Features release 4.4, latest version 4.4.0, 26 June 2016
If you are a new user of SpeakOn MediaSuite you can skip this page as all new features have been incorporated into the documentation.
New in this version: Alphanumeric input - text entry in SpeakOn for touch devices using any combination of Key tables and UEB Braille Grade 1 and 2 with optional use of AutoComplete and SpellCheck.
The 'Alphanumeric input' feature's goal is primarily to enable efficient typing in SpeakOn with TouchScreen devices that do not contain a Standard keyboard. This is achieved using a novel approach by combining Key tables, Braille, SpellCheck and AutoComplete, all operated with a limited number of keys or gestures.
The 'Alphanumeric input' feature is described in the
Alphanumeric input section of the tutorial
This version marks ten years since SpeakOn's first release on the 26th of June 2006
New features in this version include a Sleep timer, Battery monitoring and context sensitive access to the manual. There are also various improvements and bug fixes.
You can set up a Sleep timer for a specific timed period. At any time you can monitor the timer's progress or set it again. When the timed period ends, if the Player is playing any media, it is stopped and depending on the settings, the device is set to sleep mode. You can wake up your device in the usual way by pressing a key or button.
The Sleep timer can be set and monitor as follows:
Standard keyboard:
# Clock [Shift + F12]
NumPad: Timer (F: Clock > Right 6)
TouchScreen and TouchPad:
Timer {swipe down > up}
The Clock function can be used also:
Timer {F: Clock > Right}
Battery monitoring is provided both automatically and on-demand. Battery information includes AC Power On, charging, percentage capacity and time remaining. Automatic monitoring of the battery charge is conducted in the background continuously. You are notified if the charge drops below a certain level. With on-demand monitoring, you can find the battery information at any time.
The battery information can be found as follows:
Standard keyboard: Battery [Ctrl + Shift + b]
NumPad:
Battery (F: Info > Focus 3)
TouchScreen and TouchPad:
Battery {swipe down > left > down}
The Info function can be used also:
Battery {F: Info > Focus}
The online SpeakOn MediaSuite manual provides a comprehensive tutorial and reference information. From this version, the Help context menu [F1] provides context sensitive access to this manual via a sub-menu which contains direct links to relevant sections of the manual.
Search for Podcast feeds from a large database is now available. Search for episodes within a feed now includes episode descriptions.
Press [Ctrl +F] or [F3] keys to bring the Find task. When the focus is on the Library, search for podcast feeds is conducted. When the focus is on the Player, search for episodes within a feed is conducted.
Podcast context sensitive information is available using the following keys:
When the focus is on either the Favourites or the Temporary sub-directories in the Library:
Info [F2] (F: Info > Up 8) - podcast name, author, genre and ratings
(The information available depends on the podcast source.)
When the focus is on the Player:
Info [F2] (F: Info > Up 8) - podcast name, author, genre, ratings and podcast general description
(The information available depends on the podcast source.)
# Info [Shift + F2] (F: Info > Right 6) - podcast episode description
(The information available depends on the podcast source.)
* Info [Ctrl + F2] (F: Info > Left 4) - podcast episode timing and length information
*# Info [Ctrl + Shift + F2] (F: Info > Down 2) - podcast episode format information
For most podcasts, the podcast's website page can be accessed from the Main menu:
Website > Podcast website page
This launches the default internet browser with the relevant page.
Podcast Export and Import is available from the File sub-menu.
Until this version, the Archive, 'Current Reading' and 'Publications Converted' directories were associated only with default folders. From this version a user can specify alternative folders on the computer to be associated with these three directories.
The facility for the user to associate a directory with a folder on the computer's file system has been extended to all relevant media. This folder can be a folder on the computer's hard drive, or a folder that appears on the computer as part of a device connected to it; for example, a USB device such an external player. This folder can also be a folder on the computer which represents a Cloud storage service such as OneDrive or DropBox thus enabling the user to share SpeakOn's media with other computers and devices.
