TapToTalk Frequently Asked Questions Adding TapToTalks
Upgrading and Renewing Subscriptions
 
How does TapToTalk work?
What is an Album?
What is TapToTalk Designer?
Who uses TapToTalk Designer?
Why an annual subscription fee?
What does it cost? 		Who uses TapToTalk Home? Pro? Agency?
What do I need to use TapToTalk?
What languages are supported?
Does TapToTalk use text-to-speech?
What kind of picture files can I upload? 		How does TapToTalk Designer sync to an Apple device?
Does my device need an Internet connection?
Are there external speakers?
Do you sell the Nintendo DS?
Which Nintendo should I get?
How does TapToTalk work? top
TapToTalk displays a set of pictures on the screen. When you tap a picture, TapToTalk plays a word or sentence and displays another screen of pictures. Each of those pictures can lead to another screen, and so on, up to ten levels deep.

For example, a picture representing Food can lead to a screen with pictures of Fruit, Vegetables, Sandwiches, Snacks and other foods, up to twelve pictures per screen.

When a picture is tapped and its sound plays, that picture is displayed on the top screen by the TapToTalk Nintendo App, and at at the top of the screen by the TapToTalk Web App and TapToTalk iPhone/iPad App.

Optionally, text can also be displayed for each picture. And with the TapToTalk Web App, you can print out all the pictures used in your TapToTalk.

When you subscribe to TapToTalk, you receive the TapToTalk Nintendo Starter Kit that includes the TapToTalk cartridge and a standard memory card to copy pictures and sounds from your computer for use on a DS. The TapToTalk Web App and iPhone/iPad App both sync with your TapToTalk pictures and sounds as needed when you are online, each time they are run.

Your TapToTalk subscription let's you use TapToTalk on your choice of devices: Nintendo DS, DSi, DSi XL, DS Lite, iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, or Internet-connected computer. Use one or any number of these, all for one low price.

What is an Album? top
An album is screen after screen of pictures and sounds for different environments where a child might use TapToTalk. For example, a child might have an album for school, another for home, still another for shopping or an after-school job. You create and organize albums using TapToTalk Designer, a web-based program that is part of your subscription.

Each TapToTalk can have contain up to twelve albums. Each of the albums can contain screen after screen of pictures, each with an accompanying sound. Each picture can lead to another screen of pictures, up to ten levels deep, up to twelve pictures per screen.

What is TapToTalk Designer? top
TapToTalk Designer is a web site you use to easily build a collection of TapToTalk pictures arranged in a visual outline. Each collection of pictures is called an album. TapToTalk Designer gives you access to a large library of pictures, sounds, and a "pre-built" starter album. You can also add your own pictures and sounds.

When you are done building albums for your child, you 'publish' them to the device of your choice: the TapToTalk memory card for the Nintendo, the iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. Or publish to the web. In fact, you can publish to any or all of these! So you can run TapToTalk on your choice of devices.

TapToTalk Designer is where your pictures and sounds are stored. They will always be there. You can get to TapToTalk Designer from anywhere you can get an internet connection.

As a child's needs change, you can change TapToTalk to meet them with TapToTalk Designer!

Who uses TapToTalk Designer? top
TapToTalk Designer can be used by a parent or other relative, guardian, teacher, therapist, or anyone caring for or providing services to a TapToTalk user.
Why an annual subscription fee? top
Our goal is to keep things simple and easy. That includes not only our product, but the way we do business. Our annual fee for a TapToTalk is all you ever pay for our product. Here is what an annual subscription includes:
  • TapToTalk Designer, Nintendo App, iPhone/iPad App, Web App: Unlimited use.
  • Technical Support: We want you and your child to be successful with TapToTalk. We are here to respond quickly to your questions about how to use our product.
  • Upgrades: You get any improvements to the product automatically as part of your subscription. No upgrade or maintenance fees.
  • Data Protection: You spend a lot of time and effort putting together albums for your child. But Nintendos can get lost or broken, memory cards can get corrupted, etc. Losing your device no longer means losing your hard work. Your albums are always there on our servers ready to publish again to any replacement.
  • No Renewal Requirements: You don't have to renew after a year. The albums that you have published to your TapToTalk won't stop working after you subscription ends. That's right, this even includes the Web App.
What does it cost? top
When you buy TapToTalk, you are buying a subscription to use the TapToTalk Designer service.

A TapToTalk subscription costs $99.95 for one year, per child. The price is the same regardless of the type of subscription (TapToTalk Home, TapToTalk Pro or TapToTalk Agency).

Our low prices are the same for all customers. Many of our TapToTalk Pro and TapToTalk Agency customers are in the education and not-for-profit sectors, and we have priced accordingly. We do not offer additional discounts to those sectors.

For more information, visit the TapToTalk Store.

Who uses TapToTalk Home? Pro? Agency? top

TapToTalk Home provides a single TapToTalk subscription for one TapToTalk. It is intended for someone who supports one TapToTalk user. It is ideal for home use. If you wish, you can later upgrade to the Pro or Agency editions discussed below.

TapToTalk Pro provides a single TapToTalk subscription for two or more TapToTalk users. It is intended for those who support several TapToTalk users, like teachers, speech therapists, or families with more than one TapToTalk user. Priced per TapToTalk, you can add users at any time. Ideal for a professional serving more than one TapToTalk user.

