Leasey 3.1 is Here!

Introduction.

It's already been a good year for Leasey so far. We recently launched the exciting new game, My Country Place, which has already generated a lot of feedback and comment on social media. We're also working on a system which will make it possible for users to download individual games rather than the complete LeaseyGames module, allowing for easier updating. This will become more important as the year progresses as another game has already been commissioned and is in development.

However, based on suggestions from users, Leasey 3.1 provides some new features which again we'll add to throughout 2016.

Now, You Too Can Use Emoji!

Emoji characters are graphical images which are used in electronic messages and on webpages. They exist in various genres, including facial expressions, animals, common objects, the weather, and so on. They have become increasingly popular as a result of their use on portable phones and similar devices.

If someone posts an Emoji character on social media for example, JAWS version 17 is able to announce it. This makes it very easy for you to understand the true meaning of the person's intentions. Leasey provides you with a list of Emoji you can use anywhere you like, particularly on social media. You can bring into view a list of Emoji signs, divided into 10 categories. Pressing Enter on any item will insert it into the text edit area. It's very easy!

If you are using JAWS versions earlier than 17, you can still insert the Emoji. However, those releases of JAWS are not capable of announcing them, so you will need to trust JAWS and Leasey that the correct item has been inserted.

In order to use Emoji, press the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+E. You will find that you can quickly locate a sign you wish to enter using first letter navigation or by selecting from the ten categories provided, which comprise facial expressions, romance, people, sport, weather, animals, fantasy, entertainment and technology, food and drink, gestures and signs. Please refer to the section of the updated Documentation for more information on this feature!

Remembering the Position in a Document.

It's frustrating isn't it? You read a long document in Wordpad, Notepad, HJ Pad, the Jarte word processor or Microsoft Word. You close it down, and when you re-open it the next day, you may struggle to locate your place? Not any more.

Leasey has the ability to remember your place when you close a text file or document. As soon as you launch it again, focus is automatically set to the previous location.

To enable this feature, press the Leasey key then Control+Shift+R.

Conversion of Scanned PDF to Text.

Have you ever had a PDF file which is a scanned image of a document? You will know if you have such a file because when you launch it and try to read its contents, JAWS will say, "Document is empty".

JAWS versions 16 and 17 provide a facility where the document can be scanned and the results are delivered back to you within the Results Viewer, a webpage-like environment allowing you to read the text. Once scanned, the output can be sent to a text file for future reference! Please refer to the section of the documentation entitled "Converting a Scanned PDF to a Text File".

Other Improvements.

For people purchasing new laptop computers, one frustrating element is finding how to increase or decrease the volume. Its probably one of the first things you want to know. Forget about that and use the Leasey keys instead. Press Control+Windows+Shift+Up or Down Arrow to change the volume level.

LeaseySelect, where you can mark the beginning and ending of text you want to select, has been improved in two ways. First, by request we've extended it to include the QRead program, so students can easily select passages from any book. Second, again by request, we included a keystroke to move back to the start of a potential selection. So if you begin selecting, and you wish to return to the start, this can now be done by pressing the Leasey Key then Control+Comma.

The Twitter client TWBlue is now one of the supported Twitter clients, especially helpful for new computer users. In addition to a menu of common choices being available, you can easily add the Twitter username of the focused tweet to LeaseyConnect, our Contact Management system.

When you attach a LeaseySticky Note to text, and it is subsequently located, a sound will play in addition to the text being spoken. This means Sticky Notes can be quickly located by skimming down the lines of text.

In the leasey backup and restore manager, leasey key then control shift B, you can now backup your leasey settings to a folder, rather than just a drive. This could include a dropbox folder.

LeaseySelect now functions in Google Chrome.

Leasey Is On Sale!

That's right. From Monday 14 March through to Thursday 31 March, Leasey is on sale. This is to celebrate the CSUN annual international conference in San Diego which takes place between 21 and 26 March.

You can Buy Leasey for 50% of the usual price. There is no better time to get a copy of Leasey because updates after that are free! So all new features we develop and upcoming games are free from the time you purchase.

Leasey Total Package is at the lower price of £75 which is $107. If you would prefer Leasey Advanced, the cost is £50 which is $72. These are American dollars.

Are you heading to CSUN? Do come along to our Leasey Presentation!
You can also check out the Freedom Scientific presentations for the event.

Conclusion.

Don't forget that the best way of getting support is to join our support email list by sending a message to leaseylist-subscribe@hartgen.org
You can then meet other Leasey users and obtain support from them and ourselves too. This list is not high traffic.

In order to update your copy of Leasey, you will need to Download and Install Leasey Total Package or Download and Install Leasey Advanced. You will not lose any Leasey settings.

We very much hope you will enjoy using this new version of Leasey!