
	-------------------------------------
	Klango 3.5.4,
	the accessible multimedia center
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	Klango is a program for people who like or have to listen to their computer. Everything Klango does is spoken or has a sound. You don't need a screen to use it.

	Klango runs on macOS and on Windows. It speaks by itself and does not need a screen reader.

	This is the main informational text that comes with Klango. If you are starting Klango for the very first time, you don't have to read it right now. It is always available in the "Help" menu under "Information about the program".
	Feel free to press Escape and look around. The best way to get to know Klango is to explore it by yourself.
	However, if you want to read on right now, here you go...



	TABLE OF CONTENTS:
	 1. The background.
	 2. What you need.
	 3. Setup and updates.
	 4. Your Klango account.
	 5. Klango on the web.
	 6. The user interface.
	 7. The main menu.
	 8. The Open Media Catalogue.
	 9. Playback and recording.
	10. The Klango Network.
	11. Blogs, e-mail and Klango Storage.
	12. Conferences and calls.
	13. Hey Klango.
	14. Klango Programs.
	15. More help.



	Section 1. The background.

	Klango is made for people who use their computer by ear. We made that assumption from the very beginning.

	In other words: you don't need a screen to work with Klango. If you are a sighted person, try turning your screen off and relying on your hearing only. It's painless and you will learn a lot. Don't give up too early!



	Section 2. What you need.

	You need a computer running macOS or Windows, speakers or headphones, and an internet connection. Without the internet only your local files work; everything else goes through the Klango Network.

	Klango brings its own voice: eSpeak NG. It is the default. Klango also knows OpenEVV, an open source remake of the Eloquence voices, and the voices of your system: the system voices on macOS and the SAPI 5 voices on Windows. You choose the voice under "Settings", "Speech synthesis", or at any time with Control F8.

	You don't need a screen reader. Klango speaks by itself, even while a screen reader is running.

	On Windows there is also the screen reader mode. In this mode Klango speaks through your running screen reader instead of its own voice. The mode is still very experimental. You turn it on at the bottom of the speech synthesis settings; Klango restarts when you switch it. Only Hey Klango keeps its own voice in this mode.

	To summarize:
	* Klango runs on macOS and Windows.
	* One voice comes with it, and you can choose others.
	* A screen reader is not required.



	Section 3. Setup and updates.

	You can get Klango at https://klango.online. The newest version for macOS and for Windows is always there.

	You don't have to take care of updates. When there is a new version, Klango asks you after you log in whether it should download it. Often it is only a small package that is installed in a few moments; after that Klango restarts.

	Klango Programs and their updates come from the "Programs" menu, item "Download programs and updates".



	Section 4. Your Klango account.

	After the start Klango greets you with a small menu. There you can log in, create a new account or get a reminder of your password. You can also create an account on the website.
	For a new account, just think of a name and a password. The account is free.

	If you are the only person using your computer, you don't have to log in every time. Turn on automatic login: "Settings", "System options", "Auto login".

	Under "Klango Network", "My account" you find everything about your account: your settings, your visiting card, your avatar, your welcome text, your e-mail settings and your password. The visiting card is a short text about yourself that lets other people get to know you better, if you wish.

	To summarize:
	* You create an account in the start menu of Klango or on the website.
	* With automatic login you don't have to log in anymore.
	* You manage your account under "Klango Network", "My account".



	Section 5. Klango on the web.

	With the same account you can reach Klango in your web browser:

	https://klango.online is the home page. There you can download Klango, sign up for a new account and read the terms of service.

	https://web.klango.online is the web interface. There you can read and write in the forums, including voice posts, read your private messages and edit your profile.

	https://chat.klango.online is the Klango chat in your browser, with the same rooms as in the program.

	This way you can stay in touch even when Klango is not at hand.



	Section 6. The user interface.

	In Klango, what you hear matters more than what you see. This section covers the basics.

