Dear Carol, I’m afraid I’ve got bad news. I’ve done the test as you’ve asked me to and there is quite a considerable lag in both instances: using the text input straight into the edit field and using the clipboard method. This is disappointing. I’m not the fastest Braille writer and yet the lag was definitely there even though the text was quite short. also, I found editing a document quite a laborious task again because of the lag. It took sometimes a few seconds for the cursor to route to the right letter and when inserting a letter or letters again it took a few seconds for the text to appear on the display. Very disappointed.
One more thing I want to try is pairing the Smart Beetle with my iPhone as a bluetooth keyboard and inputing the text from that mode to see whether it is the Braille mode that slows it down. Apparently it is possible to use combo mode with smart beetle, i.e. pairing it both as a Braille display and as a bluetooth keyboard and then changing how you use it using a shortcut key. I will have to read some more about it. In a way, I’m anxious now that I made a wrong choice and yet I would have struggled to raise more finances for a more expensive product. Maybe not all is lost and maybe, just maybe, HIMS will improve their software, and maybe once Apple incorporates Smart Beetle driver into its OS it will speed things up. Sorry I have no better news. Andrew > On 14 Aug 2015, at 22:58, 'carol.pearso...@googlemail.com' via VIPhone > <viphone@googlegroups.com> wrote: > > Hi Andrew, > > Hmm! Wish S&S had their act together before my demo. I'd thought, maybe, > the use of the Braille Sense, in the manual was perhaps an oversight in not > correcting stuff ... as this happens ... but it wasn't, I gather. > > The other reason that would make me really want this unit is if you could > answer "Yes" definitely to one further point. > > You may not have done this, but you can use the clipboard setting to > temporarily disable the keyboard so that you can write something in your own > clipboard, so to speak. In this case, you write quite a bit of text, say, > 300 words, then try sending to your iPhone. > > You get into the clipboard with backspace+enter+C and then send by pressing > "Enter". > > In previous Sense products, I've found this to be too slow for me and even > unreliable, possibly running out of memory ... > > I'd love to be able to use this feature, but quickly and not feel I wanted to > drink a cuppa whilst waiting. I found it translated the text only as quickly > as it did ifyou were brailling directly and were having to wait for it to be > translated into the phone, and that wasn't what I wanted! > > Can you try this out, please, and let me know what you think. > > Thanks. > > Thanks also for the instructions you gave below, which I'll keep for further > reference. > > Carol P > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Andrew Lamanche" <ioani...@me.com> > To: "VIPhone" <viphone@googlegroups.com> > Sent: Friday, August 14, 2015 6:15 PM > Subject: Re: Smart Beetle 14 cells refreshable Braille display > > > Hi Carol, > > Yes, at present you have to pair Smart Beetle as BrailleSense because Apple > has not as yet incorporated the Smart Beetle driver into its operating > systems. However, HIMS provide instructions on how to make Smart Beetle > appear as BrailleSense. Once i took the initial steps to accomplish this on > Smart Beetle itself, the pairing went smoothly. > > Below I'm pasting the instructions as I received them from HIMS. They are > also included with the product on a separate Braille sheet. > "Smart Beetle with Apple products. > Note, the below refers to using Smart Beetle with products running Apple's > iOS, including iPhone, iPad, and iPod as well as mac computers. > At the time of this writing, Apple has not implemented a Smart Beetle > specific driver into iOS or the Mac OS. Thus, it has become necessary for us > to do a work around in order that you may use your Smart Beetle with > i-devices and Mac computers. > In short, this work-around allows the Smart Beetle to emulate a Braille Sense > notetaker, which is supported in Apple's operating systems. You can turn this > emulation on and off simply by changing the Bluetooth name for the Bluetooth > Serial port on the Smart Beetle. > note: this work-around requires you to use the Smart Beetle via Bluetooth > when using a Mac computer. > > To change the Bluetooth name, please do the following: > 1) Press Power-F1, choose BRL and press "Enter". The unit displays "pairing > BRL". > 2) Press the Power button to open the menu, and Press the shortcut "I" to > open "Information". > 3) From the "Information" list, press (F2-F3-Dot1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8). > 4) Return to "Information", and confirm the BRL Bluetooth name. > Each time you follow these steps, the Bluetooth name is toggled between > "SmartBeetle" and "BrailleSense", thus, you can use Smart Beetle in it's > normal configuration for other screen readers. In addition, when Apple > introduces Smart gheetle support, you will be able to change the Bluetooth > name back to Smart Beetle and use it properly from that time." > > I was nervous at first but I had downloaded the user guide for Smart Beetle > from HIMS website and since the description of the unit was very good, I was > able to learn a lot about it before I actually put my hands on it. > > Good luck and ask anything if you wish and I will do my best to answer. > > Andrew >> On 14 Aug 2015, at 15:40, 'carol.pearso...@googlemail.com' via VIPhone >> <viphone@googlegroups.com> wrote: >> >> Andrew, >> >> How did you manage to pair it and which of the keyboard settings are you >> using? >> >> I saw one, as demo, but we couldn't pair it at the time and it seemed to be >> because you had to pair it as Braille Sense, or something. >> >> Please tell me what you did etc? I did like the look and feel of it very >> much and wanted one but ... >> >> Carol P >> >> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Andrew Lamanche" <ioani...@me.com> >> To: "VIPhone" <viphone@googlegroups.com> >> Cc: <macvisionar...@googlegroups.com> >> Sent: Thursday, August 13, 2015 6:47 PM >> Subject: Smart Beetle 14 cells refreshable Braille display >> >> >> Listers, >> >> It's arrived: my new tiny, 14 cell refreshable Braille display produced by >> HIMS. Nervous as I was ordering it from Sight and Sound in the UK, I feel >> I'm gonna love it! it's small and the cells are nice. I've already paired >> it with my iphone. And by the way, this Braille display can remember 5 >> different bluetooth devices to which one connects. It also has a USB >> connection. >> >> I know it's going to be a steep learning curve and that I'm going to be >> asking lots of questions but I've already managed to read using Smart Beetle >> from Voice Dream Reader and ibooks. The pleasure of reading quietly is >> intense! I'm delighted. >> >> At present it seems that I have to keep my iphone or ipad unlocked in order >> to use my Smart Beetle. Is this the case in your experience too? Also, Smart >> Beetle can connect via bluetooth either as a Braille display or as a >> bluetooth keyboard emulator and it can also work in combo mode, i.e. you can >> have it connected as a Braille display and as a bluetooth keyboard for more >> functionality. I can navigate home screens using it, open and close >> applications, read text, I've written a text message using it, I can use the >> rotor. However, when in Mail, I couldn't find a way of deleting an email I >> didn't want to read and I was wondering whether there may be an equivalent >> of a swiping gesture that Braille display could imitate. I just wonder if >> you could share what else you can do with your refreshable Braille displays >> and iPhone? >> >> Many thanks for any suggestions >> >> Andrew >> >> -- >> The following information is important for all members of the viphone list. >> All new members to the this list are moderated by default. If you have any >> questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a >> member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators >> directly rather than posting on the list itself. 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