Date: 2012-Jun-22
Version: 1.2.1
Table of Contents
What's New
We are including diagnostic reporting. If you want to participate, read the Data Collection Policy.
1.0.0
1.0.1
- Respond to Crash Reports.
- Compose Screen/White Version: add missing screen elements that rendered Workflows unusable.
- Compose Screen/Both Versions: repair Message text control not focusable in Touch Mode.
1.1.0
- Rename workflow to task.
- Respond to Crash Reports.
- Remove any intents related to MMS.
- Add Command Modes: Keys, UI Buttons, Option Menu items.
- Next Actions: change to always order items in the same sequence.
1.1.1
- Conversations Screen: Add Diagnostic log via email.
- Compose Screen: change handling of Volume keys, hopefully for the better. If you still have issues, please send a Diagnostic Log.
- Read Message Length: now works if you enter text by any means. Also options for count/remaining/units.
- Compose Screen: The Content Description of the Send button set based on Read Message Length settings.
- Read Incoming SMS: Add reading the message body as a separate option.
1.2.0
- Conversations Screen: Add more Diagnostic commands.
- Conversations Screen: Add Unread Messages task.
1.2.1
- All Tasks: provide a message if Speech Recognition is not present.
Notice
Any incidentally-mentioned product names, or images in screen shots, are trademark by their respective owner.
Overview
Thanks for choosing Text Talk!
Text Talk is an application for text messaging, featuring proactive use of
Speech Recognition, Text to Speech, and Haptic Feedback. The goal is to provide
you with an eyes-free messaging experience!
This Edition supports SMS messages only!
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Features
Text Talk uses the following features found on your Android device:
- Text to Speech.
- Speech Recognition.
- Vibrate.
- Notification Bar,
- Physical keys: Volume Up, Volume Down, and Back.
- Screen wake-up on Power key.
- Contacts database.
- Outgoing phone call.
- Content Descriptions for accessibility tools, e.g. Screen Reader.
Though intended for eyes-free use, Text Talk contains some visual elements that may not render in
a Screen Reader. These are not required for eyes-free usage. In reverse, there are Screen Reader content
descriptions those users will appreciate, that non-SR users will not know exist.
Troubleshooting
Text Talk relies on your device's built-in feature support, and any feature may be absent (at the device manufacturer's discretion).
If you have other speech-enabled apps that "work" then these are implementing their own TTS and/or Speech Recognition,
and they are not using the "system" version of these services.
Text to Speech
If you hear the earcons (tones) but no speech, you most-likely do not have the Text to Speech resources installed.
Go to the device Settings for Speech Input and Output, and install them. That screen should lead you to Google Play to download and install that package.
Speech Recognition
If you do not have Speech Recognition installed on your device, Text Talk displays a message to that effect, and you should also hear it via TTS.
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Tasks
An important accessibility enhancement is the task, a dialog you operate using
Speech Recognition and the Command Mode as inputs, and Text to Speech
and Vibrate as outputs.
Tasks are used instead of keyboard input, when this is more convenient. You always have the ability to use
the standard data entry methods as well, e.g. Keyboard.
Most tasks begin with Speech Recognition, and the rest is organized to help you process
the results for your "final answer".
Command Mode
An important part of providing input to a task is the Command Mode. These modes are supported:
- Keys: You use the Volume and Back keys. Wait 3 seconds to accept. The device Double-Vibrates when the timer expires.
- UI Buttons: You use a row of buttons across the top of the screen. All buttons are visible. The Content Description has the action or the text "No Action".
- Option Menu Items: You use items in the Option Menu, activated by the Menu key. The item text is the action. Only valid actions are displayed.
There are 4 input actions:
- Command 1: this is usually the Primary Command action. When working with lists, it is the Previous action.
- Command 2: this is usually the Secondary Command action. When working with lists, it is the Next action.
- Cancel: this will "abort" one or more levels of nested tasks. When the original task exits, you exit the entire screen.
- Accept: applies the task results, e.g. enter message text.
