Next, things take a playful turn as we test out a transforming radio-controlled truck—
Note: this is our Amazon affiliate link, ordering from this link, we may receive a small commission.
Chris’s awesome birthday gift! And to wrap things up, Chris shares an unexpected discovery about his new office chair that might just surprise you.
Topics Covered in This Episode:
BlindShell Classic 3 vs. Previous Model– What’s new and what’s changed?
– WeWalk Smart Canes– Comparing Generation 1 and 2.
– Fun with a Radio-Controlled Truck – A hands-on test of Chris’s birthday gift.
-A Surprise on Chris’s Indulgear Office Chair – Braille in unexpected places! Note: this is our Amazon affiliate link, ordering from this link, we may receive a small commission.
Tune in for a mix of insightful discussion and lighthearted fun!
Mystic Access Podcast
Exploring Smart Canes, Toys, and a Surprise Feature
Today we announce an event comparing the BlindShell 2 and 3 cell phones, and have demos of JAWS Picture Smart, and the meal delivery service Factor. This is one of our really long episodes, so grab a snack and a drink before getting started.
first, we’re very excited to announce our upcoming event comparing and contrasting the BlindShell 2 and 3 cell phones. If you’re looking for a high-quality, totally accessible cell phone for yourself, already own a BlindShell 2 and wonder if an upgrade to the 3 is worthwhile, or have purchased the 3 and are curious about the new features, this event has something for you. Join us on Thursday, February 20, 2025 at 8:30 PM eT. The event will run about 75 minutes for the presentation with lots of additional time for your questions. This is a paid event, but we’ve kept your registration super low at only $10. Visit this page to learn more and purchase your seat. A recording will be provided for all registrants.
Next, Chris demonstrates the power of JAWS Picture Smart. He describes some photos featuring both people and places, and also shows how to use Picture Smart in conjunction with free USPS Informed Delivery emails to read about your upcoming mail. We think this feature is a real game changer, particularly for reading about what mail will be coming to your mailbox. Hope this is helpful.
We share about our experience having our Ring camera professionally installed. For us, this was very positive, and we’d definitely do so again.
Finally, we discuss the Factor meal delivery service. Kim demos the website, which is far more accessible than the app for making selections and changes to your orders. We talk about our first delivery, what we think so far, and possible advantages and disadvantages of the service.
We’re back with a number of small discussions and two quick demos, so we hope you find something enjoyable among the talking points.
First, we update you on our use of tiles. Chris shares about another version of a tile he plans to purchase and why. He demos finding his phone, how the tile works with Alexa and Google, and we discuss our thoughts on using tiles versus air tags in our own lives.
Next, Kim talks about her COVID test that wasn’t. Learn about what she read about “accessible” COVID tests, what happened when she received one via mail, and what happened next.
Chris is trying to cut back on his coffee consumption. Learn about the handy gadgets he’s now using to make that happen and what he thinks so far.
Kim mentioned in a previous episode that she was recently interviewed for APH’s Career conversations series. She highly recommends the entire series for anyone seeking career tips, advice, and just wanting to hear stories from others in the work force. Check out Kim’s episode on YouTube here. She hopes you’ll be helped by something shared. There are so many cool folks to meet in this series. Visit APH’s YouTube channel to find many more career conversations.
About a year ago we talked quite a bit across several episodes comparing Ring and Google for security. We wanted to update you on our experience and why we’re about to join one of those universes exclusively. What works for us may not be best for you, but we hope something we share is useful if this is something you’ve thought about.
Next, Kim demos the restaurant deliveries available as part of Instacart. We explain the pros and cons to consider based on our recent experience.
Finally, Kim teases a food service we’ll be discussing in more detail in a near future episode. Thanks as always for listening! We appreciate you!
Today you’ll learn a bit about tracking things with Tile! We’re both rather under the weather for this episode, but hopefully our cool topic makes up for our weird-sounding voices.
