Dear COBRA Users and Friends,
We are proud to inform you that the English version of COBRA 10
will be released
today. Please read further below about all changes and new
features.
COBRA 10.0 is a free update for all registered users that
currently have a
license for
COBRA 9.0 or 9.1.
Without license it will work for 30 minutes as demo version.
After this time
you will
have to reboot your computer to let COBRA run for another 30
minutes. The new
NUANCE Vocalizer High Quality voices will function only for the
first 30 days
after
the first installation of COBRA 10, if you have no valid
COBRA-license.
If you already have a valid COBRA-license, it will be a valid
update to the
existing
version.
Please install COBRA 10 on top of an existing COBRA 9.0 or 9.1
and DO NOT
uninstall your existing COBRA version first. This way your
settings will
remain stored
from previous COBRA versions; only the settings for the speech
output (voice,
rate,
pitch, etc.) have to be renewed.
Warning!
If you are using COBRA at, for example, your workplace for
specific software
applications and if you are using special COBRA-scripts for these
applications, please
contact your local BAUM-Distributor or BAUM directly prior to
downloading and
installing
an update to COBRA 10. This way it can be checked in advance if
the special
COBRA-scripts need to be modified for using COBRA 10.
If you already run a COBRA 9.1 or higher on your computer, you
open COBRA
menu, by
double pressing left shift key rapidly, go to "Help" and select
"Search for
updates". This
way, you will be taken to the download-page automatically. You
can also
download the
install program from our web page at:
http://www.baum.de/cms/en/cobra10/
New in COBRA 10.0
* New small and easy setup
- COBRA 10 can be installed with a running screen
reader. In
the past it was not
possible to install COBRA with a screen reader running. Now you
can use your
screen
reader to install COBRA 10.0. Supported screen readers with
which you can do
this are
COBRA, BLINDOWS, VIRGO, Jaws, Window Eyes and NVDA. If none of
these screen
readers are running, the setup will start the COBRA Install
Reader that will
guide you
through the setup with speech output.
- Only the license agreement will be shown.
- All other settings will be made in Firstrun
Wizard after the
installation of COBRA
has finished.
* Firstrun Wizard
- After the reboot following the installation, a
Firstrun
Wizard will help you to configure your personal COBRA. The
Firstrun Wizard will only be shown once
for the users that start COBRA. If you wish to open it again in
a later stage,
please open the COBRA menu and go to "File" , "Firstrun Wizard".
* Live Updater
- It is now a commitment from us to distribute
useful smaller updates for COBRA
in shorter intervals. The new "Live Updater" will do the job
reliably and
conveniently. At every startup of COBRA, it will search for
updates automatically on the BAUM
web page.
If an update is available, the user can decide if this update
should be
installed or not.
Throughout the update process, COBRA will tell the user what is
happening,
and tell which update is installed. To use this functionality, a
working internet
connection is required. The user can decide if COBRA should
search for updates
automatically; go to COBRA Menu, "Extras", "Global settings".
And you can search manually for
updates from the COBRA menu by selecting "Help", "Search for
updates".
* Enhanced Browser support
- Support for Internet Explorer 9 and Mozilla
FireFox 16 and
17.
- It is also possible to use the 64-bit versions
of these
browsers.
- Support for Google Chrome: Menus, texts, title
bar and
toolbar are accessible with COBRA 10.0 however, we do not
recommend using Chrome because other web
browsers provide a lot more functionality and convenience in
browsing the internet.
* Microsoft Word
- Lines that contain graphics will no longer be
spoken twice. - The group heading in the elements
of the ribbon will now also
be shown in Braille.
- Now possible to open a list of frames of a
document and to
jump directly to a specific frame from here.
- If a table is irregular or if a table is inside
of a table,
COBRA 10.0 will inform you about that.
- Flying toolbars in Word 2003 will be docked to
the menu bar
automatically.
- First startup of Word is now much faster.
* Microsoft Outlook
- When continuously reading, the current position
of the cursor in the mail will be
shown in percent on the status cells of the Braille display.