	Almost everything is reachable from the menu. You open it with the left Alt key; on a Mac this is the left Option key. Use the left and right arrows to move from item to item, the down arrow to open a submenu and the up arrow to go back one level. Enter selects an item, Escape closes the menu. The menu changes depending on where you are.

	The second key that always works is F1. It tells you which keys work at the current place. Some functions are only available as keyboard shortcuts, for example the speed of playback. Shift F1 tells you where you are.

	The third one is Escape. Escape always closes the current element. At the top level it closes whatever is currently playing.

	Besides these there are elements that appear for one task only and disappear afterwards: choices with the left and right arrows, lists with the up and down arrows, trees, text fields, forms and file dialogs. In a form you move from field to field with Tab. Each of these elements brings its own menu and its own help.

	Some keys work everywhere:
	F2 switches to another Klango program.
	F3 hides Klango.
	Shift F3 switches between the screen modes.
	F5 and F6 turn the volume down and up, with Shift only the playback, with Control only the audio theme.
	F7 swaps left and right.
	F8 opens the typing echo settings, Control F8 the speech synthesis settings.
	F10 tells the time, Shift F10 the date.
	F11 records a voice note from the microphone.
	The left Control key stops the speech.
	Control F12 opens the quick menu with more keyboard shortcuts.

	On a Mac, depending on your system settings, you may have to press the F keys together with the fn key. Some keys also work there when Klango is not in the foreground, together with the Option key: Option Space pauses and resumes playback, Option X and Option Z go to the next and previous track.

	Everything in Klango has its own sound. Which sounds you hear depends on the audio theme. You can download more themes under "Settings", "Audio theme". Under "Settings", "Sound cards" you choose the device Klango plays and records with.

	To summarize:
	* Alt opens the menu, F1 tells you the keys, Escape goes back.
	* In menus you move with left and right, in lists with up and down.
	* With F1 you can find out at any place what is possible there.



	Section 7. The main menu.

	The main menu contains these items:

	1. Klango Network: messages, forum, blogs, groups, notes, conferences, what's new, contacts, the Klango community, polls, prompters and your account.
	2. Media: the Open Media Catalogue with radio stations, podcasts, audio books and YouTube.
	3. Files: your local files, Klango Storage and Spotify.
	4. Programs: run, download and update Klango Programs.
	5. Settings: voice, language, audio theme, sound cards, Hey Klango and more.
	6. Help: this text, questions and answers, the changelog, the terms of service and a way to send us feedback.
	7. Exit: close Klango or log out.

	If you have several screens open, there is one more item at the end: "Screens". More on that in section 9.



	Section 8. The Open Media Catalogue.

	Klango plays not only files but also radio stations, podcasts, audio books and YouTube. The main source for them is the Open Media Catalogue in the "Media" menu. It groups the entries by attributes like region, style of music or topic.

	It is called open because everybody can take part: everyone with a Klango account can add new entries and assign them to categories.

	With Control G you rate an entry, with Control F you add it to your favourites. With Control Space you set how the catalogue is sorted and filtered, for example only podcasts or only stations from one region.



	Section 9. Playback and recording.

	Klango plays media from the internet (the "Media" menu) and from your computer (the "Files" menu). The most important functions work the same for all of them, for files as well as for radio stations and podcasts:

	The Space bar pauses and resumes, even a live radio station.
	The left and right arrows jump backward and forward.
	Control with the arrow keys changes the playback speed.
	Shift with the arrow keys changes the tempo without changing the pitch.
	The R key records what is playing.
	Control I tells you what is playing.

	You hear all playback keys when you press F1 during playback.

	Recordings go to your recordings folder, ordered by their source: one station, one folder. You set the folder under "Settings", "System options", "My Recordings Directory".

	With radio it works like a TV set with a built-in hard drive: you can jump back in a live station, start recording and then fast forward to the present again. This way you can record a song that has already started.

