Michael hunts down a mystery whining noise in his studio and walks through a clean, step-by-step troubleshooting plan: strip the setup to basics, test the Vocaster solo, then re-introduce the mixer and cabling one piece at a time. We talk about when gear isn’t designed for how screen reader users actually use it, and what to do when a board might be internally crosstalking. Backup plan if the mixer’s down? Michael may swap to a Soundcraft; Damashe offers a loaner.

TipJar bonus this week: a concise Reaper tutorial from Michael on saving projects the smart way—defaults, folder structure, and why it’s always FLAC.

We compare render times (Intel Windows vs Apple silicon), touch on Windows on ARM machines and battery life, and swap notes on iZotope tools (D-Verb love, when Dialog Isolate shines). Then we nerd out about real-time translation: Google’s call demo, Microsoft’s past Skype magic, and Michael’s hands-on with Meta Ray-Bans translating Spanish in the wild.

iOS 26 chatter: a friendlier Phone app, voicemails in the calls list, and the delightfully simple “Set as Ringtone” from an audio message. Also: SharePlay memories, dictation auto-capitalizing hashtags, and Mastodon clients we like.

Shout outs to Garth (ReaProducer, Reaper wiki crew), Jacob, Robin, and Sean. Thanks to every listener spreading the show. If your podcast app lets you rate, that helps a ton. Want to go the extra mile? Add “Technically Working” to your email signature or share a link on social—tag #TechnicallyWorking with the T and W capitalized for screen reader clarity.

Get in touch Email: feedback@technicallyworking.show Mastodon: Michael is payown at dragonscave.space, Damashe is damashe at technically.social Follow the bot for new episode posts: twatecniche at technically.social

TipJar Subscribers get the Reaper “Save Projects Like a Pro” mini-episode and notes. Not a member yet? You’ll get early, practical extras that make your audio life easier.

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In this episode of Technically Working, Michael and Damashe dig into the messy world of search, messaging apps, and productivity tools:

• Search and Safari Limits – Why Safari won’t let you set a truly custom search engine and how paid options like Kagi might be worth a look for cleaner, ad-free results.
• Keyboard Maestro Adventures – Michael finally convinced a friend to try Keyboard Maestro. The two share tips on disabling default macros, using ChatGPT for macro ideas, and avoiding the “Command+Tab hijack” surprise.
• Ad Overload and Usability Woes – A candid rant on how ads and cluttered websites break the browsing experience, and why many sites are losing trust with readers.
• Playing With Android – Michael activates a Samsung phone and runs headlong into AT\&T’s frustrating two-factor process, sparking a bigger conversation on usability and accessibility.
• VoIP and Short Code Roadblocks – Damashe shares insights from Doug on handling SMS for 2FA with VoIP numbers, SIM card workarounds, and forwarding solutions.
• Signal vs. WhatsApp – A deep dive into what works and what frustrates in both apps, from voice message playback speeds and call quality to cluttered interfaces and cross-device limitations.
• Beeper and Consolidation – Exploring how Beeper (now owned by Automattic) tries to unify messaging apps like Signal, WhatsApp, Google Messages, and more.
• BSI Braille Input – Michael and Damashe trade notes on Braille Screen Input across iOS and Android, including iOS 18’s expanded command mode.
• Passwords and Productivity – From being locked out after updates to GitHub’s new AI agents, the duo talk about tools that make workflows smoother—and the risks when they don’t.
• Community Thanks – A shout-out to tip jar supporters, reminders to rate the show in your favorite podcast app, and a call for listener feedback on search engines, messaging apps, and accessibility quirks.

Feedback is always welcome at feedback@technicallyworking.show, or connect on Mastodon:

• Michael: @payown@dragonscave.space
• Damashe: @damashe@technically.social
• Bot updates: @tw@technically.social

Hashtag your thoughts with #TechnicallyWorking so we can join the conversation!

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In this episode of Technically Working, Michael and Damashe cover a mix of retro tech, cutting-edge wearables, and coding experiments:

• Perkins Brailler Talk – Michael’s newly repaired Perkins returns home, and the guys reminisce about fixing braillers, paper jams, and carrying them through school hallways.
• Smart Glasses Showdown – A deep dive into Solos, Ally, Envision, Meta Ray-Bans, and even AGIGA. They discuss features, battery life, pricing, accessibility concerns, and why customization matters for blind users.
• Prompt Injection & AI in Glasses – Michael raises questions about prompt customization, injection risks, and the possibilities of tailoring AI outputs in wearable tech.
• Home Networking & Automation – Damashe’s new Ubiquiti gear sparks talk about segmenting networks, smart homes, and moving toward Home Assistant.
• Builder Saga – Michael shares progress (and setbacks) with rebuilding his scheduling tool, working through PRDs, Supabase, and GitHub remote agent experiments.
• Vibe Coding & Rubber Duck Debugging – They unpack what “vibe coding” really means, why talking through problems often reveals solutions, and how collaboration (or even a rubber duck) helps.
• Community Feedback – Listeners weigh in on show length preferences and using BlindShell Classic to tune in.

