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UNSUBSCRIBE PAGE July-August 2005 Volume 4 Issue 4 - @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. PAC Mate 3.0 is Here with Even More Portability and New Features for the Deaf-Blind New Typing Mode Available for Focus Braille Display Users Youth and Enthusiasm: A Student Talks about PAC Mate FSTTY: A Better Solution for the Deaf-Blind Hit the Road with StreetTalk FSReader for Desktop and PAC Mate Now Shipping Put Down That Remote, and Pick Up FSCommander WYNN 4.0 Released PAC Mate 3.0 is Here With Even More Portability and New Features for the Deaf-Blind People who attended the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and American Council of the Blind (ACB) national conventions this month were excited about the new accessibility features found in the PAC Mate 3.0 update for the BX and QX series. Users especially praised the Remote PAC Mate feature and new deaf-blind communication solutions. Imagine sitting on your porch or in your backyard with your PAC Mate and working with your favorite applications on your desktop PC! With the Remote PAC Mate feature, you can control a desktop computer running JAWS® 6.20 or later right from your PAC Mate, using an ActiveSync connection. Establish the connection between your PAC Mate and your computer, activate remote mode on the PAC Mate, and the speech and braille output from JAWS on the desktop is sent to your PAC Mate. Control desktop functions directly from the PAC Mate’s keyboard. Work over a USB – or better – a wireless connection. With MSN Messenger (already supported by the current version of PAC Mate) and new support for AOL® Instant Messenger™ (AIM®) in PAC Mate 3.0, users have more options for chatting with people over the Internet. Deaf-blind users are thrilled with the inclusion of AIM because relay services use AIM to support telephone communications for the deaf. Freedom Scientific emphasized making all AIM functions fully accessible, using braille only. Now deaf-blind users have full access to AIM using a PAC Mate and braille display, including message review, and management of the Buddy List. Other new features include: PAC Mate 3.0 incorporates Braille Auto Scroll, introduced with JAWS 6.0. Press one Navigation Row key to start the braille display scrolling automatically through your document. Two other Nav Row buttons adjust the scrolling rate so it can be set to a comfortable reading speed. PAC Mate 3.0 delivers the same significant braille output improvements found in the JAWS 6.0 and 6.10 braille translation engine. This makes PAC Mate’s braille translation more accurate than ever before. No more losing your place while bumping along the road in a vehicle, thanks to a new feature that lets you lock out all keys except those you need for document navigation. PAC Mate 3.0 is a major update. Users with a current warranty or Annual Software Agreement (ASA) can download the update at no charge by visiting the PAC Mate 3.0 Download page and entering their PAC Mate serial number. Otherwise, contact Sales at 800-444-4443 or 727-803-8000 to purchase the update for $115. In order to use the new remote functionality, users need to download JAWS 6.20, which is a free update for existing JAWS 6.0 and 6.10 users. This version contains optimal support for Remote PAC Mate. Visit the JAWS 6.20 page to read more about what’s new in JAWS 6.20 and to download the update. Learn more about PAC Mate 3.0 by visiting the PAC Mate 3.0 Update Release page. Return to Top from First Story New Typing Mode Available for Focus Braille Display Users Another JAWS 6.20 feature that has people talking is the new functionality it adds to Focus Braille Displays. Focus Braille Display users are taking advantage of a new feature called Typing Mode. Instead of entering text using a computer keyboard, they enable this feature to enter text into a document or e-mail message directly from the Perkins-style keyboard that is incorporated into the Focus. When this mode is active, any commands that would normally be executed, depending on the key combinations typed, are not performed. For example, pressing DOTS 1-2-4-5 while Typing Mode is active allows you to type a letter “g” instead of turning on or off contracted braille translation. Typing Mode can be turned on or off through the Adjust Braille Options dialogue box, accessible with CTRL+INSERT+B, or by pressing LEFT SHIFT+RIGHT SHIFT CHORD from the Focus keyboard. For more details on Typing Mode as well as other enhancements, and to download the update, visit the JAWS 6.20 Web page. Return to Top from Second Story Youth and Enthusiasm: A Student Talks about PAC Mate How valuable is the PAC Mate as a classroom learning tool? Don’t get Alex Follo started on answering that one. Bright, articulate, and a tremendous PAC Mate booster at age 10, Alex saw his grades turn completely around after his school purchased a PAC Mate for him to use. His lively discourse on the PAC Mate is a must-hear for teachers, parents, students, and others. His mother also is a PAC Mate enthusiast and offers up some valuable details about how the PAC Mate enriches her son’s school and family life. Visit the PAC Mate Headquarters on the Freedom Scientific Web site to enjoy this presentation. Return to Top from Third Story FSTTY: A Better Solution for the Deaf-blind Great enthusiasm has greeted Freedom Scientific’s release of FSTTY, a new deaf-blind