TapToTalk Agency provides a single TapToTalk subscription for five or more TapToTalk users. It is intended for schools, professional associations and other agencies in which several professionals each support a set of TapToTalk users. It lets you quickly and easily manage staff logins and assignment of staff to TapToTalk users. In addition, multiple professionals can collaborate on the albums for a child. Priced per TapToTalk, you can add users at any time. Ideal for an agency with several professionals serving TapToTalk users.

See the Version Comparison Chart.
What do I need to use TapToTalk? top

TapToTalk Nintendo App
The TapToTalk Starter Kit includes everything you need to run TapToTalk on a Nintendo DS, the most popular portable game systems available. The Starter Kit comes with a TapToTalk cartridge and a standard memory card found in many cell phones and digital cameras.

TapToTalk iPhone/iPad App
Any iPhone, iPad or iPod touch can run the TapToTalk iPhone/iPad App. (However, the first generation iPod touch has no speakers).

TapToTalk Web App
Almost any computer with Internet access can run the TapToTalk Web App.

TapToTalk Designer
To use the TapToTalk Designer web site, you need a PC running Windows 7, Vista or XP, or a Macintosh running OS X. TapToTalk Designer can be used on Windows with Internet Explorer, Firefox or Chrome web browsers, and on Macintosh with Firefox or Safari.

The TapToTalk Starter Kit includes an adapter for your computer that you use with TapToTalk Designer to write to the TapToTalk card.

To record sounds, you need a microphone for your computer.

What languages are supported? top
You can record the sounds TapToTalk plays in any language. In fact, you can have albums on your TapToTalk in different languages, and some users use the same pictures in two albums so that their child can "speak" bilingually.

Text–picture captions and descriptions–entered in TapToTalk Designer must use the English character set. The use of captions and descriptions is optional, and you may choose not to use them.

Does TapToTalk use text-to-speech top
No. You record the sounds used right in TapToTalk Designer. Many parents, teachers and therapists prefer using a familiar voice with a familiar accent for the sounds that are played for a picture. This also gives you the ability to have captions and descriptions that are independent of the sounds that you record.

However, if you prefer to use text-to-speech, there are many inexpensive programs available that can generate mp3 or wav files that you can upload to TapToTalk Designer. For example, AT&T offers a free text-to-speech web site where you can create wav files, download them to your computer, and then upload them to TapToTalk. So the choice is yours.

What kind of picture files can I upload? top
See the picture information page.
How does TapToTalk Designer sync to an Apple device? top
Each TapToTalk you create has a unique ID. This ID is entered just once in the iPhone/iPad App. Then, each time you start the App on the iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, if the device is online the App checks to see if you have published any changes to your TapToTalk. If so, it downloads the changes. This happens automatically. Other than for this auto-sync, the device does not need to be online to run your TapToTalk.
Does my device need an Internet connection? top
The Nintendo does not need an Internet connection. The Nintendo App runs on a card that is inserted into the Nintendo. It does not need to be able to access the Internet.

Apple devices need to be online to download changes to a TapToTalk. Other than for this auto-sync, the device does not need to be online to run your TapToTalk.

Computers running the Web App do need an Internet connection.

Are there external speakers? top
There are a number of manufaturers of economical external speakers for these devices. They are available at some consumer electronics stores and web sites. We have come across the following, all of which can be found by searching for them on Amazon.com.
  • Cygnett GrooveBassball
  • iHome Rechargeable Mini Speaker
  • Macally IP-A111

With all of these, it is a good idea to shut them off when not in use to preserve battery life.

The loudness of TapToTalk on the DS is affected by a few of things:

  • The loudness of the recording itself. You can adjust that on the sounds that you record for the TapToTalk.
  • The volume setting on the Nintendo itself. Make sure that the volume is on maximum on your Nintendo. As a consumer device for children, the Nintendo has some limits based on safety laws.
  • The L and R buttons on the back of the Nintendo are also volume controls. The child may have inadvertently lowered the volume. Press the L button a few times. We are working on a software enhancement that will allow you to disable those buttons for a particular TapToTalk, as some children hit them all the time.
  • The volume on a DSi is louder than on a DS Lite. The speakers are a little better, too.
Do you sell the Nintendo DS? top
No. TapToTalk software runs on the Nintendo DS, DS Lite, DSi and DSi XL. Like companies that sell Nintendo games, we only provide the TapToTalk cartridge. The Nintendo DS game systems are available at Target, Best Buy, Toys-R-Us, Wal-Mart, Costco and many other stores near you. They are also available online at Amazon, eBay and other online retailers.
Which Nintendo should I get? top
The main consideration is screen size.

The DSi, DS Lite and original DS are pocket size. The older DS and DS Lite are less expensive, especially used ones, but if you can afford the DSi, it would be our choice, simply because it has more up-to-date technology and features.

The DSi XL is ideal for a child who has motor skill or visual issues and can benefit from a larger screen and larger pictures. It also has better sound than its little DSi brothers. For more information, see our blog post TapToTalk on the DSi XL: Bigger Pictures, Bigger Sound, and our DSi XL Video that includes a side-by-side comparison of the two DSi models.