Reading, Writing and Managing Emails in the Mail App on the Mac, Wednesday, August 19, 2026

Key Takeaways The session was a live tutorial hosted by Siena, with Ali and Ashlyn in attendance, focused on the APH Mantis Q40 Braille display/e-reader. The tutorial covered navigating the Mantis file manager, creating and reading documents, accessing external USB storage, reading PDF and EPUB files, and accessing audiobooks via the CELA Direct-to-Player service. ​To learn more about the workshops, please visit techstravaganza.ca. While you're there, subscribe to the newsletters so you never miss topic lists, updates and workshop podcast uploads.

Key Takeaways The session was a Techstravaganza workshop held on Wednesday, October 14th, 2026, focused on demonstrating the Flip app for finding grocery and retail deals. Siena walked participants through core Flip features: browsing flyers by store and category, clipping deals, building a shopping list, using the watchlist for deal notifications, and managing account settings. The group confirmed a platform switch from Zoom to Google Meet starting November 4th, with one-on-one assistance available for those who need help transitioning. Participants suggested future tutorial topics including: Flip on desktop/web, the Muse AI app from Meta, note-taking apps (Notes, Google Keep, Notepad, Voice Memos), productivity tools (Reminders, Google Tasks), and a Mantis Q40 Braille display Part 2 covering CELA book access.

Key Takeaways The session was a Techstravaganza Afternoon Workshop focused on demonstrating how to use Google Meet as the group prepares to transition from Zoom to Google Meet on November 4th. Siena Trigiani led a live tutorial covering how to install Google Meet as a Progressive Web App (PWA) on Windows and Mac, and demonstrated key keyboard shortcuts for both JAWS and NVDA screen readers. Lily Frederiksen participated as a live tester, joining a Google Meet session from her Mac and demonstrating VoiceOver-compatible keyboard shortcuts. Ali Moosa provided technical clarifications on meeting permissions, waiting room functionality, and hosting best practices. A Google Meet Office Hour was announced for the following day (Thursday) at 11 AM Eastern, and Techstravaganza Evenings was announced for Thursday at 7 PM Eastern, covering WhatsApp on Mac and PC. A broader discussion emerged around the declining quality of VoiceOver on Mac, Apple's reduced engagement with the accessibility community, and the degradation of older Google Home devices.

iCatcher podcast app navigation and search features Aliasgar Moosa demonstrated podcast search functionality and subscription management within iCatcher. Aliasgar Moosa reviewed list filtering options by status and specific categories like hockey. Aliasgar Moosa demonstrated batch deletion features to remove multiple unwanted podcasts simultaneously. Playlist management and custom rule configuration Aliasgar demonstrated configuring an Inbox All playlist to filter unplayed episodes newer than 7 days. Aliasgar showed setting custom rules for morning playlists based on specific categories and download states. Aliasgar illustrated bulk selecting multiple podcasts to assign them into the morning category. Media export and import operations Aliasgar demonstrated exporting downloaded episode files to iCloud Drive using the device share sheet. Aliasgar demonstrated importing external audio files into the app directly from cloud storage locations. Podcast application comparison and pricing Aliasgar noted full customizability and control differentiate iCatcher from alternative players like Overcast and Downcast. Participants confirmed iCatcher operates on a one-time purchase model priced at $6.99. Upcoming Google Suite and Device Tutorials Aliasgar proposed creating a tutorial series covering the Google suite and desktop applications. Siena agreed to explore Outlook calendar features and prepare a tutorial within 2 weeks. Assistive Technology Email Application Development Siena completed phase 1 of developing an accessibility-friendly desktop mail app using Gemini. Siena plans to transform the local prototype into a distributable app for Windows and Mac. Siena targets making the mail application user-ready within 2 months. Project Management and Calendar App Evaluation Palmer evaluated Asana and Trello for managing tasks and tracking due dates. Palmer noted that Asana provides reliable due date notifications despite mobile setup challenges. Palmer found Trello calendar synchronization and notification triggers unclear during testing. Techstravaganza Extra Event Details Palmer shared that audio-based Google Glasses launch this year followed by display versions in January. Siena scheduled the Techstravaganza Extra for Friday from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM Eastern.

Key Takeaways The session was a Techstravaganza tutorial focused on the Humanware Mantis Q40 braille display, hosted by Siena with co-presenter Amanda. Amanda covered the standalone features and menu overview of the Mantis Q40. Siena demonstrated the physical layout, keyboard shortcuts, editor, braille editor, library, calculator, date/time, settings, speech features, and terminal mode. The Mantis Q40 was compared to the Brailliant BI40X, highlighting differences in physical layout and built-in speakers. The next session was announced to cover the Eye Catcher app for iPhone and iPad.