solution that turns a PAC Mate into a portable, feature-rich tool for making and receiving TTY telephone calls. FSTTY works with the PAC Mate BX and QX models using either a 20-cell or 40-cell braille display. Users can view text that is sent and received during a TTY call in either computer or contracted braille. The TTY connection is made over standard telephone lines to other TTY devices using an external TTY modem (supplied as part of the FSTTY package). The modem includes both telephone line input and output jacks. This enables the user to plug a phone line into the modem as well as a “line out” to connect a telephone or to an alert device. FSTTY takes advantage of powerful PAC Mate features: When FSTTY launches, a temporary file opens. This file contains all text sent and received during the FSTTY session. This session history can be saved as a regular file for future reference. During a TTY call, you can copy material from other files on your PAC Mate and paste them into the current TTY session to be automatically transmitted. This means that you can send information from other files without having to type it into the TTY conversation by hand. You can send items from your Contacts and Calendar by simply copying and pasting them into the TTY session. The fields that have been filled in will be sent automatically, as with any other text, and will be formatted to be very easy to read when received by the other party. FSTTY provides a “go anywhere” TTY solution. The package includes the FSTTY application (software), the external TTY modem, and all cables needed to connect the PAC Mate to the modem and to connect the modem to the phone service line. A carrying case is included, so you can take the entire package with you and make TTY calls anywhere there is a regular telephone connection. Visit the Deaf-Blind Solutions/FSTTY page on the Freedom Scientific Web site to learn about more exciting features Return to Top from Fourth Story Hit the Road with StreetTalk Freedom Scientific is now shipping StreetTalk™, the much-anticipated Global Positioning System (GPS) solution for the PAC Mate BX and QX. StreetTalk 1.0 contains great features to help blind and visually impaired travelers know where they are, what’s around them, and the most efficient way to get to a destination. When demonstrated at the NFB and ACB national conventions earlier this month, StreetTalk received enthusiastic responses from both users of competitive GPS solutions and individuals currently shopping for a GPS solution. StreetTalk is an accessibility interface to the Destinator™ application that operates on Windows Mobile 2003® devices like the PAC Mate BX and QX. Using Destinator’s sophisticated software and mapping technologies, StreetTalk helps plan your route and then provides turn-by-turn directions through speech and braille. Please note that StreetTalk is a travel orientation aid and is not meant to replace standard mobility tools. Here is a brief look at some of the most exciting features: A Planner Mode allows you to calculate routes to specific destinations in advance. Activate Navigation Mode when you are following a route to ride or walk. Your PAC Mate speaks and displays GPS information such as points of interest and upcoming maneuvers. Access millions of points of interest found on the Destinator maps, or create your own. Tell StreetTalk your current location, and bring up a list of all the points of interest nearby. This is useful if you are staying in a hotel and want to see restaurants or other places within walking distance. Copy and paste route directions into another file for printing, embossing, e-mailing, or beaming to another device. StreetTalk calculates routes to various points of interest, Favorites that you create, street addresses you provide, and addresses stored in Contacts. If you deviate from a route, StreetTalk automatically recalculates the best alternative route to get you to your destination. While StreetTalk is in navigation mode, your PAC Mate speaks and displays your current direction, speed, altitude, and the distances traveled and yet to be traveled to your destination. StreetTalk can create an automatic breadcrumb route. In a breadcrumb route, StreetTalk records your current position every 10 feet or three seconds, whichever comes first. When you retrace the route, your PAC Mate announces each upcoming maneuver until you reach the destination, or the point where you started. StreetTalk is compatible with a wide range of Bluetooth® Wireless GPS receivers. This eliminates the need for extra cables and straps. Simply clip the receiver to your belt, place in the rear window of a car, or attach it to the harness of a guide dog. StreetTalk is priced at $119, which does not include Destinator software, maps, or a GPS receiver. Several Destinator packages are available. You can get maps of the US, Canada, Western Europe, Brazil, Hungary, Israel, and Australia. Freedom Scientific is offering a bundle which includes the StreetTalk software, Destinator 3 software, maps of the US and Canada, a GlobalSat BT-338 Bluetooth GPS receiver, and a Socket Communications CompactFlash™ Bluetooth Connection card all for $599.00. Visit BuyGPSNow.com for information about Pacmategear.com has set up a StreetTalk user’s list where people can discuss their travel experiences and help each other with all aspects of StreetTalk. Visit the PACMateGear.com for information