BrailleNote Touch Plus Frequently Asked Questions

 

This document outlines some of the most frequently asked questions that you might have when getting to know your BrailleNote Touch Plus.

 

Q: What is KeySoft?

 

A: KeySoft is in general the way you experience the BrailleNote Touch Plus. It is both the environment you see when you start your Touch, such as the main menu, and various KeySoft apps like KeyWord, etc. However, it is also the primary accessibility service which makes apps and your experience with the Touch accessible.

 

For example, KeySoft handles all the speech and Braille output you receive. It also controls TouchBraille or keyboard entry when you edit in various apps. In short, KeySoft is the interface you experience when using your Touch, ensuring everything is both accessible and efficient when using the device.

 

Speaking of efficient and simple, KeySoft includes such features as first letter navigation, allowing you to reach various items on the screen more efficiently, just by typing their first letter. This is especially useful if you do not know exactly where a “Next” button is located, just type an N and KeySoft will jump to the first item that starts with N.

 

Q: What are the significant differences between the BrailleNote Touch and the new BrailleNote Touch Plus?

 

A: Physically, the size, weight and layout of the Touch Plus has no significant differences other than some functionality differences. However, the major difference is enclosed with both software platform and the hardware being used inside. The BrailleNote Touch Plus now benefits from an even faster processor; users will noticeably experience the Touch Plus to be exponentially faster and more responsive, even the startup time has significantly been reduced. It has also allowed the Touch Plus to be released on one of the latest Android platform Oreo 8.1, making the BrailleNote Touch Plus the most powerful note taker that is not left behind to date. This puts it at a great advantage, allowing to get even closer to the mainstream release cycle with the potential of updating to a newer Android Platform if and when required. The benefit of this allows for more access to applications. App developers tend to stop the support for older Android version. Therefore, your most favourable app could potentially be dropped from the play store when using an older Android platform. In addition to the upgraded Android platform and the faster processor, there are many hidden advantages, below is a high-level list of the changes:

Physical layout

·         On the left side, the charging port is now using USB-C. This should allow for a better charging experience as it can be inserted up or down.

·         The two volumes keys have now changed to allow for a press together action. This action will disable and enable KeySoft accessibility and now replaced the triple press of the home circle button, for more Information refer to Q: A sighted person needs to use my tablet. How do I disable accessibility?

·         At the back of the device, all ports are identical to the first BrailleNote Touch. However, the HDMI now allows for audio as well as Video; this is a great benefit when doing presentations.

·         Recent apps button, the square button at the front of the Touch has now slightly changed functionality. To access the context menu a press and hold of 2 seconds is required. To access your recent application, a quick short press of the recent apps button will give you access to all apps opened. A quick double press of the recent apps button will also switch between your last two opened applications. For example, you have opened KeyWord to write a document, then you have opened Keymail to send an email, a double press of the recent apps button will now jump you to KeyWord, performing the same function will then jump you back to KeyMail. This is a great tool when multitasking.

·         The Home circle button at the front of the Touch Plus can be used for two functions. A single press will return you to the main menu. A long press and hold will activate the Google assistance.

Hardware

•       CPU: System on Module based on a SnapDragon 820

–      Quad-core Kryo 2.2 GHz 64-bit CPU

–      Memory, 4 GB LPDDR4 RAM POP @ 1866 MHz

•       64 GB of Flash memory (no more internal SD)

–      Android: Oreo (8.1) Accessibility-based on Talkback V6

•       Bluetooth 4.2

•       USB C connector

–      Access to USB 3.0 speeds

–      Plug reversal possible

•       HDMI (Audio and Video)

•       WIFI: 2.4 / 5GHZ Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2.4/5.0 GHz2x2 MU-MIMO

•       21 MP Camera

Q: I have the first generation Touch, is there an option to upgrade to the BrailleNote Touch Plus?

               

A: Yes, all current Touch customers can upgrade to the new BrailleNote Touch Plus. Please contact your local HumanWare Office for more Information on the Boost Upgrade Plan.

Q: Hello Chrome, and goodbye KeyWeb?

               

A.      We are pleased to announce that the new BrailleNote Touch Plus benefits from having full use of the Chrome browser. The Chrome browser is a well-received, recognisable browser, and in addition, has been optimised for the BrailleNote Touch Plus for simplicity and efficiency. The Chrome browser has now therefore replaced KeyWeb and is more powerful than ever. Users are now able to navigate with a wide variety of elements such as different heading styles, and what is great it uses the same skills similar to screen readers. Users will also benefit from any updates on Chome pushed through the play store as the Touch Plus will always use the latest version. For more Information on how to navigate around the Chrome browser, please refer to “Q: Navigating in Chrome and apps with web view.”

 

Q. The first generation Touch included a hidden internal SD card which could be found by removing the battery, is this no longer available?

               

A. The new Touch Plus includes a 64 GB flash memory. This means that all data saved is now truly on the machine and not on an SD card. Flash memory is the best solution when it comes to having internal data, as there is a low risk of any corruption occurring.

Q: Is there an option to extend the internal storage?

 

                A: The BrailleNote Touch Plus includes 64 GB of mounted internal storage. Some would say this is a large amount of storage for a tablet. However, for those wanting to extend the internal storage capacity, one option is to use an external SD card. Please note the SD card will need to be formatted to FAT32 which most SD cards up to 32 GB have. You can, however, insert a higher value, but you will be required to validate the format. Once inserted to the back of the BrailleNote Touch Plus for the first time you will receive a notification on how you intend to use the SD card. You have two options available of which depending on your selection will go through a Google Wizard.

1.       External SD card – Users can remove the SD card too and from different devices

2.       Increase internal storage – Users can extend the internal storage capacity, for example, if you insert a 32 GB you will have 96 GB of internal storage. Please note selecting this option will limit you from removing the SD card.

WARNING: Doing so can cause corruption to your internal storage.

 

Q. I used to be able to put my hidden SD card in another Touch, this was very handy when my Touch had to go in for repair?

 

                A: Now that the Touch Plus benefits from having the onboard flash memory, it is no longer required to have an SD card containing all the data. The best way to get data from one Touch to another is to copy your folders onto an external device such as a USB memory stick or an SD card. Please refer to “How do I copy folders to an external drive such as a USB Thumb drive or SD card?.”

 

Q: How do I copy folders to an external drive such as a USB Thumb drive or SD card?

               

            A: To copy a folder follow these steps:

From the Main Menu, type a letter F. You will be prompted "Files Manager, KeyFiles". Press Enter.

You will be prompted "KeyFiles, xx", where "xx" is the name of the first item in the list. At this point, you are placed in a list of the folders/subfolders and files within the last folder or subfolder that you have been using on the Touch. Press Space with D.

You are prompted with "Drive selection". You are now placed in the list of drives on your Touch.

Press Space with dot 4, or Space with dot 1, until you locate the storage drive. Then, press Enter.

You will be prompted with the name of the first item in the list. You are now placed in the list of folders and files on the selected drive.

If you would like to copy individual folders Press Space with dot 4, or Space with dot 1, until you locate the folder you wish to copy. Then, press Backspace with L to mark that folder. You will be prompted with the folder name followed by Marked.

If you want to continue marking other folders Press Space with dot 4, or Space with dot 1, until you locate the other folder you wish to copy. Then, perform the same command Backspace with L.

However, if you want to copy all folders, Press Enter with dots 1,2,3,4,5,6, you will be prompted with “All marked”

Once you have finished marking all the folders you wish to copy press Backspace with Y. You will be prompted "Copied.

You will now need to navigate to the location that you want to copy the file to. Press Space with D.

You are prompted with "Drive selection". You are now placed in the list of drives on your Touch.

Press Space with dot 4, or Space with dot 1, until you locate the drive you want to copy the folders into. Then, press Enter.

You will be prompted with the name of the first item in the list. You are now placed in the list of folders and file.

