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  • In this episode, Gaurav continues his deep dive into the Alfred app for Mac, focusing on the Features pane within the settings. He provides a detailed walkthrough on customizing Alfred to boost productivity and usability, with special attention to voiceover users.

    Gaurav explores various powerful features of Alfred, including Universal Actions, hotkey configuration, web search customization, and clipboard history management. Through practical demonstrations, he shows how to create shortened URLs, compress files, and streamline workflows—all without leaving Alfred.

    Highlights include:

    Features Pane Overview:Customize default search results, specify file and folder searches, and set fallbacks for unmatched queries.

    Universal Actions:Learn how to configure hotkeys and perform contextual actions on selected text, URLs, and files, like searching, snippet saving, dictionary lookups, and QR code generation.

    Web Search Shortcuts:Set personalized shortcuts for quick access to Google Images, Amazon, YouTube, and more.

    Clipboard History:Enable and manage clipboard content for easy retrieval and searching.

    Additional Tools:Brief introductions to snippets, calculator, dictionary, contacts viewer, music mini player, and OnePassword integration.

    System Commands:Assign commands for system tasks such as restart, shutdown, and emptying trash.

    Step-by-step Universal Actions setup:

    Open Alfred’s Features tab and set a hotkey for Universal Actions (e.g., Option + Command + A).Select text, URLs, or files and activate the hotkey.Choose from available actions like search, snippet creation, or file compression.

    Through these tips and demonstrations, Gaurav aims to help listeners harness Alfred’s full potential, making Mac navigation smoother and more accessible—especially for voiceover users.

    Transcript

    Disclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

    Gaurav: Hello everyone. So today we shall continue our series on the Alfred 5 application for the Mac. And today we are going to dive into the Alfred settings once again and doing an even deeper dive on an aspect of the settings pane called the features pane. So if you might remember in one of my previous episodes, I had done a general walkthrough of the Alfred settings. And today we're going to get a deeper dive under the hood of Alfred and really see how to make this app really useful for us via the features tab. So I'm going to invoke Alfred now by pressing my Alfred keyboard shortcut, which is command plus space. application Alfred system dialog and I'm going to go into settings command comma finder mac alfred preferences alfred preferences search I'm going to go to the left most part of the screen with vo fn left arrow search preferences blank search I'm going to vo right arrow alfred sidebar I'm going to sidebar and I'm going to use the up and down arrows once I'm in the alfred sidebar to navigate features


  • In this episode, Gaurav offers a hands-on walkthrough of PDFgear: PDF Editor & Reader for Mac OS — a free PDF reader available on the Mac App Store — spotlighting its AI-powered OCR (Optical Character Recognition) capabilities. This feature is especially handy for transforming PDFs composed mainly of images into editable, searchable text. The demo is performed on an M1 MacBook Air running the latest Mac OS Sonoma.

    Key Highlights:

    About PDFgear:

    A free PDF reader app available on the Mac App Store.Stands out with its AI-driven OCR functionality.

    Demo Setup:

    Conducted on a MacBook Air with Mac OS Sonoma.Uses a PDF titled Malaysia Wildlife Document, mostly image-based.

    Step-by-Step Walkthrough:

    Opening the PDF:Launch the document in PDFgear via the ‘Open with PDF Gear’ option.Navigating the App:Use VoiceOver (VO) commands to explore the window spots menu and locate pages heavy with images.Running OCR:With VO, select the OCR button and choose ‘Current file OCR’ to begin processing.The OCR completes quickly — about 15 to 20 seconds for 134 pages.Exporting Text:Export options include ‘Export to one file’ or ‘Export to separated files.’Due to accessibility challenges with the save dialog, it’s best to stick with default directories.Accessing Converted Text:Find the output text file in the ‘Downloads’ folder and open it with TextEdit to review the OCR results.

    This detailed guide empowers listeners to easily convert image-based PDFs into accessible, searchable text, improving document usability across devices.

    Try PDFgear on the Mac App Store:https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pdfgear-pdf-editor-reader/id6469021132?mt=12

    Transcript

    Disclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

    Gaurav: Okay, guys, so today I'm doing a brief audio demonstration on the PDF gear application. This is a free PDF reader on the Mac App Store, and its unique point is that it can use AI to convert or to OCR documents. So that basically means if you have a document, a PDF document, which is mainly in the form of images, you can use the AI-powered features in this application to convert it into text, which you can then read. So I'm going to demonstrate that feature for you today. I'm using M1-powered MacBook Air using the latest version of Mac OS Sonoma. I'm going to navigate to a PDF document on my Mac, which was sent to me by someone called the Malaysia Wildlife Document.

    Gaurav/VoiceOver: I'm going to V-O-Shift-M to open the context menu. Open with. Open with. Steam app. PDF expert app. PDF gear app.

    Gaurav: So I'm going to open with PDF gear.

    VoiceOver: With PDF gear. Malaysia wildlife. PDF window.

    Gaurav


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  • In this AppleVis Extra episode, David Nason and Thomas Domville (AnonyMouse) interview Sarah Herrlinger, senior director of Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives at Apple. They explore Apple’s ongoing dedication to accessibility, spotlighting exciting new features designed to better support users with disabilities. The conversation covers several highlights, including Accessibility Nutrition Labels, Braille Access Mode, Magnifier for Mac, and the role of AI in accessibility enhancements.

    Key Highlights:

    Accessibility Nutrition Label

    A new initiative that provides standardized accessibility info for apps.Developers will showcase features like VoiceOver and captions.Designed to increase awareness and help users easily find accessibility details.

    Braille Access Mode

    Available on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro.Enables quick note-taking, calculations, and BRF file access with Braille displays.Supports live captioning for DeafBlind users to improve communication.

    Magnifier for Mac

    Turns your iPhone into a magnifier for Mac users.Uses a secondary camera to enlarge physical objects.Includes zoom, color filters, brightness controls, and OCR with text-to-speech via Accessibility Reader.

