[vicsireland] Jaws Version 11 Public Beta Released
- From: "Ciaran Ferry" <Ciaran.Ferry@xxxxxx>
- To: <vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 1 Sep 2009 09:56:32 +0100
Hi all,
Freedom Scientific have just released Jaws version 11 public Beta. A
full version of this Beta is available to anyone with an authorised copy
of Jaws 10, and a demo version to those who don't.
Beta means that the software isn't yet 100% bug-free, so if you come
across any strange behaviour make sure to report it to Freedom
Scientific.
The following features are new to JAWS 11.
Research It
Note: For a demonstration of Research It, listen to the August 2009
FSCast
<http://www.freedomscientific.com/FSCast/episodes/fscast033-august2009.a
sp> .
Features such as Web Slices in Internet Explorer 8 and gadgets saved in
your Windows Sidebar are intended to make it easy for you to quickly
obtain information. This material is presented in a format that is quick
to scan visually. However, when using assistive technology tools, there
is often extra information presented that is easier to ignore visually
than when listening or reading with braille.
Research It is a new feature that provides quick access to information
while also making it easy to return to your primary task. Use just a few
keystrokes to look up information and display salient data in the
Virtual Viewer. When you have finished researching, press another
keystroke to return to the task you were performing before the research
started.
Research It can be launched from the INSERT+F2 JAWS Manager dialog. From
here you can pick from the current list of options including Wikipedia,
Wiktionary, Top News Stories, NFL Scores, MLB Scores, and more to come
soon. You can choose what your primary look up will be as the JAWS
default setting or in any individual application and then use the JAWS
hot keys INSERT+WINDOWS Key+R or INSERT+CTRL+WINDOWS Key+R to activate
Research It on the fly. As long as you have an Internet connection, just
place the active cursor on any word or selected phrase on the screen and
ask Research It to look it up. In 2 or 3 seconds, your results display
in the Virtual Viewer the same way you get help messages from INSERT F1
queries. When you finish reading, press ESC and you are back in your
application and never even needed to open your browser. For sports
results, you will, by default, get today's schedule or game results if
it has been played. If you want the results from a different day, just
type the date from where ever you are on your computer or current
application, move the cursor to it, and start the look up.
If you are a software developer or script developer, you can create and
customize your own lookup module DLL and tailor it to your
organization's needs. For example, if your company specializes in
medical equipment, you can create a lookup source that is essentially a
glossary of medical and industry terms. A developer's guide that
outlines formatting for rule sets and debugging techniques is available
at Research It Developer's Guide
<http://fresci-stage/downloads/JAWS/ResearchItGuide.asp> .
For more information about using and configuring this feature, refer to
the Research It topic in the JAWS help file.
FSReader 2.0
FSReader, the $79 Freedom Scientific software DAISY book reader, is now
included free of charge as part of the JAWS 11 installation. Even if you
do not have a JAWS 11 license, you can still install and run FSReader
directly from the JAWS 11 Demo. In addition to reading all of the DAISY
training material provided for free from Freedom Scientific, you can use
FSReader to read DAISY books from other sources such as BookShare.org.
Note that some DAISY book providers, such as RFB&D, require a valid
account to access certain DAISY material. When installed, the full
version of FSReader places a shortcut on your Windows desktop and has
its own entry in the Programs menu.
MAGic 12, scheduled to release later in 2009, will also include FSReader
for free and there is even a version of FS Reader available today for
download and use on the PAC Mate Omni at no additional charge.
Word Index
Word Index (INSERT+CTRL+W) is the ideal tool for those who do a lot of
reading for study and research purposes. Word Index generates a list of
words that appear in a document or on a Web page. The words are sorted
and appear in the list based on the number of occurrences with the
highest number coming first and then alphabetized. You can scan the list
for a specific word or concept, and then press enter to jump to that
occurrence of the word and use the Navigational Quick Key W to move
between occurrences of the word you selected. You may also choose to
create a summary of all the sentences in your document containing the
word and review these sentences in the Virtual Viewer. They will appear
as links that take you back to that location in your document. This is a
useful timesaver since you can get a feel for the context of the word,
and then move to the appropriate section of the document and continue
reading.
