@Freedom Scientific Newsletter




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January – February 2011

In This Issue

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Past Newsletters

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1-800-444-4443
or 727-803-8000
e-mail us about general issues
Contact Technical Support:
1-727-803-8600
Technical Support e-mail: Support at FreedomScientific.com

Freedom Scientific Announces New MAGic Large Print Keyboard


The new large print keyboard provides convenient access to commonly used MAGic® and JAWS® commands. Features include:

  • Bold, high contrast keys - U.S. English layout


  • Scroll wheel to control magnification level


  • 22 dedicated keys to instantly start MAGic and provide quick access to the most-used MAGic features


  • A reduced learning curve for easy training


  • Benefits for JAWS users, either with or without MAGic


  • Dedicated keys for functions such as speech rate, Research It, the links list, and more


  • Three keys reserved for user assignment to favorite MAGic functions, applications, documents, or Web pages so they’re only a key press away

You can see the new MAGic large print keyboard for yourself, if you’re attending this year’s CSUN conference.

 MAGic low vision keyboard for computer users

The keyboard works with current releases of MAGic and JAWS and is priced at $79.00. The product will begin shipping in early April.

Special Introductory Price

The MAGic large print keyboard is available at the special introductory price of $59.00 through August 1, 2011.



Freedom Scientific is a Proud Sponsor of CSUN 2011


We are proud to sponsor the 26th annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities conference and are looking forward to showing you all our latest innovations. Once again we’ll all be gathering in San Diego at:

Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel
One Market Place
San Diego, CA 92101

Join Us in the Exhibit Hall

We’ll have a helpful team staffing our booth, who will give you a hands-on demonstration of our latest technology and answer your questions. You’ll find us at booth 405, in the Douglas Pavilion.

The exhibits are open during the following hours:

Wednesday, March 16, 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Thursday, March 17, 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday, March 18, 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday, March 19, 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

You may register for your free exhibit hall pass.

When you visit, be sure to take the time to enter your name for our drawings. Someone will be walking away with a copy of OpenBook® and a PEARL® camera to go with it for lightning fast OCR. You might also win a RUBY® handheld video magnifier.

Freedom Scientific Showcase Suite

Freedom Scientific will be presenting informative product sessions throughout the conference in our suite – Manchester C, one flight up from the exhibit floor. This is your opportunity to hear directly from senior staff at Freedom Scientific, the product managers responsible for the products you use every day. You’re sure to walk away having learned something that will make your technology even more useful.

Each session is one hour in length. Pre-registration is recommended. For your convenience, each title below links to the CSUN registration site for that session.

Topics and Times of Freedom Scientific Sessions



Update to OpenBook 9


Version 9 of our OpenBook scanning and reading software introduces the same updating technologies found in other Freedom Scientific software products. This makes it easy to supply you with updates. In December, we released an update to OpenBook 9 containing more help for setting up your PEARL portable reading camera and numerous other enhancements.

You can check for updates from the Help Menu, or, to download the full install and read the list of changes, visit the OpenBook 9 download page.



Spanish Version of SARA Now Available


Since its introduction, Freedom Scientific’s SARA scanning and reading appliance has read Spanish documents with clear, human-like speech. Now, we’ve gone one step further and released a version of SARA with all menus and messages from the product in Spanish.

If Spanish is your first language, check out this easy to use, stand-alone device that makes print accessible.



WYNN 6 Announced


The features of our WYNN literacy software were created with input from educators, researchers, and individuals with learning difficulties such as dyslexia. WYNN uses Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to enhance success. WYNN is useful for all users, yet excels at satisfying the needs of learning disabled and struggling students. Everything in WYNN, down to the smallest detail, is designed to satisfy these rigorous requirements.

Continuing in that same philosophy, we are proud to announce our newest innovative tools in WYNN 6.0:



Technical Tip - How to Make PowerPoint Presentations Easier to Read with JAWS


There is a way that a presentation can be exported from PowerPoint 2007 or 2010 to a Microsoft Word Outline format which will vastly improve your ability to read it.

To export from Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 to Word:

  1. Press ALT+F


  2. Press DOWN ARROW to “Publish” and press ENTER

  3. Select the option for “Create handouts in Microsoft Word,” and then press ENTER. This will bring up a dialog with a group of radio buttons, in which you can then choose “Outline only” or other options, depending on the information you wish to export.