Tile is a versatile way to track your keys, wallet, and lots of other items no matter which platform you use. There are various types of tiles available depending on what you want to keep track of. We talk a bit about the free tile we received with our Life360 subscription, show you the iOS app, and share some available ringtones. You don’t need Life360 to use Tile. Download the Tile app for your favorite platform from this page.
We’re also now on Bluesky for any of you who use that platform. Find us: @mysticaccess.com. Our podcasts will begin posting there upon release from now on. If you follow us on Mastodon, you’ll also receive the link to our latest episode when it posts.
It’s our Christmas Eve edition and we have some updates and tips to present. LOL Sorry, had to go there.
First, what do you think of our new mics? These are the Hollyland Lark M2 model and we love them so far. There are several versions you can purchase depending on whether you use Android, iOS, or both. Plus, their magnetic accessories are awesome!
Next, we have a very important announcement about ordering from us on NLS cartridges. If you like to order your documentation on cartridge, please listen carefully. We’ll update you all here as soon as we know more.
Chris has a clarification to share about using ChatGPT for weather.
Speaking of cool apps, we’ve begun using the paid version of Life360 after having used it for free in the past. This is a great way to keep track of your loved ones when you’re apart. Visit Life360.com to learn more about this great software. Or visit this link directly.
Some gifts are a little unexpected, especially when you’re purchasing sight unseen. LOLChris tells the story of one Christmas gift I purchased him that was nearly a flop. It isn’t currently available from Amazon, but I’ll put in a link here if it returns.
Finally, we talk about some free and inexpensive ways to relax over the holiday break. However you spend yours, we wish you a wonderful, peaceful and delightful holiday season. We appreciate you! Happy merry everything! Talk to you next year!
This is our last full episode of 2024. We do have one more coming out on Christmas Eve, but it will just be short and sweet. So we’ve packed a few fun discussions and some heart-felt thanks into this one.
First, a friendly reminder that the mail is pretty slow this time of year, so be sure to order those presents as soon as possible at this stage. We still have some hardware available if you’re looking for gifts, and of course, lots of digital audio, too. Visit mysticaccess.com/shop for all the available goodies. Activate this link to shop with us.
I also want to remind you of a cool APH event I’ll be participating in soon after this podcast airs. I’ll be interviewed for the APH ConnectCenter’s career Conversations series on Thursday, December 12 at 6:00PM ET. I highly recommend checking out this series if you’re a high school or college student, work in Voc Rehab, or want to gain employment skills. Find the series archives on YouTube. That link takes you to a full playlist. Check out my bio for my appearance on this page, and register your seat for free using the provided link. I’ll link to my archived appearance in a future episode.
Next, we discuss our experiments with AI, specifically ChatGPT and Gemini. Learn what we like, what we feel needs improvement, and how these two AIs differ. If you want to learn more about this topic, we’ll be announcing a free class sometime early in the new year.
Speaking of AI, well, sort of, Chris found a new use for his Meta glasses that he shares.
Want a great gift for a safety-conscious friend or family member? We share about our new book for National Braille Press. Chris discusses a scam attempt he just experienced, and we share a tip for keeping our parents and those of a certain age safer.
Speaking of tips, we have a few good ones for saving some cash this winter.
Finally, we end with those heart-felt thanks I mentioned earlier. we couldn’t do this without you, and as always we appreciate your support, encouragement, kind comments, helpful feedback, and being part of our community. Happy merry everything, and wishing you joy from our hearts and home to yours.
This episode is jam-packed with goodies, so we hope you enjoy the fun.
First, you’re all warmly invited to our post-Thanksgiving open house. It’s free, fun, and festive, and takes place on Friday, November 29 between 1-5 PM eastern time. To register your seat. please visit this link.
We also mention some of our hardware that’ll be on sale for Black Friday. Check out the episode for all the details, and shop with us between Friday the 29th and Monday December 2nd to save twenty-five percent on nearly everything on MysticAccess.com.