To paste all folders marked Press Backspace with V. Note that if the file is very large, you can choose to leave the file transfer to continue in the background. This frees you up to do other things on the Touch whilst the file is copying.

 

Q: Is there a way to back up my data?

 

                A: Users do have an option to back up their applications. Unfortunately, on first release, the BrailleNote Touch Plus is unable to back up individual files or folders that do not relate to a third-party application.

Q: An SD card was included inside my Touch’s SD slot in the back, what is it?

 

A: HumanWare has partnered with Mystic Access to create an extremely comprehensive audio tutorial both in Daisy and mp3 format. This card contains both versions of the audio tutorial and can be played using the Easy Reader Plus Application.

Although the content highlights tasks from the first generation Touch, it is still very useful as most tasks are identical. This will however be updated in a future release.

 

Q: On my previous BrailleNote, I was able to use contextual help to quickly understand keystrokes and how to navigate. Does the Touch have something like this?

 

A: KeySoft on the Touch also has contextual help. In any situation, press SPACE with H and you will be placed in the contextual help screen. Here you can learn how to navigate your current app or location, identify general commands, and see how to access more shortcuts and keystrokes for that situation.

 

Q: What is the contextual menu?

 

A: In past versions of KeySoft, contextual help provided both navigation commands along with every keyboard shortcut for almost every situation you entered with the BrailleNote. Many users mentioned that this amount of Information was often overwhelming.

 

KeySoft on the BrailleNote Touch Plus uses contextual help to instruct you of your current location and how to navigate it, but uses a new function called the contextual menu to inform you of all the keyboard shortcuts for a current app or situation.

 

To activate the context menu, press SPACE with M, or press and hold the all app button on the front of your Touch for 3 seconds. The context menu button is the square shaped button next to your home button. Similar to right-clicking on a windows computer, the context menu provides the most common functions and keyboard shortcuts for your current situation in a KeySoft app. For example, let’s imagine you have forgotten the keyboard shortcut to send an email. Simply activate the context menu from your email message and navigate through its items. You will find one which says “Send Email, BACKSPACE with S”. You can now press ENTER here to actually send the email, and also will remember that BACKSPACE with S is the shortcut to send emails quickly the next time you need to send an email. 

 

Q: What is TouchBraille?

 

A: TouchBraille is the innovative method that BrailleNote Touch Plus uses to enter Braille on the touch screen of the BrailleNote. While using TouchBraille, the virtual keys will find your fingers. To type using TouchBraille, simply lay all 10 fingers on the Touch's touchscreen to start finger recognition. To confirm your fingers were recognized by your Touch, you will receive a short vibration. After feeling the vibration, you can begin typing on the touch screen as if you were typing on a physical BrailleNote keyboard. Using your right little finger for ENTER (Dot 8) and your left little finger for BACKSPACE (Dot 7). You can use either of your thumbs for the space bar. 

 

Q: Is there a recommended way to improve typing with TouchBraille?

 

A: Yes. Because TouchBraille is used to type on a touchscreen, virtually no force is needed when typing. The recommended position of your hands when typing using TouchBraille is to place your wrists on or in front of the Braille display and place all 10 fingers on the screen to receive the short vibration meaning your fingers were successfully recognised. Upon feeling this vibration, lift all 10 fingers slightly off the screen while leaving your wrists resting on or in front of the Braille display. Type normally while flexing only your fingers up and down. This ensures that you are allowing the keys to follow your fingers in a general predictable pattern. TouchBraille provides a method for typing which allows a Braillist to type using less motion, thus producing less strain on the hands.

 

Q: How do I edit in an edit box, and what is edit mode?

 

A: Because KeySoft allows for you to use first letter navigation to find items on the screen more efficiently, you must identify when you want to be inserting text or editing, versus using first letter navigation to jump to items quickly. This mode is called edit mode.

 

When you want to type characters into edit boxes or text fields, you first need to activate those edit boxes to tell KeySoft you are ready to enter text. When you press ENTER or a router key on an edit box, you will activate edit mode. You will know you are in edit mode because you will hear a rising tone if you have sounds turned on, and will see your cursor appear between the edit box brackets. Now anything you type will be entered in that edit field. To leave edit mode, you can simply press the Next or Previous thumb key, and your focus will leave the edit box and go to the next item on the screen and you will be no longer editing. Alternatively, you can simply press exit (SPACE with E) or the back button, and your focus will remain on the edit box, but you will be out of edit mode. You will hear a lowering tone and see your cursor disappear from the edit box on the display. Now you can go back to using first letter navigation to jump to different items on the screen.

 

Note that in some KeySoft or 3rd party apps, doing a function may automatically put you in edit mode. For example, in KeyMail, choosing the “New Message” option will automatically open the new message composition screen with your focus in the “send to” edit field and edit mode active. In certain situations, this is done to simplify the flow of doing a task. Also, pressing ENTER while editing can do a number of things depending on what the app developer has set that function to do. For example, if writing an email, after typing your recipient’s email address, pressing ENTER activates a next function and moves your focus to the subject field in edit mode so you can immediately type the subject of your email message. You can check the functionality of the ENTER key in the contextual help menu.

Q: What is computer Braille and why is the advising to use this code?

 

A: Although computer braille is no longer used in specific geographical areas such as the USA it still serves to be a valuable code from a global perspective. In any case, Computer braille is commonly used in situations where you might require unique symbols, symbols that cannot be created using the existing UEB braille code. This is why when writing an email you are prompted to use computer braille, so it allows you to enter any symbol you wish. Using UEB code at this point can restrict your entry. We do however understand this can often be confusing and unnecessary, so we are striving to make this better for a user.

 

Q: When I am typing in computer Braille, I cannot perform shortcuts that use ENTER or BACKSPACE. Why?

 

A: Because the BrailleNote Touch Plus will be able to be localized in many languages, some using 8 dot Braille and others using 6 dot Braille, users have asked that computer Braille be more standardized to ensure symbols are easy to type. This is why computer Braille is always using 8-dot computer Braille. Now if you are using English, for example, which does not have any specific characters represented by just dot 7 or just dot 8, dot 7 or dot 8 function as BACKSPACE or ENTER, as you are used to. However, if you are typing in a language for computer Braille which has characters represented by just dot 7 or dot 8, then you will need to press SPACE with dot 7 to do a BACKSPACE or SPACE with dot 8 to do an ENTER.

 

The general rule to remember is that when in computer Braille, all commands must use the space bar in addition. to the Enter key. Therefore, if you are using English computer Braille, and want to check the time which is normally entered with T, you need to press ENTER with SPACE with T. If you want to change your language profile, which is usually done with ENTER with L, you will need to press both ENTER and SPACE with L in computer Braille.

 

Q: In English computer Braille, how do I type common symbols for email addresses?

 

US Computer Braille

 

A: To type an at (@) symbol press dot 7 and dot 4.

  To type an underscore (_) press dots 4-5-6.

  To type a period (.) use dots 4-6.

  To type a hyphen (-) use dots 3-6.

 

UK Computer Braille

 

A: To type an at (@) symbol press dots 2-3-4-6 and dot 7.

  To type an underscore (_) press dots 3-4-6.

  To type a period (.) use dots 2-5-6.

  To type a hyphen (-) use dots 3-6.

 

Q: When I type on the Touch it is no longer using contracted braille, and I only have dot 8 showing on my braille display to represent the cursor?

               

A: There are more than a few ways to change your braille entry on the BrailleNote Touch Plus. The most common way is to press Backspace with G when in literary braille, this will immediately change your preferred braille input to computer braille. To revert to literary braille the same command can be pressed, remembering your current input is computer braille which would mean that a space bar would also be required, making the command Backspace with SPACE with G.

