Headline

What's New in OpenBook 8

Freedom Scientific’s OpenBook™ 8 scanning and reading software goes beyond providing access to printed documents or graphic-based text. This release provides new synthesizers, updated optical character recognition (OCR) engines, improved access to online books, common keyboarding with JAWS® and MAGic®, built-in braille support, new low vision features, new reference features, and much more.

OpenBook 8 supports 64-bit and 32-bit versions of Windows® 7, Windows Vista® and Windows 2008 Server, 32-bit versions of Windows XP and Windows 2003 Server, and Windows 2000 operating systems. If you already have an OpenBook 8 CD that you received prior to November 2009, and need to install it on a computer running Windows 7, please contact Freedom Scientific or your local dealer to obtain a new CD that will install in Windows 7.

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OpenBook 8 New Features and Improvements

Skip past features list.

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Engine Updates

OpenBook 8 uses the latest versions of both FineReader® and Nuance OmniPage® to provide the best text conversion and page recognition available.

Default File Format Update Includes Unicode

OpenBook 8 now creates and saves files using the new, default OBX file extension instead of the older ARK file format. This new OBX Unicode format lets OpenBook work with many more languages. All files previously created and saved with the ARK format will still open in OpenBook 8.

Keyboard Layout Redesign

Whether you use JAWS, MAGic, OpenBook, or PAC Mate™, all basic reading keystrokes are now the same, which makes it easier than ever to transition between Freedom Scientific products. Trainers will really find this to be a plus when working with different clients using a wide range of products.

Eloquence Speech Synthesizer Replaces ViaVoice

OpenBook 8 now includes the same high quality Eloquence speech synthesizers used in JAWS, MAGic, and PAC Mate replacing the ViaVoice™ synthesizer.

RealSpeak Solo Included

The latest RealSpeak™ Solo voices, which began shipping with JAWS 8, are now supported and shipped with OpenBook 8 and MAGic 11.0. If you installed these voices for use with JAWS or MAGic, you can immediately begin using them with OpenBook. Simply choose SAPI 5 from the Synthesizer combo box in the Speech Settings properties page. Otherwise, you will need to install them from the RealSpeak Solo CD that is included with your OpenBook package.

SAPI 5 Synthesizers Support

Along with a native Eloquence synthesizer, OpenBook now works with synthesizers that use the SAPI 5 interface. If you select SAPI 5, all available voices that are installed on your system will appear in the Reading Voice Language combo box.

Note: Other assistive technology products may have SAPI 5 synthesizers that are only authorized to operate with those products. If such synthesizers are on your computer, OpenBook 8 may not work with those specific voices.

Use Different Voices for Different Things

You can now select a different voice for the Menu, Reading, and Emphasis voices. For example, you could use Eloquence Reed as the Menu voice while using RealSpeak Solo Daniel as the Reading voice.

New and Improved Freedom Import Printer

The Freedom Import Printer lets you send inaccessible documents and graphic representations of text directly to OpenBook for optical character recognition. OpenBook 8 provides a new, updated importer that now supports color imports from other applications, as well as the grayscale and black and white imports previously supported.

Microsoft Word 2007 Support

You can now use the Freedom Import Printer to send documents from Microsoft® Word 2007 to OpenBook. Also, if you open a Word document within OpenBook, including a Word 2007 document, and it cannot be opened normally, it will send the document to the Freedom Import Printer.

The Scan Using OpenBook feature in Word has been expanded to include Word 2007. If you have Word 2007 installed on your computer when installing OpenBook 8, the Scan Using OpenBook command will be added to the Add-Ins ribbon tab in Word. This feature scans printed documents using OpenBook, but places the results directly into a new Word document.

Split View

With Split View, you can have both the Text View and Exact View on the screen simultaneously. This allows you to easily compare the exact view of a page or document with the recognized text to locate and fix errors that may have occurred during OCR.

Cycle Between Views

You can now cycle between Text View, Exact View, and Split View using the CTRL+SHIFT+V keystroke.

Preferred View

The new Preferred View feature allows you to select the view to use when opening documents. You can choose from Text View (default), Split View, or Exact View. The new setting is located in the Visual Settings properties page (ALT+G, V) as the first option. Saving the setting as default will allow the setting to be saved for the next time you launch an OpenBook session.

Exact View Printing

Opening the File menu and selecting Print, or pressing CTRL+P while in the Exact View of a document, now prints the document in Exact View format.

Exact View Scrolling

New keystrokes have been added to control scrolling when in Exact View. These apply both in Exact View and in the Exact View of Split View. The new keystrokes are:

ALT+CTRL+LEFT ARROW for Scroll Exact View Left
ALT+CTRL+RIGHT ARROW for Scroll Exact View Right
ALT+CTRL+UP ARROW for Scroll Exact View Up
ALT+CTRL+DOWN ARROW for Scroll Exact View Down

Photocopy

The Photocopy command (ALT+C, P) is now available when in Exact View. It is similar to Exact View Printing.

Mouse Scroll Wheel

The mouse scroll wheel now functions to scroll text within the Help window, Text View, Exact View, and the top pane of the Split View. It is particularly useful when the document on the page is long, the text is large, or when the Exact View is zoomed to a larger size.

Re-recognize Pages

You can now re-recognize the current page or the entire document without rescanning. In order to re-recognize a page, you need to enable the Keep Exact View option in the Scanning settings before you scan.

BuckScan Improvements

Improvements have been made to BuckScan to ensure that the latest designs of U.S. currency ($1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100) are supported.

Document Highlighting

Use the new Highlighting feature to indicate important passages or key words in your document just as you would highlight text in a book. You can highlight text by turning on highlighting and using the ARROW keys to navigate through the section of text you want highlighted, or you can select a block of text and highlight the selection. Before you begin highlighting, you can select the highlight color to be used.

Highlighted text can be exported to a new document, or, when printing, you can select to only print highlights.

Appending a File

OpenBook can merge the contents of one document into the currently open document. It appends the file to the end of the currently open document using the Select A File To Append dialog box, which functions like an Open dialog box.

Comment Insertion

You now have the ability to insert comments into a document. To insert a comment, simply position the cursor where you want the comment inserted, and then press ALT+CTRL+M to open the Add Comment dialog box. Additionally, comments can be exported to a new document, or, when printing, you can choose to only print the comments. You can have comments spoken or ignored when reading a document.

Go To Dialog

The new Go To dialog box (CTRL+G) lets you move forward or backward through your document by page, bookmark, highlight, or comment.

Braille Support Now Built-in

OpenBook now has built-in support for braille displays when running without a screen reader.

To use braille, open the Settings menu (ALT+G) and select Braille Enabled. OpenBook will automatically detect Freedom Scientific braille displays including the Focus braille displays and the PAC Mate™ Portable Braille Display. OpenBook also supports a number of third-party braille displays currently supported by JAWS. You can add displays using the Braille Manager located in the Settings menu.

DAISY File Support

OpenBook now plays DAISY audio files (XML). The previous ability to open and read DAISY text files (HTML and OPF) is also maintained in this release.

Audio File Support Now Built-in

OpenBook now supports audio files, including DAISY audio (XML) and music files (MP3, MPG, WAV, CDA, and WMA file formats).

Use the new Open Audio Directory dialog box (CTRL+R), located in the File menu, to quickly locate and play these audio formats.

Book Search Improvements

The Book Search feature of OpenBook has been rewritten to provide even easier, more reliable downloading of books. The Advanced Search dialog box has been improved to provide a more intuitive user experience. When downloading a book from any source, which is already in the default Books folder, OpenBook now notifies you that the book already exist, allowing you to cancel the download or overwrite the existing file.

Illegal Character Improvements

OpenBook provides an audible alert if illegal characters are used as part of a file name.

Wildcard Characters

OpenBook will now announce File List Box Updated if, when in the Save As dialog box, you enter a wildcard character in the file name. The list view will simply update the currently displayed files, but a save will not occur.

Rewind Improvements

During a Say All function (INSERT+DOWN ARROW) you can rewind by pressing the left SHIFT key. The behavior has changed so that rewind always jumps back to the prior sentence. Previously, the rewind feature required two swift presses of the left SHIFT key: one to jump to the start of the current sentence and one more to jump to the prior sentence.

Say Selected Text

OpenBook can now speak any selected text using the following keystrokes:

INSERT+SHIFT+DOWN ARROW for both Desktop and Laptop layout
CAPS LOCK+SHIFT+A for Laptop layout.

Browse Button

A Browse button has been added to the General Settings properties page (ALT+G, V) to make it easier to change the Default File Location edit box.

Increase Zoom and Decrease Zoom Keystrokes

New keystrokes have been added to zoom in or zoom out when in Exact View or in the Exact View of Split View. OpenBook will indicate the zoom percent.

CTRL+ALT+4 to increase the zoom level
CTRL+ALT+3 to decrease the zoom level

Context Menu

The Scan and Read command is the first item in the Context Menu list when you press the Applications key (SHIFT+F10).

No Empty View in OpenBook Window

When you close the last document in OpenBook, a new, untitled document always opens.

Help

When in the OpenBook help file (F1), a double mouse click on a help topic in the Table of Contents now opens that specific help information in the Topic window.

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Enhancements in OpenBook 8 Update 4 (November 2009)

Modifications were made to the Freedom Import Printer so it would install correctly in Windows 7. OpenBook is now fully compatible with both 32- and 64-bit versions of Windows 7. Users who already have an OpenBook CD received prior to November 2009, and have recently updated their systems to Windows 7 should contact Freedom Scientific or their local dealer to obtain a program CD capable of installing OpenBook in Windows 7.

Enhancements in OpenBook 8 Update 3 (April 2009)

It is becoming more common for new computers to come equipped with a 64-bit Windows Vista™ operating system. A 64-bit version of OpenBook is now available to run on these systems. Users who already have an OpenBook CD and have recently updated their systems to a 64-bit system should contact Freedom Scientific or their local dealer to obtain a program CD capable of installing OpenBook on 64-bit Vista.
This update of OpenBook supports the new file format used by Bookshare.org for their downloadable books. OpenBook users can search for, download, and read Bookshare.org books directly through OpenBook. OpenBook’s access to Bookshare.org’s collection of books is continuously updated through the Internet to provide access to all books, including the most recently added books. If you do not have a Bookshare.org account, do not check the Login to Bookshare.org check box. Within OpenBook, you will still have the ability to search for, download, and read the public domain books provided by Bookshare.org.
Large DAISY audio books can now be fully accessed through OpenBook. Users can quickly traverse the heading tree to find the place they would like to read and then press the read command (INSERT+DOWN ARROW) to have the audio playback started from their current position.

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Enhancements in OpenBook 8 Update 2 (November 2008)

OpenBook can now reliably be re-launched after scanning and closing down OpenBook on systems using the CanoScan LIDE 25 scanner and the HP DeskJet D4260 printer.
OpenBook now correctly reads negative decimal numbers, such as "-.123", found when scanning some documents.
Dashes, en dashes, and em dashes are now spoken when punctuation is set to all.
En dashes and em dashes are now retained when opening RTF files.
Setting numbers to be spoken as full numbers now works correctly, even when the numbers contain punctuation such as commas and decimals.
You can now export new documents to Word 2007 without the requirement of saving the file before exporting.
Exact View image quality has been enhanced when scanning using 2-page scanning mode.
The Say Character and Say Line commands have been expanded to work in edit fields within dialog boxes.
Resolved issues with contrast settings when Keep Exact View is enabled.
Improved OpenBook SayAll functionality during page transition when reading long documents.
Active Follows Braille is now enabled by default. This means that if you use OpenBook’s built-in braille functionality, the active cursor will follow as you move the braille cursor.
When Open Last Document on Startup is enabled, the document that had focus the last time you closed OpenBook will be the document that is opened at next startup. Previously the document opened on next start-up was the last saved document rather than the document with focus.
Updated the pronunciation dictionary to improve how OpenBook pronounces many common words.
You can now print new documents prior to saving the file.
Improved importing and back translation of .BRF and .BRL files.
Resolved an issue with words being split (observed through spotlighting and pronunciation) when converting from RTF to OBX format.

Note: Documents previously converted from RTF to OBX will still have the word splitting issue.
Closing a document is now verified through speech, "document closed."

Note: OpenBook requires a document to be open at all times and automatically opens a new blank document when you close the last open document.
OpenBook now automatically speaks the tab control when using CTRL+TAB to move between the Contents and Index pages in Help.
Adjustments to brightness in the photocopy dialog box are now reliably reported as changes are made.
Removed requirement to enable Keep Exact View when scanning using Image Only mode.
You no longer receive a communications error when attempting to connect to a Braille Note.

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Enhancements in OpenBook 8 Update 1 (April 2008)

In response to a customer request for a single keystroke to start a SayAll, the F10 key has been assigned in all three keyboard layouts to start a Say All. This is an additional assignment to SayAll in the Desktop and Laptop layouts.
OpenBook presented an issue with processing some large multi-page TIFF files. This issue has been resolved.
OpenBook no longer crashes or fails to process a scanned image when setting FineReader to recognize certain languages.
If Keep Exact View is off and you scan a document using 2-Page Scanning, OpenBook was keeping an exact view image for the first page. OpenBook now honors the Keep Exact View setting when in 2-page scanning.
Changed Decrease and Increase Zoom Level keystrokes from CTRL+ALT+3 and CTRL+ALT+4 to CTRL+SHIFT+3 and CTRL+SHIFT+4 to address character entry issues with international keyboards.
Resolved an issue with focus not returning to the Book Search dialog if search results yielded “0 books found”. When searching for books, if your search has no results, you are now automatically placed on the Revise Search button so you can change your criteria.
Various issues with configuring OpenBook to open and save files to the PAC Mate and PAC Mate Omni have been resolved.
When saving a document containing umlauts and other non-Latin characters in Microsoft Word (DOC) format, these characters are no longer lost.
Windows Shortcut keys that use the ALT key and are not assigned to any OpenBook specific functions now perform the desired action even when OpenBook has focus.
You can now use the NUM PAD PAGE UP and NUM PAD PAGE DOWN keys to navigate combo boxes in OpenBook dialog boxes.
Corrected an issue where opening and navigating menus would not work correctly while an audio file was open.
OpenBook no longer selects the entire page when you edit a comment.
The Say Line keystroke, INSERT+UP ARROW, now works as expected in edit fields and list views in OpenBook dialog boxes.
If the Preferred View is set to Split View, all documents you open will use this view even if there is no Exact View image available.

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OpenBook Updater

Download the file below to update your current 32-bit OpenBook 8 installation to version 8.0.5062, or to version 8.0.5071 if using the dongle release of OpenBook. You must have OpenBook 8 installed in order to install this update. If you have an OpenBook 8 CD and you need to install it on a 64-bit Windows computer, contact Freedom Scientific or your local dealer to obtain a new CD.

Do the following to download and install the OpenBook 8 update:

Ensure that OpenBook 8 is currently installed on your computer.
Select the appropriate FTP or HTTP download links that appear at the end of this procedure.
When the dialog box opens, choose Save and select a location where you can easily find the downloaded executable file.
Run the executable and choose Next to begin the update.
Reboot your computer, if prompted, to complete the update.

Free OpenBook 8 Updater English (66 MB - FTP download)
Free OpenBook 8 Updater English (66 MB - HTTP download)

40-hour Demonstration Version of OpenBook

The following briefly describes how to download and install the 40-hour version of OpenBook 8.

Select the appropriate download link that appears at the end of this procedure.
When the dialog box opens, choose Save and select a location where you can easily find the downloaded executable file.
Run the executable and follow the talking installer instructions. If you are prompted to reboot, and your system does not proceed automatically with the installation, launch the installation file again.

Note: If your corporate firewall prevents you from downloading files using FTP (File Transfer Protocol), use the HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) link instead.

What's New in JAWS 11

Security Update for JAWS 11 posted on October 23, 2009.
If you are using JAWS 11.0.734 or later, the security update is already included. If you are running JAWS 11.0.729, please use the Check for Updates feature in the JAWS Help menu to download and install the latest JAWS release. Refer to Check for Updates if you need more information.

This page describes the new features and improvements available in JAWS version 11. Go to Enhancements in JAWS for a list of updated items in the current release. To go directly to the JAWS 11 download links on this page, choose JAWS download links.

Note: If you are not sure whether you are authorized for this version, you can look up your JAWS serial number on the Freedom Scientific Software Activation page by choosing the Continue Product Activation button, and then choosing the link labeled, “Verify the number of activation keys available for your Freedom Scientific product.” Next, type your product serial number and press ENTER. The page that appears provides specifics about your license.

JAWS 11 Features

The following features are new to JAWS 11. For a complete demonstration of these features, listen to the August 2009 FSCast.