Use Word Index when reading Web pages or Microsoft Word, Outlook,
Outlook Express, Notepad, WordPad, or Adobe Acrobat files.
Focus 40 Blue Braille Display Support
JAWS supports the new Focus 40 Blue braille display, a 40-cell display
with both USB hardware and Bluetooth wireless connectivity. Refer to the
Focus 40 Blue user documentation for general information about the unit.
For a brief overview of Bluetooth partnership information, refer to the
Focus Bluetooth Connection topic in the JAWS help file.
PlaceMarker Enhancements
When you add a PlaceMarker to a page that is frequently updated, the
PlaceMarker can drift from its original position or even disappear as
Web content is added and removed. In JAWS 11, you can now anchor
PlaceMarkers to specific text or HTML elements such as heading tags.
This allows greater flexibility when adding temporary or permanent
PlaceMarkers on dynamic Web pages. For more information, refer to the
PlaceMarkers topic in the JAWS help file.
Filter Duplicate Links
JAWS 11 introduces a new feature that filters duplicate and consecutive
Web page links so that only the text link is announced. This is useful
when a graphic link and text link, which both point to the same URL,
appear side by side on a Web page. Hearing duplicate links can be both
confusing and annoying to novice and experienced JAWS users.
The Filter Duplicate Links check box, which is selected by default, is a
new Links page control for HTML Options in Configuration Manager. You
can also toggle this feature on or off using INSERT+V or INSERT+SHIFT+V
with your Web browser or Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Speaking Number Strings as Single Digits
JAWS is now configured to read telephone numbers, serial numbers, and
other long number strings as individual digits. For example, JAWS will
read the telephone number 727-803-8000 as 7 2 7 - 8 0 3 - 8 0 0 0
instead of seven hundred twenty-seven dash eight hundred three dash
eight thousand.
This change has been made by adding the "Speak Single Digits if Number
Contains" combo box and the "Dashes" check box to the Text Processing
dialog in Configuration Manager. They are located in the Number
Processing group. Select a value in the combo box to set a threshold for
JAWS so that if several digits appear in a row, JAWS will announce the
digits individually instead of as a large number. Select the Dashes
check box so that JAWS knows how to read the number string if it
contains dashes without spaces. These changes are both active by
default.
Show Word Comments, Footnotes, Endnotes, or Revisions in Virtual Viewer
You can now quickly see a list of comments, endnotes, footnotes, or
revisions in a Virtual Viewer window when running Microsoft Word. When
you press WINDOWS Key+SEMICOLON, the Items to Display in Virtual Viewer
dialog box opens. From this dialog box, you can choose to view comments
inserted in a document, footnotes or endnotes that appear in a document,
or, if Track Changes is turned on, any revisions made to a document.
After selecting which type of item to view, JAWS searches the document
and shows the results in a Virtual Viewer window.
Multiple Sound Card Support
Multiple sound card support, originally introduced in JAWS 10, has been
expanded so that now both JAWS speech and JAWS event sounds are output
to the same sound card. This means that the WAV sound files heard when
you enter and exit Forms Mode are sent to the same audio device as JAWS
speech. Previously, if these sounds interfered with your audio output,
it was necessary to turn off the Forms Mode Indication sounds using
Configuration Manager. Note that non-JAWS sounds, such as system sounds,
continue to be sent to your Windows default audio card.
Having JAWS speech and sounds directed to the same sound card is also
beneficial during a JAWS Tandem session. The JAWS user on the controller
system can now hear when he or she navigates in and out of edit fields
and combo boxes while in Auto Forms Mode on the target system.
JAWS Tandem Sounds
During a JAWS Tandem session, events that generate sounds on the target
system, such as a Windows program error, entry and exit of Auto Forms
Mode, or other JAWS sounds associated with the Speech and Sounds
Manager, can be heard on the controller system. This means that when an
event occurs on the target system, JAWS sends a notification to the
controller system so that the controller computer plays the same or a
similar WAV file. This is very helpful to support personnel and trainers
running the JAWS Tandem session.