    AI and Accessibility

    AI remains a vital tool in accessibility advancements.Enhances image recognition and descriptive capabilities.Continues to be integrated to improve experiences for visually impaired users.

    User Engagement and Feedback

    Highlights the value of user feedback in shaping accessibility features.Encourages users to send suggestions to [email protected].

    Share Accessibility Settings

    A new feature lets users temporarily transfer their accessibility settings to another device.Makes it easier for family members to help with troubleshooting and tech support.

    Listeners are invited to share their thoughts on these features and suggest any other accessibility needs they’d like Apple to consider.

    Transcript

    Disclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

    Dave: Hello there, and welcome to another episode of the AppleVis Extra. My name is David Mason, and I am delighted to be joined once again by Thomas Domville, also known as AnonyMouse, of course. And this is an exciting episode that we, I want to say, annually, semi-annually do, and that is an interview with Apple's Global Head of Accessibility, Sarah Herrlinger. So, looking forward to this one, Thomas.

    Thomas: Right. I mean, you're right. That is a mouthful. What is your, I had to look that up. Director of Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives. I'm like, wow. I wonder if that actually fits on her business card in one line. There's no way. They only respond so small.


  • In this practical tutorial episode, Siddarth Mahajan demonstrates how to turn a folder into an encrypted disk image (.dmg) file on your Mac, useful if you, for example, need to temporarily share your Mac with someone else and want to protect particularly sensitive data on it. To do this:

    Open Disk Utility (located in the Utilities folder).Choose File > New image > image from folder (or press Command-Shift-N), and select the folder using the standard open dialog.In the resulting dialog, choose the level of encryption you want for the image in the "Encryption" popup menu (a higher level is slower but more secure) and enter a password that will be used to access it.Click Save, and once Disk Utility reports that the operation is successful, click Done. The image will be saved to the location you specified, which is by default the location of the original folder. Be sure to delete the original folder at this point, so that the data can only be accessed through the password-protected, encrypted disk image.

    To access the image, open it and enter the password you chose. The folder will then be mounted like a volume on your desktop, where you can add, modify, and delete its contents. When you're done, be sure to eject it so that it can't be accessed without a password by selecting it on your Desktop and choosing File > Eject (or pressing Command-E).

    Useful Links:

    macOS Disk Utility: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201250Email Siddarth: [email protected]

    Disclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

    Siddarth: Are you in that situation where you need to give your Mac to someone for maybe a few hours or a few days, but worried about what if they might access my private files, my private folders? Of course, everyone has their own privacy, right? You might have private documents or messages or pictures, videos, whatever.

    Siddarth: Do you know that we can lock or we can encrypt the folder on Mac with a password? Well, if you don't know that, yes, we can actually do that. How can we do that? That's what I'm here for. I'm Siddharth Mahajan. In this episode, I'll be demonstrating that. How can we encrypt a folder with a password on our Mac? So let's get started.

    Siddarth: I'm on my desktop here.

    VoiceOver: Siddharth Private Files folder.

    Siddarth: This is my folder, Siddharth Private Files.

    VoiceOver: Siddharth Private Files folder.

    Siddarth: Let me press Vivo space to open.

    VoiceOver: Finder has new window.

    Siddarth: Okay, let me interact.

    VoiceOver: In list view, table.

    Siddarth: What are the files here?

    VoiceOver: CFP underscore green humanities dot PDF.

    Siddarth: One of my CFP files.

    VoiceOver: conference PDF.

    

  • In this episode, Levi Gobin demonstrates how to prepare your Mac for beta testing by creating a second volume on your Mac's internal disk to install and run beta versions of the operating system. This way, you can run the beta when you want, but continue to use your Mac with the current shipping version of macOS. To create a volume to install macOS betas on:

    Open Disk Utility (located in the Utilities folder).Select your startup disk (usually called Macintosh HD) in the table, and choose “Add APFS volume” from the context menu (accessed by pressing VO-Shift-M).Name the volume (it can be any name) and if you want to specify a minimum and maximum amount of storage space for it, click size options, define your parameters, and click OK. Otherwise, click Add to create the volume, which will share space with your startup disk.

    Once the volume has been created, download the current shipping version of macOS from the App Store, and follow the onscreen instructions to install it, a process that is demonstrated in the episode. At the point where the installer confirms that macOS will be installed on your current startup disk, click show all disks, and select your newly created volume. Once the installation completes, your new copy of macOS will start as if the Mac was new from the factory; follow the onscreen instructions in the Setup Assistant, a process that is also demonstrated.

    To obtain a macOS beta, if you haven't already, sign up for either the developer or public beta program. Once you've signed up, an option will appear in System Settings > General > Software update to install updates from that channel. Once a beta is seeded, you should be able to install it like any other update.

    To switch between the two volumes, you can either go to System Settings > General > Startup disk to select a default volume that the Mac will start from each time it is restarted or turned on, or select a different volume as your Mac starts. To do this, shut your Mac down, press and hold the Power button until the startup options dialog appears, interact with the volume you want to start up from, and click Continue.

    If you no longer want to run the beta on your Mac, you can remove the volume by starting up from your primary volume, opening Disk Utility, selecting your secondary volume in the table, and choosing “Delete APFS volume” from the context menu (accessed by pressing VO-Shift-M).

    Transcript

    Disclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

    Levi: Hello, everyone. In today's recording, I'm going to show you how to dual boot macOS. This might be useful for when you want to beta test a new version, such as macOS 16, which is coming out here in June 2025. I'm going to show you how to dual boot macOS and how you can test the new beta without messing up your current operating system. So first, what we need to do is create an APFS volume.

