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What's new in J-Say Pro Version 6.0

Introduction

This document lists the new features and significant enhancements which are now available within J-Say Pro version 6.0. At T&T Consultancy Ltd, we are extremely excited about the new improvements within this release of the product!

J-Say Pro 6.0 is known as a “compatibility release”. We have worked hard to ensure that this exciting voice input/output technology is compatible with the latest releases of the primary Access Technologies on which J-Say relies, together with the most recent versions of the Microsoft Windows operating system and Office suite. Although this has been challenging, in addition to ensuring complete compatibility with the above, we have included a number of new features detailed in this document.

Users of J-Say Pro Version 6 technology will be able to take advantage of a “Feature Pack”, to be released at the end of April 2008, which will provide even more flexibility and improvements to the product. The “Feature Pack” will be a free update to all J-Say Pro 6.0 users.

We are convinced that the responsiveness and stability of J-Say Pro when used within the Microsoft Windows Vista and Office 2007 environments is as good as can be found within previous releases, provided the specifications of the computer as detailed within the Installation Guide are met and that the Windows operating system and associated applications are customised in line with our recommendations.

Compatibility

J-Say Pro version 6.0 is directly compatible with the following technologies:

Access Technologies

• JAWS for Windows version 9.0 Build 519.

• Dragon NaturallySpeaking Professional version 9.5.

Mainstream Technologies

• Microsoft Windows XP – all releases.

• Microsoft Windows Vista – all releases.

• Microsoft Office 2003.

• Microsoft Office 2007.

Learning and Reference Materials

We have changed the way in which the DAISY recordings of the three books which comprise the J-Say Pro User Guide are produced. Rather than using synthetic speech to deliver the reading of the texts, due to customer requests the books are narrated using a human voice. Particularly when working through the J-Say Pro Learning Module, (a Training Guide for the technology), the human narrated DAISY book should make the topics much easier to understand!

In addition, the Learning Module has been revised to include reference to the new J-Say Pro 6 features and therefore provides a user with over four hours of learning material in DAISY format. In addition, the Command Summary includes all new voice commands and the Installation Guide gives instruction on customising the computer, mainstream and specialist software for use with J-Say, irrespective of the operating system or Microsoft Office suite being used.

New Features in J-Say Pro 6.0

J-Say Pro Configuration Wizard

The most significant change you will notice within J-Say Pro 6.0 is the new Configuration Wizard. The purpose of the Configuration Wizard is to enable J-Say users to manipulate many of the special functions within the product. Rather than being accommodated within the JAWS Virtual Viewer (which was the case with J-Say Pro version 5.0), the new Configuration Wizard is presented within a standard Windows Dialog Box. The contents of the “Configuration Wizard” are available on the computer screen. All options can be manipulated using voice input, keyboard or computer mouse. Full support for the J-Say “Where am I?” and “What Can I Do?” facilities exists within the Configuration Wizard and the help given is very context sensitive to a user’s location within the Wizard. The Configuration Wizard is launched from its own keyboard shortcut, via a voice command or from the JAWS Start-up Wizard which is new to users of version 9.0.

The Configuration Wizard contains 18 options. The first 10 of these can be enabled or disabled, while the remaining 8 activate further screens or carry out specific tasks. The options are presented in a vertical list.

Alongside each option can be found a Help Window. This is a Read Only Edit Field containing a brief description of the focused option together with the voice commands to manipulate it in the future without having to enter the Wizard.

Back-Up and Restore Utilities

We have extended the concept of the utilities which are in place to make a copy of the user’s Dragon NaturallySpeaking “speech files”.

The shortcuts to launch the utilities have been moved from the Windows Start Menu to the J-Say Configuration Wizard.

Users now have the option to back-up or restore speech files either from the local hard disk (Drive “C”) or from any mapped drive available to the computer. This could be a USB storage device or perhaps a network drive. When this latter function is activated, J-Say presents all the drives available to the computer in a convenient List Box together with their descriptions, such as “local hard disk C” or “CD-ROM drive D”. Simply choosing a drive will cause the back-up or restore function to commence relative to the selected drive.

Additional J-Say Configuration Wizard Options

The “My Words” facility for storing unfamiliar terminology which will be spoken and the tool to learn the Phonetic Alphabet can now be launched from the Configuration Wizard.

For further details concerning the Configuration Wizard, please refer to Chapter 13 of the J-Say Learning Module, where it is described in great detail including a complete list of options and controls.

Braille Mode

“Braille Mode” is for those people using a JAWS compatible Braille display.

Ordinarily, as users dictate text, the Braille display will show the newly dictated text together with a tactile representation of the cursor position. This is extremely useful in most situations since users can determine where the cursor is located to ensure they are dictating into the desired position within the document or Email message.