Research It

Note: For a demonstration of Research It, listen to the September 2009 FSCast.

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. All that is required to use Research It is an Internet connection.

There are multiple ways to launch and use Research It. By default, Wiktionary is the primary lookup source. This means that while the cursor is on a word in a document or Web page, you can press the default keystroke, INSERT+WINDOWS Key+R, to quickly lookup the Wiktionary description for that word. You can always change the primary lookup source at any time using the JAWS Configuration Manager, which lets you select which lookup source to use as the JAWS default or as the default for individual applications. As you become more familiar with Research It, and as more lookup modules are created and made available to you, you will want to change the default lookup source used by JAWS, or just use a different lookup source on the fly.

The most efficient way to search for a term is to use the new layered keystroke, INSERT+SPACEBAR, R. By pressing and releasing INSERT+SPACEBAR, and then pressing R, you can open the Research It edit field to type a word or expression of interest. This can be a zip code, or city and state, or city and country that can be used with the Weather lookup tool to read a forecast, or a date that is used to view baseball or football schedules and scores, or a word to use with the Wikipedia search query to view its meaning or description. After viewing these results, press ESC to close the Virtual Viewer window and return to your original focus point.

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.

The next section provides examples of how to use Research It. If you need more information, refer to the Research It topic in the JAWS help file.

Research It Examples

The following shows how you can use the Weather, Wikipedia, NFL Scores, and Reuters Top News Stories search options in Research It to look up specific information.

Use the Weather lookup source to receive the current weather forecast for any location based on city name, airport code, or zip code. The following example uses the INSERT+SPACEBAR, R keystroke.

Press INSERT+SPACEBAR, R to open the Research It edit field.
In the edit field, type your current location, for example, St. Petersburg, Florida, or your local airport code, for example, TPA, or your local zip code, for example, 33771, and then press ENTER.

The Research It dialog box opens with a list of available resource items. The primary search item always appears first in the list.
Use the UP and DOWN ARROWS or first letter navigation to select Weather and then press ENTER.
After a few seconds, the Virtual Viewer window opens and displays the weather forecast for the entered location. After reading the information, press ESC to close the Virtual Viewer.

You can use Wikipedia to quickly research an item. The following example uses the INSERT+CTRL+WINDOWS Key+R keystroke.

Press INSERT+CTRL+WINDOWS Key+R to open the Research It edit field.
In the edit field, type the term that you want to look up, for example, Freedom Scientific, and press ENTER.

The Research It dialog box opens with a list of available resource items. The primary search item always appears first in the list.
Use the UP and DOWN ARROWS or first letter navigation to select Wikipedia and then press ENTER.
After a few seconds, the Virtual Viewer window opens and displays the results returned from the Wikipedia lookup. Press ESC to close the Virtual Viewer.

If you want to look at the NFL schedule or scores for Sunday, October 4, 2009, use the NFL Scores lookup source as described in the following procedure.

Press INSERT+SPACEBAR, R to open the Research It edit field.
In the edit field, type the date using the MM/DD/YYYY format, for example, 10/04/2009, and press ENTER.

The Research It dialog box opens with a list of available resource items. The primary search item always appears first in the list.
Use the UP and DOWN ARROWS or first letter navigation to select NFL Scores and then press ENTER.
After 2 or 3 seconds, the Virtual Viewer window opens and displays a list of games scheduled for that day. Press ESC to close the Virtual Viewer.

For a summary of current news stories, you can set Reuters news service as your primary lookup source, and then issue the default Research It keystroke so that you can review the news summary from any application. To do this, first configure the primary lookup source as described in the following procedure.

Note: This example uses the Default.JCF file. If you want to select the primary lookup for a specific application, use JAWS Configuration Manager to open that application's .JCF file.

Press INSERT+F2 to open the Run JAWS Manager dialog box.
Press C to navigate to Configuration Manager in the list and then press ENTER.
Press CTRL+SHIFT+D to open the Default configuration file
Press ALT+S and then R to open the Research It Options dialog box.
Press UP or DOWN ARROW to select a lookup source, and then press TAB to move to the Set Primary button.
Press SPACEBAR to make the selected item the primary lookup module.
Select OK to save changes and close the Research It Options dialog box.
Press ALT+F followed by S to save Configuration Manager changes, and then ALT+F4 to close Configuration Manager.

Now that Reuters is the set as the primary lookup source, do the following to retrieve the latest news stories.

Press INSERT+WINDOWS Key+R.
After a few seconds, the Virtual Viewer window opens and displays a synopsis of the top five news stories. If you want more information about a specific story, select its Full Article link. This action closes the Virtual Viewer window and then displays the complete story in a Web browser. Otherwise, press ESC to close the Virtual Viewer.

JAWS 11 Program DVD

JAWS 11 screen reading software now ships on a DVD that combines both 64- and 32-bit versions of JAWS. When you insert the DVD, it detects if your computer is running 64-bit or 32-bit Windows and then installs the appropriate JAWS version for your operating system.

The additional space available on the DVD also lets us provide you with several RealSpeak Solo Direct English and Spanish voices, a free and full functioning DAISY book reader, a number of basic training audio files in DAISY format, and MAGic screen magnification software, which can be run together with JAWS.

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 box 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

Several improvements for JAWS support of Skype versions 3.8 and 4.1 have been made. Dialog boxes and controls are now speaking as expected in most areas of the application. 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.

AOL Instant Messenger 7

New scripts are now available for AIM 7. These scripts support the latest AIM 7 features such as Lifestream and Me tabs, IM Bubbles, and real time messaging. For more information about AIM 7 support, refer to the AOL Instant Messenger topic in the JAWS help file, or the AOL Instant Messenger Web page.

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 WINDOWS Key+CTRL+EQUALS 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 WINDOWS Key+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 box, 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.

Table Reading Keystrokes

The keystrokes to read the previous or next row and previous or next column in a table now include the ALT keystroke to avoid conflicts with the Windows 7 operating system. Use the following keystrokes when reading by row or column in a table:

Read prior row: WINDOWS Key+ALT+UP ARROW
Read next row: WINDOWS Key+ALT+DOWN ARROW
Read prior column: WINDOWS Key+ALT+LEFT ARROW
Read next column: WINDOWS Key+ALT+RIGHT ARROW

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.

Basic Training Updated for JAWS 11

The JAWS 11 Basic Training has been revised and includes the latest information about the new JAWS 11 features. The training is available in text and audio DAISY format as well as individual MP3 modules. For more information about these and other DAISY and MP3 training files, visit the Freedom Scientific Training Headquarters.

Enhancements in JAWS 11.0.734 (October 2009)

The following was addressed between the final JAWS 11.0.729 release and the JAWS 11.0.734 posting. All enhancements since the initial public beta release are included in this release.

Security update for JAWS 11.

Enhancements in JAWS 11.0.729 (October 2009)

The following is a list of items addressed during the JAWS 11 development cycle and public beta releases.

JAWS

Resolved a reported issue where, when trying to use JAWS and DecTalk Access32 without authorization, the pitch and rate settings for Eloquence were set to the maximum values.
Resolved an issue where JAWS was preventing certain processing of non-English characters in Console Applications when using non-English keyboard layouts.
Resolved an issue with Power Braille not properly re-initializing after returning from Standby.
Resolved reported issues where Research It lookups were failing in 64-bit Windows operating systems.
JAWS announces the correct value that is exposed via the valuenow attribute when interacting with a widget in Internet Explorer.
JAWS reads IBM Eclipse popup windows.
JAWS successfully works with FSBraille after using multiple accounts to log on to Windows.
Run JAWS from the command line with the /seloq switch, or /sRealSpeak switch, and Eloquence and RealSpeak pitch and speed are set to maximum and RealSpeak speaks Spanish.
The PowerBraille display works when installing the JAWS Network Client.
The Network JAWS client can switch to RealSpeak Solo Direct or SAPI5 synthesizers from Eloquence.
Resolved issue where SAPI4 synthesizers were not showing up in the Voice Profile list.
With PAC Mate Desktop running, voice parameters for the current synthesizer can be changed.
When you perform a search using Research It and you read the results in braille, the Virtual Viewer window no longer shows table coordinates for every line.
When you enter a date for an NFL or MLB game in the past, Research It no longer reports today's schedule or scores.
Resolved an issue where firewall settings may be causing problems with yielding Research It results
Updated the PlaceMarkers help topic with the proper keystrokes to allow users to move to PlaceMarkers 1 through 4.
Resolved a reported issue where screen corruption could occur at the location of the I-Beam mouse pointer in Windows XP on a notebook using an ATI Radeon X300.
JAWS incorrectly translates "and" in the braille rendering of the word fandom.
Resolved an issue with the PowerBraille 65/80 where braille F8+F9 caused an unknown function call to braillegrade2translatecurrentword.
Resolved a reported issue with speech being maintained on the PAC Mate when voice adjustments are made and an attempt is made to save changes. Note that this happened when users were using the PAC Mate Remote option only.
ResearchItByEnteringTerm has been added to INSERT+SPACEBAR, R.
Resolved a reported issue where the wrong rule set was getting called when choosing the Weather lookup in certain cases.
A Research It query now accepts Unicode and other special characters used in search strings.
Synchronizing scripts in JAWS 11 results in compilation failure
Synthesizer does not change but other settings do change when switching back to controller during a JAWS Tandem session.
If client is using DECTalk Express and likely other hardware, starting JAWS on the server renders wrong default DECTalk settings.
JAWS correctly announces that ALT+V is the access key for the Voice group when navigating controls in the Voice Adjustment dialog box.
JAWS now reads the Shutdown button on the Windows 7 Start menu when you press TAB to move to it.
Adjusted the Word navigation keyboard commands list so it now reads JAWS Key+Z instead of INSERT+Z.
All text is now spoken when scrolling through the Index list in the JAWS help file.
The functions ScreenEchoToggle and PunctuationSetLevelTextOutput now use different messages instead of cmsg15_l. This resolves a previous localization issue.
Rule files (.rul), for all Research It rule sets, now contain a version number.
The Weather lookup source in Research It now accepts airport codes.
A clear and concise message now appears in the Virtual Viewer window if a time-out error occurs when using Research It.
When you press WINDOWS Key+INSERT+R, the first line in the Virtual Viewer window contains the name of the lookup source that is being used followed by the term that you are searching for when using Research It.
FSTxtSvc supports composition selection function.
The beta version of Online Bible 3 runs with JAWS 11.
In the Windows XP Control Panel User Account dialog box, JAWS now speaks the highlighted user account in the account grid.
Contracted English Braille: nowise should not use the ow-sign.
Contracted English Braille: Outdistance should not use the st-sign.
Contracted English Braille: Psychedelic should not use the ed-sign.

Adobe Flex

When navigating a treeview, JAWS now announces information for different levels.
Resolved an issue where unexpected text was added to a list item's name.
JAWS no longer double-speaks when navigating a list of items in treeview.

Adobe Reader

Resolved a reported issue in Acrobat Reader where JAWS would not always navigate away from combo or list boxes after entering and exiting Forms Mode.
The Virtual buffer location now follows the document's visual location when using CTRL+PAGE DOWN.

Apple iTunes 9

Resolved an issue in iTunes 9 where the Virtual Cursor was always sent to the top of the page after pressing a preview button on an album page. Note that resolving this issue will result in the Virtual Cursor not always being at the top of new pages when they load. In this case, you will have to press CTRL+HOME to move to the top if you want to start reading there.
Resolved issues reported in iTunes 9 regarding empty virtual buffers in the iTunes store.
Resolved an issue where the iTunes process remained running after performing a search in the iTunes store and then closing the iTunes application.
Resolved problems that started in Version 9 of the iTunes Store's HTML content. After searching for music, you no longer need to press INSERT+ESC to refresh the virtual buffer to see updated information such as album details, podcast information, and so on.
Resolved an issue where text was not read correctly in the search edit field if you pressed BACKSPACE to remove text you had typed. Turning on Enhanced Edit in the iTunes.jcf file also addressed the issue for JAWS 10.
Resolved an issue where the Virtual buffer was not active, and, as a result, much of the store content was not accessible.

DotNet

Resolved an issue where JAWS 10 was not reading next or prior characters when the PC Cursor is in a read-only text box.

Eudora E-mail

Eudora e-mail scripts have been updated and include updated help messages when viewing Eudora settings from the Adjust JAWS Options dialog box (INSERT+V).

Internet Explorer

Resolved an issue when using Internet Explorer 8 on non-English Windows XP operating systems where pressing TAB to move to the compatibility button on the tool bar would result in a lock-up or instability.
Resolved an issue reported in Internet Explorer 7 where, after using ALT+DOWN ARROW to open a combo box, JAWS would not announce the highlighted item while navigating a Web page.
Resolved an issue where JAWS would not properly disable Flash content on Web pages in the JAWS Options dialog box.
JAWS no longer reads the wrong page at www.dominos.ca.
When using CTRL+TAB or CTRL+SHIFT+TAB to move between tab pages in Internet Explorer, the sluggishness that was once observed when using ARROW Keys to move about a Web page has been resolved.
When using the JAWS Find feature, if the search string included more than 10 characters, the search feature will now wrap from the bottom of the Web page to the top to continue the search.
Resolved an issue where JAWS was inserting unnecessary blank lines on pages when a braille user set the Document Presentation option to Screen Layout.
The announcement of Frame Name and Text was not automatically being announced when using the TAB key to navigate to it. This has been resolved.
Resolved an issue in Internet Explorer 8 where the Virtual Viewer was not appearing on screen with the Hot key help when pressing INSERT+H.
Resolved a reported issue where there were no blank lines between search results on www.altavista.com.
It is easier to move to the message body of a new e-mail message with JAWS while using the Hotmail Web interface.
Resolved an issue where certain graphics in Outlook Web Access were not showing in braille.
Resolved an issue reported where copy and paste from Internet Explorer to an HTML e-mail in Outlook was not including all markup. The example was a live link which was also a heading. In this case, it was being pasted as a heading only.
HTML buttons are now being read correctly.
JAWS now announces items instead of saying "Not selected" when navigating through the list of items that appear in the Internet Explorer Download dialog box on a Windows 7 computer.
INSERT+F7 on www.liveatc.net now shows all links found on the page.
Resolved a specific issue in Internet Explorer where pressing SPACEBAR on a check box, with Forms Mode off, did not echo the prompt and state of the check box.
JAWS now correctly reads Web page content at the Motley Fool Web site.
Resolved an issue where the ARIA "dialog" role was not working properly in Internet Explorer 8 with JAWS 11.
Resolved an issue where some of the form controls on a Web page were skipped when navigating the page using the F Navigation Quick Key.
You can now select the preview songs buttons on CDBaby.com

Java

Resolved a reported issue where JAWS was not reading submenus correctly in Java applications.

MAGic

Resolved an issue where scripts, written and provided in MAGic for an application, would not always load while running JAWS and MAGic together, even though JAWS does not have scripts for the application.
Resolved an issue where the Oval and Triangle cursor enhancement attributes in MAGic were not fully visible when running JAWS and MAGic together.
When running JAWS and MAGic together, you can successfully select words in a Word document by double-clicking with the mouse.
When running JAWS and MAGic together, you can move the mouse across a line of text in an application without interrupting JAWS speech and having JAWS repeat the text.

Microsoft Access

Resolved a reported issue in Microsoft Access where JAWS was not properly tracking in grid controls.

Microsoft Excel

Resolved a reported problem where the JAWS feature to return to a previous cell, CTRL+SHIFT+GRAVE, after having moved to a monitor cell was not working as expected.
Excel Title Reading Verbosity and Title Reading row and column definitions are being ignored after saving.
Identified an issue in Microsoft Excel when trying to use the JAWS feature to "Append To Clipboard" WINDOWS Key+C. This problem was causing a crash of Excel in some cases so we disabled the Append to Clipboard JAWS feature for this application only.
Help messages for setting column and row titles through Adjust JAWS Options have been updated.
When you navigate to a monitor cell in a worksheet, and then press CTRL+SHIFT+GRAVE, focus will now return to the cell that had prior focus.
In an Excel worksheet, where the view is set to Split Window or Freeze Panes Window, JAWS will now list cells with comments when you press CTRL+SHIFT+APOSTROPHE.
Page Break Detection, CTRL+SHIFT+B, can be turned on or off for the current Excel worksheet using the INSERT+V, Adjust JAWS options, keystroke.
Using CTRL+SHIFT+B, you can view a list of cells located at horizontal and vertical page breaks in an Excel worksheet.
Form Control Detection, used to identify list boxes, check boxes, and similar form controls, can be turned on or off for the current Excel worksheet using INSERT+V.
If a worksheet contains a text box, JAWS can show the contents of the text box in a Virtual Viewer window when you press CTRL+SHIFT+T.
JAWS now reports meaningful color control values when navigating the controls of the Fill tab in the Format Cells dialog box (CTRL+SHIFT+P).
Addressed a reported issue where workbooks that contain multiple worksheets would sometimes read cell text from the wrong worksheet when switching back and forth.

