Talking Technology with V I Labs
This podcast is focused on technology that supports people who are blind and visually impaired. Our panel of IT Trainers & guest panelists discuss all the latest in mainstream and inclusive technology innovations in a fun and informative manner. V I Labs is the technology function within Vision Ireland. Vision Ireland is the national sight loss agency in Ireland. V I Labs provide technology assessments and training for all our service users. We are a not for profit charity, which offers support and services to people of all ages who are experiencing difficulties with their eyesight. Visit www.vi.ie to discover more about our technology services and other range of services Vision Ireland provide
Talking Technology with V I Labs
Christmas is finally here - Talking Technology episode 102
On this episode of Talking Technology with V I Labs, David and Joe discuss the Christmas movies and TV available with audio description. Is Frozen a Christmas movie?
Santa joins us to discuss his master plan to move to the South Pole as a result of global warming, and shares the emotional moment when his Meta Glasses gave a beautiful description of Mrs Claus in the snow.
Was Glide the lowlight of the year? And what on earth is happening at iRobot?
Get the biscuits, chocolates, and perhaps a drink of your choice, and enjoy the 2025 Talking Technology Christmas special.
Thank you very much for listening to our content this year. If you’ve found what we do of value, you can support the work of Vision Ireland with a donation by visiting vi.ie/donate. You can also tell them the podcast sent you in the comments section.
We hope you have a super Christmas and New Year, and we’ll join you again in 2026.
Welcome to Talking Technology with VI Labs. At VI Labs, we believe technology is the single greatest enabler for people with sight loss and all disabilities. If you're looking for the latest news and conversation on tech from a more accessible perspective, you've come to the right place.
SPEAKER_03:You have indeed. Happy Christmas, everybody, and welcome in to the Christmas special of Talking Technology with VI Labs. It's our final podcast for 2025. Can you believe it? We have done, believe it or not, uh we've done a total of 30 podcasts throughout the year, including uh this Christmas special. So we really hope uh that you've found it of value over the course of the year. It really has been fun to put these together for you. Um, and whether you've listened uh just to the podcasts or you've also been reading Tech on Tap, uh it really has been great to have you along for the ride. Uh so thank you so much uh for that. And this uh podcast, it's no different. We are going to have a great podcast for you over the next half an hour or so. It's gonna be a little shorter uh than our regular podcast because hey, you've got Christmas dinners to make and uh things to sort under the tree. Uh I hope you have your tree up by this point, but uh I'm sure you do. Uh but regardless of what you're doing over the next uh little bit, uh it's Christmas uh Eve Eve as we publish this. Uh so it might be Christmas Eve by the time uh you're listening to us. So uh preparations I'm sure well underway, and we're gonna be with you with loads of great content over the next half an hour or so. We are going to be checking in and uh getting all the details of some Christmas movies that you can watch on your streaming services and what's on television over the Christmas period. There's some great stuff on, and we might, maybe, I say this every year, and he always does seem to deliver in fairness. We're gonna be checking in with Santa Claus later on in the show as well, so you won't want to miss that. So uh either way, you know, maybe uh sit back, relax, get some biscuits. You probably have the biscuits in the house at this point, uh, get a drink, uh maybe alcoholic, that's up to yourself. Uh, and uh sit back, relax and enjoy this Christmas special of Talking Technology. And hey, while you are relaxing and celebrating, why not send us a voice note or an email to catch up and uh keep us in the loop with what you're doing for your Christmas plans? Uh or maybe do tell us what you get from Mr. Santa Claus himself. Are you going to be getting some Christmas techie goodies? We'd love to hear about it, and there's loads of ways that you can get in touch. So if you would like to join the conversation, there are loads of ways that you can do so. You can send us an email if you'd like. Uh it's a good festive uh tradition that we love to receive your emails. Uh, so you can get us at content at vi.ie. That's content at vi.ie. Or if you would like to send us a festive WhatsApp voice note, we'd love to hear that too. You can send that to 086199 001. That's 086199 001. Remember, a voice note is not a call. You want to use the voice message button, it's labelled with voice over at the bottom right of the WhatsApp chat screen. So 086199 001. And uh I wonder, you know, we who knows? Maybe Santa would even send us a voice note once in a blue moon. Who knows? Uh but there you go. And to join me uh to chat about all things Christmas and all things festive and snow and Christmas crackers and Christmas jokes. It's Mr. Joe Lonigan. Joe, how are you? I'm good, David. How are you, Keeping? I'm good, Joe. Ready for Christmas. Today is my last day in the building, Joe, which is great.