 

Alternatively, you could have accidentally changed your language profiles which had your preferred braille input set to computer braille. Again, remember that your current input is computer braille, pressing the language change command ENTER with SPACE with L will change your language profile.

 

Q: How do I charge my BrailleNote Touch Plus?

 

A: The BrailleNote Touch Plus comes with a specific AC adaptor and a USB-C cable included. There is a great benefit of using a USB-C cable as it does not matter which way it is inserted, given the user a better experience when charging the Touch. You will be able to charge your Touch fully in around 4-5 hours of having it plugged into the AC power. Because the Touch uses a USB-C cable to charge and connect to computers for data transfer, you can potentially charge the device with other AC adaptors for other devices which uses a USB-C connector. However, note that when not using the specific adaptor, or when connected straight to a PC, charging time is greatly increased. If you want to fully charge your Touch, it is highly recommended to use the adapter that shipped with your Touch. You can verify that it is charging optimally by doing the power command of ENTER with P. After the percentage you will see either “AC charging”, or “USB charging”. AC charging means it is charging as fast as possible.

 

Q: Can I install 3rd party apps from the Google Play Store?

 

A: Absolutely, this is one of the most significant advantages of the BrailleNote Touch Plus. The BrailleNote Touch Plus is the first accessible device designed for those who are visually impaired to be certified by Google. It brings the efficiency of using a traditional note taker to a mainstream tablet designed for users who are visually impaired.

 

Keep in mind that KeySoft abides by the accessibility rules provided to Android developers, meaning the developer of the app you would like to download has to have developed the app with accessibility in mind. Many apps on the Play Store are accessible; however, many are not.

 

Remember that the accessibility of a 3rd party app completely depends on the developer of that app, and HumanWare in no way guarantees the quality of accessibility when using 3rd party apps. If you do come across an app which does not work with KeySoft, your best course of action is to contact the developer of that app to explain the inaccessibility of their app related to Google’s accessibility guidelines.

 

Having said this, many apps work extremely well when downloaded, and KeySoft’s abilities of first letter navigation, instantly typing in Braille in editing situations with TouchBraille, and simple, familiar navigation using the Braille keyboard commands, makes using 3rd party accessible apps a much more efficient experience.

 

Q: Why are my apps updating by themselves?

 

A: When you receive your BrailleNote Touch Plus, it is required by Google that automatic updates of apps from the Play Store be turned on. However, it is highly recommended that you turn this off to avoid unexpected app updates that could render those apps inaccessible. Many app developers try to improve accessibility with app updates, however at times updates can also create accessibility bugs in those apps, rendering some or all capabilities of those apps non-functional. It is recommended that you wait to update third-party apps until you have heard from other Android or Touch users that those apps are still working optimally.

 

To turn off automatic app updates, do the following:

1.       Open the Play Store from the main menu.

2.       Press O to jump to the “Open navigation drawer” button and press ENTER.

3.       Press your Next thumb key repeatedly until you find the settings option and press ENTER.

4.       On the settings screen, press the Next thumb key to find the item called “Auto-update apps”. Press ENTER to see your choices.

5.       Press ENTER on the choice “Do not auto-update apps”.

6.       Now your apps will not be updated automatically.

 

To manually update apps, you can go back into the navigation drawer and choose the option called “My Apps and Games”. Here you will see a list of all apps which have available updates. Pressing the “Update all” button will update all the apps, and clicking on each one of the apps will allow you to see what is new in those updates.

 

Q: How do I uninstall an app I no longer want?

 

A: From the main menu, select the all applications item. Type the first letter repeatedly of the app you are looking for until you find it. Then press SPACE with M or a long press of the context menu (square button), to open up that app’s context menu. Choose the “Open app info option”. On the App Info screen, you can type U to quickly jump to the Uninstall button and press ENTER.

Q: How do I select text using the BrailleNote Touch Plus?

 

A: In past versions of the BrailleNote, you may remember the block commands menu. We received feedback from users that they preferred an easier method for selecting, copying and pasting text.

 

While editing, to select text you need to start and stop a selection. To start the selection, place your cursor on or in front of the character where you want the selection to begin, and press ENTER with S together. You will see and hear “Selection Start”. If you check your cursor, you will also notice that your cursor is flashing to indicate that you are currently in the process of choosing your selection ending point. Now position your cursor after the character where you want your selection to end. Press ENTER with S together and you will see and hear, “Selection End”. You will also notice that your selected text is now underlined by dots 7 and 8 to indicate what has been selected.

If, however, you wish to select all text, press ENTER with dots 1,2,3,4,5,6. Please note, when current text is highlighted be careful not to replace it with a letter or press backspace as this would replace the highlighted text.

 

From here you can cut, copy or paste the selection.

Cut using BACKSPACE with the letter X at the same time.

Copy using BACKSPACE with the letter Y at the same time.

Paste using BACKSPACE with the letter V at the same time.

 

Q: How do I set up a printer within my network?

 

A: Up until now, printing through a BrailleNote Touch has been somewhat of a chore. Each brand of printer used its own plugin that needed to be downloaded through the Google Play Store before you could start printing. Then, once you had the plugin downloaded, actually getting it set up could often prove to be quite clunky.

Thankfully with the new BrailleNote Touch Plus powered by Android 8.1 Oreo, the need for third-party printer plugins is no more. Providing your printer is on the same Wireless network as your Touch Plus, you can print over the WiFi without having to install the third-party apps. In addition to the service, the BrailleNote Touch also support WiFi direct for those printers that support that protocol. For more Information setting up your printer via WiFi direct please refer to “Q: How to use Wi-Fi direct”

This section will take you through the steps connecting to a shared printer within your network.

Please note if you require USB printing, then the service plugin would be required.

Google has partnered with Mopria to introduce Default Print Service to the Android OS, and it brings a native printing platform to Android for the very first time.

The Default Print Service will work with any printer that’s certified by Mopria, and considering that Mopria-certified printers account for more than 100 million of the printers currently on the market (97% to be exact), chances are your printer is compatible with this new service.

In order to use the Default Print Service on the BrailleNote Touch Plus, please follow these steps to enable the print service :

1.       Press Enter with Q for quick settings.

2.       Press C for connected, followed by Enter

3.       Press P for printing, then press Enter

4.       Press the Spacebar and navigate to ‘Default print service’ and press Enter

5.       Continue to press Space until the prompt ‘Switch off’ and press Enter to turn on.

6.       The Touch Plus will now start to search for printers that are being shown on your network, press the Spacebar to check what printers are available.

Please note: If your printer is not being shown, you do have the option to add it manually providing you have the correct IP address. Please consult your IT department for this Information before proceeding to the more options button.

Q: How to use Wi-Fi direct?

               

A: The BrailleNote Touch Plus support devices that are WiFi direct compatible. One of the advantages of Wi-Fi Direct is that no internet connection or router is required for it to work. The most common use case to use Wi-Fi direct is for printing. Before you continue, please ensure the device you wish to connect to is compatible and is Wi-Fi direct ready. Please refer to the device manufacture instructions on how to do this. When the device is ready initiate the Wi-Fi direct on the BrailleNote Touch Plus:

1.       Press Enter with Q to open Android settings

2.       Press N for Network & Internet, then press Enter

3.       Press W for Wi-Fi, then press Enter

4.       Press W for Wi-Fi preference, then press Enter

5.       Press A for advance, then press Enter

6.       Press W for Wi-Fi Direct, then press Enter

7.       The BrailleNote Touch Plus will start scanning for devices that you can connect to.

8.        Using your front thumb keys, navigate to the device you wish to connect to, then press Enter

 

 

 

Q: What version of Android is the BrailleNote Touch Plus using as its operating system?

 

A: The Touch Plus uses one of the latest Android versions, Oreo 8.1, as its operating system in the background. Together with one of the latest version Talkback v6, we built KeySoft which provides the best experience for our users with the accessibility benefits provided to our developers by Google.

