What's New in JAWS 10

This page describes the new features and improvements available in JAWS version 10. To go directly to the JAWS 10 download links on this page, choose JAWS download links. If you are not sure whether you are authorized for this version, you can look up your JAWS serial number on the Freedom Scientific Software Activation page by choosing the Continue Product Activation button, and then choosing the link labeled Verify the number of activation keys available for your Freedom Scientific product. This page provides the specifics about your license.

JAWS 10 Features

JAWS 10 offers several new features and improvements as described on this page. To learn more, read the entire What's New, or, if you are a JAWS user, press INSERT+F6 to open a list of headings and then jump directly to a specific item. JAWS 10 supports 32-bit versions of Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2008 Server, and Windows 2003 Server operating systems. Windows 2000 users need to continue using JAWS 9.

Note: A 64-bit public beta version of JAWS 10 is available for download and testing. This beta version will run on 64-bit versions of Windows Vista. To tryout the 64-bit version, choose JAWS 10 Public Beta for 64-bit Windows Vista for more information.

JAWS Tandem – Listen to the September FSCast for an Overview

JAWS Tandem™ lets you access another JAWS computer so that you can provide hands-on technical support, write and distribute scripts from a distance, and conduct remote JAWS training. It consists of a controller system, used by support personnel, distributors, dealers, consultants, and trainers, and a target system, which is a customer’s computer and JAWS application.

A connection, also known as an online meeting between two systems, can take place using the Internet or over a local network. The Internet meeting process is called a Tandem Center session, while the local network method is called a Tandem Direct session. In a Tandem Center session, JAWS Tandem running as a controller is a subscription service; JAWS Tandem running as a target is free. (With the initial release of JAWS 10, controller functionality is being offered for free for a limited time.) In a Tandem Direct session, a one-time activation fee is required.

JAWS Tandem controls are available under the Utilities menu of the JAWS application window. You can find help for this feature in the Quick Start Guide, which is located in the JAWS Tandem submenu, of the Utilities menu. Also, the JAWS help file contains the JAWS Tandem book, which has topics describing how to use this feature.

Note: If you would like to learn more about JAWS Tandem, listen to the list of Frequently Asked Questions for JAWS Tandem or listen to the September 2008 FSCast for more about this exciting new feature.

iTunes 8 Support

JAWS now provides access to iTunes® 8, including support for the iTunes Store. Using the virtual cursor, you can browse and search the store for all content, including music, movies, TV shows, and educational content. Purchasing individual tracks or full albums is now accessible.

JAWS 9 and JAWS 8 users can refer to Technical Support Notice – Which JAWS releases support iTunes 8? for a brief set of instructions describing how to configure JAWS for use with iTunes 8.

New JAWS 10 Features Demonstrated in Two Different FSCasts

Listen to Eric Damery, Product Manager for JAWS, and Jonathan Mosen, Vice President of Blindness Hardware Product Development, discuss the latest JAWS 10 enhancements in the August 2008 FSCast and the September 2008 FSCast. In the September FSCast, you will be able to learn specifically about JAWS Tandem and the new iTunes 8 support. You can also subscribe to FSCast from the iTunes Store.

What's New in JAWS 10 DAISY and MP3 Files

You can download and listen to DAISY and MP3 files that describe new features available in JAWS 10. For more information about these and other DAISY and MP3 training files, visit the Freedom Scientific Training Downloads page.

Surf's Up! Surfing the Internet with JAWS

Surf's Up!, the Freedom Scientific Web page that explains how to surf the Web with JAWS, has been updated to help instructors and students take advantage of the new JAWS 10 features that are mentioned on this page. Pay particular attention to the Forms page. It gives great details for using the new Auto Forms Mode function.

Auto Forms Mode

Traditionally, Forms Mode in JAWS has been activated manually when you needed to type text into edit fields or select combo box values on Web pages and Adobe Acrobat forms. By default, JAWS is in Virtual Mode which allows you to use Navigation Quick Keys such as F for next form field or E for next edit box. When you need to interact with a form in order to type in text, you must manually turn on Forms Mode using the ENTER key. You can toggle off Forms Mode using ESC or the NUM PAD PLUS key.

Auto Forms Mode will automatically turn on Forms Mode when you move into combo box controls using TAB, or edit fields using either TAB or ARROW Keys. This makes if far more intuitive and easy to interact with form fields found on Web pages without having to do these extra keystrokes. When you press ARROW Keys or TAB to move to an edit field, you will hear a sound indicating you can type at that moment without having to first press ENTER. When you exit the control using an ARROW Key, Forms Mode turns off and will let you easily continue to navigate in virtual mode again. This functionality can be very useful for new and sighted JAWS users in training environments but even longtime JAWS users will quickly adapt to this new method with a little practice. By default, Auto Forms Mode is on. There are two ways to turn it off. First, you can press INSERT+V and then change the Auto Forms Mode option to off. Second, you can use the new Forms Mode Options dialog located in Configuration Manager.

