Double Tap

Google Gemini's new Guided Vision feature, built with Aira, gives blind and low vision Android users more detailed visual descriptions through Gemini Live. Steven Scott and Shaun Preece put it through real tests, then go through listener emails about Siri, iOS 27, Gemini settings and life on Android.
Steven tries Guided Vision on a Pixel 10 Pro. He uses it to find a mug on his desk and to guide his finger to a button on the RØDECaster Pro II touchscreen. It does well once you hold the camera still, but it isn't truly live yet. The hosts compare it with Be My AI and Google Lookout, and ask why it's tucked away in settings and not on iOS.
James from Missouri finds Siri on iOS 27 still sticks around after opening apps and puts reminder alerts in the notes field. That leads into a debate about on-device AI and privacy, and why Apple's image descriptions refuse some content for adults who have already verified their age.
Tom in Colorado and Connor in Sydney reply to Negative Julian's Gemini problems. Connor's fix is to turn the old Google Assistant features, Hey Google included, back on in the Gemini settings. Richard in Louisiana is losing his sight and describes juggling Bixby, Gemini, Meta and Alexa on a Samsung phone while learning TalkBack.
Chapters
0:00 – Intro and Steven's cold
1:24 – Google Gemini Guided Vision, built with Aira
5:40 – Testing Guided Vision: the mug test and a touchscreen
12:29 – Live AI expectations, Be My AI and finding the feature
18:34 – Guided Vision, Google glasses and Meta glasses
21:24 – James on Siri in iOS 27, reminders and opening apps
25:01 – Siri AI, privacy and dictation
34:09 – Censored image descriptions and the right to access
43:22 – Tom and Connor on Gemini settings for Negative Julian
49:08 – Richard on Android, Bixby and learning TalkBack
Tried Guided Vision or another live camera tool on Android? Tell us how it went. Email us, and like and subscribe for daily tech news and conversation from blind people.
Relevant Links
Guided Vision in Gemini Live: https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/products/gemini-app/guided-vision-gemini-live/
Aira: https://aira.io/
Be My Eyes: https://www.bemyeyes.com/
RØDECaster Pro II: https://rode.com/en-us/products/rodecaster-pro-ii
AccessCaster: https://github.com/ShaunPreece/AccessCaster

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About Double Tap
Hosted by the insightful duo, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece, Double Tap is a treasure trove of information for anyone who's blind or partially sighted and has a passion for tech. Steven and Shaun not only demystify tech, but they also regularly feature interviews and welcome guests from the community, fostering an interactive and engaging environment. Tune in every day of the week, and you'll discover how technology can seamlessly integrate into your life, enhancing daily tasks and experiences, even if your sight is limited.
"Double Tap" is a registered trademark of Double Tap Productions Inc.

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Envision has announced it may wind down. If no partner takes the company on, active development of the Envision and Ally apps stops on December 31, 2026. Steven Scott and Shaun Preece read the Envision founders' statement in full and look at what it means for blind and low vision users, for people who own Ally Solos glasses, and for other smart glasses makers. The episode opens with a tribute to Brett Halle, the Apple engineer who helped build Mac OS X.
Brett Halle died on October 1, 2026. His friend Ray, a fellow blind woodworker, wrote in to share the news. You'll hear clips from Brett's 2024 Double Tap interview: his early days at Apple, the NeXT acquisition, a memorable meeting with Steve Jobs, and his advice to treat new software like a video game and explore its edges. Darren also shares the sad news that longtime contributor Shahzad has died, and asks when Double Tap Live will reach TuneIn outside North America.
Karthik and Karthik explain how Envision went from a free app to AI glasses and then Ally, and why they say the blind and low vision market tops out at around a million reachable users. Shaun says the bigger issue was trust, because customers kept writing in and hearing nothing back. The hosts ask what happens to the warranties on glasses people have already bought, and call for the software and firmware tools to be released as open source.
Is this a warning sign for companies like AGIGA, whose EchoVision glasses face Meta, Samsung, Google and Apple? The hosts weigh paying a subscription against free features on Meta glasses, and Steven's very short prompts to Claude. Gordon explains how hashtags help Mastodon posts get seen, and John in London talks about Meta glasses, lens choices and how police sometimes mistake a long cane for a weapon.
Chapters
0:00 – Intro
0:46 – Remembering Brett Halle
14:47 – Remembering Shahzad, and Double Tap Live on TuneIn
17:55 – Envision's statement in full
26:30 – Envision, trust and communication
34:12 – A warning sign for AGIGA and blindness tech?
43:16 – AI hallucinations, tokens and prompting
47:44 – Getting seen on Mastodon with hashtags
50:17 – Meta glasses, canes and the police
Relevant Links
Envision: https://www.letsenvision.com
Double Tap Live: https://doubletaponair.com/live
AGIGA EchoVision: https://agiga.ai
Mastodon: https://joinmastodon.org

