November 2025 BT Speak Release Notes

Introduction

Blazie Technologies would like to thank you for installing the November BT Speak update. In addition to many improvements to BT Speak, we have added an AI-powered learning application for Python programming, featuring accessible lessons, creative coding challenges, and an adaptive tutor that understands your learning progress. Keep reading to learn more.

Accessing this Month’s Update

Beginning with the November release, feature enhancements and ongoing product improvements will be available to customers with an active maintenance contract. All other users will continue to receive the standard system maintenance update to ensure stability and compatibility. If you are not under a maintenance contract and would like to purchase one to continue receiving new features, you can purchase a maintenance contract from our online shop. Alternatively, you can place an order by phone by calling (772) 214-1616. This document will specify which additions are for all customers and which additions are for customers who have a maintenance contract.

Important: Register Your Maintenance Contract

If you have purchased a maintenance contract and have not yet registered the contract to your device, the update you receive will be the patch release only. To ensure that units covered under a maintenance contract are able to download the full update, please register your device by going to Options, BT Speak Management, Register Maintenance Contract. You will be asked to enter the five-digit order number that you received in the confirmation email which we sent you after you first paid for your maintenance contract. If you do not have this information, please call us at (772) 214-1616 and we’ll be able to look up the order number and will provide it to you.

Quick Instructions for Updating Your BT Speak

Ensure that your BT Speak is connected to a Wi-Fi network. Your battery level should be at 40% or higher.

Type O-Chord for the Options menu.

Type M for the BT Speak Management menu.

Type U to Check for Software Updates.

Your BT Speak should tell you that a new update is available and will ask if you’d like to install it. Press the letter Y to begin the installation.

The BT Speak will download and install the update. Once BT Speak restarts, you will be able to start enjoying the new update.

Available with Maintenance Contract

BT Code: Learn and Create with Python, Guided by AI

BT Code is an application for learning and building with Python. It combines artificial intelligence with accessible design to make coding possible for users of all ages, from 8 and up. Through interactive lessons, music and game projects, and hands-on exploration of BT Speak’s own user interface elements, BT Code teaches programming concepts that connect directly to real applications. BT Code is organized into two sections: Learn introduces Python through guided lessons and challenge activities that focus on real projects, from simple games to music compositions, while teaching the structure and logic of coding. Build provides a full development space for writing and running your own programs using the same accessible interface. The Build module is the first step toward a full integrated development environment designed specifically for blind users. Cody, BT Code’s built-in AI coach, bridges the Learn and Build environments. Cody understands your current lesson, the code in front of you, and what you’re trying to achieve, offering suggestions, encouragement, and feedback when you need it. Whether you’re completing a lesson or building your own project, Cody is available to help. In this first version of BT Code, Cody can:

Review your code and grade it against lesson goals

Offer tailored hints and improvement tips

Explain Python errors in plain language and offer advice

Answer your questions conversationally

Even take-on one of many personas, from “Kind” to “Grouchy” to “Pirate”, for a little fun while you learn

BT Code launches with 13 interactive lessons, focused on building games, creating music, and developing real-world Python skills. More lessons will be added over time, so stay tuned. Whether you’re new to coding or already writing your own programs, BT Code offers the tools to learn, create, and share your projects with the world. The BT Code help file is the best place to start. To open it, press O-chord, followed by H to open the Help Topics menu and press B until you get to BT Code. Important notes:

The Code Editor for this application is based on BT Speak’s Editor. Many of the same Editor commands are available in the Code Editor, however, the navigate, edit, and paste menus are unavailable. When you have finished writing in the Code Editor, press control + S to proceed (think S for send or save). This is done by typing S with dots 7 and 8. Type Z-chord to escape if you choose to exit without saving. The Code Editor may be accessed in two places within BT Code: in the “Code it” menu option in the lessons module and the “Edit File” option in the Build IDE.

We recommend setting your punctuation setting to “All” while inside the Code Editor.

An internet connection is required to use BT Code’s AI assistant

Improvements When Using Windows File Sharing

Windows file sharing has had a bit of an overhaul.

Guest users can now only access the Public directory and the pi user will automatically own anything written there. In other words, access to the Public directory is now restricted to guest users being able to read and write to the public volume, and anything written there will be owned by the pi user (which is you). This should fix the scenario where you unintentionally connected to the BT Speak as a guest, put something in the public directory and then found that you couldn’t modify or remove it from the BT Speak.

If you connect to the BT Speak as the pi user, you will find that you can now write to the home directory. The logs folder is still read-only.

Some of the access rules have been modified to ensure that connecting to modern versions of Windows remains secure.

The BT Speak now installs the WSDD package which should make it easier for Windows computers to discover the BT Speak.

Localized Help System and Welcome Screen

If your BT Speak is running in a language other than English, the BT Speak help system has been updated to display localized content, when available. This includes help topics as well as the text of the welcome screen.

All Customers

The following features will be installed for all customers, even those who are not under a maintenance contract.

Improvements to YouTube Stream

Playing any video now places you in the Media Controls Menu, which offers the same controls used in the Podcasts app. You no longer need to repeatedly press Z-chord to return to the main menu after starting a video.

There is now a logout option in the YouTube Stream main menu. This is useful when you want to switch YouTube accounts or disable account access for any reason. Please note that if you log out through this option, YouTube Stream requires you to login again through Desktop Mode the next time you want to use the YouTube Stream app.

Miscellaneous Improvements

We fixed a problem that caused Voice Notes recording and playback to fail after the Podcasts update. You can now record and listen as usual.

We fixed a bug that caused unnecessary battery drain when using the WH-Chord inside the Editor. this issue sometimes also resulted in choppy text-to-speech output.

If you use the QWERTY keyboard commands in Desktop mode, pressing Caps Lock with H now brings up ORCA’s help key describer, instead of Blazie context-sensitive help for documented desktop apps. Pressing H-Chord on BT Speak’s braille keyboard still opens context-sensitive help in Desktop Mode as it always has.

Concluding Remarks

As always, we appreciate your feedback regarding this update. Please submit feedback by emailing support@blazie.net or by calling us at (772) 214-1616.