ClaroRead Mac Release Notes

Download the latest version here

Version 9.0

Version 9.0.7 released 1st February 2024.

• Mainly a release for DSA students:

• DSA licences from 1st February 2024 will now give access to AutoCorrect (formerly known as Global AutoCorrect) and online Amazon Polly voices.

Version 8.7

Version 8.7.4 released 4th December 2023.

• Bug fix - older 25-digit product codes would not licence ClaroRead properly. All fixed now.

Version 8.7.3 released 29th November 2023.

• Bug fix - an update to Microsoft Word meant that when ClaroRead read to the end of a document, Word would crash. This version fixes that so Word no longer crashes.
• Other minor bug fixes and improvements.
• Small update to licensing. No visible impact to users.

Version 8.7.1 released 12th September 2023.

• ClaroRead is now a Universal app.

• This means it runs natively on both Intel and M1 and M2 Macs.

• Updated Claro voices. Current users will be prompted to update their voices on the first run.

• Vocalizer Embedded voices are now upgraded to Cerence Embedded voices.
• (Sweden only) Acapela voices are now the new NT quality instead of HQ.

• Works with new macOS 14 Sonoma.

Version 8.6

Version 8.6.2 released 22nd May, 2023.

• Update to Google Analytics 4.

• Note: No data collected is personal or can be traced back to the user.

• Minor updates and bug fixes.
• System requirements: macOS version 11.0 or later

Version 8.6.3 released 8th June 2023.

• More options available in the top status bar menu: Dictate and all three scan options.
• Fixed a bug with Dictate where you would see a Dictation crash on first use on Ventura.
• Spell Check window plus buttons now render correctly in Dark Mode.
• Light and Dark Mode settings (and appropriate defaults) for prediction window colours.
• Reading word by word highlight improvements.

Version 8.5

Version 8.5 released 3rd October 2022.

• New app icon.
• Updated to ensure ClaroRead works well with macOS 13 (Ventura) – voice names display correctly.
• Added ScreenMarker Mac to the Extras.

Version 8.4

Version 8.4 released 27th July 2022.

• Mainly behind-the-scenes updates and fixes
• Updated to ensure ClaroRead works well with macOS 13 (Ventura)
• Updated ClaroPDF, ClaroCapture, ClaroIdeas and ScreenRuler
• International versions only: translations now appear in the Check window when the English flag is selected.

Version 8.3

Version 8.3 released 25th April 2022.

• A new version of ClaroPDF Mac now ships with ClaroRead. ClaroPDF takes care of reading PDF files (like ones you create using the Scan button) with in-sync sentence by sentence highlighting. ClaroSpeak, which used to do this, has now been retired.
• Minor updates and bug fixes.

Version 8.2

Version 8.2 released 4th April 2022.

• New app naming: ClaroRead Plus has now been renamed to just ClaroRead.
• Added the ability for ClaroRead to read in a licence key from file on launch. This helps system admins who have multi-user licences and need to deploy across a number of machines. More information regarding this will be written up in a blog post.
• Images created using Equatio in Word will be read back correctly.
• A bug where you’d sometimes have to press the F-key twice to get the prediction to complete has been fixed.
• Added Google Analytics so we can better understand how users use our apps. No data collected is personal or can be traced back to the user.
• Other minor updates and improvements.

Version 8.1

Version 8.1.2 released 20th April, 2021.

• Show and clear homophones are back! Following customer feedback, we’ve added this feature back in. So in Word and Pages, the Homophones drop down will be shown with three entries: Show Homophones, Clear Homophones, and Check Document. Show and Clear Homophones will highlight/unhighlight the homophones in the current paragraph. Check Document will do the full document spell check and homophone check.
• Prediction more aligned with Windows and Chrome. If the typed word is a homophone, the alternative homophone words are shown in the prediction window in case you’ve typed the wrong version. If the typed word is incorrect and is in the misspellings list, the associated correction is shown first.
• Ability to reorder the toolbar buttons. Click and drag the button list in View Settings to reorder the toolbar to suit your way of working.
• The Extra applications (Auto Converter, ClaroCapture, ClaroView and ScreenRuler) are now Universal apps. This means they can run natively on Intel or ARM (M1) Macs. ClaroRead is still an Intel app for now and does run on M1 Macs, just not natively yet.
• Bug fixes and general improvements.

