In the April 2018 issue of AccessWorld, I reviewed the new Focus 14 and 40 Fifth Generation braille displays from the VFO Group. In May 2018, the VFO Group released a firmware update that introduced the Scratchpad application. The Scratchpad allows you to take notes directly on the Focus and save them to an inserted Micro SD card. It is also possible to transfer notes from the Scratchpad to a connected device. With the Scratchpad feature, you can transfer BRF files onto the Micro SD card. Below is a brief overview of the Scratchpad's features, and how they have worked for me.
Updating the Focus 5th Generation to the Latest Firmware
If your display was purchased before May 16, 2018, you will need to update it to the latest firmware version. If you are unsure if your Focus has the latest firmware, press the Menu button followed by the top of a Rocker bar to verify the version currently installed. If the number following the dash is 30 or above, your display supports the Scratchpad feature. If your version number is below 30, you will need to download and install the update using a Windows computer running either a licensed or demonstration copy of JAWS. It is not possible to upgrade the firmware using a Mac unless you have a Bootcamp partition or a virtual copy of Windows. The update process has several steps that are clearly outlined on the webpage linked above. If the directions are carefully followed, updating the firmware works well.
To use the Scratchpad feature, you will need to insert a 32-gigabyte or smaller Micro SD card into the display. Instructions on how to correctly insert the Micro SD card are also explained on the webpage linked above.
Once you've updated your firmware and inserted the Micro SD card, you may want to read the help file for the Scratchpad. Sadly, you must take more steps to load this help file onto the Focus. If you would rather complete these steps at a later time, or not at all, you can always read the help file online. If you choose to have the help file available on your unit's Micro SD card, you can read it by pressing Right Shift + H while in the Scratchpad application. Exit help by pressing Spacebar + Z.
Writing Using the Scratchpad
To open the Scratchpad application from anywhere, press Menu + N. If a previously used file remains open, you'll see its contents, otherwise, you'll be presented with a blank file. If you wish to create a new file while one is already open, press Right Shift + N. Before creating a new note, you'll be prompted to save your work on any open files. The Scratchpad application contains a menu with editing, navigation, and file management functions that is accessed by pressing the Menu button. It is similar to that found in a basic word processor. You are given Help, File, Edit, and Export options. Within File, you can reate a new file, open an existing file, save, save as, and exit. You can either press Enter to activate a desired option or use the available keyboard shortcut. Edit offers a user the ability to cut, paste, paste time, paste date, find, and find next. The help file can be accessed via the Help menu, and is the only option available. Export allows you to send the contents of a note to a connected device.
Keyboard shortcuts that correspond to each function listed above can be found within the help file. It would be useful to have the shortcuts highlighted within the menu to more easily memorize them, and not be forced to switch between the help file and an open note. There are commands for navigating around a file that follow the convention first established with the release of the Braille N Speak. I was able to type as fast as I liked in contracted braille without experiencing lag or mistakes. Editing what I had written was easy since the cursor and other commands functioned as expected.
Since notes taken with the Focus are in a proprietary format, it's not possible to read or transfer them directly to a connected device. If you wish to transfer a note from the Focus to a Windows computer or iOS device, you must use the Export option. Before exporting the note, be sure that only the receiving device is active, that the screen reader's braille tables match those of the Focus, and that a text field is ready for input on the receiving device. Transferring a phone number using Bluetooth took about five seconds while exporting a three-sentence document took about 15 seconds. Because of issues present when typing in contracted braille on both iOS and NVDA, a three-sentence note that I composed was consistently exported incorrectly. Not all of the characters in the file were sent to the connected device. JAWS, however, handled the transfer flawlessly. It may also be worth noting that one cannot edit BRF files. If you have BRF files such as notes taken on another device, you will not be able to continue using this document on the Focus. There aren't any options available for exporting the created content on the Focus to another file format other than the one listed above.
Reading with the Scratchpad
After downloading content from Bookshare, I went to add these files to my Micro SD card. After connecting the Focus and turning it on using the Power button along with the Left Panning button, the card showed as a removable drive. If you are using the Focus with your computer through USB to read screen reader output, you will not have braille support while in this mode. You can establish a Bluetooth connection to maintain braille support. BRF content must be placed within the Fsi\Focus5\Scratchpad\Books folder on the Micro SD card in order for it to show in the Focus' file browser. Once the transfer is complete, eject the drive from your computer. After power cycling the display, your books may be accessed through the Open option in the Scratchpad's File menu. A file can also be opened by pressing Left Shift + O while in the Scratchpad application.
A 1.2-megabyte BRF file loaded almost instantaneously. While you can read content by using the Panning buttons, you can also use the NAV rockers. To set them to Lines, Paragraphs, or Display Panning, press the Right or Left Mode button located above each NAV rocker. You can also set one bookmark for each file you have open by pressing Left Shift + M. Confirmation is not provided, but you can verify a bookmark by moving the cursor to another location, and then pressing Left Shift + G.
When reading a book with the Scratchpad, my position was retained even when exiting the application. If I worked with another file before returning to my book, the Scratchpad did not always accurately remember my position. In these instances, the bookmarking feature along with the Find and Find Next commands were very useful.
The Bottom Line
The Scratchpad feature on the Focus fifth generation is a welcome feature if you want to take basic notes and read digital braille files. It would be very helpful if it were possible to manipulate BRF files, especially since other devices a user may have had in the past cannot work with the proprietary format. It would also be helpful if the VFO Group included the keyboard shortcuts along with each menu item, as is often found on other devices. Transferring content would be easier for novice users if it were not necessary to navigate through several layers of folders on the Micro SD card to do so. Finally, receiving confirmation when performing certain actions, such as adding a bookmark, would be helpful. Though I would like to see these suggestions implemented, I find the update to be a welcome addition to this line of displays.
Related Articles:
- Focusing on Braille: a Review of the Focus 5th Generation Braille Displays From the VFO Group, by Scott Davert
- What's New in Braille and Beyond: A Report from the CSUN Assistive Technology Conference, by J.J. Meddaugh
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