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January 2005 Volume 4 Issue 1 - @Freedom Scientific Newsletter @Freedom Scientific is a free newsletter packed with the latest information about deploying and maintaining Freedom Scientific technology. Please feel free to send us your feedback.
NEW FOCUS BRAILLE DISPLAYS: MOST-REQUESTED FEATURES AT MILESTONE AFFORDABILITYThe announcement of new streamlined Focus Braille Displays designed around “most wanted” consumer features is generating a high level of buzz in the blindness community. Braille display users are excited about new navigation options and a new design that eliminates seams between braille cells, creating the feel of reading braille on paper. The advanced features of the Focus, offered at leadership prices, have resulted in brisk early sales of these groundbreaking new displays. “For the past few years, Freedom Scientific has listened to feedback about braille displays and compiled a ‘wish list’ of the features users most want,” said Brad Davis, Vice President of Freedom Scientific. “As we set about designing around these preferences, we also looked for ways to reduce manufacturing costs at no loss of quality. Our goal was to present a finished product that delivers the average user’s ideal braille display at a price that makes this crucial hardware solution more accessible to more people.” The new braille displays are available with 40 cells of braille (the Focus 40) or 80 cells of braille (the Focus 80). Users who have previewed the displays immediately remark on the smooth and seamless braille cells that they compare to the feel of paper. The design also retains the popular VariBraille feature that lets users customize braille firmness to their own personal preferences. Users also give high marks to advanced features that allow them to navigate documents in a number of ways and directions with their hands seldom moving far from the display. Among other features of the new Focus Braille Displays that are being praised are:
The overall streamlined design and, of course, the low cost make the Focus 40 and Focus 80 the industry leaders in braille displays. The two new products are priced at $3,495 and $6,995 - 35 percent less than the industry average and over 40 percent less than the most recently announced competitive braille displays. More details about the new Focus Braille Displays can be found in Freedom Scientific’s recent Focus press release. The release also includes a flyer in PDF format with additional information, including product specifications. Return to Top from First Story
EXCITEMENT IS HIGH OVER ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE SARA™Freedom Scientific has released many innovative new products in the past few years. The SARA™ (Scanning and Reading Appliance) is among those that have generated great interest and excitement. One of the attractions of the SARA is the price, among the lowest for scanning and reading appliances on the market at $2,595 retail. The fact that the SARA can be used right out of the box, with no technical experience, also appeals to users. To read a page, all the user needs to do is turn the SARA on, place a page on the scanner, press a button, and the SARA scans the page and automatically begins reading. Users will appreciate the RealSpeak® synthesizer which provides clear, natural-sounding speech in 10 languages. The SARA also features a simple, intuitive keypad for access to all functions, making it desirable for blind or low vision users who don’t want the concerns of configuring software, connecting cables, and learning special keystrokes. Additionally, users can save file names using their recorded voice. This recording is then played back when accessing the file list. The SARA can read novels, magazines, bills, typed doctors’ instructions, product manuals, warranties, and many other printed documents, and has great storage capacity. Files stored on CD can be accessed through the built-In CD-ROM drive. When connected to a monitor, the SARA provides text coloration, size, and spacing features to increase access for low vision users. More features of the SARA can be found in Freedom Scientific’s recent SARA press release. The release also includes a flyer in PDF format with additional information, including product specifications. Return to Top from Second Story
TESTTALKER IS UPGRADED WITH FRENCH AND SPANISH LANGUAGE SUPPORTStudents enrolled in Spanish or French foreign language classes now can take advantage of new French and Spanish language capabilities, along with English, with the release of TestTalker™ 1.2. “Teachers and students have requested that TestTalker support additional languages,” said Roberta G. Brosnahan, Vice President and General Manager of the Freedom Scientific Learning Systems Group (LSG). “The ability to take a test in English, Spanish, or French can further enrich students’ learning, and bilingual students will especially benefit from these expanded language options.” TestTalker provides a computerized version of a test, worksheet, or other form that can talk, using synthesized speech. TestTalker uses the same bi-modal approach (simultaneously highlighting words as they are spoken aloud) that is used in WYNN, the premier software for struggling students. TestTalker 1.2 was released in October, 2004, and is currently shipping. For more information or to place an order, contact Freedom Scientific‘s Learning Systems Group by phone at (888) 223-3344. Visit the Freedom Scientific LSG pages for more information on WYNN and TestTalker. Return to Top from Third Story
NEW LANGUAGE INSTALLERS AVAILABLE FOR PAC MATE BX AND QXPAC Mate BX and QX users can now work with documents and Web sites written in foreign languages and have them spoken correctly. New language installers are now available for download for Italian, German, Canadian French, European French, Latin American Spanish, Castilian Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese, as well as English. These will allow you to change the speaker when accessing different documents. Note that your menus will remain in the original (primary) language of your PAC Mate. Each language, when installed, takes up 1.5 to 2 MB of memory, so you may only wish to install the languages you plan to use the most. For installation instructions and to download the language installers, visit the PAC Mate 2.5 Release Language Add-ins page. Return to Top from Fourth Story