Outlook Message List Customization
An Outlook message list is a list box, such as the Inbox and Sent Items
lists, that contains e-mail messages. These lists typically contain
multiple columns, such as From, Subject, and Received, that provide
information about each e-mail message. In JAWS 11, you can use the
Customize Outlook Message List feature, which is available by pressing
INSERT+F2 and then selecting Customize Outlook Message List, to arrange
the column order, determine if certain columns are read, and configure
if JAWS announces these columns with speech or braille. The Customize
Outlook Message List dialog box functions very similar to the way the
Customize List View dialog box operates.
Skype Enhancements
JAWS support for Skype versions 3.8 and 4.1 has been expanded. In
addition, there are several third-party Skype scripts available for use
with JAWS. For more information about these scripts, visit
http://users.visi.com/~dgl/skype/. As with all third party scripts, this
information comes from another source. Always use your own discretion
when downloading and installing third party scripts.
Windows 7 Calculator
New scripts have been created to provide JAWS support for the Windows 7
Calculator, which is available in the Windows 7 operating system
scheduled to release in October of 2009. JAWS will work with the
expanded calculator modes of Standard, Scientific, Programmer, and
Statistics, and will also support Basic, Unit Conversion, Date
Calculation, and Template controls. Improvements have also been made to
the Function List (INSERT+F8) to eliminate confusion and provide full
function names.
UIA Support
User Interface Automation (UIA) support is available in JAWS 11 and
later. UIA is successor to the older Microsoft Active Accessibility
(MSAA) framework. It is an Application Programming Interface (API) for
User Interface (UI) accessibility that is designed to help Assistive
Technology products such as JAWS and MAGic to interact with standard and
custom UI elements of applications or the operating system.
ARIA Drag-and-Drop Support
JAWS 11 supports the ARIA drag-and-drop properties known as aria-grabbed
and aria-dropeffect. When a Web content author applies these properties
to objects on a Web page or application, it makes it easier for
assistive technology to identify objects that can be selected, moved to
another location, and released.
The CTRL+EQUAL SIGN keystroke opens the ARIA Drag and Drop dialog box.
It shows a list of droppable objects, as tagged by the author, on the
current Web page. When you select one of these objects, JAWS will move
focus to that object. If no droppable objects are available, JAWS will
announce the message, "No droppable elements were found on the page"
instead of opening the dialog box.
Use this keystroke with Internet Explorer 8 or later and Firefox 3 or
later.
ARIA Live Region Text Filter
An ARIA live region is a dynamic section of a Web page that receives
constant updates, such as news headlines, business information, and
weather updates. JAWS will announce when text in a region is updated.
You may turn this off in the Adjust JAWS Options dialog box using the
Announce Live Region Updates option.
Using the ARIA live region text filter, you can determine if JAWS speaks
when updates occur, based on a given text string. Open the text filter
by pressing CTRL+DASH. Next, type a string of text into the edit field
that may be contained in a live region update. Finally, select one of
the radio buttons to have JAWS announce only those updates that contain
the filter text, or to make JAWS ignore updates that contain the filter
text. As a JAWS user, this gives you greater control over the
information that is announced when the live region of a Web page
updates.
Lost Focus Message
The Lost Focus message is a JAWS alert feature that you can turn on to
let you know when a window loses focus, becomes invisible, or becomes
inoperable. When these conditions exist for longer than three seconds,
JAWS will announce, "Lost focus," and if tutor messages are turned on,
you will also hear, "Press ALT TAB," which will let you regain focus of
an open application, window, or desktop. The Lost Focus message is
turned off by default. To turn it on, press INSERT+V and choose the
Focus Loss Announcement option to toggle it on. The setting of this
option is saved to the Default.JCF file and is constant across
applications and JAWS sessions.
A window can lose focus for a number of reasons, for example, when
installing or closing an application. When this occurs, the computer can
be left in a state where nothing is in focus, which is why the Lost
Focus message is such a useful aid.
Application Specific Voice Profiles
For JAWS 11, voice profiles have been modified to make it very easy to
select, create, change, and save voice settings for use with JAWS or
specific applications. Previously when changing voice profile settings,
you had to choose between making a Global Voice Adjustment or an
Individual Voice Adjustment, and then decide if the changes would apply
as the default setting for all of JAWS or just the current open
application. Now when modifying settings, you open one dialog, Voice
Adjustments, configure the profile, and save it. Next, using
INSERT+CTRL+S you can select any available profile to use as the JAWS
default, and also select the same or a different profile for the current
application open on your computer.
