WEBVTT
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You might have heard about smart homes
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or smart devices for your home,
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but what exactly does that mean?
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And for someone with vision
loss, what are the pros
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and cons for having these
devices in your house
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that can be connected and
controlled with a smartphone
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or a voice assistant?
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In this episode, Steven Scott
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of the Double Tap Podcast joins us
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as we share personal experiences
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and opinions on using smart devices.
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I'm Ricky Enger, and
this is Hadley Presents.
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Welcome to the show, Steven.
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Hey, Ricky, lovely to be back.
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It is wonderful to have you back
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and we always have a fantastic time.
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I suspect today will be no different.
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We're gonna have a lot
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of fun talking about smart homes today.
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I am really looking forward to it.
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Before we dive into that, for the three
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or four people who may
not know who you are,
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why don't you just go
through a quick intro,
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tell us a bit about who
you are and what you do?
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Well, that's very kind.
I'm sure it's more than
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that, but yes.
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I'm Stephen Scott. I host a
daily technology show from the
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blindness perspective called Double Tap.
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And since the last time we spoke to you,
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we really are daily.
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We're on seven days a week. We
do every an hour, every day.
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We don't expect you to keep up with that,
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but you, you are welcome to pick
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and choose whatever you like
and come along for the tech.
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But you know, what you can expect is a lot
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of interesting conversation
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between two blind guys talking
about how we navigate life
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as blind people as well
as the technology we use.
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We will have a link to that
in the show notes for people
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to check out if you've not been
a part of Double Tap before
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and it's well worth it.
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So I'm curious, I know that you,
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and maybe I'll regret this,
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it might take the whole episode just
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to talk about this part, but I'm curious
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what devices you have
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or really what category of
device you have in your home
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that you would sort of
consider a smart device.
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So this would be something
that you can operate either
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with your smartphone and or
a voice assistant like Google
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or Siri or Amazon's device, Alexa.
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We tend to call that
one the A lady or lady a
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'cause she's always listening for her name
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and then she thinks
we're talking about her
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and talking to her.
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But anyway, yeah. What devices
do you have in this category?
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Well, it's interesting.
A lot of people think
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because I'm into my tech, that
my home is absolutely buzzing
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with technology in, in every corner.
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And it, it actually isn't.
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I tend to keep my smart home quite simple
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and there's a good reason for that.
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I don't live here alone, Ricky.
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I have a wife who, you
know, isn't as techie
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and wants to be able to
use the technology as well.
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And so I have to think about,
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and it's important
actually when I'm doing it,
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and it helps me when I'm doing the show
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because I think okay is, you know,
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I might get excited about
the latest, greatest thing,
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but is she gonna find this interesting?
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Is she going to enjoy this?
Is she gonna want to use it?
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Is she gonna be able to
understand to use it?
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It needs to be simple, it
needs to be uncomplicated.
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Not because, you know, she's
incapable of learning all this
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or doing it, it's just that she doesn't,
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she's not as techy as I am.
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You know, she's not into
it in the same way. Yeah.
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And so she just wants to,
you know, press a button
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and the light comes on
and press the button,
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the light goes off and what
she doesn't want to happen is
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that when she presses the
button, the light doesn't turn on
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and doesn't turn off.
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So it, it's about compatibility
with everyone in the home.
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It's also about something
that's consistently good
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and functions well.
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And of course then we can talk
about accessibility of tools.
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And I have to say, the more
you talk, the more you get into
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that discussion, the amount
of options does narrow
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because you, you trying to
find accessible tools out
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of the box that are
available that are not going
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to cost the Earth are difficult.
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It's difficult to do that, you know?
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So, so I I, I have the standard,
if you like, smart speaker
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as I would refer to her as Lady A
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and so, you know, we, we all
started, you know, playing
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with this in the house and
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that was immediately an interesting device
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to bring into the home,
which I think was one
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of the first smart tools
where my wife really engaged
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because I was explaining to
her like, you just talk to it,
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just ask it a question, ask
it to play your favorite song.
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And it did and she was blown away.
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And I think that's the key, right?
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Is that it's, it feels natural.
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I think it is. And I think
it's also when you show someone
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a tool like this,
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because look, I, I get
very excited about lots
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of different tech and you know,
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I can hear my wife's eyes rolling
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because she's like, yeah, whatever.
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And you know, even friends
of mine will say, yeah,
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but is that really a big deal?
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Does that matter? And so, you know,
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I think if people get excited by it
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and then they see what it can
do or they hear what it can do
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or they can, you know,
learn what it can do,
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then I think suddenly you feel, okay,
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I might be engaged by this.
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And a good example of this was years ago,
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I remember spending some
time with some folks,
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and of course I I I, I never
subscribed to the theory
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that age has anything to
do with capability, right?
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I've heard this so many times in my life.
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Oh, well you know, what about,
what about someone who's 85,
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you know, who maybe doesn't understand
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how to use this technology?
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I think I've met a lot of 85 year olds
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who could probably outdo me
and technology, right? Exactly.
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Yes.
It's not about age.
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All right, it's about understanding,
it's about willingness.
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Some people just don't care,
some people don't want to.
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Yeah, it's a mindset.
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Absolutely. And so what you have
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to do if you really wanna engage someone
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and show them what it can do for them,
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and I remember spending
time teaching someone how
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to use an iPad and what
I did was I focused in on
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that person's need,
what they wanted to do.
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And in those days, that person
wanted to contact their son
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who lived in Australia and
wanted to contact them via Skype.
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So we spent time showing that person how
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to use Skype on an iPad
and they were blown away.
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And I said, now everything
you've just learned today,
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you can apply that to
any app on this device.
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Same things you've done the same swipes,
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the same taps, all of that.
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You can use the same
approach to everything.
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And one by one slowly
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but surely, that person was
suddenly getting interested in
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all these new apps, these new things.
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And prior to that couldn't
care less. And that's the key.
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It's getting someone hooked
in on what it can do for them.
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And it's the same with the smart home
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because the problem is,
as you'll know, you go to
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that Best Buy, you go to any store
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and there's a mountain of
technology options out there
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and it's not clear.