    Levi: And the way we do that is by going to Disk Utility. Disk Utility is located in your Applications folder, then under Utilities, Disk Utility. But an


  • Unlock greater productivity with Gaurav’s latest episode on the AppleVis podcast — the final chapter in a three-part series all about Alfred, the powerful macOS productivity app tailored for VoiceOver users. Alfred lets you breeze through tasks simply by typing, eliminating the need to dig through menus or complex interfaces.

    In this concluding episode, Gaurav walks you through setting up custom keyword commands in Alfred, focusing on how to create a quick shortcut to empty your Mac’s Trash. Follow along as he demonstrates the entire setup, making it easy to automate this common task.

    What You’ll Learn:

    How to launch Alfred using Command + SpaceUsing Alfred’s search bar to run commands with keywordsCustomizing and creating your own Alfred keywords via preferencesReplacing the default empty trash command with a shorter, faster keywordDiscovering other handy system commands like activating the screensaver, adjusting volume, ejecting disks, and moreTips for prioritizing your most-used commands in Alfred’s suggestions

    Episode Highlights:

    Live demo of emptying Trash using a custom Alfred keywordStep-by-step guide through Alfred’s settings and accessibility featuresHow to enable and tweak system control keywordsPractical tips for speeding up everyday Mac tasksEncouragement to explore Alfred’s full suite of system commands

    If you’re looking to simplify repetitive Mac tasks with just a few keystrokes, this episode is packed with practical insights to help you work smarter and faster.

    Helpful Links:

    Alfred App: https://www.alfredapp.com/Download Alfred on the Mac App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/alfred/id405843582?mt=12Transcript

    Disclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

    Gaurav: Hello, everyone. Welcome to part two in our Alfred demonstrations and walkthrough series. In today's demo, I'm going to be showing you how you can go into the Alfred settings and set up keywords that you can type into the Alfred search bar, which can trigger certain actions on your Mac. Today, I'll be showing you how you can use a keyword to empty your trash. So just to demonstrate how this works, I'm going to show you how it works on my Mac right now.

    Gaurav: I'm going to press command space to open the Alfred search bar.

    VoiceOver: Application. Alfred system dialogue, Alfred search field, Alfred search.

    Gaurav: I'm going to type my keyword, which is empty. E F T Y force empty trash empty. I've typed the word empty and you can hear it already said force empty trash. I'm going to hit enter. And you heard the trash emptying sound in the background there. So I just have to whenever I want to empty my trash, I just have to trigger Alfred, type in my keyword, hit enter and my trash can gets empty. Now I'm going to show you how you can set this up


  • Discover new levels of productivity with Gaurav’s latest AppleVis podcast episode — the second installment in a three-part series all about the powerful Alfred app for macOS. Designed specifically for VoiceOver users, Alfred helps you speed up your workflow by letting you accomplish a wide range of tasks simply by typing—no need to navigate complicated menus or interfaces.

    In this episode, Gaurav guides you through the essential Alfred settings, offering a clear, step-by-step tutorial to get you started. Learn how to boost your efficiency by customizing general preferences, setting up handy shortcuts, and managing permissions to unlock Alfred’s full potential.

    Here’s what you’ll learn:

    How to use Alfred’s accessibility features tailored for VoiceOver usersSetting up shortcuts to replace default macOS tools like SpotlightNavigating and understanding Alfred’s general settingsUtilizing Alfred’s powerful search tools, including personalized Google country subdomains

    Stay tuned for upcoming episodes, where Gaurav will dive deeper into advanced features, workflows, and premium customization options. Unlock the full power of Alfred on your Mac and elevate your user experience with AppleVis.

    Get Alfred on the Mac App Store:https://apps.apple.com/us/app/alfred/id405843582?mt=12

    Transcript

    Disclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

    Gaurav: Good morning, everyone. Or shall I say good day, depending on where you are in the world right now and what time you're listening to this recording. Today, I'm going to do a brief walkthrough of an application called Alfred. Alfred is a freemium application, which means you can download and use it for free. And there are many additional features you can add on if you were to purchase the premium pack for the application.

    Gaurav: Now, Alfred is a very powerful tool with which you can do many, many, many actions on your Mac. And I would specifically say it's very useful for voiceover users because you don't have to mess around with complicated UI or screen elements. And you can do a lot of things just by typing. So in today's demonstration, I'm just going to show you the various

    Gaurav: aspects and options in the Alfred settings and we shall get oriented with the settings and over time I will do more demonstrations and walkthroughs which dive deeper and deeper into the Alfred menus and settings and teach you how to use and understand them in various ways. So currently I'm on the Alfred settings and preferences page. I'm going to press V-O-F-N left arrow to get to the left most section of the page.

    VoiceOver: Search preferences, blank, search text field.

    Gaurav: So I'm on a search box. I'm going to press V or right arrow.

    VoiceOver: Alfred sidebar. General tab selected. Alfred sidebar. Alfred sidebar. 5.5.

    VoiceOver: Alfred sidebar. Search preference. Alfred in Alfred side.

    Gaurav: I'm going to do VO


  • Explore the world of productivity with Gaurav’s latest AppleVis podcast episode—the first in a three-part series diving into the powerful Alfred app for macOS. Tailored especially for VoiceOver users, Alfred streamlines your workflow by letting you perform a wide range of tasks simply by typing, eliminating the need to navigate complex interfaces.

    In this opening episode, Gaurav walks you through the initial setup and configuration of Alfred, providing a thorough guide to its sidebar options. Discover the General tab’s key preferences and learn how Alfred can boost your efficiency by replacing Spotlight and seamlessly integrating web searches.

    Listeners will learn how to:

    Configure Alfred for the best VoiceOver experience.Navigate Alfred’s preferences and settings with ease.Understand Alfred’s freemium model and the advantages of the PowerPack.Customize settings to fit your unique workflow.

    Join Gaurav as he unlocks Alfred’s potential, laying the groundwork for upcoming episodes focused on its advanced Features, Workflows, and more.

