In Depth Introduction to Leasey 10 Features and Changes.

As many of you know, we will soon be releasing Leasey version 10. Undoubtedly this is the most significant update Leasey has ever had, and that is important because we are celebrating 10 years of the product.

In addition to bringing you new improvements, this is the beginning of many changes this year being made to existing features. So during the next few days, I am going to take time to explain the changes which have been made so far, with each blog post dedicated to a specific change or new feature. When you receive the product, you will then know what to expect.

I would like to personally thank the beta testers for their incredible work this time. It is always useful to receive feedback and they have given it in large measure to refine the new features and to shape the changes to existing ones.

To be completely honest, we could have done with six months more work on this version of Leasey. There are lots of things we would all liked to have achieved that time has not allowed for. But it is time we gave you what we do have and what we know works well. But I would expect that within the next 12 months, at least half the existing features will have had changes made to them.

This brings me to the topic of LeaseyBite audio tutorials. The difficulty with producing these is that as of version 10, some of them will be very out of date. If I write a similar blog post this time next year, I am hoping that they will all be out of date. That is why good quality documentation is critical, and that is a subject to return to in a blog post to be written in a few days.

Leasey version 10 will be launched in the week beginning 3 March. This is a week in the diary which has been kept clear so as to work with anyone who has any difficulties with the new version.
Prior to installing version 10, I strongly recommend that you install Remote Incident Manager, available from our company web site.
If you know that you are going to need help with installing version 10 even before you begin, you are probably best booking an appointment now. The average installation and testing time is usually 10 minutes.

To begin with, here is the documentation concerning ChatGPT. Small changes may be made in the next two weeks. The major enhancement we would like to have provided is to allow Word documents and PDF files to be analysed by ChatGPT. We know this is possible, but time has not allowed for that to be tested. Enjoy reading!

ChatGPT and Leasey Setup.

Introduction.

Imagine having a virtual assistant that can answer questions, improve your writing, and even create summaries for you—all within a few keystrokes. This same convenient, uncluttered experience will guide you when using ChatGPT in Leasey. Whether you’re working on a personal project, professional tasks, or simply feeding your curiosity, ChatGPT will elevate your computer experience like never before.

Ask Almost Anything—ChatGPT Has You Covered!.

With Leasey’s ChatGPT feature, you can ask questions on almost any topic, and you’ll get accurate, detailed responses within seconds. Leasey uses ChatGPT-4, the most advanced and accurate language model available, ensuring precise and reliable answers. Most queries are answered in 15 seconds or less!

Here are some examples of questions you might ask:

The subject range is limitless—if you can ask it, ChatGPT can likely answer it.

Before You Begin.

There are some important things to know about the ways in which ChatGPT functions, what it can do, what it cannot do, the use of API keys and customisation. So let’s break it down in detail before we begin having fun using it!

The Differences Between Using Leasey’s ChatGPT Interface and the Official Website.

The access given to ChatGPT through Leasey is highly convenient. The advantages include:

However, there is a distinct disadvantage.

You can only query events up to and including December 2023. If you want to work with existing text or ask about events prior to this date, this is a very convenient feature. However, this interface will not be able to tell you the current weather forecast or news headlines for example. For now, you will need to use the ChatGPT website.

It is hoped that over time this situation will change and we will be able to capture real-time events.

The Chat Key.

Throughout the three chapters concerned with this subject, we will describe the many functions you can use. To take advantage of these functions, you first press what we call the Chat Key. This is the Control Key and Grave Accent Key pressed together, then release them and type another letter on the keyboard.

You are already used to this concept. Ordinarily to access Leasey functions, you press the Grave Accent Key (which we call the Leasey Key), then another keystroke. This is exactly the same. For example, if you wish to move into Leasey’s ChatGPT Menu settings, you press the Chat Key followed by M for Menu.

Understanding API Keys.

Leasey provides access to many functions of ChatGPT. However, to use this facility, you need an API key. An API key is like a digital password that grants you access to ChatGPT services through Leasey.

You may already have a subscription paid to ChatGPT for use in a web browser or on your phone. This is not the same as purchasing an API key and is entirely separate.

Purchasing Your Own API Key.

Ideally, you should purchase your own API key. Through OpenAI’s billing system, you will be required to set up your payment details and purchase credit to use the service. You can choose how much credit to add to your account.

