What's New in Mobile Speak for Windows Mobile Smartphones Version 2.0

A month after the release of the public beta of Mobile Speak for Windows Mobile Smartphones Version 2.0, during which we received very positive feedback and several requests from eager customers and distributors alike to release the final version as soon as possible, we now bring you the official MS-W v2.0 build with more new and exciting features, including support for new devices and applications, in addition to the 55 enhancements already in the public beta. Many thanks for all your input during the public beta cycle. Our products continue to be the global leader among mobile access solutions because of your enthusiastic support.

Code Factory has always been noted and thanked for the importance it places on innovation and responsiveness. We believe that our success lies in our careful consideration of customer feedback, and so we base our product decisions on what our users want and need from access solutions for mainstream mobile technology. In turn, we do not content ourselves with typical implementation of requested features, but we constantly innovate and give the blind and visually impaired products that are high-quality, unique, and ground-breaking.

Version 2.0 of Mobile Speak for Windows Mobile Smartphones again proves Code Factory's commitment to innovation and responsiveness. The following list of what's new in this latest version shows how we have successfully set a new standard of innovative, yet intuitive, access to mobile devices.

Features and Fixes Added Since the Public Beta

1. Support for three new Windows MObile Smartphones from AT&T / Cingular Wireless, namely, the Pantech Duo, Samsung Blackjack II, and Motorola Q 9H Global.



2. Support for version 2.2 of Skype for Smartphone, an internet telephony program. Note that when you open the application for the first time, you will be presented with Skype's License Agreement. Press left softkey to "Accept". It may take time to load screens for the first time (e.g., when your contacts are being downloaded to your device), so do not worry if you seem to lose MSS speech. Once you have logged in, use Left and Right arrow keys to move between the tabs in the Skype main screen. Chat messages are read as they come in, but you can review the visible contents of the chat window either using the MSS review cursor (Home + 3 in Default layout) or the Read Whole Screen command (Home + # in Default and Advanced Reading layouts). Note also that Skype installs and automatically selects its own Home screen layout which is not fully accessible on WM6 Smartphones. Please select the Mobile Speak Smartphone layout in Start > Settings > Display > Home Screen, or a similar Settings dialog on your phone, after installing Skype.



3. MSS volume when reading the caller ID should now be audible enough, if not exactly the same as the current speech volume setting. The current TTS voice and speech rate should also be in use. Please note, however, that the quality of the speech may not be the same as what you hear normally. This will particularly be noticeable with Fonix but less so with Acapela and Loquendo voices. It is also possible that the Home key has to be pressed more than once before ringtone is muted and caller ID is spoken. If you wish to revert to how caller ID reading used to work (i.e., with the lowered volume) go to Control Panel > Phone Settings, and uncheck the box labeled "Speak caller ID out loud".



4. Caller ID reading should now work on all phones, including Samsung Smartphones where even Microsoft Voice Command does not read this information.



5. Caller ID is now read only when you press the Home key to mute the ringtone, not while the ringtone is playing.



6. Fixed the start-up loop problem observed on some devices including the T-Mobile Dash and HTC S710.



7. Fix the problem that causes softkeys not to work immediately after a command is performed, thus needing to be pressed again.



8. Form fields like those found at www.biblegateway.com are now accessible with MSS.



9. Graphical buttons like those found at www.citibankonline.com and www.plmc.org/webmail are now clickable with MSS.



10. Home+# should now read the calculator screen on all Smartphones (even before a result is calculated).



11. Scripts to make Smart Converter and Stopwatch applications found on Samsung Smartphones accessible are now included. To hear the current time while Stopwatch is running, press # and MSS will read the stopwatch time at the moment you pressed that key. In the Smart Converter, use the arrow keys to move between fields, select the original unit of measurement and the one for conversion, enter the value you wish to convert, and press the # key to hear the result.



12. By default, selecting Standard installation will now have only the speech and Braille components checked. If the Magnifier component is checked, magnification will be enabled at start-up following a successful installation. Note that even with public beta, selecting to install only the Magnifier already enabled magnification at start-up and that is still the case with this new build.



13. Fixed the Black & White and Black & White Inverted color schemes of Mobile Magnifier Smartphone so that highlighted items are still visible.