    Get Alfred on the Mac App Store:https://apps.apple.com/us/app/alfred/id405843582?mt=12

    Transcript

    Disclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

    Gaurav: Good morning, everyone. Or shall I say good day, depending on where you are in the world right now and what time you're listening to this recording. Today I'm going to do a brief walkthrough of an application called Alfred. Alfred is a freemium application which means you can download and use it for free and there are many additional features you can add on if you were to purchase the premium pack for the application.

    Gaurav: Now, Alfred is a very powerful tool with which you can do many, many, many actions on your Mac. I would specifically say it's very useful for voiceover users because you don't have to mess around with complicated UI or screen elements, and you can do a lot of things just by typing. In today's demonstration, I'm just going to show you the various

    Gaurav: aspects and options in the Alfred settings and we shall get oriented with the settings and over time I will do more demonstrations and walkthroughs which dive deeper and deeper into the Alfred menus and settings and teach you how to use and understand them in various ways. So currently I'm on the Alfred settings and preferences page. I'm going to press V-O-F-N left arrow to get to the left most section of the page.

    VoiceOver: Search preferences, blank, search text field.

    Gaurav: So I'm on a search box. I'm going to press V or right arrow.

    VoiceOver: Alfred sidebar. General tab selected. Press up or down. Alfred sidebar. 5.5 Alfred sidebar. Search preference. Alfred in Alfred side.

    Gaurav: I'm going to do VO shift down arrow to interact with the sidebar. And now I'm just going to use the arrow keys without the VO modifier to see what's in the Alfred sidebar.

    VoiceOver: General tab


  • In this episode of the AppleVis podcast, Siddarth shares a quick and efficient way to organize multiple files into a single folder on a Mac using a simple shortcut. He demonstrates how to use VoiceOver to select documents around a specific topic—like “Holistic Education Development”—and instantly group them together by pressing Control + Command + N.

    This episode is perfect for anyone wanting to simplify file management and save time when handling numerous documents. Listeners will gain practical tips to boost productivity with organizing documents, audio, and video files for easy access on their Mac.

    If you’re looking to optimize your digital workspace, this episode offers invaluable insights. Tune in to learn and master this handy feature!

    Transcript

    Disclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

    Siddarth: Have you ever stuck in the situation where you have a lot of folders related to one particular topic or a concept and you wanted to group all those in one folder on your Mac? You might be coming across if you're not yet. In Mac, I have discovered an amazing feature that we can quickly create a single folder by selecting

    Siddarth: the required files and upload it with one shortcut or one key. For example, if I have a subject called accessibility or if I have documents and audios and videos related to accessibility and I want to, instead of creating a folder and copying it and pasting it, I just want a quick handy way to just put all in the folder or an all in one folder. So,

    Siddarth: I'll show you how can we do that on Mac with VoiceOver. Let's get started. Right, I'm on my desktop. I'll go to Documents, Command-Shift-O. So... All right.

    Siddarth: So now here I have a lot of documents which I wrote for my University, my class test and all. So now I have a couple of documents here which has the name called head. That's HED. It calls holistic. Education development. So I want instead of copying all those or creating a separate folder and copying them and pasting it instead of doing that. I want to create. I want to just select those all.

    Siddarth: files related to HED and put it in one single folder so that it will be easy for me to access it whenever I need. So how can we do that? Let me interact here. Okay, I'll go Vivo down arrow.

    Siddarth: I have a document here. Let me just select it with Vivo command enter.

    Siddarth: right let me leave the command key and vivo down arrow i have again head test let me press again with the i'm not leaving my vivo keys i'm just uh holding my vivo keys and i just lifted my finger after selecting the command key let me press command and again i perform the same thing vivo command enter

    VoiceOver: Two items selected.

    Siddarth: Again, I leave the key.

    VoiceOver: Add test pages document.

    Siddarth: This is a pages document. So let me select this.

    VoiceOver: Add test pages document. Added to selection three items selected.

    


  • In this episode, Dave Nason demonstrates how to create and use text replacements, short snippets of text which are substituted with frequently used words, sentences, or emojis when typed, on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. This may be useful if you, for example, need to frequently give people directions to your home. Rather than manually type out the directions, you could configure a text replacement so that several sentences could be inserted simply by typing a few characters of your choosing.You may also wish to use it to speed up typing longer words, or even to type emojis that you use regularly.

    On iOS and iPadOS, text replacements can be created and managed in Settings > General > Keyboard > Text replacement. Here, you can double-tap an item to edit it, or delete it using the "Delete" rotor action. To create a text replacement, double-tap the Add button in the upper right corner, type or paste the word, sentence, or emoji you want inserted in the "Phrase" field, type the text snippet in the "Shortcut" field, and double-tap Save.

    On macOS, text replacements can be created and managed in System Settings > Keyboard > Text replacements. Navigate the table using the up and down arrow keys, Tab to individual cells to edit them, or delete them using the Remove button. To create a replacement, click the Add button, type the text snippet in the "Replace" field, type the text you want to be inserted in the "With" field, and click Add.

    Assuming your devices are signed into the same Apple Account, text replacements are synced between them, allowing you to, for example, create text replacements on your Mac, and use them on your iPhone or iPad.

    Transcript

    Disclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

    Dave:Hello there, David Nason here. I hope you are doing well. Today I wanted to give you a quick demo of how to use text replacements or typing shortcuts on both iOS and macOS. Text replacements are a really handy feature for speeding up your typing, helping you type out regular words or phrases or even you know, full on sentences that you want to type more quickly.

    Dave:You can type as little as two characters as your shortcut and then you hit space or punctuation like a full stop or a comma and it will expand out into the word or phrase that you have set. So it's really handy. There's probably three key ways which I use it. One would be for kind of longer sentences that I need to type semi-regularly. So, for example, directions to my house.

    Dave:If a friend is coming over or a taxi driver or a delivery person, that kind of thing. Rather than having to type out those directions each time I'm in that situation, I have a shortcut set up. So I type D-I-R-1. and I hit space and it will turn into those directions. I have one that's Dior2 as well, which is a more detailed version of those directions.