Each time you interact with ChatGPT (for example, when asking a question or summarising text), a small amount of your credit balance is deducted. The amount charged depends on the complexity of the request. An approximate cost would be £0.03 per 750 words of text. In American currency, this is approximately 3.75 cents. By purchasing your own API key, you can control your usage and costs.

Creating Your API Key.

When you sign up for an OpenAI account, you can create an API key—a unique string of characters that only you know. Once you have this key, you can store it within Leasey so you don’t have to enter it every time.

Here is a step-by-step guide to purchasing an API key. Note this procedure could change at any time.

  1. Go to OpenAI’s Website: OpenAI SignUp.
  2. Log in to your new account.
  3. Select the Billing section and enter your payment details.
  4. Select the appropriate link to generate a new API key.
  5. Name the organisation. Type “Personal” into the edit field and activate the Submit button.
  6. You are then prompted to create your API key.
  7. Copy the generated key and keep it safe.
  8. Press the Leasey Chat Key followed by M for Menu.
  9. Select the final option in the list to move into the ChatGPT Settings.
  10. Press Enter on the link to enter an API key.
  11. Paste the key into the edit field and press Enter.

Your API key should not be shared with anyone! Keep your API key safe to avoid unauthorised access.

Using an API Key Provided by Hartgen Consultancy.

If you are unable to purchase your own API key—perhaps due to financial circumstances or difficulty navigating the setup process—we can provide you with an API key. This is part of the support we offer when you purchase the Leasey product.

Conditions for Using Our Provided API Key.

Slightly Slower Response Times.

The first time in any new JAWS session, Leasey will first check our server to confirm that your assigned API key exists before submitting your query to ChatGPT. This typically takes less than one second.

Fair Usage Policy.

If an API key is significantly abused (for example, if thousands of queries are made in a single day), we reserve the right to remove the key without prior notice. This helps us protect the service for all users.

Restricted API Key Use.

The provided API key can only be used within Leasey and cannot be exported or used in other products.

Requesting an API Key.

What Happens If We Provide An API Key And Leasey Does Not Function With It?.

While testing has proved that in most circumstances this does not occur, it could be in rare situations that Leasey could have difficulty communicating with the Hartgen Consultancy server. In such a situation, a specially encrypted API key can be sent to you by email. This is not the real API key but a special version which Leasey can decode. You can enter this into Leasey manually as directed above.

If You Are Offering An API Key To Everyone, Why Would I Want To Purchase One Myself?.

During our testing, it became very clear that some people wanted to purchase their own API keys and to be completely responsible for the billing and data submitted via the API key.

Important Notes to Keep in Mind.

This policy is designed to keep both you and our services safe and efficient. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out for support—we’re here to help you every step of the way!

Leasey ChatGPT Customisation.

We will now explore some ways in which you can customise the Leasey ChatGPT interface. Before we do that, you need to understand a little about how the system works. In the next chapters, we will explore all of the options in detail. However, in summary, you press a keystroke, type a question, and ChatGPT returns the answer. It’s as simple as that. It’s what you do with that answer that we will be exploring later.

In order to move into Settings, you press the Chat Key followed by M for Menu.
Press the End key to move to the bottom of the list. This is the option for ChatGPT’s Settings. Press Enter.

The screen is displayed in the JAWS Virtual Viewer and is divided into two sections.

Available Settings.

Example Interaction:

User: “Summarize the plot of ‘Pride and Prejudice’.”
Response: [ChatGPT provides a summary.]
Follow-up: “What can you tell me about Elizabeth Bennet’s character?”

ChatGPT will understand the context and provide relevant insights.

The ChatGPT Menu.

When you press the Chat Key then M, as we have discovered, this moves into the ChatGPT Menu. This menu contains links to core sections of the ChatGPT interface you may wish to use. As you move through each option, you will hear the focused item followed by its shortcut key. For example, the first item is, “New Prompt, Chat Key then N.” This means that in order to send a new prompt to ChatGPT, you can either press Enter on this menu item or, in future, press the Chat Key then N.

This menu serves two purposes: you can always access it in order to carry out common tasks if you cannot remember the shortcut keys. It is also a good method of learning the shortcut keys themselves.

Available Menu Options.

All of these items will be described in the next chapter.

Getting to Know Leasey and ChatGPT.

Introduction.

In this chapter, we are going to learn some of the basic principles of using ChatGPT with Leasey. We will walk through with you some typical conversations you may have with ChatGPT, although you can of course use any conversation style you feel is appropriate.

