Hi everyone and thank you all for the compliments.
I take this chance to publicly thank you but I also replied to everyone
in private, in case others wonder why I don't respond here. I just don't
want to clutter their inbox.
Cheers,
Adrian
On 2023-11-27 14:26, Adrian T wrote:
Greetings everyone,
Thank you for joining the FB Exchange Tech Club gathering in Dublin. We are pleased to report a record attendance of 19 participants. Today, Adrian is graciously managing the meeting notes.
Before delving into our tech agenda, we took a moment to discuss recent events in Dublin. Unfortunately, riots disrupted public transport, affecting some members attending the Sightless Cinema event in Tallaght. Despite the challenges, everyone made it home safely. A special thank you to the Plazza Hotel in Tallaght for providing overnight accommodation to one of our members.
Jackie initiated the tech discussions by raising a question about the use case for Sticky Keys in Windows. Cearbhall enlightened us, explaining that Sticky Keys primarily aid individuals with physical disabilities. While the feature can be a bit bothersome, it can easily be disabled in Windows Options. Simply press WinKey + I, search for "Sticky Keys," and toggle it off using the first result.
For more information on Sticky Keys, refer to: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sticky_keys
Adrian shared a useful but often overlooked feature in Windows--enabling the computer to emit a distinctive sound when CapsLock, Scroll Lock, or Num Lock are pressed. To activate this, click Start, type "ease of access center" in the search box, select Ease of Access Center, choose "Make the keyboard easier to use," click on "Turn on Toggle Keys," and then confirm with OK.
Speaking of keyboards, Adrian drew attention to a crucial consideration when opting for a new laptop--some newer models have the power-off button dangerously close to the Delete and backspace buttons.
Shifting focus, the meeting addressed Braille displays, with Jackie mentioning issues with her Orbit display: it's dead. Albert asked about exploring replacement options, acknowledging the high cost associated with this hardware.
Tom introduced the Mantis QWERTY keyboard, priced at $2500, featuring a row of 40-cell refreshable displays beneath the space bar.
Learn more about the Mantis Q40: https://store.humanware.com/heu/mantis-q40.html
Read a review: https://www.afb.org/aw/21/8/17143
Other products from Brilliant and Bristol were also discussed.
Anne inquired about the status of Jaws, wondering if it is an end-of-life product. She was reassured that Jaws is still active but comes with a hefty price tag.
Mary asked what social media platform to join in order to stay updated. Everyone agrees that social media is full of disinformation and she was suggested to better use a news app like TheJournal or Itish Mirror and enable notifications for the breaking news.
Albert brought attention to a Windows Narrator bug in Windows 11, expressing optimism that it would be addressed soon.
The conversation extended to the topic of custom charges on various UK products.
Returning to technical matters, Ger highlighted the availability of a virtual assistant on Windows 11, and Tom inquired about Google's Bart. Adrian clarified that Bart, akin to ChatGPT, is a product from Google. More details can be found at https://bart.google.com.
As we neared the end of the meeting, Martin reminded everyone about the upcoming Sightless Cinema performance in Portlaoise. He also mentioned details on additional events to be shared soon with the list.
While the formal meeting concluded, informal discussions continued beyond its scope.
Best regards,
Adrian
