Are you still attached to Windows 7 or Windows 8.1? Time is running out quickly for users who want to upgrade to Windows 10 at no cost, as long as they use the operating system support technologies.
Officially, the last day that users were able to obtain a free update of Windows 10 was on July 29. Users wishing to install Windows 10 on a PC now must pay for the operating system, which starts at $ 119 for the Home edition and $ 199 for Windows 10 Pro.
However, not everyone has to part with their money. Microsoft extended the deadline for users to trust the Windows screen reader, the magnifying glass, high contrast settings and other features that improve accessibility.
Now, when 2017 comes to an end, users only have a few days to get the free update.
The free upgrade offer for Windows 10 for assistive technology users expires on December 31. Microsoft does not restrict the offer to any specific use of its accessibility features, however, the company recommends that users check with third-party support technology providers to ensure that their applications are compatible with Windows 10.
According to Microsoft, users with disabilities and other conditions that have difficulties with the Windows stock experience will find many compelling reasons to upgrade to Windows 10.
First, the Windows text-to-speech engine got a major upgrade in the Windows 10 anniversary update of 2016. The voice technology of the operating system used in Narrator can now handle approximately 800 words per minute, twice the limit previous of around 400 words per minute.
The narrator is now available in several languages and pairs of countries, which expands its international appeal. For example, Narrator can now speak Dutch in Belgium and the Netherlands or French in Canada when the corresponding localized version of Windows is purchased in those countries (also available as a separate download).
Narrator also won a scanning mode that allows users to activate a feature or item of interest more easily. Users can activate Scan Mode by pressing the Caps Lock and the space bar. Once enabled, users can activate actions, such as visiting a web link, simply by pressing the space bar.
Microsoft's accessibility efforts extend far beyond Windows.
On December 13, the software giant announced a major update to its Seeing AI application for iOS devices. The application uses an iPhone or iPad camera, along with Microsoft's artificial intelligence (AI) set of technologies to help visually impaired users experience the world around them with verbal descriptions of their physical environments, in addition to the people and the objects that inhabit them. .
The updated application now has handwriting recognition, which allows users to read personal notes or fonts that mimic handwritten text. Seeing AI also takes away some of the anxiety of buying or leaving a tip in cash at a restaurant with a new currency recognition feature. Currently, it supports US dollars, Canadian dollars, euros and pounds sterling.
Other new features include color recognition, a document reader and a musical light detector that generates an audible tone when the camera is held up to a light.
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