Handy Tech, now known as Help Tech, have been producing Braille displays for many years. But I have recently been privileged to have some hands-on with one of the German company’s latest devices in the shape of the Activator 40-cell Braille display, and I feel compelled to extol its virtues and thank VisionAid Technologies for allowing me the opportunity to road test it.
What is the Activator?
The Activator is a 40-cell Braille display and note-taker with some very neat additional features. As well as the eight Braille input keys, it is possible to flip the keyboard over to reveal a qwerty keyboard so you have the best of both worlds with which to use the machine. Another feature of the Activator is Help Tech’s patented ATC (Active Tactile Control) that senses when your finger is reaching the end of the line and automatically refreshes the display without you having to pan line-by-line. If you use an iPhone, Activator comes with a SmartDock which is a cradle that connects your iPhone to the device as one unit. The HelpTech+ app allows you to take advantage of extra features when your iPhone is connected to the Activator. This device works with all screen readers and can pair with up to three Bluetooth devices.
Box Contents
The box contains an Activator 40-cell Braille display; carry bag and strap; USB StartStick which contains drivers, documentation and HTCom software; USB cable and charger; additional USB C cable to connect Activator to your PC; and the iPhone SmartDock with either a Lightning port for an older iPhone, or the more recent USB C connection.
Meet the Activator
The Activator measures:
- 32 cm (12.6 inches) wide
- 12.6 cm (5 inches) deep with keyboard folded
- 18.8 cm (7.4 inches) deep with keyboard unfolded
- 2.7 cm (1 inches) high
- The SmartDock measures 16.6 cm (6.5 inches)
- Weight of Activator is 970 g (2.1 lbs)
It has an internal storage capacity of 32gb; two Lithium-Ion non-replaceable batteries; Bluetooth and Wi-Fi; battery life of over 30 hours; four hours fast-charge time; 40 concave Braille cells and equivalent number of cursor routing buttons; panning buttons and joystick; two additional space bars; and is housed in a solid metal construction.
With the Activator on a flat surface or on your lap, the sloping front edge should be nearest you. The two additional space bars are separated by a four-way joystick on the front. On the left side of the Activator is a power button which is flush with the metal casing so might be difficult to detect on first examination. The power button may be pressed in for a couple of seconds to turn it on when an audible tone greets you. The power button then allows you to cycle between the Activator’s own internal menu, the SmartDock, an iPhone if it is paired, and USB mode for connectivity to a computer.
Further along the left side of the Activator is a USB C port for charging your device, or connecting it to a computer.
On the right side of the Activator are some magnets which, when lined up with the accompanying SmartDock cradle, houses your iPhone when it and the Activator are paired.
The top face of the Activator contains the 40 concave Braille cells with equivalent number of cursor routing buttons above. At each end of the Braille display are three keys, the top and bottom ones are level with the metal casing of the unit for moving around your document. The two slightly raised buttons that separate the panning keys are the back or escape key on the left, and an OK key on the right.
Behind the cursor routing buttons on the top of the Activator are your eight Braille keys and space bar in the middle, or, if you lift up the keyboard and flip it backwards, there is a qwerty keyboard on the reverse side.
Four rubber feet underneath the Activator keeps it from sliding about on a surface. Your serial number can also be located in Braille and print here.
Activator Main Menu
When you turn on the Activator, you are presented with the following menu items:
- Editor - the Activator’s note-taker
- iOS Apps - some of the more popular apps that you can open from here directly if you have your iPhone paired to the Activator
- Smart Services - access to the HelpTech+ app’s extra features such as voice recording and RSS
- Clock - set the time and date on your Activator
- Games - a way of helping Braille beginners, and a version of the Hangman game
- Mass Storage - allows you to connect your Activator as an external drive to a computer
- Braille Character Sets - choose or modify your Braille table
- Info - provides information about your battery status, Activator serial number and firmware version
- Options - where you can customise your Activator to your liking
You may activate any of these items by pressing a cursor routing button above one of the letters in the menu title, or press the centre of the joystick. Most items are self-explanatory, but you may wish to go into the Options menu which allows you to customise your Activator. You can go back a level when you are in a menu at any time by pressing the middle key at the left end of the display which is situated between your up and down panning buttons.