14. Icons in Call History and Messaging should now speak the labels for the language of the currently selected TTS if such labels are available. Otherwise, the English labels are used by default.



15. A prompt is added to the Braille Reader application asking if you wish to delete the BKS file after it has been unpacked. Further, the decompressed BRF file now remains unpacked.



16. When you close a BRF file you are reading, MSS will now remember your place in it so that when you open the file again, you will be returned to your cursor position before the file was closed, and thus continue reading. Please note that a different position is remembered depending on whether or not you opened the file with linebreaks preserved.



17. MSS should now behave in the field for Bookshare.org member password just like in any other password edit fields where, depending on the setting for Secret Mode, it should say * (default), speak the characters entered, or say nothing at all.



18. When you open a BRF file from Bookshare, the cursor is placed automatically on the line that reads "BEGIN CONTENT", thus skipping the Bookshare.org notices at the start. You can still arrow up to the notices if you need to read them.



19. If you pan the Braille display to read a list or menu item that does not fit the Braille line, pressing Up/Down arrow to move to the previous/next item should now display that item's first line of Braille output.



20. All Braille commands should now work regardless of the command layout selected.



21. Fixed the problem with the device locking up if keypad is locked after closing a window displaying a dialog or multi-page list.



22. Added an option in Control Panel > Audio Settings called "Link master volume to MSS volume control", which is unchecked by default. Motorola Q9H users are recommended to check this option if they want to control the master volume using the Home+Up/Down combination.



23. Fixed the problem of the Contacts application window not opening properly when it is launched after it had been closed with the Quit Application command.



24. Fixed a problem with typing in WM6 Contact fields using Braille input.



25. Added the Braille command to interrupt speech (dots 7-8) for the Handy Tech EasyBraille.

New Features Unique to Mobile Speak for Windows Mobile Smartphones

26. User Centered Licensing: In all previous versions, Mobile Speak for Windows Mobile Smartphones has been licensed to a device. Now, it is licensed to its user. This means, among other things, that moving from one device to another is now free of charge, and that one can enable a full license of the program from the phone itself. A Frequently asked questions page about the new licensing method is available here.
    
    IMPORTANT: If you have purchased a license for Mobile Speak Smartphone prior to version 2.0 and the introduction of the user-centered licensing system, then you need to obtain a User ID with which all your registered product licenses and device activations will be associated. Refer to the Section on License Migration in the User's Manual for instructions on how to do this.



27. Mobile Magnifier for Windows Mobile Smartphones: The first full-screen magnifier for Windows Mobile Smartphone/Standard devices is now available and can be used as a standalone product or as a plug-in to Mobile Speak Smartphone. Note that Mobile Speak and Mobile Magnifier for Windows Mobile Smartphones are two products licensed separately, even when installed and used on the same device. Further, Mobile Magnifier Smartphone is also activated through the new user-centered licensing system. Click here to learn more about this great addition to our product line.



28. Product activation from the device itself is now possible: After installing Mobile Speak or Mobile Magnifier on your Windows Mobile Smartphone, you can activate the products, obtain a trial license for them, or deactivate them later from that device so that you can use them on another, through the Activation Manager in the MSS Control Panel. Activation Manager will communicate with the code Factory licensing server using your preferred method of connection:
    • Via the internet using an ActiveSync or Windows Mobile Device Center partnership between your device and a PC with an existing internet connection.
    • Via the internet using your device's connection with a Wi-Fi hotspot or wireless network.
    • Via the internet using your mobile phone's internet service. Please consult your mobile phone provider about configurations on how to get this to work, as well as any charges for using the service.
    • Via SMS/text message. Please consult your mobile phone provider regarding charges for sending and receiving SMS from international numbers. Please also check our list of networks confirmed to work with SMS activations.



29. My Feedback: You will find, in the Mobile Speak Control Panel, a new option called "My Feedback". This is a convenient way for you to communicate with Code Factory with suggestions, feature requests, and issues you're having with the software from the phone itself. Just like the Activation Manager, My Feedback will send us the data using an ActiveSync partnership between your Smartphone and a computer with internet connection, your phone's internet service or connection to a Wi-Fi hotspot, or via SMS. "My Feedback" also logs information about the internal operation of Mobile Speak/Magnifier Smartphone, so if you are experiencing a problem and wish to send us a log of any errors that may be occurring, this is also a direct way of submitting the report to us for logging in our server. Select what you wish to do in "My Feedback" from the options menu opened by the Left Softkey. Each screen that opens after selecting an option provides instructions on what you need to do.



