Now available for Mac or PC
V5 and V6 enhance existing popular features and introduce a whole new range of indispensable tools for reading and writing.
ClaroRead’s popular text-to-speech, writing and scanning abilities have now been upgraded to make them even more intuitive and powerful.
In addition, ClaroRead V5 for Mac and V6 for PC are now compatible with a wider range of programs than ever before.
And all this comes at exactly the same price as the previous version.
Claro Software Managing Director Alasdair King said: “Rather than just create a selection of new features, we have also focussed on improving our existing range.
“We really just wanted to make the best version of ClaroRead that we could.”
New Voices
New Vocalizer voices for both Mac and PC use have replaced the voices of V4 and V5; ClaroRead users can now listen to their computer read out loud in the best quality voices available.
Alasdair explained: “The rise and fall of the voices, as well as the tone, is better and sounds even more natural.”
Both UK editions now include eight Vocalizer voices: American-English Tom; Australian-English Karen; Australian-English Lee; British-English Daniel ; British-English Serena ; Indian-English Sangeeta; Irish-English Moira; and Scottish-English Fiona.
Scan from Screen
ClaroRead V6 not only converts text to accessible, editable documents using the most powerful optical recognition (OCR) software. It can now also convert on-screen images.
This development means any presentation, notebook, or non-text specific image can now be scanned in and read out loud by ClaroRead’s powerful text-to-speech facility.
Integration with Pages
V5’s easy-to-use toolbar and powerful reading and writing tools have now been adapted to closely integrate with Pages, Apple’s document creation application, as well as Microsoft Word.
Those who use a Mac now no longer need to rely on Word to compose, read, and check any document.
In addition, all ClaroRead’s powerful word, sentence and paragraph highlighting features are available for use in Pages.
These include word trail, which progressively colours words as they are read, making text leap out, as well as the focus sentence tool, which greys or dims out sentences not being spoken.
Users don’t even need Word to easily alter font and spacing; Claro’s one-click formatting tools also simplify complex commands for Pages users.
Mac users can also access ClaroRead’s popular homophone feature in Pages, ideal for those who struggle with literacy.
The tool handily highlights words which sound alike despite differences in meaning, providing alternatives, as well as 2,000 definition symbols.
The Check Anywhere tool spellchecks in any document creation application. Using programs like TextEdit or Safari, ClaroRead will display any errors, with all the equivalent extra definitions and information it would display when in Word.
V5 also supports the creation of prediction dictionaries from Pages documents.
Language Support
V6 now produces on-the-spot translation of any word from its database of over 28 languages.
Select multiple words and ClaroRead will use an online translation service to find the meaning in any language.
“A lot of our partners in Europe report that their users are learning English, and that this is a priority for them,” Alasdair explained.
“For many speakers of more regular languages, like German or French, it is always possible that the irregularity of English can bring print impairments like dyslexia to the fore.
“This can help with that particular problem. And it is also just a really useful tool for all English learners.”
In addition, ClaroRead will also speak English text out loud.
“The problem with language learning is that it’s often really hard to get the correct pronunciation and accent from the non-native teachers. ClaroRead can do that for students, with high-quality speech,” Alasdair said.
Enhanced prediction
Feedback from Claro’s Danish partners has shown that word prediction can be key to helping those with dyslexia use a computer more effectively.
As a result, Claro Software have invested a huge amount of expertise in improving V6’s word prediction features. Now ClaroRead’s 50,000-word prediction dictionary is even swifter at helping users find the right word for the right context.
Predictions are now matched phonetically, and according to context; they are no longer just based on spelling. For many users, it will now be far easier to find the right work more quickly, and with enhanced accuracy.
Predictions are also grouped into both subject and profession-specific collections of words. Examples include accountancy, hairdressing, or biology. The tool is also easier to access from the toolbar, and whichever font is appropriate can be used. Users can access as many pages of results as needed.
As well as this, the English language spelling tool has been expanded, and now includes a huge 35,000-long list of misspellings and corrections.
Other upgrades
Claro Software designers have carefully listened to users, and added a number of improvements to ClaroRead PC’s regular features.
Background colour will now highlight in Internet Explorer, as well as in Microsoft Word. ‘Select now’ can be activated with double and triple clicks, not just single clicks – making it easier to use for different physical abilities.
Selecting ‘Ignore all’ during a homophone check now means the selected word is always ignored.
“Save to Video has been improved so that it handles longer sentences well, and now produces video optimised for the Apple iPad, making it a great tool for creating revision notes or study tools on the go,” Alasdair said.
Notes to editors
ClaroRead V5 for Mac
- There are two versions of ClaroRead V5 for Mac, Plus and Standard. Both include ClaroView, ScreenRuler and ClaroCapture, but Plus also includes Readiris Pro 12 for Mac.
- System requirements: Mac computer with an Intel processor, Mac OS X 10.5 or later, 250MB of disk space, DVD drive for installation, 200MB-650MB for each voice, 180MB for Readiris Pro (ClaroRead Plus only), Microsoft Word 2008 or 2011, Pages ‘09 (V4).
- ClaroRead Plus for Mac V5 UK edition costs £185 (ex vat), while ClaroRead Standard is available for £145.00 (ex vat). ClaroView for Mac is available for £49.
ClaroRead V6 for PC
- There are three versions of ClaroRead V6 for PC, Plus, Pro and Standard. Both Plus and Pro include ClaroView, ScreenRuler and ClaroCapture.
Downloads
Introducing The New, Best-Ever Version Of ClaroRead PDF
