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August
- September 2006 -
Volume 5 Issue 5 - @Freedom Scientific Newsletter
@Freedom
Scientific is a free newsletter packed with the latest information about
Freedom Scientific technology. Please feel free to send us your feedback.
- Updated JAWS
Headquarters: The Place to Go for Screen Reader News, Information,
and Downloads
- Trade
in Competitive Notetakers with Freedom Scientific’s Open
Plan
- Freedom
Scientific Has Your Low Vision Solution
- Expanded
PAC Mate BX and QX Audio Basic Training Modules
- Freedom
Scientific Helps Make Wishes Come True for Georgia Student
- Basics of
Scripting Manual Updated
- Popular JAWS Workshop Adds
an Extra Day
- Ask Tech
Support: Getting Help
Updated
JAWS Headquarters: The Place to Go for Screen Reader News, Information,
and Downloads
Freedom Scientific’s
online one-stop source for JAWS resources, JAWS
Headquarters, is
now even more comprehensive. To coincide with the release of JAWS 7.10,
the headquarters has been reorganized to make it easier to locate the
information you need, so you can get the most out of JAWS. Whether
you’re
a new or advanced user or someone just wanting to know more before
making a purchase, all the information is accessible from one page.
From the JAWS Headquarters
main page you can:
- Learn what JAWS is,
how it works, and view a list of system requirements
- Stay current on
the latest releases and update patches
- Read endorsements
submitted by other JAWS users who rely on JAWS in a variety of home,
work, and educational settings. You can even share your own JAWS
experiences by visiting the JAWS
comments page
- Visit Web sites published
by users who have found some very creative ways to use JAWS
- Learn about and subscribe
to other popular JAWS user groups
- Download all of the training
materials available from Freedom Scientific, search our extensive
knowledge base of technical support notices and
FAQs, and much more
JAWS Headquarters is updated
regularly, so visit often to stay current on the latest JAWS happenings.
Return
to Table of Contents from the First Story
Trade
in Competitive Notetakers with Freedom Scientific's Open Plan
Freedom Scientific’s
Open Plan, announced September 15, will help VoiceNote, BrailleNote,
mPower, and BrailleNote PK notetaker users upgrade to an open platform
that
uses the familiar Windows® interface and runs mainstream applications.
For the remainder of 2006,
U.S. and Canadian HumanWare notetaker users can trade in one of the
aforementioned products and save more than 70 percent on a PAC Mate™ accessible
Pocket PC. Freedom Scientific models with 20 or 40 cells of refreshable
braille will be discounted 60 percent.
The after trade-in purchase
price for the PAC Mate BX400 and QX400 speech-only units is $700.
The PAC Mate BX420 and QX420 20-cell braille units will
go for $1,500 after the trade-in. The PAC Mate BX440 and QX440 40-cell
braille units have an after trade-in price of $2,250.
Those taking advantage of
the Open Plan will be able to choose from more onboard applications,
read from more braille cells, and access mainstream
applications and peripherals. They will also learn the Windows operating
system, knowledge they will draw from for the rest of their lives.
Go to the Open
Plan announcement page to learn more about this special offer.
Return
to the Table of Contents from the Second Story
Freedom
Scientific Has Your Low Vision Solution
If you or someone you know
is living with decreased independence due to macular degeneration or
other eye condition, check out www.LowVisionSolutions.com.
We created LowVisionSolutions.com
to be a one-stop resource for all your low vision needs. Learn about
and see demonstrations of our complete line of hardware and software
low vision products, like:
- The TOPAZ™ desktop
video magnifier. It’s simple, easy-to-use controls and powerful
magnification help you read books, contracts, prescription bottles,
or write letters or enjoy your favorite hobbies. Request a free in-home
trial to experience the desktop video magnifier before you buy
- The OPAL™ portable
video magnifier, which fits easily into a purse or coat pocket and
gives you full video magnification, even when on the move. It features
simple controls and a wide range of magnification levels
- The affordable SARA™ scanning
and reading appliance, which makes a wide variety of printed material
accessible to those who are blind or have low vision. Scan a document,
and the SARA will immediately read it back using clear, crisp speech
in a variety of voices and languages. Connect the SARA to a monitor
to see its low vision options, including adjusting the print-type
style, color, size, and spacing. Control it all through an easy-to-use
interface
- MAGic™ screen magnification
software. The software allows people with low vision to view information
on their computer screen.
Just select the optimal magnification level, activate the enhancements
so you can keep track of the mouse pointer and the cursor’s location,
determine how much of the screen you want the software to read, and
you are ready to go
Interested in learning more
about the impact and causes of low vision? Visit our Low
Vision Facts Web page. Learn about the parts of the eye and how
they work, the various tests that are performed and why, and get information
about eye conditions
such as macular degeneration and glaucoma, what causes them, and available
treatment methods.
Visit www.LowVisionSolutions.com today to keep up with the latest low vision product information and
resources available from Freedom Scientific.
