LOADING F

ILES ONTO T

HE

BOOK PORT P

LUS (BPP)

INTRODUCTION

One of the most powerful features of the Book Port Plus (BPP) is its ability to play a wide variety of files, both audio and text-based. In this unit, you will learn more about the types of files that are compatible with the device as well as how to move them to and remove them from the various forms of storage media that the player supports. You will gain an understanding of the devices file and folder structure and how titles are divided into categories to make their location easier. Finally, a series of activities will clearly demonstrate the steps required to create a text-based file, transfer it to the BPP and bookmark it, producing a powerful study or research aid.

MATERIALS REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THIS UNIT:

To successfully complete the activities in this unit, you must have access to the following:BPP with SD cardA computer that can interface with the BPP SD cardORAny additional peripherals required to access the SD card (USB cable to connect the BPP to a computer or an SD card reader/USB adapter—see Resources for more information about this type of adapter)

Note: The methods for transferring files described in this unit were chosen due to their simplicity. The Book Transfer Software, shipped with the device, is scheduled to be included in future modules.

STORAGE MEDIA USED WITH THE BPP:

The BPP has been designed to use a wide variety of removable storage media including:SD/SDHC memory cardsUSB flash drive (thumb drive or memory stick)USB external hard driveUSB CD ROM driveSome other USB compatible storage devices

 

Out of the above, the SD/SDHC memory card is by far the most commonly used since it is shipped with the device.

SD/SDHC MEMORY CARD SLOT ON BPP

BPP accepts SD (secure digital) as well as SDHC (secure digital, high capacity) memory cards up to thirty-two gigabytes in storage capacity.

All cards are inserted into the slot with the beveled corner to the right and the contacts facing down. Push the card into the slot approximately half-way until you feel spring resistance and then push it the rest of the way in against the spring. It should lock into place with the rear edge of the card approximately flush with the unit.

To remove it, push in slightly on the rear edge of the card and it should pop out approximately half-way, at which point it can be easily withdrawn.

MINI-USB PORT

The BPP also provides a mini USB port. This port, through the use of the included shorter USB host cable pictured above, accepts all of the compatible USB storage devices such as USB flash drives, external hard drives, etc.

Note: Use of USB flash drives, external hard drives, CD ROM drives and other USB storage devices is beyond the scope of this module. Refer to the BPP user’s guide for more information.

MINI-USB ADAPTER

CONNECTING THE BPP TO A COMPUTER

The BPP is also shipped with a longer USB client cable which will allow you to connect it directly to a computer.

This longer cable also has a mini USB plug on one end and then a standard USB plug on the other.

Insert the mini USB plug into the same port on the BPP (as shown on the previous slide) and the standard USB plug into a port on your computer.

Assuming that the SD card is inserted in the BPP, the device will appear the same as any other removable storage device with the file structure appearing on the computer being that of the SD card. Files and folders can be created, deleted, copied, moved, etc. the same as if it were any other removable storage device.

UNDERSTANDING FILE TYPES

When a file is saved on the computer, it is given a name that usually consists of two parts: the name and the extension which are separated by a period.

The name is typically given by the person creating the file and often identifies the content of the file.

The file extension (usually three or four characters in length) is typically assigned by the program used to create the file and identifies its type or format. Often each program will have its own unique file extension.

EXAMPLES OF FILE EXTENSIONS:

For example: If you are saving a file called “Letter” using Microsoft Word 2007, the computer file would be “Letter.docx” with “.docx” being the file extension.

Another example: “The Star-Spangled Banner.mp3” is a recording of the national anthem in mp3 (compressed audio) format with extension “.mp3”.

Note: It is important to familiarize yourself with the various file types compatible with the BPP and how to identify them. This will make it much easier to select, create and transfer files that the device can decode and play.

TEXT FILE TYPES USED WITH THE BPP:

The BPP considers text-based files to be those that are decoded and played back using the built in text-to-speech engine.

These file extensions or types include:

.BRF: Braille Ready format

.BRL: Micro Braille file

.DOC: Microsoft Word document (Office 2003 and older)

.DOCX: Microsoft Word document (Office 2007 and newer)

.TXT: ASCII text (basic computer text without formatting—such as files created by Notepad).

.HTM: Hyper Text Markup Language (internet web page)

AUDIO FILE TYPES USED WITH THE BPP:

The BPP considers audio-based files to be those that are played back using a digital-to-analog converter which generates an extremely accurate (CD quality) reproduction of the original recording.