SmartDock
When this is attached to the right side of your Activator by its magnets, the SmartDock allows you to slide your iPhone into the cradle and connect it to your Activator with either a Lightning connection for older iPhone models, or USB C which is now uniform on all newer models from iPhone 15 upwards. The SmartDock has an adjustable spring that allows you to slot whichever iPhone model you have into the cradle. There is also a USB A port on the SmartDock which enables you to attach a pen stick where content can be transferred between Activator and your iOS device.
Using Activator
The Activator is frankly a joy to use whatever you are doing. If you want to pair it with your iPhone using Bluetooth, simply do so by going into Settings, Accessibility, VoiceOver, Braille, and choose the Activator when it is turned on. You can now adjust the Braille parameters in VoiceOver to your liking. Whether you use the Braille input keyboard on the Activator, or flip it over to type on the qwerty keyboard, you will find there is no lag or noise from the display itself. You can either attach the SmartDock to the Activator and connect your iPhone to it using USB, or you can just pair your iPhone using Bluetooth as described above. It is now possible to skip between your iPhone and the other options the power button gives you by tapping it to cycle through the available features. So you can easily skip between using your iPhone to read a book or write some notes, for example, then jump to the Activator’s built-in editor to copy or paste text or even make notes. This is a seamless process as the Activator has been built with iOS in mind.
If you want to take advantage of the HelpTech+ app, download it from the Apple App Store and accept the permissions so your iPhone, when paired by Bluetooth, can be seen by the app. Here, you can dictate notes or messages by communicating with the HelpTech+ app; or read news stories from the RSS feeds Help Tech has subscribed to. As your iPhone is a companion to the Activator, you can copy text between it and the iPhone, and a Braille Monitor assists teachers and classroom assistants to see what pupils are inputting when it is turned on within the HelpTech+ app.
StartStick
The StartStick USB pen that comes with Activator contains some software called HTCom that you can install on your computer and use to translate and transfer files between the Activator and PC. So if you have a book or notes you want to transfer to Activator from your computer, you open HTCom, translate the file, then send it to Activator. Conversely, send your notes or other documents from your Activator to the computer using HTCom. The StartStick has documentation that tells you how to do this. It also offers you the choice to install NVDA or JAWS if you don’t have either of these screen readers on your computer. If you have either one or both, just opt for the one you want Activator to work with and continue installing the HTCom software.
One feature of the Activator that I have really enjoyed is one of two games called Hangman, it is very addictive. The other game teaches new Braillists to have fun learning the code.
Conclusion and pricing
This is a beautiful piece of equipment from a manufacturer whose devices I have long since admired. The build quality is supreme to handle, and the concave Braille cells are like the equivalent of a top-of-the-range car. When used on its own or connected to an iOS device, there is no latency, the Braille cells are responsive and elegant. The SmartDock is a nice touch, but if you don’t want to use it, you can simply connect your iPhone to the Activator’s USB C port, or use Bluetooth which, so far, has connected every time I have unlocked my iPhone screen. The interaction between Activator and iOS is superb, they fit together like hand in glove!
One slightly clunky aspect of using this device is the HTCom software, it can be a little convoluted for first time users when knowing what to translate before sending files to or from the unit to your PC. The documentation does explain this, but I would like to see greater clarification for those who have less experience of working with Braille translation.
Help Tech devices are more expensive than some of its competitors, but having had my hands on one, I can see why. The Activator also leans very heavily towards Apple, but you should be able to pair it with an Android device and transfer files, it’s just that the HelpTech+ app is currently not available on Android.
The carry bag that comes with the Activator will protect your unit and allow you to carry other items such as cables, or your iOS device. But the Activator cannot be used in the bag and does not have a protective case.
The Activator, like other Help Tech products, can be purchased from VisionAid Technologies in the UK:
You can also call them on 0800 002 5555.
The cost of Activator is £5,475.00 with VAT exemption. In conclusion, this has to be my favourite display for its concave Braille cells, quality of build, and all round convenience! As an iPhone user myself, the Activator makes using it an expensive but also an enriched experience.