knfbREADER Mobile uses Nokia N82 as text-to-speech device
By Sean Cooper 
posted Jan 29th 2008 12:22PM
posted Jan 29th 2008 12:22PM
The K-NFB, a joint venture between Kurzweil Technologies and the National Federation of the Blind, introduced knfbREADER this week, a text-to-speech program for the N82. Coupling Kurzweil's image processing with the N82's camera, a user only has to snap a pic of the document to be read and the software will speak it back and allow you to follow along on the handset's screen as it highlights each word read. The device is able to read just about all printed materials, from newspapers to glossy printed material and even US currency. Compared to earlier products -- dating way back to giant contraptions in the early 80's -- this tiny package will be a boon for the visually impaired, as there's now no need to drag something around that's the size of a photocopier. We're hoping that we see this offering expand to other sets with capable cameras, and that the pricing gives all a warm fuzzy feeling.[Via Yahoo News]
I have had this in sprint a900 for over 2 years, lol
I know the a900 will convert your spoken words to text, but will it produce spoken words from a snapshot of printed material?
Well while this is an awesome advancement in gadget tech, the pricing may not be too warm or fuzzy. NPR just reported it at costing $2000.
Assistance tech for the blind or deaf is always expensive--it's a smallish market, after all. Many such devices wind up being paid for by health insurance.
All it needs now is a translator
I'm very sceptical of how well this will work. OCR has never been very good, reliable technology.
Also, how is a blind person going to take photographs of the printed material accurately?
Um, wait, I don't get it. How is a blind person supposed to snap a pic of a document?
NPR did a story on the device this morning. Pricing was noted to be in the $2000 ballpark. It's the same tech as desktop readers, just miniaturized and crammed into a Nokia.
Handy for communicating to the little green men who are surreptitiously colonizing Earth, no doubt...
I'm torn when it comes to this. On the one hand I can appreciate a company developing software, then being able to make money off of that software however they choose (the American way, right?).
But as a Dyslexic college student... I find it truly sad that the price for this software is so outragious.
Software like this would increase my education and life a thousand-fold... yet I'll never be able to use it because I'm too busy worrying about things like rent, food, and tuition to worry about a "luxury" like being able to learn the way my brain is wired.
I called the company to see if they had any sort of discount for students... the guy said he estimated it might be as "little" as $1,500.
So yeah, I'm happy that the company managed to do this, but I hate how they make it sound like they are hero's for those people who truly need the software.
What's even worse--while I'm on this rant--is that while a wheelchair is covered by insurance for a person that might need one, and insulin is covered for diabetics, etc.... if you have a reading disability, the insurance company could care less.
I hate Kurzweil.
Kurzweil has done a great deal for the blind community, which, as noted above is vanishingly small, and has not a great deal of money. It is not true that insurance covers these devices for "assisted living" in most circumstances.
I would also like to note that the politics here is interesting in that the NFB fought against tactile currency discrimination for the blind, but is promoting this $2500 item ($2,000 for the software and $500 for the phone, if I am not mistaken.)
My girlfriend is blind and her reaction, and that of her friends is that it would sure be a nice thing to have, but it is way out of their reach.
Screenreader software (Jaws and Window Eyes) hovers around the $1,000 mark, and every new GUI requires new software to interpret it, leaving aside the fact that most websites couldn't care less about the blind, and don't make their sites accessible anyway, even by such trivial actions such as using tags.
Mobile technology is a great chance for the many blind people around the world but it must be accessible and affordable. There is an open letter to Nokia, Google, the Open Handset Alliance and to
other companies, organisations andpeople from the r&d sector. It's very difficult to make non-disabled persons interested for the topics.
That's a pitty because only developers, organisations or companies could help to improve the mentioned issues and only the media could spread the ideas and proposals. It would be very helpful if other parties would inform about this important theme as well.
http://www.wikia.com/wiki/User:Per_B./Open_letter_initiative
I am an Occupational Therapist who worked in a Assistive Tecnology Unit. Yesterday, in a Puerto Rico's newspaper I read about this product. Is the kReader Mobile software been available in Spanish? It will be possible to get a free Demo trial?
I will appreciated your help.
Mayra Puig, OTR
Vocational Rehab. Center
Assistive Tecnology Unit
San Juan, PR