Guess What? - Window-Eyes 6.0 Beta 1 with New Hot Keys and Enhanced Braille Support
Oct-15-2006Disclaimer
The following message includes information regarding Window-Eyes 6.0 Beta 1. Please note that Window-Eyes 6.0 Beta 1 HAS NOT been released at this time. We are, however, providing you with some small glimpses into the features that Window-Eyes 6.0 Beta 1 will contain. We are currently not answering any questions regarding the functionality of the beta. The only things we're going to talk about will be what we have included in our new Guess What series, which will continue daily up to the beta release date, October 16, 2006. We will answer all questions at that time. Please be patient; you will be rewarded.
If you're subscribed to the GW Micro or Guess What podcast feed, you'll automatically receive this Guess What in MP3 format. Check out www.gwmicro.com/podcast for more information. If you want to download the MP3, read this article online, or view more Guess What articles (when they are released), please visit www.gwmicro.com/beta.
Enjoy!
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Welcome to GW Micro's "Guess What?" series, an introductory look at the upcoming release of Window-Eyes 6.0 Beta 1.
We’ll be covering a new feature in Window-Eyes 6.0 Beta 1 every day until its release, so stop by our web site daily (www.gwmicro.com/beta) to make sure you don't miss any of the exciting new features.
What upgrade would be complete without a few new hot keys to make your computing experience easier? Window-Eyes 6.0 Beta 1 introduces five new hot keys, two of which you’ve heard about, and three brand new ones. Let’s start with the two that you already know:
1. The Window-Eyes Outlook Calendar – INS-C. This hot key allows you to bring up the Window-Eyes Outlook Calendar dialog any time that Outlook is running.
<Window-Eyes Speech>
2. Key Describer – INS-1. This hot key engages the Window-Eyes Key describer so that you can explore the keyboard at your own pace, learning Window-Eyes and application key strokes along the way.
<Window-Eyes Speech>
Now let’s examine three new keys that Window-Eyes 6.0 beta 1 introduces:
1. Toggle All Voices (global) – Undefined by default – This hot key can be used to toggle all Window-Eyes speech off globally, regardless of what application you’re in when you press the hot key. Speech will stay off until you press the hot key again, or until you restart Window-Eyes. This feature allows Braille users to disable speech with a single Braille hot key.
2. Shutdown Window-Eyes – CTRL-INS-F4 – This hot key will prompt you to close Window-Eyes, just like pressing CTRL-BACKSLASH/ALT-F4, but with a single key stroke.
<Window-Eyes Speech>
3. Battery Level – INS-Q. This hot key provides a great way to find out how much battery life is left on portable computers, like the Small-Talk Ultra for example.
Since I don’t have a battery on this particular machine, Window-Eyes will tell me so when I press the Battery Level hot key.
<Window-Eyes Speech>
Like the majority of all Window-Eyes hot keys, each of these new keys is completely user definable.
The last major enhancement that we want to peak your interest about in this Guess What series deals with Braille.
The first Braille enhancement can be heard in the Braille hot keys dialog. I have the Braille Sense set as my Braille display, and I’m going to arrow down through a few of the Braille Sense Braille hot keys.
<Window-Eyes Speech>
As you can hear, Window-Eyes now tells you the Braille key, and at least the first action associated with it. For keys with multiple actions, Window-Eyes will list the first action, and then use the phrase “multiple actions.”
Another great thing about Braille hot keys in Window-Eyes 6.0 Beta 1 is that they can be either application specific, global, or both. The Window-Eyes Braille hot key dialog contains two radio buttons that let you switch between the application specific and global settings.
<Window-Eyes Speech>
When you select the All Applications radio button, Window-Eyes will allow defined hot keys to work in all applications. When you select the Current Application Only radio button, Window-Eyes will treat hot keys as application specific, meaning that the Braille hot keys will be restricted to the application where they are defined. The hot keys list box will also update automatically to reflect the selected radio button. You can define hot keys for either or both groups in the Braille hot keys dialog, and when you accept the OK button, all settings are saved automatically.
The global and application specific settings for Braille aren’t just limited to hot keys in Window-Eyes 6.0 beta 1. In fact, all options in the Braille Scrolling Options dialog, all options in the Braille Options dialog, and all Braille graphics, verbosity, and graphic symbols can be saved per application with Window-Eyes 6.0 beta 1 giving you the power to tailor Braille settings exactly how you want them in exactly what applications you choose.
Two other features enable more detailed control over Window-Eyes Braille support. The general menu includes an option titled Braille that allows you to toggle Braille output on and off, a useful feature for applications that provide their own Braille support. You can also toggle speech on or off globally, giving Braille users the power to control voice output. Even when the voice is off, however, Braille continues to function just like speech was still running, ensuring that every Braille feature continues to function just as reliably as speech.
The Braille Scrolling Options dialog contains a new option called “Indicate Line Change.” Previously, the beep to indicate a line change was always enabled; now you can turn the beep off. With this option enabled, if you pan left or right and consequently navigate to a new line, a beep will sound.
Window-Eyes 6.0 beta 1 now indicates when the mouse and cursor exist at the same point by keeping dot 7 raised, and blinking dot 8. Although still a user definable setting, this hybrid raised/blinking set of dots provides you with clear feedback when the mouse and the cursor reside in the same position.
Finally, the Auto Route Cursor feature is now enabled in Window-Eyes 6.0 beta 1, meaning that as you scroll, the cursor will move with you rather than the mouse pointer. This means you now have the ability to navigate through an entire document and not just the text that’s on the screen (as is the case when tracking with the mouse pointer). The Previous and Next line hot keys, as well as scrolling to the right, will place the cursor at the beginning of a new line, while scrolling to the left will place the cursor at the end of a new line. The Auto Route Cursor option can be accessed from the Scrolling Options dialog in the Braille menu of the Window-Eyes voice control panel, or can be assigned to a Braille hot key.
Window-Eyes Braille support continues to mature thanks to constant feedback and testing by our dedicated Braille users. We truly feel that Window-Eyes 6.0 beta 1 raises the bar for Braille display support by providing several new Braille features.
We have covered a lot of information in this Guess What? Series, and have provided you with a glimpse into the power of Window-Eyes 6.0 Beta 1, and several of the new features designed to benefit beginner users, advanced users, and everyone in between. From stellar PowerPoint support, to revolutionary Outlook Calendar support, to Set File Management, new Application Help, a host of new keyboard features, enhanced Braille support, and more, Window-Eyes 6.0 is quickly becoming the only tool you need to succeed.
We still have a few more items that make Window-Eyes 6.0 an even more well rounded, well worth it upgrade, including some additional features, and a solid collection of bug fixes. Stay tuned for tomorrow's "Guess What?" to learn more about pricing and availability of Window-Eyes 6.0, where to download the highly anticipated Window-Eyes 6.0 beta 1, as well as an exciting promotion to help those of you in the Windows 9X world move up to Windows XP.
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