User Profiles – if you are a mouse user finding SuperNova too talkative, or a deafblind user who wants braille with visual highlighting, SuperNova’s new profiles allow you to quickly set the amount of speech feedback without having to change multiple settings.
New Control Panel – Clear, easy to see, easy to learn. The updated SuperNova control panel magnifies beautifully with no pixilation, so it’s always perfectly crisp and easy on the eye.
New ‘Media’ tab - SuperNova’s most unique entertainment, Scan & Read and Book access features have been brought together under a new Media tab.
Quick Scan & Read – read instantly from your camera, scanner or clipboard with a single keypress.
Orbit 20 Braille Reader support – supporting affordable braille from National Federation of the Blind, Perkins School for the Blind, and Sightsavers.
UEB Braille Improvements for Foreign Characters - Students using Unified English Braille (UEB) that are learning a foreign language have support for foreign accents.
Full screen reader with robust refreshable Braille. Launch SuperNova Screen Reader and all text and controls are spoken and Brailled.
Features
Get Started Quickly
SuperNova comes with everything you need to get you up and running right away. The Setup Wizard walks you through the most commonly changed SuperNova settings. Choose your magnification, visual, speech, Braille, start-up, control panel and keyboard preferences. You can skip steps or go back at any time. The wizard runs automatically the first time you launch SuperNova. You can also call the Setup Wizard any time from the SuperNova Help menu. CAPS+F1 Help menu provides convenient access to detailed descriptions of completing tasks in popular applications such as Microsoft Office and on the web. In addition CAPS+F1 includes hotkeys, links to web resources, Windows Basics, SuperNova Manual and Notes.
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Highly customizable: magnification, speech and Braille settings to suit your needs
Flexible settings make everything look, sound and feel just right. Remember or discard settings between sessions to keep only the changes you like. Ideal for multiple users sharing a public access machine, or for users who are worried they may get themselves in a muddle. Import or export settings for backup or purposes or to share settings with other users and friends. Application and situation settings alter magnification, visual, speech and/or Braille behaviors when you switch between applications or when dialogs appear.
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Natural Sounding Voices
Dozens of clear male and female voices speak aloud your: apps, documents and web pages. Thousands of built-in speech exceptions correctly say commonly mispronounced words. You can change volume and speed using your mouse or keyboard.
3 high quality multilingual text-to-speech synthesizers feature dozens of clear voices to read documents and apps out loud. SuperNova includes: Vocalizer, Eloquence and Orpheus voices to speak text and controls with ease. SAPI4 and SAPI5 plus hardware and other legacy synthesizers can still be used for familiarity.
Thousands of speech exceptions, unique to SuperNova, improve speech accuracy by correcting commonly mispronounced words. Alter voice preferences to suit your ear. Volume, speed and spelling speed can be finely tuned for all voices. Where the synthesizer allows, use SuperNova to create custom voices by adjusting: Pitch, Intonation, Roughness, Breathiness, Head size and Gender.
Use one voice to speak everything, or separate voices to differentiate between: edit areas, prompt dialogs, menus, Dolphin Cursor or reading entire documents.
Speak as you type. Characters, words or both can be spoken aloud to improve confidence while writing in any text field such as a document or the Subject field of an email.
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Intelligent Screen Reader allows you to control precisely what is announced
Screen reading speaks and Brailles text and controls so a person who is blind can independently use a regular desktop or laptop computer without needing to see the screen. Create documents, schedule appointments or connect via social network sites without needing to look at the display. Choose how much information is announced automatically with Text Style settings, Verbosity schemes and Monitor Markers. Or jump to particular info with: Quick Navigation hotkeys, Item Finder and the Dolphin Launch Pad.
Type emails and reports with confidence using character or word echo. As you write SuperNova accurately announces letters, numbers, punctuation, line breaks and thousands of other special symbols. Arrowing around or selecting text for editing, SuperNova speaks characters, words and lines. You can also press keys to speak sentences, paragraphs and tables.
Text style information is announced so you can check your documents look great. Fonts, sizes, colors, bold, italic, underline, subscript and superscript changes can all be reported. Ensure accuracy in Microsoft Word where spelling and grammar errors are also indicated. To maximize productivity SuperNova can be set to only report text style information when you need it most. All text style announcements can be set independently for editing, prompts, menus, document reading or while using the Dolphin Cursor.
