[nfb-talk] Fw: Guess What? - Window-Eyes 6.0 Beta 1 with New Hot Keys and Enhanced Braille Support

[Christopher McMillan]

Guess What? - Window-Eyes 6.0 Beta 1 with New Hot Keys and Enhanced Braille 
Support----- Original Message ----- 
From: gw-news at gwmicro.com
To: gw-news at gwmicro.com
Sent: Sunday, October 15, 2006 1:35 PM
Subject: Guess What? - Window-Eyes 6.0 Beta 1 with New Hot Keys and Enhanced 
Braille Support



Disclaimer

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!

--

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.