- Status information for meeting requests and out
of office
replies have been improved.
- If an email contains more than two attachments
the list of
attachments will now be tracked correctly.
* Microsoft Excel
- More reliable and extremely improved cell
tracking
- Selecting cells will also be tracked if the
selecting occurs
before the beginning or after the end of the current screen.
- Detail mode (what to see on a Braille display)
and the
announcement of cell-headings will now be saved and restored
correctly.
- When entering text into a cell without pressing
F2 prior to
the first entered character, the first character will no longer
be missing in word echo.
* New items in COBRA Menu:
- In the menu "File", now "Pack settings" can be
found in order
to pack your COBRA-settings to a ZIP file. This ZIP file can for
example be sent easily
via email and restored on another computer.
- In "Extras", "Global settings" the audio channel
can be
found. Now the names of the different available audio devices
can be seen and selected. With that option
the user can decide to which soundcard the speech output should
be sent.
- The separate "Braille Control Panel" is no
longer required.
In COBRA Menu, "Braille", "Braille devices", the user's Braille
devices can be managed and added. The
setting for the Braille Monitor has also been moved to this
dialog.
- In "Speech", "Open Speech Download page" you can
download
more Nuance Vocalizer High Quality voices to be installed on your
system. After downloading the
voice of your choice, double-click the file to install the voice
on your computer. After all voices
are installed, please reboot your computer in order to select the
voices in "Speech", "Speech
Settings".
* Windows Terminal Server and Remote Desktop
(RDP):
- COBRA 10.0 can now also run on a client computer
running
64-bit Windows.
- If User Account Control is activated on the
client computer
COBRA can exchange data from client to server now.
- The keys on the Braille display, the roll-bars
of VarioPro,
the TASO sliders and also keystrokes on the number pad and the
COBRA key are now executed correctly in
remote sessions.
- Panning left or right on the Braille display
during a remote
sessions will now move the information shown on the Braille
display to the correct position.
- Problems when using cursor routing and opening
the COBRA Menu
during remote sessions are solved.
* Enhanced support for 64-bit applications:
- Microsoft Office 2010, Internet Explorer 7 and
8, and JAVA
applications in 64-bit are now supported.
For 64-bit JAVA applications, the JAVA Access Bridge 2.0.2 is
required.
- New, clear, and natural-sounding voice is
integrated in COBRA 10.0
- COBRA 10.0 will have one, new, clear, and
natural-sounding
Nuance Vocalizer High Quality speech synthesizer from Nuance.
One Nuance Vocalizer Premium High Quality voice will be installed
automatically by default
during setup. More Vocalizer voices can be downloaded from the
COBRA Menu,
"Speech", "Open Speech Download page".
In addition to the standard supplied and installed language, it
is possible
to download and install a second language free of charge.
Even more languages are available for download and installation
but carry
with them an extra cost. If COBRA is running without a valid
license key and so as a 30-minute
demo version, the Nuance Vocalizer voices are only available
during the first 30 days after the
first installation of COBRA 10.0.
- The Eloquence voices are also integrated in
COBRA 10 and can
be used after this period.
* New Speech Profiles
- In COBRA 10.0 there is a completely new voice
management
system with 7 speech profiles and easy access to the speech
settings. You can setup your own
profiles and change existing ones. With one keystroke, the
language or the profile can be changed
easily.
With "COBRA+number" (on a regular computer keyboard) or 0+8,
Ctrl+number on
the number pad, you can switch to the specific speech profile.
Depending on the language used, the speech profiles can be set as
follows:
. For a default language where an Eloquence voice
is available
(English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Finnish):
* 1:default language, only Eloquence is speaking
* 2: default language, only Nuance Vocalizer voice
is speaking
* 3: default language, Vocalizer voice is used in
multi-line
edits (word processor, email-program) and as well for continuous
reading. For all other situations,
the Eloquence voice is used.
