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Site News Archive
PAC Mate Gear Site News Archive
This page contains an archive of the site news for PAC
Mate Gear. This page is updated monthly. To obtain the latest site news please visit the
main page. Site News ArchiveNovember 22, 2007Today, Freedom Scientific made available an update for all PAC Mate BX and QX units. This update improves the software that controls the battery. The update does not erase any files and only takes 5 minutes to complete. Freedom Scientific recommends all users perform this update to improve battery performance. For more information you may Read More November 7, 2007FSCast 11, features BrailleSoft. Don't forget to give the public beta of JAWS 9.0 a go on your computer, especially if you're using Windows Vista and Mobile Device Sync Center. One of the many benefits of the PAC Mate™ accessible Pocket PC is that its uses can be expanded with third-party, mainstream software right out of the box. Many users write scripts to make other off-the-shelf applications accessible. Louis Bryant of BrailleSoft has gone a step further by developing games and original utilities for PAC Mate. Also in this issue Openbook 8.0 and Magic 11 are discussed. Listen to Episode 11 of FSCast August 2, 2007July 2007 FSCast highlights PAC Mate OMNI. For the latest information scroll up to the top of the page and read the information in our PAC Mate omni section. The Podcast is available from the FSCast Subscription page.May 22, 2007Play Scrabble on your PAC Mate. To get started, first download Scrabble from our Software Downloads page and the scripts from our Custom Scripts Page. May 9, 2007Today PAC Mate Gear learned of another source for printers that are compatible with PAC Mates.
Note-- This does not represent an Endorsement by www.pacmategear.com. This is provided mearly as a convenience to our readers. PAC Mate Gear is not in anyway Affiliated with The Printer Connection. April 27, 2008Freedom Scientific released the second update to JAWS 8.0. This update provides much better support for all versions of Windows Vista. The release also boasts numerous bug fixes and enhancements for office 2003/2007, PAC Mate remote, Internet Explorer 7.0 and Windows XP. Learn More March 29, 2007FSCast Episode 4 March 2007 is now available. This month, we talk about the PAC Mate™ accessible Pocket PC and Focus braille displays. Ron Miller, whose voice will be familiar to users of the PAC Mate audio tutorial, joins us to talk about these products. He demonstrates the forthcoming StreetTalk™ 2.0 GPS solution, as well as our ScanTalker™ accessible barcode scanner for PAC Mate.Listen or subscribe March 26, 2007Today Freedom Scientific Announced that FSReader for PAC Mate Now Plays RFB&D Audio+ Books. Users will need to download the 1.1 release of FSReader and will need to contact RFB&D to purchase a UAK key. Read More March 7, 2007Grant Hardy has contributed MSN Scripts for BX users. These Scripts make it easier to communicate in grade 2 braille. Note-- These scripts are for the BX models only Download the Binaries March 2, 2007Day light savings time patch available for windows mobile 2003. This patch will allow your windows mobile 2003 device to adjust to the new dates for DST. Read more and download the patch The Send us a message form on the contact us page is currently unavailable. They will be back online soon. For now, if you need to contact us use the below e-mail addresses:
February 28, 2007Today PAC Mate Gear received two contributions from David Engebretson. The first found on our Software Downloads page, is an application that will toggle the read only status of a file on the PAC Mate. The second found on our Custom Scripts page, is a set of scripts for Pocket Outlook that fixes the issue of Pocket JAWS not reading the status line. January 4, 2007Sit down with Yahtzee Visit our Software downloads page for more games and other useful software applications. December 22, 2006Today Freedom Scientific launched FSCast. The first episode of this podcast has a segment at the end all about PAC Mate Gear. Check it out and let us know what you think. Subscribe to FSCast September 15, 2006Today Freedom Scientific made a Multilingual QX updated keyboard driver and Humanware trade in program available. Read below for details. Get details and download the QX multilingual keyboard driverTrade in any proprietary HumanWare notetaker and get the