To export from Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 to Word:

  1. Press ALT+F


  2. Press DOWN ARROW to move to the “Save/Send” tab and press ENTER

  3. Press DOWN ARROW to move to “Create handouts” and then press ENTER


  4. Press ENTER on the “Create Handouts button”. This will bring up a dialog with a group of radio buttons, in which you can then choose “Outline only” or other options, depending on the information you wish to export.


News from the Training Department

Microsoft Office 2010 Training Webinars - NEW

New paid Webinars from Freedom Scientific include using Microsoft® Office 2010 with JAWS screen reading software and MAGic screen magnification software. Learn about the changes and new features in Office 2010 programs, including the new Backstage view, and the now completely ribbonized Outlook 2010 e-mail program

These new paid Webinars will be posted online soon and include the following:

Visit the paid Webinars section on the e-Learning page for more information or to register for the Webinars listed above.

Also, don't forget our other two paid Webinars on script writing:

Free Webinars

Visit the free Webinars section on the e-Learning page for more information or to register for the Webinars listed above.

Hands-on Workshops

New hands-on workshops, held in St. Petersburg, Florida, include Office 2010 and Windows 7 with JAWS and MAGic.

Visit the Training Workshops page for more information or to register for the hands-on workshops listed above.

Training Tip

New in JAWS 12, press INSERT+SPACEBAR, L to lock the keyboard and prevent accidental key presses. Use this feature when downloading or copying files or to protect against accidentally bumping keys. You can still use reading commands like SayLine or SayWord or use the JAWS or Invisible Cursors to navigate the screen. Press INSERT+SPACEBAR, L again to turn keyboard lock off.



TOPAZ a Dream Come True for Pittsburgh Senior

Jane Banks led a busy life. Among other things, she ran her own business, drove herself where she needed to go, and used her vision to assist a blind friend with reading and other tasks. Her life changed dramatically a little over six years ago when a medical incident resulted in her losing a significant amount of vision.

“One day I could drive to the store, the next day I couldn’t,” Jane says.

Deciding that she was going to come to terms with her vision loss, Jane, now 74, was determined to learn about and evaluate a wide range of low vision products that would help her make the most of life.

When she had an opportunity to use Freedom Scientific’s TOPAZ® desktop video magnifier, she knew she’d found a must-have device for her home.

“This TOPAZ was absolutely incredible. I cried when I had to send it back, it made such a difference,” she says.

Seeing what a difference TOPAZ made to her mother’s life, Jane’s daughter, Pamela Gage, contacted the Twilight Wish Foundation. This non-profit organization aims “to make the world a nicer place to age, one wish at a time” and grants wishes that will enrich the lives of seniors. The Foundation agreed to purchase a TOPAZ for Jane.

Jane’s wish came true on Christmas Eve 2010, when her very own TOPAZ arrived at her home. It never sits idle for long, and the impact it has had on her life is immense.

“It’s incredible how the TOPAZ has opened up my life. I felt like I’d been in a box. My daughter and her husband went on vacation, and when they came back, I couldn’t see the photographs they’d taken. Now, with the TOPAZ, I can see them, even to the point that I can see that my daughter’s wearing earrings. Everything was there. Then my grandson came over and brought his wedding photos that I couldn’t see before. It brought everything back to life, because I felt like I was a part of it again. I read my mail with it too. I may not get many words on a page, but I can read them! It has just changed my life,” Jane says.



FSCast Demonstrates JAWS with iTunes


The December and January editions of FSCast offer a two-part demonstration of JAWS 12 and iTunes® 10. Whether you are interested in iTunes only to manage your music and other media locally, or you own an iOS device, you’ll learn just how powerful JAWS is with its iTunes support.

You won’t want to miss an episode, and you won’t if you subscribe to FSCast. The subscription is free, and delivers notification right to your computer when new FSCasts are released. If you did miss a previous FSCast, catch up by visiting the FSCast archives to download FSCast episodes in MP3.

A reminder that with JAWS now providing excellent support for iTunes, you can subscribe to FSCast through the iTunes Store.



Freedom Scientific's Mission


To develop, manufacture, and market technology-based products that provide equal access to information and computing for those with vision impairments or learning disabilities.