We are going to assume for the moment that you have customised the settings so that it is not context aware, that responses will be automatically spoken when they arrive and that responses are displayed in the JAWS Virtual Viewer.

Our First Conversation.

To engage with ChatGPT, you press the Chat Key then N for New Conversation. You will be invited to type a question for ChatGPT.

You may also hear the term, “API Key Retrieved”. This is nothing to be alarmed about. If you have an API key from us, this message is Leasey’s way of confirming that it is available to you.

Type a question, such as, Tell me a joke. Then press Enter.

After a short pause, you should hear the response, which in this case is the joke you requested. If you have disabled the automatic reading of responses, you will hear the word, “Ready”. You should also be able to read the joke using the JAWS Virtual Viewer, perhaps a line or character at a time.

Below the response you will find a series of links. We will ignore these for the moment. We will press Escape to return to your usual working environment.

Now, let’s press the Chat Key again, followed by N. This time we will type, What would it be like to stand on the planet Mars. Press Enter.

The response is returned as before. You will see that this is a completely unrelated question to the topic we were discussing previously. That is the clear definition of the system not being context aware.

The response is returned and displayed to you. This time, we will discuss the links underneath the response. Just press Enter on the link you wish to use.

Viewing the List of Unrelated Questions.

You may wish to view the list of questions and responses. We call this viewing the current session. As you ask each question and ChatGPT gives a response, Leasey keeps a record of these.

Press the Chat Key then V. A list of the questions and responses is given. Each item is denoted by a levelled heading. Press Escape to return to your application.

To delete the current session, press the Chat Key then D.

Context Aware.

So far, we have been sending to ChatGPT a series of unrelated questions and gaining responses. Keep practising this. When you are ready, we will advance to the next stage of allowing ChatGPT to be context aware.

First, we will enable context aware mode.

  1. Press the Chat Key then M to move into the Chat Menu.
  2. Select Settings which is the final item in the list.
  3. Press Enter on the link to enable the system to be context aware.
  4. Press Escape to close the Settings screen.

We can now begin a conversation which is context aware. There are some very important considerations to bear in mind when you are using this mode and we will point them out as we go.

  1. First, press the Chat Key then N. You will hear the prompt, “New Conversation”. This means it is a new topic we are discussing.
  2. Type a prompt such as, “Tell me about the pop group The Beatles”.
  3. Press Enter.
  4. A response will be returned in the usual way. You may hear a prompt such as that the band consisted of four members and they will be named.
  5. Press Escape to exit the Virtual Viewer.
  6. Press the Chat Key then N. This time you will hear the prompt, Ongoing Conversation. This is an extremely important point. The next question must relate to the topic you were previously discussing.
  7. Type a question such as, Name some of Paul’s solo recordings. Press enter. You will notice here that we have not written, Name some of Paul McCartney’s solo recordings. This is an ongoing conversation, so ChatGPT should know to whom we are referring.
  8. The response should be retrieved. You can read it and press Escape.
  9. Press the Chat Key followed by N once more. This time we will ask, With whom did he collaborate on the song Ebony And Ivory. Press Enter. This time, we are not mentioning Paul McCartney’s name. We are already discussing him. We identified who we wanted to discuss in the second question, so it should not be necessary to refer to him by name.

At any time, you can press the Chat Key then V to view the entire conversation so far.

We are now ready to begin a new conversation. This next part is critical! To begin a new conversation which has no bearing on the existing discussion, you must clear the existing conversation first. Press the Chat Key then C to clear.

Subsequently, when you press the Chat Key then N, you will hear, New Conversation. You can then begin a completely unrelated topic.

Saving and Loading a Conversation.

There is a high probability that you will wish to save a conversation, either to review the contents at a later time or to add to it. Here is how you can do that.

  1. At any time in a conversation which is context aware, press the Chat Key then S.
  2. When prompted, enter the name for the conversation. This should be something which will be memorable to you later on.
  3. Press Enter. The conversation is now saved permanently until you choose to delete it .

To Load a Conversation.

  1. Press the Chat Key then L.
  2. Choose a conversation from the list.
  3. Press Enter.
  4. The conversation is loaded. A brief summary of the conversation is given so as to provide some context. ChatGPT is aware of what you have discussed so far.

From this point you can either:

To Delete a Conversation.

  1. Press the Chat Key then L.
  2. Choose a conversation from the list.
  3. Press the Leasey Key then Delete.

Tools to Supercharge Your Work.