SPEAKER_01:Well, that's always uh good. Get get out of the building for Christmas and spend time with your family um so and and refresh the batteries for 2026.
SPEAKER_03:Absolutely, and we'll have lots of exciting stuff coming in uh 2026. We'll touch on that uh later as well. But uh you doing anything exciting or nice for the Christmas, Joe?
SPEAKER_01:Well, uh I I have two kids, so um that'll keep me really busy, and uh there's loads of stuff on the way. Um Santa we will be we'll be good to him as usual. So um that that'll keep me busy and them busy. And uh we're gonna go out on Christmas Day for dinner um this year. So um to we're gonna have hot dinner in a hotel, believe it or not. So that'll be that'll be a change for for and so we're gonna see how that goes. And uh I imagine it'll be a great atmosphere, and um there'll be Carol singing there and uh some music playing afterwards, and um might even squeeze in one or two drinks, you know, but responsibly, of course.
SPEAKER_03:Of course. And do you know I've never done that before or even considered it really going out for uh you know a a Christmas kind of meal uh in a hotel or anything like that. But I as you said, I'd imagine there'd be great atmosphere, do you know?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I well I I hope so. Yeah, I'd I I've been told it's it's it's great. So we said we'd give it a go just just for one year and um sure we like it, we might do it again.
SPEAKER_03:Absolutely. I've always heard, you know, funny enough, uh the atmosphere, um, you know, I know it it sounds like a horrible uh situation to be in, but I've been told that you know that uh you know obviously nobody wants to be in hospital on on Christmas Day, but uh for those who are they they really do put in the effort there to make it as nice a day as possible where possible, do you know?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I I I would imagine so. I I I'd hope so, and um I'd feel sorry for anyone that has to be away from their family or in the hospital on Christmas Day, especially now with the um influen influenza pandemic going around and stuff. But yeah, um they they do try their very best to make it um a special occasion for people in the hospital as well.
SPEAKER_03:Absolutely, yeah. We're taking it easy uh this Christmas. We're uh sticking at home, uh as we often do indeed. Um just you know, just taking it easy and as you said earlier on, taking that time to uh recharge batteries and uh get ready for what will hopefully be an exciting 2026 Joe. Um and on that note, I guess before we get to 2026, there's loads of things that you can do over the Christmas break if you're on holidays from work or or you're just taking it easy. Um there's loads of things that you can do. There's loads of Christmassy movies that are available with audio description this year, as there is every year.
SPEAKER_01:Oh yeah, I mean Christmas movies. I suppose it's what it's the one time that people ha have everybody has time off at Christmas, almost everybody. And um you you might get the opportunity to sit down and watch a movie and hopefully with your family. Uh Christmas is supposed to be a family time. Um there is some great uh family movies out there as well, um, as we'll we'll cover. I suppose one I'd mentioned that I do like to watch uh every year, it's becoming a traditional at this stage is the Grinch, and uh it is a is a great um movie. Always has an audio description and it gives a good Christmas message in the end. Um so yeah, not a grinch yourself now, Joe, just to clarify. At times it can be a bit of a grinch, but um no, no, not. I I I've pulled out, I've I've turned it around and I'm going in the in the good direction at the moment.
SPEAKER_03:Small steps, isn't it?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, small steps.
SPEAKER_03:Very good. And do you know I I was looking and do you know it's crazy to think that the movie has been out so long. Um it's been out since twenty thirteen, but one movie that is debatably a Christmas movie would be Frozen, uh is out twelve years uh this year, which is wild to think about. Um but it does have audio description on Disney Plus for both Frozen 1 and 2, and uh I have never seen it, so maybe that's one I have to put on my list, Joe.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, well, anything that has a snowman called Olaf in it, I I'd I'd recommend it. It is probably going to be a Christmas movie to me. So I did go last year to the panto called Freezing. It was by from Al Porter, believe it or not. So um I I think he has a different one this year, but uh yeah, he had a panto and um fro um kind of based on the story of Frozen, but named Freezing for copyright reasons, believe it or not. Very funny uh reasons there. Yeah, very funny. So um, yeah, in my opinion, it is a Christmas movie.
