4GB Blank Cartridge for Talking Book Players

A cartridge designed to work with our blind books player that allows us to record our own content.

Took a bunch of research to figure things out but these cartridges fit in my Aunt's NLS Digital Talking Machine model DS1. I can put MP3 books on them. Either getting the books from the likes of Librivox where one can download older, public domain novels read by volunteers. Or getting current best seller audiobooks from Downpour.com. MP3s don't play with all the features that books from the Library for the Blind do, but nothing that will prevent my aunt from enjoying the downloads I send her. Two tricks to doing the downloads -- you'll need a USB 2.0 Extension Cable A/A (Male/Female) but make sure the female end isn't covered with plastic or it won't connect to the cartridge. I had a cable I thought would work, but ended up having to order one with both ends bare. I got the Tripp Lite U024-003 but you can also buy a cable when you buy the cartridges from Perkins School for the Blind. Second trick is that you need to create a folder entitled "audio+podcasts" and put the book in it. I extracted the downloaded zip files to that folder and it gets loaded by chapter. So if your relative's library is shut down and they can't get book cartridges mailed to them, use these blanks to get them MP3 books for free, for purchase, or downloaded using their Library for the Blind account. You'll need to put the books into a folder entitled "

This is a wonderful item for any legally blind person who wants to listen to audio books. If you already have or can get a Talking Book Player from Perkins Library or other organization, with this cartridge you will have an option to download audio books directly from BARD library. Before purchasing this cartridge, we were getting audio books from the Perkins library. They would kindly send us books on returnable cartridges at no charge, but it was only one book per month with a title of their choice (or of what was available at the moment). Now, we can download books online any time and choose from a great selection at BARD library.The only additional thing you will need is a USB cable that fits the cartridge (not every cable wold fit, unfortunately).

My elderly mom, who lives mostly independently, learned to use a Talking Book Player, which uses these cartridges, from the Braille Library. At this point, she isn't able to use a smart phone or other forms of electronic media. Before the pandemic, the library would mail her cartridges. Now the physical library is shut down due to COVID-19. We were able to register with the online Braille Library to download books on demand, and with these cartridges, we can provide her with the same product she already knows how to use. It's a godsend, especially because recreational and human contact options are so limited.

The cartridge will hold up to 4 GB of digital books, magazines, audio files, and music. With the use of a special USB cable connected to your device and the cartridge; you can transfer files to the cartridges from BARD (Braille Audio Reading Download) service.I use these cartridges to read my favorite magazines and books. It is a good idea to have several of these on hand so you could have one for magazines, another for a book series and another for your favorite audio files.The price for this item is good if you need a 4GB drive. The total capacity formatted under the FAT32 system is 3.79 GB.

This was a Godsend when our state service had to pause shipping books for my mother during the COVID-19 crisis. With these I am able to download her favorite books from the NLS BARD website, unzip them into individual folders on this flash cartridge, and give them to her to to listen to on her talking books player. Be sure you have the USB extender cable, as this will not plug into your USB port directly.

They work great. One 4 GB blank audio cartridge holds anywhere from 20 to 36 books depending on the length of the books. When you are finished, you just delete the books on the cartridge and put more on it. Works great. Never had one go bad. Made for Talking Books program/Library of Congress audio players. Don't know if the cartridge fits anything else.

Bought 2 of these so I can program audio books for my 90-year-old mother. Once I got the correct USB extender (make sure the ends are exposed, not buried in a cable shroud), works like a charm with BARD Express for the library management and cartridge programming.