Microsoft Office

JAWS can now see the buttons in the Microsoft Office 2007 installer on Windows 7 computers.
When using the Scope attribute with the <TD> tag in an HTML table, JAWS correctly processes the tag and reads table row and column headings.
The keyboard help message for CTRL+T now states that the keystroke creates a hanging indent when used while working in a Word document or composing an Outlook e-mail message. Otherwise, the keystroke will perform its default action.
JAWS now selects and announces all characters and punctuation when using Extended Mode (F8) to select characters or punctuation in a Word or Outlook document.
The ALT+1 through ALT+4 keystrokes in Office 2007 applications, such as Word and PowerPoint, have been unassigned in JAWS to avoid conflicts with any quick access toolbar functions native to those applications.

Microsoft Outlook

Resolved reported issues where prompts were not read properly when saving message attachments in Outlook 2003.
Resolved an issue where the sender of a message was not being announced if there was no subject for the message.
Resolved an intermittent issue in Outlook 2003 where, when an e-mail message is opened, JAWS announces "dal= on" at the top of the message.
Addressed several reported issues that occurred when using CTRL+D to delete Outlook e-mails. In some cases, JAWS was not reading other HTML e-mail messages after deleting the current message. This has been resolved.
Resolved a reported issue where the presence of a Flag associated with a message was not being indicated while navigating through the Outlook 2003 Inbox.
Resolved an issue where there was speech delay when using the ARROW Keys to move through Outlook 2007 menus on a Windows XP computer.
Resolved a reported issue where Outlook 2007 failed to close for 30 seconds or more when using a braille display connected via USB.
Resolved an issue where JAWS would announce "0 items" when switching from a folder with no items to a folder that contains items.
Resolved a reported issue where Rich Text messages were being read in Outlook XP and Outlook 2003.
JAWS no longer misreads Header fields with shortcut keys after focus is placed in the Tasks notes field.
Resolved an issue where JAWS was very sluggish when navigating through grouped messages in Outlook message folders.
Resolved an issue when reading an e-mail sent from Outlook 2003 would insert a space character on each blank line.
Blank lines are inserted before DIV tags when they should only cause a new line. This causes excessive white space in e-mail messages.
Text is now entered when typing in the Text Search Pattern edit field of the Skim Reading dialog box in an Outlook 2007 message.
Resolved a reported issue with sluggish performance in Outlook 2003 and Outlook 2007 when navigating through messages in an Exchange Server folder with Windows Vista and VPN access.
With Outlook AutoPreview turned on, move through the message list and JAWS now speaks the Preview window.
Folder names are announced correctly when you press TAB to move from the message list to the Folder tree view.
Resolved an issue reported in Outlook 2003 where the message list appeared to be empty except for message flags in certain situations.
Resolved reported issues when using CTRL+SHIFT+DOWN ARROW to select text was not always announcing the text in Outlook and Word.
The first two lines of a highlighted message are now read when AutoPreview is on.
Resolved a reported issue where Navigation Quick Key mode was not working correctly when reading or reviewing messages.
Now able to read text when composing an out of office note in Outlook 2007 and using UP and DOWN ARROW keys.
In Outlook, JAWS now announces the sender of the message when there is no text in the Subject field.
Resolved an issue where JAWS speech stopped after pressing the Reply Directly to Sender command (JAWS Key+SHIFT+R).
INSERT+F1 help messages for the JAWS list of links feature have been updated for link fields.
If you have two identical messages that are sent one after the other, JAWS will now read both messages when navigating through the Sent Items list box.
Complete message information is now displayed or spoken when pressing ESC to exit a menu or dialog box that is at least two levels deep.
In Outlook 2003, JAWS is now speaking correctly when you select non-contiguous items in the address book when addressing a message.
Information is now announced by JAWS when navigating forward or backward through the checkbox options that appear in the Toolbar's Customize dialog box under the View menu.
In the new contact dialog box, phone number labels are correctly announced as business, home, mobile, and so on.
JAWS no longer announces additional date and time abbreviations when moving through Calendar time slots using UP or DOWN ARROW.
When you press CTRL+SHIFT+DOWN ARROW to select paragraphs in an e-mail message, JAWS now reads the selected paragraph text.
When using the ARROW Keys to navigate through the list of results in the Advance Find dialog box, the highlighted messages are now announced only once.
JAWS now correctly reads the Subject line information of any e-mail message that begins with the word "Attachment" in its subject line.
JAWS now announces location elements once when using the UP or DOWN ARROW keys to move through the New Appointments dialog box.
The Location label is now announced by JAWS when you press TAB to move through the Appointment dialog box.
If you launch the Research It feature from an open e-mail message, pressing ESC to close the Virtual Viewer window no longer closes the e-mail message too.
Sluggishness, once seen when moving through various dialog boxes, no longer occurs in Outlook.
When you move from a message list to a folder tree view, JAWS now announces the number of unread messages for the selected folder.
If the current view is set to show all appointments, active appointments, or reoccurring appointments in Calendar, JAWS now reads the currently highlighted item when using the UP and DOWN ARROWS to move through the list.
JAWS correctly speaks and displays in braille any items that are highlighted when using the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to move through a list of tasks and appointments.
When an appointment starts and ends, for example at 18:15 and 18:45, when the Regional and Language settings are configured for French, the end time slot is now tagged as containing the appointment.
When composing an e-mail while the Font dialog box is open in Outlook Express, JAWS no longer plays the Forms Mode On sound when you first enter the dialog box.
The Microsoft Outlook 2007 key map file (.jkm) has been updated to include the following keystrokes and functionality: F8 = Selection by Unit Mode, SHIFT+F8 = Reduce Selection by Unit, and CTRL+SHIFT+F8 = Selection by Movement Mode.
Now, when reading link text in an Outlook 2007 e-mail message, JAWS no longer announces the words “end link” after reading a link in an HTML e-mail message. If you want to restore this announcement, you can do so by pressing INSERT+V to open the Adjust JAWS Options dialog box and then toggling on the Announce End Links in a Message item in the Reading Options group.
W, the Navigation Quick Key for the Word Index List feature, works with Outlook 2007 read-only messages.

Microsoft PowerPoint

Resolved a reported issue where PowerPoint 2003 would not always unload from memory when it was closed while running JAWS.

Microsoft Project

Resolved a reported problem in Microsoft Project when attempting to open Properties or Information for different items.

Microsoft Word

Resolved an issue where text selected using CTRL+SHIFT+UP ARROW or CTRL+SHIFT+DOWN ARROW was not being announced.
Resolved an issue in Word 2007 where JAWS was not echoing the proper text when selecting by word.
Resolved a reported problem where, after turning on Navigation Quick Key mode, no indication about tables was given when using the Navigation Quick Key T.
Commands for reading next and previous columns, ALT+WINDOWS Key+RIGHT ARROW and ALT+WINDOWS Key+LEFT ARROW, work in non uniform tables.
Applying a style to a document no longer causes JAWS to see the document as a table.
Revision and bookmark information now appears in braille as the document is navigated.
When selecting text, braille now moves off the top line of the selection; it is now possible to accurately see what is selected when only using braille.
Line reading is available after pressing ESC, SPACEBAR, or ENTER, and then ESC from the Apply button of Style dialog box.
Resolved an issue in Word where JAWS was not recognizing tables or table reading commands.
When using WINDOWS Key+SEMICOLON to open and view a list of comments, end notes, footnotes, or revisions in a Word document, JAWS will now announce the number and type of items in the document. For example, if a document contains 16 comments, JAWS will announce this when the Virtual Viewer window opens.
The description for the Word Classic scheme, selected from the Speech and Sounds Manager in Configuration Manager, now clearly states that superscripts and subscripts are suppressed when reading a Word document.
JAWS now announces field data as you navigate a Word document by line.
Resolved an issue where there was a mismatch between the keyboard help message and functionality of some Navigation Quick Keys in Microsoft Word.
Many keystrokes, such as first-letter navigation and SPACEBAR are now available in JAWS and other dialog boxes when Navigation Quick Keys mode is turned on.
JAWS correctly reads items when navigating through the Header list.
In a Word document, you can press the Navigation Quick Keys H or SHIFT+H to jump to the next or previous heading. Now, after turning on Navigation Quick Keys, you can press 1 through 9 to jump to the next heading at that heading level. For example, 2 will move focus to the next level 2 heading in the Word document. SHIFT+2 will move focus to the previous level 2 heading.
If a document contains insertion and deletion markup, and you set the Tracking view to Final, JAWS no longer announces any of the Tracking changes in the document.
When the Show all Formatting Marks check box is selected in Word, JAWS announces all formatting marks including Paragraphs marks.

Mozilla Firefox

JAWS now correctly speaks screen text information on Web sites with buttons whose text value is different from screen text, such as travelocity.com.
Resolved a reported problem where Flash buttons, such as Play and Pause, were not appearing on youtube.com.
Resolved an issue where AutoForms mode turns on when you navigate into a disabled edit field.
When Auto Forms Mode is on and you navigate out of a multi-line edit field using the UP or DOWN ARROW keys, JAWS now moves focus to the next line after the edit field.
Resolved a reported problem where some radio buttons were not properly identified by JAWS 11 with Firefox 3.5.
Resolved an issue when trying to exit Forms Mode when running Firefox on a Windows XP computer.
Resolved an issue where Forms Mode would turn off when entering the message edit area of a Gmail message.
Resolved an issue where JAWS would insert a new line before and after HTML <tt> tags on a Web page.
Focus not placed on edit field when opening home page or new page.
Headings that span more than one line, such as Facebook status headings, are now correctly announced when you cycle through headings using H or SHIFT+H.
JAWS now announces all content when navigating the Microsoft Genuine Microsoft Software Web page.
Added range functionality to IME scripts involved with composition
In Application mode, when using TAB to navigate a virtual document, JAWS correctly announces links.

PAC Mate

Landmark keystrokes are now available for PAC Mate Remote.
The configured Voice settings for JAWS on the desktop now hold on the PAC Mate when a PAC Mate desktop session is launched.

Skype

Incorrect functionality observed while pressing SHIFT+TAB in the Options dialog box.
JAWS speaks and shows in braille the same information when navigating a Skype treeview list.
You can use braille panning to read longer controls or static text.
The Skype 4.0 upgrade message now recommends that you upgrade to Skype 4.1 or later.
JAWS correctly announces changes when increasing or decreasing slider values in Skype 3.8.
Updated screen-sensitive help messages for Skype 4.1 and later.

Windows 7

Improved speech and braille in Start menu of Windows 7.
Improved handling of Windows Explorer in Windows 7.
Windows Media Player 12 has the same level of support found in Windows Media Player 11.
Enhancements have been made to the INSERT+F11 keystroke for Task Tray operation.
Improved handling of common dialog boxes found in Windows 7 and Windows 7 applications. These dialog boxes include File, Save As, and Open, and various properties dialog boxes such as volume control, File and Folder Options, Taskbar, and Start Menu options.
Conflicts with previous Messenger Conversation keystrokes have been resolved as mentioned in the Messenger Conversation Keystrokes section of this page.

Windows Explorer

Resolved a reported issue where JAWS would not always speak when trying to select non-contiguous items by holding the CTRL key, and then pressing SPACEBAR on the different items in the list view.
Addressed an issue reported when selecting multiple pictures in Windows Explorer and then attempting to e-mail these items while JAWS is running on a Windows Vista computer.

Windows Live Mail

Graphics are now labeled so that message flags are properly announced in Windows Live Mail.

Windows Live Messenger 14

Resolved an issue with 64-Bit Windows Vista where outgoing and incoming messages were not spoken as expected.
When running Windows Live Messenger on a Windows XP computer, JAWS now announces the number of available contacts when you navigate through the list using the UP or DOWN ARROW.
Resolved a reported issue where JAWS was not recognizing incoming and outgoing Braille Flash Messages in Windows Live Messenger.
Resolved an issue where the previous message was announced instead of the current message when using the ALT+1 through ALT+ 0 keystrokes in Windows Live Messenger.
Typing a message sound is now heard during a conversation.
When using the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to move through your list of contacts, JAWS no longer says "not selected" after announcing contact information. This issue occurred only on Windows XP computers.
JAWS now announces the selected item as you navigate combo boxes in Windows Live Messenger 14.

Windows Presentation Foundation

Windows Presentation Foundation applications do not completely shut down when running with JAWS.

Download JAWS 11

The following briefly describes how to download, save, and install the JAWS 11 release. If your corporate firewall prevents you from downloading files using FTP (File Transfer Protocol), use the HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) links instead.

Select the appropriate FTP or HTTP download link that appears at the end of this procedure.
When the dialog box opens, choose Save and select a location where you can easily find the downloaded executable file.
Run the executable and follow the talking installer.

Note: If your corporate firewall prevents you from downloading files using FTP (File Transfer Protocol), use the HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) links instead.

Non-Tandem builds

Check for Updates

To check for updates after installing the release, do the following:

Press INSERT+J to open the JAWS application window.
Press ALT+H to open the Help menu.
Press P to select Check for Updates. The update feature determines if you have the most current release. If you do not, select one or more items from the list and then select INSTALL to begin the update. All enhancements since the initial public beta release are included in the update.

Demo Software

To try a free demo version of JAWS, select the appropriate FTP or HTTP link from the above Download JAWS 11 section and run JAWS in 40-minute demo mode.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: If I download the JAWS 11 release from the Web, should I install JAWS from the DVD when I receive it?

Answer: No. However, you should check for updates by pressing ALT+H from the JAWS program window, and then pressing P to select Check for Updates.

Question: If I wait until my DVD arrives to install JAWS 11, should I also download the version that is available on the Web?

Answer: No, but once you have installed JAWS 11 from the DVD, you should check for updates by pressing ALT+H from the JAWS program window, and then pressing P to select Check for Updates.

Question: If I remove my existing version of JAWS before installing JAWS 11, should I remove shared components?

Answer: Yes, however, remember that you will not have speech between removing your current JAWS version and installing JAWS 11. If you download JAWS 11 from the Web, copy the executable file to a location that is easy to find without speech.

Question: If I recently received JAWS 10, how do I get JAWS 11?

Answer: If you purchased JAWS 10 after September 1, 2009, you can download the JAWS 11 release for free from the Freedom Scientific Web site. To verify if you are entitled to the current version, visit the Freedom Scientific Software Activation page. You will need your serial number.

Question: If my SMA expires, will I receive a notice?

Answer: Customers in the U.S. will receive notification in the mail shortly after the JAWS 11 DVD arrives. The envelope will have a braille label on the outside, and it will contain an SMA Renewal letter explaining the process in print and braille. The JAWS SMA Renewal Form is also available for download from the JAWS Headquarters on the Freedom Scientific Web site.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Brad Davis
800-444-4443 or 727-803-8000
www.FreedomScientific.com
Sales: info@FreedomScientific.com

Freedom Scientific Announces FREE DAISY Book Reader

(St. Petersburg, Florida – August 10, 2009) – Freedom Scientific today announced that it is now providing FSReader, its popular DAISY book reader, free to users of its PAC Mate™ and PAC Mate Omni™ accessible Pocket PCs.

“Because we feel very strongly about the importance of making books and other materials accessible to those with vision impairments, we are lowering the price of FSReader to zero,” said Jonathan Mosen, Vice President of Hardware Product Management for Freedom Scientific. “FSReader is a powerful tool for efficiently navigating and reading professional, educational, and leisure material in DAISY format, and we want to make this enhanced productivity available to every PAC Mate user.”

FSReader for the PAC Mate and PAC Mate Omni can be downloaded free from the Freedom Scientific Web site.

In addition, users who install Freedom Scientific’s JAWS 11 and MAGic 12 products later this Fall, will be pleased to discover that both products include the full desktop version of FSReader DAISY player. This will be the case with Demo versions of JAWS and MAGic as well.

About Freedom Scientific

Freedom Scientific is the leading worldwide provider of assistive technology products for those with vision impairments. The Company sells its products worldwide and has offices in Florida, Germany, and Switzerland. The Company’s products have been translated into 24 languages and are available in 55 countries. Freedom Scientific also has a line of software products for those with learning disabilities.

Freedom Scientific®, JAWS®, MAGic®, PAC Mate™ and PAC Mate Omni™ are either trademarks or registered trademarks in the United States and/or other countries.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Brad Davis
800-444-4443 or 727-803-8000
www.FreedomScientific.com
Sales: info@FreedomScientific.com

40 Cells of Refreshable Braille - Plus Bluetooth®

The New Focus 40 Blue from Freedom Scientific

(St. Petersburg, Florida – June 22, 2009) – Freedom Scientific today announced the Focus 40 Blue, the latest addition to its popular Focus line of braille displays.

