Oct-18-2012
Disclaimer The following message includes information regarding Window-Eyes 8.0 Beta 1. Please note that Window-Eyes 8.0 Beta 1 HAS NOT been released at this time. We are, however, providing you with some small glimpses into the features that Window-Eyes 8.0 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 Guess What series, which will continue up to the beta release date. 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 highly anticipated release of Window-Eyes 8.0 Beta 1. We'll be covering a new feature in Window-Eyes 8.0 Beta 1 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. Today's "Guess What?" will cover some major new features in Window-Eyes including enhanced support for Microsoft Outlook, Remote Assistance, enhanced support for Windows that enables Window-Eyes to unmute your system, and the Insert Key Layout that is now built-in to Window-Eyes. Outlook Enhancements Window-Eyes 8.0 Beta 1 offers a new feature in Outlook regarding HTML messages. HTML messages are emails that are difficult or impossible to read in Outlook 2007 and Outlook 2010 because they are designed more like web pages than an email. Since Outlook 2007 and 2010 use Microsoft Word to read emails, it makes it very difficult to read HTML emails. In current versions of Window-Eyes, you press Alt-0 to open the email in a web browser. While functional, this means you have to move between two programs to read the email. With Window-Eyes 8.0 Beta 1, you can read HTML messages from within Outlook without the need to open your web browser. If you want to read HTML emails from within Outlook, you will need to turn on Message Virtualization before opening Outlook. This only needs to be done once unless you wish to turn off this feature in the future. To turn on Message Virtualization, perform the following steps: 1. Press Control-Backslash to open the Window-Eyes Control Panel 2. Press Alt-A to open the Apps menu 3. Press O to navigate to Outlook Enhance 4. Down Arrow to Add-in Settings 5. Press Enter 6. You will be on Enable Message Virtualization 7. Press Enter Now, we are ready to open Outlook. I have a message from Gander Mountain that is an HTML email on this computer. We will navigate to it and then open the message. Normally, I would have to open this message in a web browser to make it possible to read. But, with the new Message Virtualization, I can begin reading the email in Outlook and navigate through it just like a web page. This is all thanks to the power of Window-Eyes 8.0 Beta 1! The power continues using the new Message Virtualization by giving you even more control over headers. In a virtualized message, you can press Alt-1 and other header hotkeys to read the header. As you already know, you can press the hotkeys a second time to focus the header. Once you have focused the header, you can now use the Left and Right Arrow keys to navigate a character at a time in a virtualized message. Yet another new exciting feature of Window-Eyes 8.0 Beta 1! Remote Assistance Enhancements Window-Eyes 8.0 Beta 1 introduces an updated version of the very popular built-in Window-Eyes Remote Assistance. The updated version includes a modern client that enables you to copy and paste text between computers as well as transfer files between computers. To transfer a file from the machine receiving help to the helper, open the Send File option from the File menu, select the file to be downloaded, and click the Open button. Similarly, to send a file from the helper's machine to the person receiving help, open the Helper menu and select Send File. As above, select the file to upload, click Open, and the file will be sent. Since all file transfers are handled on the machine receiving help, simply use its client to initiate transfers in either direction. You do not need to exit the session to transfer files. Note that only one file can be transferred at a time. Window-Eyes Remote Assistance allows you to connect to XP, Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8. Due to restrictions in Windows 8, it is not possible to connect a Windows XP machine to a machine running Windows 8. Window-Eyes 8.0 Beta 1 retains the ability to connect XP to other operating systems (excluding Windows 8). It also retains the ability to connect machines running Window-Eyes 7.5.2 or later. More information on Remote Assistance and how it works will be included when Window-Eyes 8.0 Beta 1 is released. As soon as it is released, you will get to try out all of these exciting new features! Windows Enhancements Undoubtedly, almost everyone who uses a screen reader has been plagued with a sighted person muting the computer so they did not have to hear speech. This requires someone with sight to be able to unmute the computer. With Window-Eyes 8.0 Beta 1, this is no longer a problem. When Window-Eyes starts, it will automatically unmute the master volume if it is muted. This means that you no longer have to worry about anyone muting your computer! You have likely also experienced sighted users turning the volume all the way to zero instead of just muting the computer. Window-Eyes 8.0 Beta 1 even solves this problem. When Window-Eyes 8.0 Beta 1 starts, if the volume is set to zero, it will automatically be set to fifty percent. You can also toggle this option on or off in the Window-Eyes Control Panel in Startup Options under General in the Settings tree view just in case there are times when you do need to leave your computer muted when Window-Eyes starts. Furthermore, if you are using Window-Eyes 8.0 Beta 1 and someone mutes your computer, you can now unmute the sound without restarting Window-Eyes. Simply press Insert-M and your sound will unmute! This means that whether someone has muted your computer or turned the volume all of the way down, Window-Eyes 8.0 Beta 1 will take care of these problems for you making your computing experience as easy as possible. Insert Key Layout Earlier this year, GW Micro released the Insert Key Layout. This layout was designed to provide a familiar set of key commands for people using other screen readers. While this app has been available for several months, it is now included in Window-Eyes 8.0 Beta 1. It includes both a desktop and laptop layout. You can select it using the Quick Start Wizard or you can enable it at any time from the App menu or by pressing Control-Shift-0. Once the Insert Key Layout is enabled, here are some of the keystrokes that you can use that you may be familiar with: 1. Insert-F7 lists links while on a web page 2. B will take you to the next button on a web page 3. Numpad-Plus/Minus to change cursors 4. Insert-F12 will say the time and twice will say the date These are just a few examples of some of the hotkeys you can use with the Insert Key Layout. If you have been thinking about switching to Window-Eyes because of our support for Windows 8, JAVA, Safe Mode, enhanced Outlook support, Remote Assistance, Windows enhancements, or any other number of reasons, then different keyboard commands need no longer worry you. You can easily install the Insert Keyboard Layout now with the current version of Window-Eyes or try it out for yourself when it is built-in to Window-Eyes 8.0 Beta 1! These exciting features are just a few of what we have in store for you. As you can see, Window-Eyes continues to lead the pack in innovation! We hope today's "Guess What?" has given you a glimpse into the power of Window-Eyes 8.0 Beta 1, and its innovative new support for JAVA and Safe Mode. Stay tuned for tomorrow's "Guess What?" to learn more about Window-Eyes 8.0 Beta 1! Raymond Bishop, NV9B Philippians 4:6-7 **** Be kind to your email friends. If you forward this, please remove all previous addresses before you send it on and use the BCC area when forwarding to several friends. ****
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