However, if Braille representation of what the software has understood is required then “Braille Mode” should be activated. When enabled, “Braille Mode” will display the contents of the Dragon NaturallySpeaking “Results Box”. This is an area of the screen which displays to the seeing individual what has been recognised by the Dragon software. For example, if a command has been dictated, and it has not been acted upon, it may be useful to examine the contents of this box to establish the words which have been recognised.

When enabled, “Braille Mode” shows the letters “RB” followed by a full-stop (period), then the text in the “Results Box”. If the contents of the “Results Box” cannot be accommodated fully on a Braille display line, the display can be scrolled to the right (known as “panning”) so as to reveal the remaining text. Pressing any one of the “Cursor Routing” buttons on the display at any time will dismiss the contents of the “Results Box” until a new phrase is dictated, whereupon the Braille display is refreshed so as to show the new text.

The Microsoft Office 2007 Ribbon Bar

The Ribbon Bar is a new feature belonging to Microsoft Office 2007. Its presence will be noticed within such applications as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and in some components of Microsoft Outlook.

Full support exists within J-Say Pro version 6 to navigate the “Ribbon Bar” and to gain excellent context sensitive help specific to the control which has focus. This command will also advise you what role the focused control plays in direct relation to Microsoft Office. For example, when focused upon a Button labelled “Copy”, J-Say will advise you that this Button is used to copy items or text to the windows clipboard.

Microsoft Outlook 2007 Calendar Support

J-Say Pro 6.0 provides a unique and specially designed interface to support the Microsoft Outlook 2007 calendar. JAWS for Windows keyboard users can benefit from a similar interface when using our J-Days product.

At T&T Consultancy Ltd, we have thought long and hard about the language and method used to present information concerning all day events and appointments and our approach is not so different to the experience visually impaired people will find when using popular specialist PDA devices.

In addition to allowing users to create appointments and all day events with the human voice, J-Say presents the following features within the calendar environment:

• When a day is selected, J-Say reports the day of the week and date, together with the number of appointments or events.

• If an all day event exists, users can hear the number of days over which the event spans, the start and end dates, or whether the selected day is the start or within an event.

• If a timed appointment exists, the start and end times are spoken together with confirmation of the number of minutes the appointment occupies.

• When an appointment has focus, J-Say delivers a wealth of information using easy-to-understand language, designed to deliver pertinent information concerning the item for rapid navigation or appointment searching. Such details include the appointment subject, the organiser (the person originally composing the appointment), notification of recurrences, whether the item contains explanatory notes and the appointment status (such as “busy” or “tentative”).

• For people wishing to browse through the appointment or event details more slowly, all information can be output to the JAWS Virtual Viewer. This enables line by line analysis or copying to the Windows Clipboard. Explanatory notes are contained within the Virtual Viewer with line breaks occurring as they are presented within the original note.

• “Where am I?” and “What Can I Do?” support provides step by step guidance on each appointment area for reviewing and completion. This includes Ribbon Bar items.

• J-Say calendar support is extremely responsive when used within Microsoft Outlook Exchange Server environments.

Playback Within the Correction box

It is possible that the Dragon NaturallySpeaking software has not understood the word or phrase being corrected for reasons of pronunciation. It may be helpful therefore to listen back to the way in which the word or phrase was pronounced so as to gain an appreciation of its quality in order that steps can be taken to pronounce it more distinctly the next time.

While focused within the “Correction Box” the command “Playback”
Can be spoken in order that a recorded segment of the user’s voice can be heard of the way in which the word or phrase was spoken. While this always has been a standard facility within Dragon NaturallySpeaking, previously the JAWS speech would interrupt the recording. This has now been corrected.

Automatic Installation of J-Say Authorisation File

As users of J-Say will be aware, it is necessary to install a special “Authorisation File” in order for J-Say to function, which is linked to your copy of JAWS for Windows via the JAWS for Windows serial number. Previously, this was located on a separate CD within an installer program.

The installation of the “Authorisation File” is now carried out at the point of installing the J-Say Pro 6.0 software. There is no separate CD and the process is automatic and extremely unintrusive. We believe anyone installing the J-say technology will therefore find the installation of J-say Pro much easier to do.

Upgrading from J-Say Pro Version 5 to Version 6

If you have previously used J-Say Pro version 5.0, JAWS for Windows 8.0 and Dragon NaturallySpeaking Professional version 9.1, please work through the below routine in order to:

• Install or modify JAWS for Windows version 9.0;

• Update Dragon NaturallySpeaking Professional to version 9.5;

• Install the J-Say Pro 6.0 software.

