Hi Alex,

        Thank you for the reminder.  Just wrote my request and reminder to 
Apple.  I try to ask for this every 6 months or so!  I hope others who find 
this is a needed improvement will add their voices.

In the meantime Not only do you have a way to get the VO keys to work as the 
caps lock key but you can also get a Number pad making the num pad commander 
available on the standard keypoard.  This is very helpfull for those who don't 
have a full size keyboard.  This is something Apple removed a few years ago and 
the keyRemap4Macbook allows the user to put back.

Eric Caron 

On Sep 2, 2012, at 7:48 AM, Alex Hall <mehg...@gmail.com> wrote:

> I agree. However, if you think that choosing the modifier to use with vo is a 
> good idea, please email accessibil...@apple.com and tell them so. They won't 
> change anything if the interest isn't there, and using this amazing resource 
> to tell apple themselves what we want is a great way to effect change for the 
> better in VoiceOver. I emailed them a few days ago, explaining how making my 
> capslock key into the vo key has increased my productivity and ease of use on 
> the mac, and asking if they could add an option in the vo utility to let 
> users chosse which key(s) they want to use as the vo  keys. If you agree with 
> me, please do the same.
> On Sep 2, 2012, at 2:01 AM, Ricardo Walker <rwalker...@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> Right,
>> 
>> I think Apple decided to go to do things the way they did because they 
>> didn't want voiceover hijacking your keyboard like screenreaders on windows 
>> do.  So, they made the modifier 2 keys instead of one.
>> 
>> Ricardo Walker
>> rica...@appletothecore.info
>> Twitter:@apple2thecore
>> www.appletothecore.info
>> 
>> On Sep 1, 2012, at 11:10 PM, Alex Hall <mehg...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> I don't think it's a legal thing at all. Rather, I suspect it's a standards 
>>> thing; apple started it that way, so rather than change an integral part of 
>>> their UI for a group of users, they kept it. Just my thoughts, and I could 
>>> be wrong. Still, if there were a legal issue, then NAVDA wouldn't use caps 
>>> lock, yet that is an  option in that program.
>>> On Sep 1, 2012, at 10:56 PM, Rodney Haynie <rodney.hay...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Eric,
>>>> Finally got a chance to install and setup these two apps. Great find and I 
>>>> love it.
>>>> Since I am still on a Windows box on my 9to5, I always used the CapsLock 
>>>> with the screen reader. I am so use to it, and it is so productive.
>>>> I assumed there was some legal issue as to why Apple did not implement 
>>>> this.
>>>> Thanks.
>>>> Rodney
>>>> 
>>>> On Aug 28, 2012, at 10:47 PM, Eric Caron <ecar...@comcast.net> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>> Hi Mary,
>>>>> 
>>>>>   If you follow my podcast you will no longer have a caps lock key but 
>>>>> rather a very convenient Voice Over key.  If you want your caps lock back 
>>>>> you can either go to the extras menu in Mountain Lion for 
>>>>> KeyRemaper4Macbook  and press the preferences button and then you can 
>>>>> either temporarily turn off the key remap with a check box or uncheck it 
>>>>> permanently.
>>>>> 
>>>>> For me this is a non issue as I almost never use the caps lock key and 
>>>>> can use the shift key when needed.  The advantage of having the caps lock 
>>>>> act as the voice over modifier key is infinitely more important to me.  I 
>>>>> keep finding ways why this works so well.  for example opening a 
>>>>> disclosure triangle is now so much easier.  I just holde the caps lock 
>>>>> key down with my left little finger and tap the \ key with my other 
>>>>> little finger.  I never take my hands off the home keys.  In the past my 
>>>>> left hand had to go all the way down to the Option Control keys on the 
>>>>> left side completely stopping my typing flow. 
>>>>> 
>>>>> I still have a lot of muscle memory that causes me to use the old VO Keys 
>>>>> but little by little I am increasing my speed by taking advantage of the 
>>>>> caps lock.  It is great!  another key I now use more often is vo w and VO 
>>>>> w twice.  This is the word and the spelling of a word.  with caps lock 
>>>>> and w it is fast and easy.  with standard vo keys on the bottom left I 
>>>>> had to reach my right hand way over to the w key, and this was quite a 
>>>>> contortion just to hear what word I was on, I don't need to do this any 
>>>>> more.  I do it all with my left hand never leaving the home row keys.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Hope this info helps.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Eric Caron 
>>>>> 
>>>>> On Aug 28, 2012, at 12:20 PM, Mary Scott <bluespru...@comcast.net> wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>>> So what does happen when you need the caps lock?
>>>>>> On Aug 27, 2012, at 7:01 PM, Eric Caron <ecar...@comcast.net> wrote:
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Hello listers,
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> I have long wanted the VO keys "Control Option"  to be available as the 
>>>>>>> caps lock key.  this would allow one finger to hold down the keys.  
>>>>>>> Also, the location of the Caps Lock key is ideal for reaching many keys 
>>>>>>> that need to be pressed with the Voice Over keys.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Using the caps lock key as the VO modifier would dramatically reduce 
>>>>>>> the times I find my fingers contorted trying to press multiple keys all 
>>>>>>> over the keyboard.  