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It really isn't clear what works with
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what people will tell you,
well, does it work with Lady A?
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Does it, has it got matter support?
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And you think, what does that mean?
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What, what does any of that mean?
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And so what I tend to do is,
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and this is why I chose the Echo
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and why I stick in
particular with the Echo, is
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because a lot of the tools, a lot
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of the smart home devices you buy are
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natively compatible with it.
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So I don't have to think too far.
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Yeah, right.
And
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that makes a big difference
in my buying decisions.
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So you are an A lady person
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and I am primarily a Google Home person.
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And for similar reasons
Google Home, it was sort
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of happening in parallel
with Lady A here in the US
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and for whatever reason
we chose Google Home
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and for the most part have stuck with it.
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Although we do have Lady A devices
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and in some cases that works better.
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So I imagine that you've
got some smart lights,
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we have a couple, but it's sort
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of the same issue you talked
about where we have guests over
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and they wanna turn on
the guest room light
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and they're reaching over to the lamp
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and it's like, no way you have
to say the word instead of,
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so smart lights are probably the,
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the least prevalent in our home,
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but we do have a doorbell camera
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and I think you do as well. Is that right?
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Yeah. And again, I
went, I went with Ring
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and again, it was available first.
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One of the few that were, there
were a lot of names flying
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around, but that one in particular
seemed to be at the time,
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the one everyone was talking about.
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Now, the challenge of
course was accessibility
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and it will always be a
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challenge with some of these doorbells.
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Some are better than others.
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Blink for example, is
another sub-brand of Amazon,
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which is a good brand.
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It's a little bit more affordable as well,
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which a lot of people like.
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And you know, it, it seems to
be a pretty accessible app.
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Strangely it's a little bit
more accessible than Ring is,
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which is interesting.
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'cause Ring's a more
expensive version. Yeah,
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Yeah.
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So I, I just wanna pause
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and say that when we're
talking about accessibility
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of these devices, what we're
primarily talking about is not
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so much what you can
ask the assistant to do
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and have it respond with,
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but more so what do you do in the app
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to set certain things up?
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Or if you are interfacing with
that device, using your phone
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and not a smart assistant,
how accessible is that?
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So that tends to be where
things fall apart, at least in,
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in my experience.
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Is that true for you as well?
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Yeah, I, I would say so.
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And that's the problem oftentimes.
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Now I will say once you
get past those issues,
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there are some real benefits
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to having the smart speaker
almost be the hub in your home
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and connecting things through that.
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And of course you have
to go through a process.
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There's a process of connection
that you have to do with all
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of these devices, irrespective
of which one you buy.
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It may be that you buy a
smart plug or a smart bulb
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or a doorbell, whether it be
Ring or Blink or anyone else.
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You can connect it through
what's called a skill.
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So the Amazon Echo has a skill
store a little bit like if
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you've heard of the Apple App store
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or the Google App store,
essentially a library, a catalog
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of things you can buy
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or you know, in this case
with the Amazon Skill store,
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you can actually just get for free.
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They don't cost any money at all.
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I think they have brought in some
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that cost, but not, not many.
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And in particular, anything
that connects to another device
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or allows your device, your
Amazon Echo in this case
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to connect to that.
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So let's give you an example.
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So my Ring doorbell has a skill
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that I can install on my Amazon Echo.
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I do that either by voice,
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I can say enable Ring
doorbell skill to my device
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and it will, you know, tell
me the process and do that.
251
00:10:12.420 --> 00:10:15.570
It's very simple actually. You
just ask it and it does it.
252
00:10:15.570 --> 00:10:18.330
Or you can go through
your app on your iPhone
253
00:10:18.330 --> 00:10:21.210
or your Android phone into the Lady a app.
254
00:10:21.210 --> 00:10:22.410
I always call it that name.
255
00:10:22.410 --> 00:10:23.940
Incidentally, I say Lady A
256
00:10:23.940 --> 00:10:25.830
because she's sitting right next to me
257
00:10:25.830 --> 00:10:28.590
and if I say her name,
Yeah, it'll just go off.
258
00:10:28.590 --> 00:10:32.675
So I call a lady and you know,
I can go into the app store
259
00:10:32.675 --> 00:10:34.020
and, and I can obviously find it there
260
00:10:34.020 --> 00:10:36.510
and I can en enable it from there.
261
00:10:36.510 --> 00:10:38.130
And then what happens is it will link
262
00:10:38.130 --> 00:10:42.120
to my ring in my case
account, which will then allow
263
00:10:42.120 --> 00:10:46.350
for the doorbell to
actually use the Amazon Echo
264
00:10:46.350 --> 00:10:48.030
as a chime, as a, as a bell.
265
00:10:48.030 --> 00:10:49.950
So when someone presses the ring doorbell,
266
00:10:49.950 --> 00:10:51.810
suddenly on my Echo it will say,
267
00:10:51.810 --> 00:10:54.450
Bing bong the summit at your front door.
268
00:10:54.450 --> 00:10:56.160
But it can go further than that.
269
00:10:56.160 --> 00:11:00.000
I have to say that the number
one reason I use this in this
270
00:11:00.000 --> 00:11:03.330
way, yeah, of course having
to chime is really useful
271
00:11:03.330 --> 00:11:05.640
because it saves you having
to have your phone on,
272
00:11:05.640 --> 00:11:07.410
on you know, loud all the time.
273
00:11:07.410 --> 00:11:09.780
The biggest reason for having
one of these devices is so
274
00:11:09.780 --> 00:11:11.940
that you can tell who's at the door
275
00:11:11.940 --> 00:11:14.310
and have a conversation with
them before you open that door.
276
00:11:14.310 --> 00:11:15.330
It's a great safety tool
277
00:11:15.330 --> 00:11:17.190
for many people who are at home alone.
278
00:11:17.190 --> 00:11:19.140
Perhaps someone who is,
is a little bit nervous,
279
00:11:19.140 --> 00:11:21.900
especially at night if
someone knocks on your door
280
00:11:21.900 --> 00:11:23.070
and you know, we'll talk about some
281
00:11:23.070 --> 00:11:24.540
of the cool things we're
doing with doorbells
282
00:11:24.540 --> 00:11:26.670
to make it even easier to identify.
