ClaroRead V5 Now Shipping
ClaroRead V5 is now shipping in the UK! If you would like an update, just contact Claro directly and we will schedule to come and visit you to demonstrate ClaroRead 5. Full information and datasheets for ClaroRead 5 are available on the Claro Website.
So what’s new in ClaroRead V5?
Claro has maintained the ease of use of ClaroRead, but extended the performance based on customer feedback. The V5 release includes the following enhancements;
Visual highlighting
The new focus sentence feature greys or dims out sentences in MS Word not being spoken by ClaroRead. This is helpful for focussing the eye on the text, and also tracking the position in a document. The word trail feature makes words colour progressively as they are spoken by ClaroRead. This allows effective word by word highlighting, with minimal visual disruption. Any colour can be chosen to highlight the text.
Research and capture information
The new ClaroCapture program included with all versions of ClaroRead V5 lets you collect text from any document and web page, grouping it as a project file. The research file can be sent to Word or Power Point. It can also extract highlighted text from Microsoft Word documents. A great study skills tool. ClaroCapture is available free by download for existing ClaroRead users upon request.
Download a full complimentary copy of ClaroCapture for your use from here.
Scanning paper and converting PDF files
ClaroRead Plus V5 now uses the updated Omnipage 16 engine, which gives you faster and more powerful scanning, including a rich new Preview function. The Preview function lets you pick scan order, size, orientation and other settings. The highest quality optical character recognition is now included in ClaroRead Plus and Premium, making it ideal for scanning or converting books, articles and other content to become accessible, readable and editable.
Word checking
Word Check now gives extra definitions, context for the current spelling, and a Google search link within the improved Word Check window. Any corrections you make in the ClaroRead spellcheck window are remembered, and you can review your own spelling corrections later. You can use this information to build your personal correction list and add your corrections directly to Word’s Autocorrect in bulk from the ClaroRead Advanced Settings Editor.
New voices
Claro has always aimed to offer the highest quality voices for inclusion with ClaroRead. Two new voices have been introduced for ClaroRead Plus V5, a Scottish female Heather and another English male William. We will also include these system wide voices in ClaroRead for Mac from the early part of February. Links to the samples of the new voices are below;
http://www.clarodownloads.com/audio/ClaroHeather.mp3
http://www.clarodownloads.com/audio/ClaroWilliam.mp3
During February we will also release our first Irish edition of ClaroRead, which includes the new Irish voice Moira. It will be available via our website, and through our partners. Download a 15 day trial of Irish Moira voice for use with ClaroRead.
Readable font
The Tiresias family of fonts have been designed for optimum accessibility and usability. Tiresias PC font is now installed by ClaroRead V5 for use in all your Windows applications. Tiresias was developed by Dr John Gill currently at RNIB Scientific Research Unit.
ClaroRead USB and ClaroRead Premium Bundle
ClaroRead Standard on a USB pen drive has been popular since release. This is now available as V5, and also includes ScreenRuler, Claroview and Claro Capture on the USB stick. We have reviewed the pricing of the ClaroRead Premium bundle and reduced it to £199. The ClaroRead Premium (ClaroRead PLUS CD and ClaroRead Standard USB pen drive) bundle no longer includes our MindFull concept mapping tool (still available separately) but does include the new USB Exporter function for synchronising the settings of ClaroRead PLUS on the PC with the USB stick (or vice versa).
Pricing and Availability
The full list of ClaroRead V5 feature changes are detailed here. ClaroRead Standard, PLUS and the Premium bundle are shipping now, and pricing remains the same at £159 for ClaroRead PLUS, £129 for ClaroRead Standard CD, £139 for ClaroRead Standard USB and a PRICE REDUCTION for ClaroRead Premium bundle to £199. All prices exclude VAT and shipping.
To confirm, ALL versions of ClaroRead V5 also include ScreenRuler V2 and ClaroView, as well as the new Claro Capture.
View the ClaroRead Comparison Chart from here. Upgrades are available, so please contact us for upgrade options.
From Dave Stevens, Dr. Alasdair King, and the whole of the Claro team.
Claro Software Ltd
01772 977888
sales@clarosoftware.com
February 19th, 2009
Claro Software is delighted to be able to offer a range of Dragon NaturallySpeaking V10 and ClaroRead combinations as a “bundle”. Our republishing agreement with Nuance, the developers of Dragon Naturally Speaking V10, has been updated to allow shipping of Version 10.
