Sao Mai AccessTech Issue 50

Opening message

Welcome to Sao Mai accessTech issue 50, September, 2017.

In this issue, beside the news about technology for the blind, such as the release of NVDA 2017.3, Jaws 2018 Public beta, we continue the topics about backing up and restoring system using Rollback 10.7, solution to fix apps can’t open in Windows 10. The tips section shares an experience about switching to the Basic HTML view in Gmail. This issue we introduce a new section called App introduces, which share useful program or application running on popular operating system.

 

News section

  1. In August, 2017, NVAccess has released NVDA 2017.3. Highlights of this release include input of contracted braille, support for new Windows OneCore voices available on Windows 10, in-built support for Windows 10 OCR, and many significant improvements regarding Braille and the web. People can download the latest version from here.

  2. Nguyen Van Dung, author launches NvDA add-on for switching between Vietnamese, and English synthesizer has been updated this add-on to make it work in NVDA 2017.3. People can download it here, or get the NvDA version that he’s customized, include some add-on that he found useful at http://bit.ly/2f3wTNP

  3. Joseph Lee – NvDA development group has been announced in the NvDA list that 2017.3 is the last version supports for out of date Windows version, such as Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7 without service pack 1. Read more at http://bit.ly/2xjApdJ

  4. On Sep 1, 2017, Sao Mai center has finished the computer training course of using internet, and the office 2016 suite. The course has six student who work and study in HCMC. This course offers the basic skill for interact with internet’s resources, and using Excel, Word, Power Point, three common programs in the Microsoft Office suite.

  5. In Sep 9, 2017, HCMC Talking Books Library has finished the basic computer training for blind people who are leaders, and members of Blind Associations in HCMC. This course supplies the basic skill for editing text, managing computer’s data, using internet, e-mail, and social network with computer and NVDA. Student have offered certificate, and a laptop without monitor as they accomplished this course. The next course starts on Sep 15, 2017, and about to finished on Dec 2017.

  6. Users now can stay in touch and read assistive tech news from Freedom Scientific via their new blog at http://blog.freedomscientific.com

  7. Jaws 2018 public beta's just been released. Read more at https://www.freedomscientific.com/Downloads/Jaws/JawsPublicBeta

David Bailes has announced in the Audacity4blind mailing list that this version does not make the latest Audacity crashes in Windows 10 Creators Update.

  1. People who interested of testing new feature of audacity can download, and try the 2.2.0 beta version of this program at http://bit.ly/2fm0BKS

This is the portable version so you just download, extract and use.

  1. From Sep 6 – Sep 10, 2017, Mr. Nguyen Huu Minh, a Sao Mai project-based programmer travveled to Yangon and worked with the Myanmar Association for the Blind. He met with the tech team of the association and Ms. Win Pa Pa, a Burmese linguistics expert to find solutions for existing issues to develop the Burmese speech engine. We expect to release the first version of SAPI-compliant speech engine for Burmese language in late November, 2017.

Articles section

What's new in NvDA 2017.3

Using Rollback 10.7 (Part II)

Continuing the rest of the topic about backing up and restoring system using Rollback 10.7

Tips section

App introduces section

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.

Windows

  1. QuentenC’s play room – the free online gaming for the blind with over 20 interested games: https://www.qcsalon.net/

  2. QTranslate: free online dictionaries and translation on Windows. User can interact with the program by their hotkeys: https://quest-app.appspot.com/

  3. Levelator: free program for compressing audio, useful for podcaster: http://www.conversationsnetwork.org/levelator

  4. TempoPerfect Metronome Software: free program from NCH Software for making tempo with metronome: http://www.nch.com.au/metronome/index.html

  5. Anyburn: free utility for burning CD/DVD, and ripping audio cd: Wave, MP3… http://www.anyburn.com/

Android

  1. Moovid: find bus and monitor when navigate on a bus: http://bit.ly/1iVEs3i

  2. Here we go: mabs and direction, can be used without internet connection: http://bit.ly/1yA2bsb

  3. Blindo: free app for getting, and sharing label for Talkback: http://bit.ly/2xolgb4

  4. Audex: free apps with custom sound for events such as click, tab, swife… Also add label for unlabeled button: http://bit.ly/2fm5RhN

  5. Speaking alarm clock: free clock app, which can be set alarm hourly, and more interested feature: http://bit.ly/2h5oAhD

 

End of Sao Mai AccessTech issue 50

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