We know the holidays are a super stressful time for many, and we provide some tips we hope may prove helpful. We also discuss some tools we recently purchased to help with our own stress, including these cuddly pizzas, some pretty fidget rings, and this adorable weighted bunny. Note that these are affiliate links; purchasing from these links gives Mystic Access a small commission. We only recommend products and services we use and love ourselves.
Finally, it’s the food edition this time around, and Lisa Salinger joins Kim in the castle kitchen to share some yummy recipes.
Total Time: 25 minutesYield: 4-6 servingsDiet: Vegetarian
INGREDIENTS
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ small onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 3 cups leftover mashed potatoes
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• cheddar cheese, shredded (optional, for topping)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a large stockpot melt butter over medium-high heat, until it starts to bubble, about 1 minute. Add onion and sauté until soft and tender and starting to brown, about 3-4 minutes.
2. Add flour and mix well until evenly combined with the onion mixture and continue to cook for another minute. Pour in stock and Italian seasoning and mix well. Bring the mixture to a simmer, about 3-4 minutes,
3. Add in mashed potatoes and Parmesan cheese. Mixing until all the potatoes have broken up and the cheese has melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the soup simmer over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until thickened to a desired consistency, stirring occasionally.
4. Ladle into bowls and top with shredded cheddar cheese.
NOTES
How to store: Keep leftover mashed potato soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three to four days.
How to freeze: Although you can safely freeze mashed potato soup, I don’t recommend it. Potatoes break down when frozen and the soup will lose some of its creamy texture, can become grainy, and lose some flavor. If you do want to freeze it, store it in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
How to reheat. Reheat mashed potato soup on the stove over medium-low heat until warmed through, about 5-10 minutes. If the soup has thickened up too much in the fridge, add in some water or stock until desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
Lisa shares:
Jiffy Corn Mix
Taken from:
https://www.backtomysouthernroots.com/jiffy-corn-pudding/#recipe
Ingredients
• 1 egg
• 14 oz. creamed corn
• 14 oz. whole kernel corn drained
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
• 1/2 cup butter melted
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Start by adding an egg to a medium-sized bowl and beat it a little.
2. Next, add the creamed corn.
3. Drain the liquid (and get rid of the liquid) off of the can of whole kernel corn and add the corn to the bowl.
4. Add the sour cream and mix well.
5. Finally, add the box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix and mix well.
6. Pour the melted butter into a greased 8″ x 8″ baking dish.
7. Add the Jiffy mixture to the baking dish and bake for one hour.
In this informative episode we begin by discuss the importance of backing up your information. We recently switched our password manager to one we simply like more, and starting from scratch would have been annoying and lengthy. Backing up is important no matter what your software or files consist of, though, and we hope this reminder is helpful.
Next, we share an upcoming event in which Mystic Access is featured. We’ll be presenting on Tek Talk during their Stocking Stuffers series on Monday, November 18 at 5:00 PM Pt, 8:00 PM ET. Join the fun, and the meeting, by visiting this link.
And speaking of hanging out with us, we’ll be having our post-Thanksgiving Day open house on Friday, November 29 between 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM eastern time. Bring your tech finds and questions and get ready for lots of fun! Register to join the call by visiting this page. It’s free. You’ll receive an email with your personal joining info.
Finally, we explain how you can experience more affordable rates on your Internet, TV, and phone services. Two cell phone providers we focus on are Visible and US Mobile.
Thanks, as always, for listening! We appreciate you.
This episode has it all; something spooky, something sappy, and something practical. But first, Kim discusses a cool voting tool she found this year. While it’s unfortunately too late in the election cycle to be helpful in 2024, she wanted to share anyway in case someone is interested in using it later if it’s available in your state.
For Halloween this year, we bought a plush talking pumpkin. While he may sound cute in theory, our demo may surprise you, or even give you a scare. You can purchase him yourself at the above link. Please note that we receive a small commission if you buy through our links.
Speaking of Halloween, guess what we plan to be on a future Halloween night? Find out in this episode.
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