Q: When HumanWare releases an update for my Touch Plus, how do I update the device?

 

A: An update will come in two forms. Either you will be notified via a notification and you need only to activate the notification, or when you see a notice from a HumanWare eBlast or hear from someone that the Touch has an update, simply select KeyUpdater from the All apps menu and your Touch will tell you there is a new update available. Simply press ENTER or a router key on it, and it will download and install. Updates can take between a half hour to an hour to download and install depending on your internet speed. You can download the update in the background while doing other things.

If a system upgrade is required you will get a notification in which you can select to start the upgrade. If however you have received the notification you can follow these steps:

1.                   From the Main Menu, press Enter with Q to access the Android settings.

2.    Press the letter “s” until you are prompted with “System”.

3.    Press Enter to select “System”

4.    Press the letter “s” until you are prompted with “System update”

5.    Press Enter to select “System Update”

6.    Press “c” for “check for update” followed by pressing Enter.

 

 

Q: I speak multiple languages; can the Touch support the changing of languages when writing documents?

 

A: Yes, the Touch uses something called language profiles to manage your text to speech-language, voice and braille tables. It supports up to 10 different language profiles, and you can toggle between them by pressing ENTER with L.

Q: A sighted person needs to use my tablet. How do I disable accessibility?

 

A: Sighted persons might be confused with the accessibility features of your BrailleNote Touch Plus, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be using it. By pressing and holding the two volume keys together, it will disable accessibility allowing for classic tablet navigation used in mainstream tablets.

Simply press and hold the two volume keys again to turn accessibility back on.

Note: When first applying the shortcut, you will be prompted with a confirmation dialogue. You will need to select the ‘Use Shortcut’ button after which the shortcut will work seamlessly with no further prompts.

 

Q: What is EasyReader Plus?

 

A: BrailleNote Touch Plus comes with Dolphin’s EasyReader Plus application installed, a free and accessible reading application with direct access to Bookshare, NFB-Newsline, RNIB, and many other book services that was specifically tailored for the BrailleNote Touch Plus. To learn the EasyReader Plus application, please refer to the BrailleNote Touch Plus user guide for more Information.

 

 

Q: How do I check the version of an application?

 

A: To see the version of an application, select an application from the Main Menu or the All applications menu then long press the recent apps button, the fifth button starting from the left on the front edge of your BrailleNote Touch Plus. This will open a window with two options. Select Information to view the version of the application.

 

 

Q: How do I use my email account in KeyMail?

 

A: Even if you entered your Google Account during the Google Wizard when you first started your BrailleNote Touch, you will need to enter a new email account upon starting KeyMail for the first time. To use an account in KeyMail, you need to launch KeyMail and follow the instructions to create an email account which could be either a Google or other type of account. If you want to use the same Google account you connected your device to within the Google wizard, you can, but you need to create it again in KeyMail. Please note that there is no accessibility available when creating a Google account.

 

Q: My BrailleNote Touch Plus won’t connect to my Gmail account with the KeyMail app.

 

A: As of update 2 from September 2020 KeyMail now allows for Oauth using Google. This means you no longer require to enable less secure apps. Upon entering your email address, you can select “sign in with Google”.

Q: What types of email accounts can I sync with my BrailleNote Touch Plus?

 

A: The Touch Plus can sync with almost any type of email account assuming you know its credentials and settings. The most popular are Pop3, Exchange, and IMAP.

 

Q: How do I View Attached Files in KeyMail

 

A: There is a new way to view attached files in KeyMail. Press Backspace with O, and a list of the attachments included in the email will open, with each attachment followed by the More options button. If you click directly on the attachment, your Touch will attempt to open the file directly.

 

Q: How do I delete my email account?

 

A: Because your email account is organized very closely with your Google credentials, you can modify or remove it via the Android settings.

1.       Press Enter with Q for the Android settings.

2.       Press U to select Users and Accounts and press Enter.

3.       Using the space bar or thumb keys, navigate down the list until you find the account you want to remove. You will see something like IMAP if it is your Gmail account you set up in KeyMail, or “corporate” or “Exchange” if it is an exchange account. Activate the desired account by pressing Enter.

4.       Press R to select Remove account and press Enter

5.       You will be prompted with confirmation of deletion. Press R twice to jump to the remove account button, or navigate using your Next thumb key until you find the “Remove Account” button option. Press Enter, you will be prompted to confirm. Press O for the OK button followed by Enter to remove that email account.

 

Q: Can the BrailleNote Touch Plus open files created as KWB files on past BrailleNote devices?

 

A: Because the BrailleNote Touch Plus always is working in mainstream document formats with perfect Braille translation, it is unable to open KWB files. Please follow the steps below to export files from KWB format to Microsoft Word format using the BrailleNote Apex.

 

1.    Press dots (SPACE with dots 1-2-3-4-5-6) to reach the main menu.

2.    Type the letter F to go into the File manager menu.

3.    Type the letter T to go into the Translation menu.

4.    Type the letter E to choose the Export option.

5.    Press SPACE with D to reach Drive list.

6.    Type the letter F to choose the Flash disk.

7.    The BrailleNote Apex will prompt export files from which folder? Press SPACE to reach the folder list.

8.    Type the first letter of the folder where the files you wish to export are located. Continue typing the first letter of the item you are looking for, or SPACE until the desired folder is reached. Press ENTER.

9.    The BrailleNote Apex will prompt document name? Press SPACE until the first file in the list is reached. To mark all the files in this folder, press ENTER with dots 2-3-5-6. To select files individually, press SPACE until you reach the first file you wish to mark and press SPACE with M to mark the file. Repeat this step until all of the files you wish to export have been marked. Alternatively, you can press ENTER with dots 2-3-5-6 to mark all files in a folder to quickly get everything exported from one folder.

10.Press ENTER. The BrailleNote will prompt export to which device? File.

11.Press ENTER. The BrailleNote will prompt export as which file type? ASCII file.

12.Press SPACE with dots 3-4 until Microsoft Word is selected.

13.Press ENTER. The BrailleNote will prompt destination drive?

14.Insert a thumb drive or SD card into the BrailleNote Apex.

15.Type the Letter S for SD cards, or H for Hard disk, which is the thumb drive.

16.The BrailleNote will prompt folder name? Type the name of the folder where you wish to place the exported files.

17.Press ENTER.

18.If the folder exists on the drive, the files will be exported. If the folder does not exist on the drive, the BrailleNote will prompt folder does not exist, create a new folder?

19.Press the letter Y, the folder will be created, and the files will be exported.

 

Q: Can I bring my files from my past BrailleNote’s address list, calendar, or databases to my new Touch Plus?

 

A: Because the Touch Plus is using truly modern synchronization technology that was not available in past models of the BrailleNote, there is no direct method to transfer these types of files to the Touch. If you have access to a PC running Windows 7 or earlier, you can use KeySync to sync your calendar and contacts with Microsoft Outlook. Note that due to many variables related to Microsoft Outlook, virus protection programs etc., HumanWare cannot guarantee this valid synchronization.

 

Alternatively, in KeyList, KeyPlan or KeyBase on past BrailleNotes, you can print your calendar, contacts list, or databases to either a file or directly emboss them to a hard copy. At that point, you could enter them into either the PC using your Google or Exchange contacts and calendars and have them sync directly to the Touch. You can also enter them directly into the Touch Plus itself.    

 

Q: Does the BrailleNote Touch Plus provide a specific configuration for those with use of only one hand?

 

A: Yes. Make sure you are running the latest firmware update. To enable one handed mode press and hold the enter key with the Action button for about 5 seconds.

To disable one handed mode, perform the same shortcut.

 

 

Q: What are the dimensions and weight of the BrailleNote Touch both by itself and in its carrying case with the Braille keyboard?