The Focus 40 Blue offers 40 cells of refreshable braille, Bluetooth 2.0 for wireless connectivity up to 30 feet, a Perkins-style braille keyboard, and USB 2.0 support that also charges the unit when connected – all in a new compact package that is 40 percent smaller than the current Focus 40.

“The Focus 40 Blue gives you braille anywhere, on a wide range of devices,” said Jonathan Mosen, Freedom Scientific’s Vice President of Hardware Product Management. “With 40 cells of braille, it’s powerful enough to do serious work, yet its small size and handy carrying case make it easy to take with you everywhere. The Bluetooth connection, which runs for 20 hours between charges in typical use, is great for working on the move with a laptop running JAWS®. Take your Focus 40 Blue to a lectern for example, and run a PowerPoint presentation wirelessly from your braille display, or leave your PC in your bag during your commute, and work with just the Focus 40 Blue.”

The Focus 40 Blue is designed to accommodate everyone’s braille preferences, with a range of navigation methods including WHIZWHEELS®, thumb keys, and rocker bars. There are 10 hot keys that can be configured to perform frequently-used functions for maximum productivity. You can even set the firmness of the braille dots to your personal taste with VariBraille.

“The Focus 40 Blue incorporates Freedom Scientific’s seamless braille cell construction, so it feels like reading braille on paper,” added Mosen. “When used with JAWS, the two rows of keys above the braille cells support Freedom Scientific’s unique Braille Study Mode, an interactive tool for teaching and learning braille.”

The new braille display will begin shipping in July and is priced at $4,495 with a 2-year warranty.

For more information including specifications, visit the Focus 40 Blue Braille Display Product page on the Freedom Scientific Web site or contact Freedom Scientific at 800-444-4443 or 727-803-8000.

About Freedom Scientific

Freedom Scientific is the world's leading manufacturer of assistive technology products for those who are vision impaired and products for the special education and learning disability market.

Freedom Scientific®, WHIZWHEELS®, and JAWS® are either trademarks or registered trademarks in the United States and/or other countries

What's New in MAGic 11.0 Screen Magnification Software

The latest product improvements in both JAWS® and MAGic® incorporate more JAWS screen reading functionality into the MAGic screen magnification application. These enhancements also improve how JAWS reads when MAGic is running at the same time.

The following list highlights new functionality available when running the two programs together:

The MAGic highlighting option is in sync as JAWS reads Web pages. By providing this visual cue, you always know where you are on the computer screen as JAWS is reading.

The addition of Navigation Quick Keys is another improvement. When running the two programs simultaneously, you can use these keystrokes so that MAGic highlights each item you jump to as you read by heading, list item, paragraph, and so on.

When viewing a Web page with either or both programs running, you can use Windows keyboard commands to select text and items. As you do this, MAGic, JAWS, or the combination of MAGic and JAWS, visually show you the items that are selected. The text that is copied can be pasted into an HTML e-mail or any rich text word processor and maintains the links and original formatting.

To take advantage of these enhancements, be sure to download the latest JAWS 9.0 release and MAGic 11.0 build.

Overview

This page describes the new features and improvements available in MAGic version 11.0. To go directly to the MAGic 11.0 download links on this page, choose MAGic 11.0 download links.

Note: If you are not sure whether you are authorized for MAGic 11.0, look up the number of activation keys that are available to you by visiting the FS Product Activation page. Once there, choose the Continue Product Activation button, and then choose the link labeled "Verify the number of activation keys available for your Freedom Scientific product." Next, enter your serial number and press ENTER to find out if your license is current and what release version is allowed.

Use the following links to jump to a specific section of this page:

MAGic 11.0

Downloads and FAQs

Previous Improvements in MAGic 11.0 and MAGic EyeMerge 11.0

Use the following links to open Web pages that describe enhancements and improvements in previous MAGic 11.0 releases.

MAGic 11.0 New Features and Improvements

Skip List of Links

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 Support

MAGic 11.0 supports Windows Internet Explorer® 8 Beta 1 release.

Windows Vista Support

In addition to working with Windows XP and Windows 2000, MAGic now supports Windows Vista™ and Windows Vista Service Pack 1.

MAGic 11.0 Professional and MAGic 11.0 Scripting Edition support the following 32-bit versions of Microsoft Windows:

Windows Vista Ultimate
Windows Vista Enterprise
Windows Vista Business
Windows Vista Home Premium
Windows Vista Home Basic
Windows XP Pro
Windows XP Home
Windows XP Media Center
Windows 2000

MAGic 11.0 Standard supports the following 32-bit versions of Microsoft Windows:

Windows Vista Home Premium
Windows Vista Home Basic
Windows XP Home

Automatically Start MAGic in Windows Vista

For Windows Vista users, the Automatically Start MAGic function now appears as a button in the Preferences dialog under the File menu. Use this button and its options to configure MAGic to start before or after you start Windows Vista. These options can also be used to determine if MAGic runs when several individuals use the same computer. For example, imagine that a couple owns one computer: he uses MAGic and she does not. In Windows Vista, they can set up separate user accounts so that his account always runs MAGic before and after he logs on, and her account never starts MAGic after she logs on. Another example is when MAGic is used in a classroom or network environment. If several students use MAGic, the network administrator can set up their user accounts so that MAGic is running before and after log on. However, the administrator can configure his or her account so that MAGic never starts.

For more information about using this function, use the SHIFT+F1 context-sensitive help, or refer to Starting and Quitting MAGic in the MAGic help file.

Note: Windows Vista support is only available with MAGic 11.0 or higher.

New DAISY Book for Windows Vista

A new DAISY book that describes how to install, activate, and use MAGic on a Windows Vista™ computer is available for download from Freedom Scientific. This free book, which is full of valuable information to help guide you through the new operating system's user interface, is also offered in MP3 format. To download this book, go to the Freedom Scientific Training Downloads page and navigate to the heading titled DAISY Books for MAGic®. Once there, select the Introduction to Windows Vista (MAGic DAISY 49.8 MB) link.

After DAISY books are downloaded and installed, they appear in a folder that is easily accessed by the FSReader Demo DAISY reader. To open and play the books using FSReader Demo, do the following:

From the MAGic Help menu, choose Training. FSReader Demo opens, and the File Open dialog box appears.
Use the ARROW keys to navigate to the XTraMAGicIntroToVista DAISY book.
Press ENTER to open the DAISY book.
Press CTRL+P to play the narrated audio or use standard reading commands to read the text of the DAISY book.

Note: New DAISY books are included on all program and demo MAGic CDs beginning with MAGic 11.0.

Completely New Basic Training for MAGic 11.0

The Basic Training for MAGic 11.0 was completely rewritten and recorded using a Windows Vista computer with Microsoft Office 2007. This new Basic Training in text and narrated audio DAISY format is included on all program and demo MAGic CDs beginning with MAGic 11.0. The new Basic Training is also available as a free download in either MP3 or DAISY format from the Freedom Scientific Training Downloads page. New topics include:

Using FSReader Demo with Narrated Audio and Training Materials
Focus Enhancements
MAGic user interface changes, including Tools and Help menu
Say All Command and RealSpeak™ Solo SAPI 5 Voices
Alternate Say All Command
Creating Verbosity Schemes

Verbosity Scheme Example One, No More Buttons
Add a New Rule to the Verbosity Scheme for Check Boxes
Set MAGic Verbosity Scheme Back to Speech Only

Creating a New Frame for a Specific Control
View Posted Comments in Word 2007
Footnotes and Endnotes in Word 2007
Script Writing with MAGic and JAWS

What are Scripts?
Scripts vs. Functions
Script Manager Interface
Writing Your First Script
Comment Statements
Script to Type Your Name
Saving and Compiling Script Files
Add a SayString to the TypeMyName Script
A Script with More Than One TypeString
Keyboard Help and Script Writing
In Case of Emergency, How to Delete Script Files
Resources for Script Writers and Developers

Microsoft Office 2007 with MAGic and JAWS

Description of the Screen for Microsoft Word 2007, an Overview
Moving to Different Parts of the Screen in Office 2007
The Ribbon
Office Button and the Office Button Menu
Split Buttons
Tab Order and Pinning Documents in the Office Button Menu
KeyTips and Keyboard Navigation of the Ribbon
Moving From One Ribbon Group to Another with the Keyboard
Collapsing or Minimizing the Ribbon
Conquering the QAT - The Quick Access Toolbar
Adding an Item to the QAT in Microsoft Word
Removing an Item from the QAT
Contextual Tabs
Galleries
Dialog Launchers
Mini Toolbars
Enhanced ToolTips
"About" Information

The Basic Training includes more than five hours of instruction, including step-by-step instructions and sample practice documents to help you make the most of your experience using MAGic 11.0.

DAISY Book Addition

A new DAISY book is available. It describes how to create accessible forms in Microsoft Excel by using input messages and hyperlinks to provide useful feedback to JAWS and MAGic users.

Microsoft Office 2007 Support

MAGic 11.0 has full support for Microsoft Word 2007, Microsoft Excel 2007, and Microsoft Outlook 2007.

Newly-Designed Adjust MAGic Options Dialog Box

The Adjust MAGic Verbosity list has been updated with the newly-designed Adjust MAGic Options tree view (MAGic Key+O). Instead of showing items in a list format, the reorganized dialog box uses a logical tree menu format. This grouping is sure to help new and experienced MAGic users understand the relationship between various MAGic settings. The MAGic Options dialog box (MAGic Key+O) only applies while using Word or Excel (any supported version), Internet Explorer 7, and Outlook 2007. The keystroke does nothing while using any other program.

The tree view is expanded by default when you open it to allow for first letter navigation, thus continuing the ease of use found in the original Verbosity list design. If you would rather have it collapsed, press TAB to navigate to the Expand Tree View check box and uncheck it; the change takes effect immediately. You may also navigate through the tree view using the RIGHT ARROW and LEFT ARROW keys to expand and collapse groups. Use the UP ARROW and DOWN ARROW keys to move up and down in the tree.

Once an option is selected, use the SPACEBAR to cycle through the available setting values. To save changes, press ENTER or the CLOSE button.

MAGic 11.0 also includes built-in help messages for each item found in the tree view. As you navigate items in the list, simply press TAB to move to the Read-Only edit window at any time for a help description of the current item.

JAWS Navigation Quick Keys and MAGic Tracking are Now Synchronized!

When running MAGic 11.0 screen magnification software with JAWS 9.0, there is now a visual indication on Web pages as you read or navigate using JAWS. Navigation Quick Keys let you move easily and quickly around Web pages, Outlook and Outlook Express e-mails, Adobe Acrobat PDF files, the JAWS or MAGic help files, and anywhere else the Virtual Cursor is active.

The following examples highlight this new functionality:

When reading a Web page in Internet Explorer with JAWS and MAGic, pressing the letter H not only jumps to the next heading and reads it aloud, but it also provides a visual indication of where you are on the Web page.
The Navigation Quick Key P moves you to the next paragraph and begins reading using a synchronized reading box to make it easier to know where JAWS is reading. As you navigate around Web pages, a visual box appears around each word that is read.

Sighted trainers and low vision users will love this new combination of JAWS and MAGic. If there is no need to magnify, just set the MAGic magnification to 1x, so that a sighted user can easily find your location in a document.

The following Navigation Quick Keys provide visual tracking when running JAWS and MAGic together:

Navigation Quick Key	Description
A	Next Anchor
B	Next Button
C	Next Combo Box
D	Next Different Element
E	Next Edit Control
F	Next Form Control
G	Next Graphic
H	Next Heading (Press 1–6 on the number row to jump to the next heading at that level.)
I	Next List Item
K	Next Placemarker
L	Next List
M	Next Frame
N	Skip Past Links to Next Block of Text
O	Next Object
P	Next Paragraph
Q	Next Block Quote
R	Next Radio Button
S	Next Same Element
T	Next Table
U	Next Unvisited Link
V	Next Visited Link
X	Next Checkbox
Z	Next Division
> (Greater Than)	Step Past Current Element
< (Less Than)	Step Back to Current Element

Document Presentation Mode Updated for Use with MAGic

The JAWS Document Presentation option has been updated so that it defaults to Enhanced Visual Layout mode when running MAGic 11.0 with JAWS 9.0. This means that the layout of Web pages, tables, links, and graphic elements is the same in the virtual buffer as these items appear on the screen. If a paragraph on a Web page has only four or five words per line, then this is exactly what the JAWS user hears when moving up and down the page while JAWS and MAGic are running. If MAGic is not running, the JAWS user hears longer lines of text that do not always synchronize with the text layout on the screen, which is exactly what the JAWS user has typically experienced.

The Select and Copy option's default setting for HTML documents has changed. It is now Full Content Using Onscreen Highlight instead of Full Content. The default setting lets you highlight and copy HTML text and elements and retain the formatting just as it appears in the HTML document. This means that you can use the SHIFT+UP ARROW or SHIFT+DOWN ARROW, the CTRL+SHIFT+RIGHT ARROW or CTRL+SHIFT+LEFT ARROW, and the SHIFT+LEFT ARROW or SHIFT+RIGHT ARROW keystrokes to select HTML e-mail and Internet Explorer items that appear on the screen.

To open the Select and Copy option and choose a setting, press INSERT+V while in an HTML document. Next, press S to navigate to the Select and Copy option, and then press SPACEBAR to scroll through the settings. Press ENTER to save the change.

HTML Formatting Retained when Copying and Pasting

MAGic 11.0 now properly copies the contents of a Web page to the virtual buffer, and retains all the HTML formatting and markup when pasting the information into an HTML formatted e-mail or Word document. This breakthrough in screen reading means that you can now copy and paste content and retain its formatting, colors, and active hyperlinks, but does not include any of the other MAGic messages, such as the number of items in a list, and so on. What you paste is essentially the same rendering that a sighted user would see. Plus, you have the added advantage of being able to use MAGic HTML commands to read and navigate the Web content when pasted into an e-mail message.

In addition, MAGic still provides a way to select, copy, and paste in the traditional manner of stripping out the formatting if you choose. This option is in the Virtual Cursor Options group in the new Adjust MAGic Option dialog box (MAGic Key+O).

Focus Enhancement

The Focus Enhancement function lets you define a visible rectangular border that identifies and tracks the item that is currently selected on the screen. As you select different items, using either the mouse or keyboard, the rectangular border moves its focus to that place on the screen. This function is very useful when using Windows Vista since the colors of the user interface can appear muted and difficult to distinguish.

The Focus Enhancement command is located under the Magnification menu. The Focus Enhancement button is located to the far right in the second row of the MAGic user interface. Right-click the button to open the Focus Enhancement dialog box. If you make changes, remember to save by pressing CTRL+S.

RealSpeak Solo Speech Synthesizer

Included with your package is the RealSpeak Solo, SAPI 5 synthesizer CD. It contains a variety of voices in several languages. To install these voices, insert the CD into your computer's CD-ROM drive. Then, follow the instructions to select which voices you want to install, and complete the installation.

The following RealSpeak Solo voices are available on the English/Spanish CD.

Language	RealSpeak Solo Voice
American English	Jill, Samantha, and Tom
British English	Daniel and Emily
Australian English	Karen and Lee
Latin American Spanish	Paulina
Note: Additional languages are available from your international distributor.

Say All Command and SAPI 5 Voices

MAGic can immediately switch from its current Eloquence synthesized voice to a SAPI 5, RealSpeak Solo synthesized voice when using the Say All command (INSERT+DOWN ARROW or MAGic Key+SPACEBAR). While the default Eloquence voice may be useful for reading and navigating short text such as prior or next line, sentence, or paragraph, it may not be the preferred voice for longer passages of text. The SAPI 5 voice offers a higher-quality sound, which makes reading using the Say All command a more pleasing experience.

When using the new feature, the SAPI 5 voice remains active while you fast forward, rewind, speed up, or slow down during the Say All. However, when you use navigation functions such as Say Word and Say Paragraph, or when you use the UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW keys to read the previous or next sentence, or when you press the CTRL key to stop the Say All command, MAGic immediately switches back to the Eloquence voice.

To choose a SAPI 5 synthesizer to use during the Say All, do the following:

From the Speech menu, choose Global Voice Adjustment or Individual Voice Adjustment.
From the Global Voices dialog box or the Individual Voices dialog box, choose the Use SAPI 5 During Say All radio button.
Choose a SAPI 5 voice from the Person combo box.
Adjust the SAPI 5 speech rate using the Rate slider.
Choose the amount of punctuation that MAGic announces using the Punctuation combo box
Choose OK to save your changes.
Press CTRL+S or choose Save Default Settings from the File menu to save your changes.