283
00:11:26.670 --> 00:11:30.360
But the number one thing
for me is that I can speak
284
00:11:30.360 --> 00:11:31.800
to my Amazon Echo
285
00:11:31.800 --> 00:11:36.180
and I can say Lady A
talk to the front door
286
00:11:36.180 --> 00:11:38.910
and what will happen is that Amazon Echo,
287
00:11:38.910 --> 00:11:41.790
it will initiate a
connection with the doorbell
288
00:11:41.790 --> 00:11:44.070
and I can talk to the person at the door
289
00:11:44.070 --> 00:11:45.930
and say, hi there, who's that?
290
00:11:45.930 --> 00:11:48.960
And that person could say,
oh, it's your postman,
291
00:11:48.960 --> 00:11:50.280
I've got a parcel for you.
292
00:11:50.280 --> 00:11:52.050
And I can say, great, can
you just leave it there
293
00:11:52.050 --> 00:11:54.700
and I'll come and get it in
seconds, no problem at all.
294
00:11:54.700 --> 00:11:57.040
And then I say, lady A hang up,
295
00:11:57.040 --> 00:11:59.410
and in that interaction I'm
able to have a conversation
296
00:11:59.410 --> 00:12:01.030
with someone at the front door
297
00:12:01.030 --> 00:12:04.270
and I can know who that person
was, they've left the parcel,
298
00:12:04.270 --> 00:12:05.860
and I can go get it.
299
00:12:05.860 --> 00:12:09.100
That I think is, is possibly
one of the best features of
300
00:12:09.100 --> 00:12:11.380
that particular combination.
301
00:12:11.380 --> 00:12:13.600
I think that's a really good example
302
00:12:13.600 --> 00:12:17.260
of why you might want something smart.
303
00:12:17.260 --> 00:12:19.810
And that's the question
that comes up a lot,
304
00:12:19.810 --> 00:12:20.950
why should I care?
305
00:12:20.950 --> 00:12:25.060
So going back to finding
that motivation for someone
306
00:12:25.060 --> 00:12:29.020
that isn't just, hey,
this technology is cool.
307
00:12:29.020 --> 00:12:33.370
So I think there might
be a couple other device
308
00:12:33.370 --> 00:12:34.630
categories
309
00:12:34.630 --> 00:12:37.840
and reasons that you might have smart
310
00:12:37.840 --> 00:12:39.430
devices in this category.
311
00:12:39.430 --> 00:12:44.230
So for whatever reason,
mine tend to be devices
312
00:12:44.230 --> 00:12:46.180
that shouldn't have touch screens,
313
00:12:46.180 --> 00:12:50.260
but do so if I want to turn on my oven
314
00:12:50.260 --> 00:12:52.690
or use my dishwasher, you know,
315
00:12:52.690 --> 00:12:56.650
it's all a touch sensitive thing
316
00:12:56.650 --> 00:12:59.500
and in some cases it's difficult to label
317
00:12:59.500 --> 00:13:03.820
because if you are
looking for where to press
318
00:13:03.820 --> 00:13:07.090
that label, well, you've just
touched three other things in
319
00:13:07.090 --> 00:13:08.350
the process of doing that.
320
00:13:08.350 --> 00:13:12.460
So that's one reason that
you might have, for example,
321
00:13:12.460 --> 00:13:15.520
a smart oven or a smart dishwasher.
322
00:13:15.520 --> 00:13:17.230
Do you have anything like this?
323
00:13:17.230 --> 00:13:21.010
So these sort of kitchen
appliances that are smart?
324
00:13:21.010 --> 00:13:22.660
You know, I don't,
and I'll tell you why.
325
00:13:22.660 --> 00:13:24.340
Because when we moved into this house
326
00:13:24.340 --> 00:13:28.060
and it was over 10 years
ago, a lot of the appliances,
327
00:13:28.060 --> 00:13:29.530
if you like, were already installed
328
00:13:29.530 --> 00:13:31.000
and we were quite happy with them.
329
00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:35.425
And also, you know, if you
don't need to replace them, why?
330
00:13:35.425 --> 00:13:37.780
And and honestly they
were the kind of devices
331
00:13:37.780 --> 00:13:40.150
that you could put a bump on, on a button
332
00:13:40.150 --> 00:13:42.490
and you could quite easily set it up and,
333
00:13:42.490 --> 00:13:43.960
and you know, with a
washing machine for example,
334
00:13:43.960 --> 00:13:46.510
it's the same setting I'm
using every time I have a
335
00:13:46.510 --> 00:13:47.740
bump on that is set.
336
00:13:47.740 --> 00:13:49.120
So I can just turn the dial,
337
00:13:49.120 --> 00:13:50.860
I can press the start
button and walk away.
338
00:13:50.860 --> 00:13:52.930
The dishwasher is exactly the same.
339
00:13:52.930 --> 00:13:54.190
I know every time I turn,
340
00:13:54.190 --> 00:13:55.630
I press the button on the far left,
341
00:13:55.630 --> 00:13:56.980
I press the middle button twice
342
00:13:56.980 --> 00:13:58.510
and then I press the far right button
343
00:13:58.510 --> 00:14:00.100
and I shut the the door
344
00:14:00.100 --> 00:14:01.720
and off it goes and starts its thing.
345
00:14:01.720 --> 00:14:03.640
I'll be honest, and this is kind
346
00:14:03.640 --> 00:14:06.040
of why you talk about the
smart devices being really
347
00:14:06.040 --> 00:14:07.240
important, I do that
348
00:14:07.240 --> 00:14:09.730
because that's all I know
what to do to get it started.
349
00:14:09.730 --> 00:14:12.100
There may be a million other
functions of this thing,
350
00:14:12.100 --> 00:14:14.860
I have no idea what they are,
but it works, it works for me.