 

                A: Outside the case:

                •       Height: 2.06 cm (0.8”)

•       Width: 24.4 cm (9.5”)

•       Depth: 16.2 cm (6.3”)

•       Weight: 900 g (2 lbs.)

 

Inside the case:

                •       Height: 4 cm (1.6”)

•       Width: 25.8 cm (10.2”)

•       Depth: 17.5 cm (6.9”)

•       Weight: 1420 g (3 lbs.)

 

Q: Can users use Bookshare to read books on the Touch Plus?

 

A: Absolutely, the new Touch Plus comes with the popular EasyReader application. The EasyReader application has been optimised for the BrailleNote Touch Plus and thus has been given the name EasyReader Plus. This application allows users to download books from a number of online libraries including Bookshare and RNIB Bookshare. For more Information, please refer to the user guide?

 

Q: Does the BrailleNote Touch Plus have a reset button? If so, what kind of resets will I be able to perform?

A: The Touch Plus does not have a reset button. Holding the power button for 15 seconds will force shut down the unit. Then, press and hold the power button again for five seconds to restart it. Keep in mind that because Android is the backbone of KeySoft now, resetting your entire unit will rarely need to be done. Because KeySoft has been rewritten from the ground up, if a problem occurs, that problem will be local to that specific app. You will be able to close the app completely and reopen it without ever needing to restart your Touch, ensuring you stay efficient at all times.

Q: What types of WI-FI does the BrailleNote Touch support?

 

      A: The Touch supports the following WIFI: 2.4 / 5GHZ Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2.4/5.0 GHz2x2 MU-MIMO

 

Q: What is the speech like on the BrailleNote Touch?

 

A: The default speech engine is Acapela, but one can download any 3rd party TTS engine they prefer. You can use up to 4 Acapela voices downloaded on your device.

 

Q: Can the speech be turned off and on like on other BrailleNotes?

 

                A: Yes, with the same toggle of SPACE with Previous thumb key (Far left).

 

Q: How do I clear the default app a file type opens with?

 

A: When you open a new file type, you will notice that your Touch asks you to select which app you want to open the file with, and whether you want to always open it using this application, or just once. If you selected always, this file type will always open with the app you selected without asking you.

If you no longer want an app to open a file type by default, follow these steps:

- Navigate to the app that always opens the file type either in the Main Menu or in All Applications (e.g. Google’s “Play Music” for .mp3 files).

-Open the context menu by long pressing the square button or by pressing SPACE with M.

-Activate “Open App info”.

-Navigate to “Open by default” and activate it.

-Navigate to the “Clear defaults button” and activate it.

-The file type will no longer be opened with a default app.

 

Q: When I am in a third party app, why does the top or bottom commands (Space with dots 1-2-3 or dots 4-5-6) not always take me to the first or last items on the screen?

 

A: In third-party applications such as the Google Play Store, Google Docs, or YouTube, you may notice that often the first item on the screen is something called a navigation drawer. This is an item which opens a menu related to app options and settings. The notification drawer button is often located in a toolbar at the top of the app, which is separate from the main app’s list of contents.

 

If we take the Play Store as an example, when you move past this navigation drawer with your Next thumb key, you will reach the search button, then the voice search button. These items are all in that toolbar mentioned above. Pressing the Next thumb key again will enter the main list of apps and games. You will notice you are in a list because you will hear a chime sound indicating that you have moved from the toolbar located either at the top or bottom of the screen, to the list of items in that app. If you press the Previous thumb key now, you will hear that chime sound again indicating that you have now moved back up, out of the list and into the toolbar content.

 

This is important to know as when you are in a list the top and bottom commands you are accustomed to will only take you to the first or last item in that list, but not to the first or last item on the screen. To immediately reach the first or last item on the screen, in third-party apps you can press the home or end commands, ENTER with dots 1-3 or ENTER with dots 4-6. Regardless of whether you are on a list or not, you will always move to the first or last item on the screen. 

 

Q: Can I add additional language profiles to my Touch Plus?

 

A: Yes, you can add up to 10 language profiles, all set up to different braille tables and speech. However, only 4 Acapela voices can be downloaded.

 

Q: Can I read BRF files with my BrailleNote Touch Plus?

 

A: Yes, in the all applications menu you will find an app called KeyBRF. This app allows you to open and read BRF files. Remember that you are using native braille, so no text to speech is available in these types of files.

 

Q: Can I convert KeyWord files to BRF?

 

A: Yes, open the .docx or .doc in KeyWord and use the Save As command “Backspace with S” then navigate to the file type where you have a drop-down list. You will have many options including .brf .and .brl, simply select your preference by using your thumb keys and pressing Enter.

Q: Can I open multiple documents at once using KeyWord?

 

A: Yes, the BrailleNote Touch Plus supports the opening of multiple documents. Note that when one switches away from documents, that document is automatically saved. For improved performance, turning on read-only mode in documents which you are not editing will avoid needing to save the document every time it is switched from. There is no limit to the number of documents that can be open at one time, keeping in mind that the larger the documents and more documents that are open, the lower your performance will be.

 

 

Q: Can I emboss my files in hard copy Braille?

 

A: Yes, you can emboss from KeyWord. Currently the Romeo 60, Juliet 120 and Index V5 embossers are supported via wireless and now Bluetooth embossing. To do this:

Wireless Embossing

1.         Ensure both the Touch and embosser are on the same WI-FI network.

2.         Using the embosser’s menu, find the embosser’s IP address and make note of it.

3.         Open KeyWord on your Touch’s main menu and choose the settings item.

4.         Press ENTER on the item “Embosser IP address” and type it in, and press ENTER when finished.

5.         Return to the KeyWord menu and choose the “Emboss” option.

6.         Select the file you want to emboss and press ENTER. Regardless of where your embosser is located, you will have a Braille hard copy in seconds.

 

 

 

Bluetooth Embossing

Once you have paired your Touch with the Embosser, you can easily emboss a document from your BrailleNote Touch Plus. To emboss a document, please follow the steps below:

1.       Locate a file within the File manager that you would like to emboss, press Space with M or the square button to open the context menu.

2.       Press the letter S to move to the share option and press enter or a cursor router key to activate.

3.       Press the letter B until you reach the Bluetooth option, and press enter or a cursor router key to activate.

4.       You will be presented with a list of all paired devices that you may want to share a file with. Use the next thumb key until you locate your embosser and press enter or a cursor router key to activate.

5.       Your file will now be embossed.

Note: Currently this process will work for PDF and DOCX files that you have on your BrailleNote Touch. Also note that braille from within a KeyMath image placed into a KeyWord document will not emboss.

 

Q: Can I use my BrailleNote Touch Plus to produce math content?

 

A: Yes, the Touch Plus comes equipped with a revolutionary new app called KeyMath. This app is an equation editor which allows you to type math content using your preferred Braille code (Nemeth or UEB), and have it appear visually in perfect looking print math, immediately in real time.

 

To create a math assignment incorporating math content, do the following:

1.       Create a KeyWord document.

2.       Type any literary content necessary, such as your name, date, class, assignment, etc.

3.       Put your cursor in the location where you want math content to be inserted and press the math command of BACKSPACE with M.

4.       You will now find yourself in the KeyMath equation editor. Visually, the screen is broken up into three sections.

a.       Top section is the Braille content, which will not be read until you navigate to completed lines of an equation.

b.       Bottom left section is a linear version of the math content so you can understand how it is being translated.

c.       Bottom right section is the perfect looking print math visual content that can be exported to your KeyWord math assignment.

5.       Type your math equations using Nemeth or UEB pressing ENTER when finished with a line of the equation. Note that the equations will visually appear either when you press ENTER, or if you force a visual preview using ENTER with V. Up to 10 lines of math equation content is supported at one time.

6.       When you have completed your math content, or have reached a point where you want to bring that math content into your KeyWord assignment, you can export the visual and Braille content to your KeyWord document by selecting the Export option from the context menu, or press the shortcut command of BACKSPACE with E.

