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November - December 2006 - Volume 5 Issue 6 - @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.
JAWS® 8.0 Released with RealSpeak™ SoloWith the recent release of Freedom Scientific’s premier screen reading software, JAWS users get a whole new array of human-like voices in various languages. What’s more, the new Say All command in JAWS 8.0 allows users to quickly switch between two industry-leading speech synthesizers. The latest release of JAWS offers users the choice of using the familiar Eloquence synthesized voice or new SAPI 5 RealSpeak Solo voices. JAWS users can immediately switch from Eloquence to the more natural-sounding RealSpeak Solo when using the Say All command. While the responsiveness of the default Eloquence voice is great when reading and navigating short texts – prior or next line, sentence, or paragraph – users may prefer a different voice when listening to a longer passage. With Say All, the SAPI 5 voice remains active while you fast forward, rewind, or move using the Navigation Quick Keys. However, JAWS immediately switches back to the Eloquence voice when you use navigation functions such as Say Word and Say Paragraph, the UP or DOWN ARROWS to read the previous or next sentence, or when you press the CTRL key to stop the Say All command.Installation of the new voices is easy. Simply follow the instruction on the included CD to install American English, British English, Australian English, Latin American Spanish or Castilian Spanish. Additional language CDs will be available in the future from your international distributor. To learn more, check out the What’s New in JAWS 8.0 Web page. Return to Table of Contents from the First Story
Freedom Scientific Now Has an Official PodcastFSCast is Freedom Scientific's monthly podcast. Hosted by Jonathan Mosen, Vice President of Blindness Hardware Product Development, FSCast features news, interviews, and product demonstrations relating to Freedom Scientific products. FSCast is a great way to make the most of the products you have as well as learning about what's new and what's around the corner. FSCast Episode 1, for December 2006, is now available. In this edition of FSCast, Jonathan speaks with Bryan Carver, the Director of Technical Support at Freedom Scientific. We also learn more about pacmategear.com and speak with three key people behind the PAC Mate Gear user-guided Web site, Oleg Shevkun, Patrick Turnage, and David Engebretson. Subscribe to the podcast, download the MP3 file, and learn more about podcasts and how to hear them on the FSCast home page. Return to the Table of Contents from the Second Story
WYNN 5.1 Debuts with New Web-based Features and Support of National Textbook StandardsThe newest version of Freedom Scientific’s literacy software, WYNN® 5.1, supports digital talking books, like those in the DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System) and NIMAS (National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard) formats, and offers further enhancements to its patented Web-browsing technology. With its new features WYNN now:
These easy-to-use features build upon the completely redesigned Web-browsing technology introduced in WYNN 5.0 and provide differentiated learning, enabling the reader to better focus, read, and comprehend text. The new version also features RealSpeak Solo and ETI-Eloquence, the latest voices from Nuance. RealSpeak Solo is recognized as the most human-sounding speech synthesizer from Nuance, and many users prefer the high-end, more human-sounding voices when listening to large quantities of reading materials. WYNN 5.1 is available for purchase now. If you have already purchased WYNN 5.0, you may download the 5.1 update free from our Web site. Previous WYNN version owners can upgrade for a small percentage of the original purchase price. Learn more about WYNN 5.1 by visiting www.FreedomScientific.com/lsg, or by contacting your sales representative or Regional Manager. You may also contact Loni Atton, Freedom Scientific’s Inside Sales Specialist, at 800-444-4443, extension 1032, from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM EST. If you would like to schedule a live presentation of the new features in WYNN 5.1 using GoToMeeting, you may do so by contacting your Regional Manager. See a description of our GoToMeeting™ services on the Resources page of our Web site. Return to the Table of Contents from the Third Story
TOPAZ with 21-inch Monitor Magnifies MoreNow users who want an even larger view on a crisp, bright LCD screen can select a TOPAZ™ video magnifier with a 21-inch flat screen monitor. With the 21-inch monitor, TOPAZ owners can increase magnification while retaining a significantly greater field of view. This means that their document can move less frequently under the camera, which makes for easier, faster, and less tiring reading. For those who have low vision, The TOPAZ makes possible tasks such as reading fine print on bills, contracts, and prescription bottles, as well as enjoyable activities including working on crosswords, hand sewing, and scale models. A generous moveable table accommodates items as large as a full-size photo album. For maximum comfort, the LCD monitor can be raised, lowered, and tilted. In addition to the TOPAZ with a 21-inch LCD screen, the versatile desktop magnifier is available with:
All models are compatible with the TOPAZ Connectivity Pack, which can be added at any time to permit users to work with their PC and TOPAZ on the same monitor. With the push-button convenience of the Connectivity Pack, TOPAZ owners can:.
