At the TechEd IT Forum 2007 in Barcelona, Microsoft and the Digital Accessible Information Systems Consortium (DAISY) announced a development project that will create a tool enabling Microsoft Word users to convert documents from Open XML format to DAISY XML, the most widely-used format for users who are blind or print-disabled. The move could be an important development to make documents more accessible for blind and visually-impaired users.
Historically, print-impaired computer users have used specialized accessibility technology like screen magnifiers, screen readers, text-to-speech technology, and other tools to attempt to manipulate document formats that, realistically, have been created with only sighted users in mind. “When you don’t see print, you lose more than the ability to read words. You lose the ability to see the page, jump around in the text and be drawn to bolded or italicized information,” said Jim Marks, director of services for students with disabilities at the University of Montana who went blind as an undergraduate in the early 1980s. “When I switched from the ability to read print to audio, it was like a stream of consciousness. Trying to find the page number on an audio cassette was a miserable experience.”
Conversely, the structure of DAISY XML documents enables quick navigation by heading or page number, and offers the ability for print-impaired users to access indexes and other references, all with synchronized audio and text. By enabling everyday Microsoft Office users to create DAISY XML documents, the technology has the potential to provide an enormous benefit to document-intensive fields like education, publishing, and government, as well as leveling the playing field to a wealth of printed content.
“The Open XML to DAISY XML translator for Microsoft Office Word will begin the translation of Open XML-based content into an enriched multimedia format accessible to users around the world, regardless of the degree of their visual impairments,” said Microsoft’s Jeff Raikes, in a statement. “This accessible technology is something that our customers have asked for, and we are pleased to be able to work collaboratively with the DAISY Consortium to realize this goal.”
The plug-in for Microsoft Word should be available in early 2008.
Mozilla is giving Firefox’s Smart Window two new tricks. If you haven’t tried it yet, Smart Window is an optional AI mode in Firefox with a built-in chat that helps you get things done while you browse. With this update, it can fill out online forms using details from your tabs and keep an eye on websites for you.
Tired of typing the same details into every form?
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.