    Dave:I also use it then, number two, for kind of regular words and phrases that I might use when I'm texting people or emailing. I borrow some of these from contracted Braille, others I have made up myself. So things like YD for yesterday, TM for tomorrow, TAFN


  • In this episode of the AppleVis Podcast, Gaurav returns with Lesson 7 in the ongoing series on mastering Numbers, Apple’s free spreadsheet app for Mac.

    This lesson focuses on organizing data efficiently in Apple Numbers. Unlike Excel’s single-grid layout, Numbers offers a more flexible, canvas-like approach where multiple tables can coexist on a single sheet. Gaurav demonstrates how to manage tables for different quarters of budget data, making it easier to structure and access your information.

    Key Concepts Covered

    Understanding Tables in Numbers

    Numbers allows multiple tables per sheet, treating each sheet as a flexible workspaceDistinct from Excel’s traditional grid-based format

    Using the Sheet Navigator

    Access the window spots menu with VO + UNavigate through and interact with sheetsRename, duplicate, or delete tables as needed

    Working with Multiple Tables

    Add multiple tables to a single sheetUse VO and arrow keys to move between themRename each table for clarity and structure

    Managing Tables Effectively

    Customize titles and captionsRemove unnecessary rows and columnsOrganize data by period (e.g., Quarter 1, Quarter 2)

    Advantages of Using Multiple Tables

    Quickly shift between distinct data setsEnhance visual clarity, especially for sighted usersTranscript

    Disclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

    Gaurav: Okay folks, so in this lesson we are going to discuss about tables. Now tables are different tables you can have on your sheet in Numbers. And what you want to understand is that unlike Microsoft Excel, Numbers doesn't treat each sheet as a massive grid. It instead treats it like a blank canvas where you can have multiple tables. In Excel, it is treated as one massive grid.

    Gaurav: Now I'll show you what I mean by that and why it's useful to work with various tables on your canvas on a sheet in Numbers. So I'm back on my Numbers table. I'm going to hit VO plus U for umbrella to open the window spots menu.

    GauravVoiceOver: Sheet navigator tab group. I'm going to go here, hit enter.

    VoiceOver: Sheet navigator tab group.

    Gaurav: I'm going to VO shift down arrow to interact.

    VoiceOver: In budget sheet selected tab.

    Gaurav: Budget sheet. That's the name I've given to this sheet where we have our January, February, March budget. Here I can hit VO shift M for menu or do the contextual click.

    GauravV/oiceOver: table one rename ellipsis duplicate show sheet options cut sheet copy sheet paste sheet delete table one rename ellipsis so here currently i have various options of what options i have with this sheet i'm just going to rename it duplicate rename ellipsis you are currently i'm going to rename it to

    Gaurav


  • In this episode of the AppleVis Podcast, Gaurav returns with Lesson 6 in the ongoing series on mastering Numbers, Apple’s free spreadsheet app for Mac.

    In the previous lesson, he explored how to insert formulas effectively. This time, the focus is on using the autofill feature to save time and eliminate repetitive tasks.

    Autofill EssentialsApply formulas across multiple cells with ease using autofill.Insert the same formula into multiple rows by holding Shift and using the arrow keys.Access autofill options from the table menu.How to Use AutofillSelect the range of cells where the formula should be applied.Choose the direction for autofill (up, down, left, or right).Use the autofill command to extend the formula across the selected area.Adjusting FormulasCopy formulas from one column (e.g., January) to others (e.g., February, March).Ensure row numbers stay the same while updating column references.For instance, replicate the formula from B2–B5 in January to C2–C5 in February.Reviewing and EditingReview and edit formulas in each column as needed.Maintain row consistency while adjusting for different columns during autofill.

    Using these techniques will help streamline your workflow and minimize manual input.

    Transcript

    Disclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

    Gaurav: So in this lesson, if you remember in the previous lesson, we had learned how to insert formulas. In this lesson today, we are going to learn how to quickly autofill formulas so that you don't need to fill them in again and again when you want to put in the same formula across different cells. So we're back into our numbers table.

    Gaurav/VoiceOver: Sap Food, Rope Water, Rope Transportation, Internet. So our January has now got a total, but our February and March remain blank.

    Gaurav: So I'm going to move into the February total cell.

    VoiceOver: February empty.

    Gaurav: I'm going to hold down the shift key. And I'm going to hit right arrow again. C6 through D6 are now added to my selection, which means these cells are selected. And I want to insert the same formula into these two rows as I had inserted into column B, where I inserted the total for the January month. I'm going to hit view, press M for menu.

    Gaurav: I'm going to keep hitting right arrow until I get to table. I'm going to hit down arrow.

    Gaurav/VoiceOver: I'm going to type in autofill, autofill cells, submenu. I'm going to hit right arrow here.

    Gaurav/VoiceOver: Here I'm going to explore the various menu options by hitting down arrow. auto fill left auto fill down auto fill up auto fill from row above command option auto fill from column before command control back auto fill from column before so now it if i hit enter it's going to auto fill the formula from column b into columns c and d and only into the cells which i've


  • Gaurav is back with the next installment in our Numbers tutorial series, diving into one of the most essential spreadsheet skills: the SUM function. Whether you're tracking expenses or organizing data, learning to total values quickly is a must.

    Quick Guide: Summing Your January Expenses

    Select the Cell – Click the cell where you'd like the total to appear.Start the Formula – Type = and then SU. Use the arrow keys to highlight SUM and press Enter.Set the Range – Type your cell range, like B2:B5, and close with a ).Finish – Hit Enter. Boom—your total is ready!

    Want to Make a Change?Just press Option + Enter to jump into the formula editor, tweak your formula, and press Command + Enter to apply it.