As well as a space-saving desktop function controller, the TOPAZ Connectivity Pack comes with a foot switch for those times when you need both hands. To see all the advanced features of the TOPAZ and TOPAZ Connectivity Pack, visit www.LowVisionSolutions.com or call 1-800-444-4443 and request a free in-home demonstration. Return to the Table of Contents from the Fourth Story
Freedom Scientific Sessions and Daily Drawings for Products at the 2007 ATIA ConferenceJoin us as we demonstrate our latest product releases at the 2007 Assistive Technology Industries Association (ATIA) Conference and Exposition in Orlando, Florida. We will conduct a series of group sessions and hands-on labs during the conference that takes place January 24 through January 27. During exhibit hours at the Caribe Royale All-Suites Resort, Freedom Scientific will display and demonstrate all of its blind and low vision products at Booth #801. Learning Systems products will be shown at Booth #901. Register for daily drawings at Booth #801. Each day of the conference Freedom Scientific will give away an OPAL™ portable video magnifier. Mark your calendar for the following sessions:
Return to the Table of Contents from the Fifth Story
JAWS Basic Training in DAISY and MP3 Formats Updated for 8.0Our popular Basic Training lessons can now be downloaded from the Web! Basic Training is also available on the JAWS program CD. The Basic Training is updated to the latest shipping JAWS version on a regular basis. Check Training Headquarters on our Web site for the latest version. You can also receive the JAWS Basic Training by requesting the JAWS demo CD from your local dealer or from the Freedom Scientific Sales Department (1-800-444-4443 or 1-727-803-8000). Return to the Table of Contents from the Sixth Story
Ted Henter Wins Technology Innovation AwardThe Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired presented Ted Henter with its Technology Innovation Award at the organization’s Diamond Jubilee Gala on November 4, 2006 at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida. Henter founded Henter-Joyce in 1987 with Bill Joyce, a businessman. The company created screen-reading software, and in April 2000 it merged with Blazie Engineering, and Arkenstone, Inc., to form Freedom Scientific. JAWS for Windows® is now the world’s bestselling screen reading software. Sheldon Roy, the deputy director and chief development officer at Miami Lighthouse, said Henter was chosen for the award because of his pioneering work in the field of assistive software for the blind. Henter sits on the Freedom Scientific board of directors and founded a second company, Henter Math, in 2002. The new company creates software products to teach mathematics to people who are unable to operate a pencil effectively, such as someone who is blind or visually impaired, or motor impaired, or learning disabled. Return to the Table of Contents from the Seventh Story
FSBraille Coach Enables Teachers to Create Interactive Braille LessonsVision teachers can now use everyday word processing software to create custom interactive braille study lessons for use with the PAC Mate. An example tutorial called FSBraille Coach is now available as a free download from the Freedom Scientific Web site. Students can use their PAC Mate’s 20- or 40-cell braille display to study the 51 pre-developed lessons, or teachers can adapt their own lessons and reading exercises using a standard word processing application, such as Microsoft Word®. Either way, students get immediate spoken help with any braille symbol they encounter by simply pressing a button above the symbol. Their PAC Mate will first say the symbol and then speak the word and spell it out. Teachers who previewed FSBraille Coach and PAC Mate’s Braille Study Mode found it very easy to follow the example and create their own lessons customized to a student’s proficiency and personal interests. Students whose reading exercises had content of interest to them also put more time and energy into their study sessions. 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. The PAC Mate’s Braille Study Mode works with any document or Web site. You can even create exercises in a foreign language for interactive study when you change the PAC Mate’s language and braille table. Return to the Table of Contents from the Eighth Story
From
the Training Department:
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