SPEAKER_03:Absolutely. Well, we'll we'll take it as a Christmas movie. I must say I do love going to the panto. We have two uh kind of prestigious pantos here in Cork, uh, one in the Everyman Theatre and one in the Cork Opera House. Both uh are supposedly fantastic. So I I have my tickets booked for one already, um and I hope to get to go and see uh both of them over the Christmas period. And interestingly, uh Cinderella, which is uh the panto at the at the Everyman here in Cork, is going to have audio description on the 4th of January, which is really cool.
SPEAKER_01:Um that's that's fantastic, David. So yeah. Um that's actually great to hear a local enough one to you have an audio description. So um yeah, that's brilliant.
SPEAKER_03:It's always worth looking around to see uh you know what is on with uh with audio description. There's some great stuff there as well for people. If you go to the Arts and Disabilities Ireland website, uh they do tend to keep track of uh some of the audio described theatre and stuff like that that's going on around the country. Uh so that is definitely worth a look. Uh, but there are other movies as well, Joe, with audio description. It's not just the Grinch or Frozen.
SPEAKER_01:No, um there is a few other movies. I suppose look, you have all the classics like. I mean, uh repeating myself from the last podcast, all the home alones and stuff like that. And um yeah, Die Hard. I don't know how you can call it a Christmas movie just because the action is all around Christmas, but it's not a Christmas movie.
SPEAKER_03:But the other one we've already settled on Frozen, so you know, we might as well call it Die Hard a Christmas movie.
SPEAKER_01:Well, Frozen is lots of ice and snow, and we'll we'll give that a bit more uh a bit more um credit, you know. So but uh anyway, yeah, yeah. But uh I I last there's one called Last Christmas for anyone that's uh um uh interested in um George Michael, or I know there's loads of George Michael fans and wham fans out there, so um all the audio in the background is uh is to do with uh Huham and stuff like that. So I think uh that's that's one worth watching if you're into George Michael. And uh it's kind of a romantic drama as well. So um it's based in London and uh it's it's quite quite fun funny kind of black comedy stuff as well. So it's good that's quite um quite good for anyone who's into that kind of thing. And um yeah, I I don't really have anything else on my short list as regards movies, but um yeah, there's loads to watch over the Christmas.
SPEAKER_03:Absolutely, and a few bits on television as well. We won't um it's going to by the time this podcast is out, uh this will have already aired, but it it often these things end up being repeated. Uh there is a really cool uh show that you were telling me about on uh BBC Ford Joe.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, BBC Four on the 22nd. Um it's uh it's called The Reed. And the read means it's like a read-along. So they have a famous actor that uh this is the second series of it, actually. They have a famous actor that will read um a novel or a famous uh story. So this year it's going to be a Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, and they'll go through um the famous parts of London or wherever it was set, and uh they'll it's kind of an inch um an enchanted story read-along. So um and it's by and Rennie Duff as well. So one of the actors from Bad Sisters, which that that's going to make her more famous, um being in that uh famous Apple TV Plus uh series. Yes, great show, absolutely brilliant, actually. Um but so she's doing the read-along this year, and um yeah, the programme is called The Read. The Read by Um uh and A Christmas Carol is the name of the um book they're going to do. So I think if you can give find that and repeat somewhere over the Christmas, um keep an eye on it. I think um they have clips of it on YouTube as well if anyone's interested.
SPEAKER_03:Super stuff. You know, I've heard about um I've never read the the Harry Potter books, but uh and again I'm veering away from Christmas here now slightly, but I've heard great things uh they released uh a kind of immersive narration of the at least some of the Harry Potter books on Audible there recently with a load of big uh actors and such. Um and uh it's not Irish or anything like that, or it's not even festive, but I know that uh some from different book clubs that we have around Vision Ireland and stuff like that um have been uh big fans of uh this new immersive reading of the uh Harry Potter book. So it sounds really cool. Um and it's great to know that there is still some fantastic audio content out there, uh especially uh for people with uh vision impairments, that the demand is there that we can actually have uh some really immersive audio experiences, which is great, you know.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I think immersive reading is um the way forward. It does include everybody as well, and uh it like it's it can be good for anyone's sighted and vision impaired. I I think it's uh a great way of watching um TVs or enjoying even uh I suppose the storyline of a book.
