Does anybody have more recent information. Have the bugs been removed or ironed out Has the cost been reduced? Kanchan
----- Original Message ----- From: "Atul R Sahay" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, July 22, 2007 18:17 Subject: [AI] Braille Monitor on Kurzweil-National Federation of the BlindReader > This article is about an year old. Am posting it for those who may not > have read it. > > Kurzweil-National Federation of the Blind Reader > > > > Braille Monitor > July 2006 > > > > The Kurzweil-National Federation of the Blind Reader > > The Revolution Is Here! > > > > by James Gashel > > > >>From the Editor: Jim Gashel is the executive director for strategic >>initiatives for the National Federation of the Blind. He has been as >>involved as anyone > > in the planning and development of the Kurzweil-National Federation of the > Blind Reader. Now that the beta testing period is drawing to a close, it > seemed > > appropriate to ask him to make the announcement of the extraordinary > results of the collaboration between technological genius and the > knowledge and expertise > > of blind people. This is what he says: > > > > David Wright holds the Kurzweil-National Federation of the Blind Reader. > > > > In 1975 Ray Kurzweil invented the first multi-font optical character > recognition (OCR) technology capable of converting printed characters into > full-word > > synthetic speech. This system, which was about the size of a small > dishwasher, was called the Kurzweil Reading Machine. Joining with Ray > Kurzweil to test > > and launch this product, the NFB secured financial support to purchase six > preproduction units at a cost of $50,000 each. This technology was unique > and > > revolutionary in its time. > > > > Personal computers were not widely available and were not a mass-consumer > product in the 1970's, so the original Kurzweil Reading Machine was a > stand-alone, > > dedicated reading system with its own internal computer and built-in > scanner. Today the more modern version of the same technology--the > Kurzweil 1000--is > > computer software running on a standard desktop PC connected to a scanner. > > > > Although a certain amount of competition has developed over the last > thirty years, the Kurzweil Reading Machine and its offspring have been > widely regarded > > as the gold standard in text-to-speech conversion technology. However, > having this technology in a completely portable form has been an > unrealized dream. > > That was true until March 2006, when blind people throughout the United > States started to learn about and use the world's first handheld, > text-to-speech > > electronic reading system for the blind. This is called the > Kurzweil-National Federation of the Blind Reader. > > > > The name says it all. Unlike the Kurzweil Reading Machine, named for Ray > Kurzweil as its inventor, the portable Reader has been designed by Ray > Kurzweil > > and the National Federation of the Blind. Therefore this device bears both > names. This name also symbolizes the fact that the blind themselves have > played > > a leading role in making the world's first completely portable reader a > reality. > > > > The Reader combines the latest state-of-the-art digital camera technology > with a powerful personal data assistant (PDA). These components are housed > in > > a custom-designed vinyl case that also contains internal circuitry to > connect the camera and PDA to operate as a single system. Aside from this > hardware, > > the software is completely new in blindness technology, with several > features especially designed for this unique device. > > > > Here are some of the vital statistics: the Reader is 6 inches long, 3 > inches wide, and 2-1/2 inches thick and weighs 15 ounces. Although the > Reader is about > > a thousand times smaller than the original Kurzweil Reading Machine, the > PDA in the portable Reader is two thousand times faster. In fact, the > portable > > Reader can execute about 500 million instructions per second as compared > to 250,000 instructions per second for the Kurzweil Reading Machine. It > also has > > a thousand times more memory (64 megabytes as compared to 64 kilobytes). > > But the real difference is to have the power of reading in the palm of > your hand. Here are a few reactions from early users known as "Reader > ambassadors" > > and "Reader pioneers": > > > > Dwight Sayer: I have a neat story. Last week my BrailleNote rep came over > to bring my GPS unit and some software. She had gotten the disks mixed up, > and > > no one sighted was around. She couldn't tell which one was mine. I said, > "Wait a second . . ." I picked up a disk and shot a picture just pointing > the > > Reader straight at it. . . . In a few seconds the Reader just rattled off > the text on the CD, and I found I had my software right in my hands. The > rep, > > who was drooling by that time, spent the next hour or so testing the > Reader on everything from her checkbook to a receipt she had in her purse. > By the > > way