Hi Scott, Amy and others, If you want a quick, easy way to look up braille codes you can't remember, there is an app, made by someone I know, called Braille Reference, and is $0.99 in the app store. Under the computer braille section, if you select to search by name, it will show you an alphabetical list of contractions. The At sign is the fourth one in the list. He says "dots 7 and 4," which is correct. However, you can get this if you are using contracted braille by doing space bar plus u for upper case and then just a dot 4. He plans an update with visual images for the braille cells in the near future and there are a couple of search things he needs to clean up, but it is a handy tool for a lot of my braille students. HTH, Richard
_____ From: viphone@googlegroups.com [mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Scott Howell Sent: Sunday, September 16, 2012 1:47 PM To: viphone@googlegroups.com Subject: Re: Small braille keyboard/displays for iPhone David, Do you tend to use contracted more than uncontracted Braille? Also I think I'm going to get one of those booklets that will help me remember how to make an "at" @ symbol etc. I never used computer Braille. In fact until a year ago or so I had not used Braille since I was in school which was a good while ago. :) I'm really looking to use my RefreshaBraille for more than just reading. :) On Sep 16, 2012, at 3:42 PM, David Chittenden <dchitten...@gmail.com> wrote: All braille displays work similarly with the iPhone. It is the iOS software which controls everything. The braille display is for viewing and the keyboard is for typing. Controls are more basic than with a braille note taker. I would be cautious about getting the HumanWare or vario displays. Connections can be more problematic do to the nature of the bluetooth driver stacks and controls in the HumanWare products. I have an Alva BC640 and a RefreshaBraille. Both work well with my iPhone. That said, I prefer the Refreshabraille because I can turn it on and off whilst my iPhone is unlocked and it connects and disconnects without difficulties. My Alva, on the other hand, requires that I lock my iPhone before I turn the Alva on. After the display is on, I unlock my iPhone and the Alva automatically connects. However, when I write in 8 dot computer braille, the Alva is easier because all 8 dots are in a row (40 cells gives more room for the keyboard). On the Refreshabraille, dots 7 and 8 are next to the spacebar, so harder to press dot 7 for capitalisation. National Braille Press, NBP, in the US has a braille brochure with the computer braille code. They also use to sell a book training on computer braille. In computer braille, the letters are the same, numbers are dropped to the lower part of the 6 dot cell (1 is dot 2, 2 is dots 2 3, 3 is dots 2 5, Etc.), and there are unique symbols for each punctuation mark. Upper-case letters are the same as lower-case letters with dot 7 added. I write computer braille at the same speed that I write contracted braille. For large files, I find my iPhone 4 does better in 8 dot mode rather than contracted braille mode. Also, in contracted braille mode, iOS has a half second buffer. If you stop writing for half a second, whatever is in the buffer is translated and written to the field. Braille entry works whenever the keyboard is activated. Also, almost everything VO speaks is simultaneously displayed in braille. I regularly take notes in braille during meetings with speech muted. David Chittenden, MSc, MRCAA Email: dchitten...@gmail.com Mobile: +64 21 2288 288 Sent from my iPhone On 17/09/2012, at 7:05, Amy Harris <aharr...@gmail.com> wrote: Sharonda, thanks for the clarification, and thanks for the Essys 14 Kawal. I knew that if I asked here I could get REAL help. You know, useful help. *GRIN* I know that some braille displays are notetakers in and of themselves. That's not really what I need. I need something more along the lines of being able to turn off VoiceOver on my iDevice yet still use it through braille while in a meeting. Does that eliminate any of these devices? I'd also love a display that worked with iPhone apps like Pages, Messages, Notes, Mail, Reminders, my grocery list app, and so on. Does such a thing even exist, or does it all have to be done through the particular braille display's software? Amy -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" Google Group. 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