3 years ago

Episode 78: Google’s Big Week!
This week, it is all about Google’s big week of opening “Pixel exclusives” for everyone as we discuss these features in our Spotlight segment.

Announcements
• The Blind Android Users site is currently undergoing construction. Please be patient while we rebuild it. You can still access our great content via your podcatcher of choice or on our Youtube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvEM-SmpwElNALldhp8hG1g
• Austin is back from his little vacation and gives us a heads-up on some new scamming activity going on with YouTube channels as well as getting us caught up to our listenership stats.

Spotlight
For the month of June, Google dropped some nice features to other Android phones that were “Pixel exclusives!”
Among these are the “Gboard” features that were exclusive to Pixel phones and especially to the Pixel 6-series, but this is now available to everyone who uses Gboard.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.inputmethod.latin&hl=en_US&gl=US
Another feature that is available to all through the “Play Store” is the “Google Play Points,” which can now be set as a “Payment method.”
https://play.google.com/console/about/programs/googleplaypoints/
The next feature is the improvements to background noise reduction in Sound Amplifier; a feature good for those that are hard of hearing.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.accessibility.soundamplifier&hl=en_US&gl=US
The long-awaited “image recognition” debuts as a beta feature for the “Google Lookout” across the regions where Lookout is available.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.accessibility.reveal&hl=en_US&gl=US
We also touched some on the availability of the “Wear OS Beta” opening up for those who are interested in joining the beta.
https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.google.android.wearable.app/join
We also mentioned in passing, the fact that Samsung also opened the beta for the “Galaxy watch4-series.”
https://developer.samsung.com/one-ui-beta

CSR (Commentary Screen Reader (granular editing feature)
In this entry, our friend Kareen Kiwan demonstrate this feature of the CSR (Commentary Screen Reader).

Highlights from Talkback
Warren brings us the 38th instalment in the “Talkback Highlights” as he demonstrates the “Screen Search” feature built into Talkback.

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Timeline:
Introduction 00:00.0
Announcement 04:22.7
scam warning 04:44.7
Spotlight image recognising in lookout 07:19.3
Spotlight improved emoji support in Gboard 20:10.8
redesigned play store 21:16.9
what is new in images 30:12.5
play points 35:07.5
sound amplifier now open to all 38:12.6
google opens ware-os for beta testing along with Samsung 41:58.3
granular editing with csr 43:15.5
highlights from talkback 00:53.8