AI agent, Lyra, can turn a long transcript into a full set of issues and a working plan. Michael Doise from Techopolis introduces Start Navigating, released the same day. It is a free indoor navigation app that lets you record a route from point A to point B, add markers along the way, and follow it later using compass directions, step counts, and ARKit. There is route recovery if you are not standing at the start, plus early support for sharing routes to a public database so others can download them. Think elevator to Starbucks, recorded once and shared with everyone arriving later in the week. Jeff Bishop gives an overview of BITS, the Blind Information Technology Solutions, a 501c3 affiliated with ACB focused on training, mentoring, and encouraging people to build things. He also talks about BITS Connect, the new iOS app built with Techopolis, which brings members and non-members alike into one place. Also in this episode: the BITS Blinky, barbecue at Sugar Fire, a review of the mac and cheese, and why the Simple PTT radios made convention comms much better this year. Gear used for this episode Zoom H6 Studio, Audio-Technica AT2005 for Michael, Shure Beta 87A for Damashe, both wired XLR. The XLR cables were paid for by tip jar supporters, so thank you. Links Start Testing Start Testing pricing Perspective Apps, including Start Navigating Michael on Mastodon Damashe on Mastodon The TW bot Email: [email protected] Hashtag: #TechnicallyWorking Thanks to Larry and Kayla for the space, and to everyone who crowded into the room to be part of it. Support Technically Working by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/technically-working Find out more at https://technically-working.pinecast.co Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/technically-working/129cf90e-8ee0-4f7c-a26f-43be35a5a511 Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-431b7d for 40% off for 4 months, and support Technically Working.

Feed Drop Hey, we're sharing the first episode of Our Perspective, while Damashe waits for the recording gear to arrive to his house for episode 174. Enjoy and subscribe to our perspective. Support Technically Working by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/technically-working Find out more at https://technically-working.pinecast.co Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/technically-working/a60ff80b-0414-497a-97f3-b3f2534225d4 Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-431b7d for 40% off for 4 months, and support Technically Working.

Episode summary Michael has submitted Earshot to App Review, leading to a tour through App Store Connect’s confusing controls and an expedited-review form that required sighted assistance. He is also stress-testing Start Posting, a Mastodon scheduling tool designed with screen-reader users in mind, while both hosts prepare for ACB in St. Louis and consider an evening meetup. Damashe previews the A. T. Guys booth lineup, including cane pouches, the Dot Pad, Zoom audio gear, large-print keyboards, and the Shokz OpenFit 2+. From there, the conversation moves to AirPods and Find My, Michael’s missing earbud, filling in on Double Tap, possible cameras in future AirPods, football streaming, over-the-air DVRs, and the NAS Damashe will eventually have to buy. In this episode 0:00 – Recording late and attempting a short show 0:58 – Earshot enters App Review 1:38 – App Store Connect and the expedited-review process 4:09 – Start Posting and Michael’s Mastodon routine 5:40 – St. Louis barbecue and ACB meetup plans 9:10 – World Cup visitors discover Costco and Buc-ee’s 10:53 – Reviewing the Politics Politics Politics podcast 13:46 – ACB booth inventory, demonstration units, and shipping 14:33 – How the cane pouches are designed 17:20 – Dot Pad, Zoom recorders, and large-print keyboards 18:48 – Why Damashe likes the Shokz OpenFit 2+ 20:18 – AirPods and Find My quirks 22:30 – Michael’s missing AirPod Pro 25:45 – Michael fills in on Double Tap 28:26 – Could future AirPods include cameras? 30:18 – Heat, humidity, and remembering to hydrate 31:50 – Football streaming and NFL Sunday Ticket 32:48 – Over-the-air television, Channels DVR, and NAS hardware 35:00 – Listener feedback, Mastodon, and meeting up in St. Louis Call for feedback Damashe is looking for firsthand experiences with UGREEN NASync systems and current Synology hardware. Send your recommendations, warnings, and preferred NAS configurations. If you are in St. Louis during ACB and would like to meet after 5 p.m., reach out by email or Mastodon. Mentioned in this episode App Store Connect Techopolis — home of Start Posting 2026 ACB Conference and Convention A. T. Guys Dot Pad Zoom PodTrak P4next Zoom H5studio Zoom H1 XLR Zoom H6studio Shokz OpenFit 2+ Apple Find My Politics Politics Politics Double Tap Channels HDHomeRun UGREEN NASync Synology NAS products Support the show Support Technically Working through the Tip Jar. Thanks to everyone who already supports the show. Find us Email: [email protected] Michael on Mastodon: @[email protected] Damashe on Mastodon: @[email protected] Technically Working bot: @[email protected] Follow the conversation using #TechnicallyWorking, with a capital T and W. Support Technically Working by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/technically-working Find out more at https://technically-working.pinecast.co Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/technically-working/d52462c8-c436-450c-8c45-d4f545a52e19 Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-431b7d for 40% off for 4 months, and support Technically Working.

