Is there a such thing?

Category: Geeks r Us

Post 1 by cumbiambera2005 (i just keep on posting!) on Friday, 13-Feb-2009 8:01:40

The USB port on my Braille Note Empower no longer works, and since the all so helpful dars doesn't want to get it fixed, I no longer have a way to hook my external hard drive up to it. So I am thinking of getting a chord that would hook into the other port, (don't know what that is called think it's the cereal), that would serve as some type of connection between the 2. Does anyone know if there is a such thing? Or how to go about this?

Post 2 by rat (star trek rules!) on Friday, 13-Feb-2009 19:52:49

it wouldn't work on the BN, there's no drivers for it to work off of sadly. your best bet is to tell the people who aren't wanting to send your unit in, to do it anyways no matter what they say.

Post 3 by SunshineAndRain (I'm happily married, a mom of two and a fulltime college student.) on Friday, 13-Feb-2009 20:22:28

Maybe there's a way they can buy you a very large storage card like an Sd card or Compact Flash so you can transfer the stuff you absolutely need from your PC to this card and then load it onto your Braille Note. There are SD to USB connectors, and I think there's a Compact Flash to USB connector, too. Then you can use the USB port on your computer to transfer the stuff you absolutely need. These are just some thoughts...

Post 4 by KC8PNL (The best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better.) on Friday, 13-Feb-2009 21:09:05

I've never tried this, but would blue tooth to USB be an option here? And, if you can't justify them sending it in, assuming you are either working or in school, tell them you need it to transfer files from co-workers/fellow student's thumb drives on to the bn. It will allow you to be more productive and participate just like anyone else would. If you aren't in school or working, good luck. Most rehab agencies wion't do anything for you just because.

Post 5 by rat (star trek rules!) on Saturday, 14-Feb-2009 11:27:40

i've never heard of bluetooth to USB, not sure if a bn would support it as it might need object exchange. that's an intresting idea though

Post 6 by KnuxDude (Account disabled) on Saturday, 21-Feb-2009 19:34:45

what in the hell is object exchange

Post 7 by SunshineAndRain (I'm happily married, a mom of two and a fulltime college student.) on Saturday, 21-Feb-2009 22:02:40

That's what I was wondering.

Post 8 by data (Cheese flows through my veins!) on Sunday, 22-Feb-2009 10:01:33

I've connected the BN to several printers using a Bluetooth to USB converter, but never tried this with an external hard drive. Are you certain the USB port is dead? Have you done a maintenance reset (IE, deleting the dictionary folder and resetting the unit)? I have seen BrailleNotes that appeared to have hardware failures and were fixed by this type of reset.
Hope this helps.

Post 9 by cumbiambera2005 (i just keep on posting!) on Sunday, 22-Feb-2009 10:29:35

The USB ports are not dead, they are broken. I mean physically. Btw, i am in school, so I can justify them sending it in, they just told me that particular problem might not be covered. However, they said they'd fix it this time. Unfortunately, that won't be until the end of the semester, since they waited so long.
Also for those of you who might be interested, I think the Braille note is capable with blue tooth, but not sure though. Don't really know much about that.

Post 10 by KC8PNL (The best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better.) on Sunday, 22-Feb-2009 11:14:45

Yes, the BN has blue tooth. That's how it connects to the newer gps receivers, the deaf-blind communicator, etc. As for what it does and doesn't support in terms of blue tooth devices, I'm not sure.

Post 11 by KnuxDude (Account disabled) on Sunday, 22-Feb-2009 13:48:40

Personally bluetooth and IR, yuck who would use them. this blue tooth wireless keyboard doesn't stretch but 5 ft. Nowwwww if there were 802.11X keyboards and mice and headset and microphones nowwwwww we're talkin. Plug the base in for the headset and program it with the WPA key and then connect the headset or device, let it sink and you're off.

Post 12 by blindndangerous (the blind and dangerous one) on Sunday, 22-Feb-2009 14:14:07

Ah, wouldnt that be the stuff.