Note: You can use the Forms Mode option in Personalized Settings to customize specific Web pages so that Auto Forms Mode is off when the page is opened. This lets you take advantage of this great new feature on most pages you browse, but also turns it off if you have sites where you want to remain in control of Forms Mode manually. This option is found in the Personalized Settings dialog box, which is accessed by pressing INSERT+SHIFT+V. On is the default setting.

RealSpeak Solo Direct Synthesizer

JAWS 10 supports the RealSpeak™ Solo Direct synthesizer from Nuance® Communications. This new synthesizer works exclusively with Freedom Scientific products. It consists of 43 voices in 19 languages. Go to the RealSpeak Solo Direct Voices for Freedom Scientific Products Web page to listen to samples, or download any of these voices.

Note that another way to open this Web page is to use the new RealSpeak Solo Direct link available in the JAWS application window. The link is in Web Resources under the Help menu.

Dictionary Manager Tree View

The Dictionary Manager lets you change the way JAWS speaks words, phrases, abbreviations, or symbols to avoid any mispronunciation. In JAWS 10, the Dictionary manager has been expanded so that you can create rules applying to specific languages, synthesizers, or voices. Once the rule is created, it is added to the top of the Dictionary Entries list. It is identified by language, for example, English, and can be expanded into a tree view to show other restrictions that apply to the rule. To open the Dictionary Manager in any application, press INSERT+D.

Navigation Quick Key Manager

Navigation Quick Keys are convenient keystrokes that let you quickly move around Web pages, PDF files, Word documents, and Outlook e-mail messages. Beginning with JAWS 10, you can now change the keystroke assigned to a quick key with any unassigned letter or number using the Navigation Quick Key Manager. This gives you the flexibility of assigning a character that is easy for you to remember. Any changes that you make are immediately applied to the new quick key assignment. To open a Navigation Quick Key Manager from within an application, press INSERT+F2, N, and then ENTER.

Voice Profiles

The Global Voices and Individual Voices profiles in JAWS have been updated to closely match functionality available in MAGic 11 and later. These profiles let you create and save speech rate, pitch, synthesizer, language, punctuation level, and other speech options. Use the Default and Application radio buttons to apply the voice settings as new JAWS default values or as voice settings to a specific application. For more information about these items, open the JAWS Help file, select the Using JAWS book from the Table of Contents pane, and then open the Voice Settings book.

To open the dialog box for either voice profile, choose Options (ALT+O) from the JAWS application window, select Voices (V), and then select Global Adjustment (G) or Individual Voice Adjustment (I). To change voice profiles on the fly, press INSERT+CTRL+S to open the Select a Voice Profile dialog box, and then select a profile from the list.

Language Menu Changes

The Synthesizer Language and Change Synthesizer commands have been removed from the Language menu in the JAWS application window and been replaced by the Voice Profiles command. This new command lets you select and instantly switch to another synthesizer and voice combination that you set up as a voice profile. For more about voice profiles, open the JAWS Help file, and refer to the Global Voices or Individual Voices topics. These topics are found in Voice Settings in the Using JAWS book.

Unified English Braille or Contracted English Braille Setup

JAWS can now provide contracted braille using either Contracted English Braille, formerly known as grade 2 braille, as defined in translation rules from the Braille Authority of North America (BANA), or Unified English Braille (UEB) as provided by the International Council on English Braille (ICEB). Using Braille Options in the Configuration Manager, you can configure JAWS for either method using two new radio buttons: Contracted English Braille (default) and Unified English Braille. The braille translation method can be set up with or without a braille display attached to your system so that it is ready for use when you select the Enable Translator check box.

Reply Directly to Sender on Mailing Lists

The Reply Directly to Sender command, a JAWS command that you can use with Microsoft Outlook, is fully functional in JAWS 10. If you subscribe to a mailing list, this useful command lets you reply directly to the sender's e-mail address from the open e-mail message instead of the entire mailing list address. The keystroke for this command is INSERT+SHIFT+R.

Downloading Freedom Scientific DAISY Books with FSReader Demo

Starting with JAWS 10, you can use FSReader Demo to download DAISY books directly from the Freedom Scientific Web site. The advantage of this feature over earlier JAWS releases is that you no longer need the product CD to install any of the DAISY books.

You can also use the Check for Updates command to quickly select and download DAISY books. From the Help menu in the JAWS application window, choose Check for Updates, select any DAISY book from the list, and then choose the Install button.

