Dolphin Newsletter - June 2006
Index:
- A Big Thank You!
- From Steve Palmer & Noel Duffy
- Latest News - Version 7 Released
- Development & Product News
- Case Study: Supernova Makes A Difference For Saima
- NEW – Dolphin Tricks & Tips
- New Map Files
- Events
- Staff News
A Big Thank You!
First of all a big thank you this month to everyone who took part in our recent survey about what you would like to see in the Dolphin Newsletter. We are currently looking at the results and will be feeding back your suggestions and comments into future issues of Dolphin News.
However as a result of the feedback already received we are pleased to introduce “Dolphin Tips & Tricks” which will appear from this month in future issues of Dolphin News and is kindly supplied by the IT Support Team.
The winner will be drawn at random and announced in next month’s newsletter.
From Steve Palmer & Noel Duffy
It’s been a very busy and exciting month, with the release of version 7 of Supernova, Hal, Lunar and LunarPlus, and a very successful series of conferences.
Earlier this week Dolphin together with RNIB, BDA, JISC, Techdis and Skill organised a series of well attended conferences across Britain on the subject of alternative format materials in further and higher education institutions. Guest speakers, some from as far away as the United States and Scandinavia explained why DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System) had to be part of the future for the delivery of accessible materials.
Richard Orme, in the opening session said “DAISY was both a better way to read and a better way to publish” and Ron Stewart from Dolphin’s US office argued “the current rate of growth of alt format production in all secondary schools is not sustainable and the current methods of delivery are neither cost effective or an efficient use of scarce institutional resources”.
E A Draffan, quoted an interesting piece of research conducted by RFB&D and John’s Hopkins University in Washington noting that students with print disabilities improve their exam grades from 41% on average to 59% on average, when using content that came as combined audio and text.
We hope to run a series of further conferences in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in the Autumn and on June 14th Dolphin are going over to Dublin to run a conference supported by AHEAD, NCBI and Trinity College Dublin.
Latest News - Version 7 Released
Version 7.01 Enhanced computer access software released
Following extensive customer research and development, the latest v7.01 release of Supernova, Hal, Lunar and LunarPlus, now comes with the most advanced computer access features for blind and visually impaired computer users. Whether you use speech, magnification or Braille, Dolphin’s next generation 7.01 software has something for you. Even if you are not familiar with Dolphin’s products and are currently using other access products, Dolphin has made it easier for you to experience the benefits of v7.01. Dolphin products also include the option to use the short cut keys associated with other well known screen readers, so now you can experience Dolphin’s features to the full, using the hotkeys you are familiar with.
Version 7.01 is available for use on desktop PCs, laptop computers and networks, including robust support for Citrix networks and Terminal Server sessions, as standard. It is also available on a versatile Dolphin Pen, for those who like to be able to use their Dolphin software on any compatible computer. Using the Dolphin Pen, a small portable USB device that measures just 6cm long and 2cm wide and plugs straight into the USB slot of a computer, users are able to carry their software with them to any compatible PC and run Supernova, Hal, Lunar or LunarPlus instantly, as if it were on their own system. Just plug it in and go!
Development & Product News
Version 7.01 of Supernova, Hal, Lunar and Lunar plus is now released for the desktop and the Dolphin Pen. The Pocket Hal edition of 7.01 for Pocket PC and Windows Mobile 5 is also in the release process, expected to be launched later in June.
Screen access development now focuses on Windows Smartphone, which we hope to show at the forthcoming QAC Sight Village 2006.
Version 2.06 of Dolphin Pronouncer, Dolphin’s own synthesiser, is also released with additional Hungarian and Romanian languages, bringing the total number of languages available to 24.
Version 1.03 of Dolphin Producer, the quick and easy solution for converting text materials, manuals and training materials into accessible DAISY books, is now released. Dolphin Producer is now available in the following languages; UK English, US English, French, Dutch, Swedish, German, Norwegian and Spanish.
Development work is continuing on Dolphin’s latest EaseReader DAISY software player. Version 2.30 will include dual highlighting options, including word highlighting for text only books and a new streamlined installation process.
