In light of the excellent response to our Keys to K12 reminder, we've decided to revive a promotion we ran during the month of July. DocuScan Plus V3.0 for Windows and Mac are being sold at a discount now through Labor Day! Yeah yeah. We've heard about the update. Okay, but have you tried it? Remember our products now come with a free 14-day trial. Check out these new features for DSP: You can count on clearer text results with the help of an updated OCR engine. With the new DSP, it’s possible to grab your favorite bestseller from Bookshare right from within the DSP application. Rely on nimble navigation of large files with better heading detection and place marking. Speaking of large files, launching and navigating PDF files is now a breeze. Want to convert between formats? We heard you, and now you can convert text to DAISY, MP3, or Braille, and store them in the cloud; formats include: .epub, .doc, .docx, .rtf, .txt, .html Now it’s even easier for you to open image files, including: .jpg, .png, .tiff, .gif, .bmp Why launch an OCR application and then open a file when you can open files in DSP directly from Windows Explorer? Do you find yourself switching between … [Read more...] about Back to School Means Back to Discounts!
Pneuma Solutions Blog
Grab Your Keys to K-12
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires children and youth ages 3-21 with disabilities be provided a free and appropriate public school education. Unfortunately, there are too many cases of schools unable to provide the necessary resources to provide and maintain a quality level of education. Serotek is playing a small part in putting a dent in these disparities. It’s disheartening to think that in this age of technological proliferation, there are still blind and visually impaired students who come home from school without the means to jump on a computer and complete their own homework. The cost for a screen reading solution with technical support remains out of reach of the average family bank account, and with budget cuts everywhere, school districts equally struggle to outfit one computer station with a screen reader, let alone several. We’d like to remind you of our Keys to K-12 program. It’s a means for students elementary through high school to have ready access to a fully functional screen reader at no charge. System Access will enable students to equally participate in the classroom and complete homework assignments outside of it. If you or someone … [Read more...] about Grab Your Keys to K-12
Our Position on Windows 10
If you're running most versions of Windows 7 or Windows 8, chances are good you've received an invitation to upgrade to Windows 10. You'll find a new icon in your System Tray that says as much, but is it a good idea to be an early adopter? The short answer, in our opinion, is unless you require Windows 10 for work, you should hold off on upgrading. Windows 10 is changing the way we receive updates. Up until now we've been able to schedule, postpone or refuse Windows updates, but moving forward, consumers will automatically receive the latest revisions. Automatic updates are not a bad thing. The new approach could make for more secure and stable systems. Nevertheless, at this early stage it is not unreasonable to find accessibility glitches for screen reader users. It would be worth considering allowing early adopters find major issues, accessibility or otherwise, and let Microsoft iron them out before jumping in so as not to impact your productivity. For Serotek's part, we are actively developing for Windows 10. We've always updated System Access as needed. If you were to run Windows 10 on Day 1, there are aspects of the new operating system that will work just fine with our screen … [Read more...] about Our Position on Windows 10
DocuScan Plus V3.0 is Here and It Has Brought Discounts!
After extensive development and excellent feedback from the community, we’re ready to unveil the final release of DocuScan Plus V3.0 for Windows and Mac! Already the most affordable assistive technology OCR package in the industry, we’re saving you even more money in the month of July. Keep reading for details. What is DocuScan Plus? DocuScan Plus, or DSP, is your affordable gateway to the written word. There are excellent mobile apps that let you snap pictures of items to read text, and while amazingly convenient, you sometimes need the efficiency of a dedicated computer app to consume books, brochures, bank statements, manuals, and important documents without fretting over camera views and proper angles. Every technology has a time and place. With DSP, we’ve taken what you know about using a computer and created an intuitive means of converting print to spoken audio. Each upgrade brings a new wave of features and improvements. Introducing DocuScan Plus V3.0 Is the new upgrade worth it? Well, check out these new features: You can count on clearer text results with the help of an updated OCR engine. With the new DSP, it’s possible to grab your favorite bestseller from … [Read more...] about DocuScan Plus V3.0 is Here and It Has Brought Discounts!
DocuScan Plus 3 Release Candidate Now Open for Testing
Download the DocuScan Plus V3 audio demonstration here. Serotek proudly announces the first public release candidate for DocuScan Plus V3, a powerful and affordable OCR option with cross-platform support. Before we deem it final, we’d like you to help us kick the tires. You do not have to be a current Serotek customer to participate, but note that certain features may only be available for customers who have pre-ordered the product. New features Updated OCR engine OCR for other languages, including: Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (including Brazilian), Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish Bookshare integration Improved heading detection Place marking within large documents Ability to import documents in popular text formats so users can convert them to DAISY, MP3, or Braille, and store them in the cloud; formats include: .epub, .doc, .docx, .rtf, .txt, .html Ability to open image files, including: .jpg, .png, .tiff, .gif, .bmp Ability to open documents in DSP directly from Windows Explorer More efficient processing of long PDF documents Better consistency in functionality and UI between the Windows … [Read more...] about DocuScan Plus 3 Release Candidate Now Open for Testing
Help friends and family with PC woes, it’s easy and cheap too!