FREEDOM SCIENTIFIC HEADED TO ORLANDO FOR THE 6th ANNUAL ATIA CONFERENCEAll the exciting new products and updates available from Freedom Scientific will be featured at the 6th Annual Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) Conference scheduled for January 19-22, 2005 at the Caribe Royale All-Suites Resort in Orlando, Florida. All attendees are encouraged to stop by the Freedom Scientific booth, number 513, to ask questions about and participate in demonstrations of our complete line of hardware and software solutions, including the new Focus 40 and Focus 80 displays, the new SARA (Scanning and Reading Appliance), and JAWS 6.0. Stop by the Freedom Scientific Learning Systems Group booth, number 700, for demonstrations of WYNN and TestTalker. In addition, several informative sessions will be conducted over the course of the conference for a number of Freedom Scientific products, including the PAC Mate, MAGic®, OpenBook™, and JAWS®. Here is a complete list of Freedom Scientific sessions: Thursday Topic: Understanding and Using
the Many Powerful Features of the Latest OpenBook Friday
Topic: Work Your Own MAGic - Stepping through Features of MAGic 9.2 Saturday
Topic: Feature Overview of MAGic 9.2 Screen Magnification with Speech Freedom Scientific also will conduct more informal sessions in meeting room BOCA #8 on Thursday and Friday. Stop by and learn more about JAWS, the new SARA, OpenBook, the PAC Mate, the new Focus, and MAGic. On Thursday, between 5 and 6 p.m., join us in celebrating the 10-year anniversary of JAWS, and help us toast to 10 more great years of producing cutting edge screen access technology. Return to Top from Fifth Story
FREEDOM SCIENTIFIC PRODUCT CLASSES BEING OFFERED ONLINE BY THE CARROLL CENTERThe Carroll Center for the Blind, based in Newton, Massachusetts, recently expanded its well-known computer training services by launching Carroll Tech. Carroll Tech offers online classes in using popular Windows applications and access technologies. While several access technology programs are covered, a majority of these classes use JAWS for Windows as the software for learning these applications. Classes are divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced skill levels. Currently, Microsoft® Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel applications are being taught, with classes in Word, Access, and Internet Explorer coming soon. In addition, Carroll Tech will be adding new classes in the use of other Freedom Scientific products, including the PAC Mate and using MAGic screen magnification software with Microsoft Office. Each class takes full advantage of the power of the Internet. Classes run for six weeks and consist of 12 lessons. Each lesson is made up of online manuals and instructions explaining how to configure JAWS with the particular application being taught. Classes include streaming video, with the instructor demonstrating each skill. The teacher walks students through the process and also uses e-mailed exercises and auto-graded quizzes. Bi-weekly audio chat sessions help students learn from each other and allow them to directly ask the instructor questions. To take a class, users are required to register on the Carroll Tech Web site. Applicants must take a pre-qualifying quiz to make sure they have the necessary word processing, Web browsing, e-mail, and file management skills and to be sure they are placed in the appropriate skill level. Users can then select the class they wish to take. For more information, to register, to view the entire list of available classes, and to learn more about the center, visit the Carroll Tech Web site. Return to Top from Sixth Story
FIRST 2005 JAWS CLASSES SCHEDULED FOR ST. PETERSBURGTrainers and other users wishing to keep up to date on the latest features in JAWS should sign up for one or more of the training workshops scheduled for the first quarter of 2005. Customer favorites, Supporting and Teaching Windows with JAWS, along with
Script Writing with JAWS, are available along with the new Accessible Documents with JAWS class. While familiar, these classes will be updated to include a look at all of the new JAWS 6.0 features that will help you keep up to date with your students. If you sign up for two or more back-to-back classes, you’ll receive a 10% discount on both classes. For further details and class descriptions, e-mail Training_Info at FreedomScientific.com or look at detailed descriptions on our Class Descriptions page.
Also remember that we can come to
you with our training if you have a number of people in your area to train.
Customized training also is available. Return to Top from Seventh Story
FREEDOM SCIENTIFIC PRESENTS SCHOLARSHIP GIFT TO AUSTRALIAN STUDENTAustralian student Darren Moyle was delighted to receive a copy of JAWS for Windows Professional as a gift for earning a recent scholarship. Darren competed for the scholarship among other students with vision impairments who were graduating from secondary schools. To recognize Darren, a year-12 student at Fairhills High School in Knoxfield, Victoria, Freedom Scientific presented the award in conjunction with Quantum Technology. Quantum Technology is an Australian company specializing in the development, manufacture, and distribution of technology solutions for people who are blind or visually impaired. Darren hopes to enter Deakin University to earn a Bachelor of Commerce degree. We all wish him well and know he will make excellent use of the JAWS software. Return to Top from Eighth Story
GET A FREE TRIAL MEMBERSHIP TO AUDIBLE.COMEnjoy daily audio subscriptions to national newspapers, weekly business and science magazines, and more than 6,000 audio books with a trial membership to Audible.com®. Users of Freedom Scientific’s industry-leading assistive technology products, including JAWS® for Windows® and the PAC Mate, are eligible for a free trial membership to sample from 34,000 hours of valuable spoken word audio. To learn more, go to our Audible.com information page. Return to Top from Ninth Story
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 Those having hardware or software technical support queries can address them to Support at FreedomScientific.com
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