Return
to the Table of Contents from the Third Story
Expanded
PAC Mate BX and QX Audio Basic Training Modules
Our popular audio
training lessons for the PAC Mate BX and QX are a great way to learn how to
use the features that make the PAC Mate the most powerful and versatile
portable device for the blind. Now the Web site includes several new
training modules.
The PAC Mate Basic Training
modules are downloadable in MP3 format from the Training Headquarters,
so you can listen to them using Windows Media Player, WinAmp, and most
other audio playing applications. Each provides step-by-step demonstrations
on using a particular feature, from the basics, like learning the PAC
Mate’s layout, setting the clock, or configuring various user
preferences, to more advanced tasks to allow data synchronization,
Internet access, and much more.
Get all you can out of the
latest PAC Mate features. Learn how to:
- Work with two FSEdit
documents simultaneously, so that you can copy-and-paste between them
- Obtain context-sensitive help online more easily
- Configure how information is shown on your braille display through
the Braille Settings dialog
- Install, authorize, and configure Sprite Backup, a powerful application
that allows you to backup your data saved on a PAC Mate to a CompactFlash® storage
card
- Send a file to another device using the PAC Mate’s infrared
port
The audio training lessons also are included on the User’s Documentation
CD that is shipped with all new PAC Mate purchases.
Return
to the Table of Contents from the Fourth Story
Freedom
Scientific Helps Make Wishes Come True for Georgia Student
Seven-year-old Nazir was
an avid video gamer and e-mailer, but he thought his days of using
the computer independently were over after a brain tumor damaged his
optic nerve. But thanks to Freedom Scientific and the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of
Georgia and Alabama, Nazir can now use his computer by himself.
Nazir’s teachers began
using Freedom Scientific software, like JAWS, in the classrooms so
he could still work on the computer like the other students, but he
was unable to check his e-mail or play on the computer at home.
Nazir wanted to have
his own computer with personal copies of JAWS and OpenBook. The Make-A-Wish
Foundation, granted that wish, and
he now uses the home computer for both play and homework.
Each year, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a nationally-recognized non-profit
organization with local chapters throughout the U.S., grants wishes to
hundreds of children with life-threatening conditions.
The foundation depends heavily
on donations to make children’s
dreams come true.
The best part of having the software, he says, is maintaining his independence.
“You see that this is the best thing to ever happen to me,” Nazir
said to the volunteers on his wish day. “I can do this all by myself!”
Visit the Freedom
Scientific Web site to learn more about JAWS, OpenBook,
and the other world leading products Freedom Scientific has to offer.
Learn more about the Make-a-Wish
Foundation of Georgia and Alabama.
Return
to the Table of Contents from the Fifth Story
Basics
of Scripting Manual Updated
Do you have an application
you wish worked better with JAWS? Are you tired of waiting for someone
else to script it? Why not script it yourself? Freedom Scientific’s
free Basics of Scripting Manual will get you moving in the right direction.
The updated manual corresponds
with the latest versions of JAWS and now features a chapter on Windows
program structure.
Other additions include:
- Nested If Statements
- Compound If Statements
- Looping
- Windows Hierarchy
- Reassigning Window Classes
- The Home Row Utility
- Customizing an Unknown Application
- Debugging Script Files
Download the updated Basics
of Scripting Manual from the Freedom Scientific Training
Headquarters today, and discover how to take full advantage
of JAWS’ power
and flexibility! Also, visit the workshops
Web page to learn about and
register for one of the upcoming Script Writing with JAWS classes, held
at Freedom
Scientific’s headquarters in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Return
to the Table of Contents from the Sixth Story
From
the Training Department:
Popular JAWS Workshop Adds an Extra Day
Supporting and Teaching Windows
with JAWS has expanded from four to five days! The workshop is one
of our most popular for teachers, those who help or train other JAWS
users, or people who just want to learn JAWS better.
This workshop begins by teaching
basic JAWS screen-reading keystrokes before moving into more advanced
features. The hands-on workshop covers changing and setting preferences,
the JAWS Managers, DAISY training materials, menus and dialog boxes,
using the Internet with JAWS, and much more! For more information,
visit the Training Headquarters or call 800-444-4443 or 727-803-8000,
extension 1004 or 1016.
Return
to the Table of Contents from the Seventh Story
Ask
Tech Support:
Getting Help
Question: Where
can I find information on how to use my Freedom Scientific product?
Answer: There are numerous ways to find anything from basic information
to the more advanced practices for any Freedom Scientific products:
User Manuals
Your product comes with a
CD containing the User’s Manual. You also can access this information
via the Documentation section of our Web site.
Tutorials
- The latest versions of JAWS and MAGic have program CDs that hold Basic
Training in DAISY format. The material is accessible by using the built-in
software DAISY player FSReader Demo, which installs automatically with
JAWS and MAGic. You can insert the JAWS or MAGic Program CD into your
favorite hardware DAISY player, and listen to the Basic Training while
on the go!
