[gui-talk] Fwd: voiceover in snow leopard prepare to learn

Thu Jun 11 00:32:01 UTC 2009

The more I play with my Mac, the more I am enjoying it.  I started  
listening to your podcasts on BCT a while ago, and finally got a Mac  
mini.

Chris

On Jun 10, 2009, at 7:41 PM, Mike Arrigo wrote:

> Yes, quite a bit cheaper than what Microsoft charges for their  
> operating systems. And no product activation nonsense to deal with  
> either.
> On Jun 10, 2009, at 1:23 AM, albert griffith wrote:
>
>> I just read they'll be selling their operating system for $29  
>> beginning
>> sometime in the Fall.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: gui-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:gui-talk- 
>> bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf Of Steve Pattison
>> Sent: Tuesday, June 09, 2009 11:13 PM
>> To: Access L
>> Subject: [gui-talk] Fwd: voiceover in snow leopard prepare to learn
>>
>> From: David Poehlman <david.poehlman at handsontechnologeyes.com>
>>
>> All;
>>
>> I know it's not coming till September and someof you have or will
>> read apple.com/accessibility and the info is "subject to change".
>> Here below though is some info that may give some a jump start on
>> what is coming and how it will work.  I'll be posting more info when
>> I find it available and relay it from personal experience and
>> encourage others to do the same.
>>
>> ---begin guide:---
>>
>> Every Mac comes standard with a wide range of assistive technologies
>> that help people with disabilities experience what the Mac has to
>> offer. We call this Universal Access, and it includes many features
>> you won't find in other operating systems at any price. In Mac OS X,
>> they're built right in. And now, the innovations in Snow Leopard
>> advance accessibility even further.
>>
>> VoiceOver screen-reading built in.
>> Mac OS X is the first operating system to include as a standard
>> feature an advanced screen-reading technology, which is called
>> VoiceOver. Much more than simply a text-to-speech tool, VoiceOver
>> makes it possible for those who are blind or have low vision to
>> control their computer. It features a unique voice - based on speech
>> technology invented by Apple - that delivers amazing intelligibility
>> and natural intonation even at speaking rates up to 700 words per
>> minute. And with Snow Leopard, VoiceOver gets more powerful and
>> easier to use.
>>
>> Now the trackpad is the screen.
>>
>> VoiceOver in Mac OS X Snow Leopard offers a breakthrough new
>> capability: You can control your computer using gestures on a Multi-
>> Touch trackpad even if you can't see the screen. The trackpad
>> surface on your Mac notebook represents the active window on your
>> computer, so you can touch to hear the item under your finger, drag
>> to hear items continuously as you move your finger, and flick with
>> one finger to move to the next or previous item. You'll hear how
>> items are arranged on the screen, and you can jump directly to an
>> item just by touching the corresponding location on the trackpad.
>> For example, you can drag your finger around the trackpad to learn
>> how items are arranged in a web page, a spreadsheet, a presentation,
>> or any document with text. The more you touch, the more information
>> you gather.
>>
>> More braille support,
>> greater collaboration.
>> The Mac is the only computer that supports braille displays right
>> out of the box. Snow Leopard broadens this built-in support by
>> including the latest drivers for over 40 models, including wireless
>> Bluetooth displays. Just connect one and start using it - no
>> additional software installation necessary.
>>
>> Snow Leopard also introduces a new feature, called braille
>> mirroring, that enables multiple USB braille displays to be
>> connected to one computer simultaneously. It's perfect for classroom
>> settings, where teachers can lead all of their students through the
>> same lesson at the same time, even if the students are using
>> different display models.
>>
>> World-class web browsing.
>> VoiceOver in Snow Leopard offers new capabilities that make web
>> browsing easier, faster, and more enjoyable. VoiceOver has been
>> updated to take full advantage of powerful multicore processors, so
>> it can scan and analyze large, complex web pages quickly and allow
>> you to enter commands right away.
>>
>> VoiceOver will begin reading an entire web page automatically after
>> it loads, and you can use key commands or gestures to control
>> VoiceOver as it's talking. To help you more quickly size up web
>> pages you haven't visited before, VoiceOver can provide a
>> customizable web page summary, including the title, number of
>> tables, headers, links, form elements, and more.
>>
>> Snow Leopard fully supports HTML web tables without the need for a
>> forms or table mode. You navigate tables using the same commands you
