news

ZoomText Mac

Hey, that looks like ZoomText running on a Mac.  That’s because it is!!

We have been hard at work creating a version of ZoomText that runs on a Mac.  We’re in a beta phase right now, but we are very close to shipping - expect a release early next year.  We’ll keep you posted on any progress.

Why ZoomText is #1

It’s been another great year at Ai Squared and ZoomText is still the #1 screen magnifier and reader on the market.  And why are we the #1 choice for users, assistive technology professionals and recommenders?  Because ZoomText wins in all categories that customers care about.  It’s not just about great features, but also ease of use, performance, stability, and customer service.

We care about our customers and do everything we can to provide the best customer care.  Thank you for making ZoomText successful and stay tuned for our new innovations in 2013.

In case you need a little reminder of why ZoomText is the best, read on for the list.

Cool Websites #14

ZoomText user Kathy Kalaluhi sent in a bunch of websites that she thought other ZoomText users would find interesting and helpful.  We liked the idea so much that it’s become a regular “column” in ZoomNews!  Below were her suggestions and if you’d like to submit any websites for the next issue, please email them to Becca at !

Check out all the sites she recommends!

ZoomReader for all iOS Devices!

The wait is over - our ZoomReader app is now available on the iPad (with Retina Display), iPad Mini, and iPod Touch (5th generation)!

Read all about it!

Survey Results:  The Question of Help

In the last issue of ZoomNews, we asked our users how they handle situations where people want to help but it’s not needed or wanted, and on the other hand, how they request help.  It was certainly a thought provoking topic posed by ZoomText user Kathy Kalaluhi.  Congratulations to Ty Thompson - his name was drawn in the raffle and he won a $100 Amazon.com gift certificate.

We’ve compiled the complete results and here were a few tidbits to share:

• When I need assistance from a stranger, I most often use my stock line of, “Hi, I’m a legally blind guy. Can I borrow your vision for a moment?”...I’ve never been turned down.

Read the rest of the results!

You Don’t Have to See It to Tee It

In its second year running, the United States Blind Golf Association (USBGA) recently put on a golf clinic for 55 blind children in Kentucky.  Event host and ZoomText user, Ty Thompson, wanted to prove to these kids that they can accomplish something that they had never thought they could do.

Ty stated, “Our teaching pros told me that they have put on many kids clinics in the past, but never with a group this large, this well behaved, or this hungry to try and accomplish something they have never tried before.  The Kentucky School for the Blind’s teachers said they were thrilled to see the group of kids jump into something that was outside of their comfort zone and outside of their normal activities.”

Read on for all the details!

All about Hotkeys

Hotkeys are keyboard shortcuts that can really increase your productivity on the computer.  They exist for practically every program on your computer - including ZoomText.  In fact, we gave a webinar last month on that very topic.

Support technician Lloyd came across this really handy website that outlines hotkeys for a wide variety of programs on your computer - from Firefox to Sim City, Microsoft Word to Skype, they’re all there.  Check it out and start streamlining all of your computerized tasks today!

Cool Websites #13

ZoomText user Kathy Kalaluhi sent in a bunch of websites that she thought other ZoomText users would find interesting and helpful.  We liked the idea so much that it’s become a regular “column” in ZoomNews!  Below were her suggestions and if you’d like to submit any websites for the next issue, please email them to Becca at !

Check out all the sites she recommends!

ZoomText 10.0.5 is released!

We’re excited to announce that the next free update in the ZoomText 10 cycle is here.  We fixed a bunch of issues including reading support in Gmail, some AppReader bugs in Comcast Mail and in Internet Explorer 8, a fix for Java, and more!

Read more about 10, read the release notes, or download a free 60-day trial to give it a try yourself.

Survey Results:  Overcoming Obstacles

In the last issue of ZoomNews, we asked you to answer the following question:  “What is one thing that you have been told that you could not do with your vision that you have overcome and did anyway?” First off, congratulations to Alvin Ray Cole whose name was chosen in the raffle - he won a $100 Amazon.com gift certificate!

I had such a wonderful time going through all of the responses - we really appreciate that you took so much time to tell us your stories.  Here are just a few:

1. I have partial sight and when I went to join my family in lawn darts they all told me that I would not be able to do it.  You should have seen their faces when I beat them all.  My 13 year old grandson exclaimed “wow, beaten by a blind old lady”. Nothing is impossible!

Read on!