How to use Speaking Clock Deluxe
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How to use Speaking Clock Deluxe
Basics - a step-by-step guide
Speaking Clock Deluxe is extremely easy to use. When you start the program for the first time you have the option to adjust some basic settings. After that you are either presented with a digital-style display on your desktop, or simply an icon in the system tray. The system tray icon looks like this:
You should now have a display that looks like this on your desktop:
From this display, you have access to the most important functions of the clock. Press the Speak button to announce the time in the language you have chosen. American English using "natural speech" is the default choice, but there are many other languages available.
To select a different language for time announcements, right-click the display and choose Select language from the popup menu. Please read the the section on how to install new languages for information on how to add more languages.
You can also set up the clock to announce the time regularly. You can read more about this in the Settings section.
Moving the clock around
Speaking Clock Deluxe has no title bar that you can "grab" to move it around, but instead you can just left-click-and-hold anywhere on the clock and then move it around!
The buttons
The row of buttons below the display gives you quick access to the most used functions, like the calculator, calendar, alarms, timers and settings. The big speak button of course announces the time, and the small minimize button in the top right corner minimizes the clock to the system tray (to bring it back on screen, double-click the system tray icon).
If you right-click the application window, a popup menu appears. From this menu you can access most of the functions, including the settings dialog, the alarms dialog and this help file. You can also switch between the different display modes and select a display skin, as well as synchronizing the clock with an Internet time server. This menu can also be accessed by right-clicking the clock icon in the system tray, or by pressing the Options button on the clock (the button with three dots on it).
Minimizing the application/using the system tray icon
When you minimize the application (using the Minimize button, or choosing "Minimize to tray" from the popup menu), there will be no minimized window in the taskbar. Instead, the application has an icon in the system tray in the lower right corner. This icon is either in the form of a small clock face, or indicates the current time in a digital form (depending on your settings). To restore the application, double click the system tray icon. You can also access most functions of the clock by right-clicking the system tray icon. If you want the clock to always start minimized, go to the Settings dialog box and check the "Start minimized in tray" option.
Explore the different settings
There are many settings available to you, making it possible to customize the clock for your needs and taste. Open the Settings dialog box to explore them. All settings are saved when the application exits.
Controlling the clock using the keyboard
A talking clock can be a useful utility for blind people. Since the application is entirely graphical, it will not be visible for those using a screen reader, a fact that a blind friend from California kindly made me aware of. The following shortcuts make it possible to access several important functions with the keyboard when the clock has focus:
Ctrl-A: Alarm setup
Ctrl-S: Settings
Ctrl-Z: Synchronize time
F1: Help
There are also two global shortcut keys that will announce the time and start the clipboard reader, even if the clock is hidden or minimized:
Ctrl-Alt-S: Announces the time
Ctrl-Alt-R: Reads the contents of the clipboard (text-to-speech support is neccessary)
Please note that these global shortcuts need to be enabled in the Settings dialog box, because they could interfere with other applications.
Help is available
In all dialog boxes a Help button is always available. Click it to open the help subject that describes the options in that particular dialog.