features you want today with Freedom Scientific’s PAC Mate. Freedom Scientific’s Open Plan, announced today, will help blind users of VoiceNote, BrailleNote, mPower, and BrailleNote PK notetakers upgrade to an open platform that uses the familiar Windows interface and runs mainstream applications.Read More September 1, 2006Freedom Scientific’s open platform approach to hardware and software has brought over another major voice in the field of access technology for the blind. Jonathan Mosen, previously of HumanWare, is the new Vice President of Blindness Hardware Product Management at Freedom Scientific’s Blind/Low Vision Group.Read More August 12, 2006Today BrailleSoft made available Blackjack for the PAC Mate. You can get more information from The BrailleSoft Home Page This software was made possible by the free basic interpreter Basic4PPC This is a great find and will make it easier for people to develop new and exciting applications for the PAC Mate. This and more are available from our Software Downloads PageAugust 1, 2006Freedom Scientific Release PAC Mate version 4.1. This feature packed release offers several new enhancements. The update is available for all those running 4.0. For more information, Read More.June 21, 2006
April 11, 2006The PAC Mate Training Group begins offering training services. To get information on getting these services please access our PAC Mate Training pageMarch 29, 2006Freedom Scientific released PAC Mate Firmware 4.0. New features include, more than one FSEdit open at a time, better scientific calculator, and much much more. Learn MoreMarch9, 2006The Freedom Scientific Monthly Newsletter contains information on the upcoming PAC Mate 4.0 as well as JAWS 7.1 releases. This issue also provides readers a chance to get more information on Freedom Scientific's CSUN Schedule.February 25, 2006PAC Mate Gear wants your comments on our new high contrast version of the site. Eventually the color scheme will be available from all pages. Please contact us with your color suggestions. This will help me finalize a high contrast version of the site that meets the needs for the majority of our users.February 4, 2006Brian Hartgen is the first to submit an Audio Review here on PAC Mate Gear. His review is on FSReader and can be found in our Audio SectionJanuary 12, 2006Freedom Scientific to show the upcoming PAC Mate 4.0 Release. At this year's ATIA conference. For more information visit the ATIA Web Site November 30, 2005PAC Mate was the topic of some issues on the technology show Main Menu. Pay close attention to the shows from July 13 July 20 and August 17. Also don't miss the mentions of PAC Mate Gear during the presentations. Learn More November 19, 2005A link to a PAC Mate review was contributed by a PAC Mate user and is here for your enjoyment. Pleas watch for a place for reviews in the near future. For now enjoy. Listen to the review November 18, 2005In Version 3.0 Freedom Scientific introduced PAC Mate Remote. In our latest user story the author describes how the new feature can be helpful in two situations. Access this story and the other stories in our user stories section October 16, 2005The freedom I have acquired with the pacmate, a user story has been posted in our User Stories page. This is an account of how the PAC Mate has changed the life of a college student. October 15, 2005JAWS 7.0 has been released by Freedom Scientific. This release bosts support for the Firefox web browser, stability fixes for the most commonly used programs, FSClipboard, and other enhancements when using your PAC Mate in combination with JAWS. Authorized users can download a copy of JAWS 7.0 and users who wish to give this a try who are not authorized can download the release and use it with their PAC Mates in PAC Mate Remote Desktop. Learn MoreAugust 20, 2005Not sure what pieces you need to build a complete GPS solution for your PAC Mate? Freedom Scientific now provides a bundal that contains all the proper hardware and software to get you going with GPS. To access the information from their online store Learn MoreJuly 1, 2005With the release of StreetTalk, the PAC Mate Gear Team is expanding the User Community to include a mailing list for everything StreetTalk. This list will specifically deal with StreetTalk's installation and operation. Other topics could include installation and operation of destinator, GPS hardware, and much much more. For more information on the mailing