In addition to using Check for Updates, you can also visit the Freedom Scientific Training Downloads Web page and directly download DAISY books.

Basic Training Updated for JAWS 10

The JAWS 10 Basic Training has been revised and includes the latest information about the new JAWS 10 features. The training is available in text and audio DAISY format as well as individual MP3 modules. For more information about these and other DAISY and MP3 training files, visit the Freedom Scientific Training Headquarters.

Startup Wizard Change for Say All

The Use SAPI 5 During Say All check box has been removed from the JAWS Startup Wizard. The wizard opens at the end of the installation process, or can be opened from the Help menu of the JAWS application window.

To select a SAPI 5 or RealSpeak Direct Solo synthesizer and voice for Say All, use the Say All controls in the Global Voices or Individual Voices dialog box.

ARIA Live Region Support

JAWS 10 can announce updates to live regions of Web pages when using Firefox 3 and later. Live region support will be available in Internet Explorer 8 when it is officially released. The dynamic section of a Web page that receives constant updates, such as news headlines, business information, and weather updates, is known as a live region. By default, JAWS announces updates for Web pages containing ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) Live Region markup. Web content creators add specific ARIA tags to their pages to mark regions as "live." To stop JAWS from announcing updates, use the Announce Live Region Updates option to temporarily turn off this functionality. Just press INSERT+V while running your Web browser, navigate to this option, and then press SPACEBAR.

ARIA Landmark Support

The keystroke for Select a Mouse Over Element has changed from INSERT+CTRL+SEMICOLON to INSERT+WINDOWS Key+SEMICOLON.

The INSERT+CTRL+SEMICOLON keystroke now supports the function Select a Landmark. Landmarks are ARIA tags that define the structure of a Web page. This functionality provides useful information to a JAWS user when he or she navigates pages that support ARIA landmark tags. Web content creators add these tags to their pages. JAWS 10 and later can announce Web page landmarks when using Firefox 3 and later. Landmark support will be available in Internet Explorer 8 when it is officially released.

Finally, the SEMICOLON and SHIFT+SEMICOLON keystrokes no longer represent Move to Next Mouse Over Element and Move to Previous Mouse Over Element. These keystrokes now stand for Move to Next Landmark and Move to Previous Landmark.

Windows Media Player 11

JAWS 10 supports Windows Media Player 11. For example, to hear the name of the track that is playing, press INSERT+CTRL+T. Also, while navigating a playlist, JAWS announces the track that is playing. Use auto playlist, a Windows Media Player feature that is fully functional with JAWS 10, to create, edit, and save playlists. Finally, with JAWS 10, the Windows Media Player user interface is much more intuitive when using sliders and toggle buttons to control items such as volume, crossfading, shuffle, and repeat.

Microsoft Access 2007

JAWS 10 supports Access 2007. A great deal of work has been done to make sure that Access 2007 users find the out-of-the-box experience working very well for both speech and braille output. JAWS now provides the proper information as you navigate with F6, enter and exit tables, or use Access wizards and dialogs.

Better Performance with Microsoft Outlook Calendar

Significant performance improvements have been made to the calendar in Microsoft Outlook 2007 and Outlook 2003. Script developers will appreciate the streamlining of scripts and internal code. This all leads to enhanced responsiveness, easier script localization, and better handling of date and time announcements.

AudibleManager Scripts

The scripts for AudibleManager, a program that lets you listen to audio books purchased from Audible.com, have been updated. The obsolete keystroke CTRL+1 has been removed; problems with JAWS not speaking correctly when you select or cancel the selection of text while in the Library list view have been corrected; terminology referring to mobile devices has been updated; and an issue preventing you from moving out of the list view of the File Import dialog box has been fixed.

Run JAWS Without Speech

The Run JAWS Without Speech check box has been added to Basic Settings. It is located in the Advanced Options dialog box by choosing Options (ALT+O) from the JAWS application window, selecting Basic (B), and then selecting the Advanced button (D) in the Basic Settings dialog box.

Script Manager Changes

The SelectASynthesizer script (INSERT+CTRL+S) has been changed to the SelectAVoiceProfile script. Its purpose is to allow you to switch from one voice profile to another. Previously, the keystroke would let you temporarily change the speech synthesizer on the fly. It now lets you select the voice profile from anywhere in Windows. Once you select a profile from the Select a Voice Profile dialog box, it will become your start up voice profile.

The SelectALanguage script (WINDOWS Key+CTRL+L) has been removed.

New Keystroke for Reading Clipboard Contents

You can now read the contents of the clipboard at anytime by pressing WINDOWS Key+INSERT+X. This feature was adopted from MAGic where it was first introduced.