7.       The math content has been exported to your Touch’s clipboard and you will now find yourself back in your KeyWord word processor, and you can paste your math content using the BACKSPACE and V shortcut.

8.       You will now see Braille math between an image start and image end tags which, in Braille look like $IMS and $IME. When you are ready to see what the print version of that math assignment will look like, you can create a visual preview by pressing ENTER with V. The document will immediately open as a visual PDF and a teacher or parent can see exactly what the math will look like.

 

Q: If I have pasted some math content in my KeyWord math assignment, and then realise I have made a mistake in some of the equations, can I edit those equations?

 

A: Yes, press a cursor router key inside any of the math content that has been pasted. You can see the focus has been brought to the math content because dots 7 and 8 will now be under the image start tag ($IMS). Press BACKSPACE with M and KeyMath will appear with the math expression already inserted. Edit the mistake and re-export the math content to your clipboard with BACKSPACE and E.

 

Now back in KeyWord, delete the incorrect math expression by simply placing your cursor after it and backspacing over it. Then, paste the new math expression with BACKSPACE and V.

 

Q: I loved the symbol selector found in my Apex to remind me of math symbols I forgot. Does KeyMath on the BrailleNote Touch Plus have a symbol selector?

 

A: Yes. When in KeyMath, access the context menu by pressing SPACE with M or a long press of the square button on the front of the Touch Plus. Choose the item “insert symbol” or press the shortcut command of BACKSPACE with dots 3-5. Now you can select your category of symbols and your desired Nemeth or UEB math symbol. Simply press Enter on it to insert the symbol in your math expression or remember the shortcut given. This is a great feature for those also wanting to learn math braille.

 

Q: Can my BrailleNote Touch Plus be used as a Braille display for other devices?

 

A: Yes. Your BrailleNote Touch Plus can be used as a fully functioning Braille display for other devices running screen readers. Simply activate the Braille Terminal app from your Touch’s main menu and choose how you want to connect to your secondary device (Bluetooth or USB). You can visit www.humanware.com/touch_support to find guides and drivers for connecting your Touch to various devices. Note that all drivers have been submitted to the major screen readers, but support needs to be implemented by the screen reader developers according to their schedule.

 

Q: How do I connect my BrailleNote Touch to my Apple devices as a Braille display?

 

A: From your Touch’s main menu, open the Braille Terminal app and choose Bluetooth as the method of connection. Then, do the following on your Apple device:

·         Navigate to Settings > General > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Braille.

·         Toward the bottom of the screen, you will find the list of displays your device sees.

·         Choose “Brailliant 32 / BrailleNote Touch Plus” and activate it.

·         You will now be asked by both the Touch Plus and Apple device if you want to pair them with each other. Activate the Pair button on both devices.

·         The devices are now paired and the Touch can be used as a Braille display and controller for your Apple device.

·         To exit back to the main menu but keep the devices paired or connected, simply press the Touch’s Home button on the front of the Touch.

 

Q: How do I connect my BrailleNote Touch Plus to my PC to function as a display with JAWS?

 

        A: First, download the HumanWare Braille Display tool from www.humanware.com/touch_support

·         Run the tool on your computer and install the JAWS driver if you are running a version less than JAWS 18.

·         Follow the installation prompts and complete the JAWS installation.

·         Now connect the USB cable from the Touch to your PC.

·         Open the Braille Terminal app from the main menu and select USB as your connection method.

·         Windows will begin installing the new driver and in a couple of minutes, your Touch will be ready to use as a display for your Windows PC.

·         Open your JAWS settings, select Braille and ensure that the default display is set to BrailleNote Touch.

·         Now, restart JAWS and you will see your Touch’s display activate. You can now control JAWS and read content in Braille using your BrailleNote Touch.

 

 

Q: I use my Touch Plus with my Google Education account, and now I cannot access the Google Play Store.

 

A : For Google Education customers, the Play Store app is not enabled by default for Education accounts. So the Google Education Admin has to go in and enable it for all users.

 

See the excerpt below from Google’s support documentation:

 

Turn Google Play on or off for users

If you're an administrator of Google accounts for an organisation, you can control who uses Google Play from their account. Just turn the service on or off for those people in your Admin console. People for whom you turn on Google Play can use it to download and purchase mobile content and apps in their accounts.

Before you begin: To turn the service on or off for select groups of users, put their accounts in an organizational unit.

Control who uses Google Play

1.      Go to Apps > Additional Google Services. 

2.      Click Google Play. 

Tip: Scroll to see all services. Or at the left, choose a Filter to narrow the list, for example, based on status or popularity.

3.       At the top of the grey box, click More Settingsand choose:

·         On for everyone to turn on the service for all users (click again to confirm).

·         Off to turn off the service for all users (click again to confirm).

·         On for some organizations to change the setting only for some users.

4.       If you chose On for some organizations:

0.       Select the organization that contains the users whose settings you want to change.

1.       Click Override or Inherit, whichever appears.

Override makes the setting stay the same, even if the parent setting changes.
Inherit reverts to the same setting as its parent.

2.       If you clicked Override, click On On or Off Off to change the setting.

3.       Click Apply twice to confirm.

Learn more about the organizational structure.

            Click Apply.

 

Q: What is Tactile view is KeyMaths used for?

 

A: Tactile view is a new feature that allows you to proofread your graphs on the display. For example, you might need to increase your graph boundaries to make it fit better, you might also use this view to check the shape/slope of a curve, etc.

To generate a tactile preview of a graph, press SPACE with T or select the option in the contextual menu.

You will be able to feel Braille characters on the display which by themselves don’t have significant value; their arrangement in relation to other characters as you scroll the display down with the next or previous thumb keys, defines a shape and gradually forms a larger graphic image, such as a circle, a diagonal, etc. To comprehend the whole shape, scroll up and down to dynamically feel the whole shape. The faster you scroll the display with the next or previous thumb keys, the more you will be able to comprehend the image. Imagine that you are looking at a graph paper one line at a time. Press any cursor routing key to have the BrailleNote Touch tell you the “y” position of your cursor.

 

Q: How do font indicators work on the Touch in KeyWord?

 

                A: Font indicators are markers that if enabled are shown on the Braille display when a font attribute has changed. For this example, we will assume you that you have format markers set to show all. Note that each time there is a change in the set of font attributes that are applied, you will see the font start and end marker bracketing the relevant text. For example, if you have a 5-line paragraph that is bolded, but the third line is also underlined, you will see the font start and end markers at the beginning and the end of the first two lines, respectively. You will then see them again bracketing the third line because that is bolded and underlined. Then again you will find them, bracketing the last two lines because those lines are only bolded. Below is an example what will be shown using this method:

Please note: The example below is a continuous paragraph with new line breaks.

*Font start* This is the first line in bold.

 This is the second line in bold. *Font end*

*Font Start* This is the third line in bold and underlined. *Font end*

*Font start* This is the fourth line in bold.

 This is the fifth line in bold. *Font end*

Q: Does the BrailleNote Support Qwerty or Azerty keyboards?

 

A: Yes, the BrailleNote Touch Now Supports full QWERTY navigation and input with one exception which is KeyMath. A full list of the qwerty commands can be found in the updated user guide from our website.

 

 

Q: How do I set up my keyboard to work with the BrailleNote Touch?

 

A: There are two types of keyboards that can be used on the BrailleNote Touch Plus, Bluetooth and Standard USB keyboards. When inserting a standard USB keyboard the BrailleNote Touch Plus will automatically work offering full navigation and input. If however you want to use a Bluetooth keyboard you will need to pair the keyboard. To pair your Bluetooth Keyboard please follow these steps:

Setting up a Bluetooth connection between the BrailleNote Touch Plus and a Bluetooth Keyboard

1.       On the Touch, use the Braille shortcut Enter with Q to open the Quick Settings menu.

2.       Press B . You will be prompted “Connected devices”. Press Enter.

3.       You will be prompted “Bluetooth”, followed by the connection status. If Bluetooth is off press the far right thumb key to the Bluetooth Switch button, and press Enter to turn it on. If already on press Enter on Bluetooth.