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> For those of us who type with our fingers on the home row this allows 
>>>>>>> us to use the VO modifier while keeping our hands ready to continue 
>>>>>>> typing.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> I'm pleased to let you know that this is now possible.  Thanks to 
>>>>>>> Takayama Fumihiko, the developer of KeyRemap4Macbook.  this application 
>>>>>>> in conjunction with another application by the same developer allows a 
>>>>>>> Mac user to remap the caps lock key as the "Control and Option" keys 
>>>>>>> pressed together.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> The other application is called PCKeyboardHack.  These two apps and a 
>>>>>>> file created for VO users makes this possible.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Although a write up of this process would probably be more efficient
>>>>>>> for most of us, that is not my strength.  Instead, I have provided a 
>>>>>>> link below to a podcast that walks through the set up.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> In addition below are links needed to obtain the applications and the 
>>>>>>> specially constructed xml file.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Finally, I have provided links to some additional help documentation 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> The application developer responded to my request for this capability 
>>>>>>> within hours of my written request.  I have also been asked to contact 
>>>>>>> again if there are any other ways the application can help blind users.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> This was such a nice response.  I'm still amazed as I have written to 
>>>>>>> Apple asking for this every few months or so, only getting back the 
>>>>>>> standard answer,"thank you for your suggestion." .
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> I'm so grateful to now have this ability. 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Also, please be aware that this application can also remap other keys.  
>>>>>>> For example you could make the command key on the right of your space 
>>>>>>> bar a Control key giving you another set of Voice Over Keys.
>>>>>>> KeyRemap4Macbook also creates a num pad on your regular keyboard.  this 
>>>>>>> makes it possible to use num pad commander on a standard keyboard.  
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> This is covered in a excellent post by Ester on the Mac-Access.net 
>>>>>>> list. 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> One gentle reminder.  This is donation ware so if you use this as much 
>>>>>>> as I do please support this developer.  and, as we come up with more 
>>>>>>> ways this application can help and as the OS changes we will want this 
>>>>>>> developer to support us.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>         This was the most challenging podcast I have created so far.  
>>>>>>> If you see a need for revision please let me know. 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> I will be submitting this podcast to applevis.com .  In the meantime 
>>>>>>> here is a dropbox link 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> https://dl.dropbox.com/u/5620907/KeyRemap4Macbook.mp3
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Below are the links I give in the podcast and also the XML text you 
>>>>>>> will need.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Link to  KeyRemap4MacBook and PCKeyboardHack applications.
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> http://pqrs.org/macosx/keyremap4macbook/pckeyboardhack-usage.html.en
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Link to instructions on changing the Caps Lock key to PC application 
>>>>>>>> key.  the needed key code number is 110.
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> http://pqrs.org/macosx/keyremap4macbook/pckeyboardhack-usage.html.en
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Link to   private.xml, that  changes PC Application Key to 
>>>>>>>> Control+Option.
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> https://github.com/tekezo/Files/blob/master/KeyRemap4MacBook/private.pc_application_to_controloption/private.xml
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Link to instructions on how to use private.xml.
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> http://pqrs.org/macosx/keyremap4macbook/document-private-xml.html
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> The Following is the text of the Private xml
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> <?xml version="1.0"?>
>>>>>>>>> <root>
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> <item>
>>>>>>>>> <name>Change PC Application Key to Control+Option.</name>
>>>>>>>>> <identifier>private.pc_application_to_controloption</identifier>
>>>>>>>>> <autogen>--KeyToKey-- KeyCode::PC_APPLICATION, KeyCode::OPTION_L, 
>>>>>>>>> ModifierFlag::CONTROL_L</autogen>
>>>>>>>>> </item>
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> </root>
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>         
>>>>>>> 
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>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Have a great day,
>>> Alex (msg sent from Mac Mini)
>>> mehg...@gmail.com
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
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> 
> 
> 
> Have a great day,
> Alex (msg sent from Mac Mini)
> mehg...@gmail.com
> 
> 
> 
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