Alternate Say All Command

MAGic 11.0 basically has two types of Say All options. The first is the regular Say All command, which uses the keystroke INSERT+DOWN ARROW or MAGic Key+SPACEBAR. The second is the Alternate Say All command, which uses the keystroke ALT+INSERT+DOWN ARROW. This lets you perform a Say All using either an Eloquence synthesized voice or a SAPI 5, RealSpeak Solo synthesized voice. By default, the Alternate Say All command is configured for SAPI 5.

To determine if the Alternate Say All command uses a SAPI 5 voice, do the following:

From the Speech menu, choose Global Voice Adjustment or Individual Voice Adjustment.
From the Say All section of the Global Voice dialog box or the Individual Voice dialog box, do one of the following:

Select the Use SAPI 5 During Alternate Say All radio button to use a SAPI 5 voice when you press ALT+INSERT+DOWN ARROW. This radio button is selected by default.

Select the Use SAPI 5 During Say All radio button to use an Eloquence voice when you press ALT+INSERT+DOWN ARROW.

If desired, choose a SAPI 5 voice from the Person combo box.
If desired, adjust the SAPI 5 speech rate using the Rate slider.
If desired, choose the amount of punctuation that MAGic announces using the Punctuation combo box.
Choose OK to save your changes.
Press CTRL+S or choose Save Default Settings from the File menu to save your changes.

Magnify up to 36x

MAGic can now magnify up to 36x magnification. Previously, the highest magnification level was 16x. Users with higher resolution monitors may benefit from using magnification levels above 16x.

MAGic Scripts

MAGic scripts have been reorganized into logical categories to make it easier for users to find functions and learn the assigned key combination or assign key combinations that fit their preferences. The new categories are:

Enhancements
Help
Locator
Magnification
Navigation
Navigation Panning
Quick View Frame
Script Development
Selection
Speech
Tracking
User Interface
Verbosity

Virtual Find

MAGic 11.0 introduces a new search capability known as Virtual Find. It is available when you press CTRL+F when running MAGic with Internet Explorer or Adobe Reader files. Instead of showing the application's normal Find dialog, the Virtual Find dialog lets you maintain a history of the last 20 entries in the edit combo box, clear the history, search forwards or backwards through a Web page or document, and ignore letter case. You can also press F3 to continue your search to the next item or SHIFT+F3 to search for the previous item.

MAGic EyeMerge Installation

The MAGic EyeMerge™ software lets you view, capture, and save magnified images when using the new Freedom Scientific ONYX™ magnification camera with your computer. This companion application automatically installs and creates a desktop icon when you install MAGic 11.0.

Refer to the MAGic EyeMerge help file for operational procedures and information. Go to What's New in MAGic EyeMerge 11.0 for a list of the latest features.

For information about ONYX cameras, visit the ONYX product page.

Return to Overview from MAGic 11.0 Features

Enhancements in MAGic 11.0.1126 (June 2008)

The following reported items were addressed in this update. All enhancements since the initial public beta release are included in the update.

MAGic

Resolved issues with Apple iTunes™ installed on a Windows Vista system that prevented MAGic from launching.
AVG Anti-Virus 8.0 software no longer fails when you start the application while MAGic is running.
Resolved an issue where several customers reported installation error #824 when trying to install MAGic after running a registry cleaner. This problem no longer occurs with versions 11.0.1126 and later.
If you cancel changes to an existing Voice Profile, your profile is no longer modified.
The full ILM and dongle releases of MAGic can now be installed over the 40-minute MAGic demo version. This lets you keep any MAGic settings and configurations created while running the demo version. It also eliminates the need to uninstall the demo application before installing the full product.
MAGic now permanently saves any application-specific settings made while running that application. Previously, the settings would only apply for that application session.

Citrix Program Neighborhood

MAGic 11.0 supports Citrix Program Neighborhood® 10.

Microsoft Excel

MAGic now retains and reads column and row titles that you set in multiple Excel worksheets. Before, when you returned to the previous worksheet, MAGic would not announce column and row titles (CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+C and CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+R).

Microsoft Internet Explorer

After selecting the Skip to Content link on the Social Security Administration Web page, and a few other Web pages, MAGic now consistently moves to the next link on the page when you press TAB.

Microsoft Office

MAGic no longer repeats the column and row information when navigating by line (UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW) in a one row, one column table.

Microsoft Outlook

E-mail messages no longer close when you select and copy message text using the APPLICATION Key's Copy command.
Calendar appointments are now spoken correctly as they gain focus.
MAGic now fully supports short date formats where the day precedes the month, for example, dd-mm-yyyy, for Spanish, French, and other localized versions of Outlook.

Microsoft Word

When performing a Say All in a Word document, newly edited words are not broken up as MAGic reads the text. For example, the word "other" is no longer read as "o th er" by MAGic.
MAGic now announces the Word Count dialog box statistics when you press ALT+T, W in Word 2007 or Word 2003 documents.
The keystrokes ALT+SHIFT+R and ALT+SHIFT+C will now correctly speak the table’s row and column titles respectively.
If a Word table was created using bookmarks to make the table more accessible, MAGic will now read the bookmarked column and row titles correctly when the Defined Bookmark Table Column and Row Titles Override option is turned on.
When using the Dynamic Lens, MAGic now tracks the correct line when moving with the arrow keys in a Word 2003 document.

Skype

While chatting on Skype™, you can now quickly navigate through messages using the ARROW Keys and still have MAGic speak the correct message.

Return to Overview from Enhancements

Download MAGic 11.0

The following briefly describes how to download and install the latest MAGic release.

Select the MAGic download link that appears at the end of this procedure.
When the dialog box opens, choose Save and select a location where you can easily find the downloaded executable file.
Run the executable file and follow the talking installer.

MAGic 11.0.1126 – ILM release (105 MB - FTP download)

Demonstration Version of MAGic

Select the following link to download a 40-minute version of MAGic 11.0.

Free DEMO of MAGic 11.0 (98 MB - FTP download)

USB Thumb Drive Version of MAGic

Select thumb drive version to jump to the thumb drive Web page. It contains download links and installation instructions for the latest MAGic thumb drive release.

MAGic 11.0 Promotional Release

Get the latest MAGic 11.0 trial offer that lets you try MAGic with JAWS 9.0. Refer to the MAGic 11.0 Promotional Release Web page for more information about this offer.

Return to Overview from Download MAGic 11.0

Dusty Voorhees, MAGic Product Manager, Discusses What's New in MAGic 11.0

You can download and listen to an interview with Dusty Voorhees, product manager for MAGic, in which he discusses the exciting new features available in MAGic 11.0. The interview is available in DAISY and MP3 format. If you download the DAISY version, you will need a DAISY reader (such as FSReader or FSReader Demo) to listen to the interview.

"What's New" interview with Dusty Voorhees (MP3 version)

"What's New" interview with Dusty Voorhees (DAISY version)

Return to Overview from Interview

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: If I download the MAGic 11.0 release from the Web, should I install MAGic from the CD when I receive it?

Answer: No. You only need to install the training materials that are on the MAGic program CD. This information is available in a digital document format known as DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System). To install these files, do the following:

Insert your MAGic program CD into your CD drive.
When the MAGic Setup dialog box appears, press TAB to move to the Training Materials button, and then press SPACEBAR.
In the MAGic Training Materials dialog box, select the check box next to each DAISY book that you want to install.
Choose the Install button.
When the installation is finished, remember to put your MAGic program CD in a safe place so you will have it for future use when needed.

Note: If you download MAGic from the Web, the training materials are not included. This is to reduce the size of the download. If you like, you can download and install the training files from the Freedom Scientific Training Downloads Web page.

Question: If I wait until my CD arrives to install MAGic 11.0, should I also download the version that is available on the Web?

Answer: No, but once you have installed MAGic 11.0 from the CD, you should check for updates by pressing ALT+H from the MAGic program window, and then pressing P to select Check for Updates.

Question: If I’ve been installing and using the MAGic public beta releases, should I remove the public beta before installing the official MAGic 11.0 release?

Answer: No. Simply download the MAGic release build from our Web site and install it over the public beta build.

Question: If I remove my existing version of MAGic before installing MAGic 11.0, should I remove shared components?

Answer: Yes, however, remember that you will not have speech between removing your current MAGic version and installing MAGic 11.0. If you download MAGic 11.0 from the Web, copy the executable file to a location that is easy to find without speech and magnification.

Question: When should I receive my MAGic 11.0 English release CD?

Answer: You should receive your CD by the second week of March 2008 at the latest. You may receive it sooner or later depending on where you live; we have taken steps to make sure they arrive in all markets at the same time.

Question: If I recently received MAGic 10.5, how do I get MAGic 11.0?

Answer: If you purchased MAGic 10.5 after April 2, 2007, you can download the MAGic 11.0 release for free from the Freedom Scientific Web site. Remember that you can verify the current version you're entitled to on www.fsactivate.com if you know your serial number.

Question: If my SMA expires, will I receive a notice?

Answer: Customers in the U.S. will receive notification in the mail shortly after the MAGic 11 CD arrives. The envelope will contain an SMA Renewal letter explaining the process. This form to renew your SMA is also available for download now from the Freedom Scientific Web site under Blindness Products or by using this link, MAGic SMA Renewal Form. SMA renewal prices are discounted if you purchased prior to the end of April 2008. Please watch for your notices.

Return to Overview from Frequently Asked Questions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Brad Davis
Blind/Low Vision Group
800-444-4443 or 727-803-8000
www.FreedomScientific.com
Sales: info@FreedomScientific.com

Trade in HumanWare Notetakers with Freedom Scientific's Open Plan

Trade in any proprietary HumanWare notetaker and get the features you want today with Freedom Scientific’s PAC Mate Omni

(St. Petersburg, Florida — May 13, 2008) Freedom Scientific’s Open Plan, announced today, will help blind users of VoiceNote, BrailleNote, mPower, and BrailleNote PK notetakers upgrade to an open platform that uses the familiar Windows® interface and runs mainstream applications.

Until October 31, 2008, users in the United States and Canada can trade in one of the aforementioned HumanWare products and save more than 50 percent on a PAC Mate Omni™ accessible Pocket PC. Purchase prices after trade-in are:

PAC Mate Omni BX400 and QX400 speech-only units: $995
PAC Mate Omni BX420 and QX420 20-cell braille units: $1,795
PAC Mate Omni BX440 and QX440 40-cell braille units: $2,545

Those taking advantage of the Open Plan will be able to choose from more onboard applications, read from more braille cells, and access mainstream applications and peripherals. Students learn the Windows operating system as they use the PAC Mate Omni, knowledge they will draw from for the rest of their lives.

PAC Mate Omni users can communicate via Windows Live™ messaging, synchronize with their Microsoft Outlook® e-mail inbox, calendar, tasks, and notes, balance their checkbook, and manage spreadsheets. The PAC Mate Omni supports Office 2007, including access to PowerPoint® presentations. BrailleNote owners are still waiting to get in touch with those features. While they wait, PAC Mate Omni users are working with a host of other features BrailleNote doesn’t have. Features like bar code scanners that identify and describe many common household items, support for all Word documents, Skype™ Internet telephony, reference materials like encyclopedias, dictionaries, and recipe databases, virtual private network access, and support for a broad range of network cards and other peripherals.

“Since I became a PAC Mate user, I've used numerous exciting features that the closed nature of the BrailleNote prevented me from being able to deliver to customers when I managed that product,” said Jonathan Mosen, formerly of HumanWare, now Vice President of Blindness Hardware Product Management for Freedom Scientific’s Blind/Low Vision Group. “My PAC Mate Omni has become an essential tool for me. Not only am I more productive on the job because of features like the full synchronization and VPN support, but it's my accessible remote control for all our appliances that use a remote.”

Mosen also said he likes how the PAC Mate Omni gives him such a vast selection of entertainment options and supports all common streaming media formats.

“A closed platform can't possibly keep up with all of the innovation being unleashed by Microsoft and the many third-party developers that write software for Pocket PC devices. I have no doubt that once BrailleNote and VoiceNote users get their hands on a PAC Mate Omni, they'll be amazed at the world of possibilities on offer,” Mosen said. “I can even do high quality audio recordings on it!”

Find out more about the PAC Mate Omni by visiting the Freedom Scientific Web site. If you have questions or wish to take advantage of the Open Plan, Contact Freedom Scientific.

This program applies only in the US and Canada and cannot be combined with any other discounts. The trade-in units must be in good working condition, as determined by Freedom Scientific. Freedom Scientific reserves the right to refuse any trade-in or to change or cancel any aspect of this program at any time at its sole discretion.

About Freedom Scientific

Freedom Scientific is the world's leading manufacturer of assistive technology products for those who are vision impaired and products for the special education and learning disability markets.

Freedom Scientific® and PAC Mate Omni™ are either trademarks or registered trademarks in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

What's New in JAWS 9.0

The latest product improvements in both JAWS and MAGic incorporate more JAWS screen reading functionality into the MAGic screen magnification software. These enhancements also improve how JAWS reads when MAGic is running at the same time.

The following list highlights new functionality available when running the two programs together:

The MAGic highlighting option is in sync as JAWS reads Web pages. By providing this visual cue, you always know where you are on the computer screen as JAWS is reading.
The addition of Navigation Quick Keys is another improvement. When running the two programs simultaneously, you can use these keystrokes so that MAGic highlights each item you jump to as you read by heading, list item, paragraph, and so on.
When viewing a Web page with either or both programs running, you can use Windows keyboard commands to select text and items. As you do this, MAGic, JAWS, or the combination of MAGic and JAWS, visually show you the items that are selected. The text that is copied can be pasted into an HTML e-mail or any rich text word processor and maintains the links and original formatting.

To take advantage of these enhancements, be sure to download the latest JAWS 9.0 release and MAGic 11.0 build.

Overview

This page describes the new features and improvements available in JAWS version 9.0. To go directly to the JAWS 9.0 download links on this page, choose JAWS download links.

Select Frequently Asked Questions for quick information about this release.

If you are not sure whether you are authorized for this version, you can look up your JAWS serial number on www.FSActivate.com by choosing the Continue Product Activation button, and then choosing the link: "Verify the number of activation keys available for your Freedom Scientific product." This page will tell you the specifics about your license.

Use the following links to jump to a specific section of this page:

JAWS 9.0 Features

Skip list of links

Web Page Reading Control

The Document Automatically Reads option is new. When it is turned on, JAWS performs a Say All and automatically begins reading the Web page open in your browser as usual. This mode is convenient when surfing the Web with Windows Internet Explorer® or Mozilla Firefox®; however, there are many times when you may prefer that JAWS just load the page and report the number of links and headings without starting a Say All. Turning off this option can be useful if you are working on Web pages with forms or using JAWS in conjunction with MAGic. The default setting for this option is on.

To toggle this option on or off, first press INSERT+V and then D until you navigate to Document Automatically Reads. Next, press SPACEBAR to change the option setting.

Note: If you would like to customize JAWS so that continuous reading is disabled for specific Web pages, you can use Personalized Web Settings to turn off this option. To do this, press SHIFT+INSERT+V, and then D until you navigate to the Document Automatically Reads option. Next press SPACEBAR to turn it off.

Return to list of features from Web Page Reading Control

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 Support

JAWS 9.0 supports Windows Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 release.

Return to list of features from Internet Explorer 8 Beta Support

Unicode Braille Tables Update

The Unicode braille tables in JAWS (JBT files) support multi-cell braille characters. A multi-cell character is a braille character that requires more than one braille cell on your braille display. This feature may be of interest to individuals who use math, science, and language symbols.

Return to list of features from Unicode Braille Tables Update

Braille Study Mode

Braille Study Mode is a training tool for teaching and learning braille. It works exclusively with Freedom Scientific PAC Mate 20- and 40-cell braille displays and FOCUS 40- and 80-cell braille displays. When enabled, JAWS will announce the braille character in a display cell when you press the Cursor Routing button immediately above that cell. When you press the Navrow button (located behind the Cursor Routing button), JAWS will announce and spell the braille word.

Braille Study Mode is off by default. To start it, do the following:

Make sure that a PAC Mate Portable Braille Display, FOCUS 40, or FOCUS 80 braille display is attached to your computer.
Do one of the following:
- Press CTRL+INSERT+B to open the Adjust Braille Options dialog box, or
- Press INSERT+V to open the Adjust JAWS Options dialog box.
Press S until Study Mode appears, and then press SPACEBAR to toggle Study Mode on. Braille Study Mode remains on until toggled off or until JAWS is restarted.