SPEAKER_03:Absolutely. Uh so Joe, um that is uh our Christmas movies and stuff like that with audio description. Are we missing anything else on television? Marty Wheelan there. Uh he's got a show uh coming up. Uh he might not be getting his Eurovision paycheck next year, but he is getting uh a Christmasy themed paycheck for a show on RTE there.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I I um I noticed that uh yeah, Ireland are not going to be shown the Eurovision. So um you if you enjoy Marty Whelan, you won't be able to see him on that. But but uh if you do want to watch him uh presenting something else to do with music, there is a uh a show called A Christmas in Kildare and um it's to celebrate St. Bridget. But they also have uh loads of Irish artists, son of Selene Bourne, Lisa Hannigan, um Bellex One, that kind of thing. So uh good night of music to enjoy for Christmas Eve and um a lot of Irish art artists so um kind of celebrating Irish music and celebrating St. Bridget, who is actually uh we have a um a new bank holiday actually for Chris St. Bridget now. So um yeah the celebration continues. And uh another one, then if you're into cooking or cookery programs, um I suppose it's the Great British Bake Off Celebrity Edition, and this will include all of um uh EastEnders, uh Coronation Street, and um Emmerdale. So I need uh some of the actors from from that will be in the Great British Bake Off. And uh I know we have lots of soap fans uh uh that listen to us here as well. So um yeah, if you're into that, uh there you go. Any anyone that's into cookery. Cookery problem is really enjoyable to watch. Um they can be uh very therapeutic to watch, believe it or not, for a lot of people. So um I suppose if anyone's into their smart kitchen stuff as well, um you can practice using it afterwards.
SPEAKER_03:Absolutely. I was getting concerned for a second there, Joe. I thought you were going to say that we had an interview lined up with St. Bridget, and I was getting a bit concerned. I was like, I'm good, but I'm not that good. Yeah, not that good. Not that good. Uh so yeah, loads there um on the uh on the television and on the streaming service uh over the Christmas period. Uh what uh are your kind of you know you're heading out to the hotel show. Are you a fan of the more traditional Christmas dinner, the the turkey stuffing, Brussels sprouts, what will be on the on the Christmas plate for yourself?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I actually love the traditional Christmas dinner. Um I know some people aren't a big fan of turkey, but um, yeah, I I love turkey actually, and I love ham and stuff and make me hungry talking about this nowadays. Yeah, I love all the trimmings with it and uh dessert and by the time it's all over you're nearly ready to fall asleep. But um I yeah, I'll have to get um uh I'll have to get a few drinks and keep keep going, you know. So I think um it will yeah, exactly. Yeah, no, I do. I love Christmas dinner and uh it's probably the highlight of the day, really.
SPEAKER_03:I I do agree. I I I definitely uh ditch the the Brussels sprouts, not for me, um, but like uh the turkey ham stuffing. Um they do some lovely stuffing. Um I know you're gonna say, oh my god now, but they do this lovely stuffing that you can pick up in Aldi over uh over the Christmas. It's kind of like a kind of um it's sweet enough. Um it's kind of a marinated, kind of sweet uh kind of stuffing, but oh my goodness, it's lovely. I know that's not very descriptive now, but something about it goes with the the turkey and ham really well, do you know?
unknown:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And you'll be eating sandwiches then for the next two or three days afterwards as well. So yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01:Can't be we can't be wasting it, can't be wasting the food.
SPEAKER_03:Absolutely. And uh speaking of food and someone who loves his food, it's time to try and check in with the man in the North Pole himself, Mr. Santa Claus. Uh Joe, have you been all good this year?
SPEAKER_01:Well, most of the time. Well, hopefully he didn't find out when I was bad, but uh yeah, I'm hoping I'm hoping to be on the bottom.
SPEAKER_03:He's got he's everywhere now, Joe. He's got you know birds are watching there all the time. Uh so you've got to be careful. Uh but let's check in there. Santa, are you there?
SPEAKER_00:Santa?
SPEAKER_03:Is that you? Hello, Santa.
unknown:Oh yes, David, I remember you, David.