351
00:14:14.860 --> 00:14:17.980
I would like to engage more
with the washing machine
352
00:14:17.980 --> 00:14:20.470
and the dishwasher, but
doing that excessively
353
00:14:20.470 --> 00:14:22.600
as a challenge, unless I obviously go out
354
00:14:22.600 --> 00:14:24.460
and buy a brand new machine
355
00:14:24.460 --> 00:14:26.380
and I will at some point have to do that.
356
00:14:26.380 --> 00:14:29.230
And when I do, I will
absolutely be looking at smart
357
00:14:29.230 --> 00:14:32.530
because like you say, through
the app on my smartphone,
358
00:14:32.530 --> 00:14:35.560
be able to control that
device, get more out of it.
359
00:14:35.560 --> 00:14:37.930
Actually there's a Samsung
washing machine in the states
360
00:14:37.930 --> 00:14:39.490
available now, it's not one
361
00:14:39.490 --> 00:14:41.500
of the cheapest devices I'll admit,
362
00:14:41.500 --> 00:14:42.700
but there is one out there now,
363
00:14:42.700 --> 00:14:45.550
which does have its own
built in accessibility tool
364
00:14:45.550 --> 00:14:48.010
that you can actually
listen to as you move around
365
00:14:48.010 --> 00:14:49.840
that touch screen you talk about it will
366
00:14:49.840 --> 00:14:51.140
actually speak aloud.
367
00:14:51.140 --> 00:14:53.930
So the technology is coming,
it's kind of getting there.
368
00:14:53.930 --> 00:14:56.360
It's so far behind everything else,
369
00:14:56.360 --> 00:14:58.340
we are still reliant on the smartphone.
370
00:14:58.340 --> 00:15:00.080
And that's why often I'd say to people,
371
00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:01.400
if you are buying a new device,
372
00:15:01.400 --> 00:15:03.140
if you're buying a new appliance,
373
00:15:03.140 --> 00:15:04.640
the geeks let me will tell you go buy
374
00:15:04.640 --> 00:15:06.140
the latest smart thing.
375
00:15:06.140 --> 00:15:08.720
Actually sometimes the
simpler option is A,
376
00:15:08.720 --> 00:15:11.270
the cheaper option, and B,
the more accessible one,
377
00:15:11.270 --> 00:15:13.490
the microwave that doesn't
have a million buttons on it,
378
00:15:13.490 --> 00:15:15.380
but actually just has two dials power
379
00:15:15.380 --> 00:15:18.020
and time, that may be all you need.
380
00:15:18.020 --> 00:15:22.190
And so if that is the case,
just do that, get a bump on,
381
00:15:22.190 --> 00:15:25.430
you know, put it on the, the
the 10 and the 20 and the 30
382
00:15:25.430 --> 00:15:27.200
or whatever you want in terms of timing
383
00:15:27.200 --> 00:15:29.000
and just lay it out to suit you.
384
00:15:29.000 --> 00:15:31.370
And you know, talking
air fryers are starting
385
00:15:31.370 --> 00:15:33.110
to become a thing, but you know, there's
386
00:15:33.110 --> 00:15:34.640
so few and far between.
387
00:15:34.640 --> 00:15:38.270
We we're reliant on
smartphone accessibility
388
00:15:38.270 --> 00:15:40.160
and we're also reliant on
that smartphone accessibility
389
00:15:40.160 --> 00:15:42.350
being there and not being
broken at any point.
390
00:15:42.350 --> 00:15:43.850
And that is a real problem.
391
00:15:43.850 --> 00:15:45.380
We can, it might work today,
392
00:15:45.380 --> 00:15:48.320
but one update who'd come
along into that app and
393
00:15:48.320 --> 00:15:49.550
and break that accessibility
394
00:15:49.550 --> 00:15:51.530
and suddenly you're left with
a device which you can no
395
00:15:51.530 --> 00:15:53.630
longer use independently.
396
00:15:53.630 --> 00:15:55.580
So that's always something to consider.
397
00:15:55.580 --> 00:15:59.480
The smarter it gets, the more
potential risks there are.
398
00:15:59.480 --> 00:16:01.190
I'm not trying to put
people off smart technology,
399
00:16:01.190 --> 00:16:03.050
but I just think people need
to understand that, you know,
400
00:16:03.050 --> 00:16:06.080
it doesn't necessarily
mean that it's better.
401
00:16:06.080 --> 00:16:07.130
Right, exactly.
402
00:16:07.130 --> 00:16:08.780
And I think that's one
of the biggest things
403
00:16:08.780 --> 00:16:12.650
to think about if you're
purchasing something new, is
404
00:16:12.650 --> 00:16:15.410
to have a plan in place.
405
00:16:15.410 --> 00:16:18.230
What happens if I wake up tomorrow
406
00:16:18.230 --> 00:16:21.950
and the accessibility
of the app has changed
407
00:16:21.950 --> 00:16:25.250
or the connection with my
smart assistant that I speak
408
00:16:25.250 --> 00:16:26.840
to has changed?
409
00:16:26.840 --> 00:16:31.640
Could I operate this device even if in a
410
00:16:31.640 --> 00:16:32.810
basic way?
411
00:16:32.810 --> 00:16:35.000
So again, pressing that ten second
412
00:16:35.000 --> 00:16:38.990
or 32nd button on the
microwave, can I still use this
413
00:16:38.990 --> 00:16:40.700
or has it for all intents
414
00:16:40.700 --> 00:16:42.980
and purposes become a brick to me become.
415
00:16:42.980 --> 00:16:47.030
So yeah, that's certainly
a thing to think about.
416
00:16:47.030 --> 00:16:49.430
And this has happened unfortunately,
417
00:16:49.430 --> 00:16:51.950
where I think there are some people
418
00:16:51.950 --> 00:16:55.700
with a particular air
fryer, I believe it's Kari,
419
00:16:55.700 --> 00:17:00.470
and got really accustomed to
being able to set the time,
420
00:17:00.470 --> 00:17:03.830
the temperature and
start the device without
421
00:17:03.830 --> 00:17:05.390
ever having to touch it.