4.       You will be prompted “Visible as BrailleNote Touch Plus to other devices”.

5.       Press P to pair new device followed by pressing Enter.

6.       At this point make sure the Keyboard is set to find mode. Please refer to the QWERTY keyboard guide on how to set the find mode.

7.       Type a letter S until you are prompted “Search for devices”. Now, press Enter.

8.       The Touch Plus will search for visible Bluetooth devices in your current vicinity. Press Space to move to the list of Bluetooth device(s) found (if any). You can use Space or BackSpace to move through the list. Move to the Bluetooth keyboard in the list, and then press Enter.

9.    If the Bluetooth keyboard requires some additional steps, follow the appropriate steps. The connection should then be established successfully.

 

Removing a Bluetooth connection

You can remove a Bluetooth connection from the BrailleNote Touch Plus. This effectively “unpairs” the Touch from a Bluetooth device that you have previously set up a connection with.

Note: If you remove a Bluetooth connection from the Touch Plus, the Touch Plus will no longer be paired with that Bluetooth device. If you want to use the Touch Plus with that Bluetooth device in the future, you will need to follow the steps described above for establishing the initial Bluetooth connection again.

To remove a Bluetooth connection from your BrailleNote Touch Plus, follow these steps:

1.       Use the Braille shortcut Enter with Q to open the Quick Settings menu.

2.       Now, type a letter C. You will be prompted “Connected devices”. Press Enter.

3.       You will be prompted “Bluetooth connected to xxxxx” where xxxx is the device your Touch Plus is connected to. Press Enter

4.       Press Space until you are prompted “Paired devices”. Now, continue pressing Space until you reach the name of the Bluetooth device that you want to remove the pairing for.

5.       Then, press Space again.

6.       You will be prompted “settings button”. Press Enter.

7.       You will be prompted “Edit box with the name of the Paired Bluetooth device. Press Space with dot 4 until you are prompted “Forget Button” then press Enter.

8.       The Bluetooth connection between your Touch Plus and the Bluetooth device has now been removed.

 

 

 

Q: I have plugged the charger in on my BrailleNote Touch Plus, how do I know it is charging?

 

A: If the Touch Plus is turned off after connecting the charger perform a quick short press of the On/Off button. You will feel the Touch Plus vibrate and shortly receive a braille message “Starting KeySoft”. After a few seconds, the braille display will be refreshed notifying you the status of the charger, for example; Charging 11%. The braille will continue to show the status of the charge.

 

Q: I am unable to login to Facebook, is there anything I can do?

 

A: If you are unable to login to Facebook clearing the app data, then restarting Facebook should resolve this problem.

1.                   Navigate to Facebook and press the context menu.

2.                   Select app info

3.                   Navigate to clear app data and press enter

4.                   Clear all of your apps by a short press of the context button and press C, followed by enter.

5.                   Open Facebook, you should not be prompted for your credentials.

As an alternative solution and if the above fails to works it could be related to smart lock auto-login feature. This feature can be disabled by doing the following:

1.       Press Enter with Q for quick settings.

2.       Press G until you are prompted with Google, then press enter

3.      Jump to last option in the menu by pressing space with dots 4,5,6.

4.       Press enter on Smart Locks for passwords

5.       Using your thumb keys navigate to the Switch for “Smart Lock for Passwords” to switch this setting off press enter. You will be prompted “off” if successful.

 

Q: In some applications, menu items are not all easily accessible with KeySoft. For example, the more options in Dropbox will not show items such as export or copy.

 

A: Because the Touch Plus is forced into a landscape orientation, some of the third-party application menu items might not be accessible with KeySoft. It is advised to use explore by touch to reach additional menu items in this case. When on the menu item you wish to explore press the two outer thumb keys together. Then using a two finger swipe up gesture, you will have access to any additional menu items that were not available. Continue to navigate using your thumb keys to reach other menu items. 

Q: How do I use the new Google Chrome web browser?

 

A: KeyWeb has been replaced by an accessible version of Google Chrome, the lightning-fast web browser that needs no introduction.

Like anywhere on your Touch, you can navigate in your web browser by either using your thumb keys and the Braille keyboard or Explore by touch mode.

The Chrome browser features many functionalities and options that can be accessed in the context menu by pressing and holding the Recent apps button or by pressing SPACE with M. The available commands are listed below:

Open web page: Enter with O

Forward: Enter with F

Back: Space with E

Reload page: Enter with R

Add or remove a bookmark: Enter with M

Open bookmarks: Enter with dots 2 3 5

Open browsing history: Enter with dots 2 3 6

Open new tab: Backspace with N

Close tab: Enter with C

Find: Space with F

Find next: Space with N

Find previous: Space with P

Navigation level menu: Space with T

Next element: Space with dots 4 6

Previous element: Space with dots 1 3

Chrome menu: Space with W

For more advanced navigation please refer to “Q: Advance navigation in Chrome and app with web view”.

 

Q: Advance navigation in Chrome and apps with web view.

 

BrailleNote Touch Plus introduces the concept of Web Views, a new and easy way to efficiently navigate through HTML content like web pages and emails. You only need to learn the more important Html shortcuts and you will be ready to go. Each shortcut allows you to scroll through a specific type of Html element, like buttons, graphics, headings, links, etc.

For example, the Html Content shortcut to navigate through Headings is H. When you are inside a Web View, press H to reach the next heading on the page. Press H again, and you will jump to the following heading, and so on.

To navigate backwards, add Backspace and Enter with the shortcut. For example, to scroll through the headings of a web page backwards, simply press Backspace, Enter and H together. This works for all Html Shortcuts.

One great advantage of this enhancement is having the option to come out of a web view and use First letter navigation to jump to button controls. I will use the Amazon application as an example; The Amazon application consists of two sections. The first section includes a search box, a shopping basket and a navigation side panel. All of these can be accessed by using First letter navigation when in this frame. The second section is the web view where all HMTL shortcuts can be used.

Please note: that First Letter navigation cannot be used when in a web view environment. In this case if I am currently focused on the web view and I want to view my shopping bastket I will need to press the two left thumb keys together (Previous and left thumb keys). My focus will now be on the first frame where I can now use First letter navigation like B for basket. If at any point I want to jump back to the web view I can press Enter with W.

Important Html Shortcuts

 

You will find below a list of the most commonly used Web view shortcuts. You can press Space with H in most web views to view available commands.

Next Control: C

Next Editable field: E

Next Heading: H

Heading 1: dot 1

Heading 2: dot 2

Heading 3: dot 3

Heading 4: dot 4

Heading 5: dot 5

Heading 6: dot 6

Next list: O

Next Link: L

Next Table: T

Next Section: Right Thumb key Plus Next Thumb Key

Previous Section: Previous Thumb key Plus Left Thumb key

Next web view: Enter with W

 

Q: When opening a PDF or Mp3 file directly from a USB thumb drive, I receive prompts such as "Cannot display PDF (file name.docx.pdf cannot be opened)", or Couldn't play the track you requested.

 

A: The ability to open files directly from the USB thumb drive is limited. Providing the file type can be opened with KeySoft Core applications such as KeyWord it can open. However to avoid receiving prompts as indicated and for best practice, then we suggest you copy the file from the USB drive to the internal storage. One of the reasons for this is because third-party applications are dependent on permissions to access external drives.

Q: How do I perform a factory reset?

