speechd.el 0.5 released

[Milan Zamazal]

speechd-el 0.5 released
=======================

The Free(b)soft project is pleased to announce speechd-el 0.5.

* What is speechd-el?

  speechd-el is an Emacs client to Speech Dispatcher, providing a
  complex speech interface to Emacs, focused especially on (but not
  limited to) the blind and visually impaired users.  It allows the user
  to work with Emacs without looking on the screen, using the speech
  output produced by the synthesizers supported in Speech Dispatcher.

  Key speechd-el features are:
  
  - Automated speaking of most Emacs messages and actions, without
    necessity to customize each particular Emacs function to make it
    speak.

  - Most built-in and external Emacs packages can produce speech output
    immediately, without any special support.
    
  - Almost no change of the standard Emacs behavior, no interference
    with user settings.
  
  - Highly configurable.

  - Full cooperation with Speech Dispatcher.

  - Small code size.

  - Free Software, distributed under the GPL.

  The speechd-el package contains an Elisp library for communication
  with Speech Dispatcher, allowing you to write your own Emacs speech
  output extensions and your own Emacs interfaces to Speech Dispatcher.

  speechd-el design is completely different from the design of
  Emacspeak, another speech output package for Emacs.  Though both
  speechd-el and Emacspeak serve a similar purpose, they differ in
  their approach to the problem they address.

* What is new in the 0.5 version?

  - Reading of information about Emacs state (such as current buffer
    name and modes), including automatic notification of state changes.

  - Mode and header lines contents can be read in CVS versions of Emacs.

  - It's possible to read messages displayed from built-in functions.

  - New user option speechd-speak-message-time-interval.

  - The SPEECHD_HOST environment variable is honored now.

  - New ways of communication with Speech Dispatcher.

  - The obsolete user option speechd-connection-parameters was removed.

  See the NEWS file for more details.

* Where to get it?
  
  You can get the distribution tarball of the released version from
  http://www.freebsoft.org/pub/projects/speechd-el/speechd-el-0.5.tar.gz .

  The home page of the project is http://www.freebsoft.org/speechd-el .