As always, they wrap with laughs, real-world coding tips, and appreciation for listeners supporting the show.

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TW122: Pocket Casts Juggling, Audio Experiments & Building a Tech‑Savvy Team In this episode of Technically Working, Damashe and Michael dive into practical experiments, tool comparisons and community announcements. Here’s what you’ll hear: 🧪 Audio experiments with Zoom H5 and iPhone 15 Pro Portable recording setup – Damashe connects a Zoom H5 Studio recorder to an iPhone 15 Pro running an early iOS 26 beta and discovers that multi‑track mode causes the phone to hear VoiceOver but not his microphone. Switching the recorder from multi‑track to stereo resolves the issue. Why it matters – They discuss how important it is to test gear before critical recordings and remind listeners that mobile interfaces may behave differently across iOS and Android. 🎧 Pocket Casts deep‑dive and cross‑device realities Trying out a new player – Michael compares Pocket Casts to his long‑time favourite Castro/Overcast. He likes the statistics (hours listened vs. saved) and subscribes to 56 shows after trimming his massive OPML file. Filters and queue management – He uses the “New” filter to see fresh episodes and explains how the “Up Next” tab tells you how long it will take to finish your queue. Michael also notes you can enable Play on tap in Settings to start an episode immediately from the queue. Sync quirks across devices – Pocket Casts doesn’t consistently resume playback when switching between the iPhone and Pixel. Damashe observes that about 40 % of the time it works correctly; otherwise the episode restarts. They hope future updates will improve background syncing. Accessing trials – Michael shares a tip for redeeming a two‑month Premium trial: if Apple’s store blocks the offer because of a previous subscription, open the link in Android’s Play Store instead. 👥 Hiring, training and generative AI Building a team – Damashe is hiring a new employee and realizes he needs to keep recruiting rather than stop after filling one slot. He recounts meeting drivers through Uber who might become part‑time helpers. Generative AI training – They joke about clipping an Insta360 camera to record vending‑machine maintenance and using ChatGPT or other models to generate training videos. Michael even sets a reminder in Agent‑mode to revisit the idea and tries to track his TikTok follower count using transcripts. Agent‑mode notifications – The hosts appreciate how ChatGPT’s agent mode can run deep research tasks and send notifications when the work is done. 🛠️ Tools, coding & accessibility Command‑line companions – Damashe uses Anthropic’s Claude and GitHub Copilot on the command line for documentation and merges. He notes that putting special characters in VoiceOver’s pronunciation dictionary stops the screen reader from announcing arrows and pipes. Terminal apps – He asks if there are better macOS terminal apps than the built‑in Terminal and mentions that I‑Term 2 didn’t click for him previously. Tools menu improvements – Michael describes updates to his event‑scheduling tool, including generation shortcuts, data‑quality checks and a more streamlined interface for removing Zoom links before publishing. 📢 Community announcement: BITS VS Code crash course Free crash course – Michael announces that BITS (Blind Information Technology Specialists) will hold a free four‑hour Visual Studio Code crash course on August 16. The session focuses on configuring VS Code for screen‑reader users and leveraging GitHub Copilot. How to join – Details will appear at bits‑acb.org or joinbits.org. The course is open to everyone and Michael encourages listeners to become a BITS member or life member. 🌐 Stay connected Follow the show on Mastodon: @tw@technically.social. Follow the hosts: @payon@dragonscave.space (Michael) and @damashe@technically.social (Damashe). Send feedback to feedback@technicallyworking.show – they would love to hear from you.

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In this episode of Technically Working, Michael and Damashe dive into:

• 🎛️ Michael’s adventures debugging his custom scheduling tool, lovingly named Builder—including the moment it completely broke everything… and how that led to several much-needed fixes.
• 🧠 A look at PromptBoost.dev, a slick VS Code extension site to supercharge your AI prompts.
• 🤖 Comet, the AI-powered browser from Perplexity, surprises us by editing Gravity Forms on the fly—even clicking the save button!
• 🎤 CSUN 2026 prep: hotel vs Airbnb debates, hallway networking, and conference value tradeoffs.
• 🚐 Damashe shares his progress training a new vending route driver and the eternal rollercoaster of finding dependable help.
• 💻 Rediscovering old domains and deciding what to do with long-running podcast archives (including Your Own Pay).
• 🧹 Tools for cleaning up bloated WordPress installs and abandoned plugin tables.

