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
ClaroRead for Mac ‘08 (Version 2) Is Now Shipping - Full support for Office 2008. ClaroRead for Mac is easy-to-use and provides the perfect integrated tool for use with Microsoft Office 2004 and 2008. Since ClaroRead for Mac ‘08 is closely integrated with Microsoft Word, Safari and other Mac applications, almost any accessible text can be spoken aloud.
UPDATED VERSION NOW SHIPPING! ClaroRead for Mac has just moved to the ‘08 version (version 2), and 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 2008, as well as working on prior versions of OSX and Word 2004.
If you are a ClaroRead Mac V1 or 1.5 user, and upgrade to Microsoft Office for Mac 2008, you should contact us for a free update.
Read the full details here
February 8th, 2008
DICTATION direct into Mac applications is now possible thanks to pioneering work by Claro Software and US partner Parallels, leaders in virtualization software.
Claro Software, has brought Dragon NaturalSpeaking - said to be the most popular piece of speech recognition software in the world - to the Mac alongside its best-selling ClaroRead for Mac - software designed help students who struggle with reading, writing and learning.
The speech recognition software, which for a long time has only been available on PC, will work alongside ClaroRead for Mac thanks to a new Claro bridging program SpeakIn which (in conjunction with Parallels) captures text from Dragon and loads it into Apple applications. Now Mac users can enjoy creating documents and emails just by speaking.
Dave Stevens, commercial director of Claro Software, said: “We believe this is a world first. Over the years, there have been many developments to promote the use of PCs in schools and colleges to make them more accessible to learners who need additional support.
“Our experience has shown that Apple Macs are becoming more popular in many educational sectors and we are delighted to be able to increase the accessibility of the Mac through Claro Software.”
Together ClaroRead for Mac (‘08) and Dragon NaturallySpeaking with SpeakIn will allow users to input text at 120 words per minute with no spelling errors. The software includes a coloured overlay filters, so students can see the text in the colours, font and format which they find easiest to read.
A homophone checker will then alert users to tricky words which are easily confused while the dictionary tool gives them a chance to check up on definitions and make sure they are using the right word.
High quality voices can read back and highlight text from virtually anything on the screen, and users can save text as an audio file for iTunes.
Claro Software has a reputation for producing high quality, affordable solutions for learners who need extra support with reading and writing.
The Dragon for Mac and ClaroRead solution is available through dedicated Apple Solutions partners who are also Dragon partners. Hence full user training and support will be available.
Read more background at www.speakinfordragon.com
January 7th, 2008
Schools, colleges and public bodies struggling to find a way to comply with a complex raft of disability laws now have one easy and affordable site-wide IT accessibility solution from Claro Software - The Claro Accessibility Suite.
Claro Software’s powerful yet flexible Accessibility Suite combines all the tools needed to create universal access to information and text - for all levels of ability and an unlimited number of users. It can be installed on your network, run directly from USB memory sticks for portability, or can be deployed over the internet.
All the cutting edge technology available from assistive software experts Claro Software has been pulledtogether into this one unique Suite, now available as an unlimited user site license.
Each person who experiences dyslexia, reading difficulties, sight loss and low vision - and even people with no sight - will benefit from the Suite’s full complement of text-to-speech programs, screen rulers, magnifiers, colour overlays, concept maps and much more.
The Disability Discrimination Acts of 1995 and 2005, the Special Needs and Disability Act 2001, the Children Acts of 1989 and 2004, as well as numerous other national and international frameworks, require local education authorities to provide the right facilities to learn for all levels of ability and age.
Now, with the School Accessibility Suite priced from just £795 - organisations can have a full range of tools installed across all PCs, helping meet legal requirements in the learning environment. Claro provides a method to deliver a reasonable adjustment to the computer systems, providing greater accessibility to information and learning.
Claro Accessibility Suite can include:
ClaroRead Standard dyslexia support solution for Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer
Lightning Screen Magnifier
ClaroView colour overlay software
MicroLink Colour Explorer background colour setting tool
ScreenRuler PC reading ruler
Claro MindFull - graphical concepts and ideas mapper.
Thunder screenreader for blind and low vision users.
USB Stick Portable Versions and Networked Delivered versions are available or can be configured according to requirements.
A free 15 day trial version of the Claro Accessibility Suite is available.
Please contact Claro Software sales@clarosoftware.com for further details.
January 6th, 2008
Previous Posts