Return to list of features from Braille Study Mode

Braille Study Mode: On-the-Fly Access using WHIZWHEELS

When Braille Study Mode is off, you can always press the braille display's left or right WHIZWHEEL together with either a Cursor Routing or Navrow button to briefly use Braille Study Mode functionality. This clever operation gives you the same braille information without having to turn on Braille Study Mode. To use Braille Study Mode on the fly, do one of the following:

Press WHIZWHEEL+CURSOR ROUTING to make JAWS announce the braille character in the display cell, or
Press WHIZWHEEL+NAVROW to make JAWS announce and spell the braille word.

Note: JAWS returns to normal operation after announcing the braille character or word.

Return to list of features from Braille Study Mode: On-the-Fly Access using WHIZWHEELS

Citrix Program Neighborhood

JAWS 9.0 supports Citrix Program Neighborhood® 10.

Return to list of features from Citrix Program Neighborhood

Microsoft PowerPoint 2007

JAWS 9.0 supports the creation and presentation of PowerPoint 2007 slide shows.

Return to list of features from PowerPoint 2007

USB Thumb Drive Update

The updated USB thumb drive versions of JAWS 9.0 and MAGic 11.0 are now available. You can now use both products together or individually on the same thumb drive. In addition, the video intercept tool has been consolidated to work with both screen reader and screen magnification applications.

Choose thumb drive download links to go directly to the thumb drive and video intercept download links on this page. Choose thumb drive FAQs for installation procedures and FAQ information.

Return to list of features from USB Thumb Drive Update

Talking Mouse Support

The MAGic Mouse Echo feature is now available when running MAGic 11.0 and JAWS 9.0 together. This means that JAWS reads text that you point to with the mouse. To customize this feature, open the MAGic Speech menu and choose Mouse Echo.

Return to list of features from Talking Mouse Support

DAISY Book Addition

A new DAISY book is available. It describes how to create accessible forms in Microsoft Excel by using input messages and hyperlinks to provide useful feedback to JAWS and MAGic users.

Return to list of features from DAISY Book Addition

JAWS Startup Wizard Update

The JAWS Startup Wizard is a helpful tool that contains a series of dialog boxes. It lets you quickly configure some of the more commonly used JAWS parameters. This can save time since you do not have to search multiple menus and managers to customize your copy of JAWS.

The Startup Wizard automatically runs the first time you install a new version of JAWS. However, you can always access it by selecting the Help menu in the JAWS application window. The primary JAWS functions are organized into the following groups in the wizard:

Training settings
Speech settings
Run JAWS settings
Keyboard settings
Verbosity settings
Braille settings

Note: You must choose the Finish button in the wizard's last dialog box to save and activate any changes. If you cancel or escape at any point in the wizard, your changes will not be saved.

Return to list of features from JAWS Startup Wizard Update

HTML Formatting Retained when Selecting, Copying, and Pasting

JAWS 9.0 will now properly copy the contents of a Web page to the virtual buffer, and retain all the HTML formatting and markup when pasting the information into an HTML formatted e-mail or Word document. This break through in screen reading means that you can now copy and paste content and retain its formatting, colors, and active hyperlinks, while discarding any of the other JAWS messages, such as the number of items in a list, and so on. What you paste is essentially the same rendering that a sighted user would see. Plus, you have the added advantage of being able to use JAWS HTML commands to read and navigate the Web content when pasted into an e-mail message.

In addition, JAWS still provides a way to select copy and paste in the traditional manner of stripping out the formatting if you choose. You will find this option to toggle in the new Adjust JAWS Option dialog box (INSERT+V). You may also wish to take advantage of the personalize settings option (INSERT+SHIFT+V) feature in JAWS to set up certain behavior for specific Web sites while leaving the default set with the new solution that includes all the formatting.

Return to list of features from HTML Formatting

HTML Composition Support

JAWS 9.0 introduces new support for editing in HTML composition environments. This new support provides 100 percent accuracy when reading text; the ability to use sound schemes to differentiate font, attribute, and color; the ability to automatically switch languages when the language of the text is correctly marked up; and the ability to hear information when the text is marked up as a heading, link, list, table, and so on. For example, when composing a new HTML message in Outlook Express or Outlook 2003, you can now select text and format it as a heading (level 1 through 6), and JAWS will announce that this text is a heading when reading back the composed message. When using online editors, such as the sample at http://www.rnib.org.uk/edtest/editor.htm, if you go into Forms mode in the editable area, you can now use the ARROW keys to enter the table and use table navigation keystrokes to navigate the table and hear row or column changes and row or column headings. (Note that you will have to press the RIGHT ARROW once and then the DOWN ARROW to navigate past the link in this editor.) You can also hear where headings are and the text which belongs to a bulleted or auto numbered list.

Note: If you download the latest Adobe Flash Player 9 update software, JAWS will support Adobe Flash edit fields. The Adobe Flash update allows you to enter new text in an edit field and then navigate through the text. A link for the update is in the Adobe Flash Player enhancement that appears later on this page.

Return to list of features from HTML Composition

State of NUM LOCK Key when JAWS Starts

JAWS uses the numeric keypad to perform numerous speech functions such as Say All (INSERT+DOWN ARROW), Say Word (INSERT+NUM PAD 5), Say Line (INSERT+UP ARROW), and so on. The NUM LOCK key is turned off by default so that you can easily use these functions. However, you may have a job that requires extensive use of the numeric keypad, in which case, you must always turn on the NUM LOCK key after JAWS starts.

Starting with JAWS 9.0 you can control the initial state of the NUM LOCK key when JAWS starts. This is only available in the Default.jcf file.

There are two ways to configure the state of the NUM LOCK key. First, you can set it using the Startup Wizard (ALT+H, Z from the JAWS application window). Second, you can change it at any time using the Configuration Manager as described in the following steps.

From the JAWS application window, press ALT+U to open the Utilities menu.
Press C to open the Configuration Manager.
Press ALT+S to open the Set Options menu, and press K to open the Keyboard Options dialog box.
Press M to jump directly to the Initial State of NUM LOCK Key option.
Use the ARROW Keys to select one of the following numeric keypad options:
- Turn off at startup: This is the default value. When chosen, the NUM LOCK key is off when JAWS starts.
- Turn on at startup: The NUM LOCK key is on when JAWS starts.
- Do not modify: JAWS uses the current NUM LOCK key setting.

Return to list of features from NUM LOCK Key

Performing an Action Stated in a Balloon ToolTip

A system tray balloon ToolTip is a way for applications to inform you that an event has occurred or an action is required. Often these ToolTips state that you need to “click here” to perform a certain task, such as downloading updates for Windows. With JAWS 9.0, when such a message appears, you can now press the JAWS left mouse button (NUM PAD SLASH) to immediately act on the message before the ToolTip closes.

In JAWS 8.0 and earlier, to select a balloon ToolTip, you had to enable the JAWS cursor and navigate to the ToolTip. Often the message would close before you could find it. As you can see, it is much more efficient to use the JAWS left mouse button.

Return to list of features from Balloon ToolTip

Newly Designed Adjust JAWS Options Dialog Box

The Adjust JAWS Verbosity list has been updated with the newly designed Adjust JAWS Options tree view (INSERT+V). Instead of showing items in a list format, the reorganized dialog box uses a logical tree view format. This grouping is sure to help new and experienced JAWS users understand the relationship between various JAWS settings. At a minimum, the tree view consists of the following expandable groups that are common to all applications: General Options, Reading Options, Say All Options, Editing Options, and Braille Options. Note that the Synthesizer command, which temporarily turns speech on or off, also resides at the main group level.

Items that are specific to an application appear in their own group at the top of the tree view. For example, if you press INSERT+V while in Internet Explorer, the Internet Explorer Options group appears above the other groups.

The tree view is expanded by default when you open it to allow for first letter navigation, thus continuing the ease of use found in the original Verbosity list design. If you would rather have it collapsed, press TAB to navigate to the Expand Tree View on Open check box and uncheck it. You may also navigate through the tree view using the RIGHT ARROW and LEFT ARROW keys to expand and collapse groups. Use the UP ARROW and DOWN ARROW keys to move up and down in the tree.

JAWS 9.0 also now includes built-in help messages for each item found in the tree view. As you navigate items in the list, simply press TAB to move to the Read-Only edit window at any time for a help description of the current item.

For other examples of the new format, press SHIFT+INSERT+V to open Personalized Settings for a Web page. This allows you to quickly access settings that control how JAWS behaves on a specific Web page. Press CTRL+INSERT+B, which allows you to open and quickly adjust braille options, to see another case of the tree view format.

Return to list of features from Adjust JAWS Options Dialog Box

Third Party Script Developers

In JAWS 9.0 or later, the INSERT+V command displays JAWS options in a tree view format. If you create and provide JAWS scripts for others, you need to modify or create a new script to take advantage of the tree view. For scripting update instructions, select JAWS Script Verbosity Options to download a self-extracting Word document.

Return to list of features from Third Party Script Developers

Outlook 2007 and Outlook 2003 Calendar

The user interface for the Outlook Calendar offers challenges for Assistive Technology products. In JAWS 9.0, we have addressed these challenges and provided access directly to the Outlook Calendar without the need of providing a special interface to sit between Outlook and the screen reader.

You can create an appointment for a specific time slot by pressing ENTER on the time slot.
When you navigate to an appointment, JAWS announces the appointment’s title, time, busy status, and location.
JAWS announces time slots as you use the UP and DOWN ARROWS to move through the current day.
You can use TAB and SHIFT+TAB to jump between appointments.
Use LEFT ARROW and RIGHT ARROW to move between days.
When in Day View mode, JAWS announces the day, the date, and the number of appointments scheduled.
In Work Week, Week, and Month View modes, JAWS announces the total number of all day events and timed appointments within that range.
Press INSERT+A for a summary of event and appointment counts for the current day, work week, week, or month.
Press INSERT+A twice to place a list of all events and appointments for that range into the virtual viewer, where you can get an overall view of meetings and appointments for that period. You can also copy this information to the clipboard for further processing.
The new Calendar support also makes shared calendars on exchange servers accessible.
The Calendar supports regional layouts to handle international date formats.

Return to list of features from Outlook 2007 and Outlook 2003 Calendar

Windows Mobile Device Center Support

In Windows Vista, ActiveSync has been replaced by the new Windows Mobile Device Center. JAWS 9.0 is the first screen reader to offer full accessibility with Windows Mobile Device Center found in Windows Vista. Using JAWS, you can now easily establish partnerships, install new software, manage what is synchronized, and manage media transfers without needing to manually navigate these screens with the JAWS cursor.

Return to list of features from Windows Mobile Device Center

Internet Explorer New HTML Frame Update Notification

JAWS can now notify you when an HTML frame updates in Internet Explorer. The new Frame Update Notification option lets you configure the way JAWS handles HTML frame notification on various Web pages. It is located in both the Adjust JAWS Options dialog box (INSERT+V) and the Personalized Settings dialog box (INSERT+SHIFT+V) while in Internet Explorer.

Press the SPACEBAR to toggle among the following settings for the Frame Update Notification option:

Off: When off, you are not notified of any frame updates.
Speak Frame Name: JAWS speaks the name of the most recently updated frame. This is the default setting.
Move To Frame: JAWS moves the cursor to the beginning of the most recently updated frame. JAWS also remembers your cursor location before the move; you can move back to your original location by pressing SHIFT+M, the keystroke for Move To Prior Frame. If you are in Forms mode when the frame updates and you have set the Frame Update Notification to Move To Frame, JAWS will instead speak the name of the most recently updated frame.

Return to list of features from Frame Update Notification

Foreign Language Detection in Forms Mode

If text in a form field of an appropriately-tagged HTML page appears in a different language, JAWS is able to recognize and switch to that language when speaking the text.

Return to list of features from Foreign Language Detection

New WHIZWHEEL Tracking

Functionality for Freedom Scientific’s WHIZWHEELS® has been expanded to allow tracking of only the Braille Cursor.

Pressing down on both wheels simultaneously switches from Track Focus mode to Track Braille Cursor mode.
Use the left wheel to move up and down, just as traditionally one might use the left hand to track line position on a braille page. Use the right wheel to pan left and right without wrapping to the next line – no more confusion as to where the line starts and ends.

Return to list of features from WHIZWHEEL Tracking

Better Performance with Microsoft Word

Freedom Scientific has made significant performance increases with Microsoft Word 2007, Word 2003, and Word XP by revising and updating the way JAWS works with these applications. This includes the streamlining of scripts and internal code, which results in enhanced responsiveness with total accuracy when navigating and editing documents. Both Windows XP users and Windows Vista users will enjoy this improvement in speed and accuracy without missing out on the most powerful screen reading solution in both speech and braille.

Return to list of features from Microsoft Word Performance

Bookmark Detection using Navigation Quick Keys in Microsoft Word

With Navigation Quick Keys turned on (INSERT+Z), you can now use the B keystroke to move to the next bookmark and the SHIFT+B keystroke to move to the previous bookmark in a Word document. JAWS will announce if no bookmarks are in the document. The INSERT+ALT+B keystroke opens a list of bookmarks.

Return to list of features from Bookmark Detection

Braille Proofreading Indication in Microsoft Word

JAWS now has grammatical error and spelling error options available when using braille to read Microsoft Word files. Once you turn on a specific proofreading option, it remains enabled until you reset the option.

Note: When using braille, you must first enable the Active Follows Braille option. It is located in the JAWS Options tree view under the Cursor Options group in the Braille Options group. DOTS 7 and 8 will be raised under the misspelled word.

To enable proofreading options, do the following:

Open a Word document.
Press INSERT+V to open the Adjust JAWS Options tree view.
Press the letter B until you hear JAWS say, "Braille proofreading indication - Spelling errors."
Press the SPACEBAR to toggle among the following options:
- Spelling errors only
- Grammatical errors only
- Spelling and grammatical errors
- No spelling or grammatical errors (default setting)
Close the Adjust JAWS Options tree view.

Return to list of features from Braille Proofreading

Braille Bullet Type Indication in Microsoft Word

The Bullet Type Indication feature was introduced in JAWS 8.0. It allows JAWS to announce different bullet styles that appear in a Word document. This same functionality is now available in braille so that bullet styles can now be identified using either multi-cell symbols or an asterisk (*). By default, the Braille Bullet Type Indication feature is off, which only uses asterisks to symbolize bullets styles.

Note: When using braille, you must first enable the Active Follows Braille option. It is located in the JAWS Options tree view under the Cursor Options group in the Braille Options group.

To enable braille bullet type identification, do the following:

Open a Word document.
Press INSERT+V to open the Adjust JAWS Options tree view.
Press the letter B until you hear JAWS say, "Braille bullet type indication - Off."
Press SPACEBAR to turn on this item. JAWS now uses multi-cell symbols to show bullets.
Close the Adjust JAWS Options dialog box.

Return to list of features from Braille Bullet Type Indication

Spelling Error Detection in Microsoft Word

In JAWS 9.0, Spelling Error Detection is a separate option that controls if JAWS detects and announces misspelled words while reading through a Word document. In previous JAWS releases, spelling detection was combined with grammar error detection. Spelling Error Detection is off by default. If braille is in use, the default is to mark spelling errors in braille.

To change spelling detection options, do the following:

Open a Word document.
Press INSERT+V to open the Adjust JAWS Options tree view.
Press the letter S until JAWS announces “Spelling Error Detection – Off.”
Press the SPACEBAR to toggle among the following options:
- On: Spell checking is enabled.
- On + Count: JAWS announces the number of spelling errors per line.
- Off: Spell checking is disabled (default setting)
Close the Adjust JAWS Options dialog box.

Return to list of features from Spelling Error Detection

Grammatical Error Detection in Microsoft Word

In JAWS 9.0, Grammatical Error Detection is a separate option that controls if JAWS detects and announces grammatical errors while reading through a Word document. In previous JAWS releases, grammar detection was combined with spelling error detection. Grammatical Error Detection is off by default. If braille is in use, the default is not to mark grammar errors in braille.

To change grammatical detection options, do the following:

Open a Word document.
Press INSERT+V to open the Adjust JAWS Options tree view.
Press the letter G until JAWS announces “Grammatical Error Detection – Off.”
Press the SPACEBAR to toggle among the following options:
- On: Grammar checking is enabled.
- On + Count: JAWS announces the number of grammatical errors per line.
- Off: Grammar checking is disabled (default setting)
Close the Adjust JAWS Options dialog box.

Return to list of features from Grammatical Error Detection

Speech and Sound Schemes in Microsoft Word

Great strides have been made in Word’s responsiveness and accuracy when using the Speech and Sounds Scheme Manager. This manager lets you create reading rules, such as using different voices and sounds to indicate formatting attributes, when reading a Word document. Refer to the Speech and Sounds Scheme DAISY book tutorial on the Freedom Scientific Web site for more information.

