The May updates to Fusion Suite 2024 offer innovative enhancements that provide powerful, unprecedented functionality. Fusion Suite refers to the Freedom Scientific software products JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion.
Visit the What’s New pages for JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion 2024 to learn more about this exciting new software. Here are three new enhancements you’ll want to begin using right away.
Picture Smart AI
While navigating the digital landscape, you might encounter photos, charts, and other visual elements without an alternative description. This can make it challenging to understand the information provided by the visual content. The JAWS Picture Smart feature, introduced in 2019, allows you to submit a photo to be analyzed using a layered keystroke. A description of the image is then displayed in the JAWS Results Viewer window. For example, after pressing INSERT+SPACEBAR, P to activate the Picture Smart layer, you could press F to describe the currently selected image in File Explorer, or C to describe a photo from a social media website like Facebook.
By popular demand, this update now offers the ability to send follow-up prompts or questions to obtain additional details about a picture that may not have been covered in the initial description.
Once you have performed a Picture Smart AI command such as INSERT+SPACEBAR, P, F, and the description is displayed in the Results Viewer, press ENTER on the Ask questions about this image link near the bottom of the window. You are immediately placed in an edit box. Type a prompt and press ENTER. For instance, for a picture of a beach at sunset, you might say, “Describe the sunset and how it looks going down over the ocean.” After a few seconds, during which JAWS plays a sound to indicate progress, the Results Viewer window displays the response, and JAWS automatically reads it. Your focus remains in the edit box, so you can type another prompt.
Your questions and responses are maintained for the current Results Viewer session until you close the window.
The Picture Smart AI feature was originally introduced through the Early Adopter Program and received amazing feedback from the community. A huge thank you to everyone who has submitted feedback on your experiences with Picture Smart AI through this program, as well as the comments that have been sent via email.
With the May update, Picture Smart AI is no longer part of the Early adopter Program and is now our new default when you use Picture Smart. To continue providing feedback, you can now use the new Give feedback about this feature link at the bottom of the Picture Smart Results Viewer window.
Visit the What’s New page for JAWS and our new JAWS Features page for all the details plus sample photos that demonstrate the level of functionality this enhancement adds.
Single Desktop Mode when Using Multiple Monitors
When using ZoomText or Fusion with multiple displays connected to your computer, you can extend your Windows desktop across all displays. This larger workspace can increase productivity since you can place multiple applications where you like on your main and secondary displays. You can also spread your desktop icons across the different displays to suit your preferences.
However, if you are running ZoomText at a high zoom level, navigating the extended desktop can be a challenge since you cannot see all of it at once. This is where the new Single Desktop mode setting is helpful.
Single Desktop mode consolidates the Windows desktop (all icons, taskbar elements, and open apps) onto the main display, which is magnified by ZoomText, while providing an unmagnified (1x) view of the desktop on the secondary display. This is useful when you must have magnification to do your work, but still want to see an overall view of the desktop so that you know where you are working on the screen. This setup is also good if you are collaborating with someone who does not need magnification. You can continue to work on the magnified display while they view the unmagnified display.
Visit the What’s New page for ZoomText to learn more about this feature.
Access Emoji Descriptions in Braille
When encountering emoji symbols, such as “smiling face with smiling eyes” or “face with tears of joy,” JAWS automatically speaks the emoji description as soon as the focus moves to it. With this JAWS update, you can also view emojis in Braille. If an emoji is used, a full 8 dot cell is displayed where the emoji appears in the text. Users who primarily rely on Braille can press a Cursor Router on the full cell of the emoji to display a flash message containing the emoji description, similar to what you would hear with speech. Try it out:
The 😂 emoji is the most used emoji worldwide. Learn more on the JAWS What’s New page.
Download the May Update of Fusion Suite 2024
To download and install the May update of JAWS, ZoomText, or Fusion 2024, follow these steps on a computer connected to the internet:
1. Select any of the following links to automatically download the software update: JAWS, ZoomText, or Fusion.
Note: Optionally, visit the Freedom Scientific website and locate these links under the heading for “Software Releases” found near the bottom of the home page.
2. Save the setup file to a location where you can easily find it (for example, your Downloads folder).
3. Put the focus on the setup file, and press ENTER to run it.
4. Follow the installation instructions that are displayed. The language automatically matches that of your operating system.
Note: If you are running the latest version of Fusion Suite 2024 and automatic updates are enabled, you can start the download and installation process from that notification.
Our User Education and Outreach team offers outstanding resources for learning your Freedom Scientific software in our Training Center, which includes videos, FAQs, and instructions for getting started. Watch this blog and check out the Freedom Scientific Training schedule page for news of upcoming live training webinars and other events. For questions, email us at training@vispero.com.