Yes, BT Speak can do that now! March 2026 Anniversary Update

Two Years Later… And Just Getting Started

Two years ago this month, the first BT Speak units began shipping.

Since then? Many updates (19 to be exact!). Countless refinements. New apps. New ideas. New possibilities.

So for our second anniversary, we decided to celebrate the only way we know how:

By shipping something big.

This March update lays the foundation for everything that comes next.

It also introduces two of the most exciting additions yet:

NLS BARD on BT Speak

BT Towne, our brand-new interactive community

Let’s step inside.

BT Towne: Adventure Starts Here

We’ve built something new... Not just an app. Not just a chat room.

A world.

BT Towne is an interactive, shared environment designed exclusively for BT Speak users. It’s part social space, part adventure, part experiment — and it’s only the beginning.

Your first destination?

The Tavern.

Inside, you can:

• Chat live with other BT Speak users

• Interact with an AI bartender

• Explore your surroundings

• Play games

• Open a map to see who’s where

But that’s just the start.

BT Towne is designed to grow.

New locations.Quests.Scavenger hunts.Hidden surprises.Easter eggs waiting to be discovered.

This isn’t a forum. It’s not a message board.

It’s a place you enter.

And as more users step inside, it becomes more alive.

BT Towne is experimental, evolving, and community-driven. The more voices, the more energy. The more explorers, the more stories.

We’re opening the doors to everyone.

Pull up a chair and get ready to have fun.

From NLS to Your Pocket

Bookworm much?

BT Speak now includes the first version of the NLS BARD app, allowing eligible users to:

• Search and browse Braille and Audio titles

• Download and read books and magazines

• Manage subscriptions

• View and update wishlists

All directly from your device. No web browser required.

If you're an NLS patron with a BARD account, your library now lives comfortably on BT Speak optimized for speech, efficient for braille, and designed for life on a pocket-sized device.

All the benefits of BARD, tailored for BT Speak.

One Platform to Rule Them All

Behind the scenes, this may be our most important upgrade yet.

BT Speak and the upcoming BT Braille now run on a unified codebase.

That means:

• Applications behave consistently across devices

• Updates are easier to deliver

• Future development becomes faster and more reliable

• Technical support improves for everyone

Blazie Mode apps can now directly control both speech and Braille output, independently of what appears on screen or in the terminal.

In plain English?

The foundation just got stronger.

And that matters.

Lights. HDMI. Action.

Plug in an HDMI display and others can follow along visually.

• Standard text files appear as regular text.

• Braille files appear in ASCII representation (Braille font support coming in a future update).

Teachers. Parents. Students.

BT Speak just became easier to demonstrate and teach with.

Menus That Say What They Mean

We’ve streamlined speech output across the system:

• Menus now announce clearly (“Options menu” instead of “opened”).

• Dialog titles are consistently spoken.

• Long-standing announcement gaps have been resolved.

• Speech interruptions are reduced.

• Battery and time reports feel smoother.

Less friction. More clarity.

Word & Character Navigation, Expanded

You can now navigate by word or character in more places:

• Python menu items

• Wikipedia results

• Now Playing information

Support will continue expanding across the system in future updates.

Input History: Because You’ve Typed That Before

Many input fields now remember your previous entries.

Press dot-1 chord to scroll through past searches or entries. Edit them if needed. Send them again instantly.

Up to 50 entries per field.

Small change. Big time saver.

BT Code Gets Even Smarter

Two enhancements developers and students will love:

Resume Exactly Where You Left Off: Lessons and challenges now remember your cursor position. Leave and come back later? You’re right where you stopped.

Instant Python Documentation: Press h-chord with dot 7 to open documentation for the function under your cursor.

No switching apps. No searching online. No breaking your flow.

Code. Learn. Keep going.

Save the Show- Radio Recordings Improved

• Radio Recordings now save properly (no more accidental .bin files).

• Recording toggle announcements are more reliable.

Press G. Record. Done.

Password Prompts: Your Choice

When entering Wi-Fi passwords, you can now toggle whether characters are spoken aloud.

Press low-H chord to switch between hidden and spoken input.

Privacy when you need it. Feedback when you want it.

Uppercase, Under Control

You now control how consecutive uppercase letters are spoken:

• Split mixed-case (new default)

• Split all uppercase

• No processing (pass directly to TTS engine)

More flexibility. Better clarity.

From Mic to Memory

• Voice Notes now follow a clean naming scheme (Note01, Note02, etc.)

• Microphone volume adjustments are easier and announced clearly

• Rename with R

• Delete with D or low-D chord

• Overall efficiency improved

Still Evolving

Two years ago, BT Speak was an idea in motion.

This month, we introduce:

• A national Braille library integration

• A live interactive social world

• A unified software platform

• Ongoing refinements across every corner of the system

  
  

This anniversary update isn’t just a feature release.

It’s a foundation.

And we’re just getting started.

Because once again…

Yes, BT Speak can do that now.