Steve Sawczyn

  • I wasn’t actually planning to watch Silo, but the show I was watching ended and Silo started playing next so I thought, since it’s already playing, I might as well watch it. Now I’m kind of hooked. So far, I’ve really liked everything I’ve watched on Apple TV Plus, even the stuff I was sure wouldn’t be my thing – maybe especially that stuff. Definitely recommend checking this out and if you haven’t subscribed to Apple TV Plus, I think it’s really a neat streaming service, especially for the cost. Oh, also, just about everything has subtitles, captioning, and audio description, so it’s definitely an accessibility win. tv.apple.com/us/show/s…

  • Earlier today, I learned that Deque, @dequesystems@mstdn.social published the agenda for axe-con 2025. I admit to feeling a little sad as I read through this because, well, I’m not on it. This isn’t all that surprising since I hadn’t submitted anything for consideration, but it’s a bit of a reminder that I haven’t presented at any conferences in a very long time and presenting is something I dearly miss. Before I sit here and wax nostalgic, let me tell you why you should absolutely register for axe-con:

    1. Whether you are a developer, UX designer, leader/decision maker, tester, just getting started with accessibility, or just curious to learn more about accessibility, there are sessions and information for you. I love it that the event addresses such a wide diversity of folks involved in accessibility, from those who may just be curious to those who are considered to be experts in the field, and is not focused on one particular group.
    2. You can’t beat the price, it’s free. Multiple full days of conference and it’s free. Even in this time of inflation, axe-con is still free, only thing you have to pay is attention. :)
    3. It’s virtual, so you can attend from the office, from the comfort of home, or the comfort of someone else’s home, whatever works for you. As more and more events are taking place in-person and as more folks are returning to the office, this isn’t something to be taken for granted.
    4. Sessions are recorded, so you can go back and listen to them later, ideal for those times when you might want to refresh your memory on a specific topic or idea. I will say that while the sessions are recorded, attending them live gives you the ability to potentially interact with the presenter(s) and so I would not recommend missing this fantastic opportunity.

    I’m a huge fan of axe-con, I love the awareness it brings to accessibility, I love the passion and energy brought by the awesome presenters, and most of all, I love that because it’s virtual and doesn’t cost anything, the barrier to entry is non-existent. This last point is huge, especially with travel budgets everywhere being reduced.
    So whether you’re a developer, designer, tester, or just someone curious about accessibility, I highly recommend checking out the axe-con agenda and registering today.

  • CURRENTLY listening to Skeptoid: Skeptoid #963: Hunting the Gloucester Sea Serpent overcast.fm/+AALKznJU… I always love learning about legends involving Maine and Massachusetts.

  • The Life Blogging Experiment

    Those of you who subscribe to my blog via Email may have noticed something very different in the last Email you received, it was more of a collection of posts vs an Email containing an individual post. This is sort of an experiment and I’m curious to see how it will play out. The idea is that throughout the week, many things happen, discoveries are made, frustrations faced, problems solved, but often, those things really don’t rise to the level that would warrant a long-form blog post on their own. What I’m trying to do is to capture those small pieces because ultimately, they are part of the fabric that makes up the tapestry of my life. Will it be interesting? Incredibly boring? I honestly have no idea, but what I’ve found is that it is some of those smaller moments that generate the most discussion. It’s a balance of course: I realize, for example, that nobody likely cares about my (visit to Walgreens)[https://steves.life/2024/11/16/151044.html] last week, but surprisingly, someone actually did reach out to me about my (visit to Culvers)[https://steves.life/2024/11/16/checked-in-at.html]. It’s definitely a balance, but I’m curious to see where this experiment may lead.

  • What a fascinating place with such a fascinating history.

  • Checked in at Culver’s

  • Checked in at Walgreens

  • Checked in at Dragon Pot

  • CURRENTLY listening to Learning Blind Tech with desiree Renae: Learning Blind Tech Episode 16 Chat GPT Basics With Windows and Iphone overcast.fm/+ABKIJocC… I just learned about this assistive tech demonstration podcast and so far I really like it. If you’re interested in assistive tech demos, this is a podcast worth checking out.

  • CURRENTLY listening to Skeptoid: Skeptoid #961: The Man from Taured overcast.fm/+AALKzmCz…

  • Podcast: CURRENTLY listening to Skeptoid: Skeptoid #962: Bats and Rabies overcast.fm/+AALKzlKZ…

  • If you’re like me, you might find achievement badges motivating. Every time I earn an achievement badge with the Apple Watch though, I wonder if there’s a list of such badges somewhere. Turns out, there is!

  • I’m not sure if something has changed in the Micro.blog UI today, but VoiceOver is no longer detecting profile images on each post. Unfortunately for me, I use those images to quickly jump from one post to another since I haven’t found another way to do that. Here’s hoping it’s a temporary glitch or something. CC: @Help

  • Curious, how is the new and improved Siri working for others? For me, it sometimes responds, usually doesn’t, and only occasionally will it actually do what I ask. I didn’t think this were possible, but for me, it’s working worse than before on my shiny new phone. On the bright side, the new chord-like sound that indicates Siri is pretending to listen is kind of cool.

  • Checked in at Best Buy

  • If you haven’t yet had their ghost pepper wings and amazing mac and cheese, you totally should.

  • Again I show up to vote and again the accessible machine isn’t working, and again nobody seems to know how to fix it. so tired of this happening. So tired of hearing how two election judges would be glad to “assist” me as if my privacy shouldn’t matter. . @nationsblind@nfb.social

  • I'm now wondering if I should subscribe to The Onion, according to them: Subscribing to The Onion will make you the envy of your neighbors, friends, family, community patrol officers, HOA board members, professional dog walkers, U.S. Postal Service

    I’m now wondering if I should subscribe to [The Onion] (https://www.theonion.com): according to them:

    Subscribing to The Onion will make you the envy of your neighbors, friends, family, community patrol officers, HOA board members, professional dog walkers, U.S. Postal Service employees, and/or your fellow inmates.

    Seriously, I absolutely love The Onion, their satire has made me laugh year after year. And yet while I think it’s kind of neat they’re trying to support a print edition through subscription revenue, I just wish they’d offer an accessible digital subscription. Sure it’s possible to read The Onion via their web page, or even in their own app, but there are so many ads and other 3RD party content that accessibility is hit or miss at best.

    So, is anyone else out there a fan of The Onion?

  • Here for the NFB of MN state convention.

  • Checking out some really cool tech which, if it’s as accessible as I think it is, I’ll be very excited to blog about. :)

  • iOS18.1 is finally here! If you’ve been waiting for Apple Intelligence, be sure to update quickly, so you can join the wait list and go back to waiting again.

  • Really miss Micro Monday, hoping that someday this podcast comes back. overcast.fm/+AAMRfrRb…

  • Checked in at Lucky’s 13 Pub

  • Checked in at City of Richfield

  • Wow, was just scrolling through some of my old entries on Micro.blog from four years ago, talk about a crazy trip back in time.

subscribe via RSS