SAO MAI ACCESSTECH ISSUE 56

Opening message

Welcome to Sao Mai AccessTech issue 56 - December, 2018!
Beside the news about technology for the blind, the article section introduces new features in NVDA 2018.3, NVDA 2018.4, Jaws 2019, and some useful tips for improving Google search experience. The tips section shares on how to automatically check for, download, and install updates for NVDA add-ons. The Useful apps section introduces application in Windows, and Android OS. This is the last issue in 2018, and we hope you enjoy it.

News section

1. Online Word to Markdown converter

Some people find MarkDown a handy format for composing in plain text and transferring Word and other documents across platforms. This is an online Word to MarkDown converter: https://word-to-markdown.herokuapp.com/

2. User guide for Narrator in Windows 10

Most platforms have their own screen reading software such as Voiceover for iOS, Talkback for Android and Narrator for Windows. However, as Windows has more better options so Microsoft seemed not much interested in adding/improving its Narrator. The strategy looks changing recently as Narrator has been improved and added many new features... Check its user guide link below: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/22798/windows-10-complete-guide-to-narrator

3. NVDA 2018.4 has been released

NVAccess has released NVDA 2018.4 in the middle of December, 2018. Highlights of this release include performance improvements in recent Mozilla Firefox versions, announcement of emojis with all synthesizers, reporting of replied/forwarded status in Outlook, reporting the distance of the cursor to the edge of a Microsoft Word page, and many bug fixes. Take a look at the article section for full list of changes in this version.

4. Sao Mai Braille 18.5 has been released

We are happy to announce the official release of SMB 18.5 with two main features and one minor change: - Input math equations and translate into Braille. - Edit simple images and convert into Braille tactile graphics. - Using Nullsoft instead of Inno Setup to create the setup file so AVG would no longer give error during the installation process.

Check on Sao Mai Braille main page for more information.

5. Improvement for Spell checking in iOS 12.1

Spell checking has improved with Voice Over in iOS 12.1. Take a look at: https://kevinrenatojones.wordpress.com/2018/11/06/a-much-improved-way-to-spell-check-documents-using-voiceover-on-ios-beginning-with-ios-12-1/

6. Release Burmese (Myanmar) Sapi 5 text to speech

Sao Mai is happy to announce the official release of the first SAPI-compliant text-to-speech engine for Burmese language (Myanmar)!!!
Burmese Text-To-Speech Engine project was built and has been coordinated by the Sao Mai Center for the Blind, with the implementing collaboration of the NHM Team and the Myanmar Assistive Technology Research and Development Center. The project is sponsored by The International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI), the Overbrook-Nippon Network of Educational Technology (ON-NET) and The Nippon Foundation (TNF). Read more at: http://saomaicenter.org/en/smsoft/burmesetts

7. NVDA add-ons has been translated into Vietnamese

Mr. Dang Manh Cuong (Sao Mai tech team) has contributed to Vietnamese NVDA community by joining the Vietnamese NVDA translation team, and wrote a blog that collect, and update NVDA add-ons that Translated into Vietnamese by him, or other contributor on Vietnamese NVDA website. Take a look (Vietnamese) at http://nvda.vn/cac-add-on-da-duoc-viet-hoa/

Article section

What's New in JAWS 2019

New features in Jaws 2019, released later in October, 2018.

What's New in NVDA 2018.4

New features and improvement in NVDA 2018.4, released December, 2018.

What's new in NVDA 2018.3

New features and improvement in NVDA 2018.3, released September, 2018.

14 Hacks to Improve Your Google Searche

Tips to improve your experience of using Google search.

Tips section

Automatically check, and update NVDA add-ons

Useful tip for checking, and install NVDA add-on automatically.

Useful apps section

Welcome to the useful apps section. This is not for usage guide, not for sharing application or programs, but introduce programs, or apps on the popular operating system, accessible to screen reader user, found by THE Sao Mai Technology team, or given by audience. By the goal of sharing valuable programs or apps for working, studying, entertainment… we wish this would be a useful section, and wish that you would contribute us the tutorials for programs or apps shared on our magazine. This issue will be focused in application on Windows, and Android OS:

Windows

  1. Microsoft One drive: store, and share files, also available on Android, and iOS: https://onedrive.live.com/about/en-sg/download/.
  2. Jane: free, accessible text editor: http://github.com/qtnc/jane
  3. Visual Studio Code: free, cross-platform, powerful source code editor, supports many popular program languages: https://code.visualstudio.com/
  4. OBS Studio: free and open source software for video recording and live streaming: https://obsproject.com/
  5. Pandoc: free tool to convert documents between many formats: https://pandoc.org/

android

  1. Blind Communicator: openSource launcher for blind people for using smartphones and tablets: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ar.com.lrusso.blindcommunicator
  2. Simple Notepad: free, accessible text editor: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mightyfrog.android.simplenotepad
  3. gboard: free keyboard app from Google, support touch, and voice input: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.inputmethod.latin
  4. Automatic Call Recorder: pay software for recording calls automatically: https://apk.support/app/com.tohsoft.callrecorder
  5. Aqua Mail: free e-mail client, support many popular e-mail services, such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.kman.AquaMail&hl=en

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