the ATM receipts that pop out of our great ATM machine at the National > Center were read with ease as I was wondering what my balance was. . . . > This > > little machine is a keeper! > > > > Diane McGeorge investigates the navigation controls of the > Kurzweil-National Federation of the Blind Reader. > > > > Ron Gardner: The first thing I did with the Reader was go around my home > snapping photos of the wall hangings. My grandchildren have given us some > very > > precious quotes which are contained in framed hanging art. The quotes are > covered with glass, and I wondered if the glass would reflect too much > light. > > I am happy to report that the Reader worked with or without the flash, and > the glass did not prevent a great job. It was terrific to be able to read > these > > things from my grandchildren! > > > > Ramona Walhof: I demonstrated the Reader at my Lions Club this morning. I > started with the Idaho Potato Cookbook, which it does very well. It also > read > > the restaurant menu quite well, although it was green print on white > inside plastic. The Lions were more than astonished by its performance. > > > > Amber Chesser: After over a month of anticipation and after a week of > reading about everyone's experiences, I finally began using my Reader on > Friday afternoon. > > What a wonderful beginning it was, and what a wonderful weekend of reading > I have had! The Reader exceeded my expectations from the moment I took it > out > > of the box. It looked completely different from anything I had imagined. . > . . The unit is not bulky or too large; I definitely plan to carry it to > all > > of my university classes as well as to concerts, meetings, and anywhere > else I go every day. > > > > I was also quite surprised at the accuracy with which I took the pictures > from the start. . . .I could write a lengthy post brimming with > enthusiastic descriptions > > of everything that I read over the weekend. . . . I recognize that there > are definitely developments to be made, but at this time the marvelous > designers > > and developers have hit the nail on the head. Thanks, National Federation > of the Blind, for the honor of being a tester and for such an exciting > creation! > > > > Karl Smith: I just had to write one more time about my experiences at CSUN > with the Reader. This morning I attended a session discussing the future > of accessibility > > for portable computer platforms. This was more or less a discussion > session with not a whole lot of substance. During the presentation the > presenter mentioned > > that the NFB was about to announce the new Reader. Being much like a proud > grandpa with new pictures of his grandkids, I pulled my machine out and > waved > > it over my head. The presenter acknowledged that someone in the room > actually had one. The fun started after the end of the presentation. I was > suddenly > > surrounded by a large group of people wanting to see the Reader and know > how it worked. Someone gave me a legal-sized piece of print to read. . . A > short > > time later my trusty Reader began reading information on augmentative > communication. Everyone listened very quietly because of the low volume of > the PDA > > speakers, while the reading kept going and going with pretty much flawless > results. > > > > It was then that the man who gave me the paper admitted that he had > purposely given me what he considered to be a particularly awful piece of > material to > > scan. It was a printout of a half dozen or so PowerPoint slides from > another presentation. For me it was another one of those dream demos. It > went perfectly, > > and everyone was very excited. . . . Several of the people said that this > was the best part of the session. Folks, this thing is . . . the beginning > of > > a revolution. Rarely does a piece of technology by itself really represent > the beginning of an entirely new era for the blind. This one does just > that > > . . . man, this thing is fun. > > > > Vickie Saucier: I have now had my Reader for three days, and I agree with > Gary. You're not getting it back except for repairs, if needed. I've > experienced > > all the problems and limitations that everyone else has mentioned. When > Jim first demonstrated it, I was in tears, and I still feel that way. At > the first > > brief demonstration by my representative, I was terrified and thought that > I'd never be able to use it. Changing that battery seemed difficult: > remembering > > the commands, focusing, flash cards, etc. really caused me some alarm, > since I am not a teckie like some of you. However, I mastered all those > things except > > for the flash card (I just have to read the instruction manual, and I'll > know how to do that too). I even demonstrated how to do all those things > to another > > pioneer who didn't attend the demonstration. I am looking forward to all > the future improvements, but for now I'm happy reading those Jell-O boxes > and > > cleaning a bookshelf in my office without sighted assistance. It goes > everywhere with me, and next week it's going to see Mickey with me and my > grandson > > at one of my favorite places on the planet, Disney World. > > > > Juliett Cody: Yes, the Reader is good on bulletin boards. I did it on > campus today, and I was pleased. I was looking for scholarship > applications, so the > > postings were as large as a regular page. I must admit it was wonderful to > walk into the scholarship office and not have to wait until someone could > help > > me. I love the Reader, and, like I said before, I am not returning it. > > > > Ron Brown: On April 22 the Indiana State Library held a technology fair. > The NFB of Indiana was invited to show off NEWSLINE, so I decided to take > the Reader > > to the technology fair without any forewarning to the host. I charged up > my Reader, got together some prearranged documents to read, and went to > the fair. > > When I got to our booth, I set up shop and waited for the participants to > come by. It took only a few minutes for word to spread that the Reader was > there. > > > > Needless to say, the Reader was a big hit. Ours became the most popular > booth at the fair. Not only did the participants stop by, so did the other > presenters. > > The Reader and I worked from 10:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. nonstop. It worked > this long without my having to charge the battery. I had to change the > camera > > battery only once. Some of the people that gathered around started handing > me other documents to read. I took those documents and shot pictures of > them, > > and the Reader performed like a champ. I started grabbing Kernel books off > the table and any other document in sight to read. Yes, I threw caution to > the > > wind and went for it. When I opened a Kernel Book and held it away from me > up in the air; one guy from the crowd stated, "He's holding the book > upside > > down," and I shot the picture anyway. The Reader read the page about Mount > Everest being the tallest mountain in the world. I guess the Kernel Book > story > > I grabbed was "The Summit." The crowd went wild. I was told three people > asked how they could join the NFB. > > > > All in all it was a beautiful day, and the Reader was a big hit. I have > the sore feet and the loss of my voice from talking so much to prove it. > > > > James Solem: Recently I passed my prelim exams for my Ph.D. Needless to > say, the work has just begun. Yet the Kurzweil-National Federation of the > Blind > > Reader is making it possible. With the use of the Reader I was able to > complete the proposal, research prospectus, human subject review summary > form, and > > the informed consent form. Before having access to the Reader, I was > unable to read italics. The Reader does an outstanding job of enabling the > blind to > > complete legal documents. > > > > I am currently scanning research information that I have pulled from > numerous libraries. I can read it remotely at the university library, > study hall, gym, > > or home. This has freed me from having to need a reader to complete my > dissertation. I finally feel like I have a tool that has made me > independent and > > equal with my sighted peers. > > > > These comments indicate an overall positive response among early users of > the Kurzweil-National Federation of the Blind Reader, and we are only at > the dawn > > of this exciting new technology. Imagine what the future has in store for > us with this technology we have created to meet our needs. Now that the > Reader > > we have dreamed about is real, we have the opportunity and the ability to > build upon this new beginning and make our Reader an even more powerful > tool > > in the months and years ahead. > > > > Even with its present capacity, however, the Kurzweil-National Federation > of the Blind Reader reads most printed documents, from letters and memos > to pages > > in a book; reads address labels and instructions; reads an entire page or > just a few lines of text for identification; and provides easy access to > restaurant > > menus. The Reader even reads play or concert programs, instructions for > appliances, and numbers on lottery tickets--the possibilities are endless. > > > > There are hundreds of uses for the Reader every day. No other device in > the history of technology for the blind has provided quicker access to > more printed > > information than the Kurzweil-National Federation of the Blind Reader. The > world of the printed word is about to be opened to the blind in a way it > has > > never been before. Get ready; the revolution begins today! > > > > For more information contact the National Federation of the Blind Reader > information and sales line at (877) 708-1724. A limited number of Readers > are available > > at a special inaugural discount of $200 below the expected retail price of > $3,495. > To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, > please visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in > To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