New HTML Table Keystrokes

When in a table on a Web page, you can move between and read columns by pressing WINDOWS Key+LEFT ARROW, which reads the previous column, and by pressing WINDOWS Key+RIGHT ARROW, which reads the contents of the next column.

JAWS Remote Access Reminder

As a reminder, JAWS also has a Remote Access feature. It lets you connect to another computer to access files and run programs just as if you are in front of and using the remote computer's keyboard. This is not new JAWS functionality and should not be confused with JAWS Tandem. JAWS Tandem allows you, from the controller computer, to run the target computer while the target user is also on the computer and listening to all activity. With JAWS Remote Access, no one at the remote computer can see or hear your activity. Refer to the Remote Access book and topics in the JAWS help file for more information.

Back to top from JAWS 10 Features

Enhancements In JAWS 10.0.512 (November 2008)

The following is a list of items addressed between the final JAWS 10 public beta release and the final JAWS 10.0.512 posting. All enhancements since the initial public beta release are included in this release.

JAWS

Eudora E-Mail

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Word

Yahoo! Messenger

Back to top from Enhancements in JAWS 10.0.512

Enhancements During the JAWS 10 Development Cycle

The following items were resolved during the JAWS 10 development cycle and public beta releases.

JAWS

AOL Instant Messenger

FSReader

JAVA

Lotus Notes

Microsoft Access

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Internet Explorer

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Word

Mozilla Firefox

Windows Vista

Back to top from JAWS 10 Development Cycle

Download JAWS 10

The following briefly describes how to download and install the JAWS 10 release.

  1. Select the appropriate FTP or HTTP download link that appears at the end of this procedure.
  2. When the dialog box opens, choose Save and select a location where you can easily find the downloaded executable file.
  3. Run the executable and follow the talking installer.

Check for Updates

To check for updates after installing the JAWS release, do the following:

  1. Press INSERT+J to open the JAWS application window.
  2. Press ALT+H to open the Help menu.
  3. Press P to select Check for Updates. The update feature determines if you have the most current release. If you do not, select one or more items from the list and then select INSTALL to begin the update. All enhancements since the initial public beta release are included in the update.

Demonstration Version of JAWS

Starting with JAWS 10, if you want to try a free demonstration of JAWS, select the FTP or the HTTP link from the Download JAWS 10 section and run JAWS in 40-minute demo mode.

Thumb Drive Version of JAWS

Select thumb drive version to jump to the thumb drive Web page. It contains download links and installation instructions for the latest JAWS thumb drive release.

Back to top from Download JAWS 10

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: If I download the JAWS 10 release from the Web, should I install JAWS from the CD when I receive it?

Answer: No. However, you should check for updates by pressing ALT+H from the JAWS program window, and then pressing P to select Check for Updates.

Question: If I wait until my CD arrives to install JAWS 10, should I also download the version that is available on the Web?

Answer: No, but once you have installed JAWS 10 from the CD, you should check for updates by pressing ALT+H from the JAWS program window, and then pressing P to select Check for Updates.

Question: If I’ve been installing and using the JAWS public beta releases, should I remove the public beta before installing the official JAWS 10 release?

Answer: No. You may install the JAWS 10 release over the JAWS public beta release or just use the Check for Update feature in the Help menu. Remember, the public beta will expire on December 1, 2008, so be sure to update to the final release as soon as possible.

Question: If I remove my existing version of JAWS before installing JAWS 10, should I remove shared components?

Answer: Yes, however, remember that you will not have speech between removing your current JAWS version and installing JAWS 10. If you download JAWS 10 from the Web, copy the executable file to a location that is easy to find without speech.

Question: When should I receive my JAWS 10 English release CD?

Answer: You should receive your CD by the first week of December 2008 at the latest. You may receive it sooner or later depending on where you live; we have taken steps to make sure they arrive in all markets at the same time.

Question: If I recently received JAWS 9, how do I get JAWS 10?

Answer: If you purchased JAWS 9 after September 1, 2008, you can download the JAWS 10 release for free from the Freedom Scientific Web site. To verify if you are entitled to the current version, visit the Freedom Scientific Software Activation page. You will need your serial number.

Question: If my SMA expires, will I receive a notice?

Answer: Customers in the U.S. will receive notification in the mail shortly after the JAWS 10 CD arrives. The envelope will have a braille label on the outside, and it will contain an SMA Renewal letter explaining the process in print and braille. The JAWS SMA Renewal Form is also available for download from the Freedom Scientific Web site. Renewal prices are discounted if you purchase JAWS 10 before the end of the year.

Back to top from Frequently Asked Questions