Check back next month for more updates on the latest developments.
Case Study: Supernova Makes A Difference For Saima
Please click here to read the case study.
NEW – Dolphin Tricks & Tips
This month - Helping You To Help Yourself
All Dolphin products are supplied with comprehensive help and support. Since version 5 Hal, Lunar, LunarPlus and Supernova have included Dolphin's intuitive HTML help system which provides detailed help and advice on how to get the most from your Dolphin software. Topics covered include what's new, setting up, getting started, instructions on using the most common applications, lists of Hot Keys, troubleshooting, plus much more!
You can delve into this wealth of useful information and find clear answers to the vast majority of the most frequently asked questions with just a couple of simple keystrokes:
Begin by opening the Hal/Lunar/LunarPlus/Supernova control panel use LEFT CONTROL+SPACEBAR. In Version 6 or above press ALT+H followed by ENTER, or in version 5 just press ALT+H.
You should now be in a Tree View of help topics. Use the Up and Down Cursor keys to move through the list of Topics, use CURSOR RIGHT to open the branches of the Tree if you wish to explore sub-topics, CURSOR LEFT will close the branches of the tree. When the topic of interest has been located using CURSOR DOWN or CURSOR UP, press ENTER to open the topic and F6 to move the focus to the topic to read it. To return to the tree of topics use F6 again. When you have finished using Dolphin's help system it can be closed with ALT+F4.
Until next time!
New Map Files
Just to keep everyone updated, here are a list of new and updated maps released and available:
New maps:
- mIRC
- FrontPage 2000 and FrontPage XP
- SmarTerm
- Sony Sound Forge 8
- Skype 2
Updated maps:
- Outlook Express 5
- SPCS
- Cicero
- Active Sync
- Office XP (base map)
- Notepad
- Internet Explorer 6
- Excel XP
- Windows XP Explorer
Other maps that will be released shortly for V7 (next couple of weeks) include:
- Optelec ClearNote
- Norton AntiVirus
Maps can be downloaded by visiting the updates section of the Dolphin website.
More news on map releases as soon as they become available. Thanks to Stefan Sollinger for providing this information.
Events
Special Needs Nottingham
Following the recent success of the Special Needs exhibitions held in Worcester and Cardiff, Dolphin will be holding another Special Educational Needs exhibition in Nottingham on Friday 7th July at the Park Plaza Hotel, 41 Maid Marian Way, Nottingham, NG1 6GD. Admission is free and opening times are from 10am until 4pm. The Park Plaza Hotel is located right in the city centre and is only a 15 minute walk from Nottingham train station.
The exhibition will also include support from the Dyslexia Institute, Nottinghamshire Royal Society for the Blind, and the RNIB, so visitors can get expert advice and information on the day. There will also be several special needs technology suppliers present including Dolphin, Optelec, Abilitynet, Force 10 and VisualEyesUK, so adults, parents and teachers alike will be able to experience the latest solutions from a range of different companies.
QAC Sight Village 2006
Dolphin will be showcasing their latest version 7.01 software suite at the forthcoming QAC Sight Village 2006. Sight Village runs from July 18th – 20th and takes place in the Clarendon Suites on the Hagley Road, Birmingham, near to the Queen Alexandra College. Dolphin will be demonstrating all of the latest features within version 7.01, as well as our Pocket Hal screen reader for PDAs and our latest screen reader designed for Smartphones. Dolphin will also be running a series of free drop in DAISY workshops in Room 6. Just pop along and try out Dolphin Producer for yourself, create your own DAISY book, copy it onto CD and take it away. Bring along your own electronic Word documents and convert them there and then!
Admission to the exhibition and conference is free. If you are planning to visit then please pop along and visit the Dolphin team on the Dolphin stand, in Hall C.
Staff News
Congratulations and best wishes go to Jane Churchward, who got married to Dave Brassington on Saturday 13th May 2006. Jane is the Sales Account Manager at the Worcester office and is responsible for European Sales.