on subscribing to this list. You’ll find more information on the StreetTalk page on the Freedom Scientific Web site. You also can contact Sales at 800-444-4443 or 727-803-8000 to order your copy today. Return to Top from Fifth Story FSReader or Desktop and PAC Mate Now Shipping Users can now enjoy reading at home or on the go with FSReader, available from Freedom Scientific. FSReader provides complete access to Digital Accessible Information System (DAISY) formatted talking books on the desktop PC or the PAC Mate BX or QX. The DAISY format is the worldwide standard for accessible text and audio material. FSReader opens access to all of the content available, whether it is reading for business, school, or pleasure. Download or purchase DAISY 2.0 and DAISY 3.0 (the ANSI/NISO standard) e-books from sources like Bookshare.org. FSReader offers the following features: Move quickly to a particular section in a book by using the table of contents, browsing headings, or just flipping pages. Take a break from reading, and FSReader remembers where you left off and quickly returns to the last location. Set bookmarks for places in the book you need to return to quickly. You can set as many bookmarks as you like and you can even give them unique names. In books that contain recorded audio, you can fast forward, rewind, and even adjust the speed of the narration Users of JAWS and one of Freedom Scientific’s refreshable braille displays can read along with the audio narration on the braille display. FSReader sells for $79 each for the desktop version and the PAC Mate version. Purchase both at the special price of $119 if you want to access DAISY books at home as well as on the go. A demo of FSReader is included with JAWS 6.0 or later to read the basic training material and give a feel for how the program works. Get more information on the FSReader Web page. Contact Sales at 800-444-4443 or 727-803-8000 to order your copy. Return to Top from Sixth Story Put Down That Remote, and Pick Up FSCommander Remote control devices can be troublesome for those with limited or no vision. Turn your BX or QX PAC Mate into an accessible universal remote with FSCommander, a consumer infrared remote control application. Get convenience, accessibility – and get it all free. Download FSCommander at no cost from the Freedom Scientific Web site. FSCommander adds functionality to the infrared module already onboard the PAC Mate, allowing the unit to control any device that accepts remote control signals. The remote function works from a distance up to 30 feet away. Using FSCommander, you can control a wide range of household devices including televisions, stereos, DVD players, and more. The application learns the codes from your existing remote control, and you can assign keystrokes for each function. Save each of your remote control units with a unique name, and quickly switch between them with a minimum of keystrokes. No more having to keep track of several remote control units, remembering which device each one controls, and recalling which buttons perform what function. Visit the FSCommander Web page to download this free utility, and add a new level of functionality to your PAC Mate. Return to Top from Seventh Story WYNN 4.0 Released The latest version of WYNN, the award-winning software for individuals with learning disabilities and reading challenges, will debut when students return to school in the fall. WYNN 4.0, a product of the Freedom Scientific Learning Systems Group, is a dynamic literacy tool that transforms printed text into understandable information for readers of all ages and abilities. Teachers and students will appreciate new features to enhance learning and comprehension: Add, change, and view Text and Voice Notes in the Exact View and Text View toolbars. Experience a brighter, crisper picture view with improvements in Exact View. Listen to speech delivered in high quality, human-sounding voices with AT&T Natural Voices™, added in response to user requests. English and Spanish languages come standard, and other languages are available. Quickly and easily verify correct usage of words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings with the new Homophone function. Homophones work within the custom definitions available from Wordsmyth, the leading electronic and print reference company. Immediately discover spelling errors using the new spell check function that indicates misspellings as you type. Access more definitions and updated word prediction. Experience the latest version of FineReader® optical character recognition (OCR). Convert documents into MP3 or WAV files for later use. Change the reading order of documents with a new Dynamic Zoning toolbar. View PDF files in color. Please contact the Freedom Scientific Learning Systems Group by phone at (888) 223-3344 x119 or by e-mail at wynn@freedomscientific.com to learn more about WYNN 4.0. You also can visit the Learning Systems Group Web site to learn more about all our products. Return to Top from Eighth Story GET A FREE TRIAL MEMBERSHIP TO AUDIBLE.COM Enjoy 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. 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, Blind/Low Vision Group 11800 31st Court North St. Petersburg, Florida 33716-1805 800-444-4443 or 727-803-8000 www.FreedomScientific.com Those having hardware or software technical support queries can address them to Support at FreedomScientific.com