lists offered to our user community visit our User Community pageJune 30, 2005Streettalk the GPS Solution is available from Freedom Scientific. If you are going to the NFB or ACB conventions there is a special price for a bundle. Read the press releaseJune 28, 2005Today Freedom Scientific released PAC Mate version 3.0. To read about new features or to download the Update Visit the 3.0 Update PageJune 23, 2005Some exciting news was released today by Freedom Scientific. The much awaited PAC Mate Firmware Update 3.0 will be released no later than July 1, 2005. This release will follow the release of JAWS 6.2. This is a free update to any person running 6.0 or 6.1. You can read more on the JAWS 6.2 release page. In other exciting news, Freedom Scientific will be giving away a PAC Mate at both the NFB and ACB conventions. To preregister and get more information Read the detailsMay 13, 2005Today Freedom Scientific released FSCommander. This application will give PAC Mate owners the ability to control consumer IR devices such as televisions, stereos, etc. Read MoreApril 27, 2005Check out the highest scores in our new Jawbreaker Scoreboard. These scores are added and updated in real-time so go ahead and show the world your score. April 26, 2005Do you want to help in the development of PAC Mate Gear? Please take a moment and help us by filling out a short survey about your ePAC Mate Gear Experience. The data compiled by this survey will allow the PAC Mate Gear Team to hear from you the users of this great resource. At PAC Mate Gear the team strives to make the site your resource for everything PAC Mate. Fill out the survey Wednesday, December 29, 2004 — The death toll after this weekend’s earthquake and tsunamis has reached an unfathomable estimated 50,000 victims, and that toll may continue to rise as disaster relief teams from around the world arrive at devastated areas to assess the damage. An Indian man holds his head as he sits atops the ruins of his house destroyed in a tsunami in Cuddalore, some 180 km south of the southern Indian city of Madras, December 27, 2004. Reuters/Arko Datta, courtesy www.alertnet.org. Sunday’s 9.0 earthquake, the strongest on record in the world for the last forty years, struck the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia in the morning, causing a tsunami that swept thousands to their deaths and destroyed coastlines thousands of miles away. The majority of the destruction centered in Sri Lanka, India, the Maldives, Indonesia, and Thailand, and tsunamis also caused massive damage along the east coast of Africa, including the Cocos Island and Somalia.March 1, 2005Another game is now working quite nicely with the PAC Mate. The classic game BattleShip now has a spoken interface using the power of JAWS and the PAC Mate. Download the scripts from our Custom Scripts section This and other software is on our Software Downloads pageFebruary 28, 2005Want to get started with Jawbreaker? Read our latest article in our Articles, Tips and Tricks section. It is entitled Playing Jawbreaker on your PAC MateJanuary 21, 2005The PAC Mate is featured in Access WorldThis months issue of Access World highlights Kolby Garrison's daily use for her PAC Mate. Don't miss the nice reference to www.pacmategear.com. Read the Article January 12, 2005Join Freedom Scientific in celebrating the 10th anniversary of JAWS at this years anual Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) Conference. For more information Read the Press ReleaseJanuary 11, 2005Freedom Scientific today announced lower prices for its PAC Mate™ 20 and 40 cell braille displays. The PAC Mate 40 display has been reduced 20 percent, from $3995 to $3200. The PAC Mate 20 display has been reduced 30 percent, from $1995 to $1400.Read the Press Release January 6, 2005Today Freedom Scientific posted the Bookshare unpack utility for PAC Mate owners running 2.5 of the PAC Mate Software. Read MoreDecember 29, 2004Red Cross donation links at bottom of all www.pacmategear.com pages:The survivers of Sundays Earthquake and tsunami need your help. The best way to help is to provide any donation through internal organizations such as the Red Cross. Until the crisis passes links to donate will be available at the bottom of all pages contained on the www.pacmategear.com servers. Please ensure you initiate contact for donations as I have heard reports of scams in which people call and ask for donations>