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Version 8

Version 8.0.6 released 15th September, 2020.

• Compatible with the new macOS 11 Big Sur operating system.
• Pages integration like in Microsoft Word – click and play with highlighting.
• View settings tab allowing you to change which toolbar buttons are shown, their size and whether or not to show the text below each button.
• Dock the toolbar to the top of the screen (in the menu bar). Less visual disruption.
• Edit the Extras list. Remove applications, add applications (doesn’t have to be a Claro app!) and web links.
• Updated Big Sur-style program icons. Modernised Claro icons ready for macOS 11.
• Homophones button now does a full homophone and spell check of your document, ensuring you’ve got the right text.
• Check button now checks the current word you’re on. If it’s correct, additional synonyms will be suggested (in Word). Click Spell Check All to spell check your whole document.
• Load more prediction suggestions with an arrow button, like on Windows.
• Under the hood – prediction dictionaries are now database files instead of xml, this speeds up showing prediction suggestions and allows for much larger prediction dictionaries.
• New Auto Converter Mac app.
• Updated ClaroCapture Mac 2.

Version 7.2

Version 7.2.9 released 21 September 2019.

• Compatible with the new macOS Catalina 10.15 operating system.
• New Vocalizer Embedded voices available to download in Settings.
• New prediction wildcard options. Use underscore (_) to match any number of character(s) (e.g. “h_e” suggests “horse” and “horses”) and asterisk (*) to match one character (e.g. “ho**e” suggests “horse” and “horses”).
• Prediction uses phonetic rules, e.g. typing “no” suggests “knowledge” (English and Danish only).
• Ability to import text file word lists as prediction dictionaries.
• Basic dictionary option for prediction. Lets you include or exclude a basic dictionary when you use subject-specific ones. English subject-specific dictionaries from Windows are now included on Mac.

• Note: if you have updated your version of ClaroRead to 7.2, you won’t automatically see the new subject-specific dictionaries. In order to see these, please download, install and run ClaroRead Uninstaller to restore ClaroRead’s settings.

Version 7.2.11 update released 30th October 2019.

• The prediction window now contains pictures to help you select the correct word.

• This feature can be turned off in Settings > Predict > Window > Uncheck Show Pictures.

• Added Swedish phonetic prediction rules.
• Other minor updates and bug fixes.

Version 7.1

Version 7.1 released 12 May 2019.

• Phonetic character echo option. If selected, ClaroRead will now phonetically echo the characters as you type, e.g. “c” “ah” “t”, instead of “see” “ay” “tee”.
• ScreenRuler Mac 2. ScreenRuler’s screen overlay now sits on top of the ClaroRead toolbar and system popup menus, so everything on the screen should be tinted.
• All of our Mac apps and installers are now notarised to comply with Apple’s latest security requirements. See the Apple website for more information on notarising.
• Updated international versions’ user interface text and help files.
• Minor tweaks and fixes.

Version 7.0

Version 7 released 18 April 2019.

New features & improvements

Dictate button

ClaroRead Mac 7 now includes a Dictate button which activates the macOS dictation feature.

Once you’ve finished dictating your text, click the Done button and ClaroRead will automatically read back your dictated text from Microsoft Word, Pages or TextEdit.

Updated homophone data

Our homophone data has been updated to include example sentences with each definition.

Minor bug fixes

As always, we’ve been improving ClaroRead along the way, with minor tweaks and fixes.

Version 6.4

Version 6.4 released 7 January 2019.

New features & improvements

• ClaroRead Mac 6.4 is compatible with the new Dark Mode in Mojave. See Apple’s support page for instructions on how to use Dark Mode.
• ClaroRead Mac will display correctly on retina displays.
• Text in the Check window is now automatically read out when you hover the mouse over it. You can turn this off by clicking on the speaker icon. This matches the ClaroRead for PC behaviour
• Bug fixes.

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Version 6.3

Version 6.3 released 9 September 2018.

New features & improvements

• ClaroRead Mac will work with new macOS Mojave (10.14)

• You will need to allow ClaroRead to access the programs it’s trying to read from (e.g. Microsoft Word).

• Updated ClaroCapture Mac.
• ClaroIdeas included with ClaroRead as standard.
• Swedish only features:

• Language profiles allow you to switch between Swedish and English settings and resources (like voice and homophones) easily.
• Compound word checking with ClaroStava.