422
00:17:05.390 --> 00:17:08.600
And suddenly, I don't
know if it was the A lady
423
00:17:08.600 --> 00:17:13.520
or KRI updating, but now you have to find
424
00:17:13.520 --> 00:17:18.230
and press a start button
in order to get that going.
425
00:17:18.230 --> 00:17:20.900
You see, this is why I quite
like the lead ea being the
426
00:17:20.900 --> 00:17:24.200
hub because ultimately
what I think about when,
427
00:17:24.200 --> 00:17:26.420
when it comes to
accessibility is, you know,
428
00:17:26.420 --> 00:17:29.840
you want something that
is fairly untouchable.
429
00:17:29.840 --> 00:17:33.050
So, and nothing is untouchable,
nothing is unbreakable.
430
00:17:33.050 --> 00:17:36.980
But if the purpose by the manufacturer is
431
00:17:36.980 --> 00:17:40.310
that you can use the Amazon
Echo to talk to that device,
432
00:17:40.310 --> 00:17:44.240
if they have built that tool,
then that tool should always,
433
00:17:44.240 --> 00:17:47.720
at least that base level should work.
434
00:17:47.720 --> 00:17:50.160
Right. So I, if we can talk a
little bit about smart lights
435
00:17:50.160 --> 00:17:51.450
for a second, I want to go to that
436
00:17:51.450 --> 00:17:54.150
because in my home I have smart lights
437
00:17:54.150 --> 00:17:57.210
and the way we did it
was I used Philip Hue.
438
00:17:57.210 --> 00:17:59.460
Now Philips Hue is a well-known brand,
439
00:17:59.460 --> 00:18:00.900
it's not a cheap brand,
440
00:18:00.900 --> 00:18:02.310
although they have come out with,
441
00:18:02.310 --> 00:18:04.320
they call it the essentials range,
442
00:18:04.320 --> 00:18:07.230
which are a little bit more
affordable bulbs, which is good
443
00:18:07.230 --> 00:18:09.600
because you know, for a lot of
blind people it's lighting is
444
00:18:09.600 --> 00:18:12.150
important, really important,
especially for low vision.
445
00:18:12.150 --> 00:18:14.790
You know, people who are,
are losing vision over time.
446
00:18:14.790 --> 00:18:17.790
Lighting is important
and my wife is low vision
447
00:18:17.790 --> 00:18:18.930
and she needs a lot of light.
448
00:18:18.930 --> 00:18:20.910
She really needs a lot of
light. I'm the opposite.
449
00:18:20.910 --> 00:18:24.540
I could happily live in the
darkness, but she likes light.
450
00:18:24.540 --> 00:18:27.930
And for that reason, I was
thinking about a smart solution
451
00:18:27.930 --> 00:18:30.810
for her where when she
comes into the house
452
00:18:30.810 --> 00:18:34.230
of a dark evening, the
lights just would come on.
453
00:18:34.230 --> 00:18:36.270
You know, I just wanted
the lights to come on
454
00:18:36.270 --> 00:18:38.190
and there's lots of solutions for this.
455
00:18:38.190 --> 00:18:40.260
And these days, you
know, you, you can't turn
456
00:18:40.260 --> 00:18:43.020
around without falling
over some motion activated
457
00:18:43.020 --> 00:18:44.400
light somewhere.
458
00:18:44.400 --> 00:18:46.620
But often these lights
that you can buy are,
459
00:18:46.620 --> 00:18:47.790
you know, they stick onto the wall.
460
00:18:47.790 --> 00:18:50.490
You've probably heard about
adverts, you know, on Facebook
461
00:18:50.490 --> 00:18:52.380
or you know, maybe you've
seen them on television.
462
00:18:52.380 --> 00:18:54.630
These lights, you can
stick up in cupboards.
463
00:18:54.630 --> 00:18:57.210
I mean, you open the cupboard
door, the light will come on,
464
00:18:57.210 --> 00:18:59.310
it's all great, but the
problem is they're all battery
465
00:18:59.310 --> 00:19:01.890
operated, so you'd be
forever charging things up.
466
00:19:01.890 --> 00:19:03.150
And they've made it a little bit easier.
467
00:19:03.150 --> 00:19:05.220
But still I wanted lights
that were fixed in,
468
00:19:05.220 --> 00:19:07.950
in the ceiling in my case,
little spotlight bulbs.
469
00:19:07.950 --> 00:19:11.460
And I wanted those to be
able to be, you know, just
470
00:19:11.460 --> 00:19:14.310
to come on as we walk into the house
471
00:19:14.310 --> 00:19:16.230
and also when we go upstairs.
472
00:19:16.230 --> 00:19:17.280
And so that's what we did.
473
00:19:17.280 --> 00:19:19.320
I used a Phillips Hue motion sensor,
474
00:19:19.320 --> 00:19:21.120
I just stuck onto the wall
475
00:19:21.120 --> 00:19:22.380
and I've had that now on the wall
476
00:19:22.380 --> 00:19:23.850
for I think four or five years.
477
00:19:23.850 --> 00:19:26.400
And I've never changed
the battery in that once,
478
00:19:26.400 --> 00:19:28.830
which is interesting how long that lasts.
479
00:19:28.830 --> 00:19:31.080
But that little motion sensor,
which is just a little device
480
00:19:31.080 --> 00:19:34.170
that you get, you get the
lights, you plug them into the,
481
00:19:34.170 --> 00:19:35.280
the roof as normal, they're just,
482
00:19:35.280 --> 00:19:36.795
even if they're smart
lights, they're exactly
483
00:19:36.795 --> 00:19:37.830
the same as any other light.
484
00:19:37.830 --> 00:19:39.240
They don't use up anymore energy.
485
00:19:39.240 --> 00:19:42.180
In fact, because they're LED
they use less so they're,
486
00:19:42.180 --> 00:19:44.700
they're cheaper than the
halogen spotlight bulbs
487
00:19:44.700 --> 00:19:46.140
of old i I should say as well.
488
00:19:46.140 --> 00:19:48.720
You have a little device that
you connect to the internet
489
00:19:48.720 --> 00:19:52.440
and you connect this box to it
called a Phillips Hue Bridge.
490
00:19:52.440 --> 00:19:53.675
And it literally does that.