Return to list of features from Speech and Sound Schemes

Unit of Measure in Microsoft Word

JAWS can now report the PC cursor position and other related measurements using a unit of measure that you specify regardless of the Word document's default measurement units. The Measurement Units feature allows you to configure JAWS so that it reports the cursor position, tab stops, and indents in a unit of measure to your liking. The default unit of measure is based on the application's default measurement setting, for example, inches or centimeters.

To change the preferred unit of measure, do the following:

Open a Word document.
Press INSERT+V to open the Adjust JAWS Options tree view.
Press the letter M until you hear JAWS say, "Measurement units - Set to inches."
Press SPACEBAR to toggle among the following options:
- Set to inches
- Set to pixels
- Set to spaces
- Set to points
- Set to millimeters
- Set to centimeters
Close the Adjust JAWS Options dialog box.

Return to list of features from Unit of Measure

List Embedded Object Command in Microsoft Word

In Word, the keystroke for the List Embedded Object command is now CTRL+INSERT+SHIFT+G. In releases prior to JAWS 9.0, this keystroke was for the List Graphics command.

Return to list of features from List Embedded Object

Split Button Announcement in Microsoft Office Programs

JAWS now identifies split buttons, in both speech and braille, that are available under the Microsoft Office Button. The Office Button is located in the upper-left corner of Microsoft Office 2007 programs such as Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Access. For an example of split buttons using JAWS, do the following:

From a Microsoft Office 2007 program, press ALT+F to open the Office Button.
Press DOWN ARROW to navigate to the Print button. JAWS announces Print split button.
Do one of the following:
Press ENTER to print or press SPACEBAR to open the Preview and Print pane.

Return to list of features from Split Button Announcement

Gmail Support Improvements

Screen reader users currently get a message on the Gmail™ page that says, "If you are using a screen reader, you may wish to switch to basic HTML for a better experience." While you will still receive this message when running JAWS 9.0, it is no longer necessary to follow those instructions as JAWS works with the standard Gmail interface, which offers many enhancements over their basic HTML page.

In JAWS versions prior to 9.0, it was necessary to switch Gmail to its basic HTML interface or use the JAWS cursor to click the objects on the page that were not standard links. These include Inbox, Sent, Compose Mail, Trash, Create a Filter, and so on. With our new support for Gmail, these items show up in the links list. You can also use the ARROW keys to move to these items and either press ENTER to activate them or select the items with the routing buttons on your braille display.

Additionally, prior to JAWS 9.0, you had no way to see some editing attributes in the message edit window. For example, you had no way to see if text was a heading or even if it was a table when in Forms mode. With our new support for Web-based rich edit controls, you can add attributes to your messages such as bold, italic, and underline by using standard JAWS commands in this editor. Commands for similar Web-based editors may be different. At this time JAWS does not speak the status of these controls when they are activated, but you can use the command to get font information to see the attributes. It is also possible to see formatting such as list items, both bulleted and numbered lists, heading and level, and table information, even in Forms mode with both speech and braille.

Return to list of features from Gmail Support Improvements

Laptop Layout Keystrokes Update

The Left Mouse Button Lock (CTRL+8) and the Right Mouse Button Lock (CTRL+9) keystrokes, which are available when Laptop keyboard layout is selected, have changed.

The new keystroke for Left Mouse Button Lock is CTRL+WINDOWS Key+8.

The new keystroke for Right Mouse Button Lock is CTRL+WINDOWS Key+9.

Return to list of features from Laptop Layout Keystrokes

New Commands for Yahoo! Instant Messenger 8.1

The following JAWS commands have been added for Yahoo! Instant Messenger 8.1:

ALT+X, where X is 1, 2, 3,...,0, which allows you to review the last 10 Yahoo! IM messages. Note that ALT+1 opens the most recent message, and ALT+0 opens the 10th message.
ALT+NUMPAD 5 twice quickly opens a Web link that appears in a Yahoo! IM message.
When having an IM conversation, TAB lets you switch between the typing window and the message display pane located in the Instant Message dialog box.

Return to list of features from Yahoo! Instant Messenger 8.1

New Basic Training for JAWS 9.0

The Basic Training for JAWS 9.0 was completely rewritten and recorded using a Windows Vista computer and Microsoft Office 2007. This new Basic Training in text and narrated audio DAISY format is included on all program and demo JAWS CDs beginning with JAWS 9.0. The new Basic Training is also available as a free download in either MP3 or DAISY format from the Freedom Scientific Training Downloads Web page. The Basic Training includes 9 hours of instruction, including step-by-step instructions and sample practice documents to help you make the most of your experience using JAWS 9.0.

Return to list of features from New Basic Training for JAWS 9.0

Enhancements in JAWS 9.0.2152 (April 2008)

The following reported items were addressed in this update. All enhancements since the initial public beta release are included in the update.

JAWS

If you change the value of the Braille Mode option from Structured to Line, JAWS now maintains this option's setting when you move between different dialog boxes.
Skim Reading (CTRL+INSERT+DOWN ARROW) operates correctly when reading the Surf's Up! – Surfing the Internet with JAWS Web page tutorial on the Freedom Scientific Web site.
The JAWS shared components correctly update if you perform a Windows system restore after updating JAWS using the Check for Updates feature.
After changing the synthesizer language from American English to another language, JAWS now correctly echoes text in the selected language as it is typed and reads text in the same selected language as you navigate using ARROW keys.
JAWS now states if new lines are present in Word, Notepad, or WordPad documents when you perform a Say All. To enable this functionality, select the check box titled Indicate new lines when User Reads Text Containing New Line Characters. It is located in the Text Processing dialog box of the Configuration Manager.
JAWS correctly reads the text in the Remove Scripts dialog box and no longer announces incorrect messages. This dialog appears when you synchronize the default script file using Script Manager.
JAWS can be authorized when performing ILM Authorization on a system with Windows Vista® Server.
The "canvas" error message no longer appears after updating JAWS product activation.
The SAPI 5 synthesizers recognize and speak blank lines that appear in Word documents.
If you select a command from the Virtual Viewer (INSERT+H), such as a list of misspelled words (ALT+SHIFT+L) or list of footnotes (INSERT+SHIFT+F), JAWS correctly identifies the selected items for multiple applications.
The Language Detect Change reading option for JAWS (default.jcf), Internet Explorer (internet explorer.jcf), and Word (microsoft word.jcf and microsoft word 2007.jcf) is now enabled by default.
The JAWS uninstall process now removes all files from the JAWS User Settings folder.
JAWS no longer applies the wrong Eloquence voice settings, such as person, rate, pitch and so on, when you switch between different languages using CTRL+WINDOWS KEY+L.
The default synthesizer setting no longer changes when you temporarily switch from an Eloquence voice to a SAPI 5 voice using CTRL+INSERT+S.

.NET Applications Complied with Visual Studio 2005

Dialog boxes created using Visual Studio 2005, will now correctly read when using the INSERT+B command.
When moving in dialogs that contains GroupBoxes, INSERT+TAB will now report information about that control. Also, any AccessibleName or AccessibleDescription tags associated with the GroupBox will be spoken as well.

Adobe Acrobat

MAGic now correctly highlights the cursor location when you use the ARROW keys to navigate around a PDF file while running JAWS and MAGic together.
After reading a table in an Acrobat document, JAWS correctly reads the remainder of the file when using the DOWN ARROW to continue reading down the page. JAWS no longer announces blank and rereads the table contents as in previous releases.
JAWS correctly announces blank if you enter a blank table cell in a PDF document.
JAWS correctly announces items just once as you move through the Navigation tabs in a PDF document.

AOL Instant Messenger

JAWS reads emoticon graphics using both speech and braille.

Microsoft Internet Explorer

JAWS runs correctly with the Web site www.thehindu.com.
JAWS correctly reads headings in pages created using the Movable Type blogging platform.
When pressing the Navigation Quick Key D while viewing a Web page, JAWS correctly announces and moves to the next element every time.
JAWS now announces and moves to the next button on a Web page when you press B.
The Move to Prior Anchor keystroke (SHIFT+A) works correctly.

Microsoft Office

When navigating through the Options dialog box of an Office 2007 application, JAWS now correctly reads all dialog controls.

Microsoft Outlook

Resolved a reported Outlook issue where JAWS did not read the correct task priority when it was changed from low to high.
The localized German version of JAWS now recognizes and correctly reads words with umlauts when using the Outlook calendar.
JAWS only announces once, instead of three times, the contexts of combo boxes in Outlook's Find dialog box.
After inserting a signature into an e-mail message, JAWS now returns focus to the message window instead of the Signature button submenu.
JAWS moves its focus to the correct field if you copy text from an e-mail message that you are composing, and then press SHIFT+TAB to move from the message window to the Subject field.
As you navigate through folders in Outlook, JAWS now announces the number of unread messages in each folder.
Fixed a reported issue in Outlook where subject field text containing an ampersand (&), was not being read correctly.
JAWS now announces the status of the check boxes for Automatic Formatting rules in Outlook 2007 Calendar.
You can successfully forward Yahoo! Group messages.
JAWS announces all submenus when using Outlook 2007 Calendar.
JAWS properly moves its focus to the Reminder dialog box when you press INSERT+WINDOWS KEY+R. In addition, JAWS announces the title of the Reminder dialog box when it gains focus.

Microsoft PowerPoint

JAWS no longer reads the last slide that is shown after you close a PowerPoint presentation.
JAWS reads the text in the Notes pane of a slide when using the UP and DOWN ARROWS.
When in Edit mode, JAWS now reads the selected text in a slide when you press CTRL+SHIFT+RIGHT ARROW.
When editing text in a slide's Title Placeholder box, JAWS correctly announces text and deleted characters. This resolves an issue with caret tracking in PowerPoint slides.
While using the LEFT and RIGHT ARROWS to move through lines of text in a placeholder box, JAWS no longer announces blank when it encounters a space between words.
JAWS announces character echo correctly and no longer says blank when using BACKSPACE to delete text.
JAWS correctly reads numbered list when using the UP and DOWN ARROWS to scroll through the list while in Edit mode.
JAWS correctly announces characters when you press INSERT+UP ARROW twice quickly to spell the current line or press NUMPAD 5 twice quickly to say the current character phonetically.
The Say All command (INSERT+DOWN ARROW) operates correctly when editing a slide.

Microsoft Word

When the Page, Section, and Multiple Column Breaks option is off in Microsoft Word, JAWS no longer announces any page breaks that are manually inserted in a Word document. This is the proper operation for this configuration.
JAWS correctly detects comments, footnotes, and endnotes after you change the Comments, Footnotes, and Endnotes Detection option from On+Count to On.
JAWS now recognizes bullets in Word documents when you set the Eloquence synthesizer to a language other than American English or British English.
The WordClassic scheme is new to the Speech and Sounds Manager in Word. It is the default scheme. In a document containing superscript and subscript text, JAWS now ignores and no longer says the words superscript or subscript when announcing this text.
JAWS no longer announces blank when you use the Navigation Quick Key C to move to the next comment in a Word document.
There is no longer a noticeable delay when you navigate by TAB or SHIFT +TAB through a Word document or when you perform a Say All.
Resolved a Word issue where JAWS was not announcing tab and paragraph marker characters.
JAWS now announces blank if you try to move to the next paragraph or item (CTRL+DOWN ARROW) when you are at the end of the document.
When the Non-Breaking Symbols Indication option is enabled in Word, JAWS correctly announces any non-breaking spaces encountered when reading the document.

Mozilla Firefox

JAWS no longer announces the message Read Only when moving through items such as combo boxes, tree views, and edit boxes or when opening Web pages using Firefox.
JAWS is compatible with Firefox 3 beta.
The PC Cursor no longer becomes active when you select Firefox from the Window List dialog box (INSERT+F10).
Headings that are also links on Web pages are now properly identified in braille when the Braille Mode option is set for Structured mode.

Mozilla Thunderbird

JAWS correctly identifies command submenus when navigating up or down in the Thunderbird menu bar.

Notepad

JAWS correctly announces number-letter combinations when navigating by word through a Notepad file.

Sun Java

A temporary loss of speech no longer occurs after selecting a command from the menu bar in a Java application. Previously, you had to refresh the screen (INSERT+ESC) to regain speech.

Winamp

Shuffle mode now toggles on or off when your press the letter S while in the Winamp playlist editor of the Winamp Classic or Winamp Modern skins.

Windows Explorer

Fixed a reported issue in Windows Explorer where file names that contained an ampersand (&), were not being read correctly.

Enhancements in JAWS 9.0.552 (January 2008)

The following items are new features added to JAWS to improve operation when running simultaneously with MAGic.

JAWS Navigation Quick Keys and MAGic Tracking are Now Synchronized!

When running MAGic 11.0 screen magnification software with JAWS 9.0.552 or later, there is now a visual indication on Web pages as you read or navigate using JAWS. Navigation Quick Keys let you move easily and quickly around Web pages, Outlook and Outlook Express e-mails, Adobe Acrobat PDF files, the JAWS or MAGic help files, and anywhere else the Virtual Cursor is active.

The following examples highlight this new functionality:

When reading a Web page in Internet Explorer with JAWS and MAGic, pressing the letter H not only jumps to the next header and reads it aloud, but it also provides a visual indication of where you are on the Web page.
The Navigation Quick Key P moves you to the next paragraph and begins reading using a synchronized reading box to make it easier to know where JAWS is reading. As you navigate around Web pages, a visual box appears around each line that is read.

The following Navigation Quick Keys provide visual tracking when running JAWS and MAGic together.

Navigation Quick Key	Description
A	Next Anchor
B	Next Button
C	Next Combo Box
D	Next Different Element
E	Next Edit Control
F	Next Form Control
G	Next Graphic
H	Next Heading (Press 1–6 on the number row to jump to the next heading at that level.)
I	Next List Item
K	Next Placemarker
L	Next List
M	Next Frame
N	Skip Past Links to Next Block of Text
O	Next Object
P	Next Paragraph
Q	Next Block Quote
R	Next Radio Button
S	Next Same Element
T	Next Table
U	Next Unvisited Link
V	Next Visited Link
X	Next Checkbox
Z	Next Division
> (Greater Than)	Step Past Current Element
< (Less Than)	Step Back to Current Element

Document Presentation Mode Updated for Use with MAGic

Enhancements List

The following items were addressed in this update. All enhancements since the initial public beta release are included in the update.

An issue involving video corruption when running JAWS and MAGic together has been resolved. This corruption, also known as mouse painting, would cause pixels to disappear when passing the mouse over the title bar, toolbars, and menus of dialog boxes. Often it would take up to 45 seconds or a minute for this problem to resolve itself.
Now, when running JAWS and MAGic together, the keystroke MAGic Key+SHIFT+DELETE toggles MAGic screen magnification and does not lose speech.
When in the Save As dialog box or the Open dialog box of a Word 2000 document, JAWS now reads the text that appears in the File Name edit combo box. Previously, when using the PC Cursor, JAWS would announce blank as you move through the file name text. This forced you to use the JAWS Cursor to read the text. This problem has been resolved.
Windows Explorer no longer shuts down while in use, and now operates correctly when running JAWS and MAGic together in Windows Vista.
The JAWS cursor now functions correctly when using the INSERT+LEFT ARROW, CTRL+LEFT ARROW, INSERT+RIGHT ARROW, or CTRL+RIGHT ARROW keystrokes to navigate by prior word or next word. When the cursor reaches the end of a line, it now returns to the beginning of the next line using these keystrokes while running JAWS and MAGic together.
If you open a Web page using the Run dialog box, Internet Explorer no longer shuts down when running JAWS and MAGic together.
Navigating up or down in an e-mail message no longer causes screen jitter when running JAWS and MAGic together. Previously, the screen jitter typically occurred when a line of text wrapped to a second line. If you navigated to the line of text that exceeded the magnified area, the text would shift one to three characters to the right and then back to the original position. This no longer happens.
When running MAGic and JAWS together, you can successfully navigate between multi-line edit fields that are in a table.
The script load error that appeared when running MAGic Pro Scripting Edition with JAWS has been resolved.
If you are running MAGic and JAWS together, the MAGic command to enable or disable magnification (MAGic Key+DELETE) now announces the correct magnification message.
JAWS can now display a list of embedded objects that appear in a Word document. Press CTRL+SHIFT+INSERT+G to open the Embedded Objects dialog box. Next, use the UP or DOWN ARROW keys to navigate through the list, and then press ENTER to select the item. JAWS will move to the embedded object in the document.
When searching for inline objects in a Word document (CTRL+SHIFT+O), the Inline Object dialog box has been updated to provide more details about the items appearing in the list. This is an improvement over previous JAWS releases.
The way that JAWS presents reviewer comments in Word documents (CTRL+SHIFT+APOSTROPHE) has been enhanced. JAWS now provides more details about comments in the Reviewer’s Comments dialog box than in previous JAWS releases.
The Virtual Viewer now shuts down properly when exiting a PowerPoint 2007 slide show presentation. In previous releases, this customer reported problem would cause the Virtual Viewer to remain loaded after closing PowerPoint 2007.
When running PowerPoint 2003 or PowerPoint 2007, pressing SPACEBAR now advances to the next slide during a slide show. Previously, JAWS would report that nothing was selected.
When using PowerPoint, the CTRL+SHIFT+O command now shows a list of objects on the current slide. Previously, the INSERT+F8 command would show this list.
When configured for Grade 2 braille, words that are to the left of the braille cursor no longer disappear when the Expand Current Word braille option is enabled.
Words containing renu now contract correctly in braille.