The following table has complete information.
|
Command 1 |
Command 2 |
Cancel |
Accept |
Keys |
Volume Up |
Volume Down |
Back |
Wait 3 Seconds |
UI Buttons |
"1" Button |
"2" Button |
"X" Button |
"Check" Button |
Option Menu |
As Required |
As Required |
"Cancel" item |
As Required |
Speech Recognition
An important feature of Speech Recognition is the list of More Results,
which often contains the correct utterance, when the Number One result is not a "match" to what you spoke.
Depending on the utterance, there may be up to 20 alternative phrases returned.
The Speech Recognition cycle in a task proceeds as follows:
- An earcon (tone) plays to alert you.
- Audio feedback UI appears.
- Device Vibrates when you should start speaking.
- Speak.
- Audio feedback UI disappears, Progress UI appears.
- Speech Recognition processing begins.
- Progress UI disappears when results are ready.
This is usually followed by read back of the number one result, and the option to examine More Results.
Text to Speech
The task communicates with you using Text to Speech. The most-important use of this is
repeating back to you the Speech Recognition results.
The task also composes utterances to provide you with information, e.g. message length. These "system"
utterances are done in a slightly different "voice" than your default.
Common Tasks
There are some tasks that get reused due to their utility.
Select Item
This task leads you through selecting an item from a list.
The task starts with the first item as the current item. Each item is read out in this format: N of M: the item.
After reading out the current item, the following actions are available:
- Command1: previous item
- Command2: next item.
- Accept: accept current item.
- Cancel: cancel without selecting anything.
Message
This task leads you through Speech Recognition, with the option to examine the More Results.
- Invoke Speech Recognition as detailed in that section.
- The Number One result is read back to you.
- When read back completes, the following actions are available:
- Command1: retry Speech Recognition.
- Command2: enter the Select Item task, using the More Results list.
- Accept: accept the Number One result, and enter it into the Message text field.
- Cancel: cancel the Message task without entering any text.
- If you return from Select Item with a selection, enter that into the Message text field.
If you cancel Select Item, it also cancels the Message task.
- If there is existing message text, the text you just entered is appended to it, and the newly-combined message
is read back to you.
- If the Read Message Count feature is On, read the current message length.
Recipient
This works the same as the Message task, but you are speaking:
- The name of one of your contacts
- The digits of a phone number
A partial match is used to form the list of More Results. The final selection goes into the Recipients text field.
Unread Messages
This task loads all unread messages and presents them to you with a Select Item task. Each item contains the sender and body.
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Conversations Screen
This screen displays your active conversations, ordered by most recent first. A Create New Message item appears
first.
Select a Conversation from the list to enter the Compose Screen for that Conversation.
Task
The following actions are available as soon as the screen starts:
- Command1: start Unread Messages task.
- Cancel: exit the Conversations screen.
If the Start Unread Task setting is On, the Unread Messages task starts automatically when you activate via the
Notification bar.
Option Menu
Activate with the Menu key.
- If you are using Option Menu Command Mode, all available actions are displayed first.
- Compose: leads to the Compose screen for a New Message.
- Delete Threads: deletes all messages.
- Settings: leads to the Settings screen.
- Diagnostics: leads to a submenu. The Send items starts a Chooser to email diagnostic information to us.
- Send Filtered Log: selects a subset of all messages..
- Clear Log: resets the log to empty, so you don't re-send the same information over.
- Set Log Debug Property: enables a system property that may be required for some devices to see debug messages. Resets after power off.
- Send Everything Log: selects all log messages from all applications..
Context Menu
Activate with a long-click on a Conversation list item.
- View thread: leads to the Compose screen for that Conversation.
- View contact: leads to the Contacts screen, if the Conversation is with one of your Contacts.
- Add to Contacts: leads to the New Contact screen, if the Conversation is not one of your Contacts.
- Delete thread: deletes this Conversation.
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Compose Screen
This screen displays a specific conversation, ordered by most recent message last, at the bottom. It contains these elements:
- Recipients: a text field with the message recipient list.
- Message List: a list of the messages in thie Conversation.
- Message: a text field for composing a new message.
- Message Length: displays message length information.