Wednesday, December 29, 2004 — The death toll after this weekend’s earthquake and tsunamis has reached an unfathomable estimated 50,000 victims, and that toll may continue to rise as disaster relief teams from around the world arrive at devastated areas to assess the damage. An Indian man holds his head as he sits atops the ruins of his house destroyed in a tsunami in Cuddalore, some 180 km south of the southern Indian city of Madras, December 27, 2004. Reuters/Arko Datta, courtesy www.alertnet.org. Sunday’s 9.0 earthquake, the strongest on record in the world for the last forty years, struck the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia in the morning, causing a tsunami that swept thousands to their deaths and destroyed coastlines thousands of miles away. The majority of the destruction centered in Sri Lanka, India, the Maldives, Indonesia, and Thailand, and tsunamis also caused massive damage along the east coast of Africa, including the Cocos Island and Somalia. December 2, 2004Executive Products INC.-- Makers of the New BX/QX cases offers a Christmas Special to PAC Mate Gear visitors Read the detailsNovember 24, 2004Executive Products INC. have BX/QX cases direct from their online store A direct link can be found on our Helpful Links pageNovember 18, 2004View high quality images in our PAC Mate Image Gallery Please let us know if there is a picture you'd like to see added by contacting usOctober 19, 2004qdCAS is a Computer Algebra System for Pocket Pc. You can download this exciting program from our Software downloads page and download the scripts written by Peter A. Torpey on our Custom ScriptsOctober 8, 2004David Engebretson's review of the new PAC Mate case available from Executive Products, INC. has been posted to our Articles, Tips and Tricks section.September 23, 2004Today Freedom Scientific released 2.5 of the PAC Mate BX/QX Software. Read More InformationSeptember 22, 2004On August 24, 2004 RESCO released version 3.01 of their audio recorder. A special offer has been made available to PAC Mate owners wishing to purchase this software. For more information Read the detailsAugust 27, 2004On August 24, 2004 RESCO released version 3.01 of their RESCO Audio Recorder. This release is not yet compatible with the PAC Mates. Read more information here August9, 2004MobilePlanet has some great deals on hardware that works with PAC Mate. Some examples include:
Note-- This does not represent an Endorsement by www.pacmategear.com. This is provided mearly as a convenience to our readers. PAC Mate Gear is not in anyway Affiliated with MobilePlanet. July 18, 2004Our First User Story has been posted to our new User Stories section. We invite you to submit your own PAC Mate User Story to us by contacting usJuly 12, 2004PAC Mate User stories now being acceptedHas PAC Mate changed your life? How does your PAC Mate make you more productive at work and play? why not tell others about it? You asked and we listened. Use our Contact us page to send us your stories. Once we receive our first three we will begin posting them. Look for an updated item here and on the PAC Mate User Mailing List when our first set are posted. June 30, 2004Complete GPS Solution available for PAC Mates.Today Freedom Scientific announced a new low-cost GPS Solution for PAC Mates. For more information read the full story on our PAC Mate News Page June 24,2004Freedom Scientific has posted a new technical support notice. This notice is for any BX or QX user who has experienced a loss of braille output from their display. An updated driver is currently available to correct this issue. For more information please Read the Technical Support Notice.June 8, 2004Visit our new Audio Section to learn more about how people are using their PAC Mates. You will find:
May 27, 2004The PAC Mate BX and QX Basic Training Lessons are now streamable directly from PAC Mate Gear The same Training Lessons are available from the Freedom Scientific web site but are in self-extracting zip files and are not streamable. To listen to the training lessons or for more information access our Basic Audio ArchivesMay 25, 2004PAC Mate 2.2 Posted!Today Freedom Scientific posted the much awaited 2.2 release for the QX and BX PAC Mates. For more information please access The 2.2 Update Information Page April 27, 2004SyncExpress allows your PAC Mate to SYNC with Microsoft's Outlook Express. VxUtils provides ping, traceroute and nslookup. VxHPC is a terminal