Michael has Echo Vision glasses in for testing, and before he can say much about how they work, there is the beep. A loud, high-pitched beep every time the glasses go into the case or come back out. Damashe tries to be reasonable about it. It does not last long. From there the show goes AI-heavy: Fable's possible expiration, sub-agents that write themselves, a Cloudflare Workers email parser, and the Claude for Chrome extension. In this episode Echo Vision first impressions: the beep, the four-beep battery check, and the tiny sticker on the bridge that keeps them from charging out of the box The setup problem, where the app knows an update is available but the update button is dimmed and there is no obvious way to connect to Wi-Fi Why convention is the real test for any connected device Earshot build 151 is live on TestFlight with monetization: monthly, annual, and lifetime options plus three tip jar levels under Help and About Damashe's request for a plain "What's New" section alongside Kashe's story Fable's expected expiration, the rumor about it moving to the higher plans, and the temporary usage increases at claude.ai/settings/usage Damashe built an email parser on Cloudflare Workers to replace Parcel's removed email forwarding, with a Sonnet fallback when parsing fails. Open source release coming after a security pass Telling Claude it is too expensive to do research, and watching it spin up a Sonnet-powered docs sub-agent on the fly Claude's screen reader mode (claude --ax-screen-reader) and the menu change that trips you up: press the number, then press Enter Using the Claude for Chrome extension to get through Cloudflare's redesigned interface Michael switched from Fable to Codex, plus a workaround for pasting long terminal output into Fable on the web Making podcast content readable by AI: MCP servers, markdown endpoints, and whether SEO plugins handle any of it Techopolis is building starttesting.net, plus a Buffer-style social scheduling tool in the spirit of Meet Edgar Substack lets you export subscriber emails and takes 13 percent. A shoutout to Matt at Pinecast for not doing weird things with the tip jar 40,481 downloads and counting. Thank you for sharing the show Convention plans: Michael is in St. Louis the 22nd through the 1st, Damashe the 25th through the 29th Links Claude for Chrome: https://claude.ai/chrome Start Testing: https://starttesting.net Tip jar and supporters: https://technicallyworking.show Contact us Email: [email protected] Michael: https://dragonscave.space/@payown Damashe: https://technically.social/@damashe The show bot: https://technically.social/@tw Or use #TechnicallyWorking and we will see it Support Technically Working by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/technically-working Find out more at https://technically-working.pinecast.co Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/technically-working/3d7709cf-3571-42be-897a-4d2e99a52867 Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-431b7d for 40% off for 4 months, and support Technically Working.

Technically Working 171: We Also Do Interiors Episode summary Michael and Damashe finally come clean about the interior design business they have been running in secret. Damashe weighs a Comcast contract against fiber that has not arrived yet. Michael downgrades his Claude plan, turns Claude into a marketing assistant, and moves Earshot closer to the App Store. Plus Braille inside the box of the new glasses, the Orbit Player getting Bard support, hotel status hacking, and travel tips ahead of St. Louis. In this episode VoiceOver volume levels and why the number changes depending on headphones, kids, and mixers (0:00) Damashe's internet dilemma: AT&T fiber with no timeline, Comcast at $150 a month for a symmetrical gig, and a one year contract with a $35 per month early termination fee (0:31) Running a contract past AI before you sign it, and why pressure tactics do not work (5:36) Starlink through US Mobile as a possible temporary option (28:11) The interior design confession, and the emails that started it (13:10) A new marketing idea: pull episode teasers off the staging site, have AI read them dramatically, and post the clips (14:00) Word of mouth is working. Running into listeners at NFB in Austin (15:42) The new glasses arrive, still in the case, but there was Braille inside the box (17:03) ChatGPT's iOS app loses its headings, and Michael heads back to Claude (21:11) Downgrading from $100 to $20 on Claude and experimenting with Ollama Cloud (30:34) Hands on with the Orbit Player, and Bard support arriving on the 15th (22:28) Earshot monetization takes shape: Earshot Plus, a tip jar, App Store Connect setup, tax forms, and the 15 percent versus 30 percent form (33:20) Earshot gets a shout out on Double Tap in a segment about useful vibe coded tools (35:15) Marriott Bonvoy, Uber One, and the free coffee economy of lounge access (44:47) ACB Convention is across all 10 streams. Listen at acbmedia.org, and calendar events populate to the 2026 Conference and Convention button in the ACB Link app (53:03) Still hunting for good barbecue in St. Louis. Beef ribs or brisket preferred (38:20) Airport assistance: do you check the box when booking, or just show up and ask? Using Aira, calling a friend, and deciding when to just walk to the gate yourself (1:03:18) Visualize Access and using pre trip airport orientation to skip the wait (1:08:03) Call for feedback We want your travel tips. Packing, navigating new spaces, dealing with airports and assistance requests. Send them to [email protected]. Mentioned in this episode ACB Media: acbmedia.org ACB Link app, 2026 Conference and Convention section Double Tap podcast Orbit Player Bard (Braille and Audio Reading Download) Graphic Audio: graphicaudio.net Aira Visualize Access Cooper's BBQ and Taco Deli, Austin Brailsmith Support the show Tip jar supporters get early access. Head to technicallyworking.show and activate the Support Us link. Find us Feedback: [email protected] Michael on Mastodon: @[email protected] Damashe on Mastodon: @[email protected] Show bot: @[email protected] Hashtag: #TechnicallyWorking Want the social posts and Substack version next? Support Technically Working by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/technically-working Find out more at https://technically-working.pinecast.co Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/technically-working/985010bb-1515-4599-818a-2e5a0a706b5f Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-431b7d for 40% off for 4 months, and support Technically Working.