The textHELP software programs of Read and Write and Wordsmith are now available with an optional extra "RealSpeak Voice" for speaking out text from the computer. This new voice offers highly intelligible voices based on samples of actual speech. In fact it is so natural sounding, it has prompted some reviewers to claim, "The age of the electronic voice is nearly over!"

A RealSpeak voice takes two months or more to record, with the person chosen to model the voice completing arduous studio sessions, reading the same material different ways, in different tones, and ending up with a data store of component sounds, or fragments, of human speech.

For those of you into the techie side of it ... the basic units of the RealSpeak engine are not limited to diphones. The system uses a whole range of speech segments such as diphones, syllables, and also larger phoneme sequences. This mixture of voice segments and in-depth linguistic knowledge provides intelligent and human sounding pronunciation of variable text input.

Visit http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/browse.asp?cat=6857 or http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/product.asp?product=6525 on our website for more details.

The Go Talk multi-level communication device has been incredibly popular since its release last year. The Go Talk family has just grown - with the release of the Pocket Go Talk and the release soon of the Go Talk 4

The Pocket Go Talk offers scanning for switch users and can boast that, at $429.00, it is the cheapest multi-level communication device with scanning available in Australia. It offers 25 messages over 5 levels.

The Go Talk 4, due for release in April, is built into the original Go Talk frame, but offers just 4 messages on each level. The larger cells make it easier for users who experience physical difficulty using the cells on the original Go Talk or who need less visual clutter on their device.

To add to the cost savings of this economical range of devices, a custom designed overlay making software package is also available specifically for the Go Talks, complete with over 1000 images. At only $129.00, the Go Talk Overlay Software may be helpful for designing overlays for the Go Talk Series of devices.

Before we leave the topic of economical communication devices, we should also mention the clever little TalkTrac - which offers from one to four messages on a device which is worn on a wrist just like a watchband. Great for playground communications and for users prone to misplacing devices which they need to carry with them! Please visit our website at http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/product.asp?product=7532 for more information.

Need to plug switches into your computer via a USB port on Windows or Mac computers? Crick Software has announced that it will soon be releasing its new USB Switch Interface. No setting up is required for use with Clicker 4 - it works instantly with the program. The switch box also works with most other switch-accessible programs after configuring the switch action with the supplied "USB-Keys" software.

The Crick USB Switch Interface package is made up of:

• Crick USB switch box


• USB lead


• User manual


• CD containing USB-Keys software

Did you know that word prediction can be built into your copy of Clicker 4? By word prediction, we simply mean that a list of suggested words appears onscreen as a student types letters on a keyboard, or selects letters from a Clicker grid. Word Prediction is a very useful feature for assisting students who struggle to compose text and for those who need to cut down on the number of keystrokes that they use.

If you wish to see a list of predicted words appearing in a Clicker 4 grid, this is possible using a word prediction software program called Penfriend XP. To view a screenshot example of a prediction grid - click here. This newest version of Penfriend is able to run with Windows XP and over a network - making it an appealing option for schools.

To use Penfriend XP with Clicker 4:

1. Open Penfriend XP


2. Open Clicker 4


3. Open the word prediction grid which is supplied with Clicker 4 called predict. (This grid is found by going in Clicker Explorer and opening the folder called C4 Examples> Keyboards> Predict)


4. Start typing

The website of the ACE centre in the UK is always worth watching for great tips on using assistive technology. Many of you have expressed an interest in developing on-screen talking books with customised content. Visit http://www.ace-centre.org.uk/html/publications/publicat.html to download free guides on how to create talking books with Clicker 4, PowerPoint or Hyperstudio.

These guides are written especially for those with no experience of multimedia creation. They have step-by-step instructions on how to scan pictures, add symbols, record speech and put together a talking book. Important tips on how to get the best out of all the stages of construction are included, along with troubleshooting advice and the addition of single switch access. Fully illustrated with screenshots showing every stage of the process, these guides are very useful booklets for teachers, parents and professionals alike who want to give their young people access to stories not covered by the current ranges of commercially-available talking books.

(PS In our next emailed update, we will feature two more new multimedia programs which allow you to make switch accessible talking books and more - IntelliPics Studio and Buildability.)

1. Music Factory the switch accessible music composition program, is now available in a network version. This version can be installed on Windows NT or 2000 networks, and does not require the CD to be in the drive to run the program. The network licence allows for an unlimited number of installations at any one site.



2. The popular Touch Games series of Touch Window software is available again from Spectronics. Touch Games 1, Touch Games 2 and Touch Funfair are available in Mac or Windows versions.



3. The Hands on Concepts Story Kits aimed at developing early literacy skills are now available in a mouse driven format for Windows or for Mac. This version of the Story Kits does not require an IntelliKeys keyboard to run. They still feature the popular Australian voices too.



4. Linda Burkhart, internationally known pioneer in the field of simplified technology for children with severe disabilities is touring Australia in June/July 2002 - hosted by AGOSCI (Australian Group on Severe Communication Impairment). Linda's website at www.lburkhart.com presents some of her innovative work. If you would like more information, just contact you local AGOSCI rep or contact me here at Spectronics on barbara@spectronicsinoz.com and I will send the information on to you as soon as AGOSCI has finalised Linda's schedule.
   

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