emulation package for the PocketPC. It works either with telnet or a serial communications link. VxIPConfig allows your PAC Mate to release and renew DHCP addresses much like the ipconfig command in Windows. More about these programs is available in our Software Downloads PageApril 6, 2004Freedom Scientific began shipping their ScanTalker ® add-on for the PAC Mates. For more information, please visit the ScanTalker ® Information page or the Press release April 1, 2004Pictures of the new case are available. Please check them out in our New Case slide show. If you have any comments or suggestions please Contact us March 5, 2003Join Brad Davis and other Freedom Scientific associates at this years CSUN convention. For more information please visit the CSUN 2004 Convention Home Page. March 1, 2004PAC Mate BX/QX Software update details made public. For more information visit our PAC Mate News section. February 4, 2004Linksys has released drivers for the WCF12 Wireless CompactFlash adapter for Windows Mobile 2003. Access the following link to download the driver:Download the driver February 3, 2004Freedom Scientific has released an updated FSDN Document to reflect changes made in PAC Mate 2.0 and JAWS 5.0. This document also includes information about the PAC Mate Braille display's application programming interface. More InformationJanuary 8, 2004NETGEAR has released new drivers for Windows Mobile 2003 for the NET GEAR MA701 Compact Flash wireless card. With a driver that is less than 100K, this driver can fit nicely on your new PAC Mate X400. The Windows Mobile 2003 operating system has built-in support for wireless connections and the PAC Mate will find your access point and ask for the necessary encryption keys and you are online wirelessly. For more information visit the NETGEAR MA701 SiteDecember 31, 2003Keep your files virus free with this online anti-virus solution brought to you by DialogueScience INC.More Information and to Run the scanDecember 26, 2003Freedom Scientific began shipping the new QX series PAC Mates on December 22, now they have begun shipping the new BX units. If you have ordered one and would like to check the status of your order, please contact your dealer or Freedom Scientific.December 22, 2003According to Freedom Scientific, the new PAC Mate QX400, QX420 and QX440 models will begin shipping on December 23. These units are making their way to those who have ordered them to date. They will also be available at all dealer sites for evaluation.Of course, we at www.pacmategear.com would like to take this opportunity to thank Freedom Scientific for this exciting product! December 12, 2003Looking for Wi-FI hotspots to use with your PAC Mate? www.wi-fihotspotlist.com has you covered.Five Easy steps for locating WI-FI To find a hotspot follow these quick directions:
December 9, 2003Freedom Scientific offers a sneak peak at the new PAC Mate QX400 by releasing the documentation. This is also available on our PAC Mate Documentation page.December 1, 2003Freedom Scientific announces the availability of factory reconditioned PAC Mate TNS and BNS models.Each reconditioned system is thoroughly inspected and tested by Freedom Scientific for optimum functionality and reliability. The cost includes a limited one-year warranty against manufacturing defects.More Information November 28, 2003New MSN Messenger available for PocketPC. As of October 15, 2003 Microsoft changed the MSN Messenger protocols to limit the third-party clients that could connect to the service. In order to ensure your PAC Mate is running the latest version of Messenger frequently checkthe MSN Messenger Update Page for PocketPC. This and more is also available from ourHelpful Downloads Page.November 8, 2003Imitate Version 1.1 has been released by David Engebretson.Imitate is a game to strengthen your listening and comprehension skills.For more information on this game and other downloads, check out our Helpful Downloads page. October 22, 2003New HP Deskjet 995C series printer has been confirmed to work well with PAC Mate More Information This and more are available in our articles section.October 19, 2003Relax with hangman or Blackjak, Terrell Jones explains in the featured article Accessible Online Games. Read this and other features in our Articles sectionOctober 18, 2003Freedom Scientific has posted an updated version of the FSDN or the Freedom Scientific Developers Network. Check it out on our Custom Scripts