HumanWare recently released new versions of the Victor Reader Stream firmware and the Humanware Companion software.

Victor Reader Stream users can get version 3.4.6 of the Stream software, and 3.5.6 of the Stream Companion program, using the Check for Update feature of the Companion. The upgrade provides navigational enhancements in DAISY and text books and improvements in handling documents in Russian.

Software Support page: http://visit.humanware.com/e/3332/tream-software/sct19/375428668.

Note: Instead of downloading software from this page you can use the HumanWare Companion version 3.4 or later to update both your Companion or Stream.

The update software download is in a zip file which Windows will unzip. Special unzip software is not needed. For a complete list of the new features and installation instructions please read the Release Notes.

The software upgrade provides the following new features.

  • Time Remaining in Section: On the key 5 Where Am I for DAISY and NISO and Audible books a new message at the end announces the time remaining for the current section. When you press key 5, you will hear the % complete of the entire book followed by the page and heading number followed by the heading name and then the new message announcing the time remaining in that section. Have you ever wondered how much time remains in the current chapter? Just press key 5 and Stream will tell you.
  • Go To Time Feature For DAISY Books: This new navigation will help navigate DAISY books that have little or no mark-up for chapters or sections which is the case for some books converted from cassette to DAISY.
  • Time Not Available Message: The Stream announcement of time elapsed and time remaining in a DAISY book requires that the book be marked with internal time elapsed tags. For DAISY books without these time tags the Stream will now announce that time elapsed and time remaining are not available. Similarly, for those books the GoTo Time new feature will not be available.
  • Search Music: On the GOTO key in music there is now a Search option. When you enter the search the number pad will be in multi-tap text entry mode and you can enter a search phrase to find within any of your folder/file names in your music structure. If the search text is found within a folder name you will be positioned at the first song within that folder. Once you find the search text the search navigation level will be added to the up/down rotation so you can then use keys 4/6 to do a find previous/next on that same search phrase.
  • Music Temporary Playlist: For music temporary playlist Stream will now return you to that playlist if you power off and power back on.
  • Cancel Opening of Music Bookshelf: You can Cancel the opening of the All Music or Music playlists. For example, if you have a large Music bookshelf and power off then when you power back on Stream will automatically start opening the All Music bookshelf again. If you want to go to another bookshelf you can press Cancel without having to wait for the Music to open.
  • Cancel Opening Large Text File: Similarly, for opening of large text files. You can cancel the opening of those files so you don’t have to wait if you don’t need the file.
  • Multiple Time Jumps: In the key 7 Menu you can now enable more than one Time Jump interval for the up/down rotation. If you want no Time Jump then disable all of them.
  • Faster Note Browsing: When browsing the Notes folder Stream no longer announces the word, “Note”. Thus, it is more responsive when moving from note to note because you will hear your recorded message a little sooner.
  • Accented Characters in Playlist: An issue in music playlists (m3u) that caused a Book Error 7 message for filenames with accented letters has been corrected.

There are some other enhancements for Russion. full details are on:

http://visit.humanware.com/e/3332/tream-software/sct19/375428668.