PAC Mate Omni™ BX and QX 6.0 Maintenance Update

Skip to PAC Mate Omni Update instructions

Skip past Table of Contents

What's new in this Update?

This maintenance update for the PAC Mate Omni BX and QX is an optional update that addresses specific usability issues that were discovered after the initial release of PAC Mate Omni. Installing this update will update your PAC Mate Omni from version 6.0.285 to 6.0.1019 and requires you to perform a clean reset which will delete all data including any additional applications you have installed. Installation of this update is not required and those who prefer may wait for the release of PAC Mate Omni version 6.1 which is expected in the second quarter of 2008. Version 6.1 will incorporate all of the changes included in this maintenance release plus other improvements and enhancements.

Changes Included in the PAC Mate Omni 6.0 Maintenance Update

Corrected several reported issues related to using the UK keyboard layout on the QX. The keystrokes for entering the pound sign as well as other various symbols now work as expected.

Note: Customers in the UK who update their PAC Mate Omnis, should also install the patch below to insure optimal performance with the UK keyboard.

Go to the PAC Mate Omni UK Keyboard Update
You can now use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to navigate through items in combo boxes on Web pages.
Added support for the Town Compass® Dataviewer application. For optimal performance with PAC Mate Omni, visit the Product Download page on the Pocket Directory Web site and complete the form to download the latest version of the software. Once you have installed the Dataviewer application, when you install databases, uncheck the option to install the Town Compass Dataviewer application.

Note: For best performance, databases should be installed to a storage card.

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What does it cost?

The 6.0 maintenance update is a free download for PAC Mate Omni BX and QX users. Do not download this update if you have a PAC Mate BX or QX running version 4.1 or earlier.

To verify what version is installed on your PAC Mate Omni, press INSERT+ENTER, A on the QX or DOTS 2-4 CHORD, DOT 1 on the BX. If the version is 6.0.1019, you do not need to update. Otherwise, proceed to the next section for instructions on updating your PAC Mate Omni.

Return to top

How do I get it?

Download the update file by selecting the Download link near the bottom of this page. The file name is PM6.0.1019.101-enu.cab.pks. When prompted, be sure to save this file in a location where you can easily find it; such as the Desktop.

Return to top

Step-by-step Instructions

Important: A clean reset is required in order to complete the update. This will cause any data you have added to your PAC Mate Omni, including third-party applications, to be erased. There are several steps you must follow to complete the installation of this update so that you do not lose data or impair programs installed on your PAC Mate Omni. Review each of the following steps, and be sure you allow yourself adequate time to complete them.

Before Installing the Update

Use ActiveSync to synchronize your PAC Mate Omni with your computer
If you have the Audible Player from Audible.com on your PAC Mate Omni, start Audible Manager, open the Devices menu, and choose Activate/Deactivate. Follow the steps to deactivate your PAC Mate Omni This will redeposit your Audible authorization in your account so you can install and reactivate the Audible Player after updating your PAC Mate Omni.
Store all the files you currently have in the main memory of your PAC Mate Omni onto a CompactFlash card or onto your computer’s desktop. For more information on synchronizing, refer to your PAC Mate Omni documentation.
Plug in the battery charger, and connect it to your PAC Mate Omni. Check the battery status on the Today screen to ensure that the PAC Mate Omni is operating on AC power.

WARNING: Do not use Sprite Backup because it restores the old system files over your newly-installed update.

Installing the 6.0 Maintenance Update

Transfer PM6.0.1019.101-enu.cab.pks to a CompactFlash card or directly on to the PAC Mate Omni.
- If you choose to copy the update to a CompactFlash card and your computer does not have a card reader, place the CompactFlash card into your PAC Mate Omni and copy PM6.0.1019.101-enu.cab.pks to My Computer/Mobile Device/My Windows Mobile-Based Device/Storage Card while connected with ActiveSync.
- To transfer the update directly to your PAC Mate Omni, copy PM6.0.1019.101-enu.cab.pks to My Computer/Mobile Device while connected with ActiveSync. This places the update in the My Documents folder on your PAC Mate Omni.
Disconnect from your PC and remove all peripherals from the CompactFlash slots of your PAC Mate Omni. If you chose to copy the update to a CompactFlash card, insert the CompactFlash card containing the update file.
Open File Explorer, locate the PM6.0.1019.101-enu.cab.pks file, and press ENTER on the QX or DOT 8 on the BX.

Note: The PAC Mate Omni will indicate that this file as an unknown file type. However, pressing ENTER will launch the update.
The PAC Mate Omni will first validate the update, which takes a couple minutes. When the update validation is complete, you are prompted to begin the installation. Press F1 on the QX or F1+F2 on the BX to proceed with the update. During the update, you will hear progress clicks along with announcements of the percentage of the update completed.
Once the update completes, the PAC Mate Omni will warm reset, then speak and display "6.0.285." At this point, you must perform a clean reset in order to complete the installation. To clean reset your PAC Mate Omni, use a straightened paper clip or a toothpick and press down gently on the reset button while simultaneously holding the power switch in the off position - away from the CompactFlash slots. Once you begin holding the power switch, you can release the reset button. For more information on locating the reset button, refer to your PAC Mate Omni documentation.

When you begin holding the power switch, you will hear a low-high beep. Continue holding the switch for about six seconds until you hear a second low-high beep and release the switch. The reset process may take up to 10 minutes, depending on how much data is stored in main memory. Once completed, you will hear a chime followed by the message "JAWS for Pocket PC is loading, version 6.0.1019”, followed shortly after by another chime. After the second chime, you are placed on the Today screen with the update installed and ready to use your PAC Mate Omni. At this point, the PAC Mate Omni has been reset to default settings and any user data including programs you installed are gone.

After Installing the Update

Start ActiveSync on your computer while your PAC Mate Omni is still disconnected. Your PAC Mate Omni should be listed as disconnected. If necessary, press ALT+F, and then choose Mobile Device. Select the name of your partnership using the DOWN ARROW key and press ENTER.
Press ALT+F and press DOWN ARROW until you find "Delete Mobile Device." Then press ENTER. Be sure to record the exact name of the partnership you are deleting, including upper and lower case letters and underscores. Choose Yes when asked if you are sure you want to delete the partnership. Then choose No when asked if you wish to delete the synchronized Files folder.
Set the correct time zone and enter your owner information on your newly-updated PAC Mate Omni. Do this before proceeding to the next step. For more information on setting the time zone and entering owner information, refer to your PAC Mate Omni documentation.

Note: If you use any Freedom Scientific applications that require you to enter an authorization code, your owner information must be entered exactly the way it was previously.
If you did not previously change the default device name, "Pocket_PC," when creating your partnership, skip to step 6. Otherwise, on the PAC Mate Omni, open the Start Menu, move to Settings, and press ENTER or DOT 8. In the Settings dialog box, move to the System page, select About and press ENTER or DOT 8. Navigate to the Device ID page.
Give your device the exact name you recorded earlier. Press ESC or F1 to close the dialog box.
Connect your PAC Mate Omni to the PC. The Synchronization Setup Wizard asks if you wish to create a Standard or Guest Partnership. Press ENTER or DOT 8 on the Next button to set up a standard partnership. If prompted for a name, give the partnership the identical name as the one you recorded. Press ENTER.
Be sure to select the Files check box as one of the items you want to synchronize.
After you have finished establishing the partnership, the unit begins the synchronization process. If you receive the message: "The following information type on your mobile device has items that have not been synchronized with this computer before." Press DOWN ARROW to select "Replace the items on my device with the items on this computer." Activate the OK button. The files that were saved to the computer are now being placed back in the My Documents folder on your PAC Mate Omni and the synchronization process continues.

Restoring Applications

Before proceeding, make sure you have any necessary authorization codes available.

To restore your previously-installed applications:

Press ALT+T in the ActiveSync window on your computer to open the Tools menu. Choose Add/Remove Programs. This displays a list of the programs and drivers you have previously added to your PAC Mate Omni, if any. Move through the list with the arrow keys and press the SPACEBAR to check those you want to reinstall, and then choose OK. If you have many programs, you may want to do this only a few at a time, especially if any need additional configuration steps on the PAC Mate Omni.

Note: If one of the programs you reinstalled is the Audible Player, start Audible Manager on your computer and reactivate your device (press ALT+D, then press CTRL+A).
If you installed the update from a CompactFlash card, Delete the PM6.0.1019.101-enu.cab.pks file from the card.
(Optional) If you use Sprite Backup, Perform a new backup of your PAC Mate Omni. Do not restore a previously completed backup, as this will undo the upgrade process.

Download the PAC Mate Omni BX and QX 6.0 Maintenance Update (9.72 MB)

MAGic 11.0 Promotional Release

The MAGic® 11.0 promotional release is a trial offer that lets you try the newest MAGic screen magnification release, which can run with or without the latest release of JAWS® 9.0. This promotional version operates without interruption until August 2008 so that you can try out the most recent product enhancements or take the opportunity to try MAGic in combination with JAWS. For example:

The MAGic highlighting option is in sync with JAWS as it reads Web pages. By providing this visual cue, you always know where you are on the computer screen as JAWS is reading.
When using the same Navigation Quick Keys that are available in JAWS, you will be happy to see that MAGic's focus will jump to items such as headings (H), list items (L), paragraphs (P), and so on, and will also provide visual cues.
When viewing a Web page with both programs running, you can use Windows keyboard commands to select and copy text and items. As you do this, MAGic and JAWS visually show you the items that are selected. The text that is copied can be pasted into an HTML e-mail or any rich text word processor and maintains the links and original formatting.

Choose What's New in MAGic 11.0 for more about the latest MAGic features.

For a list of benefits and additional information, choose the Top Reasons to Use MAGic.

Download the MAGic 11.0 Promotional Release

The following briefly describes how to download and install the MAGic promotional release.

Select the MAGic download link that appears at the end of this procedure.

When the dialog box opens, choose Save and select a location where you can easily find the downloaded executable file.

Run the executable file and follow the talking installer.

MAGic 11.0 promotional release (104 MB - FTP download)

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: What is the difference between the MAGic promotional release and the full MAGic release?

Answer: For the promotional version:

No authorization is required
It is fully functional until August 2008
It only supports magnification – please use the latest JAWS 9.0 release for speech
Remote Access is enabled – you do not need to purchase the feature separately

Question: What is the difference between the MAGic promotional release and the MAGic demo release?

Answer: For the promotional version:

It is fully functional until August 2008 – no reboots are necessary as required every 40-minutes with the demo release
It only supports magnification – please use the latest JAWS 9.0 release for speech
It is fully functional until August 2008

For a list of benefits and additional information, choose the Top Reasons to Use MAGic.

FREEDOM SCIENTIFIC NEWS

Newsroom

FSReader for Desktop, PAC Mate, and PAC Mate Omni Update

What is FSReader?

FSReader allows users to easily read digital talking books and e-books produced in the Digital Accessible Information System (DAISY) format on a desktop or laptop computer, or a PAC Mate BX or QX accessible Pocket PC. Readers can navigate to sections of a book by browsing headings or flipping pages, can set multiple bookmarks, and can resume reading where they left off when a book is reopened. In books that contain audio narration, users can fast forward, rewind, and even adjust the speed of the narrated audio.

FSReader and RFB&D® Talking Books

Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic® (RFB&D) is a national non-profit organization that provides digital talking books, including a wide range of educational textbooks, to students and other individuals who are visually impaired or have other reading disabilities. The RFB&D library contains more than 30,000 digital titles ranging from math and science books to literary classics, from kindergarten level through graduate school. Since material is only available to qualifying members, RFB&D AudioPlus® books are protected so they cannot play with just any DAISY player.

To access RFB&D’s AudioPlus books with FSReader, users will need a special User Authorization Key (UAK) available from RFB&D by calling 800-221-4792. PLEASE NOTE: RFB&D will only provide and support the UAK. Users must first have purchased the FSReader software directly from Freedom Scientific.

What Does It Cost?

This is a free download for users with FSReader for Desktop or FSReader for PAC Mate 1.0.

How Do I Get It?

Download the appropriate update file by selecting the Download Now link near the bottom of this page.

How Do I Install It?

To install the FSReader Desktop download, do the following:

Do not delete or overwrite your existing version of FSReader 1.0.
Save the setup.exe (version 1.10.79) file to a folder on your computer that you can easily remember. You might choose to save it on the desktop, which is the Windows default.
Locate the file and run it. When the installation begins, choose the Repair option, and continue to follow the remaining prompts to install the FSReader 1.10 update on your computer.

To install the FSReader PAC Mate download, do the following:
Note: The version of FSReader for the PAC Mate Omni is version 1.2 in order to differentiate it from FSReader for versions of PAC Mate prior to PAC Mate Omni. FSReader version 1.10 will not run on PAC Mate Omni and should not be installed on PAC Mate Omni. However, there is no difference in functionality between version 1.10 and 1.2.

For users running PAC Mate version 4.1 or earlier, you do not need to uninstall your existing version of FSReader 1.0.
Save the appropriate FSReader installation file compatible with your version of PAC Mate to a folder on your computer that you can easily remember. You might choose to save it on the desktop, which is the Windows default. If you are installing on a PAC Mate Omni, use the file PMRDR1.2.201.403-enu.exe. Otherwise, use the file PMRDR1.1.155.406-enu.exe.
Connect your PAC Mate to a computer running Microsoft ActiveSync and establish a Standard or Guest partnership.
Locate the file and run it. When the installation begins, follow the prompts to install FSReader 1.10 update on your PAC Mate or 1.2 on your PAC Mate Omni.
When you start FSReader 1.10 on your PAC Mate or 1.2 on your PAC Mate Omni for the first time, you will be prompted to enter your authorization code. Use the same code that you received with FSReader 1.0.

Desktop Update Download for FSReader, Version 1.10.79 (15.5 MB-File Date: 11/30/2007)
PAC Mate Omni Update Download for FSReader, Version 1.2.201 (1 MB-File Date 4/05/2008)
PAC Mate Update Download for FSReader, Version 1.10.155 (521 KB-File Date 3/22/2007)

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What's New in OpenBook 8

OpenBook 8 New Features and Improvements

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Engine Updates

Default File Format Update Includes Unicode

Keyboard Layout Redesign

Eloquence Speech Synthesizer Replaces ViaVoice

RealSpeak Solo Included

SAPI 5 Synthesizers Support

Use Different Voices for Different Things

New and Improved Freedom Import Printer

Microsoft Word 2007 Support

Split View

Cycle Between Views

Preferred View

Exact View Printing

Exact View Scrolling

Photocopy

Mouse Scroll Wheel

Re-recognize Pages

BuckScan Improvements

Document Highlighting

Appending a File

Comment Insertion

Go To Dialog

Braille Support Now Built-in

DAISY File Support

Audio File Support Now Built-in

Book Search Improvements

Illegal Character Improvements

Wildcard Characters

Rewind Improvements

Say Selected Text

Browse Button

Increase Zoom and Decrease Zoom Keystrokes

Context Menu

No Empty View in OpenBook Window

Help

Enhancements in OpenBook 8 Update 4 (November 2009)

Enhancements in OpenBook 8 Update 3 (April 2009)

Enhancements in OpenBook 8 Update 2 (November 2008)

Enhancements in OpenBook 8 Update 1 (April 2008)

OpenBook Updater

40-hour Demonstration Version of OpenBook

What's New in JAWS 11

JAWS 11 Features

Research It

Research It Examples

JAWS 11 Program DVD

FSReader 2.0

Word Index

Focus 40 Blue Braille Display Support

PlaceMarker Enhancements

Filter Duplicate Links

Speaking Number Strings as Single Digits

Show Word Comments, Footnotes, Endnotes, or Revisions in Virtual Viewer

Multiple Sound Card Support

JAWS Tandem Sounds

Outlook Message List Customization