 

A: In the event of wanting to perform a factory reset, please be aware that all files, folders and apps will be deleted. Please also note that failing to remove any accounts associated in the user and accounts options you will be asked to enter the credentials after the factory reset has been performed. To avoid this please make sure to remove any user accounts before performing the factory reset. Please follow these steps to perform a factory reset:

1.       Press Enter with Q for the Android Settings.

2.       Press S multiple times until you get the prompt “System”, then press Enter

3.       Press R for reset options, then press Enter 

Q: I have accidentally clicked not allow when prompted for permissions, how to do I reset this?

 

A : When you first open an application such as KeyWord you will be given a prompt asking to allow permissions. To continue using the application you will need to allow the correct permissions. If, however, you deny the permission and check the don't ask again checkbox you will not be able to use that application. In this case, you will need to do the following steps to reset the permissions:

1.       Navigate to the application that you are not able to open.

2.       Open the context menu by long pressing the recent apps button or by pressing SPACE with M.

3.       Activate “Open App info”.

4.       Navigate to Permissions and press Enter

5.       Navigate to Storage and press enter to switch on.

6.       The application will now run correctly.

Q: After performing a factory reset, my device continues to request the previous credentials.

 

A: This is the Device Protection Lock. It's basically asking you to sign into any Google account that's synced or added to the device. To avoid this in future cases, we recommend removing all your accounts under the user and account option within the Android settings.

If you can't remember your credentials, you can reset your password by going to https://accounts.google.com/signin/v2/recoveryidentifier?flowName=GlifWebSignIn&flowEntry=ServiceLogin

 

Q: I have an SD card from the Victor Reader Stream, but it is not being recognised on the Touch Plus?

 

A: The Stream and Trek are using a non-standard way to format SD cards. Therefore, this is why the Touch Plus is unable to recognise the SD card.

For the users that have both a BN Touch and either a Trek or Stream, we suggest formatting the SD card in the BN Touch Plus so it works everywhere.

 

Q: Is it possible to create multiple users on the Touch Plus?

               

A: Yes, the BrailleNote Touch Plus allows you to create multiple user accounts. This can be very useful if you want the student to use the Touch Plus in an Exam environment. If your Touch Plus is being used in an education environment, we recommend that the IT department is set as the Administrator of the device. On the initial startup of the Touch Plus, this will be the Administrator. Remember that sighted peers can disable the accessibility by pressing and holding down the volume up and volume down key if they are not familiar with KeySoft. When in Android settings, activate the user and account option. Here you will have an option to add a user. When adding a new user, the Touch Plus will go through the Tutorial.

                 

Q: How do I access the recovery mode?

 

A: Make sure the Touch Plus is fully shut down and not connect to either a PC or a charger. With the Touch Plus off Press and hold the Power button and the Volume Up button together. When you feel a vibration, these keys can be released. In the Recovery mode, you will have a variety of options. The front thumb keys can be used to move through these options. To activate your selection, press a cursor key.

Q: How should I prepare my Touch V1 before it gets upgraded to the new BrailleNote Touch Plus?

 

A: Before HumanWare collects your Touch V1, we advised to that you back up all of the folders. Please refer to “How do I copy folders to an external drive such as a USB Thumb drive or SD card?.” For more Information on how to perform this task.

 

 

 

Q: I am unable to connect to a proxy server. When I connect to Chrome I get the message “Clock Error”

 

A: In order to establish a connection to the proxy server the date and time settings are required to match the server. In the event of no prior connection to a wireless network, the date and time will be set to a default value. Before establishing a proxy server connection, please make sure to adjust the date and time manually.

 

1.       From the main menu press Enter with Q for Android settings

2.       Press S for system, then press enter

3.       Press D for date and time and press enter

4.       Switch off the “Automatic date and time”

5.       Select Date and make the necessary changes

6.       Select Time and make the necessary changes

 

Alternatively, connect the Touch Plus to a wireless network that does not require a proxy server to at least establish the correct date and time.

 

After this has been completed, the proxy servers will allow the connections.

 

Q: I find the Touch Plus a little too complex with so many applications that I do not know what they do, is there a simple mode?

 

A: KeySoft Version 3 introduce a way of customizing your Main Menu. This is extremely beneficial if either you want to make your Menu simple or as complex as you want.

Turning On the Custom Menu

To customise your Main Menu, make sure you are already in the Main Menu, then simply press Backspace with Enter and X.

The Main menu is now called My Menu and can be customised according to your preferences.

Alternatively, you can open the Contextual menu by pressing Space with M or by pressing and holding the Recent application button.

Scroll down to Customise main menu and activate it by pressing Enter or a cursor routing key.

Adding an Application to your Custom Menu

To add an application to your Custom Menu, scroll to All applications from the Main Menu and activate it by pressing Enter or a cursor routing key.

Scroll through the All applications menu until your find the application you wish to add to your Custom Menu.

Once you have found it, press Enter with M to immediately add it to your Custom Menu.

Alternatively, you can add it by going through the context menu by pressing Space with M, or by holding down the Recent Apps button.

Removing an Application from your Custom Menu

To remove an application from your Custom Menu, simply reach the application you wish to remove from the Main Menu and press Enter with M.

Alternatively, you can remove it by going through the context menu by pressing Space with M, or holding down the Recent Apps button.

Note that removing an application from your custom menu does not remove it from the device; the application will still be available in the All Applications sub-menu of the Main Menu.

Restoring the Default Main Menu

To revert to the Default Main Menu, simply press Backspace with Enter and X when you are in your Custom Main Menu.

Alternatively, you can open the Contextual menu by pressing Space with M or by pressing and holding the Recent application button.

Scroll down to Restore default menu and activate it by pressing Enter or a cursor routing key.

 

Q: Is there a way to copy text from Chrome and other non-editable fields?

 

A: Yes, make sure you using the latest version of KeySoft. To copy from non-editable field such as Chrome you will need to enable speech. To do this press the space bar together with the previous thumb key. Although speech is required to be enabled you can set the volume to zero.

To copy spoken content:

To copy you will need to ensure your focus is before the start of the word you want to copy.

Start your text selection by pressing Enter with S. Scroll down to the end of the text you wish to copy, then press Enter with S a second time to complete your selection. Press Backspace with Y to copy the selected text to the clipboard.

Activate an editable field, such as an address bar, or open KeyWord or any other application with an editable field, then press Enter with V to paste the copied text.

 

Q: Does the BrailleNote Touch Plus have a scientific calculator?

 

A: The BrailleNote Touch Plus has a full scientific calculator that allows for both Nemeth and UEB braille entry. Ensure you have updated your BrailleNote Touch Plus if this is not the case.

 

Q: Is there a way to assist students transitioning from grade 1 to full contractions?

 

A: The BrailleNote Touch Plus has introduced learning braille tables in one of its most recent firmware update. Several learning curricula can be used, such as Take of series or Mangold.  When selecting your braille table, under the English category, you will have various learning tables to choose from. Each table follows its own curriculum and introduces contractions in stages.

HumanWare has also partnered with RNIB to give full access to a UEB curriculum. The curriculum includes braille files for the students, along with a teacher's handbook to follow.

For more information on this and to access resources, please refer to the learning tables on the Touch Plus support page.

 

Q: Does the BrailleNote Touch Plus support PDF files?

 

A: Yes, the BrailleNote Touch Plus is now capable of opening true text PDF files (September 2020 update). These files can be opened directly from KeyFiles or from selecting the Open option within KeyWord.

 

Q: Does the BrailleNote Touch Plus support Google Oauth?

 

A: Yes, the latest firmware update introduced support to Google sign in authentication when using KeyMail. Upon adding an email account, you will now have the opportunity to select the “Sign in with Google” button. This means you no longer require to create an App password or enable less secure app. Please note, if you are using an alternative domain from Gmail you will require to change the server address to IMAP.gmail.com and ensure all other security options have been set correctly. Please consult your local IT department to ensure you have the correct information required.

 

 

Rev 02 2020/09/01