Version 6.2

Version 6.2 released 11 March 2018.

New features & improvements

• The next version of macOS (after High Sierra) will only support 64-bit applications. ClaroRead Mac 6.2 is now a 64-bit application, so ClaroRead and its Extras are all ready for that change.
• There are common words, such as “you” or “I”, which are homophones, but you probably never get them confused with the alternatives (like “ewe” or “eye”). In ClaroRead Mac 6.2 you can now choose to ignore these kinds of homophones, so they don’t get highlighted when using the “Show Homophones” feature.
• Homophone and picture resources have been updated.
• Scan from screen now supports multiple monitors.
• The Settings window now opens and closes a lot quicker.
• ClaroRead Mac 6.2 now accepts ClaroRead for Windows licence keys (V7). This means if you have ClaroRead for PC and change computer to a Mac, you can use the same licence key to unlock the Mac version.

Version 6.1

Version 6.1 released 28 May 2017.

New features & improvements

• ‘Scan from Paper’ process improvement – Rather than launching Image Capture, Scan from Paper now launches a scanner window for you to complete your scan and converts the scanned image immediately into the format and location of your choice.
• Mac USB Creator – You can now use your ClaroRead Windows or Mac key to download and make your own version of ClaroRead Mac on a USB drive. This is a great way to transport ClaroRead around to use on shared computers which might not have it installed.
• Using the Scan button in ClaroRead Plus now remembers where you scan from, to, and the document format. Great for batch converting.
• The help file is updated to reflect scanning changes.
• International versions of ClaroRead are now fully translated.
• You can now access ScreenRuler’s Preferences window directly from its dock icon.
• Other minor fixes and interface updates.

Other updates

• September 2017 – Updated ClaroSpeak Mac to version 12.0.12
• November 2017 – updated Scan2Text to version 1.1.9.

• Fixes an issue on High Sierra where you couldn’t select the output document format when scanning from paper.

Version 6.0

Version 6 released 9 October 2016.

New features & improvements

• A New Integrated Optical Character Recognition (OCR) engine – ClaroRead Plus Mac now includes its own integrated Optical Character Recognition engine which gives you the rapid Scan from Screen function to capture any inaccessible text, as well as quickly converting scanned files to accessible PDF, Word and text files.
• New Scan from Paper * feature – you can now quickly launch the MacOS Image Capture app and immediately get to scanning in physical documents and creating accessible, digital copies of them using “Scan to ClaroRead”.
• New Scan from PDF/File * feature – using the new Scan from PDF/File feature you can convert PDF or image files to fully accessible formats, so that ClaroRead can then read aloud. You can also scan inaccessible files and create editable output formats, such as DOCX. Supported output formats are PDF, DOCX, TXT and RTF.
• New Scan from screen feature – with the new Scan from screen feature you can select an area of the screen to be read with your mouse and ClaroRead will quickly and accurately scan your chosen area and read it aloud. You can now instantly read anything on your screen as well as copy it to the clipboard.
• Launch ClaroRead with PDF and image files. ClaroRead now supports opening of PDF and image files directly, so you can choose a PDF/image file, right-click and select Open With, choose ClaroRead and it will launch ClaroRead and start the file scanning process.
• New extra app – ClaroSpeak. ClaroSpeak is a supportive reading and speaking app that read PDF files, Microsoft Word document, text files and more, aloud, with synchronised highlighting. When you open a document in ClaroSpeak, the text of the document gets copied in to the ClaroSpeak window and then you can also edit any text. ClaroSpeaks built-in text prediction and echo features can help you maintain accurate typing.

Bug fixes

• Fixed an issue that could cause text in Microsoft Word documents to be removed when speaking them and quickly moving/switching between different documents.
• Fixed an issue where some prediction items were being spoken twice.

* indicates features only available in ClaroRead Plus

Version 5.4

Version 5.4 released 13 January 2016

• ClaroRead Mac now works with Acapela voices.

Version 5.3

Version 5.3 released 21 September 2015.