ClaroRead PLUS 2008 has been developed to help PC users of all capabilities create, read, view, check and scan text. Incorparating the world-leading RealSpeak™ Solo text-to-speech voices, you can have text spoken back and highlighted from virtually anything on your PC screen.
Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 Professional is the ideal solution for busy corporate professionals to create documents and emails, fill out forms, and streamline workflow tasks – all by speaking. It’s three times faster than most people type, with accuracy rates of up to 99% right out of the box. Dictate into a handheld device when you’re away from your PC, or use a Bluetooth microphone. Create custom commands to automate repetitive tasks you perform that involve multiple keystrokes or mouse clicks. This edition offers complete enterprise network support, including new security features, a special management guide for IT professionals and support for Citrix deployments.
See more information and pricing on the Dragon & ClaroRead Product Pages
September 8th, 2008
Claro Software is delighted to inform you of some new releases, and update you on ClaroRead below. ScreenRuler Vista Edition is now shipping, and is still included on every ClaroRead CD. ScreenRuler is a unique and popular tool for assisting reading on the PC. Taking advantage of some of the Windows Vista power, we have been able to integrate the ClaroView screen tinting technology into the ScreenRuler product, to produce the ScreenRuler Vista Edition. So now on Windows Vista, it is possible to set up the ScreenRuler in the various ruler types and choose a combination of overlay colours for the ruler and outside the ruler.
ScreenRuler now includes the new screenmarker reading and tracking feature. Place multiple markers on your screen, and move around by mouse. Ideal for proofreading at your own speed and using during presentations. For more information visit www.screenruler.co.uk.Click to read the Screenruler Vista Edition online help.
If you already have ScreenRuler, please contact us to receive a download version of ScreenRuler Vista Edition. ScreenRuler still works with Windows XP in a “classic mode”. There is a 15 day trial available from here.
Purchasing information - the ScreenRuler Suite CD is £49.00 + VAT and consists of the following programs;
ScreenRuler Vista Edition with integrated Claroview and screenmarker.
Standalone Claroview for Vista and XP
Standalone Claro screenmarker for Vista and XP
ScreenRuler “classic” version for XP.
Each program is available standalone if you purchase by download.
Claro Software Ltd.
Lancashire House, 24 Winckley Square,
Preston, Lancashire, England, PR1 3JJ
Tel: 0870 760 5877
sales@clarosoftware.com
www.clarosoftware.com
© Claro Software Ltd 2008
September 8th, 2008
Claro Software is delighted to announce the release of the innovative ClaroLingo Schools Edition, “assistive software for language learning”. Claro recently signed an agreement with publishing giant Harper Collins, and the ClaroLingo schools edition includes the extensive range of Collins language dictionaries.
ClaroLingo uses human quality voices that speak aloud text from web pages, Word documents, emails and more, giving help to those learning how to pronounce words. ClaroLingo is currently linked to a wide range of language dictionaries from partner Harper Collins, and other dictionary content can be added . It includes an extensive homophone checker, giving extra support for checking the many hundreds of confusable words in the English language.
“At any one time it is estimated there are 600 million people around the world learning English as an additional language and a staggering 150,000 overseas students studying at UK universities. The industry is worth billions of pounds. ClaroLingo builds on our existing technology, and uses the best, high quality voices so pronunciation is very good and provides an excellent model for students and other language learners to imitate. ClaroLingo provides assistance and independence for language learners at school, university and in the workplace”.
A key innovation in ClaroLingo is the hover feature which means as a mouse hovers over a word in a document, e-mail, web page or PDF file, the program uses a special technique to ‘capture’ the word. Immediately after capturing it, ClaroLingo can speak it with a human voice, translate it and search on the internet for more information.
Clarolingo allows easier and faster studying in English for students, where English is a foreign language. ClaroLingo can also reduce student support time by offering translations, proofreading and pronunciation examples on their computer. ClaroLingo builds upon all existing language tuition courses and tools. It is always with you when you are working on the internet, e-mailing, preparing reports and assignments and reading other documents.
The ClaroLingo School version contains two British English voices, a French voice, German voice and Spanish voice. The current included Harper Collins dictionary set provided with ClaroLingo schools edition includes;
• English to French
• English to German
• English to Italian
• English to Polish
• English to Portuguese
• English to Spanish
• French to English
• German to English
• Italian to English
• Polish to English
• Portuguese to English
• Spanish to English
• English Definitions
Additional dictionaries are being added, and will be available as updates via the ClaroLingo program updater.