Verbosity tells you about the types and states of over 60 kinds of control as you tab and arrow around web pages, Windows and app dialogs. For example: whether check boxes are checked, the position of sliders and whether links have been visited. And if you are just getting started or a bit forgetful, High Verbosity can even remind you which keys to press. Choose the amount of detail from 4 built-in verbosity schemes; take ultimate control by creating your own verbosity scheme; even choose separate verbosity for speech and Braille.
Read from Here is for when you simply want to have a document or web page spoken to you in its entirety. Start and stop reading with a single keystroke or mouse click. For sighted trainers or users with some sight, As the text is spoken, the current word and line is highlighted visually.
Monitor Markers announce changes occurring elsewhere onscreen away from the cursor. Security notifications appearing in your web browser, file download progress, when the other person in an instant message conversation is typing a message, Monitor Markers will cause SuperNova to speak automatically. If you don't want to hear these notifications you can toggle Monitor Markers with a keystroke or from the SuperNova Control Panel.
Quick navigation keys skip forward and back through Microsoft Word documents, web pages in Internet Explorer and PDFs in AdobeReader to rapidly locate landmarks, form controls, graphics, headings, links, lists, frames and tables.
Item Finder speeds up navigating complex documents and web pages by listing: Links, Headings, Objects, Tables, Revisions, Comments, Spelling Errors, Controls and ARIA Landmarks. Each list of items can be sorted alphabetically and you can jump directly to any of the listed items.
Launch Pad provides instant access to audio, weather and book search. Press a couple of keys and you can listen to popular radio stations, the latest podcasts or read RSS News feeds. You can even use Launch Pad to lookup the dictionary definition of a word, find out the local weather forecast, search for books, and find walking directions.
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Robust Braille Output and Input with more than 60 different displays
Read and write literary Braille in almost any Windows application. Instantly translate to and from Braille using dozens of included Braille translation tables. Works with majority of popular Braille displays. Understand screen layout with Physical Braille. Choose how much detail is shown in Braille with powerful Verbosity settings. Show Braille on screen. Control screen reader and perform many Windows commands using buttons on the Braille display. Use Braille to keep watch on parts of the screen away from the cursor with Tracking and Hooked Area options.
Read documents applications and web pages in Braille instantly. Simply press the buttons on your Braille display and SuperNova will move forward and back through text accurately translating it to Braille in real-time. Braille is brilliant for: proofing documents, delivering presentations or reviewing customer details while on the phone.
Over 50 literary and computer Braille translation tables included for Braille beginners, language students and computer programmers. Also includes the new Unified English Braille Code alongside traditional Grade I Uncontracted and Grade II Contracted codes.
Over 60 Braille displays supported from the leading Braille manufacturers. Connect with a cable via USB or serial, or go wireless with Bluetooth.
Routing buttons above or below cells on your Braille display are recognized by SuperNova for positioning the cursor precisely, clicking on links and controls or even describing font styles. You can also use the routing buttons with the SHIFT key for selecting text to be used with the clipboard.
Input keys can be used to compose email or write documents in Braille. SuperNova accurately back-translates to standard text which appears in your mainstream application. Reduces the need to keep moving your hands between the Braille display and computer keyboard. Speeds up productivity for users confident writing in Braille.
Enhanced Braille helps you spot style changes in your documents by using dots 7 and 8 to indicate: underline, bold, italics, spelling and grammar errors, subscript and superscript, headings and links.
Switch to Physical Layout to get a Braille representation of how text is tabulated on your computer screen. Ideal for understanding the context of cells in a table or spread sheet.
Braille verbosity tells you about the types and states of over 60 kinds of control as you tab and arrow around web pages, windows and dialogs. For example, whether check boxes are checked, the position of sliders and whether links have been visited. Choose the amount of detail from 4 built-in verbosity schemes; take ultimate control by creating your own verbosity scheme; even choose separate verbosity schemes for speech and Braille.
Display Braille on screen. Sighted trainers and teachers can follow what is happening on the actual Braille display with a fully synchronized on-screen equivalent. You can choose the position and size of On Screen Braille, so it remains visible but never gets in your way. On Screen Braille can also be used to learn Braille visually when no physical Braille display is available.
Control SuperNova direct from the Braille display. Whether you want to change a SuperNova setting, read a particular part of the screen or simulate a keystroke, SuperNova's Hotkeys settings let you customize the function of buttons on your Braille display.
Braille Tracking and Hooked Areas allow you to keep your finger on what's happening in your application away from the active cursor. These tools allow the Braille display to show what you need when you need it.