Introduction.

In this final chapter, we are going to review four more utilities for working with ChatGPT.

The Tools Menu.

Leasey’s ChatGPT integration isn’t just for general questions; it’s a versatile tool to help with your daily tasks. You can select text from an email, document, or webpage and apply a range of powerful features selected from a convenient list:

The Tools menu allows you to work with text in different ways. This could be text you are about to create or text which has already been created and is selected. When we are discussing selecting text, this could be within a document, Email message, social media post, web page, etc. We suggest you aim for a target of 4000 characters or less if possible.

You move into the Tools menu by pressing the Chat Key then T. When you enter the Tools menu, you are presented with a List Box containing a series of items. Each item in the list describes its purpose. Pressing Enter on the item will carry out the function.

If no text is selected, an edit field will be available into which you can type text.

If text has been selected prior to invoking the Tools menu, the selected text will be in the edit field for review or editing.

We will first list all the options in the menu and then go onto describing how you may use a small number of them.

The Tools menu contains the following items:

You will have noticed from the above options that it is necessary for Leasey to know whether you require UK or US spellings. Let’s just check to ensure that this is the case:

  1. Press Windows+D to move to the Windows Desktop.
  2. Press the Leasey Key then H for Leasey Hotkey Help.
  3. Type the number 1, just above the letter keys. JAWS says “1. Set Default Country for Searches and for ChatGPT”.
  4. Press Enter and then Down Arrow in order to select your country.
  5. Press Enter to save.

Use Case 1: Spell check the text using UK/US English, correcting capitalisation where necessary.

  1. Select some text in a document for spell checking.
  2. Press the Chat key then T for the Tools menu.
  3. Select the option Spell check the text using UK/US English, correcting capitalisation where necessary.
  4. Press Enter. After a short pause, the correct text is returned.
  5. Review the text to check it is correct.
  6. Press Enter on the link to copy the response to the Windows clipboard.
  7. Alternatively you could select the option to Exit the screen and replace the selection with the response.

Use Case 2: Use the Dictionary, providing clear definitions of words with examples of how they are used

  1. Press the Chat key then T for the Tools menu.
  2. Select the option Use the Dictionary, providing clear definitions of words with examples of how they are used.
  3. Press Enter.
  4. Into the edit field, type the word for which you wish to obtain the definition.
  5. Press Enter.

The definition is returned. For example, if we had entered the word “Castigate” into the dictionary, we should receive a response similar to this one:

Castigate (verb):

Definition 1: To criticize or reprimand someone severely.

Example: He was castigated for his reckless behavior at the office meeting.

Definition 2: To punish in order to correct or to improve.

Example: In the olden days, school teachers would often castigate students by making them stand in the corner.

Use Case 3: Use the Thesaurus, providing a list of choices of appropriate words.

  1. Optionally, select the original word. We will be using this word to provide alternatives in the Thesaurus. If you do not select a word, you can type it at a later stage.
  2. Press the Chat key then T for the Tools menu.
  3. Select the option Use the Thesaurus, providing a list of choices of appropriate words.
  4. Press Enter.
  5. At this stage, you are presented with a list of six choices. Use the Down Arrow key to select the appropriate option, then press Enter.

In this example we will choose Synonyms, Words with similar meanings. Press Enter on this item. Into the Edit Field, type a word you wish to look up in the thesaurus. If you had previously selected a word, it will be displayed.

Press Enter.

If we had typed the word “Happy” into the edit field, these words would be returned in a list box as they have similar meanings. Use the Down Arrow key to select the word you wish to use and press Enter. It will be inserted into the document.

Use Case 4: Summarising Text From a Web Page.

  1. Select some text from a web page, such as a news story.
  2. Press the Chat key then T for the Tools menu.
  3. Select the option Summarise the main points concisely in plain UK/US English. Ensure the summary maintains the key meaning and structure of the original content, but keep it brief.
  4. Press Enter.
  5. Be very careful here. Check the text in the edit field. On some web pages, there could be intervening spurious text such as links to items or embedded videos, so be sure that any such items have been removed so you are just left with plain text.
  6. Press Enter and the item should be summarised.

Image Generation for Independence.