JAWS ships with several factory voice profiles based on the synthesizers
installed on your computer. This makes it easy for you to use these
settings as a template for future voice profiles that you create and
save for JAWS and other applications. To create a new profile from a
factory default profile, open Voices from the Options menu in the JAWS
user interface, and then choose Voice Adjustments. Select any of the
available factory settings from the Profile Name combo box, make the
necessary voice adjustment changes, and save the profile using a name
that can easily be identified with the profile.
Control Description and Verbosity Preferences
Control Description is a new item available for Verbosity Options in
Configuration Manager. When selected, JAWS will announce any descriptive
MSAA text associated with content or controls such as edit boxes, combo
boxes, radio buttons, and so on. This functionality is off by default
except when using Beginner Preferences or Intermediate Preferences with
Internet Explorer or Firefox.
To toggle Control Description on or off, do the following. Press
INSERT+F2 and select Configuration Manager. Next, press ALT+S and choose
Verbosity Options. Choose the Beginner Preferences, Intermediate
Preferences, or Advanced Preferences button. Move to the Control
Description check box, and press SPACEBAR to select or clear the check
box. Close the Preferences dialog box and save the verbosity settings.
Third Party Braille Displays
When installing the 32-bit version of JAWS, all braille display drivers
previously shipped in earlier versions of JAWS will continue to be
provided and work with JAWS 11 as expected.
For JAWS 64-bit, Freedom Scientific braille displays, such as the Focus,
PAC Mate Portable, and PowerBraille displays, will be included and
installed as part of the JAWS 11 installation. Third party braille
display manufacturers will be provided separately from the manufacturers
themselves. At the time of this writing, only Papenmeier in Germany has
completed and published their drivers for JAWS 11 and JAWS 10 on 64-bit
Windows.
After the support files are installed on your computer, you will
continue to use the JAWS Synthesizer and Braille Manager to add a third
party braille display to use with JAWS.
Virtualize Current Window Keystroke
The Virtualize Current Window keystroke is now INSERT+ALT+W. The
previous keystroke, INSERT+CTRL+W, is now used for Word Index.
Virtualize Current Control Keystroke
The Virtualize Current Control keystroke is now INSERT+ALT+SHIFT+W. The
previous keystroke was INSERT+CTRL+SHIFT+W.
Messenger Conversation Keystrokes
The keystrokes to cycle between Windows Live Messenger or MSN Messenger
conversations, WINDOWS Key+1 through 0, have changed due to conflicts
with the Windows 7 operating system. In Messenger, you now press
INSERT+SPACEBAR+1 through 0 to switch to a different conversation. For
Windows 7 and Windows Vista computers, the WINDOWS Key+1 through 0
keystrokes launch or cycle between applications on the Taskbar.
Script Utility Mode Keystroke
The name of the Home Row Utility has been changed to Script Utility
Mode. In addition, the keystroke to toggle this mode on or off is now
INSERT+WINDOW Key+NUM PAD MINUS instead of INSERT+SPACEBAR. Script
Utility Mode is a function for advanced scripters. The laptop keystroke
for Script Utility Mode is CAPS LOCK+WINDOWS Key+DASH.
Drag and Drop for Laptop Layout Mode Keystroke
The laptop keystroke for Drag and Drop has changed from CAPS LOCK+CTRL+8
to CAPS LOCK+SHIFT+8.
Toggle Outlook Reminder and Research It Keystroke
The keystroke previously used to toggle into and out of an Outlook
reminder dialog box, INSERT+WINDOWS Key+R, is now used to launch the new
Research It feature. If you want to continue using the
ToggleOutlookReminder script, open the default.jkm file and assign a new
keystroke.
To download the software, or to get more information, visit:
h <http://www.freedomscientific.com/downloads/jaws/JAWS-public-beta.asp>
ttp://www.freedomscientific.com/downloads/jaws/JAWS-public-beta.asp
Ciaran Ferry
Web & e-Services, ESB ICT Group, 27 Lwr Fitzwilliam St, Dublin 2,
Ireland.
Tel: +353-1-70(27945) EMail: Ciaran.Ferry@xxxxxx Web:
http://www.esb.ie <http://www.esb.ie/>
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