491
00:19:53.675 --> 00:19:57.120
It is a bridge to connect to
your lights, to your internet,
492
00:19:57.120 --> 00:20:00.340
and that box is kind of the
brain, the operation of,
493
00:20:00.340 --> 00:20:02.130
of the brain, of the
whole, the whole thing.
494
00:20:02.130 --> 00:20:05.520
And you download the Philip
Hue app onto your smartphone
495
00:20:06.420 --> 00:20:08.820
and you go through the
process of adding the lights.
496
00:20:08.820 --> 00:20:11.520
That's a, a bit of a boring procedure
497
00:20:11.520 --> 00:20:13.440
because you gotta spend time trying
498
00:20:13.440 --> 00:20:14.820
to find the light and then connect.
499
00:20:14.820 --> 00:20:16.170
And sometimes it's fairly quick.
500
00:20:16.170 --> 00:20:18.750
It'll say, oh, we've found six lights.
501
00:20:18.750 --> 00:20:20.820
I tended to do it one
by one, so I would know.
502
00:20:20.820 --> 00:20:22.860
And you can test the light
by, you know, turning it on
503
00:20:22.860 --> 00:20:24.360
and off on the app and you would see if,
504
00:20:24.360 --> 00:20:26.100
if you can see at all, you'd be able
505
00:20:26.100 --> 00:20:28.080
to see the light going on and off.
506
00:20:28.080 --> 00:20:30.750
And that is how you can
identify it. You can name it.
507
00:20:30.750 --> 00:20:33.540
So I could call it, you know,
downstairs one, downstairs,
508
00:20:33.540 --> 00:20:35.070
two downstairs, three and so on.
509
00:20:35.070 --> 00:20:37.410
And that covers all my downstairs lights
510
00:20:37.410 --> 00:20:39.840
and the motion sensor again, it would say,
511
00:20:39.840 --> 00:20:42.660
I found a motion sensor,
where is the position of this?
512
00:20:42.660 --> 00:20:45.450
And you can tell it, well,
it's in my downstairs hall
513
00:20:45.450 --> 00:20:48.460
and I can now create a group
and I can add my motion sensor
514
00:20:48.460 --> 00:20:50.260
and my downstairs one
and my downstairs two
515
00:20:50.260 --> 00:20:51.880
and my downstairs three bulb.
516
00:20:51.880 --> 00:20:54.670
And then I can say, right,
regarding this motion sensor,
517
00:20:54.670 --> 00:20:58.660
I wanna set this up so that
when motion is detected,
518
00:20:58.660 --> 00:21:01.540
the following happens, the
lights come on at full brightness
519
00:21:01.540 --> 00:21:03.220
for 10 minutes.
520
00:21:03.220 --> 00:21:04.960
And that is how I set mine up.
521
00:21:04.960 --> 00:21:06.910
And of course I say that I realize it,
522
00:21:06.910 --> 00:21:08.830
this is a time sensitive thing.
523
00:21:08.830 --> 00:21:11.680
You, you do have to go
through it, it does take time,
524
00:21:11.680 --> 00:21:13.090
but it is accessible to do
525
00:21:13.090 --> 00:21:14.830
with a screen reader on a smartphone.
526
00:21:14.830 --> 00:21:15.970
And of course if you're low vision,
527
00:21:15.970 --> 00:21:19.600
you can use a tool like Zoom
on your smartphone with your,
528
00:21:19.600 --> 00:21:22.720
an iPhone or Android and
navigate around the app
529
00:21:22.720 --> 00:21:25.330
and set it all up and
essentially build your smart home
530
00:21:25.330 --> 00:21:27.700
within the Philips Hue app.
531
00:21:27.700 --> 00:21:30.670
Now then, like I mentioned
earlier about the Ring doorbell,
532
00:21:30.670 --> 00:21:32.860
I can go to my Amazon Echo app
533
00:21:32.860 --> 00:21:36.700
and I can ask it to enable
the Philips hue skill.
534
00:21:36.700 --> 00:21:38.650
So you see we've learned
how to do the ring,
535
00:21:38.650 --> 00:21:40.690
now we can do the same with the lights
536
00:21:40.690 --> 00:21:43.120
and suddenly we're starting
to build our smart home here.
537
00:21:43.120 --> 00:21:46.810
And again, make the lady a
the hub of the whole thing.
538
00:21:46.810 --> 00:21:49.060
And so now because I have built my groups
539
00:21:49.060 --> 00:21:50.650
and I've called it downstairs
540
00:21:50.650 --> 00:21:52.120
and I've set one up for my living room
541
00:21:52.120 --> 00:21:53.350
and I've set one up for my office
542
00:21:53.350 --> 00:21:55.060
and I've set one up for
here and the kitchen
543
00:21:55.060 --> 00:21:58.960
and wherever else I can ask it
to turn on the kitchen lights
544
00:21:58.960 --> 00:22:00.640
and all the kitchen lights will come on.
545
00:22:00.640 --> 00:22:02.290
Or I can say, turn on all the lights
546
00:22:02.290 --> 00:22:04.120
and every light in the house will come on
547
00:22:04.120 --> 00:22:07.150
or turn off the bathroom
lights or whatever you want.
548
00:22:07.150 --> 00:22:08.740
You can set it up to suit you.
549
00:22:08.740 --> 00:22:10.570
You can even change the, the brightness
550
00:22:10.570 --> 00:22:12.940
of them if it's too bright,
you can change that.
551
00:22:12.940 --> 00:22:14.740
You can change the scene, all of this
552
00:22:14.740 --> 00:22:16.720
and you can do it with your voice.
553
00:22:16.720 --> 00:22:20.440
So the hub of the home being
the lady a in my case makes it
554
00:22:20.440 --> 00:22:23.560
smart, but makes it usable.
555
00:22:23.560 --> 00:22:25.030
You know, accessibility is one thing,
556
00:22:25.030 --> 00:22:26.290
but usability is another.
557
00:22:26.290 --> 00:22:28.870
And that's the key for me, building both.