JAWS for Windows Considerations

Prior to installing the J-Say Pro application it is important to ensure that the correct version and build of the JAWS For Windows Screen Reader is installed on your machine, and that if JAWS has already been used on the machine which is to host J-Say Pro Technology the installation is taken back to the “Default” settings.

The version of JAWS For Windows which is to be used with this version of J-Say Pro (V6.0) is:
JAWS For Windows version 9.0
And the correct build is
build 519.

1. If JAWS For Windows version 9 has already been installed on the machine follow these steps To check to see what build is already installed, :

2. Press “Insert+J”, to navigate to the “JAWS” Window.

3. Press “ALT+H” to activate the “Help” menu item.

4. Navigate to the “About” Menu Item using the “Up/Down arrow” keys, and when this Menu Item is focused press the “Enter” Key.

5. Analysing the content of the resulting text will establish the currently installed version and build of JAWS For Windows. The “Insert+B” keystroke can be pressed to cause JAWS to read the contents of the Dialog Box.

6. Press “Escape” to exit the Dialog Box.

If the version and build number conforms to the above compatibility information, and no changes have been made to JAWS For Windows since it’s installation on the machine, no further action needs to be taken. However if any changes have been made since the JAWS For Windows software was installed, the settings will need to be returned to their defaults.
If a build of JAWS 9.0 later than 519 is installed on the computer, you will need to uninstall it first prior to installing build 519 unless you have been given advice to the contrary by your J-Say Pro supplier.

Installing JAWS for Windows For the First Time or Reverting to the Default Settings

Please work through the following sequence if JAWS for Windows build 519 has not been installed on the machine or needs to be returned to the default settings. Note, if you are not in possession of the build 519 file required, an Internet Connection will be needed in order to carry out this process !

1. Locate the file
   “J9.0.519U_ILM.exe”

2. If you do not already have this file it can be downloaded from JAWS 9.0 Build 519

3. Locate the file on your PC and press Enter to commence the JAWS Installation program.

4. What happens next will depend on whether or not JAWS has been previously installed on the machine.

5. If JAWS has not been installed before then the setup program will begin a fresh installation of JAWS. Please follow all on-screen instructions, choosing the “Typical” installation when the “Installation Selection” screen is displayed.

6. If however JAWS For Windows has been previously installed on the machine, you should choose the “Repair” option from the “Install Maintenance” selection screen.

7. If a Dialog Box appears during the “Repair” process notifying you that JAWS settings have been detected relative to your Windows User Profile, you should select the “Yes” Button which confirms that the settings should be removed from the computer.

8. At the end of the installation process you will be prompted to re-start the computer and you should comply with this request.

Uninstalling JAWS for Windows

This procedure should only be used if a build of JAWS later than 519 is installed onto your computer unless you have been given advice to the contrary by a J-Say Pro authorised distributor.

1. Locate the file originally used to install JAWS 9.0. This may be contained on a CD-ROM or you may have downloaded it from the Internet.

2. Once located, press “Enter” to commence the JAWS Installation program.

3. When prompted, choose the “Remove” option from the “Install Maintenance” selection screen.

4. If a Dialog Box appears during the “Uninstall” process notifying you that JAWS settings have been detected relative to your Windows User Profile, you should select the “Yes” Button which confirms that the settings should be removed from the computer.

5. Finally, you may be prompted to re-start the computer and if so you should comply with the request.

You should now go ahead and install JAWS 9.0 build 519 as described above.

JAWS Activation and Configuration

Once the computer has re-started following a JAWS installation, and when the Windows operating system is fully loaded, the JAWS “Start-Up Wizard” will appear. The JAWS “Start-Up Wizard” allows you to make personal changes to the way in which speech and Braille-based output is delivered. For example, the speech rate can be changed in order that JAWS can talk more slowly or quickly.

The JAWS “Start-Up Wizard” provides five screens for making changes. You must click the “Finish” Button on the fifth screen for any changes to take effect. Unlike when using previous releases of J-Say Pro, it is quite permissible and safe to make changes within the JAWS “Start-Up Wizard” at this time should you wish to do so prior to installing the J-Say Pro software. However, under no circumstances should any additional custom script files be installed to the computer (should you have any) until the J-Say Pro software has been installed. Failure to observe this requirement will result in J-Say Pro not being able to function.

Should you decide not to make any changes within the JAWS “Start-Up Wizard” at this time, these can be made once all the software is installed and configured. When the JAWS “Start-Up Wizard” appears, press the “Escape” key to dismiss it. It can always be brought into view once again by activating the “Help” menu item available from the JAWS application window, then select “Help” and “Start-Up Wizard”. The J-Say Pro “Learning Module” describes this process in detail.

Your JAWS version 9.0 software will need to be activated which is necessary for your J-Say Pro technology to be successfully authorised. From the JAWS application window you should select the “Help” menu item, followed by “Update Authorisation”. The prompts within this screen are automatically announced by the JAWS software and are self-explanatory.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking Professional 9.5 Installation

If Dragon NaturallySpeaking Professional version 9.1 is installed onto the host computer, the below steps should be followed in order to update to release 9.5. If version 9.5 is already installed then this section of the document can be ignored. Your speech Files (Voice Profile) will not be affected and all newly created J-Say commands will be imported into your Speech Files.

Arguably however, if Dragon NaturallySpeaking Professional version 9.1 is installed, superior results are obtained by uninstalling this software, installing version 9.5 and creating a new Voice Profile following the installation. This is the preferred method if possible and if time/resources allow. Should you adopt that approach you should ensure the computer is connected to the Internet prior to uninstalling dragon NaturallySpeaking Professional version 9.1 so that your activation can be returned to Nuance. You will need to reactivate the software once version 9.5 has been installed.

Ordinarily, Dragon NaturallySpeaking Professional is provided either on a DVD-ROM or a series of CD’s. Please note that if you do not possess CD’s or a DVD containing the Dragon NaturallySpeaking Professional 9.5 program, it can be downloaded from the J-Say page of the T&T Consultancy Ltd web site by visiting
www.tandt-consultancy.com
and activate the “J-say” link.

To install the Dragon NaturallySpeaking Professional application follow these steps.

1. Locate the Dragon NaturallySpeaking Professional DVD or the first CD and place it in your DVD or CD-ROM Drive, whichever is appropriate. Alternatively, please launch the file which has been downloaded from the Internet.

2. The CD or DVD will, under normal circumstances, Autorun and the Dragon NaturallySpeaking Professional Install Shield will commence.

3. If the installation does not start automatically log on to the CD-ROM or DVD Drive, locate the “Setup.exe” program and press “Enter”.

4. Now follow the on-screen instructions in order to install/update the software.

5. During the installation we recommend selecting all of the Default options, including the “Full” Installation.

If using CD-ROM media to install the program, during the installation you will be advised when to insert the remaining CD’s into the CD-ROM drive. The Dialog Box containing this information will present an “OK” Button in focus. Insert the next CD as requested and then press the “Space Bar” to activate the “OK” Button. The Dragon NaturallySpeaking Professional install program will automatically detect the presence of the new CD and will collect the necessary data from it in order to continue with the installation.

After the Dragon NaturallySpeaking Professional software installation has completed you should re-start your computer.

J-Say Pro Installation

Finally the J-Say Pro application needs to be installed.

The J-Say Pro application is (unless agreed otherwise when purchasing the product) located on a CD-ROM accompanying the J-Say Pro package. If for whatever reason J-Say Pro has been provided to you via alternative media, your J-Say Pro supplier will have provided you with specific installation instructions which you should follow as they willl differ from those set out below.

Locate the J-Say Pro CD-ROM and place it in your CD-ROM Drive. In addition to containing the J-Say Pro software program, the CD-ROM also contains your unique J-Say Pro Authorisation File. The Authorisation File is intricately linked to your copy of JAWS via the JAWS for Windows serial number. Unlike previous releases of J-Say Pro, it is not necessary to install this file separately.

1. The J-Say Pro software CD will under normal circumstances Autorun and the J-Say Pro Installer will launch.

2. If the installation does not start automatically log on to the CD Drive, locate the “J-Say-Installer.cmd” program and press “ENTER”.

3. The J-Say Pro Installer is fully accessible, so please simply follow the on-screen instructions which will be read out automatically by JAWS For Windows!

4. At the end of the installation process you will be informed that the computer will be re-started. It is crucial that this re-start occurs in order to successfully complete the J-Say Pro installation process.

When the computer is re-started following the installation of J-Say Pro version 6, and if you are using an inherited legacy Dragon NaturallySpeaking Professional version 9.1 Voice Profile, you should carry out the following steps to ensure that JAWS for Windows is optimized for use with J-Say technology. If a new Dragon naturallySpeaking Voice Profile is being created this procedure can be ignored.

1. Press “ALT+Control+Windows+W” (or if using the JAWS Laptop Keyboard Layout “Shift+Caps Lock+W”) to launch the J-Say Configuration Wizard.

2. Use the “Down Arrow” key until you reach the option entitled “Restore J-Say Default Settings”. JAWS announces “Restore J-Say Default Settings - Please press Space Bar or say Select Option to reset J-Say functions to their defaults”.

3. Press the “Space Bar”. JAWS and J-Say options have been modified in line with our recommendations and you are advised of this by the JAWS software.