    Introduction to Basic FormulasLearn how to analyze and manage data with formulasFocus: Using the SUM function to total values easilyUsing the SUM FunctionAdds up all values in a defined rangeCommon use: Insert a “Total” row to sum a column’s dataEnter the function where the total should appearHow to Enter the SUM FormulaNavigate to the desired cellPress Option + Enter to begin editingType = to start the formulaEnter SU, then select SUM with the arrow keysInserting the Formula ExampleIn cell B6, type: =SUM(B2:B5)Press Enter to apply and see the resultEditing a FormulaClick the Total cellPress Option + Enter to enter edit modeUse arrow keys to move around and editPress Command + Enter to save changesPro TipsUse larger ranges for more data, like B2:B1000Press Option + Enter anytime to reopen the formula editorArrow keys let you fine-tune your formula line-by-line

    Spreadsheet skills made simple—with Numbers on your Mac!

    Transcript

    Disclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

    Gaurav: okay folks so in this lesson we are now going to get into very basic formulas and formulas are very easy yet powerful methods of analyzing and playing around with our data. So today I'm going to use probably one of the most used function, which is the sum function. So it is a way of totaling all the values in a set of cells.

    Gaurav: So what we're going to do is, again, jump back into our table.

    Gaurav/VoiceOver: Food. Rowhead or cell? Cell. water row header cell transportation row header cell internet row header cell row header cell cell okay so we have all of our headings in the category headings in column a internet row


  • In this episode of the AppleVis Podcast, Gaurav returns with Lesson 4 in the series on mastering Numbers, Apple’s free spreadsheet app for Mac.

    In this installment, he dives into two powerful tools for organizing your data: Sort and Quick Filter. These features help you manage and analyze spreadsheets more efficiently—especially when working with larger datasets.

    We’re using a sample budget spreadsheet with categories like Food, Water, Transportation, and Internet, each with amounts listed for January. Here’s how we sorted that data to quickly find the highest expenses:

    Sorting the January ColumnOpened the Sort Options via the menu (Command + Option + R).Selected the January column.Chose Descending to sort from highest to lowest values.Instantly, the data reorganized itself to prioritize the largest expenses.Quick Filter: Focusing Your View

    Next, we explored the Quick Filter tool—a great way to temporarily hide or display specific rows without permanently deleting data. For example, we hid the Food row with a checkbox and brought it back with a simple undo (Command + Z).

    Advanced Filtering

    We also touched on advanced filtering available in the Formatter pane. There, you can set precise criteria for what appears in your spreadsheet—ideal for more complex sorting needs.

    RecapSort Function: Explained how and why to use it.Hands-On Example: Sorted the January column using VoiceOver and keyboard commands.Undo + Quick Filter: Demonstrated hiding rows and bringing them back.Formatter Pane: Previewed more detailed filter controls.

    These tools make navigating and analyzing your spreadsheet data faster and more intuitive. Try them out, experiment a bit, and as always—reach out if you have questions! 💡📊

    Happy sorting!

    Transcript

    Disclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

    Gaurav:Hello everyone. So today we will continue our sessions on the Numbers application. And today we will be talking about the sort function. There are two or three different types of sort that we can apply to our data. The sort function is one of the most used and most useful functions or features of a spreadsheet. And today we'll see how to use that for better navigation and analysis of our data.

    Gaurav:So we're back in our spreadsheet.

    VoiceOver: Food column header cell.

    Gaurav/VoiceOver: I'm back in cell A1. And if we're just going to go and view all the data we have in column A. Food row header cell cell A2.

    VoiceOver: Water row header cell cell A3. Transportation row header cell cell A3.

    Gaurav/VoiceOver: A4 internet row header cell cell A5 row header cell cell A6 all right so we have five from row two to row


  • In this episode of the AppleVis Podcast, Gaurav is back with Lesson 3 in his series on mastering spreadsheets with Numbers, Apple’s free spreadsheet app for Mac.

    Today, he’ll continue working with our monthly budget spreadsheet and dive into two powerful time-saving tools: Autofill and the Quick Calculation Bar.

    First, we’ve already completed the budget for January and February. Now, instead of re-entering all the data for March, we’ll use Autofill to do the work for us. Just head over to the March column, open the Autofill menu, and like magic, your February values are copied into March in a flash.

    Next up is the Quick Calculation Bar – a handy feature that gives you instant stats just by selecting your data. Whether you need a total, average, or want to find the highest or lowest value in a range, this tool has you covered with zero extra steps.

    Key Features Covered

    Autofill

    Quickly copies values across multiple cells.Demonstrated by filling March’s budget with February’s data using the Autofill tool.

    Quick Calculation Bar

    Instantly displays summaries like sum, average, minimum, maximum, and count for any selected range.No formulas required.How-To Steps

    Using Autofill:

    Select the cell range from the previous month (e.g., February).Open the Autofill menu.Apply the data to the next column (e.g., March).

    Using the Quick Calculation Bar:

    Select any range of cells.The summary (sum, average, min, max, count) appears automatically at the bottom of the window.Recap

    In this lesson, you learned how to:

    Use Autofill to speed up repetitive data entry.Leverage the Quick Calculation Bar for fast data insights.

    Give these tools a try and see how much smoother your budgeting becomes. Happy spreadsheeting!

    Transcript

    Disclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

    Gaurav: Hello everyone. So welcome to lesson three in this set of lessons on numbers. Now I'm back up in our numbers spreadsheet into the monthly budget that we were creating. And I'm going to show you two things today. I'm going to show you how to use the autofill menu and how to use the quick sum or the quick calculations bar.

    Gaurav: So first, if you remember, we had filled out the budget for January and for February. And now we need to fill it out for March as well. So let's go over to...