- Besides the five hours of basic training, the JAWS program CD includes
additional DAISY books that introduce more advanced features useable with
Microsoft Word, Excel, and Internet Explorer. These free tutorials are
designed to give you a 15-minute introduction to tools that can help improve
your JAWS skills with features like Custom Labels, PlaceMarkers, and SkimReading.
- Training specific to the PAC Mate BX and QX models is also shipped on
the User's Documentation CD and delivered in MP3 format. The audio files
cover how to use PAC Mate and the applications that come with it. Files
also can be downloaded from the online Training Headquarters.
- For a more comprehensive
guide to the PAC Mate, check out the Teacher’s
Guide to the PAC Mate. Not just for teachers, the guide examines the
PAC Mate's features, gives step-by-step instructions from set up
through applications,
and includes useful practice exercises. The curriculum is a valuable
addition for anyone's PAC Mate library and an excellent guide for
the beginning
PAC Mate user.
Online Help
JAWS, MAGic, OpenBook, and PAC Mate contain built-in online documentation
that is divided into topic areas to make information finding easy. In
JAWS, MAGic, or OpenBook, you can access this support through the Help
menu of the application by pressing ALT+H. On the PAC Mate, press WINDOWS
Key, H (or F4, H) from the Today screen to access Help.
Keyboard Help
- Not sure what a particular keystroke does in JAWS? Just press
INSERT+1 to activate Keyboard Help. This mode allows you to safely
explore keyboard commands without actually performing the command.
When this mode is active, you will receive a message describing what
function each keystroke performs as it is pressed. Pressing INSERT+1 a second time exits the help mode. For PAC Mate, press JAWS
Key+1 (or
DOTS 1-4-5-6-8 CHORD) to enter Keyboard Help mode.
To quit Keyboard help, again press JAWS Key+1 (or DOTS 1-4-5-6-8
CHORD).
- OpenBook’s matching
feature, Key Describer, is activated/deactivated by pressing the
NumPad 1 key. This feature will also be included in
the next release of MAGic.
- Press the Help
key, located on the bottom right-hand side of the
unit to activate the SARA Help Mode. When Help Mode is activated, the
SARA announces the function of each button when it is pressed. Press
the Help key again to exit Help mode.
Hot Key Help
In JAWS and PAC Mate, you can display a list of JAWS hot keys specific
to the application you are currently working in. For JAWS, press INSERT+H to access this information. On the PAC Mate, press F1 twice quickly (or
DOTS 1-4-5-6 CHORD twice quickly).
Context Help
Control-specific help is easily accessible in JAWS, MAGic and OpenBook.
While in any of the dialogs of these applications, you can get information
specific to the control that currently has focus. A control is any object
or field that appears in a dialog.
- In MAGic or
OpenBook, control-specific information is accessed by pressing SHIFT+F1.
- In JAWS, press INSERT+F1 to
receive control-specific help. JAWS also provides additional context-specific
help that is not limited to the
JAWS application. Use INSERT+F1 to get context-sensitive
help from almost any place in Microsoft Windows applications.
- On the PAC Mate,
press F1 (or DOTS
1-4-5-6 CHORD) to hear a description
of the currently selected control. Please note: The PAC Mate keystrokes
listed here are for version 4.0 or later. Please refer to the PAC Mate
Training page for help keystrokes available in version 3.0 or earlier.
Freedom Scientific Web Site Resources
The Freedom Scientific
Web site is a rich source for product help. A great place to start
is the
Training Headquarters. It offers
Basic Training information in DAISY format for JAWS and MAGic and in
MP3 audio format
for PAC Mate. Other tutorials found in this section include Surf’s
Up, a free step-by-step tutorial on using the Internet with JAWS.
Our Web site also is the place for specific product information. For
example, visit our JAWS Headquarters to find all the latest product information
and resources relevant to JAWS, or the PAC
Mate Headquarters to find
all information pertinent to PAC Mate.
Don’t forget our extensive, searchable knowledge base containing
hundreds of Technical Support Notices (TSNs) and Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQs) that provide solutions to a variety of user issues. If you can’t
find the answer to your question in your product documentation, visit
the Web site’s Support section, and complete the simple online
form. Begin searching the knowledge base. Chances are very good you will
find the answers you need there.
Return
to the Table of Contents from the Eighth Story
GET A FREE TRIAL
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technology product users – including those who use JAWS® for
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to Audible.com®, allowing them to sample from 34,000 hours of valuable
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to national newspapers, weekly business and science magazines, and
more than 6,000 audio books. To learn more, go to the Audible.com
information page.
Freedom
Scientific's mission is to develop, manufacture, and market innovative
technology-based products and services that those with vision impairments
and learning disabilities use to change their world.
@Freedom
Scientific is published by
Freedom Scientific
11800 31st Court North
St. Petersburg, Florida 33716-1805
800-444-4443 or 727-803-8000
www.FreedomScientific.com
Do
you have hardware
or software technical support queries? Address them to Support
at FreedomScientific.com
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