The price of the ClaroLingo schools edition is £149 for a single PC, and competitive unlimited school network licenses are also available from £795. All prices exclude VAT. Visit www.clarolingo.com for full information and 15 day trial downloads. For more information, please contact Claro Software Ltd.
Claro Software Ltd
Lancashire House
24 Winckley Square
Preston
Lancashire
PR1 3JJ
Tel : +44 (0) 870 760 5877
sales@clarosoftware.com
www.clarosoftware.com
August 28th, 2008
Sight Village 2008 is where Claro Software rolls out some new innovation for low vision and blind computer users.
Firstly, the FREE full screen PC magnifier Lightning Express is first revealed. It is available from http://www.itzooms.com/ and runs directly from the internet. There are no files to install and it is entirely free. It is designed to be simple to use, works on Windows XP and Vista, and it is FREE.
Secondly, Claro is delighted to show the updated “Lightning with Speech”, a combined magnifier and screenreader. Available by download, on CD, and with a portable USB stick included (no need to be an administrator!). Great value at £199, which includes 2 high quality Realspeak voices and the USB stick version.
Last but not least, Claro is previewing the forthcoming Lightning PLUS product. Built upon the successful Lightning magnifier, Lightning PLUS adds colour overlays/tinting, additional cursor modes and viewing control.
Come and visit Claro Software to view the Lightning PC magnification and speech range in Hall D, Sight Village.
QAC Sight Village 15, 16, 17 July 2008
10am – 4:30pm
at The Clarendon Suites 2 Stirling Road Edgbaston Birmingham B16 9SB
July 14th, 2008
More Features for ClaroRead for Mac ‘08 – V3 Is Now Shipping. ClaroRead for Mac ‘08 is easy-to-use and provides the perfect integrated tool for use with Microsoft Word 2008. Since ClaroRead for Mac ‘08 is closely integrated with Microsoft Word 2004 and 2008, Safari and other Mac applications, almost any accessible text can be spoken aloud.UPDATED VERSION NOW SHIPPING! ClaroRead for Mac ‘08 has just moved to version 3, and now has more editable Speech, highlight, pronunciation & homophone settings. The new settings features include;
- Echo characters, words, sentences whilst typing (all applications)
- Stop speaking after sentence in MS Word and pause speaking between words
- Pronunciation editor for changing how the voice pronounces words
- Highlight word by word, sentence by sentence or paragraph by paragraph (with text and background colour choice).**
- Homophone and Tricky Word Spelling Editor – add new homophones, tricky words and additional spelling suggestions.
- Updated ClaroRead for Mac Toolbar
See the new Settings Screenshots below (click for larger images)
ClaroRead for Mac 2008 also includes 3 high quality Acapela British English voices, Graham, Peter and Lucy. ClaroRead for Mac ’08 has been fully tested with the new Apple OSX Leopard 10.5, and Microsoft Office Mac 2008, as well as working on prior versions of OSX and Microsoft Word 2004.
If you are a ClaroRead Mac V1 or V2 user, and upgrade to Microsoft Office Mac 2008, you should contact us for a free update.
Listen to audio samples of ClaroRead for Mac’s high quality voices;
British Graham voice
British Lucy
British Peter
ClaroRead PLUS for Mac ‘08 is available for £185, and ClaroRead Standard for Mac for £145, both with the 3 high quality voices .
For Parallels or Bootcamp users running Windows, we have a special Dual Operating System bundle of ClaroRead PLUS for Mac ‘08 and ClaroRead Standard for PC, priced at £239. We also have Site Licence prices available upon request.So in summary, ClaroRead PLUS for Mac ’08 now includes;
- ClaroRead Standard for Mac with new Integrated Speech and Word Toolbar, including homophone checking
- 3 High Quality Acapela Voices for use within ClaroRead for Mac (including save text to audio)
- Extended Settings Editor for speech, highlight, pronunciation & homophone settings
- ClaroView Screen Colour filter for Mac (see below)
- A full copy of OmniPage Pro X ocr software (standalone retail price at £75 -see below)
- Optional add-on Acapela voices for all main European languages (£29 each), made as a custom CD.
Existing users of ClaroRead for Mac V1.0 (which uses the Mac system voices only) can upgrade to the ‘08 Version and receive the high quality voices by contacting Claro or your supplier directly. The Upgrade Price (delivered on CD) is £29. There are free upgrades available for Assessment Centre Macs – just contact us to get your copy. All prices exclude VAT.FUTURE UPDATES! This is the first of a number of exciting new Claro products and updates, releasing during this summer. If you want to know more about what’s planned, please contact us. We can visit you for onsite training and presentations. 