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Dolphin Cursor to explore the screen and control the mouse pointer from the keyboard
Explores the screen and controls the mouse from the keyboard. Perfect for people who cannot see the screen or find using the mouse difficult.
Automatic Dolphin Cursor switches on in situations where Dolphin Cursor is needed most. Such as in Internet Explorer, Adobe Reader and in Windows Help. Mouse users can easily switch off the Dolphin Cursor from the SuperNova Speech Advance dialog.
Standard Windows keys such as arrows and TAB are used to logically move the Dolphin Cursor, minimising any learning curve. Quick navigation keys to jump instantly to the next control, heading, list, table etc. are available on the web or in PDFs. Physical movement keys are also available for when you need to understand visual layout.
Restricted Dolphin Cursor stays in the current area to keep you focused on the task in hand. Simple hotkeys are available to move away to the next or previous Window or Dialog.
Forms mode switches off the Dolphin Cursor when you need to type. Simply TAB through a form on a web site and Forms mode takes the guesswork out of when to switch the Dolphin Cursor On and off.
F3 Find locates text on screen for those times when you know exactly what you're looking for but not where to find it. F2 and F4 instantly jump the Dolphin Cursor to the previous and next match.
Simulate mouse actions from your keyboard. Press a key to move the mouse to the Dolphin Cursor, and then use keystrokes to: left and right click, drag and drop, even control the mouse wheel and middle click.
Text selection with the Dolphin Cursor can copy most messages displayed on your computer screen to the Windows Clipboard for later use in an email or document. Simply hold the shift key and cursor over the text you wish to select then press CONTROL+C to copy it direct to the Windows clipboard. Ideal for quoting web pages or help content, plus copying messages from your applications.
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Crystal Clear Magnifier enlarges everything on screen up to 60 times
Enlarges documents and apps on screen up to 60-times. 8 magnifier views keep documents and apps in perspective. You can show magnification full screen, split screen and fixed window or as a movable magnifying glass. The rest of the screen shows the original unmagnified application to keep context clear. The magnifier view can be resized and repositioned so you can quickly and easily control where on screen the magnifier appears.
Magnifies text images and controls from 1.2 all the way up to 60-times. And because everyone's eyesight is different, magnification comes in 28 sizes so you can find a perfect fit. Zoom in and out as much as you need with a touch of a key, spin of the mouse wheel or by clicking buttons on screen.
8 magnifier views keep documents and apps in perspective. You can show magnification full screen, split screen and fixed window or as a movable magnifying glass. The rest of the screen shows the original unmagnified application to keep context clear. The magnifier view can be resized and repositioned so you can quickly and easily control where on screen the magnifier appears.
- Full Screen fills the whole of your computer screen with a magnified portion of the actual screen. Where ever you move on screen using your keyboard or mouse, the magnified image seamlessly follows on screen.
- Fixed Window magnifies a region of the real screen in a small static window. You can control how big your fixed window is and where it fixed on the screen using the magnification modification mode.
- Split Screen View splits your screen into two rectangular areas. One is magnified at a size to suits you and the other remains unmagnified. You can choose to view a top split, right split, left split or bottom split screen. You can also control the relative size of each of these areas quickly and easily using magnification modification mode.
- Magnifying Glass View closely simulates the effect that you would get if you held a real magnifying glass in front of the screen. Perfect for mouse users, the Magnifying Glass View allows you to move a magnified rectangle over the unmagnified screen. You can control the physical size of your magnifying glass using the magnification modification mode and the magnification size that it displays form 1.25x to 60x.
- Resizing Glass View tracks where ever you are on the screen, automatically resizing itself to the current focus. The Resizing Glass View is perfect for keyboard users, working especially well with applications such as Internet Explorer and Firefox, magnifying links and headings one at a time.
Automatic tracking magnifies the action so you can see what you are doing at all times. As you move your mouse pointer, type in text, or tab between links - magnifier follows seamlessly so you can always see where you are working.
Control the magnifier with simple keystrokes. Jump to: edges, corners or the centre of the original screen. You can save and restore your magnified position, or reserve a special hooked area to keep a close eye on the clock, document word count or spread sheet formula bar. And you can hide hooked areas with a hotkey so they only appear when you want them.
SuperNova's True Font technology looks beautifully smooth even on the largest displays. True Fonts effortlessly magnify: Direct 2D applications such as Internet Explorer, non-standard aspect ratios and vertical or diagonal text.