SPEAKER_02:You're the lovely young man I spoke to last year. Aren't you Aren't you from Cork, David?
SPEAKER_03:I am from Cork, Santa, yes. Uh and Santa, tell me how were things at the North Pole?
SPEAKER_02:David, David, they're cold. They're cold. This global warming is a bit of a nightmare, David.
SPEAKER_03:Is it?
SPEAKER_02:It is, David. And I I am I I was actually speaking with Mrs. Claws about this during the year, David. And we're thinking that maybe we'll move to go.
SPEAKER_03:Well, listen, I I would highly recommend it.
SPEAKER_02:We might we might call it the South Pole. What would you think, David?
SPEAKER_03:There you go, we've got the South Mal. Indeed, we've already got the South Mal, so you know you could just take over, you know, just it's all uh the South Pole, sure.
SPEAKER_02:Absolutely, David, and the only thing about it, David, is we'll have to get the all Ireland counter for next year so that I can make it part of my former presentation. I was in Clock Park again with my red and white, but so one arm, David, we'll we'll skip merrily along, and how are you?
SPEAKER_03:I'm good, I'm good. And tell me, uh, you know what, Santa, how are the reindeer doing this year?
SPEAKER_02:They're all brilliant this time of the year, David. They love it, they love it, they're all excited, and David extremely motivated this year because he's up to now, David, for the past 20 years or so. I haven't been as involved with the reindeers because between the reigners and the elves, they've been doing all of the the opening of the letters and the the packaging of the packages and the presents for all the girls and boys.
SPEAKER_03:Yes.
SPEAKER_02:Didn't I attend labs recently, David, about about March or April, and they presented me with a pair of Meta smart glasses. Oh wow, I'm I'm I'm in among the Rangers and I'm in among the elves, David, and it's it's very exciting this year because I'm reading the letters with my meta glasses from all the girls and boys. Good man. I look I I I look quite smart with them, David.
SPEAKER_03:I mean, look, you know, you've got the the big sack and the and and the metaglasses. I'm I'm sure it suits you with the beard and all.
SPEAKER_02:It doesn't, David. I was very excited earlier when I got them. You know, you know, we we normally we we hibernate really from early in the in the spring until the summer. But when I got the glasses, I had I had to find out, David. And I when Mrs. Claus wasn't expecting it, I had I said, Hey man, how does Mrs. Claus look? And it said to me, and a very good American accent now, David. I was slightly disappointed it wasn't a cork accent. Sure. But it said to me, Mrs. Claus looks as fresh and young as she did when first he danced in the snow all those years ago. And then David, I I made so bold. I made so bold. And I had a photograph of myself and I said, hey mate, take a look. What does Santi look like? They said Wi-Fi this connection.
SPEAKER_03:Oh no. What does that mean, David? Well, what that means, Sante.
SPEAKER_02:Broken connection, etc.
SPEAKER_03:Broken connection. That's not good, Sante. Yes, that's not good.
SPEAKER_02:In what way? In what way?
SPEAKER_03:Uh uh, I think uh, do you know what we'll do? We'll have to get the elves to take a look at that for you, I think.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, yes, the magical elves. Yes. Indeed. They're moving all over the place, and that's another good thing now, David. I can make them work harder because I'm if I hear, if I don't hear the sound of industry, if I don't hear them working harder, hey Messer, take a look. Where's that hand? And then it's hell million over under the chair asleep. Goodness. They have the elves working very hard.
SPEAKER_03:They've been a game changer for you, so Santa. That's excellent stuff.
SPEAKER_02:And you know what, David? I was I was very encouraged. And maybe it's a result of all of the hard work that's going on with labs, but we've had a fair few requests to include the metaglasses in the in the in the stockings of the younger kids in Ireland with a vision impairment this year, which is bringing some that the labs team will have plenty of work in January. Very good team when they'll be working.
SPEAKER_03:I'm sure. I need to ask, uh, you know, for those of us, of course, working on the podcast here, the big question we have for for myself, Joe, and Daniel are we on the nice list this year, Santa?
SPEAKER_02:Oh, I have good news to report, David. I have great news to report. Mrs. Don, she sends me a certain letter last year.
SPEAKER_03:Yes, we spoke about this.
