Brailliant BI X and Mantis Q40 now with audio and text-to-speech support!

From HumanWare:

We’re thrilled to announce the release of our latest firmware update for the Brailliant BI X and Mantis braille display! This update introduces highly anticipated features, including text-to-speech support on the Mantis Q40, EPUB 2 compatibility, Wikipedia and Wiktionary access, as well as an offline dictionary.

Watch the video

Here’s what’s new:

Explore knowledge with one tap

Access Wikipedia and Wiktionary directly from your device with the new search feature that is tailored to your selected braille table language. With a single keystroke, instantly look up the word under your cursor for quick and convenient information.

Wikipedia Search:

  • Brailliant: Press Enter + W
  • Mantis: Press Ctrl + Shift + W

Wiktionary Search:

  • Brailliant: Press Enter + Dots 2-5-6
  • Mantis: Press Ctrl + D.

This feature works seamlessly in the Editor, Braille Editor, or Victor Reader/Library, making it easy to explore and learn as you go!

New offline dictionary (English only) & EPUB support

The Mantis Q40 and Brailliant BI X now include an offline English dictionary (Wordnet), allowing for word lookups no matter where you are, even without internet access. To activate the offline dictionary (Brailliant) press Space with D (Mantis) Press Ctrl + Shift + D. We’ve also added support for unprotected EPUB 2 files, further expanding your reading options!

Text-to-speech and audio support comes to the Mantis Q40

You can now connect Bluetooth headsets or speakers to your Mantis or Brailliant BI X. To enable Text-to-Speech and audio features on your Mantis Q40, connect a Bluetooth headset or speaker. Similarly, if you’d like to use a Bluetooth headset with your Brailliant BI X, you can pair the device using the Bluetooth Pair Audio option. Once paired, you can easily access your list of audio devices using a quick shortcut, making it simple to switch between connected devices.

(Brailliant) Press Backspace + Enter + A (Mantis) Press Ctrl + FN + A

Performance upgrades and fixes

This version includes support for Apple TV, header navigation for ODT files, Danish OctoBraille, Hebrew and Finnish keyboard integration and support for the upcoming Braille HID for Android.

View the complete release announcement