TRIC: Reviews of Current Technology
Check out all TRIC Reviews from the Technology, Research and Innovation Center
A Review of the Humanware NLS eReader: a Free Braille Display for NLS Patrons in the U.S.
March 13, 2024
Learn about the capabilities and settings of the Humanware NLS eReader and how it connects to various devices.
Getting a Good Vibe From The Vibio Bluetooth Bed Shaker From Bellman & Symfon
September 13, 2023
The Vibio Bluetooth Bed Shaker is a device designed not only for setting alarms, but also getting notifications of both text messages and phone calls. This review of the Vibio discusses the contents of the app, its notifications, the alarm settings, the product’s vibrations, and more.
A Review of the Active Braille 40 2021
March 2, 2023
The Active Braille is a 40-cell braille display which sports 64 GB of Micro SD memory, a file manager, editor, mp3 player, clock, calculator, scheduler, games, support for braille music and a long-lasting battery. Learn all about the braille display and its capabilities in this review.
40 Cells to Empowerment: A Comparison of Five Braille Displays to Fortify Your Success in 2023
January 18, 2023
This review compares 5 braille displays—the Brailliant BI 40X, the Focus 40 Blue, the Mantis Q40, the Orbit Reader 40, and the QBraille XL—and showcases their different internal features, costs, battery life, Bluetooth connections and more.
Are Braille Bugs Biting You In iOS 16? Here Is Some Bug Repellent To Help
September 23, 2022
This review discusses the workarounds for bugs found while editing text in iOS 16 with a braille display keyboard. When Apple releases an update addressing some of the issues listed, this review will be updated accordingly.
What’s New In Accessibility In iOS 16 For Blind And DeafBlind Users
September 12, 2022
Learn about accessibility updates made in iOS 16 that help individuals who are blind and DeafBlind. This latest edition includes many mainstream changes such as a revamped Lock screen, enhancements to privacy and safety features, Focus Mode enhancements, new functionality in Messages and Mail, along with many other improvements.
Taking The Power Of Accessibility Into Your Own Hands: a Review of the Energrid VS820PD power bank
August 31, 2022
There are external battery packs or “power banks” on the market that make it difficult for blind or DeafBlind people to know when their devices are fully charged. The Energrid VS820PD power bank, however, addresses this concern. This review discusses how the Energrid VS820PD power bank provides non-visual vibration feedback to convey a device’s battery status.
When The Old Meets The New: A Review Of The iPhone SE 3
April 4, 2022
This review of the iPhone SE 3 includes information about appearance, setup, battery life, touch ID, recognition, hearing aid performance, audio and more.
40 Cells To Empowerment: A Comparison Of Five Braille Displays To Fortify Your Success
October 29, 2021
To help decide which is best for your specific needs, this article will provide the following information for each device: Price, internal functions, battery life, types of memory, supported file types, type of keyboard, turnaround time on support requests and my own evaluation.
A Review of the Orbit Reader 40
October 20, 2021
The Orbit Reader 40 is a 40-cell display which also has a Calculator, Clock, Calendar, Alarm, Word Processor, File Manager and Book Reader. It further has the ability to give both auditory and vibratory feedback. One of the compromises with the Orbit Reader 40 is that it does not contain any internal memory. Files must be stored on an SD card or USB thumb drive and then opened for viewing or editing.
What’s New In Accessibility In iOS 15 For Blind And DeafBlind Users
October 5, 2021
Major changes in iOS 15 include a new Focus Mode, several enhancements with FaceTime, the ability to use Siri for certain tasks while offline and much more. Many blogs will be highlighting these enhancements to iOS, so I will not discuss them in great detail here. This article covers accessibility features impacting individuals who are blind or DeafBlind.
A Review of the Brailliant BI 20X
June 3, 2021
The Brailliant BI 20X is a 20-cell braille display featuring a standard Perkins-style keyboard, 16 gigabytes of internal memory and the ability to connect to external media through the USB-A port and SD card reader. It measures 7.2 inches long by 3.3 inches wide by 0.8 inches thick and weighs 0.88 pounds.
A Review of the Brailliant BI 40X
April 23, 2021
The Brailliant BI 40X is a 40-cell braille display which has a standard Perkins-style Keyboard, 32 gigabytes of internal memory, and the ability to connect to external media through the USB-A port. It measures 12.01 inches long by 3.54 inches wide by 0.86 inches deep and weighs 1.59 pounds. Unlike the previous two generations of Brailliants, it is constructed of EXTREMELY DURABLE plastic instead of aluminum.
