Hi
For anyone interested, please find the text which forms part of the J-Say
Pro 6.0 What's New and Upgrade document and which will be posted to our web
site this week.
WHAT'S NEW IN J-SAY PRO 6.0
INTRODUCTION
This document lists the new features and significant enhancements which are
now available within J-Say Pro version 6.0. At T&T Consultancy Ltd, we are
extremely excited about the new improvements within this release of the
product!
J-Say Pro 6.0 is known as a "compatibility release". We have worked hard to
ensure that this exciting voice input/output technology is compatible with
the latest releases of the primary Access Technologies on which J-Say
relies, together with the most recent versions of the Microsoft Windows
operating system and Office suite. Although this has been challenging, in
addition to ensuring complete compatibility with the above, we have included
a number of new features detailed in this document.
Users of J-Say Pro Version 6 technology will be able to take advantage of a
"Feature Pack", to be released at the end of April 2008, which will provide
even more flexibility and improvements to the product. The "Feature Pack"
will be a free update to all J-Say Pro 6.0 users.
We are convinced that the responsiveness and stability of J-Say Pro when
used within the Microsoft Windows Vista and Office 2007 environments is as
good as can be found within previous releases, provided the specifications
of the computer as detailed within the Installation Guide are met and that
the Windows operating system and associated applications are customised in
line with our recommendations.
Compatibility
J-Say Pro version 6.0 is directly compatible with the following
technologies:
Access Technologies
. JAWS for Windows version 9.0 Build 519.
. Dragon NaturallySpeaking Professional version 9.5.
Mainstream Technologies
. Microsoft Windows XP - all releases.
. Microsoft Windows Vista - all releases.
. Microsoft Office 2003.
. Microsoft Office 2007.
Learning and Reference Materials
We have changed the way in which the DAISY recordings of the three books
which comprise the J-Say Pro User Guide are produced. Rather than using
synthetic speech to deliver the reading of the texts, due to customer
requests the books are narrated using a human voice. Particularly when
working through the J-Say Pro Learning Module, (a Training Guide for the
technology), the human narrated DAISY book should make the topics much
easier to understand!
In addition, the Learning Module has been revised to include reference to
the new J-Say Pro 6 features and therefore provides a user with over four
hours of learning material in DAISY format. In addition, the Command
Summary includes all new voice commands and the Installation Guide gives
instruction on customising the computer, mainstream and specialist software
for use with J-Say, irrespective of the operating system or Microsoft Office
suite being used.
New Features in J-Say Pro 6.0
J-Say Pro Configuration Wizard
The most significant change you will notice within J-Say Pro 6.0 is the new
Configuration Wizard. The purpose of the Configuration Wizard is to enable
J-Say users to manipulate many of the special functions within the product.
Rather than being accommodated within the JAWS Virtual Viewer (which was the
case with J-Say Pro version 5.0), the new Configuration Wizard is presented
within a standard Windows Dialog Box. The contents of the "Configuration
Wizard" are available on the computer screen. All options can be
manipulated using voice input, keyboard or computer mouse. Full support for
the J-Say "Where am I?" and "What Can I Do?" facilities exists within the
Configuration Wizard and the help given is very context sensitive to a
user's location within the Wizard. The Configuration Wizard is launched
from its own keyboard shortcut, via a voice command or from the JAWS
Start-up Wizard which is new to users of version 9.0.
The Configuration Wizard contains 18 options. The first 10 of these can be
enabled or disabled, while the remaining 8 activate further screens or carry
out specific tasks. The options are presented in a vertical list.
Alongside each option can be found a Help Window. This is a Read Only Edit
Field containing a brief description of the focused option together with the
voice commands to manipulate it in the future without having to enter the
Wizard.
Back-Up and Restore Utilities
We have extended the concept of the utilities which are in place to make a
copy of the user's Dragon NaturallySpeaking "speech files".
The shortcuts to launch the utilities have been moved from the Windows Start
Menu to the J-Say Configuration Wizard.
Users now have the option to back-up or restore speech files either from the
local hard disk (Drive "C") or from any mapped drive available to the
computer. This could be a USB storage device or perhaps a network drive.
When this latter function is activated, J-Say presents all the drives
available to the computer in a convenient List Box together with their
descriptions, such as "local hard disk C" or "CD-ROM drive D". Simply
choosing a drive will cause the back-up or restore function to commence
relative to the selected drive.
Additional J-Say Configuration Wizard Options
The "My Words" facility for storing unfamiliar terminology which will be
spoken and the tool to learn the Phonetic Alphabet can now be launched from
the Configuration Wizard.
For further details concerning the Configuration Wizard, please refer to
Chapter 13 of the J-Say Learning Module, where it is described in great
detail including a complete list of options and controls.
Braille Mode
"Braille Mode" is for those people using a JAWS compatible Braille display.
Ordinarily, as users dictate text, the Braille display will show the newly
dictated text together with a tactile representation of the cursor position.
This is extremely useful in most situations since users can determine where
the cursor is located to ensure they are dictating into the desired position
within the document or Email message.