30. Support for new devices based on Windows Mobile 6: With an already unrivaled range of compatible Smartphones even before Version 2.0, Mobile Speak Smartphone extends the list of supported devices with official support for the CDMA-based Motorola Q9M (available in the USA from Verizon Wireless) and its GSM counterpart, the Motorola Q9H (available in Europe), the HP iPAQ 500 Voice Messenger Series (510 in North America, 512 in Asia and 514 in Europe), and the successor of the popular HTC S620 / Excalibur (sold in the USA as the T-Mobile Dash) called the HTC S630 / Cavalier.



31. BRF reading through speech: Every user, regardless of whether he/she has a Braille display, can now read BRF files. The Braille reader application will read any BRF file in English through one's currently active speech synthesizer whether a Braille display is connected or not. Just transfer the BRF file on your device, navigate to it using File Explorer/Manager, and press Enter. BRF files available from Bookshare.org, the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in the United States, and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind in Canada, are supported. Moreover, all text navigation commands can be used inside a BRF file. Note that you need to install the Braille Support component to use this feature, even if you do not have a Braille device to connect.



32. Bookshare.org: Unpack for Bookshare BRF files: Mobile Speak Smartphone now incorporates a Bookshare unpack utility for books from Bookshare.org in the BRF contracted Braille format. Simply navigate, using your file manager of choice, to the BKS file you downloaded from Bookshare.org and open it. If you have no Braille display, you should be alerted to this and the reader should ask you whether to continue. If you wish to read the text through speech, choose to do so. You will then be asked for your password. After entering it, the book will be unpacked and automatically opened.



33. Command layouts: Assigning commands to keys available on a Smartphone is limited by the number of key combinations that can be used. For a full-fledged screen reader like Mobile Speak for Windows Mobile Smartphones that has several new features in every release, this may pose a problem if new commands can no longer be associated with any key combination. Code Factory has resolved this problem with the implementation of different layouts that group related functions. This benefits the new user by helping him/her learn the commands more easily, and it will allow Code Factory to include application-specific commands in the future. Use Home+5 to cycle through available command layouts. The new command structure is discussed here.



34. Input Panel for the ALVA Braille Controller 640 from Optelec: We officially supported the ALVA BC640 in Version 1.3, and now, we have added a feature that allows users who do not have the Braille FeaturePack to dial phone numbers and enter text using just the keys on this Braille display. Long pressing SmartPad3 (key to the right of the navigation DPad with a single vertical line) toggles the Input Panel on/off. Characters are shown on the Braille display and you can insert a character by pressing the cursor-routing button for the cell showing the character. There are four sets of characters available: (i) numbers 1 through 9 and 0, as well as * and # for dialing, (ii) lowercase letters, (iii) uppercase letters, and (iv) punctuations and special symbols. Use Up/Down arrow keys to move between these character sets. Press the cursor-routing button for a blank cell to insert a Space. Press SmartPad4 (key with three vertical lines) for Backspace.



35. Support for PhatNotes Smartphone edition: We have been asked to support an excellent notes application for Smartphones, comparable to that available on Pocket PCs. PhatNotes is just such an application. It is a notes organizer for Microsoft Windows based devices and Windows Desktop PC. You can create notes, providing them with category, subject, creation and modification date, which helps to find required information quickly and easily. With PhatNotes you can search for specific text in a specific field and sort notes by category, date, or subject. You can protect notes from unauthorized access with a password and send e-mail messages directly from the Note Editor. Interface to the Contacts Database enables you to pick an e-mail address instead of typing it in. PhatNotes is fully supported by MSS, reading even color icons that can be used to label your notes.

Enhancements that Give MSS an Even Greater Competitive Edge

36. Greater stability, responsiveness, and battery life: Due to memory and processor optimizations never before seen on the Windows Mobile Platform, Mobile Speak Smartphone has cut its memory usage in half and vastly improved its already extraordinary responsiveness on all supported phones. Users will also find that battery life on devices running version 2.0 has increased substantially.