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About Double Tap
Hosted by the insightful duo, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece, Double Tap is a treasure trove of information for anyone who's blind or partially sighted and has a passion for tech. Steven and Shaun not only demystify tech, but they also regularly feature interviews and welcome guests from the community, fostering an interactive and engaging environment. Tune in every day of the week, and you'll discover how technology can seamlessly integrate into your life, enhancing daily tasks and experiences, even if your sight is limited.
"Double Tap" is a registered trademark of Double Tap Productions Inc.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lumin, the voice-first email app for blind and low vision users, now works with Outlook, Hotmail and MSN accounts and has a new audio reminders feature. Founder Sriram Ganesh announced both on our Double Tap Live special. This replay starts with his live demo, then he takes listener calls and talks about how AI is changing the way accessible products get built.
Sriram asks Lumin to triage his inbox, draft replies and describe a conference photo, all by voice. Then the listener calls start. Gregory, Elizabeth, Amy and a caller from Ontario ask about deleting emails in bulk, using natural commands, and connecting Office 365 and other email providers. Elizabeth also explains how she uses Lumin each morning.
Sriram describes how Lumin's three engineers work with dozens of AI agents and no longer write code by hand, while staying responsible for what ships. Steven and Shaun compare that with building the Double Tap app with Claude. The conversation also covers why AI still lacks lived experience of disability, and whether Lumin can hold its own against Siri, Gemini and ChatGPT.
A listener email from Mike in upstate New York raises the question of future pricing. Sriram then runs through the new features: Google Calendar support, opening web links, more than 40 languages with translation, Outlook email and calendar, and audio reminders that let you leave a voice note for your future self.
Chapters
0:00 – Welcome and Double Tap Live recap
1:02 – Live demo: Lumin reads and replies to email
4:51 – Listener calls: Gregory and bulk deleting email
9:28 – Elizabeth and Amy on voice commands and email providers
19:49 – Office 365 and how email providers connect
24:30 – AI as an accessibility tool and managing AI agents
38:53 – Can Lumin compete with Siri and Gemini?
46:00 – Mike's email and future pricing
49:31 – New features: Google Calendar, web links and languages
51:59 – Outlook support, audio reminders and wrap-up
Have you tried Lumin yet? Tell us how you manage your email in the comments, and subscribe to Double Tap for more conversations about accessible tech from Steven Scott and Shaun Preece.
Relevant Links
Lumin: https://www.trylumin.ai/
Lumin on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lumin-talk-to-your-email/id6762822189

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About Double Tap
Hosted by the insightful duo, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece, Double Tap is a treasure trove of information for anyone who's blind or partially sighted and has a passion for tech. Steven and Shaun not only demystify tech, but they also regularly feature interviews and welcome guests from the community, fostering an interactive and engaging environment. Tune in every day of the week, and you'll discover how technology can seamlessly integrate into your life, enhancing daily tasks and experiences, even if your sight is limited.
"Double Tap" is a registered trademark of Double Tap Productions Inc.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Siri AI on iOS 27, Gemini on Android and NVDA screen reader bugs all get a frank once-over from blind tech fans Steven Scott and Shaun Preece, along with your emails on LiDAR, Mastodon and smart glasses.
Shaun has found two odd NVDA behaviours: sound split getting stuck on after he turns it off, and system audio staying ducked after Narrator closes. He's also looking forward to an NVDA 2026.3 change that tells developers when speech has finished. Steven sorts out his loud iPhone ringer, explains why he'd still hold off on iOS 27, and says Siri AI keeps letting him down, including a muddled attempt to add up four invoices.
Negative Julian complains that Gemini on his phone won't place calls or create calendar events any more, which ties into Shaun's trouble with Meta Ray-Ban glasses offering Outlook features they won't use. Stephen from Kentucky picks up the LiDAR debate, and Shaun explains how both sides are right: a laser sends out infrared light.
Scott in Sydney asks why his Mastodon posts get no replies. The hosts talk through followers, time zones, the absence of an algorithm, very long posts and when it's worth blocking someone. Pete in Robin Hood County is happy with Siri AI. Ian in Hull suggests Siri could recommend accessibility settings for your needs, which leads to a chat about how hard it is to switch from iPhone to Android.
Chapters
0:00 – Intro and a performance review for the email jingle
3:31 – NVDA sound split, audio ducking and the 2026.3 speech indicator
8:39 – iPhone ringer volume and the iOS 27 public beta
11:28 – Siri AI, John Ternus at Apple and Gemini on Android
21:37 – Negative Julian on Gemini and Meta Ray-Ban glasses
29:44 – Stephen from Kentucky on LiDAR, laser and infrared
32:54 – Scott in Sydney on Mastodon replies and blocking
48:28 – Pete in Robin Hood County on iOS 27 dictation
49:55 – Ian in Hull's idea for Siri AI accessibility settings
54:15 – Double Tap Live and how to get in touch
Relevant Links
Double Tap Live: https://doubletaponair.com/live
NV Access (NVDA): https://www.nvaccess.org
Mastodon: https://joinmastodon.org
Mona for Mastodon: https://getmona.app
Meta AI Glasses: https://www.meta.com/ai-glasses/