* 4: English
* 5: French
* 6: Italian
* 7: Spanish
. for default languages where no Eloquence is
available (e.g.
Swedish, Norwegian, Hungarian, Arabic, Hebrew):
* 1: default language, Nuance Vocalizer voice
* 2: English, only Eloquence
* 3: English, only Vocalizer
* 4: English, Vocalizer voice is used in
multi-line edits and
as well for continuous reading.
For all other situations, the Eloquence voice is used.
* 5: French
* 6: Italian
* 7: Spanish
The default language is the language which has been selected in
the COBRA
Menu.
Please note:
COBRA Speech Settings from older COBRA versions cannot be carried
over to
COBRA 10 because the internal structure of the new settings is
completely different
from the previous settings.
* TASO
- Star commands on CeBox or TASO-Module can be
added by the
user. This can be done in COBRA Menu, "Extras", "Key Assignment"
when you select
"TASO/CeBox".
- Also many new commands were added here to be
available
through the number pad of the TASO-Module and CeBox.
- When using Star actions or cursor routing clicks
together
with the star key on TASO-Module, the message: "Star command
aborted", is no longer presented.
* Acoustic Progress Indicator
- As an addition to the existing acoustic hour
glass, now in
COBRA 10 progress indicators can be heard using an increasing
tone that indicates every 5% step
in the progress of an application. The tone sounds for
foreground and background
applications. This way the user knows the status of copying
files, burning CD's, etc. In "Extras",
"Sounds", the user can adjust this feature to his / her needs.
- Enhanced support for JAVA applications
- COBRA 10 has improved support for JAVA
applications. We
support both 32-bit and 64-bit JAVA Access Bridge 2.0.2 as well
as the hybrid version for 32-bit and 64-bit
programs.
- UI-Automation support
- Adobe Digital Editions (program for reading
E-Books)
- Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 for programming is
now
supported.
* Entirely new COBRA Explorer
COBRA Explorer is thoroughly rewritten and now enables better
representation
in both refreshable Braille and speech. Also large documents are
now available much faster than
before. COBRA
Explorer is seamlessly integrated into the screen reader, and is
a standard
means to handle all HTML Texts, PDF files and E-Books. Windows
Internet Explorer, Mozilla
FireFox for HTML and also Adobe Reader for PDF files and Adobe
Digital Edition for E-Books can all be used
similarly with COBRA Explorer and without the need for additional
plug-ins.
- COBRA Explorer now also presents links and
headings in Adobe
Reader in case the document provides this information.
- When changing pages in PDF files with Ctrl+Page
Up and
Ctrl+Page Down,
COBRA 10.0 will show the new page directly.
- Area elements on web pages will now be
recognized correctly
- COBRA Explorer can recognize layout tables and
data tables.
Tables that are only used for data presentation will be
announced. Layout tables will not be announced.
- Spelling in phonetic alphabet is possible now.
Using Ctrl+F9
you will obtain information about your position in the document
in a percentage value for this.
- If "Presentation of address" is selected, it
will be
presented in a separate line.
- If the browser is busy during opening, a message
telling you
that can be heard.
- Further improvements:
- A user can add more commands to be executed with
only one
keystroke. This can be done in "Extras", "Key Assignment" in the
sub-dialog when clicking on "New
key" or "New function" by clicking on "Create key sequence".
- COBRA 10.0 detects reliably that programs are
opened when
shutting down the computer and that will remain active.
- Edits that are read-only will be presented as
"read only" on
speech and with "R-" on the beginning of the Braille display.
- Scripts for sound programs MP3 Direct Cut and
SoundForge are
available.
- COBRA Controller detects when COBRA crashes and
will
automatically restart it.
- A user can cut a rectangle from the screen into
Windows
clipboard.
- Set left upper corner: 0+1, 7
- Set right lower corner: 0+1, 8
- Copy rectangle to Windows clipboard: 0+1, 9
- Show last 10 tooltips: COBRA+Ctrl+Tab is useful,
e.g. when
you have missed some messages in DropBox.