558
00:22:28.870 --> 00:22:31.270
Absolutely, yeah, you've
gotta have something
559
00:22:31.270 --> 00:22:34.840
where you can speak to it in a
natural way instead of having
560
00:22:34.840 --> 00:22:36.400
to memorize a set of commands
561
00:22:36.400 --> 00:22:38.410
that don't necessarily make sense.
562
00:22:38.410 --> 00:22:41.290
It's never going to come
naturally in that case
563
00:22:41.290 --> 00:22:44.710
and you're just gonna be
wishing for that light switch.
564
00:22:44.710 --> 00:22:46.780
Yes. And that's the other thing as well.
565
00:22:46.780 --> 00:22:48.856
Now you mentioned that at the
top about, you know, you you,
566
00:22:48.856 --> 00:22:51.040
you have guests coming over
and they turn the lights off
567
00:22:51.040 --> 00:22:53.320
and the immediate thinking is,
568
00:22:53.320 --> 00:22:55.180
that's gonna destroy my smart lights
569
00:22:55.180 --> 00:22:56.440
because you've SunEd them all off,
570
00:22:56.440 --> 00:22:57.490
that means they've lost power.
571
00:22:57.490 --> 00:22:58.480
Does that mean they've forgotten
572
00:22:58.480 --> 00:23:00.070
everything that I've just told them?
573
00:23:00.070 --> 00:23:02.110
No, it doesn't. The good
news is you can turn those
574
00:23:02.110 --> 00:23:03.700
lights back on again.
575
00:23:03.700 --> 00:23:05.860
They will default to an on state
576
00:23:05.860 --> 00:23:07.150
because that's what they would do.
577
00:23:07.150 --> 00:23:08.830
You can change all this
in the app as well,
578
00:23:08.830 --> 00:23:11.395
but you know, the default is
that it would change it to be,
579
00:23:11.395 --> 00:23:13.540
you know, turn the, the light on it will
580
00:23:13.540 --> 00:23:15.310
respond and turn all the lights on.
581
00:23:15.310 --> 00:23:17.650
And again, you could
just see at that point,
582
00:23:17.650 --> 00:23:20.260
turn the lights off and it would do so.
583
00:23:20.260 --> 00:23:22.240
So, you know, it doesn't forget anything.
584
00:23:22.240 --> 00:23:25.270
I, as I say, I've found it
to be incredibly reliable.
585
00:23:25.270 --> 00:23:27.370
I set and forget to some degree,
586
00:23:27.370 --> 00:23:30.610
I haven't changed any
settings on my whole lights
587
00:23:30.610 --> 00:23:34.090
for about five years and they all work.
588
00:23:34.090 --> 00:23:35.800
So it's a, it's a really good system.
589
00:23:35.800 --> 00:23:39.730
That's awesome. And I
think this has turned out
590
00:23:39.730 --> 00:23:41.740
to be a really balanced discussion.
591
00:23:41.740 --> 00:23:43.960
Neither one of us are saying go out
592
00:23:43.960 --> 00:23:46.100
and make everything smart right now.
593
00:23:46.100 --> 00:23:48.680
But each of us has also given a reason
594
00:23:48.680 --> 00:23:53.090
for why you might want to add a couple
595
00:23:53.090 --> 00:23:54.320
of smart things
596
00:23:54.320 --> 00:23:56.900
and kind of the benefits
that that might bring to you.
597
00:23:56.900 --> 00:24:00.530
So I just have one last question,
598
00:24:00.530 --> 00:24:05.420
and this maybe is the most
difficult, it certainly is
599
00:24:05.420 --> 00:24:10.100
for me, if someone is
thinking about getting
600
00:24:10.100 --> 00:24:11.720
these smart things
601
00:24:11.720 --> 00:24:15.830
and they've decided, okay, this is my hub,
602
00:24:15.830 --> 00:24:17.840
this is my speaker that I have
603
00:24:17.840 --> 00:24:18.980
and I'm gonna stick with that.
604
00:24:18.980 --> 00:24:21.590
So I know at least that much now
605
00:24:21.590 --> 00:24:24.350
because they're are so
many things on the market.
606
00:24:24.350 --> 00:24:25.790
If you're looking at smart lights
607
00:24:25.790 --> 00:24:27.170
or you're looking at a doorbell
608
00:24:27.170 --> 00:24:30.950
or you're looking at even a,
a smart oven, what's your kind
609
00:24:30.950 --> 00:24:32.450
of process for researching
610
00:24:32.450 --> 00:24:36.800
and figuring out which is
going to work without having
611
00:24:36.800 --> 00:24:38.180
to buy the thing first
612
00:24:38.180 --> 00:24:39.650
and discovering, oh nope,
613
00:24:39.650 --> 00:24:41.960
that's not gonna work, gotta return that.
614
00:24:41.960 --> 00:24:44.300
Yeah, and that's, that's
a really good question
615
00:24:44.300 --> 00:24:47.750
because this is often the biggest
challenge in our world is,
616
00:24:47.750 --> 00:24:51.020
you know, yes, you can review
the top five air fryers
617
00:24:51.020 --> 00:24:53.000
and you'll find a million YouTube videos
618
00:24:53.000 --> 00:24:54.980
with all the suggestions in the world,
619
00:24:54.980 --> 00:24:57.680
but the question is what of those works
620
00:24:57.680 --> 00:24:59.720
for us as blind people?
621
00:24:59.720 --> 00:25:01.130
That's the challenge. My answer to
622
00:25:01.130 --> 00:25:02.360
that would be check out double tap.
623
00:25:02.360 --> 00:25:06.320
It's a great daily show. We
talk about this stuff every day.
624
00:25:06.320 --> 00:25:07.801
Yeah, right. And you
know, we do try and, and
625
00:25:07.801 --> 00:25:10.880
and we be a resource that's
what we are for, right?
626
00:25:10.880 --> 00:25:13.250
We're here to, to be, not
just to talk about this stuff,
627
00:25:13.250 --> 00:25:15.560
but invite you as the audience to come on
628
00:25:15.560 --> 00:25:17.060
and actually talk as well.