However, if Braille representation of what the software has understood is
required then "Braille Mode" should be activated. When enabled, "Braille
Mode" will display the contents of the Dragon NaturallySpeaking "Results
Box". This is an area of the screen which displays to the seeing individual
what has been recognised by the Dragon software. For example, if a command
has been dictated, and it has not been acted upon, it may be useful to
examine the contents of this box to establish the words which have been
recognised.
When enabled, "Braille Mode" shows the letters "RB" followed by a full-stop
(period), then the text in the "Results Box". If the contents of the
"Results Box" cannot be accommodated fully on a Braille display line, the
display can be scrolled to the right (known as "panning") so as to reveal
the remaining text. Pressing any one of the "Cursor Routing" buttons on the
display at any time will dismiss the contents of the "Results Box" until a
new phrase is dictated, whereupon the Braille display is refreshed so as to
show the new text.
The Microsoft Office 2007 Ribbon Bar
The Ribbon Bar is a new feature belonging to Microsoft Office 2007. Its
presence will be noticed within such applications as Microsoft Word,
Microsoft Excel and in some components of Microsoft Outlook.
Full support exists within J-Say Pro version 6 to navigate the "Ribbon Bar"
and to gain excellent context sensitive help specific to the control which
has focus. This command will also advise you what role the focused control
plays in direct relation to Microsoft Office. For example, when focused
upon a Button labelled "Copy", J-Say will advise you that this Button is
used to copy items or text to the windows clipboard.
Microsoft Outlook 2007 Calendar Support
J-Say Pro 6.0 provides a unique and specially designed interface to support
the Microsoft Outlook 2007 calendar. JAWS for Windows keyboard users can
benefit from a similar interface when using our J-Days product.
At T&T Consultancy Ltd, we have thought long and hard about the language and
method used to present information concerning all day events and
appointments and our approach is not so different to the experience visually
impaired people will find when using popular specialist PDA devices.
In addition to allowing users to create appointments and all day events with
the human voice, J-Say presents the following features within the calendar
environment:
. When a day is selected, J-Say reports the day of the week and date,
together with the number of appointments or events.
. If an all day event exists, users can hear the number of days over
which the event spans, the start and end dates, or whether the selected day
is the start or within an event.
. If a timed appointment exists, the start and end times are spoken
together with confirmation of the number of minutes the appointment
occupies.
. When an appointment has focus, J-Say delivers a wealth of
information using easy-to-understand language, designed to deliver pertinent
information concerning the item for rapid navigation or appointment
searching. Such details include the appointment subject, the organiser (the
person originally composing the appointment), notification of recurrences,
whether the item contains explanatory notes and the appointment status (such
as "busy" or "tentative").
. For people wishing to browse through the appointment or event
details more slowly, all information can be output to the JAWS Virtual
Viewer. This enables line by line analysis or copying to the Windows
Clipboard. Explanatory notes are contained within the Virtual Viewer with
line breaks occurring as they are presented within the original note.
. "Where am I?" and "What Can I Do?" support provides step by step
guidance on each appointment area for reviewing and completion. This
includes Ribbon Bar items.
. J-Say calendar support is extremely responsive when used within
Microsoft Outlook Exchange Server environments.
Playback within the Correction box
It is possible that the Dragon NaturallySpeaking software has not understood
the word or phrase being corrected for reasons of pronunciation. It may be
helpful therefore to listen back to the way in which the word or phrase was
pronounced so as to gain an appreciation of its quality in order that steps
can be taken to pronounce it more distinctly the next time.
While focused within the "Correction Box" the command "Playback"
Can be spoken in order that a recorded segment of the user's voice can be
heard of the way in which the word or phrase was spoken. While this always
has been a standard facility within Dragon NaturallySpeaking, previously the
JAWS speech would interrupt the recording. This has now been corrected.
Automatic Installation of J-Say Authorisation File
As users of J-Say will be aware, it is necessary to install a special
"Authorisation File" in order for J-Say to function, which is linked to your
copy of JAWS for Windows via the JAWS for Windows serial number.
Previously, this was located on a separate CD within an installer program.
The installation of the "Authorisation File" is now carried out at the point
of installing the J-Say Pro 6.0 software. There is no separate CD and the
process is automatic and extremely intuitive. We believe anyone installing
the J-say technology will therefore find the installation of J-say Pro much
easier to do.
Brian Hartgen
Product Development Manager
T&T Consultancy Ltd
temporary address until further notice
T&T Consultancy Ltd
Brampton House Ltd
Brampton House
Queen Street
Newcastle under Lyme
ST5 1ED
Tel: 01782644141
Fax: 01782 664856
Web Site, www.tandt-consultancy.com
NOTICE: The information contained in this email and any attachments is
confidential and may be legally privileged. If you are not the intended
recipient you are hereby notified that you must not use, disclose,
distribute, copy, print or rely on this e-mail's content. If you are not the
intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately and then delete the
email and any attachments from your system. T&T Consultancy Ltd have made
strenuous efforts to ensure that emails and any attachments generated by its
staff are free from viruses. However, it cannot accept any responsibility
for any viruses which are transmitted. We therefore recommend you scan all
received e-mail messages.
Registered in England No. 4098268
__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus
signature database 2824 (20080126) __________
The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.
http://www.eset.com
