[bksvol-discuss] Kurzweil 1000 version 9.0 is now shipping
- From: Guido Corona <guidoc@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2004 15:12:11 -0500
Kurzweil 1000 version 9 is now shipping. Below is a list of new/enhanced
features.
For more information please visit
http://www.kurzweiledu.com
Please note that the new OCR engines referred to below are:
Abbyy FineReader Engine 7.
Scansoft 12.
I have found these engines to be significantly better than the older
versions. Especially FineReader 7 with grayscale.
They have definitely cut down on my post-recognition proofing time.
* * * *
Features
Here are some of the highlights of Kurzweil 1000 Version 9:
Scanning and Reading
Improved OCR – A new OCR engine from ScanSoft® and an update of ABBYY
FineReader™ provide the most accurate available recognition, while
Kurzweil 1000 has the ability to automatically correct many errors,
producing the best possible scanning results.
Audio Spooler Monitor – Track progress of audio file creation. This
feature is useful when creating multiple audio files. Items in the monitor
queue are presented in the Pending Jobs list and completed files in the
Completed Jobs list.
Sending Files to Portable Devices – In addition to other supported
portable devices, such as Book Courier, PAC Mate™ BrailleNote™, and Road
Runner devices, Version 9 now has support for the Book Port™, so documents
and books that are accessed and enhanced by Kurzweil 1000 can also be read
on the go.
Information Access
Online Encyclopedia Lookup – Kurzweil 1000 now offers a new information
source via the Internet that complements online books and magazines.
Version 9 enables access to online encyclopedias such as Columbia
Encyclopedia and Wikipedia from Wikimedia Foundation. Online encyclopedia
information is indispensable for research assignments or obtaining
background information on ideas and topics covered in textbook reading.
Encyclopedia articles can be read, edited, or saved and may also contain
internal links and links to related articles or Web sites.
Expanded Online Information Search and Retrieval – In addition to an
already notable list of e-book and e-magazine Web sites, Kurzweil 1000
Version 9 also enables access to the American Foundation for the Blind’s
(AFB) AccessWorld, Talking Newspaper Association of the United Kingdom,
and Progetto Manuzio and Fondazione Ezio Galiano, two e-book sites from
Italy.
Full-Function Talking Business Calculator – Empowers users with a new
full-function talking business calculator to perform, for example,
financial functions for loans, mortgages, leases, savings, annuities and
more. The business calculator complements the already existing, powerful
scientific, standard and statistics calculators.
DAISY Format Support – Kurzweil 1000 opens, reads, edits, and saves
text-only DAISY files, including all bookmarks, links and notes.
Narrow Dictionary or Thesaurus Results Using Parts of Speech – Allows
users to find the precise word or definition when they need it. Users can
reduce the number of dictionary and thesaurus results by selecting a Part
of Speech, such as an adjective, adverb, noun, or verb, in the dictionary
or thesaurus dialog. Users can also search for additional notes, the
etymology of the word, and more.
User Interface and Editing Enhancements
Document Links – Allow users to explore links embedded in documents, such
as searchable online encyclopedia pages. With an audible chime to identify
the link, the user is able to discover more information within the same
document, another document or Web site.
Notes – The Notes feature complements the existing set of study skills
tools, including the Bookmark and Summarize features, by providing an
additional way to annotate documents.
Quick Access to Recently Opened Files – Kurzweil 1000 keeps track of up to
five files opened in a session.
Ranked Spelling Improvements – Ranked Spelling keeps track of spelling
errors as a document is edited and scanned. Users can go back to the
document to review each occurrence of a misspelling and make changes
manually if they wish.
Guido D. Corona
IBM Accessibility Center, Austin Tx.
IBM Research,
Phone: (512) 838-9735
Email: guidoc@xxxxxxxxxxx
Visit my weekly Accessibility WebLog at:
http://www-3.ibm.com/able/weblog/corona_weblog.html
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