Adrian, I know this will annoy some people, but your notes today are
brilliant, and so informative.
Well done.
Paul
From: fb-exchange-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <fb-exchange-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On
Behalf Of Adrian T
Sent: 27 November 2023 14:27
To: fb-exchange@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [fb-exchange] FB Exchange Tech Club Dublin 27/11/2023
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