SPEAKER_02:Good much, my buttman. I got an email, and I have good things to report. Mr. Don has been alive, well, and punctual and home early every night this year. He remains on the good list.
SPEAKER_03:Okay, okay, that's good. And what about what about Joe then, Santa?
SPEAKER_02:Well now, David, as I reported earlier, I mean, we were thinking about moving with the global warming and everything, you know. We were we were thinking about moving to Kork into the South Pole. And um, so we we we we we we did a bit of research, we did a a check this year that happened to coincide with the All-Iland early widen. So with my red and right cab, I I I went and Tipperary they they they led us into a false sense of security. Okay and we we thought we thought we'd have a double celebration in court. Sandy moving and Liam McCarthy arriving, coming home as such. But Tipperary they I I I think they tied our loose pimp boots, our laces together in our boots or something. But so so Tipperary isn't my hardest spot this year. Okay. I think I I I I don't I'll go straight from Mitchell's town to the to Money Gard, to the what you call him, the Barack Obama Plaza.
SPEAKER_03:Okay. We're t we're taking a detour there. Fair enough.
SPEAKER_02:Well, we can't go we have to go to the Barack Obama Plaza, David. Rudolph won't go to the Trump Plaza. He says, he says, he says that Trump's nose is the only nose that's brighter than his. So we can't go to the Trump Plaza. So we're gonna bypass everything. We're gonna go from mixed out to the Monegal. But we will drop the presents for the boys and girls in between in temporary. We won't be big. We want we won't be delaying there, though.
SPEAKER_03:Good, good, good. Now tell me uh the last thing then, uh Santa, what message would you have for all the boys and girls listening to the podcast right now?
SPEAKER_02:Well, David, it's like this now. My advice would be whatever technology you get, use it and use it well because it's there to help you. Because, like most of the boys and girls listening, I too have a vision impairment, so I know the value of the technology, and I've seen the value of the technology this year with the metric glasses. What a difference they've made, David. What a difference they've made. So I would say to all the boys and girls, I'm quite open to whatever technologies you request. And when you get the technologies, contact your local labs trainer, give them plenty of work, David, because while I'm asleep in January, I'm hoping that they'll all be working very hard to help the boys and girls who have been very good. I've been monitoring them, they've all been very good. Elaine and Alan Collie, she's been particularly good. Keep going as you're going, and we'll see you next year. And you never know. If the property prices allow it, we might just afford to be able to spend longer in court next year in our newly designated South Pole. Oh.
SPEAKER_03:And there you have it, Santa. Always great to have uh Mr. Claus himself on uh talking technology. I always wonder, Joe, where does Mrs. Claus be uh when Santa is speaking to us? Uh or does she even go with him on his big trip uh around the world every year? We we know we don't get the finer details there, you know.
SPEAKER_01:I don't know, but um behind any great man is always uh a great woman, so um she doesn't get all the limelight like like the man himself, but uh she's there, I'm sure.
SPEAKER_03:Absolutely understated, but very important, no doubt. Um so Joe, that leaves us then before we wrap up. We need to check in. What was your highlight and lowlight of 2025? And uh what are you looking forward to into 2026?