- Send: a button that sends the composed message.
Message Length
The message length UI is always visible. It displays the following values, separated by slash "/".
- Number of characters Total,
- Number of remaining characters in Current Message Unit,
- Number of Message Units used.
When Read Message Length setting is On reads the total message length after completing the Message task or using the keyboard.
The Content Description of the Send button is also set to the message length.
Task
The following actions are available as soon as the screen starts:
- Command1: start Message task.
- Cancel: exit the Compose screen.
New Message
When started for a new message, the screen immediately starts the Recipient task.
Option Menu
Activate with the Menu key.
- If you are using Option Menu Command Mode, all available actions are displayed first.
- Call
- View contact
- Delete thread
- All threads
- Undo speech: revert to the text before the last Message task results.
Context Menu
Activate with a long-click on a Message list item.
- Call
- Forward
- Copy message text
- View message details
- Delete message
- View report: view Delivery Report (if that setting is enabled).
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Notifications
Text Talk uses Text to Speech in addition to the usual device notification mechanisms:
- Vibrate
- Light
- Ringtone
- Status Bar icon
Ignore Ringer Mode
Each TTS-based notification has an option to ignore the current Ringer Mode, so it will still speak if your
device is on Vibrate or Silent.
Incoming SMS
When enabled, this feature reads the sender of incoming messages.
Sender and Body
When enabled, this feature reads the sender and message body.
Unread Message Count
When enabled, this feature reads the count of unread messages, when you wake the screen via the Power Key. It has
a "silent period" of 30 seconds.
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Settings
Text Talk has the following settings.
SMS Settings
- Delivery Reports: enable delivery reports for outgoing messages.
Notification Settings
- Notifications: enable or disable Notifications.
- Select Ringtone: select a custom ringtone for notifications.
TTS Settings
- Incoming SMS: read back the sender of incoming SMS messages.
- Sender and Body: read back the sender and message body of incoming SMS.
- Ignore Ringer Mode: read even if set to Vibrate or Silent ringer mode.
Screen On Settings
The screen is usually awakened with the Power key.
- Unread Count: read back the count of unread messages.
- Even If Zero: read back even if there are zero unread messages.
- Ignore Ringer Mode: read even if set to Vibrate or Silent ringer mode.
LED Settings
- Blink LED: whether to blink the LED.
- LED color: select custom color. Your device may not support all (or any) colors.
- LED blink rate: select the blink rate/pattern.
Vibrate Settings
- Vibrate: whether to vibrate.
- Vibrate pattern: select a vibrate pattern.
Conversations Settings
- Start Unread Task: automatically start Unread Messages task when launched from Notification Bar.
- Ignore Ringer Mode: read even if set to Vibrate or Silent ringer mode.
Compose Settings
- Read Message Length: read back message length after using the keyboard or completing the Message task.
- Character Count: read the character count.
- Remaining: read the number of characters remaining in the current message unit.
- Message Units: read the number of message units.
- Text Scale: set the relative size of Message entries.
- Send on Enter: send the message when you use the Enter key.
- Use black background: use screens with black background.
Task Settings
- Command Mode: set the method for input.
- Announce Transitions: speak the title of each nested task.
- Display Next Actions: display a popup window of the valid input actions. Fades out after 3 seconds.
- Speak Next Actions: speak the valid input actions.
Extra Settings
- Signature: enter a custom signature block appended to every outgoing message.
- Custom User-Agent: set a custom user-agent string.
- Custom screen timeout: set a custom screen timeout.
- Back to all threads: the Back key leads to the Conversations screen.
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Data Collection Policy
You can submit error logs on an opt-in basis, or you may be requested to do so by Support.
We collect information in the device's system logs via the
logcat system tool. We restrict
collection to:
- All messages from our applications,
- All device-wide Error class log messages.
We show you all the data that will be sent, via your device's Send Email screen. We send some of your device's information,
but no identifying information. We try very hard not to display Personal Information in the logs you send to us.
If you detect anything you are not comfortable sending to us, you may elect not to send a report.
We only retain these logs long enough to troubleshoot issues.
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