Plus:

• A shared moment of reflection on why some people listen to podcasts on YouTube 🤔
• Uber cash, Lyft discounts, and the return of late-night dev spirals

💬 Got thoughts, tips, or questions? Email us at feedback@technicallyworking.show Or find us on Mastodon:

• Michael: @payown@dragonscave.space
• Damashe: @damashe@technically.social
• Hashtag: #TechnicallyWorking

Support the show by sharing it with a friend, sending in a clip, or hitting that tip jar if you’re feeling generous. Thanks for listening!

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In Episode 120, Michael and Damashe are back with fiber internet, fresh gear, and a deep dive into all things technically messy and wonderfully geeky. Here's what you'll hear in this jam-packed episode:

• Apple’s Hidden Reminders Feature: Michael experiments with setting reminders from the Phone app and discovers a hidden section in the call screen. Does it actually work? Kind of.
• Damashe’s New Setup: From hanging mics on invisible selfie sticks to testing out the Zoom H5 Studio, he shares what’s working (and what’s not) in his portable podcast rig.
• Gadget Talk: We talk HomePods, Pelican cases, and the quirks of the Vocaster Hub mute button. Plus, shoutouts to Harper.bog and Tamir from Sweetwater.
• Android Adventures: Damashe digs into the quirks of managing CalDAV and CardDAV on Android, switching to GrapheneOS, using Google Messages on iPhone via Beeper, and trying to assign custom ringtones by phone line—not contact.
• Accessibility Wins and WTFs: Hear why Google’s calendar app needs help, why Gmail on Android frustrates, and why Michael still prefers LaunchBar’s clipboard manager over everything.
• Community Builder Project: Michael gives an update on his work automating ACB's community event scheduling—from Forms to Sheets to dreams of push-button approvals.
• Apple Support FTW: A weird clicking noise from the HomePod? Apple’s support team jumps into action with diagnostics and follow-up calls.
• Pixel vs iPhone: From earbuds doing double duty across ecosystems to automatic switching woes and notification syncing between macOS and iOS—this is a cross-platform conversation at its finest.
• Debugging Life: Michael solves a PySide6 selection bug thanks to Copilot’s debug log, and Damashe finds peace with his PowerBeats working across Apple and Android. Small wins, big impact.

Stick around for laughs, rants, shoutouts, and—of course—reminders that may or may not show up.

Links & Mentions:

• Follow Michael on Mastodon: @payown@dragonscave.space
• Follow Damashe on Mastodon: @damashe@technically.social
• Follow the bot: @TW@technically.social
• Email: feedback@technicallyworking.show
• Use the hashtag #TechnicallyWorking (capitalize the T and W for screen readers!)

Support the show: Enjoying what you hear? Drop a tip or become a supporter at technicallyworking.show

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In this episode of Technically Working, Michael and Damashe catch up after what feels like forever—and dive right into Damashe’s chaotic travel story. From missing a train in New Orleans to unexpectedly booking a sleeper car, he shares how one late-night nap and a Pixel alarm mishap turned into an impromptu hotel stay and a free breakfast.

They recap recent tech conference experiences, including hands-on impressions of the Giga AI Glasses (spoiler: they’re still a little too chatty), vibration-based navigation shoes from Japan, and the impressive multi-line Dot Pad display with near-instant braille refresh.

Michael shares some behind-the-scenes tech wins from running hybrid ACB Convention events—including Gravity Forms automations, Lisi scripting magic, and a FedEx shipping lesson that cost him $81. They also nerd out over gear like the Zoom H5 Studio, run through Damashe’s audio setup powered by a Pixel 9 Pro hotspot, and trade thoughts on why sliders beat knobs on audio mixers.

Plus:

Why ChatGPT lied about Zoom recorder layouts Updates on the BITS AI class recordings Selling Lisi to pay off a car (yes, really) Using walkie-talkie on the Apple Watch in a hallway sprint Tips on cheaper shipping using Pirate Ship AccessibleAndroid.com and a mystery screen reader named Prudence And a push to keep the podcast under 58 minutes for distribution deals If you enjoy the show and want to support it, hit the Tip Jar and consider becoming a monthly backer. Every little bit helps!

Feedback? Questions? 📧 feedback@technicallyworking.show 🧵 Hashtag: #TechnicallyWorking 🐘 Follow Michael: @payown@dragonscave.space 🐘 Follow Damashe: @damashe@technically.social 📡 Show bot: @tw@technically.social

Thanks for listening

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