629
00:25:17.060 --> 00:25:19.670
And I remember doing an
episode about microwaves
630
00:25:19.670 --> 00:25:21.050
and the amount of people who got in touch
631
00:25:21.050 --> 00:25:24.170
with different ideas from
microwaves, from the, the cheapest
632
00:25:24.170 --> 00:25:25.820
to the most expensive and the smartest.
633
00:25:25.820 --> 00:25:27.020
And that's really what it's about.
634
00:25:27.020 --> 00:25:28.880
It's about just, you know, being a place
635
00:25:28.880 --> 00:25:30.470
where people can come
and get the information.
636
00:25:30.470 --> 00:25:31.475
And we've try and, and,
637
00:25:31.475 --> 00:25:35.480
and create that information for
you as well via our website,
638
00:25:35.480 --> 00:25:37.010
double tap on air.com.
639
00:25:37.010 --> 00:25:38.630
So, you know, do check it out
640
00:25:38.630 --> 00:25:40.190
because I think you,
you'll learn something
641
00:25:40.190 --> 00:25:41.780
about whatever it might be.
642
00:25:41.780 --> 00:25:43.610
And we even did one on
outdoor cooking recently
643
00:25:43.610 --> 00:25:45.800
and all the amazing tools that people use
644
00:25:45.800 --> 00:25:48.650
that are accessible and some
of the simple stuff as well.
645
00:25:48.650 --> 00:25:50.330
You know, ultimately what
I would say is if it comes
646
00:25:50.330 --> 00:25:52.850
to building a smart home, keep it simple.
647
00:25:52.850 --> 00:25:55.700
Start small. You don't
have to buy all in one day,
648
00:25:55.700 --> 00:25:57.380
you don't have to do all that.
649
00:25:57.380 --> 00:25:58.490
Just take your time.
650
00:25:58.490 --> 00:26:00.590
As I say, start with a need
651
00:26:00.590 --> 00:26:03.770
because that's often what will
drive you to do is start with
652
00:26:03.770 --> 00:26:05.210
what you need to do.
653
00:26:05.210 --> 00:26:07.940
Lighting is a good one, it's
a good one to think about.
654
00:26:07.940 --> 00:26:10.790
I, I've had many blind people
ask me, Ricky, this question,
655
00:26:10.790 --> 00:26:11.960
why is a blind person,
656
00:26:11.960 --> 00:26:14.015
do I even care if the
lights are on or off?
657
00:26:14.015 --> 00:26:16.070
And and my answer to
that is, well two things.
658
00:26:16.070 --> 00:26:18.980
One, I'm assuming you'd have
people over occasionally,
659
00:26:18.980 --> 00:26:21.350
and if that's the case, you
might want the lights on.
660
00:26:21.350 --> 00:26:23.960
But here's the other
thing, when they leave,
661
00:26:23.960 --> 00:26:26.000
you wanna know those lights are off.
662
00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:27.830
Now these smart lights can turn themselves
663
00:26:27.830 --> 00:26:29.780
off at designated time.
664
00:26:29.780 --> 00:26:32.210
I have mindset, for example,
to go with the sunset
665
00:26:32.210 --> 00:26:35.240
and the sunrise, so they will
go off at sunset if they're
666
00:26:35.240 --> 00:26:36.875
on simple as that.
667
00:26:36.875 --> 00:26:39.800
And, and that is a way of
knowing my lights are off.
668
00:26:39.800 --> 00:26:42.650
So it can actually work towards
saving you money as well.
669
00:26:42.650 --> 00:26:45.090
And it it also be useful
if you're not in your home.
670
00:26:45.090 --> 00:26:47.880
You can, you know, have your
home lights come on as we used
671
00:26:47.880 --> 00:26:49.920
to do in the old days, we
used to plug our lights into
672
00:26:49.920 --> 00:26:52.020
timers to turn our, you know, lights on
673
00:26:52.020 --> 00:26:53.040
and off when we were on holiday.
674
00:26:53.040 --> 00:26:55.620
Of course these days we just
use our smart lights for that.
675
00:26:55.620 --> 00:26:58.290
Yeah, you're simulating
that someone might be there.
676
00:26:58.290 --> 00:26:59.940
So yeah, absolutely.
677
00:26:59.940 --> 00:27:04.080
So many reasons to
explore diving into this
678
00:27:04.080 --> 00:27:07.980
and I think lights make
a, a nice place to start.
679
00:27:07.980 --> 00:27:10.440
And certainly reaching out
680
00:27:10.440 --> 00:27:14.280
to the community in Double
Tap is a great example of
681
00:27:14.280 --> 00:27:18.420
learn from what other people
have bought or share your good
682
00:27:18.420 --> 00:27:19.830
or bad experiences.
683
00:27:19.830 --> 00:27:21.840
I think that's what it's all about.
684
00:27:21.840 --> 00:27:23.550
Well, this has been so much fun, Stephen.
685
00:27:23.550 --> 00:27:26.520
It's always great to have you stopping by.
686
00:27:26.520 --> 00:27:31.020
Always very informative and
hope to have you again sometime.
687
00:27:31.020 --> 00:27:33.030
We haven't scared you away yet, so No, not
688
00:27:33.030 --> 00:27:34.080
At all. You know, you never will.
689
00:27:34.080 --> 00:27:36.330
Excellent.
Thank you Ricky.
690
00:27:36.330 --> 00:27:40.800
Thanks so much. Got something to say?
691
00:27:40.800 --> 00:27:44.280
Share your thoughts about this
episode of Hadley Presents,
692
00:27:44.280 --> 00:27:46.860
or make suggestions for future episodes.
693
00:27:46.860 --> 00:27:48.570
We'd love to hear from you.
694
00:27:48.570 --> 00:27:53.550
Send us an email at
podcast@hadleyhelps.org.
695
00:27:53.550 --> 00:27:58.487
That's P-O-D-C-A-S-T at HadleyHelps.org
696
00:28:00.060 --> 00:28:01.800
or leave us a message at
697
00:28:01.800 --> 00:28:06.800
847-784-2870.
698
00:28:06.990 --> 00:28:07.950
Thanks for listening.