It's not a laser camera. It's just a laser barcode reader, and in my opinion they over charge for the thing. I am not going to commit to anything here. But if I can get ahold of a bluetooth barcode reader, the laser type, I would like to port an app that I wrote for the Icon/Braille Plus that does exactly the same thing. The issue is that a BT reader usually runs around $300 and that price point is still too high in my opinion. I would really like for the entry point to be in the 100 to 150 dollar range.
I have been wondering why the Digit-Eyes folks haven't considered this approach. It would not be very difficult to make it a setting to either use the camera or the scanner to grab the barcode and then query their database. Hell, I would even contemplate the $30 cost of the software and the $300 cost of a scanner if it had that functionality. Just my thoughts. Keith But if I can find On Jun 27, 2010, at 4:42 AM, Allison Manzino wrote: > Hi all, > > I have managed to scan a few things with sighted assistance. I will do a > podcast tomorrow on it. I think you have to wait for a minute or two for > Digit-eyes to come back with a positive ID. I didn't know the ID Mate had a > lazar camera that makes sense why it's so expensive. there is a trick with > Digit-Eyes according to my Mom. You have to hold the phone on it's side and > make sure the screen curtain is turned off. If you hold it a few inches away > from the item you're trying to scan you will get better results that way or > so I've found with the few things I tried. > > Allison > > On Jun 27, 2010, at 2:29 AM, Chris Moore wrote: > >> No not really, it is tricky, if you have a enough sight to see where the >> barcode is then you have a bit more success. It has been hit and miss with >> me and to be honest by the time I have managed to get it to read a barcode I >> have placed the item under my iPal Solo to have it read instead. I I have >> not used the ID mate in person, but I guess the 3D camera would explain its >> hight price. >> >> If you have no vision at all it is very difficult to locate the barcode, so >> this solution is not ideal, unless there was a ruling to say where barcodes >> can always be found. Let's hope the OCR solutions for the iPhone are more >> successful. But the barcode reader is not totally useless as I did manage >> to scan some things. >> On 27 Jun 2010, at 07:16, Bryan Smart wrote: >> >>> With Digit-Eyes, how do you find the bar code? When I was involved with the >>> development of an accessible bar code system a few years back, cameras >>> didn't do a good job. For the bar code recognition to work, the camera >>> couldn't face the bar code at an angle, at it had to be right-side-up. Of >>> course, a blind person doesn't necessarily know where on the box, can, or >>> bottle the bar code is to be found, so that creates a challenge. That's >>> partly why the ID Mate is so expensive. They must use a 3D laser scanner, >>> like is used in the check-out line at a grocery store. Those perform an >>> active scan, and can register bar codes at any angle, and even on curved >>> surfaces. You can basically hold up the scanner and turn the container in >>> front of the camera, and it will automatically scan the bar code as soon as >>> it's visible, regardless of the bar code's orientation. >>> >>> My thoughts were that the iPhone app would be like trying to read a bar >>> code with a CCD scanner. Yes, it would work but only if you knew where to >>> find the bar code, which way was right-side-up, and only if the bar code >>> was on a flat surface. Is it better than that? >>> >>> Bryan >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com >>> [mailto:macvisionar...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Allison Manzino >>> Sent: Saturday, June 26, 2010 10:03 AM >>> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com >>> Subject: Re: saytext: new OCR app for IPhone >>> >>> Hi Bryan and all, >>> >>> I can say with certainty that the camera on the 3GS works well for the new >>> bar code reader that Josh Lioncourt was talking about the other day >>> Digit-Eyes. I have downloaded it and it works well. Not having any >>> experience with the Iphone 4, I can't say about the cameras. I know it has >>> two according to Cara Quin's podcast. Have a great day. >>> >>> Allison >>> >>> On Jun 26, 2010, at 5:41 AM, Scott Howell wrote: >>> >>>> Bryan, >>>> >>>> From what I have heard, the 3GS camera will do the job even if it is not >>>> as good as the new iPhone 4. I will be very interested in how this >>>> application performs despite the limitations of the 3GS. >>>> On Jun 26, 2010, at 2:52 AM, Bryan Smart wrote: >>>> >>>>> The iPhone 4 should do a great job with this app. The 5 megapixel camera >>>>> provides the level of resolution that assisted KNFB Reader so much. With >>>>> the lower quality cameras, the DPI of scanned images is too low. >>>>> >>>>> Bryan >>>>> >>>>> -----Original Message----- >>>>> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com >>>>> [mailto:macvisionar...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Ricardo Walker >>>>> Sent: Friday, June 25, 2010 11:30 PM >>>>> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com >>>>> Subject: Re: saytext: new OCR app for IPhone >>>>> >>>>> No, >>>>> >>>>> The iPod touch doesn't have a camera. >>>>> On Jun 25, 2010, at 11:26 PM, Courtney Curran wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> Hi, >>>>>> Will this work with the Ipod Touch also? >>>>>> Courtney >>>>>> On Jun 25, 2010, at 11:20 PM, Ricardo Walker wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> Hi, >>>>>>> >>>>>>> I don't think it's out yet. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> I couldn't find it in the app store. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> hth >>>>>>> On Jun 25, 2010, at 9:15 PM, John J Herzog wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Hi all, >>>>>>>> I just got this link from a friend of mine. Apparently, this app is >>>>>>>> free, and it performs OCR using the new IPhone. It's different from >>>>>>>> the one that emails your image to a server and then gives you back >>>>>>>> text. This one actually performs OCR on the phone. >>>>>>>> Furthermore, it automatically takes pictures once the camera is >>>>>>>> aligned with the center of the document. >>>>>>>> Check out this link for more information. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> http://www.docscannerapp.com/saytext/ >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Can someone let me know how it works? >>>>>>>> John >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> -- >>>>>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>>>>> Groups "MacVisionaries" group. >>>>>>>> To post to this group, send email to macvisionar...@googlegroups.com. >>>>>>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>>>>>> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>>>>>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>>>>>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> -- >>>>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>>>> Groups "MacVisionaries" group. >>>>>>> To post to this group, send email to macvisionar...@googlegroups.com. >>>>>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>>>>> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>>>>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>>>>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> -- >>>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>>> Groups "MacVisionaries" group. >>>>>> To post to this group, send email to macvisionar...@googlegroups.com. >>>>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>>>> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>>>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>>>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>>>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>>>> To post to this group, send email to macvisionar...@googlegroups.com. >>>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>>> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>>>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>>>> To post to this group, send email to macvisionar...@googlegroups.com. >>>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>>> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>>> To post to this group, send email to macvisionar...@googlegroups.com. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>>> >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>> To post to this group, send email to macvisionar...@googlegroups.com. >>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>> For more options, visit this group at >>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>> To post to this group, send email to macvisionar...@googlegroups.com. >>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>> For more options, visit this group at >>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>> >> >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "MacVisionaries" group. >> To post to this group, send email to macvisionar...@googlegroups.com. >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >> > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "MacVisionaries" group. > To post to this group, send email to macvisionar...@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. 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