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Month: November 2011

ZoomText 10 now available! Download trial or upgrade now.

After a week of “feature leaks,” the folks at AI Squared have released the long-awaited ZoomText 10.  If you want to try it out before you upgrade, you can download the full-featured trial from the AI Squared web site.  Or, you can contact AIS via phone at      

800-859-0270 or 802-362-3612. 

 

One customer asked a really good question on the Facebook page, so I want to note it here.  The customer asked if it is possible to download the trial if we are already using ZT 9.1, without conflict.  Derek of AIS replied this way:  “

ZoomText 10 will co-exist with 9.1, if you switch between products you’ll need to reboot your computer, but they are completely separate and have their own individual icons and program folders.

 

Okay?  So, if you’re ready to try out all of the great new features, here’s the link:  Zoomed In Blog, download info.

 

LL

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Find what you’re looking for with new ZoomText 10 WebFinder

The Web Finder feature in ZoomText is not new, but the enhanced Web Finder really is.  Based upon what I’ve seen of the latest features rolled out in these “feature leaks,  ZoomText 10 surely had to have been a from-the-ground-up rebuild.  This new feature will make navigating even cluttered, content-heavy sites fast and easy. 

 

Watch the video to see the enhanced Web Finder, but watch the whole thing, because the demo where the CNN site is used is fantastic.  Finally, I can find the news story I’ve been searching for, without the frustration of endless clickthroughs’.

 

Video of Enhanced Web Finder.

 

What do you think of the new ZT 10 so far?  Are you excited about the upcoming release?  Will these new features enhance your online experience?  Which do you think you’ll rely on most? 

 

LL. 

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Help bridge the gap of holiday hardship

I really struggled with finding the right tone for this post, fearing hyper sentimentality, offensive chastisements or a thinly-veiled projection of my own feelings of vulnerability.  Really, what I want to do is to find ways to bridge the gap for those reluctant to reach out.

 

Not to belabor the obvious, but many are struggling these days.  Our economic woes may affect us both physically and emotionally.  What more depressing notion, for example, than to be turned out of your home just prior to the holidays, be unable to afford gifts for your children, or even be able to put a Thanksgiving feast on the table?  To paraphrase a Chinese proverb, when life is going well, you may have a few problems, but when you have no food, you only have one problem.

 

Yes, there are charities and food banks and soup kitchens, but with so many people struggling with poverty, perhaps for the first time, taking advantage of these services may feel humiliating , and that feeling may keep many away.  Besides, it might be pretty hard to gather the family around to give thanks when you feel as though you have failed as a provider.  I believe we have paid too little attention to the emotional fallout of our recent economic decline.

 

Perhaps someone is forced to make the tough cuts in their budget, making it impossible for them to fly home for the holidays, and they will be alone, possibly for the first time.  I have spent several holidays alone, and the first time you have to face it, you may feel like it’s the end of the world.  I did.  If that’s you this year, my best advice is to do whatever you have to do…and I do mean whatever…in order to get through it.  If that means you simply regain consciousness on the other side, far be it from me to judge.  Or, you can do what I’ve done, and make a holiday just for yourself.  This can include decorations, a special meal, and yes…even gifts.  Hey, if I don’t take care of myself, who will?  This year I’ll be alone for Thanksgiving, and I have big plans.  You may think that’s pathetic, but if anyone out there has survived it, then you may have some important advice to impart.  Comment here and share your own tips for coping with  tough holiday times.

 

Posted below are some links to past holiday related articles that I hope prove useful to anyone seeking ways to reach out and lift the spirits of struggling friends, family members, or neighbors.  Isn’t that what the holidays are all about?  Share your story of hardship and healing, give us the gift of you.

      

 

How to Bring Home the Season for Seniors

Great Gifting Ideas for Your Donation Dollars

Holiday Tunes that will Make You Laugh

Tips for Giving Assistive Technology Gifts

 

Oh, and happy Thanksgiving!

 

LL

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Another ZoomText 10 first look: ZoomText Recorder

Okay, friends, this is the feature that now has me excited to upgrade to ZoomText 10.  It’s called ZoomText Recorder, and I can think of about a thousand ways to use this.  In a nutshell, if you can copy it to the clipboard, you can send it just about anywhere.  Email, web sites, documents — all can be "recorded" and sent to either a file location on your computer, Windows Media Player or even iTunes.  Then, you can listen on your mobile device.

 

You really have to watch the video to see the potential here, so head over to the AI Squared web site and click the play button.

 

Click here to go to the AI Squared blog page.

 

You’ll also find bundle and pricing info there.

 

LL

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ZoomText 10 sneak peek 2: Background Reader

Now this is a nice new feature.  It’s called Background Reader, and it allows you to navigate freely through text without concerns about losing focus or other activities behind the scenes interrupting the read.  You can literally have ZoomText reading in the background while you perform other tasks.

 

Click here to watch video.

 

The new ZoomText 10 makes use of a new hotkey, the caps lock key.  This in combination with CTRL, spacebar, and arrows let you use Background Reader almost like an audio player.  Whether reading text from the clipboard or a PDF doc, Background Reader is a useful tool enabling greater flexibility.  You can go back, resume, navigate by word or sentence.  This looks pretty great to me, so check it out. 

 

More soon…    
    
LL

 

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ZoomText release 10 countdown is on, preorder now!

For users of AI Squared’s magnification and screen reader software, ZoomText, version 10 has been a long time in coming.  Now the "feature leaks" have begun, suggesting an imminent release.

   

So, if you don’t already have your pre-order in, here are a few links that will wet your appetite for what’s in store for ZoomText release 10.

First, here’s a how-to You tube video on the use of a new feature, called ZoomText camera:

 

Introducing ZoomText Camera

 

Here is a "feature leak" blog post with pricing for the various upgrades and product bundles:

www.aisquared.com/blog/2011/11/zoomtext-10-first-feature-leak/

 

Want to get your preorder in?  It’s easy by phone.  Call 800-859-0270 or 802-362-3612, and select option #2.  I’ll keep posting tidbits as they become available, stay tuned.

 

LL

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