	You can have several screens open at the same time, for example a playlist and a radio station. Control Tab switches between them, Control with a digit jumps straight to one of them. Only one of them can be heard at a time.

	You find Spotify under "Files", "Spotify". It requires a Spotify Premium account. Spotify cannot be recorded.



	Section 10. The Klango Network.

	The Klango community is the second face of Klango. You find most of it in the "Klango Network" menu.

	Messages. Klango users use them to write to each other, also as voice messages and with attachments. New messages are announced.

	Forum. This is where all Klango users discuss. Each forum is divided into threads, and threads contain posts. You can also record a post with your voice. You can follow the threads you are interested in.

	Groups. A group brings together people with common interests. Everybody can start a group.

	Notes. You can save notes on your computer or on the Klango server. Your server notes are with you wherever you use Klango, and you can share them with others.

	What's new. Here you see at a glance what is new for you: messages, posts, programs and more. Klango announces new things by itself.

	My Contacts. This is the list of people you want to keep at hand. Who is online you find under "Klango Community", where you can also search for users.

	On top of that there are public polls and prompters, little guides that users have written for others.



	Section 11. Blogs, e-mail and Klango Storage.

	Blogs. Every Klango account can have its own blog. If your name is "rambo", for example, your blog is at https://rambo.klango.online. You write entries and read other people's blogs under "Klango Network", "Blogs".

	E-mail. Every Klango account has its own e-mail address, for example rambo@klango.online. Mail sent to this address arrives in the same inbox as your Klango messages, and you can write e-mails from Klango. If you like, you can also read your mail with a mail program or in your browser. Everything you need is under "Klango Network", "My account", "My e-mail settings".

	Klango Storage. This is your space for files on the Klango server, under "Files", "Klango Storage". You can upload, download and delete files. The recordings you sent in the forum or as voice messages are kept there too.



	Section 12. Conferences and calls.

	Under "Klango Network", "Conferences" you find voice conferences: rooms where several people talk to each other. You can enter a room or create your own. In a room you hear the others and you can also write.

	You can call a single person directly: when you are on their name, for example in your contacts, the menu has the item "Call". When someone calls you, it rings.

	For conferences and calls you need a microphone, preferably with headphones.



	Section 13. Hey Klango.

	Hey Klango is a voice assistant. You say "Hey Klango" and then what you want, for example a radio station or a song. Instead of the wake word you can also press Control H and speak after the beep. "Hey Klango stop" stops everything.

	Klango recognizes the wake word on your computer, without the internet. Your request itself is then processed over the internet.

	You turn Hey Klango on and set it up under "Settings", "Hey Klango settings". There you can also train the wake word with your own voice; Klango then recognizes it much more reliably.



	Section 14. Klango Programs.

	Klango is not only a media player and a place for a community. It is also a platform for accessible programs.

	There are games like Dice Poker and Long Jump, educational programs like Klango MathTools and a touch typing trainer, and network programs like Klango Chat, Klango Mastodon and Klango Telefone for phone calls over SIP. Each program has its own menus, its own help and its own keys. The best way is to install one and try it; it will introduce itself.

	You install a program with "Programs", "Download programs and updates". After that it appears in the "Programs" menu and can be started.

	Several Klango Programs can run at the same time. Use F2 to switch between them.

	The menu items "Settings", "Help" and "Exit" exist in every program, and each program keeps its own settings.



	Section 15. More help.

	At any place, F1 is the first help.

	In the "Help" menu you find "Questions and Answers". It contains answers to frequently asked questions, and you can ask your own question.

	With "Send feedback" in the same menu you write to us directly, for example when something doesn't work.

	And of course the forum is a good place for questions of any kind. The other users are glad to help.

	So don't be afraid nor shy, just ask!

	You're not alone in Klango.

	Have fun with Klango!


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End of file.
This text is always available in the "Help" menu under "Information about the program".
