The bar code laser scanners are a huge market. Practically any high volume inventory management system, from super markets to package shipping companies use them. Economy of scale has made them about as cheap as they're going to be for quite some time. If we weren't blind, then a CCD-based scanner could do the job at practically no cost (less than $20). Of course, the built-in iPhone camera could do just as well. The laser-based scanners are the only ones that can recognize the labels in the way that we need.
One other point about the ID Mate. And, by the way, I'm not involved with that company, and don't own one, so have no personal reason to defend it. Besides the cost of the laser scanner, another large portion of the cost involves the licensing fee that they must pay to the manufacturer of the bar code database in order to legally distribute it with the ID Mate. I know that there are some free bar code databases online, and some sites that search those databases, but those barely contain anything other than the product name. The commercial databases also include everything from ingredients to cooking directions. Even a basic reader would be welcome, but, in order to have something nice, you'd also be required to license a bar code database, and that would jack up the price of your app. Because of the database size, you might not be able to bundle it with the app itself, due to App Store size restrictions. So, you'd have to keep the database online, which means a user's one-time purchase of your app would need to cover your web hosting costs in perpetuity. That isn't possible. So, your app would need to be a subscription-based service. I don't know how willing people would be to pay a monthly fee to read bar codes. I would, but lots of people are too cheap to support tools like that. Bryan -----Original Message----- From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com [mailto:macvisionar...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Keith Watson Sent: Sunday, June 27, 2010 11:02 AM To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com Subject: Re: saytext: new OCR app for IPhone 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. 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.