37. Support for the split output feature of the ALVA BC640: The new Braille device from the Optelec Tieman Group includes a function to display output from a PC connected via USB on one part of the 40-cell Braille display and output from a mobile device connected via Bluetooth. MSS now supports this feature, allowing you to keep track of received text messages, to look up a contact, to note down a number listed in Call History, and access data stored on your phone while using the Braille device with your computer at the same time.



38. Universality of command structure: For some Smartphones with a QWERTY keyboard only for input, keys used to enter numbers perform their numeric function in most screens except when focus is on an edit field or web page, in which case, these keys will insert letters. This affects the execution of commands that are assigned to Home+number combinations. IN previous versions, Mobile Speak Smartphone already had the competitive advantage of supporting Home+letter combinations as well so that users of such phones do not have to activate the numeric function of these keys in order to perform commands in web-view and edit controls. Due to the new command structure in Version 2.0, Home+number combinations now work for everyone in the same way everywhere in the Smartphone interface, so that people using phones with a QWERTY keyboard need not remember one command for when they're in an edit field / web page and another for when they're not.



39. Quit Application command: Pressing the Back key will close the window of an application but it will not unload it from memory. The application continues to run in the background, taking up program memory needed to use other applications. In previous versions, users can quit these applications by selecting "Stop" or "Stop all" from the Options menu of the MSS Switch to App dialog. In Version 2.0, users can now quit the current application by pressing the Home+Back command. (Note: The Switch to App command is now assigned to Home+2).



40. Complete set of text navigation commands: When the Advanced Reading layout is selected, users can now read text by character, line, word, sentence, and paragraph. They can also read text continuously from the start or current cursor position, or move to the top/bottom of the file, message or web page.



41. Enhanced support for IE Mobile: Version 2.0 incorporates a new method of support for Internet Explorer Mobile, the benefits of which include, but are not limited to, faster navigation and better interaction with web page elements.



42. TTS versions of higher quality: New and clearer versions of the text-to-speech voices from Loquendo are now available with Mobile Speak for Windows Mobile Smartphones supporting different languages.



43. Improved TTS performance: The responsiveness of Acapela TTS voices on Smartphones with slower processors has been further enhanced. This means that for English alone, users now have ten voices from different TTS providers to choose from, and speakers of other languages have more voice options available as well.



44. Automatically reconnect with Braille devices: An option has been added to reconnect to a Braille display when the phone loses the connection or when the phone restarts. This option may be found in MSS control panel > modes > [Current Mode] > Braille settings. It is designed especially for deafblind users who cannot easily tell if the phone has already booted up until the Braille connection is re-established. Note that the reconnection attempt starts within 30 seconds following a reboot or disconnection.



45. New supported applications: Some versions of a file system browser called File Manager found on some Smartphones including the HP iPAQ 500 Voice Messenger and the Samsung SGH-i320 use a non-standard list that is not readily accessible. Version 2.0 of Mobile speak Smartphone can now read this control type. Consequently, an application called "Program Launcher" which displays a list of selected shortcuts from the Start menu is now supported because of this improved support for owner-drawn lists.

Other Exciting Features for a Better User Experience

46. New installation and removal procedure: We have made it far easier to install only the parts of MSS you want. You can now install speech, magnification, and Braille support separately. It is now much easier and less confusing to install an additional voice, with a specific selection in each installer just for that purpose. Click here for instructions on the new installation procedure.



47. New Control Panel structure: Navigation and activation of items in the Control Panel is now much easier! Presented as a list view similar to what you find in the Start menu, Settings dialog, or Quick List, items now have number hotkeys, and the list is divided into pages. The number of items on a page depends on the size of the screen, but the last item will be assigned to "More", with 0 as the shortcut, and it will take you to the next page. Left/Right arrow keys should also move you between pages.



48. Forms mode in Internet Explorer has been simplified: Now, a user need only press enter on a form field to bring focus to it and start entering text or selecting values, and up or down arrow to exit the form and resume reading the rest of the web page.



49. Optionally remove hard line breaks/carriage returns from Braille files for easier reading on shorter Braille displays: When you open a BRF file, you will be asked if you wish to remove soft linebreaks so that the Braille display will not start a new line when a linebreak is encountered, even if the previous Braille line only shows text in just a few cells. This improves the flow of reading, especially on short Braille displays.