- Multi-click for cursor routing keys. In
"Braille", "Braille
settings" the user will find the checkbox to enable cursor
routing-click with Ctrl and Shift. If enabled,
the following combinations can be used:
- Shift+cursor routing: right click on this
position
- Ctrl+cursor routing: move mouse to this position
- The user can adjust the frequency of cursor
blinking on the
Braille display. This can be done in COBRA Menu, "Braille",
"Advanced Braille Settings".
- The roll-bar of the VarioPro Audio Module for
BAUM VarioPro
64 and VarioPro 80 is now supported.
- Cursor routing keys of the VarioPro Status
Module for BAUM
VarioPro 64 and VarioPro 80 are now supported.
- A user can now switch to different cursor
presentations for
the Braille display with 0+2, Shift+number on the number pad.
- If the cursor is set with dots 7 or with dots 7
and 8
blinking, a character with dot 7 will have dot 7 permanently
set.
- Many new models of Braille displays from various
brands are
now supported.
- Pronto! 18 and Pronto! 40 are now supported when
connected
through USB and when HID is enabled. It is now possible to
connect Pronto! through USB
either under Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7 without any
additional software.
Requirement:
Pronto! software version 3.5 must be installed on Pronto! 18 or
Pronto! 40.
- Detecting of sentences while continuously
reading has been
improved.
- Keyboard echo of Backspace and Delete has been
improved.
First you will hear the character and afterwards the word
"Deleted".
- Keyboard echo of Space has been improved.
- WebFormator will no longer be installed
automatically from
the COBRA setup. An already installed WebFormator will not be
changed. If a user wishes to
install WebFormator on his/her computer, the install program can
be found in "Start
menu", "Programs", "BAUM Retec", "COBRA 10.0 Install WebFormator"
or in
C:\Program files (x86)\BAUM Retec\COBRA\10.\Tools\WebFormator as
file
WebFormator24c.exe.
- With COBRA+Ctrl+F1 or on number pad 0+Star, 9
the COBRA
version and Windows version will be presented.
- If a button is not available (presented as
grey), this is now
indicated.
- In Skype, focus tracking in dialogs "Contact
request" and
"Send Files" has been improved.
- Cursor-tracking of buttons to download files in
Skype.
- Menu of the virus check-program Avast is now
supported.
- In iTunes, the list of checkboxes is now
presented correctly.
- The email program Mozilla Thunderbird 16 is
supported
- COBRA AutoText modules can be managed in COBRA
Menu,
"Extras", "Text modules".
- Problems using Windows clipboard with Ctrl+C and
Ctrl+V are solved.
- Lotus Notes:
- Many improvements are available when using Lotus
Notes 8.5
- An incoming message will automatically be copied
to the COBRA
Clipboard. So you can easily read this with the cursor keys.
- A list of attachments is available through COBRA
Quick menu
(COBRA+Q).
- A list of buttons on the toolbar is available
through COBRA Quick menu.
- The calendar is not supported. Please activate
the summary
view to use this function.
- Enhanced presentation of icons of Lotus Notes in
Braille and
speech (invitation,
accept, system message, info, etc.).
Note:
Compatibility to previous COBRA versions:
Note: If you are using COBRA at, for example, your workplace for
specific
software applications and if you are using special COBRA-scripts
for that, please
contact your local BAUM-Distributor or BAUM directly prior to
downloading and installing
an update to COBRA 10. This way it can be checked in advance if
the special COBRA-scripts
need to be modified for using COBRA 10. We cannot guarantee that
your existing
COBRA-scripts are compatible to COBRA 10.
And now: Enjoy COBRA 10 !
With best regards,
Your BAUM-Team
Tel. General: +49 6223 4909-0
Fax: +49 6223 4909-397
Email: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]
Internet: www.baum.de <http://www.baum.de/
_______________________________________________
ATI (Adaptive Technology Inc.)
A special interest affiliate of the Missouri Council of the Blind
http://moblind.org/membership/affiliates/adaptive_technology
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