These file extensions or types include:

.MP3: MPEG layer 3 compressed audio (audio recording)

.OGG: (audio recording)—an open container format used for streaming and manipulating audio and video files over the Internet

.WAV: uncompressed audio (audio recording)

.WMA: Windows Media Audio (audio recording)

OTHER FILE TYPES USED WITH THE BPP:

Audio Books:

.AA—format for Audible.com books

.AMR-WB+—extension for National Library Service (NLS) Digital Talking Books

DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System)—includes 2.X and 3.X audio and text formats (although this is an audio book format, it is separated as a separate file type due to the enhanced navigation it provides). This can include some proprietary formats from organizations such as Learning Ally which require installation of a digital access key.

DAISY FILES (CONTINUED ON THE NEXT SLIDE):

As noted previously, these files are audio or text-based files which have been encoded with special indexing that provides enhanced navigational functionality (the ability to easily and quickly move to various parts of a document such as chapters, sections, subsections or pages).

These documents or “books,” regardless of whether they are text or audio, always consist of multiple files with various extensions (.DTD, .NCX, .OPF, .CSS, .XSL, .SMIL, etc.).

Since all of the files must be present and together for the DAISY navigation to work properly, these types of documents are typically stored in a folder (subdirectory) which can be moved to and removed from the BPP employing the same techniques used to transfer individual files.

DAISY FILES (CONTINUED):

In some cases, DAISY documents may be stored in compressed (zipped) archives. These archives must be expanded (unzipped) before they can be transferred to the BPP. When expanded, they revert to a standard folder or subdirectory containing all of the required files.

Note: Both Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows computers incorporate the ability to zip and unzip files in their operating systems so no special software should be required to perform these functions. A detailed explanation of how to perform these operations, however, is beyond the scope of this unit. There are links to help with unzipping files within the Resources link.

Note: A technical discussion of the structure and format of these file types is beyond the scope of this unit and not relevant here. What is important is to be able to recognize the various file types compatible with the Book Port and be able to distinguish between audio recordings and text-based files.

CHANGING THE FILE TYPEUsing the “Save As” function in a program, you can

sometimes change the type of file and therefore change the file extension.

First you click on “File” (usually in the top left corner), then click “Save As” and a box will appear. It will be waiting for you to put in a name for the file in the section labeled File Name.

Below the box for File Name is another boxed labeled something like Save as Type. If you click on this box (Save as Type), you will see a drop down menu of the different types of files you can save your work as. Pick the type of file you would like to save the file as and it will change to that file type with the corresponding file extension.

WHY IS CHANGING THE FILE TYPE IMPORTANT

The reason this can be helpful, is that the BPP only accepts certain types of files (and therefore certain file extensions).

For example, if you create a file on a program other than Microsoft Word, such as Microsoft Works or WordPerfect and you do a general save, the file extension will be something different than .txt, .doc or .docx. This other file extension will NOT be able to be used on the BPP. You can, however, use Save As to change the file extension to .txt and then the file WILL work on the BPP.

WHY IS CHANGING THE FILE TYPE IMPORTANT (CONTINUED):

Another example is if you have a file created in the braille translation program Duxbury. If you just click “Save”, it will automatically save as a .dxb file which is the extension for the Duxbury program. BPP cannot read .dxb files. However, you can use save as and change the extension to .brf (generic formatted braille file) and then the file WILL work on the BPP.

BPP DIRECTORY STRUCTURE:

As with all modern computers, the BPP supports a “directory tree” method of organizing files. In other words, a removable storage device can be set up like a traditional file drawer, e.g., the “drawer” (the root directory) can contain a number of subdirectories (folders) which, in turn, can contain files (documents) or more folders. For example, a USB flash drive could contain two folders in its root directory titled “School” and “Personal.” Within the “School” folder could be a folder for each class: “English,” “American History,” etc., while the “Personal” folder may contain folders titled “Talking Books,” “My Diary,” “Address book,” etc. These folders and subfolders will, of course, contain the documents associated with the folder names such as text books, diary or journal entries, talking books, etc.

BPP DIRECTORY STRUCTURE EXAMPLE:

Root Directory (“Main file drawer”)

Subdirectories (“folders” withinthe Main File drawer)

More subdirectories (but this time there are folders inside folders)

Individual documents, files or recordings can be placed within the Root Directory or any of the folders.

BPP DIRECTORY STRUCTURE (CONTINUED ON THE NEXT SLIDES):

The Book Port, however, takes one further organizational step that computers do not perform. It organizes the files into categories within the titles list as follows:

Text: This category includes files with extensions such as .BRF, .BRL, .DOC, .DOCX, .HTM, .TXT, etc.

DAISY: This category contains both DAISY audio and DAISY text documents, including those in proprietary formats from organizations such as NLS and Learning Ally

Music: This category contains non-DAISY audio recordings with file extensions including .MP3 and .OGG.

BPP DIRECTORY STRUCTURE (CONTINUED):

Podcasts: This category contains the information required to download podcasts from the internet.

Web Radio: This category contains a list of web radio streams.

Recordings: This category contains all recordings you have made with the BPP.

Audio Books: This category contains all audio books you have retrieved from commercial audio book providers such as Audible.com.

Note: Many of the categories and file types in the list above have not been discussed in this introductory module and may be the subjects of future modules within this training series. For further information, please refer to the BPP User’s Guide.

BPP DIRECTORY STRUCTURE (CONTINUED):

Files of types not supported by the BPP are completely ignored by the device and do not appear in category, folder or title lists. For example, a document created in the WordPerfect word processer with an extension of .WP or a Windows Media Video with the extension .WMV will be completely ignored if present on a removable storage device plugged into the Book Port.

ACTIVITY ONE SD CARD CATEGORIES AND FOLDERS (CONTINUED ON THE NEXT SLIDE):

1. Turn on the BPP by pressing and holding the power button for approximately two seconds. The device will announce the current time and play the busy chimes while it scans the SD card for content. Then it will announce the last title accessed.

2. Press the Title key to enter the titles list. Press the up-arrow twice to enter the categories list. The player will announce “Select category.” Use the left- and right-arrow keys to cycle through the list of available categories. Each key press should result in the device announcing the name of the category followed by the number of titles available within that category.

ACTIVITY ONE SD CARD CATEGORIES AND FOLDERS (CONTINUED):

3. Use the left- and right-arrow keys to locate the category named “Text.” While this category is highlighted, press the down-arrow to enter the folders list. The player will announce “Select folder.” Use the left- and right-arrow keys to cycle through the available folders in this category. There should be two if the device is still in its as-shipped condition: “Carroll, Lewis” and “Melville, Herman.”

4. Press the Down-arrow to enter the Titles list. Note that this is the list you are familiar with from performing activities in previous units. From here, you can select a title and begin playback as normal.

CREATING FILES FOR USE WITH THE BPP (CONTINUED ON THE NEXT SLIDE):

As you learned from the examples in the introductory unit in this module, the ability to create and transfer files to the Book Port can render it a very powerful study and/or research aid. Due to its compatibility with a wide variety of file formats, documents can be assembled from many sources including electronic text and other books, internet web pages and other documents. These documents can be enhanced with section headings, notes and other relevant information as well as being organized to improve readability.  

CREATING FILES FOR USE WITH THE BPP (CONTINUED):

A word processing program such as Microsoft Word or a simple text editor such as Microsoft Notepad can be used to assemble these files. Once created, they can be easily transferred to the Book Port for use by a student studying for a test or preparing to write an essay, book report or research paper.

 In the following activities, you will learn how to create such a document and transfer it to the BPP.

ACTIVITY TWO CREATING AND SAVING A DOCUMENT (CONTINUED ON THE NEXT SLIDE):

1. Open a blank document using the word-processing or text-editing program on your computer. Give it a descriptive title such as “General Information About Tigers” or “Alternatives For Petroleum As An Energy Source.”

2. Using other documents on your computer, electronic texts and/or online resources such as Wikipedia, highlight, copy and paste small sections of relevant information into your document. Be sure to separate each section of information with a section heading or title and include the source that information was taken from so proper credit can be given to the author of the material.

ACTIVITY TWO CREATING AND SAVING A DOCUMENT (CONTINUED):

3. When you are satisfied with the organization and content of your document, save it in a known, easily accessible location on your computer’s hard drive or, alternatively, save the document on the removable storage device you plan to use to complete the activities in this unit. Name the file the title you assigned the document in step one so that it will be easily recognized in the titles list on the Book Port.

4. Close your word-processing or text-editing program and return to your Desktop or Home screen.

ACTIVITY THREE TRANSFERRING A DOCUMENT TO THE BPP (CONTINUED ON THE NEXT SLIDES):

1. If you saved the document created in Activity Two on the BPP’s SD card, skip to step four.

2. Remove the SD card from the BPP by pushing in slightly on the rear edge of the card until it pops out about half-way and remove it from the slot. If the device is on, it will sound the busy chime and announce “No SD card.”

3. Insert the card in the appropriate port or slot on your computer (this may require the use of an SD card reader, USB adapter, etc.). Allow adequate time for the operating system to recognize the card. Select and open the device to reveal the file and folders list.

ACTIVITY THREE TRANSFERRING A DOCUMENT TO THE BPP (CONTINUED):

4. Select and open the hard drive on your computer to reveal the files and folders list. Using standard file and folder navigation techniques appropriate for your computer and operating system, locate the file you created in Activity Two. Select/highlight the file and copy and paste or drag it to the root directory of the SD card.

5. If necessary, eject or make “safe to remove” the SD card and remove it from the computer.

Note: If you are unfamiliar with the standard file and folder navigation techniques appropriate for your computer, please see “How to Transfer Files” video in the Resources tab.

ACTIVITY THREE TRANSFERRING A DOCUMENT TO THE BPP (CONTINUED):

6. Insert the SD card in the BPP with the beveled corner to the right and the contacts facing down. Push the card into the slot approximately half-way until you feel spring resistance and then push it the rest of the way in against the spring. It should lock into place with the rear edge of the card approximately flush with the unit. If the device is on, it will sound the busy chimes and announce “SD card” followed by the last title accessed.

7. If necessary, turn on the BPP.

8. Press the Title key to enter the titles list. Use the left- and right-arrow keys to locate your newly-created file. Press Play/Stop to begin playback of the file. Playback should begin immediately and all navigation and other features should function normally.

9. Press Play/Stop to stop playback.

ACTIVITY FOUR BOOKMARKING THE FILE (CONTINUED ON THE NEXT SLIDE):

1. Press Play/Stop to begin playback of the document.

2. Using the standard navigation techniques you learned in Units Two and Three, locate the first section heading or title in the document. (Skip the title or section heading at the beginning of the file.)

3. Using the techniques you learned in Unit Three, set a standard or voice bookmark at the beginning of the heading or title.

4. Repeat steps two and three above for all headings or titles in the document.

ACTIVITY FOUR BOOKMARKING THE FILE (CONTINUED):

5. Using the Bookmark Key, select the “Go To Bookmark” function to review the placement of all of the bookmarks in the document.

6. If necessary, press Play/Stop to stop playback of the document Bookmark Key

THE BPP DVD

Included with the accessories shipped with the BPP is a DVD Rom. This disc contains, among other things, a small library of public domain books. Like the Lewis Carroll and Herman Melville Books included on the device’s SD card, these files were retrieved from the Project Gutenberg library, an online source for thousands of fiction and nonfiction titles which are in the public domain, i.e., are not under copyright protection. If you have this DVD, perform the following activity to gain additional experience with the procedure for transferring files to the BPP.

ACTIVITY FIVE TRANSFERRING BOOKS FROM THE DVD (CONTINUED ON THE NEXT SLIDES):

1. Remove the SD card from the BPP by pushing in slightly on the rear edge of the card until it pops out about half-way and remove it from the slot. If the device is on, it will sound the busy chimes and announce “No SD card.”

2. Insert the card in the appropriate port or slot on your computer. Allow adequate time for the operating system to recognize the card. Select and open the device to reveal the file and folders list.

3. Insert the DVD ROM that came with the BPP into your CD/DVD ROM drive. Select and open the device to reveal the files and folders list. If you plan to drag and drop files, it is suggested that you resize and move these two files and folders lists so that they are visible, side by side on your screen.

ACTIVITY FIVE TRANSFERRING BOOKS FROM THE DVD (CONTINUED):

4. Using standard file and folder navigation techniques appropriate for your computer and operating system, select and open the folder titled “books,” located on the DVD. This will reveal an alphabetical listing of authors. Select an author and open the corresponding folder to reveal a listing of books by that author.

5. Select a book from the list and copy and paste or drag it to the root directory of the SD card.

6. Repeat steps three and four on the previous slide and above to transfer one or two additional titles to the card.

7. If necessary, eject or make “safe to remove” the SD card and remove it from the computer.

ACTIVITY FIVE TRANSFERRING BOOKS FROM THE DVD (CONTINUED):

8. Insert the SD card in the slot in the BPP with the beveled corner to the right and the contacts facing down. If the device is on, it will sound the busy chimes and announce “SD card” followed by the last title accessed.

9. Press the Title key to enter the titles list. Use the left- and right-arrow keys to select one of the new files you have added to the storage device and press Play/Stop. Playback should begin immediately and all navigation and other features should function normally.

10. Repeat step nine until you have verified that all of the files you transferred to the storage device play and respond normally.

SUMMARY (CONTINUED ON THE NEXT SLIDES):

 In this unit, you have discovered more about the power and flexibility of the BPP, particularly in the role of a learning or study aid in an educational environment. You have learned how to use the unit’s SD card to add content to the player and how the player categorizes the content to make it easy to locate within the titles list. Finally, unit activities demonstrated a method for creating and organizing a research or study document customized to meet the needs of an individual student.

SUMMARY (CONTINUED):

Upon successful completion of this unit you should be able to: list the most common types of removable storage media compatible with the BPP

describe the process for inserting an SD memory card into the slot on the BPP

describe the location of the BPP’s Mini-USB portdescribe the differences between “text” and “audio” files.

SUMMARY (CONTINUED):

identify the two basic parts of a file name and what they represent

list some of the most common file types or extensions compatible with the BPP

describe the differences between files, folders and categories as used in the title selection process within the BPP

describe the process for transferring files from a computer to a removable storage device

describe how to access files on the storage device using the BPP