50. Automatically turn Bluetooth off when the Braille connection is terminated: An option has been added to turn Bluetooth off when the user disconnects the Smartphone from the Braille display using the Home+Long1 command. This option may be found in MSS control panel > modes > [Current Mode] > Braille settings.



51. Extended speech history: The command to speak the text which was last spoken (Home+9) will now allow the user, by pressing it repeatedly, to hear the last five chunks of text spoken.



52. Commands available even when MSS is muted and keypad is locked: Commands to read date and time, read status information, repeat the text last spoken, and mute the ringtone to hear the caller ID information on an incoming call are now available even when the "mute on keypad lock" option is enabled.



53. Option to treat grids as lists: An option is added in MSS control Panel > General which is enabled by default and allows users to navigate to all the items of a grid using just the Up and Down arrow keys, as though the control was a simple list view.



54. Easier reactivation of trial licenses that expire prematurely: If a trial expires because the date or time changes on the phone (e.g., pulling out the battery causes the date and time to revert to firmware default setting), there is no need to reactivate the trial because resetting the date to the current one will now let the trial continue.



55. More appointment details spoken in the Agenda view: The location, Starting date and time, and ending date and time details of appointments are now spoken with the appointment subject when navigating in the Agenda view of the Calendar.



56. Labeled icons: The status icons of appointments (Out of office, Tentative and Free), and of messages (unread, not downloaded, attachment) are now spoken on devices running WM5 AKU 3.5 and later ROM versions.



57. Change punctuation verbosity on the fly: Home+9 in the Settings layout will now let users set punctuation verbosity to None, Some, Most, or All.



58. Change graphics verbosity on the fly: Home+3 in the Settings layout will configure if Mobile Speak Smartphone will read "All" or "Labeled" graphics, or "None" of the icons visible to MSS when the review cursor is active.



59. New Braille commands: Version 2.0 includes new Braille commands for changing the command layout, quitting the current application, moving by paragraph, and repeating last spoken text.



60. Control the announcement of the home key: Whether home is spoken when that key is pressed is now controlled by an option found in MSS control panel > modes > [Current Mode] > verbosity.

Fixes and Other Improvements

61. Fixed problem with opening email attachments.



62. Fixed problem activating links in received messages.



63. Fixed problem that occasionally happens when, opening received messages, one finds that the body field is blank even if the first line of text is read in the message list.



64. The time between the splash screen sound and the availability of speech output when a device is powered on is now shorter than in previous versions.



65. Speech output should now be available at the PIN Code screen that opens before the Today Screen gains focus when the device boots up.



66. Fixed problem navigating the start menu on phones flashed with the latest AT&T ROM if the start menu is forced to revert to grid view.



67. The index of items in the Symbols list should now be read properly on all phones.



68. Punctuation marks in the Symbols list should be spoken regardless of the punctuation verbosity setting.



69. It is now possible to connect and use Braille devices with the Motorola Q (Note: This is still not possible with the BrailleNote mPower).



70. MSS commands should now work on the Motorola Q even when the Q's keypad is locked.



71. Items in Start > Settings > Phone Settings on the Motorola Q are now spoken.



72. Signal strength is now spoken when the MSS Read Status command is performed on the Samsung SGH-i320.



73. Battery level is now spoken when the MSS Read Status command is performed on Pantech Smartphones.



74. Fixed problems reconnecting the device with an EasyLink or EasyLink12 after the first connection following a device reboot.



75. The Calculator should now be fully accessible on Samsung and Motorola phones.



76. Interrupting Acapela speech output when navigating lists / menus, or reading text by line, should now work better. That is, if MSS is still reading the current item when you press an arrow key to move focus to the next, speech output should be interrupted and MSS should shortly start reading the new item in focus.



77. MSS no longer reads letter hotkeys as part of the menu item state "submenu" or "disabled" on WM6 Smartphones.



78. Fixed reported mispronunciations with Fonix, Acapela and Loquendo English voices.



79. Made Corrections to US and UK Braille translation tables to improve reading of web and email addresses, numbers with the decimal point, acronyms, and currency symbols.



80. In Command describer mode, descriptions are displayed in Braille for all commands, all Braille commands have been added to the mode, and all Braille commands both speak and display their descriptions.