June 27th, 2008
ClaroRead for PC 2008 (Version 4) Is Now Shipping – ClaroRead’s great strength has been its ease of use, comprehensive text to speech performance, high quality voices and many modes to help reading, proofreading and writing. With our ClaroRead for PC 2008 release, we have further richened the speech and related features.
NEW! – Speak This Word: Allows you to hear a single word spoken back with the chosen voice in Word, PDF, Outlook, Internet Explorer and more. Hold the CTRL key and ClaroRead 2008 will speak the word under the mouse.
NEW! - Save to Video: Building on the popularity of our Save to Audio feature in all versions of ClaroRead, we have now enhanced this to produce Save to Video. It is now possible to convert any text into a video with a high quality “voice over” synchronised with the text. You can change the text colour settings to your preferences and the video can be produced to suit a wide range of popular mobile devices with video screens – iPhone, iPod Touch and Nano, Nokia and Walkman phones and of course Media Player software. It is quick and easy to do, allowing you to take your documents and webpages with you on the move.
NEW! – Accessible PDF: ClaroRead has always allowed PDF files to be spoken aloud, and also converted into Microsoft Word format with the PLUS edition. We have now produced a standalone Accessible PDF reader, which is available as a free download for anyone (from www.accessiblepdf.com ). The Claro Accessible PDF Reader will convert accessible PDF Files into a web page style retaining the original format and layout. There is also a simple text only view. You can then change any of the colour, font and spacing using the built in controls, and ClaroRead 2008 will speak back the text aloud.
NEW! – Sentence Review Mode: Allows the user to review their work sentence-by-sentence simply by clicking the Play button on the ClaroRead 2008 toolbar. Excellent for reviewing Word documents at your own pace.
NEW! – ClaroRead Extras: ClaroRead 2008 users can visit www.claroreadextras.com to obtain product updates, free downloads, add on products and support information. ClaroRead Extras neatly groups together a range of accessibility utilities such as our ClaroView screen colour filter, ScreenRuler magnification tool, Speaking Calculator, Accessible PDF, MindFull concept mapping and Lightning screen magnifier. It also launches other software if installed on the PC, such as Dragon and Inspiration.
NEW! – More Voice Choice: ClaroRead PLUS 2008 includes 5 English voices with the excellent new British English voice Serena. The add-on language range choice has been further extended to over 25 languages.
Additional Word Correction Tools: Since our 2007 edition, the ClaroRead Advanced Settings editor gives the freedom to identify and correct tricky words, misspellings and homophones. ClaroRead 2008 now includes a built-in additional spellcheck extension to capture and suggest corrections for more mispellings that aren’t caught through normal spellcheck engines.For a summary of ClaroRead’s main advantages, download the PDF DataSheet “ClaroRead 2008 Product Overview”. You can download an updated ClaroRead Comparison Chart showing the main features differences in ClaroRead Standard, PLUS and Premium. You can also view the online help and tutorial videos from here.Pricing for ClaroRead PLUS remains the same at £159. ClaroRead Premium is £259 (includes the ClaroRead USB). ClaroRead Standard is £129 and now includes our ClaroView and ScreenRuler utilities. Free updates are available by download for existing ClaroRead 2007 users are available, simply contact us directly and we will send you the link and logon details. All prices exclude VAT.Many thanks to all who helped us with pre-release testing and feedback. We do value your feedback and input.
April 4th, 2008
Press Release
March 26 2008 British Dyslexia Association teams up with Claro Software to launch affordable software
The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) is launching a text to speech program in association with Claro Software which will change the lives of children who cannot read.
ClaroRead SE (Special Edition) provides text to speech support tools that allow computer users to read and write independently and will be available at a third of the price of similar learning aids, making such important technology more affordable to those who need it. BDA chief executive
Judi Stewart said:
“We are delighted to be able to offer Claro Read SE at such a fantastic price. Assistive technology can revolutionise a child with dyslexia’s life. It reduces the child’s reliance on teachers and parents by giving the child the opportunity to achieve the same standards as everyone else.” ClaroRead SE speaks back text as it is typed allowing users to check work quickly and easily. Text can be spoken at any point by highlighting individual sections of text and pressing play. The software reads out text from a computer, whether that is Word documents, scanned text, web pages, emails or any other text.
