Hi all, http://braillewizard.org (You may have trouble opening that for a bit; I think their site is down for now.) I just saw this article via Twitter. Basically, a group is building a braille pda (20 cells, braille keyboard) called the Braille Wizard. However, a few very cool things make this device, set to launch sometime next year, quite different from the offerings currently out there: 1. It runs Android, the same Android powering many phones. It is not clear if the Wizard will run stock Android or a customized version, and so I am not sure if it will accept any Android app or if it requires specialized apps. Either way it sounds like it will be more open than current notetakers, though that may not be the case if only custom apps are accepted. 2. It has 32gb of onboard flash storage, four times the highest currently available (8gb on the BrailleNote Apex and Braille Sense Plus). 3. It has a built-in compass, gps receiver, and accelerometer. 4. It has bluetooth and wifi, but also has a cellular radio (type unspecified) so that you can sign a contract with a carrier supporting the Wizard's cell radio type and be online anywhere.
The article did not specify the size, except to say that it is the size of half a sheet of paper and less than an inch thick. It will have two usb ports, though it was not clear if those would support storage devices, printers, keyboards, and other usb devices. Nothing was mentioned about the processor, ram, wifi type, bluetooth version, braille display manufacturer, or other technical specs. No price was mentioned, but the article made it sound like this device would be offered at a relative cheap price. Remember that we are talking about 20 cells of refreshable braille; a 12-cell Braille Connect display is $2,000, and that is just a display and a mini keyboard. I bring this up as a point of interest only. If it turns out that the Wizard runs standard Android, it will be little different from the Pac Mate in that, while you can run anything for the operating system, accessibility is still hit-or-miss. Notetakers like the bn or bs families, which are specialized for blind users from the ground up and not just an accessible UI on top of a commercial base, are still the preferred option for many people. It is true that devices like the iPod, perhaps with a Braille Connect or other small display, may be pushing out specialized notetakers, but I do not think we will see that for some years. In the meantime, watch for the Wizard sometime next year. If I find out more I will let you know. -- Have a great day, Alex (msg sent from GMail website) [email protected]; http://www.facebook.com/mehgcap ___ Replies to this message will go directly to the sender. If your reply would be useful to the list, please send a copy to the list as well. To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to [email protected] To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit http://list.humanware.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote
