Meeting summary

Quick recap

The monthly Orbit Research meeting covered technical discussions about audio setup and device updates, including the release of new software versions for Orbit Player and Orbit Speak devices. The team reviewed development progress on various features and discussed upcoming changes to the Orbit Player architecture, including new media player capabilities and improved screen reader functionality. Participants provided feedback on website improvements and database issues, while also addressing questions about device compatibility and feature implementations for future releases.

Next steps

Users who installed problematic Orbit Speak 1.7.5 update: Reboot units to fetch the corrected release
Orbit Research: Update website with current Orbit Speak firmware files
Orbit Research: Add "What's New" section to website and/or post-installation help menu for release notes
Orbit Research: Fix Mushroom FM link in radio browser database
Orbit Research: Publish announcement about Sight Village London attendance decision within 2-3 days
Jane Corona: Reach out to Adi directly with files that have book reader position issues for investigation
Jane Corona: Test updated shuffle feature in media player and book reader position retention after latest update
Maria: Restart device to resolve "no books found" issue after update
Ken's: Contact Orbit sales team to discuss payment options for Orbit Speak purchase
James: Discuss with Adi concrete ideas for improving context menu accessibility on Orbit Speak
Orbit Research: Release new company website within the next few weeks
Orbit Research Monthly Meeting Update

The meeting began with Robert introducing himself as a co-host and welcoming attendees to the October edition of the Orbit Research Monthly Meeting. Robert invited Venkatesh Chari, the other co-host, to provide an update on recent happenings at Orbit Research.

Orbit Research Product Updates

Venkatesh shared several updates from Orbit Research, including the release of Orbit Speak 1.7.5 and Orbit Player 1.7, which added support for newspapers, newsletters, and simplified volume control. He announced new JAWS drivers with enhanced Braille features, and mentioned upcoming releases for Graffiti Plus and a new graphics API library. Venkatesh also revealed a new localization scheme for Orbit Research devices and highlighted the existing Apple Watch compatibility of Orbit braille devices. Finally, he announced that Mike Tindell would be joining the Orbit team in a customer engagement and partnerships development role.

Orbit Player Case Development Update

The team discussed the development progress of the player case, which is expected to be ready for production by early January. Mike shared information about pairing Orbit devices with Apple Watches. Brandon inquired about TTS support, Markdown functionality, and the ability to open multiple documents, to which Venkatesh responded that these features are in development but may take time due to limited resources and dependencies on third-party components. Adi announced that support for importing and exporting internet radio stations from M3U and PLS files is being implemented and will be available in the next major release.

Orbit Player Architecture Version 2

The team discussed the transition from version 1 to version 2 of the Orbit Player architecture, with version 1.7 being the last release of the former. Adi highlighted new features in version 2, including a redesigned media player with music library support, improved playlist management, and enhanced screen reader capabilities with customizable keyboard echo and punctuation control. The team plans to release version 2 as a public beta before a wider rollout, focusing on a robust foundation and incorporating user feedback for stability.

Radio Station Copying and Website Updates

Maria inquired about copying radio stations between devices and suggested improvements to the website, including release notes and a "What's New" section. Adi confirmed that the Orbit Speak firmware would be updated on the website and explained that version 2 would include an export/import feature for radio stations, but this functionality is not available in the current version. Orbit acknowledged Maria's feedback and agreed to implement the suggested website improvements. Buddy briefly mentioned that Bobby requested the addition of ACB Media Streams and Mushroom FM to the radio browser.

ACB Media Streams Database Updates

The team discussed database issues with ACB media streams, which are now available for radio search. Buddy requested everyone to keep disagreements to a minimum on the list. Brandon inquired about Braille Grade 2 support in version 2, which will be system-wide and start with the player before expanding to Orbit Speak. Bobby suggested separating the media player and file manager in version 2, which Adi confirmed is being redesigned for a standalone view with proper music library management. Myrna asked about voice retention in the reader, and Adi explained that the reader has its own separate speech settings from the main system voice.

Orbit Devices Software Updates

The meeting focused on discussing software updates and user interface improvements for the Orbit Reader and Orbit Speak devices. Adi explained how to change the reader voice settings and addressed recent software updates, including a fix for a stability issue. The team discussed plans for version 2.0, which will include an SDK for Android developers and improved media player functionality. Jane raised concerns about the book reader's continuous reading feature and the media player's shuffle mode, which Adi promised to investigate further. The group also touched on the need for better context-sensitive help and discussed potential improvements to the context menu. Orbit Research's Venkatesh announced that a new website is in development and will be released in the coming weeks.