>> already know. You can hear the contents of a table, including the
>> column title and column and row number, by dragging your finger
>> across the trackpad or using simple keystrokes.
>>
>> The rotor.
>> Instead of forcing you to memorize keyboard shortcuts to navigate
>> around the screen, VoiceOver offers a unique virtual control called
>> a rotor. When you turn it - by rotating two fingers on the trackpad
>> as if you were turning a dial - VoiceOver moves through text based
>> on a setting you choose. For example, after setting the rotor to
>> "Word" or "Character," each time you flick, VoiceOver moves through
>> the text one word at a time or one character at a time - perfect
>> when you're proofreading or editing text.
>>
>> You can also use the rotor to navigate web pages. When you're on a
>> web page, the rotor contains the names of common items, such as
>> headers, links, tables, images, and more. You select a setting, then
>> flick up or down to move to the previous or next occurrence of that
>> item on the page, skipping over items in between.
>>
>> Faster keyboard navigation.
>> A new feature called Quick Nav uses arrow key combinations to move
>> the VoiceOver cursor so you can control the computer using just one
>> hand without the need for modifer keys. For example, you can move
>> up, down, left, and right by pressing the arrow keys individually,
>> or press the up and down arrows together to press a button or click
>> a web link. Other combinations let you adjust the rotor and move the
>> VoiceOver cursor according to the setting. With Quick Nav, you'll be
>> navigating and reading documents and web pages in no time.
>>
>> Find information fast with auto web spots.
>> Many web pages are filled with complex design elements or lack
>> useful HTML tags, making them difficult to convey through a screen
>> reader. So Apple invented new technologies to comprehend and
>> interpret the visual design of web pages, then use the information
>> to assign virtual tags called "auto web spots" to mark important
>> locations on the page. If you're on a newspaper website, for
>> example, there might be an auto web spot for each lead story,
>> another for a box containing weather or sports scores, and so on.
>> You can jump from web spot to web spot with a keystroke or the flick
>> of a finger. And if there's a particular feature on a site you visit
>> often, you can assign a "sweet spot" on that page so that VoiceOver
>> will go there first when the page opens.
>>
>> Create custom labels.
>> Sometimes items in applications are not well labeled, so VoiceOver
>> can describe them only with vague terms like "blank," "empty," or
>> "button." If you know what the item is or have sighted assistance,
>> you can assign a custom label. The next time you visit the item,
>> VoiceOver will describe it using your label. You can add as many
>> labels as you like and export your labels to a file that can be
>> shared with other VoiceOver users.
>>
>> More customization options.
>> Now you have even more ways to customize VoiceOver. You can change
>> the way VoiceOver speaks punctuation, identifies changes in text
>> attributes, announces links, and more. Choose one of three standard
>> verbosity levels - high, medium, and low - or customize them by
>> adjusting 30 separate settings. You can also change the order in
>> which descriptions are spoken and how much description you hear.
>>
>> Snow Leopard also introduces VoiceOver Commanders, a new category in
>> VoiceOver Utility that lets you assign keys and gestures to open an
>> application, utility, or file; run an AppleScript or Automator
>> workflow; or perform a VoiceOver command. Commanders can help
>> thosewith physical and learning disabilities by simplifying complex
>> multikey shortcuts and making commands easier to reach and enter.
>> Choose the Numpad Commander, Keyboard Commander, or Trackpad
>> Commander and begin customizing VoiceOver to suit the way you work.
>>
>> Every Mac includes a built-in VoiceOver tutorial called Quick Start.
>> It's the fastest way to learn VoiceOver. Your Mac starts talking
>> soon after you turn it on and teaches you how to begin the Quick
>> Start tutorial. If someone sets up your computer for you, you'll get
>> an invitation to open Quick Start the first time you activate
>> VoiceOver. Quick Start teaches you the keys on the keyboard, basic
>> VoiceOver commands, and gestures, and it provides an environment
>> where you can learn at your own pace and practice your skills. It's
>> localized in 18 languages, including nine new ones, so when you add
>> voices to your Mac (sold separately), you can hear Quick Start in
>> your native language.
>>
>> All features of Snow Leopard are subject to change.
>>
>> Regards Steve
>> Email:  srp at internode.on.net
>> MSN Messenger:  internetuser383 at hotmail.com
>> Skype:  steve1963
>>
>>
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