SPEAKER_01:Okay, yeah, lowlight, I could say glide coming to Ireland and not coming to Ireland. So they made a big hoo-hoo and fuss about uh coming here and um which it all sounded really great, and they had a um uh I suppose they had um a big day uh uh in the uh wayfinding centre where they did they they showed um how the development was going and to let people use um glide and I suppose uh see how it works, like claiming that it it could replace um some of your already the the mobility aids you already use, but then not not too long after, I'd say a week a few weeks later it was announced that it won't be coming to Ireland and um won't be coming to the EU EU actually. Um and possibly will be coming to the to the UK, so then you have people talking about the black market of of Clyde and stuff like that. So that was all very weird and didn't uh didn't go down well in my head. So yeah, that was my disappointment of um 2025. My highlight then I suppose was the meta glasses. Um they were a real star, and um the the people they had people talking and saying that they were the next best thing since the iPhone came out. Um I suppose that they uh the meta AI came into um Ireland that was blocked for a long time, and people were using VPNs and all this kind of stuff, but then it it actually started to work all of a sudden. People started buying glasses in Brown Thomas and all these kind of places and trying them out. So if anyone doesn't know the meta AI ray and glasses, I know they're made by Oakley now as well and stuff, but um it they have AI built into them and a little camera in the corner, and you can say, Hey Meta, take a look, and it'll describe the scene around you. And it'll also summarize a letter for you if you hold a letter up in front of it. So that that was amazing. And then I suppose um they don't have magnification or anything like that, but you can put in prescriptive prescriptive lenses in them and stuff like that. So um yeah, that was my highlight, David.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, do you know what? I do wonder still about Clyde. Um, you know, I I am still I'm still hopeful that Clyde can have some decent level of impact. I don't think we're going to hear much more in 2026. Uh maybe I'm being overly pessimistic. Um but I I do I I I genuinely hope that uh we see good things from them because like to be fair to Glyde, when I have tried it, I've seen quite a lot of improvement. Um you know, when they had it at the Wayfinding Centre there, which I think was a great day, by the way. I think I it was a fantastic experience um at the Wayfinding Centre. And then I got to try it a little very briefly again at uh Site Village in London, and I I am seeing continuous improvement, and I do think um, you know, in fairness to Amos Miller who's behind that there, I I do have high hopes. Um and you know, they're they're saying it's not coming to Europe at least for now. Uh but I do uh genuinely believe that we we can hopefully get there, uh, but it is going to be a fascinating one to watch into 2026. And as you say there for the meta glasses, I mean all exciting stuff to come with those uh, you know, in the uh in the next uh in the next year or so when we start to see uh features like you know uh tools like seeing AI and such on the glasses and that whatever that new uh navigation thing is from humanware that we don't know a huge amount about yet. Uh I think there's some really exciting stuff uh ahead of us which is really promising.
SPEAKER_01:I think so. In 2026, I suppose that's the thing I'm looking forward to the most, to see what kind of developments will come with meta AI and what kind of developers will jump on board as well. We we've already um heard a story about uh scene AI. They're going to which makes sense, of course, because using a 12-megapixel camera to um take pictures of of text. Cine AI is really you can imagine it's really going to work, and your hands are going to be free while you use these lasses. That's one of the big advantages of it. So um you'll be able to hold a piece of paper and take a picture of it and um get a really good description and possibly save the document and stuff. There's going to be many advantages of using the likes of CI. And um uh we look, we've heard of numerous um companies thinking about jumping on board and rumors and all that stuff, but we can't really talk about them until they happen. Um so yeah, that that's that's one of the big things I'm I'm looking forward to in 2026. As well as I think uh robot vacuums are going to take a step up as well. Yeah, likes of um yeah, their navigation systems and all are getting better the whole time. And I've I've also read lots of stories about Roborock have um uh robot vacuum now that has a little arm on it. So it can pick up socks and things and put them in in the corner or a designated area for you. Yeah so I know look, um that's probably one of the biggest things with the these kind of robot vacuums is people leave things down, they get clogged up, creates more work for you trying to unclog the vacuum and stuff. But um with the better navigation, better cameras, LiDAR, little arms coming out of them, all this kind of stuff, mopping systems. I think uh robot facts, that's that's something to watch out for in 2026 as well.
SPEAKER_03:Anything to make life easier. I think uh as we were recording this podcast, the news started to break that iRobot, uh, who of course made the Roomba uh that uh has been very popular in the past that they filed for bankruptcy, um or or at least intend to file for bankruptcy. And uh their manufacturing partner intends to acquire the entire company. Um and uh yeah, that's always interesting just to observe kind of how things uh play out in these different spaces, but I think it is only a matter of time before some company uh does really crack that space because it has so many advantages. Uh especially I think in houses where there's a bit of space for the device to move on its own. Um I think there's a lot of advantages for uh you know devices like the Roborox and the iRobot Rumbas and all of these kind of things. Uh it's definitely an exciting uh one, you know.