    Gaurav: We're in D1, which is the column header cell for March. And what I want to do is for March, I want to quickly fill out the same values what I've done for February. Now, of course, one way is to just go into February and see what were the values for February and fill out the same ones for March. But there's a quicker option built into numbers, which is helpful when we want to autofill a


  • In this episode of the AppleVis Podcast, Gaurav returns with the second lesson in his series on mastering spreadsheets using Apple’s free app,Numbersfor Mac.This session dives into working with row and column headers and navigating the formatter pane to make your data more accessible and structured. Gaurav shares practical tips to boost your spreadsheet skills and improve your workflow. Can’t wait for the next lesson on autofill!

    Key Topics Covered:Row and Column HeadersWhy headers matter for navigation and clarityHow to set headers to make navigating with arrow keys easierExample: Entering “Food” in the row and “February” in the columnFormatter Pane NavigationOpen the formatter with VO + UInteract with it using VO + Shift + Down ArrowBrowse table styles, header/footer settings, and moreTable Editing & CustomizationAdd or remove rows and columnsChange font size and table outlineCustomize grid line visibilityData Entry TipsEdit cell content with Option + EnterFinish editing with Command + EnterTry entering sample data like monthly expenses for practice📝 Takeaways:Setting headers is key for organized, navigable tablesThe formatter pane unlocks a range of powerful customization toolsGet ready to explore autofill features in the next episode!Transcript

    Disclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

    Gaurav: Hello, everyone, and welcome to the second lesson in this numbers tutorial series. I realized last lesson I did not get into much detail about the row and column headers, and we also did not discuss the formatter pane on the right side. So that's what we're going to discuss today. I have my same spreadsheet open, which we were working on earlier. And I'm going to press VO plus U for umbrella to open the window spots menu. I'm going to press down arrow.

    VoiceOver: Scroll area.

    Gaurav: This is the formatter pane on the right side of the table. I'm going to hit enter. I'm going to press VO shift down to interact.

    VoiceOver: Formatter. Empty scroll area. Empty scroll area.

    Gaurav: I'm going to enter here.

    VoiceOver: Empty scroll area. Empty formatter. Sheet navigator. Sheet one. Formatter. Empty scroll area. Jump to selection. You are in table formatter. Scroll area.

    Gaurav: Okay. Seems to be some error. I'm just going to press V-O plus J for jump to until I get into the formatter.

    VoiceOver: In column header cell. In formatter.

    Gaurav: In formatter. I'm going to press V-O shift down arrow to interact.

    VoiceOver:


  • In this episode, Gaurav begins his journey into mastering spreadsheets with Apple’s free app,Numberson Mac. 📊 Using an insightful AppleVis podcast as his guide, he learns how to open a spreadsheet and navigate it efficiently with VoiceOver.

    If you're new to spreadsheets, Numbers is an ideal starting point—especially since it’s bundled with every Mac. It’s highly accessible for VoiceOver users and perfectly suited for basic tasks. While Microsoft Excel is the go-to for complex data analysis and advanced features, Numbers excels at simplicity and even lets you export files to Excel when needed.

    In this episode, Gaurav sets up a basic quarterly budget sheet, placing categories like Food, Water, Transportation, and Internet in the first column, and January through March across the top. It’s a simple project, but rewarding—watching the structure take shape is a great introduction to working with data.

    Choosing a Spreadsheet AppNumbers: Free with every Mac as part of iWork.Excel: Part of Microsoft Office, offers robust data tools.Accessibility & UsabilityNumbers is beginner-friendly and VoiceOver-optimized.Excel supports complex tasks like pivot tables and macros.Getting Started in NumbersLaunch with Command + Space, then type “Numbers”.Press Command + N to start a new spreadsheet.Choose a template using arrow keys, then Enter to select.Interface OverviewSheet Navigator: Switch between spreadsheet pages.Format Panel: Adjust text, background color, and cell formats.Table Format Tools: Customize table layout and appearance.Basic Keyboard NavigationCommand + Up/Down Arrow: Jump to top or bottom.Command + Left/Right Arrow: Move to far left/right.Option + Enter: Begin editing a selected cell.Creating a Budget SheetEnter months across the top row using the Right Arrow.Add expense categories down the first column.Fill in amounts, pressing Enter after each entry.Reviewing Your WorkUse VoiceOver to check entries with VO + C (column header) and VO + R (row header).Confirm content cell by cell before finishing your session.Transcript

    Disclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

    Gaurav: Good morning, everyone. Today, I'm going to start a basic course on how to use the numbers spreadsheet application for the Mac. Right now, to start with, I just want to cover a few basic differences between choosing between


  • In this episode, Siddarth shares a simple, stress-free way to convert audio files using VLC Media Player — no expensive software or confusing tools required! Whether you're working with WAV, MP3, or other formats, VLC makes the process quick, free, and accessible to everyone.

    What’s CoveredHow to convert audio formats (like WAV to MP3)Common challenges: installing new software, app usability, accessibilityWhy VLC stands out as a lightweight, powerful alternative to programs like QuickTimeWhy VLC?Free and open-sourceEasy to install on MacPerfect for audio and video conversionsStep-by-Step Conversion GuideOpen VLC Media PlayerUse the shortcut Command + Shift + SSelect your WAV fileChoose MP3 (or your preferred format)Set the destination, filename, and extensionStart the conversion – done in just a few minutes!Wrap-UpQuick format comparison (WAV vs MP3 size)A nod to VLC’s nostalgic valueEncouragement to explore and share this tool

    Simplify your audio workflow with VLC — a reliable, no-cost way to manage your media. Because learning and sharing helps us all grow. đŸŒ±

    Download VLC: videolan.org

    Transcript

    Disclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

    Siddarth: Hello, welcome to another short demonstration. I'm Siddharth and today we are going to touch upon an interesting topic and which is... or which will be useful for us in one or another time.

    Siddarth: We often deal with multiple video formats or audio formats as well, like MP3, MP4, WAV or MKV, etc. What if we have an WAV audio file and we want to convert that to MP3?