page.October 10, 2003Freedom Scientific announces the PAC Mate BX 400 and QX 400 evaluation program.To speed the adoption of more modern technology into the school systems and training centers for persons with vision impairments, Freedom Scientific is pleased to announce its Evaluation Program for the PAC Mate. Effective immediately, Qualifying Institutions*, such as educational, state services, and not for profit institutions, may purchase a PAC Mate evaluation unit at a significant discount.More Information September 23, 2003New PAC Mate in the worksThe new PAC Mate is in the works. Visit our PAC Mate News Page for this and other news items.New OpenBook 7.0 supports PAC MateOpenBook supports access to PAC Mate directly. More InformationAugust 27, 2003PAC Mate 1.1 German has been released. For more information visit our PAC Mate News page. PAC Mate 1.1 Deutscher ist freigegeben worden. Für mehr Informationen Besuch PAC Mate Nachrichten Seite August 26, 2003Keyboard Lock Script Version 1.05 by Darragh Ó Héiligh has been released. This version works with PAC Mate 1.1.0. Also there has been a few key changes. For more information check out our Custom scripts page. August 25, 2003Freedom Scientific has released PAC Mate 1.1.0. The software update addresses existing bugs and adds a lot of new enhancements. This update also allows PAC Mate to support the Focus and PAC Mate portable Braille Displays. Read the press release and download the update from our PAC Mate News PageAugust 5, 2003The July 30, 2003 edition of the blindness technology show Main Menu Features Ron Miller and Dave Wilkinson of Freedom Scientific who talk about the future of PAC Mate. Be sure to catch the nice reference to PAC Mate Gear.August 4, 2003Kurzweil 1000 users can now send scanned texts from K1000 directly to PAC Mate. Find out more...July 31, 2003A free feature-packed firmware and software upgrade for the PAC Mate is scheduled to come out in August. Read more on our PAC Mate News Page.July 1, 2003Pacmategear.com has been featured in the June/July issue of Freedom Scientific Newsletter. And, while you are at it, you may wish to read HP Feature Story about PAC Mate, published on Hewlett-Packard's Web Site.June 21, 2003Freedom Scientific has just released a comprehensive Script Function Reference Manual. Whether you are a new script writer or a script expert, this manual will come in handy for either JAWS or PAC Mate scripting.June 20, 2003Thanks to Christopher Meredith for contributing his scripts for MSN Messenger. You can find these in our Custom Scripts section.June 6, 2003There is a new link to RealOne Player for Mobile Devices on our Helpful Downloads section. Please check it out!Also, we would appreciate it if you could leave us comments about this site by signing our Guestbook. Of course, you can also read what others have to say. June 2, 2003Have you ever lost your PAC Mate data due to a hard reset or dead battery? Take heart: help is on the way! Read more about using Sprite Software's Backup Utilities in our Articles section.
May 30, 2003We wish to thank Jackie Cairns for her excellent review of PAC Mate. We also thank Brian Walker for his tips on protecting PAC Mate data. Please read these two features in our Articlessection. This new section will feature PAC Mate ideas, tips and tricks contributed by users all over the world. We hope these articles will help you use your PAC Mate to its potential.PAC Mate Mailing List has moved. Please check our User Community Page for up-to-date list information. May 24, 2003Congratulations to Darragh Ó Héiligh on becoming the first contributor to our Custom Scripts section! If you ever wish to lock your PAC Mate's keyboard, be sure to check out Darragh's Keyboard Lock Script.May 16, 2003Helpful Downloads page is constantly expanding, so check it out frequently. We've also added a number of new links and categories to the Helpful Links page.May 15, 2003The PAC Mate Chat Room is in the testing stage. Feel free to enjoy real-time chats. Please contact us with any comments or suggestions.May 14, 2003PAC Mate Hardware and Software Compatibility List has been posted. Here you can view a listing of off-the-shelf hardware and software products that others have found to work with PAC Mate. If you try a product that does not appear on this list, please Tell us about it.May 14, 2003A note on PAC Mate Battery Charging.
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