ChatGPT’s integration with Leasey allows you to create images from text descriptions, enhancing independence for blind users:

  1. Press the Chat key then M to move into the Chat menu.
  2. Select the option Create an image based upon a text description. You should be as detailed as possible.
  3. Press Enter.
  4. Into the edit field, type a name for the image. This is an important step. Shortly, the image will be placed in a special Images folder. If you have a number of images created, you will want to easily be able to locate the one you are now producing. Type the name and press Enter.
  5. Into the Edit Field, type a clear detailed description of the image, like this. In the foreground is a computer, monitor and keyboard. The monitor displays what looks like audio editing software. In the exact centre of the computer keyboard sprawls a very large fluffy marmalade cat, which wears a diamante collar. It seems perfectly at ease on the keyboard, casually licking a paw. The computer is sitting on a large desk, which is covered in clutter. There is a desk microphone, headphones, a huge stack of discs so that it looks as if it might fall over, a mug of coffee, stacks of files and more. An angle poised desk lamp shines on the cat as it relaxes in all this chaos, preventing any work from being done.
  6. Press Enter.
  7. After a short pause, the image will be created and downloaded to your computer automatically. Focus will be placed in the special “Images” folder. You should easily be able to locate the image because it will contain the name previously given.

Audio Transcription Made Easy.

Do you have an audio file you’d like to convert into text? Leasey’s ChatGPT feature makes transcription a breeze. Files must be in the MP3 format and be less than 25MB.

  1. Press the Chat Key then M to move into the Chat menu.
  2. Select the option “Transcribe audio from an MP3 file to text, or translate from another language. The file must be less than 25 Megabytes.”
  3. Press Enter.
  4. A web page will open in your browser. There are three controls on this page, all of which can be reached by pressing the letter F repeatedly. The first control is a Button labelled “Select an MP3 File”. Pressing Space or Enter on this Button allows you to upload an MP3 file to ChatGPT. Please note that you are uploading this file directly to ChatGPT. When the transcription is reproduced, the file is deleted. The second control is a Combo Box. In most situations, this will be left at the default value. However, should you wish to translate spoken audio in a language which is not English, the option can be changed here. The third Button is “Upload and Process Audio” which is used to upload the file and to generate the text transcript.
  5. For now, press Space or Enter on the first Button to upload a file. Using standard Windows techniques, browse to the audio MP3 file on your computer and press Enter.
  6. Press Space or Enter on the “Upload and Process” Button.
  7. How long the transcription process will take depends upon a number of factors: the size of the file being uploaded, the speed of the upload process and the length of the audio to be transcribed. However, when the process is complete, you will be presented with a clean page containing the text of the transcript. At the end of the page is a “Copy to Clipboard” Button. Pressing Space or Enter on this Button will copy the transcript to the Windows Clipboard.

Audio Transcription From Languages Other Than English.

Do you have an audio file containing spoken content in a language other than English? If so you can translate it to English text. Over 100 languages are supported, so the chances are fairly high that the audio content is going to be recognised.

  1. Press the Chat Key then M to move into the Chat menu.
  2. Select the option “Transcribe audio from an MP3 file to text, or translate from another language. The file must be less than 25 Megabytes.”
  3. Press Enter.
  4. A web page will open in your browser. There are three controls on this page, all of which can be reached by pressing the letter F repeatedly. The first control is a Button labelled “Select an MP3 File”. Pressing Space or Enter on this Button allows you to upload an MP3 file to ChatGPT. Please note that you are uploading this file directly to ChatGPT. When the transcription is reproduced, the file is deleted. The second control is a Combo Box. We will be using this combo Box. The third Button is “Upload and Process Audio” which is used to upload the file and to generate the text transcript.
  5. For now, press Space or Enter on the first Button to upload a file. Using standard Windows techniques, browse to the audio MP3 file on your computer and press Enter.
  6. Now we will change the value in the Combo Box. Be sure Forms Mode is active and select the option “Translate to English”.
  7. Press Space or Enter on the “Upload and Process” Button.
  8. How long the translation and transcription process will take depends upon a number of factors: the size of the file being uploaded, the speed of the upload process and the length of the audio to be transcribed. However, when the process is complete, you will be presented with a clean page containing the text of the transcript. At the end of the page is a “Copy to Clipboard” Button. Pressing Space or Enter on this Button will copy the transcript to the Windows Clipboard.

Conclusion.

Leasey’s integration with ChatGPT is designed to make your daily life easier, more productive, and even more fun! Whether you’re seeking information, improving your writing, or creating something entirely new, ChatGPT in Leasey will empower you to do more with less effort!