    Siddarth: installing multiple softwares, dealing with inaccessibility, or trying to figure out, trying to work around with the application, navigating, interacting, un-interacting. That's so much hectic and very time consuming, isn't it? For that, I have brought a simple solution. And the application what I'm going to use is VLC Media Player. Sounds familiar, right? Yes. I've installed VLC Media Player on my Mac.

    Siddarth: VLC Media Player, if someone is very new to it, it's just like a QuickTime player or any video audio player in that sense. So through that, we can play any type of video or audio format files to watch films, movies, videos. in MP4, MP3, whatever.

    Siddarth: So using that, I'm trying to show you how can we convert from a particular source format to our desired target format. Right, without further ado, let's get started. I'm on my Finder, and I have this audio file which I demoed a few days back regarding how to check a battery count.

    Siddarth: and that is that is wav if someone is new to wav that's a one of the standard and lossless file so now i have this wav and the file the size of this file is something around 90 95 mb maybe because it's a lossless So I want to share this and I want to convert this to MP3.

    


  • In this podcast, Darrell showcases Call of Fate, a free-to-play, audio-first card adventure game developed by Prudence Interactive. Designed with full accessibility in mind, the game is tailored for both blind and sighted players.

    Call of Fate transports players to the fantasy world of Teyus, where they take on the role of a summoner uncovering a forgotten past.
    Official Game Site – Prudence Interactive

    Key FeaturesAudio-Driven Gameplay: Every aspect, from exploration to combat, is fully voiced with immersive 3D surround sound.Hero Collection: Recruit from 56 unique heroes across five classes—Warrior, Mage, Assassin, Ranger, and Priest—each featuring distinct voices and abilities.Turn-Based Battles: Engage in strategic, card-based combat that is easy to learn and supports idle progression.Inclusive Design: Built with screen reader compatibility, including support for VoiceOver and clear audio cues for seamless navigation.Multilingual Support: Available in eight languages, including English, Spanish, Arabic, and Chinese.

    Learn more in the AppleVis review or watch the Official Game Guide – Season 1.

    Download on the App Store

    Transcript

    Disclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

    Darrell: Hello everyone and welcome to this AppleVis podcast. I am Daryl Bowles, also known on the AppleVis forums as Advocate. Today we are going to be demonstrating a game with some visual elements. It is primarily, it is a video game with built-in accessibility for blind players. It was just released on April the 24th. It is Call of Fate. And we're going to be demonstrating a little bit of that today.

    Darrell: So I need to find the icon in my games folder. And there it is.

    Darrell: I will double tap this.

    Darrell: And it's going to ask me to log into an account here. And I do have an account. All right, there we go.

    Darrell: I'm going to double tap quick login.

    Darrell: You are going to want to register. It's just a matter of putting your email address in and then receiving a verification code, entering that verification code, and then selecting the option already have an account.

    Darrell: and logging in when you are, if you decide to exit and come back into the game. So let's go ahead and get started here.

    VoiceOver: Quick login button. Quick login.

    Darrell: Here we go.

    VoiceOver: Game initialization complete. Landscape. Charge port to the right. Direct touch area. Use the rotor to enable direct touch for this app. Voice over off.

    Game Voice: The game has a built-in screen reader. To avoid focus conflicts, please disable any external screen reader software before proceeding


  • In this episode, Siddarth B walks you through the process of checking your MacBook's battery capacity—an indicator of how well the battery retains a charge compared to when it was new. He also explains how to determine the cycle count, which tracks the number of times the battery has been completely drained and recharged.

    Battery capacity can be viewed by going to System Settings > Battery and clicking the "Show detail" button. Cycle count can be viewed by opening System Information (located in the Utilities folder), selecting "power" in the table, and pressing VO-J to jump to the information pane.

    Transcript

    Disclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

    Siddarth: Hi, welcome to a short tutorial on how to check the charging cycles count on MacBook. So ever wondered how to check your MacBook battery cycles? When we get into settings of a Mac and when we interact in the battery, we can only find the details of the battery health. It might be 100% or 95% or 90%. depending on your usage.

    Siddarth: But how to find the battery cycle count or how many times we have charged our battery? For that, in this demonstration, I'll be showing you how can we find it and how can we understand the overall battery details. So first, I'll show you what we can get in the settings slash battery of Mac. So I'm on my MacBook desktop.

    Siddarth: I'll open my settings with Vivo M.

    VoiceOver:System settings.

    Siddarth: And I'll navigate here to the battery. With Vivo right arrow.

    VoiceOver: Battery.

    Siddarth: I'll interact here.

    Siddarth: Alright, my current battery level is 59%. I'll just navigate here by Vivo right. Sorry, I'll interact it here. My low power mode is set to only on battery. I don't need the low power mode activated when I'm connected to my charger.

    VoiceOver: Your Mac will reduce energy usage to increase battery life. Battery health.

    Siddarth: Okay, battery health. And if I right arrow again with Vivo, right?

    VoiceOver: Normal. Battery health.

    Siddarth: Normal.

    VoiceOver: Show detail.

    Siddarth: Show detail, right? I'll hit Vivo Space. So it's great that even after one and a half month, sorry, one and a half year of my Mac, still the battery health is normal. And we'll see how much percent the battery health is.

    VoiceOver: Nine items optimized battery charging on switch.

    Siddarth: Right, I'll go... We were left here to the left side of the screen. Yes, it's right.

    Siddarth: It's 100%. And I feel it's a great battery. I like the way battery, how it optimizes on Mac than the iPhone. The maximum capacity is 100%. But we can't really see the cycle count here. For that, what we have to do is, first I'll close the settings.

    VoiceOver: authentication

    Siddarth: right i'll open the search box again with command space

    VoiceOver: spotlight spotlight spotlight search

    Siddarth: all right ere i will type system information if i just type system i get the uh the filled it here s-y-s-t-e-m some information space i'll just type i-n-f i-n-f it will be already uh taken so i just hit enter here authentication

    VoiceOver: