SAO MAI ACCESSTECH ISSUE 54

Opening message

Welcome to Sao Mai accessTech issue 54 - March, 2018!
Beside the news about technology for the blind, the articles section introduces on how to use Sao Mai Typing Tutor - new program produced by Sao Mai center, Part IV of Settings for safe and optimal Windows, new feature of NVDA 2018.1. the tips section introduces how to get an old version of NvDA. The app introduce are applications on Windows.

News section

1. Talkback 6.1 released

Talkback 6.1 released on Jan 24, 2018 with many new features and improvement, such as the option to select language for current speech synthesizer via context menu, gestures for native apps, new features for Android 8.0, improve of surfing web using Chrome. read about new features at: http://bit.ly/2Fce2Yq

2. Updated Windows 10 guide by David Bailes

David Bailes has updated his guides for the File Explorer, and the Taskbar on Windows 10 Fall Creators Update at: http://bit.ly/2Eb8fFr | http://bit.ly/2DZQaa0.

3. Be My Eyes and Moovid has been collaborated to help the visually impaired to catch a bus

Be my eyes is an application that support blind's daily activities through video call. Check out the news about collaboration of Be my Eyes and Moovid at http://bit.ly/2ErhYI9.

4. Completed the Welcome to NVDA 2018 material

Joseph Lee has completed the tutorial named Welcome to NVDA 2018 at http://bit.ly/2GzTvyr. You can also download all of this at zip file at: http://bit.ly/2BHy8rv or get Daisy book at http://bit.ly/2ExlgcO.

5. Free tool to check epub accessibility

Ace by DAISY, equips the publishing industry with a tool which can test their eBooks against internationally recognized standards for accessibility. This open source tool is designed to be flexible, and customized into publication development workflows, helping to achieve the shared goal of ensuring that people with disabilities have equal access to publications. More information at http://bit.ly/2EdMaWR.

6. Mozilla has released Firefox 58

Mozilla Firefox has released version 58 on Jan 23, 2018. This new version works on Jaws 2018, NVDA, and Narrator. According to members on a Technology forum, this works best with NvDA. This version has improvement of surfing web speed but does not support webvisum. People who want to use this add-on should be install Firefox ESR. Download Firefox 58 at https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new.

7. Tips for iPhone

Blind iPhone users can take a look at these tips to use the device more effectively: http://bit.ly/2GdXyjX.

8. Increase Facebook accessibility

Facebook recently added new feature to its accessibility toolbar, which helps users quickly navigate different sections/landmarks on the page. Press Alt+/ for PC and Option+/ for MAC to use this feature. Note, screen reading users might need to turn off virtual buffer mode in order to have the keystroke work. This feature is not only useful for assistive technology users but also for those who often use keyboard shortcuts: http://bit.ly/2BfSnj4.

9. Google has dedicated disability support team

On the 25th of January, Google just announced the launch of their first dedicated disability support team, which will answer any accessibility related support requests for Google products. Users can send email to the team at: disability-support-external@google.com. Currently, they only support English, available from 08:00 to 05:00 Pm (PST) from Monday to Friday.

10. Video from NvAccess about how NvDA affected blind all over the world

Take a look at how the #NVDA screen reading software is empowering blind people all over the world: http://bit.ly/2BVBZ4b.

11. Release Sao Mai Typing Tutor

Later on Feb, 2018, Sao Mai center has released the program for practicing keyboard named Sao Mai Typing Tutor (SMTT). This program run based on Windows with the main features are to be familiar with the keyboard in many level: practice typing character, word, or sentence... The highlight of this program is to allow user to build their lessons. This would bring the high efficiency of studying computer. Takes a look at: http://saomaicenter.org/en/news/technology/sao-mai-typing-tutor-now-released

12. Tool to convert Vietnamese text to Unicode

Now the visually impaired in Vietnam can use an online tool named Vietuni at https://tools.jcisio.com to convert from an unknown encoding to Unicode and read it with Sao Mai VN Voice (a speech engine developed by Sao Mai Center). All you need to do is to access the link above, copy the text to want to convert, paste it into the input box, then activate the detect encoding button and get back to the input box to enjoy reading your text. This information has shared by our contributor Le Van Mai.

Articles section

Guide to use Sao Mai Typing Tutor

This would give more information about Sao Mai Typing Tutor.

Settings for safe and optimal Windows (Part IV)

Part IV talks about how to startup faster

What's new in NVDA 2018.1

New features in NVDA 2018.1, released March, 2018.

Tips section

Get old versions of NvDA

How to get old versions of NvDA.

App introduces

From the Access Tech issue 50, we release a new section called App Introduce. 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:

1. AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard

Free tool to manage partition https://www.disk-partition.com/free-partition-manager.html

2. Google Drive

Store, and share data’s: https://www.google.com/drive/

3. Balabolka

Free text to speech, and convert text to audio: http://www.cross-plus-a.com/balabolka.htm

4. Amis

Application for reading Daisy book: http://www.daisy.org/amis/amis-daisy-2.02-daisy-3-playback-software

5. A.F.5 Rename your file

quickly rename multiple file: http://www.fauland.com/

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