Judi Stewart continued: “There are many learning aids in the market but they are all generally more expensive than Claro SE. Assistive technology is crucial to the education of a person with dyslexia and we have created this affordable special edition for this very reason; it is too important for so many children to be without it. “In the current curriculum seven year old children are required to read as part of their learning, therefore if a child cannot read, they cannot learn and are excluded from learning. Claro SE bridges the gap for these children by providing them with the technology to help them continue with their studies and reach their full potential whilst learning to read.”
ClaroRead SE will also include a BDA Workbook, which provides information on dyslexia and tips to help children develop to their full potential. Dave Stevens, director of Claro Software commented: “The British Dyslexia Association does great work reaching out to support parents, teachers and professionals across the
UK. Claro Software is delighted to be able to offer a lower priced variant of ClaroRead combined with the valuable BDA Workbooks, as it allows more users to benefit from the software during their studies or in the workplace.”
Claro SE will cost just £49 for the CD Rom and £59 for the portable USB stick version.School licenses are also available for ClaroRead starting at £795.
For more information contact:
Laura McLaren or Michael Gregory at Freshfield PR: 01772 888400 or email (firstname)@freshfield.com
Notes to Editors
- The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) is the voice of dyslexic people. Our vision is that of a dyslexia friendly society that enables dyslexic people to reach their potential. We offer advice, information and help to dyslexic people, their families and the professionals who support them.
- Claro SE will be sold through the BDA shop, at www.bdadyslexia.org.uk.
- For more information on dyslexia please go to www.bdadyslexia.org.uk or call the helpline on 0118 966 8271.
- ClaroRead SE also includes Colour Explorer, the colour changing utility courtesy of Microlink PC
- For more information on ClaroRead SE visit www.clarosoftware.com/bda and for Claro Software’s range of text to speech software and its other assistive products, visit www.clarosoftware.com
March 26th, 2008
SOFTWARE firms Claro Software and Dixerit have teamed up to offer millions of children and adults the chance to read.
According to figures from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) Right to Read campaign, up to three million could be denied the right because of a sight problem, dyslexia, or another reading disability.
Dixerit Plus, developed in a successful co-operation between Dixerit and Claro Software, is the latest product in web accessibility technology offering speech-enabling of websites and unique magnification software to website visitors.
The magnification utility provides screen magnification up to 32 times, with six different styles of magnification, font smoothing and the option to invert the colours of the entire screen display. There is also a colour contrast utility available within the solution.
The software is an operating system level utility, providing magnification of all applications and functions. When using Internet Explorer the software can be downloaded and run from within the browser.
Dixerit Plus reads the website without downloads or plug-ins. It also gives users more control over the reading by enabling them to point at text and click to read it. This feature has been requested by groups representing people with dyslexia.
For the web-manager it is easy to install and requires very little configuration. We customise the navigation so that it blends into the site.
Website owners simply subscribe to the service, add a link and the service is live.
To test the service, please go to our website www.dixerit.comAbout Dixerit UK Ltd (formerly ReadSpeaker UK Ltd)
Dixerit is a company founded by a group of people who pioneered, in their respective markets, the conversion of web-based content to audio using text-to-speech technology. With new technological and web marketing partners, Dixerit aims to position itself as a global supplier of speech enabling services. Dixerit believes that all people should be able to access text content in audio format through all existing and future channels.
The company will provide easy-to-use, easy-to-buy and easy-to-install tools for converting text-content, delivered in electronic format, to audio, using text-to-speech in a wholly automated process.
Its technology will benefit all people who prefer to have content read to them, whether it is because it is fun, convenient, because they have a disability or are illiterate, or any other reason.About Claro Software Ltd. Claro Software Ltd. (www.clarosoftware.com) is a company which develops and licenses ”assistive software” to help with reading, writing and language learning. It specialises in using leading edge speech and imaging technology to make the computer easier to use. Claro’s products are widely used for reading and writing support, proofreading, language learning, magnification and for general access to your computer. They are used by major public and private sector companies and organisations, education establishments and government departments.For more information and prices please contact:
Carin Lennartsson at Dixerit UK Ltdcarin.lennartsson@dixero.com
or by telephone on 01483-596580 or 07971-160702
You can read more about us at www.dixerit.com
March 10th, 2008
Claro Software is pleased to announce our nomination for the 2008 Innovation Award at this year’s Education Resource Awards, organised by Affinity Media and the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA). The awards, based at The National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull, West Midlands will take place on 29th February 2008.
For more information please visit: http://www.besanet.org.uk/besa/events/view.jsp?item=172
February 27th, 2008
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