• Fully compatible with the new Mac OSX 10.11 El Capitan operating system.
• Prediction window size can now be adjusted (drag the bottom right corner of the window). This will increase/decrease the font size of the suggestions.
• Updated Vocalizer Expressive voice selection. See ‘ClaroRead’ > ‘Download more Claro voices’ in the ClaroRead file menu.
• ClaroView’s screen overlay now works over multiple monitors.
• Other minor bug fixes and improvements.

Version 5.2

Version 5.2 released 26 July 2014

• Compatible with Mac OS X 10.10 (Yosemite) as well as previous Mac OS X versions from 10.7 onwards.
• ClaroRead Mac 5.2 now uses the latest Nuance Expressive voices. Unfortunately this means previous “Claro” voices (Nuance Automotive ones) will cease to work. You can download (for free) any of the new voice range from within ClaroRead, just go into Settings and select “Download more Claro voices” from the voice selection list.
• Run ClaroUp, our app updater from within ClaroRead. Select ClaroRead > “Check for updates” from the menu.
• Download and install any of the available 82 new Claro voices by selecting ClaroRead > “Download more Claro voices” from the menu.
• Uninstall any Claro voices by selecting ClaroRead > “Uninstall voices” from the menu.

Version 5.1

Version 5.1 released 18 October 2012

Version 5.0

Version 5 released 4 December 2011.

• Pages Integration – Includes synchronised highlighting using the Play button and homophone checking.
• Nuance Vocalizer voices – ClaroRead Mac 5 now installs the same voice selection as on Windows.
• Definition and context information added to the Check window.
• Spell check anywhere – ClaroRead will spell check any text in any program. Select the text you wish to spell check and click Check.
• Dock icon menu – You can Play, Stop or Save Audio from ClaroRead’s Dock icon menu, handy if you have hidden the toolbar using cmd+H

Version 4.4

Version 4.4 released 9 July 2011

• This version is fully compatible with Mac OS X 10.7 Lion

Version 4.3

Version 4.3 released 17 November 2010

• (4.3.2) ClaroRead Mac now works with Word 2011.
• (4.3.3) Translated into Dutch. Danish translations updated.
• (4.3.3) Dictionary images updated to match ClaroRead PC’s set.

Version 4.2

Version 4.2 released 29 September 2010.

Version 4.1

Version 4.1 released 27 September 2009

• New Scan tab in Settings

Version 4.0

Version 4 released 10 June 2009

• Visual Highlighting.

• The new focus sentence feature greys or dims out sentences in MS Word not being spoken by the ClaroRead voice. This is helpful for focusing the eye on the text, and also tracking the position in a document.
• The Word Trail feature makes words colour progressively as they are spoken by ClaroRead. This mode allows effective word by word highlighting, with minimal visual disruption. Any colour can be chosen to highlight the text.

• Research and Capture Information

• The new ClaroCapture program included with ClaroRead Mac 4 can collect text from any document and web page, grouping it as a project file. The research file can be sent to Microsoft Word or PowerPoint. It can also extract highlighted text from Word documents. A great study skills tool.

• Scanning Paper and Converting PDF files

• ClaroRead Plus Mac 4 now comes with a Scan button. The highest quality Optical Character Recognition is now included in ClaroRead Plus, making it ideal for scanning or converting books, articles and other content to become accessible, readable and editable.

• Word Check Window

• The Check window now integrates homophones, spelling suggestions and meanings in one window whilst working in Microsoft Word. There is also a Dictionary Lookup button which grants direct access to the Mac’s Dictionary. Any spelling corrections made in the Check window are remembered, and can be reviewed later under the Check tab in the Settings pane. This information can be used to build a personal correction list which inserts the personal corrections above all others in the Check window.

• ScreenRuler Mac

• ClaroRead Mac 4 now comes with ScreenRuler. ScreenRuler provides an on-screen reading ruler that tracks the mouse pointer to help focus on a particular area of the screen.

• Word Prediction

• ClaroRead Mac 4 now includes a Word Prediction function which learns as the user types and can be trained from Word documents or the clipboard. There are a range of different settings for customisation under the Prediction tab in the Settings pane.

• Extras Button

• The Extras button on the toolbar includes other software applications bundled with ClaroRead including ClaroView, ScreenRuler and ClaroCapture. There is also a link to the Mac?s calculator giving quick access to the application.

Version 3

Version 3 released 10 February 2009.

Version 2

Version 2 released 5 April 2008.

Version 1

Version 1 released 2006.

Initial release.