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Subscribe to the Podcast:
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About Double Tap
Hosted by the insightful duo, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece, Double Tap is a treasure trove of information for anyone who's blind or partially sighted and has a passion for tech. Steven and Shaun not only demystify tech, but they also regularly feature interviews and welcome guests from the community, fostering an interactive and engaging environment. Tune in every day of the week, and you'll discover how technology can seamlessly integrate into your life, enhancing daily tasks and experiences, even if your sight is limited.
"Double Tap" is a registered trademark of Double Tap Productions Inc.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Can a blind person get real use from smart glasses with a screen? Steven Scott has bought the Meta Ray-Ban Display and Meta Neural Band. He and Shaun Preece talk through the built-in screen reader, the wrist gestures, WhatsApp, Maps and what is still missing.
Steven expected the in-lens display to be useless to him. He was wrong. The glasses have their own screen reader, and you switch it on from the Meta AI app. Setup walks you through the Neural Band gestures well: rub your thumb along your index finger to swipe, and pinch to double tap. WhatsApp turns out to be the standout, with full message history, dictation and voice messages, all without taking out your phone. The Maps app even works in the UK. There are still rough edges: the text size setting doesn't save, there's no screen curtain, and so far there aren't many apps.
Earlier in the show, Steven and Shaun look back at the first Double Tap Live and the news from Lumin founder Sriram Ganesh, including Outlook support. That leads into Steven's mixed feelings about Siri on the iOS 27 beta, a VoiceOver volume bug when calls come in, and whether services that launch free can keep going. Now that blind people can build their own tools with AI, what does that mean for developers?
There's news on the Double Tap app, which is waiting on Apple approval with Android to follow, plus the refreshed website. You'll soon be able to put forward podcasts for Double Tap Live. Listener Richard from Louisiana closes the show with how walking directions on Meta glasses actually work. He finds them more accurate than Google Maps, though they're fussy about street addresses.
Chapters
0:00 – Intro: glasses with a screen
1:15 – Double Tap Live recap and Lumin news
5:09 – Siri, the iOS 27 beta and VoiceOver volume
8:25 – Paying for apps and building your own with AI
13:10 – Double Tap app, new website and podcast submissions
19:46 – Meta Ray-Ban Display and Neural Band explained
29:05 – Screen reader, magnification and accessibility settings
35:36 – WhatsApp and Maps on the glasses
44:16 – Low vision, screen curtain and accessible wearables
50:39 – Richard on Meta glasses walking navigation
Have you tried the Meta Ray-Ban Display, or walking directions on Meta glasses? Email feedback@doubletaponair.com. Subscribe so you don't miss an episode, and listen to Double Tap Live any time of day.
Relevant Links
Double Tap Live: https://doubletaponair.com/live
Meta Ray-Ban Display: https://www.meta.com/ai-glasses/meta-ray-ban-display/
Lumin: https://www.trylumin.ai/
Zero Project: https://zeroproject.org
Be My Eyes: https://www.bemyeyes.com
Aira: https://aira.io

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Follow on:
YouTube: https://www.doubletaponair.com/youtube
X (formerly Twitter): https://www.doubletaponair.com/x
Instagram: https://www.doubletaponair.com/instagram
TikTok: https://www.doubletaponair.com/tiktok
Threads: https://www.doubletaponair.com/threads
Facebook: https://www.doubletaponair.com/facebook
LinkedIn: https://www.doubletaponair.com/linkedin
Subscribe to the Podcast:
Apple: https://www.doubletaponair.com/apple
Spotify: https://www.doubletaponair.com/spotify
RSS: https://www.doubletaponair.com/podcast
iHeadRadio: https://www.doubletaponair.com/iheart
About Double Tap
Hosted by the insightful duo, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece, Double Tap is a treasure trove of information for anyone who's blind or partially sighted and has a passion for tech. Steven and Shaun not only demystify tech, but they also regularly feature interviews and welcome guests from the community, fostering an interactive and engaging environment. Tune in every day of the week, and you'll discover how technology can seamlessly integrate into your life, enhancing daily tasks and experiences, even if your sight is limited.
"Double Tap" is a registered trademark of Double Tap Productions Inc.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.