Support for the 'hls' audio streaming format in the Tunein radio media task.
Following changes at RNIB, there has been a rebranding of NTNM as RNIB Newsagent eText and Audio media tasks.
Support is provided for the new and improved XL Radio and Television guides. The user can define the channels of interest so only these appear when reading the guides in SpeakOn. These filtered publications can also be converted to HTML, ready to be transferred to external devices.
Newspaper cleaning has been improved and navigation speech in highly structured magazines is less intrusive.
Navigation bugs in publications have been fixed.
After the last media task is used, the media task item moves to the top of the Manager's list. This means that the Media tasks used more often tend to be close to the top of the list making them easier to start. This feature, together with the fact that user can remove any plug-ins they don't need, has made the 'Changing media order and visibility settings' task redundant and therefore it has been removed.
Audio is muted automatically when the time or date is spoken.
Beep now emits the Windows OS exclaim sound.
Common bug fixes:
Minor problems with menu sequence announcements have been fixed.
A problem with the update task not appearing in order during quick operation has been fixed.
New action:
Content - Repeat last message content and spell it if no longer than 20 characters.
This content usually includes a Control or media information.
Some keys / gestures are new and some have been modified from the previous version.
Standard keyboard interaction:
Content [Ctrl + Shift + n] - new
Common to NumPad TouchScreen and TouchPad interaction
Custom function was added to the function list
After a function group has been used, it moves to the top of the function list. This means that the functions used more often tend to be close to the top of the list making them easier to reach.
NumPad interaction:
Favourites (8 long) - modified
Help (1 long) - modified
Content (9 long) - new
TouchPad and TouchScreen interaction:
'Where am I?' {swipe down > right > up} - modified
Escape {swipe left > right} - modified
Help {swipe left > down} - modified
Content {swipe up > right > down} - new
Time {swipe left > down > left} - new
This version introduces support for a TouchScreen and a TouchPad. Numerical keypad (NumPad) interaction has been revised and utilizes 9 keys instead of 15 in the older version. The Standard keyboard interaction is exactly as before with minor improvements. The TouchScreen, TouchPad and NumPad operation share the same principles and keys layout. Function and modifier actions are the same across all interactions. Invoking functions and modifiers is handled in a similar way on the NumPad, TouchScreen and TouchPad but differs from invoking functions and modifiers on the Standard keyboard.
This version is fully compatible with Java 8.
To start to learn how to use the TouchScreen read the
'Getting started using the TouchScreen'
For a complete reference including comparison with the Standard keyboard and the NumPad read
'TouchScreen interaction - features and use'
To start to learn how to use the TouchPad read the
'Getting started using the TouchPad'
For a complete reference including comparison with the Standard keyboard and the NumPad read
'TouchPad interaction - features and use'
To start to learn how to use the NumPad read the
'Getting started using the Numerical keypad'
For a complete reference including comparison with the Standard keyboard read
'Numerical keypad interaction - features and use'
A minor improvement is the ability to go directly to your favourites using the same key in the Manager or any media task. To do this press:
Nav [F4]
To start to learn how to use the Standard keyboard read the
'Getting started using the Standard keyboard'
For a complete reference read
'Standard keyboard interaction - features and use'
This version stores itself in the following location:
SpeakOn installation:
32-bit:
C:\Program Files\SpeakOn-MediaSuite
64-bit:
C:\Program Files (x86)\SpeakOn-MediaSuite
User settings:
Windows Vista Seven and Eight
C:\users\yourusername\AppData\Roaming\SpeakOn\MediaSuite
Windows XP
C:\Documents and Settings\yourusername\Application Data\SpeakOn\MediaSuite
User media:
Windows Vista Seven and Eight
C:\users\yourusername\My_SpeakOn_Media
Windows XP
C:\yourusername\My_SpeakOn_Media
(This probably is the only folder you will want to look at and work with from time to time)
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