Mouse pointers which are easy to see but keep out your way. Choose from 4 popular mouse pointer color schemes or create your own scheme to make the mouse pointer easy to see. You can set the pointer size independent of your magnification level so your text is never hidden by the mouse. With over 200 pointer images included, your mouse pointer has never been so flexible.
Line view smoothly scrolls documents and web pages across a single line so you can sit back and enjoy reading without the distraction of screen clutter. With Line View, you can set the font, colors and scrolling speed to suit your sight. Press SPACE to pause and resume scrolling, and use the ARROW keys to fast forward or rewind.
Doc Reader reflows your documents and web pages in a dedicated window made for reading. With the click of a button, SuperNova uses your choice of: font, colors and line length. Ideal for simplifying the appearance of busy documents. Press play and Doc Reader will speak aloud your text highlighting each sentence as it goes.
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Touch Screen Magnification
People with low vision can easily access tablets and touch screen laptops with SuperNova. Only one finger is needed to pan SuperNova’s magnifier around documents and apps.Pinch and stretch with two fingers to change the amount of magnification in any app. Tap with three fingers to change colors and find more magnifier options. When you need to type on screen, SuperNova displays a high contrast large print keyboard that is easy to see.
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Color Schemes reduce glare and maximize reading comfort
Choose from 24 color schemes each designed to reduce glare and maximize your comfort while reading. Each has a careful balance of color, brightness and contrast to ensure total clarity, while reducing eye strain. Alter the appearance of colors on your screen, preserving your original document colors for printing. Or make your own scheme by adjusting brightness, contrast or color tint. Color Replace can swap colors to show only the shades you recognize, making reading web pages easy again.
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Hundreds of Applications Supported
Hundreds of mainstream Windows applications magnified and Brailled instantly. Designed to work with Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, Adobe Reader, Windows Media Player, Skype, and many more.
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Synchronized Visual Highlighting
Highlighting shows your place at a glance. Distinctive shapes and colors draw attention to the mouse pointer, cursor, word, line, Windows focus and Dolphin Cursor so you or a sighted colleague or trainer can easily see where in your application you are working.
Highlighting is ideal for anyone who loses their place, or teaches or trainers wanting to see at a glance where students are working. Highlighting can be toggled off and on with a hotkey or click of a button.
6 carefully balanced highlighting schemes are included to draw attention to where the action is on screen. Make your own focus highlighting scheme selecting shape, color, tint, size, when the highlight is shown and level of transparency.
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Easy to Press Hotkeys for reading the screen or changing settings on the fly
SuperNova lets you do just about anything with a hotkey. Change a magnification setting, speak something from the screen, perform a mouse click or create your own customized action. Change hotkey settings to best match your keyboard and experience.
Easy to press. SuperNova's default desktop hotkey set makes use of the Numpad so you have a dedicated area of the keyboard for status bar, where am I information and others.
Alternative hotkey layouts are included for laptops and to emulate traditional screen readers or screen magnifiers. If you are already a screen reader user or trainer, you can use existing hotkey knowledge to operate SuperNova. Choose your keyboard preferences in the Setup Wizard or from the SuperNova Control panel General Menu.
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Multiple Monitor Support
Get more done with multiple monitors. Magnify on one, two or as many displays as required. Multi-task with each magnified document on separate screens; project presentations original size to sighted audiences keeping speaker notes magnified on your laptop; work closely with a trainer or colleague who can follow a clone of your display.
Side by Side works with the Windows Extended Desktop to show each application magnified on separate screens, so you never run out of desktop space. Designed for magnification users who need to keep track of simultaneous tasks. Keep an eye on incoming messages on one monitor, prepare your documents on a second, and have a web browser or spread sheet opened on a third. The number of monitors and which applications go where is entirely up to you. Each application is tracked separately so you don't lose your place.
Mouse Buffer means you don't lose your pointer when using applications Side by Side. SuperNova's unique mouse buffer means the pointer only moves on to a different screen when you insist. Switch monitors with a hotkey, or set your own resistance level to determine how hard you have to push the pointer against the edge to move it to the next screen.
Presentation Mode is made for Microsoft PowerPoint. You can have your speaker notes magnified on your laptop while your sighted audience sees your slides original size via a projector or large screen just as you intended.
Cloning options are available for a variety of teaching, training or collaboration scenarios. Clone with Standard view shows an unmagnified copy of any application on a second screen so trainers who are partially sighted can work seamlessly with clients who are fully sighted. Clone magnifies the same content on multiple screens so several colleagues who are partially sighted can collaborate on the same application.
Span is for when you want to simulate having one huge screen stretching your application across several monitors.
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