SPEAKER_01:It's it's just a great product for anyone that has vision impairment. There's nothing more painful to me than Hoover and um like I mean Hoover and look you can go over all the space and stuff, but then sucking up things you don't want to suck up, it can be um a bit a bit annoying to say the least, because you you you're you're trying to um declog stuff. I suppose you learn a lot about hoovers alright, and the different parts and how they work, but uh we none of us want to know all that, so uh yeah, yeah, you you can't um beat having uh a job done for you uh like that, an automatic kind of a job, you know. Um but the all these um robot hoovers are some of these some of the best ones are made by Chinese companies like Xiaomi, Roborock, and Dream E, and they've kind of come from the same spot and the same place. And I found that most of the uh apps that they use are I suppose 90% accessible apart from the visual maps, but um to start them and uh stop them and uh set schedules, all that piece is is is accessible. And also some of them have um uh voice assistants built in. For example, um the Roborock ones have a voice assistant called Hey Rocky, and which sounds kind of cool, but you can say Hey Rocky start uh Hoover in the session room. And uh same with the Dream E ones, they have they have a voice assistant built in as well. And they have cameras, security cameras in them as well, so they can go around your house if you aren't there and um you can check in on them and have a look around, check in on the pets in the house, and they and if they actually recognize a pet, they can snap a picture and send it back to you on your phone and it's um you can check if the pooch at home is alright.
SPEAKER_03:Yep, amazing stuff, amazing stuff. I do wonder, are we going to have whether it's 2026 or 2027, a year where we just see actual robot technology just take a leap forward? Um because right now it's working fine at you know a handful of very specific things like you know, hoovering the floor or whatever the case may be. But when are we going to see it start to do more around the house? Um that's when I'm uh really excited to see what that uh brings. And the the final thing for me that I'm excited for, and I again I think you know we're not necessarily going to see it in uh in in 2026 in Ireland at least. But the continued development of self-driving cars I think is really exciting. Um we've seen great developments from companies like Waymo, uh, which of course is owned by Google. There's one there, I think owned by Amazon called Zooks, um, that uh is really really promising, and those are starting to do more and more and more trials over in the States now and becoming more and more common, uh, which is very exciting. And Zooks there apparently as well, uh working with the American uh uh blindness organization, the ACB, um, the American Council for the Blind there, which is always great to see partnerships like that because I think people are starting to recognise the potential for future technology like this, you know?
SPEAKER_01:Oh yeah, um I mean I just want to know how are they gonna avoid all the cows and rural roads and stuff like that, David. I mean that's that's going to be the big that's the big question.
SPEAKER_03:And I wonder what happens if they see Santa Slay, Joe. How do they respond to that? That probably wasn't in the training data.
SPEAKER_01:No, it wasn't in the um it wasn't in the pictures or the plan, so uh yeah, that's going to be that's going to be an interesting one, but uh I think I might be an old man before I have to worry about it on party.
SPEAKER_03:Ah, you never know. You never know. You're a young, youthful lad yet, Joe, as as we both are. Uh but there you go. I guess that uh folks is our podcast uh Christmas special. Thank you so much for listening, and thank you so much for listening as well to all of the podcasts uh over uh 2025. As I say, we produced 30 podcasts, uh, not including some of the extra stuff on the YouTube channel. So thank you so much, whether you've been listening since the beginning of the year or whether you've dipped in and out throughout the year. We really do appreciate it. Thank you so much. Uh we will have uh loads to come in 2026. We've got uh we're already taking sign-ups uh for some of the talks and courses uh for 2026. We delivered 86 of those uh unique courses uh in 20 uh 25 and uh we'll have many more to share with you in 2026. Do go and check out the upcoming events section of Vi.ie. We'd love to uh see you involved in some of those. And do be sure to keep an eye out and uh subscribe to Tech on Tap and all of those uh for more in 2026. We've got some really exciting stuff uh that we can't exactly talk too much about yet. We've started to share uh a little bit of news about projects like Vera and Savvy, but we we can't go into the finer details of those just yet, but we have some really exciting stuff coming in the first half of 2026. So do be sure to stay tuned for all of that. But for now, from Joe, myself, the entire Via Labs team and everyone uh here at Vision Ireland, thank you so much for listening. Have a very happy Christmas. We're open again on the 5th of January, uh, and we will see you then for more episodes of Talking Technology with Via Labs. But for now, have a great Christmas and happy new year.
SPEAKER_00:Thanks for listening to the Talking Technology Podcast with VI Labs. If you'd like to support our show, please visit vi.ie slash donate. Talking Technology is proudly sponsored by IA Labs, the market leader in digital accessibility services. IA Labs. Digital inclusion, your legal obligation.