Have you ever needed an easy way to remotely get someone out of a pickle with their PC? Do you wish it was possible to remotely access your friend's PC regardless of their choice of screen reader? Or even, gasp, remotely help a sighted friend or family member? Have you found yourself wishing the solution could be as intuitive as it is affordable? Since 2007, Remote Incident Manager (RIM) has been a reliable solution for assistive technology trainers and tech support providers seeking to provide assistance computer to computer, and in its latest iteration, remote assistance is easier and more affordable than ever for everyone from the tech know-it-all to the green novice. We're rolling out RIM day passes, and here's how we roll. For the person offering help: 1. Buy a day pass from us. No sense in shelling out hundreds of dollars if you only need remote access every now and then, right? 2. Download and run a small program on your PC to start the remote session. 3. The program will give you a 9 digit code you will share with that PC user in need. For the person receiving help: 1. Head over to SeroHelp.com, then download and run a small program to set up the remote connection. 2. When … [Read more...] about Help friends and family with PC woes, it’s easy and cheap too!
Self-service Just a Call Away
Don’t you hate it when you call your tech vendor only to find out you’ll need to try again when someone is available? We do too. That’s why, in addition to changing a number of account settings within your Serotek product, you can now also make adjustments via the telephone. The self-service options are available via telephone at: 866-202-0520, or 650-249-1000. By calling either number, you will be able to: 1. Reactivate suspended service 2. Schedule an appointment with technical support 3. Update payment information 4. Repair Serotek software on any of your computers that are connected to the net Please note: You must call the system using the telephone number on file to be automatically identified as a current user. From now on, if you’ve lost your SAMNet password or PIN, you can reset it via e-mail, or the system can call you at the telephone number on file to reset it. Note: We have chosen to eliminate PINs moving forward. From now on, new customers, and customers resetting passwords, must choose a stronger password. This will help ensure the security of your account and personal information. If you choose to reset your password via phone, you will receive a temporary … [Read more...] about Self-service Just a Call Away
The Return of SPN
Reprinted from SeroTalk.com. So, what’s the scoop? Is SPN dying a slow death? Well, that’s what skeptics would have you believe, but thank goodness SPN is the intrepid cat that keeps coming back and feeling more than ready to rise to the challenge! Let’s start with staff changes. To that end, we’ll begin with your Serotek Communications Director. I oversee the company’s external channels. Hence, the SPN platform and its staff fall under my supervision, an excitingly daunting prospect to be sure. My philosophy for SPN moving forward is pretty straightforward: Recruit the best talent to bring you the best information you can count on. But, I am boring. Let’s move onto a couple of the people who are the real stars behind this operation. Derek Lane and Hope Povenmire are Serotek’s new Co-Content Directors. They have quickly become my trusted pilots at the helm, and our highly engaging strategy sessions make me confident you are going to be in really good hands. For everything that goes well, thank them. For anything that goes wrong, blame me. Derek in His Own Words My primary hobby and professional work have always dealt in different aspects of audio production. I learned how to run … [Read more...] about The Return of SPN
Self-service, At Your Service
At Serotek we want you to be able to enjoy your Serotek products and services anytime, anywhere, without waiting to talk to a customer service representative. To that end we offer a variety of self-service options for managing your account, your subscription, and your licenses. Of course, the first step to using a Serotek product or service on a new machine is to log into your account. But what if you don't have your account number and PIN handy? No problem; just use the "Forgot your login information?" link, and we'll email you with your account number and a link you can use to reset your PIN. It's important to keep your contact and payment information up-to-date to ensure uninterrupted service. There are links to do these things in the "My Account" section, which you can find on the SAMNet Home screen, the System Access menu, or the DocuScan Plus menu. If renewal of your subscription fails for any reason, you can reactivate it in the "My Account" section; the link to reactivate your service will be right at the top. If you believe your Serotek PIN has been compromised, you can change it in the "My Account" section. If you need to set up System Access on a new computer, you may … [Read more...] about Self-service, At Your Service
The Word on System Access
Word on the street says we’re closing the lid on System Access. So, what gives? While it is true that we are evaluating all products to make sure they’re still relevant, System Access is very much a part of your foreseeable future. We are anxious for the day when you can go out and buy a PC with an extensive screen reader out of the box. That’s part of being an independent consumer, right? Alas, that day is not quite here. Serotek is not in the business of leaving you out in the cold. Rest assured, System Access will enjoy ongoing development for as long as the product is needed. In fact, even if Windows 10 miraculously came with a robust screen reading solution, we would still give everyone a year’s notice before discontinuing support for our screen reader. We recognize System Access fills an important niche in the community for folks who need a stable product at a price you can actually afford. System Access will never completely depart our stables. If the day comes when System Access is no longer a viable business option, we will release the source code and let others build on the platform, let you guys take a more direct hand at charting the screen reader’s long-term future. … [Read more...] about The Word on System Access
